Becoming Your StellarSelf

7 Green Things Anyone Can Do

I have tried to be "green" all of my adult life -- driving fuel-efficient cars, taking public transportation when I could, recycling, minimizing my use of household chemicals, eating organic or pesticide-free foods. But, at times in the past, I slacked off in certain areas because it took too much time, space and effort. For example, my town didn't used to have recycling collection, so I would have to store newspapers, cans and bottles until I had enough to justify the trek to the collection center. I used to belong to food co-ops, which required monthly time and energy commitments, in order to get decent prices on organic foods. And there was a time when I had to mail-order compact flourescent bulbs and recycled paper products, as they weren't available locally.

However, over the years, as green products and services have become more common, I have found that being green becomes easier and easier. Here are 7 easy green practices, which I have found take very little extra effort:

1) Replace your regular light bulbs with compact flourescents (available in Home Depot and many other easily-accessible stores). While it is important to not throw away your used flourescents (they contain mercury, so can't just be thrown out), I have never had to throw one out (and some of mine are over 10 years old!).

2) Buy 100% recycled toilet paper, paper napkins and paper towels (it is better to use cloth, but if that doesn't work for you, 100% recycled is best). Marcal is a common brand that is made from 100% recycled, 60% post-consumer paper. It is easily found in grocery stores, as well as Staples.

3) Keep a supply of reusable bags in your car. Most grocery stores carry them for $1 or less, and will give you a 5 or 10 cent credit each time you use one. Target also carries reusable bags. Use your bags in any situation where a store might give you plastic.

4) Donate your old books and clothes to Goodwill or some other charitable collection center. Why add them to landfills when they could be used by someone else?

5) Replace your dishwashing and laundry detergents with biodegradable, earth-friendly brands. Most grocery stores now carry green products by brands like Seventh Generation.

6) Use waxed paper bags for sandwiches rather than plastic.

7) Purchase organic and locally-produced foods. Many stores now have store-brand organics, which do not cost more than name-brand non-organic products. And seasonal, locally-grown produce is abundant and well-priced.

First Annual NIH Yoga Week: Exploring the Science & Practice of Yoga

For the first time ever, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD will be offering a full program of classes, exhibits, demonstrations, talks and special events all around the topic of yoga throughout the week of May 19 to May 23. Speakers from all across the country have been invited to share their knowledge about the science and practice of yoga.

The program, NIH Yoga Week: Exploring the Science and Practice of Yoga, was designed to teach NIH employees and the general public about the benefits of yoga, through discussion of research on its benefits, as well as through demonstrations.

This event is significant in that the NIH, a 120-year-old US government agency, is endorsing a practice that 30 years ago, would have been considered very alternative. Now, with substantial scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of yoga, and large percentages of the US population practicing it in some form, it has become very much a part of the mainstream.

The NIH has been making efforts for some time now to better understand non-traditional non-Western forms of health care. In 1999, the NIH established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to study the many forms of non-biomedical health treatments that are being used by an increasingly large portion of Americans. The NCCAM website offers information on other modalities including energy medicine, herbal remedies, Ayurveda, homeopathy and more.

The schedule, as of April 3, is listed below. To learn more about Yoga Week, and to see a full schedule of events, visit the official Yoga Week website.

Monday, May 19, 2008 (Building 45 Natcher Auditorium)
Time: 10:00am - 11:00am
Title: Visit NIH Recreation and Welfare Sponsor Booths on the lower level of Natcher, outside the auditorium!
Sponsored by: Weight Watchers / Honest Tea / Whole Foods / Thrive Yoga / Inner Reaches Yoga / Unity Woods Yoga / Burt's Bees / the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation / NIH Recreation and Welfare

Time: 11:00am - 11:15am
Title: "Kick-Off to 1st Annual NIH Yoga Week"
Speakers: Rachel Permuth-Levine, Ph.D., NHLBI / Virginia Hill, OD / Susan Bowen, Owner, Thrive Yoga

Time: 11:15am - 12:00pm
Title: "The Sciences of Hatha Yoga, Tantra, and Ayurveda"
Speaker: Yogiraj Alan Finger, founder of ISHTA Yoga

Time: 12:00pm - 12:15pm (Break)
Explore the Visiting Merchants tables
Sponsored by NIH Recreation and Welfare Association

Time: 12:15pm - 1:00pm
Title: "Yoga Stretches for the Desk and Office",
Speaker: Rachel Permuth-Levine, Ph.D., NHLBI

1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Cake Cutting from Eurest Dining Services
Explore the Visiting Merchants tables
Sponsored by the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association

Time: 1:45pm - 2:30pm
Title: "Yoga Practice Outside - Location (TBD)
Notes: Weather Permitting; Bring Your Own Mat!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 (6130 Executive Blvd (EPN) Conference Rooms C-F)
Time: 11:00am - 11:30am
Speaker: Rhonda Moore, Ph.D., Introducing the Week's Events
Title: "NCI Research Portfolio on Yoga Research"
Speaker: Jeffrey D. White, M.D., NCI

Time: 11:30am - 12:15pm
Title: "Discussion of Past and Ongoing Research on Tibetan Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Qigong in Cancer"
Speaker: Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D. (Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center)

Time: 12:15pm - 12:30pm (Break)

