Your Happiness Factor

Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing); the alternative to that extra cup of coffee! Nadi Shodhana is a powerful breathing practice you can use to refresh or simply to settle your mind. Nadi is a Sanskrit word meaning 'channel' or 'flow' and shodhana means 'purification.' The technique is said to bring calm and balance. It can certainly help you feel more awake. It takes a lot less toll on your body than caffeine! Alternate nostril breathingis particularly helpful when you need to ease racing thoughts if you are experiencing anxiety or stress. You can use it whenever you need to focus or energize. Please don't use it just before bed time! There is a video below explaining the technique but here is a simple guide. Start by sitting in a comfortable upright position. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out through your nose. Hold your right thumb over your right nostril to close it and inhale deeply and slowly through your le

Healthy Living:The Benefits of Yoga Today's post is from contributor - Natasha Gelder. Natasha is a full time Literature student based in Leeds who is juggling the quests for higher education, money and rock hard abs. She believes exercising is a vital part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle and should not be seen as a chore. Over the last couple of months I have started experimenting with Yoga. I have been a fan of Pilates for a while now so I thought I would branch out and see what all the fuss was about. Many people dismiss yoga as an easy option and claim that it is not a ‘proper’ workout due to its lack of high intensity cardiovascular activity. Many people assume it is entirely made up of the meditation and breathing techniques that are part and parcel of Yoga. Although these techniques are a crucial part of the practice, there are many more elements involved. The large focus on breathing exercises may be deemed as ‘pointless’, but the techniques enable you to sy

How do we create emotional balance? Well, we all have the tools we need to cultivate emotional well-being.   But sometimes there is a gap between the insight we have into the need to change and actually making the change. In this video clinical psychologist, Bo Forbes, shares her research that yoga can help us narrow that gap. You can find out more at   www.BoForbes.com Wendy Mason is a career coach working mainly with professional women who want to make that jump to senior level while having a life outside work. Before working as a coach, Wendy had a long career in both the public and private sectors in general management and consultancy as well as spells in HR. She now divides her time between face to face coaching, and coaching and blogging on-line. You can contact Wendy at  wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com  and find out more at  http://wisewolfcoaching.com Email Wendy now at  wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com  for a  free half hour coaching session  by phone or Skype

Changing your breathing is one of the quickest and most effective was of changing how you feel. When you are feeling tense, a simple breathing technique can help you to relax and still meet the challenges a head.  Here is simple approach for your to try.