Nathalie Croix Nathalie Croix

Spring Water + Hydration

Drinking fresh, clean high-quality natrual spring water is considered by many studies to be the best form of natural drinking. What is natural spring water? Spring water is water sourced from mountains that is clean, fresh, unprocessed and free from artificial treatment – it is truly alive! It’s considered by many to be the safest kind of drinking water since it’s free of toxins, natural, and contains all essential minerals required by the human body.

WHAT IS NATURAL SPRING WATER?

Drinking fresh, clean high-quality natrual spring water is considered by many studies to be the best form of natural drinking. What is natural spring water? Spring water is water sourced from mountains that is clean, fresh, unprocessed and free from artificial treatment – it is truly alive! It’s considered by many to be the safest kind of drinking water since it’s free of toxins, natural, and contains all essential minerals required by the human body.

WHY DRINK NATURAL SPRING WATER?

Spring water is the way nature intended drinking water to be. And because natural water that passes through rocks will always pick up minerals, spring water Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Potassium in just the right amount and proportion required by the human body. Some studies have shown that drinking water containing the right concentration of these minerals can help in preventing a wide range of health conditions. Natural spring water is healthier & safer than drinking filtered water, alkaline water, ionized water, or tap water. It is also better than distilled water because distilled water is nothing but pure H2O – which doesn’t exist in nature & doesn’t contain minerals thath help destroy pathogens in the body.

If you are looking to try natural spring water delivered to you, we recommend Mountain Valley ( My Favorite) ,

Live Water or Poland Spring.

We order Mountain Valley at my house.

Which is delevered to my home, five gallons glass container.

Another great company to look into is Ascended Health – they are coming up with a great product called LifeForce Water – designed to support your body to heal itself.

Speaking of HEAL watch the new Netflix documentary HEAL

HOW TO HYDRATE & HOW LONG IT TAKES

Each and every cell, tissue & organ in our body depends on water to survive. We’ve all heard that up to 60% of the adult human body is made of water. Our bodies use water to maintain temperature, lubricate joints, and remove waste – it is essential for good health!

Many conditions influence how fast your body absorbs water. For example, if you drink water on an empty stomach, it can pass through your stomach & large intestine to enter your bloodstream in as little as 5 minutes – especially if the water is cold. However, if you are eating while you drink water, it might take 45+ minutes to enter your bloodstream because the stomach has to first digest your food before allowing the water to pass through. So we can estimate that on average it takes 5-120 minutes for water to fully absorb into your bloodstream. For more research, check out this site: Explained Health.

It is recommended that the average human drink 6-8 glasses of water per day, but keep in mind that every body is different and that it’s possible to hydrate with other fluids too, as well as in foods (such as watermelon, tomatoes, lettuce, and soup broth). If you’re in doubt about if you’re drinking enough water for your body, check your urine – it should be colorless or a light yellow. Any darker, and you should up your daily water intake! It’s important to note that if you ever feel headache, confusion, extreme sleepiness or extreme thirst, you may be dehydrated. To maximize hydration, drink water before you eat.

HYDRATION TIPS

If you find it hard to remember to drink your 6-8 glasses per day,

try these tips & tricks:

  • Drink slow & steady (throughout the day, versus a lot at one time)

  • Buy a reusable water bottle & fill it up every morning, then make sure to keep it with you during the day so it’s always at hand

  • Thirst is often confused with hunger – so when you’re hungry try drinking water first

  • When you go to a restaurant always ask for a glass of water first before ordering so you have it at hand

  • If you just don’t like the taste of water, add lemon or lime slices. Lemon also helps in aiding your digestion, hydrating your lymph system, has a load of nutrients including potassium and vitamin C, reduces inflammation and gives you an energy boost.

  • Schedule your water drinking – for example, a small glass at the beginning of each hour. For maximum absorption drink right in the morning & two hours before heavy exercise.

We hope you enjoyed learning more about spring water + hydration!

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EARLY RISERS

WELCOME TO FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

This morning I woke up at 5AM. 

I was restless in bed and eager to start my day, full of energy.

The first thing I did was light an organic incense, after that I joined a early risers group meditation via Headspace. Soon after I brew Living Tea - Nothing compares starting your day with an amazing tea bowl. 

Following this morning ritual I was ready to jump on work. 

My mind felt sharp and focused since there was not much noise and most of the world around me was still asleep.

WELCOME TO FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS


This morning I woke up at 5AM. 


I was restless in bed and eager to start my day, full of energy.

The first thing I did was light an organic incense, after that I joined a early risers group meditation via Headspace. Soon after I brew Living Tea - Nothing compares starting your day with an amazing tea bowl. 


Following this morning ritual I was ready to jump on work. 


My mind felt sharp and focused since there was not much noise and most of the world around me was still asleep. 


By 8AM I had accomplished much work and taken many "to do's"

off my list. 


This got me thinking about the world of Early Risers and the world of Late Risers, the different approaches and different energies we come in contact with depending on our life choices and lifestyle.


Life moves in ebb and flows - everything and everyone is constantly changing. Including our habits, which is fascinating to me.


When I am in India my wake up call time is / was 3:15AM and the reason being is because my late teacher Sri K Pattabhi Jois, wanted me at the Yoga Shala at 4AM - By 7AM I had finished my asana yoga practice six days a week. By 7PM I was in bed. This was typical on my many trips to India, as well as when I was teaching Ashtanga Yoga, early morning, Mysore style in Los Angeles six days a week. Class started at 6AM and I had to open the studio by 5:30AM.


