Breathe Deep!

| September 2, 2012

Did you know the  smell of Rosemary Oil just might make you smarter?

A new study shows that the herb Rosemary has a chemical component that improves speed and accuracy on certain tests and the more people smelled it the better their test scores! Scientists have absolutely no idea why it works, just that it does! According to an excerpt from “Aromatherapy for Body, Mind and Spirit” by Larissa Jones,
“The aroma of Rosemary in combination with Thyme and Peppermint have been shown to increase production of beta waves in the brain, and indication of mental alertness and feelings of well-being.”Test subjects exposed to these aromas were more accurate in their performance of set tasks. The scent of Lemon oil is also stimulating to the brain, and has been shown to improve mental concentration.” A Japanese study demonstrated that typing errors were reduced by an amazing 54% when essential oil of Lemon was disbursed in the room.

College dorm rooms just might start smelling better!

DO YOU NEED TO MEDITATE?

Stress is all around us and also not good for our health. Take time to de-stress with meditation.

*  Get Comfortable – 20 minutes is ideal, but even 5 minutes will do. Turn off phones, etc., and set an alarm that will bring you out of meditation gently. Sit in a comfortable spot with your back straight, not stiff. Close your eyes or leve them slightly open with your gaze low.
* Breathe – Focus attention on your breathing, whether in your chest, throat, or nostrils. Don’t get frustrated if your attention drifts, just refocus. Once you’re locked in, you can choose to shift your thoughts to a soothing image, like a beach. Consider chanting a manta, such as “om” or “joy.”
*  Go deeper. If intense feelings arise, “open yourself to that experience.” Seeing how these emotions manifest may help you overcome them.
*  Carry on. Once the alarm sounds, strive to keep your new serenity.

THAT COMFY COUCH COULD KILL YOU!

Parking yourself on the sofa for hours on end may be just as bad for you as smoking cigarettes. After analyzing the activity levels of people in 122 countries, Harvard University researchers found that physical inactivity is causing 5.3 million deaths per year – enough to qualify as a global pandemic. “Inactivity plays a role in almost every chronic disease there is, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer,” physiologist John P. Thyfault of the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine tells WebMD.com. One in three adults isn’t getting the minimum levels of exercise that doctors recommend – about 30 minutes of moderate activity, like a brisk walk, five times a week. People in wealthy countries tend to get less exercise than those in poorer nations, because they drive more, do less physical work, and spend more time in front of TV’s and computers. Experts say increasing activity levels by just 10 percent worldwide could prevent half a million deaths per year. Source “The Week”

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Category: Articles, Just for the Health of It

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