Over training, also described as chronic fatigue, burnout and staleness has been defined as an imbalance between physical and/or psychological stress, training or competition and recovery. Early stages of over training result from 'too much throttle and no breaking' and are called the orthosympathetic form whilst in more advanced stages, your orthosympathetic tone gets exhausted enabling its opposite number, the parasympathetic system to become dominant.
The orthosympathetic overtrainee is in permanent 'fight or flight' mode. Both fight and flight should be incidental challenges during which your adrenal glands pump out hormones like adrenaline (epinephrine), noradrenalin (norepinephrine) and cortisol, whilst indirectly raising human growth hormone (HGH) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). These glands however are sprinter organs, they were not designed to cope with a marathon.
The parasympathetic over trainee mimics some of Addison's disease symptoms hence it is referred to as Addisonoid over training. The marathon of fight and flight has exhausted the adrenal sprinter glands and they now fail to regulate hormonal concentrations properly, this now is a serious problem. On routine blood work the overtainee is likely to show progressive anemias with low haemoglobin and low haematocrit.
Athletes primarily complain of under performance of course, other common symptoms are progressively susceptibility to common infections and injury, persistent high levels of fatigue, heavy muscles and depression. As said, an athletes' reaction to under performance is often to increase training rather than to rest which exacerbates their recovery deficit (I am tired, but I feel better after exercise, so I exercise is the strategic equivalent of flogging a dead horse). Often symptoms are ignored until performance is chronically affected.
Sleep disturbances like having difficulty in getting to sleep, waking up in the night and waking un-refreshed are experienced by some 90% of athletes suffering from over training. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, loss of weight, loss of competitive drive, increased emotional instability such as depression, anxiety, irritability and mental exhaustion, poor attitude to training and musculoskeletal soreness.
A simple DIY monitoring system is by checking the morning heart rate. Take your pulse immediately upon waking whilst still in bed. If your waking pulse any day is elevated by more than 8 beats/minute above its average level for the preceding week you are falling into over training.
Alternatively check your morning body weight, the weekly average weight should not vary by more than 2lbs. If it drops by more than 3lbs on any day from a previous stable body weight you are falling into over training.
As far as laboratory tests go, a useful immunological marker for excessive exercise is salivary IgA whilst a useful stress marker is Cortisol/DHEA. The stress hormones Cortisol and DHEA are not released constantly throughout the day, but are secreted in a cycle called the circadian rhythm (highest values being in the morning and the lowest at night). When the adrenal glands become exhausted (parasympathetic phase) Cortisol and DHEA in the blood stream become imbalanced. Adrenal Stress Index uses four saliva samples to measure the adrenal rhythm and gives you a DHEA to Cortisol correlation. Of course hypothalamic-pituitary impairment of the corticotrophic axis causing adrenal insufficiency should be taken into account and specific testing of hypothalamus and pituitary gland may be considered.
Three common pathways for over training are:
intensity / load excess
recovery deficit
nutritional deficiency
To remedy the first two you need to lower stress load and increase recovery time. In severe over training athletes should stop training entirely for 7-14 days, increase sleep to 9 hours of solid sleep a night and increase broad spectrum antioxidant intake to 200% of usual intake.
To support the adrenal glands you can supplement with good quality organic glandular extracts from government inspected, New Zealand or Australia free range animals that have not been fed hormones or antibiotics. Or you can use a complex homeopathic remedy like Glandula Suprarenalis Suis-Injeel (Forte). Appropriate supplementation with good quality DHEA should only be considered if an abnormal adrenal stress test dictates this.
To remedy the last point you need to combine a right-for-you wholefood diet and should consider Aloeride® and probiotics. Combined ignorance and arrogance has many athletes train 3 - 4x /wk without fuelling their bodies appropriately. The famous 5Ps: poor preparation produces poor performance open the gates towards over training, injury, degenerative changes and illness.
Improving the immune system of athletes helps reduce the number and length of infections suffered by them. The large, highly immune modulating aloeride fraction within Aloeride® together with good probiotics do exactly that. Also they improve the uptake of necessary nutrients. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial - published in Br J Sports Med. 2008 Feb 13 - was conducted in Australia over a four-month period of winter training of twenty healthy, elite male distance runners. The conclusion was that prophylactic administration of probiotics was associated with a substantial reduction in the number of days and severity of respiratory illness in a cohort of highly trained distance runners likely due to a two-fold (p=0.07) greater change in whole-blood culture interferon gamma (IFN-fx) compared with placebo.
Athletes, anoraks or anybody else suffering from an imbalance between physical and/or psychological stress, training or competition and recovery should change that balance, and ingest Aloeride®, probiotics and highly absorbable wholefood nutrition to recover.
The Thinking Man sculpture at Musée Rodin in Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Creative thinking is a potential we are all born with. If you don't use that potential, it is probably because you don't know and apply the simple principles for developing it. We can remedy that right now.
The two basic principles of creative thinking are:
There are methods and techniques of creative thinking.
Making these methods and techniques a part of your mental habits will make creative thinking easy and automatic.
An entrepreneur sees the potential profit in a situation, because his mind is trained for that. A lawyer sees the potential problems, because that is how his mind is trained. How we repeatedly think becomes a habit, and that is how you train a mind. Learn the techniques of creative thinking, use them until they are a habit, and creative thinking will be as natural for you as lying is for a politician.
The Techniques Of Creative Thinking
There are dozens of creative problem solving techniques you can learn to use. "Concept-combination," for example, will have you mixing roses and clocks to create the first alarm clock that wakes you up with a gentle release of fragrance. Use the technique of "random-presentation" and a cell phone can give the idea to do your dictation with a pocket tape recorder while you walk, so you'll have time for exercise and still get your work done.
Creative thinking goes beyond just solving specific problems or inventing new things. A truly creative mind is always coming up with the questions too, not just the solutions. To be more creative all the time, focus on three things:
1. Challenge your assumptions. What if a restaurant didn't have employees? Customers could pay a machine as they enter, and feed themselves at a buffet. If everything was as automated as possible, maybe one owner-operator could run a large restaurant alone. Challenge everything. Do you have to go to work? Do pools need water? Is education always a good thing?
