As the green message grows there are few among us who haven’t read or heard the term “carbon footprint”. We’re getting better at recycling, and we’re gradually switching to energy efficient bulbs; but according to Al Gore, the Guru of Green, there is one crucial change we should all be taking to lighten our load on this earth… Refusing to eat meat.

“Refusing meat is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.” Al Gore - the official handbook for Live Earth concerts.

Read on to find out why…

Click to read more ...

You can survive without food for weeks, without water for days but without oxygen for only minutes! But most of us spend very little time thinking about our breath. As the Oxford University Press reminds us, "In earlier years breathing was synonymous with life itself, for with the 'last breath' its absence signified death and departure of the soul." Similarly, in yoga, the Sanskrit word for breath is prana, which also means life force energy.

 
When we bring our consciousness to our breath, we slow down and we begin to realize the deeper layers of ourselves, our thoughts and feelings. Did you know that when we are under stress some of us actually hold our breath? Other times, we just breath very shallow. We are unconsciously stopping our life force and causing even more stress in our body. If you start practicing conscious breathing (purposefully focusing on and noticing your breath) your body will relax and the mind will become more focused.

Click to read more ...

“The other is good. It is humility, love, kindness, truth, compassion, faith, empathy, generosity, benevelonce, and serenity.”

The grandson thought about this for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Welcome to the latest edition of the Living by Design personal development blog carnival. Here's my selection for this edition - these are the 10 articles I enjoyed reading the most out of 92 that were sumitted - thank you to everyone who contributed.

Arin Vahanian presents How to Get Rid of Excuses NOW and Start Living the Kind of Life You’ve Always Wanted posted at Super State. Preview: "Every human, since the beginning of time, has made excuses, and everyone will keep making excuses – the aim here is not to eliminate every single excuse uttered by every single person on Earth. Rather, it is to help people eliminate the unnecessary excuses they make which prevent them from succeeding in their relationships, in business, and in nearly every other aspect of their lives."

Sean Reynolds presents Creativity » Mind posted at Creativity, saying, "Do we own our own minds? How much of our thinking is created for us? In George Orwell’s famous novel 1984 the thought police patrolled and reprogrammed anyone whose thoughts were not in line with Big Brothers, the unseen leader. History is written by the victors. Being victorious makes it right. Maybe there is an unseen justice in this and maybe not. A more accurate view of history is that which is experienced by ordinary people assuming that their thoughts are their own."

Click to read more ...

Ayurveda teaches that poor digestion is at the root of all disease, following these simple guidelines is one of the greatest favours you can do for the health of yourself and your family.

1. Bright and Fresh

2. Regular Meals

Click to read more ...