Your Cloud Has A Silver Lining

Volunteering makes us happy

2013-02-27T09:16:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! It's me again. Been busy since the beginning of the year. Finally got some time to myself and decided to share some of it with you here. What's new in my life is that I'm looking for an opportunity to volunteer. I've just woken up one day and decided to do it. Actually, what happened is that for a few days, I was thinking about how I'm so busy I don't even know any more why am I doing what I'm doing, I'm loosing my ground and I could've sworn I was feeling like my life's purpose is slowly sleeping away. So, one day I just woke up with an idea of volunteering as a way of helping me find myself again. The more I think about it, the more it seems like a perfect idea. It's win-win situation. It would be beneficial for the community and for me as well.

Being regarded as good for your soul, a Canadian study suggests, volunteering is beneficial for your heart as well.
The research team at the University of British Columbia, in fact, found that volunteering improves cardiovascular health, mostly in those who are most altruistic, mentally healthy and have the greatest ability to have compassion.

So, doing good is good for you. If you're already volunteering good for you, if not, think about it. It might bring you more joy than you've ever hoped for.

New Year - Happier, Healthier You

2013-01-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! It has been more than a month since I wrote here. I missed you and the writing but I've been so busy. Hopefully you've had nice holidays and your year started the way you hoped for. I'm very interested to hear about your New Year resolutions. You can tell me all about them in the comments.

But let me tell you this, I completely understand how you feel about New Year resolutions. They are so much fun to make but very hard to maintain. That's exactly how I felt about them and still kind of feel. Following through is almost an art. Maybe I'll write about it here someday. It's hard to keep up the enthusiasm months after you've swept up the confetti, but it's not impossible. What you can do, you can pick only one of the resolutions from your list and stick to it for the rest of the year. It should be the one that you feel strongest about being able to maintain it.

Here are some worthy resolutions:

Be Sociable

It’s good for your health to reconnect with old friends and long lost family members. One research suggests that people with strong social ties live longer than those who don’t have them. And in today's Internet era, it’s never been easier to stay in touch, or rejuvenate your relationships, with friends and family, so fire up Facebook and follow up with in-person visits.

Don't Stress Out

A little pressure now and again won’t kill us; in fact, short periods of stress give us an energy boost. Problem occurs when stressing out becomes part of our everyday life. Stress is an inevitable part of life but it doesn't have to become our problem. This year allow yourself time to relax, sleep, socialize,... take a vacation.

Volunteer

We think our own bliss relies on bettering ourselves, but our happiness very much increases when we help others.

Get More Sleep

Good night’s rest can do wonders for your mood and appearance. So, from time to time take a nap and don’t feel guilty about it.

Travel

Traveling allows us to tap into life as an adventure, and we can make changes in our lives without having to do anything bold or dramatic. It’s another form of discovery and learning, and great for your body and your soul. It makes you feel rejuvenated and replenished.

'Tis the Season to Be Jolly

2012-12-25T06:30:00.000-05:00

It is that time of the year again, when you are thankful for everything merry and bright. It’s the time of delight and I’m delighted about Your Cloud’s incredible community – our commenters, our growing number of Twitter followers and Facebook fans, our guest blogger (hopefully we’re going to have more guest blogging posts in the future) and all of our readers. I’m so filled with gratitude and counting my blessings, which, along with my family include this lovely community here.

May joy and happiness snow on you this holiday season, may your world be filled with warmth and good cheer, and may the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow.

Enjoy these dazzling displays of Christmas lights,

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Throw Away Your Negative Thoughts...for Real

2012-12-15T14:10:00.001-05:00

Once in a while, it's important to "clear" our minds of negative thoughts. One of the effective ways to do that is to write those thoughts down on a piece of paper and thrown the paper away.

Although it sounds silly, this mechanism really works, claim experts who conducted several separate experiments in their study on this matter.

- Of course, even if you throw the thoughts in a garbage can or put them in the recycle bin on the computer, they are not really gone -- you can regenerate them. But the representations of those thoughts are gone, at least temporarily, and it seems to make it easier to not think about them - said the study leader, Richard Petty.

He added that the technique has a cathartic effect, and can be applied several times a day to soothe and calm oneself.

So, start writing your unwanted thoughts and throwing them away and let me know how you're doing.

I personally like it very much. I have been sick for few weeks now and it started taking it's toll. I started feeling down and depressed and decided to conduct this little experiment on myself.:) And it really works for me. I kind of feel cheerful now. So go ahead try it. It never hurts to try, right?:)

12 Phrases for Happiness and Inner Peace

2012-12-12T08:06:00.000-05:00

In order to be able to love others, we must first learn to love ourselves.

