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HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
Mountain Views News Saturday, September 12, 2015
THE JOY OF YOGA
WHAT ARE THE CHAKRAS ANYWAY?
The chakras are part
of our subtle body, or
the energetic body.
The first seven chakras
are described as
“wheels” of energy and
consciousness located
on the central axis of the
body. Each chakra is an energy center because of the number
of Nadis or energy channels that run and intersect through
that region. The chakras underlie every aspect of our physical,
energetic, mental and emotional body. We can learn about the
chakras through traditional study of theory, but we can also
experience them in practice.
If traveling up the central axis of the body, the first chakra,
mulahdara, is located at the root or pelvic floor. This chakra is
associated with the Earth element and linked to our security,
safety and self-preservation. Continuing to the sacrum
and hips, we hit the 2nd chakra, swadhistana. This is often
called the chakra of desire. When in balance, our trust and
relationships are stable. We can control our urge for over-
indulgence. Next, at the solar plexus we have Manipura
chakra. Associated with the fire element, this chakra is linked
to motivation, confidence, power, and digestion. The 4th
chakra is Anahata, located at the heart center. Our heart center
is the place of compassion and love. If our compassion for
ourselves is rightly placed and others then get an outpouring
from our abundance. The 5th chakra is Vishudhi, located at
the throat center. The throat is our place of self-expression and
communication. When out of balance, we might be at loss for
words and lack creativity. Next, we move up to our third eye,
or Ajna chakra. This is an important one. The seat of the mind
is located here. When our third eye is awakened and conscious
we can calm our mind and focus on spiritual practice. The last
chakra (of the initial 7), Sahasrara, is located at the crown.
This region is responsible for our universal consciousness
and connection to absolute, all knowing divinity. All of the
chakras work together as a system. It’s important that each one
is balanced and clear or the imbalance can affect all others.
Take a dip in getting know your subtle body! Beginning
with a grounding practice with a strong Earth element is a
great way to get started. Read up and try a few practices with
your teachers and in your home practice. The reason to know
about and experience all parts of our being is simply to increase
awareness. With increased awareness, we can transform our
lives by igniting our enthusiasm and own empowerment. This
is a fulfilling, happiness building experience!
Namaste,
Keely Totten
RYT 500,Yoga & Meditation Instructor Yoga Madre
CAN MEDITATION
CHANGE BRAIN STRUCTURE?
A study conducted in Massachusetts finds that it can. The study
documented that meditation produced changes over time in the brain’s gray
matter. Measurable changes in the brain regions that are associated with
memory, sense of self, empathy and stress were documented. This study
was led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital. Participants in
this study spent an average of 27 minutes a day in meditation for 8 weeks
which focused on awareness of sensations, feelings and state of mind. The
8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program took place at the
University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness.
Two weeks before and after the program participants had MR
images taken of the brain. The images found an increase in the density of
the grey matter in the portion of the brain that is important to learning
and memory as well as areas that are concerned with compassion and
self-awareness.
So there
may be
more
benefits to meditation than simply
relieving stress and helping you to
achieve a deep level of relaxation.
It appears that meditation may be
beneficial in learning, something we all
want to keep doing as we age. Successful
aging requires that we eat well, stay
active and exercise our brains.
Meditation does not need to be
difficult: Find a quiet room and sit
comfortably, in comfortable clothes
with your eyes closed. Breathe
normally through your nose. Relax and
concentrate on your breathing. Quiet
your mind and try not to have any
thoughts. This may be difficult. Some
people find that repeating the word om (as in dome) in a natural repetition helps in this process. Don’t
be worried or give up if you can’t keep thoughts out of your mind. This comes with practice.
Dr. Tina is a traditional
naturopath and nutritionist
at Vibrant Living
Wellness Center
BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS
FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett
HOW DO I CHOOSE A
LIFE INSURANCE POLICY
THAT’S RIGHT FOR ME
AND MY FAMILY?
