Friday 31 March 2017

Prayers for Our Children

The Keys to a Happy and Productive Brain

Stellar Beam Calcite Ascension & Deep Divine Connection

Stellar Beam Calcite aka Dog Tooth Calcite. Ascension stone with a high vibration, brings spiritual growth & immense peace & harmony. Use to visit higher realms, meet guides and angels

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I am a moon mother, I am one who guides you to your divine...



I am a moon mother, I am one who guides you to your divine feminine through the womb blessing and womb healing I help you connect and balance the divine feminine within you. In doing so connecting to our divine feminine we begin to heal sexual traumas/abuse, miscarriages/abortions, mother issues, our menstrual cycle, PCOS, Infertility, Fibroids and more. Contact me to book a private session for more info on the session or the monthly womb blessing circle and world wide womb blessing #moonmother #wombhealing #wombblessing #wombwellnessmiami #wellness #wombwellnesswednesday #wombblessingmiami #goddess #divinefeminine #sacredfeminine #wombtree #femaleawakening #healing #spirituality #spiritualhealing #spiritualpractice #spiritualguidance #spiritualawakening #energyhealing #lightworker #love #metaphysical #metaphysicalhealing #miami #miamilife #om #namaste



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Join me next week on #wombwellnesswednesday for our #yoni...



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Breathe in love! Happy Friday! #love #lightworker #healing...



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TGI Friday! Our weekly round-up of recently published research abstracts | 31 March 2017

From Pain Physician (open access). March/April 2017.


This study is funded by the MEA Ramsay Research Fund. We commented on it HERE.

The Role of Autonomic Function in Exercise-induced Endogenous Analgesia: A Case-control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis⁄Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Healthy People

Jessica Van Oosterwijck, PhD1,2,3, Uros Marusic, PhD4, Inge De Wandele, PhD3, Lorna Paul, PhD5, Mira Meeus, PhD1,3,6, Greta Moorkens, MD, PhD7,
Luc Lambrecht, MD, PhD8, Lieven Danneels, PhD3, and Jo Nijs, PhD1,2,9
1. Pain in Motion international research group, www.paininmotion.be;
2. Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; 3
3. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium;
4. Science and Research Centre, Institute for Kinesiology Research, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia;
5. Nursing and Health Care, School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom;
6. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium;
7. Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Antwerp (UZA), Antwerp, Belgium;
8. Private practice for Internal Medicine, Ghent, Belgium;
9. Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
Address Correspondence: Jo Nijs, PhD, MSc Universiteit Brussel, Building F-Kine, Laarbeeklaan 103, BE- 1090 Brussels, Belgium Email: Jo.Nijs@vub.ac.be

Abstract

BBACKGROUND

Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are unable to activate brain-orchestrated endogenous analgesia (or descending inhibition) in response to exercise. This physiological impairment is currently regarded as one factor explaining post- exertional malaise in these patients. Autonomic dysfunction is also a feature of ME/CFS.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to examine the role of the autonomic nervous system in exercise- induced analgesia in healthy people and those with ME/CFS, by studying the recovery of autonomic parameters following aerobic exercise and the relation to changes in self-reported pain intensity.

STUDY DESIGN
A controlled experimental study.

SETTING

The study was conducted at the Human Physiology lab of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

METHODS

Twenty women with ME/CFS- and 20 healthy, sedentary controls performed a submaximal bicycle exercise test known as the Aerobic Power Index with continuous cardiorespiratory monitoring. Before and after the exercise, measures of autonomic function (i.e., heart rate variability, blood pressure, and respiration rate) were performed continuously for 10 minutes and self-reported pain levels were registered. The relation between autonomous parameters and self-reported pain parameters was examined using correlation analysis.

RESULTS

Some relationships of moderate strength between autonomic and pain measures were found. The change (post-exercise minus pre-exercise score) in pain severity was correlated (r = .580, P = .007) with the change in diastolic blood pressure in the healthy group. In the ME/CFS group, positive correlations between the changes in pain severity and low frequency (r = .552, P = .014), and between the changes in bodily pain and diastolic blood pressure (r = .472, P = .036), were seen. In addition, in ME/CHFS the change in headache severity was inversely correlated (r = -.480, P = .038) with the change in high frequency heart rate variability.

LIMITATIONS

Based on the cross-sectional design of the study, no firm conclusions can be drawn on the causality of the relations.

CONCLUSIONS

Reduced parasympathetic reactivation during recovery from exercise is associated with the dysfunctional exercise-induced analgesia in ME/CFS. Poor recovery of diastolic blood pressure in response to exercise, with blood pressure remaining elevated, is associated with reductions of pain following exercise in ME/CFS, suggesting a role for the arterial baroreceptors in explaining dysfunctional exercise-induced analgesia in ME/CFS patients.


From BMC Medical Genetics (open access), 16 March 2017.

Clinically proven mtDNA mutations are not common in those with chronic fatigue syndrome

Elizna M. Schoeman (1, ^), Francois H. Van Der Westhuizen (2, ^), Elardus Erasmus(1, 3), Etresia van Dyk(1), Charlotte V. Y. Knowles(2), Shereen Al-Ali (4,5), Wan-Fai Ng (4, 6), Robert W. Taylor(3), Julia L. Newton(4,6) and Joanna L. Elson(1,3)
1. Centre for Human Metabolomics, North-West University
2. Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute of Neuroscience, The Medical School, Newcastle University
3. Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University
4. Institute of Cellular Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University
5. Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Basrah
6. Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
7. ^ contributed equally to the study

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a prevalent debilitating condition that affects approximately 250,000 people in the UK. There is growing interest in the role of mitochondrial function and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in CFS. It is now known that fatigue is common and often severe in patients with mitochondrial disease irrespective of their age, gender or mtDNA genotype. More recently, it has been suggested that some CFS patients harbour clinically proven mtDNA mutations.

METHODS

MtDNA sequencing of 93 CFS patients from the United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa (RSA) was performed using an Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine. The sequence data was examined for any evidence of clinically proven mutations, currently; more than 200 clinically proven mtDNA mutations point mutations have been identified.

RESULTS

We report the complete mtDNA sequence of 93 CFS patients from the UK and RSA, without finding evidence of clinically proven mtDNA mutations. This finding demonstrates that clinically proven mtDNA mutations are not a common element in the aetiology of disease in CFS patients. That is patients having a clinically proven mtDNA mutation and subsequently being misdiagnosed with CFS are likely to be rare.

CONCLUSION

The work supports the assertion that CFS should not be considered to fall within the spectrum of mtDNA disease. However, the current study cannot exclude a role for nuclear genes with a mitochondrial function, nor a role of mtDNA population variants in susceptibility to disease. This study highlights the need for more to be done to understand the pathophysiology of CFS.


From Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, 13 March 2017.

SEID, ME and CFS: Patients diagnosed with Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome also fit systemic exertion intolerance disease criteria

Lily Chu(a), Jane L. Norris(a), Ian J. Valencia(b) and Jose G. Montoya(a)
a) Stanford ME/CFS Initiative, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA;

b) Formerly of Stanford ME/CFS Initiative, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) remains undiagnosed in up to 91% of patients. Recently, the United States-based Institute of Medicine (IOM) developed new diagnostic criteria, naming it systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID).

PURPOSE

We examined how subjects fit SEID criteria and existing ME/CFS case definitions early in their illness.

METHODS

A total of 131 subjects fitting 1994 Fukuda CFS criteria at the time of study recruitment completed a survey of symptoms they experienced during their first 6 months of illness.

Symptoms were drawn from SEID and existing criteria (1994 Fukuda, 2003 Canadian Consensus Criteria (CCC), and 2011 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis-International Consensus Criteria (ME-ICC)).

