9 Amazing Ways The Herb “Gotu Kola” Is Of Great Benefit For Health & Healing

Below is a list of popular uses of gotu kola (Centella Asiatica.)

1. Burns: Centella asiatica has been effectively used in the treatment of patients with 2nd and 3rd degree burns caused by boiling water, electrical current, or gas explosion. Daily local application of the extract produced great results if the treatment was started immediately after the accident. The extract prevented or limited the shrinking and swelling of the skin caused by skin infection, and it inhibited scar formation, increased healing, and decreased fibrosis.

2. Cellulite: Standardized extracts of gotu kola have demonstrated good results in the treatment of cellulite. The effect of centella in the treatment of cellulite appears to be related to its ability to enhance connective tissue structure and reduce sclerosis by acting directly on fibroblasts.

3. Cirrhosis of the liver: In patients with cirrhosis, regression of inflammatory infiltration was observed. No effect was observed in patients with chronic hepatitis. Other reports have supported the use of this herb in fibrotic conditions of the liver.

4. Keloids: Gotu kola has demonstrated impressive results in the treatment of keloids and hyper trophic scars. The herb reduces the inflammatory phase of scar formation while enhancing the maturation phase of scar formation. Keloids and hyper trophic scars are characterized by a prolonged inflammatory phase, which may go on for months or even years without progressing to the maturation phase. The inflammatory phase is characterized on biopsy by large numbers of immature, swollen collagen bundles intermingled with inflammatory debris, while the maturation phase is characterized by mature fibrocytes, normal collagen fibers, and few inflammatory cell elements.

5. Leprosy: Several investigators have reported impressive clinical results using Centella
asiatica and its extracts in the treatment of leprosy in both uncontrolled and controlled studies.

6. Improving mental function: A profound increase in the mental abilities of 30 developmentally disabled children treated with gotu kola has been reported. After a 12-week period, the children were more attentive and better able to concentrate on assigned tasks.

7. Scleroderma: Extract of Centella asiatica has been tested in several trials in the treatment of scleroderma (including systemic sclerosis). Presumably the positive therapeutic response is a result of centella’s balancing effect on connective tissue, thereby preventing the excessive collagen synthesis observed in scleroderma.

8. Disorders of veins: Centella asiatica are effective in the treatment of varicose veins and venous insufficiency. This appears to be due to centella’s ability to enhance the connective tissue structure of the connective tissue sheath that surrounds the vein, reduce hardening of the vein, and improve blood flow through the vein.

9. Wound healing: Extracts of Centella asiatica have been shown, in a large number of clinical studies, to greatly aid wound repair. The types of wounds healed include surgical wounds such as episiotomies and ear surgeries, skin ulcers due to arterial or venous insufficiency, traumatic injuries to the skin, and gangrene.

For more natural herbs and their healing properties.

Popularity: 22% [?]

A Glimpse Into The History Of Memory Training

Memory systems date back to antiquity. In the ancient world, a trained memory was of vital importance. There were no handy note-taking devices, and it was memory techniques and systems that enabled bards and storytellers to remember their stories, poems, and songs. Early Greek and Roman orators delivered lengthy speeches with unfailing accuracy because they learned the speeches, thought for thought, by applying memory systems.

What they did, basically, was associate each thought of a speech to a part of their own homes. These were called “loci,” or “places.” The opening thought of a speech would, perhaps, be associated to the front door, the second thought to the foyer, the third to a piece of furniture in the foyer, and so on. When the orator wanted to remember his speech, thought for thought, he actually took a mental tour through his own home. Thinking of the front door reminded him of the first thought of his speech. The second “place,” the foyer, reminded him of the next thought; and so on to the end of the speech. It is from this “place” or “loci” memory technique that we get the time-worn phrase “in the first place.”

Although Simonides (circa 500 b.c.) is known as the father of the art of trained memory, scraps of parchment dating back a thousand years or so before Simonides state that memory techniques were an essential part of the orator’s equipment. Cicero wrote that the memories of the lawyers and orators of his time were aided by systems and training and in De oratore he described how he himself applied memory systems.

