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There are many advantages and benefits to receiving massage therapy. For many years, it has been used to help heal the body, ease certain medical conditions, and help prevent others from occurring. Because of this, it is seen as an important, well-respected profession used by many people on a daily basis.

Whether you make an appointment with a massage therapist for medical reasons, or would like to relax and relieve stress, there is a type of massage that can help you. Massage therapists are trained individuals who have a good understanding of the human body and how it works. They know all the bones and muscles, and how to properly relieve tension and release certain chemicals that help rejuvenate the body. That is why it is taken very seriously, and should always be treated this way. To some, however, massage therapy is seen as a form of entertainment.

This has been the source of some debate in the industry. Because some see massage therapy as an option of a more personal nature, it is often assumed that a massage therapist may provide it for this reason. That is rarely ever the case, as actual therapists are there to serve the community by provided a much needed and sought after service that helps many people on a daily basis. The therapist is there to give a massage, so if a client is there for any other reason than to receive one, he or she may want to consider looking elsewhere for this preferred form of entertainment.

There are several ways to handles such situations if they do occur. If a session is perceived as anything but professional, many massage therapists will choose to immediately terminate the session. This is because it is often clearly stated up front that the massage is for reasons of relief and relaxation, and should only be construed as such. If the company does not advertise otherwise, it is good to assume this is the case. Sometimes a bit of clarification will help the situation and set customers straight on what services are and aren’t offered. Though the debate remains, the end result is very clear. The purpose of massage therapy is just that, to provide therapy to those requesting that particular service. It is a profession that is not meant for entertainment, and should never become uncomfortable for either the therapist or the client.

Today, when you think about classic basic skin care you think about the best products, including Mary Kay cosmetics. You can take advantage of the great offers for Mary Kay makeup, discover a new fragrance to delight your senses and find appealing gift ideas. The list of available products is long, including not only skin care products but also lips and eye care, cleansers and those for moisturization. The latest trends are reflected through the new products introduced, no matter if you are interested in eye makeup, sunscreen lotion or something for wrinkle repair.

Let’s talk about makeup. With Mary Kay, you are offered some of the hottest compacts available on the market. You have superior quality mineral powder to offer your eyes subtle shades and powerful colors for the cheek. Many women also prefer to use eye makeup in bright colors with bronzing powders. Looking fabulous is not something hard to achieve once you notice all the products presented online for Mary Kay makeup. If you are want beautiful skin, then these are the products you are should be interested in. They are made of the best ingredients out there, respecting the health of your skin while ensuring a radiant tone.

Skin care is probably one of the most important things for a woman. It’s all about taking good care of our natural beauty and preventing unwanted consequence of aging. When it comes to classic basic skin care, there are plenty of products that ensure a beautiful, young-looking skin. There are anti-aging new products, cleansers and those commonly used for hydrating the skin. You can live without them but if you can have them at such affordable prices, why not give your skin what it deserves? Consider all the suggestions presented online, including the microderm abrasion set, especially recommended for the reduction of fine lines and the skin smoothing properties.

Anti-aging products are among the most popular choices when it comes to Mary Kay cosmetics. They have the power of turning back time, offering lips and eye care through high-quality products. You can choose an eye revitalizer, a true serum of youth packed with all the ingredients one needs for a healthy-looking skin. In due time, you will forget all about commonly encountered problems, such as dark circles. Other cosmetics and skin care products include line reducers (immediate results against wrinkles), cleansers with exfoliating properties and moisturizers for hydrating the skin throughout the entire day.

It’s only natural to take good care of your skin. Products like eye cream, lip balms, sunscreen and lip stick should never be absent. You should also check the web for feet and hand care, search new products that offer the best facial scrub and other cosmetics that provide a healthy appearance for your skin. Spa and body categories include products for pampering, with revitalizing and moisturizing properties. Choose Mary Kay and you have the best, whether you want perfumes, eye makeup or any other product for that matter!

According to history, in A.D. 527, an emperor named Wu Di invited an Indian monk named Bodhidharma to travel to China. The purpose of the journey was for Bodhidharma to come and teach his fellow monks in certain exercises to help strengthen their bodies. Monks in Henan province were frequently attacked by bandits and had no training in how to defend themselves.