Life insurance products can be complicated, and because
they often come with high commissions for the people
selling them, it can be hard to know what to buy and who to
trust when you are making that decision. The place to start
is to think about whether and why you need life insurance.
The most basic reason is if you have an obligation or need
to provide income replacement for others who depend on
you. That means if you have anyone dependent on you,
you probably want some kind of life insurance--as they say,
“insurance says I love you.”
The type of life insurance you should buy depends on
your family goals and circumstances. The two main types
of insurance you’ll hear about are “term” and “whole life.”
Term insurance is in effect for a specific period of time
and if you do not die during that period, the insurance
doesn’t pay. For example, you may have a 10-year term
policy. Each year, you pay your premium and if you don’t
die during that year, you’ve lost the premium (but gained
your life, which is nice!) Because it’s 10-year term, the rate
will remain the same for 10 years, at which point you have
to re-apply for the insurance, which means full application
and health exam and a rate increase because you are 10 years
older.
In contrast, whole life is designed to be in effect until
death. That means that no matter when you die, if your
policy is paid up, your insurance will pay out. Whole life
policies have an investment component that accumulates
a cash value while also guaranteeing a death benefit. So
each year that you pay your premium and don’t die, part
of the premium you paid is gone, but part of it is allocated
to the investment part of your policy, which means you are
building up an investment.
Here’s the thing about that … sometimes (maybe often)
insurance is not the best investment vehicle, primarily
because of how much of the premium goes to pay
commissions on the policy rather than to your investment
account.
But, if your spouse or child or business is going to need
insurance when you die, you will want to get a permanent,
whole life type policy.
The bottom line with life insurance is to make sure you
realistically assess your needs and then purchase an amount
of insurance that meets those needs. I recommend running
your insurance decisions by a trusted advisor who is
objective, not paid a commission, and shares the same goal
as you--keeping your family out of court, out of conflict and
well-cared for when you can’t be there.
I believe in developing relationships with families for
life. That’s why my firm not only helps identify the best
legal strategies for you and your family; we also incorporate
insurance, financial, and tax strategies into our holistic
approach to estate and legacy planning.
Dedicated to your family’s wealth, health, and happiness,
A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a mission
to help parents protect what they love most. His office is
located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, Sierra Madre, CA 91024.
Schedule an appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring
a legacy of love and financial security for your family by
calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.GarlettLaw.com for more
information.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
You might consider warming up your email
marketing program with a Birthday or
Anniversary system.
For example, you could send a special offer on or
before your customer’s Birthday or Anniversary.
Say you own a restaurant; you could send an email
that says “Your Birthday is coming up and we
want to make it special! The next time your are in
our restaurant, celebrate your special day with a
complimentary drink.”
Constant Contact makes it easy to set up a
Birthday or Anniversary program. You’ll need to
figure out a creative way to collect your customer’s
special dates. You might send out an email to all
your customers letting them know you are starting
a Birthday club and if they join, you will send them
a treat on their special day
Constant Contact has a feature called “Automate
Emails” that will walk you through the simple set
up. Not only can you send a Birthday message but
you can also send a note, a membership renewal
or reminder to your contacts that have some type
of anniversary coming up. With the membership
renewal, you could start a monthly payments
system. We like Constant Contact because their
tools are easy to use and if you can’t figure it out on
your own, their award winning, friendly customer
support team is always ready to help you out.
It’s a challenge to stay in touch and engage
with your customers. Birthday and Anniversary
emails are effective in helping you build customer
relationships.
About MJ: MJ and her brother David own
HUTdogs, a creative services business that
specializes in Internet Marketing strategies and
Social Media. They offer social media management
services and help their clients build a strong on-line
presence. “Like” them on Facebook for trending
news in social media, internet marketing and other
helpful tips, www.facebook.com/hutdogs.
Sign up for their upcoming classes, webinars and
presentations at: www.hutdogs.com/workshops/
schedule
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com
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