Meditation is a simple technique that, if practiced for as few as 10 minutes each day, can help you control stress, decrease anxiety, improve cardiovascular health, and achieve a greater capacity for relaxation.

Although meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, the meditative technique called the "relaxation response" was pioneered in the U.S. by Harvard doctor Herbert Benson in the 1970s. The technique has gained acceptance by physicians and therapists worldwide as a means of relieving symptoms of conditions ranging from cancer to AIDS.

Night Walker: Restless Legs Syndrome

For Walt Kowalski of Jackson, Mich., bedtime isn't the relaxing end to the day, but the beginning of another nerve-jangling night with restless legs syndrome. Soon after lying down, unpleasant electricity-like sensations creep into Kowalski's legs. An urge to move grows and becomes irresistible. The feelings force him to kick, move, or get up and walk. The unpleasant symptoms return and often keep him walking in the night, robbing him of sleep. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is an often misunderstood...

Read the Night Walker: Restless Legs Syndrome article > >

When our bodies are exposed to a sudden stress or threat, we respond with a characteristic "fight or flight" response. The ''adrenaline rush'' we experience is a result of the release of the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine. They cause an increase in blood pressure and pulse rate, faster breathing, and increased blood flow to the muscles.

The relaxation response is a technique designed to elicit the opposite bodily reaction from the "fight or flight" response -- a state of deep relaxation in which our breathing, pulse rate, blood pressure, and metabolism are decreased. Training our bodies on a daily basis to achieve this state of relaxation can lead to enhanced mood, lower blood pressure, and a reduction of everyday stress.

The relaxation response technique consists of the silent repetition of a word, sound, or phrase -- perhaps one that has special meaning to you -- while sitting quietly with eyes closed for 10 to 20 minutes. This should be done in a quiet place free of distractions. Sitting is preferred to lying down in order to avoid falling asleep. Relax your muscles starting with the feet and progressing up to your face. Breathe though your nose in a free and natural way.

During a meditation session, intruding worries or thoughts should be ignored or dismissed to the best of your ability by focusing on the sound, word or phrase. It's OK to open your eyes to look at a clock while you are practicing, but do not set an alarm. When you have finished, remain seated, first with your eyes closed and then with your eyes open, and gradually allow your thoughts to return to everyday reality.

The rest is here:
Meditation, Stress, and Your Health - WebMD

What is meditation?

Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention to help you feel calm and give you a clear awareness about your life. Eastern philosophies have recognized the health benefits of meditation for thousands of years. Meditation is now widely practiced in the West, with the belief that it has positive effects on health.

Two meditation techniques are most commonly used: concentrative and mindful.

Meditation usually involves slow, regular breathing and sitting quietly for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

People use meditation to help treat a wide range of physical and mental problems, including:

Most of these conditions may also require conventional treatment for best results.

People also use meditation to relieve anxieties from long-term (chronic) conditions such as HIV and cancer.

Since meditation usually involves sitting quietly for a period of time and breathing deeply, anyone who cannot sit comfortably or who has respiratory problems may have difficulty practicing meditation. Some people with mental health problems, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or schizophrenia, may not be able to use meditation therapy effectively.

Meditation is not thought to have any negative side effects or complications alone or when combined with conventional medical treatment, but it is not considered appropriate or safe for acute, life-threatening situations.

Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on an alternative therapy.

View post:
Meditation-Topic Overview - WebMD

Meditation is an approach to training the mind, similar to the way that fitness is an approach to training the body. But many meditation techniques exist. So how do you learn how to meditate?

In Buddhist tradition, the word meditation is equivalent to a word like sports in the U.S. Its a family of activity, not a single thing, University of Wisconsin neuroscience lab director Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D., told The New York Times. And different meditative practices require different mental skills.

Its extremely difficult for a beginner to sit for hours and think of nothing or have an empty mind. But in general, the easiest way to begin meditating is by focusing on the breath an example of one of the most common approaches to meditation: concentration.

Concentration meditation

A concentrative meditation technique involves focusing on a single point. This could entail watching the breath, repeating a single word or mantra, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repetitive gong or counting beads on a rosary. Since focusing the mind is challenging, a beginner might meditate for only a few minutes and then work up to longer durations.

In this form of meditation, you simply refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention each time you notice your mind wandering. Rather than pursuing random thoughts, you simply let them go. Through this process, your ability to concentrate improves.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation technique encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. The intention is not to get involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each mental note as it arises.

Through mindfulness meditation, you can see how your thoughts and feelings tend to move in particular patterns. Over time, you can become more aware of the human tendency to quickly judge experience as good or bad (pleasant or unpleasant). With practice, an inner balance develops.

In some schools of meditation, students practice a combination of concentration and mindfulness. Many disciplines call for stillness to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the teacher.

Other meditation techniques

There are various other meditation techniques. For example, a daily meditation practice among Buddhist monks focuses directly on the cultivation of compassion. This involves envisioning negative events and recasting them in a positive light by transforming them through compassion. There are also moving meditations techniques, such as tai chi, chi kung and walking meditation.

Benefits of meditation

If relaxation is not the goal of meditation, it is often one result of it. Back in the 1970s, Herbert Benson, MD, a researcher at Harvard University Medical School, coined the term the relaxation response after conducting research on people who practiced transcendental meditation. The relaxation response, in Bensons words, is an opposite, involuntary response that causes a reduction in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

Since then, studies on the relaxation response have documented the following short-term benefits to the nervous system:

Contemporary researchers are now exploring whether consistent meditation practice yields long-term benefits, and noting positive effects on brain and immune function among meditators. Yet it is worth repeating that the purpose of meditation is not to achieve benefits. To put it as an Eastern philosopher might say, the goal of meditation is no goal. It is simply to be present.

In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate benefit of meditation is liberation of the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The liberated, or enlightened, practitioner no longer needlessly follows desires or clings to experiences, but instead maintains a calmness of mind and sense of inner balance.

How to meditate: Simple meditation for beginners

This meditation exercise is an excellent introduction to meditation techniques.

