Meditation Guide for Beginners: 6 Tips to Quiet Your Mind

Are you craving for inner peace and stress free life? Or are there times when you wish to ask your mind to ‘Shut Up’ or ease up so that you can enjoy the present moment. Then meditation could exactly provide what you want. Meditation is the art of focusing and this art comes with practice. But sadly not all are able to do it as beginners find it difficult to get the thoughts out of mind. The drone of recurring thoughts and endless planning get in the way of meditating.

If you are also not able to focus your attention, here are some techniques that you can use to calm the chattering mind.

1.  Practice Makes Perfect: When you decide to practice meditation, don’t give it up. Don’t take it lightly just as another New Year resolution. With time and practice it will become easier for you to quiet the mind and enter into the state of relaxation. Start for five minutes a day and this will assure you stay on the right track.

2.  Focus On The Breath: Close your eyes and feel the breathing going in and out of the nostrils or feel your belly or chest raising and falling. Place your hand on the belly and focus and once you feel that you can feel the breath, remove your hands from the body. Just let your breath flow naturally and with time it will deepen or slow down. This in turn reduces the heart rate and relaxes the muscles.

3.  Choose a Comfortable Posture: The sitting posture also makes a difference while meditating. Ensure that you are comfortable, relaxed and steady so that your mind doesn't wander. It is best to sit straight with the spine erect and keep the neck and shoulders relaxed. It is important to keep the eyes closed throughout the meditation process.

4.  Know Your Purpose: Beginners need to understand that meditation is an Active process and is an art to focus on a single point to ensure that you are purposefully engaged. This is because not everyone has the same reason to meditate. You might meditate to visualize the goals, to improve creativity, to quiet the mind, to reach the real self or get rid of negative approaches. Having the clearer goals helps you engage purposefully.

5.  A Cozy Meditation Space: It is very important to have a quiet and peaceful place when you begin to meditate. Make the area pleasant by adding a scented candle, flowers or incense sticks, put you at ease instantly. Also, try and meditate in a dim lit room as it is easy to quiet the mind in dim light.

6.  No Disturbances: Most beginners ignore the fact that it is important to create a perfect peaceful condition. If you have it in the back of your mind that phone might ring, baby will get up or pressure cooker might whistle then you will not be able to enter the state of deep relaxation. So, ensure that the phone is on silent mode and there is no urgent task to handle. The best time is to meditate early morning when the mind is not cluttered with the usual stuff and the chances of being disturbed are also less.

Beginners must remember that focusing initially is very hard so don’t berate yourself. All beginners experience the inner chatter. But with the above practices you will slowly be able to focus.

Why Men Hate Shopping?

You are in a relationship and trying to plan for the weekend? One piece of advice that can prove to be beneficial is that avoid shopping at all costs. Research shows that men get bored of shopping just after 26 minutes. Men really don’t like the crowded malls, the indecisiveness of what to shop and the constant fear of being suckered into buying stuff that you really don’t want or like, are just a few reasons why men are not keen on shopping. 

All guys groan the mere idea of heading to the mall and especially with the women. The mere idea of trying the clothes, wandering aimlessly and carrying loads of bags to the car most of which are not there, is not liked by them at all. 

An evolutionary psychologist Daniel Kruger at the University of Michigan blames the genes for men to hate shopping. Kruger believes that men in the past were hunters so when they actually find the right specimen, whether a fish or a pair of shoes, they want to kill it and get it out before missing it. This explains the men’s behavior to leave the shopping mall as soon as possible.

And women were primarily the gathers so they feel the urge to check everything to make sure they get the best deal. Women feel the urge to go from shop to shop looking for the best of everything.  Like earlier, the women that returned with full basket had high social status and survived better.

So, next time when your husband or boyfriend doesn’t want to go out for shopping, don’t blame them. Rather, blame the genes. It is natural for them to prefer to spend the time with friends at a pub or watch the game or drink beer while watching the television.

How to Scout Photography Locations

There is a lot that goes into clicking a ‘perfect picture’. Amateur photographers do not realize that following simple, basic rules can get them a great snap. Pick out any random photo and you will come to realize that the most important factor that governs the outcome is - the location. The biggest challenge for scouting a location is to open your eyes to the light and possibility! You may come across a good location anywhere and anytime; while taking a simple walk, on a drive or even by observing your backyard. The real test for you is to put your imagination at work and visualizing your subject in the surroundings.

• Start your hunt by locating a spot which is not very complicated, simplicity is the key. Complex locations draw interest away from the subject, it distracts ones attention away from the main subject. A simple but solid background will help your capture an engaging picture. While scouting, try to hunt for a location which has a universal appeal, which allows the area to match virtually any shoot. The photography location should be such that it contains multiple areas to shoot within it, as it is difficult to pose for multiple shots with the same background. You must also consider the color and texture of the location, a great contrast compliments an awesome photograph


• The real secret of finding the right location is the way in which you utilize the natural light or to be more specific, the sun pattern. Examine the effects of light at the time of your shoot and see how the location looks on the camera. Another vital point of consideration which is ignored by many is, safety. For outdoor shoots, one must be careful to inspect every aspect of the location thoroughly. Safety of the subject should be a top priority for you. And lastly, the most important aspect is - attention to detail. Don’t leave out the little things because they add up to make the photograph unique. It is the little things in a photo that set it apart.