We calculated and compared the number/percentage of subjects fitting single or combinations of case definitions and the number/ percentage of subjects with SEID experiencing orthostatic intolerance (OI) and/or cognitive impairment.

RESULTS

At 6 months of illness, SEID criteria identified 72% of all subjects, similar to when Fukuda criteria (79%) or the CCC (71%) were used, whereas the ME-ICC selected for a significantly lower percentage (61%, p < .001). When severity/frequency thresholds were added to the Fukuda criteria, CCC and ME-ICC, the percentage of these subjects also fitting SEID criteria increased to 93%, 97%, and 95%. Eighty-seven percent of SEID subjects endorsed cognitive impairment and 92%, OI; 79% experienced both symptoms. CONCLUSIONS SEID criteria categorize a similar percentage of subjects as Fukuda criteria early in the course of ME/CFS and contain the majority of subjects identified using other criteria while requiring fewer symptoms. The advantage of SEID may be in its ease of use.


From the Journal of Translational Medicine, 16 March 2017.

Activin B is a novel biomarker for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) diagnosis: a cross sectional study

Brett A. Lidbury (1,2), Badia Kita(3), Donald P. Lewis(4), Susan Hayward(5), Helen Ludlow(6), Mark P. Hedger(5) and David M. de Kretser(5,7)
1. Pattern Recognition and Pathology, Department of Genome Sciences, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University
2. The National Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health, The Research School of Population Health, ANU
3. Paranta Biosciences Limited
4. CFS Discovery, Donvale Medical Specialist Centre
5. The Hudson Medical Research Institute, Monash University
6. Centre for Proteins and Peptides, School of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University
7. Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Investigations of activin family proteins as serum biomarkers for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). CFS/ME is a disease with complex, wide-ranging symptoms, featuring persistent fatigue of 6 months or longer, particularly post exertion. No definitive biomarkers are available.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, observational study of CFS/ME patients fulfilling the 2003 Canadian Consensus Criteria, in parallel with healthy non-fatigued controls, was conducted. Comparisons with a previously defined activin reference population were also performed. For the total study cohort the age range was 18–65 years with a female: male participant ratio of greater than 3:1. All participants were assessed via a primary care community clinic. Blood samples were collected for pathology testing after physical examination and orthostatic intolerance assessment. Cytokines, activin A, activin B and follistatin were also measured in sera from these samples. All data were compared between the CFS/ME and control cohorts, with the activins and follistatin also compared with previously defined reference intervals.

RESULTS

Serum activin B levels for CFS/ME participants were significantly elevated when compared to the study controls, as well as the established reference interval. Serum activin A and follistatin were within their normal ranges. All routine and special pathology markers were within the normal laboratory reference intervals for the total study cohort, with no significant differences detected between CFS/ME and control groups. Also, no significant differences were detected for IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, TNF or IFN-gamma.

CONCLUSION

Elevated activin B levels together with normal activin A levels identified patients with the diagnostic symptoms of CFS/ME, thus providing a novel serum based test. The activins have multiple physiological roles and capture the diverse array of symptoms experienced by CFS/ME patients.


From the Journal of the Neurological Sciences, published online 22 February 2017.

Multimodal and simultaneous assessments of brain and spinal fluid abnormalities in chronic fatigue syndrome and the effects of psychiatric comorbidity.

Natelson BH, Mao X, Stegner AJ, Lange G, Vu D, Blate M, Kang G, Soto E, Kapusuz T, Shungu DC.

Highlights

• Patients have higher brain ventricular lactate, more abnormal spinal fluids, lower brain GSH, and reduced cerebral blood flow than controls

• Psychiatric comorbidity does not influence any of these potential biological markers of CFS

• 50% of the patients had more than one of these abnormalities

• The subgroup of patients with brain abnormalities may have an underlying encephalopathy producing their illness

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether CFS patients without comorbid psychiatric diagnoses differ from CFS patients with comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and healthy control subjects in neuropsychological performance, the proportion with elevated spinal fluid protein or white cell counts, cerebral blood flow (CBF), brain ventricular lactate and cortical glutathione (GSH).

The results of the study did not show any differences in any of the outcome measures between CFS patients with and without psychiatric comorbidity, thus indicating that psychiatric status may not be an exacerbating factor
in CFS.

Importantly, significant differences were found between the pooled samples of CFS compared to controls. These included lower GSH and CBF and higher ventricular lactate and rates of spinal fluid abnormalities in CFS patients compared to healthy controls.

Thirteen of 26 patients had abnormal values on two or more of these 4 brain-related variables. These findings, which replicate the results of several of our prior studies, support the presence of a number of neurobiological and spinal fluid abnormalities in CFS. These results will lead to further investigation into objective biomarkers of the disorder to advance the understanding of CFS.




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Help needed identifying potential Starseed Quartz.

Hi everyone. I need help to identify a crystal I bought in the gift shop of the holiday camp I was staying at with my wife and kids. Here goes... Getting

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6 Black Nightshade (Makoi) Remedies: Sore Throat, Dysurea, Skin Diseases

By Dr MS Krishnamurthy MD (Ayu), PhD Kakamachi, an excellent source of natural iron and multiple vitamins. It is known as Black Nightshade in English and Makoi in Hindi. Its botanical name is  Solanum nigrum. It is a perennial shrub found in wooded areas. The plant is characterized by its white flower and purple-black berries.  […]

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Love Isn’t Enough (and Other Lessons from Ending a 6-Year Relationship)

“Some people think that it’s holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it’s letting go.” ~Unknown

Sometimes we prolong relationships for the sake of comfort and familiarity. We’re fearful of what’s out there, and life without a partner. No matter how many times we’ve been hurt, taken for granted, or had our needs neglected, we still choose to stay even if our mind and heart strongly suggest otherwise.

I thought I was strong for putting up with my ex’s mistreatment. I had held the ability to forgive in high regard, and I wanted to keep that standard.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve been dumped fifty times by the same person, yet I put my happiness aside for him. I can’t even count the number of nights I cried myself to sleep. Even in the shower, I found myself taking longer than I used to because I shed my tears there, where nobody would find out.

The worst part was when I could no longer fully express my feelings to other people due to the fear of getting hurt as I was being hurt in my relationship. I tried hard to numb my emotions so I wouldn’t have to deal with the pain, but that also meant being unable to feel joy or any other positive emotion.

The last straw happened when I went on a three-week vacation in Canada and the United States. We didn’t communicate often due to my ex’s work, and I was touring different places with my family, so Internet wasn’t accessible at all times.

I hadn’t felt so free in a long while. I focused on seeing the world and spending my time with my loved ones, and I didn’t miss my ex one bit. Coming home from a vacation always gave me post-travel depression, but this one hit me much harder, since I knew I had to face the reality of my relationship again.

As expected, within days of my return, my ex and I fought for the nth time. I’ll never forget the exact words he said. “You’re a loser. You don’t deserve a vacation.”

The crying and self-loathing came back. Except this time, I knew I had a choice and realized that I was choosing my own heartbreak. I remember the freedom I’d felt while away and decided I wanted that feeling wherever I went.

It might have been a hard pill to swallow, but after six years of an on-again, off-again relationship, I came to the conclusion that it was time to break it off for good.

The process was far from easy. It was a messy and dramatic breakup, and it took two months until there was absolutely no contact between us. No texts, no calls, no emails or messages on messenger apps, nothing.

We were together for six years, starting in my teens, so initially I had no idea how to move on from somebody who had been present while I was building my identity as a person.

Times like these put us in deep contemplation. We ask ourselves, “Is the sole purpose of my existence for him/her?” Or we tell ourselves, “No one else can make me happy.”

Well, I’m here to tell you that, no, those things aren’t true.

It’s been almost a year now, and things have been incredible for me. I am proud to say that I have moved on 100 percent from my past relationship.

