Affirmations are a way of creating the you you want to be. Simply put it’s using the power of positive thinking to reach a desired goal.  Positive thought plays a huge role in our overall development as people. We’ve all heard the term self fulfilling prophecy. If someone believes they are unlucky then they will be unlucky. Affirmations work much the same way except in a positive manner. Here are a few tips to get you started on your own affirmation.

First things first. An affirmation should be related to a short term obtainable goal like getting promoted or feeling more energized. Lofty goals such as “I want to be a millionaire” really won’t work. 

Next an affirmation should just be a short sentence or two of a couple dozen words. It can be something as simple as “I feel great today.” 

An affirmation needs to be anchored in the present. The goal is to obtain a current mind set. Stating you want to be skinnier in a month is a goal not an affirmation. If the goal is weight loss then the affirmation would be more along the lines of “I make healthy choices when I eat” 

By keeping the affirmation in the now you direct your energy to the present. 

Just thinking up an affirmation isn’t going to do much good. It’s a mantra that needs to be repeated out loud. Actually say the words while visualizing their effects. This will help center the mind and bring concentration to the desired goal. 

Concentrating on an affirmation will help rid your thoughts of negativity. By focusing on the positive you don’t give negative thoughts any place to grow roots and poison your mind.

 Whether you choose to believe in affirmations or not is a purely personal choice. This mind set though has helped millions of people lead positive, happy, light-filled lives

We’ve all heard the phrase karma thrown about. People talk about having good karma and bad karma. But exactly what is karma? Well there really are a few different definitions. In its most simple form karma can be thought of as spiritual consequences. This means that good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds are punished. 

In its most basic form karma is just an action. It doesn’t hold spiritual weight in and of itself. Instead it’s the intent of the wielder who determines whether an act is for good or ill. 

The four basic types of Karmic actions are:

•  The words we speak
• The thoughts we have
• The actions we take for ourselves
• The actions we take for others.

 If you look at these four items its easy to see how any one of them can influence for good or evil. Bad thoughts and speech towards another will often result in animosity towards the speaker of those words.

In more new age thinking Karma is often expressed as a compounding influence known as threefold return. This means that for every deed you do you can expect the same returned to you at 3 times the weight. So good is rewarded with greater good and ill is punished with greater ill. 

Several different religions use Karma in their teachings including:

• Buddhism
• Hinduism
• Neo Paganism
• Sikhism 

The biggest idea that separates Karma from other religions is its practicality. Karma is an assumed consequence. It does not matter whether a person is a believer or has faith in a god. The actions of the individual will be accountable to the individual. 

A few short paragraphs aren’t nearly enough to delve into the different religious and social implications of Karma. Instead it’s meant to be a brief overview.

If you simply remembers that Karma is a matter of cause and effect then you are well on their your to inner peace.

Zeolite isn’t the typical gem stone type crystal. Instead it’s a type of volcanic ash that when mixed with a base PH water forms a lattice crystal structure. Zeolites have been very popular recently for research projects, even being grown in space. They form fairly rapidly making them excellent choices for scientific research. The term zeolite refers to an entire family of crystals and shouldn’t be confused with a singular entity such as a diamond or emerald.

 Zeolites are used in all sorts of commercial industries as well as for alternative healing. 

In western medicine zeolites are used to help remove impurities from oxygen. This lets normal ambient air be concentrated and the oxygen content boosted. One of their most important usages though has been as a coagulating agent. If you’ve seen any war documentaries where a soldier gets a powder poured into a bullet wound, that’s zeolite. It quickly stops the bleeding and helps improve battle field injury survivability. 

Some of the other industries that zeolites are used in are petrochemical, nuclear, and even agriculture. 

The most popular home usage though is in commercial odor removers. The zeolites can trap and bind odor particles. It’s a much healthier way to keep your home odor free than relying on harsh chemicals. 

In alternative medicine zeolites have been used mainly for heavy metal chelation. This is a process of removing heavy metals from the body. The greatest benefit to this system is that the zeolite is emulsified into a suspension and then taken orally.  The particles can then bind with the heavy metals and allow them to be naturally flushed from the body. 

Whether you’re looking to deodorize your home naturally or just need a cleansing it’s worthwhile to look into the zeolite family. These naturally occurring minerals have thousands of uses.

There’s nothing more relaxing than a good massage. It’s a great way to pamper yourself after a grueling work out or just as part of a weekend get away spa package.

There are all sorts of different massage therapies out there from deep tissue to Shiatsu. One of the most popular types of massage is a Swedish massage.  If you still aren’t sure if a Swedish massage is what you’re looking for don’t worry, here’s a guide to Swedish massage.

There are a few things that make Swedish massage a little different from other types. They are

• Type of stroke: The masseuse will use less pressure and work down the length of the body part being massaged in a long fluid motion. This releases tension throughout the entire muscle.

• Muscle group: A Swedish massage practitioner will concentrate on a single muscle or muscle group at a time. They’ll work it until you feel like jelly.

• Intensity: Swedish massage is a more gentle massage technique than deep tissue or sports therapy.  It isn’t meant for rehabilitation or lactic acid release instead it’s a light to moderate pressure meant for relaxation.

• Heat: A warm muscle is less likely to be injured. It’s why we warm up before working out. The same is true with massage. The masseuse will rub the muscle down to create friction heat. By warming the area the massage is much more effective.

• Vibration: Swedish massage uses vibration to help loosen up the muscles as well. This is normally accomplished by rapidly tapping the muscle with quick medium to heavy thumps with the edge of the hand.

Hopefully this guide to Swedish massage gives you a good idea of what to expect when you book a spa appointment.  You’ll come out of a Swedish massage feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.