Friday, 29 June 2007

Massage, and Ways for us to Learn to Help Others to Relax

Massage may be defined, in part, as the application of pressure, or vibration to different parts of the body’s soft tissues.

Massage is a skill that can be learned and practiced by most people- the main ingredients in my view, being a desire to learn, as well as to give healing and relaxation to another.

The benefits of massage amongst others are that it can relieve pain, relieve stress, and aid in better circulation.

I will briefly discuss different aspects to massage in this article, and give you an insight into massage.


Massage is an art form that has roots dating back many thousands of years, and has developed into many types today, with recent new development like chair massage, which, as the name suggests, is given to people most typically in an office environment.

This type of massage is given to a person, fully clothed, where some types of massage are given to a person either totally naked, or more commonly, partially covered in the areas where they are not being massaged, both for comfort, warmth, and modesty, not to mention relaxation.

Massage is designed to relieve the built up tensions and stress that can affect many of us from time to time.

Some people literally thrive on stress, where others do well with some, and a few do not handle stress at all.

In all cases, massage can be very healing for just about everyone.

Massage has also been used to help treat many ailments, including pain management, fatigue, muscular problems, and general tension.

It is natural to expect that the training of the massage therapist will make a great deal of difference to the final result on the person being massaged.

Stress is something that is important to help reduce, as over many years, the build up of stress can cause muscle problems, and our body’s no longer functions as well as they could. In some cases, memory and overall health are affected, and it is always beneficial to receive regular massage therapy.


As I mentioned earlier, massage is something that can be learned by mosr people who are willing and committed to helping others.

The benefits of being able to give a great massage are numerous, including the ability to reduce a person’s muscular pains, help a person to sleep better, increase a person’s sense of health and well being, and detoxify muscles, to name just a few points.


Massage courses are available by accredited associations and instructors around the world, as well as online from various reputable vendors.

I can certainly speak from experience when I say that massage is a great way to help one relax, and is an art form that can be learned, and developed.

To your ongoing success.

Be the best you can be!







Martin Cohn is an expert in relaxation techniques. He has dedicated his site to what he calls "positive relaxation", audio options for relaxation and general suggestions for a more productive and relaxed life.
Positive-relaxation is a site that encompasses different methods of relaxation, as well as giving special attention to the different types of audio that can be used to assist with relaxation, meditation, and also, discussion on goal setting techniques.
Visualization is also covered.
The site is constantly being developed, and more information added every few days.
For more information, go to http://www.positive-relaxation.com/
For specific information on massage, go to http://www.learn-massage-online.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=217

Tuesday, 26 June 2007

Memory Improvement

Our memory is a valuable asset to many of us, as it can dramatically assist us in daily life as well as professionally.
Our memories can be greatly improved, by the use of regular exercises, as well as by considering various facts that affect our daily performance.
One of the methods that can greatly assist us to remember more easily is to learn to relax. I mention this as when we are relaxed, our minds literally do perform better, and the ‘data flows more easily’ in our brains.
It’s like if we try too hard, we sometimes fail, as we are over stressed about the outcome, and this actually blocks the desired result. I realize this all sounds blasé, but the results of numerous tests have proven this point to be true.
Have you ever noticed that when you are under stress, it is harder to remember facts quickly? You may seem to stumble with facts? This is, amongst other things, due to excessive cortisol in our brains, caused by stress.
Many people who are more actively relaxed, either naturally, or as they practice art forms like yoga, or exercise regularly (which produces endorphins), are generally more relaxed, and able to absorb great amounts of information at a time.
Another example of this concept are actors who remember many pages of lines from scripts.
Remember too, that the way you think affects the outcome. If you feel you are naturally forgetful, you will be. If you say to yourself that you don’t understand certain concepts, then you will find it difficult, if not impossible to do so.
Treating your mind as your friend, and something you care about is important. Remember too, that you are what you believe, and self talk is incredibly powerful.
It is important to truly think positively, as your core beliefs will influence your mind and it’s behaviours.
Further, correct breathing techniques are important too. It is important to breath in deeply, hold for a few seconds, and then expel all the air in your lungs through your nose.
This truly does make a difference if you do this a few times a day. By correct breathing being practiced daily, more toxins are eliminated from the body, and more oxygen is delivered to the brain! More information is provided about this on my web page,
on breathing and visualization. Click here for access to this page.

