The Lotus Flower

The lotus flower is one of the most ancient and deepest symbols of our planet. The lotus (Sanskrit and Tibetan padma) is one of the eight auspicious symbols and one of the most poignant representations of Buddhist teaching.   The lotus flower grows in muddy water and rises above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. Untouched by the impurity, lotus symbolizes the purity of heart and mind.

The roots of a lotus are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the heavily scented flower lies pristinely above the water, basking in the sunlight. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment.

The color of the lotus has an important bearing on the symbology associated with it:

• White Lotus (Skt. pundarika; Tib. pad ma dkar po): This represents the state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity (bodhi). It is associated with the White Tara and proclaims her perfect nature, a quality which is reinforced by the color of her body.
• Pink Lotus (Skt. padma; Tib. pad ma dmar po): This the supreme lotus, generally reserved for the highest deity. Thus naturally it is associated with the Great Buddha himself.
• Red Lotus (Skt. kamala; Tib: pad ma chu skyes): This signifies the original nature and purity of the heart (hrdya). It is the lotus of love, compassion, passion and all other qualities of the heart. It is the flower of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.
• Blue Lotus (Skt. utpala; Tib. ut pa la): This is a symbol of the victory of the spirit over the senses, and signifies the wisdom of knowledge. Not surprisingly, it is the preferred flower of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_significance_of_the_lotus_flower_in_Buddhism
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols/lotus.htm

5 Mysterious Places Around The World by uphaa.blog

The Door to Hell

This place in Uzbekistan is called by locals “The Door to Hell”. It is situated near the small town of Darvaz
The story of this place lasts already for 35 years. Once the geologists were drilling for gas. Then suddenly during the drilling they have found an underground cavern, it was so big that all the drilling site with all the equipment and camps got deep deep under the ground. None dared to go down there because the cavern was filled with gas. So they ignited it so that no poisonous gas could come out of the hole, and since then, it’s burning, already for 35 years without any pause. Nobody knows how many tons of excellent gas has been burned for all those years but it just seems to be infinite there.

Mysterious Holes of Russia 

From the end of 1980s a strange phenomena is happening in some Russian forests. People find strange, deep holes.  They appear in the dense forest, in the places you can’t get on the car or truck to bring any device to drill the ground. There is no any soil that should be taken from such deep holes is found.  People go down to one of such holes but it just finishes with nothing. There are no any reasonable ideas on how these holes appear and what they are being used for.

The Mouth of Hell

In 1962, a little fire in Centralia (Pennsylvania) migrated into an exposed vein of anthracite coal under the town. The flames on the surface were successfully extinguished, but the coal continued to burn underground for many years, so that in 1984 the fire was completely out of control and the city had to be evacuated.
Nowadays, Centralia is an abandoned and ghostly place. The fire still burns beneath the town and there is enough coal to feed the fire for up to 250 years.




 

 

Hill of Crosses in Lithuania

It has more than 50,000 crosses on it, and no it is not a cemetery.
The reasons for the crosses to be there is that there is a story that each one who would put his own cross on this mountain would become a lucky guy, so thousands come here and install their custom crosses.
They say this tradition appeared before the Christianity came to Lithuania and Russia and is of pagan origin.




 

 

The Ghost Town Buried in the Sand

Kolmanskop is a ghost town in southern Namibia, a few kilometres inland from the port of Lüderitz. In 1908, Luederitz was plunged into diamond fever and people rushed into the Namib desert hoping to make an easy fortune. Within two years, a town, complete with a casino, school, hospital and exclusive residential buildings, was established in the barren sandy desert.  But shortly after the drop in diamond sales after the First World War, the beginning of the end started. During the 1950’s the town was deserted and the dunes began to reclaim what was always theirs.  Soon the metal screens collapsed and the pretty gardens and tidy streets were buried under the sand. Doors and windows creaked on their hinges, cracked window panes stared sightlessly across the desert. A new ghost town had been born.

http://www.uphaa.com/blog/index.php/mysterious-places/

Peace Love Happiness

“Each day is a new canvas to paint upon. Make sure your picture is full of life and happiness, and at the end of the day you won’t look at it and wish you had painted something different." ~ unknown

Orgonite

You may already know about chemtrails, a global aerosol toxin release program that is happening now in our skies–or you may not. If you don’t know what chemtrails are, just look up in the sky every now and then over the next couple of days, you may just catch one of the unmarked, high-altitude, mystery jets releasing a long plume of toxins, which are different than the quickly dissipating vapor contrails of military jets.

