Bid Adieu to your Bad Hair Days

Hair loss is typically considered the domain of aging men, but this equal-opportunity condition — which has many causes — can affect virtually anyone.

Everyone sheds about 100 hairs each day as part of the normal hair growth cycle, but excess loss is usually a distressing development. Americans spend more than $3.5 billion each year trying to treat it, according to the American Hair Loss Association.

 

Symptoms & Causes

Most people’s hair grows about a half-inch per month, and about 90 percent of your hair is actively growing at any given time, with the other 10 percent in dormant phase. After two or three months, this dormant hair falls out and its follicles begin growing new hair as other follicles begin a dormant phase.

Alopecia, the medical term for hair loss, doesn’t only happen on the scalp. Some illnesses and medications can trigger balding over the entire body, though genetics account for 95 percent of all cases on the head, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Aside from heredity, noticeable hair loss can be caused by wide variety of factors, including:

• Harsh hairstyles or treatments: Hairstyles that consistently use rubber bands, rollers or barrettes, or pull hair into tight styles such as cornrows, can inflame and scar hair follicles. So can incorrectly-used chemical products such as dyes, bleaches, straighteners or permanent wave solutions. Depending on the degree of damage, resulting hair loss can be permanent.
• Hormone imbalances: In women, hormonal shifts from birth control pills, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause or hysterectomy can induce more hair follicles than normal to enter the dormant phase.
• Illness or surgery: The stress from sickness or surgery may prompt the body to temporarily cease nonessential tasks such as hair production. Specific conditions can also trigger it, including thyroid disorders, syphilis, iron deficiency, lupus or severe infection. An autoimmune condition called alopecia areata, which has no cure, causes rapid body-wide hair loss.
• Medications and vitamins: Cancer chemotherapy, which attacks hair follicles in its attempt to kill all fast-growing cells around the body, is a well-known reason for hair loss. Other medications’ side effects include hair shedding as well, such as some that treat high blood pressure and gout (a painful joint condition caused by a buildup of uric acid). Excessive levels of vitamin A also contribute.
• Nutritional deficits: Heavy dieting or eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia can temporarily stun hair follicles to cease growth. This can also occur from insufficient protein, vitamin or mineral intake.
• Aging: A natural effect of growing older is slowed hair growth.

Treatments & Medications

Hair loss remedies range from the mild to the extreme and the inexpensive to the costly. Much depends on how much hair is gone and how high a priority it is to mask its absence or replace it.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, treatments include:

• Hair weaves or wigs: Typically expensive, wigs and hair weaves either completely cover the head or add to existing hair, restoring the appearance of a full head of hair. They are especially practical for cancer patients and those whose hair loss is temporary.
• Topical creams and lotions: Over-the-counter minoxidil (also known as the brain name Rogaine) can restore some hair growth, especially in those with hereditary hair loss. It is applied directly to the scalp. Prescription-strength finasteride (Propecia) comes in pill form and is only for men. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, it may take up to six months to tell if these medications are working.
• Anti-inflammatory medications: Prescription steroid-based creams or injections can calm follicles damaged or inflamed by harsh chemicals or excessive pulling.
• Surgery: Men tend to be better candidates for surgical hair-replacement techniques because their hair loss is often limited to one or two areas of the scalp. Procedures include grafting, which transplants from one to 15 hairs per disc-shaped graft to other locations. Scalp reduction removes bald skin from the scalp so hair-covered scalp can be stretched to fill in the bald areas. Side effects include swelling, bruising and headaches.

Natural/Alternative Therapies

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, alternative therapies may not help hair regrow and many are not supported by medical research. However, other treatments that reportedly improve alopecia areata include Chinese herbs, acupuncture, zinc and vitamin supplements, and evening primrose oil and aroma therapy. The NIAMSD recommends discussing any alternative treatments with physicians before use.

Top Reasons for Hair Loss: Revealed

Hair loss can be characterized in many condition of our scalp condition. Some of these conditions are, thinning of hair, hair detritus which means the hair stops to grow anymore, partial or full baldness, alopecia etc. Many esearchers observed the genetic cause as one of the major causes of hair loss but simultaneously the causes of hair loss have been located in our life style, food habit, medical reasons of using some drugs or being victim to some diseases and a lot of other causes. We would examine here some of the major causes of hair loss on which almost all researchers in the field of dermatology have been agreed upon.

Genetic Cause For Hair Loss Problems

Clinically or from the viewpoint of medical science this the most commonly cited cause of hair fall and there is practically no dearth of evidence to substantiate this finding. So, if your ancestors or family members or close relatives have a long lineage of baldness or thinning of hair, you can be assured of the genetic cause of your hair fall.

Malnutrition

Hair is also integral part of our organic system and like any other cells of the body hair cells in our scalp also needs proper nourishment and nutrition. So the deficiency of a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can as well be the cause of hair loss and baldness along with other causes.

Fever And Viral Diseases

High fever for a longer period and viral diseases are said to be some of the contributing factors for the hair loss of many patients suffering from these diseases. Typhoid is the most prominent disease to be the cause of hair loss for many patients affected by it.

