How To Be More Eco-Friendly In 2020

The end of the year is the time to reflect on old habits and find new ways to improve your lifestyle. This is why so many people dedicate themselves to New Year’s Resolutions in January in hopes to make the next year better than the previous one. An idea we love is to focus on eco-friendly changes you can make, not only to better yourself but the planet as well. Do you have anti-environmental habits you want to kick in 2020? If so, then read below on the new habits you can begin to make your world a little more green!

Skipping coffee and meat

These two habits are likely items you consume on a daily basis; who knew something so common could be a bad thing for the environment? The negative environmental impacts of growing coffee beans and raising animals for food are vast.

Let’s start with coffee, which uses rainwater and natural sunlight to be grown. This sounds great, however, trees get cut down at an alarming rate in areas where coffee plants can thrive. Lack of trees means the loss of habitats for wildlife, as well as decreased oxygen and soil health, ultimately making the land more susceptible to the lasting negative effects of climate change. If you’re spending $5 every day to get coffee from a giant coffee corporation, consider spending that money on going to a grocery store and seeking out organic, fair-trade beans instead.

Farming produce versus raising livestock and meat production were recently studied. The study compares the emissions of greenhouse gases and water usage between the two, stating that meat consumption around the world should drop by 50 percent. However, the most important takeaway from this finding is that everyone try their best to do their part, even if you can’t get to a 50% reduction. If you eat meat daily, try to omit it from one meal every day, or omit it completely one day a week.

Managing your plastic use

It’s easy to let your daily plastic use become almost mindless. Start this year by journaling your plastic usage and write down every time you use plastic every day for a month. You’d be shocked with what you find! Plastic cutlery at lunch, single-use water bottles, straws, contact lenses, skin care products, make-up, cleaning products… Honestly the list could be endless over the course of a month of journaling. Here are some easy ways to remedy some of those uses:

• Sustainable daily contact lenses
• Stainless steel water bottle
• Bamboo cutlery
• Sensible skincare

New Year’s resolutions should be attainable and sustainable for your lifestyle, so even replacing one of these items to start can make a lasting difference in your life.

Reducing daily paper use

Just like single-use plastic, paper usage should be tracked as well. Although paper isn’t as damaging to the environment as plastic, there are still so many times we use it in a single day. Napkins, tissues, note-taking, paper towels, cleaning wipes… Again, a likely endless list. An easy swap is to carry a cloth napkin around with you when you leave the house. This new habit can help you cut down on using single-use napkins and paper towels when you dry your hands at work or when out to eat; it seems like our grandparents had it right when they carried around a handkerchief to blow their nose or wipe their mouths! If you have a couple on hand to swap out and wash regularly, you lower the risk of those sickly germs spreading around.

Driving your car less

If you own and drive a car that runs on gas, you can lower your carbon footprint by making it a habit to drive it less. Living in a big city, driving probably isn’t a part of your daily life. Still, make a point to take the train or bus to work and ride your bike or walk to get groceries. However, if you live in a small town or city, this can be a more difficult task. If there is public transportation, then commit to taking it one day a week or one week of the month instead of driving to cut down on your gas usage. You can also carpool with a coworker! Swap on and off driving with a coworker (or two or three!) that you live near to reduce all of your carbon footprints and money spent on gas! Imagine the money you’d save on gas not driving to work for a whole week… Finally, if you’re running errands close to your home, consider riding your bike or walking instead. Sometimes it’s a habit to just hop in your car and go but it’s better for your health and the planet to consider other options!

Luckily, there are many ways to adjust your lifestyle to stop habits that are bad for the environment and the resources online can be a big help. People all over the world are looking to do the same and are sharing their experiences and new habits of living a greener life online. If you feel like breaking your habits in 2020 will be hard, then enlist the help of others! It’s possible that your family, friends, or coworkers will have the same goals as you for the new year so strive to make a change together.

The Importance of Stillness

Many of us, mistakenly, think that we are much more productive if we are constantly doing something. That doing something and getting things done means that we have accomplished something and that this is the key to true success. Although there is some truth to this, constantly doing something is NOT the key to our success nor productivity.

 

Believe it or not, the real key to success and productivity is being able to balance doing with stillness.

