math games

http://www.dr-mikes-math-games-for-kids.com/?utm_source=emailcampaign152&utm_medium=phpList&utm_content=HTML&utm_campaign=New+Game%3A+Find+Your+Name+In+Tau

As well, do not try this if you are pregnant.

Sore points on your feet correspond to areas in your body where your qi, or life force energy, is not flowing as it should. An imbalance of your energy field eventually leads to physical symptoms. Read my article on “What is Chinese Reflexology?” for more details. Therefore, since you have a cold, the points on your feet related to your cold are going to hurt, probably A LOT.

This is perfectly normal, especially the first time you rub them.  If you don’t feel anything, you’re probably not pressing hard enough.  Try to rub through the pain, but be sensible about it.  As the energy flow returns to optimal form, the points will stop hurting.  Chinese Reflexology is a lot like that cough syrup that tastes bad, but gets the job done.  Chinese Reflexology hurts, but it works.

The whole process should take about 5 minutes, so you really don’t have an excuse for not doing it. Try to massage your points on an empty stomach or at least an hour before or after you eat.  You want to prime up your energy flow when it’s not concentrated in your stomach.

Rub these points on BOTH of your feet 4 times a day at the following times:

• When you first wake up
• Either 1 hour before or after lunch
• At the end of the day (e.g., 5pm)
• Before going to sleep

Do this for at least two days in a row.  As you start to feel better, you can cut down on the number of times you rub your feet.  It’s tempting to stop as soon as you start feeling good, but continue for an extra couple of days to help your body fully bounce back from the cold.

You still need to rest, drink plenty of fluids and take it easy.  Just because you’re feeling better, it’s not a reason to go out and push yourself.  Trust me.  If I didn’t have to look after my kid, I would have loved to just lie in bed in pajamas all day.  Ooh, that’s a dream that might come true in about 3 years…

Chinese Reflexology Point #1: The Lungs

The most important reflexology point to rub is your lung point. In Chinese Medicine, there’s a direct relationship between the lung meridian (of energy) and the “invasion of external evil”, which is merely a quaint Chinese way of saying, “cold germs.”

The lung meridian is considered the first barrier to protect the body from “evil pathogens.” Normally, the reflexology area for my lung is completely painless, but I noticed tender spots while I was massaging it when I had the cold.

Here’s a diagram of the reflexology area for the lungs. It’s located on the ball of your foot, between the big toe and little toe. The location of the sore points on your feet will correlate to the soreness in your chest.

In my case, I felt tender areas around the base of the ball of my foot and indeed, I felt tightness in the solar plexus area of my lungs. In previous colds, the upper area of this point has been tender and that correlated with soreness in the bronchial area of my chest.

To massage this area, press deeply with your thumbs and when you feel a point that is tender to touch, press even deeper and massage using small circles. Massage the entire lung area, focusing on tender points for a total of one minute per foot. This will give your lung meridian an energy boost. Personally, I’ve noticed that regular massage of the lung point helps to prevent a cold from settling into my chest and lungs.

Michael Gach acup for long life, wellness and radiant health; colds flu and fevers

Thank you for signing up to our Series Acupressure Points for Long Life, Wellness and Radiant Health.

Click here to watch the the fourth video.

Here is the list of all videos in the series:

https://acupressure.leadpages.net/longlife-video1/

https://acupressure.leadpages.net/longlife-video2/

https://acupressure.leadpages.net/longlife-video3/

https://acupressure.leadpages.net/longlife-video4/

I hope you enjoy watching and learn useful practices for your life,

Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D.
Acupressure.com

Relieving Colds, Flu & Fevers Video links

so you'll have them in one place here:

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3

If you have friends who’d like these videos,
send them the following link or post it on Facebook:

O"Donohue reading beannacht and more

http://www.johnodonohue.com/fierce-remembrance

May all that is unforgiven in you
Be released.

May your fears yield
Their deepest tranquilities.

May all that is unlived in you
Blossom into a future
Graced with love.
~ John O’Donohue

Coconut flour recipes from Dr Axe

http://draxe.com/coconut-flour-recipes/

Tiny houses

http://seniorplanet.org/tiny-houses-the-next-big-thing-for-seniors/

Websites/Blogs

• Tiny House Blog
• Tiny House Talk

        Facebook Pages

• Tiny House Design
• Tiny House Secrets

        YouTube Videos

• Tiny Home, Big Life — an experiment in simple living TEDx Talk
• We the Tiny House People documentary
• Need to Know: Living Large: A Look Inside the Tiny House Movement PBS

        Magazine

• Tiny House Magazine ($3.99/month)

The Tiny House Conference will be held in Portland, OR, on April 18-19, 2015  

Featured Photo: Minim House, located at the Micro Showcase in Washington DC.