If you’re like most of us, and by that I mean most of us Earth Citizens, you’re really pissed off about this attack on our health, our lungs and our planet, Our Earth. You want to know how to remedy the situation, to fight back back.

Write a letter, talk to a representative, ask questions, get the word out, tell everyone you know–these are all options to explore. They will bring results. Over time. Meanwhile, all of us are breathing this stuff–whatever it is they’re releasing–directly into our lungs. Here’s what you can do today to stop the chemtrail madness. There’s a reason for everything, even for why you arrived on this page! Could it be that maybe you’re supposed to build an Orgonite Chembuster? Think about this carefully: each well built Orgonite Chembuster unit clears the sky of chemtrails and produces positive orgone energy simultaneously. For up to 120 miles in all directions if you add extra crystals!

Put it wherever you want–in your backyard or somewhere inside your house–it still has the same effect. The Orgonite Chembuster is a major improvement over the Cloudbuster design of Wilhelm Reich. Quartz and Citrine Crystals and Orgonite have been added to the mix. The Orgonite Chembuster does not accumulate negative orgone energy like the Cloudbuster; it actually pulls negative orgone energy down from the sky and transmutes it.

So it effectively becomes a transmitter of positive orgone energy. How does this happen? The Orgonite does it. Quartz and citrine crystals inside the copper pipes surrounded by resin mixed with metal shavings. The best part is, you can make it yourself. With about three hours, some online ordering of your crystals (http://bit.ly/quartzCrystals), a trip to home depot and about 150 bucks, your personal effort will result in the healing of the atmosphere for up to a 120-mile radius. You’ll have the personal knowledge that you are helping heal our planet. YOU can help stop chemtrails.

It’s time to take responsibility. Earth is your planet. With a well made Chembuster you will be able to noticeably reduce the effects of chemtrails within a 45-mile radius, which is already a significant effect. If you use extra crystals, you can extend the effect for up to 120 miles in all directions from the location of the Orgonite Chembuster.

How to Build a Chembuster:
http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51533


http://wireofinformation.wordpress.com/2009/01/04/chemtrails-orgone-energy-wilhelm-reich-and-the-orgonite-cloudbuster-help-you-take-the-initiative-against-chemtrails/

Meditation

Meditation is a method for synchronizing body and mind in the present moment. When our body and mind are in sync, we are naturally relaxed, alert, open, and aware. In this way, meditation can provide physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits. 

The literal definition of meditation is to focus on one point to such an extent that all other issues disappear.  Most consider it a form of finding relaxation. Meditation is a way to reprogram our thinking.  It is a pathway to happiness.

A good way to begin meditating is to sit quietly each day in a particular place for a certain time and this will eventually help you feel more comfortable. A specific technique may make you less helpless. Often, it's recommended to close your eyes and focus only on your deep breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth. While every meditative tradition, whether ancient or modern, emphasizes concentration, your own personal tradition or routine is the one which will work best for you.

Even now, while you're focusing on reading these words, you are in a form of meditation. 

Whether you meditate as part of a religious practice or instead of one, whether you follow elaborate rituals or do it on the bus, the effective part of meditation is all about getting in touch with your own mental patterns and changing them at the root, and that means developing a reflective space in which change is possible. 

Chakras (all 17, including subtle energies)

 1 – Higher Earth – above the feet (linkage point to earth’s etheric field)

2 – Earth – between the feet (linkage point to the earth)

(Higher Earth and Earth - material connection. Positive qualities: well grounded, practical operates well in everyday reality. Negative qualities: ungrounded, impractical, picks up negativity. Attachments: spirits of place, stuck spirits. If it is permanently open, you can easily pick up negative energies from the ground or pick up ‘spirits of place’, either as attachments or as communication of events that have taken place.

