“Studies suggest that yoga in general, has a positive effect on learning and memory. And it’s no secret that researchers have been studying yoga for years to see if it can slow the aging process and increase quality longevity.”

When looking for success through the stillness, you may be wondering how to meditate to create more positive outcomes in your life. That’s perfectly fine – everyone wants a little more positivity in their lives and meditation is a great way to produce that positivity, as well as relieve stress.  Here’s a simple guide to meditation and how you can employ it in your daily life:

How to Meditate

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to go to some remote mountain and sit in a specific position to meditate. You can meditate in the most comfortable space – even on your bed! All you have to do is be somewhere where you can just empty your mind of distractions and focus on your breath, and eventually, nothing at all. Once you know how to meditate to create more positive outcomes, you will realize that this is an exercise you can do anytime you need to bring peace into your life.

Where to Meditate

You can meditate almost anywhere; however, there are a few exceptions. Don’t meditate when you’re in a place you need to be alert. You certainly want to avoid trying to meditate while driving. Pick a place where you can be safe if you drift off to sleep while meditating. If you can go to a park or somewhere in the wilderness, that would be ideal. Find a spot surrounded by beauty – being in nature is a great way to just “be” in the moment with no distractions. Remember to turn your phone off when meditating as well.

What to Say as you Meditate

If you desire to manifest something specific, you can say or chant “I have (fill in the blank with whatever you are trying to manifest) while in your

contemplative state. Just focus on your breathing and keep repeating what it is you wish to manifest. If you are just trying to be more positive, for example, you could say, “I am positive and calm in all situations.” If you are trying to make more money, you could say, “I am financially abundant”. Of course, you’ll need to take action on the opportunities that present themselves after your meditation to fulfill your intention.

When To Mediate

You can meditate before you have to make a big decision. Thi means that you can meditate right before you go to bed as a way to shut your brain off long enough for you to go to sleep.  Or, perhaps you can even spend some of your lunch break meditating when you are at work. You just have to make sure that you don’t meditate at a time when you need to be engaged with what is going on around you.

Meditation is a great way to uplift your mood. It doesn’t cost any money, you don’t need any special equipment, you don’t need any special skills, and you can do it alone or with a group. All you have to focus on is sitting still and being ‘in the moment’.

Do you practice meditation? Share how it has helped you in the conversation below!

[blockquote]”A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.” – Chinese Proverb[/blockquote]

We’ve found during our spiritual journey so far that there are simple principles you can follow to bring abundance into your life in any area. Flooding your mind with inspiration, motivation, positivity, and of course, love will bring more victories into your life than you’ve ever imagined.

What’s most important in bringing joy to your own journey is finding the inspirational messages that fit you best. The messages that warm your heart, cool your head, and make you feel just right all over.  Messages just like these can be found in the book “In the Garden of Thoughts”, written by Dodinsky and illustrated by Amanda Cass.

Dodinsky emerged into the world with a gift to give and his gift is clearly displayed through this beautifully written inspirational book.  Poetic writings paired with a visually stunning experience make “In the Garden of Thoughts” a masterpiece that is guaranteed to leave it’s indelible positive mark on anyone who reads it.

Dodinsky’s book plants soothing seeds of support throughout its entirety, nurturing your heart and mind with the precious, uplifting resources needed to bloom vibrantly from the inside out.

As you wander through the ‘garden of thoughts’, you’ll discover resonating feelings that make you reflect on who you truly are; it makes you think about your current life state, how you’re feeling because of it, and most importantly, how you can move on to let your own life bloom.

Available in a beautifully illustrated hardcover version as well as an ebook, Dodinsky’s book is a perfect fit for any type of reader.  Digging into the garden of thoughts also suits any occassion to a tee – whether it’s a Mother’s Day gift, or a conversation starter around the coffee table.

Dodinsky’s all-occasion inspirational gift book is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bound. It is also available in the Kindle Store.

Take a short stroll through “In the Garden of Thoughts” in this inspirational video:

*Disclosure: We were in no way financially compensated for this review. We received a sample of this product for review purposes only. These opinions are our own, based on our personal experience with the product.

