Are you feeling down during a time of personal change? Check out our top 20 motivational, HOPE, and positivity quotes. It’s alright to be afraid and feel hopeless during difficult times. But you are a miracle maker. You have the power within you to overcome incredible difficulties. You will RISE UP and shine.
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What is Tantra and how can it be used to help us lift the consciousness and live a more balanced, joyful life? The word Tantra means expansion. It is a Sanskrit word, connected to an Indian spiritual path, Tantra Yoga. The ultimate goal of Tantra Yoga is the Divine Union between the goddess Shakti and god Shiva. Shakti, also called Kundalini, is in the base of the spine. Continue reading
WHAT IS REIKI? Reiki (霊気) is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui, which since has been adapted by various teachers of diverse traditions. Reiki is also considered a spiritual or meditative type of healing or a form of prayer. It uses what has been commonly called palm healing or hands on healing as a form of complementary, alternative, or holistic healing. therapy.
Reiki is also sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some professional medical groups. Reiki practitioners or Reiki Masters use the hands to move energy through the body. Reiki can also be described as “laying on of hands.” The practitioners believe that they are transferring universal energy (i.e., reiki) in the form of qi (Japanese: ki) or Chi, through the palms, which brings self-healing and balance. Today there are many branches or styles of Reiki but there are two major traditions, Traditional Japanese Reiki and Western Reiki. Traditional Japanese Reiki is normally used to describe a system based on Usui’s original teachings. Western Reiki (西洋レイキ, Seiyō reiki) is a Reiki system that can be accredited to Hawayo Takata. The teaching of Reiki outside of Japan is commonly divided into three levels: First Degree – Shoden “初伝”, Second Degree – Okuden “奥伝”, and Third Degree – Shinpiden “神秘伝” or Master level. In Western Reiki, it is taught that Reiki the meridian energy lines and seven major chakras on the body are used with the hand positions.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A REIKI HEALING SESSION? Generally in a western Reiki healing session the hands are placed just off the body or lightly touching. Typically, the client is lying down, as in a massage therapy position. Some Reiki Masters also practice “long-distance” Reiki sessions. In a Reiki session, the practitioner is said to bring Universal Life Energy to the client. During the healing session, a client will go into a state of deep relaxation. During this relaxed state he or she might experience a reduction of pain and sense of peace and well-being. Those trained in Reiki are referred to as Reiki Masters or Reiki practitioners depending on their level of training.
IS REIKI EFFECTIVE? Current research studies are inconclusive in providing clinical evidence as to the effectiveness of Reiki. It is thought that more research is needed. However, individual clients and Reiki Masters and practitionerss claim that Reiki can be very effective in healing or providing relief for the following health concerns:
For more information about Reiki and a wide variety of natural medicine and health and wellness topics, check out our video library at http://www.youtube.com/MBHolistic Best wishes and loving energy from your MBHA health and wellness friends
Greetings friends!
30 Benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi. Click, copy, download, save and share with family members and friends.
WHAT IS QIGONG and WHAT IS TAI CHI?
The word Qigong (Chi Kung) consists of two Chinese words. Qi is pronounced “chee” and is usually translated to mean “the life force”or vital-energy that flows through all things in the universe. The second word, Gong, pronounced “gung,” means accomplishment, or skill that is achieved through disciplined effort or continued practice. Together, Qigong (Chi Kung) means cultivating energy, it is a system for healing and increasing energy or vitality.
“Stillness and action are relative, not absolute, principles. It is important to find a balance of yin and yang, not just in qigong, but in everyday life. In movement, seek stillness and rest. In rest, be mindful and attentive.”
Ken Cohen, The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing, pages 4-5
Tai Chi (Taiji Quan) is a style of qigong. It is slow and fluid-like. Other types of qigong exercise are for developing specific systems or parts of the body– nervous system, endocrine system, etc., but Taiji Quan is an exercise for the whole body, mind, and spirit with the goal of restoration and wholeness.
HOW DOES QIGONG HELP IMPROVE HEALTH?