3 – Base/Root – at the perineum (sexual and creative center)

(Base/Root - basic security, survival instincts. Positive qualities: good sense of your own power, independent. Negative qualities: vengeful, impotent, hyperactive, fearful. Attachments: lovers, mothers. This is one of the places anyone you’ve had sex with can attach, but you can also have attachment to your mother who can manipulate through the chakra and you may also suffer from projection of your own feelings.)

4 - Sacral – below the navel (other sexual and creative center)

(Sacral - creativity, procreation. Positive qualities: fertility, courage, assertion, acceptance of sexuality. Negative qualities: low self esteem, inferiority, infertility, sluggish. Attachments: anyone you’ve ever had sex with, needy people, thought forms, unborn children, parents. This can be the site of 'emotional hooks' that drain your energy and you are vulnerable to another person through sexual contact or powerful feelings such as lust or possessiveness that create attached thought forms.)

5 – Solar Plexus – at the solar plexus (emotional center)

(Solar Plexus - emotional connection. Positive qualities: good energy assimilation, empathic
Negative qualities: overly emotional or cold, emotional baggage. Attachments: previous relationships, relatives, needy people. The solar plexus can take on other people’s thoughts and feelings. This chakra is an emotional linkage point and is where you store your emotional baggage and other people might dump theirs. Invasion and energy leeching also take place through this chakra. A 'stuck-open' solar plexus means you take on other people’s feelings too easily.)

6 – Heart Seed – at the base of the breastbone (site of soul remembrance)

(Heart Seed [high vibration] - soul remembrance - positive qualities: remembers reason for incarnation, connection to divine plan, tools available to manifest potential. Negative qualities: rootless, purposeless, lost. Attachments: parts of your soul left in other lives or dimensions. If you have left parts of yourself at past life deaths or traumatic or deeply emotional experiences, then these parts can be attached and trying to influence you to complete unfinished business)

7 – Spleen – under the left armpit (potential site of energy leakage)

(Spleen – energy. Positive qualities: self-contained, powerful. Negative qualities: exhausted and manipulated. Attachments: psychic vampires, needy people, ex-partners. Psychic vampires can leach your energy, as can past partners, children or parents and hooks here are common.)

8 – Heart – over the physical heart (love center)

(Heart – love. Positive qualities: loving, generous, compassionate, accepting, empathetic
Negative qualities: disconnected from feelings, jealous, insecure. Attachments: anyone you have ever loved. Although it is difficult to imagine being possessed by those you have loved or
who loved you, this chakra can be the site of a great many hooks. You may have given away parts of your heart and need to reclaim them or made promises that tie you to others.)

9 – Higher Heart – over the thymus (center of immunity)

(Higher Heart [high vibration} - unconditional love. Positive qualities: forgiving, accepting, spiritually connected Negative qualities: spiritually disconnected, grieving, needy. Attachments: guides, gurus or masters, mentors. Mentors, masters and gurus open the higher heart chakra, and in so doing tie you to them and not all masters or gurus have clean energy or the best of intents.)

10 – Throat – over the throat (center of truth)

(Throat – communication. Positive qualities: able to speak your own truth, receptive. Negative qualities: unable to verbalize thoughts/feelings, dogmatic. Attachments: teachers, mentors, gurus or masters, thought forms. Other people’s thoughts and beliefs tend to get attached to the throat chakra.)

11 – Past Life/Alta-Major – just behind the ears (store past life information)

(Positive qualities: wisdom skills, instinctive knowing. Negative qualities: Emotional baggage and unfinished business. Attachments: past life personas, soul fragments, thought forms from previous beliefs. If the chakras are stuck open, you will feel unsafe and overwhelmed by past life memories of trauma and violent death and fears which leaves the way open for
past life personas and thought forms to attach or re-manifest.

12 – Brow/Third Eye – midway between brows and hairline (center of insight)

(Brow/Third Eye - intuition and mental connection. Positive qualities: intuitive, perceptive, visionary. Negative qualities: spaced-out, fearful, attached to past. Attachments: thought forms, ancestors or relatives, lost souls. Strong beliefs can block this chakra, however, and may be caused by undue influence or thought form attachment. If the third eye or brow chakra is stuck open, you are vulnerable to the thoughts, feelings and influences not only of people around you on the earth level, but also on the etheric, constantly bombarded with thoughts and feelings that are not your own.)