The following are lessons I’ve learned along the way:

1. Love alone is never enough.

Formerly, I firmly believed that “love conquers all.” Never mind the problems, never mind the emotional abuse, never mind the important stuff we could never agree on; as long as there was love, everything would fall into place. But it didn’t.

I loved my ex very much and was loved back, but that didn’t stop him from disrespecting me. It didn’t change that my needs weren’t being met, despite how vocal I was about them. Is it even possible to love somebody who constantly degrades you?

We were unable to make it because while love was there, respect and understanding weren’t. I was too wounded to express all my thoughts and feelings because I knew they would only fall on deaf ears. Our relationship consisted of never-ending fights, and the false idea that love would solve our problems.

When I recognized how much self-respect and dignity I’d sacrificed, I realized that relationships need more than love to be successful.

Love is a powerful thing. We need it, it feels good, but we shouldn’t use it to justify losing ourselves.

2. You’re worthy, with or without a partner.

Other single people around me complain about their relationship status and use it as the basis of their self-worth. I used to think that way too, until I imagined what the future would be like if I continued to have that mentality.

If I retained that mentality, I would never truly be happy because I would always be dependent on my partner for love. I would always need that external validation instead of focusing on how I felt about myself.

Since my breakup, I choose to love myself through my daily actions. I get more sleep at night, commit myself to a workout routine, eat healthier, and spend time around people who make me feel good about myself.

I happily accept the love I receive from friends and family because I know that I’m worthy, and I’m deserving of good things in this world.

3. Life is uncertain and we must embrace it.

My ex and I planned to live in a small house, with lots of dogs, and travel the world. We were going to run away from my parents, who didn’t approve of us, and live happily ever after. We weren’t going to have any kids, but we were going to pour ourselves into charity.

At least, that was the plan.

When a relationship is new, everything is great. I thought I would eventually marry him and execute all our plans easily. I was treating it like a fairy tale and refused to believe that we were less than perfect for each other. Fast-forward six years later, almost everything drastically changed.

After the breakup, the uncertainty scared me. I asked myself what was going to happen to me now that I didn’t have any plans. I never knew that freedom could be so terrifying and liberating at the same time.

I didn’t let the fear of the unknown stop me from following through with my decision. If I had stayed, the same problems would have continued occurring. Nothing would have changed. I knew I would never be happy staying in something that was detrimental to my self-esteem.

Of course, leaving my unhealthy relationship doesn’t guarantee my next one will work out; it just means I’ve opened myself up to the possibility of finding a suitable partner.

The happiest people in history never settled for less than what they deserved when pursuing their goals. The same should apply in our search for a life partner. It’s only by knowing our worth that we’re able to find real, lasting love.

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About Nicah Caramba

Nicah Caramba is an entrepreneur who is passionate about self-improvement, travel and Japanese food. She is constantly looking for ways to make progress daily to achieve personal growth. If you’re interested in changing your life, visit her website todayimchanging.com or connect with her on Twitter.

Get in the conversation! Click here to leave a comment on the site.

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Thursday 30 March 2017

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Secrets of Yogic Breathing (Ujjayi Pranayam)

Yogic Breathing

Ujjayi Pranayam means Breath of the Warrior. When we do this breath, it can make us feel like that—calm, focused, fierce warriors on our mats. It’s often taught as a whispering sound at the back of the throat, so it can also sound like Darth Vader doing sun salutations. It’s a very common instruction to breathe in this way in Power or Flow classes, but teachers rarely break down what it is and how to do it. Most students wheeze their way through class before giving up entirely. The Darth Vader whispering is not actually the point of this breath—it’s more like a side effect of something much deeper going on.

Ujjayi actually starts at your pelvic floor. This little net of muscles gently gathers up, connecting to what’s called the deep core line. This includes your transverse abdominis, which is shaped like a corset surrounding your organs, your breathing diaphragm, and up the throat and tongue. When this whole line is connected, the soft palate gently lifts at the back of the throat, swirling the breath and creating a quiet whispering sound. When the core is engaged in this way, the whispering often happens naturally. It should be loud enough that you can hear your own breath, but the person beside you probably shouldn’t.

The gathering up of these muscles isn’t intended to cut off movement to your belly; rather, it lifts the whole structure of the ribs and widens them out to the sides, giving the lungs more space to breathe into and more work for the diaphragm to do. The belly doesn’t have to expand out on the inhale because the core is lifting the ribs up and out of the way. You can see what this looks like in a short video I made about it:

This is reasonably easy to understand when we are sitting there focusing on nothing but the breath. It can be very effective on its own—I do use it sometimes when I get anxious and need to slow down my thoughts (an ex-boyfriend used to say—"you’re ujjaying me! What’s wrong!”). It’s when we can use it in movement, however, that this breath allows  us to enter into a strong, powerful, calm, and delightful moving meditation.

Firstly, we want to understand that breathing is movement. It’s a muscular shape change as the diaphragm descends on the inhale and lifts and contracts on the exhale. We exaggerate this movement by lifting the ribs on the inhale and gently encouraging core contraction on the exhale. Naturally, then, we inhale while we are reaching up or backbending and exhale while we are forward folding or coming closer to the floor. One way to think about sun salutations is as purely an expression of the movement of the breath.

Breath and movement in yoga, however, must work in relationship. Like any relationship, this one takes negotiation. The body slows down or speeds up to match the pace of the breath. The whispering sound at the back of the throat helps us slow down the breath so we can connect it with our movement.

You can try this now by inhaling your arms up towards the sky, and exhaling to bring them back down. Notice how reaching up naturally creates more space for the inhale, and how the belly and ribs naturally contract as you exhale and bring the arms back down. See if you can get the breath and movement to match each other. After ten breaths, relax and notice if you feel any more like a warrior (or Darth Vader).

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Chalcopyrite, A Mystical Stone That Connects You To Higher Realms

Chalcopyrite links to mystical realms in meditation. Helps you find lost things, increase happiness, joy & belief in yourself. Like most gold stones is powerful to increase abundance & manifest money.

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Always try to find time and make it a daily ritual to connect...



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Just made this beautiful custom mala for a beautiful client!...



Just made this beautiful custom mala for a beautiful client! Bethlehem olive wood, ametrine, moonstone and tigers eye charm! #crystals #crystalhealing # crystalmala #custommala #mala #japameditation #meditation #japa #healing #crystalhealer #spiritual #spirituality #spiritualhealing #spiritualhealer #spiritualawakening #spiritualguidance #spiritualpractice #spiritualgrowth #spiritualjourney #yoga #yogi #yogainspiration #yogaeverydamnday #yogini #miami #miamilife #metaphysical #metaphysicalhealing #metaphysicaljewelry #energyhealing #lightworker #moonstone #ametrine #tigerseye #om #namaste



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Start Healthy Meal Planning, Ditch The Detox

Over the years, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with meal planning. Love the organization of healthy meal planning, but hated feeling like my life was so…regimented and inflexible. So I begged my uber geeky husband to help me out and create a meal planning tool that works for my real, imperfect, and often chaotic life […]

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Join me tonight for an angel healing circle as we connect to...



Join me tonight for an angel healing circle as we connect to archangel Rafael for healing! #healer #healing #spirituality #spiritual #spiritualhealer #spiritualgrowth #spiritualguidance #spiritualhealing #angelhealing #angelguidance #angelmessages #angeloracle #love #miami #miamilife #moonmother #angelhealer #reiki #reikimaster #goddess #lightworker #energyhealing #metaphysical #metaphysicalhealing #om #namaste



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Stop Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop and Start Living Fully

“Use your precious moments to live life fully every single second of every single day.” ~Marcia Wieder

I recently came back from an amazing vacation overseas with my family. All of our travel went smoothly, everyone stayed healthy, and there wasn’t any drama or conflict among family members. Other than one flight being delayed, it was perfect.

