If you’re a smoker, and you’ve attempted to quit before you know it isn’t easy.  Luckily there are products on the market now that help curb cravings, and lessen the desire to smoke.  Does that mean they are the best way to stop smoking?  Not necessarily.

Here are a few of our top choices for smoking cessation.  But the absolute best way to stop smoking is the way that helps you stop.  Everyone is different, with different cravings, stress levels, life circumstances, and a different level of nicotine addiction, so what worked for you’re neighbor, friend or even brother may not help you to quit smoking.  Don’t get discouraged, if you want to quit stick with it until you find you’re best way to stop smoking. Remember there is no magic way to be suddenly smoke free!  Take a look at some of these smoking facts and you might just decide to quit on your own.

Acupuncture: A few strategically placed needles, a couple mustard seeds taped to acupressure points in the ear.  Acupuncture helps to calm the nicotine addiction, and stimulate the body to detoxify.  Treatment over several weeks may be necessary.  This remedy may not be covered by your insurance company but it is worth every penny.

Hypnosis: Many people find that hypnosis and hypnotic suggestion eases the withdrawal associated with stopping smoking.  It will also require multiple sessions, which are probably not covered by insurance, but it has a very high effective rate.

Medications: Doctor prescribed medications such as Chantix® aid smoking cessation by shutting down the nicotine receptors in the brain.  It is used in conjunction with behavior modification and counseling support for optimal benefit. Even though that sounds like the way to go, and may very well be covered by your insurance company, it too has its drawbacks.  Like all drugs there is a risk of side effects mild to severe.

Nicotine replacement therapies: Including patches, lozenges, gum and inhaler.  Most are available now, without prescription.  Used responsibly, and according to package or physician instructions, may help to alleviate nicotine cravings, and minimize withdrawal symptoms.  But I have seen too many people using one or more of these products, and continuing to smoke thus increasing the nicotine in their systems.

Absolutely Necessary To Stop Smoking: A desire to stop smoking.  A personal commitment to stop smoking, for your health, for the health of your family.  A good support  system, with family and friends who want to see you kick the habit, and are willing to traverse the dark side of your personality while you are working toward your goal.  Will power, it will be difficult, it will suck big time, but seeing it through will be worth every ounce of will power you put into your smoking cessation program.  And last but not least, something to occupy your hands.  Many people think this is one of the most difficult parts of quitting, they just don’t know what to do with their hands now that they’ve stopped reaching for a cigarette.  Try keeping baby carrot sticks, or celery sticks or a pen or pencil close at hand to fiddle with when you want to pick up a cigarette.

Not so Much — Cold Turkey: Crumbling up the pack and tossing it in the trash is a radical move, and unless you’ve either just started smoking (thus having little nicotine addiction) or have the will power and self-control of Hercules, it probably won’t work.

Here’s to your new smoke free life.  Congratulations!

Postpartum Depression, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services affects approximately 13 percent of new mothers.  It is a serious illness, which requires medical and/or therapy.  Postpartum depression is caused by the normal hormonal changes that occur during and after pregnancy.  If you suspect that you or a loved one is suffering from postpartum depression please speak with your Doctor.

Women frequently experience Baby Blues or Postpartum Blues which are normal mood changes due to the body’s hormone changes and the lifestyle changes that occur with the birth of a child. The symptoms are similar to postpartum depression but, the symptoms resolve on their own in a short amount of time without the need for treatment.

Postpartum depression symptoms include:

• Feelings of anxiety, fatigue, agitation, irritability, guilt and worthlessness
• Negative feeling toward the baby
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Mood changes
• Restlessness
• Crying a lot
• Lack of energy or motivation
• Change in eating patterns, eating too little or too much
• Change in sleep patterns, sleeping too little or too much
• Memory problems, including trouble focusing on tasks, and decision making
• Loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Physical aches and pains, head aches, muscle and joint aches, persistent stomach problems

Postpartum depression can last up to 1 year after child birth, but usually symptoms begin to appear within four weeks of birth.  Hypothyroidism can also cause similar symptoms, and it is recommended that women experiencing these symptoms have a blood test to check for low thyroid hormones.

Some health factors may cause and increased incidence in Postpartum Depression, they are; personal or family history of depression, age (young age when pregnant), lack of support from family and friends, anxious or negative feelings about the pregnancy/baby, money and/or marriage problems, previous pregnancy problems,  substance abuse, and highly stressful life events.

Postpartum psychosis is rare about 1 to 4 women out of every 1,000 births will be affected.  It most often occurs within two weeks of birth, and requires immediate medical attention and often hospitalization.  The symptoms include; trying to harm yourself or your infant, seeing things that aren’t there, rapid mood swings, confusion.  Women with a mental health condition known as schizoaffective disorder have a higher risk of postpartum psychosis.