Time: 12:30pm - 1:15pm
Title: "The Secret Treasure of Yogic Alignment"
Speaker: John Schumacher (Founder and Director of Unity Woods Yoga Center)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 (Building 10 Masur Auditorium)
Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm
Title: “The Science of Yoga”
Speaker: Timothy McCall, M.D., Medical Editor of Yoga Journal Magazine and author of Yoga as Medicine

Time: 12:30pm-1:00pm (Break)
Conversation with Dr. McCall

Time: 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Title: "Yoga Session" (all levels) in Building 31, Room B4-C18 Fitness Center - Bring Your Own Mat!
Instructor: Judith Lyon, RYT-500, Founder of NIH Yoga Program (over ten years) and Yoga Instructor at NIH and Sun and Moon Yoga

Time: 6:30pm-9:00pm
Title: Networking Dinner, all are welcome, space very limited.
Location: Penang Restaurant (Malaysian Cuisine), (301) 657-2878
4933 Bethesda Ave, Bethesda, MD
RSVP required to: levinerac@mail.nih.gov

Thursday, May 22, 2008 (6701 Rockledge Dr. (Rockledge Two) Conference Rooms 9100/9104)
Time: 11:00am - 11:45am
Title: "Therapeutic Applications of Iyengar Yoga for Low Back Pain"
Speaker: Kimberly Williams, Ph.D., West Virginia University, Certified Iyengar Instructor

Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Title: "Yoga Research: Past, Present, and Future"
Speaker: Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Ph.D., Director of Research, Kundalini Research Institute Research Director, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health Assistant Professor of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School

Time: 1:15pm - 1:45pm
Title: “Safe and Healthy Facial Care”
Speaker: Denise Clark, Training and Education Manager, Burt’s Bees
Sponsored by the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association

Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Title: "Free Yoga Class" (all levels) in Rockledge 1 Fitness Center (6705 Rockledge Dr.) Suite 5070

6:00pm - 8:00pm
Title: "Yoga and Meditation in the management of Stress"
Speaker: Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Ph.D., Director of Research, Kundalini Research Institute Research Director, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health Assistant Professor of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School
Location: Thrive Yoga, Rockville, Maryland
Note: Pre-registration is required (there is a cost to this lecture), for additional information e-mail: susan@thriveyoga.com

Friday, May 23, 2008 (6001 Executive Blvd (Neuroscience Center) Conference Rooms C - E)
Time: 11:00am - 11:45am
Title: "Yoga as a Corporate Stress Management Tool"
Speaker: Terri Kennedy, Ph.D., MBA, RYT, CHHC, Chair of the Board, Yoga Alliance

Time: 11:45am - 12:15pm
Title: “Earth-Friendly Body-Care”
Speaker: Denise Clark, Training and Education Manager, Burt’s Bees
Sponsored by the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association

Time: 12:15pm - 1:00pm
Title: "Yoga Nidra: Guided Meditation for Stress Management and Relaxation" Bring Your Own Mat if possible!
Instructor: Neva Ingalls, ERYT-500, Certified Yoga Therapist and Director of Inner Domain Yoga Alliance Registered School

Roman Holiday: Love Potion No. 9

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the things that has struck me about Rome is the interweaving of the sacred and the profane in every part of the city. An example of this was my discovery of an incredibly unique and wonderful store called Ai Monasteri, which features products made in the ancient monastic tradition. This beautiful store, set up like an old pharmacy, carries a variety of wines, liquors, preserves, honeys, beauty products, candies and teas produced by monks from 7 different monasteries throughout Rome. In addition to these more typical souvenir-type products, they also carry a variety of elixirs and remedies, made from ancient recipes. When the store was established in 1894, herbal remedies were their focus. And many of the products are made from recipes dating back to pre-Christian Rome, which were preserved through the writings of the monks during the Middle Ages.

There are remedies for all that ails you, including stress, joint pain, weight control, melancholy, sleep disorders, fatigue, eyesight, cholesterol, circulation, digestion, skin health, coughing, smoking cessation and much more.

One of the elixirs that caught my eye was the Elixir Dell' Amore, which is described as: "The formula and modus operandi used for this “Love Potion” dates back to the 16th century. It was rediscovered in the Ricettario Senese (Sienese Book of Prescriptions) by one of our ancestors at the end of the 19th century. Only ten bottles of this exclusive liqueur are made each year, as it requires an extremely careful, drawn-out process. People were told to drink this elixir when they were not in the mood for love to arouse desire and give them energy. It is made by carefully adding officinal plants during the long distillation process, making this drink extremely tasty and effective."

The other elixir that sparked my interest was the Elixir Della Felicita', described thusly: "Happiness is quite easy to find. Sometimes, often by chance, our thoughts return to the past and we remember and re-live happy moments. Sitting in a comfortable and quiet corner of your home in a peaceful moment with a glass of this herbal liqueur in your hand will almost certainly help you to dig up such lost moments."

If you are interested in their products, they can be ordered through the Ai Monasteri website. Their PDF catalog contains detailed descriptions of their many wonderful products.

Becoming Her VeganSelf

The following post was written by guest blogger, Julia Guarino.