The breathing, gentle movement, and meditation techniques of qigong help to cleanse, strengthen, and circulate the life energy (qi). Qigong practice leads to better health and vitality and a tranquil state of mind. In the past, qigong has also been called nei gong (inner work) and dao yin (guiding energy). Research studies show that qigong may be effective in the treatment of many illnesses including cancer and heart disease. Recent studies show that qigong delays the effects of aging and is useful with elderly and those experiencing symptoms of dementia.
Here is a listing of thirty benefits and positive effects of qigong and/or tai chi, as noted in a variety of reports, reviews, and research studies.
- Loosens Muscles
- Builds Power
- Strengthens Organs
- Slows Respiration
- Strengthens Nerves
- Builds Bone Density
- Prevents Joint Injury
- Strengthens Ligaments
- Destroys Free Radicals
- Increases Injury Recovery
- Decreases Stress
- Balances Emotions
- Improves Circulation
- Prevents Muscular Spasms
- Reduces Pain
- Lowers Heart Rate
- Normalizes EKG
- Lowers Blood Pressure
- Improves Asthma
- Relieves Bronchitis
- Builds Immune System
- Relieves Migraines
- Decreases Stroke Risk
- Improves Skin Elasticity
- Improves Posture
- Improves Flexibility
- Increases Balance
- Improves Memory
- Aides in Digestion
- Improves Kidney Function
Research suggests that qigong and/or tai chi can be very helpful and effective in bringing balance, harmony, and healing to the body, mind, and spirit for people of all ages and cultures. More research is needed in controlled settings, over a longer periods of time, to better determine the effect that qigong has on health and wellness. Changes in diet and other alternative and orthodox medical treatments are also influential and work with qigong to bring about wellness. Always confide in your trusted health professional for advice.
Best wishes to you from your health and wellness friends at MBHA.
The Qigong Research Society
The Qigong Institude – Scientific Papers and Reviews
Best wishes to you, our health and wellness friends!
Click, copy, download and share with friends and family. Give up all bad qualities in you. Just let it go!
Today the focus is on letting go…. surrendering the negative and bad qualities that exist inside of ourselves.
Surrendering the domination of the mind, emotions, and ego, when it is destructive to our health and happiness.
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.
~Havelock Ellis
It sounds simple enough. Just let go. Banish the ego. But why should we banish the ego? Is it really all that bad? Don’t we need the ego to survive and be successful? Yes, this is true. The ego helps us fight and prosper and helps us make good choices in life. The ego is the inner voice that is concerned for self welfare, safety, and success.
However, the ego can sometimes get in our way and prevent us from truly loving, being prosperous, successful, and achieving our dreams and goals, especially when we are trying to work as a team. There is no place for ego when working together with a group or a partner. So what exactly is the ego?
Here’s what Einstein had to say about the ego:
EGO = 1 / Knowledge.
More the knowledge lesser the Ego, lesser the knowledge, more the Ego.
~Albert Einstein
An over-dominating ego can be what causes little children to start swinging at one another on the playground and little Freddie to come home with a black eye and a broken tooth. So what do we do when a person is angry, dominating, controlling, and our ego wants us to fight back and hold onto a grudge? The little voice inside says, “This feels bad. It’s not right. That person is wrong,” and if we let the ego take over, we might soon find ourselves hurt and angry, saying things we later regret, slamming doors, or in a boxing match with a friend or family member. Here is what Sigmund Freud has to say about the ego.
“One might compare the relation of the ego to the id with that between a rider and his horse. The horse provides the loco-motor energy, and the rider has the prerogative of determining the goal and of guiding the movements of his powerful mount towards it. But all too often in the relations between the ego and the id we find a picture of the less ideal situation in which the rider is obliged to guide his horse in the direction in which it itself wants to go.”
~Sigmund Freud, From New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, 1932.
So what does one do, to release the white-knuckled grip of ego? What do you do (in the moment) to be unaffected by words that sting or hurt? I asked our Facebook friends what they do when the ego gets in the way, and it’s difficult to let go, and forgive hurtful words or actions.