Let me get this off my chest first – there is nothing NEW about meditation, it is not new age, it isn’t even a byproduct of the 1960’s.  New age meditation is meditation, the same meditation that has been practiced by the wise-men and wise-women, by the learned, by the pious and the devout.  By Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, by heads of state, presidents and kings, housewives and CEO’s of major corporations.  It knows no religious bounds, and no cultural or ethnic constraints.

Meditation is a way for you to quiet your mind, to clear out the clutter of day to day life so that you can see (think) clearly.  It allows your body to rejuvenate, and relax.  You will feel refreshed and energized.  It relieves stress and eases the tension in your muscles and joints.  It allows you to calm and center your life even in the most stressful of situations.  It allows you to connect to the spark of the Devine that lies within all of us.  It allows you to access the Universal Mind, the Akashic Records of all Souls and assists in Astral Projection.  It is also a way to reach a safe haven in those who are abused, or have been traumatized.

With practice meditation is a great tool for bettering yourself and your life.  But it most certainly takes practice.  Most people won’t be able to clear their minds the first few times they try, and may even find that the moment they attempt to clear their mind it becomes filled with everything, even the most minute  details suddenly are screaming for attention.  But with practice, you will be able to relax and center, for a short period of time, a minute or two, then 5 and so on.  When you reach a meditative state for 10 to 15 minutes a day, you will begin to see noticeable changes in your stress levels, how you carry yourself, how you react to tension, anger and even happiness.  Meditating just 10 to 15 minutes a day can literally change the way you view life.

So what do you need to get started?  The answer is quite simply a quiet place in which to meditate, where you won’t be disturbed by people, pets or phones ringing.  But in order to fulfill all the New Age side of meditation there are some things that you may find you would like to have, such as:

Meditation CD’s – tranquil sounds of the ocean, rain, babbling brooks, the forest, Zen like music of flutes etc.

A running fountain – even a small table top fountain that is moving water can be soothing and assist you in relaxing in preparation for meditation.

Chimes or a small gong – tinkling wind chimes, a small gong being struck, or finger cymbals being rung are also ways to tell your mind that it is time to meditate.

Yoga mats, floor cushions – you may find that these will be more comfortable than the bare floor..

Work out clothing – though not essential, you will need something that is comfortable to wear, and that doesn’t bind you, or you could as many do meditate in the buff.

A timer – If you loose track of time, you may find it easiest to set a timer for 20 minutes, this will give you time to relax, and to meditate for 10 to 15 minutes, and if you happen to dose off (quite common at first) a timer will wake you up.  You might want to get one that doesn’t tick as some kitchen timers do, the ticking can be a distraction.

Getting started, once you’ve decided to meditate, and you’ve found your quite space, there are only a few steps to follow.

1. Turn off your cell phone and unplug or silence any land line phones.
2. Wear something comfortable.
3. Sit in a comfortable position, this can be on the floor, on a bed, in a chair… it doesn’t matter as long as you can sit comfortably for 15 to 20 minutes.  We’ve all seen pictures of people meditating seated in a yoga position called full lotus position (with their legs crossed foot on the opposite thigh, and their wrists resting on their knees and their thumb and second finger touching) if you can sit in lotus position, and are comfortable in that position go for it, but it is not necessary to sit that way.  One of the benefits in being seated in full lotus position is that it allows the Chi energy (the living energy in all things) to flow unrestricted through you from your tail bone at the base of your spine, up through your spine and out the top of your head or your crown chakra.  Sitting in a straight backed chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground, and your head erect will have the same benefit.  Slouched or curled into the corner of a sofa may restrict the flow of Chi, but it isn’t detrimental to meditating.
4. Relax, this may take a few minutes,  I like to start at my toes and work my way up my body, relaxing every part of me, and letting the stress melt away.
5. Close your eyes, and take a deep cleansing breath, breathe in through your nose then exhale fully through your mouth.  Picture each inhaled breath as bring clean fresh energy and living, health giving oxygen into your body.  Each exhaled breath carrying away stress and toxins.
6. Quiet your mind.  Up until now this has been a walk in the park, but trying to quiet your mind is like saying to a starving man don’t think about food — all he can think about then is food.  It may help to picture a blank wall or a blank canvas in your mind.  I find that if I am particularly stressed, picturing a cluttered wall filled with sticky notes, pictures, timetables, etc. and then I have everything on that wall melt away, dripping down, until all that’s left is a clean blank wall.

Grounding.  It is essential that after meditating you ground yourself.  Grounding is centering yourself back in the here and now.  Take deep breath and hold it for a moment before exhaling slowly, place your feet solidly on the floor (doing this barefoot is preferred), picture the Earth’s energy, flowing up through the rocks, dirt, through the floor and into you, bring it up and fill yourself with the Earth’s energy.  Eating  a light meal, and drinking a glass of water will help in the grounding.

With practice, the relaxing and quieting of your mind will become easier, meditating become natural to your mind and body.  If you continue to find it difficult to relax or to quiet your mind, guided meditation may be of benefit, you can find tapes or CD’s of guided meditations or find someone to guide you through meditation.