By now you have probably heard of Feng Shui, a hugely popular interior design and decorating technique now used by so many people, both professionals and hobbyists. You may be curious where this technique originated and why so many people are raving about it.

If you’re contemplating re-decorating or re-arranging your home or office, try doing it the Feng Shui way to enhance your prosperity as you improve the organization, comfort, and comeliness of your space! Learn about the origin of Feng Shui here before you embark on your quest to utilize it in your living room, office, or even your bathroom.

An ancient Chinese practice that may have begun around 4000 BCE or earlier, Feng Shui is commonly used in western cultures today to decorate homes and arrange furniture. Many people claim that Feng Shui can affect one’s personal relationships, physical well-being, and even finances. However, the practice was traditionally used in China to choose a place to live, a place to be buried, or even for crop arrangement and agricultural planning.

Pronounced “fung-shway” or “fung-shwee” in English, the words “fung shui” are literally translated to mean “wind-water”. The practice is believed to promote positive Qi, which can help to improve one’s life, by using the laws of heaven and earth. Qi is often translated to mean “energy flow” or the energy that is active in all things.

An early example of the use of Feng Shui in China is Banpo, an archaeological site in the Yellow River Valley, which was discovered in 1953 and is made up of settlements dating back to around 4500 BCE. The doors of dwellings there were astronomically aligned to the winter solstice. Similar alignments have been discovered within ancient ruins elsewhere in the world, so the Chinese were not the only ones using such building practices.

There are numerous classical techniques of Feng Shui, including Bagua, Zi Bai, Ba Zhai, and Qimen Dunjia, all utilizing differing methods and practices. Overall, Feng Shui seems to be based on Taoist principles, an understanding that nature is full of energy and very alive.

Practice of Feng Shui incorporates the compass (lo-pan) and the Ba-Gua, a grid in the shape of an octagon which contains I-Ching symbols. I-Ching, Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements are basic principles derived from Taoism and play a large part in the practice of Feng Shui.

I know this all may seem very complicated at first, but there’s no need to be intimidated for there are many resources which were created to make it easier for you to use Feng Shui decorating techniques in your home! You can easily find tips for decorating each room of your house according to Fen Shui, as well as adding the use of crystals, fountains, or clocks to decorate your home for optimal prosperity. There is even a Feng Shui technique for the proper use of colors in your home.

Without a doubt, your home or office can be beautifully decorated, uniquely organized, and Qi-optimized using Feng Shui techniques! Whether you’re planning to redecorate or just re-arrange and re-organize, why not do it the Feng-Shui way? You can start now with an informative eBook, how-to videos, or even sign up for an online class!

The ancient mystical practice and spiritual path of Yoga is believed to date back to the 8^th century BC, the main sources of its concepts being Indian texts such as Upanishad and the Mahabharata. Although, seals from as distant a time as a thousand years earlier depicting yoga- and meditation-like postures were discovered by archaeologists at the Indus Valley Civilization site and many scientists think these drawings suggest a precursor of yoga.

In essence, the aim of the spiritual path of Yoga is achieving a union with the Supreme Consciousness, or even loftier goals set by some yogis (practitioners of yoga). However, outside India it is most commonly associated with the practice of postures and/or as a form of exercise. It can certainly have its advantages in both cases.

Raja Yoga is one of six orthodox āstika (schools of thought) in Hindu philosophy. The term yoga is derived from Sanskrit, its root word can be translated a number of ways. For instance, it is most commonly taken to mean “uniting” or “joining”, but sometimes it is understood as “mode, manner, means”. With so many varied systems of yoga philosophy (similar to sects of Christianity) there may really be something for everyone to identify with and take to heart, but as mentioned before it is generally practiced in the western world today for health and well-being.

Practicing yoga postures can help to ensure optimum blood flow and supply throughout your body while massaging your various organs and gently stretching your joints and muscles as well. Yoga may increase the flexibility of the practitioner by exercising little-used joints and also help to lubricate different tendons and ligaments in the body of the practitioner. This can even be done by beginners with non-strenuous positions!

It is also suggested that by regularly messaging organs within our body which tend to not receive any external stimulation during everyday activity, we can become more aware of our bodies and more quickly and easily sense early onset symptoms of disease and infection, enabling us to take sooner action and better control of our physical health.

In addition, increasing and enhancing blood flow throughout the body of the practitioner can help to flush out toxins, which may lead to decreased ageing, increased energy, and essentially enhance the practitioner’s quality of life! (Not to mention this valuable exercise can tone your muscles and trim excess body fat.)

