Naum Gabo

Naum Gabo was a prominent Russiansculptor in the Constructivism movement and a pioneer ofKinetic Art.^[1]

The essence of Gabo's art was the exploration of space which he believed could be done without having to depict mass. His earliest constructions such as Head No.2 were formal experiments in depicting the volume of a figure without carrying its mass.
Gabo’s vision is imaginative and passionate, over the years his exhibitions have generated immense enthusiasm because of the emotional power present in his sculpture. Gabo said of his own sculpture that he himself was “making images to communicate my feelings of the world.” In his work, Gabo used time and space as construction elements and in them solid matter unfolds and becomes beautifully surreal and otherworldly.

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is consists of Ancient Theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted to look at the Health Benefits of Yoga - from the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama), and Meditation. The information on Yoga Poses & Benefits are grouped into three categories-physiological, psychological, biochemical effects. Furthermore, scientists have laid these results against the benefits of regular exercise.



Physiological Benefits of Yoga


    * Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
    * Pulse rate decreases
    * Respiratory rate decreases
    * Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
    * Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
    * EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
    * EMG activity decreases
    * Cardiovascular efficiency increases
    * Respiratory efficiency increases
    * Gastrointestinal function normalizes
    * Endocrine function normalizes
    * Excretory functions improve
    * Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
    * Breath-holding time increases
    * Joint range of motion increase
    * Grip strength increases
    * Eye-hand coordination improves
    * Dexterity skills improve
    * Reaction time improves
    * Posture improves
    * Strength and resiliency increase
    * Endurance increases
    * Energy level increases
    * Weight normalizes
    * Sleep improves
    * Immunity increases
    * Pain decreases
    * Steadiness improves
    * Depth perception improves
    * Balance improves
    * Integrated functioning of body parts improves

Psychological Benefits of Yoga

    * Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
    * Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
    * Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
    * Social adjustment increases
    * Anxiety and Depression decrease
    * Hostility decreases
    * Concentration improves
    * Memory improves
    * Attention improves
    * Learning efficiency improves
    * Mood improves
    * Self-actualization increase
    * Social skills increases
    * Well-being increases
    * Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
    * Self-acceptance increase
    * Attention improves
    * Concentration improves
    * Memory improves
    * Learning efficiency improves
    * Symbol coding improves
    * Depth perception improves
    * Flicker fusion frequency improves

Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

    * Glucose decreases
    * Sodium decreases
    * Total cholesterol decreases
    * Triglycerides decrease
    * HDL cholesterol increases
    * LDL cholesterol decreases
    * VLDL cholesterol decreases
    * Cholinesterase increases
    * Catecholamines decrease
    * ATPase increases
    * Hematocrit increases
    * Hemoglobin increases
    * Lymphocyte count increases
    * Total white blood cell count decreases
    * Thyroxin increases
    * Vitamin C increases
    * Total serum protein increases

Yoga Health Benefits versus Exercise Benefits


    * Yoga Benefits
          o Parasympathetic Nervous System dominates
          o Subcortical regions of brain dominate
          o Slow dynamic and static movements
          o Normalization of muscle tone
          o Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
          o Low caloric consumption
          o Effort is minimized, relaxed
          o Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
          o Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
          o Noncompetitive, process-oriented
          o Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the infinite)
          o Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness
    * Exercise Benefits
          o Sympathetic Nervous System dominates
          o Cortical regions of brain dominate
          o Rapid forceful movements
          o Increased muscle tension
          o Higher risk of injury
          o Moderate to high caloric consumption
          o Effort is maximized
          o Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
          o Imbalance activity of opposing groups
          o Competitive, goal-oriented
          o Awareness is external (focus is on reaching the toes, reaching the finish line, etc.)
          o Boredom factor

The Physical Benefits of Salat

As I am Muslim, it is obligatory for me to perform Salat (prayer) five times a day. These are some physical benefits of salat: 

