These problems were largely overcome after the publication in the Journal of Advancement in Medicine in 1993 of a study by L.T. Chappell et all, who looked at the effects of chelation therapy on nearly 23,000 patients. Of them, more than 85% showed an objective benefit from chelation therapy. Since that time, the number of success stories has continued to increase.

Unfortunately, the problem of toxins such as heavy metals accumulating in our bodies has also been increasing. We are repeatedly told by environmentalists that planet earth is getting more and more poisoned from the build up of toxins including lead, mercury, aluminum, cadmium, arsenic and others. The adverse effect on human health of these heavy and light metal poisons has become so great that a name has been assigned: Toxic Metal Syndrome. It has been estimated that more than 90% of all the people living in the industrialized world have at least one of the health problems associated with living in a toxic environment.

Listed below are only a few of the behavioral, structural and functional abnormalities linked to three of the most problematic toxic heavy metals:

Mercury
Depression, hallucinations, obsessive-compulsive behavior, chronic fatigue, suicidal and aggressive behavior, anxiety and attention deficit disorder.

Lead
Spinal cord alterations, kidney damage, increased heart rate, suppression of the immune system, birth defects.

Copper
Skin problems such as eczema and rashes, headaches, muscle pain, decreased red blood cell count, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, convulsions and seizures.

Detoxamin EDTA works differently from traditional chelation therapies, in that it does not have to be administered as an intravenous drip in an outpatient environment by trained nurses or other medical personnel. Instead, Detoxamin EDTA is available in a suppository form that can be used in the privacy of one’s own home. In severe cases, it is recommended that one suppository be taken every night for 90 days.

For less severe cases, such as individuals who are interested in chelation therapy for prevention or anti-aging, Detoxamin should be taken every other night for 180 days. In addition, supplementation with vitamins, minerals and trace minerals should also be taken on a daily basis.

Author: Robert Scheer
About the author: Robert Scheer works as a free lance writer as well as consulting for the Detoxamin EDTA Info web site.

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/martin_heigan/458939532/

Depression is a common condition, affecting millions of Americans across all walks of life. Many are seeking relief through natural remedies for mild to moderate depressive states; healing from, or transforming through, these states can be effectively supported with ‘alternative’ medicine, especially when precisely applied. Pure essential oils have been studied in clinical arenas for their efficacy in lifting mild to moderate depressive states, with promising results.

Clinical research has shown that natural, pure essential oils stimulate multiple regions in the brain, including those controlling endocrine, immune, and limbic (emotional center) functions. Essential oils have a direct and profound effect on the deepest levels of the body, emotions, and psyche. Through inhalation, essential oils have a strong and immediate influence. Passing through the capillary beds of the sinuses and activating the olfactory nerves, the oils’ vapor, produces direct and powerful effects - the most immediate being on the emotions. Our emotions and our sense of smell have very strong ties - perhaps more than with any other of the other four senses. It is said that your body will react to a smell on a physiological level (excitement, sedation, etc.) before you can even think about it!

In both Naturopathy and Ayurvedic Medicine, essential oils are considered to enhance the flow of essential life force (the’Chi’) and brighten mental clarity and luminosity. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, essential oils in general are medicines for the Shen, the spiritual essence that resides in the heart. Used consciously, essential oils positively enhance mental and emotional states. Further, the medicinal properties of essential oils, through their ability to support healing of the physical body, can also be of great benefit to the heart and mind. A study on the effect of aromatherapy on pain in patients with arthritis found that receiving massage with essential oils significantly decreased both the pain AND depression levels.

Following are some oils that have a reputation for positively affecting Chi and Shen, directly influencing the state of the psyche and emotions. The oils may be used in aromatherapy massage blends (a particularly effective method incorporating the support of a caregivers’s touch), and diffused into any space for activation of the brain’s limbic centers.

Bergamot (pressed from the peels of bitter oranges) has a strong reputation for its ability to uplift the mind and emotions. In Chinese medicine, this is a result of balancing the liver energy or Chi; this organ being considered the center of the eternal soul. Bergamot has the ability to both relax the nerves and invigorate the spirit; with these actions, this important oil can be helpful for a variety of depressive condtions. Sweet orange, a close relative, works in a similar fashion, with a slightly sweeter aroma.

Neroli, distilled from the flowers of the tree producing the Bergamot fruit, also regulates the Chi - and like Jasmine oil, inspires a feeling of comfort. Neroli is called for where the depression is a result of nervous and emotional exhaustion. The aroma of Neroli may help access and release repressed emotions. Neroli is additionally indicated for individuals who, in order to escape from emotional pain and suffering, cut themselves off from their feelings and senses.