After arriving in Henan Temple, Bodhidharma meditated for nine long years. After he finished the meditation, Bodhidharma wrote two books entitled, “Yi Jin Jing” and “Xi Sui Jing”. The former was about exercises for developing external strength while the latter was about meditation and breathing. After finishing the two books, he wrote a third book entitled “Shi Bao Luo Han Shou” (The Eighteen Hands of Lohan), which was about his experiences as a member if the Kshatriya. (Indian warriors and rulers). This book included synchronized defensive routines. Historians consider this book as the first manual on offensive and defensive combat movements. That was how the martial arts began in China.

These facts explain the close similarity of the postures in Chinese martial arts and yoga. Both traditions focused on the lower abdominal region as the center of all human energy (chi, pneuma, ki). Martial arts and Yoga were both developed to promote a healthy body, increase lifespan, and attain a state of bliss.

According to Eastern beliefs, the mysterious power of the chi is responsible for self-healing, self-recovery, and self-realization; and that ll life in the cosmos is inspired by the chi. As the “life force” or vital energy that is present in every living thing, it is also the same force that controls the universe. Chi is the Chinese word for the word life…and translated as ‘pneuma’ in Greek… and ‘ki’ in Japanese.

Clinical studies show that martial artists use several aspects of fitness like muscular strength, endurance, aerobic, and anaerobic conditioning. Their training also involves flexibility, body composition, motor skills, and coordination. These training modes may give practitioners health benefits such as stronger muscles and improved endurance. Martial arts training also includes meditation. These moments of stillness may bring short periods of relaxation. Some people actually see martial arts as “moving meditation.” Researches have also shown that the regular practice of martial arts help release stress and improve one’s self-esteem.

Sexual health

But more than just a system of self-defense and meditation, the martial arts practice is also associated with the improvement of libido and overall sexual performance. People who frequently exercise have more energy, less anxiety, better self-esteem, and increased testosterone levels. Martial arts not only firms one’s body and improve their overall health, martial arts can also improve one’s sex life. The practice of martial arts entails rigorous physical exertion. Still, Bodhidharma was careful to teach his monk-students about the virtue of moderation. He taught them that even in martial arts, care must be exercised to avoid over-training. Some studies show that too much intense physical training may have an effect on one’s sterility. An investigation by health experts revealed that exercising too much causes fatigue, which then temporarily reduces sperm count and quality. Other researches point out that those who exercised to the point of exhaustion produced less sperm during ejaculation. Specialists say that this happens because the body literally “kills” itself during training. To build muscles and improve the body, it needs to recuperate to attain normal cell development. Intense physical activities may reduce the level of hormones in the bloodstream that affects sperm production. Medical experts believe that sperm levels return to nearly normal after about three days. They added that drinking coffee after a few hours of training may protect sperm quality because of the antioxidants that are found in caffeine.

Indeed, understanding the benefits of martial arts and exercise can make a difference in one’s life. If done properly, these arts may promote good health, and an even better sex life.

The best relationships are friendships that catch fire. How well do you know your partner and their view of the world? Answer the following questions to find out.

1. I understand my partner’s philosophies about life.
Yes No

2. I consider my partner to be my very best friend.
Yes No

3. We often touch and kiss for no particular reason.
Yes No

4. I call my partner several times a day.
Yes No

5. I understand my partner’s dreams for the future.
Yes No

6. We find our sex life is fun and satisfying.
Yes No

7. We touch base everyday about how our day is going.
Yes No

8. If I have a problem, I talk with my partner.
Yes No

9. We have scheduled activities that we look forward to.
Yes No

10. We have similar values and goals.
Yes No

11. I think that my partner has high integrity.
Yes No

12. I can’t wait to get home at the end of the day.
Yes No

13. We have favorite traditions for many of the holidays.
Yes No

14. I feel that my partner respects me.
Yes No

15. We enjoy many of the same activities.
Yes No

16. My partner understands my family.
Yes No

17. My partner makes me laugh.
Yes No

How many “Yes” answers did you have?

15 or more: You have a strong relationship built on friendship.

9-14: You have a good base but additional work will enhance your relationship. This is a good time to utilize additional tools.

8 or fewer: Get busy or you and your partner risk drifting apart.

Marriage keeps you healthy, US government researchers reported in December. According to a new study by the Center for Disease Control, married people are less likely to smoke, drink heavily or be physically inactive. They are less likely than singles, divorcees or widowed adults to be in fair or poor health and are less likely to suffer from headaches or psychological problems.