• An interesting exercise to scout locations for photography is a “photowalk”.  Photowalk is simply taking photographs while walking. This will not only make your photography stronger but also prepare a valuable library of photos and locations for you. Actively shooting photographs during your lookout gives you the opportunity to connect better with the area. You get a clearer picture of the effects of natural light on the site, which you can later optimize and utilize for your shoot. Photowalk will provide you with a pool of snaps which you can calmly study and decide which spots can be used for your subject. 

      After you have done your research, your efforts will be rewarded with a well rehearsed, quick photo shoot; while capturing the essence, making the most of your scouted location.

Sulphur Dioxide: The Silent Disease

Our eating habits have taken a huge beating from increased stress levels, hectic lifestyles, and reduced me-time. Prepackaged foods are a boon when you get home and want to simply crash on the sofa, but relying on them too often can be detrimental to your health. It is absolutely crucial to eat a healthy mix of foods, and be aware of what is being consumed, after you are what you eat! Many prepackaged and processed foods contain chemical constituents and additives to increase their longevity and taste. Over time, as these accumulate in your body, it can severely impact your health. This is why you should always read the ingredient listing on the back of the product, before consuming it.

Sulphur dioxide is one chemical agent that is frequently ingested into the body. Many research studies have demonstrated that over time, it can lead to many health problems.

Foods that may contain sulphur dioxide

Sulphur dioxide may be found in a wide variety of everyday fruits such as burger meats, dried fruits, sugar, and breakfast sausages. It is also commonly used to preserve food products, thereby extending shelf life, and preventing the growth of microorganisms. As a preservation agent, it prevents the browning reaction which occurs in certain foods.

Sulphur dioxide can be found in sugar and sugar-containing food products. Most loose sugar we purchase at the grocery store is refined using a process that requires sulphur dioxide.

Impact of sulphur on the body

Regular consumption of sulphur may cause bronchoconstriction, a medical condition where the airways constrict in the lungs. A thin mucus layer covers the passageway from the nose to terminal bronchioles, keeping it moist. Transporting this mucus from the lung is called mucociliary transport. Sulphur dioxide is implicated in many bronchial disorders such as cystic fibrosis, and bronchial asthma. Excess levels of sulphur dioxide from regular consumption of foods which contain the chemical, leads to an impairment in clearing mucus, and therefore leads to a persistent cough. The presence of sulphur dioxide forms acid, which will increase the cough’s viscosity. This makes it difficult for asthmatics to expel cough which is produced in the airways.

The airflow in your air passages may become restricted from excessive mucus production or inflammation, which leads to an allergic reaction. The irritation caused from the mechanical friction in the air is another factor. Sulphur dioxide is an allergen, and is known to cause allergic reactions in many individuals, especially those with asthma.

How to avoid intake of Sulphur dioxide

To lead a long and healthy lifestyle, avoid foods that contain sulphur. Try to purchase sugar that was refined using a sulphur-free method. Be sure to carefully check all food labels before consuming them. It is understandable that with a hectic lifestyle, convenience takes precedence. Also, the quantity of sulphur dioxide in dried fruits, beer and wine is quite high, so it is best to reduce their intake. If you cannot do without dried fruits then it is suggested to pick organic fruits where sulphur dioxide is not used as a preservative. But, remember these fruits will not last for long. Therefore, you need to freeze them to extend their shelf life.

Also, when buying food and beverage from the market, make sure you buy that are completely natural and contain no sulphur dioxide preservatives. Leading a healthy lifestyle may also require you to prioritize your time better, so that you are giving healthy eating its much deserved attention.

How I Made My Daughter’s Birthday Special with GiftsBunker.com

When you have a family it is extremely difficult to stay away from them. You are constantly flooded with their thoughts and are anxious to be home with them. It gets even more difficult when you go out on business tours and I just had a rather difficult experience of the same. 

 

Our wedding anniversary coincides with our daughter’s birthday and we really wanted to make her birthday special since it was the first time she was actually celebrating it. However, I had to fly to Chicago for some urgent business work a week before her birthday and I was not supposed to return for at least two weeks. I had no choice but to go. 

At the destination, my thoughts were full of my daughter and her party. The thought that I can do nothing more than simply wish she was even more distressing for me! Hey presto! That’s when I hit upon an idea. I decided to send my family back home a beautiful set of gifts online- although they were costly. Some research led me to GiftsBunker.com

This is an amazing site that offers coupons for almost everything from chocolate baskets to toys, clothing, fruits, sweets, etc. It was a huge relief to discover the site since I could send my family a huge cartload of gifts so that they do not miss me on my daughter’s birthday. Needless to say, my daughter had the most beautiful birthday ever. She got a special personalized storybook, rag doll and a blanket as gifts. I also ordered return gifts for her party- fifty chocolate baskets. Being our fifth anniversary, I ordered a silver watch for couples. My watch is still lying in the pack- I am yet to be home. 

While it was a pleasant surprise for them, the icing on the cake was that I did not overshoot my budget at all. All the gift items were available easily owing to the discount coupons.