1. Sit or lie comfortably. You may even want to invest in a meditation chair.

2. Close your eyes.

3. Make no effort to control the breath; simply breathe naturally.

4. Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation. Notice the movement of your body as you breathe. Observe your chest, shoulders, rib cage and belly. Make no effort to control your breath; simply focus your attention. If your mind wanders, simply return your focus back to your breath. Maintain this meditation practice for 23 minutes to start, and then try it for longer periods.

Get your Zen on!Watch meditation videos on GaiamTV.com.

Republished courtesy of Inner IDEA.

Related Articles:

Gaiam Life Meditation Rooms

About Guided Meditation

5 Min. Meditation for Insomnia

Why Meditate? Science Finds Clues

Meditation Products:

RattanMeditation Chair

Digital Zen Alarm Clock

Mediation CD

Carved Wood &Stone Mala

Visit link:
How to Meditate: Meditation Techniques, Benefits & Beginner's ...

Research & Further Reading

Anderson, J.W., Liu, C., Kryscio, R.J. (2008). Blood pressure response to transcendental meditation: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Hypertension; 21(3):310-6.

Astin, J. (1997). Stress reduction through mindfulness meditation: Effects of psychological symptomatology, sense of control, and spiritual experiences. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics , 66, 97106.

Astin J, Berman B, Bausell B, Lee W, Hochberg M & Forys K. (2003). The efficacy of mindfulness meditation plus Qigong movement therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Rheumatology , 30, 2257-2262.

Basavaraj, K. H., Navya, M. A. and Rashmi, R. (2011), Stress and quality of life in psoriasis: an update. International Journal of Dermatology, 50:783792.

Benson, H. (1975). The relaxation response . New York : Avon .

Blackwell, B., Bloomfield, S., Gartide, P., Robinson, A., Hanenson, I. , Magenheim, H., Nidich, S., & Zigler, R. (1976). Transcendental meditation in hypertension. Individual response patterns. Lancet , 1(7953), 223226.

Borysenko, J. (2012). Minding the body, mending the mind. (Second edition). Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.

Carlson L, Speca M, Patel, K & Goodey E. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction in relation to quality of life, mood, symptoms of stress and levels of cortisol, dehydroepinandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and melatonin in breast and prostate cancer. Psychoneuroimmunology , 29, 448-474.

Carrington, P. (1984). Modern forms of meditation. In R. Woolfolk & P. Lehrer (Eds.), Principles and practice of stress management (pp. 108141). New York : Guilford Press.

Castillo-Richmond, A., Schneider, R., Alexander, C., Cook, R., Myers, H., Nidich, S., Haney, C., Rainforth, M., & Salerno , J. (2000). Effects of stress reduction on carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive African Americans. Stroke , 31(3), 568573.

Chiesa, A., Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta-analysis. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine;15(5):593-600.

Chiesa, A., Serretti, A. (2010). A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations. Psychological Medicine;40(8):1239-52.

Credidio, S. (1982). Comparative effectiveness of patterned biofeedback vs. meditation training on EMG and skin temperature changes. Behavior Research and Therapy , 20, 233241.

Davidson, R.J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., et al. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine; 65(4):564-70.

Everly, G. S., & Benson, H. (1989). Disorders of arousal and the relaxation response: Speculations on the nature and treatment of stress-related diseases. International Journal of Psychosomatics , 36, 1521.

Everly, G., & Rosenfeld, R. (1981). The nature and treatment of the stress responses . New York : Plenum Press.

Frenn, M., Fehring, R., & Kartes, S. (1986). Reducing stress of cardiac catheterization by teaching relaxation. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing , 5, 108116.

Gaylord, S.A., Palsson, O.S., Garland, E.L., et al. (2011). Mindfulness training reduces the severity of irritable bowel syndrome in women: results of a randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Gastroenterology; 106(9):16781688.

Goleman, D. (1977). The varieties of the meditative experience . New York : E.P. Dutton.

Goleman, D., & Schwartz, G. (1976). Meditation as an intervention in stress reactivity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 44, 456466.

Goleman, D. (2012). The meditative mind: the varieties of the meditative experience. Kindle edition. Florence, MA: More Than Sound.

Goodman, M.J., Schorling, J.B. (2012). A mindfulness course decreases burnout and improves well-being among healthcare providers. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine; 43(2):119-28.

Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E.M., et al. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being. JAMA Internal Medicine; 174(3), 357-368.

Gross, C.R., Kreitzer, M.J., Thomas, W., Reilly-Spong, M., Cramer-Bornemann, M., Nyman, J.A., Frazier, P., Ibrahim, H.N. (2010). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for solid organ transplant recipients: a randomized controlled trial. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine; 16(5):30-8.

Guzzetta, C. E. (1989). Effects of relaxation and music therapy on patients in a coronary care unit with presumptive acute myocardial infarction. Heart & Lung , 18, 609618.

Harris, S. (host). May 2, 2012. Training the Emotional Brain: An Interview with Richard J. Davidson. Retrieved from http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/training-the-emotional-brain.

Herron, R.E. (2011). Changes in physician costs among high-cost transcendental meditation practitioners compared with high-cost nonpractitioners over 5 years. American Journal of Health Promotion; 26(1):56-60.

Hofmann, S.G., Sawyer, A.T., Witt, A.A., Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology; 78(2):169-83.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1982). An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain based on the practice of mindfulness meditation. General Hospital Psychiatry , 4, 3347.

Kabat-Zinn, J., Lipworth, L., & Burney, R. (1985). The clinical use of mindfulness meditation for the self-regulation of chronic pain. Journal of Behavioral Medicine , 8(2), 163190.

Kabat-Zinn, J., Lipworth, L., Burney, R., & Sellers, W. (1987). Four-year follow-up of a meditation program for the self-regulation of chronic pain: treatment outcomes and compliance. Clinical Journal of Pain , 2, 159173.

Kabat-Zinn, J., Massion, A. O., Kristeller, J., Peterson, L. G., Fletcher, K. E., Pbert, L., Lenderking, W. R., & Santorelli, S. F. (1992). The effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry , 149, 936943.