It is important to also visualize ourselves as being able to remember more. If you are sceptical, try it for a week or two, and you will notice the difference.
Very importantly, also give yourself the time to learn, and memorize things. By not rushing, the stress is removed, so you are able to relax more, and enjoy the experience. When we are relaxed, we again, can enjoy the experience, and feel it with emotion.
I say this as if we make a scene ridiculous, like memorizing a script, and thing of strange things happening to us at the same time, we apply an emotion, that in turn, becomes more ‘memorable’ to us.
We will remember more if we are passionate and emotional about a subject.
Another important ingredient in practiced memory is to repeat things over several times. I’m not suggesting a casual repetition, but a deliberate repetition, and writing down of facts, and then coming back to it the next day, and the next. If the topic is large enough, I guarantee that after a week of this, you will not only know your material for the short term, but also the long term- the very long term.
Many people, who do not practice good memory techniques, which can be learned with relative ease, but a little determination, effort, and practice, will forget 90% of what they have learned in a day or two.
However, with practice of the above techniques, the retention rate can be 75% or more!
This technique, of revising a concept or facts over a number of days, rather than just over a half hour period, as an example, is known as retroactivity- a concept that greatly enhances our ability to remember for the long term. We will remember more if we practice or revise over a few days, rather than over a half hour only for one day.
Another method to enhance these concepts is to use association, by appending strange pictures to different concepts that causes us to remember more.
At the end of the day, anything that helps us to remember more has got to be a benefit.
Try the above, you will be guaranteed to remember more.
I have also done some extra research in this area, and looked for products that I feel have been beneficial to aid the learbing of these principles.
One such product is available, as a book, and software module.
The product is excellent, in that it is reasonably priced, as well as being very effective.
This product is available by
clicking here, to the Memory Improvement Programme

Remember What You Can In Quick and Easy Steps

You might have heard of Mnemonics and how they can help you improve your memory.
Mnemonics aren't difficult or tiresome activities; in fact, it's as if there's no pressure when doing the actual memorization because of how simple and pleasant the steps can be. An example of a mnemonic method is the Loci System.
A good scenario when the loci system can be effectively used is when a person has several items or a list needed for immediate remembering. The first important thing to remember when using the loci method is the familiarization of a place and the correct order of locations of the chosen place. It could be the dining room, bedroom or kitchen at home or a favorite route in the park. It doesn't matter where, as long as the location can be easily recalled accurately by the doer.
Let's say, the specific locations are the parking lot, pond, willow tree and the benches in the park. So, let's pretend the items are umbrella, dog food, cell phone and picnic basket. To associate the items, visualize strongly hundreds of open umbrellas falling down on the parking lot as you find a space where you could park. Next, as you pass by the pond, you pick up the usual dog food to feed the fish followed by the big willow tree bearing cell phones for fruits and lastly, as you sat by the benches, a picnic basket approaches and sells you what is inside it. Each time you visit the park or any other place you're strongly familiar with; you can immediately associate the specific locations with any items you need to remember.
When using this method, it's better to imagine objects in familiar places in bizarre or amusing ways because it helps a lot in retaining information.
Click below to learn more about the Loci System and other memory improvement techniques:
Click here for Memory Improvement

As an extra to the above information, I have found that one effective and interesting way of familiarization and memorization of objects at a particular time or event is to associate them with a journey. The place or location where the journey happens can be stationary but not you, the traveler. You should come across the entire set of objects which are available on the setting you have chosen.