Certain Drugs And Treatment

Certain drugs and treatment can be very harmful for the condition of your scalp and hair. Normally cancer patients subjected to chemotherapy or radiation are much vulnerable to the hair loss or rapid thinning of hair. Many crucial or life saving drugs in the allopathic medical tradition have tremendous side effects to cause hair loss.

Stress Is One Of The Major Cause Of Hair Loss Problem

Stress is one of the major causes of hair loss which explains the subversive effects of our modern day life style on the functioning of our organic system. Our hair cells like other organic cells needs rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. With your stress and restlessness your scalp condition is also left with syndromes of falling apart and non responsive degrowth.

Cosmetics

Chemically treated cosmetics can be a major cause of hair loss. Before straightening your hair artificially by using hair gel or hairstyling by means of any non organic material remind yourself of the long term causes these would leave on your scalp. Most of the shampoo and bathing products in the market are chemically treated and they are known to have a adverse effect on our hair and skin. It is high time to beaware of them, especially for those who are proud of their mop of lovely hair.

Water

Are you aware that the regular supply of water in any household is chemically treated and for a person who has already developed the syndromes of receding hairline, bathing with this water can prove dangerous.

Pregnancy And Child Birth

Pregnancy and giving child birth is one of the major causes of hair loss in case of women. Women become vulnerable to various kinds of mineral deficiencies at the time of pregnancy or child birth which causes their hair loss.

From the major causes of hair loss it is evident that with a little caution and change in our life style or habits we can eradicate maximum of these factors to cause hair fall.

For more Hair Fall related information given below

• Major Causes of Hair Loss
• Hair Loss Problem in USA
• Ayurvedic Healing for Hair Loss
• Types of Treatment for Hair Loss
• Good and Bad Part of Hair Transplantation

Know Why You Are Losing Your Locks

Most people normally shed 50 to 100 hairs a day. But with about 100,000 hairs in the scalp, this amount of hair loss shouldn’t cause noticeable thinning of the scalp hair. As people age, hair tends to gradually thin. Other causes of hair loss include hormonal factors, medical conditions and medications.

Hormonal Factors
The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition called male-pattern baldness or female-pattern baldness. In genetically susceptible people, certain sex hormones trigger a particular pattern of permanent hair loss. Most common in men, this type of hair thinning can begin as early as puberty.

Hormonal changes and imbalances can also cause temporary hair loss. This could be due to pregnancy, childbirth, discontinuation of birth control pills or the onset of menopause.

Medical Conditions
A variety of medical conditions can cause hair loss, including:

• Thyroid problems. The thyroid gland helps regulate hormone levels in your body. If the gland isn’t working properly, hair loss may result.
• Alopecia areata. This disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks hair follicles — causing smooth, roundish patches of hair loss.
• Scalp infections. Infections, such as ringworm, can invade the hair and skin of your scalp, leading to hair loss. Once infections are treated, hair generally grows back.
• Other skin disorders. Diseases that can cause scarring, such as lichen planus and some types of lupus, can result in permanent hair loss where the scars occur.

Medications
Hair loss can be caused by drugs used to treat:

• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Heart problems
• High blood pressure

Other Causes Of Hair Loss
Hair loss can also result from:

• A physical or emotional shock. Many people experience a general thinning of hair several months after a physical or emotional shock. Examples include sudden or excessive weight loss, a high fever, or a death in the family.
• Hair-pulling disorder. This mental illness causes people to have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair, whether it’s from the scalp, their eyebrows or other areas of the body. Hair pulling from the scalp often leaves patchy bald spots on the head.
• Certain hairstyles. Traction hair loss can occur if the hair is pulled too tightly into hairstyles such as pigtails or cornrows.

How to Tell If a Guy Likes You

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all…

Yes, the soundtrack from Notting Hill says it all. Love seldom needs words to express it self. Although most of the girls ‘just know’ when the cupid strikes, and understand when the guy is interested, there are others who have no clue about what’s going on. For all such women out there, here are some interesting ways to find out if a guy likes you. Of course we’ve all heard about the sparkle in the eye and the magical smile and the rest of the clichés that claim to be guaranteed ways to find out if a guy likes you. Since I do not believe in all of the clichéd ideas, but I also believe in everyone having their own point of view, here are the clichés, and my own version of signs that would help you to tell if a guy likes you. Here it goes…

The Clichés: How to Tell if a Guy Likes You

Body Language

If you closely observe his body language, there are certain surefire signs that prove his interest in you. These signs include the following:
He touches your arm, or even puts his arm around you
He leans towards you while you guys are having a conversation
Even when you are in a group, he will be facing you
He always wants to hug you
He always smiles at you
He treats you differently than other girls
Eye-contact

It is said, that a woman can always read a man’s heart through his eyes. No guy can ever disguise his feelings if you look him straight in the eyes. If a guy likes you he will always try and make an eye contact with you. Also, he might stare at you, without being aware of the fact that others might be watching him. If he is rather shy, he will try and look away if you catch him staring at you. Watch out if you see a mischievous glint or an affectionate sparkle in his eyes when he looks at you. As for the more mischievous and bold guys, a playful wink might also do the trick.