2. Change your perspective. Imagining a dog's thoughts about your busyness could clue you in to the unecessary things you do. Thinking dollars-per-day instead of per-hour could give you a plan to let employees go home when they finish a certain quota. Greater efficiency would be almost certain, and you could adjust daily pay and quotas so both you and employees made more money. Look at everything from several perspectives.
3. Let your ideas run wild. Flying furniture seems silly, but it may lead to the idea of a hover-lifter. Slide the device under furniture and it lifts it with a cushion of air, making for easy moving. Don't stifle your creativity. Relax, let ideas come, and know that you can always discard them later.
Creating Creative Thinking Habits
To make the above techniques into an automatic part of your thinking, just use them enough. Usually it takes several weeks to develop a habit, so you need a way to remind yourself each day during that time. Try writing a few of your favorite techniques on a card and carrying it with you. Pull it out throughout the day and apply the techniques to anything. Soon, more creative thinking will be a normal part of your life.
Acupuncture has been practiced for hundreds of years. To let you know more about this practice, here are a few things that you should know.
First, acupuncture is a holistic healthcare technique that involves inserting needles into specific points in the body. Studies have been conducted and it has been proven to treat ear, nose, throat, respiratory, gastrointestinal, eye, nervous system and muscular disorders.
The needles used in acupuncture are very small and you will probably feel a slight twitch when the needle goes in. They will be inserted carefully to ¼ or an inch in depth and will stay there from 45 minutes to an hour depending on the condition of the patient.
If inserted properly, you should feel some cramping, distention, electric sensation or tingling which means that the treatment is working.
Needles used for acupuncture especially in the US are clean because they are required to be disposable. This prevents any chance that those who go for treatment will be contaminated by a communicable disease like hepatitis or HIV.
Given that this has been practiced for more than 2000 years, various styles of acupuncture have been developed. So, before you decide to go for a session, you should know what technique is used so they can explain to you what happens.
When looking for an acupuncturist, you should also ask where they got their training, how long they have been in the practice and most importantly, what experience the specialist has had in treating the condition you are experiencing.
They should also be able to present their credentials like where they graduated and their state board license. If you live in a state that does not require a license, make sure they have something to show which certifies that they can practice their profession like a document from the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists.
The duration of your treatment varies depending on the nature of your problem. Some are easy to fix compared to others especially if you are dealing with something long term. For instance, alcoholics and drug users may quit their vices after 3 or 4 months while those suffering from a disease like autism will take years as there is no know cure yet for the this illness.
Before the needles are inserted, you need to undergo a physical examination and answer a few questions. There are risks involved even though it is a painless procedure because the needle might hit something vital inside but if the specialist is good, then there is nothing to worry about.
You may notice a spot of blood when the needles come off. But if you are concerned about it, talk to your acupuncturist so he or she can prescribe something.
Some patients will experience immediate relief after the first session but others will not experience anything at all. This is the reason that an average session should be done 12 to 15 times at least 2 to 3 times a week.
If acupuncture works for you, then the only thing you need are follow up sessions. This can be done twice every 2 weeks or monthly. It is really up to you. But don’t forget to also see your regular doctor so he or she can also monitor the progress of your condition.
Regardless of age, acne is a condition of the sebaceous glands. These glands are attached to hair follicles and produce an oily substance called sebum. An acne lesion forms when a hair follicle becomes plugged with sebum and dead cells. The pathogenic (disease-causing) events in the sebaceous glands are believed to be due in large degree to changes in levels of androgenic (male) hormones in the body—a circumstance usually associated with the growth and development that occurs between the ages of 12 and 21. Therefore, it is important to look for an underlying cause of acne that occurs for the first time in adulthood.
Acne that appears after 25 to 30 years of age occurs for one of these reasons:
1.Recurrence of acne that cleared up after adolescence
2. Flare-up of acne after a period of relative quiet—for example, during pregnancy
3. Occurs for the first time in a person who had never previously had acne.
Acne that appears for the first time in adulthood should be examined by a dermatologist who can investigate the underlying cause. Some causes of adult acne are:
* Medication. Some medications that can induce acne include anabolic steroids (sometimes used illegally by athletes to “bulk up”), some anti-epileptic medications, the anti-tuberculosis drugs isoniazid and rifampin, lithium and iodine-containing medications.
* Chronic physical pressure on the skin. Chafing from the straps of a backpack or tucking a violin between the jaw and chin can cause chronic physical pressure on the skin and may induce a condition known as acne mechanica.
* Chlorinated industrial chemicals. These may induce the occupational skin disorder known as chloracne.
* Metabolic conditions. Changes in the hormonal balance, such as those brought about by pregnancy, menstruation or hormonal abnormalities can induce acne.
It is also important to know that some lesions which appear to be acne are not acne at all. One skin condition that resembles acne is folliculitis, which occurs when the hair follicles become infected and inflamed. Folliculitis requires different treatment than acne.
Acne that occurs in adulthood may be difficult to treat if there are multiple recurrences. Some patients with severe recurrent acne have undergone repeated courses of treatment with the potent systemic drug isotretinoin.
Since adult acne may be difficult to treat, acne that appears for the first time in adulthood should be examined and treated by a dermatologist.
What is acne?
According to certain studies, acne varies from quite mild to tremendously severe. It typically forms when the lining of the skin duct as well as the sebaceous glands start to work overtime. With the onset of acne, the lining of the duct actually shed cells which
are then transported away to the shell of the skin by the sebum. Once the duct is blocked, it is when the sebum and cells start to amass, forming a plug known as comedo.
Once the plug stays below the plane of the skin, whiteheads or “closed comedo” occurs. If the plug boosts and pops out of the skin duct, it is called “open comedo” or blackhead since the top is dark. As you may know, this is not absolutely dirt, thus it will not wash away.
