Ananga 7/3/08 Ananga 7/3/08

Stepping Lightly on this Earth

As the green message grows there are few among us who haven’t read or heard the term “carbon footprint”. We’re getting better at recycling, and we’re gradually switching to energy efficient bulbs; but according to Al Gore, the Guru of Green, there is one crucial change we should all be taking to lighten our load on this earth… Refusing to eat meat.

“Refusing meat is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.”

Al Gore - the official handbook for Live Earth concerts.

Ananga 5/30/08 Ananga 5/30/08

The Story of the Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a debate that goes on inside people. He said, ”My son, the battle between two wolves is inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."

“The other is good. It is humility, love, kindness, truth, compassion, faith, empathy, generosity, benevelonce, and serenity.”

The grandson thought about this for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Ananga 5/9/08 Ananga 5/9/08

Is Materialism Harming Your Mental Health?

The World Health Organisation predicts that depression will be the second most common disease by 2010. Among the many research studies trying to pinpoint causes of depression, a growing number are reporting that our consumeristic lifestyle may be at fault.

Stuff vs Self: Materialism Blamed for Increase in Depression

John Abela, professor of psychology at McGill University has conducted a study of teenagers in Montreal and Shanghai, and he believes that China’s recent massive cultural change and eager adoption of materialism is to blame for increased depression rates in the country.

Similar research has found that nearly 50% of American students had suffered from depression, anxiety, or feelings of hopelessness at least once in the year 2006. And, as in China, materialism is once again suspected as being a big part of the problem.

In McGill University magazine professor Abela states: “Materialists have a fragile sense of self because their worth depends on attaining external things. The quality of their interpersonal relationships suffers and they feel more stress while pursuing extrinsic goals.”

Ananga 3/10/08 Ananga 3/10/08

Hidden Anger: How Your Journal Can Help You Let off Steam in a Healthy Way

Anger sounds like an upfront and obvious emotion and it can be when it erupts and everyone around you gets to feel the heat, but anger can also burn you from the inside, and it can happen beneath your level of conscious awareness. This unhealthy simmering anger can seriously affect your health and the quality of your life if you leave it bubbling beneath the surface.

We don’t like to think of ourselves as angry. We try to appear cool and calm when we are in company, and we like to convey the impression that everything is well in our world. But many of us have anger lurking beneath our apparently calm exterior, and while it may not be so obvious to others, hidden anger is a potential danger to our health and greatly affects the quality of our lives and our relationships.

Healthy Anger

Anger properly expressed is healthy, so long as it is dropped once it has served it's purpose. Ayurveda (India's ancient science of natural health) teaches that properly expressed anger is natural and nourishing to our self-esteem. When anger becomes a problem is when it is held onto for long periods, or when we hold it inside ourselves...