Etiquettes

Yes, it is said that if a guy likes you he will try and impress you and will be at his very best behavior when you are around. He will open the door for you, hold out your chair if you go out for a meal, will look out for you while walking, will hold your hand while crossing the road and so on.

Attention to detail

The guy will go out of his way to entertain you, make you laugh in case you are in a group. He will always be listening very carefully when you are talking. He will try and grab you attention by cracking a joke, passing a comment. He will always ask for your opinion in every little thing.

Mind Games

He might try and flirt with you friend just to see whether you get jealous. On the contrary, if he seems really jealous or angry if you display flirtatious behavior with any of his friends, or any other male-friends of yours it is a sure thing that he likes you.

My Point of View: How to Tell if a Guy Likes You

Although some of the clichéd points might hold true, I feel some of them merely tell you if a guy is attracted to you or even infatuated. If a guy genuinely likes you, you just know he does, he wont put up an act to impress you. Here are some of the signs that I feel are surefire ways to tell if a guy likes you:
He is himself when you are around, which means he is really comfortable with you.
He truly appreciates you positive points and most subtly brings the negative points to your notice and most importantly he does not shower you with false praises, but instead shares honest opinions.
He celebrates his achievements with you and comes to you for encouragement when he feels dejected
He supports you and encourages you in every important task you undertake.
He shares his deepest desires and darkest fears with you.
Last and the most important sign, when he talks about his future, he mentions you in it…
Love is not about mind games, and fooling around – it is about being genuinely interested in each other. So make sure you find the right guy, who has his heart in the right place, and loves you truly, madly and deeply!

Know About Girls Click Here

How To Know If a Girl Likes You – Clichés

Here are some of the signs that have been popularized over the years as ‘ surefire ways to know whether a girl likes you’. Some of these might seem a bit silly, although people claim to these to work; I personally think these are not applicable to every girl that you meet. Making inferences about a girl’s feelings merely by the way she looks at you or by the ways she flutters her eyes might seem very romantic and mushy, just like they show it in the movies, but again, if only things shown in the romantic chick flicks would come true, life would’ve been a piece of cake. Here are five silliest clichéd ‘how to know if a girl likes you signs’:
She plays with her hair while talking to you or while looking at you. (Really? Well it could be that she is using the Dove hair conditioner that makes you want to touch your hair…haven’t seen the ad eh?)
She touches her neck. (Seriously? What if she is having a stiff neck that’s hurting real bad? ).
She looks at you with dreamy eyes and looks at your lips. (Well, about the dreamy thing… Make sure its not dope and as for your lips, may be you got some ketchup or mustard from that sandwich you ate for lunch!).
She laughs at every joke you make even if it’s a crappy one. (Well, may be she is just being polite.)
She blushes when she sees you. (May be she remembers some silly joke about you her friend told her last week.)
Well, it is said that non-verbal cues say a lot, but then non-verbal cues like these are indications of temporary physical attraction which might not necessarily mean a possibility of a meaningful relationship.

How To Know If a Girl Likes You – My Version

In case the girl is really likes you, here are some of the behavioral patterns that might get you closer to knowing what she feels. Remember, body language cues are more about physical attraction than long-term commitments and relationships. If you are one of those people who value every relationship in their lives, then physical attraction can only be a part of what you are looking for. At the end it is the emotional connection and compatibility that matters the most. Look for the following signs to know whether a girl seriously likes you:
She never ever ignores you. She pays attention to you whenever you speak and never turns down an offer to spend time with you (unless of course she has a genuine reason).
She never tries to pretend when she’s around you. She is herself, which means she’s comfortable with you.
She is always helpful to you. She will go out of the way to help you out with your work without ever complaining and when you thank her, she’ll tell you you’d rather not.
She is the first one to congratulate you on your achievements or any special occasions.
She encourages you and supports you when you are feeling low. She is the one who says Don’t worry I’ll always be there for you and sticks to her word.
She is comfortable while talking to you about almost any and everything.
She calls you up to say goodnight, and makes sure you have the sweetest dream ever.
She is genuinely concerned about your health and even snaps at you for not eating right or eating on time.
She enjoys chatting with you for hours together and discusses her experiences and her dreams.
Instead of passing flattering complements, she’ll be honest with you and tell you what she likes as well as dislikes about you.
She doesn’t hesitate to share her long terms dreams and aspirations with you. When she talks about her future, she mentions you in it.
If you liked this article,
You might also want to read How to Tell if a guys likes you Click Here

How to Know If a Girl Likes You

If you are totally infatuated with a girl but are not sure if she too likes you then do not lose your confidence. Read these 5 signs on how to know if a girl likes you and make your move if the signs indicate a yes….

Sign 1 – She does her cat scan over you. You might notice that she looks at you at regular intervals and scans you from top to bottom to top again. So, dress well and do not slouch.

Sign 2 – She smiles at you. If she likes what she scans then chances are that she will give you a shy smile or even a bold one if she too is besotted by you. If she is shy, she might look away when you look at her but if she is bold then she might just mouth out a “meow”.

Sign 3 – She finds an excuse to talk to you. She might catch hold of a friend and ask to be introduced to you. Once introduced, she will certainly try to keep the conversation going while trying to gather more information about you.