On the way home from the trip my heart and soul were soaring from the fun we had enjoyed, savoring the memories in my mind and feeling grateful. I noticed, though, that when I returned home my mind slowly started to shift. Not because of the usual dread of coming back from vacation, but rather because things actually continued to go well at home.

My adjustment to my jet lag was fine, and the first day back at work was actually nice. By all measures I should have continued to feel pretty happy! Instead, I began to anticipate that something bad would happen.

I could hear the voice in my head reminding me that I had just enjoyed ten days of vacation, so surely it was time for something negative to take place—a cold, stress at work, something.

It was almost as if I was inviting something bad into my life to temper the positivity I was feeling in the moment.

Some people describe this is as “waiting for the other shoe to drop,” and in my family we called it “Catholic guilt.”

As I’ve grown older, I’ve done this a little too often, in several different areas of life.

If my kids have been healthy for a good stretch, I start to have sneaky thoughts about how they’re “due soon” for a bout of some type of illness.

If my finances are under control, I’ll wonder if we’ll have an unexpected repair that will take us off course.

It’s not a concern if those thoughts float in and out, but I seem to have problems when they linger and begin to detract from what I am doing in the present.

The truth is that life does change constantly, and there are ebbs and flows between happiness and pain.

In one instant our situations can shift so drastically that we will be left reeling, so expecting that every day will be wonderful is obviously both unrealistic and unhelpful. Yet I’ve found that anxiously awaiting some sort of tragedy or pain often diminishes my current happiness.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop is this tricky way that we rob ourselves of a good feeling in the now because we are nervously anticipating something negative in the future.

A balance between fear about the future and a naive optimism is possible; we could call this space living fully.

Living fully is where we acknowledge that life will bring suffering and beauty, pain and happiness, challenge and comfort, and it will all come at different times. If we live fully, we do our best to float gracefully between these times, aiming not to get “stuck” in a space of overwhelming tension.

This is not an easy task, but below are some suggestions for those who want to decide not to wait in constant fear of that other shoe dropping.

Tips for Living Fully

1. Find time to be present.

The beauty of being present is that, by definition, it doesn’t allow you to be anywhere else. When you find time to be in the moment, anticipatory thoughts about bad things happening may enter your mind, but you will gently and swiftly guide them to the side.

Each of us has our unique ways of being present, whether it be a yoga class or exercise, quiet observation of nature, or meditation. Even a few minutes of quiet can be helpful in getting centered and focused.

2. Try savoring.

Just like you might enjoy a good glass of wine or a bite of cheesecake, you can also savor positive emotions or events.

For example, I could recall the vacation I took overseas, reliving a particularly fun outing or adventure. I could talk about the trip with my family and coworkers, and look at pictures. As I do that I would begin to bring back those memories, and those positive emotions associated with these memories would also come back.

3. Introduce some logic to your thoughts.

Sometimes our thoughts can run away from us, going down a path that we know isn’t logical or helpful.

In the case of anticipating something negative, I’ve found that I can best stop the thoughts with this simple reasoning: “Yes, it is inevitable that something bad will happen at some point, but I don’t know when or where. So, I might as well enjoy what I’m feeling now so later I won’t regret not having enjoyed that time when things were going well.”

4. Practice gratitude.

Being aware of what we have in our lives orients us to the present. We can always find something or someone to appreciate, and in showing this appreciation we gain an increased awareness of its beauty.

Expressing gratitude can be private (e.g., keeping a gratitude journal or list) or public (e.g., writing a letter of thanks to someone), but I’m preferential to personal reminders of gratitude.

For example, when I am feeling the joy of doing something I love or spending time with friends and family, I try to remember to say to myself: “this moment is good.” Just saying that brings me to the present and acknowledges my gratitude in the moment.

5. Spend time with people who also like to live fully.

It’s no mystery that emotions can be contagious. Friends or loved ones who are perpetually negative can influence our mindset, particularly if we find ourselves feeling anxious or dreading something negative happening.

While we shouldn’t avoid or shun friends who are struggling, we can be purposeful about finding time to spend with those who give us a burst of positive energy through their ability to live fully.

Our lives are in flux, and change in inevitable. By not constantly waiting for the bad stuff to happen, and instead focusing on the now, we can flow more easily, joyfully, and fully through our days.

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About Lisa Edwards

Lisa Edwards, PhD is a psychologist and professor who writes about positive psychology, motherhood and faculty life at hopefulmama.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Three Unexpected, Life-Changing Lessons I Learned at a Silent Retreat

“Every moment is a choice to begin again.” ~Unknown

By day three of the five-day silent retreat I found myself wondering, “Why did I do this again?”

The pain of sitting in lotus position for eight hours a day was testing my patience. I was frustrated that my mind would only be still for a few moments, before interrupting itself with commentary on the fact that my mind was still, and I wasn’t feeling any spiritual awakening—although not being a particularly “spiritual” person, this wasn’t entirely surprising

So why had I decided to go on a silent retreat in the first place? I had wanted to experience meditation without distraction and to take my practice to another level.

Going into the silent retreat, I had worries and questions circling: Will the silence be tedious? What will the other people be like? Are the teachers going to be cult-like leaders? Will I uncover some past trauma buried away deep inside?

Of course, of the things I worried about, none of them came true. Instead, what I found challenging and what I learned the most from were things that I hadn’t even considered: desire, expectations, and judgment.

Desire

If you’ve ever wondered what drives your behavior, you can thank the power of desire for that. And you certainly learn a lot about desire when you’re at a silent retreat.

Silent retreats are set up so that you never need to verbally communicate, which means that almost every minute of the day is scheduled for you, all your meals are prepared, and all external stimulation is removed. This creates a perfect storm for your desire to run wild, fantasizing about all the things you can’t have or do.

I never noticed how much I’m driven by desire until I spent a significant portion of the retreat daydreaming about different foods I wanted to eat. By day three I was writing lists of foods I was going to eat when I finally was “free” again.

I didn’t understand why I felt so compelled to do this until our evening teachings the following night, when I realized it was because I was struggling with desire.

That night we learned that what we’re often really craving is not the thing that we desire, but the reprieve we feel once we have relieved ourselves from the yearning of desire. This realization actually freed me from my wants, and allowed me to instead laugh at the simplicity of my humanness and my clear love of rice paper rolls.

It also made me realize that when we’re able to see what’s driving us, we have the space to observe our experience and choose how we respond, rather than being at the mercy of invisible desires. Instead, we’re able to consider what it is we really need, rather than simply what we want in that moment.

Since the retreat, I’ve been more mindful of when desire is driving me and it’s certainly helped my bank account, particularly when I’m having a moment where I think, “I just need these shoes” without really knowing why I “need them” so much.

Not that there’s anything wrong with buying shoes, but I’ve been able to see more clearly when my desire to buy shoes is coming from a place of wanting to feel better about myself, when I want to feel like I’m keeping up with others, or when I want other people to think I’m cool.

I’ve come to realize that while buying shoes might make me feel good in the moment, it isn’t going to build the foundations of lasting self-confidence.

Instead, I now find it much easier to pause and acknowledge, “Aha, this is just desire” and recognize that really, I have enough and I don’t need things to be enough.

Expectations

I’ve always known that having really set expectations can cause all sorts of problems, but the experience of the silent retreat cemented this for me.

My biggest problem was that I expected my mediation practice to somehow transform itself into something other than what it currently was. Of course, setting this expectation didn’t mean that my meditation practice changed at all; instead, it just left me feeling frustrated that I wasn’t experiencing something different. Ironically, meditation is all about experiencing whatever arises in that moment.

