Introduction to be given prior to the exercise: Our body is surrounded by a coloured envelope known as aura. The colours of the aura undergo continuous changes in accordance with the changes in our attitude and emotional pattern. In fact, there is close relation between the aura and our attitudes and emotions. We can purify the aura by the purity in our attitudes and emotions, and the latter can be gauged through the former. In the present exercise, we have to use our power of visualisation of a particular colour at a particular psychic centre. Then again, with the mental projection, we have to visualise the same colour as spreading all around us and permeating the whole aura around us. Lastly, we have to make use of the technique of auto-suggestion to bring about the change in our attitude or emotional pattern. Deep concentration and alertness are of course to be maintained throughout the exercise.

The third step of preksha meditation is Perception of Psychic Colours.

With your mind’s eye visualise that everything around you, including the air itself, is coloured bright emerald green.

Take a deep breath and as you slowly inhale visualise that you are breathing long streams of bright green air. Repeat the breathing exercise several times, each time inhaling bright green air.

Now concentrate your mind on the psychic Centre of Bliss situated in the middle of the chest near the heart; try to visualise bright green colour in that region.

Perceive bright green light and visualise that the bright green radiations are spreading in the psychic centre covering the whole portion upto the back.

If the light does not appear or vanishes after appearance, do not be disappointed. Intensify your effort for sustained visualisation.

Now visualise that the particles or radiations of bright green light are emanating from the Centre of Bliss and spreading all around permeating the whole body and the aura. Practise sustained visualisation with deep concentration.

Now using auto-suggestion realise—”My emotional pattern is being purified; my mind is being purged of all the negative attitudes”.

With your mind’s eye visualise that eveything around you, including the air itself, is coloured bright blue like peacock’s neck.

Take a deep breath and as you slowly inhale, visualise that you are breathing long streams of bright blue air. Repeat the breathing exercise several times, each time inhaling bright blue air.

Now concentrate your mind on the psychic Centre of Purity, situated in the middle of the throat and try to visualise bright blue colour in that region.

Perceive bright blue light and visualise that the blue radiations are spreading in the psychic centre covering the whole portion upto the back.

If the light does not appear or vanishes after appearance, do not be disappointed. Intensify your effort for sustained visualisation.

Now visualise that the particles or radiations of bright blue light are emanating from the Centre of Purity and spreading all around, permeating the whole body and the aura. Practise sustained visualisation with deep concentration.

Now using auto-suggestion, realise “My sexual impulses are being under my conscious control.”

With your mind’s eye visualise that everything around you, including the air itself, is coloured bright red like the colour of the rising sun.

Take a deep breath and as you slowly inhale, visualise that you are breathing long streams of bright red air. Repeat the breathing exercise several times, each time inhaling bright red air.

Now concentrate your mind on the psychic Centre of Intuition situated in the middle of both the eye-brows and try to visualise bright red colour.

Perceive bright red light and visualise that the bright red radiations are spreading in the psychic centre covering the whole portion upto the back.

If the light does not appear or vanishes after appearance, do not be disappointed. Intensify your effort for sustained visualisation.

Now visualise that the particles or radiations of bright red light are emanating from the Centre of Intuition and spreading all around, permeating the whole body and the aura. Practise sustained visualisation with deep concentration.

Now using auto-suggestion realise–”My intuition power is developing.”

With your mind’s eye visualise that everything around you, including the air itself is coloured bright yellow like sunflower.

Take a deep breath and as you slowly inhale, visualise that you are breathing long streams of bright yellow air. Repeat the breathing exercise several times each time inhaling bright yellow air.

Now concentrate your mind on the psychic Centre of Knowledge situated on the top of the head and try to visualise bright yellow colour.

Perceive bright yellow light and visualise that the bright yellow radiations are spreading in the psychic centre covering the whole portion of the brain.

If the light does not appear or vanishes after appearance, do not be disappointed. Intensify your effort for sustained visualisation.

Now visualise that the particles or radiations of bright yellow light are emanating from the Centre of Knowledge and spreading all around, permeating the whole body and the aura. Practise sustained visualisation with deep concentration.

Now using auto-suggestion realise –”My perceptive capacity is increasing.”

Now with your mind’s eye visualise that everything around you, including the air itself is coloured bright white like the full moon.

Take a deep breath and as you slowly inhale, visualise that you are breathing long streams of bright while air. Repeat the breathing exercise several times, each time inhaling bright white air.

Now concentrate your mind on the psychic Centre of Enlightenment, situated in the middle of your forehead and visualise bright white colour.

Perceive bright white light and visualise that the bright white radiations are spreading on the psychic centre, covering the whole portion upto the back.

If the, light does not appear or vanishes after appearance, do not be disappointed. Intensify your effort for sustained visualisation.

Now visualise that the particles or radiations of bright white colour are emanating from the Centre of Enlightenment and spreading all around, permeating the whole body and the aura. Practise sustained visualisation with deep concentration.

Now using auto-suggestion realise–”My anger is waning away. My passions and emotions are being pacified. I am feeling complete tranquillity of mind.