Kabat-Zinn, J., Wheeler, E., Light, T., Skillings, A., Scharf, M. J., Cropley, T. G., Hosmer, D., & Berhard, J. D. (1998). Influence of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy (UVB) and photochemo-therapy (PUVA). Psychosomatic Medicine , 60, 625632.

Kabat-Zinn, Jon. (2005) Coming to our senses: healing ourselves and the world through mindfulness . New York : Hyperion.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2011). Mindfulness for Beginners. Boulder, Co: Sounds True, Inc.

Kabat-Zinn, J., Davidson, R. (2012). The Mind's Own Physician: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama on the Healing Power of Meditation. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Keating, T. (2006). Open mind, open heart: 20th anniversary edition. New York: Continuum.

Keefer L & Blanchard E. (2002). A one year follow-up of relaxation response meditation as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. Behavior Research & Therapy , 40, 541-546.

Kozasa, E.H., Tanaka, L.H., Monson, C., Little, S., Leao, F.C., Peres, M.P. (2012). The effects of meditation-based interventions on the treatment of fibromyalgia. Current Pain and Headache Reports;16(5):383-7.

Kutz, I. , Leserman, J., Dorrington, C., Morrison, C., Borysenko, J., & Benson, H. (1985). Meditation as an adjunct to psychotherapy. Psychotherapy and Psycho-somatics , 43(4), 209218.

Lazarus, A. A. (1976). Psychiatric problems precipitated by transcendental meditation. Psychological Reports , 39, 601602.

Ledesma, D., Kumano, H. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and cancer: a meta-analysis. Psychooncology;18(6):571-9.

Lehrer, P., Voolfolk, R., Sime, W. (2007). Principles and Practice of Stress Management, Third Edition. New York: Guilford Press.

LeShan, L. (1974). How to meditate . Boston : Little, Brown.

Lichstein, K.L. (1988). Clinical relaxation strategies . New York : John Wiley & Sons.

Ludwig, D.S., Kabat-Zinn, J. (2008). Mindfulness in medicine. JAMA; 300(11):1350-1352.

Lutz A, Greischar L, Rawlings N, Richard M & Davidson R. (2004). Long-term meditators self-induce high amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 101, 16369-16373.

Lutz, A., Dunne, J. D., and Davidson, R. J. (2007). Meditation and the neuroscience of consciousness: an introduction, in Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness, eds P. Zelazo, M. Moscovitch, and E. Thompson (New York: Cambridge University Press), 81109.

Lutz, A., Slagter, H., Dunne, J.D., Davidson, R. (2008). Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation. Trends in Cognitive Science; 12(4): 163169.

Lutz, A., Brefczynski-Lewis, J., Johnstone, T., Davidson, R.J. (2008). Regulation of the neural circuitry of emotion by compassion meditation: effects of meditative expertise. PLoS One; 3(3):e1897.

Miller, J. J., Fletcher, K., & Kabat-Zinn, J. (1995). Three-year follow-up and clinical implications of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety disorders. General Hospital Psychiatry , 17, 192200.

Niazi, A.K., Niazi, S.K. (2011). Mindfulness-based stress reduction: a non-pharmacological approach for chronic illnesses. North American Journal of Medical Sciences;3(1):20-3.

Orme-Johnson, D.W. (1987). Medical care litigation and the transcendental meditation program. Psychosomatic Medicine , 49, 493507.

Pace, T., Negi, L.T., Adame, D., Cole, S., et al. (2009). Effect of compassion meditation on neuroendocrine, innate immune and behavioral responses to psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology; 34(1): 8798.

Perlman, D.M., Salomons, T.V., Davidson, R.J., Lutz, A. (2010). Differential effects on pain intensity and unpleasantness of two meditation practices. Emotion; 10(1):65-71.

Pollack, A. A., Case, D. B., Weber, M. A., & Laragh, J. H. (1977). Limitations of transcendental meditation in the treatment of essential hypertension. Lancet , 1(8002), 7173.

Robinson F, Matthews H & Witek-Janusek L. (2003). Psycho-endocrine-immune response to mindfulness-based stress reduction in individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus: a quasiexperimental study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 9, 683-694.

Rosenzweig, S., Greeson, J.M., Reibel, D.K., Green, J.S., Jasser, S.A., Beasley, D. (2010). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic pain conditions: variation in treatment outcomes and role of home meditation practice. Journal of Psychosomatic Research;68(1):29-36.

Roth, B., & T. Creaser (1997). MBSR: Experience with a bilingual inner-city program. The Nurse Practitioner , 20, 150176.

Russel, P. (1976). The TM technique . Boston : Routledge and Kegan PAUI.

Sarris, J., Moylan, S., Camfield, D.A., Pase, M.P., Mischoulon, D., Berk, M., Jacka, F.N., Schweitzer, I. (2012). Complementary medicine, exercise, meditation, diet, and lifestyle modification for anxiety disorders: a review of current evidence. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine; 2012:809653.

Schmidt, S., Grossman, P., Schwarzer, B., Jena, S., Naumann, J., Walach, H. (2011). Treating fibromyalgia with mindfulness-based stress reduction: results from a 3-armed randomized controlled trial. Pain; 152(2):361-9.

Schneider, R.H., Grim, C.E., Rainforth, M.V., Kotchen, T., et al. (2012). Stress reduction in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: randomized, controlled trial of transcendental meditation and health education in blacks. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes; 5(6):750-8.

Schwartz J & Begley S. (2002). The Mind and the Brain . New York : Regan Books.

Shafii, M. (1973). Adaptive and therapeutic aspects of meditation. International Journal of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy , 2, 431443.

Shapiro, D. (2008). Meditation: Self-Regulation Strategy and Altered State of Consciousness. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

Shapiro, D. H., Shapiro, S. L., Astin, J. A. and Shapiro, J. 2010. Self-Control. Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology. 12.

Slagter, H. A., Lutz, A., Greischar, L. L., Nieuwenhuis, S., & Davidson, R. J. (2009). Theta phase synchrony and conscious target perception: Impact of intensive mental training. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 21(8), 15361549.

Slagter, H., Davidson, R., Lutz, A. (2011). Mental training as a tool in the neuroscientific study of brain and cognitive plasticity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience; 10: 5:17.