Christine Hassler, psychologist, inspirational speaker, life coach and author, came up with 12 most essential phrases that we, as emotional human beings, who thrive on support and encouragement, need and deserve to hear but oftentimes don’t.

Daily repetition of these 12 phrases promotes positive thinking, brings confidence and builds an essential component of love in every person - the one towards oneself.

So 12 phrases that everyone wants to hear are:
- You are smart
-You are talented
-You are kind
-You are beautiful
- You are capable
- You didn’t do anything wrong
- You can do it
- You can let go
- You belong
- There’s nothing you need to prove
- Your dreams are worthy
- You are deserving

With these supportive phrases we can give an encouragement to ourselves, but also express our support, love and compassion to the people around us.

P.S. Happy 12/12/12. It is the last time, at least for sometime that the month, day and year are all the same number. So, enjoy your day today and read about it's magic and mysticism here.

Your Home as a Temple of Relaxation

2012-12-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

There's no place like home. When you get home at the end of a busy day that means it’s time to relax and unwind. Whether you like to get cozy in a bed full of soft pillows, take a soothing foam bath, or enjoy some freshly baked cookies, the best feeling in the world is the one when you are "at home”...

Home is much more than a place to live. Home is a refuge, a place of escape and healing where we are surrounded by peace and tranquility. It’s our sanctuary, a place where we can relax and enjoy ourselves. Whether you live in a small apartment or a big house, your environment should inspire you and nurture your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual needs. When we make our home a sanctuary, it becomes a place of relief where we can truly relax our body and soul. It becomes a retreat from our daily duties and responsibilities, full of warm, peaceful energy, our personal temple, where we feel safe, protected and cared for.

Creating a retreat from the stresses of work and the noises of the outside world helps us slow down and feel grounded. Surrounding ourselves with beauty and objects that inspire us keeps us in touch with our dreams and goals. When we create an environment that nurtures our spirit, our life becomes more harmonious and balanced.

Each one of us deserves a safe haven where we can enjoy music, read, meditate or just be with our thoughts. Someone has the entire house just to himself, someone a room, and yet someone just a special place, like a comfortable armchair in the corner. No matter how big or small your sanctuary is; you can try to make it as pleasant as possible. Indulge yourself and fill your private space with the enjoyable things, scents and sounds.

The scents are powerful, and at the same time subtle way of creating a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere. I remember how secure, loved and cared for I feel every time I go to my grandmother’s place. It is filled with all those sweet natural scents and aromas I remember from my childhood - apricot jams, dried lavender, linden tea, quince, spices in the kitchen. The sense of smell is closely connected to one’s memories, so try surrounding yourself with smells that remind you of something that makes you happy. Grandma's apple pie? The aroma and taste of honey? A slight scent of natural, organic soap? Filling the area with carefully selected aromas and scents can lift our mood, replenish our body energy or gently seduce our spirit. And there are many effortless ways to get pleasant scents into every room of our home - incense sticks, aromatic herbs, essential oils. As winter is coming, you can fill the rooms with warm, sweet scents like cedar, cinnamon, ginger and geranium.

Sound has the power to soothe, relax and comfort. You can cancel out the outside noise with gentle sounds of gurgling fountains or small chimes, or fill the space with meditation music and soothing sounds of nature, such as rainfall. Play your favorite music - something pleasant that reminds you of the happy moments from the past - a family holiday, childhood memories, first love. Then sit in a comfortable chair, dim the lights and just listen to the music. Music connected with memories helps us relax. Or you can indulge yourself with complete silence. Sometimes it is all we need.

Light has a special gift to fulfill, calm or cheer our spirit. Natural light changes throughout the day and throughout the seasons. It never stays the same. Sun and moon light change throughout their cycles. So, it is important to have a balance of light and darkness, in our personal space, as well. Adequate lighting can contribute much to creation of desired atmosphere. Floor lamps, lanterns and soft dimed lights help us create the warmer and calmer atmosphere. During the day you can hang rock crystal suncatcher in the window. It’ll break the sun's rays and illuminate the space with soft rainbow hues. By the night enjoy the most beautiful of all the lights – candle light. There is nothing more soothing than candle lit space, filled with relaxing music and warm, sweet scents that bring back some of the best memories of our lives.

Fashion… According to Chinese Horoscope: Dress for Success

2012-11-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

In China, the year of one’s birth correlates to a specific animal (as opposed to the correlation between the date and time of a person’s birth and an astrological sign). As in Western astrology, certain personality traits, characteristics and attributes are assigned to those born under each of the Chinese zodiac animal signs.

Check which of the 12 signs you belong to, and depending on that what’s your style in fashion and how to dress for lifelong success.