There are a lot of factors that contribute to the formation of acne, but in terms of its real cause, no one is actually certain as to what exactly causes acne to develop or why it starts in adolescence. However, factor like hereditary top the list. It has long been deemed as the most important factor that plays a large role in the acne’s development. As what most people believe, if a member of your family had acne, there is a great possibility that you will have acne too.
One could enjoy watching magicians perform their amazing tricks. Whether they are in a circus, in a school program, a friend’s birthday celebration, or in a favorite television show, magicians are among today’s top entertainers.
Here are a few of the top magicians in their times:
The history of using magic as a form of entertainment may have begun with magician Chevalier Joseph Pinetti. More than three centuries ago, Chevalier Joseph Pinetti, wowed his audiences worldwide with his bag of magic tricks. And that was in 1782!
Promotional poster for American magician Howard Thurston. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Among his tricks was the ability to produce an orange tree blossoming on stage that bore fruit. Pinetti’s wife even acted as an assistant, helping the magician to do his mentalist and escape tricks. Known as the “Professor of Natural Magic,” he was known for his great magic tricks, tricks that belonged clearly to the modern era of magic.
Come the nineteenth century. The said century welcomed the use of technical-assisted magic, with some of the magicians developing various devices that would aid or help in their illusions. Using optical aids or devices, electromagnets, as well as various stage lighting forms, these magicians were able to amaze audiences from time to time with their very elaborate and dazzling tricks.
One known magician in the nineteenth century was the magician Hermann the Great. Alexander Herrmann was his real name, and this German magician did his tricks with all of the kinds of stage magic he had known, even from super close-up productions to fill-stage events. An American rival, Harry Kellar, took over Herrmann’s popularity for some time and became the most prominent magician for more than 10 years.
Other magicians in the nineteenth century included T. Nelson Downs and Howard Thurston. Downs is originally a vaudevillian by trade, but had become great and famous in his magic tricks that he became known as “King of Koins.”
Thurston, on the other hand, invested much of his money in building an extravaganza, which is a show on magic. It reigned over the American entertainment magic scene for over twenty-five years.
Probably one of the more known magicians in recent times was Harry Houdini. Known as one of the best American magicians, he was known for his great escape acts, including his own famous creation, the “Chinese Water Torture Cell.”
Another famous American magician is David Copperfield, who until recently performed numerous magic acts in shows and TV programs.
Astrology is a complex subject, and when it comes to bad habits it is no different. There are many details to consider about any person when discussing their astrological sign. Birth date is just one of them. However, it is fun to dabble in astrology and find out the general rules for the astrology of bad habits.
Capricorns are said to be persistent, hard workers. Perhaps this is why they are thought to be workaholics. They are driven to get the job done no matter how long it takes.
In fact, they may not stop with the job at hand, but go on to other jobs instead of going home and relaxing at the end of the day. They can help curb these bad habits by keeping a gratitude journal.
Aquarius is a sign given to independent people. In many ways this is a good thing. However, they have the bad habits of shutting people out of their lives. They do like novelty, though. Close relationships that involve a creative aspect are for them.
Alcoholism is one of the major bad habits of people born under the Pisces sign. The usual treatments for alcoholism apply to them, just as they do for anyone else. Bad habits like this are hard to overcome.
Aries is a sign of selfish people. The best way for them to combat this is to care for another living being. Taurus people thrive on clutter. All they need is a little direction in how to get organized. These are both fairly innocuous bad habits.
If you live with a Gemini, then you probably find yourself talking to the air at times. A Gemini has bad habits when it comes to paying attention to people talking to them. If you do not talk to them, they will eventually beg you to do so.
Cancer peoples’ sugar addictions can only be aided by substituting sweets like dried fruits, for example. Their bad habits are based on oral gratification. Leos are all full of themselves. They will keep up their bad habits of bragging on themselves until they learn to be different. They can do this by practicing complimenting people.
Virgos have more habits that can be good or bad habits. It depends upon how you look at them. Virgos are bent on perfection. Nothing is ever good enough for them. If you encourage them to lighten up and have some fun, they can reduce these bad habits.
Libras love to look at pretty things. It would be nice if they would spend their time taking walks in the garden, or going to fine arts museums. However, many Libras go to another extreme. They become shopaholics to gratify the urge to be around beautiful things. These are costly bad habits to have.
Scorpio people can have the bad habits of getting very angry and holding onto that anger for a long time. Doing relaxing things like getting a massage will help them ease away their anger. Finally, there are the Sagittarians. These people have the bad habits of going overboard with honesty. They just need to learn a little compassion and tact.
While these descriptions might not apply to you, a detailed analysis of your horoscope may reveal something more telling. Or, you may not believe them at all. In any case, find your bad habits by whatever means it takes and eradicate them.
Chair Yoga can easily work in harmony with most physical rehabilitation prescriptions. Many physical therapists have knowledge of Yoga or are teachers of Yoga. Many doctors, physical therapists, and medical professionals recommend Yoga to patients who are making a “come back.”
Yoga gives these patients the strength to move ahead, when many would be discouraged. The comebacks that I have personally witnessed are inspiring to me as a Yoga teacher. Over time, I have seen come backs from strokes, heart attacks, and car accidents.
It touches me that they thanked me for teaching them Yoga or Chair Yoga.
The courage to go on came from within their minds, but Yoga became a significant part of their lives. As a Yoga teacher the inspiration was mutual and made me feel helpful. After all, being of help, and being appreciated, are prime motivations for teachers of any subject.
Muscle tone is a result of stretching and flexing any muscle group. Active muscles display themselves on anybody that chooses to use them. This is also a good way to relieve oneself of anxiety, stress, tension, and prevent depression. Like the other benefits, previously mentioned, this results in whole body health. A healthy body does, indeed, compliment a healthy mind.
For those clients who are confined to a chair, it is wise to include some form of a weight bearing, or weight resistance, exercise program. For those who can stand, Chair Yoga is another weight bearing exercise that will stimulate bone building.
With progressive weight resistance, you use free weights or machines, but with Yoga you bear your own body weight. The end result of these exercise programs would be increased bone density and prevention of Osteoporosis.
