Erin On The Side of Caution

Apple Cider Vinegar Saves Lives

Apple Cider Vinegar is one of the first natural health wonders I (and many others I'm sure) came across. I'll tell you why ACV is quite so wonderful and why its the latest natural health craze to take Pinterest by storm... It balances the pH levels of our bodies, this is the main reason so many hail it as the best thing since coconut oil. If the pH levels in our bodies are unbalanced it can lead to a poor immune system, unhealthy organisms flourishing, we can also end up with damaged tissue and organs. All this can lead to longer term illness such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis. Unfortunately our day to day lives tend to sway into highly acidic territory more often than we'd like because of this it is becoming ever more important to keep an eye on our pH levels. The constant use of technology, pesticides, excessive hormones from health/beauty products and in our food along with a high acid diet (you know lots of coffee, processed foods, alcohol, milk, butter or meats) puts a lot of pressure on our bodies. They start acting out we end up with;

Allergies, asthma or congestion
Fatigue
Frequent colds
Headaches
Inflammation
Joint and muscle pain
Skin problems
Ulcers
Weight gain

Any of this sounding familiar? I know I was suffering with some of those symptoms a year ago (that's when my natural health adventures began).

Not only will ACV keep you in balance it's also a great natural energy boost! Try this recipe every morning for a week and see how you feel! (Or alternatively just a tsp in water a day will help you on your way to a healthier happier you.)

Turns out it's also great for your hair and skin! I use a mixture of filter water and ACV as a revitalising hair rinse, great for dry ends or a dry itchy scalp!

If you fancy trying out a new face toner, just another thing it's great for and the smell of vinegar won't linger longer than about 5 minutes.

Any issues with fungal foot infections its anti fungal properties will have you wondering why you didn't try it sooner!

One bottle really does do it all!

Make sure if you do purchase some you buy ACV with the 'Mother', which just means the fermentation process has nurtured the good bacteria which is naturally occurring in the vinegar.

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In Meditation, Videos

Alan Watts - The Art of Meditation (Full Lecture)

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In Natural Remedies,

6 Scents That Can Transform Your Mood and Productivity

Aromatherapy probably isn't the first tool you think of to help boost your productivity and grow your business, but maybe it should be. Smell is the strongest of the senses and is best able to influence brain activity. Olfactory bulbs are part of the limbic system and directly connect to the areas of the brain that process emotion and learning."This is one of the reasons why so often something that we smell will trigger a memory or remind us of something or someone," says Beverley Hawkins, owner of the Vancouver-based West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy.

Essential oils not only help improve job performance but health, meaning employees are less likely to take sick time. "Essential oils have anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and using them in an environment where there are a lot of people can help to keep germs at bay," says Hawkins. Inhaling essential oils activates the hypothalamus – the area of the brain which sends messages to other parts of the body. "A simple inhalation of an aroma can cause many changes in the body," says Hawkins, including activating the immune system, affecting blood pressure and stimulating digestion.

You can still get the benefits of aromatherapy in a shared workspace without offending others. Just place a drop or two of an essential oil on a cotton ball and take a whiff when you need an energy boost. If you have a private office, add 1-6 drops to an electric diffuser or create a mister by adding a few drops of essential oils to a spray bottle filled with distilled water.

Or, for a group benefit, put a bowl of hot water with a few drops of essential oils in the middle of the table at your next brainstorming session.

Here are six scents that Hawkins recommends for boosting your productivity, mood and more at work:

1. Lemon. This scent promotes concentration and has calming and clarifying properties that are helpful when you're feeling angry, anxious or run down. Lemon also has antiviral and antibacterial properties and can help fight sore throats and colds by boosting the body's immune system and improving circulation.

2. Lavender. This essential oil has calming properties that help control emotional stress. Lavender has a soothing effect on nerves and can relieve nervous tension and depression as well as treat headaches and migraines.

3. Jasmine. Like lavender, jasmine it is also used to calm nerves, but this oil is also commonly used as an anti-depressant because of its uplifting capabilities that produce a feeling of confidence, optimism and revitalized energy.