RAT (years: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984.)
People born in Rat years are all about wealth. They're successful and easily accomplish their goals. These are the people who have very refined and distinctive style, prefer black clothes and accessories, like for example black purses. They love luxury, eat and drink often without moderation, so they should always have a piece of clothing that visually narrows their figure. In order to encourage prosperity they should wear red, green and charcoal and to be nurturing their color of choice should be gray.

OX (1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985.)
People born in Ox years are walking the beaten paths and have a resistance to anything new. They're true traditionalists. They're characterized by seriousness, strong intellect and patience. They look very calm. They consider their every move long and carefully before they decide to take an action and they’re very active and hardworking. The physical energy of red combined with earthly tones creates palette to soothe such a hardworking sign (and create enough energy to feed an active mind). As true traditionalists they like classic well-tailored pieces of clothing that can be worn for a long time.

TIGER (1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986.)
They radiate a magnetic attraction and always stand out. Born leaders, always have new ideas, don’t recognize the authority and always seek their own ways. Tigers confidently follow the latest technological innovations and always have some interesting gadgets in their possession. They don’t recognize fashion dictations although always wear trendy clothes, but combined in their own way and always with some eccentric detail. The Tigers need big, bold prints and patters and soothing colors to relax as they tend to be restless at night. They can use black to feel protected and red to feel energized.

RABBIT (1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987.)
They hold someone else's opinion very high. Especially important to them is what their family members think. They’re quick, smart and clever and very sociable. Rabbits are always “jumping” around. Hesitant and prone to idealization, the Rabbits often follow fashion trends to the t. They are trying to wear anything that’s new and trendy because they feel better if they wear the latest fashion. Rabbits thrive in an atmosphere of vibrant colors, such as grass green and royal blue. Softer violet shades, such a lilac, are romantic and when mixed with the deeper plum tones add elegance and sensuality to their looks.

DRAGON (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988.)
The most powerful and most fortunate sign in the Chinese horoscope that symbolizes growth and prosperity creates such visual identity, as well. She dresses expensively and noticeably, paying special attention to the luxury accessories. To express her true nature the Dragon should wear “imperial blue” (white, red and purple together), a vibrant color that resonates with energy. To be warm and inviting the Dragon can wear red violet, while clear red, when used with discretion, can be stimulating and exciting to the Dragon.

SNAKE (1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989).
Called the “Little Dragon,” the Snake is calm and understanding sign. They’re into intellectual and philosophical discussions and have diplomatic skills. They are often very fortunate, and usually have no problem with money. People born in Snake years have distinctive taste for clothes. Their favorite colors are navy blue and bright red and they like exclusive design pieces. For the Snake, red is a favorable color. Stimulating and inviting, red creates sensuality and provides the Snake with much craved heat. Mixing red with white creates the romantic passion. Red with a touch of green turns to burgundy and with plum becomes perfect color for work.

HORSE (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990.)
Charming and likable, the Horse is a hardworking and sharp sign which demonstrates skills in areas where power is required. As a result, the Horse earns respect and wealth. People born in Horse years always look fabulous. They are beautiful, with strikingly good looks, full of sex-appeal and know how to dress. They are in constant search for new adventures. As the true nomads, they travel frequently as they’re very hard to keep in one place. Their suitcase is full of comfortable and sexy cloths, mostly in light blue color. They can use yellow to add a little bit of power to their personality.

SHEEP (1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991.)
Intelligent and artistic, the Sheep fares well in business, which results in wealth and success. Elegant, charming, prone to art, people born in Sheep years wear relaxed and casual cloths. They like to feel secure, and they are often shy. They preferably wear sporty, elegant models because in those they feel comfortable and unconstrained, and additionally they don’t draw too much attention to themselves. They buy clothes that can be worn multiple seasons with minimal investment. Material things are not of great significance to them. Soft yellow, almost like wheat, combined with green accessories nurture the Sheep. Sheep thrives in nature’s atmosphere of natural serenity, so no jolts of hot colors please. In order to lift her spirit Sheep can wear amethyst color.

MONKEY (1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992).
For members of this sign personal satisfaction always comes first. They are energetic, active, albeit egotistic. The most original of all signs, the Monkey is both likeable and witty. They’re good entertainers and they always make the best parties. Considered trendsetters, white is their favorite color. Those who are born in Monkey years will be among the first to wear the latest shoe trends or a strangely tailored dresses. The stronger yellow colors are perfect for the Monkey, which needs the stimulating warmth of the sunshine color in its habitat. A morning jog wearing pure yellow stimulates the pace. For career colors, green and crisp white will give the Monkey the sunny attire it needs to thrive.

