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Foreword

There are tons of reasons why obese or overweight people try to lose weight. Some want to be healthier, to feel and look better while others want to have more energy to accomplish their daily tasks.

No matter what the reason is, healthy weight management and successful weight loss depend on sensible goals as well as expectations. If you set goals for yourself, it is not impossible to meet them and have the chance to maintain your weight.

Anyone can lose weight effectively. Get to know all your needed information here.

Wonderful Weight

How To Maintain The Weight Loss From Your New Year’s Resolution

Chapter 1:

Weight Loss Resolutions Basics

Synopsis

Weight loss is the term that is on many people’s minds. Some need it for medical reasons and others for aesthetic purposes.

While there are many solutions available in today’s market and advice can be found easily over the internet, achieving weight loss goals is totally a different matter. People struggle to lose weight mainly because of wrong expectation and misguidance due to the different product marketing.

Before you rush and start on your weight loss plan, consider the weight loss basics first.

The Basics of Weight Loss

Decreasing one’s pounds is one aspect of an effective and successful weight loss. This is the main idea that everyone can relate to. It is also measurable and can bring visible results. The words “weight loss” convey these notions.

Losing weight revolves on various important aspects including restoring and improving one’s health, staying on the track to achieve all your weight loss goals, and transforming and keeping a leaner body. For you to achieve successful weight loss, you have to keep in mind the weight loss basic principles. These include the following:

- Lose fat
- Stay motivated
- Gain muscle

In order for you to be successful, you have to take note that you need to make extra effort as there’s no shortcut in shedding those unwanted pounds of yours.

Lose Fat: Diets Can Help You

Eating correct and healthy balanced diet is important when losing weight. Choose and follow a diet that is rich in fiber and protein and low in refined carbohydrates.

Once you have increased your intake of fiber and protein, you will lose your weight gradually and your strong muscles will develop. Also, if you consume less refined carbohydrates, you get rid of piling calories, which don’t provide the needed nutrients of your body.

Gain Muscles: Do Some Workouts

When losing weight, gaining muscle can help. It is because fat will be burned to provide you the right you the right energy in which muscles require in staying alive. It’s interesting to note that a pound of fat requires only three calories while a pound of muscle needs 75-150 calories every day to work. Therefore, if you want to see results when losing weight, it’s imperative that you do workouts.

You can consider any exercises or workouts. But, anaerobic and aerobic exercises are essential for your body to work harder. For better results, alter your exercise routines to maintain the stimulation of your body.

Some consider weight loss programs just to do workouts. There are even others who enroll to a gym class. You don’t need to spend a huge amount of money when doing workouts. You can do workouts at your home. Just choose those exercises that will not require gym equipment.

When doing workouts, take it seriously and stick on your plan. Learn to be motivated. Exercising regularly with consistency and commitment is a must. Do not make mistakes and expect for quick results like most people do. You have to take note that it also takes time to see results.

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Chapter 1: Physiology of Stretching 3

1 Physiology of Stretching

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to some of the basic physiological concepts that come into play when a muscle is stretched. Concepts will be introduced initially with a general overview and then (for those who want to know the gory details) will be discussed in further detail. If you aren't all that interested in this aspect of stretching, you can skip this chapter. Other sections will refer to important concepts from this chapter and you can easily look them up on a "need to know" basis.

1.1 The Musculoskeletal System

Together, muscles and bones comprise what is called the musculoskeletal system of the body. The bones provide posture and structural support for the body and the muscles provide the body with the ability to move (by contracting, and thus generating tension). The musculoskeletal system also provides protection for the body's internal organs. In order to serve their function, bones must be joined together by something. The point where bones connect to one another is called a joint, and this connection is made mostly by ligaments (along with the help of muscles). Muscles are attached to the bone by tendons. Bones, tendons, and ligaments do not possess the ability (as muscles do) to make your body move. Muscles are very unique in this respect.

