Can Dancing Heal ?

Dance give us plenty of room for self-expression and can be powerful in helping the body and mind to be stimulated. It's all about movement and music and you.

This is one thing everyone agrees about: Dance is beneficial. It's exercising without "feeling" like you're exercising, it increases cardiovascular and mental health, releasing endorphins while you turn, spin, and simply MOVE.

Unfortunately, in our "modernized" society, we have lost touch with its potential. In contrast, dance has always been an integral part of many other cultures. You don’t have to dance with an African tribe around a roaring fire to realize the healing benefits of dance; luckily, all you need is yourself.

The other great thing about dance is that it can be done either in the privacy of your own home, in dance classes as a recreational outlet, at a party with friends, or as you do any number of houshold tasks, fitting a little "swing" in your steps.

"Oh, I can't dance," you'll say. Can't, or won't? Dancing is simply moving, like wayward walking. It doesn't have to be funky-crazy or hip; you don't have to go with a style you don't feel comfortable with; and those of you with "dance inhibition" are free, nearly every day, to find time and a private place large enough to move around freely -- again, also knwn as dancing.

Choose music you feel comfortable with. Music preferences naturally vary from person to person -- and even from day to day -- so it just doesn't matter of you decide to dance to Prince, Mozart, Garth Brooks, or Billie Holiday. That's the first rule: Never put any kind of restrictions on yourself, thinking, "I like that music, but how do you dance to "Jingle Bells"?

When you are ready to begin, stand for a moment with your eyes closed. Feel the connection of your feet to the floor and just relax. If you feel completely at a loss for what to do, imagine your breath supplying your entire body with a golden fluid, making your body light and flexible.

Allow this to transition into any movements you wish, moving as the body dictates. Flow, float, stomp, jump up and down. Move fast or in slow motion. The key is to just allow the body to move, so don’t think too much -- just move. Don’t worry about how you look; if you're alone, no one can see you. If you're in a dance class, everyone else is laughing, making the same mistakes you are.

When you really get into it, after a while you'll definitely notice something: You're not worrying as much any more; you are sleeping better; you aren't as irritable at work or at home, with your family; and you feel surprisingly "healed" in some way.

In fact, the natural bodily healing and restoration can last from a couple of minutes to a several hours. People young and old, in all states of fitness, living in all kinds of bodies can benefit from dance. Those with injuries or physical challenges can bene fit as well as any "able-bodied" person; just listen to your body and work with its limitations. Dance can be used for healing major stresses as well as "everyday life," for it is often that these stresses build up, manifesting in extreme tension, anger, and even illness.

Remember, you're not forcing your body to move according to someone else’s steps; to truly dance is to just tune in to your own personal radio station, and move according to the rhythm of your soul. Dance slow, dance fast, dance solo, dance with others, dance with joy, even dance the sorrow out of your heart. There are no rules -- just DANCE!

Binge Drinking: A Sober Risk for Teenagers

Liquor stores, bars, and alcoholic beverage companies make drinking seem attractive and fun. It's easy for anyone to get caught up in a social scene with lots of peer pressure. Inevitably, one of the biggest areas of peer pressure, especially among teenagers is drinking.

Many people, especially the youth, don't normally think about the negative side of drinking. Although they think about the consequences of getting drunk, not too much attention is given to the possibility of being hung-over or throwing up. Some people do not know that excessive drinking can lead to loss of  concentration, memory lapses, mood changes, and other problems that could affect their day-to-day life. Even with all the public health warnings, there is still a significant portion of the population that would ignore the more serious and longer-lasting risks of alchohol abuse.

When it comes to heavy drinking, the phrase “binge drinking” comes to mind. The phrase was originally used to refer to heavy drinking that lasted for several days.  Nowadays, the meaning of “binge drinking” has drastically changed. To most people, binge drinking brings to mind self-destruction and unrestrained drinking bout lasting for at least a couple of days during which time the heavily intoxicated drinker drops out by not working, ignoring responsibilities, squandering money, and engaging in other harmful behaviors such as fighting or risky sex. Binge drinking is not only dangerous to the drinker, but to the people around him or her.


According to a recent study issued by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in New York, about half of U.S. college students binge drink. The report states that 49 percent of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 binge drink, consuming five or more drinks at a time. The percentage of students who drink remained about even with a similar 1993 report. The statistics show a steady increase in the number of students who engaged in binge drinking. But the proportion of students who binge drink frequently, defined as drinking three or more times over two weeks, rose by 16 percent from 1993 to 2005. Drinking 10 or more times per month rose 25 percent, and drinking three or more times per month rose 26 percent.

Binge drinking impairs judgment, so drinkers are more likely to take risks they might not take when they're sober. They may drive drunk, which then increases the risk of being involved in car accidents. Driving isn't the only motor skill that's impaired, though. Walking is also more difficult while intoxicated. In 2000, roughly one third of pedestrians 16 and older who were killed in traffic accidents were intoxicated. People who are drunk also take other risks they might not normally take when they're sober. For example, people who have impaired judgment may have unprotected sex, putting them at greater risk of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or unplanned pregnancy.

Studies also show that people who binge-drink throughout high school are more likely to be overweight and obese and have high blood pressure by the time they are 24. Just one regular beer contains about 150 calories, which adds up to a lot of calories if someone drinks four or five beers a night. Some studies have shown that people who binge-drink heavily like those who have three or more episodes of binge drinking in 2 weeks have some of the symptoms of alcoholism.