4. Rosemary. This is the perfect Monday morning pick-me-up. In addition to improving memory retention, rosemary has stimulating properties that fight physical exhaustion, headaches and mental fatigue. "It's excellent to use in the mornings when one needs a bit of help getting going," says Hawkins. Rosemary can also be used topically to relieve muscular aches and pains.

5. Cinnamon. The stimulating properties in cinnamon can help fight mental fatigue and improve concentration and focus.

6. Peppermint. Try peppermint when brainstorming. An energy booster, this scent invigorates the mind, promotes concentration and stimulates clear thinking.

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In Wellbeing,

7 Signs That You Are not Taking Care of Yourself

Taking care of yourself is not selfish. Instead, it is very important if you think that you have lost yourself lately.

With the age of technology that we live in, everything is within reach: shopping, travelling, socializing and working. It’s almost impossible to switch off from work thanks to the smartphone, iPad and mac… not that we aren’t grateful for them, wonderful pieces of technology connecting us to the world. But with all this global connectivity we can feel disconnected with ourselves.

When is it time to start practicing self-care? Below are seven signs that you need to switch off and start to taking care of yourself for a little bit.

Negative emotions

When we take care of ourselves, we are showing ourselves love and compassion and to others. But when we are overstretched, overworked and running on fumes, that’s when the cracks start to form and we start to lose it. The smallest thing becomes the biggest issue in the world.

How do we fix it? Recognize these symptoms? Don’t give yourself a hard time. Take a step back from it all. If that means having a long hot soak, a shower with your favorite products, taking a yoga class or a solo latte on the weekend. Do something first to unwind, and then put a plan together. Decide to not answer emails when you leave the office or speak to your manager about leaving on time.

Tardiness

Tardiness does not always mean disorganized. If you are trying to do too many things, something will inevitably suffer. Whilst its great to help out others or be busy, if you take on too much you will end up putting pressure on yourself when you don’t get it down and if you are always late your friends, will feel like they aren’t valued.

How do we fix it? You need to be firm and learn to say no to things that you won’t get done on time. Take on smaller projects that either isn’t constrained by time or can be done at leisure. That way you are still feeling as though you are doing something but you aren’t continually late.

Sleeping or lack of it

Finding it hard to nod off or stay asleep can be indicative of many things. Not being able to sleep is often stress related. If you are a sufferer of anxiety attacks your mind and body is trying to tell you that something is wrong and it needs fixing.

How do we fix it? Firstly go for a walk and leave your phone at home. When you are back from your walk, make a list of all the things that are bothering, no matter how big or small. Prioritize the things that you can either finish or fix first, and work out a plan on how to get started on the remaining points. They might be slow burners but at least you have it written down and take some pressure off your mind.

Doing nothing

It’s a great feeling when you have a lot on but you are completing tasks with ease and speed. It’s very easy to burn ourselves if this is a continual cycle. What’s the point in living life if you don’t know if you are enjoying it? You have to have some time to do nothing if it’s lazing on the sofas with your cats, or just going for a walk or just having a sneaky lie in, doing nothing occasionally is a good thing!

How do we fix it? If you think seriously to start taking care of yourself, make sure you weekly have some time to yourself, from going for a walk, a pedicure or just lazing t home on a Sunday.

When life feels it’s getting too much

The title speaks for itself but when you constantly are feeling overwhelmed its time to sit down and see what it is that is making you uncomfortable.

How do we fix it? To fix this it’s all about the why. You need to step back, sit down and ask yourself why are you feeling this way.

Not enough of anything

Cooking, exercising, sleeping, and reflecting are some of the key things that make us happy humans. When we aren’t getting enough of any of them, it’s time to start asking why. It might be impossible to do all of them, after all, we might have families, friends, hobbies that take up time, but if you aren’t doing any of them, it’s a sign you need to taking care of yourself more. These activities, when completed alone, are self-caring. They are nurturing our minds and bodies.

How do we fix it? You are going to have to be firm. You need to look at what is eating up your time and cut back on them. Once you start incorporating some cooking or exercise into your life, you will reap the benefits and never look back.

A day off

In today’s climate, we are made to feel like we can’t take a day off but do it. Take a day of self-love.