1.2 Muscle Composition

Muscles vary in shape and in size, and serve many di erent purposes. Most large muscles, like the hamstrings and quadriceps, control motion. Other muscles, like the heart, and the muscles of the inner ear, perform other functions. At the microscopic level however, all muscles share the same basic structure.

At the highest level, the (whole) muscle is composed of many strands of tissue called fascicles. These are the strands of muscle that we see when we cut red meat or poultry. Each fascicle is composed of fasciculi which are bundles of muscle bers. The muscle bers are in turn composed of tens of thousands of thread-like myofybrils, which can contract, relax, and elongate (lengthen). The myofybrils are (in turn) composed of up to millions of bands laid end-to-end called sarcomeres. Each sarcomere is made of overlapping thick and thin laments called myolaments. The thick and thin myolaments are made up of contractile proteins, primarily actin and myosin.

1.2.1 How Muscles Contract

The way in which all these various levels of the muscle operate is as follows: Nerves connect the spinal column to the muscle. The place where the nerve and muscle meet is called the neuromuscular junction. When an electrical signal crosses the neuromuscular junction, it is transmitted deep inside the muscle bers. Inside the muscle bers, the signal stimulates the ow of calcium which causes the thick and thin myolaments to slide across one another. When this occurs, it causes the sarcomere to shorten, which generates force.

Chapter 1: Physiology of Stretching 4

When billions of sarcomeres in the muscle shorten all at once it results in a contraction of the entire muscle ber.

When a muscle ber contracts, it contracts completely. There is no such thing as a partially contracted muscle ber. Muscle bers are unable to vary the intensity of their contraction relative to the load against which they are acting. If this is so, then how does the force of a muscle contraction vary in strength from strong to weak? What happens is that more muscle bers are recruited, as they are needed, to perform the job at hand. The more muscle bers that are recruited by the central nervous system, the stronger the force generated by the muscular contraction.

1.2.2 Fast and Slow Muscle Fibers

The energy which produces the calcium ow in the muscle bers comes from mitochon- dria, the part of the muscle cell that converts glucose (blood sugar) into energy. Di erent types of muscle bers have di erent amounts of mitochondria. The more mitochondria in a muscle ber, the more energy it is able to produce. Muscle bers are categorized into slow- twitch bers and fast-twitch bers. Slow-twitch bers (also called Type 1 muscle bers) are slow to contract, but they are also very slow to fatigue. Fast-twitch bers are very quick to contract and come in two varieties: Type 2A muscle bers which fatigue at an intermediate rate, and Type 2B muscle bers which fatigue very quickly. The main rea- son the slow-twitch bers are slow to fatigue is that they contain more mitochondria than fast-twitch bers and hence are able to produce more energy. Slow-twitch bers are also smaller in diameter than fast-twitch bers and have increased capillary blood ow around them. Because they have a smaller diameter and an increased blood ow, the slow-twitch bers are able to deliver more oxygen and remove more waste products from the muscle bers (which decreases their "fatigability").

These three muscle ber types (Types 1, 2A, and 2B) are contained in all muscles in varying amounts. Muscles that need to be contracted much of the time (like the heart) have a greater number of Type 1 (slow) bers. When a muscle rst starts to contract, it is primarily Type 1 bers that are initially activated, then Type 2A and Type 2B bers are activated (if needed) in that order. The fact that muscle bers are recruited in this sequence is what provides the ability to execute brain commands with such ne-tuned tuned muscle responses. It also makes the Type 2B bers dicult to train because they are not activated until most of the Type 1 and Type 2A bers have been recruited.

HFLTA states that the the best way to remember the di erence between muscles with predominantly slow-twitch bers and muscles with predominantly fast-twitch bers is to think of "white meat" and "dark meat". Dark meat is dark because it has a greater number of slow-twitch muscle bers and hence a greater number of mitochondria, which are dark. White meat consists mostly of muscle bers which are at rest much of the time but are frequently called on to engage in brief bouts of intense activity. This muscle tissue can contract quickly but is fast to fatigue and slow to recover. White meat is lighter in color than dark meat because it contains fewer mitochondria.

