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How To Meditate : Everything You Need To Know To Start Meditation

August 26, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Mindfulness and meditation are trending more than ever; it seems like just about everyone is preaching the powerful benefits of closing your eyes, tuning out the world and getting in touch with your inner self.

Maybe you’ve tried meditating before but couldn’t get “in the zone.” You sat down, closed your eyes, took some deep breaths and waited for silence, only to be met with the same thoughts you wanted to dispel in the first place. Sound familiar?

Don’t worry; meditating is often misunderstood as the total absence of thought and emotion, but really, learning how to meditate teaches you to let thoughts and feelings move through you. It’s all about becoming more comfortable with everything that travels through your mind and body; when you learn how to fully embrace the experience of your thoughts and feelings, both good and bad, you stop being controlled by them.

How to Meditate for Beginners: 3 Simple Steps to Find Your Zen

People meditate to become more focused, decrease stress, treat anxiety and depression and more.

While mindfulness can’t cure illness and shouldn’t be a substitute for a doctor or psychologist, there are plenty of health benefits and emotional advantages to meditating regularly.

There have been numerous studies to uncover the real benefits of meditating. One study conducting by researchers at Harvard Medical School found that the effects of meditation aren’t just immediate but also residual; meditation improves emotional regulation, which leads to less stress, fewer mood swings and a calmer, more relaxed demeanor.

Learning how to meditate means you’ll be inheriting plenty of other useful skills along the way. Better concentration, more compassion, and positive coping mechanisms are just a few of the science-backed benefits people who meditate experience.

Let’s take a look at three Beginners Guide To Meditation steps you can follow to start your own meditating practice.

Step One: Get Comfortable

First and foremost, you want to find a comfortable, quiet spot to meditate. You may need a mental break most in the chaos of midday, but the early morning hours or nighttime are optimal.

Sit on the floor or in a comfortable chair. Avoid meditating on your bed at first because you’ll be more likely to doze off and fall asleep in the middle of your practice. Find a spot that works for you and get seated.

Keep your feet flat on the floor and place your hands in your lap. To start, focus on the feeling of the chair supporting you. Feel the weight of your body and every arc and angle of your position. Feel your feet planted on the floor, which supports you. Use the first few moments of your meditative practice to draw your mind to the present moment.

Step Two: Converse with Yourself

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to learn how to shut off your brain if you want to meditate. Instead, meditating regularly allows you to have an open dialogue with yourself without judgment and emotional reactions.

Many people who are learning how to meditate find it helpful to adopt a mantra that they repeat in their head to maintain focus. The mantra you choose can embody the positive energy you wish to acquire through your practice.

Here are a few positive mantras you can try:

“I am…”

grateful.”
loved and accepted.”
beautiful, and I see the beauty in the world around me.”
able to treat myself and others with kindness.”
safe, and everything is okay.”
am whole, happy and strong.”

Step Three: Take Deep Breaths in Timed Intervals

Breathing exercises can help you concentrate as you meditate. Counting your breaths, pausing with the air in your lungs and slowly exhaling and relaxing your muscles is an excellent way to calm anxiety and bring peace to your mind.

Inhale to the count of four, then hold your breath for seven beats. Exhale for four more seconds, and as you release your breath, feel the air make its way out of your lungs, out of your nose and concentrate on the lightness in your chest. Each inhale and exhale count for one breath.

You can choose to relax a specific part of your body with individual breaths, too. Learning how to meditate teaches you about yourself. For example, one breath can be dedicated to relaxing the shoulders if you carry a lot of tension there.

Give Your Brain a Break when You Meditate

Mindfulness is a skill, and meditating requires plenty of routine practice and patience to be effective. As a beginner, it’s important to stick to a schedule but also give yourself leeway.

After three or four breaths, allow your mind to wander for 30 seconds to a minute. This mental break is important. After you’ve given your thoughts some space to roam, gently reel them back in and refocus your mind on your breaths and mantra.