Chamomile is wonderful to use when the depression manifests in a moody, irritable, dissatisfied outward expression - generally ‘cranky’ - associated with stagnant liver-chi. This flower oil is earthy, rich, and grounding with subtle uplifting qualities. Chamomile can be most effective as a small component of other blends, creating a synergy of anti-depressant action.

When depression is of a Fire (overly aggressive) nature, it often involves an imbalance of (or distinct lack of) joy and love - the root emotions of the heart and mind. Joy is an extension of spiritual essence’s innate sense of harmony and perfection, an experience of emotional and spiritual well-being. Rose oil may have a profound effect on this state, and is thought the premier heart opening aromatic, bringing joy, uplifting and restoring balance.

The evergreen oils are freqently very pleasing to men. Black and Hemlock Spruce, Balsam Fir, Juniper and Pine essential oils are centering and inspiring to the mind and emotions. Diffusing these oils alone or in combination creates a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere, and many find these aromas help motivate them in completing otherwise arduous tasks at home or in the office.

What follows are a few recipes for uplifting and releasing depressed emotional states - use your intuition to find the right one. Most often in the therapeutic use of essential oils, the oil or blend you find most attractive will be the one that serves you best. Don’t be afraid to try new things, have fun, and enjoy yourself!. These blends may be used in a diffuser or in a massage base at 5% concentration (unless where a carrier oil is indicated) - blends with carriers are intended specifically for aromatherapy massage.

• For opening the heart:
  1 part Rose 3 parts Sandalwood 1 part Sweet Orange or Bergamot; also 3 parts Jasmine, 1 part Ylang Ylang, 1 part Sandalwood.
• For invigorating and inspiring:
  3parts Bergamot, 1 part Ylang Ylang, 1 part Grapefruit; also 2 parts Bergamot, 2 parts Clary Sage, 1 part Frankincense; also 3 parts Bergamot or Sweet Orange, 2 parts Clary Sage 2 parts
  Frankincense; also 1 part Lemon 1 part either Jasmine or Neroli.
• For nourishing or ‘comforting’:
  1 part (Roman) Chamomile 1 part Vanilla 10 parts in the carrier oil of choice.
• For uplifting and softening with a floral and earthy aroma:
  1 part Neroli 1 part Vanilla 1 part Orange 1 part Sandalwood; also 1 part Chamomile 1 part Bergamot 1 part Helichrysum.
• For depression with negativity, try Bergamot, Chamomile, Helichrysum, Neroli, Orange, or Spikenard.
• If there is a marked lack of joy, try Rose, Jasmine, Melissa, Patchouli, Rosemary or Ylang Ylang.
• If over-thinking and worry are causing blockage, try Cardamom, Frankincense, Lemon, Marjoram, Myrrh or Vetiver.
• For overwhelming regret and remorse, try: Clary Sage, Cypress, or Pine.
• For inability to cope with overwhelming situations, try: Rose Geranium, Ginger, Juniper or Thyme.

While aromatherapy can provide support in many cases, it may not be the answer for everyone. Seek professional assistance in any case where one is losing the will to live, or any other seemingly impossible situation. Aromatherapy has few contraindications, and can be used effectively as an adjunct to other treatments; one should consult their care giver to ensure there are no contraindications with any prescribed medication.

About the author:
More information on a great variety of aromatherapy applications is available at the author’s website: http://www.anandaapothecary.com/essential-oils.html

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/cuorhome/6331840/

A Funny Thing Happened
Not long ago, I was riding my bike on a familiar trail near my home. I was deeply engrossed in possible topics for articles downloadable from our Natural Healing Tools web site.

The trail is about 20 miles long. Three to four miles of it run under large power lines towering over the path. Suddenly, it hit me - the topic of my next article. EMF! That buzzing sound overhead was coming from those power lines just above me. No, I couldn’t see the field of energy emanating from the lines, but I sure could sense that I was passing through an area I wasn’t comfortable with. Then, I remembered that I usually picked up my pace a little when I reached this stretch of trail, probably out of a sense of self-preservation.

Trying to not overreact, I remember thinking, “Hey, what you can’t see won’t hurt you…right?” I thought a little longer, then got the hell out’a there!

Over the last several years, I’ve speculated about the numbers of artificial energy sources - sources of EMF, or Electromagnetic Fields - that fill our environment. I, perhaps like you, question just how safe places like the path under the power lines are, despite overt signs of harm. Here’s where I come down on the subject of EMF. Just my opinion, but based on a growing body of hard evidence and many hours of in-depth investigation.