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Introduction

Whether you’re making a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, or you’re getting started in the middle of the year, it’s important to be truly committed to your weight loss plan before you get started.

Of course, commitment can be very difficult to achieve. Motivation is not something that comes easily to most people, especially those who are addicted to food.

In this report, I’m going to give you some important tips you can use to help you on your weight loss journey. You will learn how to find your motivation, keep that motivation, and prevent yourself from entering the cycle so many dieters face where they lose and gain and lose and gain over and over again.

So let’s get started.

Find Motivation

The first thing you must do in order to lose weight effectively is to find your motivation. This isn’t an easy thing to do, because a lot of people don’t have sufficient motivation to stick to a difficult diet. And let’s face it – most diets are difficult!

You need to figure out what motivates you so you can concentrate on that. Motivation is different for everyone. What motivates one person may not help another person at all.

Some common motivators for weight loss include:

- Improving your appearance for your own reasons
- Being more attractive to your partner, or to a potential date
- Gaining self-confidence
- Improving your fitness level
- Preventing potentially fatal conditions like diabetes and heart attacks
- Avoiding ridicule or embarrassment
- Looking better for a specific event

Make a list of reasons you want to lose weight. You can use my examples if they apply to you, but try to think of some of your own, as well. This list needs to be as personal as possible in order to be effective.

Maybe you will be seeing your high school friend for the first time in 20 years and you want to get in better shape to impress them. Maybe you are having a hard time finding a job, and you feel your weight may be contributing to that in some way.

IMPORTANT: The more personal the list is, and the more specific it is, the more effective it will be!

Once you have your list, arrange it in order of importance. Print the list out several times and place it in conspicuous locations. You may not want to post it on the refrigerator for everyone to see, but you should at least hide copies in magazines and books you read often, place it in your underwear drawer, keep it in your desk, etc.

You need to see this list several times per day!

Stay Motivated

Once you’ve found your motivation and made your list, it’s important to keep that motivation. You won’t be able to stick to the diet if you lose your motivation!

To stay motivated, you need to keep referring to your list often. That’s why it’s important to place the list in conspicuous places. You need to see it several times per day to keep reminding you of why you are dieting.

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Introduction

There I stood, staring frustrated in front of my bathroom mirror, once again trying to flex my scrawny toothpick of an arm in hopes of seeing SOME signs of progress for all of my hard work at the gym. My hopes dashed once again, I left the house for my monthly trek to the local grocery store and bought the bodybuilding magazine that had the largest “mutant” pro bodybuilder I could find on the front cover.

Running home into my bedroom as excited as a 13-year-old boy who just found his mom’s Victoria’s Secret catalog in the mailbox, I thumbed through it, desperately searching for something (hell ANYTHING!) that would give me some clue as to what I was doing wrong with my weight training. I breezed past every single article giving me the same old advice…“eat this much protein”…“do this bench press for this many reps”…yeah, yeah, yeah…blah, blah, blah…bought that supplement…didn’t work…bought that one…didn’t work…didn’t buy that one…” You get the picture.

And then I saw it!

It was a small ad in the back of the classified section that read:

Tired of trying to flex toothpick arms in front of your bathroom mirror?

We have the natural anabolic compounds that will finally help you achieve massive amounts of muscle with no side effects.

Legal Steroids!

Call now ### - ### - ####

It was as if the ad were speaking directly to ME! And here was the best part…the number to call was actually located in MY home town!

I immediately picked up the phone and dialed. I spoke to a guy who answered the phone. He seemed cool enough…so I stuttered with excitement as I told him about my frustration with not being able to build as much muscle as I wanted to.

I told him that I saw his ad and, ironically, I noticed that I lived in the same city as him, and I asked him where his company was located.