By following these steps, you can learn how to meditate and tailor your practice to give you exactly what you need. You may not get the immediate results you expect, but keep practicing, keep breathing and believe in your own capability to improve your thoughts and emotions.

Walt Whitman Explains What Makes Life Worth Living

August 26, 2019 by Power of Positivity

What makes life worth living? We all probably have different answers to that question since we create our realities based on our perception. What moves one person won’t inspire the next, as our passions and goals differ vastly. Before we continue with the article, simply ponder the question posed at the beginning: what makes your life worth living?

“Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” – William James

Now, just for fun, we will list some of the most popular answers to that question posted on Quora. You’ll probably see something similar to your reasoning in the comments below:

“I believe people should be aware of their power, be aware of this beautiful world, and be aware that we all can do so much more.

Everyone has the opportunity to change the face of this planet from the moment they came into existence. And the meaning of my life is to show this to as many people as I possibly can. That is what makes life worth living to me.” – Lukas Schwekendiek

“Appreciate what you have now. Be thankful for at least one thing in your life every day. Even better, go for three things and write them down. Live like you have 11 days left.” – Katherine Killoran

“For the longest time, I was wanting to feel like I mattered. And then I realized I had the power to make others feel like they mattered, and that became my biggest pursuit.

In searching for a reason to live for myself, I found it by helping others see — by giving my time and attention — that their existence is enough.

One reason why life is worth living is in realizing you have the power to make others feel like their life has worth.” – Brandon Lee

These are just a few answers to life’s most enduring questions, and you may have a different reason for living. Below, we’ll explain another man’s perspective on what really makes life worth it.

Walt Whitman explains what makes life worth living:

If you’ve never heard of him before, Walt Whitman was a poet, journalist, and essayist who had a true gift for words and was considered one of the most influential poets in America. He became famous for works such as Leaves of Grass, which he self-published in 1855. Often referred to as the father of free verse, Whitman incorporated both transcendentalism and realism into his works.

After a stroke left him disabled at the age of 53, he began to contemplate his existence in the eyes of the universe. What did life really mean? Why are we here? The stroke forced him to answer certain questions about life since he didn’t know how soon death would arrive on his doorstep.

While he recovered at his brother’s home in New Jersey, he recorded some of his ruminations in Specimen Days, a collection of poetry, letters, and journal entries which covered his thoughts about what makes life worth living. He attributed much of his recovery to being in nature, among the trees, stars, and open air.

In a letter he wrote on his 64^th birthday to a German friend, 10 years after his stroke left him disabled, Whitman shares what being ill taught him about the true meaning of life.

This is what made Walt Whitman’s life worth living:

“From to-day I enter upon my 64th year. The paralysis that first affected me nearly ten years ago, has since remain’d, with varying course — seems to have settled quietly down, and will probably continue. I easily tire, am very clumsy, cannot walk far; but my spirits are first-rate. I go around in public almost every day — now and then take long trips, by railroad or boat, hundreds of miles — live largely in the open air — am sunburnt and stout, (weigh 190) — keep up my activity and interest in life, people, progress, and the questions of the day. About two-thirds of the time I am quite comfortable. What mentality I ever had remains entirely unaffected; though physically I am a half-paralytic, and likely to be so, long as I live. But the principal object of my life seems to have been accomplish’d — I have the most devoted and ardent of friends, and affectionate relatives — and of enemies I really make no account.”

Even though he held his friends and family in high regard, Walt Whitman ultimately found meaning in the great outdoors. He referred to it as “the bracing and buoyant equilibrium of concrete outdoor Nature, the only permanent reliance for sanity of book or human life.”

What follows are some of his ruminations about where he found vitality and peace in his life:

“The trick is, I find, to tone your wants and tastes low down enough, and make much of negatives, and of mere daylight and the skies. […] After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, love, and so on — have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear — what remains? Nature remains; to bring out from their torpid recesses, the affinities of a man or woman with the open air, the trees, fields, the changes of seasons — the sun by day and the stars of heaven by night.”

