All posts by Kirsten Renee Cowart

Kirsten is a writer who loves to practice vipassana meditation, yoga, travel, and learning about nature, consciousness, and how to make the world a better place. Her current interests involve studying and practicing flow, staying In Flow, and recognizing the natural flow of the universe. Kirsten loves to learn about the holistic healing arts. She is also interested in ancient cultures and practices such as Druidism. Kirsten is honored to be apart of such an incredible movement of love and heart centered living in this world.
Healing, Science, Spirituality

9 Activities Linked to a Longer Life

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UCLA biologists have found a gene that can slow the aging process in the entire body when activated in specific organ systems.  While working with fruit flies, these scientists activated a gene known as AMPK that is an important energy sensor in cells; which gets activated when cellular energy levels are getting low.

dna_2759155b“AMP-activated protein kinase—an energy sensor that regulates all aspects of cell function. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of energy status that maintains cellular energy homeostasis.” – D. Grahame Hardie

In the study scientists found that increasing the amount of AMPK in fruit flies’ intestines increased their lifespans by about 30 percent.  This puts them living around 8 weeks instead of the average 6 weeks.

This is like the average person who lives to be almost 80 to around 104 years.   What is also interesting is that not only do the fruit flies live longer but they were healthier as well.

Now imagine if we applied this genetic technique to someone who is already supposed to live to be over 100 years old?

There is a whole group of people, known as Centenarians, that have lived to be over 100 years old. We have found a short documentary about two Supercentenarians, from the Spice Mountains of South Western India who have lived to be over 110!  Check it out below!

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If you found that interesting there are rumors that a man in China lived to be around 250 years old! Li Ching Yuen was an herbalist who practiced Qigong and said his secret to long life was to possess the following traits in your life:

  • Tranquil mind
  • Sit like a tortoise
  • Walk sprightly like a pigeon
  • Sleep like a dog

In addition to that list here are 9 Activities that are linked to a longer life!

© Copyright 2010 CorbisCorporation1. Being Spiritual–  Having some sort of spiritual practice or belief has been linked to longer lives.  You don’t have to be a specific religion or even believe in God to qualify for this category.  Having a reverence for life and believing in something more than yourself is enough to enjoy the benefits of a longer life.

2. Health or Healing knowledge– As you heard in the video above both of our Supercentenarians were known for their knowledge and ability to heal others.  Perhaps the knowledge of healing isn’t only for ourselves.  Perhaps science will find a spark of longevity in those who take the time to ease the suffering of others. Continue reading →

Healing

The Best ENERGY Drink of Your Life

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Article shared with permission from Author Jenna Barrington.

I had the urge to write about this daily habit that takes 10 minutes or less, but can have an incredible influence on you and your family’s health!

green

Right now in our world there are a lot of people who would love to feel better about their bodies. Studies show that a good portion of both men and women are unsatisfied with themselves or struggle with self-confidence. This is no secret, and it is apparent that as a society we are searching for better answers than painful dieting and hours in the gym. 

I was first introduced to the idea of green smoothies by Robyn Openshaw when I was a teenager.  I struggled a lot with body image during adolescence, and more than wanting to feel beautiful I also wanted to feel healthy. So I was always looking for the secrets to having a body I felt confident walking around in!

The idea is you find the right blend of fruits, veggies, and greens to throw into a blender that make a delicious smoothie and a powerhouse nutrient-rich boost for your body! The possible and proven benefits to drinking a green drink on a daily basis are awesome!

  • green3Weight loss
  • Mood enhancement
  • Natural detox and cleanse
  • Immune support/boost
  • Huge percentage of daily need for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
  • ENERGY increase that lasts
  • Fiber that you don’t get from juice
  • You feel ‘light’ verses ‘heavy’
  • Happy cells!!

Green smoothies are great at anytime during the day, but are particularly excellent for breakfast. Our body goes through natural cycles  throughout a day where it focuses respectively on these three processes: Elimination, Appropriation, and Assimilation. In the morning we are typically in elimination mode and our body is focusing on releasing toxins and cleansing. 

imagesEating a heavy breakfast that is cooked can often be counter-productive to this cycle. Think of how it feels if you’re trying to clean the kitchen and before you’re done someone comes in and starts pulling out  food to make a big meal.  It would definitely slow you down or maybe even stop you from cleaning completely. Our body is the same way.