Sign 4 – She gives her phone number. She might use an excuse to give her phone number to you or if she is bold enough, might directly give it to you without any hesitation. In other words, she expects you to call her up.

Sign 5 – She has singled you out. If there are other fish around you and the girl has only given attention and her number to you then she certainly likes only you. You may now break into a mental jig and plan out your first date.

These 5 signs will indicate that the girl that you like is also into you and she will indicate visually, verbally and with her body language that she is ready to be courted by you.

Now listen carefully-

What you are about to discover something most men will never know when it comes to attracting women. This is one thing which is an absolute must know for every man out there. You are about to discover an ultimate secret weapon which will make women chase you around like crazy Even If You Are Bald, Fat Or Ugly!…..Trust me….You don’t want to miss this one. I strongly urge you to read everything on the next page because it might be the most important message you ever read- Click Here

10 Things You Can Do to Help Your Kundalini Process

Kundalini awakening, whether it occurs within a traditional spiritual discipline or spontaneously, brings challenges for many people. It is as if your system has been amped up from 110 to 220 wiring and you, as the appliance, have not yet adapted to it. It is exceedingly rare for an awakening to be complete before many months and years of clearing have occurred. This energy of life force, often depicted as a goddess, has a goal of bringing you to a complete rest in the universal Self, or the Non-self (not a personal self),or what has been called the peace that passeth understanding. As this happens the self-identifications, beliefs and illusions related to the existing personality are undermined and eventually dissolve. You may feel you no longer have a place to stand in the world. You are moving toward standing in the vastness of the whole.

This clearing has been called a purification process, or in Hindu terms it is the release of samscaras and vrittis. Samscaras are all the conditions brought into this unique life to be played out from previous lives, but could also be considered the consequence of effects in the present life. Vrittis are all the movements of mind and thought, which pester us like flies buzzing in the house hoping to be made into pets. Many spiritual practices exist for the purpose of calming and overcoming the activity of vrittis.

Because we are spirit imbedded in a physical body all of the cells of our bodies are like parts of a hologram, containing the memories of whatever has happened to us. So it happens that as the energies that hope to transform us move through the body any areas where energy, pain, memory or contractions are stored will react. This is what we are feeling when there are pains, jerking movements, heat, vibrations, rushes and other phenomena during and following a kundalini arising. Many people have associated some of these movements with opening the chakras, which is just another model for saying that as contraction releases new possibilities emerge. People carry their pain in different ways, just as we live our lives in different ways, and so there can be a wide variety of responses to this movement of energy, or clearing process. If there are physical problems from an old injury it may be especially sensitive. If our diet has been unhealthy or our lifestyle causes us to live where there is toxic emotional energy, this can leave us more vulnerable to difficulties. If there has been abuse of any kind, or there is a history of alcoholism or drug-use, the body may be especially challenged by this awakening, which is trying to clear it of the past memories and experiences that we are identified with. If there is a tendency of the personality to contract and a strong desire for control the process can be very difficult because of our resistance to it. There is an old saying that “What one resists, persists.”

For these and other reasons these are a few guidelines that can help you move through this experience and find inner peace.

1. The energy may feel coarse and intense at times. But it is rarely painful. Usually it is the fear and the attempt to stop it that causes pain. If you are having lots of body movement, lay down once or twice a day on the bed, and invite the energy to move through you and clear out whatever doesn’t belong to you, and whatever is in your best interest to release at that moment. Usually it will run for a few minutes — maybe up to 20 — and then stop, and you will feel more relaxed. You especially need to do this if you work in an environment where you may be picking up negative energy or the pain of others such as healing or therapeutic work, or in places where there is a lot of alcohol use, or in hospitals. If you are having persistent physical pain in this process you should have a medical evaluation.

2. Discover what your body really wants to eat. Often people need to make major dietary changes such as giving up alcohol and recreational drug use, avoiding red meat, eating smaller and more simple meals. If you have a persistent problem with kundalini do detective work to see what is happening when the problem arises. How long since you ate and what did you eat? Would a small piece of bread calm it down? Perhaps chamomile or burdock root tea? Do you need more protein? Yogis recommend sometimes a mix of warm milk with sugar in it (not honey, which raises heat). Another option is to have a good analysis done with an Ayurvedic practitioner, who can assess your body type and balance, and recommend the optimal diet and herbs for you. There is much variation in what people need to do, and sometimes people have long periods with no appetite at all, or long periods with a voracious appetite. Usually a diet focused on rice and vegetables is most useful, but proteins are also important. I tend not to eat much meat so I take a powdered protein and mineral supplement in juice every day and it makes a great difference in how I feel. Be good to yourself.

3. Focus more in the heart and the belly than in the head. Look for practices that center you more deeply into the present moment. A devotional practice such as chanting or doing a heart-centered meditation can help the energy open you to an experience of the deeper part of yourself, the eternal part, and can also help it move outward into more loving connections with others, or a tendency toward service or creative expression, all of which keeps the awakening more balanced. If you have a divine image ( a god, goddess, spiritual teacher, saint, symbol) that is comforting to you use it as an ally during this time, talking to him or her or it and asking for support, or bringing light around yourself. These are powerful archetypal energies that help the psyche when it is moving through challenging changes.