How do we fix it? Pick an activity that makes your heart soar. Whether it’s a yoga class, a day at the spa, or simply a day at home with your cats.

Practicing self-care is not a weakness, it’s an act of love. So, consider all the signs you just read and if you have recognized yourself in, start taking care of yourself NOW!

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In Positive thinking,

Learn How Positive Thinking Can Turn Your Mind Into An Unstoppable Creative Force

Brene Brown said the following statement, and I quote, "Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world." Close quote. Bob Ross shared his creativity and imagination through the stroke of a brush and revealed to the world what he was thinking in his mind. Stephen King did not become a prolific author until he wrote down the words and stories that still frighten us today. So, what about you? What is holding you back from sharing your dreams and creativity with the rest of the world? Somewhere, in the dark recesses of your mind is a room that has not been lit; what are you waiting for? Are you going to flip on the light switch or leave your creativity sitting in darkness? For those who are reluctant to share their dreams and turn them into a reality, I will take you by the hand and walk you down the paths of self-development so that you can know how positive thinking can turn your mind into an unstoppable, creative force.

Discipline

The brain and the mind are 2 separate, distinct entities; the brain is a gray-colored organ that is filled with neurons, tissue, blood vessels, and is the main center for all our body functions and movements. The mind is where our conscience (the little voice in our head), dreams, visions, and creativity is located. The reason discipline is at the top of the list is because the mind is where it all begins; the willpower and determination. The mind is always active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Learning how to discipline your mind is the key to your success and well-being. The mind likes to wander or get distracted easily; the way you can prevent your mind from wandering is by focusing your attention on the task at hand. Prioritize the items that need to get done first, then turn all your attention to your skill, craft, or changing a personal habit.

Action

Creativity will remain dead in your mind unless you take action to make your dreams come true. Once you have figured out what it will take to discipline your mind, get to work on your self-development plan. Stopping a bad habit is not an easy task to overcome, so you must get creative on how you can change your life, after all, happiness is a goal that we all wish to achieve. Think of the freedom that you will get when you are free from that little master (addiction) or feel the financial burden, lifted from your shoulders when you let your creativity out of your mind.

Passion

I love to write articles, there are so many words and ideas that are floating around in my head that I am constantly typing them on my computer or iPhone. I love to share my ideas with people around the world so that I can help them find answers to their problems. For you, the reader, if your self-development plan is all about improving your article writing skills, be sure to include that you will have a positive attitude when you are typing your article. People can always tell when you have a negative attitude from the articles you write.

Addiction is a problem that causes most marriages to end in divorce. For the person, who is trapped by some form of addiction, I want you to ask yourself this question,"Whom do you love most? Your family or that substance which does not love back?" If you have that love and passion for your family and want to make them happy, then you must get creative and find a way to rebuild your marital or family relationship. Positive thinking will help you overcome any addiction you have.

Discover

Human beings are inventors, adventurers, and pioneers; starting today, you can start down the path to personal greatness by flipping on that light switch and bring your creativity into the light. You may have discovered a new parenting tip on how to teach your children to behave or a new method of how to overcome any addiction. All it takes is to open that notebook and unleash your creativity.

In conclusion, I hope that you have learned how positive thinking can turn your mind into an unstoppable, creative force. Please, feel to share your comments on self-development.

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In Anxiety Relief, Natural Remedies

Natural Remedies for Anxiety - The Best 4 Natural Remedies That You Can Try Today

Individuals who have experience with anxiety attacks would wish that they never have to encounter such a dreadful sensations again. However this does not necessarily mean that they desire to use drugs or pills to stop the anxiety attacks again. Many are searching for the natural remedies for anxiety as it is a much safer and better way to treat anxiety conditions.

As a matter of fact, many individuals are turning to seek for natural ways to cope and eliminate the stress and tension that they encounter in their daily routines.

Listed below are the best 4 natural remedies for anxiety that are widely used by sufferers nowadays. You can use them to combat anxiety today.