mr rogers

Mr. Rogers' wisdom for the ages:
1. Accept others. 
2. Recognize how wonderfully unique you are.
3. But remember others are not as different as their appearances may suggest.
4. Don't be afraid to express your emotions. "Whatever is mentionable can be more manageable."
5. Teach by example. "Attitudes are caught, not taught."
6. Making the world a better place is everyone's responsibility.
7. It's not what you possess, but what you do with what you possess, that really matters.
8. The best way to convince someone of something is to do it gently and articulately.
9. Be kind. Always and no matter what.
10. Remember others' feelings, even when they seem silly.
11. Loving someone is the hardest, and best kind, of work.
12. Take time to remember the people who helped you on your journey.

castor oil for gout

http://www.gout-aware.com/castor-oil-for-gout.html

michal gach acupressure points

https://acupressure.leadpages.net/longlife-video1/

mindfulness for children

Here are five resources to help introduce mindfulness into your classroom:

• Meditation for beginners

• Mindful mind skills

• 10 mindfulness exercises for the classroom

• Mindfulness and the art of chocolate eating

• A mindfulness relaxation exercise

The Live Better Challenge is funded by Unilever. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here.

FoodBabe raw cacao candy crunch

I love making desserts with raw cacao because it gives you a blast of serotonin, endorphins and other neurotransmitters which all work together to give you an overall sense of well being, bliss, pleasure and pure happiness! Try this candy and you’ll be consuming the highest concentrated antioxidant on earth and flying high! This candy makes the perfect travel snack and it would go perfect wrapped in cute little bags for those Easter baskets.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup almonds (or any other nut of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs

Instructions

1. Put sugar, water, sea salt, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium sized skillet and warm over medium-low heat stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add nuts and keep stirring until the sugar mixture is very thick and the almonds are well coated, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cacao nibs.
4. Pour onto piece of parchment paper and spread out into single layer and allow to cool completely.
5. Break up pieces into desired sizes and store at room temperature in an airtight container.

bug spray from josh axe

Homemade Bug Spray

Total Time: 2 minutes

Serves: 30

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup witch hazel
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 40 drops essential oils (eucalyptus, lemongrass, citronella, tea tree, or rosemary)
• Glass spray bottle

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients in 8oz spray bottle
2. Spray over all portions of the body but avoid repellent in eyes and mouth

colloidal silver from dr josh axe

http://draxe.com/colloidal-silver-benefits/

Mudras beautiful

http://fractalenlightenment.com/30319/spirituality/10-buddha-mudras-to-practice-in-daily-life?utm_content=bufferb9218&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

headaches imaginal health

http://imaginalhealth.com/blog/?p=147&utm_content=bufferd1d6b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Prune Harris

I should specify at this point, that for most people it will be EITHER  the liver/gallbladder relationship OR the kidney/bladder relationship that mostly shows up for you. If you experience headaches then as you do the exercises below you’ll notice that one of them simply feels better to you, you will resonate with it more than the other exercise. That one is the one that you will use most often.

For Liver/Gallbladder headaches

• First, work the neurolymphatic points under both breasts and either side of the sternum and either side of the clavicles (Liver and Gallbladder neurolymphatics)
• Do a crown pull to create space for the energy in the head to rebalance
• Massage the scalp above the top of the ears as deeply as you are comfortably doing so (Gallbladder 7 and 8)
• Massage the sides of the breasts (GB23)
• Massage the place on your outer thighs where your fingers touch if you are standing with your   arms straight alongside your body (GB31)
• Massage the place between the first and second toes, but an inch or so towards the main section of the foot (Liver 3).
• Finish by slowly racking up the insides of your legs, through the groin creases and up the front of the body, crossing your hands over your heart and taking a few releasing breaths here.

For Kidney/Bladder

• First massage the area underneath the clavicles (Kidney Neurolymphatic Reflex points) and across the pubic bone (Bladder Neurolymphatic Reflex points) as deeply as is comfortable
• Do a crown pull to create space for the energy in the head to rebalance
• With one hand gently hold the  neurological processing point ( middle finger and thumb either side of the bridge of the nose and index finger on third eye) and with the other hand gently hold the power point (the indentation where the neck vertebrae meets the skull)
• Take three breaths here.
• Place one hand flat on your forehead and the other hand flat on your abdomen below the belly button. Take several breaths here until you feel your headache shift.

You can watch me doing these exercises by clicking here ;

Liver /Gallbladder balancing for headaches

Kidney/Bladder balancing for headaches

They can be wonderful to do when you have a headache, but also remember to do them when you feel like the pressure is building for you. Doing them regularly can help balance the systems to prevent headaches.

acupressure sciatica, arthritis, etc

For best results press down and inward gradually, towards the center of your pelvis, and hold firmly for a couple of minutes, then release gradually. So many people suffer from pain deep in this pelvic area. Acupressure point location for B 48 is one to two finger widths outside the large bony area at the base of the spine (sacrum) and midway between the top of the hipbone (iliac crest) and the base of the buttocks.