“We know it only takes one critically short telomere to make a cell die, so it’s clear that the more really short telomeres a person has the faster problems will develop.” ~ Carol Greider

We talk a lot about longevity in our house and are fascinated with the concept of living the longest, healthiest life possible. Longevity is foremost in our minds when we choose the foods we eat, the water we drink, supplements we take, thoughts we think, words we say, the air we breathe, and virtually every aspect of our lives. We often ask each other, “Is this the most life-affirming choice we can make at this moment?” Some people may find this extreme but it works for us.

Recently we were asked to be part of a study that checks the length of our telomeres to see what our “real” ages are. In very simple terms, telomeres are the small pieces at the ends of all DNA strands that keep them from unraveling. The telomeres shorten a little bit each time the DNA replicates. So you can imagine that over years of DNA replication, telomeres get shorter and shorter.

By taking a blood sample, extracting the DNA and measuring them, you can then compare them to the telomeres of other people in all age categories. This will help you determine if you are slowing down or speeding up your aging process or if you are staying in the range for your age category. It is the most objective and quantifiable test to determine the real age that I am aware of.

So, how did we do?  Are our health and lifestyle choices really making a difference?  Is our fascination with longevity paying off?  Has all this work been worth it?

You bet it is!

My test results came back verifying that my telomeres are the length of someone in their mid to late twenties. Not bad for someone turning fifty this year. I basically cut my age in half! I’m doing a happy dance and drinking a green smoothie to celebrate. And Peter? Well, Peter doesn’t reveal his real age but he is a senior citizen according to the calendar. However, according to his telomeres, he is only 35 years old. WOW!

This is amazing verification that what we are doing is adding years and vitality to our lives. Whether we live another ten or one hundred years, we are happy that we will be living the most vibrant and healthy lives possible. We agree that quality of life is of utmost importance to us. So, if it takes a little extra thought and effort, we feel it is worth it. And it seems our telomeres agree.

How about you?

Are you making the most life-affirming choices possible? Is a vital and vibrant life important to you? Do you enjoy being fully awake and alive? The choice is yours.

For more, you can also read “The Immortality Edge: Realize the Secrets of Your Telomeres for a Longer, Healthier Life” to learn more about telomeres and how you can preserve yours!

A daily green smoothie is essential for optimal health, but seems to be only a recent trend. If you had randomly asked people 5-10 years ago if they’d tasted one of these smoothies, or even knew what a green smoothie was, you’d have most likely received a revolting look paired with a resounding no.  However, these smoothies are becoming quite common households today. I got my favorite super greens amazon from Naked Nutrition. Adding fruits and vegetables into a blender just creates something magical that can’t be mimicked.

Lifestyle Changes

We started to learn about making smoothies. And we continually found ourselves being guided to an amazing person named Victoria Boutenko.  Victoria has an extensive background in the field of green smoothies. Doctor Anne Wigmore and her research inspired her. Victoria moved to the United States from Russia in 1990 with her family. Shortly after moving to the States, Victoria noticed that her family was becoming ill with various ailments, varying from diabetes to asthma to arthritis. She knew then that they needed a change. And, she started to look into holistic alternatives.

In 1994, she changed her family’s lifestyle and eating habits by switching them to a 100% raw food diet. She quickly noticed that their health started to improve, and they were happier. When her family was feeling better, she noticed that something was still missing from their dietary needs.

Through the study of the diets of chimps, she discovered that they ate more green leaves than we do. Primates tend to feed on greens and fruit.

Victoria then developed an amazing mixture for green smoothies. She combines the perfect balance of fruit and greens with water in a blender to make a healthy smoothie that is sure to please. She adds greens like chard, collards, kale and spinach, while the fruits include coconut, mango, berries, apples, bananas and more.

