Month: August 2016
Icelandic Blackwater by Worlds In Focus Steaming and boiling…
Icelandic Blackwater by Worlds In Focus Steaming and boiling blackwater in south Iceland.
7 Surprising Ways Floating Improves Your Mental and Physical Well-Being
You’re reading 7 Surprising Ways Floating Improves Your Mental and Physical Well-Being, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
When you enhance your body, you also change your mind. When you float, your body achieves a level of relaxation that is even deeper than sleep. As your mind stays awake, large portions of the brain are free from their normal tasks of sending signals from the organs and nervous systems. With more studies about floating every day here are 7 surprising ways floating improves your mental and physical well-being:
1. Provides Instant Meditation
If there’s an easier way to meditate than floating, I don’t know what it is! Most people claim to struggle with or find meditation challenging after 5 minutes, but floating forces you to let go and just focus on breathing. The water temperature responds to the skin at 93.5 degrees. This means you can’t even tell where the water ends and you begin. There are no lights or noises to interfere with your meditation and the focus on your breath. Floating is a gentle introduction to starting a meditative practice and only requires you to relax your body into the water.
2. Resets Your Circadian Rhythm and Improves Athletic Performance
Some of the world’s greatest athletes – like Carl Lewis – have used tank visualization techniques to help prepare for training. The Dallas Cowboys have also been known to use flotation tanks since the early 80’s to develop both the psychological and physical skills of the players. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has also been using tanks to train their Olympic squads since 1983.
Floating allows the body to maximize the benefits of physical training. High-intensity workouts stimulate the growth of muscles’ while the actual strengthening and growth occur during relaxation. This usually occurs 30-40 hours after stimulation. Deep relaxation accelerates muscle tissues’ growth and regeneration while improving circulation. Strenuous physical exercise may also cause a rapid build-up of lactic acid, which is a toxic by-product of anaerobic glycolysis. This will cause cramps, pain, and fatigue, which is also linked to depression and anxiety.
In order to reach the athletic peak performance, this depends on a coordination of mental, physical and emotional skills. Modern methods of training help athletes to develop asynchrony of body, mind, and emotions. Floating is one method that will reduce the effects of reducing waste materials and lactic acid from the body along with the risk of over-training.
3. Combats Addiction
One of the most common addictions we have is constantly using electronic devices. The tiny doses of dopamine we get from surfing the web or checking our Facebook can be dangerous. But whether you are addicted to social media, food, or even drugs, floating can help ease the brain and help battle those harmful addictions. Many users claim to become more involved with their surroundings than the desire to check for likes and notifications.
4. Helps Soothe PTSD and Anxiety
Groups including the Flat Clinic and Research Center are currently undergoing studying of floating as a potential treatment in therapy for those who suffer from PTSD and anxiety. Floating helps reduce activity in the cortex. This decreases stress hormone production and simultaneously allows the body to have a deep relaxation that causes the release of endorphins.
5. Fuels Productivity and Inspires Creativity
A 90-minute session may seem like a long to float, but after a while, your alpha or beta brainwaves transition into theta waves. The usually occurs before you sleep and before you wake up. Floating also brings your consciousness to a new level. Many people have claimed to have creative breakthroughs and have discovered solutions. Without any distractions for a solid amount of time, this will allow your brain to think more freely.
6. Increases Positive Theta Brain Waves and Reduces Negativity
During a research study in 1999, flotation increases the theta waves in the brain. Theta waves have also been shown to be activated by meditation in the same way. They are also active during REM before and after sleeping. Floating has also been shown to eliminate unwanted negativity in the body. The urinary cortisol and Plasma, ACTH(adrenocorticotropic hormone), renin activity, epinephrine, blood pressure and heart rate are all directly associated with stress.
7. Improves Magnesium in the Body
What makes floating work is the 850 pounds of Epsom salt. As water is one of the best brain foods your body can have, Epsom salt consists of sulfate and magnesium. According to research, most Americans have a magnesium deficiency and floating can help raising your magnesium levels.
There are no given negative side effects as all the effects of sensory relaxation are proven to be very beneficial for the body at a physical, mental, and emotional level. It is the easiest, fastest, and safety way to achieve relaxation, ease the symptoms of depression and the quality of daily living.