Lower Back Pain: I will never forget the woman who came to my acupressure class of over 50 social workers. She told me that she had so much lower back pain that she couldn’t sit in a chair; she had to lie down. At the break, when she asked for help with her lower back pain, these pelvic points surprised both of us. Even though the acupressure points illustrated above were so much lower than the pain in her back, they relieved it significantly in just 10 minutes.

For Sciatica: These acupressure points are the most effective spots on the body for relieving sciatica and hip pain. To relieve this pain, get a one-pound sack of beans and lay on your side so the sack of beans presses into these points. Adjust the position of your legs so it hurts good.

http://acupressure.com/AcupressurePoints.aspx

Elderbloggers List OMG!

http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/elderblogs-list-2014-update.html

Quotes from Parker Palmer, always a rich source

What I know for sure is this: We come from mystery and we return to mystery. I arrived here with no bad memories of wherever I’d come from, so I have no good reason to fear the place to which I’ll return. And I know this, too: Standing closer to the reality of death awakens my awe at the gift of life.

I’m old enough to know that the world can delight me, so my expectation is not of the world but of myself: Delight in the gift of life and be grateful

When Florida Scott-Maxwell was 85, she wrote in The Measure of My Days:

“You need only claim the events of your life to make yourself yours. When you truly possess all you have been and done...you are fierce with reality.”

That’s how I feel when I’m able to say:

“I am that to which I gave short shrift and that to which I attended. I am my descent into darkness and my arising into light, my betrayals and my fidelities, my failures and my successes. I am my ignorance and my insight, my doubts and my convictions, my fears and my hopes.”

Wholeness does not mean perfection: It means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life.

"What I know for sure is this: We come from mystery and we return to mystery."

Self, i loved reading The Measure of My Days, decades ago.  I would probably even more so today, being 70!  Other quotes of hers:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/florida_scottmaxwell.html

http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/2012/06/elder-prose-interlude-the-measure-of-my-days.html

yogapeutics

joint traction and compression
Joint traction is a form of proprioception. It occurs when there is tension, pull, or traction placed on a joint. It is very important for developing body awareness and body in space. It also promotes self-regulation and can be very calming, regulating, and organizing for the brain and nervous system.
NATURAL WAYS TO ACHIEVE JOINT TRACTION:

• Climb or hang from a tree 
• Hang from a bar at the playground, on a trapeze bar, chin up bar, or railing 
• Hang from knees hooked over a playground bar or trapeze bar
• Drape backwards over a large therapy ball, arms over head
• Hang over the side of the bed
• Stretching activities or yoga
• Theraband activities
• Heavy/hard work activities involving pulling things such as a wagon
• Carry heavy objects such as a water pail

Joint compression is also a form of proprioception. It is the exact opposite of joint traction. It occurs when there is compression, push, or weight bearing placed on a joint. It is also very important for developing body awareness and body in space, as well as for joint stability and strength. It also promotes self-regulation and can be very calming, regulating, and organizing for the brain and nervous system.
NATURAL WAYS TO ACHIEVE JOINT COMPRESSION:

• Any weight bearing activity such as jumping, running, hopping, skipping
• Wheelbarrow walking
• Yoga poses
• Theraband activities
• Trampoline, BOSU ball, or hippity hop ball
• Hand stands or cartwheels
• Pogo stick
• Bike riding
• Heavy/hard work activities involving pushing such as a shopping cart or heavy box
• Crab walking
• Climbing activities such as at the playground (climb slides)
• Climbing hills

• Head/Neck Compression

  A head/neck compression is also a form of joint compression which is achieved through downward pressure to the top of the head, compressing the vertebrae of the spine in the neck area. This can be very regulating and calming for the nervous system. Not only is the compression great for the nervous system, but it also quite often involves inverting the head, which is that much more bang for your sensory buck!
  NATURAL WAYS TO ACHIEVE HEAD/NECK COMPRESSION:
  

  • Head stands or other postures where head on compressed on the floor
  • Drape over a large therapy ball with head on the floor (be sure to stabilize the ball for the child)
  • Crawling position, push head firmly in to a soft object such as a beanbag or pillow cave
  • Have the child stand in a body sock with the sock pulled over the head

  Angie Voss Your Essential Guide to Sensory Processing Disorder

pre tween daughter info

Parents often ask me how to get along with their suddenly volatile preteen daughter,” writes psychologist Laura Markham. “It’s a shock when your previously sweet little girl starts throwing tantrums again. Twelve year old girls can be moody, overdramatic, self-centered, focused almost solely on friends, close-mouthed, surly, back-talking and condescending to parents. They can, of course, also be mature, affectionate and delightful, but at their worst they’re a cross between the most challenging aspects of toddlers and teens.”