Our body responds the best to living and easily digestible foods in the morning. Living food means it is raw (uncooked) and is thus still full of enzymes and nutrients that aid digestion and fuel your body.

Convinced to give smoothies a try? Let’s address some common hesitations for those that need a push!

Tastes nasty?

The first time I made a green smoothie it was disgusting. I didn’t blend it well so it was chunky and I was a little too ambitious on the percentage of greens that I added.  In general we are used to overly-sweet food, and starting off your smoothie habit with too many veggies can cause you (and your family victims) to tank before finishing the first glass. Luckily our taste buds adapt over time. Try starting with 20% veggies and 80% fruit. Then slowly change it until you’re eventually drinking 50/50. Baby steps!

cat[shareaholic app=”share_buttons” id=”5111573″]Can’t get over looks and texture?

 
I would recommend getting a good blender.  For example try a Blendtec. They are FANTASTIC. Your smoothies will feel like Jamba Juice.  But let’s be real, a good portion of us don’t have that kind of money to throw around just yet.  But don’t let that stop you from changing you life.  Any blender will do the job. Putting the veggies in and blending them for a bit first can help to get rid of chunks making them easier to drink. 
 
Bored?

Now that I’ve got a spouse to please, I’ve put a lot more energy into VARIETY. Don’t get stuck on one recipe. Try new things! Mix new colors! If you make your family drink something that tastes too weedy one day, make a really delicious one the next day. Find your favorites and have fun getting creative.

Discoveries

16 People With Real Super Powers

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Have you ever dreamed about having super powers?  Most likely if you are anything like me you have fantasized about having extraordinary abilities such as super strength or moving objects with your mind.

We have found 16 examples of people who claim to have developed some extraordinary abilities.  Perhaps we are evolving into a world of zero limits.

1. X-Ray Vision

Natasha DemkinaNatasha Demkina is a Russian woman who claims to be able to see into peoples bodies.  Just like an X-ray machine she is able to detect problems inside of people and diagnose them.

Natasha was a normal kid up until the age of ten according to her mother.  At that age her abilities began to manifest.

“I was at home with my mother and suddenly I had a vision. I could see inside my mother’s body and I started telling her about the organs I could see. Now, I have to switch from my regular vision to what I call medical vision. For a fraction of a second, I see a colorful picture inside the person and then I start to analyze it.” says Demkina

2. Magnetic Body

3_liew-thow-linLiew Thow Lin is a man from Malaysia who can stick metal objects into his body.   Although scientists cannot detect anything going on with the magnetics of his body he is able to hold and balance a unique amount of metal objects on his skin.

3. Super Human Memory:

daniel-tammetDaniel Temmet is able to memorize incredible amounts of information.  For example he was able to recite Pi up to 22,514 digits in five hours and nine minutes on 14 March 2004.

Most Savants are not able to explain how they accomplish their amazing abilities but Daniel is different.  He explains that in his mind every whole number up to 10,000 has its own unique texture, color, shape and feel.  This has helped him to remember things visually much easier then the average person.

In his experience the visual image of 289 as very ugly, 333 is particularly attractive, and pi is beautiful.  Perhaps this is how the frequency of numbers and numerology work with the logical world.

4. No Need for Sleeping:

Imagine what life would be like if you didn’t need to sleep?  I know we would miss out on a lot of fun dreams but what could we accomplish?  Well Al Herpin cant sleepwas a man who knew what that was like.

Al Herpin claimed to have a rare type of insomnia where he didn’t need to sleep and at one point in his life had apparently been awake for over 10 years.  This attracted the attention of medical professionals who investigated further.

They found no bed, or sleeping place in Al Herpin’s home.  He claimed to go to work and then sit in his rocking chair reading until it was time to go to work the next day.  He was found to be in good health and also lived to the old age of 94.

5. Stomach of Steel:

MrEatsEverythingMichel Lotito was known for his ability to eat non-digestable objects without any bad effects.  He was seen to consume glass, metal, rubber and other objects.  Do not try this at home.

 

Continue reading →

Inspirational, News, Spirituality

What does Waking up Really Mean?

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What is waking up?  How do I know if I am awake?

If you are familiar with our site and sites like it you may have heard this term “Waking up”.  We hear about all the signs and symptoms of waking up but do we know what it is to actually BE awake?

Lets start with defining what we are talking about and then we will go into what it means on a spiritual level.

