Image by Gerd Altmann
Welcome... Our InnerSelf welcomes your inner self.
Some times of year are more stressful than others, and December can be stressful for many reasons. If you live up North, snow and ice storms can wreak havoc. And wherever you live, even in the Southern Hemisphere, you may have projects at work that have to be completed by the end of the year. And of course, the holiday season can be a cause of stress. (How To Feel More Rested, At Ease, and Enjoy The Holiday Season).
Whether or not you participate in the buying extravaganza that occurs at this time of year (2019 Christmas Shopping: All Records Broken?) you still are affected by the extra traffic in city thoroughfares and in stores, as well as with holiday parties and festivities. Some of the interpersonal relationships can be stressed at this time of year just because we are tired, overworked, or perhaps hanging out with people that have different beliefs than we do. (Making Clear Choices About How You Relate To Events and Situations In Daily Life)
However, there are things we can do to maintain or regain our peace of mind (Qigong: Energy Medicine and Antidote to Stresses) and our well-being. (Understanding and Managing Your Energy Container: “Shields Up, Mr. Sulu”). And we may be surprised to find that we are handling all the stresses in a new way, that we've found a new modality to move through any trying situations. (Something Is Happening: What If It's All About Love?).
This week includes the December 21st solstice which ushers in a new season and brings us closer to the New Year. Pam Younghans, in this week's Astrological Journal, casts a look at the coming three months and writes: "Outdated behaviors and systems will be exaggerated so that we can make clearer, more evolutionarily-sound choices going forward. We will find progress thwarted until we align ourselves...choosing heart-centeredness over self-centeredness, connection over separation, and empathy over suspicion."
So the key this week, as with every week, is to choose Love, connection, and empathy... and if we don't choose it immediately when a situation occurs, we get to make a new choice in the next moment, and the next one after that. Each moment gives us a new opportunity to choose Love and create a better world for ourselves and the world around us. Let's do it!
Please scroll down for the featured articles in this new issue of InnerSelf, and also the recap of all the articles that were added to the website during the week.
Wishing you enjoyable insightful reading, and of course a wonder-full, joy-full, and loving week.
Marie T. Russell
editor/publisher,
InnerSelf.com
"New Attitudes...New Possibilities"
? Your InnerSelf "To Do" List ?
? If you shop at Amazon, please use this link: http://www.amazon.com/?tag=innerselfcom Your cost is the same and we receive approx. 5% in commission.
? Share the InnerSelf articles and the Daily Inspiration with your friends on social media and otherwise.
? We also welcome (and invite) feedback... To send us your comments, hover over the "This and That" item in every page's top menu, and click on the "Contact Us" button.
NEW ARTICLES THIS WEEK
***** articles and videos added daily *****
How To Feel More Rested, At Ease, and Enjoy The Holiday Season
Written by Marla Stone
December is dominated by the holiday season, which often involves lots of parties, visitors, travel, and special meals. Maintaining an organized home is a particular challenge this month, given all the pressure to decorate, buy presents, host gatherings, and cook.
2019 Christmas Shopping: All Records Broken?
Written by Pierre Pradervand
This year we expect that sales will break all records! However, we cannot help but think that this anniversary celebrates the coming to earth of one of humanity’s greatest avatars – who, additionally, lived in total poverty according to his own words.
Making Clear Choices About How You Relate To Events and Situations In Daily Life
Written by Alan Seale
“Relationship” can be defined as “a state of connectedness between two or more energies through a physical or a non-physical space.” Everything exists or happens in relationship to something else. Nothing exists or happens in isolation.
Qigong: Energy Medicine and Antidote to Stresses
Written by Nikki Gresham-Record
Qigong has helped me understand and connect with myself as an energy being. Different forms of qigong emphasize different qualities, from meditative and healing to medical and martial arts; some incorporate branches of philosophy, such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
Understanding and Managing Your Energy Container: “Shields Up, Mr. Sulu”
Written by Stephanie Red Feather
Quite simply, you are more than just your physical being. You have a field of energy that surrounds you—your personal energy field. It is unique to you, just like a fingerprint or a snowflake pattern. Basic physiology teaches us that each cell in our body has a charge.