So with that in mind, Dr. Markham offers 16 tips to make parenting a tween girl a little less dramatic. After all, she asserts, “The good news is that if you can accept this new situation and adjust your parenting accordingly, the tween years are the perfect time to solidify your relationship, before she heads into the teen years.”

Markham’s tips range from ways to build a relationship -- “Fight like the dickens to stay close to your daughter. Do not let her push you away….Find every opportunity to connect.” -- to important things to understand about your tween -- “Be aware that tween girls usually harbor great anxiety about adolescence….Most girls don’t know how to put these anxieties into words, but they feel them” -- to very practical tips -- “Be sure your daughter is getting nine hours of sleep each night, as an absolute minimum… The famous moodiness of teenagers is partly attributable to late bedtimes, which have become standard practice in our culture.”

Markham wants parents to know that it’s important to “nurture your daughter’s passions. Anything she really cares about and can throw herself into is protective, a place to feel competent, a place to push herself, a place to lose herself when the arrows of outrageous fortune pierce too deeply.” And as you do that, make sure that you “find appropriate ways to give your daughter independence… [so] she won’t have to rebel against you to start standing on her own two feet.”

And several of the tips are addressed directly to how a parent feels. She reminds parents to “try not to feel hurt by anything she does or says. Most of it is not about you at all, but about her tumultuous hormones and emotions, her huge fears and insecurities, her urgent need to shape an identity as a separate, independent person.” She also says that it’s important that you “[d]on’t stop being physically close. Your preteen daughter’s body is growing into womanhood, but she is still your little girl, and she still needs your physical closeness.”

Most importantly? Keep in mind that “no one parents perfectly... The inevitable ruptures of daily life become opportunities to teach them so many lessons: how to process their emotions, how to repair an emotional rift, how to problem solve, that they can trust us.” After all, “[o]ur daughters may look like young women, but they’ve got a lot of growing up to do emotionally. It’s our job -- and our privilege -- to support them in that process.”

You can read all of Markham’s helpful tips on Care2 at http://bit.ly/1NakSNF

For two excellent parenting resources for parents of middle school girls, we recommend "Middle School Makeover: Improving the Way You and Your Child Experience the Middle School Years” (http://www.amightygirl.com/middle-school-makeover) and "The Drama Years: Real Girls Talk About Surviving Middle School" (http://www.amightygirl.com/the-drama-years)

A highly recommended resource to help mothers and daughters stay close during these transition years is the popular shared journal for ages 8 and up, "Just Between Us: A No-Stress, No-Rules Journal for Girls and Their Moms" at http://www.amightygirl.com/just-between-us

Another great book for mothers of older tweens and teens is the joint parent/teen guide book, "Mothering and Daughtering: Keeping Your Bond Strong Through the Teen Years" at http://www.amightygirl.com/mothering-and-daughtering

To help your tween understand the changes she's experiencing both physically and emotionally during puberty, check out the books recommended in our post on “Talking with Tweens and Teens About Their Bodies” at http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=2229

For many resources specifically geared toward helping girls prepare for and understand their periods, visit our post: “That Time of the Month: Teaching Your Mighty Girl about Her Menstrual Cycle” at www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=3281

The Journey by Mary Oliver

Yoga channels on you tube

stala at home    tara stiles

Yoga journal

yoga for energy
yoga online
yoga with adrienne
interval yoga
fightmaster yoga
cosmic kids yoga
yoga house

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kayla-matthews/9-great-yoga-youtube-channels_b_6737360.html?ir=Green&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000044

Soleus, second heart

http://www.augustpoint.com/articles/sciaticare_quicksheet_soleus.pdf   photos of points to massage with ball

https://augustpoint.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/the-soleus-muscle-the-second-heart/

  An example treatment that we would use to address tight soleus:

• Acupuncture – Soleus Motor Points (MP) 1-4, Gastrocnemius MP 1-2, UB40, GB34, UB36, UB37, GB21, UB10
• Massage Therapy/Tui Na – Soleus, Gastrocnemius, Anterior Tibialis, Peroneus Longus,  Popliteus, Hamstrings
• External Liniment/Rub –   Massage Sciaticare Penetrating Muscle Rub into muscles
• Advise The Sciaticare Ball For patient self-use to manage and release Soleus Trigger Points

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soleus_muscle

gut instincts and second brain   http://neurosciencestuff.tumblr.com/post/38271759345/gut-instincts-the-secrets-of-your-second-brain