When I was five years old, I arrived home one day from kindergarten and announced to my parents that I was going to become a vegetarian. They were surprised, but as I seemed determined, they obliged, asking advice from my pediatrician but not sure how long my desire would last. By ten however, I had completely eliminated the fish and poultry that I sometimes ate, and I have been completely vegetarian ever since. This past year, for my final year of college, I moved into my first apartment, and in the excitement of newly possessing a kitchen, I subscribed to Vegetarian Times. It is full of wonderful recipes and tips on products to buy and restaurants to frequent for both lacto-ovo vegetarians (those who still consume eggs and dairy products), and vegans (those who have eliminated all animal products, including eggs, dairy and honey). I had never really considered becoming vegan. Even though I had long ago chosen to use soy milk over cow’s milk and to replace butter with non-hydrogenated-oil-based margarine (like Smart Balance, which tastes remarkably similar), I knew giving up cheese and eggs would take immense effort, and I wasn’t sure it was worth it. After all, not only did I enjoy these things, but as a vegetarian it was extremely difficult to order a meal at a restaurant with any protein in it that didn’t come from one of these two sources.

However, as the year continued, several articles on the health benefits of veganism published in the Vegetarian Times encouraged me to eliminate more and more animal products from my diet, and the more I did so, the more I realized that it felt really good. I began to do some research. Could I really do this? Did it make sense to become vegan? Would the benefits outweigh the inconvenience?

My research gave me a fairly clear answer: it is difficult, and you have to do it right, but if you’re willing to put it in the effort, it is worth it. I came across several medical studies done on vegan groups, providing evidence that a plant-based diet has enormous health benefits, including helping to prevent cancer, reversing the need for medication in type-2 diabetes patients, and more. Concern over the risks of malnourishment (as in the infamous case of the Queens baby) are not entirely unfounded, but seem to be fairly easy to avoid; as long as attention is paid to the vegan’s consumption of protein as well as some vitamins found in less concentrated amounts in non-vegan diets, such as vitamins B12, iron, calcium and zinc, even children live quite healthily on it.

I can't say that the switch is easy, and I have still not made it completely, but the less eggs and dairy I eat, the better I feel. Perhaps it is simply a feeling of accomplishment, but either way, I know I am doing better for my body, and it is worth it, despite the inconvenience.

First Foray Into Fondant

Whenever I find myself feeling overwhelmed by the number of things on my plate, I take a step back, re-assess and reprioritize. And one of the things I do to lower my stress level is to take some time out to indulge in something for the pure pleasure of it. One of my simple pleasures is baking. Here is a picture of my first fondant-covered cake, which I made for my sister-in-law's birthday

Welcome to the 107th Carnival of Healing

Welcome to the the 107th Carnival of Healing, a weekly round-up of personal blog posts on the topics of holistic health, wellness, spirituality, and self empowerment. Before I begin, I'd like to offer a big thank you to Phylameana lila Désy for creating and nurturing this Carnival.

Now, on with the show...

We received an amazing response to the call for entries, and I want to thank everyone who submitted an article. Following you will find a collection of musings, advice and practical exercises touching upon all aspects of wellbeing -- mind, body and spirit. I have grouped them into categories, in no particular order, by topic:

Some Things to Think About, Some Things to Try:
In her post, Another Driving Meditation: Krishnamurti, Radio and Distractions, Isabella Mori of Change Therapy invites us inside her head to witness a spirited dialogue she has with herself while driving. The part of herself that is seeking distractions from the here-and-now debates the centered part that was hoping to do some driving meditation, while various expert voices chime in with their opinions! She comes to the realization that "thinking about meditating is not the same as meditating; it's just another distraction."

Raymond David Salas over at Zen Chill encourages us to turn to our “miracle activation” button when faced with overwhelming challenges. He then gives us specific instructions for activating it, his thoughts on how and why it works, then encourages us to trust in the wisdom of our higher selves. Read his post, How to Push the "Miracle Activation" Button, to find out more.

Matthew Spears of Loving Awareness offers a meditative exercise that can be done with a partner, or with oneself, to help overcome the false sense of separateness we often fall into. In his post, The Unity In Love, he states that "Love is always a journey towards oneness, toward unity. Loving yourself is loving another, and loving another is loving yourself. Realizing and living this attracts you to experiences that manifest it to you, rather than separation and conflict."

Drawing from the concepts of Imago Relationship Therapy, Alex Blackwell at The Next 45 Years discusses the power struggles that can occur in couples when one or the other partner feels that his/her needs are not being met, and is unable to ask for what is needed in an objective, emotionally-neutral manner. See his post, Power Struggle to Power to Love.

David B. Bohl over at Slow Down Fast Today! points out that we need to think twice when we discount our achievements, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of those around us -- When You Discount Yourself, You Discount Me. "Why can’t we just realize that discounting ourselves hurts others, and have more compassion for them than we show in our self-centered discounting? I believe that if we could just change this one thing in our lives, we could become people we can’t even imagine now."

Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper talks about The Power of An Idea, stating "My objective in sharing these short stories is to impress upon you that anyone can take an idea, build some momentum, overcome a few challenges, deal with the obligatory crap that life dishes out and create something amazing and at the same time re-invent themselves."

On the Metaphysical Side:
Shirley at Fun Spirit says, "We’ve all heard lots of stress relief technique remedies like exercising, eating right, getting enough sleep and relaxing. Now I’m adding one more to the list – meditation with crystals. Sure, to some it may sound silly, stupid, or like mere wishful thinking. How could a stupid rock help anyone relax?" In response to her own question, Shirley refers to some scientific evidence, along with her own observations in her article, Stress relief - rocks that help you relax.