Basically, what we can take from his thoughts about life is that after all is said and done, only the natural world will remain. Nature’s laws come before mankind’s. Though that might make some uneasy, it can also remind us what really matters at the end of the day. When you remove all of the stressors about finances, chores, bills, etc., what is left?

Simply being, and the awareness of existing.

We like to complicate life perhaps because we’re afraid of this simplicity. We get to experience life on this planet for a short time, and then we go someplace else. Maybe the fear of the unknown has caused us to create such a chaotic and complex world in order to distract ourselves from our fate. We don’t have all the answers, but we can speculate on why we humans have shaped our world in such a way.

However, back to Whitman’s viewpoint on why the natural world makes this journey worth it. Below, we’ll discuss why and how nature can profoundly shift your mindset and give your life meaning.

The importance of nature

According to a study published by the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, people spend a quarter less time outside today than they did just 20 years ago. We can see how our disconnection from nature affects our mental and physical health. For instance, rates of mental disorders have been on the rise, and diseases such as heart disease and diabetes have risen as well. Our bodies and minds have suffered due to the fast pace of the world around us. In short, we have forgotten about the healing power of nature.

Here are just a few ways nature can boost your health:

It gives you energy and promotes happiness.

After spending time outside, do you ever notice how refreshed and vibrant you feel? Several studies have found that spending just 20 minutes a day with Mother Nature can boost your energy and vitality. Richard Ryan, lead author of the scientific studies and a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, says, “We have a natural connection with living things. Nature is something within which we flourish, so having it be more a part of our lives is critical, especially when we live and work in built environments.”

Nature increases your creativity.

A study published in the journal PLOSone found that being in nature can boost your creativity by as much as 50 percent! Participants in the study spent four to six days in nature and had to forgo all connections to technology. Psychologists explained that because of the tranquility found in nature, our attention spans get a reset. In modern society, our brains never get a break from the overwhelming stimuli. Spend time in nature and you will feel more keenly that you have a life worth living.

It can ease stress immensely.

It’s no surprise that living closer to our natural environment can make us calmer. For example, a study published in 2012 in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning found that adults in Scotland who lived closer to more greenery had lower levels of cortisol.

You’ll feel more connected.

Ironically, getting away from it all can increase the connection you feel to the world around you. A study published in the Journal of the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture found that kids who played outside 5-10 hours per week had a more powerful spiritual bond with the Earth (Van Wieren & Kellert, 2013). The researchers of the study interviewed the parents of the children. They found that the kids who played outside the most had parents who also loved the outdoors.

It improves mental health of those living in cities.

City life can take a toll on our minds and bodies, but researchers have found that living in a “greener” area of the city can boost mental health for up to three years. Participants in the study had a positive mental state throughout the three years they were studied. This shows just how powerful the healing effects of nature can be.

Final thoughts on What Makes Life Worth Living

Life means something different to all of us, but we have one major thing in common: we came from the same place, and we will likely end up in the same place. This alone should remind us that nature ultimately connects us all, for we wouldn’t exist without it. Next time you feel disjointed or confused about life, go on a weekend camping trip and sleep beneath the stars. There, you will understand your place in the universe and, like Walt Whitman, remember what truly makes life worth living.

Thoughts on How to Retire with Grace and Dignity

August 26, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Have you ever wondered if you’ll be able to retire gracefully when the time comes?

Miriam Goodman, a San Francisco-based writer and public relations consultant, states “As a writer ‘of a certain age,’ I was curious about my peers’ attitudes toward retirement, so about seven years ago I began interviewing them.”

After speaking with “several hundred” men and women over age 60, what Goodman found the most astounding was, “the level of denial and postponement in thinking about the togetherness issue.”

“…few had considered the psychological jolt that usually accompanies the end of a career.”

A 61-year-old woman; she is happily married to a successful businessman and has two daughters. It sounds like the perfect situation for a happy retirement, doesn’t it?

“I feel isolated and worthless. Although I’m fit and active, I feel I’ve been thrust into death’s waiting room far too early. A retired friend of mine joked grimly that it’s like finding yourself in an airport departure lounge waiting for your final journey. You know the plane will leave. You just don’t know when.”