4. Do something to help your body be more open such as yoga, Tai Chi, dance, acupressure, movement processes, long walks in nature, or whatever you are drawn to. If you don’t know what is best for you try several things and stick with what feels the best. The physical body is the vehicle that will carry and ground your spirit, your awakening, in the end. No better how deep your realization you will ultimately be living in a human body for a few more years. The better it is cared for the more options you have to express realization when it occurs. Of course, a person who is weak or dying can also be a beautiful and complete expression of the Divine, and poor health does not preclude enlightenment. Those who have set with people who are dying have seen that as attachment to the body lets go more and more light shines through. But this should not be misconstrued to advocate a harsh ascetism. While we are living, having an open and flexible body accomplishes the same thing with a lot less pain and distraction. Making the body “disciplined” by over-doing exercise is not of any use either. Find a middle way, where your body is in harmony with your spirit.

5. Wake up each day expecting not to know what will happen, and looking with curiosity for the events to unfold. Instead of worrying and controlling, simply be present to whatever arises with the intention of meeting it with your best effort. Whatever happens in the process of spiritual awakening will be unpredictable and will move on, if you are simply the one noticing it, and not doing battle or making a big project out of it.

6. You may have emotional swings, energetic swings, psychic openings, and other undesired shifts that feel unfamiliar to your personality as you knew it. Be the observer. Don’t feel you have to fix or change anything. It will pass.

7. If you have serious trauma in your history and have never had therapy it could be very useful in releasing the pains of the memories that come up around the events. I have noticed that people who had good therapy before their spiritual awakenings often have much less difficulty. Therapy teaches you to express, to witness, to release and to move on. Your therapist does not have to know much about kundalini as long as he or she does not discount that part of your process. What you want to focus on is releasing issues related to the trauma, and you want a therapist that is experienced and compassionate and sees your spiritual orientation as a motivation and a support for the process of healing.

8. This process is your opportunity to wake up to your true nature. Some people wake up first, and then experience a kundalini arising; others have the kundalini process moving through as a preparation for the arising. The arising occurs to do the clearing out work so is part of either model. Waking up means the realization that the one who is looking through your eyes, living through your senses, hearing your thoughts and being present in every moment of your experience, good or bad, is recognized or remembered. This is a bright, aware detached and unconditionally loving presence that is universal and eternal and it is completely free of all the conditions and memories that you associate with as a personal identity. But as long as you believe in all your personal conditions and stories, emotions and thoughts, it has to experience life filtered through them. This conditioned mind is what brings variety and drama to the game of life, but it also causes suffering and fear of death. We glimpse the Truth about the deep expansive silence that is the ground of our being when we are in Samadhi and Satori experiences. The early Gnostics called it gnosis (knowledge) or the One. Some spiritual teachings such as Advaita Vedanta and Zen go directly for the realization, while others see it as a gradual path accomplished through years of spiritual practices. Either way the end is the same. When you know who you are the world becomes as Shakespeare said, a stage, and you the player, and life is more light and thoughts less intrusive, and the kundalini process settles down into a mellow pleasantness.

9. Give up going places and being with people who cause you pain. Sometimes people seem to be more acutely sensitive when kundalini arises. They can’t tolerate the energy of large discount warehouses, or smoky nightclubs, or the kind of family gatherings that are tense and competitive. It’s okay to take care of yourself and find more quiet time, more intimate friends, and even a new job, if the old one is overly stressful. Don’t feel you have to prove anything by forcing yourself to be someone you aren’t. Rediscover what is comfortable naturally for you to do and to be. Live more authentically. In this process you may also find a new creative urge, which is a wonderful opportunity to express what is happening. Draw, write, dance, work with clay, paint, garden — all of these are great ways of nurturing yourself through the deep psychic changes you are experiencing.

10. Find an awakened teacher to hang out with. For many people with spiritual awakenings meditation is an intrinsic part of their lives. An awakened teacher will bring you a transmission of peace, and an opportunity to sit deeply in the silence of your true nature. An awakened teacher can be of any spiritual persuasion or none, can understand kundalini or not be interested in it, and will demonstrate tolerance and compassion for all who pass their way. When you learn from them the art of sitting and just being, you will find the cure for all the suffering of life. In time all the activity of the mind and complaints of the body fall away, and there is a deep understanding and love that arises, which brings a sense of completion, openness, freshness and invitation to the expression of the greater Self. When awakening is complete, there is no question it has been the whole purpose of your life. Where it will take you there is no way to know, and there is no one to care either. We surrender to the dance, knowing it is a dream.

NEW AGE SPIRITUALITY

Introduction:

The New Age Movement is in a class by itself. Unlike most formal religions, it has no holy text, central organization, membership, formal clergy, geographic center, dogma, creed, etc. They often use mutually exclusive definitions for some of their terms. The New Age is in fact a free-flowing spiritual movement; a network of believers and practitioners who share somewhat similar beliefs and practices, which they add on to whichever formal religion that they follow. Their book publishers take the place of a central organization; seminars, conventions, books and informal groups replace of sermons and religious services.