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David Gomes completed his M.S Professional degree in California Institute of Technology. He is work for Consumer Health Digest. He lives in Oakland, California, USA. He loves to write on a variety of topics such as joint health, weight loss, beauty and skin care for blogs and on-line publication sites. He also loves latest technology, gadgets. You can connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
References
You’ve read 7 Surprising Ways Floating Improves Your Mental and Physical Well-Being, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Lamas House / MOARQS architects + OTTOLENGHI architects
© Albano Garcia
- Architects: Arch. Ignacio Montaldo + Arch. Eugenio Ottolenghi
- Location: Tigre, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
- Collaborators Architects: Adrien Girard, Juan Charadia, Lucrecia Brero, Torunn Vaksvik Skarstad, Jerónimo Bailat, Sofia Tomaselli
- Area: 360.0 sqm
- Project Year: 2015
- Photographs: Albano Garcia
- Type Of Project: House
- Structural Engineers: German Comas, Fernando Saludas
- Landscape Architecture: Cecilia Rossi de Dominicis
- Client: Private
- Frame Windows: Alucon. Fernando
- Lighting Consultant: Arch. Verónica La Cruz
- Ablution: Estudio Labonia
- Main Contractor: Carlos Rodríguez Palare / Arch Michelle Rodríguez Palare
© Albano Garcia
The commission is a house for a couple with four grown children.
The plot is located in a countryside neighborhood with access to Route 27 and to the Lujan River, in the town of Tigre in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires.
The project is intended to be a criticism of the type of detached-house or typical villa, which swarms today’s gated communities. The project seeks to close itself off as much as possible to the street and neighbors, and work from a courtyard, open on the ground floor and more closed and private on the first floor, where the main living space is located – (living room, kitchen, dining room, bedroom and bathroom). On the ground floor there are located two offices and a recreational space that connects to the garden and pool.
© Albano Garcia
© Albano Garcia
In the patio/atrium three flower-jacarandas have been planted, which provide a significant change of color, and thus feel, to the space with the passing of the seasons.
Section
Section
The house rests on a concrete platform with inverted stiffening beams and is assembled with a mixed structure of reinforced concrete and steel columns that push the momentum of the flexion to its limits with a support system that runs through an prop up that vertically supports of the ends of the beams.
© Albano Garcia
Diagram
© Albano Garcia
Plane eucalyptus boards of 3’’ (of various lengths) where used for the formwork to mold the beam partitions, and for the ceiling slabs finished multi-laminated phenolic plastic boards were used.
© Albano Garcia
Harvard Museums Releases Online Catalogue of 32,000 Bauhaus Works
© Gili Merin
In anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus school in 2019, Harvard Art Museums has released an online catalogue of their 32,000-piece Bauhaus Collection, containing rarely seen drawings and photographs from attendees and instructors of the revolutionary German design school.
The collection features work from the likes of Mies van der Rohe, Bertrand Goldberg, Marcel Breuer, and Bauhaus-founder Walter Gropius himself, and can be navigated through a search bar and an easy-to-use set of filters, allowing you to categorize work by topic, medium, date or artist.
Screenshot via Harvard Art Museums
Exploring the tabs at the top of the page will take you to the table of contents, a chronological history of the school and an essay covering the impact of the Bauhaus on the design world; or simply skip to the “Holdings” tab and select “Architecture” to begin explore the vast collection of works. Highlights include early sketches from Mies and drawings and photographs of Gropius and Adolf Meyer’s design for the Chicago Tribune Tower competition.
Screenshot via Harvard Art Museums
If the online catalogue is not enough (which seems unlikely), or you’d like explore examples of Bauhaus design in the real world, the site also contains a map of all the Bauhaus related sites found in the Boston area.
Find the collection at the Harvard Art Museums’ online platform, here.
Screenshot via Harvard Art Museums
H/T Curbed, The Evolving Critic.