A Little About EMF
As a kid, I remember learning that our Sun, Earth and other bodies naturally radiate electromagnetic energy of varying frequencies and intensities. Perhaps you’ve experienced the low electromagnetic frequencies generated by a lightning storm - you can feel the lightening.

Our sun is a natural source of EMF. We’re told to use sunscreen to protect us from UV radiation. The Northern Lights are actually solar radiation colliding with the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. Without the protection of the atmosphere we would be bombarded with harmful, much more intense and potentially fatal radiation.

But these are natural sources of electromagnetic radiation and there’s only so much we can do about them. What about the new forms of artificially generated radiation? Modern technology has introduced countless new sources of electromagnetic radiation.

Some estimates suggest that humankind today is subjected to 100 to 200 million times more electro-magnetic radiation than our distant ancestors. One hundred to 200 million times more! How can that possibly be good for us? The sources? Those power lines I mentioned earlier, but also computers, TV’s, radio towers, cell phones and microwave ovens, to name just a few.

One recognized authority on the subject of EMF, Robert O. Becker, states in his book “Cross Currents” (pg.188), “We have now almost reached a state in which the entire electromagnetic spectrum has been filled up with man-made frequencies. Our electric-power systems oscillates (operates) at 50 or 60 times per second (50 - 60 Hz), just above the highest naturally occurring frequency of 30 Hz. Our microwave beams operate at billions of times per second and are getting even closer to the trillion-cycle frequencies of visible light. We have filled the previously empty electromagnetic spectrum between these two extremes with man-made radiation that never existed before on Earth. And we did it in less than eighty years.”

Here’s the problem.
We’re the guinea pigs! In a sense, we have been silently recruited to participate in some ongoing experiment that will impact us long-term in ways we can only imagine. Only through the outspoken concern of people and groups has the issue of what many call “electropollution” been brought to the forefront.

According to Becker, there is a growing body of scientific evidence showing that exposure to man-made electromagnetic fields results in significant abnormalities in the physiology and function of living organisms. The potential risks to human health, he says, are well documented.

In his book “The Body Electric” (pg.327), Becker states, “Three dangers of EMF overshadow all others. The first has been conclusively proven: ELF, electromagnetic fields vibrating at about 30 to 100 hz, even if they are weaker than the earth’s field, interfere with the cues that keep our biological cycles properly timed; chronic stress and impaired disease resistance result. Second, the available evidence strongly suggests that regulation of cellular growth processes is impaired by electropollution, increasing cancer rates and producing serious reproductive problems. Electromagnetic weapons constitute a third class of hazards culminating in climactic manipulation from a sorcerer’s-apprentice level of ignorance.”

So, what are the implications?
Let’s look at what’s known. All of those electrical devices with which we surround ourselves - office machines, computers and other devices that get plugged into a wall socket - all operate at a frequency of 60Hz. The huge power lines that cover over 500,000 miles across the United States operate at 60Hz. Studies show that these 60 Hz frequencies (ELF, extremely low frequency) have damaging effects on all life forms of life. These frequencies are suspected of contributing to or even causing depression, suicides, psychosis, cancer, leukemia and a number of other physical and mental problems. Scientific evidence also indicate these frequencies can influence our genetic material during cell division, possibly linking chronic exposure to the origins of cancer (Becker, above).

Then there are those devices that operate at the other end of the electromagnetic spectrum, like our cell phones. Cell phones use microwaves that oscillate at billions of times per second. What are the long-term effects of using devices that operate at billions of time per second? We simply don’t know. This is an area that is much less understood. What can we do to protect ourselves? Here’s what I do and don’t do. Again, this is what I think and believe based on compelling scientific evidence and hundreds of hours of investigation. Follow your conscience.

* Don’t position your electric clock radio in close proximity to your head.

* Minimize all electrical devices in your bedroom.

* If you sleep with an electric blanket, turn it on before you get in bed and unplug it when you get in. Never keep it on while sleeping.

* Avoid waterbed heaters.

* Sit at least arms length away from your computer.

* Stay back from appliances when running - microwave, electric range, all of them.

* The larger your TV screen the further back you should sit (a readily available hand held meter will test EMF and help you determine how far back you should be).

* Stay at least ½ miles away from TV or radio towers.

* Avoid long conversations on cell phones and always wear an earpiece (above 2 minutes has shown alterations in electrical activity of the brain for at least 1 hr. after use.)

* Don’t wear your cell phone on your belt or in a pocket while it is on (you are still absorbing radiation)

* Use a landline instead of your cell phone whenever possible.

* Limit your time spent under fluorescent lights (they produce much different magnetic fields compared with incandescent bulbs.