If you type “Define Awake” into Google you should see something similar to the picture below.

awake

Lets see how these definitions help us narrow down what we mean when we say waking up or to be awake spiritually.

awaken1

“Prism” ~ Painting by Mynzah

What does it mean to be spiritually asleep?  If you have watched the Spirit Science series or are familiar with the procession of the equinox you will see that we have been asleep as a planet for a very long time.  What this means is that our level of awareness about the connections all around us has declined to a point where we feel separate from everyone and everything around us.

2. Cause (Someone) to Wake from Sleep

Waking up spiritually, in its more basic terms would be to recognize with your whole being your connection to everyone and everything around you.  This is often referred to as the mystical experience as described by Alan Watts.

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3. Regain Consciousness

Regaining consciousness is to remember that we have always been connected with the oneness of the universe.  This is important because it can help us recognize how the mistreatment of others is no different then cutting off your left hand or to poke out one of your eyes.

awaken 3

4. To become AWARE of; come to the realization of

There are many levels of awareness that come with waking up and ultimately being awake.

  • Some people are born awake and remain awake during their lives. This is very rare but not unheard of.  It is theorized that if a child is nurtured with awareness it will be more aware and able to to stay awake.
  • Catalysts such as events can also cause an awakening within a person.  Powerful transformation doesn’t have to be painful but for some it does come with a lot of pain.  Some people speed up their awakening process when they experience a powerful trauma or are diagnosed with a terminal illness.
News, Technology

Edible Water Bottles

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Are plastic water bottles a thing of the past? They are according to the makers of the new biodegradable and edible water bottle called Ooho.

The Ooho blob-like water bottle may be the answer we are looking for to take care of the worlds water bottle recycling issues.

Check it out for yourself here!

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This blob may look crazy but when you think of the almost 50 billion plastic water bottles used by Americans each year it starts to make more sense.

Maybe creator Rodrigo García González, and fellow design students Guillaume Couche and Pierre Paslier are heading in the right direction.  One where we humans can work with nature and leave less of a negative impact on the environment. Continue reading →

News, Science

10 Discoveries Unexplained by Science

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Each day more discoveries are being made by researchers and scientists all over the world. Some of these discoveries are unexplained with our currently level of technology and understanding. Check out this video that goes over ten of these fascinating events that leave us wondering.

Check it out and let us know in the comments which topic you find to be the most insteresting!

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10. The Taos Hum- An unexplained Humming Noise. This strange noise confuses locals and scientists. What could be causing it? Why do only %2 of the people in the area notice this sound?

9. Sea of Galilee – Cone-shaped Underwater Monument. Weighs 60,000 tons and built over 6000 years ago. What could be its purpose & is this another sacred site?

8. Antikthera Mechanism – Ancient Clockwork Computer. Thought to be built in 150 B.C. and can be used to calculate the movement of planets? Were devises this this used to build sacred sites and or guide our ancestors?

7. Paleodictyon Nodosum – Mysterious creature in the Atlantic that creates perfectly hexagonal burrows. What could be causing these strange patterns? More awesome sacred geometry?

6. Godzillus Fossil – Fossil found that can’t be identified as a plant or animal. Could this be evidence of extraterrestrial or an undiscovered type of life?

5. The Upsweep- Unidentified noise coming from the Pacific Ocean. Scientists have tried to place the noises but have yet to pinpoint a source. What could be causing these sounds?

4. The Placebo Effect- Sugar Pills can relieve Pain and remove symptoms of major illnesses. Scientists are still not sure how the mind is able to do this. How powerful is mind over matter. What could this mean for the pharmaceutical companies?

3. Dark Flow – An unknown Force pushes matter through the universe at breakneck speeds. Scientists are not sure how or why. It appears that the source of the force is beyond the reaches of the observable universe. Is this a force we could tap into?

2. Kepler 78b – A planet similar to Earth in size and density is so close to its star that it orbits the star every 8.5 hours. The heat from the star shouldn’t allow for a planet to form that close. Does this change our understanding of planet creation?

1. The Naga Fireballs – Fireballs rise up from a river in Thailand each October. A must see that I am adding to my bucket-list! Orbs? What could be causing this interesting phenomenon? Check out the video to see what the legend about it says!

This just goes to show that there is so much more going on in this world than we thought. Its exciting to know that there is always something new and interesting to learn and explore.

Let us know what you think and what other interesting discoveries you have come across in the comments.

Thank you for reading,
Kirsten,
& the Spirit Science Team

Photo: Bill Nye the Science Guy