We can set the movie house as an example for this memory improvement approach. Before you enter the movie house lobby, you purchase tickets for you and your friend. You know it’s the ticket booth because you see people falling in line to buy their own tickets. Now, associate the elements you see with what you need to remember. Let’s pretend that you need to buy grocery items after seeing a movie. Seeing the long line of moviegoers to the ticket booth is a start. You can make the line of moviegoers going to the ticket booth, purchase chunks of meat instead of tickets. After getting your own meat chunk from the ticket booth, you then proceed to the lobby where you can buy popcorn and drinks served by two food counter clerks. The first clerk is named Ms. Tomato while the other one is named Mr. Lettuce. One has a head like a tomato and the others head looks like lettuce. After ordering, you are then served by Ms. Tomato a bucket of cheese bars instead of pop corn and butter for drinks.
I realize this may seem odd, but believe me, these techniques work.
To your continued success- be the best you can be!
I have included the link again here to the product line for memory improvement.

Sunday, 24 June 2007

I have always felt that having a goal or goals is like a roadmap in life- generally giving us a direction to head in.

From my personal experience, when I am centered, or on the road in the direction I would like to take, I am more able to relax, as I feel I have control of my circumstances. This is partly because of goal setting.

Please note at this point, that I am aware events can occur beyond our control, but for the purpose of this information, I am referring to that which we can control.

And when we’re in a situation where things have occurred beyond our control, we should then, based on the situation, reset, or tweak our goals to move forward.

In other words, do we still follow our original goal, or do we at least need to adjust our goal, as the result of the deviation?

When we are able to follow a plan, through goal setting, we are better able to then at least relax from the point of view that we know where we are going.

This is the reason I have chosen to include this topic as part of this website, as I feel it has great merit in the grand picture of relaxation.

Naturally, your plans, or goals will be made up of a combination of

• Short term goals

• Medium term goals and

• Long term goals.


Goal setting is something that in my view is adjusted on a regular basis, with the resetting of goal timings, if events occur that were unplanned, or better still, there have been areas of progress in a shorter time than expected! This can, and does happen.

Take the time today to sit down, and really list the things you would like to achieve.

This is something that I like to do with a cup of coffee, in a quiet space, where I will have at least an hour, if possible, to spare.

This is one of those things that can start off small, and then, literally snow ball, as your ideas begin to flow.


Click here for the Goal Form
This way, the template is ready for you to fill in, whenever you can. I would even recommend carrying a spare copy with you, so that you can fill in any ideas, when they occur to you through your day.
I have found that if I am on public transport, I have time to think, and ideas like this are regularly coming to me! Write them down, consider them, and act!

I will be dealing with procrastination a little later on in the site, as this is an important part of relaxation, and the ability to be at ease with ourselves.

Really get into your goal setting, as this will help to motivate you to do the many little steps to get the bigger goals completed, as well as your daily and mid time goals.

Everything, in a grand picture, can then be aimed at your greater goal completion.

This way, when you may be having a ‘bad’ day, or as I prefer to refer to it, a challenging day, you will be able to focus on the grand picture of your goals.

I will expand on this a little later.

However, I hope I have managed to get your creative ideas running, as setting goals will help you to step closer to where you wish to be.

Please, also remember that life is not only about the goal, but also about the journey.

This may seem an obvious statement, but I am wanting to reinforce that even though we need goals to get where we wish to be, we also need to enjoy the journey.

I hope this has been an insightful resource page for you.

Remember, when you know where you are going, it is significantly easier to relax, as you are able to focus.



Be the difference you can be!


For more information and resources on goal setting, I have included a link to another informative site on goal setting.


Click here for more on goal setting
Another way to record your goals is to do so online!

There is a website where you can register, and track your goals, and have regular emails sent to you to encourage you along.

I have found that this method works very well with some people, particularly those who have regular computer access.

For more information, click here for myGoals.Com





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Be the change you can be!





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