Chris at Martial Development explains that "with the ability to see human auras, it is possible to understand the workings in the human body. Depending on the colors and the intensity of the aura around the individual, the condition of the individual can be deciphered." In his post Developing Your Ability to See Auras, he provides us with some practical exercises for developing our ability to see people's auras.

Addictions:
Jolynn Braley at The Fit Shack discusses a news article about a study on the combined effects of sugar, fat, and salt on laboratory rats. It appears that their brains responded to these substances the same way they would to opium or morphine. In her article, Fast Food, Heroin, and Food Addiction, What’s the Connection?, she reflects on how this may tie in to people's addictions to certain unhealthy foods.

And Tracee Sioux, author of Quit Coping looks back at her history of coping with stress from her new perspective as a non-smoker, and sees things in a different light. "Since a distructive behavior, smoking, clouds every memory and emotion since I was 13 years old do I have to reinvent my own history to let smoking go?" Check out her post Reinventing History.

Physical Health:
Tupelo Kenyon extols the virtues of five simple exercise that can be done by almost anyone for an investment of just 15-20 minutes per day. Read his article 5 Tibetan Rites - Easy Yoga for Busy People to learn about the benefits he has reaped from his simple, but effective daily practice.

Debra Moorehead at DebraMoorehead.com (who, by the way, will be hosting next week's Carnival). How Amanda Lost 35 Pounds in Six Months Debra presents her first podcast, an interview with Amanda Faris who lost 35 pounds in six months by following Debra's diet that she had posted last year.

Jeni at Savvy Skin reminds you to Protect Your Skin When You Fly. She encourages you to use moisturizer in order to offset some of the drying effects of airplane travel, and offers up some product recommendations.

Matt Wolfe, guest blogger at Be Healthy and Relax offers some tips on How To Relax for sports fans whose teams didn't make it to the playoffs, and anyone else in need of some stress relief :)

Fitbuff at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog sings the praises of the New Wii Fitness Game Coming Soon (to a store near you in early 2008), which allows you to have fun while burning calories. While the current wii is very interactive, "the Wii Fit will incorporate a 'Wii Balance Board' that will sense the player's full body motion, allowing for jumping, leaning, and endless other possibilities."

Societal Health:
In her article, Socially Sustainable, Lisa Nave makes a case for social sustainability, saying that "When we practice environmental sustainability, we act in accord with what is healthy for the earth as a whole. We let our knowledge in science and nature guide our actions. When we practice social sustainability, we act in accord with what is healthy for humanity." She outlines some of the ways in which she envisions it, then invites you to contemplate ways in which you can make your life more socially sustainable.

Jimmy Atkinson at Nursing Online Education Database lays out some major healthcare policy issues and how 9 of the presidential candidates (Democratic and Republican) stand on those issues in his article Comparison: Presidential Candidates on Major Healthcare Issues.

And that's it for this week's Carnival!
For more information or to see past Carnival of Healing submissions and guidelines, please visit the Carnival of Healing homepage. And, if you didn't have a chance to view last week's Carnival of Healing, you can find it at Therapeutic Reiki.

Drugs Not Hugs

Having witnessed first-hand a glimpse of the seemingly infinite supply of hugs being provided by Amma, the hugging saint, when she was in the DC area. And having been moved and inspired by the Free Hugs Campaign video, I was saddened to see a recent article in the Washington Post Express' EyeOpeneners section entitled "Somewhere, a Care Bear Just Died" about a middle school in Illinois where hugging has been banned. Apparently the principal, Victoria Sharts, feels that the hugging is excessive and has been causing tardiness and hallway traffic jams. Sharts was quoted as saying, "Hugging is really more appropriate for airports or for family reunions than passing and seeing each other every few minutes in the halls." If that were the case, most people would receive just a handful of hugs per year, at most. :(

Not only are hugs nice, research has shown time and again the importance of human touch on the mind and body. For example, in an experiment by psychologist James Coan of the University of Virginia, in collaboration with Dr. Hillary Schaefer and Dr. Richard J. Davidson of the University of Wisconsin, married women were subjected to a stress-inducing activity. Those who received a comforting touch from their husbands experienced a immediate and significant reduction of activity in the area of their brains that becomes active during fear, danger, and threat. While not as strong as that from their spouses, comforting touch from a stranger also had measurably positive effects.

Also, ongoing research by Tiffany Field, PhD, of the University of Miami School of Medicine, has shown that massage is effective in reducing stress, depression, anxiety, pain and in boosting the immune system. And a 2004 study by Christopher Moyer, James Rounds, and James Hannum at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign found that having multiple therapeutic massage treatments over time reduced depression and anxiety at rates equivalent to those produced by traditional psychotherapy.

Scientific studies aside, adolescence is a developmental stage where feeling connected and cultivating intimate relationships is crucial. So, while I understand her need to maintain order in her school, I think that Sharts edict is misguided. Perhaps she just needs a hug.

StellarSelf Hosting 107th Carnival of Healing: Request for Content!

On Saturday, October 13th, Becoming Your StellarSelf is hosting the 107th Carnival of Healing. The Carnival of Healing is a weekly round-up of personal blog posts on the topics of holistic health, wellness, spirituality, and self empowerment. If you have written a recent post on any of these topics, I would love to include it in the Carnival. (please, no more than 1 entry per author)

So, if you have a post that you would like included in the October 13th Carnival, please submit your link using the online submission form by Friday, October 12th. For more information or to see past Carnival of Healing submissions and guidelines, please visit the Carnival of Healing.