* Before you buy a home have it tested for high levels of EMF.

* Consider proper grounding of household wiring.

* Use protective devices that have been tested in areas where there is increased EMF exposure (workplace, home, vehicle).

In the meantime ………
We’re just now beginning to understand how electromagnetic fields affect living organisms. More hard knowledge and wider awareness are needed to help us make wise choices and ensure a safe future of the generations to come. We continue to see newer advances in technology that outpace the research being done to warn us of potential dangers. Most people continue to enjoy the comforts of these new technologies but never think about the consequences of using them.

The choice to use or not use these new devices and how often or long to use them is an individual one. I’m unwilling to let the never-ending new sources of EMF work their way into my home, my car, my clothing and my work area without questioning and limiting my exposure to them. For my money, no exposure and very limited exposure is the way to go. Until there are uniform guidelines based on hard scientific evidence about how much and how long are safe for each type of device, I choose to do without or do with less.

It’s time we stop letting ourselves be guinea pigs. It’s time we start insisting that those elected or appointed to protect us do their job. It’s time to find out what is and isn’t happening to us after hours, days, weeks, months and years of exposure.

Looking for a little protection from the harmful effects of EMF? Check out the Circuit Sweeper on our Natural Healing Tools.com web site. For heavy EMF conditions the Circuit Sweeper’s 12 Pointed Resonator adds a protective broadcast to the area surrounding the Circuit Sweeper, giving you two sweeps in one unit. I have them in my home.

About the Author:

James P. Urban DC is the president of Natural Healing Tools Inc., a company providing health and wellness tools and current up-to-date information geared towards a healthy lifestyle.

Buy the Book: EMF Balancing Techniques

Visit A Much Better Health Store

Imagine feeling great, having tons of energy, and enjoying incredible health all the time. If you eat the following healthy, great-tasting foods regularly (while avoiding unhealthy processed foods and sugar) you will be amazed at how incredible you’ll feel. Try it for a week and see what happens!

Almonds
Possibly the healthiest nut in the world, almonds are packed with good stuff like protein, fiber, magnesium, calcium, iron, vitamin E and monounsaturated fat. Eating a handful of raw almonds every day will boost your energy and help to lower your “bad” cholesterol levels.

Broccoli
When it comes to healthy vegetables, it’s tough to beat broccoli. This delicious green veggie has been shown to help prevent numerous health problems and will provide you with everything from fiber to calcium to cancer-fighting phytonutrients!

Red Beans
Red bean varieties (such as pinto beans and red kidney beans) are great sources of healthy protein, fiber, and antioxidants. They’re also full of important minerals like iron and magnesium. Beans are powerful “prevention” foods that have been shown to help fight cancer, stroke and heart disease. Plus, due to their high-fiber content, they’re great for anyone trying to lose weight and keep hunger in check.

Sweet Potatoes
Forget plain white potatoes. They’re simply not that healthy. Start eating great-tasting sweet potatoes and you’ll get a huge boost of beta-carotene, vitamin C, fiber and B vitamins. Plus, sweet potatoes rank much lower on the glycemic index than white potatoes so they’re less likely to spike your insulin and blood sugar levels (which can make your body store extra fat and zap your energy).

Salmon
This high-fat fish is one of the healthiest types of animal protein you can eat. It’s got the important omega-3 fatty acids everyone needs for optimal health and disease prevention. Always remember to choose grilled fish (not fried!) and, when possible, choose wild salmon as it is less likely to contain high levels of mercury.

Blueberries
All berries are healthy, but blueberries may be at the top of the list in terms
of ounce-for-ounce nutrition. These nutrient-dense fruits are loaded with powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals, not to mention fiber and healthy carbohydrates. If you want to stay young, there may be no better “anti-aging” food than blueberries … so eat a handful every day!

Apples
The common apple is an incredibly powerful health food. Apples contain lots of important vitamins and minerals, including significant amounts of vitamin C. But the apple’s most important nutrient may be pectin, a type of fiber shown to help lower cholesterol levels, maintain healthy blood glucose levels, and even help you lose body fat. The other great thing about apples is that they’re very portable and can be used as a quick snack just about anywhere you go.

Jamie Clark is a long-time health writer and is co-editor of FreshHealthyUseful.com. For more useful health news and articles, be sure to visit http://www.freshhealthyuseful.com/ .

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/2231159/

“Affirmations: Your Passport to Happiness” by Anne Marie Evers is a powerful book that changes lives by focusing on the affirming power of words and images for health, wealth and happiness.