I couldn’t believe it when he told me. He was only 3 BLOCKS AWAY!

When I told him I was right around the corner, he was as surprised as I was…and then he asked me to “come on over” and he would “hook me up” with some serious supplements that would finally do the trick!

I jumped in my car and drove straight to the address he gave me. Expecting to arrive at a small manufacturing building or business park, I was more than a little shocked when I pulled up to a SINGLE STORY HOUSE in my residential neighborhood. I sat there scratching my head, trying to determine if I had heard him correctly or maybe I jotted down the wrong number in my haste to take him up on his personal invitation before it was retracted.

Confused, I walked up and rang the doorbell and was soon greeted by a ripped giant, still in his workout clothes, and wearing a telephone headset on his head.

He motioned to me to come in as he was talking with (undoubtedly) another frustrated hardgainer on the other end of the line desperately searching for the same solution I was. I listened intently as I walked into the living room of the “supplement company” and took a seat on the couch he motioned me over to.

I listened intently as he “made the sale” to the other guy on the line and jotted down his order and credit card number.

“The total will be $113.56. Will that be MasterCard or Visa?”

Wow, I thought. I hope I’m able to walk out of here holding on to more of last week’s paycheck that THAT guy!

When he finished his sale and had hung up, he extended a cheerful hand and greeted me with a big smile and said, “C’mon Jeff…follow me!”

I walked behind him to a small room connected to the living room and found a large table on which there were small bins, some cardboard boxes with pictures of cows on it, some funnels, and a strange metal machine.

“Welcome to my ‘production facility’!” he said.

“This is it?” I replied in shock.

“Yep…that’s all it takes!” he said, beaming proudly over his work.

He then proceeded to take me on the “Grand Tour” of the inside of his own sports supplement manufacturing, marketing and distribution center…all located within the 100 square foot room we stood in!

He explained that he was a competitive bodybuilder (no one famous), and that there was a LOT of money to be made in marketing supplements to the hungry masses since he could charge as much as he wanted to regardless of what was actually in the bottles he was shipping out.

I think he could see the hesitation in my eyes because he quickly added, “don’t worry…I have the good stuff over here. I told you I’d hook you up, didn’t I?”

In the end, I left with a $57 bottle of pills (encapsulated with that strange metal machine on the table from bulk ingredients, no doubt intended for horses or cows or something), and you know what? I made gains!

And…I had made a friend that would go on to teach me the most valuable in secrets of supplementation unknown to the masses that were frothing at the mouth to buy the next latest and greatest mass building, ab revealing, testosterone boosting compounds as fast as these “companies” could get the package in the mail!

In fact, in the weeks and months that followed, I continued to go over to my new “friend’s” house to broaden my knowledge of the “secrets” of supplementation… I watched him go from his “mass building” phase right up into his pre-contest “dieting” phase, all the while, popping pill after pill that would bring him closer and closer to the body that would draw stares of awe on stage.

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Introduction

When you say the word health, you are referring to the wellbeing of yourself or others. So naturally, health becomes a personal matter especially when it revolves around your own health. Everyone wants to be in better health which is again a very natural impulse.

The first and easiest things you can do to better your health is to eat properly and work out routinely. Eating properly can be dieting and monitoring what comes into your kitchen. Working out, on the other hand, can be somewhat trickier.

Working out doesn’t mean you have to become a bodybuilder or weightlifter though those are possible achievements to gain from working out. It could simply mean you want to maintain a certain weight or keep your body moving properly and functionally. In such cases, to maintain proper health you don’t need dumbbells and treadmills, only a functional fitness routine.

Chapter 1

What is Functional Fitness?

Functional Fitness Defined

You may not have heard of the term functional fitness before reading this, but the truth is that functional fitness is all around you. Functional fitness refers to a type of fitness where you keep your body moving in simulated routines that resemble everyday tasks.