I know, in spite of the vast multitude of benefits that yoga can offer for your mind, body, and soul, you still may not want to join an expensive class, or wear something like a leotard in a room full of strangers! Breathe easy, the above is not necessary at all, you are free to try it for yourself in the comfort of your own home by taking advantage of one of many available resources such as videos, books, or even eBooks which can help you to get started. Good luck and namaste!

If you have read our previous article on this topic, you know how common it is for women to be assaulted or raped by their friends, associates, even their lover or their spouse. Those cases of assault are often unforeseen and self defense techniques are necessary. However, women can also be very vulnerable to assault by strangers, and this can largely be prevented by understanding high risk situations, making the right choices, and sometimes following your gut instinct when something doesn’t feel right!

Women can indeed have uncanny intuition and instincts at times and listening to it can pay off in dangerous situations. Think about it… How many times has it crossed your mind “If only I had listened to my gut”? I’m sure we can all recall at least a few incidents in the course of our lives where we have done something, against our better judgment and instinct, and later said that very thing. If something suddenly tells you to look around, walk faster, or run, you need to listen to it! The worst thing that can happen in this situation is that you might look very odd to strangers, but it could very well save your life. If you have an instinct not to enter a building, leave a building, round a corner, follow that intuition!

There are countless safety tips to help women understand high-risk situations and prevent unnecessary vulnerability; I’ll try to sum up as many as I can:

-          Always be aware of your surroundings. It may look strange to be constantly glancing in all directions, but paying attention to your immediate environment is of the utmost importance. Try to look at people’s faces whenever possible, rather than their clothes. Possible attackers may also be deterred from approaching someone who appears aware of what’s going on, they want to catch someone off-guard.

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-          Routines are a stalker’s best friend. Try to change yours whenever possible, it will make it harder for a possible attacker to predict where you are going to be at any time.

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-          Don’t assume you will be safe in public places. Laundromats, bus stops, parking lots, even public restrooms can be targeted by attackers as places to find vulnerable victims. Go during busier hours when there are more people around even if it’s uncomfortable or crowded. Choose a more populated bus stop whenever possible. If you must go to the store at night when the parking lot is dark and empty, don’t be afraid to ask an employee to escort you to your car.

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-          While driving, always lock your doors. Never pull over if someone in another car comes along-side you and tries to signal to you, wait until the nearest populated place, like a gas station or rest area, if you want to check your car. Try to park near an entrance or exit in a parking garage or parking lot. Always let friends and family know where you are going and the route you are taking to get there. Never EVER pick up a hitch-hiker or stop to help someone who seems to have car trouble, just call the police to assist them. If you suspect you’re being followed, do NOT drive to your home or stop in a desolate area, call the police or drive to the closest police station.

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-          When jogging or walking, try to stay in bright and open areas. Avoid passing too close to big bushes, dark doorways, alleys, vans or high vehicles. Don’t wear headphones. Try to take someone with you whenever possible, find a jogging partner, and walk to and from your car with co-workers. Vary your routines. If you think someone is following you, look at them and do it often, show them that you are aware.

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-          Before getting into your car, look inside and look under your car and the ones parked next to yours before you approach. Have your keys ready before you get to your vehicle or your home. Before getting out of your vehicle, and before getting a child out of the back seat, look around, note anyone nearby and make sure you are safe. You are especially vulnerable while leaning into the back of your car and when your hands are full. If there are signs of entry when you get home, do NOT go inside.

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-          While “out on the town,” attach yourself to friends, agree to watch over each other. Never leave your drink unattended, attackers can easily get their hands on a date rape drug. Don’t get intoxicated. Have fun, but keep a clear head. Never leave with a stranger, or even a drunk male acquaintance. Ask your friends if you can leave together, or if you must leave alone ask an employee to walk you out (like a bouncer).

Your brain is an attacker’s worst enemy. Be smart. Be informed. Be confident. Be careful. Be prepared. And be ready to defend yourself!

Violence is prevalent in society, no matter where you live chances are you hear about more violence than you would like. Thinking about the possibility of being a victim of violence can be very uncomfortable. You may not even want to admit that you too could become a target at any time, but it’s so important to overcome that fear and address the issue. Doing so can allow you to take proper precautions to prevent vulnerability for an attack and it can also help you to be better prepared to defend yourself and your family or friends in the case of an attack.