Passionflower - Passion flower have soothing and calming effects that can lower high blood pressure. It is also a recipe that is commonly used in natural medicine. It works to alleviates hyperactivity, anxiety, insomnia, nervous tension.
Lemon balm - is good for the nervous system. It can reduce high blood pressure and also works to calm the digestive system.
Lavender - It is a general tonic for the nervous system and a natural relaxant. It is a great natural anxiety remedy and one of the best for panic attack treatments.
Valerian - a well know natural herb that are often used as a sedative and a painkiller. It is always effectively utilized as a natural treatment for anxiety and insomnia too.

This simple natural remedies for anxiety helps your body to recharge itself when sleeping. This is very important as your body repairs itself during sleep so that it can perform again the next day in a better state of health. When you do not get enough sleep, your body will produce chemicals that can cause you to feel more stressed out. This will result to the development of a lot of unwanted and unnecessary anxiety.

There are other excellent natural remedies for anxiety that include consuming St. Johns Wort. This remedy will help to provide relief from anxiety and also helps to lessen the frequency of panic attacks.

You can also take advantage of other form of natural remedies for anxiety such as learning the proper method of deep breathing. You will be surprise when you discover that this technique works well in reducing your high anxiety.

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In Natural Remedies, Super Foods

Natural Remedies Are As Close As Your Kitchen

Natural remedies can be found in your kitchen cupboard. It sounds amazing, but it's true. Many herbs and spices have been used as medicines throughout history, and while we may only use them for seasoning our food now, they still have their healing qualities.

For example, the spice turmeric is an ingredient found in curry. If you are fond of curry, you're already doing yourself a favor. There is scientific evidence that turmeric may help relieve arthritis pain. According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine curcumin, the active constituent in turmeric, may also have an effect on colon cancer. A 2006 study also showed that curcumin can help the brain get rid of built up plaques that may be associated with Alzheimer's disease. By utilizing curry in your diet as often as possible, you can give yourself a leg up on some of these illnesses.

Do you like cinnamon? A favorite spice used on toast, in pies and cookies and other baked goods, cinnamon also has health benefits. German studies have shown that cinnamon can help lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol. That's good news for diabetics and those who have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. While the occasional bit of cinnamon in your food is great, large amounts can be dangerous. If you want to reap the health benefits of cinnamon, it is best to use a cinnamon extract.

Rosemary is a popular herb used with poultry, lamb and beef. It also is a beautiful garden herb. It has been discovered that rosemary helps prevent heterocyclic amines (HCAs) from forming when meat is cooked at high temperatures. HCAs have been proven to be carcinogens. Just by putting this powdered herb on your meat can make a difference. Studies have also shown that rosemary may be effective against tumors.

Ginger has long been known as an aid to an upset digestion. It is helpful for morning sickness, nausea and motion sickness. Some studies have also shown ginger to have some effect against high blood pressure, arthritis pain and some risks for cancer, especially ovarian cancer.

If you like growing your own herbs, you may want to give Holy Basil a try. This is a specific strain of the familiar basil that is often used in Italian cuisine. Taken as a tea, Holy Basil can help relieve stress, and there are some preliminary studies that show it may also be effective against cancer tumors.

St. John's wort first came to everyone's notice when it was discovered to help mild depression. Besides that, it is being studied for its effects in helping people fall asleep. Keep your ears open for more about this unassuming little plant with the bright yellow flowers.

Garlic has long been touted as a blood cleanser and for its antibacterial qualities... now it can add lowering blood pressure and the prevention of strokes and cancer to its long list of healthy attributes. If you don't like garlic enough to eat several cloves a day, you can try a garlic supplement. Be aware that garlic supplements that have no odor are not effective.

While natural remedies may be preferable, don't assume they are all safe. If you are unsure, check with your physician or a certified herbalist. Follow dosages carefully... more doesn't necessarily mean better.

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In Exercise, Focus

Yoga For Focus & Productivity - 10 min practice

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In Attitude, Confidence

12 Things Mentally Strong People Avoid

1. Surrendering Their Power

Mentally strong people are well aware of their prowess to manage any situation by the way they respond. They know their strength is in knowing their weaknesses. They refuse to give away their power to fully control their actions and emotions.