Now, most people imagine working out as this fantastical imagery where you have a solid core and large protruding biceps that bulge every time you lift weights. This image is one that’s better to burn. Not everyone can live this fantasy and in most cases, it’s unrealistic and impractical. It’s more difficult to maintain a bulky, muscular physique than a normal one, and not many people are aiming to become a PRO bodybuilder.

An easier and more reasonable way to maintain a fit figure is by sticking to simpler goals. What most people want is to be able to perform with the most practicality on a daily basis. To ensure this, drop the weights and stick to more natural movements. This is where you’ll resort to functional fitness.

With functional fitness, you’ll be doing squats, lunges, stretches, and pumps that are closer to home. All of these movements will resemble the actions you do in everyday life.

Take lunges as an example. Lunges are the movement of stretching out and bending your leg. Though you’ll never be found walking in this cycle, it’s imitating the movements you make in more extreme cases. Going up the stairs and running use the same actions as walking does, but with more strength and power. By doing lunges, your muscles and joints become accustomed to the strong pull and strain and therefore perform more effectively as you run.

As you grow older, you may have found that your body can’t do the same things as it used to. It’s alright since this happens to everybody. Unfortunately, the more lethargic you become, the faster this will happen to you. So it’s better to get up and get moving in any way that you can.

Functional Fitness can be performed anywhere at any level of difficulties. For instance, you can even use your own body weight to perform the exercises without using any gym equipment. As long as you’re moving in a way that can benefit your body, you’re doing some kind of functional fitness. It’s better than lifting the heaviest weights and then snapping when you’re trying to load groceries into your car.

Complimenting Functional Fitness with Your Lifestyle

As mentioned earlier, hoping for the perfect 10 out of 10 body is unrealistic and quite impractical. The basic aim should always be maintaining a healthy body you as a person are satisfied with.

Being fit is only an extra benefit to yourself. That said, your exercises shouldn’t interrupt your schedule, but rather flow inside of it. Once it becomes a problem to find time for your workout, a red flag should signal in your mind. Here are some tips to keep in mind when crafting a workout routine that works for you.

Firstly, it shouldn’t take long at all. A 15 to 25-minute routine is enough to make a difference, so long as you’re implementing this workout every day. You don’t need anything that hard, just simple repetitive movements to properly pump your muscles. Your short workout can be early in the morning or after your busy day.

Typically, it’s better to work out before you start your day’s work, otherwise doing anything at the end of the day will tire you out more than you’d usually be. You can also develop intense strain and pain if you remain idle for too long after a workout.

Another idea is to spread out your workouts through the week. On days you’re working, work out for only 15 minutes and on weekends or holidays, work out for 20-25 minutes. This way you won’t tire yourself out when you have other things to do. Any system that suits your schedule is fine, so long as you’re getting the essential minimum of 15 minutes.

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Foreword

Weight Loss Management is one of the vital concerns of health authorities who are truly dedicate in the preservation of good and better living. They are focusing themselves in this line of work so that they can easily control and monitor the condition of every person that needs support, medications and treatments so that for these people to overcome their difficulty in their diet program. The concept of this article is to make people aware on why they have to be conscious about their weight condition and on how they can prevent illness that might occur in the near future because they just neglected their unhealthy situation.

Weight Loss And Management Goals

What You Need To Know About Goal Setting For Weight Loss And Management

Chapter 1:

Introduction

Synopsis

Publications are the first thing that authorities produce in order for them to effectively send their important message to the public; to be healthy with the help of Weight Loss Management. They produce and continue to create tools that can easily help them reach people who are not aware of their situation.

Basic Information

These publications are also composed of information in relation to the foods and procedures that people can follow in order to promote healthier living. By doing this, there are a lot of people that will no longer be unconscious of what specific processes of Weight Loss Management are preferred for their needs.