 

And why is stillness so important?

1. Stillness is a time to relax your mind and body. By constantly doing non-stop, you are stressing your mind and body, unnecessarily. That, in the long run, will wear you out. This kind of exhaustion will lead you to frustration, anger or resentment.

Instead, when you give your mind and body a moment to relax, it is in this moment that both are recharging its batteries so that you can be more productive.

 

As your mind and body are recharging….

2. Stillness allows you to get into a state of meditation. When you can quiet your mind of all the worries and concerns of the world, it is then that you can put yourself in a state of meditation.

It is in a state of meditation that you can sometimes get the answers to the questions you have been asking. It is in a state of meditation that you get your great ideas. It is in a state of meditation that you can heighten your senses, allowing you to enjoy the present moment.

 

Because of all this….

3. Stillness allows you to transition to your higher self. When we allow ourselves to get caught up in the everyday petty things, this is when we disengage from our higher self.

When we disengage from our higher self, this is when we react rather than respond to situations. This is when we forget who we are, forget our potential, forget our dreams and drown ourselves in a sea of worries, anxiety, problems and frustration- none of which we were designed to experience on a consistent basis.

 

It is very important to always return to our higher self. Our higher self is love, happiness and powerful.

 

Because stillness allows us to return to our higher self, we have the following effect…

4. Stillness returns us to a place of joy. Whether we realize it or not, joy exists in the present moment. I have learned, from personal experience, that when we wait for a future event in order to be happy, we feel misery in the present moment, thus robbing our joy. When we keep thinking about a past event in order to feel happy, it reminds us of what we don’t have anymore, thus robbing our joy.

 

This is why joy can only truly be experienced in the present moment. Stillness returns us to joy by quieting our mind, which takes us to a meditative state, which allows us to transition to our higher self, which expands our awareness to the now. Because now is all we have.

 

Because of all that stillness can do for us, it’s important to schedule time for stillness every day. This is NOT a luxury; it is a necessity for your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being.

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Aura Elena Martinez is a Wellness and Life Coach, Blogger and Writer, owner and founder of Live to the Max™/Viva al máximo™, who encourages others to live their fullest in every way, the way they are meant to be.

To be inspired or to contact Aura, visit http://www.auraemartinez.com/ or you can follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/AuraEMartinez, you can also follow her online radio show at https://blogtalkradio.com/AuraEMartinez  or you can follow on Instagram @AuraEMartinez.

Safe Beauty Alternatives vs. Commonly Used Products

 

As women, we all have our set beauty routine. Whether you put on a full face of makeup every day or prefer the more natural look, we all have our favorite must-have beauty products. But with the beauty industry being one of the largest industries in the world, it comes as no surprise that not every product we apply to our skin is 100% safe. In order to meet consumer demands, makeup companies have been including potentially harmful ingredients and chemicals into their products for years. In order to ensure you have only the safest beauty routine possible, here are some key things you should be on the lookout for the next time you’re looking to revamp your beauty routine.

Lipstick: Who doesn’t love to add a little pop of color to their lips? Whether it’s for work or for a romantic dinner date, we all have our favorite shades that we love to add to our makeup look. But it’s what’s being used to make the color that we should be weary of. Safe Cosmetics has reported that over 61% of lipsticks contain lead as well as aluminum, cadmium and other harmful chemicals. With these kinds of chemicals having the potential to cause horrible side effects such as reduced fertility and hormonal changes, everyone should consider applying a safer version to their lips. When considering safer lipsticks, look for ingredients such as castor seed oil and beeswax. If you’re not one for checking ingredients, look towards quality sites that have verified safe lipsticks. You’ll find the search isn’t as difficult as you’d think!

Hair Dye: Everybody likes to give their hair a spruce every now and then. Whether it’s for highlights or an all-over brand-new hair color, we see hair color products all around us. But next time you’re looking for a hair refresh, be mindful of hair dye products that include sulfates and parabens. These kinds of ingredients are often used in hair coloring products and can affect your hair’s natural oils leading to dry, damaged hair. When looking for hair dye, review the companies that use only natural ingredients. For example, hair dye company, oVertone is a prime example of this as their hair dyes contain only natural ingredients such as avocado oil, shea butter, and aloe vera amongst several other natural ingredients. Using only the most natural and safe ingredients for your hair will keep it at its optimal, peak health.