Speca M, Carlson L, Goodey E, & Angen M, (2002). A randomized, wait-list controlled clinical trial: the effect of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients. (2000). Psychosomatic Medicine , 62, 613-622.

Tart, C. (1971). A psychologist's experiences with transcendental meditation. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology , 3, 135143.

Teasdale, J, Segal S, Williams J, Ridgeway V, Soulsby J & Lau M. (2000). Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 68, 615-625.

Tippett, K. (Host). (June 14, 2012). Investigating healthy minds with Richard Davidson. On Being (radio broadcast). American Public Media.

Vllestad, J., Nielsen, M.B., Nielsen, G.H. (2011). Mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions for anxiety disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Clinical Psychology;51(3):239-60.

West, M. (1979). The psychosomatics of meditation. Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine , 24, 265273.

West, M. (1980). Meditation. British Journal of Psychiatry , 135, 457467.

Continue reading here:
Meditation | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

Bliss Body Yoga

14 hours ago

Bliss Body Yoga created an Arm Balances & Inversions 101 with Rachel. ... See MoreSee Less

Have you been wondering how to safely incorporate inversions and arm balances into your yoga practice? In this workshop we will work with the wisdom of strength patterns in the body to safely learn ho...

Arm Balances & Inversions 101 with Rachel

Sep 13, 1:00pm

Bliss Body Yoga

Have you been wondering how to safely incorporate inversions and arm balances into your yoga practice? In this workshop we will work with the wisdom of strength patterns in the body to safely learn ho...

Bliss Body Yoga

16 hours ago

It's back to school time and back to yoga! We are offering another round of Early-Bird Yoga with Nancy starting September 15th. Join her for 6 weeks on Tuesdays from 6-7am. Sign up here: goo.gl/qVDyUN ... See MoreSee Less

Bliss Body Yoga

2 days ago

Check out our pretty new studio yoga mats and nifty wall storage system! ... See MoreSee Less

Bliss Body Yoga

4 days ago

All the single ladies! Rockin it out at Beyonce Yoga tonight with @autmist ... See MoreSee Less

Bliss Body Yoga

6 days ago

We are so excited to offer a new Yin Yoga class during lunch time starting next week with Mary. Join her on Tuesdays from 12-1pm for a soothing mid-day Yin practice. Just $10 to drop in! ... See MoreSee Less

See the article here:
Bliss Body Yoga

IMAGES PROVIDED BY: (1)Norman Hollands / Fresh Food Images / Photolibrary (2)Angels Tomas / age fotostock / Photolibrary (3) Anne Ryan / zrImages / Corbis (4)FoodCollection / Photolibrary (5)FoodCollection / Photolibrary (6)Food Image Source / StockFood Creative / Getty Images (7)Joff Lee / Fresh Food Images / Photolibrary (8) FoodCollection / Photolibrary (9) Philip Wilkins / Fresh Food Images / Photolibrary (10) Lew Robertson / StockFood Creative / Getty Images (11) Michael Brauner / StockFood Creative / Getty Images (12) Michael Rosenfeld / Photographer's Choice / Getty Images (13) Patrick Ryan / Stone+ / Getty Images (14) Ulrich Kerth / StockFood Creative / Getty Images (15) Quentin Bacon / StockFood Creative / Getty Images (16) James Baigrie / Riser / Getty Images (17) Martin Hospach / fStop / Photolibrary (18) Anthony Hall / iStockphoto (19) Allison Michael Orenstein / The Image Bank / Getty Images (20) David De Lossy / Photodisc / Photolibrary

REFERENCES: American Heart Association: "Vegetarian Diets." Vegetarian Resource Group: The Market for Vegetarian Foods. WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: Healthy Eating -- Vegetarian Diets and Organic Foods, Vegetarian Diets -- What is a vegetarian? Vegetarian Diets -- How can vegetarians eat a balanced diet?" U.S. Department of Agriculture: "Vegetarian Diets." WebMD Medical Reference: The Good Protein Chart, Vitamin B-12. WebMD Weight Loss Clinic: Eating Well the Veggie Way, The Part-Time Vegetarian. WebMD Feature: Best-Tasting Vegetarian Foods. WebMD Expert Commentary from DrGreene.com: Vegetarian Kids. Craig, W. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 2009. Cabo, J. British Journal of Nutrition, June 2012. Denis, I. AgeingResearch Reviews, March 2013.

Original post:
Vegetarian Diet Slideshow: Food Choices for Beginning a ... - WebMD

Although the intellectual movement called "The Enlightenment" is usually associated with the 18th century, its roots in fact go back much further. But before we explore those roots, we need to define the term. This is one of those rare historical movements which in fact named itself. Certain thinkers and writers, primarily in London and Paris, believed that they were more enlightened than their compatriots and set out to enlighten them.

They believed that human reason could be used to combat ignorance, superstition, and tyranny and to build a better world. Their principal targets were religion (embodied in France in the Catholic Church) and the domination of society by a hereditary aristocracy.

Background in Antiquity

To understand why this movement became so influential in the 18th century, it is important to go back in time. We could choose almost any starting point, but let us begin with the recovery of Aristotelian logic by Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. In his hands the logical procedures so carefully laid out by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle were used to defend the dogmas of Christianity; and for the next couple of centuries, other thinkers pursued these goals to shore up every aspect of faith with logic. These thinkers were sometimes called "schoolmen" (more formally, "scholastics,") and Voltaire frequently refers to them as "doctors," by which he means "doctors of theology."

Unfortunately for the Catholic Church, the tools of logic could not be confined to the uses it preferred. After all, they had been developed in Athens, in a pagan culture which had turned them on its own traditional beliefs. It was only a matter of time before later Europeans would do the same.

The Renaissance Humanists

In the 14th and 15th century there emerged in Italy and France a group of thinkers known as the "humanists." The term did not then have the anti-religious associations it has in contemporary political debate. Almost all of them were practicing Catholics. They argued that the proper worship of God involved admiration of his creation, and in particular of that crown of creation: humanity. By celebrating the human race and its capacities they argued they were worshipping God more appropriately than gloomy priests and monks who harped on original sin and continuously called upon people to confess and humble themselves before the Almighty. Indeed, some of them claimed that humans were like God, created not only in his image, but with a share of his creative power. The painter, the architect, the musician, and the scholar, by exercising their intellectual powers, were fulfilling divine purposes.