Reread; both parts again, if you must. It’s hard to believe.

This same lady had planned a big birthday party to celebrate her 60^th birthday – she ended up canceling at the last minute. The reason? When the moment came, she felt more like crying rather than celebrating. It wasn’t what she expected.

Redefining your plans to retire

We emphasize the financial aspects of retirement so much that far too few of us consider the emotional implications of such a drastic life change. This isn’t to say financial planning isn’t important, it is.

But the retirement cure-all? It most certainly is not. One can reasonably argue it isn’t even the most important consideration.

Going a step further, one of the more disturbing myths about retirement is that it’s all about having enough money. Not only is it disturbing and misleading, but it’s also the source of grief for so many.

It’s not their fault. We’re inundated with terms like “Roth,” “401-k,” “interest-yielding,” “employer-matching,” “403-b,” “IRAs.”

In a society that’s infatuated with security and money, it’s no surprise that these same influences stay with us into our later years.

So, what are the critical things to consider for a long and happy relationship?

To begin thinking about and developing plans around, lifestyle issues when you retire.

Retirement is not the end of a happy and productive life – it’s the reward for what you and your partner have earned so far.

Now, you can use the rest of your time to do whatever you both want. Heck, work if you both want to.

Here is a set of questions to ask yourself and your partner before transitioning into retirement. Each issue is broken down into one of four categories: finances (gotta get it out of the way), handling change, health, and relationship implications.

And, of course, these things must be communicated – and agreed upon or negotiated with your partner.

21 Low Carb Keto Recipes That Are Perfect For Weight Loss

August 26, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Are you looking to start trying out some low carb keto recipes? If yes, then ensure to try keto recipes that are delicious and low in starch.

Here are the top low carb Keto recipes:

1. Bacon Breakfast Bombs

The ingredients for this meal include pepper and salt, two tablespoons mayonnaise, a quarter cup of cubed butter, two big eggs, and four thickly-cut bacon slices.

The bacon is to be cooked in a big skillet with average to high heat until it is crispy. Chop the bacon after it cools and put it aside to reserve the bacon grease. Boil water with a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Include the eggs and continue to boil for ten minutes and transfer to a cold water bath.

Peel the eggs, chop them, and stir with butter, pepper, salt, and mayonnaise. Mix with the reserved bacon grease and make six portions of the mixture to roll into balls, and roll again in the crushed bacon. Serve twice.

2. Easy Cloud Buns

The meal’s ingredients include three ounces of chopped cream cheese, an eight teaspoon of tartar cream, and three large separated eggs.

Heat the oven in advance to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and use parchment to line a baking sheet. Beat the egg whites to become foamy and mix with tartar cream. Then beat the egg yolks and mix with cream cheese before folding in the previous mixture. Bake in the oven for half an hour and make ten servings.

3. Cabbage with Sausage Skillet

Ingredients include pepper and salt, a quarter cup of mayonnaise, a quarter cup of sour cream, two tablespoons of butter, and a half head of sliced green cabbage, and six big Italian sausage links.

Use a skillet to cook the sausages over medium heat until they are brown and slice them. Cook the cabbage with butter for three to four minutes until it wilts. Add the sliced sausage to the cabbage before stirring in the mayonnaise and sour cream. Season with pepper and salt and simmer for ten minutes. Serve four times.

4. Chicken Zoodle Alfredo

Ingredients include two hundred grams of zucchini, a quarter cup of grated parmesan cheese, a quarter cup of heavy cream, two tablespoons of butter, pepper and salt, one tablespoon of olive oil, and six ounces of chicken breasts.

Cook the chicken breasts in oil and season with pepper and salt. Then make strips of chicken by slicing the breasts. Stir heated butter in the parmesan cheese and the heavy cream, and cook to thickness. After spiralizing the zucchini put it into the sauce together with the chicken. Cook for two minutes and serve twice.