Deodorant: Applying deodorant to our bodies once sometimes twice a day is a habit for most of us. Though much research has been performed in recent years detailing some of the possible side effects of applying deodorant containing aluminum, parabens, triclosan and phthalates can have. Most commonly discussed is the correlation between aluminum-based deodorants and breast cancer. While these studies are still ongoing and no definitive conclusions have been drawn, some are already taking the initiative in using only natural-based deodorants. These kinds of products will include baking soda, corn starch, and arrowroot powder. You can choose to make your own deodorant at home or buy aluminum-free deodorants right from the store.

Sunscreen: Even though sunscreen isn’t technically in the beauty section, taking care of our skin from harmful UV rays is just as important as any other beauty product. In order to keep our skin protected from aging and skin cancer, we all should make it a habit to apply sunscreen during the hot summer days. However, it is important to note that even though sunscreen is meant to protect us, most commonly include a chemical known as oxybenzone which might do exactly the opposite. Research is still ongoing but nonprofit organization, Environmental Working Group has recommended to avoid using sunscreen with oxybenzone in it. As oxybenzone is most commonly included in non-mineral sunscreens, the easiest thing to do is buy and apply mineral-based sunscreens. Similar to deodorant, you can also make your own at-home sunscreen. Either way will make sure that you’re applying only the safest kind of sunscreen available in order to protect your skin.

Help these people get their belongings and property back

At the end of November 2019, I took over a friend’s business that was in distress.  He helps people in the Caribbean receive much-needed goods from their families in Europe. This has helped them improve their livelihoods. After taking over we have also decided to use this channel for charity.

His problem is that he got incarcerated due to custom declaration issues when traveling. This meant that containers that were heading to the Caribbean with belongings of dozens of people got stranded and some goods in the storages here in Europe where not being sent to the owners. Early December, we started helping the rightful owners of these belongings to get them back. In January 2019 we learned that there were 3 additional storages that were full of belongings that needed to be shipped.

We have currently spent up to 15000 Euros trying to help. We flew to the Dominican Republic to pay outstanding salaries to people employed and also to pay the lawyer to deal with the legal issues which we hired mid-December 2018 after finding out of the complications. We also got one container that was stranded in November cleared in February 2019. However, even more, complications have arisen along the way:

·         there is another container stuck in the Dominican Republic waiting to be cleared

·         there is one container stuck in Rotterdam that needs to be shipped off

·         we have to load more containers with the goods we salvaged from the three storages which we are now trying to send but need help to solve all of the issues and pay for extra labor done by employees

Many people are desperate and frustrated as you can imagine. We really need to get them their belongings as some of them have been waiting for close to six months.  Many depend on these goods for their livelihoods. We also want to be able to use this channel for charity work and at the moment we are stuck too.

Please help us raise 12000 Euros which will bring so much relief and joy to so many families in the Dominican Republic just trying to make ends meet and depend on these belongings.

Anything that you can give would be so gratefully received.

Thank you for reading and for your generosity.

How Artificial Blue Light Affects the Body

You may know that blue light naturally comes from the sun and is what makes the sky appear blue. Blue light is a short, but high energy, a wavelength that gives us energy and controls our sleep cycle. But did you know that artificial blue light that is emitted from digital devices is a lot stronger than the natural and can be harmful to the body? With laptops, cellphones, tablets, and even LED lights being a part of our daily lives, humans are seeing a huge increase in the exposure to blue light, beginning to understand some of the negative effects it has on the body, and how to avoid them.

Digital eye strain: Digital eye strain is a term coined by The Vision Council to explain the range of symptoms that one may feel with extended or simultaneous use of digital devices that affect vision and quality of life. The symptoms you may experience are dry eyes, blurry vision, headaches, and even neck and back pain. Think of all of the times during the day you may use your computer or phone – work, research, school, shopping, and browsing social media. Spending just two hours a day looking at your screen can cause blue light to affect you. While 43% of adults have a full-time job that requires a computer or tablet and a 2014 survey found that nearly 12% percent of teens report using their computers for four or more hours a day. Understanding digital eye strain is key to understanding the effects that blue light has on other areas of the body as well.

