April 2024
​By Lorraine Alexander
​

If asked, "Are you taking care of your health?" You may pause to think for a minute. Most people associate exercise, a balanced diet, hydration, and mental health with overall general health. And they would be correct in the most general sense. However, a component of human health must be considered—our exposure to technology.

In 1984 the term technostress was introduced.
Four decades later, many of us can relate to both the positive and negative influence of technology, including wifi, computers, cell phones, and social media. These technological advances add efficiency and convenience to life. Yet, at the same time, they also add stress. Everyone who sends a message expects a response. We feel the need to keep a presence online and in social circles. And in the workplace, our reputation depends on a speedy, accurate, and thoughtful response. 

With constant wifi connectivity, technostress threatens our health and lifestyle with complexity and information overload. There is a sub-current of uncertainty and angst as we face our ever-changing world of technology. In many ways, through the use of technology, we have become less connected to friends and business associates. 

January 2024
By Lorraine Alexander
​
A few months ago, I happened on the book The Stress Prescription by Elissa Epel, PhD, the co-author of The Telomere Effect, a New York Times best-seller that discovers how stress influences our clock-on-aging. With a generous 4.7 Amazon review, I found The Stress Prescription to be a worthwhile read. 

Here's a brief overview:
The Stress Prescription: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease, by Elissa Epel, PhD
Professor, Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, School of Medicine
Reading this book, I found it remarkably user-friendly, and learned new insights on stress. Open the book to almost any page and indulge in bits of wisdom. The point made most helpful, was learning that traumatic life experiences create a new stress threshold or baseline; this threshold dictates how well or how poorly we cope with stress. ​

With a new year just around the corner, it's the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. There are many beneficial practices that can be incorporated into your routine, to improve your overall health and wellness. We've included a wish list of suggested practices to begin your journey for optimal health, higher awareness, and a more joy-filled life.

Evaluate, Rethink, Evolve in 2024
Shift your focus away from the holiday 'busyness' toward simplicity, peace, awareness, and wellness. The magic of the new year is about to begin, and this is the opportune time to plan a monumental shift in your health and well-being. ​

Do you feel in sync with the perfect life path or journey? If the answer is yes, you will feel it at your core. And if you are unsure, take steps to bring stillness and balance back into your life. It will offer clarity and direction.

Sometimes we need to stop thinking about what we want—to find exactly what we need. 

One single question that begs to be answered about meditation
Over the years, I find people continue to ask me the same question over and over, "What is the best form of meditation?" There are many useful meditation forms; some are simply more effective than others. This article explains two fundamental approaches to meditation. 

Directive versus non-directive meditation
Within the practice of meditation, there are two primary categories, directive and non-directive. The directive form requires focused attention, while the non-directive form allows the mind to wander. Although the origins of both forms emerged from religious roots, many contemporary versions have risen—free from dogma and religion, with a primary focus on stress reduction, health, and happiness. ​

By Lorraine Alexander

Resilience by definition is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. The pressures of life continue to mount, especially in the workplace. Stress management techniques preserve the quality and longevity of life. 

Today's world is multifaceted, and stress pervades our life each and every day. Traffic builds, three jobs are funneled into one, financial pressure increases as housing costs rise, violence dominates our schools, social pressures rise, there is a mounting sea of new technology,  moreover, we have an uncertain future with climate change. As a teacher of meditation and mind-body wellness, I see firsthand the impact of these stressors.

This article will answer three vital questions:​​

• How does stress affect the body?
• Can stress be held at bay?  
• What steps can be taken to restore health and happiness?​

​If you think chronic pain is rare, think again. According to a report from the Institute of Medicine, more than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, at the cost of about $600 billion a year. Chronic pain is near epidemic proportion across the U.S.
 
Acute pain vs. chronic pain
 
The onset of acute pain is sudden, caused by an injury like a burn or cut, a dental problem, a broken bone, or surgery. When the affected area heals, the pain usually subsides within a six-month timeframe, according to Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center. But chronic pain can continue to plague sufferers; lasting for months or even years ­after the affected area has healed. This occurs because the body continues to signal pain to the nervous system. The pain is real, and the effect stresses the body­–and the patient. Chronic pain can immobilize patients, holding their life hostage by keeping them from their work, their daily activities, and even their social life. 

If you are thinking about learning to meditate there are hundreds of methods to choose from. The task of researching a sea of choices is a mind-boggling experience. To simplify your selection process, know that it is no coincidence most medical studies on meditation are based on silent meditation.

There are two primary categories, directive (also known as concentrative) and nondirective (no concentration is required). Both are beneficial according to a study completed at Harvard Medical School in 2013. The study found both meditation styles reduce stress and improve health. 

Silent mantra meditation has been practiced around the world for over five thousand years, taught from "teachers to student" as a time-honored oral tradition. One might conclude there must be something to be prized in a tradition that has that kind of rich history—and they would be right. ​

In 1975, silent mantra meditation landed the cover of Time Magazine. A full forty-two years later, many forms of meditation have risen up to join the flow of this mainstream movement. It's been a long time coming, and now meditation is here to stay. This shift into acceptance is primarily due to a long list of medical studies proving profound mind-body benefits. 

Flipping a coin or using "eeny, meeny, miny, moe," or another random selection method is not the way you should choose your new method of meditation. You should be looking for a method that works for you, a method that fits you like a glove. There are many fine, effective methods to choose from. Take the time to understand the variables, and how the methods differ. 

Image©canstock/Ariec
Model used for illustration purposes only.
Submitted by guest blogger "Bits of Bliss" 

As Americans, we've been fed the typical model of success - it all seems like the perfect plan for a deeply satisfying life. Then why do so many highly successful people approach the later part of life unhappy - feeling as though something significant was (and is) missing?  

While studying psychology in graduate school at Duquesne University, I was introduced to Abraham Maslow's work and read parts of his groundbreaking book, Motivation and Personality. His extensive studies show that people who do not fully use their potential, are not truly happy in life. ​