Thank you! I look forward to seeing your submissions!

#106 - Oct 06 2007: hosted by Therapeutic Reiki — We Are One World Healing
#107 - Oct 13 2007: hosted by Becoming Your StellarSelf
#108 - Oct 20 2007: hosted by Debra Moorehead (fellow Priscilla Palmer Self-Development lister!)

National Depression Screening Day

[Correction: National Depression Screening Day was listed as October 4th on the health calendar I refer to for health-related holidays. However, I discovered that it is, in fact, being held on October 11th]

Life is a constantly shifting landscape, and in the course of navigating it, we will all experience good times and bad times, highs and lows. And sometimes things are thrown at us that can knock us for a loop, making us feel more sad than usual. All this is perfectly normal.

However, if the sadness lasts for a long time, if you lose interest in the things that usually make you happy, if your sleeping or eating patterns change dramatically, or if you feel helpless or hopeless, it could be a sign that this is not just normal ups and downs. It could be that you are depressed, and it is time to seek outside support.

Today October 11th is National Depression Screening Day, and free local depression screening events are taking place all over the country. If you, or someone you care about has been feeling down for more than two weeks, it is important to seek help. You can find out where there is a free screening event in your area by visiting the National Depression Screening Day website.

Bob's Birthday

This past weekend, we helped celebrate my father-in-law's 80th birthday! Despite having experienced some serious health problems on and off over the past 20 years, he is a pretty hearty guy. I'm guessing that it has a lot to do with several aspects of his life that he nourishes, which have been shown to contribute to longevity – he values his family and friends and has a great support network, he is an active member of his local church, and he loves to laugh.

If you are a man of any age, the CDC offers some great Tips for a Healthy Life for Men on their website.

Take Back Your Time Day

Every year since 2003, October 24th has been celebrated as “Take Back Your Time Day.” This date is symbolic in that it is 9 weeks before the end of the year, representing the 9 additional weeks of work that Americans put in per year compared to their Western European counterparts. Since the inception of Take Back Your Time Day (a project of the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell University, and is an initiative of The Simplicity Forum), millions of Americans have participated in teach-ins and community gatherings to call attention to “the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment.”

The creators of Take Back Your Time Day are not anti-work or anti-productivity, but rather pro-work-life balance. As a society, we have created undue stress on ourselves, which negatively impacts every aspect of our individual lives, and society as a whole. Here are some facts from the Take Back Your Time Day website that illustrate the ways in which our time deficit affects us:

*We're working more than medieval peasants did, and more than the citizens of any other industrial country.

*Working Americans average a little over two weeks of vacation per year, while Europeans average five to six weeks.

*Time stress threatens our health. It leads to fatigue, accidents and injuries. It reduces time for exercise and encourages consumption of calorie-laden fast foods.

*Time stress threatens our relationships as we find less time for each other, less time to care for our children and elders, less time to just hang out.

*It weakens our communities. We have less time to know our neighbors, supervise our children, and volunteer.

*It reduces employment as fewer people are hired and then required to work longer hours.

*It leaves us little time for ourselves, for self-development, or for spiritual growth.

The creators of Take Back Your Time Day are encouraging people to get involved through "Take Four Windows of Time" initiative. The idea is that you choose any four windows of time between October 24th and January 1st, and participate in some sort of “life-renewing” activity of your choice. This can be spending time with friends or family, enjoying a lazy weekend afternoon, spending time in nature, or whatever else takes you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Why not take the time to schedule your Four Windows of Time? It is a relatively easy way to begin to reclaim some of your time.

Supporting Our Troops

Last week I was an exhibitor at a health fair. A man approached my table to learn more about my work, and I told him that I specialize in stress management, work-life balance, Reiki -- healthy, balanced living. He told me that there is a great need for stress reduction programs for soldiers returning from the Iraq war (the psychological toll has been very high for this war, more so than previous ones), and that the nearby Walter Reed Army Medical Center had a particularly high number of veterans suffering from severe stress-related disorders.

Around this time, I came across a blog post by Catherine Carter over at Continuum Wellness on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in soldiers returning from Iraq. As she points out, chronic stress has been linked to many physical illnesses, and this is one population that has been greatly affected by this. In her post, Catherine includes a link to a Washington Post audio-visual article that tells the story of two Iraq veterans suffering from PTSD. This slideshow is part of an ongoing Post series entitled "Walter Reed --The Wounded Warrior at Home".

Also around this time, I met a woman who told me about a friend of hers who is running a Yoga Nidra program (a form called iRest, developed by psychologist Richard Miller of the Center of Timeless Being) at Walter Reed to help Iraq war veterans learn meditation and stress reduction. I was intrigued by this, so I did some research on it.

IRest utilizes meditation, progressive relaxation and breathing exercises, in order to learn how to release  negative body sensations, emotions, beliefs and stress. Results of a pilot study showed that those veterans who regularly practiced yoga nidra experienced reduced PTSD scores, anxiety, depression, insomnia and fear, as well as an increased sense of control over their lives and improved interpersonal relationships.

In her blog post, Catherine Carter made an interesting observation, saying: "Many years ago I read how in some traditional African societies that after times of war individuals had to undergo ritual cleansing with herbs and prayers to aid them in re-integration into society. I think that is missing for servicemen and women, the spiritual healing. The horrors that they must have seen. There has to be a way to release those knots of tension so that real healing can flow." I feel this is key.

