How Can Mindfulness Help Your Corporate Wellness?

 

Recently, mindfulness has become more prominent in Western society, with companies even adopting mindful techniques as part of their corporate wellness programmes. Not only does mindfulness aid your mental and physical wellness, it also helps your work performance and leadership skills. Mindfulness also instills a greater sense of meaning and satisfaction in your life, meaning you’ll be happier when hump day rolls around.

 

According to Rachel Clements, BSc Hons, M Psych, MAPS, co-founder and Director of Psychological Services and Principal Organisational Psychologist at the Centre for Corporate Health, ‘Mindfulness is focused awareness of the present moment. It allows us to live our life fully conscious as to what is going on around us, such as a simple sensation like feeling the warmth of the sunlight or noticing the complex interplay between our internal dialogue of our thoughts and emerging feelings. By tuning in to our internal thought processes and by having a greater insight in to them, we are able to recognise that our thoughts are just thoughts and that they don’t necessarily represent reality.’ So how can you live your life more mindfully?

 

1. Observe: Clements recommends, ‘Try to bring the focus of your attention to the present moment and tune in to what is going on in the present i.e. focus on what your body position is, what it feels like, identifying any thoughts or feelings that may be present, or simply grounding yourself in what is going on around you at the moment. Mindfulness aims to shift one’s attention away from analytical thinking to observing thoughts, feelings, and one’s bodily reactions as activated by the five senses (e.g., sight, sound, taste, touch, smell).’

 

2. Describe: ‘Tune in to the small details of what you are observing and simply describe these to yourself,’ Clements instructs. ‘For example, you may observe and describe the contours of the chair in which you are currently sitting, against your body. When eating a strawberry you may observe and describe what the texture feels like in your mouth as you take a bite or you may savour the sweet taste which you may never have taken the time to notice before. When in a meeting you may focus on the person in front of you and really listen to what he or she is saying, being present to every word. When walking, you may notice and describe what your body feels like as you are putting one foot in front of the other, noticing the position and weight of your body as you balance etc.’

 

3. Reduce: Clements details, ‘Studies have revealed that multi-tasking places so much of a cognitive load on ourselves that our performance deteriorates. Therefore, in order to save time, maintain performance and wellbeing we are better off practicing mindfulness by doing one thing at a time and being fully present in that experience. Task switching in which we alternate tasks however remain fully present when undertaking each one, is often a better alternative for us.’

 

4. Accept: ‘It is important to be open and accepting of how you are thinking, feeling or behaving in the present moment,’ Clements asserts. ‘Adopting a witness perspective of you observing yourself in a situation allows some distance from a situation which we may be entwined in, allowing us to perhaps view the situation from another perspective. When practicing mindfulness, try to refrain from making comment or evaluating experiences as good, bad, right, or wrong, and try not to control or avoid the experience even if it seems unpleasant at the time. In mindfulness an experience simply “is what it is”.’

Categories: Acceptance, clements, corporate wellness, fully present, mindfulness, moment, multitasking, nbsp, practicing mindfulness, present, present moment

Could Tantric Sex Lead You To A Stronger Relationship?

Tantric sex is often associated with images of grand, eight-hour sex sessions spring to mind, or some erotic perversion of sex parties, but that isn’t actually the whole story. In our culture, tantric sex is shrouded in mystery, but what does it all mean and what can it do for you? The associations between sex and Tantra is actually a misinterpretation, one that reveals our preoccupation with sex in our culture. Tantra is actually an ancient practice which dates back to the 5th century in India and has been described as a celebration of existence in the universe – a way to improve not only yourself but also the world. Tantra is broadly defined as a spiritual method which focuses on heightening your experience of pleasure in the world, then sharing it with those around you. Historically, it’s been practiced via yoga, where mantras and movements are performed through rituals. Sexual rituals were only really performed by a minority of practitioners, even though that’s what has become linked to the method. Tantric sex, also known as NeoTantra, emerged as a rebellion against the organised religions, where sex was discouraged when seeking enlightenment.

However, Tantric sex teachers believe sex to be a sacred act where you have the opportunity to reach a higher spiritual state of being. It’s a way of opening your heart, making peace with your emotional self and embracing the power of your sexuality. Sexual energy is one of the most powerful energies for boosting your health, and using it consciously means you can tap into a source of youth and vitality. Those who practice tantric sex view the act as a way of truly connecting with their partner, rather than a means of self-gratification. There is no goal associated with tantric sex – the whole point is that you don’t achieve an orgasm. Rather, the goal is to focus on your feelings and the sensations you’re feeling during sex, making you really present in the moment, much as though you are meditating. Furthermore, Tantric sex is not always about intercourse. There can be other sensual experiences such as massage, prolonged eye contact, dancing and breathing exercises – anything which helps you be present with your partner and enables you to fully connect. Your sexual movements and breathing pace will be deliberately slow, and your orgasm is delayed – perhaps not even achieved.

Many people who practice tantric sex claim that both men and women are able to achieve multiple orgasms through practicing lingering and mindful sex. If your mind wanders, you need to bring your attention back to your breathing and the physical sensations of the moment, in order to be fully present. There are various positions and muscle contractions are advised to prolong your experience. And taking small ‘time outs’ to regain your composure when the arousal is becoming too much will help you control the time together and sustain the pleasure. Tantric sex teachers believe that Western society has an unhealthy relationship with sex and an unnatural attitude towards the act. In practicing sacred sexuality, people and the world as a whole can be transformed for the better.The aim of Tantric sex is the art of learning rather than succumbing to lust, and this helps you to achieve a sense of mindfulness and clarity, in addition to building a stronger relationship with your partner. Removing the pressure of ego and lust can help us reach this state a lot quicker, and that is what Tantra teaches us.