When you think about and visualize a situation that would require you to physically defend yourself, you may imagine yourself inside a parking garage, or a darkened alley, or traveling to your car in an empty parking lot at night, and you may think that you simply wouldn’t be in alone in such obviously risky and vulnerable positions. While this thought process does indicate an understanding of prevention, it does not mean that you don’t need to know about self defense!

According to the National Organization for Women (NOW) in America, women are most commonly assaulted by someone that they know, or even someone that they trust. They have found that 572,000 women are reportedly assaulted each year by someone whom they are intimately involved with, and as many as 170,000 of these incidents result in emergency room care, hospitalization, or doctor’s attention. However, if these are the statistics of reported battering, how many more do you suppose go unreported? Even the most conservative estimates suggest as many as 2 to 4 million of all races and classes are battered each year.

Considering that violence against women knows no bounds as far as class or race goes, I think it’s reasonable to assume that such rates may be similar all over the world, or even higher in many countries where women are still commonly discriminated against.

The NOW also informs us that every year approximately 132,000 women in the US report having been victims of rape or attempted rape, and more than half of them knew their attackers. They estimate that anywhere from 2 to 6 million rapes and attempted rapes go unreported! They also claim that 1.2 million women each year are forcibly raped by their current or former male parents, some more than once.

These are almost unbelievable statistics and anyone can surely become one of them unexpectedly. You do not have to allow yourself to be victimized simply because you lack the knowledge and training to fight back and defend yourself! We can take an active part in ensuring that these rates do not climb, but decrease, simply by learning to be responsible for our own safety and flat out refuse to be another victim.

If an attacker learns that his victims will no longer be bullied and abused, do you suppose he will think twice about continuing to try assaulting women? I think so. We are the weaker sex no longer! Check back for future articles on this topic, or start educating your self about defense and return to tell other readers about your experience.

Most people do it at night. It is involuntary and they cannot help it, because they usually aren’t aware they are doing it. It often becomes more prevalent after the age of 30. According to some studies, as many as 59% of adults admit to it and until the point when a woman reaches menopause, her male counterparts are twice as likely as she is to start doing it. Pediatricians even report that at least 5% of children do it habitually as well.

Regularly and consistently snoring is no longer being treated as a person’s quirk or idiosyncrasy by the medical community. Money is being spent and a multitude of research studies are being conducted to understand and treat what is now understood to be both the symptom of a more serious problem (like sleep apnea) in some cases and the cause of various conditions in other cases.

Snoring is obstructed breathing during sleep which causes vibrations in the tissues of your throat and respiratory structures, resulting in sound. The louder the snoring, the more forceful the air flow, the more narrowed and obstructed the airway, thus the more serious the problem.

There are many contributing factors to airflow blockage during sleep, but the most common culprits tend to be an elongated uvula, a low palate, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Being overweight can be a contributing factor to blockage of the throat. A deviated nasal septum or chronic nasal congestion may also be to blame. Alcohol consumption before bed can relax your throat muscles and dull your natural defenses against airway constriction as well.

Sleep apnea, a condition which may cause a person to stop breathing for brief periods throughout the night, is of great concern and certainly requires attention from a physician. If you suspect a loved one is suffering from sleep apnea, you must discuss your concerns, they may not realize what is happening.

That, however, is certainly not the only serious health concern related to habitual snoring, as some doctors now believe that persistent snoring due to chronic airway obstruction can increase a persons lifetime risk of developing heart problems such as stroke, high blood pressure, and heart failure. Obstructive sleep apnea in children can possibly increase the risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, no matter the age of your loved one, if you suspect such conditions related to their snoring, it is essential to discuss it and help them to seek treatment.

Even mild snoring can have a very negative impact on the quality of one’s daily life. It can amount to sleep deprivation, causing irritability, daytime drowsiness, an inability to focus, and also a decrease in libido. Researchers have also suggested that nighttime snoring may contribute to social and psychological damage to those suffering from it.

So, it may be worthwhile to learn about a method of prevention before your or your loved ones snoring escalates. Not only will it help the both of you to attain a better nights sleep and feel more rested, energized, and well during the day, but it can also help to decrease the risk of some serious health conditions in the future! Sleep on that.

Discover how you can improve the quality and quantity of sleep for you and your partner.

Snoring is not only disruptive, it can in fact be very dangerous!  Click Here!  to learn more.

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