A Woman’s Journey Back to the Light — Love Thy Self!

Having turned 45 years old this fall and having lost all my children from the nest, I am in a reflective phase of my life. I felt very lonely and lost at first, but am now embracing the opportunity for reflection and a restart of sorts.

Growing up, I was a young girl looking for love any which way I could get it. I was manufacturing love all around me; I loved my gorgeous salesman husband, I loved my curious little children, I slaved to be the best wife and mother I could be. Periodically I felt resentment, loneliness, depression, and a feeling that my life lacked meaning. I had arrived at this place in my life in a daze. I felt like I had never consciously made any decisions for my life.

I pushed these feelings away and concentrated on loving and caring for those …

Calm Your Consciousness — 5 Tips for Your First Meditation

I attended my first-ever Meditation class recently after hearing of its many benefits in helping to manage anxiety and stress. Among the wonderful points the teacher taught us about Meditation, there was one that really stayed with me. She told us of how Buddhists describe life being full of 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows, and how these joys and sorrows travel through our consciousness. She said our consciousness is like a big river full of thoughts and Meditation is about getting on the bank of that river.

As a beginner to Meditation, I liked this visual picture to gain a better understanding of what it is you are trying to do when you meditate. It can be difficult when you are first starting out, as your mind can wander so much (as I found out) …

The Meaning of Life Stretched Out of Me at Bikram Yoga

Five years ago my father died of a sudden heart attack. Naturally what followed were a few emotional months. It wasn’t the normal grieving process as you’d expect when someone in your family or a best friend passes away, as my father and I weren’t close. But because of our estrangement I had bottled up a lot of feelings and when I was told of his passing, all these feelings came to the surface, and my mind had become introspective, thinking deeply about the meaning of life. It wasn’t a healthy way to live and I needed something to help me move on. A colleague at work suggested I try Bikram yoga. Yes yoga! He’d been doing it for over a decade and swore by it.

If you don’t know what Bikram yoga is, here …

5 Ways to Increase Your Chances of a Natural Delivery

There is no doubt that cesarean sections are on the rise. The increased number is rather alarming, even to the medical field. While there are certain circumstances that a C-section is the best option, it isn’t always the case.

There was a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which shows that at least 1/3 of cesarean sections are carried out before 39 weeks, which is too early. This will put a newborn at a higher risk for health issues.

While there are several C-sections performed for medically sound reasons, this same study found that at least half of them are elective, or optional surgical births. At the very least, some C-sections can be prevented, with a little effort during pregnancy and labor.

So, let’s take a look at what you can do to …