It’s important to realize that oratory was an important career during those early days. “We should never have realized how great is the power of a trained memory,” wrote the philosopher Quintilian, “nor how divine it is, but for the fact that it is memory which has brought oratory to its present position of glory.”

The ancients also knew that memory training could help the thinking process itself. From a fragment dated about 400 b.c. we learn that “A great and beautiful invention is memory, always useful both for learning and for life.” And Aristotle, after praising memory systems, said that “these habits too will make a man readier in reasoning.”

If Simonides was the inventor of the art of trained memory, and Cicero its greatest early teacher, St. Thomas Aquinas was to become its patron saint, instrumental in making the art of trained memory a devotional and ethical art.

During the Middle Ages, monks and philosophers were virtually the only people who knew about and applied trained-memory techniques. The systems, whose use was mostly limited to religion, were basic to some religions. For example, memory systems were used to memorize Virtues and Vices, and some priests and philosophers taught that memory systems showed “how to reach Heaven and avoid Hell.”

Popularity: 6% [?]

A Positive Outlook: Become Your Own Coach!

Looking for more confidence and higher self-esteem? Then how about being your own motivator? How about taking charge and putting yourself back in control? You can, just by learning that all true motivation, the only kind that lasts, the only kind you can count on, is internal motivation.

Imagine having a coach that stayed with you, season after season and every day in between. Imagine not needing to wait for someone else to get you charged up and feeling your best. Imagine being able to rely on yourself to always automatically and unconsciously energize your spirit, focus your attention, and keep you in tune, on top, in touch, and going for it!

Can you imagine never again needing someone else to prod or push you into activating your own best efforts? Your own internal coach is waiting to do just that. It is your best friend, your closest ally, your strongest believer. It will show you the best in yourself and help you achieve it. It will give you direction, put purpose in your stride, strengthen your will, and give you unquestioned belief. It is loyal to the end. It is the coach that never goes home. It is the ultimate motivator. It will never fail you!

Popularity: 6% [?]

A Powerful Tool For Success: Conditional Acceptance

Love, acceptance, and approval are the most powerful tools of reinforcing a human being can experience. When an individual has an attitude of partial approval or partial acceptance of others, an attitude of conditional acceptance develops. Statements such as, “I’ll accept you when…,” create hurt, anger, fear, and distrust. When you attach unreasonable conditions within a relationship, your opportunities for accomplishment and enjoyment diminish. An attitude of conditional acceptance creates resistance to healthy communication with others.

When you go to a restaurant and order a full-course dinner are you satisfied with a partial meal when you ordered a complete dinner? Of course not. Settling for being partially accepted as a person is not enough because it doesn’t provide enough emotional and physical nourishment. Conditional acceptance hinders your self-respect and creates resistance toward growth and change. If I allow myself to be partially accepted as a person, or accept others only on a conditional basis, this reduces the trust and comfort needed to achieve effective communication.

There’s no need to place a limit on the amount of love and energy you give or receive. You don’t have to settle for being accepted as a partial person. How often have you heard the statement, “She/he has a great body?” Don’t let anyone reduce you to a bunch of parts - hair, nails, skin, arms, or legs. What about the person’s other qualities, such as being competent, cooperative, conscientious, genuine, honest, faithful, forgiving, judicious, noble, persistent, sensitive, spirited, straight-forward, well-adjusted, thoughtful - to only mention a few? When you’re not appreciated as a whole human being, you become discouraged and your self esteem and confidence suffer.

Start accepting and confirming yourself as a total physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual person. Start behaving and believing that you are unique, a “crown of creation.” When you expect more of yourself you’ll get more! When you communicate through a negative self-image your message lacks confidence and determination. Conditional acceptance breeds mistrust, fear, and rejection. This condition also creates damaging self-talk, decreasing self esteem and producing non-harmonious relationships.