Categories: achieve, practice, practice tantric, present, Relationships, Sex, sex teachers, stronger relationship, tantra, tantric, tantric sex

What is the link Between Asbestos and Lung Cancer?

Former England football player Ian Wright is the face of a new campaign to reduce the number of asbestos-related deaths, which have been increasing in numbers over the past few years. The campaign is being carried out by the Health and safety Executive, labelled Asbestos: The Hidden Killer, and has found that 20 tradesmen a week die in the UK from asbestos damaging the lungs. This is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK, with more than 4000 deaths a year attributed to this toxic substance. The diseases caused by it include mesothelioma, which is a type of cancer that attacks the membrane around the lung, and the same form of lung cancer that’s caused by smoking. Many of these deaths are amongst tradesmen such as builders, plumbers and electricians, who are exposed to it in homes around the country. The campaign hope to raise awareness of the issue and help to limit the risk of this happening more.

 

According to the HSE there are many workers who don’t realise the risk they are exposed to each day, mainly because asbestos was banned many years ago. However, there are many buildings which still have it present – this poses a significant risk to people’s health. If buildings were constructed or refurbished before 2000, then it is likely that they may have asbestos in them. It’s thought that around half a million buildings have it present in them. If a home or building has asbestos in it, and the fibres are disturbed by building work, for example, then the deadly dust could be inhaled either by tradesmen or by the people living in the building. The campaign states that the importance lies in educating tradespeople on the dangers of asbestos and how it is relevant to them. Changing the way they work could save their lives – campaigners hope that promoting the issue could help this take place. Tom King, 64, developed the life-threatening mesothelioma when his lungs were exposed to the dangerous asbestos on a job when we was working as a carpenter. He’d had no training in how to remove it, so he used to just throw it in skips when he found it in buildings. After having terrible chest pains and breathlessness in 2006, he visited his doctor – after having x-ray, it was diagnosed that he had mesothelioma. There is no cure for this form of cancer, but chemotherapy and radiotherapy can prolong life and improve your symptoms.

If you work in places that could be more at risk, then there are ways to reduce your risk. To begin with, you should contact the HSE for advice. You should avoid working with asbestos where you can, and if you’re not sure if it is present you should find out before beginning the job. Your boss or client should tell you if there is asbestos present before you begin work. Only a licensed contractor should deal with asbestos that’s present in sprayed coating, board or on pipes and boilers. You can only continue to work where asbestos is present if you’ve had training and you’re using the right equipment. To ensure that you minimise the dust from asbestos, use hand tools instead of power tools, and keep your materials damp but not wet. Cleaning up as you go with a vacuum cleaner can help to minimise the dust in the air and on your equipment, too. Proper masks that are suited to this kind of work are best used at all times as well.

Categories: asbestos, asbestos exposure, buildings, Campaigns, lung cancer, present, related deaths, risk, work

What Everyone Should Know About Hidden Toxins in Vitamins

The market for vitamins, minerals and supplements is huge, with many people convinced that taking them on a regular basis helps to boost their wellbeing through their immune system. Life is increasingly stressful and people often have so many demands on their time, they may feel like they can’t afford to get sick. Taking a daily dose of vitamins, minerals and other supplements can help to make them feel like they are doing all they can to help protect their wellness.

Unfortunately, the very things that you are hoping will make you healthier may actually end up damaging your health. Recent evidence has emerged that vitamins can be packed with hidden toxins, and this is something that you should really be aware of. We’ve tracked down the top 10 culprits that you should be on the lookout for.

1. Maltodextrin: this is a food additive what is often used as a binding agent. It comes from starch, which seems harmless, but most maltodextrin actually comes from genetically modified corn.


2. Ascorbic acid: this is often present in vitamin C. Once again, much of this can be sourced back to genetically modified corn. With no knowledge of the possible side effects of this, it might be wise to avoid it.


3. Hexane: this is present in both multivitamins and in gasoline – a worrying connection I’m sure you’ll agree! The use of this product, which extracts protein from soy and rice, is discouraged due to its toxicity.


4. High levels of aluminum: aluminum is toxic and can lead to all kinds of unpleasant side effects. Watch out for it in your vitamins and supplements.


5. Arsenic and lead: Some vitamins and supplements have been found to contain these highly toxic substances.


6. Inorganic materials: watch out for this practice in cheaper vitamins. Alternative sources of vitamins are used which end up being totally useless to the human body.


7. Acrylamides: in the process of creating vitamins, these chemicals can be formed, and unfortunately they increase your chance of developing cancer of the kidneys by around 59 percent.


8. MSGs: this can be disguised as yeast extract. Look out for this, as MSG can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms in some people, such as headache and heart palpitations.


9. Fluoride: green tea is a supplement that often contains fluoride. In healthy doses, this is beneficial, but if you ingest too much this can cause fluorosis, which discolours the teeth.


10. Carrageenan: this is considered beneficial, in general, but there have been recent links showing that it may be linked to a high risk of developing colon cancer.

What Everyone Should Know About Hidden Toxins in Vitamins

Categories: corn, genetically modified, hidden toxins, modified corn, people, present, Supplements, toxins, vitamins, vitamins minerals