What can you do? To help reduce the symptoms you may feel from digital eye strain, try to filter and block the blue light around you. Apps like f.lux match the brightness and warmth of your computer screen to the lighting of the room you’re in to reduce strain on the eyes. You can also invest in blue light glasses to help filter out the wavelength from reaching your eyes to reduce dry eyes, blurry vision, and headaches.

The sleep cycle: Because blue light is a high energy wavelength that is emitted from the sun, it has controlled the sleep cycle for years. Blue light indicates to the brain when to release cortisol, the hormone that helps you feel awake, and the absence of blue light helps produce melatonin to help you sleep. With the introduction of LED light bulbs and electronics, that cycle is becoming disrupted because blue light is stopping melatonin from being released, making it harder to fall and stay asleep. There are a ton of negative side effects to the body when we don’t get enough sleep, such as heart disease, low libido, depression, memory loss, and even weight gain.

What can you do? Sleep is vital to our health, to help yourself steer clear of blue light before bedtime, there are a few things you can do. Firstly, remove the LED bulbs from your bedroom so that isn’t the last light you’re exposed to before wanting to go to sleep. Try to avoid using your phone and television at least an hour before bed; to help wind down, read a book, listen to music, or meditate. If you can’t abstain from using your phone, turn on the night mode that comes equipped with most smartphones now. This will dim the brightness on your phone and remind you when it’s time to go to bed at a time set by you.

Premature aging of your skin: Although research is still ongoing, dermatologists have found that blue light affects the skin similarly to other light rays like UV rays. Looking at your screen and extended use of your phone next to your face while you’re talking on it can cause hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, redness, and worsened elasticity. Just like the other ways, it affects the body, blue light’s high energy can cause the skin to produce more pigment. Plus, when we don’t get enough sleep (which we’ve learned can happen due to blue light exposure!) our skin suffers from dehydration and lack of cell regeneration.

What can you do? With new research on the effects of blue light on our skin coming out regularly now, skincare brands are providing products to help boost elasticity and reduce hyperpigmentation. Look into moisturizers that protect against blue light, UV rays, and even pollution like this one to protect yourself and nourish your skin.

Natural and artificial blue light is a part of our everyday lives but anything in excess isn’t always good for you. With increasing exposure to artificial blue light, digital eye strain, sleep deprivation, and aging skin are just some of the negative effects you may be suffering from. No matter how you feel blue light may be affecting your body, it’s important to protect against these symptoms to be healthy and feel your best.

Three Reasons Not to Wear Your Jewelry While Working Out

There is a reason why we call them precious gems- they are of great value and sentimental pieces we wear day to day. Your jewelry is an investment and something that should be cared for, especially if you live a fit and active lifestyle. Below you will find some reasons why it is important to remove your jewelry before breaking a sweat in order to maintain their safety and sparkle.

Damage

When you’re at the gym your main focus should be getting in a good workout, not keeping track of where you might have dropped your expensive gold and diamond wedding band. Depending on what type of metal your ring is, working out on machines can cause significant damage. Specific metals such as titanium might be able to tolerate direct contact from lifting heavy weights, due to its hardness. However, softer and more favored metals like gold and silver can easily be bent out of shape from any sort of encounter. In addition, any plated jewelry you wear could also be damaged, causing the top layer to mix with your perspiration resulting it to become worn out or faded much faster. If you are ever unsure of the type of metal(s) your rings are, consider taking advantage of education pages that online jewelry sites have, such as Blue Nile. Resources like these can be very beneficial, especially when you are in search for your wedding bands and want to find the right metal that will fit best with your lifestyle.

Now, if you do decide to make the smart decision to workout without your jewelry, consider leaving it at home in a safe and secure place. Even leaving them in a locker at the gym can expose your jewelry to theft, so you’re best bet is leaving it behind.

