“The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the breathing exercise Nadi Shodana improves the balance between the two brain halves as reflected by the alpha R/L ratio.
Nadi Shodana
The alternate nostril breathing ( Nadi Shodana) is a yogic breathing exercise. It is performed in the following manner: One inhales through the left nostril (while closing the right), thereafter exhaling through the right nostril (closing the left). Then, one inhales through the right nostril, the breath is held, and then exhales through the left nostril. This constitutes one round.”
Nadi Shodana really calms you down instantly. Even trying to breath deep in a hurry is helpful. You do know that there’s two types of breathing? 1. belly breathing 2. diaphragm breathing.
“Energy is life – a different view on humanity?
Current European law defines that a human being is alive as long as it is still possible to measure electrical activity in the brain – in other words, as long as there is energy in the body. The heart can temporarily stop, the breath can stop, but only when energy is no longer present, has life left the body.”
Guided meditation focuses on experiencing the present moment fully. Be more present and mindful.
Most of guided meditations start, include and end with the breath. This is the hardest part (for moi). Just sitting quietly. Why would one do what is simple?-someone would ask.
See, whenever thoughts arise (oh and they will!), go back to your breathing once again. If some emotions might rise to the surface, I guess put them in your memory bank for the time being, and deal with them once the meditation is over.
From guided meditations you then can evolve doing them all by yourself.
I’ll keep this short and sweet, mostly because something like meditation is a personal thing and also because you have to find your own type.
If you never try, you’ll never know what you are capable of.
John Barrow
For me to write about a month’s progress, I’d have to live that progress. Not the one to shy away from the things you can do in a day or in a week times four. A month.
But this is different, because, well, first of all, I’m somewhat maximising the summer month and doing it The 5am Club -style.
Sunday 12th June
The first morning I woke up (because it was so bright outside or because I was so excited to start?) at 3.50am, and tried to get back to sleep but couldn’t. The first ‘need to nap’, an exhaustion, came about at 9am, and the whole day of sunday went sleepily.
Monday 13th June
Now, on to the next day. On monday I woke up full of energy and excitement at 7.30am. Spend quite a bit of the day online shopping; the energy was incredible and I just saw visually how good everything would look. This kind of day, was the thing that kept me surviving the next.
Tuesday 14th June
First of all, I woke up at 9am. Already felt somewhat off. Since waking up, I was like: “Is that already the time?!” The whole day went on the couch, flu and hormones combined are a terrible mix and I just felt nauseous, even in the AM. If you ask me, you can just strike Tuesday of off that week, thanks!
Wednesday 15th June
I feel like the early hours, 5am Club style, are finally kicking in! Though, it is not my goal to start waking up at 5am every morning, like before (I think it’s on Bookshelf: Robin Sharma, The 5am Club).
Woke up, by myself and not the alarm, at 5.30. Finally. I set up an alarm at 5.30 on that crappy tuesday. Plus I had the strangest of dreams and I’m pretty sure that they woke me up. Moderately tired in the evening, although having just had the flu, it’s kinda tiring not to burn some energy off through movement.
Friday 8th July
It was never a goal to wake up at 5am. In July, I usually wake up right before the alarm 7-8.30am. I set up an alarm in the evening, so that I’d get at least 8 hours of sleep in me, or would not function. Right..’The last weekend’ before returning to maybe 4 hours of studying per day, because I’ve already decided that on monday it’s somewhat back to autumn schedule. See just half of 8 hours, what is waiting for me later. Yeey! Shopped couple of things on that “to study” -plate.
So, how has the month been? Feel wiser than in June. In one goal-oriented book says that you should make 1% of progress/day, so in a month it’d be 1% x 30.
Saturday 9th July
I start this morning with breakfast and two cups of coffee watching Castle. It’s my newest obsession. It’s no wonder I don’t dream of that show. I don’t, yet, though.
Sunday 10th July
And what a Sunday that was!
Imagine how you’ll know of a topic of your interest 30% more than today.
For this magazine, everything that has been on Gem so far, and probably some things which have not been featured, is a huge help! And will ultimately lead to the following.