2. Resisting Change

Change is a part of life and mentally strong people are well aware of this fact. So, instead of resisting change, they go with the flow and take this change as a challenge, a challenge to better them. They make their own opportunities and know how to make the best of every passing moment.

3. Being Hasty in Results

"Haste Makes Waste", a well-known proverb throughout the galaxy, is well acknowledged by mentally strong people. They implement it in their lives. They know, be it a workout plan or starting a business, nothing succeeds over a night. They recognize the fact that expecting immediate results is a task for lunatics. They plan out their work for the long run and celebrate each milestone on the way.

4. Feeling Superior Then Others

Mentally strong people realize the fact that they are not superior to anyone. This world does not owe them anything. They were born equal and will remain equal to others, no matter their heritage or bloodline. They know they`ll have to strive to survive in this world. And they`re prepared to tackle the difficulties and succeed on their merits at every turn of life.

5. Being Worried for Uncontrollable Matters

One thing, mentally strong people have a complete control on, is their attitude towards problems. You won`t see such people complaining about things that don`t matter or situations that are beyond their control, such as bad traffic or whether. Instead they concentrate their time and energy on projects that`ll affect their life in a positive way.

6. Being Worried of Their Image

Ever seen people who go out of their way to please others? Or people who do so just to irritate others? Both are self-centered people who care for nothing except their fake image on the world and people around them. Mentally strong people stay out of such practices. They know when to be kind and affectionate and when to stand up for what`s right.

7. Being Afraid of Time with Themselves

Mentally strong people enjoy good company of other people and also of themselves. They treasure their alone time and use it to reflect on their life choices and plan for a better and brighter future. They know how to benefit from their alone time by putting their efforts in something productive.

8. Being Afraid to Try Again

Some people are too afraid to try again; they just give up after failure. Such is not the case with mentally strong people. They know success and failure go hand in hand. Even the most successful people started from scratch and had to face failures before they got where they are now. Mentally strong people know that they`ll have to try, try again to succeed.

9. Being Jealous

Mentally weak people resent other peoples success. They become jealous and think of ways to turn their success into failure. While mentally strong people do the opposite. They, not only, feel genuinely happy and contended for the succeeding, but also take notes from their success and use them to shape their own path to success.

10. Being Afraid of Taking Risks

A mentally strong person knows his strengths and weaknesses. He knows risks are a must in the path to success. He also knows the extent of risks that he can take. He thoroughly weighs the negative effects of the risk against its benefits while fully assessing the potential outcomes, before taking a step.

11. Living in The Past

Mentally weak people tend to live in their past. They mourn over the past disappointments and how the times have changed. They want to live in the "splendor days" of the past. Mentally strong people, on the other hand, tend to learn from their past failures instead of indulging in them. They use this experience learned to improve their present and forge a better path for their future.

12. Repeating the Same Mistakes

"What is the definition of insanity? It`s doing the same exact thing again and again and expecting different results" ~Albert Einstein Mentally strong people take full responsibility of their past actions. It`s not like they don`t commit mistakes, they do. It`s about how they respond to their mistakes, their attitude towards them. They learn from their mistakes and incorporate this learning experience in their future decisions.

Maryam Nasrullah

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In Actions, Choice

5 Simple Words That Can Turn A Bad Day Around

“If your heart is beating, if your lungs are breathing, if you are still alive… then it is not too late to do something kind, creative, generous, satisfying, and courageous. Today.” ~Alexandra Franzen

It was one of those days.

You know the ones—when nothing really bad happens, but everything just seems to go wrong. When lots of little annoying things happen and the day seems to spiral from there.

This was one of those days.

I had woken up with a headache and decided to hit the snooze button on my alarm (twice) so I didn’t have to face the day yet, which meant I had to rush to get ready and make it to my first university class of the day.

I ended up getting to class late (and I’m one of those people who hate being late), and as the day went on, things got worse.

In another class, I found out that we had a test that I had completely forgotten about and hadn’t prepared for.

Then later on, I was meant to be meeting up with a group of people to work on a group assignment, and no one came.

So by the afternoon I was pretty over it.

“Could this day get any worse?” I dramatically thought.