Apparently, the military has already come to this realization. An article on the Military Officers website reports that in addition to Yoga Nidra, Transendental Meditation, Acupuncture and Virtual Reality are being investigated as methods to further support veterans with PTSD.There is an obvious need to support our troops once they return home by providing them with the tools they need to heal themselves in body, mind and spirit and integrating programs into their total medical regimen can only help.

The Meme-ing of Life

In the spirit of the W-List, life coach and blogger Priscilla Palmer has created a list of outstanding self-development bloggers. She contacted me to let me know that I have been tagged, so it is my turn to nominate self-development blogs I admire. I'm flattered to be listed amongst this collective of bloggers from a wide array of perspectives.

Priscilla's intention for the list, in her words, is:

Personal development is a large topic that includes but is not limited to (law of attraction, goals, time management, physical fitness, education, motivation, inspiration, and social skills). This list should include any blog you feel can benefit us in our growth process.

Below I have started a list of my favorite blogs/bloggers, and I have tagged each of them to add to it on their own blogs. I would like to take this list just one step further, and ask that once you have added to the list you let me know. That way I can update my list to include all of your wonderful additions.

Here are my recommendations, in alphabetical order, followed by the list:

E Murphy at The Active Life [Please note corrected link]
Lisa McGlaun at LifePrints - Good News for a More Compassionate World
Lynn McTaggert at Living the Field
Monte Ladner at Fitness Rocks

Personal Development List (up to date):