5. Pepper Jack Sausage Egg Muffins

Ingredients include a half a cup of shredded pepper jack cheese, two tablespoons of heavy cream, three large and whisked eggs, pepper and salt, a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder, a half cup of diced yellow onion, and ten ounces of ground breakfast sausage.

Mix the ground sausage, salt and pepper, diced onion, and garlic powder in a bowl.

Put the mixture evenly into three ramekins and press it to the sides and the bottom, leaving space in the middle. Whisk the heavy cream and eggs with pepper and salt.

Put the mixture in the ramekins while topping with shredded cheese. Bake for half an hour until the cheese is brown and the eggs cooked, and serve thrice.

6. Mozzarella Veggie Loaded Quiche

Ingredients include one teaspoon of chopped chives, one tablespoon of heavy cream, four halved cherry tomatoes, a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, a quarter cup of diced zucchini, a quarter cup of spinach, two slices of thickly-cut bacon, two big eggs, one tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese, six tablespoons of almond flour.

Mix the parmesan cheese and almond flour with an egg and salt to make a tender dough. Spread the dough in a pan and bake. Then cook the bacon and until it is brown before crumbling and spreading it on the baked dough.

Then add the tomatoes, cheese, zucchini, and spinach. Whisk the other egg together with pepper and salt, heavy cream, and chives and pour on top. Bake for half an hour until the egg is cooked and serve.

7. Savory Ham and Cheese Waffles

Ingredients include a quarter cup of shredded cheddar cheese, one ounce of diced ham, a half teaspoon of salt, a third cup of melted butter, one teaspoon of baking powder, two scoops of egg white protein powder, and four large eggs.

Beat two egg yolks with salt, butter, protein powder, and baking powder in a bowl, and fold in the grated cheddar cheese and chopped ham. Whisk the egg whites with salt and fold them into the egg yolk mixture in double batches. Then cook in a waffle maker until they become golden brown.

Fry the remaining eggs with salt and butter in a skillet. Serve the waffles with the fried eggs as the toppings.

8. Vanilla Protein Smoothie

Ingredients include a quarter cup of whipped cream, a half teaspoon of vanilla extract, one tablespoon of powdered erythritol, one tablespoon of coconut oil, four ice cubes, a quarter cup of vanilla almond milk, a half cup of heavy cream, and one scoop of egg vanilla egg white.

Mix all the ingredients in a blender, apart from whipped cream. Pour the smoothie in a glass and add whipped cream as the topping.

9. Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Garlic

Ingredients include one tablespoon of olive oil, a quarter pound of fresh trimmed asparagus, pepper and salt, one tablespoon of butter, six ounces of lamb chops, one clove minced garlic, one tablespoon of freshly chopped rosemary, and one tablespoon of melted coconut oil.

Mix the garlic, rosemary, and coconut oil in a bowl and add the lamb chops. Leave the lamb to marinate overnight in the fridge. Cook the lamb in butter and season with pepper and salt before turning to cook the other side. Mix the asparagus with salt and pepper, olive oil and broil. Serve with the lamb chops.

10. Cheesy Sausage with Mushroom Skillet

Cook sausages with oil until they are brown. Then cook onion and mushroom in a skillet until they are also brown. Slice the sausages and put into the skillet. Also add pepper and salt, thyme, and oregano. Add water and marinara sauce before cooking in the oven for ten minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and cook for five more minutes till it melts. Serve twice. It is one of the most delicious keto recipes.

11. Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Veggies

Season chicken thighs with pepper and salt and put in the oven’s baking sheet. Put parsnip, carrots, and zucchini around the chicken and sprinkle garlic on top. Then mix balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and olive oil before drizzling over the chicken. Bake for half an hour and broil for five minutes to make the skins crispy. Serve twice. It is one of the best chicken keto recipes.

12. Avocado Lime Salmon

Blend cauliflower into tiny pieces and cook for eight minutes until soft. Mix red onion, lime juice, and avocado in a blender until smooth. Season your salmon with pepper and salt and cook with oil. Cook for five minutes each side. Serve the salmon with the cooked cauliflower and avocado cream. It is one of the sweetest low carb keto recipes.