I didn’t even know what it was that I expecting to change. But I learned that when we’re searching for something, we’re blinded by the act of searching, and we miss the subtle changes that are unfolding before us. It’s often not until we let go of what we think should be changing that we can really notice and appreciate what has changed.

I also came to realize that expectations can really cause a lot of suffering. Now, looking back, I recognize that my expectations took me away from the beautiful sounds of the Balinese jungle, from the stillness that was there, and the joy of simply being.

When I let go of my expectations, not only did I start enjoying meditation more, I realized how powerful it could be to let go of expectations.

Despite having this realization, I’m still constantly surprised at how often my expectations get in the way of me being able to live peacefully. I often find myself expecting friends to behave in certain ways, and when they don’t, I feel deeply disappointed. But really, there’s no reason for me to expect them to behave differently, as they are simply engaging in the same behaviors that they have over the past fifteen years.

What I’ve taken from this is that the solution isn’t to disregard expectations, but to be mindful that your expectations aren’t too far removed from reality. I’ve found looking at the facts of a situation helpful in managing my expectations and instead, delighting in the unexpected.

Judgment

No matter how much we try not to be, we’re naturally judgmental. And I know this cannot be changed, but what I really noticed on retreat was the effect it had on my mind and my body, and how different my experience could be if I practiced letting go of judgment.

One evening I found myself really judging another girl for using social media while at the retreat. We had been asked to not make any contact with the outside world, and this of course included no use of social media.

At the time, I assumed that her use of social suggested that she wasn’t taking the retreat seriously. As these judgments raced through my mind, I noticed how much my body tensed up, how irritated I felt, and I could almost feel my mind narrowing as I focused on how their behavior was “wrong.”

Yet, when I opened myself up and tried to accept her behavior, I was freed from my own prison of judgment. When I allowed myself to be curious rather then judgmental, the experience transformed for me.

Instead of feeling irritated by her and closed off, I instead felt open and compassionate, and frankly just a lot less bothered by her. Being open and curious allowed me to move on and let go, relieving the discomfort of being judgmental.

It certainly wasn’t an easy thing to do, and I had to remind myself time and time again to keep opening, but the felt difference between the two was unbelievable. It was actually much more physically and emotionally pleasant being non-judgmental than being judgmental.

I really noticed this for myself when I was back in New York, sitting in a Broadway show. I caught myself totally distracted by the judgmental commentary happening in my head. It was the same old story, comparing my body to those of the performers, and my poor old thighs were the victims of my self-criticism yet again.

When I noticed how deeply I was caught up in worrying about the size of my thighs, I decided it was a good moment to practice what I had learned on retreat. I started saying to myself over and over, “Let go, be present.”

It was such a relief to allow myself to let go of judgment, and instead I was open to connect with feelings of joy as I started clapping along to the songs with the rest of the crowd. Not only this, letting go of the judgment allowed me to be more accepting and compassionate towards myself.

So all in all, while my meditation practice didn’t change as I expected it to, I certainly learned a lot on the silent retreat and took a lot away with me, all which was delightfully unexpected.

My three takeaways were that:

1. Desire is just a creation of our mind that we don’t need to follow. In fact, just acknowledging it can relieve us from the power of our desire.

2. Letting go of expectations allows us to be present and enjoy what is already here.

3. Being open and curious frees us from judgment, allowing us to be accepting and compassionate toward others, and ourselves.

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About Kass Sarll

Dr. Kass Sarll is a clinical psychologist and co-founder of HappinessInsight. Kass believes that all people should have access to the information need to create a life they truly love. If you would like to know more about increasing your happiness, well-being, and natural capacity for joy, you can find her at http://ift.tt/2od43gO, or you can follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

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Sub Types Of Personality Features Based On Satva, Rajas, Tamas

By Vd.A.Rangaprasad Bhat The sub types of Shuddha Satva: The Suddha satva aka SAtvika satva has been grouped into the following 7 categories – based on the mutual and synchronous involvement of the mind and physique, in being a cause for exhibiting the collective traits of  personality. ब्रह्मर्षिशक्रयमवरुणकुबेरगन्धर्वसत्त्वानुकारेण, राजसस्य षड्विधो दैत्यपिशाचराक्षससर्पप्रेतशकुनिसत्त्वानुकारेण, तामसस्य त्रिविधः The Suddha […]

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Personality Types And Features Based On Satva, Rajas, Tamas

By Vd.A.Rangaprasad Bhat The physical features are categorized as Dosha body types (Prakruti) as per Ayurveda. Similarly, mental aspects are categorized into different types based on qualities of Satva, Rajas and Tamas.   Types of basic Traits of satva (mind): The satva is of three types namely 1. Shuddham (satva), 2. Rajasam (satva), 3. tāmasamiti […]

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Pachana Karma: Physiology Of Digestion As Per Ayurveda

By Vd.A.Rangaprasad Bhat The Pachaka type of Pitta, that resides in stomach and intestines is responsible for digestion process. It is responsible for digestion and absorption of food particles into the body.  i) “अन्नस्य पक्ता पित्तं तु पाचकाख्यं पुरेरितम्| दोषधातुमलादीनामूष्मेत्यात्रेयशासनम्”||A.Hr.ShA. ३/४९|| सर्वाङ्गसुन्दरी व्याख्या ( कृत):- तुरवधारणे| अनेकविधस्याहारस्याभ्यवहृतस्य पित्तमेव पक्ता| किम्भूतं पित्तम् ? पाचकाख्यं पुरेरितं,-पूर्वं दोषभेदीयेऽध्याय […]

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Incorporating Atma Jnana (Self Awareness) In Treatment – Case Study

By Vd.A.Rangaprasad Bhat Physical diseases, that affect our body are primarily treated with Panchakarma, oral medicines, diet etc. Similarly, Mental disorders are primarily treated with Atma Vijnana – the knowledge of one’s soul.  Atma Vijnana – Knowledge of the self helps in identifying the negative emotions like hatred, jealous, over zealousness, displeasure, anger, hatred, laziness […]

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Wednesday 29 March 2017

Ocean Jasper, Good Feelings & Relieves Stress

Ocean Jasper brings joy & elevated spirits, relieves stress, worry & other negative feelings. Aids self confidence & self worth via the solar plexus, as you enhance your personal power.

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Getting things ready for our yoni workshop tonight! So excited!...



Getting things ready for our yoni workshop tonight! So excited! Contact me for more info and to RSVP still spots available! #lightworker #healing #healer #yoni #yonihealth #yonieggs #yonipower #yoniwellness #yonimagic #miami #miamilife #moonmother #wellness #wombwisdom #wombhealing #wombblessing #wombwellness #wombcrystalhealer #wombwellnessmiami #wombwellnesscentermiami #wombwellnessadvocate #wombwellnesswednesday #holistic #selflove #spirituality #spirituality #spiritjunkie #sacredfeminine #goddess #goddesspirituality #lightworker #love #om #namaste



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meditation winnie the pooh series | Mindfulness and Meditation


meditation winnie the pooh series
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MEA Ramsay Research Fund | Further results from study into the role of the autonomic nervous system and the cause of pain in ME/CFS | 29 March 2017

One of the most consistent neurological abnormalities to be reported in ME/CFS involves what is called the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

This is a part of the nervous system that has its control centres in the brain. The regulatory centres then send messages, which are not under conscious control, via the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, to regulate the heart rate and blood pressure, the bowels and bladder, and blood flow to muscle and other key parts of the body – including the brain.

The ANS can either speed up or slow down activities in the heart, bowels and bladder – so overactivity will speed up the pulse rate and can also cause irritable bowel and irritable bladder type symptoms.

It also appears that the ANS has a role in pain production and post-exertional symptomatology.