Aaron Potts at Today is That Day
Adam Alexander at Adam’s Peace
Adam Kayce at Monk at Work
Adam Khoo at Adam Khoo’s Philosophies and Investing Insights
AgentSully at Life Learning Today
April Groves at Making Life Work For You
Argancel at C’eclair (for those who speak french)
Ash aka Mr. Biggs at One Powerful Word
Al at 7pproductions.com
Alan Torres at Made to Be Great
Alex Shalman at AlexShalman.com
Alexander Kjerulf at The Chief Happiness Officer
Alexys Fairfield at Unraveling The Spiritual Mystique
Albert Foong at urbanmonk.net
Alvaro at Sharp Brains Blog
Amber at Random Mangus
Amie Ragan at Psychology of Clutter
Amy Hedin at There is no Maximum to Human Potential
Andrea Learned at Learned on Women
Andrea J. Lee at Money, Meaning, and Beyond
Andy Wibbels at AndyWibbels.com
Anita Pathik Law at Power of four Way
Anmol Mehta at AnmolMetha.com
Anna Farmery at The Engaging Brand
Antonio Thornton at AntonioThornton.com
Ariane Benefit at Neat & Simple Living
Ask Lucid at Ask Lucid Spiritual Development
Barb Melloh at The Law of Attraction Info
Barbara Sliter at Creatorship
Belle Wong at Abundance Journal
Bill Perry at Lucid Blog
Billy Smith at The Organic Leadership Blog
Blogfuse at LifeDev
Brad Isaac at Achieve It
Brian Clark at Copyblogger
Brian Kim at briankim.net
Brian Lee at geniustypes.com
Brooke at Plain Advice
Bob at everyeveryminute
Cam Beck at ChaosScenario
Cara Lumen at The Success Magnets With Cara Luman and Your Second Wind Blog
Carlon Haas at Possess Less Exist More
Catherine Carter at Continuum Wellness
Chris Cree at SuccessCREEations
Chris Marshall at Martial Development
Chris Melton at Soupornuts.com
Chris Owen at Pink Apple
Christine Kane at ChristineKane.com
Christine Valters Painter at Abbey of the Arts
Clyde at Feeling Good
Colin Beavan at No Impact Man
Conceive, Believe, Achieve at Conceive, Believe, Achieve
Crabby McSlacker at Cranky Fitness
Craig Harper at Motivational Speaker
Curt Rosengren at Occupational Adventure
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Damian Carr at Soul Terminal
Daniel Sitter at Idea Sellers
Darren Rowse at Problogger.net
Dave Schawbel at The Personal Branding Blog
Dave Schoof at Engaging the Disquiet
Davers at Language Trainers Blog
David Allen at The David Allen Company
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David Fitch at David Fitch.com
David Richeson at 360 Degree Success
David Rogers at How to Have Great Self Confidence
David Seah at David Seah.com
David Zinger at Slacker Manager
Dawud Miracle at dmiracle.com
Dean Lacono at Law of Attraction for Beginners
Debbie Call at Spirit In Gear
Debbie LaChusa at 10 Step Marketing Collection
Debra Moorhead at Debra Moorhead.com
Denise Mosawi at Destineering.com
Des Walsh at Thinking Home Business
Devlyn Steele at Tools To Life Guide
Dick Richards at Come Gather Round
Dominic Tay at Personal Development for Winners
Don Simkovich at Hey Don
Donald Latumahina at Life Optimizer
Donna Karlin at Perspectives
Donna Steinhorn at Rethinking
Douglas Eby at Talent Development Resources
Dr. Charles Parker at The Core Psych Blog
Dr. Hal at Northstar Mental fitness blog
Drew Rozell at Drew Rozell.com
Dwayne Melancon at Genuine Curiosity
Edward Mills at Evolving Times
Ellen Weber at Brain Based Business
Emily G. W. Lilly at The Science of Waldorf Education
Emmanuel Lopez at The Adventures of Motivatorman
Ellesse at Goal Setting College
Elly Jolly at Jolly Life Coaching
Enoch Tan at Mind Reality
Eric Napier at Quotation Collection
Erin Pavlina at Erin Pavlina.com
Frank Kanu at Frank Uncovers Excellence in Leadership
Frank Roche at KnowHR Blog
Galba Bright at Tune Up Your EQ
Gary at Personal Strategic Plan
Gilad Buchman at Sigsug
Gleb Reys at Personal Development Ideas
Grayson at Modern Worker Blog
Greg Butler at holistic-personal-development.com
Greg Frost at ChargedAudio.com
Geoff R at Gearfire.net
Gretchen Rubin at Happiness Project
Gustav at Success-is-in-you.com
Guy Kawasaki at How to Change the World
Gyanish at Diethack
Halina Goldstein at The Inner Travel Journal
Hilda Carroll at Living Out Loud
Heather Goldsmith at A Creative Journal
Henrik Edberg at The Positivity Blog
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Jason and Michael at Black Belt Productivity
Jason Ivers at A Miracle a Day
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Jay White at dumb little man tips for life
Jean Browman at Transforming Stress Into Power and Cheerful Monk
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Jeanie Marshall at Empowerment and Meditation Blog and DailyAffirm:  Positive Affirmations Day by Day
Jeff Lilly at Druid Journal
Jeffrey Phillips at Think Faster
Jennifer at Goodness Graciousness
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Joanna Young at Coaching Wizardry
Joanne at I’m Happy Fish
JodeeB at You Already Know This Stuff
Joe Vitale at Dr. Joe Vitale at Zero
John Pratt at John Pratt International
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John W. McKenna at The Leadership Epidemic
John Wesley at Pick The Brain
Jon at Join The Secret
Jonathan at Smart Wealthy Rich and Freelance Folder
Jory Des Jardin at Pause: Meaningful Work
Josh Bickford at Reach For Magnificence and Reach for Magnificence
Josh Kaufman at The Personal MBA
Judy Martin at The Work/Life Monitor
Julia Rogers Hamrick at Julia’s Blog: Journal of the Journey Home to Eden
Julie Bonner at Declutter It
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Karen at Journey with Water Learner
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Karen Wallace at The Clearing Space
Karl Moore at Karl Blog.com
Karl Staib at Karl Staib.com
Kathy Mallary at Coaching Biz Tips
Keith Ferrazzi at Never Eat Alone
Kenton Whitman at kentonwhitman.com
Kevin Kinchen at Creative Power of Thought
Killeris at Attitude, The Ultimate Power
Kim and Jason at Escape Adulthood
Kim George at Doing What You Can Do
Kirk Nugent at Kirk Nugent.com
Kirsten Harrell at Ipopin
Krishna De at Biz Growth News and Todays Women in Business
K.L. Masina at Be Conscious Now
Leah Maclean at Working Solo
Laura Young at The Dragon Slayer’s Guide to Life
Lee Nutter at bmindful
Leo Babauta at Zen Habits
Life Reflection at Universe in a Single Atom
Linda Salazar at Awaken The Genie Within
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Lisa Gates at Design Your Writing Life
Lisa Van Allen at Finish Strong
Liz at Internet Marketing Strategies
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Lodewijkvdb at How to be an Original
Lola Fayemi at Real World Spiritual and Personal Development
Lorraine Cohen at Powerfull Living
Luciano Passuello at Litemind.com
Lucid at Spiritual Suggestions
Lumosity at Brain Health Blog
Lyman Reed at Creating a Better Life
Lyndon Antcliff at LyndonAntcliff.com and Cornwallseo.com
MT at MindTWEAKS
Maddy at Illuminated Minds Want to Know
Malathy Badri at Laws of Universe
Manny at Success Books
Maria Garcia at Get Organized Now
Maria Palma at The Good Life
Marianne Williamson at Journal
Mark at The Naked Soul
Mark Forster at Get Everything Done
Mark LaPierre at The Winding Path
Mark McManus at Build Your Life To Order
Mark W Shead at Productivity 501
Martin Avis at Kickstart Daily
Mary K at Becoming Your StellarSelf
Matthew Cornell at Matt’s Idea Blog
Meg Haworth at Life Lessons From Your Soul
Melanie Benson Strick at The Success Blog
Merlin Mann at 43 Folders
Michelle at aMusing My Genius
Michelle Moore at Happiness Blog
Michael Port at The Think Big Revolution
Michael Vanderdonk at TOACH Performance
Mike Janssen at Opgestroopte Mouwen
Mike Kemski at BANABU
Mike St. Pierre at The Daily Saint
Mr.Wang at Mr Wang Says So
My Everyday Planner at My Everyday Planner
Nancy Mills at The Spirited Woman
Nancy Tierney at Unconditional Confidence
Neil Patel at Quick Sprout
Nic Askew at Monday 9AM Blog
Nick Smith at Life 2.0
Nneka at Balanced Life Center
Organize-It at Organize-It
Pamala Slim at Escape From Cubicle Nation
Pamm Larry at My Spiritual Dance
Patricia Singleton at Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker
Patti Digh at 37 Days
Paul at Paul’s Tips
Paul Piotrowski at Self Help Wisdom
Paula Kawal at Paula Kawal.com
Peggy Payne at Peggy Payne’s Boldness Blog
Peter at I Will Change Your Life
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Peter Haslem at Necessary Skills
Phil Gerbyshak at Make It Great
Philippe Matthews at Shockwealth
Priscilla Palmer at Personal Development Demands Success
Quint Jensen at Win Your Mind
Raymond Salas at Zenchill Powertools
Real Modern Man at Real Modern Man
Reg Adkins at ElementalTruths
Ricardo at Wake Up Tiger
Rich Schefren at Strategic Profits
Rick Cockrum at Shards of Consciousness
Rick Cooper at The PDA Pro
Ririan at Ririanproject
Rob at 7Breaths
Rob Cooke at Leave the Office
Robert at Compassionate Council
Robert at Myselfdev
Robert Ashcroft at PDSS Online
Robin Skeen at Robin’s Reflections
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Robyn McMaster at Brain Based Biz
Roger Von Oech at Creative Think
Rolf F. Katzenberger at Evomend
Rosa Say at Managing With Aloha Coaching
Ryan Marle at The Alpha Project
S.J. Yee at Personal Development for the Book Smart
Sam at Aquire Wisdom and Live with Passion
Scott Adams at The Dilbert Blog
Scott Berkun at Berkun Blog
Scott Bernadot at Keeping The Secret
Scott Ginsberg at Hello, My Name Is Blog
Scott H Young at Scott H Young
Scott McArthur at McArthur’s Rant
Self Pursuit at Self Pursuit
Senia at Senia.com Positive Psychology Coaching
Seth Godin at Seth’s Blog
Shane Navratil at Zoomstart
Shauna Arthurs at Breathing Prosperity and Follow Your Path
Shaheen Lakhan at GNIF Brain Blogger
Simone at Dynamic Living
Simone and Mandy at Outfit Inspirations
Slade Roberson at Shift Your Spirits and Spiritual Blogging
Sleeping Dude at How to Wake Up Early
Sonora Jayne Case at Positive Realities Coaching
Spike at Organize It
Start Up Coach at Take Charge of Your Life
Stephanie and Jeffrey at Brains on Purpose
Steve Beisheim at Jumping Ship Happens
Steve King at The Green Geek
Steve Olson at Steve-Olson.com
Steve Pavlina at stevepavlina.com
Steve Roesler at All Things Workplace
Stephen at HD bizblog
Stephen Hopson at Adversity University
Steven Aitchison at Change Your Thoughts
Success Current at SuccessCurrent.com
Surjit at Gurushabad
Susan Sabo at Productivity Cafe
Suzanne Bird-Harris at Learning Curve Coaching
Takuin Minamoto at Takuin.com
Ted Demopoulos at Blogging For Business
Terry Starbucker at Ramblings From a Glass Half Full
Tiffany at Little Red Suit
Tim Ferris at 4-Hour Workweek and Lifestyle Design Blog
Tim Taylor at My Agapic Life
Tom Peters at Tom Peters.com
Tom Spanton at TRCoach
Tom Van Brunscot of Transformation Economy
Tony Chimento at Living Forward
Tony D Clark at Success From The Nest
Torlink at You Create Reality
Travis A. Sinquefield at Disorganizational Behavior
Travis Wright at Cultivate Greatness
Trizoko at Trizoko.com
Trevor Gay at Simplicity is the Key
Troy Worman at Orbit Now!
Tuck Self at Rebel Belle Blog
Tupelo Kenyon at Tupelokenyon.com
Ubertech at Geeks Guide To GTD
Vera Nadine at Vera Nadine.com
Vickie at Contemplate This
Wade Millican at The Middle Way
Wally Bock at Three Star Leadership
Wan Qi at Meditation Forum Mantras
Wild Bill at Passionate Blogger

