Hello, Vibrant Reader!

I've been fascinated recently with some mind-body research that has been going on. Although it seems like the simplest of common sense, researchers at the Univ. of Calif. in San Diego did a study of 4700 persons over a 30-year period and concluded that happiness is contagious. They noted that if a social contact of yours is happy, you have a 15% greater chance of being happy. The most interesting thing is that if a third-degree contact (a friend of a friend) is happy, you have a 6% greater chance to be happy.

In another study--one of several--done at Ohio State University, researchers concluded that hope is consistently associated with fewer symptoms of depression. Now that seems like a no-brainer--if you have no hope, isn't that somewhere in the definition of depression? Well probably, but the researchers point out that hope is something that can be taught, and can be developed in many people with depression. So, teaching hope becomes a clinically valid method for addressing depression.

My suspicion is that hope is also contagious, simply because happy people have hope. Boyd and I were reminding ourselves today that dwelling on negative outcomes, and carrying around gloom and dissatisfaction with the "way things are," does nothing to change anything. It may be, in fact, creating the very conditions for further negativity.

So, as the old saw goes, "Don't worry, be happy" --and I'd add, be hopeful and get busy. In this way, everyone around you is lifted up and that wave spreads around the world.

On a little bit of a different note, my new project for the coming year is a series of interviews and articles about psychology and spirituality of food. I'll explore why we eat what we eat, and how we eat, with several very interesting people I've met through my experiences at the Optimum Health Institute. Food and eating can be a spiritually nourishing activity, or a source of addiction and ill health, and I believe it to be a very timely subject that affects everyone. So stay tuned for that! Meanwhile, click on the cartoon below for some holiday humor!

Until next time...

In vibrant health,

Shay Arave
President
Pure Energy Rx

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"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." -- Dalai Lama

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Tips for De-Stressing the Holidays
For many people, stress is as much a part of the holiday season as family gatherings and good food.

But learning the art of relaxation can help relieve social, financial and other pressures that can take the fun out of this time of year, according to Julie Kosey, manager of integrative health coaching at Duke Integrative Medicine.

"Relaxation is a right, not a privilege," Kosey said in a Duke news release. If you don't learn to relax, she added, stress could take a toll on your personal and professional relationships, health, productivity and overall well-being.

Respecting your personal needs is an important part of mastering relaxation, said Kosey, who offered the following tips:

• Visualize your ideal holiday. This includes deciding ahead of time which invitations suit your needs and those that don't fit the bill. Don't be afraid to re-evaluate family traditions and start some new ones.
• Define what relaxation means to you. It could be taking a bubble bath, going for a long walk, working out in the gym, or recharging your batteries with your family. No matter what your age, people need to play and have something in their life that's enjoyable.
• Schedule down time. Learn how to enjoy being alone with yourself and/or with your family. Turn off cell phones, computers and play board game, read a book, draw a picture.
• Be realistic. For example, if you're not the type to do yoga, you probably won't stay at it for very long. Identify what relaxation methods worked best for you in the past and try them. It may be the best way to maintain your motivation to relax.
• Recognize when you're experiencing too much stress, such as in the form of headaches, insomnia or disagreements with family, friends or co-workers. If you're feeling stressed at work, get some fresh air. At home, step out on the porch.
• Keep focused on your goal. If you're not convinced it's important to relax, you may not take the steps needed to do it. Determine how relaxation will benefit you--such as lowering blood pressure--and concentrate on that reward.

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Life Energy Pack

Hook your body up to a life energy battery! Give your body the energy it needs to heal itself. Most naturopathic physicians will tell you that the main problem with giving herbal formulas or homeopathics, is that very often their patients' bodies lack enough ENERGY to fully utilize the healing properties of the medicines. To help fix this, the doctors will then prescribe dietary fasts, massage or acupuncture in an attempt to get energy into the body system. Once this has been done, then the herbal formulas will have much more punch and less waste.

Modern-day quantum physics has begun to scientifically explain these ancient practices, and new technologies are now available as a result. Quantum physics refers to this life energy, or "chi," as SUBTLE ENERGY. Without having to get too technical, the laws of quantum physics allow that life energy can be transferred from one substance to another. This is where the Life Energy Super Pack comes in... >>>> MORE INFO

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• Best Female Figure Not an Hourglass
  An imperfect body might be just what the doctor ordered for women and key to their economic success, an anthropologist now says...
• Pain Relief you can Believe in
  Stimulating a religious state of mind in devout Catholics triggers brain processes associated with substantial relief from physical pain, report neuroscientists...
• Is Technology Rewiring Our Brains?
  When the brain spends more time on technology-related tasks and less time exposed to other people, it drifts away from fundamental social skills like reading facial expressions during conversation...
• Exercise Eases Anger in Kids
  A study of sedentary but otherwise healthy 7- to 11-year-olds found they reduced both their weight and anger issues by taking part in a 10- to 15-week after-school aerobic exercise program...
• Study Shows Magnet Therapy Eases Migraines
  Study participants were instructed to hold a device, approximately the same size and weight as a hair dryer, to their heads and pull the trigger when they experienced an migraine coming on...
• Happiness actually is contagious
  The same team that demonstrated obesity and smoking spread in networks has shown that the more happy people you know, the more likely you are yourself to be happy. And getting connected to happy people improves a person's own happiness...
• We need more Vitamin D than originally thought
  If you take a daily vitamin D supplement, you might feel comfortable knowing that research suggests you're lowering cancer and heart disease risks. But you should never assume, because you just might be shocked to find out how low your vitamin D level actually is...
• A review of The Hypnosis Network
  Mike Adams, The Health Ranger, thoroughly reviews The Hypnosis Network's audio programs, and comes to some encouraging conclusions...

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