Quoting John Naisbitt:

“In turbulent times, in times of great change, people head for the two extremes: fundamentalism and personal, spiritual experience…With no membership lists or even a coherent philosophy or dogma, it is difficult to define or measure the unorganized New Age movement. But in every major U.S. and European city, thousands who seek insight and personal growth cluster around a metaphysical bookstore, a spiritual teacher, or an education center.”

The New Age is definitely a heterogeneous movement of individuals; most graft some new age beliefs onto their regular religious affiliation. Recent surveys of US adults indicate that many Americans hold at least some new age beliefs:

8% believe in astrology as a method of foretelling the future
7% believe that crystals are a source of healing or energizing power
9% believe that Tarot Cards are a reliable base for life decisions
about 1 in 4 believe in a non-traditional concept of the nature of God which are often associated.

with New Age thinking:

11% believe that God is “a state of higher consciousness that a person may reach”
8% define God as “the total realization of personal, human potential”
3% believe that each person is God.

The group of surveys cited above classify religious beliefs into 7 faith groups. 2 Starting with the largest, they are: Cultural (Christmas & Easter) Christianity, Conventional Christianity, New Age Practitioner, Biblical (Fundamentalist, Evangelical) Christianity, Atheist/Agnostic, Other, and Jewish, A longitudinal study from 1991 to 1995 shows that New Agers represent a steady 20% of the population, and are consistently the third largest religious group.

History of the New Age movement:

New Age teachings became popular during the 1970’s as a reaction against what some perceived as the failure of Christianity and the failure of Secular Humanism to provide spiritual and ethical guidance for the future. Its roots are traceable to many sources: Astrology, Channeling, Hinduism, Gnostic traditions, , Spiritualism, Taoism, Theosophy, Wicca and other Neo-pagan traditions, etc. The movement started in England in the 1960’s where many of these elements were well established. Small groups, such as the Findhorn Community in Inverness and the Wrekin Trust formed. The movement quickly became international. Early New Age mileposts in North America were a “New Age Seminar” run by the Association for Research and Enlightenment, and the establishment of the East-West Journal in 1971. Actress Shirley MacLaine is perhaps their most famous current figure.

During the 1980’s and 90’s, the movement came under criticism from a variety of groups. Channeling was ridiculed; seminar and group leaders were criticized for the fortunes that they made from New Agers. Their uncritical belief in the “scientific” properties of crystals was exposed as groundless. But the movement has become established and become a stable, major force in North American religion during the past generation. As the millennium comes to a close, the New Age is expected to expand, promoted by the social backlash against logic and science.

The one version of the “New Age” that does not exist:

Major confusion about the New Age has been generated by academics, counter-cult groups, Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Christians and traditional Muslim groups, etc. Some examples are:

Many of the above groups have dismissed Tasawwuf (Sufiism) as a New Age cult. In reality, Sufiism has historically been an established mystical movement within Islam, which has always existing in a state of tension with the more legalistic divisions within Islam. It has no connection with the New Age.
Some conservative Christians believe that a massive, underground, highly coordinated New Age organization exists that is infiltrating government, media, schools and churches. No such entity exists.
Some conservative Christians do not differentiate among the Occult, Satanism, Wicca, other Neopagan religions. Many seem to regard all as forms of Satanism who perform horrendous criminal acts on children. Others view The New Age, Neopagan religions, Tarot card reading, rune readings, channeling, work with crystal energy, etc. as merely recruiting programs for Satanism. In fact, the Occult, Satanism, Neo-pagan religions are very different phenomena, and essentially unrelated. Dr. Carl Raschke, professor of Religious Studies at the University of Denver describes New Age practices as the spiritual version of AIDS; it destroys the ability of people to cope and function.” He describes it as “essentially, the marketing end of the political packaging of occultism…a breeding ground for a new American form of fascism.”

New Age beliefs:

A number of fundamental beliefs are held by many New Age followers; individuals are encouraged to “shop” for the beliefs and practices that they feel most comfortable with:

Monism: All that exists is derived from a single source of divine energy.

Pantheism: All that exists is God; God is all that exists. This leads naturally to the concept of the divinity of the individual, that we are all Gods. They do not seek God as revealed in a sacred text or as exists in a remote heaven; they seek God within the self and throughout the entire universe.

Pane theism: God is all that exists. God is at once the entire universe, and transcends the universe as well.
Reincarnation: After death, we are reborn and live another life as a human. This cycle repeats itself many times. This belief is similar to the concept of transmigration of the soul in Hinduism.