This celebration of human capacity, though it was mixed in the Renaissance with elements of gloom and superstition (witchcraft trials flourished in this period as they never had during the Middle Ages), was to bestow a powerful legacy on Europeans. The goal of Renaissance humanists was to recapture some of the pride, breadth of spirit, and creativity of the ancient Greeks and Romans, to replicate their successes and go beyond them. Europeans developed the belief that tradition could and should be used to promote change. By cleaning and sharpening the tools of antiquity, they could reshape their own time.

Galileo Galilei, for instance, was to use the same sort of logic the schoolmen had used--reinforced with observation--to argue in 1632 for the Copernican notion that the earth rotates on its axis beneath the unmoving sun. The Church, and most particularly the Holy Inquisition, objected that the Bible clearly stated that the sun moved through the sky and denounced Galileo's teachings, forcing him to recant (take back) what he had written and preventing him from teaching further. The Church's triumph was a pyrrhic victory, for though it could silence Galileo, it could not prevent the advance of science (though most of those advances would take place in Protestant northern Europe, out of the reach of the pope and his Inquisition).

But before Galileo's time, in the 16th century, various humanists had begun to ask dangerous questions. Franois Rabelais, a French monk and physician influenced by Protestantism, but spurred on by his own rebelliousness, challenged the Church's authority in his Gargantua and Pantagruel, ridiculing many religious doctrines as absurd.

Michel de Montaigne

Michel de Montaigne, in a much more quiet and modest but ultimately more subversive way, asked a single question over and over again in his Essays: "What do I know?" By this he meant that we have no right to impose on others dogmas which rest on cultural habit rather than absolute truth. Powerfully influenced by the discovery of thriving non-Christian cultures in places as far off as Brazil, he argued that morals may be to some degree relative. Who are Europeans to insist that Brazilian cannibals who merely consume dead human flesh instead of wasting it are morally inferior to Europeans who persecute and oppress those of whom they disapprove?

This shift toward cultural relativism, though it was based on scant understanding of the newly discovered peoples, was to continue to have a profound effect on European thought to the present day. Indeed, it is one of the hallmarks of the Enlightenment. Just as their predecessors had used the tools of antiquity to gain unprecedented freedom of inquiry, the Enlightenment thinkers used the examples of other cultures to gain the freedom to reshape not only their philosophies, but their societies. It was becoming clear that there was nothing inevitable about the European patterns of thought and living: there were many possible ways of being human, and doubtless new ones could be invented.

The other contribution of Montaigne to the Enlightenment stemmed from another aspect of his famous question: "What do I know?" If we cannot be certain that our values are God-given, then we have no right to impose them by force on others. Inquisitors, popes, and kings alike had no business enforcing adherence to particular religious or philosophical beliefs.

It is one of the great paradoxes of history that radical doubt was necessary for the new sort of certainty called "scientific." The good scientist is the one is willing to test all assumptions, to challenge all traditional opinion, to get closer to the truth. If ultimate truth, such as was claimed by religious thinkers, was unattainable by scientists, so much the better. In a sense, the strength of science at its best is that it is always aware of its limits, aware that knowledge is always growing, always subject to change, never absolute. Because knowledge depends on evidence and reason, arbitrary authority can only be its enemy.

The 17th Century

Ren Descartes, in the 17th century, attempted to use reason as the schoolmen had, to shore up his faith; but much more rigorously than had been attempted before. He tried to begin with a blank slate, with the bare minimum of knowledge: the knowledge of his own existence ("I think, therefore I am"). From there he attempted to reason his way to a complete defense of Christianity, but to do so he committed so many logical faults that his successors over the centuries were to slowly disintegrate his gains, even finally challenging the notion of selfhood with which he had begun. The history of philosophy from his time to the early 20th century is partly the story of more and more ingenious logic proving less and less, until Ludwig Wittgenstein succeeded in undermining the very bases of philosophy itself.

But that is a story for a different course. Here we are concerned with early stages in the process in which it seemed that logic could be a powerful avenue to truth. To be sure, logic alone could be used to defend all sorts of absurd notions; and Enlightenment thinkers insisted on combining it with something they called "reason" which consisted of common sense, observation, and their own unacknowledged prejudices in favor of skepticism and freedom.

We have been focusing closely on a thin trickle of thought which traveled through an era otherwise dominated by dogma and fanaticism. The 17th century was torn by witch-hunts and wars of religion and imperial conquest. Protestants and Catholics denounced each other as followers of Satan, and people could be imprisoned for attending the wrong church, or for not attending any. All publications, whether pamphlets or scholarly volumes, were subject to prior censorship by both church and state, often working hand in hand. Slavery was widely practiced, especially in the colonial plantations of the Western Hemisphere, and its cruelties frequently defended by leading religious figures. The despotism of monarchs exercising far greater powers than any medieval king was supported by the doctrine of the "divine right of kings," and scripture quoted to show that revolution was detested by God. Speakers of sedition or blasphemy quickly found themselves imprisoned, or even executed. Organizations which tried to challenge the twin authorities of church and state were banned. There had been plenty of intolerance and dogma to go around in the Middle Ages, but the emergence of the modern state made its tyranny much more efficient and powerful.

It was inevitable that sooner or later many Europeans would begin to weary of the repression and warfare carried out in the name of absolute truth. In addition, though Protestants had begun by making powerful critiques of Catholicism, they quickly turned their guns on each other, producing a bewildering array of churches each claiming the exclusive path to salvation. It was natural for people tossed from one demanding faith to another to wonder whether any of the churches deserved the authority they claimed, and to begin to prize the skepticism of Montaigne over the certainty of Luther or Calvin.

Meanwhile, there were other powerful forces at work in Europe: economic ones which were to interact profoundly with these intellectual trends.