Seniors spend more time alone, than any other age group. Sometimes, we all need a little solitude, but too much solitude can lead to depression, in some of us. Living life like a monk is not for everyone.
Chair Yoga classes offer a social activity that helps to stimulate the mind and body in a positive way. This becomes an uplifting activity that participants look forward to. Regular attendance, and socializing in Chair Yoga classes, is a healthy activity that leads to building strong relationships.
It also exposes seniors to the many activities that are going on within the community center. Participants of chair Yoga classes are exposed to whole health and gain a nutritional education as a member of a senior, community, or wellness center.
Lastly, all participants in Chair Yoga classes learn to relax and quiet the mind, through breath awareness, meditation, stage-by-stage relaxation, a combination, or another method. The end result being that these Yoga students can control their minds, focus on the good things in life, and prevent depression.
For many thousands of years, civilizations all over the world have relied on their faith in spiritual or mystical powers to accomplish truly amazing feats. Long before modern medicine came on the scene, most health concerns were traditionally handled by applying a dose of spirituality, voodoo, witchcraft, astrology, or psychic power from any number of paranormal sources. One simply couldn’t get through the day without help from the “unseen” world. Of course, that was in the “dark ages” before we were enlightened by the miracles of modern science. But is it wise for people today to scoff at all that seemed to work for so many people, for so long?
In a world where mainstream religion is often mocked, it’s so easy to laugh at those believe in the powers of the paranormal, occult, magic, psychic or new age remedies. We often label them as misguided kooks or blind followers of today’s trendy Hollywood scene and counter-culture. But as humans, it is built into our composition to search for truth, and solutions to the many problems we face. And let’s face it, today’s world is filled with day-to-day problems that we strive to overcome… issues dealing with love, money, health, just to name a few. Life is a difficult struggle for millions of people worldwide who seek relief, and solutions to their problems by turning to magic spells. Just go to Ebay and do search on love spells or magic spells. You’ll find an endless potpourri of psychics and spell casters who can make your problems disappear, or bring you amazing results for just a few dollars. Think that’s funny? It gets better. When asked, most people who buy these spells will tell you that they really work… and they do.
So how can a love spell performed by a psychic actually attract a soulmate to a lonely person seeking a love partner? Did that money spell really make that struggling secretary get a job promotion and a salary raise? And what about that healing spell that cured my neighbor’s back pain? The unbelievers will likely point to coincidence, some sort of logical explanation, or attribute the results to simply “mind over matter.” But those who believe in psychic powers and the paranormal world think otherwise – there must be a spiritual or metaphysical helping hand involved.
As a self-professed psychic and paranormal expert, who has studied spirituality, psychic phenomena, and the art of spell casting, I personally believe that there is much more to this than meets the eye. Most mainstream religions accept the power of prayer as a way to receive blessings, protection and goodness from spiritual sources. Even medical professionals are now recognizing that an individual’s faith and beliefs can play a major role in improving quality of life and health. However, while many doctors will admit that there is some benefit to holistic and alternative medicines, you’ll be pressed to find any who will publicly encourage seeking answers from a psychic or magic spell.
There has always been, and will always be a stigma in going to a fortune teller, psychic or spell caster that keeps people from easily accepting their virtues. As an industry, the psychic business has brought on much of this skepticism itself. Shoddy late night television infomercials for psychic readings, con artists or carnival fortune tellers are the images that come to mind for many, when they think of psychics. Just look at how astrology and other psychic-related ads have that tiny disclaimer at the bottom that says “for entertainment purposes only.” It’s about as phony as pro wrestling, right? Well, don’t be too quick to agree.
There are more people than you think who use money or love spells on a regular basis, in an attempt to restore a bad relationship, or gain financial freedom. And these are folks from all walks or life, professions, income levels, religious affiliations and nationalities. Sure, some may rely too much on seeking guidance and help from the psychic world, but most of them are die-hard believers of the occult and would not have it any other way. They will tell you that these spells work for them, their lives have been enriched, and you are the foolish one who chooses to miss out on something wonderful.
People always ask me, “Are these spells real? I mean, can they actually make things happen that I can’t do on my own?” If spells can do what they claim they can do (improve love life, attract more money, better luck at gambling) then the answer has to be “Yes.” A spell that does what it is supposed to do has got to be real. Of course, it helps if you have a positive outlook, and believe that the spell can truly help you. But if the spell delivers results, then it has to be real. Believers will tell you that those who refuse to open their minds to the possibilities of magic spells and spiritual solutions will never know what they are missing. Perhaps it is the unbelievers who are experiencing “mind over matter,” only their mindset is narrowly fixed on the opposite end of the belief scale.
Why limit your world to just the few things you can see and touch? After all, what you see isn’t always what you get.
A "puzzle" ribbon to promote Autism and Aspergers Awareness. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Aspergers is a form of Autism. People with Aspergers syndrome are on the higher end of the spectrum. They usually have normal language skills. Their main problem is dealing with people socially. Usually these problems are first noticed when a child begins school. The child can have all the signs of Aspergers, or only a few. Here are some of the common signs of Aspergers syndrome.
1. Have a hard time talking to other kids. Kids with Aspergers syndrome have a hard time going up to someone and starting a conversation.
2. Speak in words that are very advanced for their age. The Asperger's child may use words that adults would use.
3. Have trouble understanding when someone is joking, or being sarcastic. Children with Aspergers have a hard time understanding tones of people's voices. They tend to take everything said seriously.
4. Have very limited interests. A child with Aspergers syndrome may only want to focus on one thing. They may take a liking to puzzles, and only want to do puzzles all the time. They will often learn everything they can about one subject. That will be all they focus on.
5. Have a hard time with changes in their routine. This can be hard for a child starting school. They had a routine at home and now that is being changed. The same thing can happen during breaks during the school year. This is a common problem of Autistic children.
6. Talking a lot. Children with Aspergers usually talk a lot. They often say whatever they are thinking whether it is appropriate or not. Most of the conversations they have are one sided. While it looks like the child is talking to you, they are really talking at you.