“It could by the ‘Nag Factor,’” according to Barbara Bartlein, author of Why Did I Marry You Anyway? 12.5 Strategies for a Happy Marriage. “ Spouses tend to nag each other about health related issues such as smoking, drinking, risky behavior and receiving regular medical care.”
Ironically, people have climbed the ladder of success by working long hours and taking on extra projects, often sacrificing time with family. Now, new research demonstrates that they would actually be healthier, wealthier and happier if they concentrated more on their marriage. There appears to be grave consequences for couples that call it quits too easily that have not been addressed in previous studies. We have created disposable marriages in a throw away culture with little regard to the personal costs for the individual and family.

If you are looking for a long and healthy life, marriage may be part of the answer. Married folks tend to live longer and healthier than their single, divorced or widowed counterparts. And while my husband would claim that it just feels longer, the statistics demonstrate this is true.

*Non-marrieds have significantly higher rates of mortality; 50% higher among women and 250% higher among men.

*For men, staying married boosts the chance of surviving to age 65 from about 2 out of three to almost 9 out of 10.

*The unmarried are far more likely to die from all causes, including coronary heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, cancer, cirrhosis, automobile accidents, murder, and suicide.

*Being married improves the mental health for both men and women—there is someone to talk to. Spouses discuss their worries, dreams and disappointments with their partners, which helps relieve stress and anxiety.

*Researcher also found that there were positives effects from the “nag factor.” This is; the routine nagging that spouses do to encourage a positive lifestyle and decrease destructive habits such as smoking or drinking to excess.

A healthy marriage may also be the starting point for a growing net worth. Not only is divorce very costly in the short run, the long-term effects of not being married dramatically affect how financially secure you become. Consider:

*The longer people stay married, the greater their wealth accumulations.

*At retirement, a typical married couple has accumulated about $410,000 compared to about $167,000 for never married, about $145,000 for divorced and just under $96,000 for the separated.

*Spouses have better health and life insurance coverage.

*The married have increased access to pensions and social security.

*Being married provides “insurance.” In case of death, spouses almost always leave their worldly goods—Social Security and pension benefits to their wives or husbands. By getting married, spouses create an “annuity value” that is equal to increasing one’s wealth by 12-14 percent at age thirty and by 30 percent at age seventy-five compared to staying single.

*Married people behave more responsibly about money because they have more responsibilities. By pooling money, labor, and time, married people create far more opportunities for building wealth.

*There also is a value to IN LAWS—They tend to help a family when needed. In laws also provide potential access to inheritance. About 29% of married couples received financial help from in-laws and about a quarter of families with children received financial transfers in the past five years.

In spite of the jokes and comedy routines, married folks also tend to be happier than their single counterparts. Married men and women report less depression, less anxiety, and lower levels of other types of psychological distress than do those who are single, divorced, or widowed.

*Widowed and divorces persons are about three times as likely to commit suicide.

*Marital status is one of the most important predictors of happiness. 40% of the married said they are very happy with their life in general, compared to just under a quarter of those who were single or who were cohabiting.

The commitment to make marriage a priority will have a tremendous impact on your life. The success prescription for health, wealth and happiness: Work as hard on your marriage as you do on your career.

Yoga today is all the rage. It is a subject that excites people’s curiosity and enjoys much popularity. This is especially so since the asanas (exercises) and pranayamas (breathing techniques) that owe their origins to ancient Indian wisdom have proved beneficial in promoting holistic health and mental peace as also in developing personality. In this article we will discuss Marjaraasana – the cat pose.

Process: Sit on your haunches with the knees and toes on the ground. Keep the palms on the floor in such a way that the distance between them is about the same as that between the shoulders, i.e. equal to the width of the back. Keep the distance between the palms and the knees about the same as that between the shoulders and the hips, i.e. equal to the length of the torso. The distance between the knees should be the same as the width of the waist. Turn the toes back so that the soles face upward. The distance between the soles should be the same as that between the knees. Relax the muscles in the trunk region and let the trunk descend under gravity. At the same time, let the neck and head curve backward as far as possible. Relax the stomach and close the eyes. Direct your attention to the entire body and practise conscious differential relaxation. Keep the mind engaged in pranadharana (consciousness of breath). This is the final posture of marjaraasana –maintain it according to capacity.