13. Easy Beef Curry

Put ginger, garlic, and onion in a blender and mix into a paste. Cook the mixture in a saucepan for three minutes. Add coconut milk and simmer for ten minutes. Put your chopped beef as well as salt and curry powder and simmer for ten minutes. Simmer for twenty minutes more without a lid and add seasoning and freshly chopped cilantro. It is one of the healthiest low carb Keto recipes.

14. Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Put butter in a saucepan and heat before adding ginger, garlic, and onions to cook for four minutes. Add nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, and salt and cook for one minute. Boil with chicken broth and pumpkin puree. Then cook your bacon until crispy. Serve the bacon with the pumpkin soup. It is one of the ideal low carb Keto recipes.

15. Sesame Pork Lettuce Wraps

Cook celery and saute, peppers, and onions with oil for five minutes. Add your pork and cook it till it’s brown. Put garlic powder and onion powder and mix with sesame oil and soy sauce. Season with pepper and salt and remove. Place lettuce leaves on a plate and put even servings of the pork into them. Drizzle them with sesame seeds and serve. It is one of the tastiest low carb Keto recipes.

16. Sweet Blueberry Coconut Porridge

Warm coconut milk with almond milk in a pan. Add salt, nutmeg, coconut flour, cinnamon, and flaxseed and cook till there is bubbling. Then stir in vanilla extract and sweetener and cook to thickness. Serve in a bowl and add shaved coconut and blueberries as toppings. It is one of the most effective low carb Keto recipes.

17. Lemon Poppy Ricotta Pancakes

Mix the liquid stevia, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and ricotta in a blender. Mix it up with salt, baking powder, protein powder, almond flour, and poppy seeds. Make the mixture into pancakes with butter in a pan. Mix zest, lemon juice, powdered erythritol, and heavy cream and drizzle on the served pancakes.

18. Baked Eggs in Avocado

Crack two eggs into two halves of peeled and sliced avocado. Season with pepper and salt and bake for ten minutes and drizzle with cheese. Bake for three more minutes until the cheese melts. It is one of the best low carb Keto recipes.

19. Broccoli Mash with Spicy Shrimp

This is one of the healthiest low carb Keto recipes. This ideal mix of broccoli and shrimp will offer plenty of protein, minerals, and vitamins.

Broccoli is versatile and offers an array of health benefits.

20. Easy Eggless Salmon Patties

Salmon patties are perfect for a meal though they at times taste extra eggy. This meal has done away with eggs to remove the taste.

21. Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Cook pork slices in a pot together with some salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Serve with coriander and lemon slice.

Final Thoughts on Low Carb Keto Recipes

These keto recipes are not only tasty, but they are also low in starch. They are the best low carb Keto recipes.

How to Make a Self-Watering Bucket to Grow Peppers and Tomatoes

August 26, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Do you like peppers and tomatoes? Or any other kind of vegetable? Are you willing to put forth a bit of effort to have your very own mini farmers’ market? If so you’re in luck! Here we’re going to tell you how to create your very own self-watering bucket – or if you wish, buckets – that will enable you to grow both vegetables.

We’ll first cover some basics of the technology before providing you with step-by-step instructions for creating the bucket.

Let’s do this!

The sub-irrigated planter (SIP) system

The sub-irrigated planter (SIP) system is a means of watering flowers or plants from beneath the soil line (hence the “sub” in “sub-irrigated.”) As you will see, SIP water filters upwards using capillary action (essentially defying gravity!) and saturates the plant from the bottom up.

Among those who utilize SIPs are commercial landscapers, horticulturists, and gardeners. There are several benefits to a SIP. First, the watering process is automated, which reduces labor cost or effort. Second, no electric power is required; this reduces both overhead costs and environmental footprint. You can keep these buckets wherever a water source is present. Third, space is freed up by eliminating the need for expensive equipment like hoses, pumps, and timers.

