For a long time very few people really took the idea of self hypnosis very seriously, although meditation and relaxation were always popular. But as more people have come to realise that self hypnosis is simply a form of deep relaxation, self hypnosis downloads have rocketed.

Just as you may well have gone out to purchase a deep relaxation CD in the past, ideal for unwinding at the end of a stressful day, today you can choose from a range of self hypnosis MP3s, download them immediately, and then either play them through your hi-fi, transfer them onto your MP3 player, and listen to them wherever, and whenever it suits you.

Guided mediation downloads and self hypnosis downloads are now becoming available for a number of purposes, offering benefits as diverse as simply alleviating stress, depression and anxiety through meditation and relaxation to helping stick to a diet, quit smoking or even sleep better.

There are self hypnosis MP3s aimed at helping to improve memory, improve concentration and improve confidence, and a deep relaxation CD is the best way to relax before a stressful experience such as taking a flight, attending an interview or preparing for an exam.

For some people the words that worry them are ’self hypnosis’, and there are even some people who worry about things such as whether they’ll be able to wake up afterwards, and what the long term effects might be. It’s important to understand that not only is hypnosis a very real phenomenon, it’s a very natural one, and in fact self hypnosis is so normal that all of us experience it every day.

If you’ve ever been sitting at work, at home or on the bus (even driving!) and begun to daydream, eventually ‘coming to’ suddenly as you become conscious of your surroundings again, then that was a form of self hypnosis. You were fully awake, completely conscious and able to wake up whenever you liked. The fact is that you feel so relaxed and happy, you didn’t want to.

Self hypnosis downloads are the perfect way to help make a real difference to your life, whatever it is you need that little extra help with. Self hypnosis MP3s are now the single most convenient and affordable way to achieve the things you want to.

Second hand smoke

Second Hand Smoke and Cancer

The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has classified second hand smoke as a Group A carcinogen.
Cancers linked to passive smoking include:

• Lung cancer – 3000 non-smokers die every year from lung cancer caused by ETS
• Nasal sinus cavity cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• Breast cancer
• Bladder cancer

Some chemical compounds found in smoke only become carcinogenic after they’ve come into contact with certain enzymes found in many of the tissues of the human body.
The Risks of Second Hand Smoke to a Child

• Low birth weight for gestational age
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)- children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have an increased risk of SIDS.
• The EPA estimates that passive smoking is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 of these infections in children under 18 months annually
• Asthma – According to the EPA, between 200,000 and 1,000,000 kids with asthma have their condition worsened by second hand smoke every year. Also, passive smoking may also be responsible for thousands of new cases of asthma every year
• Chronic respiratory symptoms such as cough and wheezing may be attributed to second hand smoke.
• Children who breathe in second hand smoke are more likely to suffer from dental cavities, eye and nose irritation, and irritability
• Middle ear infections – exposure to ETS causes build-up of fluid in the middle ear, resulting in 700,000 to 1.6 million physician office visits yearly

How Second Hand Smoke Can Affect the Heart

Heart disease mortality – an estimated 35,000 to 62,000 deaths are caused from heart disease in people who are not current smokers, but who are exposed to ETS

• Acute and chronic coronary heart disease
• Passive smoking has been linked to the narrowing of the carotid arteries, which carry blood to the brain
• Exposure to second hand smoke hastens hardening of the arteries, a condition known as arthrosclerosis
• Continual exposure to ETS has been shown to nearly double the chance of heart attack

Second Hand Smoke – Worse Than We Thought
Second hand smoke is serious business, and should be a concern for anyone who breathes it in. Non-smokers inhaling second hand smoke share some of the health risks smokers face. But smokers do face the worst of it – the risks of smoking are compounded by breathing the smoke in for a second time.

Don’t underestimate the dangers of ETS. While second hand smoke may not kill as many people as smoking does, it is toxic and claims thousands of lives every year around the world.

To help quit smoking, visit www.quitsmokingcigaretteguide.com for more information.

Geopathic stress is natural radiation from the Earth that comes to the surface, but is altered along the way by electromagnetic fields caused by underground water, collections of certain minerals or fault lines. This radiation can be responsible for conditions ranging from infertility, cancer, migraines, joint pain, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and insomnia. The World Health Organisation also recognises Sick Building Syndrome is a result of geopathic stress.