13 – Soma – at the hairline above 3rd eye (center of spiritual identity & consciousness activation)

(Soma [high vibration]- spiritual connection. Positive qualities: spiritually aware and fully conscious. Negative qualities: Cut off from spiritual nourishment and connection. Attachments: ‘lost souls’, walk-ins. When this chakra is stuck open it is all too easy for spirits to attach.)

14 – Crown – top of the head (spiritual connection point)

(Crown - Spiritual connection. Positive qualities: mystical, humanitarian, giving service
Negative qualities: overly-imaginative, arrogant, uses power to control others Attachments: spiritual entities, lost souls, mentors If it is stuck open, then you will be prey to illusions and false communicators as it leaves you open to thought forms, spirit attachment or undue influence.)

15 – Higher Crown - above the crown of the head (linkage point for the spirit)

(Higher Crown [high vibration] - spiritual enlightenment/illumination

. Positive qualities: ultimate soul connection, objective perspective on past Negative qualities: spiritual arrogance, soul fragmentation, messiah-complex, rescues not empowers. Attachments: ancestral spirits, ETs, ‘lost souls’. Stuck open or blocked closed, it can lead to soul fragmentation, spirit
attachment, ET invasion, or overwhelm by ancestral spirits.)

16 – Soul Star – about 1 foot above the crown of the head (linkage point for the spiritual and subtle bodies through which higher energies can be grounded or physical vibrations can be raised)

(Soul Star [high vibration] - spiritual enlightenment/illumination. Positive qualities: ultimate soul connection, objective perspective on past. Negative qualities: spiritual arrogance, soul fragmentation, messiah-complex, rescues not empowers. Attachments: ancestral spirits, ETs, ‘lost souls’. Stuck open or blocked closed, it can lead to soul fragmentation, spirit
attachment, ET invasion, or overwhelm by ancestral spirits.)

17 – Stellar Gateway - above Soul Star (cosmic doorway to other worlds)

(Stellar Gateway [high vibration] - Cosmic doorway to other worlds. Positive qualities: communication with enlightened beings. Negative qualities: disintegration, open to cosmic disinformation. Attachments: so-called enlightened beings that are anything but. When it is stuck open, it can be a source of cosmic disinformation that leads to illusion, delusion, deception and disintegration that leaves you totally unable to function in the everyday world.)

(information taken from Judy Hall's book The Crystal Bible 2 and website)

Eight of the World's Strangest Houses by Brian Clark Howard (The Daily Green)

As more and more people rebel against ticky-tacky, cookie-cutter homes, options are growing for more unique, satisfying dwellings.

Popular Mechanics' Chris Sweeney recently created a great list of 18 of the world's strangest homes. And though there are arguably some even stranger ones out there (the toilet-shaped home, for one, or the coral castle), one of the things we like about Popular Mechanics' list is a strong focus on sustainability.

The Popular Mechanics collection focuses on designs that think outside of the box and approach sustainability from a holistic perspective. Some include recycled materials, but recycling itself isn't usually the central theme.
You don't have to live in a house built out of discarded tires, bottles, or vehicles to "go green." There are many ways that we can all go green in our homes, no matter what they look like or where they are located. Switching to more efficient light bulbs and appliances, trying out energy monitoring devices, and boosting insulation are a few examples.

For the greenest of Popular Mechanics' strange houses, look below:




Photo: Courtesy of Free Spirit Spheres

Free Spirit Spheres

Looking like something from Star Wars, suspended tree houses known as Free Spirit Spheres excite the imagination. Made by Tom and Rosy Chudleigh from British Columbia, the "tree houses for adults" are handmade from local wood.  The spheres are recommended for meditation, photography, canopy research, leisure, wildlife watching and other activities, and they can be ordered fully loaded with plumbing, electricity and insulation. Some are available for rental, and DIY kits are offered. They reportedly sway in the wind.






