We all want to thrive. We want effective methods to transform our lives. Personal growth is a major drive for people.

The information overload makes it increasingly harder to know what to trust.

Also, humans tend to make decisions based on emotions rather than facts and logic.

The self-help industry is capitalizing heavily on the growing interest in spirituality and personal transformation.

It has changed the life of countless people to the better.

Still, many people are skeptical and dismiss much of it as non-scientific nonsense. These people often cringe when they hear terms such as “crystal-healing,” “tarot cards,” and “spirit animals.”

Meditation, too, was once a weird, mystical ritual for these people.

Now, a heavy body of research supports its wide array of benefits.

The practises that are backed by science are increasing in number. Some of the most scientifically recognized of these are gratitude, meditation, visualization, and keeping a journal.

Gratitude

When science looks at personality traits that correlate with people’s happiness, gratitude is usually among the top three [1]. Wealth and possessions are far down the list.

Our brains are wired to see more of what we already focus on. By making a conscious effort to shift your focus onto something that you’re thankful for, you’ll help the mind find more and more such things, and create good emotions. Continue reading →

As someone who struggles with Anxiety, I am always looking for new ways to help myself have less attacks and to remain calm. Taking prescription medication is not something I do very often, and I personally choose to combat my anxiety with a more natural holistic approach.

Modern medicine most certainly does have a place in the world, a very important one at that, but where possible, a natural alternative usually works incredibly well, if you are willing to give it a try!

That said, herbs are potent too, just like pharmaceutical medication, you need to take care when using them, some can be highly toxic in large doses and many people are sensitive to certain herbs. If in doubt, consult your medical professional before trying any treatment, even natural ones!

Many herbs that are good for anxiety have a sedative effect, so please be cautious when you need to be alert and awake, like when driving.

While using your herbs to treats your symptoms, it is still important to find the crux of the problem, what causes your anxiety? Avoiding and removing the cause is important, otherwise you will never fully get rid of the issue. Sometimes situations that cause an anxiety spike are unavoidable, but if they are, remove yourself from the situation!

LEMON BALM

Lemon Balm has been found to reduce anxiety and increase calmness. In the middle ages, it was used for just that!

Lemon Balm increases stimulation of the GABA receptors which produce a sedative and calming effect, which is what makes it so great for those suffering from anxiety! Continue reading →

Have you watched The Lorax? Yes he may have spoken for the trees, but it turns out, trees can speak for themselves. At the very least, to other trees!

There’s nothing new about different non-human elements of the natural world being able to communicate, as the idea of mycelia (the main body of fungi, as opposed to the more well known bodies of fruiting spores – mushrooms.) having acted as a sort of “old-school” planetary internet system which is still fairly new, serving as a spore of a new type of breed of forestry, ecology and land management.

Most of us tend to ignore the obvious connection between these elements, favoring the micro in place of the macro. The sad reality is, as a society, we are falling prey to the lure of reductionist thinking, considering trees as a commodity instead of an interlinked species of communication.

We assume that we simply replace one tree with another, neglecting the connection. We consider reforestation successful, where large numbers of trees are planted, creating a once diverse interlinked system into a “monocropped farm” of trees. Continue reading →

“Remember to hug your kid today” – why have we always been told this?

King Frederick II of Germany performed a very interesting yet saddening trial. 50 infants were selected and he hired foster mothers to take care of them. They were strictly instructed to never cuddle, rock or talk to them. They were made to perform only the most rudimentary tasks. All 50 infants were reported to die – from the failure to thrive under these circumstances.

It was learned, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall that the orphans within Soviet bloc countries were living under deplorable conditions. Mary Carlson, a researcher from Harvard Medical School studied under an overcrowded Romanian orphanage.

She observed the number of neglected babies lying in their cribs, staff so overworked they were spread thin. Sadly, this lead to the infants only being touched when they were being fed.

The nursery was eerily silent, no crying, no babbling, not even a whimper. She went back two years later and discovered alarmingly high levels of a brain damaging stress hormone. They all seemed to be stunted in growth and a bit backwards in development for their age.

More recently, a young boy named Artyom Savelyev was briefly adopted and then returned to Russia, alone. He was reported to have severe psychological issues, all stemming from his early childhood in the orphanage.

On can surely conclude from these two individual observations that babies who aren’t shown affection not only fail to thrive, but they have been observed to even perish in extreme circumstances. This teaches us something vital – All human beings need love, affection and communication. Continue reading →