The Political and Economic Background

During the late Middle Ages, peasants had begun to move from rural estates to the towns in search of increased freedom and prosperity. As trade and communication improved during the Renaissance, the ordinary town-dweller began to realize that things need not always go on as they had for centuries. New charters could be written, new governments formed, new laws passed, new businesses begun. Although each changed institution quickly tried to stabilize its power by claiming the support of tradition, the pressure for change continued to mount. It was not only contact with alien cultural patterns which influenced Europeans, it was the wealth brought back from Asia and the Americas which catapulted a new class of merchants into prominence, partially displacing the old aristocracy whose power had been rooted in the ownership of land. These merchants had their own ideas about the sort of world they wanted to inhabit, and they became major agents of change, in the arts, in government, and in the economy.

They were naturally convinced that their earnings were the result of their individual merit and hard work, unlike the inherited wealth of traditional aristocrats. Whereas individualism had been chiefly emphasized in the Renaissance by artists, especially visual artists, it now became a core value. The ability of individual effort to transform the world became a European dogma, lasting to this day.

But the chief obstacles to the reshaping of Europe by the merchant class were the same as those faced by the rationalist philosophers: absolutist kings and dogmatic churches. The struggle was complex and many-sided, with each participant absorbing many of the others' values; but the general trend is clear: individualism, freedom and change replaced community, authority, and tradition as core European values. Religion survived, but weakened and often transformed almost beyond recognition; the monarchy was to dwindle over the course of the hundred years beginning in the mid-18th century to a pale shadow of its former self.

This is the background of the 18th-century Enlightenment. Europeans were changing, but Europe's institutions were not keeping pace with that change. The Church insisted that it was the only source of truth, that all who lived outside its bounds were damned, while it was apparent to any reasonably sophisticated person that most human beings on earth were not and had never been Christians--yet they had built great and inspiring civilizations. Writers and speakers grew restive at the omnipresent censorship and sought whatever means they could to evade or even denounce it.

Most important, the middle classes--the bourgeoisie--were painfully aware that they were paying taxes to support a fabulously expensive aristocracy which contributed nothing of value to society (beyond, perhaps, its patronage of the arts, which the burghers of Holland had shown could be equally well exercised by themselves), and that those useless aristocrats were unwilling to share power with those who actually managed and--to their way of thinking,--created the national wealth. They were to find ready allies in France among the impoverished masses who may have lived and thought much like their ancestors, but who were all too aware that with each passing year they were paying higher and higher taxes to support a few thousand at Versailles in idle dissipation.

The Role of the Aristocrats

Interestingly, it was among those very idle aristocrats that the French Enlightenment philosophers were to find some of their earliest and most enthusiastic followers. Despite the fact that the Church and State were more often than not allied with each other, they were keenly aware of their differences. Even kings could on occasion be attracted by arguments which seemed to undermine the authority of the Church. The fact that the aristocrats were utterly unaware of the precariousness of their position also made them overconfident, interested in dabbling in the new ideas partly simply because they were new and exciting.

Voltaire moved easily in these aristocratic circles, dining at their tables, taking a titled mistress, corresponding with monarchs. He opposed tyranny and dogma, but he had no notion of reinventing that discredited Athenian folly, democracy. He had far too little faith in the ordinary person for that. What he did think was that educated and sophisticated persons could be brought to see through the exercise of their reason that the world could and should be greatly improved.

Rousseau vs. Voltaire

Not all Enlightenment thinkers were like Voltaire in this. His chief adversary was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who distrusted the aristocrats not out of a thirst for change but because he believed they were betraying decent traditional values. He opposed the theater which was Voltaire's lifeblood, shunned the aristocracy which Voltaire courted, and argued for something dangerously like democratic revolution. Whereas Voltaire argued that equality was impossible, Rousseau argued that inequality was not only unnatural, but that--when taken too far--it made decent government impossible. Whereas Voltaire charmed with his wit, Rousseau ponderously insisted on his correctness, even while contradicting himself. Whereas Voltaire insisted on the supremacy of the intellect, Rousseau emphasized the emotions, becoming a contributor to both the Enlightenment and its successor, romanticism. And whereas Voltaire endlessly repeated the same handful of core Enlightenment notions, Rousseau sparked off original thoughts in all directions: ideas about education, the family, government, the arts, and whatever else attracted his attention.

For all their personal differences, the two shared more values than they liked to acknowledge. They viewed absolute monarchy as dangerous and evil and rejected orthodox Christianity. Though Rousseau often struggled to seem more devout, he was almost as much a skeptic as Voltaire: the minimalist faith both shared was called "deism," and it was eventually to transform European religion and have powerful influences on other aspects of society as well.

Across the border in Holland, the merchants, who exercised most political power, there made a successful industry out of publishing books that could not be printed in countries like France. Dissenting religious groups mounted radical attacks on Christian orthodoxy.

The Enlightenment in England

Meanwhile Great Britain had developed its own Enlightenment, fostered by thinkers like the English thinker John Locke, the Scot David Hume, and many others. England had anticipated the rest of Europe by deposing and decapitating its king back in the 17th century. Although the monarchy had eventually been restored, this experience created a certain openness toward change in many places that could not be entirely extinguished. English Protestantism struggled to express itself in ways that widened the limits of freedom of speech and press. Radical Quakers and Unitarians broke open old dogmas in ways that Voltaire was to find highly congenial when he found himself there in exile. The English and French Enlightenments exchanged influences through many channels, Voltaire not least among them.

Because England had gotten its revolution out of the way early, it was able to proceed more smoothly and gradually down the road to democracy; but English liberty was dynamite when transported to France, where resistance by church and state was fierce to the last possible moment. The result was ironically that while Britain remained saturated with class privilege and relatively pious, France was to become after its own revolution the most egalitarian and anticlerical state in Europe--at least in its ideals. The power of religion and the aristocracy diminished gradually in England; in France they were violently uprooted.

The Enlightenment in America

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, many of the intellectual leaders of the American colonies were drawn to the Enlightenment. The colonies may have been founded by leaders of various dogmatic religious persuasions, but when it became necessary to unite against England, it was apparent that no one of them could prevail over the others, and that the most desirable course was to agree to disagree. Nothing more powerfully impelled the movement toward the separation of church and state than the realization that no one church could dominate this new state.