Photo: www.arquitecturaorganica.com

The Nautilus House

Perhaps what Gaudi would have envisioned if he were asked to decorate a sea shell, the Nautilus in Mexico City was completed in 2006 by architect Javier Sensonian of Arquitectura Orgánica. Sensonian practices what he calls "bio-architecture," and has designed buildings shaped like snakes, whales and other living things.
The Nautilus was built for a young family who wanted something that felt more integrated with nature, and it is filled with lush vegetation. The front door blends into the colorful mosaic facade.






Photo: RobertBruno.com

The Steel House

One glance at the fantastical Steel House, and you'll never forget it. Designer Robert Bruno wanted it to look somewhere between animal and machine, and we think he succeeded. The unique home is perched on a bluff near Lubbock, Texas, and minimizes disruption to the area by resting on top of four skinny legs.  Steel is long-lasting and highly recyclable, so green builders have been giving it a second look in recent years, especially for roofing. Inside, the Steel House looks more H.R. Giger than Martha Stewart, and it doesn't look like the most practical living space, but it definitely is thinking outside of the four-walled box.






Photo: dRRM Architects

The Sliding House

In a final form that quite closely resembles the the Barn House by Belgian architectural and planning firm BURO II (which reworks an existing barn), London-based dRRM Architects created the Sliding House in Suffolk, England. This unique dwelling is designed to be flexible, allowing the owners to take advantage of fluctuations in light and temperature, maximizing energy savings through passive heating and cooling. The 20-ton outer shell can be retracted in six minutes, revealing an inner layer that's mostly glass. It's like layering up in clothing!






Photo: Gigaplex Architects

Montesilo

At Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri, residents cobbled together a livable two-bedroom apartment from an old grain bin. Considerably more upscale is the attractive Montesilo in Woodland, Utah, finished in 2006 by Gigaplex Architects.  The Montesilo was made by joining together two corrugated grain silos, and it has a modest, space-efficient size of 1,800 square feet. The home sits in a gorgeous natural setting, near the Provo River, and the ample windows and balcony help bring the outdoors in.






Photo: Christian Patterson for Popular Mechanics

Amory Lovins' House

Leading green thinker Amory Lovins of the venerable Rocky Mountain Institute lives in a gorgeous home in Old Snowmass, Colorado, that costs a miserly $5 per month to power, thanks to passive solar design, 16-inch-thick walls, xenon-filled windows, and a pair of wood-burning stoves. The home is festooned with solar panels, and there's a passively controlled greenhouse that yields tropical fruit.  Begun in 1982, the house was way ahead of its time, and has recently been updated with LEDs, the latest energy-monitoring technology, and other green tweaks.






Photo: Future Systems

222 House

The remarkable 222 House in Wales leaves a nearly nonexistent footprint on the region's southwest coast. According to designers Future Systems, "The soft, organic form of the building is designed to melt into the rugged grass and gorse landscape, the roof and sides of the house being turfed with local vegetation."
Completed in 1994, the bathroom and kitchen are prefabricated pods that were lifted into the site during construction. The home needs little energy input due to the natural insulation of the ground.






Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Bubble Dream Castle

The space-age Bubble Dream Castle in southern France, near Cannes, was begun in 1975 by Antti Lovag. Inside, the livable sculpture resembles a set from vintage Star Trek, but with more light, since the windows are designed to take advantage of Mediterranean sun.  One of the goals of the visionary designer was to unify the home with its natural surrounding, by bringing outdoor elements inside. Today, the complex boasts 10 suites decorated by different artists, a reception hall seating 350, an outdoor auditorium, and a massive garden.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/251/eight-of-the-world-s-strangest-houses.html

The Healing Effects of Forests by ScienceDaily

"Many people," says Dr. Eeva Karjalainen, of the Finnish Forest Research Institute, Metla, "feel relaxed and good when they are out in nature. But not many of us know that there is also scientific evidence about the healing effects of nature."

Forests -- and other natural, green settings -- can reduce stress, improve moods, reduce anger and aggressiveness and increase overall happiness. Forest visits may also strengthen our immune system by increasing the activity and number of natural killer cells that destroy cancer cells.

Many studies show that after stressful or concentration-demanding situations, people recover faster and better in natural environments than in urban settings. Blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the level of "stress hormones" all decrease faster in natural settings. Depression, anger and aggressiveness are reduced in green environments and ADHD symptoms in children reduce when they play in green settings.