* 1 out of every 7 children is affected by asthma. * It is the second major reason for the hospitalization of the children up to age 9. * Asthma has affected 1 out of every 12 adults. * The death rate due to it is constantly rising in America, Africa and Latin countries. * It has become one of the major reasons of absenteeism from school in the US. * It leads to 2 million emergency room visits and amounts up to 5,000 deaths every year in the USA alone.

Asthma is a chronic disease, which directly affects your airways. The airways are the tubes carrying air in and out of your lungs. Asthma is caused by inflammation and subsequent constriction of your airway. The condition is characterized by an instantaneous reaction by the airways in response to various triggers or allergens and substances.

During an asthma attack, the airway gets inflamed and restricts the airflow to the lungs. It directly effects your breathing and leaves you short of breath. It makes you wheeze and you can experience chest tightness. During an asthma attack the production of mucus by airway cells increases and it further causes obstruction in the air flow through tubes. You can die due to the lack of oxygen, if the attack is severe and prolonged.

Asthma, if not treated and controlled, can cost you your life.

It is widely known disease, effecting millions of people, still there is no concrete evidence towards its cause. Studies have revealed that it is caused due to allergic reactions caused by the presence of certain antibodies or certain conditions. Some studies also reveal that it is caused due to obesity and weight related problems. Various triggers or allergic reactions are known to cause asthma in people. It might not be necessary that the same trigger causes an asthma attack in all people. There are numerous triggers, which can cause asthmatic attacks. Triggers can be categorized as allergens, irritants and other triggers. Among the common triggers which initiate asthma attacks are as follows:

Allergens Dust Pollen Mold Cockroaches Dust mites Animal dander Irritants Tobacco smoke Air pollution Strong odor Laughing Crying Others Workplace chemicals Common cold Infections Exertion Respiratory infection Flu

It is important for you to identify what triggers an asthma attack for you. It would help you greatly if, once recognized, you in stayed away from any known causes.

Like other diseases, asthma also presents symptoms that characterize its early, advancing and later stages. Some of the common symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

The first stage — Early warning signs of Asthma

If you are in the early stages of an asthmatic event, you might experience some common symptoms. These common symptoms are characterized during the inception periods of the asthma episode. The symptoms include:-

*Frequent coughing during sleep in the night. *Experiencing wheezing or coughing after exercising. *Shortness of breath. *Extreme exhaustion following exercise. *Feeling tired and upset all the time. *Experiencing a running nose, sore throat, headaches and sneezing frequently.

If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should immediately get yourself checked for asthma. The swifter you act, the more you will be able to control it.

The second stage – Advancement and worsening of Asthma

If you are not able to identify the initial symptoms of asthma, or if you ignore those symptoms, asthma could get even worse. The advancement of asthma starts affecting your daily activities and sleep. Some of the symptoms of worsening asthma include.

*Regular and undying cough. *Frequent wheezing. *Declined response to medications. *Shortness of breath. *Experiencing regular tightness in the chest. Asthma should be diagnosed immediately upon countering these symptoms or it could further advance into a severe stage causing damage to your body.

The final stage and its symptoms When asthma enters into its last stage it starts affecting you severely. It makes life difficult for you and can even cause the death. You would need immediate medical attention if you experience any of the symptoms listed below:

*Rapid breathing. *Undying chest pain and pressure. *Non-stop coughing. *Sweaty and dull face. *Blue fingernails and lips. *Hampered talking. *Retraction of neck and chest muscles. *Frequent gasping for breath. *Severe wheezing.

Asthma can only be controlled, not cured. So you must abide by proper medication and medical instructions. It is also important to stay free of any known triggers, which can cause an asthma attack.

You should visit your doctor immediately if you are concerned you may be suffering with asthma.

Fitness means good physical condition. To keep your body fit and fine it’s important to take regular exercise and balanced diet. Regular or proper exercise tone-up your muscles, body strength and suppleness. Exercise prevents various diseases and burns unnecessary calories.

Now-a-days obesity has become the biggest problem and it is a disease in itself. There are different ways to fight with this worldwide problem and to make your body strong. Some of them are gyms, home-fitness products and many others. There are number of fitness-equipments in the market and you can also bring such equipments at your home.

Joining a gym is a costly method and not suitable for those who have less time. You also have to pay monthly fees for making use of gym equipments. The best option is purchasing your own health equipments, which saves your time and money.

You will find a large number of health-equipment providers in the market. Fitness equipments are available in different sizes and shapes but you must follow some important guidelines while purchasing fitness equipments. You must read the important instructions and guidelines printed and the other important thing is cost. Such body equipments are costly and you have to pay higher prices for it.

Always choose fitness equipments that will suit your budget and need. There are also fairly simple and cheap options in the market. There are number of websites providing information about fitness products.

Author presents a website on fitness equipments. This website provides information about meaning of fitness, importance of fitness equipments, how to buy fitness equipments. You can visit his site on best fitness products

Copyright 2006 Kristy Haugen

The chemical compound known as a phenol is characterized by an aromatic benzene ring with a hydroxyl group (OH) attached. This makes sense that poly-phenols refer to a chemical substance with more than one phenol group. Phenols function as potent antioxidants, reacting with free radicals. Phenols are responsible for the bright coloring in many fruits and vegetables. These fruit and vegetable phenols protect the plants from damage by disease and ultraviolet light.

