Did you know there is no “right way” to meditate? Anything that allows you to become relaxed and centered is the “right way” for you. Maybe that’s a walk around the block, singing along with an uplifting album, or sitting in your favorite chair and just breathing deeply. Yet no matter what meditation methods you prefer, our bodies respond in the same ways when we enter a relaxed and centered state. It’s called coherence: a highly efficient psychological state where all the systems of the body work together in harmony. Thanks to biofeedback machines we can actually measure how “coherent” our bodies are. Wild Divine offers 2 products that allow the user to instantly measure their coherence level, and even better, to learn to bring their body to coherence at any given time.

Both of Wild Divine’s products combine biofeedback data with an enlightening interactive format. Their flagship product, Healing Rhythms is described as a “guided training program” and is better suited for adults and teens. The Passage: Journey to Wild Divine is presented as a beautiful interactive game and is adventurous fun for all ages. (There is another game – Wisdom Quest – that can also be used with The Passage.) Here’s a video clip of The Passage:

Even if you have never meditated before, the very act of watching your biofeedback levels will begin to bring you into a state of calm. Playing with the games will bring anyone into a deeper state of inner peace. The manufacturers don’t talk about the health benefits much, but that’s the part I find especially amazing. The biofeedback unit measures the Heart Rate Variability, and HRV is the best predictor of future mortality and morbidity than any of the standard risk factors (cholesterol, smoking, exercise levels, etc). That means using a Wild Divine product helps us learn to be relax while transforming our health, too. Now that’s holistic health care.

Besides the game versus training format of the two systems, my research shows one other consideration. The Passage game system does not come with detailed graphing abilities, but separate Grapher Expansion software is available. This is the package I will be purchasing, because I want the flexibility of lots of game play but still have the option to just quietly watch my body’s rhythms. Plus, I can add the Wisdom Quest game later if I want.

This certainly isn’t the only way how to meditate, but it is an innovative new tool that promises to open humanity’s understanding about the body-mind connection. Have you tried any of the Wild Divine biofeedback products? We would love to hear your feedback!

Image courtesy of Hector Landaeta.

Posted by Lauren in Gadgets, Just For You
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Sometimes having too many options can be a little overwhelming, but when entering the Pink Quartz Minerals shop I feel like a kid in a candy store! Doree is a one woman DIY powerhouse who makes a variety of all natural makeup, but she always makes time to create any item to your exact specifications. What color do you want that lip balm? How opaque do you want the color? Want to add a flavor? An all natural sweetener? How about customizing the label with any text you want? Even cooler, these options are standard and there is never an extra charge for them. I have been loving my marshmallow flavored, stevia sweetened, deep rose lip balm for months and I’m actually excited to order a few more.

As someone who really doesn’t wear much makeup – usually some tinted lip balm or mineral foundation – my affinity for Pink Quartz Minerals might seem surprising. Keep in mind though that I’m a really particular shopper; I always know just what I want… and what I don’t want.

Unlike most products out there, all of Doree’s handmade goodies are safe for your eyes, lips, skin, and face, which says a lot about how “natural” they really are. The ingredients consist of only 6 minerals (except the lip balms of course), and there are never any preservatives, chemicals, or animal-based ingredients. Everything is vegan friendly, and truly hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. I was visiting family recently and took a peek at the ingredients on my little sister’s sparkly lip balm set. Talk about night and day! There was a huge list of chemicals and it was petroleum based, too. Yuck! What bums me out is that makeup containing dangerous, junky ingredients is standard. Thank goodness for businesses like Pink Quartz Minerals who have integrity and create only safe and exquisite makeup items.

I also had the pleasure of trying the mineral foundation and the fabulous vegan kabuki brush. Both are amazing! I bought the sample kit to find the perfect shade for me, but you can also have a color custom blended. I’ve been asked so many times “Are you wearing makeup? Your skin looks so nice.” Could there be a better testimonial? During the visit to see my family, my mom tried the kabuki brush and could not stop raving. “It’s so much softer than the expensive one I bought and doesn’t shed all over the place either”. Since she doesn’t stop by this blog too often I’ll let you guys know that I’m going to order her a brush and sample kit, too

Unless you’re madly in love with your makeup and can identify all the ingredients on the label, I really encourage you to try some of the lovely handmade products from Pink Quartz Minerals. They’re safe, affordable, and bring out your natural beauty so you’ll look and feel like a million bucks.