In addition to mental and emotional well-being, more than half of the most commonly prescribed drugs include compounds derived from nature -- for example Taxol, used against ovarian and breast cancer, is derived from yew trees, while Xylitol, which can inhibit caries, is produced from hardwood bark.

Dr. Karjalainen will coordinate a session on the health benefits of forests at the 2010 IUFRO World Forestry Congress in Seoul. "Preserving green areas and trees in cities is very important to help people recover from stress, maintain health and cure diseases. There is also monetary value in improving people's working ability and reducing health care costs." she says.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100723161221.htm

The Benefits of Burning Beeswax Candles by Organic Soul

It’s rumored that the idiom “Mind your own beeswax” came from Colonial America when women would put beeswax on their faces to soften their skin.  If you didn’t “mind” the timing, it would grow hard and crack and the benefits to the skin would be lost.  Ironically, beeswax is a component in many modern day cosmetics, so our female predecessors were on to something.  Similarly, the benefits of beeswax candles have stood for centuries: they don’t drip; they burn longer, as well as cleaner than their paraffin and soy counterparts.  But, here’s a benefit that is not as well known – and the science behind it is almost mystical:  The bright flame of a beeswax candle produces the same beautiful light spectrum as the sun.  As the candle burns, negative ions are emitted that clean the air and, in turn, invigorate the body.  Negative ions are drawn to positive ions.  Positive ions hold on to airborne things like dust, mold and odors; the negative ions latch on to the “contaminated” positive ions and weigh them down this causes the contaminated positive ions to fall to the ground thereby cleaning and purifying the air. A perfect example of this phenomenon is rainstorms. A rainstorm is a negative ionic event, which is why we say the air smells so fresh after a rainstorm.  As the beeswax burns it gives off a non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, subtle fragrance of a mixture of honey and the nectar of the flowers in the honeycomb.  Burn a beeswax candle today and enjoy the full ambiance of light and fragrance all from a natural renewable source.

http://www.organicsoul.org/the-benefits-of-burning-beeswax-candles/ 

Aromatherapy

History

The history of aromatherapy is reputed to date back as far as 6000 years, although the term aromatherapy ("aroma" meaning fragrance and "therapy" meaning treatment) wasn’t coined until the 20th Century.  The ancient Chinese, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians all used aromatherapy oils. 

The ancient Egyptians used plants for religious rituals; it was believed that certain smells could raise higher consciousness or promote a state of tranquility.  As time went on, the Egyptians continued to refine their use of aromatics in medicine, cosmetics, incense and perfumes.

The ancient Chinese were using some form of aromatherapy at or around the same time as the Egyptians. They used herbs and burned aromatic woods and incense to show their respect to God. 

The Greeks continued the use of aromatic oils. They used them for medicines and cosmetics. Aromatherapy came of age when they took medicine into a new light 2000 years ago.  

Hypocrites (400 BC), who was commonly known as the "Father of Medicine", was the first to study essential oils' effects. He believed that a daily aromatic bath and scented massage would promote good health. 

The Romans built upon the knowledge of the Egyptians and Greeks and became well known for scented baths followed by aromatic oil massage.

It was during the 19th century that scientists in Europe began researching the effects of essential oils on bacteria in humans.

Rene Maurice Gattefossé, a French chemist, began research into the healing powers of essential oils in the early 1900’s after he accidentally burned his hand in his laboratory. On reflex, he immersed his burned hand in the closest liquid which happened to be lavender oil. He was quite impressed by how quickly the burn healed without infection and with no visible scar. Gattefossé is credited with coining the word "aromatherapy".

As a result of Gattefossé’s experiments, Dr. Jean Valet used essential oils to treat the injured soldiers during world war two with great success. 

Since then, there has been numerous studies and books published on aromatherapy and the healing powers of essential oils.  The late 1970’s / early 1980’s brought about the use of essential oils and aromatherapy as a major part of alternative and holistic healing across the world.

Essential Oils

Simply put, essential oils are the "heart" of aromatherapy. Essential or "essence" oils (as they are sometimes called) are the highly concentrated, volatile, aromatic essence of plants. These oils are extracted from various parts of a plant, including the stem, leaf, flower, bark, fruits and even the root.