Salat is one of the five fundamental requirements that a Muslim is obligated to perform. Salat is given the highest priority in the Holy Quran. There are many benefits of Salat described in the Book of Allah. It says, innassalata tanha anil fahsha'i, Surely Prayer restrains one from indecency. (29:46) In chapter Luqman, We read that when Hadhrat Luqman was giving advice to his son, the first and foremost on his mind was to remind his son, ya bunayya aqimissalat "O my dear son,! observe Prayer." (31:8)
According to a Hadith the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, inna fissalati shifa'a " verily there is cure in salat ". According to a Muslim scholar, as reported in monthly Urdu magazine, Tahazibul Akhlaq, Aligarh, India, a Muslim who offers salat regularly has very little chance of getting arthritis as we exercise our bones and joints while we offer salat.
In the light of this Hadith we shall endeavor to describe some orthopedic benefits of salat in this short note.

1. Regular exercise reduces cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol causes heart failures, strokes, diabetes and many other ailments. It is a known fact that people in professions where exercise is required have less amount of cholesterol in their bodies.
2. Salat is an excellent form of exercise to prevent indigestion. In the morning when stomach is empty, a Muslim is required to offer fewer number of Rak'aat whereas in the evening after the dinner we offer an extra number of Rak'aat.
3. By offering Takbir at the beginning of salat, we move hand and shoulder muscles thereby increasing the flow of blood towards torso. Akamat performs a similar function.
4. The most important function in salat is sajdah where we touch the ground with our forehead. This posture increases fresh supply of blood to our brain. Needless to say in certain forms of yoga some adherents stand on their heads for the same purpose.
5. In tashah'hud position, our hip, elbow, knee joints, backbone, wrist joints move in a way that it provides a form of relaxation to our entire body. Pressure is applied on the body parts as if it was a kind of massage which releases tension.
6. Heart in the most important organ in the body. It supplies fresh blood to all body tissues. These body movements performed during salat are an excellent source of exercise for our heart as well. According to a Hadith of the Holy Prophet,"There is an organ in the body, when it is healthy, the whole body is healthy, and when this is sick, the entire body becomes sick". It is the heart.
7. A remarkable tissue in our body is cartilage. It is unique in being a living tissue with no direct blood supply. The only way it receives nutrients and oxygen is by movements of the joints. The pumping effect forces blood into the joint area which would otherwise be bypassed. Those who sit at the terminals are in greater danger of ending up with dead cartilage tissues that will subsequently wear away. This will leave us with arthritis, painful joints and paralysis. Bacteria and viruses find safe haven in joints for this reason as no blood cell can get at them and in most cases neither can antibodies. Salat therefore, has many orthopedic benefits for all Muslims. Next time you offer salat, thank Almighty Allah that He made you a Muslim. Indeed, there is cure in salat. 

Zakariyya Virk, Kingston

Ahmadiyya Gazette, August 1993

  This is my desk in College, haha lots of shapes and pics :)

Easy

I absolutely love this look.. a bohemian skirt with a tank top, looks so easy to wear, and effortlessly beautiful. I love how feminine it can make you look, I think they're both a definate to-buy items, next in my shopping list.

Recipe: The Perfect Rich Chocolate Cake

We want it rich, but not belt-busting. Nigella’s sour cream brings a certain creamy taste, but it’s a high-fat concoction. This rich chocolate cake is made using a mixture of half-fat crème fraiche and vegetable oil, giving a moist cake that won’t break the calorie bank.
You can make it richer or simpler by topping it with a rich ganache, or just dusting it with icing sugar. Choose from the Topping suggestions below.
Ingredients:

• 8oz self-raising flour, sieved
• 3tbsp cocoa
• 0.5tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 6oz caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150ml crème fraiche
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 3tbsp golden syrup

Method:

• Tip the dry ingredients into a bowl or food processor and mix to combine.
• In a jug, whisk the eggs until pale, then add the crème fraiche, sunflower oil, and golden syrup. Whisk together thoroughly, then tip the mixture into the dry ingredients and beat or blend to combine.
• Pour the batter into a greased 8” round tin, and bake at 140 degrees C for 40 mins-1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.
• Enjoy!

Source

Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation

Very inspiring.

Prayer & Meditation Pavilion by TAM Associati Architect

The Prayer and Meditation Pavilion known for its platonic exterior and dramatic interior space has been build by TAM architettura.

