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The Role Of Lactate In Boosting Memory

Sep 11, 2014

3228

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) recently published an article by EPFL scientists that have outlined the molecular mechanics of the shaped cells called astrocytes.

According to common knowledge, the neurons present in the nervous system are believed to be the key to the brain functions. But researches have proven that they aren't the sole performers and the much undermined neighboring cells called astrocytes have quickly gained increasing respect for many functions that they performe. These star shaped cells play a critical role in memory and learning.

EPFL scientists claim that these star-shaped stars, i.e. astrocytes produce lactate that accelerates the memorization process in humans. These surprising results have opened up new possibilities for treating cognitive and memory disorders and psychiatric conditions such as depression and severe mood swings.

Our brains and nervous system are the most needy and greedy of body parts and they require as much as 25% of our daily energy consumption. Neurons and astrocytes on one hand thrive on glucose. Neurons, through their activity release toxins in the body and they need glucose to protect themselves from such toxic buildup. Astrocytes, which are glial cells produce lactate which was long thought by researchers to be a byproduct of glucose metabolism, and also as an energy source for neurons.

A research was published in the journal Cell by EPFL’s Laboratory of Neuroenergetics and Cellular Dynamics in collaboration with a U.S. team inthe year 2011. This research,

marked and unveiled the critical role that lactate plays in memory enhancing and learning.

In vivo, when the transfer of lactate from astrocytes to neurons is blocked, we found that the memorization process was also blocked,� so says EPFL professor Pierre Magistretti, head of the lab. We thus knew that it was an essential fuel for that process.�

The scientists focused on and analyzed the molecular mechannism of lactate and discovered that lactate not only provides just energy but much more. It performs as a moderator for one type of glutamate receptor (NMDA receptors), which is the primary neurotransmitter of the central nervous system.

This glutamate receptor plays a vital role in the memorization process, and researches demonstrate that the lactate produced astrocytes is what gives them a turbo-boost.

Glutamate lets you drive in first gear; with lactate, you can shift into fourth and travel at 100 km/h,� says Magistretti. The initial research of the scientists took place in Vitro and

exposed neurons of mice to various substances and compounds and measured the effect caused on the expression of the genes involved in memory.

Glucose and its derivative, pyruvate didn't have any effect on the mice neurons but a lactate supplement, on the other hand, could trigger the expression of four genes that are involved in cerebral plasticity which are essential for memorization and learning.

This work was followed with in vivo studies, which confirmed their results. The lactate was then administered into the brains of living mice, and then the brain tissue was extracted to measure the gene expression and once again, the expression of the genes involved in cerebral plasticity came out increased significantly.

The big question here now is that could it be possible to take lactate supplements and develop an encyclopedic memory? Would it be possibel to practically make a walking, talking super computer out of a human being? Magistretti also conducts research at the National Center for Competence in Research Synapsy, which is dedicated to the understanding of the synaptic basis of psychiatric diseases. Magistretti’s lab just got a grant to enable them to study the effects of artificial lactate supplementation.

Mgistretti says, We have identified a series of molecules that can make astrocytes produce more lactate. Now the idea is to see in vivo if we can mitigate cognitive deficits and memory disorders.�

In addition to that, since conditions such as depression are often coupled with cognitive problems, lactate could also have an antidepressant effect,� adds Magistretti.

�Interested in�Memory Improvment Techniques ?�– Click Here�

References

�https://www.memory-improvement-techniques.com/

https://actu.epfl.ch/news/the-role-of-lactate-in-boosting-memory/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3073831/

Sugar Tax On Drinks May Reduce Obesity

Sep 10, 2014

3445

Academics from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa have shown more acceptance of a rise in taxes on sugar sweetened beverages.

The research paper is titled as “The potential impact of a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages on obesity in South African adults: A mathematical model,” and has been

published in PLOS ONE on 19 August 2014, which is a prestigious open-access journal.

The paper has been contributed by lead Mercy Manyema, Dr Lennert Veerman, Dr Lumbwe Chola, Professor Benn Sartorius, Aviva Tugendhaft, Professor Demetre Labadarios and Professor Karen Hofman. All these personalities hail from several reputed institutions such as Priority Cost Effective Lessons for System Strengthening (PRICELESS-SA) program in the MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Unit in the Wits School of Public Health; The Discipline of Public Health Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, The School of Population Health at the University of Queensland, Australia, and the South African Human Sciences Research Council.