By using simple exercises and specific affirmations, Evers shows readers how to generate money, attract the ideal partner, lose weight, find the perfect career, create vibrant health and overcome fears. She encourages readers to move past negative habits, unhealthy relationships and personal limitations to fulfill their highest potential. For myself, this book opened up a floodgate of possibilities that I had never been open to before.

In “Affirmations: Your Passport to Happiness”, Evers describes how thoughts work and encourages others to examine their thoughts. Although thoughts can be stimulated by outside influences, Evers believes that it is the individual’s own mental and emotional reactions to these stimuli that create beliefs, concepts and, eventually, their reality.

“When you think of yourself as a victim of circumstance, you are narrowing your focus. You could miss out on blessings all around you,” she writes in her book. “Never allow negative thoughts of others to keep you from fulfilling your desire. Let others who choose to be negative live their lives as they wish. You cannot change others, but you can change how you view them and thus change your feelings about them. Often that person will sense the change in you and undergo change as well,”

As an example of how powerful the mind is, Evers mentions the placebo effect. She writes about an American study where one hundred people with an illness received a sugar pill. They were told that the pill contained a powerful new medicine that would cure them. As a result of taking the sugar pill, one-third of the patients got better! The only reason behind their miraculous recovery was that those people believed they were going to get better.

“The subconscious mind sent biochemical messages to their bodies that told the healing process to go full speed ahead, and it did. They were brought back to 100% health. Trigger by their doctor’s suggestion that they were receiving a new cure, they unknowingly tapped into their subconscious minds to unleash the potent healing ability of their own bodies,” she wrote.

Alberta born Evers has worked in the personal growth field for the past thirty years, teaching others about the power of affirmations, creative visualization, reflexology, meditation and yoga. Today, she receives letters and testimonials from readers all over the world that have been touched by her book.

As a freelance columnist and writer who lectures and conducts workshops in related subjects, Evers is quickly spreading the word about the life-changing power of affirmations.

“Whenever Anne Marie appears as a guest on my show, I get numerous phone calls and letters from viewers saying how her teachings on affirmations have transformed their lives and given them the tools and confidence to go out and do something,” wrote David Ingram, host of The David Ingram Show on Channel 4, North Vancouver B.C.

After I read Evers book, I carried it around with me for weeks to show friends and family affirmations that might be of help. I created affirmations of my own and am looking forward to seeing what results.

If you are ready for a positive change in your life, pick up this little green book and visit Evers’ web site at http://www.affirmations-media.com/. Then prepare to lead a truly wonderful life.

Jamie Leggatt is a freelance writer from White Rock, B.C., Canada. After keeping her struggle with depression a secret for nearly 15 years, she is now finding meaning and purpose by sharing her story with others. She founded the Canadian Depression Support Network to help others find information and support they need at www.depressionsupport.ca. Also, her blog, “Fighting the Darkness: My Secret Battle with Depression”, www.fightingthedarkness.blogspot.com, is where she shares her personal challenges and victories over depression.

About the Author:

Jamie Leggatt is a freelance writer from White Rock, B.C., Canada. After keeping her struggle with depression a secret for nearly 15 years, she is now finding meaning and purpose by sharing her story with others. She founded the Canadian Depression Support Network to help others find information and support they need at www.depressionsupport.ca. Also, her blog, “Fighting the Darkness: My Secret Battle with Depression”, www.fightingthedarkness.blogspot.com

Buy the Book: Affirmations: Your Passport to Happiness
Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/ldcross/2164848567/

I hope that reading the title of this article got your attention. We are going to talk about energy management. You heard it right: I have used the big word ENERGY. I know you are probably thinking to yourself right now: “Here we go. She’s going to start talking about some esoteric concepts that don’t mean anything to me.”

Let me tell you that isn’t going to be the case. My intention here is to demystify the esoteric concept of energy from a simple and practical standpoint.

Here is what we will touch upon:

• What does it mean to be an energetic being?
• How to manage your energy in the way that works for you.
• How to recognize an “energy drain.”
• What is the difference between spending versus investing your energy.
• How to protect yourself from energy vampires.
• How food affects your energy.
• What to do to feel more energized and alive in your life.
• Tools and resources you can use to affect your energy levels and also to protect yourself.

Since this would be too much information to cover in one article, and I also don’t want you to go to sleep while reading this, I’m dividing it into two parts. The first part we will talk about managing your energy. The second part will cover how to protect your energy and tools you can use, and will be discussed in the next issue of Live Your Life.

