All posts by LJ Vanier

How Economic Isolation Has Preserved Cuba’s Stunning Coral Reefs

In 1992, at an Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro, Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba, gave an extraordinary speech on ecological preservation entitled Tomorrow Will Be Too Late. Near the conclusion of the said speech, Castro stated that we have to pay our ecological debt, more so than foreign debt. True to his word, in 1996, the Cuban Ministry of Fishing declared a 150 km stretch of archipelago off the Southern coast of Cuba as a protected area, which meant that no activities were to take place there that would have the potential to distress the ecological system of the region.

Almost 20 years on, Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen), is one of the most preserved coral reef region in the Caribbean, if not the world. Going underwater is like going back in a time, you are transported to an ocean floor that would have existed about 100 to 150 years ago, not tampered by our technological progress.

Despite the protected status, one of the main contributing factors for the Jardines de la Reina’s immaculate state is Cuba’s economic isolation through much of the last century. Driven by an austere dictator and governed through Communism, Cuba was left to stand on its own after Soviet Union’s fall. In any other country, the system would have collapsed but in Cuba the people were more resilient.

They resorted to homegrown solutions to much of the technological advancements they were deprived of. The same holds true for farming as well. Unable to import pesticides or fertilizers, the Cuban government launched campaign after campaign to encourage local farmers to adopt greener methods. The government’s effort bore fruit and the Cuban farming sector went through an organic farming revolution through much of the 1980s and 1990s. Continue reading

This One Technique Can Induce An Out of Body Experience

From ayahuasca to sensory deprivation tanks and shamanic journeys, to teas, elixirs and natural herbs. It seems everyone is looking to achieve an out-of-body experience and connect with the unknown. Why has it become such a craze?

An out-of-body or astral projection is something that everyone needs to experience, at least once. It is the single most soul satisfying experience, because it allows you to connect with all things in the universe. From meeting with guides, angels and fifth dimensional beings and the full experience of being one with creation itself. An out-of-body experience restores you to your natural state, prior to incarnation.

A true out-of-body experience will connect you with the energy of creation and allows your thoughts to create everything you experience. It can best be explained by the understanding that your third eye is like a movie projector, creating your existence as you walk through it. Everything is mental on the astral side, if you think it, it transpires right in front of you. You are in absolute control of the entire experience.

If fear or anxiety come in to play, the out-of-body will immediately cease and you will find that your consciousness has returned faster than a snapping elastic band.

If you can stay centered and be open, the length of out-of-body can be extended from what feels like a mere few minutes to a few hours of exploration. The best part of an out-of-body is that when you travel there is no notion of time. Time is non-existent, therefore you are free to travel to any point in your life at any time and to any place your mind can create. Continue reading

How to Not Let Other People’s Negative Opinions Affect You

Did you know that our thoughts are constantly changing? Some philosophers have even suggested that we exist in a state of flux. Meaning that our thoughts and ideas are always shifting from one perspective to another. One moment you may think of someone in a negative aspect and the next, it’s changed for the better.

So all the more reason to never care about what other people think of you, because really it doesn’t matter anyway!

1.You Know How To Say No

You are confident and comfortable speaking your own truth. You live in alignment with your soul and you honour and respect your heart desires, even if it means rejecting the approval of those around you.

2.The Opinion of Yourself is the Most Important

You know deep down inside that the opinions and judgement’s of others are more about themselves, than they are about you. You embrace this and understand that the opinion you have of yourself, is the one the matters most. You hold yourself to your own standard and aren’t afraid to show it. Continue reading

Studies Show How You Actually Can Die From a Broken Heart

When you think of having a broken heart, you may envision tears, sadness, loss and all of the feelings that go with it. However what we tend to overlook, are the cardiac consequences on our own physical hearts.

The loss of a loved one through death or break-up can be so emotionally devastating, that it can lead to broken heart syndrome.

shutterstock_328676489According to a new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, this heart rhythm condition now verifies that you really can die from a broken heart, known as “stress cardiomyopathy”.

The international study is the first wide scale examination of the condition, after its original description “Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy” (named for an octopus trap that resembles the changed shape of the heart after a stressful event) was given by researchers in Japan in 1990.

The study found that 27.7% of 1750 people tested were triggered by emotional circumstances, and 36% developed the condition, due to physical symptoms. Continue reading

What Happens To Your Body When You Sleep Naked

Sleeping naked is not just, sexy.. it has many spiritual health benefits too!

Here are 5 interesting and (scientifically proven) spiritual benefits of sleeping naked, that prove letting it all hang out in your birthday suit can benefit you!

1. Leads to Better Sleep

sleep-naked-minSome experts consider getting at least 8 hours sleep per night more crucial than a proper diet and exercise. When you are wearing clothes, they can become twisted, tangled, and uncomfortable leading to unrestful sleep. When you are naked you are free and therefor can get a deeper more restful sleep.

Deep sleep, between the hours of 1:00 am and 4:00 am are known to be the best time for your subconscious mind to connect with the spirit world. And so it is crucial to get the deepest sleep possible in these hours to regulate your mind, body and spirit. Continue reading

Researchers At Yale Find That Friends Share Similar DNA

Friends are great. You share so much with them: interests, likes, perhaps even your latest crush! But now scientists are finding that best friends share much more than social and psychological traits – they even share genes!

Scientists at Yale and University of California, San Diego have found that we share a considerable amount of genetic material with our friends – close to 1% of the assembled DNA. It may seem small to many but in genetics, this value is practically off the charts! For some perspective, you also share 1% of your genetic code with your fourth cousins. This is when you share a great-great-great-grandparent. So, it looks like we seek out close friends who resemble our family.

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To figure this crazy factoid out, scientists examined around 2,000 people in a racially and ethnically homogenous area. Usually, this
is not the greatest way to conduct scientific studies, but in this case it is good because it rules out a tendency to befriend people who share the same race. Continuing with the control group, they looked at around 1,300 pairs of friends and examined 1.5 million markers of gene variation within them.

Consequently it was found, the highest genetic similarity we share with our friends pertains to the sense of smell. This might explain why our friends are always in love with our impeccable taste in fragrances! On a technical front, this discovery led researchers to say that it may very well could be the sense of smell that brings people together into the same environment and thus into social contact. Continue reading