Here are some of their answers.
Ha,ha! We here at MBHA might not choose to try your amazing suggestion, Mark, but thanks so much for the smiles! 😉
Thanks to all our friends for their wonderful tips. We at MBHA invite YOU to share with us what you do to gain control over the ego, release judgment toward others, practice forgiveness and tolerance, and let go of the need to be right. We leave you with Sai Baba’s final word and the quote for today on our beautiful free poster gift to you.
“Give up all bad qualities in you, banish the ego and develop the spirit of surrender. You will then experience Bliss.”
~Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Best wishes to you with gratitude and appreciation,
Your health and wellness friends at MBHA
Happiness is something that we all seek. If you know how to be happy when times are tough, you have discovered true wisdom.
What is happiness and how do we achieve it? What makes you happy? What is the secret to true joy and happiness regardless of age, race, culture and circumstances? Here are fifty happiness quotes to open your heart to JOY in life and put a smile on your face.
If you find an inspirational quote that is not here, please share! Thank you.
What is the secret to happiness? How do we find it and how do we keep it?
“Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” ~John Barrymore
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“Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.” ~C. S. Lewis
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“The U. S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” ~Dalai Lama
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“Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.” ~Benjamin Disraeli
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“Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.” ~Mary Baker Eddy
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“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” ~Thomas Jefferson
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“Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth… Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it.” ~John Templeton
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“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” ~Jim Rohn
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“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.” ~Buddha
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“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” ~Denis Waitley
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“Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold; happiness dwells in the soul.” ~Democritus
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“If we go into a darkened room and turn on the light, it doesn’t matter if the room has been dark for a day, a week, or ten thousand years – we turn on the light and it is illuminated. Once we control our capacity for love and happiness, the light has been turned on.” ~Sharon Salzberg
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“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” ~C. S. Lewis
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“Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.” ~George Washington
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“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
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“To live happily is an inward power of the soul.” ~Aristotle
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“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us in our minds wherever we go.” ~Martha Washington
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“Happiness is not having what you want. It is wanting what you have.” ~Rabbi Hyman Schachtel
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“All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin.” ~Lord Byron
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“The world of those who are happy is different from the world of those who are not.” ~Ludwig Wittgenstein
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“Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind.” ~Alice Meynell
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“There are people who can do all fine and heroic things but one — keep from telling their happiness to the unhappy.” ~Mark Twain
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“The greatest happiness of life it the conviction that we are loved – loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” ~Victor Hugo
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“Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.” ~Margaret Lee Runbeck
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“Happiness is not in our circumstance but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are.” ~John B. Sheerin
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“Think of all the beauty that is still left in and around you and be happy!” ~Anne Frank
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“The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” ~Allan K. Chalmers
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“Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.” ~Scottish Proverb
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“Most people would rather be certain they’re miserable, than risk being happy.” ~Robert Anthony
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“I can only think of one thing greater than being happy and that is to help another to be happy, too.” ~Jim Thomson
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“Happiness is the highest good, being a realization and perfect practice of virtue, which some can attain, while others have little or none of it.” ~Aristotle
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“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
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“They seemed to come suddenly upon happiness as if they had surprised a butterfly in the winter woods.” ~Edith Wharton
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“The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” ~Allan K. Chalmers
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“Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.” ~Benjamin Disraeli
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“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” ~Anne Frank
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“Happiness is something final and complete in itself, as being the aim and end of all practical activities whatever. Happiness then we define as the active exercise of the mind in conformity with perfect goodness or virtue.” ~Aristotle
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“Sooner or later in life everyone discovers that perfect happiness is unrealizable, but there are few who pause to consider the antithesis: that perfect unhappiness is equally unattainable.” ~Primo Levi
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“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” ~Aristotle
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“Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible.” ~St. Augustine
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“You are forgiven for your happiness and your successes only if you generously consent to share them.” ~Albert Camus
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“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” ~Oscar Wilde
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“Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route.” ~Charles Caleb Colton
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“Luckier than one’s neighbor, but still not happy.” ~Euripedes
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“A great obstacle to happiness is to anticipate too great a happiness.” ~Fontenelle
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“No man can be happy without a friend, nor be sure of his friend till he is unhappy.” ~Thomas Fuller
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“We are long before we are convinced that happiness is never to be found, and each believes it possessed by others, to keep alive the hope of obtaining it for himself.” ~Samuel Johnson
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“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha
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“Happiness is a warm puppy.” Charles Schulz
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“When I meet people from other cultures I know that they too want happiness and do not want suffering, this allows me to see them as brothers and sisters.” ~Dalai Lama
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“Don’t Worry. Be Happy” ~Meher Baba
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This article is written by Jean Voice Dart, M.S. Special Education from Illinois State University. Jean is a published author and has written hundreds of health articles as well as hosting a local television program, “Making Miracles Happen.” She is a Registered Music Therapist, Sound Therapist, and Master Level Energetic Teacher, and is the Executive Director, founder and Health and Wellness Educator of the Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance. The Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance is a registered 501 (c) 3 nonprofit health and wellness education organization. For more information about the Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance contact us or visit our website at www.montereybayholistic.com.