Many of the most distinguished leaders of the American revolution--Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, Paine--were powerfully influenced by English and--to a lesser extent--French Enlightenment thought. The God who underwrites the concept of equality in the Declaration of Independence is the same deist God Rousseau worshipped, not that venerated in the traditional churches which still supported and defended monarchies all over Europe. Jefferson and Franklin both spent time in France--a natural ally because it was a traditional enemy of England--absorbing the influence of the French Enlightenment. The language of natural law, of inherent freedoms, of self-determination which seeped so deeply into the American grain was the language of the Enlightenment, though often coated with a light glaze of traditional religion, what has been called our "civil religion."

This is one reason that Americans should study the Enlightenment. It is in their bones. It has defined part of what they have dreamed of, what they aim to become. Separated geographically from most of the aristocrats against whom they were rebelling, their revolution was to be far less corrosive--and at first less influential--than that in France.

The Struggle in Europe

But we need to return to the beginning of the story, to Voltaire and his allies in France, struggling to assert the values of freedom and tolerance in a culture where the twin fortresses of monarchy and Church opposed almost everything they stood for. To oppose the monarchy openly would be fatal; the Church was an easier target. Protestantism had made religious controversy familiar. Voltaire could skillfully cite one Christian against another to make his arguments. One way to undermine the power of the Church was to undermine its credibility, and thus Voltaire devoted a great deal of his time to attacking the fundamentals of Christian belief: the inspiration of the Bible, the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, the damnation of unbelievers. No doubt he relished this battle partly for its own sake, but he never lost sight of his central goal: the toppling of Church power to increase the freedom available to Europeans.

Voltaire was joined by a band of rebellious thinkers known as the philosophes: Charles de Montesquieu, Pierre Bayle, Jean d'Alembert, and many lesser lights. Although "philosophe" literally means "philosopher" we use the French word in English to designate this particular group of French 18th-century thinkers. Because Denis Diderot commissioned many of them to write for his influential Encyclopedia, they are also known as "the Encyclopedists."

The Heritage of the Enlightenment

Today the Enlightenment is often viewed as a historical anomaly, a brief moment when a number of thinkers infatuated with reason vainly supposed that the perfect society could be built on common sense and tolerance, a fantasy which collapsed amid the Terror of the French Revolution and the triumphal sweep of Romanticism. Religious thinkers repeatedly proclaim the Enlightenment dead, Marxists denounce it for promoting the ideals and power of the bourgeoisie at the expense of the working classes, postcolonial critics reject its idealization of specifically European notions as universal truths, and postructuralists reject its entire concept of rational thought.

Yet in many ways, the Enlightenment has never been more alive. The notions of human rights it developed are powerfully attractive to oppressed peoples everywhere, who appeal to the same notion of natural law that so inspired Voltaire and Jefferson. Wherever religious conflicts erupt, mutual religious tolerance is counseled as a solution. Rousseau's notions of self-rule are ideals so universal that the worst tyrant has to disguise his tyrannies by claiming to be acting on their behalf. European these ideas may be, but they have also become global. Whatever their limits, they have formed the consensus of international ideals by which modern states are judged.

If our world seems little closer to perfection than that of 18th-century France, that is partly due to our failure to appreciate gains we take for granted. But it is also the case that many of the enemies of the Enlightenment are demolishing a straw man: it was never as simple-mindedly optimistic as it has often been portrayed. Certainly Voltaire was no facile optimist. He distrusted utopianism, instead trying to cajole Europeans out of their more harmful stupidities. Whether we acknowledge his influence or not, we still think today more like him than like his enemies.

As we go through his most influential work, The Philosophical Dictionary, look for passages which helped lay the groundwork for modern patterns of thought. Look also for passages which still seem challenging, pieces of arguments that continue today.

Next: Voltaire & the Philosophical Dictionary

Back to on-campus syllabus

Other study guides

This page has been accessed times since December 17, 1998.

Paul Brians' home page

Created by Paul Brians March 11, 1998. Last revised May 18, 2000.

Here is the original post:
The Enlightenment - Washington State University

If you are considering making the military a career or you have already made that decision, and just want to know more about your benefits then this will be of special interest to you.

This article looks at the current Military Retirement Systems and the choices facing most today's active duty members. The following is a summary of what you need to know regarding Military Retirement Systems:

The military retirement system is arguably the best retirement deal around. Unlike most retirement plans, the Armed Forces offer a pension, with benefits, that starts the day you retire, no matter how old you are. That means you could start collecting a regular retirement pension as early as 37 years old. What's more, that pension check will grow with a cost of living adjustment each year.

However there are many factors that determine exactly how much your pension (technically a reduced payment for reduced service) will be. Over the past twenty five years, the government has made some significant changes to the military retirement system.

If you entered the service:

All of these retirement systems have a common thread: if you stay in the armed forces for 20 or more years, you are eligible to receive a pension based on a percentage of your basic pay, and if you stay in for a40 years, you are eligible for 100% of your basic pay. But that's where the similarities end and the confusion really begins, because each of these systems determines your amount of pension differently.

There are four major differences between the retirement systems. If you joined the military after August of 1986 you especially need to thoroughly understand these differences, because when you reach the 15 year mark in your military career you will have to make a choice of a lifetime about which plan you want for yourself.

The major differences are the basis for determining your highest earnings, the multiplier, the Cost of Living Adjustment, and the Career Status Bonus.

Back to Top

Although you have no choice in the basis for calculating your retirement pay, it is a very important detail. For instance the Final Pay retirement system bases the amount of pension on a member's last month of pay.

For Example: if you retired at twenty years of service on the final Pay retirement system, you received 50% of your final months pay as your pension, and that percentage increases by 2.5% for each additional year of service.

Under the High 36 system a member's pension is based on the average of the highest 36 month's base pay. So if you retire under the High 36 system you would get 50% of your highest 3 years (36 months) average base pay plus 2.5% added on for every year of service over 20 years.

