AUGUST 28, 2011

Basking In ‘ME’ Time

Posted by Dorothy under Community Interests, Interesting Reads, Natural Highs, Wellnessno responses

Listen to the ‘Lazy Song’ by Bruno Mars

The soul has an absolute, unforgiving need for regular excursions into enchantment. It requires them like the body needs food and the mind needs thought.”–Thomas Moore

When was the last time you spent time alone, doing something you like, pampering yourself or taking care of your needs? When was the last time you experienced stillness and calmness?Are you always around the same people everyday?If you have a career, a partner or obligation to raise kids, do you feel that you are giving a lot of your time to the need of others? Do you feel that you have too many things on your hands?? If you are thinking twice to answer these questions, then it will do you good to have some ‘me’ time to re-evaluate your life and schedule.

What is ‘me’ time?

Having time to yourself ( alone/private time ) , out of your normal routine  or away from people you’re always around with. In simpler terms, disengage yourself from daily distractions to regain your identity. Do something you’ve been wanting to do, or something of your interest, or NOTHING at all ( well not literary nothing:) ) In my context, ‘me’ time means spending time alone drinking my favorite Golden Bloom Brand Coffee

When and how to have ‘me’ time?

Anytime…even fifteen minutes can make a difference to you. For instance, allow yourself to lay in bed longer when you do not have to rush to work or your kids to school during the weekend; if you usually cook all meals, you can sometimes pack or call for food delivery so that you can take some time off the kitchen.

Some days, you will surely be able to have more time to yourself. When that happens, turn off your phone during that time, limit your time at the computer, shut the world out. You can go for a long walk by the beach, read a book, watch a movie, or if you are spiritual, meditate. Just forget all your troubles and responsibilities during that ‘me’ period. You can put all those things on hold for a few hours. Remember how it was when you were a carefree teenager??Re-live those feelings again.

Benefits of ‘me’ time to yourself and people around you

I am pretty sure that when you spend your time day in and day out with the same people, be it work colleagues, friends or family, you will tend to get annoyed with little things very easily. This can probably lead to agitation causing stress, miscommunication,or worse:resentment. Such situations will result in emotional stress.

Therefore, if you have a career, such personal development is important to better work performance; if you have a partner, it could help strengthen your relationship and revive the spark you had as new lovers; if you have kids, it makes you a more patient and understanding parent. You become a better parent when you secure your child’s future. Learn about children’s ISA limit here. As a whole, it makes you a better person, one who is more true to yourself. You will have more patience, tolerance and will find that you are able to deal with people more rationally.

Have a journal

Write what you’ve done during your ‘me’ time and how it feels. Reflect on your moods, your physical health and mental state during ‘me’ time as compared to while you’re busy on normal days.  Spend that time listening to your heart, re-evaluating your goals. Often, being solitary can help you gain a new perspective on your life. Note the difference. Discover the real you, without interferences.

Now, go find some time to become ‘you’. Not a dedicated ‘parent’, ‘partner’, or ‘worker’. To put it blatantly, dedicate some time to yourself. Like a car, your engine has to stop running and be serviced once in a while. It may sound selfish, but stop pleasing others! Make yourself a ‘queen’ or ‘king’ just for that short period of time.

**Our Next 2N3D Langkawi Yoga & Nature Retreat

**Our Next 4N5D Langkawi Yoga & Nature Retreat

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JUNE 30, 2011

Karma Yoga and Voluntourism

Posted by Dorothy under Community Interests, Natural Highs, Philosophyno responses

The philosophy behind the practice of karma yoga is part of the teachings of life, whether you practice a certain religion or not. Usually, the mention of karma yoga will have one thinking of Hinduism or Buddhism because yoga teachings can be found in both religions due to their interrelations.

There are many interpretations of what karma yoga is and how it works. I choose to understand that karma yoga is the path of selfless service which is to be performed to create a better world for all living things and hopefully a better life for the server in the future or the next life. On the other hand, we must not forget that what we experience today is the result of our past actions. Generally, karma yoga is based on a universal law which says that for every action, there is an opposite reaction. In this context, it means that by serving others, we invite good acts into our own lives.

With that being said, we have to keep in mind that benefit from such actions is not the pure motive of our willingness to serve and do good to others. Some also perform karma yoga merely because of the fear of God. Therefore, I think God fearing humans should reevaluate their intentions or else the purpose of their actions become impure.

At the end of the day, such selfless actions will keep you smiling, knowing that you have made a positive difference in the life of a living thing. With that good energy around you, you will become a better person, benefiting everything and everyone around you.