ROOSTER (1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993).
Hardworking, resourceful, talented, stable and intelligent, loves to be noticed and be the center of attention. In their closet the most common models are the ones that can fall into sporty or relaxed style. They readily pair elegant pieces with sporty ones, so their favorite combination is a jacket made of unusual material and good old jeans. Red and yellow, combined create the warmth of the sun and are good colors for the Rooster.

DOG (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994.)
Honest and courageous with a deep sense of justice. In their wardrobe dominant colors are orangey and purple. They choose clothes that easily invoke their subtle nature. Their wardrobe is one of reduced lines often complemented with interesting details, such as purses in bright colors or a good necklace. The orange to brown colors work well for the Dog, with muted earthly tones and touches of yellow (for stimulation) and blues (to cool the Dog down). Browns, yellows, burgundy with mustard yellow promote confidentiality and support.

PIG (1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995.)
Sensitive and caring, these are people of taste and refined manners. They’re simply born with those. Purple color is their favorite. Their style is simple but attractive. Lightweight knitted sets with fleecy skirts or trousers are high on their list of favorite outfits as well as well-tailored suits. Yellow and plum will create rich and subtle tones in work. An abundance of sunshine yellows and a warm palette can be effective for power dressing. The Pig likes spicy colors, so use saffron and red floral prints with lots of white accents surrounding the Piggy with friendship.

Thank You!!!

2012-11-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

A special greeting
to you dear fans of Your Cloud,
sincere appreciation
for your likes, follows, readership and loyalty.
I am deeply thankful and
extend to you my best wishes.

May all the good things of life
be yours in abundance.

Delicious Treats from a Jar

2012-11-16T08:37:00.000-05:00

Organic preserves from my fridge

Do you like pickled and preserved food? I do. In my house we eat it all the time, especially during winter months. We eat it for breakfast, as a snack, we use it as a spread on our crapes. Hence, we use it A LOT.
So, this story begins with me walking down the street from my nail salon and seeing a health food store. Of course, I had to check it out. I ended up buying substance called agar-agar, after having an interesting and eye-opening conversation about pickling and preserving, with the owner of the store. She gave me a few practical tips for preparing natural, healthy, homemade preserves.

We all usually buy industrially-made products. But they often contain refined sugar as well as artificial preservatives, additives and other ingredients that contribute to longer preservation period of selected foods. So, the first step in preparing healthy homemade preserves is choosing organically-grown foods and produce.

This is how agar-agar looks like

Along with organic fruits and vegetables we can use organic apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and cereal malts instead of refined sugar. Instead of gelatin, we can use flakes of agar-agar algae (that I bought), which thicken the stewed fruits for our jellies. In preparation of pickled food we can use umeboshi plums or fermented Japanese apricots as preservative and to prevent fermentation of the vegetables in a pickled jar.

And here’s an extra tip from my mom’s kitchen - for a special touch use your favorite spices and add them to your preserves. For example, my mom likes to use cinnamon or vanilla. But you can mix up your signature aroma and add it to your preserves.

Take advantage of a wealth of autumn markets (although it’s almost winter but we can pretend it's not and buy some stuff at the grocery stores, at least :)) and prepare natural organic and delicious preserves without sugar, preservatives or harmful additives.

Celebrating Our First Birthday

2012-11-11T06:33:00.000-05:00

Your Cloud is celebrating its 1st birthday.

It's been an INCREDIBLE journey so far.

Thank you for your support and for having faith in Your Cloud and its author.

Here's to our first year of growing together and to many more exciting and new things we'll learn about bettering ourselves and our lives.

Recipe for Happiness?

2012-11-07T15:53:00.002-05:00

Is there a recipe for happiness, and if so, what it is? How to find it? Who can give us the answer to the question that haunts us, and that we have no peace over - how to be happy forever? And is it even possible to be happy forever? Is it possible to overcome all limitations, all difficulties; is it possible to leave the past behind and move on to the path of lifelong happiness and success? Many books have been written on the subject of happiness and success, a lot of smart and wise words have been said on this subject and then again, we have a feeling that we’re not doing something right. Positive thinking and positive approach to life became too difficult of a topic for many. So often has it been insisted we think positively, it's become frustrating. By insisting on a positive approach, it looks as if we moved away from the essence of what a positive approach really should be.

Thinking positively does not mean NOT seeing the world and yourself in that world - just the opposite. By accepting the world we live in, by accepting ourselves and responsibility for ourselves and our lives, we can use the situation in which we find ourselves in as a starting point for creating images of a life we really want to live. If we don’t see the bottom, we could hardly imagine how high we can fly. By negating what’s happening within us and by denying what surrounds us we actually amplify just that what we don't want to live.