Safety First

Safety and comfort are important aspects to consider before wearing your jewelry at the gym. Whether you are someone who enjoys an intense, sweaty workout or would rather spend it taking it slow and steady, we can all face risks. For instance, running with a loose necklace on can easily get caught in your hair or constantly hit you making for an unnecessary distraction. Or maybe you are attempting to box or lift with your rings on? There is bound to be some discomfort. If you are someone who feels lost without your wedding ring on, then consider replacing your actual ring with a substitute band like these ones from Groove Life to have your mind at ease.

Hygiene

Hygiene is another important factor to recognize in your everyday routine, not just at the gym, but also in scenarios like wearing your wedding band every time you shower as well. Make sure you handle your jewelry properly to maintain beautiful brand new quality to it. After all, what better place for gunk and greases to stick to than something that’s always stuck on you? Sweat is another element that can cause damage to metals, such brass and alloys, which are both frequently found in jewelry. For rings, platinum and gold are good alternatives due to the fact that they are tarnish resistant and won’t leave residue on your finger. Regardless of your end decision, intensive and proper washing will help guarantee your jewelry stays as elegant as possible.

Sleep Your Way to a Healthier Weight

Cutting calories and working out are well-known ways to lose weight. Recent research shows, however, that another factor could significantly affect weight loss: sleep. Here are the ways that better sleep can lead to a healthier weight, and how to achieve it.

Avoids overeating

Missing your ZZZ’s can cause decreased levels of leptin, the hormone that gives a sense of fullness or satiation. This can increase appetite, often resulting in overconsumption. Similarly, levels of the hormone that makes you feel hungry, grehlin, increases when you are sleep deprived. This combination is what causes most tired people to eat an additional 300 calories a day than those who are well-rested.

Leads to better food choices

When people are tired, they’re more likely to reach for the easiest, tastiest food available, often in the form of high-fat snacks loaded with carbohydrates. This “eating for pleasure” sense is heightened in the afternoon for those who are sleep deprived and can lead to significant weight gain over a prolonged period of time.

Helps process sweets faster

Sleep deprivation can cause the food processing parts of your cells, the mitochondria, to shut down. This means that the sugar in your comfort foods just sits in your blood, raising your blood sugar levels. Your mitochondria are also what regulate your metabolism, or the number of calories burned for energy every day. Getting sufficient sleep can help maintain healthy mitochondria, and therefore, prevent weight gain.

To get better sleep…

Pay off your sleep debt. Most Americans don’t get the recommended eight hours of sleep every night, but it can be mostly made up over the next few nights. Over the weekend, go to bed at your usual weekday time, but then sleep until your body naturally wakes up the next morning. You will probably sleep for longer than usual, but it should go a long way in calibrating your sleep schedule.

Make sure you’re supporting these efforts with the best sleep essentials possible. Use a high-quality mattress and top it with pillows that are soft but supportive to help prevent waking up in the middle of the night.

4 Ways You Are Making Your Hair Fall Out

It is not all about your mom’s dad when it comes to hair loss. There are number of ways  you could be onsetting the process without even knowing. Before the age of 21, ¼ men will begin to notice thinning or loss of hair. This is something that is extremely common, but can really put a dent in your confidence. To keep the hair you do have on your head, try avoiding these mistakes.

Hold Back That Shampoo

Washing your hair with shampoo every day may make you feel clean, but it could be doing damage to your hair. Over time it begins to strip natural oils which are in your hair to make it retain moisture. If you do this too often, your hair can turn brittle and weak.

 

Unless your scalp is extremely oily, try opting to rinsing your hair with shampoo every other day. If you are concerned about the smell, try putting a few drops of rosemary essential oil onto your fingers and massage it onto your scalp while in the shower. According to Healthline, rosemary essential oil has anti-inflammatory properties and promotes nerve growth. Most importantly, it can improve circulation on the scalp, which can bring blood to hair follicles and prevent them from falling out.

Stressed Out

Between relationships, money and your job, there are plenty of reasons why stress can make its way into your life. Stress can begin to impact your entire body, but when it comes to your hair it can certainly assist in the process of it falling out. Your hair has developed a growing and resting cycle. When stress creeps into your life it has the power to disrupt this rhythm, resulting in possible clumps of hair falling out.