The paper targets the effect of taxing on sugar sweetened beverages all over South Africa. The lead Maniema, in the study measures the outcomes of a 20% tax on these

drinks and explains the prevalence of obesity among young adults in South Africa. It explains how taxing Sugar Sweetened Beverages could impact the burden of obesity in

South Africa, keeping in mind the young adults. It is just one component of a multi-faceted effort to prevent obesity.

This paper favors instituting a 20% tax, i.e. a 20% price hike per unit of SSBs. It has been predicted by analysts that this price hike is important to reduce energy intake of the populace by about 36 kilojoules in a day, which will result in a 3.8% reduction in obesity in men and a 2.4% reduction of that in women.

This translates as a decrease of about 220 000 obese adults and counting in South Africa. “It is the responsibility of the government to protect the health of its population. One way of doing so is through “nudging” people to make healthier and more sustainable choices. An SSB tax has the potential to do this in addressing obesity-related diseases,” says Manyema, a researcher from PRICELESS-SA.

Studies say that South Africans have become more obese over the past 30 years and is now being considered as the most obese nation in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is striking that over half the country’s adults are now overweight and obese; this means 42% of women and 13% of men.

Senior author of the paper and the director of PRICELESSS-SA says, “While SSBs alone may not be the only reason for an increase in body fat, these fizzy drinks do not contain any essential nutrients, have high sugar content and a strong link to weight gain. Drinking just one SSB a day increases the likelihood of being overweight by 27% for adults and 55% for children.”

“This is not surprising considering that one 330ml serving of a fizzy sweetened drink contains an average of eight teaspoons of sugar and the same size fruit juice contains an average of nine teaspoons of sugar.” Tugendhaft, also from PRICELESS-SA was quoted as saying.

Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has highly recommended the study explained by the paper and strongly suggests that the country needs to regulate foods that are high in sugar content in order to address issues related to obesity and the resultant diseases thereof.

The South African National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2013-2017 has listed taxes on foods that are high in sugar levels as a potential “best buy” to address diet and obesity.

The Mexican President also instituted a tax on SSBs in 2013. There is a rising awareness among nations like the UK, Ireland, Brazil India, which proves that policies such as a tax on SSBs are being highly favored as they can reduce consumption, which will eventually leading to reductions in population weight.

References

https://psychcentral.com/news/2014/08/28/soda-tax-may-be-best-bet-for-reducing-obesity-in-kids/74210.html

https://www.stats.org/sodapage6.html

How to overcome job stress

Life Style

Sep 10, 2014

3525

The 21^st century with an economic uprising and downfall has brought great level of work load on the workers. Every employee in any company is expected to perform extremely well. With this notion of giving hundred percent output, several workers and significantly all the workers and employees are facing stress, anxiety and at times depression. It happens when the person is unable to meet the demands of boss or his seniors. Job stress in today's lifestyle is so common and hardly anyone can escape from it.

In extremely over busy and overwhelmed schedules of employees, it is merely impossible for them to maintain a steady focus on their work for the whole day. When the chase behind time and money doesn't fetch them the desired output, it leads to stress. When the boss isn't appreciating your work and is unhappy with your growth rate, it leads to stress. The workload of thirty projects per day leaves the employee in stress.

There are many causes behind the job stress employees face. First and foremost is the job insecurity. It is important for a person to earn for him, his family for their basic necessities. And, with the responsibility to earn enough to feed your children, a person tends to build up much insecurity, which leads to job stress. Always thinking about consequences is the major reason. Secondly, the major reason behind job stress is the performance and how perfectly you work. When the perfectionism either doesn't gives the desired output or is not rewarded, both reasons of the performance level stress the employee.

In order to overcome the job stress, the first fundamental requirement is to start working harder. Instead of reacting or breaking down because of such situations, you need to cope up with them by acting. All the efforts you can put to bring perfectionism in work bring the appreciation and reward. This can only happen when a person leaves all the insecurities and just play his part. Secondly, the need of time management and scheduling the tasks according to the priority are important. The productivity of the task depends on your effectiveness and efficiency. Prioritising the first things first, according to the required time to put in the task, is the fundamental tool to perform well, which would gradually increase your performance and growth rate. Over-committing things, beyond your packed schedule would never be favourable.