This is why the MEA Ramsay Research Fund is keen to fund more research into the role of the ANS – including a large study that researchers in Brussels and Glasgow have been carrying out for us.

The results in this paper relate to a study that examined the role of the ANS in exercise induced-analgesia (more information on this normal physiological response below) in people with ME/CFS, and in healthy controls, following an exercise challenge and in relation to self-reporting of pain severity.

Measurements of ANS activity (i.e. pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate) were carried out before and after exercise along with self reporting of pain levels.

The study concluded that there is dysfunctional exercise-induced analgesia in people with ME/CFS.

This is an important new finding that helps to increase our understanding of why pain occurs in ME/CFS and something that could lead to more effective methods of both prevention and treatment of pain in ME/CFS

Dr Charles Shepherd
Hon Medical Adviser, ME Association
29 March 2017


PUBLICATION OF PAPER IN ‘PAIN PHYSICIAN’

From Pain Physician (open access). March/April 2017.

Case Control Study
The Role of Autonomic Function in Exercise-induced Endogenous Analgesia: A Case-control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis⁄Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Healthy People

Oosterwijck JV, Marusic U(1), De Wandele I(2), Paul L(3), Meeus M(4), Moorkens G(5), Lambrecht L(6), Danneels L(2), Nijs J(7).
1) Science and Research Centre, Institute for Kinesiology Research, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia.
2) Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
3) Nursing and Health Care, School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
4) Pain in Motion Research Group (www.paininmotion.be); Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
5) Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Antwerp (UZA), Antwerp, Belgium.
6) Private practice for internal medicine, Ghent, Belgium.
7) Pain in Motion Research Group (www.paininmotion.be); Department of Human Physiology and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
Address Correspondence: Jo Nijs, PhD, MSc Universiteit Brussel, Building F-Kine, Laarbeeklaan 103, BE- 1090 Brussels, Belgium Email: Jo.Nijs@vub.ac.be

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are unable to activate brain-orchestrated endogenous analgesia (or descending inhibition) in response to exercise. This physiological impairment is currently regarded as one factor explaining post- exertional malaise in these patients. Autonomic dysfunction is also a feature of ME/CFS.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to examine the role of the autonomic nervous system in exercise- induced analgesia in healthy people and those with ME/CFS, by studying the recovery of autonomic parameters following aerobic exercise and the relation to changes in self-reported pain intensity.

STUDY DESIGN

A controlled experimental study.

SETTING

The study was conducted at the Human Physiology lab of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

METHODS

Twenty women with ME/CFS and 20 healthy, sedentary controls performed a submaximal bicycle exercise test known as the Aerobic Power Index with continuous cardiorespiratory monitoring. Before and after the exercise, measures of autonomic function (i.e., heart rate variability, blood pressure, and respiration rate) were performed continuously for 10 minutes and self-reported pain levels were registered. The relation between autonomous parameters and self-reported pain parameters was examined using correlation analysis.

RESULTS

Some relationships of moderate strength between autonomic and pain measures were found. The change (post-exercise minus pre-exercise score) in pain severity was correlated (r = .580, P = .007) with the change in diastolic blood pressure in the healthy group. In the ME/CFS group, positive correlations between the changes in pain severity and low frequency (r = .552, P = .014), and between the changes in bodily pain and diastolic blood pressure (r = .472, P = .036), were seen. In addition, in ME/CHFS the change in headache severity was inversely correlated (r = -.480, P = .038) with the change in high frequency heart rate variability.

LIMITATIONS

Based on the cross-sectional design of the study, no firm conclusions can be drawn on the causality of the relations.

CONCLUSIONS

Reduced parasympathetic reactivation during recovery from exercise is associated with the dysfunctional exercise-induced analgesia in ME/CFS. Poor recovery of diastolic blood pressure in response to exercise, with blood pressure remaining elevated, is associated with reductions of pain following exercise in ME/CFS, suggesting a role for the the arterial baroreceptors in explaining dysfunctional exercise-induced analgesia in ME/CFS patients.


This study was funded by the Ramsay Research Fund of the ME Association (United Kingdom). Jessica Van Oosterwijck is a post-doctoral research fellow funded by the Special Research Fund of Ghent University and the ME Association’s Ramsay Research Fund. Jo Nijs is holder of a Chair entitled “Exercise immunology and chronic fatigue in health and disease” funded by the European College for Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy, The Netherlands.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE MEA RAMSAY RESEARCH FUND

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ANALGESIA FOLLOWING EXERCISE

Over the past 20 years, a number of studies have examined whether analgesia occurs following exercise. Exercise involving running and cycling have been examined most often in human research, with swimming examined most often in animal research. Pain thresholds and pain tolerances have been found to increase following exercise. In addition, the intensity of a given pain stimulus has been rated lower following exercise.

There have been a number of different noxious stimuli used in the laboratory to produce pain, and it appears that analgesia following exercise is found more consistently for studies that used electrical or pressure stimuli to produce pain, and less consistently in studies that used temperature to produce pain. There is also limited research indicating that analgesia can occur following resistance exercise and isometric exercise.

Currently, the mechanism(s) responsible for exercise-induced analgesia are poorly understood. Although involvement of the endogenous opioid system has received mixed support in human research, results from animal research seem to indicate that there are multiple analgesia systems, including opioid and non-opioid systems. It appears from animal research that properties of the exercise stressor are important in determining which analgesic system is activated during exercise.

Analgesia Following Exercise (PDF Download Available). Available from: http://ift.tt/2ohqrT2 [accessed Mar 29, 2017].



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Latest update from the MEGA project and the Patient Advisory Group | 29 March 2017


AN UPDATE FROM THE SCIENTIFIC TEAM AND PATIENT ADVISORY GROUP

First the bad news: unfortunately our preliminary application to Wellcome, submitted at the start of the year, was turned down. No feedback was given so we don’t know why it was rejected.

The good news is that, in the last couple of weeks, the Scientific Team and the Patient Advisory Group have prepared a new outline application for further funding. With a short deadline it was tough going at times, but having had substantial input, the Patient Advisory Group are very pleased with the submission.

A very productive meeting between Prof Esther Crawley, Prof Julia Newton and the Patient Advisory Group was held early last week with some important points agreed:

Both the Scientific Team and the Patient Advisory Group agree that it is absolutely essential that we collect data from those most severely affected by M.E., and those affected long term. This will require home visits which are very expensive, and the financial limit of the current application will not cover this. However, it was confirmed at the meeting that we will submit an application to this current funding call with a full commitment that further applications will be made to include home visits. By establishing the MEGA bioresource and proving to funders that we can collect data from patients in clinic, the chances of us successfully accessing further funding are hugely increased.

Post-exertional malaise will be a prerequisite for inclusion in the bioresource. If successfully funded, a detailed definition of post-exertional malaise will be determined primarily by the Patient Advisory Group in conjunction with the ME/CFS specialists on the Scientific Team.

Those whose samples are collected for the bioresource will have their diagnoses and severity of illness confirmed and recorded at point of collection. Several case definitions will be used to categorise patients and it will be clear which case definition any given patient fits into. When analysing results of tests undertaken on samples from the bioresource, the Scientific Team will be clear which subset of patients the results specifically relate to (we will address this in more detail in a forthcoming blog post).

We have updated our Q&A page to highlight the points above.


PATIENT ADVISORY GROUP UPDATE

Three Patient Advisory Group members recently decided to leave the group. Their much valued contributions will be missed and their reasons for leaving have been taken on board.

Since their departure, valuable progress has been made and we are happy to report that, despite the initial rushed formation of the Patient Advisory Group and the pressure caused by tight application deadlines, things have really picked up and are beginning to fly. Enthusiasm among Patient Advisory Group members is high, the Scientific Team remains focused, and we all wait with fingers crossed for a positive outcome to this preliminary funding application.