Talking about the absolute right nutrition, your circadian rhythm, taking the needed supplements, practicing mindfulness and making vision boards, writing yourself future letters, changing the navigation constantly on your plans, educating yourself and adjusting your social media and tv intakes etc.
This’ll be leaning more towards easy biohacking. Biohacking can mean so far as DNA research (which I’ve done btw), but for now, let’s keep it way more simpler.
Easy biohacking; meaning previously stated and mostly psychological biohacking.
So, welcome to the spring of 2022 and May!
Now, imagine a moment and place you’re in at in the future. Your own future, which you alone have created and manufactured.
Infact a key is to visualise yourself there; what you are wearing, what you’re eating or drinking (tea, coffee or perhaps something stronger?), and with who you’re with, or with whom you’re talking on the phone. Etc.
It can be kind of unsettling to see and live that specific moment in your future. Again going back to Feb/March issue with vision boards, it’ll not be a possible future, if there’s no work behind it. If you’ve never tried anything new, then nothing new happens…right?
Meditation is a great tool to help you see further. By meditation I’m not particularly talking about sitting cross-legged for 20min.
Each finds their own meditation features; whether it’s actually sitting in silence or a walking meditation etc. F.e mine is stopping to reroute many times a day while watching a numbing tv-show (on purpose, btw!), or being so active myself, I prefer walk/jog rethinking++out of the box thinking, while there’s movement and fresh air.
Or, just use a guided meditation. Quite easy, all you have to do is to relax.
“I spent 30 years trying to get away from the me that was you. And I’ll tell you what, kid. I hate to say it, but you were the best part all along.” Adam Reed, The Adam Project
Although you won’t hear it tick, your body has its own clock. The physical and mental changes it causes are called circadian rhythms. Most living things have them, including animals, plants, and even some germs.
Circadian rhythms affect your sleep patterns as well as other ways your body works, like your hormones, body temperature, and eating habits. When they get out of sync, they might also cause problems with your health. They’ve been linked to different disorders including diabetes, obesity, and depression.
To get good, healthy sleep, it helps to know what keeps your body’s clock on track and what might throw its rhythm off. The internal body clock sets the timing for many circadian rhythms, which regulate processes such as:
sleep/wake cycles = hormonal activity, body temperature, rhythm of eating and digesting.
Different Patterns for Different People
You’ve likely noticed that you feel more alert during certain parts of the day and have lower energy at others. This pattern has to do with your “chronotype,” or personal circadian rhythm. They vary from person to person, although they tend to run in families.
Most of the time, people fall into one of two groups:
Early birds: If you find it easy to wake up in the morning and feel you have the most energy early in the day, you’re a morning person or a “lark.” Some research suggests that an early bird’s body clock may run slightly faster than 24 hours.
Night owls: If you’re an evening person, some research suggests that your body clock runs slower than 24 hours. You’ll find it hard to wake up in the mornings and feel alert. You’ll have the most energy much later in the day, like 11 p.m.
Your chronotype isn’t set in stone, though. Circadian rhythms naturally change as you age. For example, the body clock shifts during adolescence, making teens want to go to bed later and sleep longer than younger kids.
Your work or school schedule may mean that you need to switch from a night owl to an early bird. You can try to alter your circadian rhythm yourself, but do it slowly. For example, try waking up 15 minutes earlier each morning over the course of a week.
How Circadian Rhythms Work
Within the circadian (24-hour) cycle, a person usually sleeps approximately 8 hours and is awake 16. During the wakeful hours, mental and physical functions are most active and tissue cell growth increases. During sleep, voluntary muscle activities nearly disappear and there is a decrease in metabolic rate, respiration, heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure. The activity of the digestive system increases during the resting period, but that of the urinary system decreases.
About 20,000 nerve cells make up your “master clock,” a part of your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This structure, which sits inside an area called the hypothalamus, controls your circadian rhythms. While largely guided by your genes and other natural factors inside your body, things in the outside world can also alter them.
Hormones secreted by the body, such as the stimulant epinephrine (adrenaline), are released in maximal amounts about two hours before awakening so that the body is prepared for activity.
The biggest cue is light. Your body is wired to sleep when it’s dark and stay awake when it’s light outside. Nerves directly link your eyes and your body’s master clock. When daylight fades, your eyes signal your brain to make more melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel sleepy. And when the sun rises again, the signals tell the brain to turn down the melatonin.
Light enters the eyes (even through closed eyelids during sleep), stimulating a signal in the back of the retina and down a nerve tract to the circadian clock in the brain. (Adapted from NIH publ. no. 04-4989, https://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih_sleep_curr-supp.pdf)
Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland, especially in response to darkness, and has been linked to the regulation of circadian rhythms.
Millions of Americans take melatonin to fall asleep. It’s one of the most used supplements in the U.S. But to get the most from it, it helps to understand how it works and what it can and can’t do for you.
What Is Melatonin?
Before you start taking melatonin, ask your doctor how it could affect other medicines you take!
Screen time. Any amount of light signals tells your brain that it’s time to be up and alert. Even the blue light from your tablet, smartphone, or TV has this effect. To get a good night’s sleep, unplug from all screens 2 to 3 hours before bed. Other artificial light can have the same effect, so turn off hallway lights and face your alarm clock away from you. If you’re bothered by light outside your home, put up blackout curtains or use a sleep mask.
Your period. Many women notice that they sleep worse before their period starts. This may be due, at least in part, to a change in circadian rhythms. Some studies show that less sleep during this time can reset your body clock and give some relief. Bright daylight or light therapy may also make a difference.
Your melatonin level usually starts to rise after the sun sets, and stays high during the night. It drops in the early morning, which helps you wake up. That quality — rising at night, disappearing during the day — gives melatonin its nickname: the Dracula of hormones.
What Are the Drawbacks?
If you take melatonin at the wrong time, it will throw off your body’s internal clock.
You may be tempted to take more melatonin to get sounder sleep, but too high a dose can also cause those side effects, which could disrupt your sleep even more. Don’t try to take more than you need.
You shouldn’t use melatonin if you:
– Are pregnant – Are breastfeeding – Have an autoimmune disorder – Have a seizure disorder – Have depression
Should Kids Use It?
Melatonin may help children with conditions such as autism and ADHD get better sleep, but that’s a decision a pediatrician should approve.
It seems to be pretty safe as a short-term sleep tool, but scientists don’t know a lot about how it might affect kids who take it for a long time. The supplement may also cause side effects, like drowsiness and the need to pee more at night. So always talk to your child’s doctor before you give melatonin.
Circadian Rhythms Out of Sync
Small changes can upset your circadian rhythms. These include:
Travel. When you pass through time zones, you can adjust your watch but not your body clock. It will try to function on the time it is at your home, a problem you may know as jet lag. The more time zones you pass through, the more off you may feel. Your body clock will reset to the new time you’re in, but it can take a few days. To deal with jet lag, take melatonin when you arrive at your destination at the time you’d like to go to bed. Some studies have found that taking it as early as 3 days before your trip can help jet lag symptoms. Keep in mind, though, that melatonin is best when you’re traveling east. There’s no evidence that it helps you adjust to westward travel.
Night shift. If you work the night shift, take it at the end of your workday, but never before you drive home and if you work nights, you’ll need to sleep during the day. This can be tough since your body is programmed to be awake when it’s light outside. Over time, you can start to have what’s called shift work disorder. You’ll find it hard to stay awake at night, yet struggle to sleep during the day. Naps during the day or your night shift can help.
Extra sleep. Your body clock works best when you stick to a schedule. In an ideal world, you’ll go to sleep and wake up within a half hour of the same time each day, even on weekends.
Circadian rhythm in adults
Adults should have a pretty consistent circadian rhythm if they practice healthy habits. Their bedtimes and wake times should remain stable if they follow a fairly regular schedule and aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Adults are likely get sleepy well before midnight, as melatonin releases into their bodies. As adults, we reach our most tired phases of the day from 2 to 4 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
Older adults may notice their circadian rhythm changes with age, and they begin to go to bed earlier than they used to and wake in the wee hours of the morning. In general, this is a normal part of aging.
How to reset your circadian rhythm
You may experience disruptions to your circadian rhythm, but you can get it back on track. Here are some tips for promoting a healthy 24-hour schedule:
1. Try to adhere to a routine each day.
2. Spend time outdoors when it’s light outside to boost your wakefulness.
3. Get enough daily exercise — 20 or more minutes of aerobic exercise is generally recommended.
4. Sleep in an environment that promotes rest with proper lighting, a comfortable temperature, and a supportive mattress.
5. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine in the evenings.
6. Power down your screens well before bedtime and try engaging in an activity such as reading a book or meditating.
Ever had a dream that literally changed the direction of your life?
This Gem Winter Magazine is going to be a vision board come to life as a text.
Whether you dream of the things that had already happened or are going to happen in the future.
Here comes the headline to fruition: “dreams don’t work unless you do”. The quote is by John C. Maxwell.
That’s also the way that vision boards work; seeing it (or dreams) every day and then put in the work for it. You gotta put in the work for the goal, that’s fairly important. Because dreams don’t work unless you do! It’s reasonably not going to happen that there’s suddenly a million dollars on your bank account without putting in the work, from a dollar to dollar. But you know this! It’s not even Gem material. However, it is manifesting and vision board things.
Stephenie Meyer has said to had have a dream of a girl and a vampire talking in a meadow, before she started writing Twilight or ever thought of writing in the first place. That’s how powerful dreams can be.
If you’re not a crafty person at all (enough of cutting magazines and glue sticking to fingers – type) then f.e Pinterest is great for vision or mood boards.
Just for example, I have one vision board for every month on Pinterest, on where I see any dream I might’ve had, awaken.
There you can keep some (or all) boards hidden and some (or all) boards public.
“I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people.”
– William Shakespeare Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7
The first Gem Magazine of the year 2022 is about opinions. About assumptions we people tend to make.
As master Shakespeare said it; nowadays it’s about buying golden opinions of from the media, of from the news and of from the social media. The list goes on…
Then we believe them and make them our truths, dissmissing every other opinion along the way.
The trouble is, however, that one person believes in an opinion, then the other person believes in an opinion with the same issue. Opinions of the same thing clashing is what’s going to happen.
We should regard the opinions of the opinions of one person. Not the full truth of the Universe. Just one opinion. Are you being loud with your own opinions? Now I’m going through them..surely those are there, only people are just being nice around.
Now, assumptions are quite funny actually!
Personally, people just bomb you with assuming stuff. See, they have made Your Story up, like a dream, in their minds and then assume that it’s correct. This has happened to me thirteen times out of twelve. As I said, it is much easier just to say ‘yes, you’re (absolutely) right.’. And then shake your head later.
Mind movies is one of Dr. Joe Dispenza’s tools, especially for his clients. It’s energy. Manifesting. Focusing on a subject.
The root chakra in men is fairly common. As it is (might I note: I believe) fueled by their most influenced hormone, testosterone. Whether men recognise it or not. Usually not, for knowing this type of stuff is not common.. as anybody would though! Well now you do, don’t you.
Just yesterday the writer witnessed again a super-testosterone in action, when a person dashed onto a crossing without any(!) safety nor to himself or to the poor drivers, who barely stopped, for it’s a slipping slide outside.
As for women, commonly, the heart chakra (super-emotionality) is dominant, as well as estrogen. And like with the testosterone, women are not familiar with this. Now, ok. There’re women, who I’ve met, who are more fierce (aka a million miles away from letting the emotionality take the lead).
Crying. Being constantly upset. Yeap.
Then there’re men, who are not only lead by the root. One comes to mind ASAP. It’s kind of funny how this is supposed to be about Dispenza, but Jay Shetty is one. Lol.
Now you can focus and make your own mind movies wherever you are and what ever time it is. Take time to recognise your dominant chakras. Visualise them all in sync. The December issue was fairly medical, I apologise.
Too afraid even to focus on this, on Gem. I’d say great for November issue, but absolutely paralysed with fear in real life.
November 1st: scared as f***. It’s the unknown again, that is the most scary. (11am)
Angry as hell. But powerless. A great combo; being powerlessly angry. (2pm)
Do you remember that one Tuesday on living 5am.s for a week -post? In where I almost ruined the 5am week for getting shocking (x 5) news. Well, right at the start of November nevertheless! I had a meeting with the person who handles this, the one who sues me and one other person to court. Yep check ✔
Mind you now, that was just the 1st, it’s going to get a lot worse from there on.
~Elon Musk – failure: “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”~
November 2nd. A call – scareness level: 80%. It’s quite fine 1min in.
☆Chakra most affected for self esteem: ROOT
Chakras (or energy centers) are a crucial part of yoga, ayurveda and other old medical fields. Plus the future Bookshelf book: Dr. Joe Dispenza – he calls them more like energy centers.
Google: ‘Which chakra is blocked by stress and panic attacks?
The root chakra is connected to the adrenal medulla, the inner part of the adrenal gland that’s involved in the fight-or-flight response. “Feeling unsafe and in fear for your life… will shut down the root chakra, blocking any movement of energy from the root chakra through the body.’
Noah is afraid of things like any kid is. Last summer he hung on to me for dear life for number of reasons: from scary sounds of working trucks far away to being deadly afraid of a gas station. All the noise of it; people, cars, motorcycles etc.
It’s quite energy draining to carry a child all the while confirming them. Even though things are scary, that’s how you know which direction to go. Back to safety or to the fear? (To the fear!) For the gas station part, we went to it, but quite soon focused his interest on trucks and busses. That did the trick!
There was a pothole on the ground, which his grandpa was telling him not to drive (a little moped) into. It got filled. So it’s now a steady ground. That doesn’t matter to Noah, every time he purpously stops at the filled pothole. And I thought, that.. that thought process is exactly right, if a downhill suddenly occurs then better to stop there and learn.
I’ve couple of friends who I admire (along with the rest) for their courage. One moved all across the globe while didn’t know anybody, and has built a life there. Other is just letting the work take the lead, without a family of their own. Both cases show an absolute strength and willpower.
November 9th: women we are more run by hormones than men are. So 9th is one of those “should be napping my ass off” -days for me. 100%.
To actually leave my cocoon by 8am, knowing that today’s going to be 120% on the go, is a no no. And felt kind of victorious in the late evening when got back to my cocoon again, tired af + wiped.
From that day I’m still cooperating from. It was exactly heaven and hell. Or hell and heaven, because the hell part was first. And I thought thank the lord for having bad news first and then the good news!
After this I couldn’t even remember the 1st day and the law-stuff. Now, I’m trying to explain this as non-medically as I can. In DNA there’s one protein, that can tell pretty much your future. Your future illnesses etc. I went to see that doctor who specialises in genes.
Wow okay, struck down..! Understanding a bit how the DNA molecule works. The doctor said that some people doesn’t even want to know this stuff, but hey of course it is I, Jojo. So they’ll take it, normally from a blood sample, and send it to Germany. In there is a lab that specialises in these DNA bits. Yeah, that was kind of shocking. It was the hell part.
Stuck in a comfortable and safe day-to-day? You wake up at 9ish. Have the same breakfast as always. Go to work. Be bored at work: drink a lot of coffee there to stay awake. Drive back home in the oh-so-familiar-and-so-seen environment. Get a snack or have dinner. And stare aimlessly at the tv, until it’s time to go to sleep at 1am ready to start this cycle all over again. Just waiting it to be Friday already, so the weekend would come.
Wow, even writing most people’s mundane week is exhausting. Sorry to say, but it won’t stop being true!
We people are slaves to our ways; that’s what I’ve heard. All. Of. Us. Without familiarity you wouldn’t know where to stay a night or what to eat. That kind of life actually sounds.. exciting and is chosen, more or less.
Why don’t you try waking up an hour earlier? Have an out-of-the-box breakfast than usually, and snacks, and dinners etc. If your workplace is close, try walking or biking there. If a car-ride away, then rather than driving a polluting car solo, opt for a car-pool or public transportation.
You know, though, that watching the tv is sort of a distraction from life, right? So, rather than having to get distracted, think what you could use that time for? Regard your time precious. This is where the concept of energy comes out to play: think your time as a free energy.
GEM 