The Bracelets of the Midnight Series

Have you taken a glance at one of our most popular series, Midnight? It boasts beautiful, wellness promoting bracelets. Created with an interlocking mesh, the Midnight Bracelets are stainless steel bands containing an IP black powder coating that’s baked onto the band. They are also flexible because of their laser-cut engineered construction. Beautiful and comfortable, yet sleek and sophisticated. What could possible be better? Take a look for yourself!

 

  1. Midnight Black and Gold

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  1. Midnight Black and White

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Looking for a series of bracelets that are a little bit more rugged? Our Titanium series might be just what you need!

Add a little positivity into your life and be sure to visit our website to see all of our other beautiful QRay bracelet collections!

7 Unlikely Animal Friends

We all know that Mother Nature can work in mysterious ways, but is there anything cuter than unlikely animal friends? We’re not sure! To test the theory, we’ve provided you with 7 of the cutest and more unlikely of animal friends! Isn’t nature beautiful?

 

  1. A Golden Retriever Nuzzling A Pair of Baby Bunnies

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  1. A Baby Tiger and A Baby Monkey Getting A First Glance at One Another

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  1. Who Says Cats and Mice Can’t Get Along?!

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  1. A Chimpanzee and a Dog Hanging Out Like Old Friends

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  1. A Tiny Piglet Cuddling Up To This Ginormous Bunny

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  1. A Ginormous (But Gentle) Gorilla Nursing This Little Kitten

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  1. A Sheep and An Elephant Taking A Leisurely Stroll

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How Yoga Can Help Anxiety

Sweaty palms, churning stomach, racing heart… does it all seem too familiar? Anxiety can have many negative effects on one’s day-to-day life, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Many people have found that practicing simple yoga poses can actually help to alleviate the anxiety they face regularly. Here are three aspects to incorporate into your life.

Pranayama (Breathing)

The simple act of mindful breathing can be extremely helpful in the reduction of anxiety. Deep breathing increases oxygen levels in the blood supply which in turn reduces toxins in the body.

Here are some tips to find and improve your yogic breath.

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Asanas

Though the practice of yoga initially described asanas as a sitting pose, it eventually came to refer to any posture restoring and maintaining the practitioner’s well-being. Asanas physically release the tensions that anxiety creates and helps to take your mind off of worries and fears. Additionally, asanas can help you to let go of things. Once you fall out of the position, you are forced to accept imperfection and reattempt.

If you apply yoga philosophy in your life; stay happy and enjoy every moment, this is a secret to happy and healthy living!

4 Calming Mountain Sunsets

As is, mountains possess a calm and majestic beauty, simply based on their sheer mass and peaceful appearance. When the sun sets on the peaks of a mountain range it creates a breathtaking image that can be incredibly calming. Here are 5 calming mountain sunsets from around the world to add an element of serenity to your day!

  1. A Colorful Sunset on the Peaks of Cerro Torre Mountain, Patagonia Argentina

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  1. A Gleaming Wallberg Mountain Sunset in Bavaria, Germany

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  1. A Fiery Sky in Big Bear, California

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4. A Peaceful Setting Sun in Slovakia

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Do you have any of your own mountain sunsets to share? Post them on our Facebook page!

The Amazing Benefits of Meditation on your Brain

The positive effects of mediation on the mind, body and soul have long been a central part of many Buddhist’s lives. What you may not know is that there are many incredible benefits to your actual brain!

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How does meditation stimulate the brain?

A study has shown that MRI images are able to highlight the change in beta-wave activity after a mere 20 minutes of meditation. Take a look at how the various parts of the brain become stimulated by meditation:

  • Your Frontal Lobe: If you’re familiar with the anatomy of the brain, you will know that your frontal lobe helps us with self-awareness, planning, emoting and reasoning. During meditation, this area of the brain quiets and almost turns off. On account of this, quieting oneself is the ability to detach one’s mind from their ‘self’.
  • Your Thalamus: The thalamus coordinates our senses and sends them from different parts of the body to the brain. During meditation, the sending of information is found to slow the rate of sensory information.
  • Your Parietal Lobe: The parietal lobe processes the information sent by the thalamus. Additionally, it gives you the sense of time and space. Similar to the effect on the thalamus, the processing of information is slowed.
  • Reticular Information: Responsible for keeping the brain alert based on the stimuli received. Again, this area of the brain is slowed down during meditation.

So, what are the benefits?