Mental health is extremely important and something that is often overlooked. Spend some time working on your mindfulness by trying some simple meditations. These mental health apps help to clear your head, lower your blood pressure and focus on the present. This will keep your head filled with hair.

Cut Out The Product

Men often opt for hair gel, waxes and pomades to get that stylish finish they are looking for. It might not be damaging your actual hair (if you wash it out), but what it could be doing is putting strain on your scalp. If you begin to do this for a while, the pores on your scalp and your hair follicles can become clogged.

Keeping your scalp clean is very important as this can create the inability to grow hair or even lead to an infection on your scalp. To avoid using so much product, speak with your barber about the shape of your head and what hairstyle would go well with that. No one should have to use product every day. Let your hair breathe.

Change Up Your Diet

When you are looking to make a change for your body, first examine what you’re putting into it. Protein is what creates keratin, the protein that hair is made out of. Lack of protein in a diet can cause your hair to become brittle and cause breakage. If you want a healthy head of hair, try eating more spinach.

This superfood is loaded with folate, iron and vitamin A, all of which are beneficial to hair growth. Vitamin A is important because it assists the skin glands in producing sebum. Sebum is an oil that will moisturize the scalp and keep hair feeling thick and healthy. Also, studies have shown that lack of iron has been linked to hair loss. Iron helps to send red blood cells through the body carrying oxygen. This will boost your metabolism and aid in growth and repair.

Let Pain Be Your Teacher

With all the news on television, it appears as if there are those who are truly hurting in life. It is for this reason that this article is a must. Many times we want to either numb the pain or get rid of it because it can feel like too much. We are also wired to want to avoid pain and seek pleasure. Although it’s natural to want to avoid pain, pain is also natural and for a good reason. The good reason is that it is feedback.

“What kind of feedback?”, you may wonder. The kind of feedback will depend on where you are in life as well as the kind of pain that you are feeling. There are different degrees of pain and different kinds of pain and in order for you to know which one it is, it is important to go within yourself to find out.

There are emotional and mental pain and then there is physical pain. All these kinds of pain can be associated with the main pain that may have been ignored which is the spiritual pain. With emotional pain, I am referring to any sadness, anxiety, depression, anger, worry, desperation, among other things along these lines that one may feel. I consider them pain because when they are not addressed, they can paralyze and hinder you from living your everyday life.

With mental pain, I’m referring to two things: The first one is the physical symptoms that are associated with the emotional pain that one may feel. The physical symptoms may be consistent headaches, dizziness, or lightheadedness. The second include thoughts and perception. I include thoughts because our thoughts turn into emotions and actions and when the thoughts are not healthy ones, they can create havoc in our life. Our perception shapes the way we view and feel about the things around us and what happens to us and when the perception is not a healthy one, this can be disastrous to one’s well-being.

With physical pain, the list is very long to cover but some of them may include leg problems, high blood pressure due to stress, etc. One thing I must say is that if you feel any physical pain and it is consistent, please seek medical attention. If after seeking medical attention you don’t have any medical condition, then most likely what you’re feeling is psychosomatic symptoms.

Once the pain is there, what can one do about it? It’s easy to want to numb it by either going shopping, eating, drinking, partying, using drugs, among other things that one does to numb the pain. In today’s article, I would like to invite you to allow pain to be your teacher.

How do you allow pain to be your teacher?

 

1. Admit to yourself that you feel pain. The first step to anything is to first recognize that something is going on. Notice how I didn’t write that something is wrong. I don’t write this because pain is there to advice you of something so this pain can’t be wrong. It’s just there to give you feedback and feedback is necessary so that changes can be made in order for things to be better. You can’t have a solution or answer without first recognizing and admitting that something is going on.
2. Accept and embrace the pain. Accept and make friends with your pain. By doing this, you let go of the resistance. Holding on to resistance just make things worse and the pain persists.

How do you become friends with your pain?

Take that moment that you’re feeling that pain to be with yourself. If possible, take 10 minutes to yourself where you will not be disturbed. Take a deep breath in….and then breathe out. Do this a couple more times until you are relaxed. Place your hand on your chest or wherever you feel pain. Close your eyes if you have to but as you have your hand on your chest or wherever the pain is, ask yourself: “what do you want me to know?”; “why do you feel this way?”; “what is it that I am doing or not doing that you want me to be aware of?” Then wait to see if you get an answer. You may not get an answer right away but what you are doing by placing your hand on your chest, or wherever the pain is, and asking yourself these questions is that you are reconnecting with yourself. You are digging within for the answers that you need. You are digging within for your own wisdom.