Posted by Lauren in Indie, Just For You
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About 3 years ago I picked up my first copy of Dream Big by Lisa Hammond on a lark. I was skimming the New Arrivals section at my library and the bright cover and bold title leaped out at me. It wasn’t a topic I had been consciously thinking about, but I was willing to give it a look. The ambitious tag line sounded great too – “Finding the courage to follow your dreams and laugh at your nightmares” – but I wondered how the author was going to cram such life-changing info into the relatively small book. The introduction gives a great insight when Lisa mentioned that she did not start with a business plan, despite everyone insisting that she do so. Following a lengthy “winning formula” can be so helpful at times, but your creativity and integrity will rapidly change your entire life. What made this book so endearing and inspirational to me was that simplicity. She encourages women to start with what counts: finding your passion. Everything else will flow easier once you start from a place of personal honesty. We’ve all heard the old saying that when you find work you love, it never feels like work. This is exactly why Lisa’s book is called Dream Big! She helps break down some of the internal barriers that prevent us from pursuing our DREAM calling. Not a “job” or even a “career”, but a “calling”. What a huge difference this will make in finding fulfilling activities to pursue.

The author is well qualified to write this book, as she is the owner of the mail order company Femail Creations (“Gifts to Celebrate and Inspire Women“). It was started by Lisa when she stopped working at her husband’s construction company. Like many of us, she was “going crazy” working at a job that she had little interest in! Lisa needed new work that was meaningful to her, and would allow her to stay home with their daughter. She was able to do both when she realized her dream of starting a mail order company. What made that meaningful and fulfilling for her was that she offers products that also support other women. Femail Creations sells many handmade, limited run, artisan products created by women, some of which are also SAHMs. Not only does Ms. Hammond now have a calling that she loves, but she is able to help other women realize their dreams by giving them a place to sell their creations. That’s the kind of win-win business planning that I love to hear about!

Femail Creations doesn’t really do sales, but they just let us know about a FREE shipping sale for orders $75+. No coupon code required, just click the link and it will automatically be entered into your cart.

Other places to buy the book online: Half.com (my fave), Amazon, and eBay

Posted by Lauren in Just For You, Sale
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I’ve had some exciting experiences this past year, but they weren’t the awesome fun kind you can get from Signature Days or Great American Days. Most people, including myself, would like to try new things, visit new places, and learn new skills, which is exactly why these make perfect additions to our New Year’s Resolutions list.

The beauty of an experience gift is that they are planned experiences and activities that can make positive changes in people’s lives. There are so many to choose from that there really is something for everyone.
Some of the more popular experiences are:
NASCAR, Dinner Cruises, Fighter Pilot, Cooking Classes, and Helicopter Tours.
Some of the more unique and unusual are:
Personal Jazz Performance, Rock ‘n Roll fantasy camp, be an Interior Designer, learn to DJ, Kids artistic discovery, and more.

Obviously these can make great gifts for birthdays, holidays, or just for the fun of it. These are all location based as some cities can offer certain experiences others can’t. This allows for either a truly memorable trip away from home, a fun surprise for a visiting family member, or, for those who live in big cities, just an easy way to get someone out of their house.

Some of my personal favorites are:
Private Raw Food Course, Vegetarian Cooking Class, Kids Drawing Class, Kids Surf Party, Stunt School, Skydiving, and Hot Air Balloon Rides. I’d look forward to any one of these experiences for myself if you are interested in buying me a gift certificate.

Where can I get these exciting experiences?
Great American Days and/or Signature Days. Both provide experiences as low as $50 with some experiences up into the $1000’s and both seem to have many options for many popular cities.

COUPON: Save 10% OFF at Signature Days, when you use coupon code SIGJASOND at checkout.

Posted by Sean in Just For You
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For the last 5 years or so, I’ve been promising myself that I would learn a new language. I debated between Japanese and Spanish for a number of reasons and even toyed with attempting to learn them simultaneously (ha ha). Since I live in southern California though, it’s just more practical to learn Spanish, and it’s easier to become immersed if I choose. But what’s slowed me down for 5 years, keeping me from becoming fluent in a second language? Mostly finding a language learning program that I thought I would be successful at. I’ve tried Pimsleur audio CDs and have some Berlitz phrase books, and while both were helpful in different regards, neither are the right product for me.

The system that kept coming up in my research was Rosetta Stone. I had heard about it so many times over the years, but had never been serious enough to buy one of their software packages. I wanted to be sure of my commitment before I spent $110+ for online-only instruction or $209 for the Level 1 software. After reading through tons of great reviews- Reviewica, HomeSchoolReviews, Language Book World- and downloading the free trial, I’m sold. As the Macworld review said, “if you’re willing to really dig in and spend time learning a foreign language, Rosetta Stone can provide a strong foundation”. If learning a new language is on your New Years Resolutions list, then Rosetta Stone is probably perfect for you, too.

Need some reasons to inspire you? There are lots of them, ranging from practical to fun.
Why learn a new language?

1. Friends & Family: communicate with your multi-lingual loved ones
2. Travel: do more than just “get by” when visiting a new country
3. Secret Communication: choose an uncommon language and forget about eavesdropping
4. Work: understand your business associates without an interpreter
5. Culture: better understand foreign film, music, and TV without subtitles
6. Emigration: moving to a different country or region

Lots more reasons for learning a new language are posted at Omniglot.