Health care providers are one of the most trusted entities that will never hesitate to help people who are struggling while accomplishing Weight Loss Management. These people are being taught about new and innovated processes, which are simply to conduct and maintain, so that they can elevate the number of healthy people in their place. With the contribution of this particular system, health providers will no longer have problems implementing better systems for the beneficial concerns of everyone.

Community groups and organizations that need support for the betterment of Weight Loss Management in the world also receive help that will educate them about what process of this healthy approach is necessary for each and every case or situation. In fact, these entities that work for the promotion of disease and illness-free societies help each other to attain the most positive results that they can achieve in accordance to Weight Loss Management. As long as community groups and organizations have the complete support and maintenance that they need, there is no way that they will not grant the desires of patients who look forward to brighter results in relation to their difficulties.

Pertaining to the focus and dedication of people who are not stopping in conquering and overcoming the cause and effect of Weight Loss Mismanagement, people who are now continuing to exert their best effort will no longer have difficulty in attaining the most recommend results that they’ve always wanted. By the time that they achieve these outcomes, they can now be more positive in their life perspectives which is the main reason of why they can be productive as a healthy human being.

Chapter 2:

The Reason Goals Are Important In Weight Loss

Synopsis

The significance of Weight Loss Management is now said to be the top priority of health providers and authorities. As health is a concern, there is a great possibility that a lot of people will now resolve their problems when the time comes now that they are conscious of how they will live healthier.

Goals And Their Importance

Performing each of these tasks consecutively will promote a chance for people to live longer and prosper at the same time. In accordance, it is better to know the following important facts abut Weight Loss Management that will help you realize how valuable it is to possess.

Diabetes is considered to be one of the top illnesses possessed by younger and older individuals. As you know, diabetes generates a lot of difficulties for living if it is not prevented and treated properly. With the presence of Weight Loss Management, there is a definite chance that people can avoid the possibility of obtaining diabetes which can cause a lot of sickness’ that are serious and incurable. Never neglect this type of condition if you have it because it can possibly make you weak as a person in terms of a degrading status of health.

Another thing that makes Weight Loss Management important is that it can totally help your blood circulate properly in your body system. Regular deliverance and circulation of blood, including the balance of its flow and existence, will develop positive results that can make you free from diseases and illnesses. Weight Loss Management can also contribute to the presence of your glucose level that prevents your body from losing its strong immune system. With the help of Weight Loss Management, you will no longer have difficulty in generating healthy cells inside your body.

As long as you practice and patronize the healthy living that is being performed with Weight Loss Management, you will never lose your confidence as a person. A lot of obese individuals do not want to go out and have shop or do other activities because of their size and health condition. It is better to exercise so that you can maintain and prevent this kind of situation. Together with Weight Loss Management, you can now attain the confidence of being fit and suitable in everyday tasks and activities for the day.

Cholesterol, blood pressure, and any other type of cardiovascular disease can only be controlled and prevented by means of Weight Loss Management. Exercising everyday will give you more defenses against these illnesses that are considered to be some of the reasons why a person cannot properly accomplish all the tasks assigned to them for a day. Being unhealthy is not an option, especially when you have a family that is relying on the strength and confidence that can help you go through and through.

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Foreword

Losing weight can’t be achieved in just a wink of an eye. Before you reach your main goal, you have to do accurate steps and get rid of your unhealthy lifestyle. Depending on your preferred schemes, losing weight can be easy or complicated.

Weight Loss

And Maintenance Basics

Your Basic Guide To Understanding Weight Loss And Management

Chapter 1:

Introduction

Synopsis

Weight loss requires a reduction in calorie consumption. Most people try to reduce weight through exercising or dieting.

Basic Information

Every person has their own reason why they opt to lose weight. Some of them desire to develop their self-confidence or appear more attractive while others just want to stay healthy and fit. Whatever reasons you have, there is nothing to worry about. Achieving a perfect body and weight can be done without practicing any complicated procedures. It is a matter of how you control and motivate yourself to live a healthy lifestyle.