7. Problems making friends. Kids with Aspergers have trouble making friends due to their inability to relate to the other children. They sometimes try to hard to make friends and scare the other kids away.
8. No eye contact. Children with Aspergers usually will not look you in the eye when speaking. This is another common trait of an Autistic child.
9. Using repetitive movements. This can be a movement like spinning around, or bouncing back and forth while sitting. These movements are calming to the Aspergers child.
10. Problems with speaking. The Aspergers child may speak really fast. They usually do not stop to see if the person they are talking to is paying attention. Their tone of voice is flat and does not change to show emotions.
11. Problems with movement. Children with Aspergers often have trouble with their coordination skills. They may always be tripping or stumbling over their own feet. They may take a long time to learn how to ride a bike.
Asperger children have the most positive outcome on the Autism spectrum. They have high intelligence and language skills. They can often be taught the social skills they need to get by. If you notice any of these signs in your child mention them to the doctor.
Body painting is one of the most unique kinds of art. People from all over the world paint their bodies to express their thoughts and feelings. People paint their bodies when they are cheering for their team. They also paint their bodies for specific events. Just like a clown paints his face to make people laugh similarly people get their body painted for many reason. The painted body represents creativity and imagination. There are certain tips one can follow while painting their body. A certain procedure is followed for painting the body to ensure that the paint looks beautiful and portrays a sharp image.
Before painting the body it is a good idea to wash and dry your body so that the dust particles are removed. This will help in creating a uniform layer of paint. There are several methods for painting your body. Select the one that best suits you for the following: tempra, markers, liquid latex, airbrush makeup, PAX makeup and textile acrylics. Each technique has its own pros and cons. Using markers are safe and they are cheap but it takes a lot of time to paint the body with markers. Also these markers have to be frequently replaced as they finish up quickly. Using tempra is a bad choice as it flakes off when it dries and makes quite a mess. Although it is cheap but when the paint dries up it becomes powdery.
The use of airbrush makeup to paint the body is a very good choice and highly recommended by professional. Unfortunately it is expensive but the quality is wonderful. Painting with the help of airbrush makeup is flexible and provides excellence in the quality of work. Another good choice for painting body is the use of textile acrylics which are cheap, easy to use, good looking and safe to use. All these are the perfect methods for painting the body. Apart from this while painting the body one must keep certain things in mind. Use a sponge if a larger area is to be painted, it is quicker and easier. Visualizing the end result is a good idea as it will help in the perfect painting of the body. Add special effects by using glitter and other shiny cosmetics. Keep a bundle of tissues while painting so as to quickly remove the mistakes while painting and drawing. All these tips can help in painting the body perfectly.
Basically, arrogance is an inferior attitude masking as superiority. Inferiority or superiority complexes are both egoic expressions. The human ego often wishes the Self to appear what it is not. Even if we knew a lot, if we have read a thousand books, studied under countless Gurus, have permanent contact with a Cosmic Master, experienced a 1001 delights and terrors, meditate constantly, possess the world, or are powerful in some psychic way, it still does not give us a reason to egoically compare others with ourselves, or to judge them--by seeing others as inferior to us, by labelling them as bad, low, and vile.
Many so-called spiritual teachers still do this. They criticize and condemn others without realizing that, spiritually speaking, there is no separation between others and themselves. What we see in others also lies below the conscious threshold within ourselves; what we do to others, we also do to ourselves, what we think of others, we also think of ourselves. What another is doing in the present we may well have done so ourselves in the past or perhaps will do so in the future. There is no need for judgment but a lot of need of mercy, understanding, and tolerance. Essentially, a spiritual being will not indulge in the judgment of dualistic concepts and the relativistic opposites such as good and bad, right and wrong, rich and poor, strong and weak, etc. These things are reconciled or transcended by the mage. St. Paul once said that if we owned the world and all powers and gifts of the spirit but lack love we were nothing. This is felt by all true spiritual teachers and practitioners.
Metaphysics should not be confused with the paranormal nor with parapsychology. The paranormal and parapsychology are simply aspects of metaphysics--using the term in its broadest sense..
In regards to metaphysical experiences we should keep in mind that metaphysics encompasses the two basic divisions of psychicism and mysticism, thaumaturgy and theurgy. Experiences in both fields may be considered "metaphysical," however, a psychic experience is dissimilar to a mystical one, and vice versa. One relates to the perception of events occurring in the lower planes or dimensions, the other to spiritual Self-awareness and the expansion of the consciousness encompassing the Whole.
As can be understood from the above, metaphysics has a transcendent value. It caters to both the physical and spiritual aspects of man. Metaphysics begins where traditional psychology leaves off, it goes where dogmatic religion is afraid to go, it extents further than mainstream science is able to reach with its laboratory equipment--although we must admit that many technological advances have been made in this direction, most of which have not yet been made available to the general public for reasons of censure. The release of such technology would dethrone the powers that seek to enslave the world and the Dark forces are trying very hard to prevent humanity from being empowered.
One of the misconceptions regarding metaphysics is that it is unscientific and based upon superstitious ideas. This is not in our experience. Metaphysics is scientific, rational, empirical and pragmatic, or it could indeed well be "superstitious" depending on one's attitude, beliefs, and manner of approach, or how one would like it to be. This might seem as a paradox and yet it may be reconciled. We liberate our minds or impose limitations upon it by our beliefs and attitudes, and by those limitations we circumscribe our mental and spiritual growth. Our beliefs and attitudes form our basic interpretation of Reality. If a thing is of value, because of prejudice we will not see it. We will see what we want to see, and refuse to see what we refuse to see.