COUPON: Save 10% off Rosetta Stone, a free headset, and free shipping, when you use coupon code CJ127 at checkout.

¡buena suerte con sus estudios, cada una!

Posted by Lauren in Just For You
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Continuing our series of New Year’s Resolutions from yesterday’s Get In Shape article, Take More Pictures is next. Most people enjoy looking at past photos through Picasa (or their preferred photo viewing/editing/sharing software) and reliving some great memories. As much as I enjoy doing this, I often wish I’d taken more pictures on a certain trip I took or event I attended, but mostly just more everyday pics. Here are some reasons I didn’t take more pictures throughout the year and the possible solutions.


Possible problem: Wrong camera
If you find yourself bummed about how your camera is too slow, too bulky, poor-quality pics, not enough features, low battery life, etc., you’d probably find that an easy to use camera makes life simpler. How do you know which camera is for you? Evaluate what your needs are and choose the best camera for you. Read the specifications and other people’s reviews and pay attention to their details (ie. did it capture good in low light? quick to boot up? easy to navigate menu? good documentation?, etc.) Also feel free to start asking your friends about what they do and don’t like about their digital camera, this is very useful info. The Amazon widget to the right can help you find a great camera.

Possible problem: Don’t get to enjoy digital photos
Not everyone is computer savvy and can manipulate digital photos into works of art, or simply print one out to frame. You can buy your own printer and photo paper and try it on your computer, or you can visit a web site, upload some pictures and have them delivered to you in many different forms. Some of my favorite ways to enjoy my digital photos are to have them printed out in different formats and displayed around the house to become a part of my everyday life.
- Wallhogs: They print onto canvas, poster, or removable vinyl wall stickers up to 7 feet. Think life size cutout!
- SmugMug (Easy, ad free, many options.), Snapfish (first 50 prints FREE!), and KodakGallery (save 30% on print enlargements.), are just a few of the many places that help your organize, share, and print photos to paper, bags, mousepads, mugs, and more. For free software (Picasa, and more) to help organize, share, and enjoy your photos check out the Google Pack.

Possible problem: Forgot the camera
Start setting a better habit of bringing your camera with you everytime. Try leaving the camera by the door, always carrying it in your travel bag, leave it in the car, ask a friend to bring theirs, or tie a string around a finger. Whatever it takes for you to remember, do it.

Possible problem: I’m not a good photographer
Yes you are! You just don’t know it yet. I promise, the more you take pictures and flip through them with your favorite software the more you’ll become aware of what looks good and what doesn’t. Besides the point of the photo is to capture a moment in time, not to see who can take the best picture. Trust me, getting a funkily cropped/slightly blurry photo, is still better than getting no photo. Maybe you can even try taking a photography class at your local college.

For more choices and unbeatable deals be sure to check out eBay once you’ve found the camera model you desire.

What about you? What stops you from taking more pictures while you are out and about?

Posted by Sean in Just For You
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With 2008 just days away, many people are pondering New Year’s resolutions. There’s definitely something about a fresh calendar year that jump starts our desire to make positive changes. Being surrounded by friends, family, and co-workers who are also brainstorming ways to improve makes this an especially ideal time for such endeavors. Bonus!

Over the next week we will be exploring some of the most popular New Years resolutions in a new series of blog posts. Please be sure to come back again and let us know which of the featured resolutions that you will be committing to, or to suggest tips for sticking to new resolutions.

The most popular New Years resolution is always Get In Shape. There are countless ways to do this, and here are a few of my favorite tips and products.

For the Yoga Newbie: The Yoga for Beginner’s Kit from renowned yoga expect Rodney Yee contains everything you’ll need to get started with yoga. My favorite part is the marked yoga mat that shows you just where to place your feet and hands. And, if you do it regularly, “this 20-minute complete practice yields more benefits than a 90 minute yoga class once a week.” Yoga For Inflexible People is another good introductory DVD that is a user favorite. $30 & $10.99

When Space is Limited: You’ll be hard pressed to find a piece of exercise equipment that is smaller than the Mini Stepper with Resistance Cords. Taking up less than 2 square feet, it provides a no-impact, high-intensity, full body, strength and cardio workout. The built-in computer tracks time and steps, and since it’s so portable you can bring it to work and exercise while sitting at your desk. $69

Sexy Fit: Varying your routine is key in sticking to your exercise plan. If things get boring, try a DVD or class that will spice things up. I didn’t think I would enjoy the Aerobic Striptease DVD series, but I was pleasantly surprised when it actually turned out to be fun. The first 2 DVDs (“Aerobic Striptease” and “Fit To Strip”) make excellent additions to your overall workout plan, or would make great beginning points for those who are just beginning to exercise. Either way, you’re likely help you to feel more confident “in your skin”. For more sexy exercise options, check out the wildly popular Pole Dancing Kit! $34.99 & $99

I can’t say enough good things about instructional fitness videos: they are way more appealing to me than the gym. Plus, this winter weather doesn’t exactly compel most people to go outside. My fellow indoor fitness lovers will appreciate this final collection of exercise DVDs.