Karma: The good and bad deeds that we do adds and subtracts from our accumulated record, our karma. At the end of our life, we are rewarded or punished according to our karma by being reincarnated into either a painful or good new life. This belief is linked to that of reincarnation and is also derived from Hinduism
An Aura is believed to be an energy field radiated by the body. Invisible to most people, it can be detected by some as a shimmering, multi-colored field surrounding the body. Those skilled in detecting and interpreting auras can diagnose an individual’s state of mind, and their spiritual and physical health.
Personal Transformation A profoundly intense mystical experience will lead to the acceptance and use of New Age beliefs and practices. Guided imagery, hypnosis, meditation, and (sometimes) the use of hallucinogenic drugs are useful to bring about and enhance this transformation. Believers hope to develop new potentials within themselves: the ability to heal oneself and others, psychic powers, a new understanding of the workings of the universe, etc. Later, when sufficient numbers of people have achieved these powers, a major spiritual, physical, psychological and cultural planet-wide transformation is expected.
Ecological Responsibility: A belief in the importance of uniting to preserve the health of the earth, which is often looked upon as Gaia, (Mother Earth) a living entity.
Universal Religion: Since all is God, then only one reality exists, and all religions are simply different paths to that ultimate reality. The universal religion can be visualized as a mountain, with many sadhanas (spiritual paths) to the summit. Some are hard; others easy. There is no one correct path. All paths eventually reach the top. They anticipate that a new universal religion which contains elements of all current faiths will evolve and become generally accepted worldwide.
New World Order As the Age of Aquarius unfolds, a New Age will develop. This will be a utopia in which there is world government, and end to wars, disease, hunger, pollution, and poverty. Gender, racial, religious and other forms of discrimination will cease. People’s allegiance to their tribe or nation will be replaced by a concern for the entire world and its people.
The Age of Aquarius is a reference to the precession of the zodiac. The earth passes into a new sign of the zodiac approximately every 2,000 years. Some believe that the earth entered the constellation Aquarius in the 19th Century, so that the present era is the dawning of the age of Aquarius. Others believe that it will occur at the end of the 20th century. It is interesting to note that the previous constellation changes were:

from Aries to Pisces the fish circa 1st century CE. This happened at a time when Christianity was an emerging religion, and many individuals changed from animal sacrifice in the Jewish temple to embracing the teachings of Christianity. The church’s prime symbol at the time was the fish.
from Taurus to Aries the ram circa 2,000 BCE. This happened at a time when the Jews engaged in widespread ritual sacrifice of sheep and other animals in the Temple.
from Gemini to Taurus the bull circa 4,000 BCE. During that sign, worshiping of the golden calf was common in the Middle East.

New Age practices:

Many practices are found among New Agers. A typical practitioner is active in only a few areas:

Channeling A method similar to that used by Spiritists in which a spirit of a long dead individual is conjured up. However, while Spiritists generally believe that one’s soul remains relatively unchanged after death, most channelers believe that the soul evolves to higher planes of existence. Chanelers usually try to make contact with a single, spiritually evolved being. That being’s consciousness is channeled through the medium and relays guidance and information to the group, through the use of the medium’s voice. Channeling has existed since the 1850’s and many groups consider themselves independent of the New Age movement. Perhaps the most famous channeling event is the popular A Course in Miracles. It was channeled through a Columbia University psychologist, Dr. Helen Schucman, (1909-1981), over an 8 year period. She was an Atheist, and in no way regarded herself as a New Age believer. However, she took great care in recording accurately the words that she received.
Crystals Crystals are materials which have their molecules arranged in a specific, highly ordered internal pattern. This pattern is reflected in the crystal’s external structure which typically has symmetrical planar surfaces. Many common substances, from salt to sugar, from diamonds to quartz form crystals. They can be shaped so that they will vibrate at a specific frequency and are widely used in radio communications and computing devices. New Agers believe that crystals possess healing energy.
Meditating A process of blanking out the mind and releasing oneself from conscious thinking. This is often aided by repetitive chanting of a mantra, or focusing on an object.
New Age Music A gentle, melodic, inspirational music form involving the human voice, harp, lute, flute, etc. It is used as an aid in healing, massage therapy and general relaxation.
Divination The use of various techniques to foretell the future, including I Ching, Pendulum movements, Runes, Scrying, Tarot Cards.
Astrology The belief that the orientation of the planets at the time of one’s birth, and the location of that birth predicts the individual’s future and personality. Belief in astrology is common amongst New Agers, but definitely not limited to them.
Holistic Health This is a collection of healing techniques which have diverged from the traditional medical model. It attempts to cure disorders in mind, body and spirit and to promote wholeness and balance in the individual. Examples are acupuncture, crystal healing, homeopathy, iridology, massage, various meditation methods, polarity therapy, psychic healing, therapeutic touch, reflexology, etc.
Human Potential Movement (a.k.a. Emotional Growth Movement) This is a collection of therapeutic methods involving both individualized and group working, using both mental and physical techniques. The goal is to help individuals to advance spiritually. Examples are Esalen Growth Center programs, EST, Gestalt Therapy, Primal Scream Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Transcendental Meditation and Yoga.
The Canadian Census (1991) recorded only 1,200 people (0.005% of the total Canadian population) who identify their religion as being New Age. However, this in no way indicates the influence of new age ideas in the country. Many people identify with Christianity and other religions, but incorporate many new age concepts into their faith.

“Indigo Children”

Some within the New Age movement believe that children with special powers and indigo colored auras have been born in recent years. According to Nancy Ann Tappe, this is a global phenomenon affecting over 95% of newborns since 1995. She writes:

“As small children, Indigo’s are easy to recognize by their unusually large, clear eyes. Extremely bright, precocious children with an amazing memory and a strong desire to live instinctively, these children of the next millennium are sensitive, gifted souls with an evolved consciousness who have come here to help change the vibrations of our lives and create one land, one globe and one species. They are our bridge to the future.”