Thinking positively does not mean pretending not to notice the difficulties that follow us and laughing when we don't want to laugh. Thinking positively means making peace with that what is and just using the situation as a starting point to understand where we actually want to be. It is not necessary to “act” happy, it's much more important to feel happy. If the situation in which you are is not a situation in which you want to be, just pause, take a few deep breaths and consciously create the next thought starting with the words, "Wouldn’t it be wonderful if ... “.

Listen to Louise L. Hay, an author, motivational speaker, a pioneer of the personal growth movement and cancer survivor, and learn how to think positively, love yourself and consciously create positive thoughts.

The Best Sport for Your Zodiac Sign

2012-11-02T07:35:00.000-04:00

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius - Aerobics and Karate

You are a great supporter of physical activity, fitness and exercise. You know what your life-long goals are, you like sports, you don’t miss your training sessions and you workout ‘till exhaustion. At the pool you don’t waste time getting to know the other swimmers because that’s not what you came for.

If you somehow deny your body necessary physical activity, you can become depressed, and even gain weight. You are a born leader – you chase high scores and love to win. Group trainings are ideal for you: aerobics, step-aerobics, body shaping workouts, dancing, oriental martial arts and the like.

Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - Cycling and Gymnastics

Team sports are the ones that suit you. You get along perfectly well with other people; you know how to sort out any conflict or misunderstanding and you don’t root just for yourself but for the others as well. You don’t like working out alone, so you’ll find yourself leaning towards any physical activity led by instructors. Such activities will help you release stress; you will get new acquaintances and find like-minded people.
Exercising with friends and acquaintances inspires and motivates you enormously. If you start working out alone, you might not last long and you might quickly give up. You’ll find yourself liking yoga, swimming, gymnastics, brisk walking, cycling, rollerblading and ice-skating.
Forget all sports that require heavy and exhausting workouts, hard work and an intense rivalry because all this is not for you.

Gemini, Libra, Aquarius - Yoga and Running

You are great individualist. In sports, as in life, you’re unpredictable and act the way you like. It could so happen that you fall short at a critical moment and leave your teammates in the lurch, or, on the contrary, save the situation when no one expects. Simply, you are an eccentric and a loner.
You function perfectly well when you practice alone, but you can do it within a group as well. It would be ideal if you could combine these two. For example, you can practice yoga in a group and jog alone.

Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn - Brisk Walking and Skiing

You are balanced and calm, and your reactions can be a bit slow. Sports that require fast reflexes and lightning-fast reactions are not for you. Regardless, you are very active, you always try to stay in good shape and you like long walks.
Do not limit yourself to gym workouts, as you can soon get bored. Try working out outdoors, in the fresh air. You’ll like running, brisk walking, biking and rollerblading, ice-skating and skiing. You can endure pretty intense workouts, but exhaustion is not for you, only moderation.

I am Pisces and I always liked swimming and other water sports without really knowing why. Being a "fish out of the water" explains it all. I also like to help and motivate others (that’s why I write here) but I never connected that with my Zodiac sign. Look at the workout suggestions above and let me know if you feel those are right for you. Anyway, I’d be happy if this post motivated you to think through your workout routine and whether or not you need to change something. Here’s to happy and healthy lifestyle!

Announcing Astrology

2012-11-01T11:31:00.000-04:00

This post is to announce an addition of a new topic to my writings - ASTROLOGY.

Ancient Egyptians were the ones who pioneered astrology as a science. They were very sincere about it. Their astrologers were their priests. Their zodiac had 12 birth signs as the Hellenistic one that we know about (the one with signs from Aries to Pisces) and they used those signs mostly to regulate agriculture (to understand the cycle of the Nile). Those signs were based on different gods and according to Egyptian priests being born within a particular sign influenced a person's character. They described the human beings as the reflection of the entire universe, so to them moon and star movements, eclipses and other sky events were all important to depict a person’s character.

Now, I’m no expert on astrology, but I read the horoscope and sometimes I get very interested and amused by the tips I read in there. And that’s what I hope your reaction would be to this kind of posts here. I plan to write about numerology, hand readings and all that other fun and interesting stuff as well. Those will be just fun, easy, relaxing readings that will take your thoughts off of a busy day.

Expect fist one soon, maybe even tomorrow.

Take care.

Feng Shui Tips for Home Buyers

2012-10-22T07:23:00.000-04:00

An ancient Chinese practice is becoming more and more popular in countries far away from China or its influence. Feng shui has been used for centuries by people seeking to improve their lives through the use of color, materials and object placements in order to invite positive energy, or “Chi,” into their homes. In feng shui, the primary goal is to create an optimal flow of energy, which will improve all aspects of one's life - relationships, finances, health and career.
When I told this to my friend she said something to the effect of: “Oh, so it’s kind of an ancient Chinese interior design practice.” Well, I guess one can say so, if he/she really wants to simplify things. But there’s definitely more to it. There’s both interior and exterior designing aspect to it and it really means surrounding yourself with the flow of positive energy wherever you spends your time at – your home, office or your garden.