Overcoming resistance is difficult when one is discouraged and demotivated. Taking risks is not a high priority for the person who experiences conditional acceptance. When the person is disheartened and discouraged they may say, “Why trouble myself with anything? With my luck I was bound to fail. I’m not getting anywhere.” These statements are signs of frustration and hopelessness. Conditional acceptance creates discouragement and resistance toward change and growth. Unconditional acceptance creates encouragement, warmth, and understanding in relationships. Resistance to growth is eliminated when one is unconditionally accepted.

Popularity: 5% [?]

A Lesson In Positive Visualization

One side of you actually enjoys success - and that side has a voice. It’s clear as a bell, strong and beautiful, and it says, “I love getting what i want!” It’s dying for exercise, so I’d like you to give it something to crow about.

Imagine you have gotten everything you ever wanted. Pick a life that feels closest to your dream of success. That is, pick whatever you’d have today if you’d never dropped the ball. Close your eyes and imagine: What does it look and feel like to have everything you want? Walk through every part of it, as if you were really there. Stay with this exercise for as long as you can - for up to five minutes - without stopping.

You’re doing exactly what you always longed for. You’re at your desk signing big checks, looking out over a beautiful skyline in your favorite metropolis. Or you’re on stage singing like an angel in front of thousands of adoring fans. Or you’re in the best research lab in the world, discovering the cure for AIDS. Or you’re on the dais at the Olympic Games, the gold medal around your neck, your national anthem playing.

Don’t forget to furnish your successful life with all the honors, accolades, and respect you’d have if you were completely successful at what you love. How does that feel? How bad do you want it? What will you have to do to get it?

Popularity: 7% [?]

A Nice Way To Say “No”

Refusals are never easy to write. It will help if you are clear in your own mind that you do indeed want to say “no”; any ambivalence will undermine your letter. One very good reason for saying “no” is simply “I don’t want to.” When you have a specific reason for saying no and want to name it, do so. However, the fact that someone else wants you to do something confers no obligation on you to defend your decision.

Write a letter of refusal when giving a negative response to invitations: personal/business; proposals; requests; suggestions; wedding invitations. Below is a list of what to say and what not to say.

1. Thank the person for the offer, request, invitation.

2. State your “no,” expressing your regret at having to do so. If appropriate, explain your position.

3. End with a pleasant wish to be of more help next time, to see the person again, or for good luck. Avoid lengthy, involved excuses and apologies; they are far from convincing, even if true.

4. Avoid phrases like “you may think,” “according to you,” “you claim.” Restate the person’s request, complaint, or angry letter in an unemotional, factual way.

5. Do not attribute your refusal to someone else’s actions (”my wife doesn’t care for . ,) except in the incidental way that, for example, a prior engagement prevents you from doing something.

6. Avoid outright lies. It is too easy to be caught out, and you will be a lot more comfortable with yourself and with the other person the next time you meet if you stick to the truth.

Remember the following tips when writing a refusal letter:

1. Start out your refusal with a “thank you,” if appropriate: “Thank you for your invitation, request, suggestion, proposal.”

2. Be tactful. Avoid reflecting on the person you’re writing to or on their invitation. State your refusal in terms of some inability on your part such as will be out of town,” or simply “will be unable to attend”.

3. Always keep your reply even-tempered and detached.

4. When possible, try to lessen the writer’s disappointment in some way: Offer to help at a later date; suggest someone else who might be able to provide the same assistance; apologize for your inability to approve the request; try to show some benefit to them from your refusal, then thank them for their interest/request/concern.

5. Such a small thing as reversing the order of your phrases may help. Give the reason for your refusal before actually stating the refusal.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Expectations That Affect Good Communications

When you communicate with another person, your interaction is governed by your particular mindset at the time. Your mindset filters the information you receive and often can prevent you from communicating and listening actively and objectively.