World Dance Inspired: This is a category near to my heart. There are movement styles from other countries that are so beautiful, exotic, unique, and sometimes quite sexy. Even better: If you feel you “can’t dance”, you may feel differently after trying one of these new styles. These titles are customer favorites, best sellers on Amazon, and are all on my To Buy/Rent DVD list.
L to R: Dance the Chakras, Bellydance Basics and Beyond, Bollyrobics Dance Workout, African Healing Dance and Hoopnotic Hoopdance Level 1 (PS- I’ve recently fallen in love with hula hooping for fun and fitness. Highly recommended.)

Photo by Cheryl Empey

Posted by Lauren in Just For You
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Oh, have I got a couple awesome coupons for you today. I’ve been close to running out of my daily skincare products, so when I woke up to these sweet deals in my inbox I promptly ordered my usual stash. Without LUSH and Skinvac, I don’t even want to remember what my skin was like. They’re the only brands that I use, and my skin has improved by leaps and bounds since I started using them. If you haven’t tried the amazing products from either of these companies, now you can do so on the cheap.

At LUSH, receive a FREE facial cleanser with the purchase of any item of equal or greater value. Choose Angels on Bare Skin, Aqua Marina, Herbaslism, Coal Face (my favorite) or Fresh Farmacy (also amazing).

COUPON: Use code SpringFreshSkin during checkout to select your free cleanser.

At Skinvac, receive 15% off when you purchase a 3 cloth complete set. You’ll get the Deep Daily Cleansing cloth, Microdermabrasion cloth, and Pore Gripper cloth. All 3 are part of my skincare arsenal and absolutely rule.

COUPON: Use code setdiscount to get 15% off. Enter the code on the main page of the site. You might miss it, so here’s an image that shows where to enter the code.

RELATED: LUSH Fresh Face contest, and natural acne treatment

Posted by Lauren in Green Living, Just For You
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All right fellow LUSHies, here’s the contest for you. Even if you’re not a devoted user of LUSH handmade skincare and cosmetics, this will be fun. Following the arrival of their fabulous new Fresh Face Starter Kits, LUSH is looking for a “Fresh Face” to be featured in their 2008 catalog. But wait, it’s not a beauty contest! LUSH is looking for:

• Fresh faces of all shapes, sizes and colors!
• Fresh faces of all types: youthful, mature, male, female!
• Fresh faces of all places: city, country, suburbs!
• Sophisticated faces, regular faces, fancy faces, natural faces!

Woo hoo, a contest for everyone! And if you’re near one of their retail stores (they have locations in many states, provinces, and countries), you can also enter in person on June 2nd. At the event there will be free skin care consultations and demos, and you can enter into a drawing to win a gift. Their new Bath Bomb, Sugar Rush will also be available for FREE with a minimum purchase. Oh, and you can check out the Fresh Face Starter Kits in person, which are just $19.95 and would make a great organic gift.

RELATED: More LUSH posts!

Posted by Lauren in Contest, Just For You
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Scents surround you wherever you are. Some can be terrible, and bring back unpleasant memories, yet others are delicious, comforting or serene. What every scent has in common with one another is association. Every smell makes you think, feel, or remember something (whether you are fully conscious of it or not). For me, smelling cotton candy always makes me think of my sister, and her love/obsession with it. I remember us eating pink cotton candy together at Disneyland, and it always puts a smile on my face. Sweets are a pretty much universally delicious scent. After all, can you think of anyone who doesn’t like one type of sweet? Perpetual Kid offers a collection of fragrances from Demeter, my personal favorite perfume company. All the favorites like birthday cake, bubblegum, pina colada, vanilla cake batter, and marshmallow are available. They even carry some of the more “original” scents, such as sawdust, Play-Doh, and cannabis. My personal favorite is Waffle Cone, which I usually wear daily. After all, It’s always nice to hear “Mmm, you smell like cookies!” when you walk in a room.

$18.99

Looking for other places to buy?
COUPON: Get 10% off your purchase at Perfume Country. Their regular price for all Demeter 4oz. sprays is is $24.99 (retail is $39.50), and they carry tons of scents. (Coupon expires 3/30/07)
Unbeatable Sale also offers 4oz. Demeter at a great price ($31.36) and they have a lot of scent options, too.

Posted by Alison in Clothing and Accessories, Just For You
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