For teenagers, it can be hard for some of them to talk to adults about these issues, so an alternative person to talk to could be a trusted friend or older sibling. Drinking too much can be the result of social pressures, and sometimes it helps to know there are others who have gone through the same thing. A supportive friend or adult could help one to avoid pressure situations, stop drinking, or find counseling. There will always be someone who can help and put a halt on this dilemma.

Bad Breath Cause

Although you may want to consult your physician if you have a particular problem with bad breath, the following general advice will give you insight into the likeliest cause of a bad breath problem.

The principal bad breath cause is associated with bacteria in the mouth.  This can flourish when the saliva flow in the mouth is reduced.  Lack of saliva means that old food is not washed away, and saliva also helps in neutralizing acids.  Saliva also performs the very necessary task of flushing out the mouth, and removing food particles, so any reduction in saliva flow inhibits this action.

Saliva can be reduced for a number of reasons.  There are natural causes of this reduction, and other causes related to disease or choices.  The flow of saliva reduces naturally as we get older, making us more prone to bad breath.  Also when we are dehydrated, the moisture in the mouth reduces naturally.  Often when asleep, people will have their mouths open, maybe even snoring, and this will dry out the mouth.  This contributes to the “morning breath” syndrome.

Certain diseases and illnesses can similarly contribute to bad breath.  Any infection that affects the respiratory tract can be a cause of bad breath, as well as many other diseases.

Dry mouth can also be caused by medications for various problems.  The most common is probably the antihistamine, taken to relieve allergies.  Some others include high blood pressure and depression medicines.  Other things that can be ingested that affect the dryness of the mouth include alcohol and mouthwashes that contain alcohol.

One of the many problems associated with cigarette smoking is dry mouth.  For many reasons unrelated to bad breath, it is wise to avoid smoking, as has been documented extensively elsewhere.  With a predisposition to bad breath, however, the habit of smoking virtually guarantees that you will suffer from bad breath.

It is no good to think that the bacteria causing bad breath may be generally eliminated, as they are naturally occurring and required for bodily function.  They are anaerobic, which means “without oxygen”.  As saliva provides oxygen the lack of saliva with a dry mouth makes a more favorable environment for the bacteria to increase, aggravating the bad breath.

The bacteria create sulfurous compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide (the bad egg smell) which are the cause of the smelly breath.  The bacteria assist in the digestive process by starting the breakdown of proteins.  Thus another cause of bad breath would be a high protein diet, which feeds the bacteria.

Brief History of Birth Control

Recent studies show that out of the eight most common reasons for people having sexual intercourse, getting pregnant is always the last.  It seems that even if human being are biologically wired to be sexually aroused to ensure reproduction of the species, bearing children places a distant second to pleasure when it comes to sexual motivation. Ever since history began, men and women have always wanted to be the ones deciding on whether or not to have a child. Contraceptives were used in one method or another for thousands of years throughout human history. In fact, family planning has always been practiced even in societies that are dominated by political, social, and religious codes that require people to “become fruitful and multiply.”

Of course, the earlier methods used before the 20th century were not as safe and as effective as the ones we have today. Before, Chinese women drank mercury and lead to be able to control fertility, but often results in sterility or death. In Europe, during the Middle Ages, magicians advised women to wear weasel testicles on their thighs or hang its amputated foot around their necks. Other amulets during this time include wreaths of herbs, cat livers, hare anus, and even flax lint tied in a cloth and soaked in menstrual blood. It was also believed before that a woman could avoid pregnancy by walking around a spot where a pregnant wolf had urinated for three times.

To start of the history of birth control, behavioral methods are seen to depict how people see contraceptives way before birth control pills even existed. Abstinence, specifically for women, was an important issue for ancient people who understood the connection between vaginal intercourse and reproduction. After menarche (time of their first menstrual period), women in many cultures were expected to maintain their virginity. This way, their future husbands could be sure of the paternity of their children.

Augustine of Hippo, an early Christian church bishop, taught that masturbation as well as other  alternatives to sexual intercourse (outer course) were much grave than sins of fornication, rape, incest, and adultery. Because fornication, rape, incest, and adultery could lead to pregnancy, they were considered as “natural” sins. While this was happening, Mallinaga Vatsayayana in India was already writing the world's greatest literary work of pro creative and non-procreative sex play, Kama Sutra. Outer-course revived in America during the 1940s and '50s. During this time, virginity was considered very important for unmarried women. Having outer course in the back seat of a car at drive-in movies allowed young women to have sex while remaining “technically” virgin.

Outercourse became history when the pill became available during the sexual revolution of the '60s. By the '80s, vaginal intercourse was somewhat a normal event for people. But as the sexual revolution began losing its charm with the spread of AIDS, many people began wondering if they are passing up on any other pleasures of sex play. Wanting more romance, people of the 21st century are now rediscovering pleasure of seduction, courtship, and outer course.

History of birth control does not stop here. From withdrawal methods in ancient China, to the condom and vaginal sponge, to the never ending use of contraceptive foams, creams, jellies, film, and suppositories, many people have been practicing several methods for preventing pregnancy even up until today.