In order to perform well, one needs to be his own critic. Nobody else can judge a person better than himself. The effort you have put, and the output you are delivering is best known to you. Keep an eye on the work output and check if it matches your skills and talent. If you think that your level of work is much more than the output, there is the answer to your low performance. Taking responsibility for your work would improve your level of stress. Another way to reduce stress is to be emotionally strong. An employee needs to have qualities like self awareness, self-management and relationship-management. In order to reduce job stress, it is the utmost need to keep calm even in stressful situations. Losing calm would lead you in difficult situations.

Cultivating a friendly atmosphere at workplace helps employees to interact with each other and helps in reducing workplace stress and overload. Even if the job stress continues, figure out your perspective about the job. Do you really feel happy and are satisfied with the job? The answer would depict the reason. If the job really makes you happy, then it's just the stress in your own head. You need to consult a counsellor for help.

The Report ‘7 Simple Solutions to Relieving Stress’ can be downloaded here:

https://www.7secondstressrelief.com/afht

References

https://www.helpguide.org/mental/work_stress_management.htm

https://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2014/03/12/how-to-deal-with-stress/

Clinical Trial Of Auxilium’s Xiaflex Shows It To Be Effective In Smoothing Cellulite

Life Style

Sep 10, 2014

5879

Almost everyone is aware what cellulite is, where once smooth skin was, now are ripples. It happens to both men and women as they put on weight and age. Because it’s thought to be unsightly, many researchers have been searching for ways to reduce and eradicate this completely. Till today, in spite of the large and ever growing cosmetics market in the world and the wide range of products available to the patients, none exists that could actually fix the problem.

That is about to change soon as the drug that is being tested by Auxilium claims to smooth the skin of those with cellulite. A mid-stage concluded that only two doses of already approved Xiaflex (collagenase clostridium histolyticum, or CCH) by Auxilium Pharmaceuticals (AUXL) can improve the appearance of cellulite. The company, on Thursday claims to have achieved a breakthrough in the field of cellulite reduction.

The stocks are reported to have jumped by 7% in early trading, though AUXL is still down 50% from the highs it reached in early March. The company is now showing an indication that Xiaflex could be a welcome addition despite having posted a larger-than-expected loss in the second quarter.

Auxilium Pharmaceuticals has reported that two of their three tested doses of CCH � 0.48mg and 0.84mg have produced a statistically substantial reduction in the appearance of cellulite. It had been measured by investigator and patient and the scoring was done on the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). In a double blind study, out of all the

patients, 68% reported being Satisfied� or Very Satisfied� with the results so far as compared to 34% of the patients receiving placebo.

The improvement in the reduction of cellulite was also statistically concrete when measured by investigators. CCH was well-tolerated among all the patients with only mild to moderate adverse events.

In total �150 women, aged 18 and 45 were enrolled for the phase 2a of the study in the United States. Each patient was given up to three treatment sessions, which were 3 weeks apart, with upto 12 injections during each session.

Xiaflex has been approved for Dupuytren's contracture and Peyronie's disease at 0.58 mg and has so far generated $26.3 million in revenue in the second quarter. Auxilium is also in talks of merging with QLT Inc (QLTI). This way Auxilium can take advantage of the Canadian company's lower corporate tax rate.

Having concluded the study, the biopharmaceutical company, Auxilium announced that the results of clinical trials of study Phase 2a of Xiaflex are promising to the core and have shown

great improvements in all the women and have resulted in smooth skin for every patient in the trials.

Xiaflex is believed to be exceptionally safe, with exception to a few adverse events, when it comes to reducing cellulite among men or women of all age groups. It works, as the company reports;

It breaks down the collagen tethers that connect the skin to the muscle underneath. When these collagen cords are let loose, their elasticity increases thus reducing the dimpling. Dimpling occurs when fat builds up the tethers beneath the skin and it can’t expand as the skin is pushed outwards, which causes ripples to occur.

Xiaflex medication allows these cords to stretch to some extent, thus reducing dimpling. In the clinical trial, 150 women with cellulite were given three rounds of Xiaflex shots or a placebo in a body part where the cellulite was maximum. Almost all of the patients at the clinical trials reported satisfaction, which was calculated using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale in accordance with the amount of medication administered.

Auxilium ‘s stock price sky rocketed after the announcement, and billions are likely to be earned by the millions who will use this drug. The drug next has to undergo a Phase 2b clinical trial, by the start of next year where it will go through safety checks and other standard checks.