Metaphysics may be approached in various ways. If one has a background in mathematics, one's approach would be mathematical. If one has a psychological background one would naturally approach it from a psychological standpoint. And if one simply believes or disbelieves in metaphysical principles then the result would be in accordance to that mental condition. For instance, if we disbelieve that man may go to the moon we would not exert effort to putting him there. If we believe that we are doomed to failure we would never motivate ourselves to work for success. This concept relates to how we form our own personal experiences in life, our own personal reality. Intrinsically, however, personal opinions do not affect the natural laws operating in our universe. We may discount the reality of gravity, for instance, and yet the law still functions in our everyday experience. The same goes with the other natural laws like karma and reincarnation. Belief or disbelief in them will not affect their existence and operation. Just because these laws are not mentioned by prophets and written about in Holy Scriptures do not nullify their activity. Come to think of it, many scientific natural laws are not mentioned in Holy Writ, does this prove their non-existence?
Though certain aspects of metaphysics may be considered to be speculative, as it deals with the Ultimate Reality, the First Cause, creation, and ontology or the nature of being--what interests us is the application of its principles and direction of Cosmic laws in everyday life. The worth of a science lies in its value, relevancy, and applicability in everyday living. If it is inefficient in aiding humanity to create abundance, peace, health, etc., then it is impractical and worthless. Some people have this kind of misconception concerning metaphysics, they believe that metaphysics is impractical, too abstract, or that it violates natural law and hence, religion; however, the opposite is true. Metaphysics and its principles work in harmony with Cosmic laws and is extremely practical. Applied Metaphysics, as differentiated from Speculative Metaphysics, is wholly practical and essential to daily life. It empowers us with the tools and knowledge necessary to achieve a successful and fulfilled life.
Though the art and science of metaphysics is still in its infancy compared to what lies ahead, there is enough teachings, techniques and systems to assist us live a fruitful, productive and creative life in accord with the Divine Will. The more we know and understand, the more wisdom we possess, the more motivated, focused and confident we are--the more chances we have of fulfilling our mission in life.
There is an on-going electromagnetic regeneration occurring in our solar system in our present "time-period." The present interaction and interfacing of energy fields in the part of our galaxy that our solar system is entering are causing the transformation of worlds and all beings connected to them in an evolutionary manner. Electromagnetic energies radiating from power centers in multi-dimensional universes are affecting and transforming everything in its path or field of influence. These energies induce and impel all beings to rise in their awareness level. They stimulate Man and Nature to form a new relationship based on trust and healthy cooperation. St Francis of Assisi was a pioneer and a model for us in this regard. This friar considered all beings--trees and animals, included--as his brothers and sisters.
The transformations that are currently occurring politically and socially in the world are just a few of the physical effects of the cosmic bombardment of these energy rays. Changes will occur at every level lifting humanity to a new state of being, to a higher level of divine expression. The transmutational process currently operating is represented by the Water Bearer-the sign of Aquarius, and the Aquarian Age. The water flowing from the vessel represents the energies flowing from the Mental, Buddhic and Atmic realms. These are just some of the higher dimensions operating above the personality level. Collectively, these three dimensions are represented by the pail held by the Water Bearer from whence these energies flow, and the Water Bearer as the Higher Christ Self within each individual.
The New Age or the Aquarian Age can be interpreted as the "second-coming" of Christ, for His sign (Aquarius) shall appear or is appearing in the sky in an astronomical sense; he "appears" in the clouds or energies of the New Age, and every eye shall "see" him--that is, feel his influence.
How can we appreciate the value of metaphysics? It takes careful study and analysis with a non-prejudicial mind before a true evaluation can be made of any science or thing. Metaphysics is of no exception. The problem is that too many people have preconceived the nature of metaphysics without having investigated the matter. Some consider it as the science of Lucifer or other such nonsense. All knowledge is essentially neutral in nature. Nothing is good or bad in itself. We attribute a thing as good or bad, right or wrong from the standpoint of our own moral standards or preference and this is constantly changing in consonance with the level of our spiritual awareness.
Metaphysical teachings help us in various ways. It teaches us the existence of the many Cosmic laws operating in the universe and how these laws function in the world of beings. If understanding just a simple Cosmic law like karma helps one to correct misconceptions and alleviate our struggles, and relieve certain psychological pain, can you imagine how the awareness and understanding of a dozen Cosmic laws would help improve the quality and value of one's life? It should be realized that if a person were to cry out in pain to God for an explanation to all of her problems and excruciating experiences, and that if she were confused and at a loss of knowing how to react or respond to certain situations, then it should be known that there are possible errors in that person's philosophy of life, in that person's understanding of the functions and laws of the universe, and the purpose of life, or of the person's personal mission. Since one's philosophy of life is associated with one's cultural and religious beliefs, then those beliefs should be looked into for possible false notions and dogmatic errors that do not reflect the workings of Nature.
True religion brings joy, bliss, understanding and wisdom to the heart, and is scientifically inclined. If it does not do so, and if it simply causes one to believe a thing without offering personal determination of its truth through experience, knowledge and understanding then it may be seen as a diversion from the true spiritual path. We state emphatically here that to be religious is not synonymous to being spiritual. A spiritual person may be religious, but a religious person is not always spiritual. A spiritual person knows whereas a religious person simply possesses faith, which at times may be expressed blindly in the condition called fanaticism.
In metaphysics we develop power, intelligence and wisdom. Wisdom is a blend of knowledge, understanding, and experience directed by the buddhic principle of love--unconditional love. It is thinking with the heart and feeling with the mind. This distinguishes the higher metaphysical development of spirituality from the lower metaphysical unfoldment of psychicism. In a lower metaphysical development we may solely possess psychic ability or power but no wisdom and understanding to use it. We unfold in an unbalanced way. When power exceeds the wisdom to apply it, the seeds of self-destruction is inherent and might be the probable outcome. Advanced metaphysicians have all three aspects of divinity in full development or unfolding in a balanced and harmonious way, these three are: the aspects of love/wisdom, power/will, and intelligence/activity.