Something Is Happening: What If It's All About Love?
Written by Will T. Wilkinson
Everywhere, around the world, in every culture, individuals are responding to an awakening impulse that is resonating throughout the universe and impacting our consciousness in every moment, waking and sleeping. The old human story of disconnection is evolving, ever more rapidly, into a new experience of kinship that feels thoroughly familiar.
Why Nurses Sleep 83 Fewer Minutes Before Work Days
by InnerSelf Staff
Nurses sleep nearly an hour and a half less before work days compared to days off, according to a new study which…
How Young People Negotiate Sex And Safety On Dating Apps
by Kath Albury and Anthony McCosker
Popular commentary on dating apps often associates their use with “risky” sex, harassment and poor mental health. But…
Why Many Christian Men Today Are Having A Masculinity Crisis
by William Loade
To understand contemporary Christian ideas about gender, and specifically masculinity, we need to go all the way back…
How Your Christmas Shopping Could Harm Or Help The Planet
by Louise Grimmer et al
The shopping frenzy is not good for the planet. It generates a mountain of waste including plastics, and decorations,…
How Knowledge Is A Process Of Discovery
by Luke Zaphir
Constructivism is an educational philosophy that deems experience as the best way to acquire knowledge.
7 Climate Change Novels That Allow Us To Imagine Possible Futures
by Adeline Johns-Putra
Climate fiction, climate change fiction, “cli-fi” – whatever you want to call it – has emerged as a literary trend…
How Belief Is Rooted In Evolution And Not Ignorance
by Mikael Klintman
So why can’t we stop conspiracy theories and fake news from spreading?
Asking People With Memory Loss About Past Holidays Can Help Them Recall Happy Times
by Michael R. Nadorff and Mary Dozier
What if you could do something that would help restore memories in some of the people you love?
How Junk Food Shapes The Developing Teenage Brain
by Amy Reichelt
Obesity is increasing worldwide, especially among children and teenagers. More than 150 million children in the world…
The Dangers Of Depicting Greta Thunberg As A Prophet
by Ellen Boucher
As a researcher on the history of childhood, I’ve been disturbed to see Thunberg described and depicted as a prophet.…
As Rural Americans Struggle For Health Care Access, Insurers May Be Making Things Worse
by Simon F. Haeder
The are tremendous health disparities rural Americans face, in terms of both their own health and accessing care.
Why Fat-Shaming Pregnant Women Isn't Just Mean, It's Harmful
by Angela Incollingo Rodriguez
December is considered the most fertile month, a time when there’s the greatest likelihood that children will be…
Young People Can Change The General Election – Here’s How To Get Your Friends To Vote
by Benjamin Bowman
A record breaking 3.85 million people applied to register to vote in this election campaign, including thousands of…
Are You Mentally Well Enough For College?
by Nicholas Joyce
Last spring an 18-year-old college freshman who got straight A’s in high school – but was now failing several courses…
What Makes Wine Dry? It's Easy To Taste, But Much Harder To Measure
by Aude Watrelot
When you take a sip of wine at a family meal or celebration, what do you notice?
The Dark Side of Plant-Based Food
by Martin Cohen and Frédéric Leroy
If you were to believe newspapers and dietary advice leaflets, you’d probably think that doctors and nutritionists are…
Expecting Family Talks About Climate Change This Christmas?
by Peter Ellerton
As bushfires rage and our cities lie shrouded in smoke, climate change is shaping as a likely topic of conversation at…
New Research Dispels Autism Common Assumptions
by Ruth Byrne and Kinga Morsanyi
Sixteen-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg has made headlines not just for her passionate climate activism, but…
Bullying Won't Be Curbed Until We Figure Out What Fuels It
by Gerald Walton
In October 2019, a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old were charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Devan…
Researchers Asked 2,500 Jewish And Muslim People What They Find Offensive
by Julian Hargreaves
Away from politics, there are widespread concerns about prejudice targeting Jews and Muslims.