An extension of the above posture can be attained in the following manner: staying in the final posture obtained above, open your eyes. Move the palms about 10-15 cms towards the knees. Curve the back upwards so that it shapes like an arch. Relax the neck and hang the head down. Draw the chin towards the chest and relax the abdomen, practice differential relaxation and then do prandharana. This is the final extension posture of marjaraasana- maintain it according to capacity.

Releasing the asana: Start by lowering the right leg by bending it at the knee, then rest the knee on the floor. Lower the head and make the back parallel to the ground, loosen it up and relax.

Benefits: The spine becomes flexible and supple; it helps to correct the functional defects of the back and spine. The health of the organs in the torso improves. You are relieved of backache and pain in the neck resulting from exertion. It also soothes the neck muscles and the lumbar region of the spine and invigorates the spinal nerves, improves blood circulation in the abdominal region thereby making digestive, respiratory and excretory processes. This asana is also useful in treating respiratory disorders.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions before following any of the asanas from this article and the site. To avoid any problems while doing the asanas, it is advised that you consult a doctor and a yoga instructor. The responsibility lies solely with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

There’s a great deal of deception in the labeling of food products found at your local grocery store and even at many health food stores. A disturbing trend I’ve noticed is that many vegetarian products and grocery items billed as “healthy” or “natural” are using chemical additive taste enhancers found in an ingredient listed right on the label.

The taste enhancer is MSG — monosodium glutamate — a chemical that has been associated with reproductive disorders, migraine headaches, permanent damage to the endocrine system leading to obesity, and other serious disorders. MSG is a chemical compound that simply does not belong in the body in the concentrations provided by these foods. It is used by food manufacturers as a taste enhancer — something to cover up the bland tastes of these foods and make them more appealing to consumers. But food manufacturers don’t want to list MSG on the labels, especially when they know that consumers will avoid purchasing products that list MSG.

So what do they do instead? They hide the ingredient in another ingredient called “yeast extract,” then they put yeast extract in the product and list “yeast extract” right on the label. So this is the scam: all sorts of natural health products and vegetarian products are using chemical taste enhancers in the form of yeast extract, but are failing to disclose to consumers that they actually contain MSG. And if you look around at the natural health products in health food stores and grocery stores, you’ll find that yeast extract is a rather prominent ingredient. It’s used in soups, in vegetarian mixes, in some tofu mixes, and even so-called natural frozen foods.

I can personally verify that yeast extract has the same effect as MSG, because I am an individual who is extremely sensitive to MSG. Upon consuming even a small amount of MSG, I experience a severe headache that lasts for 6 to 8 hours. Consuming yeast extract causes precisely the same effect as consuming MSG.

In fact, food manufacturers don’t deny that yeast extract contains MSG — it’s something that’s well-known in the food manufacturing industry. What’s going on here is a blatant deception, an attempt to mislead consumers by essentially renaming dangerous ingredients with harmless sounding names such as “yeast extract.” I believe this practice to be irresponsible and unethical, and I strongly urge you to not only avoid purchasing products made with yeast extract, but avoid products from companies that use yeast extract in any of their products. It is simply a dishonest practice, and we should not reward companies that engage in such practices by purchasing any products they manufacture.

Unfortunately, many of these food manufacturers are creating products for the so-called health foods industry. In a way that is sadly all too real, traditional grocery products and processed foods will list MSG right on the label. At the same time, so-called healthy products will use yeast extract, so they can avoid mentioning MSG on the label. Yet, both products contain MSG, and both products carry the risk of toxic side effects associated with MSG.

So, are you any safer by purchasing health foods rather than traditional grocery store foods? The answer is that you should avoid purchasing processed foods at all, regardless of what health claims are made on the label. Processed foods are unhealthy foods, period. If you want optimum nutrition, and foods for which the human body was designed, you need to purchase and consume raw ingredients, such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, and healthy oils. It’s also a good idea, as you’ve often heard me recommend on NewsTarget.com, to supplement your diet with whole food supplements, organic vitamins, and superfoods, such as chlorella, spirulina, broccoli sprouts and sea vegetables. This is the way to achieve optimum nutrition, not by purchasing processed foods that are disguised as healthy foods, even though they contain ingredients known to induce toxic side-effects in the human body.

But don’t take my word for it — check it out yourself. Next time you go to a health food store, look at the product boxes and cans on the shelves, and see just how many you can find that contain yeast extract. It’s especially easy to find with vegetarian foods, which just goes to show you that just because a product says “vegetarian” on the label doesn’t mean it’s good for you (or that the company making it gives a hoot about your health).