Disclaimer: The Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance is a charitable, independent registered nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and does not endorse any particular products or practices. We exist as an educational organization dedicated to providing free access to health education resources, products and services. Claims and statements herein are for informational purposes only and have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The statements about organizations, practitioners, methods of treatment, and products listed on this website are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is intended for educational purposes only. The MBHA strongly recommends that you seek out your trusted medical doctor or practitioner for diagnosis and treatment of any existing health condition.
Hello, wellness friends.
We at MBHA are discovering that nature often teaches us profound wisdom. Today the focus is on persistence and perseverance. Buddha says, “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins; not through strength, but through persistence.” This is a gentle reminder of the miracles that occur when we use fearless, focused intention with perseverance and persistence.
Faith, persistence, and gratitude make miracles happen.
Click and copy to share with friends. Focused effort and relentless, disciplined, perseverance and faith make miracles happen.
What is the secret to those who are successful in making their life dreams a reality? It is persistence, tenacity, drive, motivation, and hard work. Einstein is quoted as saying, “Genius is 1% talent and 99% percent hard work.” The same or similar quotes can be found about success, happiness, and other cherished goals and desired achievements. When we combine persistence with faith, and a loving and grateful heart, this is when we see results.
It’s not enough just to work hard. A hard worker who is a bitter, resentful angry one, will surely fail and this victim consciousness can affect others. This is because he/she is manifesting negativity and wallowing in his/her own swill. To make miracles happen and achieve our dreams, we must combine hard work with a grateful heart. We keep the positive vision, yet take action.
“Vision without execution is hallucination.”
― Thomas A. Edison
There is no better example of this basic principle of manifestation than in nature. Nature shows us over and over again of the law of manifestation. We see this in the sun, the wind, the rain, the plants, and the animals. It’s the law of cause and effect. What we give out to the universe, is what we receive back in turn.
So today we here at MBHA remember the words of Buddha and the persistence of the rolling river, and we are grateful to you and to our universe for the many lessons and blessings of the earth.
With love and joy in life,
Your MBHA health and wellness friends
Greetings MBHA friends!
Today is a great day to focus on persistence, pushing through barriers, and seize the day. Let’s start tackling those fitness goals! It’s a little foggy and chilly here on the Monterey Bay Central California coast. The faint sound of seagulls can be heard on top of the splashing of the waves against the shore, and it’s not unusual to see a turkey vulture in the sky with it’s effortless, smooth and gentle flight. SO after a belly full of Thanksgiving holiday food, and a weekend of chilly weather, it’s TEMPTING to put off those nasty exercises that make us achy and sore. BUT let’s wake up and seize the day with a little inspiration from Rosie the Riveter!
We can do it!
Click and copy to share with friends. The “We Can Do It” poster was created in 1943 to boost worker morale during World War II. Today we fight another war. It’s the war of keeping healthy and fit! We can do it.