Fast forward many years later, now, I am not an "early riser" for the most part. Although today, yes, I was. Usually I wake up between 8:30AM and 9AM on work days and on ralaxation days I sleep in - sometimes past 10AM, which feels like a real luxury. 


I think is interesting to observe the time we go to bed and the time we wake up. 


I am not a big fan of alarm clocks - I am lucky - I have trained my mind to wake up at whatever time I tell myself to wake up which is decided the previous night. I just wake up. I think we can train our brains to do that. 


I don't believe in sleeping with your phone right by your side. 


Clear yourself from EMF - Electromagnetic Field is a physical field produced by eletrically charged objects. It interacts with your own natural magnetic field and this can cause imbalances in your system.


If you sleep with your phone by you, turn on AIRPLANE mode. 


The Iphone recently launched "Bedtime" Sleep Analysis on your phone suggesting it is healthier to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Bedtime can be found by the ALARM App on your phone. It also keeps track of how many hours you sleep and you can set goals for yourself in the App. 


Sleep is one of the most healing and healthy things we can offer our body, our mind and our spirit. 


Sleep is so important. 


Read the book Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffignton - the founder of The Huffington Post. Her book will fascinate you in many ways.


Alarms !


If you have to set an alarm choose a smooth sound such as the ocean waves, bells, or .... Farm Animals (Lol) 

side note: I love waking up to a rooster!


“It's Our Collective Delusion That Overwork And Burnout Are The Price We Must Pay In Order To Succeed" 

- Arianna Huffington

ARTICLE I FOUND INTERESTING 


This article was written by Andrew Merle for Huffpost - Enjoy!

Here is what I found (in order of wake-up time, earliest to latest):

So while there are outliers on both ends, it does appear as though most of today’s top business leaders are up and at ’em by 7am (and almost certainly by 8am).

While energy levels and work conditions are unique to every individual, early mornings seem to be so popular because they enable you to get a head start on the day before distractions and obligations arise.

Attacking the day on your own terms first-thing also gives you a sense of control in your life. Early morning hours enable you to play offense, instead of being reactive to emails, calls, meetings, and other demands on your time.

It has also been shown that even if you aren’t a morning person, willpower is highest in the morning, which leads to better decision-making. It can be much more difficult to make productive and healthy choices late in the day when your mind is fatigued.

And perhaps most importantly, mornings give you the opportunity to set the tone for the day. Accomplishing something right away — whether that’s clearing out your inbox, exercising, or eating a nutritious breakfast — sets off a chain reaction of other productive behavior throughout the day.

Those are just some of the reasons why early mornings seem to provide a competitive advantage for the most successful people.

There are certainly plenty of examples of accomplished night owls, but there is no denying that most people today do not have the luxury of sleeping in. Therefore, waking up early has become almost a necessity in today’s fast-paced business world.

I am not a natural morning person, and have found the only way to make an early wake-up call tolerable is to get the recommended 7–8 hours of sleep and go to bed by 10pm.

Even with a full night of sleep, my mind is still foggy until I finish my morning run and have a cup of coffee.

But with proper rest, exercise, and coffee, I have actually come to enjoy mornings and undoubtedly recognize the business advantages of waking early.

Perhaps the dynamics of a “normal” business day will shift and become more personalized in the years to come, but for now success seems to favor the early-risers.



LISTEN TO LIFE ON EARTH EPISODE #15 YOGA NIDRA RELAX DEEPLY 

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Brain Waves & Meditation's Effect

What are Brainwaves?

The brain is an electrochemical machine that emanates electrical activity in the form of brainwaves. Or put another away, all of our thoughts, emotions & actions is a direct result of the communication between neurons in our brains. When masses of neurons communicate with each other they produce synchronized electrical pulses, or brainwaves.

What are Brainwaves?

The brain is an electrochemical machine that emanates electrical activity in the form of brainwaves. Or put another away, all of our thoughts, emotions & actions is a direct result of the communication between neurons in our brains. When masses of neurons communicate with each other they produce synchronized electrical pulses, or brainwaves.

There are five main brainwaves that are divided based on their functions, amplitudes & frequencies:

Gamma waves: High frequency – the fastest of brain waves. These pass information rapidly & quietly and was once dismissed as “spare brain noise” but recently it is speculated that a greater presence of gamma relates to expanded consciousness and spiritual emergence.

Beta waves: Active waves! These place the brain in states of alertness, awareness, extroversion, concentration, logical thinking, and active conversation.

Alpha waves: These waves represent relaxation, non-arousal, hypnosis, and states of meditation

Theta waves: Active when we are day dreaming, dreaming, using our creativity, in meditation, and also during paranormal phenomena, out of body experiences, ESP, etc.

Delta waves: Usually associated with the deepest stages of sleep (REM sleep)

So what happens in the brain when we meditate versus when we are simply relaxing? Science has shown that in states of meditation, there is more Alpha and Theta wave activity. These findings suggest that in a meditative state a person is more relaxed but maintains a sharp awareness. This increase activity is effectively like “exercising” those parts of the brain; building up more branches & connections and strengthening & thickening that part of the brain.  Studies have shown that these changes also linger over time, the more we practice meditation, and even if we stop meditation for awhile the effect lingers in our brains.

Not sure where to start with meditation? We have a gift for you: try our short guided meditation here!





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