When handling and storing essential oils, special care must be exercised. They should be kept in dark air-tight glass bottles, and free from exposure to heat or extreme temperature fluctuations which can cause the oil to oxidate.

Ten Basic Essential Oils

Lavender	overall first aid oil; antiviral and antibacterial, boosts immunity, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic
Chamomile	anti-inflammatory, antiallergenic, digestive, relaxant, antidepressant
Marjoram	antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic
Rosemary	stimulating to circulation, relieves pain, decongestant, improves circulation
Tea tree	antifungal, antiyeast, antibacterial
Cypress	astringent, stimulating to circulation, antiseptic, astringent
Peppermint	digestive, clears sinuses, antiseptic, decongestant, stimulant
Eucalyptus	decongestant, antiviral, antibacterial, stimulant
Bergamot	antidepressant, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory
Geranium	balancing to mind and body, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory

http://www.essentials-of-aromatherapy.com/history_of_aromatherapy.html

http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.aspx?Id=1933

Happiness and Sadness Spread Just Like Disease by Brandon Keim

There may be a literal truth underlying the common-sense intuition that happiness and sadness are contagious.  A new study on the spread of emotions through social networks shows that these feelings circulate in patterns analogous to what’s seen from epidemiological models of disease.  Earlier studies raised the possibility, but had not mapped social networks against actual disease models.

“This is the first time this contagion has been measured in the way we think about traditional infectious disease,” said biophysicist Alison Hill of Harvard University.

Data in the research, in the July 7 Proceedings of the Royal Society, comes from the Framingham Heart Study, a one-of-a-kind project which since 1948 has regularly collected social and medical information from thousands of people in Framingham, Massachusetts.  Earlier analyses found that a variety of habits and feelings, including obesity, loneliness, smoking and happiness appear to be contagious.

In the current study, Hill’s team compared patterns of relationships and emotions measured in the study to those generated by a model designed to track SARS, foot-and-mouth disease and other traditional contagions. They discounted spontaneous or immediately shared emotion — friends or relatives undergoing a common experience — and focused on emotional changes that followed changes in others.

In the spread of happiness, the researchers found clusters of “infected” and “uninfected” people, a pattern considered a “hallmark of the infectious process,” said Hill. “For happiness, clustering is what you expect from contagion rates. Whereas for sadness, the clusters were much larger than we’d expect. Something else is going on.”

Happiness proved less social than sadness. Each happy friend increased an individual’s chances of personal happiness by 11 percent, while just one sad friend was needed to double an individual’s chance of becoming unhappy.

Patterns fit disease models in another way. “The more friends with flu that you have, the more likely you are to get it. But once you have the flu, how long it takes you to get better doesn’t depend on your contacts. The same thing is true of happiness and sadness,” said David Rand, an evolutionary dynamics researcher at Harvard. “It fits with the infectious disease framework.”

The findings still aren’t conclusive proof of contagion, but they provide parameters of transmission rates and network dynamics that will guide predictions tested against future Framingham results, said Hill and Rand. And whereas the Framingham study wasn’t originally designed with emotional information in mind, future studies tailored to test network contagion should provide more sophisticated information.

Both Hill and Rand warned that the findings illustrate broad, possible dynamics, and are not intended to guide personal decisions, such as withdrawing from friends who are having a hard time.

“The better solution is to make your sad friends happy,” said Rand.

Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/contagious-emotions/#ixzz0uz03PJEx

Alpha Tail By Don Glass

If you own more than one cat, you may already be aware that domestic cats have a very developed sense of pecking-order. One cat will tend to be the leader of the pack, the aggressive, domineering one, while the others will be more submissive. The one who runs the show is called the alpha cat by people who study animal behavior.

When the alpha cat is out of the room, the beta cats may tussle among themselves for a secondary kind of dominance. Beta cats will also tussle with the alpha cat, but it’s usually pretty clear who’s the big boss, even if she or he has to knock around the contenders every now and again.

Cat owners tend to be all too aware of which cat is the alpha in their house. If you are uncertain, though, there are some easily-discerned signals that cats use among themselves to announce their status. With a little practice you can spot them communicating in all sorts of subtle ways we humans might not ever notice. For example, watch the tail.