Under the CSB/REDUX system a member's pension is based on the average of the highest 36 month's base pay like above, but the main difference is that you will get 40% of your highest 3 years (36 months) average base pay plus 3.5% added on for each year of service between 21 - 30 years, and 2.5% added on for each year of service between 30 - 40.

The multiplier is the percentage of your base pay you receive for each year of service. For the Final Pay and High 36 systems you earn 2.5% per year of service. That means you get 50% for 20 years of service up to a maximum of 100% for 40 years.

The multiplier for the CSB/REDUX system is 2% per year for the first 20 years, but you get an increase to 3.5% for each year of service between 21 - 30 years, and 2.5% added on for each year of service between 30 - 40. That means you get 40% for 20 years, but up to 100% for 40 years. That is a significant difference.

Note: Although rare, those who stay in past 40 years can continue to increase their retirement rate beyond 100%.

Learn more about how your Retired Pay is Calculated including a link to calculators to help you determine your retirement pay.

All three retirement systems have an annual cost of living adjustment. This is a subtle, yet very important detail. Over the lifetime of your retirement the cost of living adjustment could more than double your retirement check.

The COLA for the final pay and high 36 systems is determined each year by the national Consumer Price Index. But the COLA for the CSB/REDUX retirement system is the Consumer Price Index minus 1%.

Note: There is one more twist to the COLA for the CSB/REDUX retiree. At age 62 the COLAs and multiplier are readjusted so that the High 36 and CSB retirees get the same monthly pay.

Back to Top

Now the CSB/REDUX system gets a bit more complicated. Under this latest system when you reach your 15th year of service, you must choose between taking the "CSB/REDUX" with a $30K cash bonus (approximately $21K after taxes) and a 40% pension check, or the High 36 retirement system with no bonus and a 50% pension check. This is a huge decision and cannot be made without some serious consideration and a clear understanding of the details.

Part 2 - Factors to help you make the choice of a lifetime!

See original here:
The Military Retirement System | Military.com

Since there will always be things threatening the market, it is important that employees focus on the items they can control, such as how much they are saving and their asset allocation, based on their time horizon and tolerance of risk.

Lenny Sanicola

Total rewards professional, blogger, author, passionate about employee benefits & employee well-being

Check the fees yourself. Don't just leave it to someone else. Even the best fund managers may do strange things with fees that you only find out about in letters most people don't bother to read.

As a child, we all dreamed about what we wanted to be when we grow up. And now as we near retirement, it's time to dream about our future once again.

Buck Wargo

Buck Wargo, Sr. Editor | NowItCounts.com

As America's baby boomers continue to age and look forward to longer and longer life spans, they are setting their sights on retirement and making their U.S. dollars last as long as possible.

Taniel Chemsian

Puerto Vallarta-based real estate professional and personality on HGTV's "House Hunters International"

We have six grandchildren now ranging from one month to 11 years old, with another due in four months. So what's wrong with us? Are we cruel and heartless grandparents, who don't care about our kids or their kids?

With people remaining healthy and vibrant well into their 60s, the once-mandatory retirement age of 65 no longer makes sense. Those able to continue working benefit greatly from the positive health improvements that comes with keeping their minds engaged.

Sherwin Sheik

Founder & CEO of CareLinx, an online nationwide marketplace that directly connects families with professional and affordable caregivers

Average investors who buy mutual funds, insurance policies, annuities and other types of investments work under the assumption that their financial adviser is working in their best interests. This is a false assumption.

It seems like a silly notion, but we've seen it happen ... people move to some exotic location, like Ecuador or Panama, with perfect weather and interesting culture and, within a few months, find themselves at loose ends.

Regardless of political ideology, educators must reclaim their profession. I know you don't seek attention. You just want to teach, but it's time for a PR offensive of your own. It's time for the experts to drive the narrative, and below are five ways to do that.

Chester Goad, Ed.D.

Dr. Chester Goad is an author and speaker on learning, leadership, and life. Connect with him at chestergoad.com.

Since millennials don't know how much government support they will have during retirement, they need to start saving now. Here are a few good retirement savings tips: Pay off all debt first to avoid accruing interest and put money into an IRA automatically.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes figuring out what the hell to do about Social Security. Retirement planning can be quite complicated for anyone, but the newness of Social Security options for LGBT couples find some of us unprepared.

David Rae

Certified Financial Planner, AIF and fiscal fitness maestro, making dollars and sense for the LGBT community and friends for over a decade.

How financially stressed are you? Here are some major indicators of financial stress with suggestions for taking action.

Nathaniel Sillin

Nathaniel Sillin is the Head of Global Financial Education at Visa Inc.

Studies have shown that sizable numbers of business owners look to transfer their ownership interests in the next decade, and a major concern for many...

In one of the last weeks of my father's life -- though we had no idea at the time that he would be leaving us shortly as a result of a burst blood v...

The healthiest cities for retirement living are in the Pacific Northwest, Colorado and Minnesota, according to a new list that relegates all but one Sunbelt city below the top 20.

Buck Wargo

Buck Wargo, Sr. Editor | NowItCounts.com

For some, retirement still evokes images of a rocking chair on the porch. Some relaxation is OK, but the rocker isn't the best long-term answer for mind or body. Today's retirees are choosing active lifestyles. Many hold part-time jobs, pursue hobbies, and fulfill long-deferred dreams.

Visit link:
Retirement : Pictures, Videos, Breaking News

Pioneering distance education since 1985, Liberty University is now the nations largest private, nonprofit online university. As part of the worlds largest Christian university, Liberty University Online offers a unique approach to online education.

More than 95,000 students around the world enjoy the same quality education as Libertys residential students with the added flexibility of online classes. Offering more than245distance learning degrees from the certificate to the doctoral level, Liberty Online is training students as Champions for Christ through online education.

A distance learning degree from Liberty Online is an investment that will make a lifelong impact. Classes at Liberty's online Christian university are taught in a flexible virtual classroom, designed to be both engaging and challenging. Students who choose online education have access to an incredible array of learning resources and can complete their distance learning degrees on their own schedule.

Liberty is consistently ranked among the top 10 online universities by Online Education Database because of its high retention and graduation rates. Liberty is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the highest accreditation possible.

Read more here:
Online Education with an Online Christian University ...