Let’s start from the beginning. Why am I the person you should listen to? I don’t think you SHOULD do anything in your life. Yes you heard me right. However, if what I’m saying is making sense to you and you feel attracted to it, then by all means read and draw your own conclusions about what I’m sharing with you. I always believe in questioning and trying things for yourself. Otherwise, how will you find your own way in life? This is my platform to share my own experiences with you and what I have learned through those experiences.

So if you are still with me, here we go:

The first time that I was introduced to the concept of energy was when I was 20 years old. Coming from a conventional medicine background you can imagine my response to the energy concept. (Too bad you can’t see my face, because it would be so much easier to show you than to describe what that looked like back in the day.) It was kind of the same thing as talking about UFOs. Not something I ever knew about, had no tangible experience with, and on top of everything, I was coming from a very rigid place, which was, “If I can’t see it, smell it, or touch it, then it must not exist.” Does that sound at all familiar to you? I had 1,000 questions and I wanted to understand it NOW! I was functioning from my intellect and that is where I stayed most of the time. Why? Because that is where I was comfortable.

Here is the reason: There were events in my childhood so painful and overwhelming that at one point in my life I disconnected from my emotions.

The result was me disowning a very essential and important part of myself–my sense of knowing. Call it intuition. I found out years later emotions are your essential connector to your intuition.

Pointer #1: It is usually challenging to believe in something that you never had a tangible experience with (and know that it exists).

Pointer #2: If at some point in your life (due to overwhelming events) you disconnected from your emotions (which by the way most of us do), your sense of knowing (intuition) is greatly diminished or masked.

That is why lots of folks are having a hard time relating to the concept of energy. We don’t operate in those terms in our lives, on a day-to-day basis. However, that doesn’t mean energy doesn’t exist and it doesn’t affect our lives just because we don’t believe in it.

Nowadays, it has been scientifically proven at the base of everything is energy. We are energetic beings that vibrate at certain speeds. The sooner you’ll get this concept, the better off you’ll be.

Pointer #3: You are in charge of your vibration.

However, if you don’t know that, aren’t aware of the energy concept and the practical application of it in your life, you most likely are the victim of your environment and people around you. What do I mean?

Everything you interact with on a day-to-day basis (be it people, things you do, or behavioral patterns you engage in) influences your energy levels and how you function in the world. So how do you recognize an energy drain?

Here are some things to look for:

1. People you talk to or interact with (in person or on the phone), afterwards you feel tired and drained (people who complain a lot, people you look at and don’t feel right about, people who always just want to talk about themselves and their tragedies, etc.).
2. Places and circumstances that leave you feeling tired (places with a lot of people like subways at rush hour, movie theaters or shopping malls, places where violent things have happened–like the Twin Towers, etc.).
3. The food you eat–especially processed foods (those that come prepared in a boxes and cans, pizzas, hamburgers, chips, things you put into the microwave, sugar in any form, eating lots of red meat, and potatoes, overeating, etc.), after you eat them your energy greatly decreases.
4. Doing more than you can handle physically and emotionally, going to extremes.
5. Always taking care of others and not having time for yourself.
6. Mostly “doing” instead of “being.”
7. Having unresolved emotional residue from the past (like childhood trauma, things you had a hard time dealing with, etc.). These things create energetic weight you carry around and make it harder to deal with things on a day-to-day basis. Basically you expend twice as much energy.
8. Excessive use of alcohol, coffee, or other substances including medications and recreational drugs. Energetically they create a gunk in your system and put you out of your body, so the more you use them, it becomes increasingly harder to function in life and be present with what’s going on. They decrease your vibration.
9. EMF (electro magnetic frequency). This is a low vibration frequency that most of us are exposed to on a day-to-day basis from TV, microwave, computers, cell phones, fluorescent lighting, energy plants (nuclear or hydroelectric), airplanes, anything you plug into an electric socket (hairdryers, toasters, etc.).

In closing our talk about energy management, let me tell you how a combination of some of these or all of these things can result in your life.

• Loss of physical energy
• Being tired a lot
• Feeling overwhelmed in life
• Feeling depressed
• Low sex drive
• Reoccurring physical symptoms like eye strain, headaches, backaches
• What’s the point attitude
• Having hard time focusing
• Sleeping disturbances
• Inability to relax
• Inability to fully enjoy life
• Various physical and emotional ailments

Stay tuned for part two, where we will talk about ways to protect your energy and tools that have helped me that you can use to help yourself and take charge of your life.

Enjoy and don’t forget to have fun!

Click here to read Have More Energy - Part two

If you would like to use this article for your own e-zine, not a problem; however, you MUST include the following for the attribution block: Copyright © 2006 Erika Gombosova, Emotional Healing and Self-Discovery Coach, and LiveYourLife.us. Erika helps people process their emotional trauma in a safe environment, helping them to develop more energy, clarity, confidence, improve relationships with themselves and others, improve physical appearance, and help them to live life more fully. Learn more about Erika and Live Your Life, visit www.liveyourlife.us.