Your immediate mindset filters everything through your current concerns, including your expectations, present personal relationships or something as simple as what has happened right before the conversation. Your long-term mindset filters everything through your personal background, your values, your past experiences and even your earliest childhood memories.
Your immediate filters are those that change depending on current situations. They may be influenced by your long-term filters, but for the most part these are factors that immediately concern you.

Have you ever left a meeting upset because it failed to live up to your expectations? Or have you ever gone into a meeting fully expecting to hear your boss say one thing but told you something that is totally different? The expectations that you carry into a communication situation can impede your ability to actively listen to what a speaker is saying.

These expectations may be about the topic. For example, you expect the presenter at a meeting to take a particular stand on a topic or reach a certain conclusion. When he starts to talk, you assume you know what is going to be said and listen selectively to support your expectations. You do not listen objectively to what he is saying.

Your expectations also may be about the speaker. Part of these expectations may be based on your previous experience with the speaker. “Oh, he’s always boring,” is an example of expectations you may have. But you also have roles that you expect people to fall into because of their status. These expectations can stifle communication. When someone doesn’t act the way you expect him to, your expectations will filter what you hear him saying.

Your expectations also may relate to a particular situation. You may have caught yourself saying, “I wish I didn’t have to go to that boring meeting.” When you catch yourself saying something like this, you are expressing your negative expectations for the situation. If you go into the situation, expectations in full swing, they will create a self-fulfilling prophesy. Regardless of the reality of the situation, the meeting will be boring, and you will only “hear” the meaningless small talk.

There is a way for you to control your expectations. Before your next meeting or conversation, make a list of what you expect out of the topic, the situation or the speaker. This list represents the barriers that prevent you from actively listening and being able to communicate effectively.

Test your reactions prior to the meeting or conversation and anticipate your reactions to particular ideas or situations. Try to predict a full range of responses. Ask yourself, “If he says this, how will I respond?” This is useful in situations when you have had some difficulty in communicating or when you anticipate hearing information that will make you uncomfortable.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Creating A Laundry System For Faster, Cleaner, & Cheaper Results

A well-thought-out laundry system will keep your clothes ready to wear and take less time. Here are some tips for getting control of your dirty clothes:

1. Treat stains as soon as you notice them. Learn something about the chemistry of stain removal. It will save you lots of money and time.

2. Learn how to use your washing and drying appliances. Read the manuals and follow directions. Select the right cleaning products for your appliance and water type (you might want to have your water tested and may need to purchase a water softener if it’s especially hard).

3. Take clothes out of the dryer immediately and fold or hang them. You may hardly ever have to iron if you observe this simple rule. If you forget to take your clothes out of the dryer, throw in a damp towel and re-dry five to ten minutes to remove wrinkles.

4. Dampen a washcloth with liquid fabric softener and toss in the dryer. It’s cheaper than disposable fabric-softener sheets and works just as well.

5. If you go to a laundromat, set up a caddy with all the products you need, including a stain treatment kit.

6. Sort ironing by the temperature required. Dampen as you go. Have on hand the following products for fighting stains and learn how to use them: acetone (not nail polish remover), ammonia, bleach (for both white and for colors), club soda, color remover, dry-cleaning, solvent, enzyme pre-soak, glycerine, hydrogen peroxide, oxalic acid solution, paint remover, petroleum jelly, sodium thiosulfate or sodium hyposulfite (get at a photo store), and white vinegar.

Here are four more tips to further speed along the weekly wash:

1. Have a basic mending kit handy. If you do your laundry at a laundromat, be sure you take it with you to do small mending jobs while you wait.

2. Kids mean more repairs and more laundry. Look for shortcuts. Use fusible bonding fabric, iron-on patches, a button puncher, and else anything that’ll save time and effort.

3. If the laundry has really piled up, you can go to the laundromat and get it all done at once (even if you have laundry facilities at home). If you’ve got 10 loads to do, you can fill up 10 washers and dryers and do all 10 loads in the time it takes to do one. Go at off-peak hours so you don’t have to wait for a free appliance. You’ll go home with everything washed and folded and only a few things to iron or mend when you get home.