In other words, the SIP system is a beautiful example of a self-sustaining, make-it-at-home project that can save money, feed the family, and give you something fun to build! For craftsmen and craftswomen who have yet to foray into the world of gardening, this project may just entice you enough to get your green thumb on!

First, a few things to keep in mind before getting the project underway:

#1 – The mix must be soilless.

The growing medium mentioned by the builder is Pro-Mix BX with Mycorrhizae, consisting of “Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, Perlite, Vermiculite, dolomitic limestone, wetting agent, and Mycorrhizae.” Peat products that include coconut coir or some other soilless mix may also work. Per the instructions, “the addition of perlite and dolomite lime is recommended.”

#2 – The grow bags must be porous.

Do you use recyclable grocery bags? These serve as the perfect “grow bag.” A grow bag holds the growing mix and, eventually, the tomato and potato plants. Manufactured from polypropylene, these bags are durable, large, and porous. Polypropylene grow bags last a long time and will not rot or fall apart. Critically, these bags will drain excess water and supply the roots with plenty of oxygen. Porous grow bags also cause the plant roots that grow through the fabric to dry out and die, thereby serving as a natural root pruner. According to the original builder, this “air pruning” mechanism enables the growth of “fine feeder roots,” which “leads to better nutrient and water absorption and promotes accelerated plant growth.”

#3 – Get a kitchen colander.

A plastic kitchen colander (strainer) is needed as it will support the bottom of the grow bag and create a shallow water reservoir. The dimensions of most strainers make them perfect for this use. The colander needn’t fit perfectly – it can be trimmed with a sturdy pair of gardening shears (more on this later.)

#4 – A 5-gallon bucket is best.

While you could use a smaller or larger bucket, doing so will make the forthcoming instructions harder to follow. The 5-gallon size allows plenty of room for both the grow bag and water reservoir. For extra points, look for the initials “HDPE” on the bottom of the bucket, indicating that the plastic is safe for growing vegetables.

Necessary Materials

Here’s a list of what you’ll need (see below for tools):

– A five-gallon plastic bucket

– ½” rubber grommet

– 10” plastic colander

– Recyclable fabric shopping bag

Tools

– Electric drill

– ¾” step drill bit

– Heavy shears to trim the colander (if necessary)

Construction Steps

Drill 3/4” holes alongside the bucket at 6” by 6” intervals starting from the bottom. Remember to drill enough holes to allow for generous airflow which, along with the polypropylene bags, provide aeration to the root system. (There should be a total of 6-8 columns of holes; each column with 3-4 holes from top to bottom, depending on the bucket’s dimensions.)
Besides the rows and columns of holes for aeration, there will be just one other hole – and that’s for the water reservoir mechanism. For this, you’ll want to affix the grommet and drill with the step drill bit somewhere along the very bottom. (Per the original instructions, there is no one designated point.)
Insert a ½” hose fitting to the grommet. The seal should be of watertight quality.

(Note: Depending on how you connect your buckets, your fitting may differ. Half-inch fittings are standard and are available from suppliers of hydroponic accessories.)

Place the plastic colander into the bucket; trim to fit if necessary.
Place the recyclable bag inside of the bucket. Allow the handles to fall alongside the bucket or – if preferred – trim them off.
Plug the fill hole and add water to the bottom of your bucket and begin adding your growing mix.
Fill the bucket in layers, soaking each layer thoroughly to trigger the wicking property of your soilless mix. Again, do not use a dry mixture as it will not work.
Add a layer of slow-release organic fertilizer to the bottom layer of the growth mix.
Add an additional layer of compost near the top.
Continue adding layers of grow mix and wetting them down thoroughly with water.
Cover the bucket by affixing a plastic sheet. This is added to minimize water loss via evaporation.
Cut slits in the plastic for planting.

Final Thoughts

If you’d like to grow more tomatoes or peppers than is possible with a single bucket, you can do so. Just remember that each bucket must have enough space between them to allow sufficient air flow. Per the original builder, “Overcrowding impedes ventilation and promotes the spread of fungal disease and blocks light transmission within the plants.”