and these collaborated sites:
Burst Blog
Change This
Change Your Thinking
Daily PlanIt
Did I Get Things Done
GTD Wannabe
Jobman2
Joyful Jubilant Learning
Life Coaches Blog Stratagies for a Greater Life
Lifehack.org
Lifehacker.com
Transformational Girlfriends
Unclutterer

Fresh Food Inspiration

I love my local farmers market. It's so cool to have access to incredibly fresh, locally produced, often organic or pesticide-free produce. My market also features dairy farms, meat producers, a mushroom farm, bakers and more. There is nothing like an abundance of fresh produce in getting my creative cooking juices flowing. This past weekend, I stopped by my local farmers market and was inspired by the huge variety of fruits and vegetables – it is the peak of the season here in the DC area.

Every week, I let the landscape of the farmers market lead me to my weekend menu. This weekend I bought a bunch of different vegetables and some gorgeous ciabatta and made delicious grilled veggie sandwiches. In the spring, inspired by the brief, but wonderful availability of fresh peas, I created a pea and mint soup. Peaches are readily available right now, and I plan to make several different dishes including grilled peaches, cold peach soup, and peach cobbler.

I am a huge fan of farmers markets for several reasons. They are great for local farmers as it provides a direct-to-consumer outlet for their products. It's great for consumers because we can access fresh produce direct from the growers, and can learn about our food from the actual people who produce it. And it's good for the environment because much less energy is spent in transporting the food.

In looking for the USDA's webpage listing farmers markets throughout the US, I was please to find out that this is National Farmers Market week! So, if there is a farmers market near you, I hope you have a chance to visit and join in celebrating this incredible local treasure.