Some New Agers feel that the special personality factors among Indigo Children result in them being diagnosed with ADD or ADHD by therapists who do not understand their special qualities and needs.

Different Ages And Thinking About Daddy

At 4 Years
My daddy is great.

At 6 Years
My daddy knows everybody.

At 10 Years
My daddy is good but is short tempered

At 12 Years
My daddy was very nice to me when I was young .

At 14 Years
My daddy is getting fastidious.

At 16 Years
My daddy is not in line with the current times.

At 18 Years
My daddy is becoming increasingly cranky.

At 20 Years
Oh! Its becoming difficult to tolerate daddy.
Wonder how Mother puts up with him.

At 25 Years
Daddy is objecting to everything.

At 30 Years
It’s becoming difficult to manage my son.
I was so scared of my father when I was young.

At 40 Years
Daddy brought me up with so much discipline.
Even I should do the same.

At 45 Years
I am baffled as to how my daddy brought us up.

At 50 Years
My daddy faced so many hardships to bring us up.
I am unable to manage a single son.

At 55 Years
My daddy was so far sighted and planned so many things for us.
He is one of his kind and unique.

At 60 Years
My daddy is great.

Thus, it took 56 years to complete the cycle and come back to the first stage.

Top 10 Reasons To Have Sex Tonight

When you’re in the mood, it’s a sure bet that the last thing on your mind is boosting your immune system or maintaining a healthy weight. Yet good sex offers those health benefits and more.

That’s a surprise to many people, says Joy Davidson, PhD, a New York psychologist and sex therapist. “Of course, sex is everywhere in the media,” she says. “But the idea that we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked at in some cases with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment. So to really take a look at how our sexuality adds to our life and enhances our life and our health, both physical and psychological, is eye-opening for many people.”

Sex does a body good in a number of ways, according to Davidson and other experts. The benefits aren’t just anecdotal or hearsay — each of these 10 health benefits of sex is backed by scientific scrutiny.

Among the benefits of healthy loving in a relationship:

1. Sex Relieves Stress

A big health benefit of sex is lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction, according to researchers from Scotland who reported their findings in the journal Biological Psychology. They studied 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. Then the researchers subjected them to stressful situations — such as speaking in public and doing verbal arithmetic — and noted their blood pressure response to stress.

Those who had intercourse had better responses to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.

Another study published in the same journal found that frequent intercourse was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure in cohabiting participants. Yet other research found a link between partner hugs and lower blood pressure in women.

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2. Sex Boosts Immunity

Good sexual health may mean better physical health. Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. Scientists at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., took samples of saliva, which contain IgA, from 112 college students who reported the frequency of sex they had.

Those in the “frequent” group — once or twice a week — had higher
levels of IgA than those in the other three groups — who reported being abstinent, having sex less than once a week, or having it very often, three or more times weekly.

3. Sex Burns Calories

Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.

“Sex is a great mode of exercise,” says Patti Britton, PhD, a Los Angeles sexologist and president of the American Association of Sexuality Educators and Therapists. It takes work, from both a physical and psychological perspective, to do it well, she says.

4. Sex Improves Cardiovascular Health

While some older folks may worry that the efforts expended during sex could cause a stroke, that’s not so, according to researchers from
England. In a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, scientists found frequency of sex was not associated with stroke in the 914 men they followed for 20 years.

And the heart health benefits of sex don’t end there. The researchers also found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for the men, compared with those who had sex less than once a month.

5. Sex Boosts Self-Esteem

Boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex, collected by University of Texas researchers and published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

That finding makes sense to Gina Ogden, PhD, a sex therapist and marriage and family therapist in Cambridge, Mass., although she finds that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better. “One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about them,” she tells WebMD. “Great sex begins with self-esteem, and it raises it. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it.”

6. Sex Improves Intimacy

Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, the
so-called love hormone, which helps us bond and build trust. Researchers from
the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina evaluated 59
premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands and partners ending with hugs. Tey found that the more contact, the higher the oxytocin levels.

“Oxytocin allows us to feel the urge to nurture and to bond,” Britton says.

Higher oxytocin has also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So if you’re feeling suddenly more generous toward your partner than usual, credit the love hormone.

7. Sex Reduces Pain

As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain
declines. So if your headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms seem to improve after sex, you can thank those higher oxytocin levels.

In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and
Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked lowered their pain threshold by more than half.

8. Sex Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk

Frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life, Australian researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International. When they followed men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without, they found no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

But they found men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third.

Another study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical
Association, found that frequent ejaculations, 21 or more a month, were linked to lower prostate cancer risk in older men, as well, compared with less frequent ejaculations of four to seven monthly.

9. Sex Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles

For women, doing a few pelvic floor muscle exercises known as Kegels during sex offers a couple of benefits. You will enjoy more pleasure, and you’ll also strengthen the area and help to minimize the risk of incontinence later in life.

To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor, as if you’re trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.

10. Sex Helps You Sleep Better

The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, according to research.

And getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things, such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure. Something to think about, especially if you’ve been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.