When walking around, the alpha cat will hold her or his tail higher in the air than the betas. It acts as a flag that says: “Right here. Fonzie Fonzarelli. Mr. Big Man on Campus.” Beta cats will also hold their tails up, but not as high as the alpha, unless they want to risk a fight.

If this seems like a terribly subtle way to communicate dominance to you, try and substitute a human behavior. When someone stares at you for even a second or two, you get the message!

http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/alpha-tail/

(In my household, my cat, Dave, is the Alpha cat, ruling above the dogs since he is a solo cat.  Here he is showing my Golden Retriever, Ringo, who's the boss!)

Gwen's Harajuku Lovers Hits Target

And just in time to go back to school!

Gwen Stefani has come out with a new collection that will make you look fashionable in class.

The designer's Harajuku Lovers school supplies have been spotted at Target, hmmm i wonder if a L.A.M.B. collection could be next.

Image Credit: Cocoperez.com

Gisele Gets Inspired For World Cup 2014

It may be 4 years away, but Brazil is already preparing for when they host the World Cup in 2014.

This past week the country unveiled a logo in South Africa that will represent the games for the next four years.

The design, which was chosen by famous Brazilians including supermodel Gisele Bundchen, is called "Inspiration" and shows three linked hands in Brazil's national colors of yellow and green.

SAY WHAT?!! Brad Turned Down Salt Cameo!!

Even though Angie wanted Brad to make a brief cameo in her new flick Salt, his daddy duties took top priority.

Angelina Jolie revealed:

"He was almost going to be the motorcycle guy that I knocked down and then he'd call me a bad name. But he was with the kids that day, and we couldn't work it out."

Too bad. It's been ages since they've hit the big screen together. It's overdue!

Pam Anderson For PETA Ad WOWZA!

Pamela Andersons new ad for peta!

Montreal is saying, "a city official has told PETA that Montreal can't endorse an advertisement it considers 'sexist' — so no permit."

The city seems to be having some moral issues endorsing the Canadian actresses' sexy advertisement.

Do U think this ad is 'sexy' or 'sexist'??

Id say sexy!

Real Housewives Go Global!

This show travels like the plague!

Greece is about get some trash TV this fall as they welcome The Real Housewives of Athens. The show will be just like it's American counterpart, following dumb, rich bitches and their drama.

And that's not it! Casting is underway on the UK's The Real Housewives of Sandbanks, set on the resort peninsula in Dorset, England. Versions in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Australia have also been optioned, and an Israeli version is expected as well.

It's the first sign of the apocalypse.

ha.

Javier Is Mancrushing On Poppa Pitt

While talking with Elle, Javier Bardem reveals a hawt celeb that he felt like he could fall in love with - and it's Brad Pitt!

He said:

"I had the great opportunity to meet Brad a couple of times…what a beauty. He is beautiful and his physicality is so amazing to see. But the beauty really comes from different places - the way he talks, the way he's interested in what you're saying.

And that body is like - wow. It's amazing, no? He really made me feel very, like…I don't know, like, I could fall in love with him! Like a teenage girl getting crazy and going [screams] like that. I met him only twice but I would say it's a good self. And that is when the beauty comes voom!"

Ha.

BABY VS BAD ROMANCE!

GaGa And The Biebs Still Fighting It Out For YouTube Victory! Read More: Celebrity gossip juicy celebrity rumors Hollywood gossip blog from Perez Hil

GaGa's Bad Romance and Bieber's Baby are fighting it out to be the most viewed YouTube video of all time.

And it's a fierce competition!

Currently its:

GAGA:

252,266,897

BIEBER:

261,924,875

BIEBER'S ON TOP.. SO FAR..

I wonder what it will be like near xmas time ha.! =)

Gossip Girl Heads To Fashion's Night Out

Vogue's Fashion's Night Out is really going big this year.

On top of filming a one-hour special that will air on CBS, the event is also the backdrop for two Gossip Girl episodes.

Filming for the episodes, which will air in September, started this week and will feature cameos by Vogue editors Hamish Bowles and Lauren Santo Domingo.

An Anna Wintour appearance would have made it so much better.

Will U be tuning in?