About the Author:
Erika Gombosova is an Emotional and Self-Discovery Coach. Based on her own business and life experiences, Erika has discovered there are certain elements (what she calls the inner game) that get in the way of succeeding and moving forward in business and in life. She designed the Self Reclaiming System, which helps women entrepreneurs to move past their old programming and internal limitations to create the successful businesses and live

Purchase the book: Why Am I So Grumpy, Dopey and Sleepy?

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/gre/30926646/

This technique is a step by step guide that combines self-hypnosis and some self-inner guidance with the idea of balancing your chakras. Now it is not really important to know what your chakras are - in brief, they are regarded as central energy points in your body in Eastern medicine and philosophy. They have certain colors associated with them that are going to be integrated into this technique within your mind.

I know it made me feel wonderfully energized, refreshed and very well balanced afterwards.

Step One:
Find a place where you are not going to be disturbed for a while and allow you eyelids to close. Imagine that as you close your eyelids, they melt and relax into your face and begin to send relaxation throughout your body.

Create some expectation; we all know how hypnotic expectation is, don’t we? Tell yourself that in a few moments you’re going to enter one of the most relaxed states that you’ve ever known.

You can take yourself into self-hypnosis (if you don’t know how, go get my book) or use any good meditation technique or relaxation strategy that you know. Take a few moments to focus on your breathing and engage in the moment. Notice what you are thinking and feeling.

Step Two:
Using your imagination, begin now to sense that you are floating on a soft cloud, almost like it is a mist that is gentle, soft, and completely supportive. It melds and molds itself to the exact contours of your body, imagine that you settle deeply into it and take sufficient time to really develop that comfort.

Imagine that the cloud is a beautiful, soft yet strong, strawberry red color. Imagine that the wonderful red mist gently envelops your entire being. Sense that it is bathing you in a soft and gentle relaxation.

Let that red mist move throughout your body, drawing away anything unwanted, leaving you in a soft, peaceful state. Imagine that red color in each and every cell of your being. Let that red mist sink into the very depths of the center of your mind.

Spread that red all through you, reaching all the way down to the tips of your toes, all the way down to the very tips of your fingers and feel yourself in harmony with this natural red color as your body is feeling more and more balanced and alive.

Let the red mist focus around the base of your spine. Maybe you can even imagine that your spine vibrates in harmony with red and the entire area of the lower back and spine goes into a total relaxation. When you really engage in doing this, you can create some magnificent sensations.

Imagine and sense that you are in tune with nature and all of nature is in tune with you. Breathe that red, gentle mist in and now allow a little, tiny red bird to gently glide around you, wrapping your body in a soft, red, blanket of balance and relaxation.

If you are not a fan of birds, then you can of course imagine anything else - angels or a loved one, or that the blanket wraps itself around you unaided. Choose what suits you personally.

Step Three:
Having done this inside your mind, next up imagine floating on a soft, almost peach-like orange color. Allow yourself to be in harmony with this orange (just as you were with the red) and right around the area of your abdomen there is an energy center that vibrates with this color of orange.

Allow this orange mist to bring this gentle softness, this natural awareness to your body and feel it almost like a sponge, absorbing and releasing anything you might need to let go of, bathing you in a soft mist of peace, relaxation and comfort. Feel and sense anything unwanted being absorbed into the mist from all the parts of your body.

Allow this orange to penetrate your body and give you peace and comfort, feel the freedom as you do this. Feel yourself relaxing more and more as this orange mist flows in and around all the parts of your abdomen. Then in whatever way you feel resonates with you the best, imagine a little orange ribbon gliding gently and gently carrying the mist over and around and through your body, your body wonderfully at ease and relaxed. Take enough time to really enjoy doing this.

Step Four:
Now in your mind’s eye imagine yourself floating on a yellow mist, the soft color of lemon, beautiful, lemon yellow right there in the center of your chest.

Take all the time you need to really be in harmony with this color of yellow and the middle area of your body and the center of your chest is relaxing more and more as you can imagine that area has an energy center that vibrates to the color yellow. Breathe in the soft yellow mist, the comfort of that gentle softness with each breath that you take really let it flow throughout you now, let it move through your entire being.

Allow your body to be at peace as the yellow mist eases and soothes your body.

Imagine that all of nature is in tune with this yellow and you are in tune with nature. Feel the freedom of the atmosphere that you are creating in your mind.