The more Cosmic laws and truths we apprehend with our souls and apply in our every day lives, the more spiritual, divine, and powerful we become. The more we purify ourselves from all the dross and toxins in our energy-structures, and the more we liberate ourselves from preconceived human mortal limitations, the more we are able to access divine energies and express our divinity, or our divine attributes. We are able to manifest our Christ Self. The term "Christ Self" should be understood as a component within the microcosm, or Man--both visible and invisible, and as the True Self functioning at a certain consciousness level beyond personality functions and expressions. In metaphysics Christ is not conceived as a historical person but rather understood from a mystical and mythical standpoint. Christ is often apprehended as a state of awareness of man functioning at a spiritual level. This is real power: the power derived from one's own spiritual knowing, awareness and being. Most of the so-called powers claimed by some psychics are borrowed from disembodied entities and are basically illusory and impermanent. Such temporal and borrowed powers in the end may seek to control and obsess the person using them. This is one reason that one should be aware of the dangers in psychicism before embarking upon its development. It is always safer to first develop true spirituality and the taming of the false ego. The injunction is to first seek the kingdom of God that all things shall be added unto us.
In metaphysics we come to learn of many teachings of Cosmic laws and principles that aid us to deal with life, to master our lower self and express all that is divine in us. This is true mastery. The word Master does not mean being able to control Nature or others, it is the ability to effectively work in cooperation with Her and with our fellow man in creating harmony, peace, and abundance in our world, in our shared reality, in our conjoined dream. Real Masters are those who have mastered the animalistic and humanistic elements of their being and are now expressing their god-hood. Cosmic or Ascended Masters do not generally consider themselves as Masters for they realize that they themselves are in a state of learning. Such is their humility.
What is metaphysics, and why should we bother studying it? What benefits does it have for humanity? What is its purpose? How will its teachings help advance society? How will it assist our civilization and culture to progress? How will our lives be re-created individually and collectively with the application of metaphysical principles? Questions abound concerning metaphysics, for people intuitively feel that it may have something precious to offer in terms of facilitating personal growth and self-empowerment.
Among those spiritually inclined, it has become a "prime directive" to understanding their lives in terms of metaphysical principles and concepts such as multi-dimensional realities, the Higher Self, love, karma, reincarnation, etheric energies, psychicism, oneness with all, cosmic beings, the ascension, etc., and some of the causes of this higher thinking and awareness is the thinning of the cosmic veil between dimensions; the increased contact with invisible forces; the influence of intense electromagnetic cosmic energies bombarding upon our planet and solar system at this time; the influx of higher spiritual beings incarnating in the physical realm; the discoveries of many ancient secrets left hidden in monumental structures and time capsules; scientific developments in hyper-space technologies, and shifts in its paradigms, etc.
All of these are occurring on a global scale, in every nation of this planet, and it is affecting every human being. So it would seem that humanity is awakening from its long sleep of forgetfulness and ignorance. The Tree of Life of immortality, enlightenment, and illumination will be found hidden in the seeds of the Tree of metaphysical knowledge--using the word "metaphysics" in its most spiritual, gnostic sense.
For thousands of years we have sought for truth, and most of the time from the wrong persons and in the wrong places--what we received were man-made opinions and beliefs which were forced upon our minds to be accepted as the "word of God," or the way that Nature had decreed, and that there is nothing that anyone can do to change it. While in our infancy, physically and spiritually speaking, we accepted everything told to us by organized religion, elders, and pedagogues as gospel and truth and we based our philosophy of life on the indoctrination imposed upon us and which subsequently formed our false sense of "conscience," and a poor understanding of spiritual values. This caused us great soulful sufferings and torment in succeeding years in our everyday life--an intense sense of shame, guilt, fear, and sin whenever we "violated" any so-called law of God formulated by theology; and it never occurred to us to question the systems, the mechanisms, and their origins that brought about our morbid condition. This naturally lowered our self-esteem. Conscience is not similar to the concept of the "still, small voice." The latter is the silent voice of the Spirit, whereas conscience in part, is simply the engrams or programs imprinted upon the subconscious mind. Conscience is also partially our memory of the negative consequences of our past actions impinging upon our conscious mind whenever we are about to act in a negative way resembling that of the past.
But to return from our digression: in past centuries we were told lies by false prophets and the ministers of religions that mediators between God and men were necessary; that theirs was the only way to God; that their race or sect were the chosen one of God; that everything that God would reveal to humanity lies in a single book; that God punishes us for sinning and perhaps in the afterlife casts us into hell; that illness, old-age, and death were a natural part of life; that one no longer receives any new revelation from God, etc. We were told to fear God, to see everything as separated from us, to believe that we were born in sin, that the sexual act is shameful, that we were simply mortals subjected to the whims of God for the determination of our fate, that we were inherently bad--and even more--that the world was flat! While at the same time heinous crimes against the Holy Human Spirit were being committed by those very same representatives of religions such as the crimes of persecution, torture, and murder of innocent human beings who simply were more spiritually and psychically inclined or conceived the universe from a different viewpoint--and all these atrocious acts were carried-out in the name of Religion, Love and God. The Crusades and the Inquisition are dark chapters in the history of man.
One of the points that we wish to put forth here is that since time began the dark, retrogressive forces have infiltrated or have tried infiltrating every institution that have sought to improve the condition of the soul, and the expression of the human spirit in our mundane lives. They have always opposed and attacked the true representatives of God and steered seekers of truth away from them. Their purpose is to stall human evolution and progression indefinitely, that human beings cringe and cower under their manipulative control, that humans be made into slaves and automatons answering to their every whim. They work openly and subtly, physically and psychically. They make us believe that we need them--their services and wares--and we are psychologically controlled to be dependent upon them and return to them again and again for their assistance--usually for a large fee or with some loss on our part. We will not be too specific here, we simply caution our readers to "be wary, be very, very wary!" Treading the spiritual metaphysical path will assist one to be more discerning as to the understanding of what is True and what is false, what is Real and what is illusory.
Generally speaking, a portion of humanity is now more experienced in the ways of men and the world than in bygone days, and they seek for that which will release them from all their mortal limitations and errors, from that Gorgon we call "the human ego," from concepts that bind one to personal illusions and glamour, and from that state of human mortality. Many of us are beginning to realize the existence of different dimensions and multifold realities. We seek ways for improving the human condition, for perfecting human expression, and the generation of a new type of Homo sapiens whose intelligence and heart matches those of the immortal gods.