Whereas ‘Alpha waves’ are associated with an aroused, heightened state of mind, it is shown that during meditation mainly ‘Theta waves’ are shown. Theta waves show a slowed, relaxed state of mind. Here are 5 areas of your life that meditation can benefit:

  • Grey Matter – Though there is no conclusive evidence, it has been suggested by some studies that meditation increases the amount grey matter in the front of one’s brain. So what does this mean? Thicker grey matter increases both your focus, emotional stability, compassion and self-awareness.
  • Anxiety – When you find yourself in an anxiety inducing or upsetting situation it is your prefrontal cortex that makes you feel scared or anxious. Meditation eases this area of your brain so that when a reaction is triggered, it is not as intense and reduces pangs of anxiety. Meditation then allows for you to look at the situation from a more rational standpoint.
  • ResilienceResearchers from Wisconsin-Madison University took MRI’s of Tibetan monk’s brains and discovered that there is actually a very deep-rooted connection between resilience and meditation. There is a part of your brain called the amygdala that largely controls emotional reactions and emotional memory. This study showed that from meditation the amygdala was able to recover more quickly from emotional stress or trauma.
  • Stress – One of the biggest benefits of meditation is reduction of stress. In 2012 a group of researchers split a study group into three. One practicing mindful meditation, one practicing body relaxation training and the last group was given no training at all. The researchers then gave all three groups a multi-tasking task intended to induce stress. The results showed that the group that practiced mindful meditation showed significantly less stress than the other two groups.
  • Creativity – Leiden University in the Netherlands produced a study finding that people who practiced open-monitoring meditation performed better at tasks requiring creativity and the production of new ideas. Alternatively, the study also finds that those who practice focus-attention meditation do not receive the benefit of boosted creativity. The study notes however that creativity is an incredibly difficult thing to both measure and study.

What else can meditation effect?

A new study in Scientific American has suggested that meditating not only affects your synapses, but can also change your DNA! To delve further, it states that mindful meditation was shown to have an effect on DNA in certain breast cancer patients. The study elaborates in saying, “In Carlson’s study distressed breast cancer survivors were divided into three groups. The first group was randomly assigned to an 8-week cancer recovery program consisting of mindfulness meditation and yoga; the second to 12-weeks of group therapy in which they shared difficult emotions and fostered social support; and the third was a control group, receiving just a 6-hour stress management course. A total of 88 women completed the study and had their blood analyzed for telomere length before and after the interventions. Telomeres were maintained in both treatment groups but shortened in controls.”

Next time you feel stress coming on in your life, remember all the benefits that meditation can bring and give it a try!

10 Inspiring Quotes to Uplift You

 

  1. “I am not what I have done, I am what I have overcome.”

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  1. “It’s not who you think you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.”

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  1. “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”

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  1. “Expect nothing and appreciate everything.”

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  1. Your wings already exist, all you have to do is fly.” 65841d7ee520295544f9138b00818599
  1. “Life is like a cup of tea… it’s all about how you make it…”

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  1. “Do one thing every day that scares you.”

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  1. “Never let your memories be greater than your dreams.”

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  1. “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein

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10.  “Run free and fearless into the future.”

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 Do you have any other favorite quotes that inspire you? Share them with us on Facebook!

The Best Herbs and Spices to Improve Your Health

It’s no secret that herbs and spices hold the key to a plethora of health benefits. Many naturopathic doctors use a wide variety of herbs for their medicinal and healing properties. Here are some of the best ones to aid your health!

Spices

Sage – Though often used in cooking, sage can soothe sore throats and alleviate upset stomachs. To utilize this herbs properties, sip sage tea or spray a sore throat with sage solution.

Ginger – Not only great for nausea and motion sickness, ginger is also incredibly helpful in stimulating the body to release the proper enzymes needed to effectively break down food so that nutrients can be absorbed.

Rosemary – Rosemary can help with both alertness and memory, especially when memory recall is needed. Additionally, rosemary is used in many meat rubs and marinades for a good reason. Rosemary helps to prevent meat from spoiling, as well as other unwanted bacteria, perhaps making cooking even healthier!

Dandelion – On account of compounds called flavonoids, both the root and the leaves of the dandelion may be used for a wide variety of healing purposes such as cleaning the liver, acne, diabetes, anemia and even premenstrual symptoms.

Turmeric – In India, turmeric is a highly revered spice on account of its health and healing principles. Turmeric paste is applied to wounds to speed healing, and people often sip turmeric tea to relieve cold and flu symptoms. Even modern medicine supports that it has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties!

Parsley – Rethink that garnish the next time you see it on the side of your plate! Parsley has an extremely high amount of chlorophyll. This can help with anti-inflammation, as well as to clear toxins and boost immunity!

What are your favorite herbs and spices? Share them with us!

5 ‘Meat’ Dishes That Are Actually Vegan

Being a vegan doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy dishes that are traditionally made with meat! There are plenty of delicious and healthy meat substitutes that taste just as good (if not better than the real thing!) Here are 5 of our favorite recipes to try out!

  1. ‘Meat’ loaf with crispy onion rings and mashed potatoes

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  1. Kimchi and Coconut ‘Bacon’ Grilled Cheese

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  1. Black Bean Burgers

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  1. Pulled ‘Pork’ BBQ Burgers

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  1. Baja ‘Fish’ Tacos with Lime Cumin Slaw

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