July 2024
​By Lorraine Alexander

As life rapidly changes around us, have you ever wondered how WiFi affects our health? As we adapt, we can take steps to preserve our health and vitality. Summer is an ideal opportunity to rebalance with self-care and time in nature.

Boost your health with four simple practices.

1) Earthing 

Back in 1998, Clint Ober found success when he developed effective grounding systems for the cable television industry. He soon pioneered the Earthing movement, after learning the potential of grounding to improve human health. Learn more about Clint Ober at https://www.earthing.com/.

"Earthing (also known as grounding) refers to the discovery that bodily contact with the Earth's natural electric charge stabilizes the physiology at the deepest levels, reduces inflammation, pain, and stress, improves blood flow, energy, and sleep, and generates greater well-being." ScienceDirect.com

April 2024
​By Lorraine Alexander
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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
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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. ​

"What a man can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization." —Abraham Maslow

This brief session (5 min 32 sec) explains how self-actualization offers a state of fulfillment, inner peace, and the presence to live your best life. Sage Principles audio sessions are the courtesy of DASA Meditation.
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Read or save this expanded session as a pdf article (3 min 10 sec). ​Get a deeper understanding of self-actualization with graphics, including quotes from Maslow and Einstein, and a personal message from Jobs.

You may be surprised to learn the simplicity of Maslow's final thoughts (near end of life). Watch Encountering Abraham Maslow, a short documentary (11:23) about the life and influence of Abraham Maslow the founder of humanistic psychology. 

Image 1: Joseph Barrientos /  Image 2: Federico Respini

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The year 2020 delivered countless hardships and disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter in place social isolation, civil unrest, economic hurdles, record-breaking climate change including pre-season wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and the most heated presidential election of our time. 
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During these tragedies, we witnessed the darkest influences of stress take a stronghold in the US. These tough times drew out the best and worst in humanity. Yet our challenges are not behind us. That's why this article offers 12 uncomplicated, manageable strategies that will help you to "keep your cool," and release toxic stress during volatile times. 

How can we restore balance in an unpredictable world? ​
Start with one person at a time beginning with you. The one thing that I'm sure of is this, self-awareness is the passkey to a balanced, happy life. Pay attention to obvious signals of stress. Your body may be calling out for help. Are you listening?  

Stress can surface through emotions or manifest in a physical way. To determine if you are experiencing stress overwhelm, ask these following questions:

• Do you have trouble sleeping? 
• Do you lack energy or focus? 
• Are you feeling unusually tense? 
• Have you become forgetful?
• ​Are you short-tempered with others?
• Have you lost your optimism or the ability to enjoy life?

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You can successfully release toxic penned-up stress from the body by combining a variety of the following mind-body practices. The rewards of these 12 self-care practices will depend on the consistency of your routine. 

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?​

​Awaken the Force Within
​By Lorraine Alexander
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The actor Mark Hamill portrayed the beloved character Luke Skywalker the Jedi apprentice, in the hit movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As the story evolves, Luke grew to become a guardian of peace and justice. He dedicated himself to personal growth and the way of the Jedi. Once he developed these noble values, only then did he find the ability to tap into "the Force.”

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.