As we did previously, now imagine a silky ribbon of yellow, floating gently around you, wrapping the mist of balance and awareness around your body with a blanket of gentle, soothing tranquility.

Breathe in the yellow velvety mist as it bathes you in a sea of peace, taking all the time you need to sense deep comfort.

Step Five:
Imagine that you are floating on a green mist, actually begin to see, sense, imagine and feel a green mist all around you, absorbing into your skin, feeling immersed, enveloped in that green mist, a beautiful color of green. Green as lush grass.

And as you breathe in this soft, green mist the gentle softness is all around your heart, and you feel your heart begin to relax all around that area, all the way up to the area of your throat. As you relax imagine that you can feel your heart opening, opening and connecting with the world around you.

Imagine that your chest and your heart area vibrates now to the color of green and feel the peace and the relaxation that that brings. Begin to feel this green bringing the relaxation all through your body, gentle softness, this wonderful green color.

Anything unwanted around your heart is being absorbed by that green, floating it away, drawing it away, leaving only peace, balance and comfort in its place. Each time that you breathe in the mist of the green, imagine and feel your body becoming even more limp, loose, safe, and comfortable.

Feel the green cleansing and freeing you, allowing your body to work in perfect harmony with nature just as it was intended to do. Then imagine a soft, silky green ribbon, floating around you… as with the previous steps.

Step Six:
Ok, so now just imagine yourself floating on a mist of blue. Just engage your mind in that idea that you are gently floating peacefully on this beautiful blue color. While doing that, allow your throat and your neck relax all the way up through the back of your neck and your throat and your neck are feeling calm and relaxed.

Breathe in the blue air and feel it drifting and floating throughout your entire body. Allow this gentle blue mist to draw up and soften and balance all the muscles in your body. Think that your body is at peace as the blue mist works through it and soothes it.

Imagine that the blue mist carries takes away anything unwanted, leaving only comfort, ease and safety.

Once again, imagine that all of nature is in tune with blue and you are in tune with nature. Your body has been perfectly designed to work in harmony with nature and so let all the natural processes of just ‘being’ occur for you while you are doing this.

Feel the comfort increasing within you as the blue mist fills every cell and every muscle and now imagine that silky ribbon, floating around your body, gently touching your body with a blanket of blue mist, bathing you in a sea of total relaxation.

Step Seven:
Finally, imagine yourself floating on a misty cloud of violet, a beautiful violet-rosy color, a very soft combination that creates a nice lavender color.

Imagine that the soft color of violet, that very soft purple, penetrates your body and allow yourself to go deeper into your own mind. Imagine that you draw this purple into your body. Feel that beautiful color bringing you serenity and peace.

Ensure that you feel safe and comfortable on this beautiful soft purple mist. Tune into nature, tune into this natural feeling with this violet color you are in and begin to breathe in the gentle violet mist. Breathe it in and feel the muscles of your mind working in harmony with the way that nature intended.

Feel yourself totally relaxed, feeling the wonderful things that are happening within your body at this moment.

Step Eight:
Now inside your mind, imagine a combination of all the colors you have been thinking of throughout this technique form a rainbow and surround you. Imagine that they combine to form a beautiful white light, purifying, cleansing, filling your body and your mind with the glorious sense of comfort, rejuvenation and balance.

Right there at the top of your head, bring that light in, a beautiful clear bright light, floating all the way down through your entire body, filling all the spaces between all of the cells, bringing you the comfort of knowing that you deserve to have the experience of a peaceful, balanced, energized life.

Step Nine:
Now allow yourself to be completely immersed in this beautiful rainbow of the energy of life, you allow your mind and your body to be very receptive, very open to creating the experience that you want and that you deserve.

Bask in the colors for as long as you like.

Step Ten:
When you are ready, you can allow yourself to come back to the awareness of the place that you are in. Tell yourself that when you open your eyes, you feel very balanced, very balanced and energized. Then open your eyes, wiggle your fingers and toes, reacquaint with your surroundings and enjoy being more balanced and refreshed.

Take some time to really balance yourself and get recharged in this way - it is so lovely to do so. Even if you think that chakras are nothing more than new age hocus pocus, this is still a wonderful exercise that is very relaxing and energizing. You don’t have to believe in something for it to be real.

Author: Adam Eason
About the author: Adam Eason is a UK based, renowned consultant, speaker and best-selling author. Please visit his website for a vast range of personal development resources and to receive your amazing free, instantly downloadable hypnosis session for ultimate relaxation and the sensational free ebook ‘The Happy Brain Manual’ filled with techniques, tips and strategies to make more of your brain: http://www.adam-eason.com Thank you.