For instance, if it’s anxiety you are feeling, ask yourself why you are feeling this way. Remind yourself that you are safe and loved. Ask it what it needs you to know and what should you be doing next. What this exercise that I am suggesting does is that it helps you reconnect with yourself because it is that connection with yourself that will lead you to greater well-being.

Last year, I had pain in my knees for some odd reason. Turned out I had patella maltracking but I also questioned myself “how I got to that point?”. As I started digging deeper, I realized I had a lot of stress in my life and I was also struggling with some confidence issues in terms of how I was going to move forward.

With this exercise and article, I want to empower you to know that your body was meant to be healed. Your body is the vessel that your soul chose to reside in. Your pain is a reflection of something that is going on within you that calls your attention. So, I would like to encourage you to think about this pain for a minute. What kind of pain is it? Is it a pain of neglect, fear, lack, or worry? Allow the pain to speak to you and advice you as to what you need to be doing. The one thing to understand is that the soul is not separate from the body and anything that the soul is feeling, your body will feel by default.

The pain that you’re feeling will guide you to what area either within yourself or in your life you need to address. Allow that guidance to flow into your life. You have the best guidance system within you. Every time you feel any pain whether that is anxiety, sadness, depression, etc. all that pain is feedback from your soul and you must listen to that.

To end this article, I would like to encourage you to start viewing your pain from a perspective of your soul speaking to you through your vessel which is your body. Allow the pain to be your friend. It’s there to guide you, not hurt you. Place your hand on the area where the pain is and ask it questions. The point is to reconnect with yourself because it is there where your answers reside. You will notice as you do this that the pain tends to lessen and you are subconsciously empowering yourself. This empowerment, without you realizing it at first, will add greatly to your well-being.

Your pain can be a precious jewel if you allow it. Let pain be your teacher and show you what you need to be doing or going in life.

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Aura Elena Martinez is a Wellness and Life Coach, Blogger and Writer, owner and founder of Live to the Max™

Aura Elena Martinez is a Wellness and Life Coach, Blogger and Writer, owner and founder of Live to the Max™/Viva al máximo™, who encourages others to live their fullest in every way, the way they are meant to be.

To be inspired or to contact Aura, visit http://www.auraemartinez.com/ or you can follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/AuraEMartinez, you can also follow her online radio show at https://blogtalkradio.com/AuraEMartinez  or you can follow on Instagram @AuraEMartinez.

Happy Guide: 6 simple lifestyle changes for health and happiness

There are a thousand problems with just one solution: lifestyle.

 

Poor lifestyle over years and decades causes all kinds of health problems.

 

Drugs and other medical interventions aren’t a long-term solution because they don’t address the underlying causes. A lifestyle problem needs a lifestyle solution!

 

Being happy and healthy is NOT complicated, and health-seekers are being bombarded with unnecessary and misleading information.

 

It makes me so sad to see people trying all kinds of expensive pills, patches and potions in an attempt to correct symptoms of not living well.

 

The only true solution is to see the “happy and healthy” finish line clearly and then manage the “change” period carefully, so there’s no resistance and no feeling of denial.

 

My half-brother Michael Kinnaird went through a living hell for 13 years. Desperate for answers, he searched for a simple guide to being happy and healthy. Every one, without exception, was complex, unclear or incomplete.

 

To cut a long story short, he ended up writing it himself. It’s a simple one-hour guide that I’m delighted to say is transforming lives. It’s called Happy Guide.

 

You can read the first chapter “The Happiness Secret” for free, on our home page.

 

And because The Zeit seems to be very much on our wavelength, we’ve agreed to offer a half-price discount on the eBook version to all its readers, for the next 7 days!

 

Visit Happy Guide   (use code zeit at eBook checkout for 50% off) 

This is not an affiliate link, The-Zeit get’s no commission.

 

 

To your health and happiness!

James Riddett