Human beings are basically seekers. Some of us thirst for that which we know not what. The "curiosity instinct" impels every one of us to learn everything we can of our environment, of ourselves, of the universe, of Nature, and of God. What fascinates and intrigues us most are the phenomena caused by forces and powers that transcends the perceptual capacity of the physical senses and the apprehension of the human mind. Humanity is intensely interested in the Intelligence that shapes human destiny--whether this "Intelligence" be considered as a being, a force, a Universal Mind, an omnipresent energy, or a collective consciousness. People are seeking explanations to their "inexplicable" experiences in the field of psychicism and the paranormal. Such occurrences as coincidences or "synchronicity" also baffles the mind as it begs for enlightenment. Those of elderly years wonder what lies for them in the "after-life," as the youthful ones wonder of their place in this world. A questioning being is a thinking being and it denotes, whether consciously realized or not, as a desire to seek, to know, and to be aware of Truth. The curiosity instinct mentioned above could well be the primitive stirrings of the divine will of the highest aspect of Man seeking to be aware of Its essential nature. The teachings of the Ageless Wisdom as taught in metaphysical, esoteric, occult and arcane schools are filled with principles that would help us understand ourselves and our omniverse.
Humanity as a whole, is jaded and sickened by the constant wars and conflicts; with the materialistic and hedonistic life that do not offer any permanent peace and happiness or solutions to the various problems facing us as we approach a new millenium with its tremendous supernal and mundane challenges. Many seek for a more profound meaning in life, for they see through their mundane activities as a brittle illusory facade presenting itself as reality. We often ask "why am I here?" "why do I exist?" "where will I go from here?" Our present systems of religion, philosophy, and science offer no real solution, consolation, solace or comfort to our hearts and soul-search, instead they tend to mislead, confine, and circumscribe the soul and mind to a certain area of life; to a limited way of living and thinking; to a sense of separatism; to a dualistic judgmental attitude; to a sense of fear and helplessness; and to a state of external dependency--it especially confines man to a mortal sense of existence--and we say this not from a sense of judgment but from an observational standpoint.
Conversely, metaphysics as a repository of "New-Age" concepts, the Ageless Wisdom, divine energies, power-centers, and angelic and cosmic support, seek to liberate us from self-imposed limitations as it offers answers to questions that troubles the human soul. The soul loves freedom for freedom is ingrained in the soul. God gave man the liberty to choose, and this privilege should not be taken away from man by any being for it is a violation of the natural order of things.
Freedom may be considered as an instinct for it is to be found in animals as well. No creature enjoys being confined in a cage. Every creature love to be free and to express the genetic joy programmed in its DNA. Nature has granted all creatures their freedom of expression but some of us would impose our will upon Divine Will by creating cages of man-made laws and regulations that do not reflect the laws of Heaven. Man-made laws may easily be manipulated by the unscrupulous for their own heinous purposes. Crimes may be committed that are "lawful," that goes undisciplined in our courts of judgment. In the laws of our society, the innocents are often made to pay for the crimes of another. Where is the love (religion), and rationality (science), and justice (philosophy) in that?
We are writing intuitively here and our statements may be interpreted and applied in various ways. In fact, statements in our literary works may seem to lack any logical structure or sequence. They may appear to be non sequitur. Logic may appeal to the thinking mind, however it is more than conceptual reasoning that we have to develop. There are higher faculties of the soul that should be cultivated and made used of, such as intuition. The cliché "reading between the lines" may seem irrational to the scientific type and yet it is this particular mode of perception that has to be practiced as a spiritual stimulus to the Soul.
There are many scholarly definitions of metaphysics and they are all valid; however, for our purpose, without explaining metaphysics in an overly-academic way, let us say that metaphysics in its more modern connotation, deals with cosmic laws and principles, with unseen forces and powers influencing ourselves and the circumstances and conditions of our daily lives, and how we may take advantage of those laws and principles by re-directing them so as to improve our holistic lives for the better. Metaphysics teaches us how to harness and apply the cosmic power lying latent within us. In its most profound spiritual aspect metaphysics teaches us the nature of Reality and how we and Nature relate to it. Metaphysics instructs us how to harmonize ourselves with the Divine Plan of God, and it reveals the true purpose of life. Metaphysics, therefore, has a dual function: it helps us to improve our lives secularly now in this physical dimension, and it also prepares us for a glorious life in the higher cosmic realms. Actually, as seen from a spiritual perspective, life has no divisions: life is one, as it is continuous. There is no death only a constant change.
The application of certain metaphysical principles assists the acceleration of one's evolution and the quantum leap to a higher level of intelligence and spiritual awareness. We emphasize the word "application," for knowledge of principles or techniques alone is of no value. Knowledge of itself is not power, it is the application of knowledge that empowers one. Spiritually, it is not what we know or the psychic powers that we possess that counts, it is what we are. We know many people possessing a little knowledge or power feel themselves highly superior to their fellow men. This is arrogance and carries the seeds of peril. The saying that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" is literally and evidently true; we can well understand how insufficient knowledge and a disregard for life may result in catastrophes. It was the cause of destruction of previous high-tech civilizations, historically unrecorded, as it is the cause of our present social, political, and ecological unrest.
To understand the above concept of incomplete knowledge, consider for instance the knowledge that we have to construct nuclear weapons--how much do we really know of the impact that it will have upon us and the universe should we choose to detonate one? We may presently believe that the effects of a nuclear blast be localized causing the exploded area to be radioactive for centuries to come. This is an obvious effect, but what about the not-so-obvious rippling, chain-reaction that it would cause in the physical and not-physical universes to the very end of our galaxy?
, astrology, or psychic power from any number of paranormal sources. One simply couldn’t get through the day without help from the “unseen” world. Of course, that was in the “dark ages” before we were enlightened by the miracles of modern science. But is it wise for people today to scoff at all that seemed to work for so many people, for so long?
