Time’s Maia Szalavitz wrote an article claiming that self disciplined people are happier.

The research, which was published in the Journal of Personality, showed that self-control isn’t just about deprivation, but more about managing conflicting goals.

Through a series of tests — including one that assessed 414 middle-aged participants on self-control and asked them about their life satisfaction both currently and in the past — and another that randomly queried volunteers on their smartphones about their mood and any desires they might be experiencing, the researchers found a strong connection between higher levels of self-control and life satisfaction.

The authors address some of the most important questions in life: What leads to happiness and how can we achieve a life well lived?”

Granted, self-control isn’t the best route to instant gratification, but it may bring something even better: long-term contentment.

“The first wealth is health.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/1-10009-7/the-7-best-foods-to-boost-your-memory.html

Lisa Guy believes walnuts, coconut oil, eggs, green tea, rosemary, oily fish, and berries are 7 of the best foods to help boost your memory.  Jump to the article for more info on each selection.

Sun Gazing

I have yet to try Sun Gazing but it sounds like a lucid practice from friends who practice and this article. Check out the article for more info….

What is Sun Gazing?

Sun gazing (also known as sun-eating) is a strict practice of gradually introducing sunlight into your eyes at the lowest ultraviolet-index times of day – sunrise and sunset.  Those who teach the practice say there are several rules to the practice.  First, it must be done within the hour after sunrise or before sunset to avoid damaging the eyes.  Second, you must be barefoot, in contact with the actual earth – sand, dirt or mud; and finally, you must begin with only 10 seconds the first day, increasing by 10 second intervals each day you practice.  Following these rules make the practice safe, says sources.

Sun Gazing

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9985/25-habits-of-people-who-are-happy-healthy-successful.html

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9795/5-tips-to-get-more-time-to-yourself.html

1. Take time for yourself to start each day (Practice)

2. Establish a routine. 

3. Delegate. 

4. Make a list or become aware of where you spend most of your time. 

5. Spend less time consuming media. 

7 Physical & Mental Benefits of Cold Showers

What are the key benefits of cold showers? Cold showers are incredible. By taking cold showers, you can improve your physical and mental health listed below.

Updated 8/9/2015

1. Increased Tolerance to Stress

Exposure to cold water gives your body a higher tolerance to stress by purposely exposing it to stress. If you can withstand a cold shower, the rest of your day’s challenges will seem like a breeze.

2. Increase in Lucidity

A cold shower turns a mundane task into a lucid practice. You begin to feel the sensation of each water drop hitting your skin. You notice an increase in gratitude for the fact that your internal organs are able to rapidly pump blood to regulate your body temperature.

3. Increased Blood Circulation

Exposure to cold water causes your blood flow to be redirected to your vital organs, it forces your body to circulate your blood more efficiently & effectively.

4. Healthy Skin and Hair

Cold water helps close pores. This keeps your skin looking smooth & healthy while not drying your skin out as hot water showers can sometimes do.  The cold water will help keep your hair look shiny and keep your skin soft, rather than itchy, ashy and dried out. Just one of the many benefits of cold showers 😉

5. Immune System Supercharge

Cold water immersion has been shown to  increase metabolic rates due to shivering and activating the immune system.

In Siberia, in a ritual called Rodnichok or cold springs, parents dump a cold bucket of water over the heads of children. They do this year round for ages 2-6. Again, this is in Siberia. Those kids are tough. It’s shown that about 95% of the kids who participate are healthy through the flu season as opposed to 75% of the those children in groups that don’t participate.

6. Increased Testosterone

In a world where men are increasingly willing to pop prescription pills to solve low-testtosterone problems, the solution is actually in their own bathroom. A 1993 study done by the Thrombosis Research Institute in England showed cold baths to be correlated with high testosterone levels.

7. Anti-Depressant Properties

Due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect. Also, cold showers have been linked to an increase in , a protein that is helpful in regulating glucose levels and breaking down fatty acids.

Two bonus positive side effects:

1. Improved Lymphatic System Functioning

The lymphatic system takes waste away from your cells to help fight disease. It’s separate from your blood vessels, but is moved around by the contraction of your muscles. Cold showers cause your entire body to contract and forces the lymphatic system to push the lymph fluids throughout your body rather than pooling in one part of your body as it would if it were compromised or inefficient.

2. Better Sleep

Doctors recommend insomniacs take cold showers to help aid sleep. It might be because the feeling you get after the initial shock of the shower helps your body calm down & relax.

It may seem daunting at first…. I promise it gets easier each time so take the plunge!! It might just change your life. 😉

Some of the tips above can be contributed to: http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-health-benefits

Cheers to my friend @PhilFeelsGood who first introduced me to cold showers!

Outstanding pictorial & textual guide to beginning & advanced asana backbends:

http://www.mryoga.com/backbends

Benefits of backbends: Improves spinal flexibility and strength creating better posture, stimulates the central nervous system, abdominal organs and aids in digestion, tones the adrenal glands, kidney, pancreas and liver thyroid gland, abdominal organs and lungs, stretches the chest, lungs, upper and lower back, throat, shoulders, hip flexors, can relieve menstrual cramping and menopause for women, and calms the mind.