Additionally, you will need other supplies to create this closed-loop system including a water barrel reservoir, brass house faucet with fitting, hose fitting, and float valve regulator. Please refer to the original instructions for design schematics.

7 Things You Need To Keep In Mind Before Committing To A Long Distance Relationship

August 26, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Surviving a long distance relationship is difficult – ask any military spouse.

“After being separated for a period of time, I was in a very dark place. Miserable without him, it was easy for me to see that civilian life without him was FAR WORSE than any military life with him.” ~ Lauren Tamm, “The Real Reason Being a Military Wife is So Hard.”

Military spouses, probably more so than anyone, understand the difficulties and sacrifices that accompany lengthy separation from their partners.

However, there’s a reason the quote “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” exists. Because it’s absolutely true. “Give them a chance to miss you” is another good one.

There’s some scientific rationale behind such sentiments.

Per a study published in the Journal of Communication, people in long-distance relationships were more likely to share meaningful thoughts and feelings with their partner than those who in “normal” relationships.

Because couples that have been – or are going through – a long-distance relationship understand the preciousness of intimacy.

But such extraordinary benefits don’t come without risk.

In this article, we will discuss some things to remember before committing to a long-distance relationship.

7 Things To Remember in A Long Distance Relationship

Here are some tips to help make the most of a long distance relationship.

1. Ground your expectations

You should feel happy – or at least satisfied – with the person you are. Seeking qualities in someone else in hopes of acquiring fulfillment is mistaken.

Yes, you should feel happy with your partner, but it’s essential to remember –especially when you’re in a long-term relationship – that happiness is something derived internally.

2. Respect your partner’s social life

A little bit of jealousy can be a good thing. It can be a sweet way of showing your love. But just like alcohol and chocolate, jealousy in excess isn’t healthy.

There’s a significant difference, however, between jealousy and overprotection. We’re all adults here. So we should know better than disrespecting our other’s personal space.

3. Forget your ego

Forget about spoiling the moment with useless thoughts, especially when leading up to a period of separation.

A genuine effort should be taken to quash your ego. Attempting to do so displays your willingness to step up. Perhaps the most rewarding benefit of omitting your ego is that your words and actions are expressive and represent your real emotions.

4. Clean the slate

Whatever needs to be handled before your loved one’s departure, handle it.

Anything and everything.

Whether this is something intangible like bottled up emotions or thoughts, or some bill that’s been ignored, get on it. The last thing either of you wants is for some unspoken problem to place an undue burden on an already stressful situation.

5. Don’t make lame excuses

Lame excuses have led to the disintegration of many relationships.

It goes without saying that excuses don’t belong in this arena. An excuse, at its core, is a lie. An excuse is not an explanation – it is a deliberate act of deception.

Excuse-making has no place in your relationship, particularly in your partner’s absence. He or she doesn’t want to hear that you “forgot” to call because of this or that.

6. Trust each other

Cliché time(!): trust is the backbone of any relationship.

When we’re away from our partner, it’s all the more important to reassure ourselves of their trustworthiness. It goes without saying that any uncertainty in this regard necessitates a swift resolution.

Unfortunately, neither of you have the luxury of sitting down together and resolving things. Try to schedule regular video chats, if at all possible.

7. Compliment one another

We all love when our partner bestows upon us a genuine compliment! There’s nothing more heartening than telling your partner why you are in love with them – and what makes them special in your eyes.

Final Thoughts on Long Distance Romance

Frequently singing your loved one’s praises is a beautiful thing. If you’re not in a compliment-giving mood (it happens!), here’s an easy solution:

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and remember their smile. Remember their warm embrace and passionate kiss.

Believe this former service member who’s been lonely on plenty of occasions: it works.

Then, of course, remember you’ll be back in their arms soon enough!

It gives you energy and promotes happiness.

Nature increases your creativity.

It can ease stress immensely.

You’ll feel more connected.

It improves mental health of those living in cities.