The recent trend which is catching up in the travel sphere involving karma yoga is “VOLUNTOURISM”. It combines traveling with volunteering for a charitable cause. Volunteers can choose to contribute to their preferred cause by giving their time to do anything from the level of a blue collared worker ( which does not require much experience ) to a white collared professional ( which definitely require some relevant certification ). There are many non profit organizations who welcome voluntourism. There are also many ways to go about it, for example, some travelers pay for their expenses from lodging to food but there are also many organizations who provide basic lodging and food.

For those of you out there who are interested in bringing karma yoga into your traveling options, you can have a peek at www.thevoluntarytraveler.com

On the other hand, you can come join us provided you fit our few criterias:

1) You love animals
2) You do not mind getting dirty and sweaty
3) Langkawi, with the sand and beach sounds good to you
4) You are interested to do some yoga
5) You are fun and flexible ( not necessarily physical but mentally

**Our Next 4N 5D Langkawi Yoga And Nature Retreat

**Our Next 2N3D Langkawi Yoga And Nature Retreat

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MAY 31, 2011

The Most Hardworking And Neglected Part Of The Human Body

Posted by Dorothy under Community Interests, Natural Highs, Wellness1 comment

From the moment you get out of bed in the morning, your house awakens to the sound of your footsteps. Before you even leave the house to get to work, you would have easily taken about 30 steps. Then when you have stepped into your protective shoes ( or so you think ), off you go to start your busy day.

How often have you thought about your harworking feet when they hold you up all day and take you everywhere you need to go? Are you sensitive to their aches and pains? Do you know what to do to keep them healthy? With so much focus on keeping our face spot free and hands smooth, most of us neglect and forget to think that our feet should be given more attention because of the role they play in our daily live.

Here are few tips to keep your feet happy:

1) Reflexology

A treatment where pressure is used on points and nerve endings on the feet to encourage good energy flow. Such points are linked to muscles and organs of our body, therefore stimulation of these points aid in relieving muscle fatigue and clear energy blockages. These treatments are normally offered at spas or beauty centres. Simple steps can also be learned to give yourself or your loved one a short routine which can help to release daily tensions.

2) Foot Scrub and Bath

If you are living close to a beach, this can easily be done while relaxing by the beach. Grab some sand and gently scrub your feet in a circular motion. When you are done, head to the sea and soak your feet in it. To replicate this at home, you can easily get manufactured foot scrubs at the pharmacy or body care stores. As for the foot bath, prepare some luke warm water, add some cooking salt and walla, have a good dip.

3) Toe and Feet Exercises

We often neglect to stretch our toes and feet, resulting in the decrease of full range of motion at the joints. These exercises are so simple to do that people often over look their benefits. Here are 4 exercises which can easily be done anytime, whether you are sitting or laying in bed. There are also 3 ways to do them.

i)      Start with the Right first then Left

ii)     Proceed with feet together

iii)    Finally keep both feet separately and move them at the same time

a) Ankle Rotation

In a clockwise motion, slowly circle the right foot from the ankle ( 8 x )
Then switch for anti clockwise motion ( 8 x )

b) Ankle Bending

Bend the Right foot backwards from the ankle joint, bringing your toes closer to the knee.
Then move the foot forward, stretching the toes forward to touch the floor.

c) Toe Bending

Keep your Right foot flexed, with the toes relaxed and pointing up to the ceiling.
Keeping the ankle relaxed, move the toes backward and forward.

d) Separating of Toes – this has to be done with both feet flattened on the ground

Lift the toes of the Right foot, then stretch the toes away from each other, one at a time, starting from the little toe to the big toe, place them down on the ground.

4) Viparita Karani ( Legs Up Against The Wall pose )

When you get into bed at night, before you fall asleep, prop your legs up the wall, keeping your butt against the wall. This releases the blood pressure in the legs, taking away all the stress in the legs, giving a light and relaxing feeling. It also helps to reduce varicose veins and relaxes the muscles of the legs.

5) Proper and Comfortable Foot Wear

One of the most common feet problems are due to improper foot wear. Ladies in high heels are the most damaging, not only to the feet, but also hips. These days, there are quite a number of shoe manufacturers who make shoes with the intention of comfort and feet health in mind. The few simple rules to keep in mind when buying shoes are that the sole supports the impact of walking, the size fits well without cramming the toes and for ladies, killer 5 inch heels make you look sexy but that is not how your feet and hips will feel!!

6) Let Your Feet Breathe At Work

A lot of people these days who commute to work via public transport and have to walk quite a fair bit are wise enough to be seen in their trainers on the way to work. Once they reach the office, they will look smart again in their working shoes. On the other hand, you can also have a pair of open toed shoes or flip flops under your desk so you can switch to it when you are sitting at your table, allowing your feet to breathe so that you do not end up with stinky feet and callouses at the end of the day. ( I am pretty sure no one will take a peek under your desk )

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