A Guide for Wellness

In her book titled “Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Toward Natural Health”., she has over 200 recipes along with questions that are on most people’s minds about green smoothies. The first 10 chapters of the book talk about things like: Blending versus Juicing, Making Smoothies for Our Children, and The Importance of Rotating Greens in Your Smoothie. The second half of the book is devoted entirely to delicious smoothie recipes including Green Smoothies for Pets, Green Smoothies for Body Care and Savory Green Smoothies and Soups.

Victoria also wrote a new book titled “Green for Life: The Updated Classic on Green Smoothie Nutrition”, click here.

Here’s one of our favorite (delicious) smoothie recipes

• 2 oz. Lemon juice
• 2-3 Pitted dates
• 1 Apple
• One Banana
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups parsley (depending on how strong you want it

Blend well and you have this sweet and tasty treat!

Whether you’re just getting started with smoothies or are an experienced emulsifier, join in the conversation below!

Tomatoes are one of nature’s most versatile fruits. They can be used in a multitude of heart healthy recipes, but did you know that they have many other not so well-known health benefits? Nutrition (and Tomato Expert) Tyler Tolman explains a bit more about the amazing tomato and why it should be on our shelves:

The American Heart Association promotes Tomatoes for a healthy heart. Tomatoes also have 4 chambers and are red just like the Heart. I once read an article that stated just the smell of a garden-fresh tomato can start a process of clearing arterial plaque from the body… Wow. That’s awesome!

One serving (one cup) of red, ripe, raw tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins A, C, K, folate, and potassium. Tomatoes also provide thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper.

When European explorers first brought tomatoes back from the new world they called them “Love Apples”. At this time many people believed they were poisonous because they are related to the nightshade family and in fact, the leaves and roots are poisonous – but the Tomato itself is quite a different story.

Tomatoes are well known for their ability to protect the heart with their concentration of Lycopene, they also lower bad cholesterol and because of their 9,000+ phytonutrients. They are also a great support to the immune system.

Tomatoes’ lycopene also makes skin less sensitive to UV light damage, one cause of fine lines and wrinkles.

According to the Harvard University Medical School, 72 different Studies show that when eating 10 servings of tomatoes per week you cut the risk of Prostate Cancer by 50%! By adding tomatoes to your diet, you’re also reducing the risk of stomach, lung, breast, colon, mouth or throat cancer as well.

One of my Favorite Snacks

Get some Sunbread or Essene bread (sprouted bread)
Cut a few thick slices of tomato over some spinach.
Add avocado, a little purple onion and some Bragg’s Amino’s. YUMMMMY!!

Give it a try. I know it will keep you and your family kickin’ a little longer.

Now for some personal Stuff

One of the coolest experiences I’ve had was sitting with a group of people after 7 days of Juice fasting. We each had 1 tomato each with our own plates and knife. Each of us sat there and cut the tomato into small pieces like little wedges, then we put just a dab of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled salt on it. We sat around talking about how amazing it was going to be to eat for the first time.

A lot of people are unaware that we are not just a physical body, but we have a mental body, emotional body, and even etheric (energy body) and we were about to feed all of them.

So we sat there and thought about where the tomato came from, what it might affect within us and the travel it may have gone through to get to this point. Then we smelled it (I mean really sat there and smelled it) Now our Salivary glands are flowing with anticipation, then we each had a little chat about what we were grateful for and then we slowly started to offer each piece of this tomato into our Temples (bodies :0) Wow, the flavor was amazing!! I felt feelings of Love, bliss, joy and orgasmic big bangs going on in my brain! We all looked at each other like OMG!

Long story short, we could barely finish each piece.! ‘Really? Are you kidding me. 7 days of juice and your FULL from one tomato?’

Final Thought About Tomatoes

I’m reminded of a story in The Bible, (don’t quote me, I’m just going by memory) it says Christ was preaching and many people gathered, when it came time to eat they gathered the Bread and Fish and realized there were only a small number of baskets and they would not be able to feed everyone. Christ said give me the Loaves and Fish and I will break bread and every person shall eat and be full… I really think that he showed them how to feed not just their physical body but their entire BEING.

Anywho, Eat a Tomato!