It has always been clear to me how powerful these ancient principles are. Unfortunately, I quickly became aware how complex they can be to follow as well. Reading about different principles supported by different feng shui schools was oftentimes confusing and it did bring my enthusiasm about this ancient practice down. However, recent question from one of this blog’s readers made me read some of my feng shui literature again. (Find the question and an answer to it at Ask Yaz page). Going through that stuff again, I’ve found some very good tips on house purchase and decided to share them here with you and help my friend AMA on his/her quest as well.

Originally used by the ancient Chinese to select the proper location and form of their buildings, the following feng shui principles might really help those looking for a new home.

· Location
According to feng shui, a house located on high or at least leveled land will allow the best flow of energy. Ideally the lot will be either square or rectangular in shape with an open space in front of the house. A house where the land rises slightly behind it is best, as that will slow the energy departure. It is better if the house sits on the front half of the lot, and the entrance to the house is above or in level with a road, so the positive energy doesn’t by-pass the house. Major NO, NOS are houses located on a dead end, in a cul-de-sac or at the end of a T-junction, as these spots tend to hinder energy flow, thus allowing stagnation or if you’re close to the busy road bombardment with energy. If your dream house happens to be in these unlucky positions, use attractive landscaping either to protect your house form too much of energy or to help add movement to the surroundings. Trees, brightly colored flowers, and the use of flags, spinners and wind chimes can help attract more of positive energy.

· Landscaping
As landscaping can either help or hinder energy movement, one should be aware of the placement of shrubbery and trees around the house. For best energy flow, trees should not be in line with the front door, as this may block good energy. In addition, go with houses that do not have trees and shrubbery too close to them.

· Inside the house
Bathrooms should be located on the outer areas of the house; if they are in the center, the energy can drain away, leaving you feeling tired and lethargic. If you choose a house with a bathroom in the center, incorporate the earth element into the space, for example, install ceramic tile or hang a landscape picture. Real or silk plants and pictures of trees, flowers or gardens are helpful. The master bedroom should be located in the back half of the house, since this is considered a place of dominance. It is also believed that bedrooms should not be located over open areas, such as a laundry room or garage, nor should bathrooms be located over kitchens or dining area. If either is the case, illness may be more frequent visitor to the house inhabitants. Stairs immediately opposite the entry way will allow energy to rush out of the house, negatively impacting new opportunities, health and wealth. If the house is perfect for you in all but this aspect, then you can hang a crystal between the door and the stairway, or a mirror at the top of the stairs. You can display artwork in the stairwell (keeping picture groupings leveled instead of staggered) and place a pretty swag of flowers or greenery above the inside of the front door.

· History of the house
If at all possible, find out about the house's previous owners. A death that occurred in the house or previous owners who were unsuccessful in their endeavors may signify poor energy flow. That would suggest no foreclosed houses. Also, be wary if there are houses in the neighborhood in disrepair or neighbors that appear unsuccessful, as this may show a lack of positive energy. So, no bad or run down neighborhoods either. Makes sense, doesn’t it. Also, all animals in the area, whether pets or wild animals, such as birds and squirrels, should look healthy.

In addition, I’m reading that there are actually realtors out there who took feng shui classes and can guide their clients to feng shui-friendly homes, so you don’t have to work alone on finding that perfect house that employs these powerful principles.

At the end, I’d like to thank my reader AMA (that’s how he/she signed the email) for giving me the inspiration to write this post and for motivating me to take another look at feng shui.

Sinus Infection Problems

2012-10-12T06:20:00.001-04:00

Acupuncture may help ease chronic sinusitis.

Continue reading here.

Living in the Present

2012-10-08T15:32:00.000-04:00

"If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.”

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Photos by Yaz's (Your Cloud Has A Silver Lining) significant other. :)

Amazing little things

2012-09-20T14:00:00.000-04:00

This morning I woke up to a gloomy weather outside and a ton of things to do. The first few moments of my day were very frustrating but then, for some reason, while I was preparing my morning cup of coffee, I opened up YouTube and pressed one of suggested videos on the right side. It was a video meditation for wealth and prosperity. Guess, now you know what I’m searching for these days on YouTube. Anyhow, I’ve decided I’d give this meditation a try.

And the result is, I really liked it. Kind of perfect way to start your day. I feel very inspired, empowered and going about my daily tasks very happy… and the weather is still gloomy outside.

Just amazing how little we need to change our prospective on life.