References

https://health4news.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/clinical-trial-of-auxiliums-xiaflex-shows-it-to-be-effective-in-smoothing-cellulite-health4news/

https://sciencex.com/authors/bobyirka/

Power of Meditation

Life Style

Sep 9, 2014

3347

Bringing peace of mind in our lives is not a difficult task or something to worry about. It's just like cleaning up the mess you have created in your room. Similarly, for the inner peace, you just need to throw away all negativities of life, all worry and stress by meditation. You just need to feel alive. All the ill thoughts regarding anyone, a friend or foe are a challenging hazard to attain the inner peace or peace of mind.

Some people often think that inner peace or meditation is a state of passivity and it makes your life slow and dull. On the contrary, meditation makes you active, more conscious, alive and happy. It is a state where the strength of mind helps you live your life fully.

The Power of Meditation

Through meditation, the picture or processes going on inside our brain becomes clear. The thoughts, ideas, perceptions we inherit personifies us. With meditation, one can filter out the things; one really needs from the unwanted junk. Here are few other effects of meditation on our body and soul:

Create a newer you- With the help of meditation, it has become easier to transform your personality and turn yourself into a better human being. Meditation has the power to make you realize your good and bad. So, polishing good and eliminating bad can help you to create a newer you, or a better you.

Better focus- Meditation is a practice in order to focus our attention and being aware of when it diverts or is distracted. It actually improves the focus when we're not meditating, as well. It has ever lasting outcomes that help us all over in chores of life. Focused attention is like a muscle, which needs to be strengthened with regular exercises.

�Less anxiety- When a person feels or experience pain, rather than knowing about the fact that there is something wrong with the functioning of body, people focus on the rising and dropping pain. Meditation helps. So with meditation, people heal themselves knowing what makes them stressed.
More creativity- It has been seen that people who meditate performed better on a task that asked them to come up with new ideas. So, it makes a person more creative.

More compassion- People who meditate are more considerate and sympathetic. They are calm, composed and kind that the ones who don't. They have a lot more tolerance power along with the sympathy for suffering or misfortune of others.

Better memory- People who mediate are able to screens out distractions and increase their productivity more quickly than those that did not meditate. This ability to ignore distractions explains their ability to rapidly remember and integrate new facts. This seems to be very similar to the power of being out in the open to new situations that will also noticeably improve our memory of things.
Less stress- The practice of meditation has shown that it help people to perform even under pressure or while feeling less stressed. Moreover, meditation reduces stress, making them inspired and encouraged.

Self-actualization � People must be the ones who they can be. With the help of meditation, one can realize the purpose of life. It gives you the positive attitude where you think of success without a doubt. It helps you define your goals and encourages you to work for them. It enhances and empowers the hard work.

Meditation is the magical word that can provide you the whole wealth of benefits from improved health to stress reduction. In order to harness the power of meditation, it's only the practice you need to do regularly. With meditation, a person realizes the purpose of life.� The perspective of a person changes and the positivity surround him, making his life better and beautiful.

References

www.powerofmeditation.org/

www.sos.org/downloads/downloads/getfile/id/67.htm

Visual ‘Gist’ Helps Us Figure Out Where A Crowd Is Looking

Sep 9, 2014

4079

It doesn’t take much effort does it? We all have seen a crowd of people looking or staring off in unison, into the distance. They were looking perhaps at a speeding biker or to the top of a skyscraper.

Who knows? But there’s a good chance you got curious and it took the better of you and made you steal a look there too.

It is instant, kind of like a reflex, that too without paying much attention to the persons in the group. How can we so accurately tell where a crowd looks with almost no effort?

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Denver discovered that humans rely widely on a specialized visual process to perceive things. It is known as “ensemble coding” and it helps us to determine where a crowd is looking. This study shows that humans are capable of telling where or what a group of people is looking at, in just about a fraction of a second of observation. We are able to do so by perceiving the group as a single entity as opposed to a collection of individuals.

In this is a photo of a crowd we see the group as an entity and not as individuals standing in a group and we are instantly able to tell where they are looking. These findings are published in Psychological Science,

a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Psychology researcher Timothy Sweeny of the University of Denver has rightly put it as “We see an entire tree without paying attention to the individual leaves.”� She further adds on, “This highlights the importance of group behavior in human experience � perceiving groups is so important that we have, in fact, evolved dedicated brain processes to perceive them.”

Understanding of a simple phenomena such as a group looking in a particular direction can reveal useful and vital information to the observer and the previous research successfully demonstrates that we much

more responsive to the gaze of a crowd than that of an individual.