And then it did.

When I was walking home I got caught in a rainstorm and discovered that there must have been a hole somewhere in my shoes. I seriously felt like I was in a movie where someone was having a comically bad day.

As I stepped in the door I decided that the day was ruined and there was no point in trying to do anything now, but I stopped myself in my tracks with one of my favorite mantras by Alexandra Franzen:

“Today is not over yet.”

This mantra shifted my thinking immediately and I realized there was still time to make the day count.

After all, it was only late afternoon.

So, I had a shower and put on dry clothes. I waited for my boyfriend to get home and we headed into town, where we bought mint raw chocolate and kombucha. We walked around the town and through one of my favorite parks.

We ended up getting burgers for dinner, having a really meaningful conversation, and then going to see a movie.

When I arrived home that night I realized how profound those five words had been and how they had helped me completely turn my day (and attitude) around.

Earlier in the day I could have chosen to give up on the day, but instead, I made a choice to find a way to make the rest of the day count—to do something that was meaningful for me—all because I reminded myself that the day wasn’t over yet.

My day went from being the worst day of the week to one of my favorite days of the week, even though it definitely wasn’t all good.

This wasn’t just a one-off experience; I’ve used this mantra so many times, with amazing results.

There was the time where I felt like I had wasted an entire Sunday and this mantra inspired me to head outside and go for a walk, where I ended up witnessing one of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever seen.

There was the time where I was having trouble getting some writing done, and this mantra convinced me not to retreat to the couch and binge-watch my latest Netflix obsession. As a result, I ended up getting more work done than I wanted to.

There was the time where I felt like everything that could go wrong was going wrong and I had been in an unhappy mood for days that I just couldn’t shake. This mantra inspired me to spend one hour writing down every single thing that I could think of that I was grateful for, which turned around my day (and mood) completely.

And this is just the beginning. Time and time again I’ve used these five words to turn my day around.

I love using “today is not over yet” as my mantra to turn a not-so-awesome day around because:

1. It is a powerful reminder to find a way to make the day count.

This mantra reminds me that there is still time to make something good happen, no matter what has happened so far in the day. It reminds me that I don’t need to wait for a new day, a new week (or month or year) to decide to make it count.

2. It reminds me that I have a choice.

And when I’m not having a good day I can choose what happens from that moment. I can choose to throw the day away, or I can make a different choice and try to find a way to make the day count.

3. It reminds me to do something (or many things) each day that are meaningful to me.

It can be easy to fall into the habit of living each day on autopilot, but this mantra makes me re-evaluate how I’ve been spending my “life-minutes” and reminds me to be intentional about making this day—and each day—count for me.

4. It reminds me to be grateful for each day, no matter what.

As Alice Morse Earle said “Every day may not be good…but there’s something good in every day.” And this mantra helps me to be intentional at finding and creating the good in each day.

So no matter what has happened so far in your day, if you want to make the rest of your day count, you can!

To make this day count you might like to:

Do something kind for yourself. This might look like doing something you love that you don’t usually make time for, giving yourself a five-minute break to breathe and have a cup of tea, or asking yourself “What do I really need right now?” then doing it.

Do something thoughtful and generous for someone else. This might look like helping someone out with something, or telling someone that you’re grateful for them and why, or writing someone a note and sending it to them in the mail.

Do something productive. This might look like doing that thing you’ve been meaning to do for ages but haven’t gotten around to getting it done, making appointments that you’ve been putting off, or cleaning an area in your home.

Do something you wouldn’t normally do. This might look like going to the movies in the middle of the week, or baking a cake even though it’s no one’s birthday, or going for a walk on a trail you’ve never been to.

Do something—anything—that is meaningful for you. Something that makes you feel like you’ve made the rest of the day count.

So whatever time you’re reading this, whatever has happened today, know that there is always time to make the day count.

The day doesn’t have to be over yet.

It’s up to you what happens now.

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Apple Cider Vinegar Saves Lives

Alan Watts - The Art of Meditation (Full Lecture)

6 Scents That Can Transform Your Mood and Productivity

7 Signs That You Are not Taking Care of Yourself