Your Mirror

2012-09-12T06:38:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we don't see ourselves. Sometimes we are lost. Sometimes we don't understand ourselves. But if we open the door, we could find one who sees us, who understands us, who "gives" us that mirror to show us where we are. Is there a greater friend than the one that helps us get back to ourselves?

Love your friends, respect them, listen to them.

I'm so happy that whenever I travel and come back home afterwords, I get to see over and over again what great friends I have.

Here's to all good friends of this world.

Coming Back from Vacation

2012-08-27T05:25:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I'm back from my three weeks vacation with new energy and inspiration.
Vacations can actually be great for regaining strength (mental and physical) and giving your mind time to process all the things you encountered since your last vacation. So, you're guessing right I had a great time. :)

I hope you'll notice my regained inspiration in my new posts. I'll start posting as soon as I enter into my everyday routine.

Change Your Thoughts - Heal Your Life

2012-07-10T10:39:00.000-04:00

To be happy and satisfied is a privilege. It is our birth right, if you want! Whenever we move away from the point of our well-being, we are simply not true to ourselves anymore. We move away from our very essence, and we find it hard to observe success, happiness and beauty around us.

The solution for everything in life is so simple, yet to so many of us so difficult to achieve. We just ought to LOVE ourselves. When we truly fall in love with ourselves and accept ourselves for who we are, when we start freeing ourselves of the need to be something that others expect us to be, when we start to make ourselves more happy and stop from time to time and congratulate ourselves for everything that we’ve done so far, we’ll begin to open up to an endless stream of opportunities and we’ll open ourselves to the prosperity of every kind.

Everyone wants to live in abundance, but often we can see people who sit by idly, shriveled, tightened. It's hard to imagine how someone in such a position can allow any kind of prosperity into his/her life. So, when we feel that we shrunk even physically, it is very important for us to become aware of that and spread our arms saying, "I spread my arms towards abundance of every kind. I am open to all the good that life sends my way." There’s a very good book written on becoming aware of our situation and working our way towards abundance and prosperity. It’s called “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise L. Hay. By accepting Ms. Hay’s teachings and ad advices and practicing the positive affirmations she offers, you can improve your life in many ways, but also you’ll learn to enjoy every day of your life!

When we sincerely and consciously work on our well-being we easily realize that the universe is really amazing and there are NO RESTRICTIONS when we start off on the path of spirituality and inner peace.

P.S. I've just recently learned about Ms Hay's "Heal Your Life" Coaching. It sounds like an amazing technique and I would certainly love to learn more about it. So, if you are a “Heal Your Life” Coach or just know about it and want to share some of your knowledge with audience on this blog please do not hastate to contact me. I’ll be honored to have you as a guest blogger so that the readers can learn about “Heal Your Life” principles.

Templeton Prize to Dalai Lama

2012-07-05T08:49:00.001-04:00

“Personally, when Nobel Peace Prize announced my name, at that time (1989) I expressed that I am no more, no less, just a simple Buddhist monk. So still, I am a simple Buddhist monk, no less, no more, after receiving this award. Of course, more people may pay some attention about my talks, my thoughts, so in that sense, I think (it is) very, very helpful.”

With these words Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, thanked for the Templeton award, which he has received on May 14^th 2012 in the St. Paul Cathedral in London. This is the largest monetary prize awarded to an individual; a nominee can be everyone - regardless of gender, religion or nationality - who has made outstanding contribution to the affirmation of the life’s spiritual dimension. Prize valued at $ 1.8 million Dalai Lama has received for his work on the connection between science and Buddhism and for spreading the idea of harmony, nonviolence and universal morality. The core of his philosophy is self-sacrifice as a way to get people around the world to better understand each other as well as to address crucial global issues.

And as we could've expected, Dalai Lama promptly announced that he would be donating all of the $1.8 million prize money to charity. The bulk of the money went to Save the Children in India. The remainder has been split between the Mind and Life Institute – a body which promotes collaboration between science and spirituality - and a fund to educate Tibetan monks in science. “My pocket is now empty,” the Dalai Lama joked, “but no problem.”

After Mother Teresa, he is the only Nobel Laureate who won the Templeton award as well.

Down below you can watch Dalai Lama humbly accepting the recognition of his “little service to humanity." From his little speech one can fully understand why this “simple Buddhist monk” is such an inspiration to so many people on this planet.

Illusions, Shadows and Everyday Life of Our Mind

2012-07-02T06:31:00.005-04:00

Recently, I've read one so simple yet so enlightening story. I hope it'll be as motivating for you as it was for me.

Zen story

- Master, how should I practice Zen?

- Eat when you're hungry and sleep when you’re tired.

- Don’t most people do just that?