“Imagine sitting in the stands at a baseball game. Out of the blue, a dozen people shift their gaze upward, right above your head. Your reaction to this information�is a foul ball headed your way?�will be different than if just one person looked over your head,” Timothy Sweeny explains.

Sweeny and her colleague David Whitney of the University of California, Berkeley have investigated the mechanisms that result in this particular form of visual perception. The analysis required the study participants to view crowds of computer-generated faces. They viewed a crowd of 4 faces and also at times only viewed a subset crowd of 1 to 3 faces.

Importantly, the gaze of every computer-generated face was kept different and unique from one another. After having viewed a crowd for only one-fifth of a second, participants were asked to tell where they thought or believed the group was looking and the estimates were gathered by them moving the pupils by using the arrow keys on the keyboard on a blank face.

It was inferred that the estimates should be better when more information or more faces are available for the study.

“Even though there wasn’t enough time to inspect the individuals, the participants were still able to see the gist of what the entire crowd was doing, as a group,” says Sweeny.

According to researchers, these results point at we having a built-in mechanism that enables us to perceive crowd gaze really quick and with little to no effort.

“These findings suggest that many of our complex social behaviors are actually rooted in basic visual processing,” says Sweeny.

Sweeny and Whitney also believe that these findings could shed some light on how we behave in groups in situations such as panic and riots, and also might explain the mechanisms that contribute to autism.

“Exploring how social group perception may or may not be impaired could provide insights into how basic visual deficits might underlie issues of broader social functioning in ASD, which often include disruptions in the perception of global aspects of scenes and perception of eye gaze,” Sweeny speculates.

References

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/visual-gist-helps-us-figure-out-where-a-crowd-is-looking.html

https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=132470

5 ways to avoid cancer

Life Style

Sep 9, 2014

3092

A lot of people these days are obese.� The Stats reveal an alarming number of about one third adults being prone to obesity and are totally unaware of the problem. The studies have revealed that obesity actually raises the risk of heart diseases, cancer and diabetes. A latest U.K study published an article in the Lancet which scrutinized the problem really well.

Research scholars researching at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Farr Institute of Health Informatics studied the health records of people close to 6 million between 1986 and 2013 to observe the effect of obesity�on cancer. It was concluded that 166, 955 people developed cancer who were obese and their BMI was related to 17 out of 22 cancers.

Every rise of 5kg/m2 in BMI, a 62% rise was found in the cancer of uterus, 25% rise in kidney, 10% rise in cervix and thyroid and 31% increase in gallbladder.

The risk of acquiring premenopausal breast cancer and prostate cancer was somewhat lower since the BMI was found to be more in the study volunteers. But there is something that is of a larger concern in developing the abnormal cells than a huge waistline. The good news is that keeping your eating habits clean and regular exercise is most likely to lower your risk of contracting cancer of the 10 most common types.

So, all you need to do is follow these 5 simple tips to proof yourself against cancer:-

1.� Maintain a healthy weight- You are young and almost fit but still wonder as to why you need to be cautious of the C word. It is very common to hear that cancer strikes when you much older, but this is the age where you can work on your health and maintain a good defense system against cancer. You should maintain a healthy weight, give your body a good fitness level through exercise and leave smoking if you smoke.

�

2.� Use Sunscreen- Every time, you go out in the sun, especially in summers, wear a good sunscreen of a SPF of min 20. The sun's rays are more intense in summers, during cloudy days, near water surfaces and on the beach. The rays are oblique between 10 a.m to 4 p.m and therefore you need to be on a high alert for your skin.� Try to use an umbrella or full sleeves shirts and trousers. Wear your shades to protect your eyes.

�

3.� Keep a strong check on weight scales- Hitting the gym is okay, but keep your weight under regular check. Make sure you do not have your BMI more than 25 otherwise you are prone to several cancers like those related to kidney, colon, liver and pancreas. Regular exercise tends to play a good role in improving the insulin, glucose metabolism and increase the immunity of the body.

4.� �Try the Vegan diet- �The fruits and vegetables are a rich source of antioxidants that tend to prevent cancer. Though the research is partially covered yet the researchers strongly recommend� a diet of fruits and vegetables containing nutrients like beta carotene which can be had in the form of carrots, apricots, spinach, sweet potatoes and green peppers, lycopene which can be had in the form of tomatoes, Vitamin C in the form of citrus fruits like lemon, orange and amla and Vitamin in the form of green vegetables. Try to have these in almost every meal and try to have natural fruit juice as well.