The pavilion is basically two cubes, tangent to each other on one face and shifted from each other about the distance of the half of one side. Slots and peeling away of the outer walls create access points to each cube from opposite sides, across a shallow pool.

 

Each space is topped by bamboo canopies in a steel frame, painted white to match the whitewashed walls. This bamboo, and the gaps between the frames, creates beautiful patterns of shadow on the walls and floors.

Source.

Seaweed Skincare

 

Seaweed Benefits

Seaweed products have long been used by humans for food and healing. They are becoming increasingly popular for use as Spa and Thalassotherapy products. “Thalassa” is Greek for "sea" and lends its name to this unique method of preventative and curative treatment which uses the renowned therapeutic virtues of seawater and seaweed to oxygenate, tone, moisturise and revitalise the body and the skin.
Scientists report that Seaweeds are rich in vitamins A1, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, E, K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, and niacin. They are an important supply of 60 trace elements and an excellent source of over 12 minerals, especially sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and manganese. In fact, Seaweeds contain much larger concentrations of what is present in seawater, and in a form, which can easily be assimilated. The potassium-sodium content of sea vegetables is usually quite close to that occurring naturally in the human body. Many marine algae are a source of vitamin B12, which is rarely found in land vegetables.
The low occurrence of goitre (a malfunction of the thyroid gland) in coastal regions where seaweed is traditionally consumed is often attributed to their iodine content. Alginic acid is an important constituent of the cell wall of brown seaweeds and it is mainly responsible for their tensile strength and elasticity, essential for survival in turbulent seawater. It acts as a natural cleanser for the intestines.

Studies undertaken in the Gastro-Intestinal research Laboratory of McGill University (Montreal) indicate that it can assist with the removal of toxins from body tissue by binding with them to form insoluble salts which are then eliminated naturally.

 

Seaweed Face Mask

The positive effects of our Seaweed Face Mask are immediately noticeable. The bio-complex of finely ground Lithothamnium calcareum and Laminaria digitata Seaweed revitalises the metabolism and helps to rejuvenate the skin. The special combination of minerals increases circulation, leaving the skin soft and glowing.

Effects of Seaweed Face Mask...
Stimulates metabolism
Helps regenerate skin cells
Prevents skin irritations
Eases acne
Has anti-irritating effect
Relieves itching
Increases circulation
Leaves skin soft and glowing

Method for Seaweed Face Mask

1. Cleanse face well.
2. Prepare a paste using 2-5 tsps. (13-15gr) of Seaweed Face Mask with approximately 20ml of hot water.
3. Mix to a smooth paste.
4. Cover face and neck area with a thick layer of seaweed paste.
5. Leave for 20-30 minutes until dry.
6. Rinse off with warm water, finish of with a Moisturiser.

Source.

 

Something to smile and unwide to :) enjoy x

Four ways to let go and be free

Editor’s Note: This is a contribution by Jackie Vecchio

“I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Once upon a time my mind was filled with negative talk and self-doubt. Those thoughts were so loud I could not hear my authentic, true self shine through. On a deeper level, I knew she existed, but I didn’t how to get to a place in which I could connect to her.

I believed I would have to work at it, change myself, somehow be good enough so I can be free to be myself. I believed the key to happiness was figuring out how to “fix” everything that was wrong with me (and oh, was there a lot to fix).

If I fixed myself, then I could enjoy life and be that free woman I always envisioned myself to be. Little did I know the key to this freedom wasn’t fixing myself at all, but was realizing that the little voice coming up with all those things to fix was a big, fat liar!

The most profound and important realization I’ve ever had came from reading a little book called A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and was that I am not my thoughts, but the awareness behind them.

Wow. My true Self is the awareness behind my thoughts and she is always here! I have the power right now to choose from which place I act—what a magical concept!

I then started looking at all of the areas in my life in which I could inject a little space between my thoughts and my awareness. I examined where my thoughts made me feel stuck, trapped, or hopeless.

My outer world, like myself, wasn’t something that needed to be fixed, changed, or controlled so I could experience peace in the future. This outer reality was a direct reflection of my thoughts, and as they stayed rooted in negativity, so did my world.