- No, no, that's not what most people do. Most people nurture thousands of wishes while they're eating and untie hundreds of nodes while they're sleeping...

It seems that living in the moment is the most difficult task for us humans. Most of us live in the past or future. Remind yourself of this story every time your mind wonders off of task you're working on.

Love Song

2012-06-29T06:21:00.000-04:00

It’s Friday and time for another story. Only this time I’m sharing a SONG. I have stumbled upon this beautiful old French chanson on YouTube and found equally beautiful English lyrics for it. Enjoy!

When We Have Nothing But Love
By Jacques Brel

When we have nothing but love
As the gift that we bear
Then the path that we’re walking
Is the passion we share

When we have nothing but love
Between lovers and friends
Then each day is a voyage
And the trip never ends

When we have nothing but love
As the promise we give
And our treasure is faith
Every day that we live

When we have nothing but love
To enliven our days
And to brighten the dark
In this city of grays

When we have nothing but love
As our reason and mind
And the song that we sing
And the help that we find

When we have nothing but love
To serve food to the poor
To give clothes to the naked
When they knock at the door

When we have nothing but love
That we offer in prayer
To the evil that rages
In the world everywhere

When we have nothing but love
When we answer the call
Of the people who struggle
Just to go on at all

When we have nothing but love
As our compass and guide
To discern the best path
When beset on each side

When we have nothing but love
To talk back to a gun
And we’ve only got songs
To convince war is done

So we have nothing but love
What is all this love worth?
My friends, barely nothing
Just the whole blessed earth

English Lyrics written by Rob Weinert-Kendt

***

Jacques Brel (1929 - 1978.) is a Belgian singer-songwriter, chanteur. He started his singing career in French cafes. His songs, often full of sharp satire, became very popular in Europe in the 1950s.History of the chanson is inconceivable without classics such as Brel’s When we have nothing but love.

Colors For Your Good Mood

2012-06-28T09:13:00.001-04:00

Our mood boosts when we are surrounded by our favorite scents and colors, which is confirmed by the experiences of aromatherapy and color therapy. Color therapy is also known as chromortherapy and represents healing with colors. The paint on the walls of our home or workplace, the color of our clothing, nighttime light colors ... all of these can affect us negatively or positively. For example, it’s believed that orange stimulates digestion, purple emotions, blue treats irritability; red strongly affects our heart and blood flow, while yellow affects our belly...

Everyone has his/her own favorite color, one that helps him/her relax. In the field of color therapy, the most notable name is that of Italian Professor Vittorio Blanco. He found that the therapeutic use of red heals the heart and improves blood circulation. Yellow heals stomach pain, muscles, fingers and has a positive effect on the human mind. Green treats kidneys, bladder, and stomach glands.

In the XIX century, Danish doctor Niels Finsen Ryberg used a red light for the treatment of smallpox. For his achievements in medical field he received the Nobel Prize.

One can also use colors during meditation. As we breathe in and out we can visualize different colors. Let your mind invoke the color of the sky, sun, sea grass, flowers ... Lie comfortably on your back and breathe slowly. “Breathe in” vibrant shades of colors you summon to your mind. This technique is called “color breathing”.

In healing, colors act as balancers for our mind and body, helping our overall well-being. These days you can experience chromotherapy visiting various practitioners of this kind of therapy or if you prefer spas you can use infrared saunas or some hydrotherapy treatments.

Walking and Meditation

2012-06-19T07:57:00.001-04:00

The summer is here and I’m not writing as much.:) It’s kind of nice to spend time outside. But I have not forgotten you. I’m here to encourage you to go outside as much as you can. Walking is always good thing to do.

It gives us quality time that we can devote to making important decisions and thinking of ideas, but also we can use it to relax. Very early in the morning, when the day is nice and traffic noise has not flooded the streets yet, when it's still possible to hear the birds chirping, go for a longer or short walk during which you will be able to meditate.

Begin by simply being aware of your surroundings, of the nature. Notice the blue sky, the mood you are in, the trees, the way the breeze touches your skin, the sounds that surround you.
Breathe deeply and steadily, while taking steady, slow steps. Consciously, begin to turn off your thoughts.
Focus on your breathing. Inhale while you take two or three steps, and then exhale taking another two or three steps.
If your thoughts start come bursting into your mind, just ignore them.
Soon you will be fully concentrated on your breathing and walking, and you'll feel as relaxed as if you were sitting in a comfy armchair.

Take time to enjoy this feeling of complete emptiness of your mind and relaxation of your moving body. During this meditation it may happen that certain messages appear in your head, but not as thoughts, because your thoughts are turned off, but as a facts or feelings.

Continue to walk until you feel good about it then gradually return to the state of consciousness.