Climate Change Threatens A Scary Number Of Plant Species
by Brian Enquist and Patrick Roehrdanz
Almost 40% of global land plant species are very rare, and these species are most at risk for extinction as the climate…
How Do People Make Decisions In Groups?
by Rajesh Rao and Koosha Khalvati
Using a mathematical framework with roots in artificial intelligence and robotics, researchers have uncovered the…
How The Limits Of The Mind Shape Human Language
by David Adger
When we speak, our sentences emerge as a flowing stream of sound. Unless we are really annoyed
Proteins In The Blood Can Show How Old You Are
by Tony Wyss-Coray
A sort of physiological clock—levels of 373 proteins in your blood—can predict your age, according to a new study.
A High-Fat Diet Fuels Prostate Cancer’s Growth
by David P. Labbé
Saturated fat intake leads to cellular reprogramming associated with prostate cancer progression and lethality,…
What It Takes For Hydrogen To Be A Truly Clean Fuel
by Frank Jotzo, et al
Using hydrogen as a clean fuel is an idea whose time may be coming. For Australia, producing hydrogen is alluring: it…
Lessons From The Hockey Rink Could Help Tackle Climate Change
by Jennifer Lynes and Dan Murray
The Auditor General of Ontario’s recent report found the province’s current climate change plan is not based on “sound…
Mindfulness Could Lower Your Blood Pressure
by Eric Loucks
Mindfulness could reduce blood pressure, a new study finds. As the leading cause of death in both the United States and…
How To Design A Forest Fit To Heal The Planet
by Heather Plumpton
Reforestation has enormous potential as a cheap and natural way of sucking heat-absorbing carbon dioxide out of the…
Many Evangelical Churches Believe Men Should Control Women?
by Vicki Lowik and Annabel Taylor
Jane* was a member of Australia’s evangelical Christian community, and throughout her marriage she heard many sermons…
How Controlled Breathing Helps Elite Athletes – And You Can Benefit From It Too
by David Shearer
Professional sport is full of stories of elite athletes “choking” emotionally and mentally under the pressure of…
British Columbia's Vaping Crackdown Could Offer A Roadmap For The Rest Of The World
by Christopher Labos
In Canada, the government of British Columbia is cracking down on vaping products. The plan is to reduce nicotine…
The Untrue Story Of Antioxidants versus Free Radicals
by Emma Beckett and Mark Lucock
Antioxidants are a commonly promoted feature of health foods and supplements. They’re portrayed as the good forces that…
Why It Can Be Hard To Stop Eating Even When You're Full
by Tera Fazzino and Kaitlyn Rohde
All foods are not created equal. Most are palatable, or tasty to eat, which is helpful because we need to eat to…
by Amy Binns
Even established parties have proven they are not above using tricks to manipulate the news. Meanwhile, politicians are…
What Makes Christmas Movies So Popular
by S. Brent Rodriguez-Plate
If you are one of those people who will settle in this evening with a hot cup of apple cider to watch a holiday movie,…
Americans Are Worried About Climate Change, But Underestimate How Serious It Is
by Bobby Duffy
The world is often better and getting better than people think. Murder rates, deaths from terrorism and extreme poverty…
How Do You Know When It's Time To Break Up?
by Veronica Lamarche
Facing the prospect of spending yet another festive season with their romantic partner, many people start having doubts…
The True Cost Of Growing Old In America
by Jan Mutchler
The U.S. population is aging at such a rate that within a few years, older Americans will outnumber the country’s…
Astrological Journal for the Week
Written by Pam Younghans
This weekly column (updated every Sunday afternoon) is based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies... Read this week's journal here
It is also highly beneficial to reread the past week's astrological journal as it gives a hindsight view of the events that took place and may provide many "ah-ha" insights.
HELPFUL INNERSELF LINKS:
Facebook | Twitter | InnerSelf Home
Please use this link to shop at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/?tag=innerselfcom
Your price is the same, and we get a commission :-) which helps us defray the costs of running the website: servers, bandwidth, program updates, etc.