�

5.� Avoid the red meat- Red meat tends to contain saturated fats which increase the risk to cancer. Therefore try to have fish, poultry and beans instead.

References

https://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/everyday-cancer-prevention-tips

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/cancer-prevention/art-20044816

Centered Consciousness

Life Style

Sep 8, 2014

2832

The meaning of the term “Center of Consciousness” can be understood as the core of our being. It is the very existence of our nature that depicts the truest and deepest nature.

This may also be thought of as a Soul or a Spirit or Self may be known by any other name which is preferred by the person. Two most commonly used words are for soul

Consciousness is “Atmaa,” which means true Self, or “Purusha” which means pure consciousness.

What meditation does for you is systematically obliterate all the clutter which cluds over the Center of Consciousness, so that you can experience the deepest aspect of your being. Meditation has the ability to free us from all pain, suffering and misery.

Everyone has their own concepts to understand this Center of Consciousness and it is okay as it is a subject that is beyond the limits of conceptualization. Whatever the name that we use for this center of consciousness in our spirit is of little significance as the only significant thing is the benefit derived from it.

The center of consciousness is similar to a light under several shades or coverings. Just like a light bulb that has a lampshade over it gets its character from the kind and nature of lampshade over it and determines the kind of light thrown into the room. It is a fact that the essence of the light remains unchanged despite the nature of the lampshade.

Now imagining that the light bulb has several lampshades filtering its light instead of just one might be difficult but it is the truth of human nature. Every lampshade adds a new and different layer of veil and they all work together to change the color and density of the light.

The laws of meditation say that humans are designed in the exact same way. We too are a lot like light bulbs (soul consciousness) with so many layers and veils just like lampshades. The lampshades, or sheaths so mentioned are called “koshas.”

There are 5 KOSHAS according to meditation experts and they are:

Annamaya kosha = That is the physical body
Pranamaya kosha = That means the energy; life
Manomaya kosha = That means the mind or the sensory motors
Vijnanamaya kosha = That is the intellectual level, the sense of knowing
Anandamaya kosha = This is the stillness of mind, thoughts and pure bliss

In order to gradually know ourselves at each of these levels, we need to be more aware and have to move past all the layers or sheaths or koshas, and build our center of consciousness.

The Age Old Theory Of Painting The Canvas Called ‘Self’

The ancients believed that the act painting on a Canvas could be a map to carve a route to return to experiencing of our “True Self.” Our “True Self” or true nature is hidden just behind the Canvas, on which we have painted infinite images and countless identities.

We only come across our true self that we seek, underneath all the other layers;

Truth lies below our external and superficial world and conscious thoughts.
Truth is beyond our unconscious thought process and subtle realm.
Truth is hidden underneath “Sanskaras” that make us the individual we are.
Truth is believed to be under the Canvas of creation itself.

The only way to get to your soul consciousness or your spirit is to pierce through all those layers of superficial characters and sheaths that hide our true and deep nature and has made us into the false beings that we are today.

References

https://veracis.ca/drop-in-meditation-topics/centered-consciousness-meditation/

www.veryshortintroductions.com/…/actrade-9780199568727-chapter-8

Anxiety

Life Style

Sep 8, 2014

3579

Anxiety takes many forms, and for most it can be really crippling. We face anxiety everyday when it is induced by stress or expectations building into ongoing worry.

Ever wondered that your anxiety could be positive for you? What if there were a way to take the experience and use it for achieving a better and an all rounded life of

bliss and contentment?

The true spiritual path is the relationship you have with yourself and you can begin to understand that anxiety is one of the ways to gain back control of your life. Positive

anxiety means using your experiences to move ahead, to plough through the discomfort, and to discover the power within you. The following are tools you can use to

most effectively transform anxiety through meditation.

Science Of Meditation For Anxiety

Meditation can work as a perfect cure for anxiety. Meditation only takes around 20 minutes to do the job of relieving you of all the anxiety that you have pent up in your system.

You need to focus on your breath and bodily sensations and learn how to evaluate distracting thoughts and emotions without being judgmental.

Anxiety can be significantly reduced in every session of powerful meditation and it causes activation of the anterior cingulated cortex, anterior insula and Ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

These parts of the brain perform the executive function of the brain and aid the control of worrying. Anxiety is reduced by the activation of these three regions of the brain.