House in Mikage by Sides Core contrasts white surfaces with exposed wooden beams
Osaka studio Sides Core has created a house in Kobe, conceived as a series of simple wooden containers (+ slideshow). (more…)
Trent Jansen designs Tidal sunlounger to capture the mood of a 1970s Australian summer
Sydney designer Trent Jansen referenced the aesthetics of Australia in the 1970s to create this sunlounger for outdoor furniture brand Tait (+ movie). (more…)
How to Persuade Anyone and Everyone
Finally, a clear article about how I can manipulate everyone in my life. My friends, coworkers, family, now absolute putty in my hands. Okay, calm down because your evil intentions will not work here. Many of us wish we could understand the inner-workings of others’ minds, as well as enhance the exchanges we share with others in not just our favor, but theirs as well. This is not only a way to learn more about yourself and others, but about finding the best way to effectively communicate and grow.
First things first, the test. Some of you have probably already taken or heard of the Myers Briggs Personality test, but I ask that you take it, possibly a few on a couple different sites to get a more accurate result. I could go on about why I choose this test over all other personality tests, but, ultimately, this is the one I find most accurate and informative. So, go ahead, I can wait.
Hopefully, you took the test, and maybe you already knew or maybe you’re surprised. In the case of inconclusive results, pick the one you feel best reflects you. Regardless, I’ll do a quick overview of what the results can mean before you start taking over the minds’ of humanity.
Overview
There are 8 different letters, you will receive 4. Let’s talk about what the letters actually mean.
Extrovert or Introvert: Your result either begins with an E or an I. Essentially, this come downs to how your body recharges and finds “peace.” Generally, extroverts feel better after having talked to another person or in a group setting, whereas an introvert may feel rejuvenated after spending quality time with one’s self. While there may be hybrids of this particular balance, this comes down to what awakens your mind.
Intuition or Sensing: This category is about how you take in information. The sensory deals with tangible results or basics, meaning you have to see it to believe it. The intuitive-nature stems from a more inquisitive style that looks for possibilities or new and different meanings.
Thinking or Feeling: This is the one we’ll focus on the most and deals with how we make decisions. As a thinker you generally want to focus on the logic, numbers, and consistency. Someone who is a feeler focuses on the emotions and people in a situation.
Judging or Perceiving: Perceivers like to live in the moment and find ways to be spontaneous and leave options open. Judgers like to plan more heavily and require structure.
If you want a detailed explanation of your personality, look elsewhere. There is no superior “type,” but rather this experiment be an opportunity to understand and appreciate all types and broaden your perspective.
Decision-Making
Now, we’re at the point where we’re molding the minds of others to our liking. The majority of the persuasion we will learn comes down to the way we appeal to how one makes decisions. While we don’t automatically know everyone’s personality type, we can preface conversations or meetings in ways that will help us have a better understanding of how one conducts business or decides something. Again, much of this is common sense, but this explanation may help you apply this to your day to day interactions.
When we discover someone seems to focus more on results, logic, or numbers, we can already start appealing to this sense they have when it comes to making decisions. For example, suppose your boss is a thinker, and you want a second computer monitor for your research but know the budget is tight. Instead of just asking for another monitor, you highlight the increase in your performance and research that will increase company value, retention, blah blah blah. Pretty simple right?
Same situation, but your boss is a feeler. Instead of talking numbers, we may refocus attention on the people who will benefit from your research and how this will bring more people to the company, growing the community, blah blah.
Another option for further persuasion is dealing with how they prefer to take in information. This can be much harder considering how challenging it is to figure out if someone is intuitive or sensory-based. If you do know or think you have a good idea, you can apply the same principles with focusing on either tangible results or relate to them on the potential of the situation. In the same situation previously addressed, we can appeal to a more intuitive individual if we talk about the endless possibilities and future progress of the research. If dealing with sensory-based, you would want to shift your focus to the current findings of the research.
This simple tool can prove to be highly effective, it’s almost scary. This approach can be used for good or bad, but I encourage you to use this knowledge as a way for better constructing your discussions and desires. While this article may be laden with sarcasm, much of what I have shared is applicable to various avenues in life and can promote far better communication across all platforms.
The post How to Persuade Anyone and Everyone appeared first on Change your thoughts.
Las Vegas – Nevada – USA (by Graeme Maclean)
Las Vegas – Nevada – USA (by Graeme Maclean)
Five of the best houses in Utah on Dezeen
It’s over to Utah for this week’s roundup in our series spotlighting residential architecture across the US. The top five from this western state include a house clad in weathered steel shingles and a spiritual retreat built with stone-filled gabion cages (+ slideshow). (more…)
Sig Nordal 