Practitioners are available that can rid buildings of this radiation, or alter the building or its contents in such a way that the radiation is longer an issue. One such method is ‘dowsing’. In dowsing, a dowser uses tools and intuition to seek something (for example a water source, in ‘water dowsing’) – in this instance, the unconscious mind seeks the radiation that is infiltrating a building or room. Once the streams of radiation are found, methods are used to rid the radiation or move it, or alter the room or building so that the geopathic stress is no longer an issue. For example, if someone is suffering from insomnia, a dowser locates any geopathic stress and may find that the bed is lying on a geopathic stress line. By simply moving the bed, the sufferer will find they not only sleep better, but they have increased energy levels and become headache free. Another method that can be used in healing sick buildings utilises channelled energy to eliminate the negative energy (this can also be used on a person). This is known as ‘vortex healing’.

Another healing method is the ‘Alexander Technique‘. This is used to treat people, usually suffering from physical pain and/or stress caused by poor posture. By gaining awareness of how we stand, walk, sit and move in general, we can prevent issues that may arise as a result of poor habits, such as slouching. With this technique, the patient is taught to ‘treat themselves’ by monitoring their posture with a view to curing and preventing problems caused by it. It has been said that after learning how to use this method, patients not only find their pains have decreased (or disappeared), their overall posture is improved and they find more energy and suppleness. This then extrapolates to all areas of their lives.

These healing properties – the Alexander Technique, dowsing and vortex healing – can all work together to help heal sick minds, bodies and buildings. In the fast-paced world we live in today, we need all the help we can get!

To grow spiritually is to look inward.

Introspection goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a day, week, or month. You need to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, and the things you engage in provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you have to discard. Moreover, it gives you clues on how to act, react, and conduct yourself in the midst of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you. Here are some pointers when you introspect: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and focus on your areas for improvement.

To grow spiritually is to develop your potentials.

Religion and science have differing views on matters of the human spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual. Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (Eastern) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized but placed under the needs of the spirit. Beliefs, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing one’s full potential is to self-actualize. Maslow identified several human needs: physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence. James earlier categorized these needs into three: material, emotional, and spiritual. When you have satisfied the basic physiological and emotional needs, spiritual or existential needs come next. Achieving each need leads to the total development of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islam see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychology view that self-development is an end by itself.

To grow spiritually is to search for meaning.

Religions that believe in the existence of God such as Christianism, Judaism, and Islam suppose that the purpose of the human life is to serve the Creator of all things. Several theories in psychology propose that we ultimately give meaning to our lives. Whether we believe that life’s meaning is pre-determined or self-directed, to grow in spirit is to realize that we do not merely exist. We do not know the meaning of our lives at birth; but we gain knowledge and wisdom from our interactions with people and from our actions and reactions to the situations we are in. As we discover this meaning, there are certain beliefs and values that we reject and affirm.  Our lives have purpose. This purpose puts all our physical, emotional, and intellectual potentials into use; sustains us during trying times; and gives us something to look forward to—a goal to achieve, a destination to reach. A person without purpose or meaning is like a drifting ship at sea.

To grow spiritually is to recognize interconnections.

Religions stress the concept of our relatedness to all creation, live and inanimate. Thus we call other people “brothers and sisters” even if there are no direct blood relations. Moreover, deity-centered religions such as Christianity and Islam speak of the relationship between humans and a higher being. On the other hand, science expounds on our link to other living things through the evolution theory. This relatedness is clearly seen in the concept of ecology, the interaction between living and non-living things. In psychology, connectedness is a characteristic of self-transcendence, the highest human need according to Maslow. Recognizing your connection to all things makes you more humble and respectful of people, animals, plants, and things in nature. It makes you appreciate everything around you. It moves you to go beyond your comfort zone and reach out to other people, and become stewards of all other things around you.

Growth is a process thus to grow in spirit is a day-to-day encounter. We win some, we lose some, but the important thing is that we learn, and from this knowledge, further spiritual growth is made possible.

The Clifton Clinic

Why are we different?