Anterior cingulate cortex is the area of the brain that controls thinking and emotion. It is also the primary region of the mind that is believed to influence a reduction in anxiety. These findings are a major proof that meditation activates the parts of the brain that control emotions and anxiety and thus can cause lasting effects in treating similar disorders.

Meditation rarefies anxiety through the regulation of self-referential thought processes in the brain. According to studies, people who exhibit a greater by default activity in the posterior cingulated cortex reported are prone to greater anxiety, which means that they have an inability to control self-referential thoughts.

Steps to Manage Anxiety & Stress

This is how you learn to manage anxiety & stress with meditation:

Meditation brings out the inner peace of the soul and makes you realize of the pure source of light that exists in you. By nature, we all are peaceful souls and meditation sets the goal and intention to find that peaceful inner self to reduce any anxiety or ill thoughts and puts your mind at ease. It works at much deeper level as we connect with our inner self in a peaceful place where there are no distractions or disturbances.

Close your eyes and relax your body. It makes you relaxed and comforted. As one closes their eyes and prohibits the world from entering and disrupting the bliss we are entering into, all anxious thoughts are put to rest.

Repeating quietly in your mind I am a peaceful, immortal soul in a mortal body�

You need to acknowledge your feeling of anxiousness. Noticing where exactly in your body you’re feeling the tension is the next step as trying to suppress the feelings of anxiety will make it worse.

Breathing is essential to meditation and so take in a deep breath counting, then hold that breath and count to 3 or 4 and then release completely at 7.

Letting go is the concluding and the most important step. Relaxing and opening your heart to release the building anxiety is very essential. Repeat to yourself, ” I am safe, I am loved, By myself, By my loved ones, I am a peaceful soul.”

References

https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-anxiety-disorders

www.adaa.org/

Is Meditation Difficult?

Life Style

Sep 8, 2014

3058

When asked about doing meditation, the most common reaction given by people is NO. �People think meditation is not for them. The reason behind their negative response is that most of the people find meditation as the difficult thing to do. Sitting with eyes closed for 10 minutes sounds weird for few people.
Here are few reasons why people feel that it is difficult to meditate, along with our few takes by which the solution becomes easier:

�In a high pressure work load and job, along with spending life with family, responsibilities, all this make people unable to manage time for meditation.
If you don't have time, this is exactly why you should meditate. Meditation adds some extra hours to our day. Meditating for 15-20 minutes daily can help improve concentration. So, by concentrating on work, it gets done faster leaving you with extra hours.
People feel sitting at a single place with eyes closed for almost 15-20 minutes absurd.

So, the only suggestion for this issue is that, one should at least give a try. I’m pretty sure, you are not going to regret, because most probably you won't realize when the time passed away.

�Some people think that once the eyes are closed, what the next step is. They are unaware of the basics of meditation.

So, what you need is to just relax, your mind and body. Practice the meditation through a guide, course or reading material.

Some people don't find a silent place to meditate. For them, it's difficult to build up a place where they find nobody to disturb. The noise at home is an excuse.

For this, I just want to say is that you need to switch off your ears for few minutes, even if you are at home, travelling in bus or anywhere. Just have a say over your mind, and switch it off for some time, just in order to meditate.

Some people say that when society is facing problems like poverty, unemployment and corruption, I have lots to do for myself and others rather than sitting alone and meditating.

Here's the solution for this problem too. This is exactly the perfect time where if you meditate, it would help you. The strength to cope up with problems of the society can only be gained, if you are mentally strong. It's not only you who become positive, but with the aura of positive vibes, many other get helped too.

�People find it really uncomfortable to sit still for so long. If you are sitting with crossed legs, it might be difficult, but you don't need that posture for meditation. The only thing is that you sit the way you are comfortable, on the floor, on chair or anywhere. Only thing you need to do is sit upright.
Some people say that even if they try hard, their mind is busy somewhere else. They never stop thinking about a thing or other. Thoughts drive them from one place to another during meditation. The thing you need to feel happy is that now you have become aware of it, whereas earlier you were engrossed in it. This experience of the mind being busy is very normal. Meditation is letting go whatever may arise, may it be doubt, worry, uncertainty. All you need do is pay attention and be with what is.

So, if you are one of those people, who earlier found meditation difficult, now won't come up with an excuse. So, you just need is to meditate, for yourself, inner peace and for others, the positive aura that helps.

References

www.meditationoasis.com/how-to-meditate/difficulty-meditating

www.artofliving.org

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