Short But Sweet 10 Minute Meditations for Healthy Aging

by Baxter

Even though I'm away leading a retreat this week, I'm thinking of all our readers at YFHA (kinda' wishing you were here!), as I'm focusing a good portion of our practice time here on developing a home yoga meditation practice. Since we have two yoga practice sessions a day here, we begin and end each if them with a 10-minute seated meditation practice. Monday was our first full day of practice together and the overriding focus was on the feet, anatomically, and the idea of "starting”—whether that meant starting something new, starting again, starting over—about taking the first steps on that new path. For me, the feet represent the base of our overall strength, as well as stability. So I suggested that the group might use the phrase "strong and stable" as their mantra (a repeated word or phrase for mental focus), during the final seated meditation of each class.

As you might have calculated, by doing four 10-minute meditations in class, my group is getting 40 minutes of time to practice this powerful method in manageable amounts of time. (I happen to have them doing two more 10-minute sessions on their own for a total of 60 minutes a day). This is a sweet amount of time, but at home, you can easily practice just one or two sessions in a day and still reap benefits. Try the "strong and stable" mantra for your sit today! I'll try to share other ideas this week as well.

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Menu Part 10 Retinal Reports from the 2007 AAO Meeting

During the 2007 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Meeting, and the Subspecialty Days preceding it, especially Retina 2007, I received briefs about the meetings from both Ophthalmology Times and Ocular Surgery News. Using these briefs, I was able to prepare comprehensive writeups of both the two-day Retina 2007 presentations and retinal highlights from the opening day of the main meeting. These writeups were presented in a series of three reports:

1. Retina 2007 Subspecialty Meeting Presentations – Day One

Highlights included:

Updates:

● 2-Year results of the PrONTO Study (intravitreal injections of Lucentis with OCT diagnoses for guided further treatment);

● ANCHOR Update – Lucentis vs. PDT with Visudyne;

● Avastin vs. Lucentis – A discussion of the economic and moral dilemma of using approved Lucentis vs. off-label Avastin;

● Avastin’s Impact – Despite lack of clinical data;


New Treatments for AMD:

● VEGF Trap – discussions of the CLEAR-IT AMD 1 and CLEAR-It AMD 2 trials;

● Topical Therapies – discussions of various topical treatments

- TargeGen’s 801 kinase inhibitor
- CoMentis’ ATG2
- Ocucure’s OC-10X
- Othera’s OT-551
- Glaxo-Smith-Kline’s Pazopanib

● New Developments in posterior segment drug delivery – a discussion of potetial solid implants, such as Retisert and Vitrasert from Bausch & Lomb, and a subretinal implant system from SurModics called I-vation.

And, finally, an interview with Dr. Judah Folkman, the father of anti-angiogenic agents, and the keynote speaker for the opening session of the AAO Meeting.


2. Retina 2007 Subspecialty Meeting Presentations – Day Two

Highlights included:

● A discussion of Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann’s (Genentech’s President, Product Development) presentation to the Retina 2007 assembly and her Q&A session;

● Sub-Retinal Implants for treating retinitis pigmentosa;

● Retinopathy of Prematurity – Anti-VEGF therapy is on the horizon;

● Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography advances; and,

● New Non-Thermal Laser for Retinal Treatment – a brief discussion of the Ellex 2RT Therapy.


3. More Retinal Treatment News from the 2007 AAO – Day Three

● More from Retina 2007
- A Comparison of Lucentis vs. Avastin;
- An Update on the CATT Study;
- Additional information about the Ellex 2RT laser treatment.

● Retinal-related Information from the Main AAO Meeting
- The keynote address by Dr. Judah Folkman;
- An overview of intravitreal drugs for treating diabetic retinopathy; and,
- Intravitreal therapy for vein-occlusive disease.

Top 10 Things To Remember Before Going To Tanning Salons Anchorage AK Is Offering

By Roseann Hudson

You don't have to put your life in danger just to have a dazzling sun-kissed glow. You simply have to visit one of the finest tanning salons Anchorage AK has. Before you pay the establishment of your choice a visit, continue reading in order to know 10 things that you should do beforehand.

Take your shower prior to leaving the home. This removes unwanted dirt and grime covering your skin. Getting rid of them enables the tanner to be completely absorbed so that it can give you the expected result. Besides, you are not allowed to take a shower 6-8 hours after visiting the salon.

Exfoliating while in the shower has to be done too. This eliminates excess dead skin cells. Applying the artificial tanner on a smooth surface is one of the secrets to the attainment of a fake suntan that looks like it was obtained at the beach, not in a salon.

Grab a bottle of an exfoliating product intended for artificial tan fanatics. Although a loofah may also get the job done, experts suggest that you go for an exfoliating solution formulated to be used prior to getting a spray tan. Never opt for something that moisturizes your skin as the oily ingredients may form a barrier, keeping the tanner from working.

Complete all of your tasks that involve water. Some of them include washing your hair, cleaning the car or giving your child a bath. To save yourself from a streaky result, you should keep your skin from coming into contact with water for many hours.

Unwanted body hair should be removed at least 24 hours prior to the salon visit. No matter if you prefer to shave or wax, your skin may end up irritated. Generally speaking, getting an artificial tan should be avoided if you are suffering even from mild skin irritation.

Do not apply your favorite cosmetics before you step foot outside the home. Keeping your skin free of these products allows for utmost tanner absorption. Right after taking a shower and just before you visit the local salon of your preference, refrain from putting on your deodorant, perfume, lotion and the likes.

Going to the salon with your nail polish on is fine. In fact, this can be advantageous as the product can keep your nails from ending up stained. It's not important if your nail polish is colored or clear.

Check that you have your thong or swimsuit in your bag before heading out. Some female customers prefer to go though a session without any top on. If you feel comfortable with being topless, feel free to do so in order to save the upper part of your body from unwanted tan lines.

Also, bring loose clothing in dark colors. Friction created by tight garments can keep you from having the smoothest possible artificial tan. Avoid wearing whites or light-colored garments that may only be left stained by the applied tanner.

Ask the attendant to conduct a patch test first. This procedure is vital whether it's your first time to visit the salon or get a tan minus the sun. A patch test can give you peace of mind that you will step out of the establishment with a lovely tan, not irritated skin.

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