Polyphenols are phytonutrients or phytochemicals. Phytonutrients are biologically active compounds in food. However, these phytonutrients are not classified as essential nutrients. This is because the body does not depend on these nutrients for proper bodily function. Phytonutrients do play a vital role in affecting our health just as significantly as vitamins and minerals do.

Polyphenols are classified as flavonoids, which is a class of phytonutrient. Polyphenols can form complexes with metal cations such as iron, zinc, and copper. This reduces the absorption of the mineral. This is beneficial because excess levels of these cations promotes the generation of free radicals. Polyphenols are potent free radical scavengers in the body. Polyphenols also protect and regenerate other dietary oxidants such as vitamin E.

Polyphenols are plentiful in green tea. Polyphenols have been found to be more powerful as an antioxidant than even vitamins C and E. In particular, EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate is the major polyphenolic constituent of green tea. EGCG is a potent antioxidant. A number of chronic diseases have been thought to be caused by free radical damage such as cancer, aging, and heart disease.

Antioxidants protect the body from free radical damage. What are free radicals? Free radicals are caused by cigarette smoking, radiation, pollution, and herbicides. Free radicals are atoms with unpaired electrons in the outer shell. The unpaired electrons make free radicals unstable. Free radicals want only to be stable. Free radical stability requires the electrons to be paired. Free radicals are extremely reactive and will oxidize the nearest molecule.

Oxidizing causes the free radical to gain an electron but also creates another free radical. This creates a chain reaction continuing until the disruption of a living cell. Free radicals can attack proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and DNA. However, DNA is usually preferred. DNA and free radical interactions usually result in mutations that adversely affect the cell cycle and potentially lead to malignancy. In fact, researchers believe this is how many forms of cancer arise.

Antioxidants protect the body from damaging oxidation reactions. Antioxidants safely interact with free radicals to prevent damage to vital molecules. Antioxidants donate an electron to the free radical, hence stabilizing the free radical and preventing damage. The antioxidant is stable with or without the electron, making this a win-win situation.

Polyphenols can be found in white, black, and green tea. Of course, the level of polyphenols along with other nutrients is based on how the tea is processed. Steamed white and green tea retains more polyphenols and nutrients than roasting and fermenting. Black teas and some green teas are fermented and roasted, damaging the bioactive substances in the tea leaf.

Why should you drink green tea? Many studies have been done on the health benefits of green tea. Dietary intake of green tea has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. Regular consumption of green tea shows no significant side effects. Green tea helps prevent cavities, strengthens teeth, and is thought to kill oral bacteria that is responsible for bad breath. Green tea has been shown to protect the brain from oxidative stress and lower monoamine oxidase activity; preventing age related brain degeneration. Green tea studies suggest an increase in exercise endurance by improving the metabolism of fat.

Green tea offers many health benefits to those who drink green tea regularly. Besides offering antioxidant benefits, green tea is excellent as a weight loss supplement offering weight loss results and safety. Of course, green tea should be used in combination with a healthy diet and exercise program. If you take medications for a health condition, consult your doctor before adding green tea to your diet.

When it comes to fitness exercise, the undisputed popular master has to be aerobics. It is flexible, low cost, and easy-to-follow movements took the nation by storm in the seventies and shows no sign of letting up.

There are however, different forms of fitness exercise actually older than aerobics, but the most important thing is what is right for you. If you prefer a steady beat of music, with a good cardiovascular workout, an aerobic program is for you. Aerobics can be done alone in the home, but many enjoy working out with friends.

Physical Fitness can be described as a condition that allows you to work through everyday life with ease and comfort without injuries. It helps you look, feel and do your best. It is the ability to endure, withstand stress and carry on in circumstances where an unfit person could not continue.

Physical Fitness is a major basis for good health and well-being. If you do not have a program in your area, here is how you can begin your own aerobic class. First, you must recruit an instructor. Talk to everyone who wants to get in shape, get healthy and have fun. The main thing is to round up a group of people, you can start with one person, just get started. You must send the right signals to get the right response. Keep a positive attitude about your program otherwise you won’t make it a permanent part of your life. Secondly, you need to find a place to hold your class. A conference room or even a daycare center when it is closed would be wonderful.

Next, you will have to make marketing materials. Make a flyer, put the name, time, and place where the class will be held, what to bring, what to expect. You can get a local printer, paper, or business to sponsor the printing. The friends and co-workers you recruited for the class can help pass flyers, and mail out for you to their friends. Then you must advertise, use newsletters or post on community boards. Try placing announcements in your community college, and high school newspapers.

Finally, get started, no matter how many participants. Meet with the class, talk, workout, walk, laugh and smile and most of all ENJOY. Every step is an action toward success. For many it takes a lot of energy, and motivation just to make it to the gym. A good group and fitness instructor will be dedicated to helping you to enjoy the class, committed to making your workout the best it can be, and will be able to translate his or her enthusiasm into a fun class.

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