To know more about weight loss and maintenance, this book will serve you as an ultimate guide. Through this, you have a chance to recognize its fundamental facts. So, start reading this book and start improving your weight condition and your lifestyle.

Chapter 2:

The Basics On Weight Loss

Synopsis

Whether you want to stay fit, switch your body into a perfect one or appear sexier, you have to understand the entire concept of weight loss. If you regularly read health news, you probably recognize that the rate of obesity tends to increase. This alarming condition has awakened health practitioners and organizations. As a result, they are providing adequate tips and solutions to solve this issue. However, the help of these health agencies is not enough.

Weight Loss – Its Definition and Types

If you really want to reduce your weight, you have to help yourself. You have to be more conscious with your daily lifestyle and activities.

Weight loss refers to a reduction of the total body mass characterized by a loss of skeletal muscle and body fats. This term comes in two types:

• Intentional Weight Loss – When a person intentionally reduces weight, they often plan a dietary or training program. These programs are designed to lose a certain amount of weight within a short period of time.

• Unintentional Weight Loss - Weight loss may be accidental if a person is suffering from any untreated health issues. The typical examples of these are diabetes, stress, anxiety and a lot more.

As experts claim, losing weight offers multiple benefits. Aside from a stunning appearance, you also have a chance to live for more years. Obese people often suffer from multiple diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer.

Weight Loss Considerations and Tips

Even if you opt to shed extra pounds instantly, it is still essential to avoid crash diets, fad diets, frequent fasting and other intense weight loss measures. These schemes can put you at risk for health problems.

Say for instance, people who use laxatives while dieting may develop dehydration, kidney problems, heart issues and intestinal damage.

The best way to lose more weight is to make a diet that covers adequate healthy foods. This can help in maintaining body function while shedding pounds of weight. Before doing any activities or engaging with any program, make sure that you consult with your nutritionist or doctor.

While making a weight loss plan, you should always include proper exercise. Aside from burning calories through intense physical activity, regular training develops a resting metabolism. Therefore, it can help the body to burn more calories while performing ordinary activities.

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Guided Meditation: Healing

Assume a comfortable position. Shut your eyes as you start relax. Take in a deep breath, now breathe out, emptying your lungs entirely. And once again. Take full deep breaths, never strained or rushed. Breathe in strength, breathe out tension. Carry on to relax. Take full deep breaths. Allow your breathing to discover its own natural, unhurried pace. And as ideas enter your mind, allow them go without attachment.

As you sink into comfort and relaxation, see yourself enjoying a waterfall of sunlight and crystal water.

As the sun and water cascade over your body you absorb the healing oxygen carried inside your blood vessels though your whole system.

The oxygen heals and releases the holding contraction of each muscle. Every muscle becomes taffy… soft and pliable.

All tension gives way to easiness. The cascade of sunlight reminds you of the source of all energy.

Your whole being sings with release and renewal as the source refuels and strengthens your body and spirit.

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How Driving Meditation Makes You a Safer (and Happier) Driver

After reading that title you may be thinking, "Meditating while driving? That's crazy!" You are probably envisioning someone trying to drive a vehicle with their eyes closed, seated in the lotus position and chanting mantras, while trying to form appropriate mudras with their hands. That is the typical experience most people think of when they hear the word "meditation".

Driving meditation, also called mindful driving, is a totally different animal.

Many types of meditation simply ask you to be mindful of your present experience. This means open your mind and all of your senses to everything that is going on around you. Doesn't this sound like the perfect recipe for safe driving? How many hours a day or a week do you spend behind the wheel of your car? Instead of considering this as wasted, stressful time, why not use it as a chance to practice mindfulness?

Notice that this practice is called "mindful driving", and not road rage, judgmental driving or revenge driving. Being totally aware of everything that is going on around you while you drive is going to mean that you definitely see poor driving habits by other drivers. When you practice mindfulness, whether driving or seated comfortably in your living room, you become aware of your current experience.