Well, we are different because we offer clients the unique opportunity to recover from life-destroying addiction in a private and confidential environment with highly-qualified, compassionate staff. At The Clifton Clinic you have your own space and you will be given a bespoke treatment programme matched to your specific needs – you will not be treated like just another member of a group.

At The Clifton Clinic we facilitate internal change enabling the client to respond more appropriately to their circumstances. Our clients are constantly supervised and supported whilst given the opportunity to deal with life and the challenges it brings. For instance, they have to shop for and cook some of their own meals. Our research has shown that if clients can learn to do this effectively whilst in treatment they have a much higher chance of maintaining their sobriety when they leave treatment.

If you believe that you, or one of your loved ones, has a problem with alcohol or drug addiction then The Clifton Clinic has the solution and you should be talking to us.

If you’re not really sure about whether you have a problem you might like to read our article – “Am I an Alcoholic or Addict?” for further information.

Vegan Health and Beauty supply a range of products from vegan supplements to vegan cosmetics and make-up. In addition, they also sell other products that are suitable for vegans, but which might also appeal to non-vegan shoppers too – Particularly those who might wish to avoid products that have been tested on animals and that contain ingredients that are as natural as possible. These include natural vegan perfumes and natural body care products as well as some award-winning organic baby products.

One established brand of vitamins that have become renowned for their quality are Vega Vitamins. These are formulated and produced in the UK to exacting standards and they offer the very best in nutritional support. They have specific formulations designed for a variety of people and dietary needs.

Another brand of quality vitamins that has developed a reputation for being innovative is Deva Vitamins. The products in this range from the USA are produced specifically to be suitable for vegans and vegetarians. These vegan vitamins and supplements include a vegan glucosamine, vegan omega-3 DHA and vegan CLA as well as multivitamin and mineral formulations.

Both of these top quality brands, along with many other natural health products, can be bought from www.gvtc.co.uk.

Tip #1 You need a good reason to quit.  Simply deciding to quit because the sky is blue is not a sufficient reason.  The need to quit smoking is obvious, but the desire to quit needs to come from inside in order for the process to be successful.

Tip #2  Look for small rewards that you can give yourself as you make progress.  You are not likely to just quit cold turkey with no complications.  Set up small rewards that will help you to want to make progress towards ultimately quitting.  This can be a great motivation to keep you on target.

Tip #3  Plan out your quitting strategy.  Decide how you want to try to quit and stick to it.  Set a specific amount of time for your plan.  If after a time, say six weeks you have not quit, work on a new plan.  This will allow ample time to try each method, while still giving yourself flexibility to try something else.

Tip #4  Work to overcome your struggles.  If you are smoking due to stressful things in your life, you need to deal with the stress before you can successfully quit.  Regardless of the reason why you are smoking, it needs to be dealt with in able to quit for good.

Tip #5  Set up a punishment for yourself.  For example, if you generally stop at Starbucks each day for a coffee you might consider skipping that on days when you have fallen short of your goals for smoking.  Whatever punishment you select, make sure it is something that you care about.

Tip #6  Seek out help from your friends and family.  You need support as you are trying to quit, and this will help you to ensure that you are not alone in the entire process.

Tip #7  Look for someone to quit with you.  If you are entirely on your own, you are going to be much more likely to slip back into smoking.  If someone is working with you and holding you accountable, you are more likely to struggle to succeed.  Working to quit smoking is not easy, but hard tasks are much easier to accomplish with a partner.

Tip #8  Ensure you are getting plenty of sleep.  The job of quitting smoking is quite difficult.  If you are not getting the rest you need, you are much more likely to be cranky, upset and angry with the world.  This is can be counterproductive to your goal of quitting smoking for good.

Tip #9  Aim to quit for good.  This might seem a bit strange, but if you are just planning to quit for a weekend you are not going to put much effort into the process.  If you are planning to quit for good, a lot more time and effort is going to go into the process as well as your plan to quit.

Tip #10  Look for ways to take your mind off cigarettes.  If you are always thinking about cigarettes, you may find that you are much more tempted to smoke.  Reading a book, exercising, talking on the phone, surfing the internet and even cooking are all great ways to occupy your mind and keep from thinking about when your last cigarette was.