True freedom doesn’t come in the future, from a situation, or “from” anything at all, but is within you right now.

The following are four ways you can shift your thoughts so you can feel freer, lighter, and happier in your life instantly.

1. Don’t take anything personally.

Nothing anybody says or does to you has anything to do with you. Each person’s opinion is solely the product of their own life and reality.

It’s hard to imagine this. It’s way easier to get offended, mad, or pissed off or to internalize and believe what they said. Rather than getting consumed by it, obsessed over it and letting it affect you, just let it go. Hear what they say, accept that it is a reflection of their world and poof. See the thought disappear.

This is also true when someone is giving you advice. Have you ever shared your biggest dream? The responses can be all over the place. One person may say, “Good luck with that, maybe you should come back to earth” while another may be all about it, “YES! Go for it!”

Does that mean the first person doesn’t believe in you? Absolutely not. It means (s)he doesn’t believe in himself. In other words, it is hard for that person to imagine your dream in his own realm of possibility.

When someone says something to you, whether it be an insult, piece of advice, or anything at all, connect back to your awareness. Only you can know what is true or not. By taking another person’s opinion of yourself to heart and choosing to believe it, you are doing yourself a huge injustice.

2. Don’t be a victim.

It’s easy to think that the world is against you. Have you ever had one of those days where everything goes wrong? It happens. There are things in our control and out of our control. You can’t control the world around you, but you can control how you react to things. Don’t fall into the downward spiral of the victim trap.

Embrace each and every thing that happens as an opportunity. When something “bad” happens ask, “What is the universe trying to tell me?”

Often it’s saying stop, slow down, and come back to the present before your life zips passed you. And if it’s not saying that, it’s saying something. So listen.

Accept situations as signs or opportunities, and remember that there is a purpose and a greater good to each. Look for the lesson rather than getting stuck in victim mode.

My new favorite mantra when the times are tough is “Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!” Feeling gratitude for all things, at all times is incredibly freeing.

3. Be gentle, kind, and compassionate with yourself.

As the awareness behind your thoughts, acknowledge what you say about yourself. Are your thoughts kind? Or are you your own worst critic? When you look in the mirror, do you see pure beauty or do you pick yourself apart?

Imagine having a little person on your shoulder telling you horrible things about yourself all day long. Sounds awful, doesn’t it? How do you think that would affect your life? Well, that is what we’re doing to ourselves if we stay in a place of constant negative self talk.

Work on shifting your thoughts to ones that are more loving and kind. Every time you think something negative about yourself, replace it with a positive. Focus on the good things and give attention to your awesomeness. Eventually you will start believing them. Doing so allows you to have the freedom to just be you.

4. Practice forgiveness.

The powerful F word. Oprah said it best: “Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past can be changed.” Forgiveness isn’t about saying that whatever happened was okay, right, or just, but about letting it go.

Forgiving is releasing the power that a certain event has on you. By not forgiving you are keeping your mind in the past, thinking and wishing that things could have been different. This traps you and makes you feel powerless.

Forgiveness puts you back into the present—the only time that truly exists—where you have the power to live free and happy.

Next time you feel stuck, turn your awareness within. What do your thoughts look like? Allow your mind’s grip to release so the joy can flow in.

Who knew your leftover bath water could actually be useful.

this was sent to me by my friend Chloe Jace morgan, you can check out her blog here!

In our ongoing efforts to be environmentally conscious, recycle frequently, and reduce our carbon footprints, a slew of green products and concepts have been hitting shelves to help us along with these collective goals.

The latest addition to the eco-friendly market is the Live Moss Carpet – a soft grass carpet that thrives from the few drops of water you leave behind when stepping out of the shower or bath.
Designed by La Chanh Nguyen, the base of the moss is made from decay-free foam called plastazote which prevents dangerous mold and other equally-nasty minuscule lifeforms.

There are three types of low maintenance moss –  ball moss,  island moss, and  forest moss – within each foam cell. The humidity within your bathroom and those few water droplets are all that’s needed to keep your little moss garden sprouting all year round.