As Prof Newton says, “MEGA represents the opportunity to develop the largest ME bioresource in the world. This will give researchers the material to address some of the big questions that are currently unanswered in ME, to not only help UK patients but the global patient community.”



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#crystals for #infertility #wombwellnesswednesday #crystalhealing #crystalhealer #wombhealing #wombblessing #wombwisdom #wombwellness #wombwellnesscenter #wombwellnessmiami #wombwellnesscentermiami #wombcrystalhealer #wombwellnessadvocate #healing #selflove #spiritual #spirituality #spiritualhealing #spiritualawakening #spiritualpractice #spiritualguidance #spiritualhealer #spiritjunkie #lightworker #goddess #yoni #wellness #wellnesswednesday #yonihealth #holistic #love #fertility #miami #miamilife #om #namaste



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So ready for tonight! Join me to discuss about the use and...



So ready for tonight! Join me to discuss about the use and benefits and all your FAQ about #yonieggs contact me for more info and to RSVP! #yoni #yoniegg #yonihealth #yonipractice #spiritualguidance #spiritualgrowth #reikimaster #moonmother #miami #meditate #miamilife #miamiyoga #miami #wellness #wombhealing #wombblessing #wombwellness #wombwellnessmiami #wombwellnesswednesday #yonipower #yoniwellness #sisterhood #spiritualgrowth #spiritualguidance #spirituality #sacredfeminine #spiritualhealer #spiritualhealing #spiritualjourney #crystal #crystalhealer #crystalhealing #wombwellnessadvocate #metaphysical #metaphysicalhealing #energyhealer #energyhealing #om #namaste #divinefeminine #divinefemininity #divinefeminineenergy #goddess #lightworker



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Kankola Piper cubeba Uses, Remedies, Research, Side Effects

Kankola- Piper cubeba is a herb mentioned in the ayurvedic pharmacopoeia for the treatment of cough, swelling, dysmenorrhea, erectile dysfunction and indigestion. In Ayurveda, it is used as the legal substitute for Musk.  Latin name- Piper cubeba Family- Piperaceae Names in different languages: Hindi name- Kababcheeni, Sheetalcheeni English name- Tail pepper, Cubeb, Java pepper Arabic […]

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Mexican Tea – Chenopodium ambrosioides Uses, Research

Sugandha vastuka – Chenopodium ambrosioides is a herb mentioned in Ayurveda for the treatment of intestinal worms, diarrhea, fever and indigestion.   Latin name- Chenopodium ambrosioides Linn. Chenopodium ambrosioides Family- Chenopodiaceae Names in different languages: Hindi name- Vathuya English name- Worm seed, Sweet Pigweed, Mexican Tea, Jesuit’s tea, payqu (paico), epazote Bengali name- Bathu sag Nepalese name- Hyang […]

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Kitamari Aristolochia bracteata, Uses and Research articles

Kitamari- Aristolochia bracteolata is a herb mentioned in Ayurveda for the treatment of wound, intestinal worms, dysmenorrhea, skin diseases and fever.  Latin name- Aristolochia bracteolata Retz. Aristolochia bracteata Family- Aristolochiaceae Names in different languages: Hindi name – Kitamar English name– Bracteated birthwort, Pipewine Bengali name – Kiramar, Patuvanga Gujarathi name- Kiramar Kannada name – Adu Muttada […]

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Ishwari Aristolochia indica Uses, Adverse effects, Research

Ishwari- Aristolochia indica is an ayurvedic herb useful for the treatment of localized swelling, cases of poisoning by inducing vomiting, skin diseases, cough and painful periods.   Latin name- Aristolochia indica Linn. Family- Aristolochiaceae Names in different languages: Siddha name: Adagam Hindi name: Isharmul, Isarmul, Hooka bel English name: Indian Birthwort, Snake root Arabic name: […]

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Rhubarb – Rheum emodi Uses, Research, Medicines

Pita mula- Rheum emodi is an ayurvedic herb mentioned for the treatment of low digestion, constipation, dysmenorrhea, jaundice etc. It is also known as Rhubarb or Revand chini.  Latin name- Rhum emodi Wall. Family- Polygonaceae Names in different languages: English name: Indian rhubarb or Himalayan rhubarb Hindi name: Dolu, Revandchini. Afghanistani name – chukri, Rawash […]

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Chukra Rumex vesicarius Uses, Medicines, Remedies, Research

Chukra- Rumex vesicarius is an Ayurvedic herb used for the treatment of constipation, diseases of the liver, scorpion bite, snake bite, piles and vomiting. Latin name- Rumex vesicarius Linn. Family- Polygonaceae Names in different languages: English name – Bladder dock, Sorrel, Bubble dock, Rosy Dock, Hindi  name  – Ambari, Chuka, Chukekasak Kannada name- Chukka Arabic […]

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Gorakshaganja Aerva lanata Uses, Adverse effects, Research

Gorakshaganja- Aerva lanata is a plant mentioned in Ayurveda for the treatment of renal calculi, retention of urine, cough and sore throat. The plant has promise on anti HIV activity.  Latin name- Aerva lanata Juss. Family- Amaranthaceae Names in different languages: Hindi name: Gorakhbuti or Kapuri jadi English name: Mountain knot grass Bengali name: Chaya […]

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Isabgol: Psyllium Husk: Uses, Remedies, Research, Side Effects

Ashwagola- Plantago ovata, more commonly known as Isabgol, is an Ayurvedic herb used for the treatment of constipation, distention of abdomen, herpes, piles.  Latin name- Plantago ovata Forsk. Family- Plantaginaceae Names in different languages: Hindi name- Isabgol, Ashwagol English name- Spogel seeds Arabic name- Bajkathuna Gujarathi name- Umatho jeeru Kannada name- Isapgolu Tamil name- Isappa […]

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Take the Leap: Reinvent Yourself and Be Who You Want to Be

“The only thing that punk rock should ever really mean is not sitting around and waiting for the lights to go green.” ~Frank Turner

I was exactly where I should have been on the afternoon I jumped. I was four years post-undergrad at an elite private college, halfway through a Masters Degree from the nation’s top Social Work program, about to begin an internship, and working three public service jobs simultaneously. My boyfriend had just moved into my apartment, and the feeling of being “settled” was just starting to sink in.

The remaining challenge of adulthood, it seemed, would be finding the energy to keep working seven days a week on no sleep, maintaining each job so the humble salary of any single one wouldn’t become my sole source of income.

It seemed fair to me. But moreover, it seemed normal. My father had driven to work at 4:00am my entire life, only returning at dinnertime to retreat to his home office and get started on his other work—the stuff that really paid the bills. Now that I was in my twenties it felt appropriate, mature even, to grind away the day and night and wear sleeplessness with pride.

The “nobility” of my work in foster care added an even deeper sense of meaning. I felt my own self-worth balloon in relation to how many families I visited each week, how many ice cream cones I bought for abandoned kids, and how many miles I put on my car. It seemed to be filling some empty space in me.

On some days, when I wasn’t listening to audio courses or dictating homework into my phone on the way to work, I would play a favorite punk album and sink into memory: epic sing-a-longs in dark rooms with my favorite bands and sweaty strangers.

I’d remember the thrill of wandering Berkeley, California (my heart home) at night, pen in hand, and letting the poetry flood through me. I’d feel the thrill of sharing my words with other artists, talking free verse and Tom Waits and chapbook titles.

But that was rare. I had grown up.

Like most who plunge full-hearted into social services, my passion had formed as a direct response to a lifelong series of personal sh*t-storms, and my mission was to learn how to use my experiences to help others.

And here I was, doing it, making the difference. By twenty-five I had built an unmistakable identity. Ambitious and tough, I was proud that my accomplishments in addition to my exterior image (despite my 5’2”/100 lb. stature) spoke of tenacity, unexpected power, and passion.