The American wartime propaganda poster “We Can Do It!” inspires all of us here at MBHA to get up, get moving, and be disciplined with our physical exercises. Just look at that face! This muscular woman is speaking to ALL out there who feel frustration and hopeless when life seems challenging and bleak.
The poster was originally produced by J. Howard Miller in 1943 for Westinghouse Electric is as an inspirational image to boost female wartime worker morale. The poster is believed to be created from a black-and-white wire service photograph taken of Geraldine Hoff, a Michigan factory worker.
It was actually seen very little during World War II, but was brought out again to the public in the early 1980’s and widely distributed during the “Women’s Rights” era of that time. It inspired women to keep up the fight and never give up hope. The poster girl became known as “Rosie the Riveter” and it made the cover of the Smithsonian magazine in 1994 and in 1999 was a US first-class mail stamp.
Today we fight war of another kind.
Today we are fighting a war within OURSELVES: the war of the mind, body and spirit, that prevents us from choosing to keep physically fit. This is a VERY serious war. Rosie, with her bulging muscles, and determined, fearless, gaze, depicts the inspirational spirit of someone who is not about to give up!
Health challenges can be a lonely battle. Employers are more often not providing in health care benefits and insurance companies are no longer covering outrageous expenses. Many men and women are unemployed or working for low wages and feeling hopeless from the stresses of the failing economy. They, in turn, have stopped the healthy disciplines of good nutrition, daily physical exercises, and getting plenty of sleep, fresh air, rest and relaxation. People with chronic illnesses, sometimes give up the fight in despair, surrendering to a life of suffering and eventually death. Many people choose to sit in their rooms, hopelessly surrendering to a life of despair, sometimes clinging to watching television or chatting online with cyber-friends, looking for an escape from the all too painful piles of bills, and the pain and suffering of the physical, emotional, and mental body.
Less than 25% of the people today meet the guidelines for aerobic and muscle strengthening.
Recent statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that less than 25% of adults 18 years of age and over who met the Physical Activity Guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity. Cardiovascular disease is the cause of death for more than 1/4 of people this past year and is the leading cause of death for both men and women.
Looking at our past is a healthy way to inspire us to move forward in the future.
Rosie the Riveter has been there for 70 years to say, “We Can Do It!” and keep people from choosing the “VICTIM” consciousness. She’s inspired people through many lifetime struggles and challenges, and she can inspire US NOW during these challenging times. Sure, times are tough, but it’s up to us to make a difference. So we start by getting up off of the couch and doing some exercises, or maybe just going for a walk after supper. We eat right, get plenty of sleep, look to a higher wisdom, and see the blessings and lessons in every moment. Soon we begin to heal ourselves, and then we can begin to heal the world. We do this one day at a time.
We invite YOU to share your inspirational stories and the ways in which you have broken through barriers and pushed past your fears to face life’s biggest challenges. YOU are our biggest inspiration.
With gratitude and love to you,
Your health and wellness friends,
The MBHA Staff and Volunteers
Click to enlarge, copy, and share with your friends and loved ones. Love is always there with us and around us, if we only stop to see it, always and ALL ways. Much love to you.
Greetings, MBHA friends,
During this week of Thanksgiving, we at the Alliance are grateful for all of our friends. It’s a time when the heart opens to the simplest of things…a little bird, stopping to tap on a window pane, a spiderweb beaded with the water droplets from the morning dew, a young mother helping an elderly woman with her coat and comforting her as she looks in confusion, searching desperately for her family members or friends.
SEE LOVE. Always. ALL Ways.
This week we at the Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance remember to give thanks and look around at the miracle of LIFE, knowing that IT is a precious gift, not to be tossed away and easily forgotten. We are truly blessed, so let us take time out to be silent, close our eyes, awaken to this TRUTH and be thankful for the blessings and lessons in life.
THANK YOU for the gift of you. Thank you for the gift of LIFE.
Loving life, always and All Ways,
~MBHA Staff and Volunteers
Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance 