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15 Words That Express Feelings You Can’t Explain

February 10, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Have you ever tried to explain your emotion but realized the right word didn’t exist? I think we’ve all been there at some point, and we all know how frustrating it feels to describe something without proper words. With over one million words in the English language, you would think that explaining our emotions would come easily, but surprisingly, words describing emotions are few and far between in our dictionary.

Because of this lack of adequate vocabulary, John Koenig created The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows in 2009, where he posts words he invented so that we no longer have to fumble for words to describe our emotions.

Here are 15 words that can express feelings you can’t explain:

1. occhiolism

n. the awareness of the smallness of your perspective, by which you couldn’t possibly draw any meaningful conclusions at all, about the world or the past or the complexities of culture, because although your life is an epic and unrepeatable anecdote, it still only has a sample size of one, and may end up being the control for a much wilder experiment happening in the next room.

2. lachesism

n. the desire to be struck by disaster—to survive a plane crash, to lose everything in a fire, to plunge over a waterfall—which would put a kink in the smooth arc of your life, and forge it into something hardened and flexible and sharp, not just a stiff prefabricated beam that barely covers the gap between one end of your life and the other.

3. exulansis

n. the tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it—whether through envy or pity or simple foreignness—which allows it to drift away from the rest of your life story, until the memory itself feels out of place, almost mythical, wandering restlessly in the fog, no longer even looking for a place to land.

4. onism

n. the frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at a time, which is like standing in front of the departures screen at an airport, flickering over with strange place names like other people’s passwords, each representing one more thing you’ll never get to see before you die—and all because, as the arrow on the map helpfully points out, you are here.

5. monachopsis

n. The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.

6. nodus tollens

n. the realization that the plot of your life doesn’t make sense to you anymore—that although you thought you were following the arc of the story, you keep finding yourself immersed in passages you don’t understand, that don’t even seem to belong in the same genre—which requires you to go back and reread the chapters you had originally skimmed to get to the good parts, only to learn that all along you were supposed to choose your own adventure.

7. liberosis

n. the desire to care less about things—to loosen your grip on your life, to stop glancing behind you every few steps, afraid that someone will snatch it from you before you reach the end zone—rather to hold your life loosely and playfully, like a volleyball, keeping it in the air, with only quick fleeting interventions, bouncing freely in the hands of trusted friends, always in play.

8. vemödalen

n. the frustration of photographing something amazing when thousands of identical photos already exist—the same sunset, the same waterfall, the same curve of a hip, the same closeup of an eye—which can turn a unique subject into something hollow and pulpy and cheap, like a mass-produced piece of furniture you happen to have assembled yourself.

9. kenopsia

n. The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet.

10. sonder

n. The realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own

11. chrysalism

n. The amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm.

12. kuebiko

n. A state of exhuastion inspired by acts of senseless violence.

13. opia

n. The ambiguous intensity of Looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable.

14. pâro

n. the feeling that no matter what you do is always somehow wrong—that any attempt to make your way comfortably through the world will only end up crossing some invisible taboo—as if there’s some obvious way forward that everybody else can see but you, each of them leaning back in their chair and calling out helpfully, colder, colder, colder.

15. adronitis

n. Frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone.

Are You Messy? Here’s Why It Might Mean You’re A Genius

February 10, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Not an inch of Einstein’s desk is free of paper. Books, manuscripts, magazines, and envelopes are everywhere. The same goes for shelves. One shelf holds neatly arrayed journals, but everywhere are messy piles and piles of paper. – Andrew Tate

This is what Andrew Tate – a creativity and psychology writer – had to say about the snapshot taken of Einstein’s desk after he had died. This famed picture by Time’s photographer Ralph Morse of the world’s greatest mind (Seriously, Google it!) encapsulated Einstein’s approach to his work – scattered, messy, unorganized.

Cue Einstein: “If a cluttered desk if a sign of a cluttered mind, then what are we to think of an empty desk?” Einstein, and any of the world’s creative geniuses of both past and present were unapologetically messy. Nobody would doubt Mark Twain’s creative genius, regardless of how “disorganized” his office may appear, and it is most certainly disorganized. Some of Silicon Valley’s brightest minds insist that clutter breeds creativity, as do countless artists, writers, and other folks with a mean creative streak. But is there anything to the notion that a messy workplace sparks creative juices? Indeed, there are.

Are You A Messy Person? Here’s Why It Might Mean You’re A Creative Genius

Consider this study by psychologist Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota. In her study, Vohs’ researchers meticulously organized one room of their laboratory and completely messed up the other. Research subjects were then given the creative task of thinking up the possible uses of a ping pong ball within a certain timeframe.

While they both constructed roughly the same number of possibilities, folks in the messy room were “far more creative.”

Here is Vohs’ conclusion:

Therefore the people surrounded by tidiness were choosing convention, whereas the people surrounded by messiness were choosing novelty.

With perhaps a bit of skepticism, researchers at Northwestern conducted the exact same test. Here is their conclusion:

They found people in messy rooms drew more creativity and were quicker at solving creative problems.

Why is this?

Piggybacking off of Northwestern University’s study, it all comes down to “irrelevant” sensory information and allowing the individual to focus more on the task at hand. More specifically, that creative talent has a strong association with the reduced ability to filter this information and allow for more unconventional thinking processes.

In other words, conventional thinking is perhaps best achieved with a tidy approach. But unconventional (read: creative) processes originate from a sense of disorder, uninhibited by the socially-acceptable traits of organization and meticulousness.

Creative people have the very rare ability to produce something out of a mess of ideas. Thomas Edison, undoubtedly one of history’s greatest creative minds once said:

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”

For those of us with a creative streak, this quote by Edison is certainly relatable. Creative geniuses are not only prone to sense of disorder… they feast off of it.

The world around us seems to be an organized, structured entity that invites a minimalist approach – something that is not very conducive to dreaming or novelty. Not to mention, it’s flat-out unexciting.

A creative person has an innate need for a degree of chaos, as the world would simply bore them if deprived of such. In terms of work, this need shifts the brain into creative mode and invites a seemingly endless flow of abstract thoughts.

The creative among us will ignore a desk scattered with papers and coffee cups in order to focus on what’s truly important – creation. Simply put: it doesn’t matter how disorganized their surroundings may be. They’re too busy focusing on the next novel, painting, sculpture, or music piece. Now, as it turns out, there may just be a pretty darn good reason.

Our workspaces are a reflection of who we are as individuals. Walk into any corporate office, and odds are that everything is tidy, organized and unobstructed. Ask any talented artist what they think about the traditional workplace, and there’s bound to be some semblance of disapproval, dissatisfaction and (assuredly) boredom.

Who wants to live in a world that is all business? It’s monotonous, uninspiring and completely dull. Creative people wear their “unorthodox” label with pride, as they should. Artists are a rare breed in a world that values structure and order above anything else. We need individuality and a flare for the artistic, which our fellow artists provide.

Final Thoughts on Messy People

If there’s a takeaway, it’s this: don’t be hampered by expectations to conform. If you’re a creative person working in the corporate culture, refuse any attempt to detract you from your creative work. Find the environment that you work best in and maintain that environment.

For the rest of us, it may just be worth it to “forget” cleaning the workspace for a while. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness?” BAH

Do You See Repeating Numbers? Here’s The Meaning Behind Them…

February 9, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Have you ever looked at a clock, sign, or radio and seen repeating numbers? While this might seem like a silly coincidence at first, repeating numbers and number sequences can provide powerful insight into how our lives will unfold. Our angels, spirit guides, and higher selves like to speak to us through simple methods that we can easily notice and understand. Here on Earth, communication already can seem challenging, but when it comes to talking with people or spirits in another dimension, that delves into a whole new level of difficulty.

Because our higher selves and spirit guides operate on a totally different dimension, they must speak to us through their own mediums. They use numbers, songs on the radio, dreams, and other methods to send us messages; however, repeating numbers seems to be their favorite way to communicate.

Don’t just dismiss repeating numbers and number sequences when you notice them – they actually have incredible meaning behind them, which we’ll explain below.

Do you see repeating numbers? Here’s the meaning behind them…

Different sequences of numbers have different meanings – for example, seeing 11:11 means that you have become in tune with your soul, and are following the right path. You are in a wonderful space to manifest your wildest dreams and have a great connection between yourself and the universe. If you’d like to read more about the meaning behind 11:11, you can do so here.

Seeing 1’s

Noticing ones essentially means you have gotten in touch with your soul purpose, and know exactly what you want out of this life.

Seeing 2’s

Seeing twos means that you should continue on your path, regardless of what others may think. Don’t fear being ridiculed for allowing your true self to shine through. Whatever you feel has been holding you back, just let go and let flow. Believe in yourself, and stand up for what you feel even if you must walk the path alone.

Seeing 3’s

Noticing threes means that your spirit guides have been summoned to help you along your path, and that you are always protected. Don’t live in fear, but rather, embrace the fact that you have been blessed by the divine light and energy of your angels. They will not let you fall into a bad situation or allow anything negative to happen to you.

Seeing 4’s

If you see 4’s repeating, you will begin to attract abundance in all aspects of life. If you have been struggling financially, spiritually, emotionally, or in any other manner, you will start to see your life transform dramatically. You have tapped into the energy of the universe, and will begin to see positive changes in many parts of your life.

Seeing 5’s

Seeing fivesmeans that your life will begin to move forward in a positive direction. So, if you’ve been feeling stagnant, lost, or afraid lately, don’t let these worries take over. Keep following your heart, and everything will fall into place perfectly. It might seem like things have taken a while to manifest for you, but never fear – big changes are just around the corner for you.

Seeing 6’s

Seeing sixes means that you need to spend more time going within and slowing down. Though repeating 6’s have a negative connotation, looking deeper into the message reveals that you just need to take more time out for you. You might have recurring negative thoughts or notice that your life seems to keep spiraling downwards, so this points clearly to a need for relaxation and rebalancing. If you look after your own energy, you will start to see that better energy will come back to you.

Seeing 7’s

Repeating 7’s means that the doors are wide open for you to continue learning and growing. You will keep evolving into a more conscious being, and learn even better ways of living that will encourage and motivate others to replicate.

Seeing 8’s

Seeing eights is very rare, but it means you have tapped into a very deep, hidden realm of the universe that many people never venture to. Repeating 8’s have a very healing, shamanic energy, so if you see them, don’t take it lightly. You might be on your way to discovering profound truths about how the universe works.

Seeing 9’s

Nines signify a closing of one chapter and the opening of another. Maybe you have a relationship or job that you feel no longer serves you, so now would be the time to let it go and continue walking your unique path. Repeating 9’s have been called a “master number,” because you will learn important lessons on your soul journey that will accelerate your growth as a spiritual being.

5 Ways Creative People Recharge

February 9, 2016 by Power of Positivity

When creative people try to explain creativity, it’s hard to depict its strange nature in that there is no rhyme or reason to it. Anybody that makes a career or hobby out of creating has encountered the ole’ “Creative Block,” a time when the creative juices just don’t seem to be reaching the brain. Creative Block (yes, it’s capitalized for emphasis) is frustrating, time-consuming, and – perhaps worst of all – inevitable.

Countless artists use many self-prescribed methods of relieving Creative Block; some isolate themselves, some imbibe alcohol, some daydream, some sleep it off, etc.

You can overcome a creative block by finding a good recharging ritual that works for each person.

CBS (Creative Block Syndrome, not a real medical condition) resists many attempts at treatment, as there is no universal cure. However, below are a few prescriptions (non-substance, of course) that many-an-artist have found useful.

Here are five ways creative people recharge:

1. Turn off the television

Mind-wandering is a catalyst to great creative thinking, but mind-numbness is not. Engaging in some mindless activities, such as watching television, inhibits creative thought. Although some television shows may be inspirational and well-meaning, studies demonstrate that the vast majority of television programs actually lower different types of intelligence.

On the flip side, watching or reading material that challenges our intellect and promotes creativity can be beneficial. The challenge lies in actually finding television shows that prioritizes intelligence, creativity and other attributes that spark creative thought.

Interestingly, some monotonous activities (think most jobs) may be a great place to garner some creative thoughts. In a study published in the journal Psychological Science, some tedious tasks accomplish exactly that. The founder of genetics, Gregor Mendel, is said to have counted pea plants and honeybees in his quest to substantiate his theories.

2. Write by hand

Digitization has led to the near eradication of longhand and shorthand writing. Crafting our calendars, shopping lists, and even signatures have all become doable through technology. However, it turns out that writing something down gives a sense of permanence and concreteness that pecking away at a keyboard or touchscreen does not.

Our brainpower is also helped out when we write by hand. Virginia Berninger, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, states that writing by hand stimulates the portion of the brain responsible for thinking and working memory – two important functions relative to creative thought.

Lee Rourke, an award-winning author, puts it this way: “The constant tap-tap-tap-tap on the keyboard reminds me of all the offices I’ve worked in. The sound bores into me, it fills me with an anxiety I could do without. I feel like I’m signing off invoices rather than writing my next novel.”

Writers (including this one), take note.

3. Watch something funny

To be clear, this is not a reason to watch the hilarious and dopey antics of those on reality TV. Instead, watching something short and funny may provide the mood boost someone needs to break their creative slump. The simple reason: solid creative thinking is best achieved in a positive frame of mind. While feelings relating to anxiety may help with focus, feelings of humor, especially the act of laughing, help stimulate creativity.

Mark Beeman, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University, conducted a research study that linked a part of the brain – the anterior cingulate cortex – with mood-boosting activity. The anterior cingulate cortex is responsible for emotion, empathy and decision-making – a part of the brain that may help develop connections that lead to a spark in creative insight.

4. Take a shower

Few activities relax the mind and body as effectively as a hot shower. People with creative talent will almost universally state that they work best when the mind and body are free of tension. Additionally, a shower is also a relatively mindless task, which liberates the mind to wander into creative territory.

Multiple studies have also been published linking other activities to creative thought. Creative sparks may fly on a routine commute; when on a fishing trip, or simply resting in solitude.

Researchers assigned people to one of three groups in one study and issued a specific task. The first group was given a demanding task during a rest period; the second group received a simple task and was encouraged to mind-wander, while the third group was not given any task. Afterward, the three groups were given a series of creative problems to solve. The group that was allowed to mind-wander solved the creative problems faster than the other two groups.

5. Get some sleep

Of all the creative hacks available, the simple act of sleeping is perhaps the most valuable. During this period, the brain is essentially reorganizing and retooling for the tasks that lie ahead, the process is consolidation. It activates the brain’s neural networks responsible in forming new connections and associations.

While sleep is valuable to the creative process, it is more so when we’re close to having an answer to a problem. Waiting a day and utilizing the brain’s automatic consolidation process enhances the probability that these elusive answers will surface.

As with any creative solution, taking advantage of sleep works best when applied intelligently. Benjamin Franklin may have said it best: “Early to bed early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

Rumor has it that Ben was quite creative, as well.

6 Ancient Remedies That Can Heal Your Mind and Body

February 9, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Our bodies and minds must work together harmoniously to achieve optimal health. Fortunately, many ancient remedies can work to rebalance your energy and pH levels so that you can feel your best.

Here’s an example. Did you know that many health problems come from high acidity levels within the body? Acidity causes inflammation, which therefore causes cortisol levels to rise, resulting in many diseases and illnesses. If you want better health, alkalizing your body as much as possible is essential, which can be done with the following natural remedies.

These Six Ancient Remedies Have Unique Healing Properties for the Body and Mind

Here are six remedies that can heal your body and mind:

1. Adding cardamom powder to your coffee

Even though our world runs on coffee, it falls on the acidic side of the pH scale, which can damage our bodies if we drink too much. Add a half teaspoon of cardamom powder for every 12-ounce cup you brew to negate these harmful effects. If you’d like to alkalize your body further, drink plenty of water if you drink coffee in the mornings; this will help keep acidity down and hydrated.

2. Eat alkaline foods

As mentioned above, eating a reasonably alkaline diet will work wonders for your mind, body, and soul. Our body’s pH level is between 7.30 and 7.45, so eating foods that match this level will make us feel our best. Foods such as raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and starches are the optimal foods for the human body. Overeating meat, dairy, processed foods, refined sugar, and alcohol can throw your body’s pH level off, opening the body up to disease.

Also, drinking water at the correct pH level is essential – drink non-fluoridated, ionized water if possible.

3. Oil pulling (one of the most revered ancient remedies)

Oil pulling offers many benefits, including protecting against gingivitis, plaque, and microorganisms that cause bad breath. This Ayurvedic practice dates back 3,000 years, one of the most ancient remedies. It involves swishing around one tablespoon of coconut, sesame, or sunflower oil in your mouth for 20 minutes, then spitting it out. The enzymes from the oil will help pull out toxins and acidity from the body, reducing inflammation in the process. You will also notice whiter teeth, clearer skin and eyes, and stronger gums. Besides that, your energy levels will notably increase.

4. Use delicious turmeric in your cooking.

Ancient cultures have used turmeric for various things, including arthritis, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhea, gas, bloating, headaches, bronchitis, depression, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and much more. This powerful herb should become a part of your daily nutrition regimen if it isn’t already; you can either add it to your cooking, put some in your tea before bed, or add it to your baking. One teaspoon of turmeric per day should do the trick.

5. Practice positive thinking.

As you probably already know, negative thoughts are the body and mind’s worst enemies. Practically all disease begins within the mind, so training our brain to weigh the positives instead of focusing on the negatives is vital to our health. It might take some time, but don’t give up on reprogramming your brain. You might slip up a few times and fall back into negative patterns, but this is expected. Instead of beating yourself up, take a few breaths, relax, and forgive yourself. Deep breathing, meditation, and positive affirmations can turn your life around if you incorporate them into your overall lifestyle. If you’d like to read more about what negative thoughts do to your brain, you can do so here.

6. Ancient remedies include today’s hot trend–essential oils.

Various essential oils are available, all with different healing properties. Some of the most common is lavender, which can help with stress and anxiety, and peppermint, which can help you feel refreshed and alert. And chamomile also relieves anxiety and stress. However, there are many more to choose from, depending on your particular problem; you can learn more about essential oils here.

To use them, massage a drop or two on the area that seems to trouble you, or, for stress and anxiety, massage the drops into your temples. Add fifteen to twenty drops to a warm bath, use a diffuser, or even put a drop or two of ONLY pure oil into your tea.

Final Thoughts on Using Ancient Remedies to Heal Modern Day Health Issues

These solutions come from centuries of knowledge, particularly from the Asian and Native American traditions. It is essential to acknowledge the contribution of those ancient healers, while also understanding the value of the need for good health. Try one or two of these solutions, depending on your health needs. They are well worth a try and can help prevent further decline in your body.

5 Signs Your Eating Habits Are Making You Sick

February 8, 2016 by Power of Positivity

“Do you know that you make over 200 food choices…a day?! We eat largely because of what is around us. We overeat not because of hunger but because of family, packages and plates, names and number, colors and candles, shapes and smell, distractions and distances; the list is almost as endless as it is invisible.” – Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating.

The United States is the most obese country in the world. Nearly 33% of adults in America are classified as obese, a medical condition in which excess body fat can effectively impact health. Note that this is different than being overweight, which simply means weighing too much. Obesity can be detrimental to the health of those afflicted. Obesity is not the topic of this article. However, it is relevant in the sense that many of us engage in unhealthy eating habits that promotes obesity; not only obesity, but many other adverse health conditions.

The bottom line: nutritional habits are, perhaps, the most influential determinant to our overall health.

Negative dietary health outcomes can be attributed to two main things: poor eating habits and the proliferation of processed foods. While the latter may not be in our control, the former certainly is. First, it is necessary to recognize eating habits that are counterproductive to overall health.

Here are 5 signs your eating habits that are making you sick:

1. Your food portions are over the suggested serving sizes

The amount of food that is considered one ‘serving’ is far more in the U.S. and other developed countries than elsewhere in the world. Not to mention, we’re more likely to load our plates with the “good stuff” rather than healthy vegetables, fruits, etc. If you’re eating more than a single suggested serving, you could be making yourself sick by overburdening your body with food. Think of your body’s metabolism as an incinerator – not enough food the fire goes out – too much food and the fire gets smothered.

2. You’re eating when stressed

Oh, yes. What better way to release those pent-up feelings than with a double/triple/stacked/leaning inject-me-with-pasteurized-cheese-and-beef monstrosity of a burger? (This is a personal dietary preference of the writer…feel free to point out your own.) On a serious note, fast food is a go-to for many stressed-out office-goers. Stressed folks have a higher likelihood of indulging on unhealthy fare.

3. You’re eating processed meats

Many processed meats – hot dogs, bacon, sausage, deli meats, etc. – contain both an unhealthy blend of nitrates and an unnecessary amount of sodium. Nitrates are a preservative that undermines the body’s ability to process sugar, which throws blood-sugar levels out of whack. Excess sodium contributes to hypertension, or high blood pressure. It can also contribute to heart disease.

4. You’re drinking too much coffee

Okay, bear with us a second. Please don’t navigate to another webpage. Many of us love coffee, or at least make it a priority to get a cup on the morning. Nobody’s saying to forgo that morning cup or two. However, excess coffee intake means excess caffeine intake – this means increased fat storage and other undesirable health effects.

5. You’re not getting enough sodium

Ignoring sodium intake in our food is a bad idea. It is necessary to regulate sodium intake to ward off obesity, high blood pressure and numerous other health issues. A shocking statistic: the average American consumes about 50% more than the recommended daily amount of salt.

Okay, this is all well and good but what are we supposed to do?

Healthy eating can be difficult in a society that produces disproportionate amounts of unwholesome food. The solution is this: to be mindful of what we put into our bodies. Mindful eating can be an effective measure against innate tendencies to indulge in unhealthy eating habits.

To eat mindfully simply means to engage in eating habits with the intent to care for ourselves. More specifically, that we eat with attention; attention necessary to notice and enjoy our food while understanding its effect on our bodies.

We can practice mindful eating by asking ourselves six simple questions:

Why?

Why do I choose to eat this particular food? Why am I eating now?

When?

When do I think about eating? When am I more prone to eating unhealthy food?

Where?

Where do I intend this food to go? Does this food serve my energy and health or some other need or want?

What?

What do I choose to eat? What are the healthiest choices considering the options?

How?

How do I eat? How do I choose the foods necessary to serve a healthy function?

How much?

How much food do I need to eat? Are my portions conducive to healthy eating habits?

Mindful eating is quickly becoming a trend among those who strive to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Understanding the myriad of ways that nutrition affects our overall health is a great first step, as we’re more prone to make mindful, healthy decisions when educated about nutrition and its impact on our everyday lives.

In making the simple decision to make mindful nutritional choices, we effectively make the decision to live with intent and well-being.

Here’s Why You Should Drink Warm Salt Water Every Morning

February 8, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Drinking warm salt water every morning might sound strange. However, the benefits are abundant.

Too much salt can harm your body, leading to strokes, fluid retention, osteoporosis, and stomach cancer. These problems come from studies of people who use too much over-processed and refined salt stripped of its beneficial properties.

Too little salt can also cause health problems for us as well. Too little salt can cause “spasms, irregular heart rhythms, sudden death and even increase the risk of heart attack in hypertensive patients.” The average American consumes about two to three teaspoons of salt per day. That amount is almost double the FDA’s recommended daily amount.

In a study of the effects of water lost by workers in hot conditions, researchers found that “in order to obtain the best performance, water must be given in amounts equal to the volume of sweat lost.” Being thirsty did not occur until water loss from sweating had been too much for immediate replacement of fluids lost.

When workers replenished their fluids after a day’s work, it was not enough to compensate for the sweat loss. “The amount of water drunk in the day, during the period of working and sweating, is usually about two-thirds of the amount of sweat lost.”

Researchers said the remaining fluids lost could be made up in food intake.

The Benefits of Salt

Salt has gotten a bad rap, but as we know from our article on the great things that happen from eating Himalayan salt, natural, unrefined, raw Earth salt provides so many essential health benefits.

Unrefined sea salt has more than 80 rare trace minerals, which gives us our daily intake requirement of these elements when we consume the salt.

Drinking warm salt water also helps our hydration process. We can better absorb and use the water we drink with slight saltiness. The salt in the water stimulates our salivary glands to produce saliva, which will also aid our digestion of food later in the morning.

Here’s Why You Should Drink Warm Salt Water Every Morning

The Sole warm salt water drink trend

Sole (pronounced so-lay, like Ol‚) is a warm saltwater drink you can make at home for your morning beverage. Make this saltwater drink by saturating water with salt to create a highly concentrated but dissolved saltwater mixture.

You do not drink saturated salt water. But you can use pre-dissolved saltwater mixtures in a glass of water rather than following the recipe below. Please consult your medical practitioner before drinking warm salt water or sole in the morning, as some health concerns, like hypertension, might worsen by drinking it.

Keep metal utensils, bowls, and jar lids out of making sole, because they can affect the ionization of the salt water, which s part of its benefit. You can use Himalayan salt, Celtic salt, real salt, or sea salt for this as long as it is not refined.

Place one or two cups of salt in a mason jar with a plastic (not metal!) lid and fill it with water. Replace the lid and shake for a minute. Leave the jar on the counter overnight. Most of the salt will dissolve into the water. In the morning, if the salt water mixture still has salt at the bottom of the jar, the water has absorbed as much salt as it can take.

Warm some good quality drinking water and add one teaspoon of the sole water to your drinking water. The recommended ratio is one teaspoon per 16 oz of water. Do not exceed this amount unless directed by a yogic master or physician that it is safe.

Yogic practice of morning cleanse with warm salt water drink

Please consult with your medical practitioner before drinking warm salt water. Ensure you have access to a restroom before drinking this recipe since it will likely bring on a bowel movement.

Many have heard of the practice of cleansing. In yoga, regular advanced practitioners use Shankhaprakshalana (also known as shuddhi kriyas). This process clears the intestinal tract by removing digestive impurities with salty water.

Warm salt water recipe:

16 oz of still-warm water, heated to your preference, as you would for hot tea.
One teaspoon of salt
juice of half of one lemon

Start drinking warm salt water early, between 6:00 and 7:00 am. Drink one 16oz glass of warm salt water quickly. In a study of this yogic cleansing process, warm salt water was found to help remove infective secretions.

Yoga therapist Ananda Seva also writes in a review of how obesity is helped by yoga that the drinking of warm salt water ‘Will relieve a clogged up and devitalized digestive system, overtaxed bowels, [and] depleted liver and pancreas. As a result, long-forgotten mental and physical lightness; increased vital energy, and clarity of mind are again experienced.’

5 Real People With “Unexplainable Superpowers”

February 7, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Science can explain a lot of things. The scientific method has been the catalyst to some of our world’s most breakthrough discoveries. Yet, there remain facets of our existence that even the most brilliant scientific minds can’t manage to posit a reasonable explanation.

We’re not talking about space, time or some other uber-complex scientific contemplation. We’re discussing human beings; specifically, human beings that have superhuman capabilities. Traditional geniuses are often fixated upon because of their tremendous and extremely rare intellectual gifts, but they’re not the only ones that display remarkable abilities. Genius manifests itself in a number ways – some of them quite beautiful.

One common trait that is seen among anyone with extremely rare talent is their incredible ability to use their mind. The phrase “Mind over matter” is one commonly iterated between people that seek greatness. For those on this list it’s an innate trait – one that is self-evident when witnessing the abilities of a truly paranormal human being.

Here are 5 people with unexplainable superpowers:

1. Uri Geller: Psychokinesis

Psychokinesis is the ability to manipulate objects with absolutely no physical intervention. Uri Geller, an Israeli Psychic, is well-known for his ability to bend spoons, move items and reveal details of unseen objects.

During a demonstration given at the U.S. Capitol building, Geller showed his ability to bend a spoon upward with absolutely no force applied. Remarkably, after Geller set the spoon down and continued his speech, the spoon continues to bend.

Despite of Geller’s astonishing demonstration, physicists and other scientists – even the military – have continually noted that kinesis is a reality. Military leaders even conducted an experiment where invitees were given step-by-step instructions on how to manipulate objects using the mind.

According to various sources, the test subjects were often able to contort metal without physical interference or manipulation. The late Jack Houck, once one of the world’s most well-known engineers and physicists, even published a paper detailing the positive results.

2. Isao Machii: Superhuman Reflexes

Isao Machii is a Japanese laido master – an expert at drawing and utilizing a traditional samurai sword. Most Japanese are quite reserved and extremely private, so not much is known about Machii other than his supernatural abilities with a sword.

However, Machii holds a number of Guinness World Records for his sword skills…and they’re impressive. Some worthy mentions among Machii’s various records: most sword cuts in three minutes, most sword cuts in one minute and the fastest tennis ball to be cut by a sword (509 MPH/820 KPH).

Perhaps Machii’s most impressive feat came via television, where the sword master sliced a shot BB in half.

Here’s how the expert witness, Dr. Ramani Durvasula, explained Machii’s achievement: “This is about processing at an entirely different sensory level. He’s not visually processing this…this is a different level of anticipatory processing.”

3. Stephen Wiltshire: Photographic Memory

Stephen Wiltshire is not just any British architectural artist. Well, unless any architect can look at any structure – cities included – just one time before drawing a perfectly detailed replicate. But Wiltshire’s talent doesn’t even scratch the surface of a truly beautiful mind.

Wiltshire was a mute when he was young – a disorder that rendered the boy unable to speak. At the age of three, he was diagnosed as autistic. In the same year, his father tragically died of a motorcycle accident. Fortunately for the rest of the world, Wiltshire persevered and created some magnificent work in the process. The motorcycle accidents lawyer helps them make sure they get the right compensation, even paying for the hospital bill.

Wiltshire has the innate ability to look at any subject one time and draw a detailed and accurate picture. Most times, he is flown only once on a brief helicopter ride before putting his pen to paper. For example, his nineteen-foot-long drawing encompassing over 300 miles of New York City was the product of a 20-minute long helicopter trip.

His largest work – a 32.8 foot-long canvas of Tokyo – was completed in seven days…he needed only one helicopter ride to memorize and draw the vast metropolis.

4. Kevin Richardson: Animal Whisperer

Wiltshire isn’t the only superhuman with an ability that touches the heart. Kevin Richardson, a South African animal behaviorist, has the uncanny ability to communicate with a number of different animals.

Richardson also faced setbacks of his own, nearly deciding to call it quits in his zoology endeavors. After dropping out of his zoology program, Richardson studied and eventually became an exercise physiologist. At 23, Richardson began working with lion cubs – an experience that reignited his passion for animal work.

Nowadays, Richardson is most famously known for his work with big cats – lions, hyenas and leopards. He’s a famous face on many animal television networks and shows, often seen being leapt on by a massive lion.

Richardson attributes his superhuman abilities to a relationship built on love, respect and patience. He often disavows traditional rules and status-quo, instead choosing to rely on intuition and experience. “A lion is not a possession; it’s a sentient being, so you must pay attention and develop your bond like any relationship.”

5. Veronica Seider: Eagle-eye Vision

Seider, a German-born dentist, did not discover her superhuman vision until she was 21, when it was discovered by the university she was attending.

To truly understand Seider’s incredible eyesight, it’s necessary to compare it with the average human.

– Normal human eyes have a visual acuity of 20/20. Seider’s is 20/2.

– Normal human eyes can see detail from 20 feet away. Seider can see the same thing from over a mile – 5,280 feet.

In short, Veronica Seider’s vision is over 20 times more powerful than the normal human eye. Biologically-speaking, this should be impossible. However, Seider has continuously subjected herself to multiple tests in which she has verified her miraculous eyesight abilities.

Despite all of the fame and fortunate she could’ve accumulated by displaying her gift, Seider was intent on living a normal life outside of the spotlight, choosing instead to become a dentist in Germany…after setting a Guinness World Record, of course.

25 Mind Blowing Psychology Quotes From Carl Jung

February 7, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Carl Jung was a psychological genius who expanded on our understanding of the mind, and his writings contain some of the most thought-provoking ideas you’ve read recently. Jung expanded on the ideas of Sigmund Freud and developed his own psychological theories.

Carl Jung also pioneered the thought-provoking concept of the introvert and extrovert personality types, which you can read more about in our articles Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert? and 7 Life Changing Lessons to Learn From Introverts. Jung believed that dreams were a way for us to make up for missing parts of our personality.

Jung was the founder of the idea of a collective unconscious. The collective unconscious is a group-mind that we all share; something we are born with that contains humanity’s shared concepts, called archetypes. Archetypes are things like having parents, finding a mate, having children, and confronting death. Jung was also interested in the way we use myths to tell stories about these archetypes with a shared meaning.

According to Charles Cowgil of muskingum.edu,

“Jung wanted to investigate the similarity of symbols that are located in different religious, mythological, and magical systems which occur in many cultures and time periods. To account for these similar symbols occurring across different cultures and time periods he suggested the existence of two layers of the unconscious psyche. The first of the two layers was the personal unconscious. It contains what the individual has acquired in his or her life, but has been forgotten or repressed. The second layer is the collective unconscious which contains the memory traces common to all humankind. These experiences form archetypes.”

You can see some of Carl Jung’s thought-provoking ideas reflected in these 25 quotes.

25 Of The Most Thought-Provoking Carl Jung Quotes

1. There is no coming to consciousness without pain.

2. The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.

3. The word ‘happiness’ would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.

4. In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.

5. The healthy man does not torture others – generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers.

6. A man who has not passed through the inferno of his passions has never overcome them.

7. It is a fact that cannot be denied: the wickedness of others becomes our own wickedness because it kindles something evil in our own hearts.

8. Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.

9. Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering.

10. It all depends on how we look at things, and not how they are in themselves.

11. Mistakes are, after all, the foundations of truth, and if a man does not know what a thing is, it is at least an increase in knowledge if he knows what it is not.

12. The collective unconscious consists of the sum of the instincts and their correlates, the archetypes. Just as everybody possesses instincts, so he also possesses a stock of archetypal images.

13. Dreams are the guiding words of the soul. Why should I henceforth not love my dreams and not make their riddling images into objects of my daily consideration?

14. The greatest and most important problems of life are all fundamentally insoluble. They can never be solved but only outgrown.

15. Shrinking away from death is something unhealthy and abnormal which robs the second half of life of its purpose.

16. For a young person, it is almost a sin, or at least a danger, to be too preoccupied with himself; but for the ageing person, it is a duty and a necessity to devote serious attention to himself

17. Understanding does not cure evil, but it is a definite help, inasmuch as one can cope with a comprehensible darkness.

18. Our heart glows, and secret unrest gnaws at the root of our being. Dealing with the unconscious has become a question of life for us.

19. All the works of man have their origin in creative fantasy. What right have we then to depreciate imagination.

20. Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.

21. Everyone knows nowadays that people ‘have complexes’. What is not so well known, though far more important theoretically, is that complexes can have us.

22. Man’s task is to become conscious of the contents that press upward from the unconscious.

23. Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you.

24. Who has fully realized that history is not contained in thick books but lives in our very blood?

25. If one does not understand a person, one tends to regard him as a fool.

Weekly tips, affirmations, and small actions to feel your best.

3. exulansis

4. onism

5. monachopsis

6. nodus tollens

7. liberosis

8. vemödalen

9. kenopsia

10. sonder

11. chrysalism

12. kuebiko

13. opia

14. pâro

15. adronitis

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!