Except at night I watched my boyfriend’s band practice and something bubbled under the surface, making my throat ache and my fists clench anxiously. At work I’d talk to clients about the importance of holistic health, drawing out their Life Circle and stressing the importance of following your bliss and all that new-age crap. I’d smile and shake hands and say things like, “If it doesn’t make you happy, don’t do it.”

And I’d feel like a fraud.

I was always, always, always in helper mode, but I was tired and numb. I longed just to find a sunny spot and read a book. 

If you’re a helper, a healer, or a big-hearted person by nature, you know this ride, the push and pull of every daily interaction. An immediate clinical assessment, the five-minute inventory of a total stranger’s strengths and needs, and the “simple” things you can and must do to help them, make them smile, save them.

Go to the grocery store and repeat. Go to your second and third job and ask what else you can do for the team. Go home and make dinner. Chip away at the text-stream, put out fires, offer condolences, advice, and both ears. Try to read five pages of a new self-help book before falling asleep on the couch, spent.

Unchecked, it’s easy to live and die this way.

So when I reached the top of the rock cliff forty feet above the calm blue quarry, I wasn’t expecting the invisible force that pulled me forward, though I should have been—my rebellious spirit had been waiting for the right moment to rescue me.

To this day, the line between accident and intention is blurry. I had scaled the same precipice many times before, watching from the grassy patches as others ran and leapt and landed feet-first in the water with glee. My deep phobia of water was powerful, though, and I was always happy to climb back down the rocky slope to meet my friends at the shore.

But this time was different; I was begging for an alternate ending. It wasn’t that I was knowingly asking for death, or even feeling particularly self-destructive. It was more like a deep internal urgency had hitched itself to the late summer air, and all at once, I knew I was supposed to take the plunge, to surrender myself to gravity, to water and earth.

It was a sunny September day and my man was waiting in the water below.

I wasn’t thinking about my lifelong fear of drowning, or my work cell phone, which was definitely ringing incessantly in the car a few miles back through the woods. I wasn’t thinking of anything. But my heart was pounding up my throat. My hands were sweating, and every time I revved myself up to make the short run to the edge, my stomach dropped and my feet felt stuck in mud.

For the final minute on top of that cliff I felt the weight of my entire life—the straight A’s, the career ladder, the desperate drive to please my parents, the pressure, the self-denial—holding me in place. Still, sirens were ringing in my head and something wild was screaming, begging me to move.

I took one last shaking breath, willed my right foot forward, then my left, pushed my black Vans off the edge, and leapt into empty air. 

In order to land safely in the quarry, a diver must maintain perfect aim and balance, remaining upright so the impact of twelve feet of water is absorbed through the feet. Instead, closing my eyes and curling instinctively into fetal position, I hit the water face first. The impact shattered the bones in my face, causing my eye to break through the socket—muscles trapped in fissures, vision lost, reality gone.

The last thing I remember from my first life is the feeling of a heated blanket in a dark hospital room. The neck brace made it hard to breathe and harder to gag each time I felt like puking from the pain.

Paul, my man, my motivator, and my guardian angel, sat beside me in a metal folding chair for hours. When the painkillers finally took over and I sunk into oblivion, the feeling came rushing and brought tears to my eyes—stillness, relief, ecstasy. I whispered to Paul, though probably only in my mind, “Thank you for killing me.”

It was a sweet farewell from my first self, and a grateful nod from a new me.

The intensive recovery process prohibited work of any kind. In a novel medical approach the surgeon inflated a balloon within my sinus cavity, reconstructing my face and ensuring my vision could return to normal. But the delicate procedure deemed most normal daily functions dangerous, if not impossible. Worse, the hardcore regimen of painkillers and antibiotics left me covered in hives, photosensitive, exhausted, and constantly nauseous. But internally I was giddy, on fire, new.

In a blur of exhilaration and terror, I was forced to stand still. To examine my swollen face and black eyes every morning and decide how to spend each day. I was an infant again. I was Dobby holding a sock—shocked, ecstatic, but unsure where to start.

So I found a sunny spot and read a book.

And every day, while the world worked and worried and wondered about identity and success and all the other mental prisons I was used to, I drove to cafes with comfy couches and read. And I wrote. And I contacted venues and bands to set up shows and I listened to all my old favorite albums.

I found a cute little house outside of Woodstock for my boyfriend and me to feel like ourselves. We hung up all my posters from bands I grew up on and had friends over whenever we could, just to sit still, and talk, and feel.

My internship was filled by another MSW student, and my grad school granted me a leave of absence. My foster care caseload was divided among my coworkers. By force, I was freed.

That year I began therapy with a psychologist who not only helped me safely explore my past traumas, but also guided me into my second life with compassion and empowerment. I read and read and read, and the words poured back out of me.

In the spring I decided to drop out of grad school for good, feeling confident in my own abilities as a social worker and student. In the process I was able to shed the borrowed beliefs that had led me to max out student loans and wear down my true self in pursuit of institutionalized validation. My life itself was suddenly enough.

When I was able to return to work, I kept my full-time job in foster care and quit the rest. My coworkers whispered about “brain injury” and wondered if I was permanently messed up. But I gave myself permission to sit still and to call my own shots. I negotiated a flexible schedule and worked on publishing poems and building a creative business that made me feel alive, but more importantly, like myself.

I don’t recommend jumping off a forty-foot cliff in the height of your professional climb. But I beg you—yes you, exhausted social worker, stressed out salesperson, dejected teacher, grown up punk, secret poet—to give yourself permission to pause.

Question who you’re living for, who you work for every day. Question your values; are they really yours? Deconstruct your identity. Have you been carrying the same stories about yourself for decades (“I’m the hard worker, the overachiever, the struggling professional”)?

Are you making a difference in the way that only you can? What will it take for you to push pause? Reset?

Who would emerge if you killed your current self?

Liberation looks different to everyone, and it’s always evolving.

I still have a day job. My rent checks still occasionally bounce. My parents will forever be disappointed that I’m not a famous journalist or whatever by now. I still get rejection letters from publishers, and I have bouts of paralyzing depression… But there’s a different kind of dignity and drive that’s born when you take your life back from Default Mode, when you declare your own Red Light Moment and stop, then step back to take inventory.

When your life belongs to you alone, every struggle has a purpose and every triumph is yours to celebrate. Being able to use my innate gifts to do work that fires me up, automatically multiplies my impact on the world. The same goes for you.

What’s the thing you excel at without trying? Start there. Pretend the light has just gone green.

Then take the leap. Listen to the wild voice that whispers to you, and trust the motion it compels.

Chances are, you’ll land on your feet and someone will be there to guide you back to shore. But if you find yourself pummeling toward “death,” embrace it. Let your old self die along with the dogma and pressures that have worked on your tired soul all these years. If you want it, there’s a whole new world, and a better you, waiting on the other side.

Then, curate your new life—ditch the jobs that suck your soul out through bloodshot eyeballs and forced smile. Purge the toxic relationships even if it means drawing a thick and terrifying line in the sand before close family and friends. It’s scary and most people will warn against this type of “recklessness.”

Just don’t neglect to fill the void. Fill it with art and music or podcasts on self-improvement or long late-night talks with people you admire.

If you can’t find the scene you’re looking for, make it. If you’re aching for more, build it. If you find yourself ready and waiting for the moment, it’s already here. Jump.

*Disclaimer: Neither Tiny Buddha nor the author is advocating physically harming yourself to facilitate your personal evolution. The message is about embracing your truth and choosing to be reborn, not risking your life.

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About Kristina Sarhadi

Kristina Sarhadi is a writer from New York and a recovering social worker.

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