4. Limit items that take special care such as old linens and handmade items and make sure you really enjoy the extra work it takes to keep them.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Emotional Healing: The Mind-Heart Connection

Throughout history, people believed that love comes from the heart, and poets still pay homage to this notion. Surprisingly, the latest science shows that this idea may be based in reality. The function of the heart does affect the mind and emotions, possibly even more than the hormone-producing endocrine system, which is sometimes referred to as the “second brain.”

The power of the heart to influence the mind and emotions was first examined scientifically in the early 1990s. Initially, researchers there were intrigued by the fact that transplanted hearts are able to beat immediately upon transplantation, even before nerves coming from the brain are functional. This occurs, they discovered, because the heart has an intrinsic nervous system of its own, which can cause it to beat even without messages from the brain. This nervous system consists of masses of nerve cells, or neurons, similar to those in the brain. These masses of neurons include parasympathetic and sympathetic neurons that make heartbeat possible: contract, relax, contract, relax. Without them, the heart cannot function. This nervous system has been dubbed the heart-brain.

Most fascinating of all, researchers discovered that the heart-brain even has the power to send messages to the brain. The messages are sent via the spinal cord and through the largest nerve in the body, the vagus nerve, which stretches from the brain to the torso. Therefore, it’s outdated to think that nerve messages travel only from head to heart: It’s a two-way street.

Because the heart can “speak” to the brain, through the vagus nerve and spinal cord feedback system, it sometimes overrides messages that come from the brain - particularly messages of distress, which can trigger heart attacks.

As researchers continued to study the surprising autonomy of the heart, which was previously considered by most scientists to be just a simple pump, they found that the heart is also an endocrine gland, which secretes its own hormone, ANF (atrial natriuretic factor). ANF influences not only the blood vessels and kidneys, but also the mood-influencing adrenal glands—and the brain.

In the brain, parasympathetic or sympathetic impulses coming from the heart help trigger the onset of either calming or excitatory thoughts. This may be the reason why some heart transplant patients occasionally adopt personality tendencies of their donors, a phenomenon that has been noted since the beginning of heart transplantation.

In emotionally healthy people, there appears to be a strong tendency for the heart and brain to have smoothly functioning dialogue, and to remain in synchronization, or entrainment. Entrainment appears not only to reflect a positive frame of mind, but also to help create it, in part by enhancing balance of the autonomic nervous system. The body, clearly, can help heal the mind. But what inaugurates this healing? The mind itself! Your mind, when focused on appreciation, has an unparalleled power to trigger physical and emotional healing.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Dating Tips: Learn how to overcome the fear of commitment

Do you have a major fear of commitment? Are you a “commitment phobe” when it comes to being with one person for a long period of time? Are you trying to break that problem and give a relationship 100% commitment? The good news is that there is indeed a method of overcoming your fears.

Don’t get me wrong, overcoming the fear of commitment is not that easy for some people. This is mostly due to the fact that this particular issue with commitment is typically the result of a major hurtful event in one’s life, where your heart was probably broken by an old boyfriend or girlfriend. Or perhaps on a deeper level you had a bad experience watching your parents engage in a nasty divorce that caused you to fear commitment.

Whatever it is that might be at the root cause, it is up to you to decide to change and learn to put aside your fears in order to maintain a loving and lasting relationship. Although it may take some counseling and work if your problems run very deep, there are a few very simple ways that you can start working on your commitment issues. In fact, you can start this very moment by going over and implementing the following tips:

1. Come face to face with reality that no one person will ever fulfill all of your needs. This line of thinking is unhealthy to begin with, not including expecting other people to make you happy.

You make yourself happy, that is the only person who can do so. Expecting another to do it will only help you break off relationships and fulfill your desire to continue fearing commitment. Nobody is perfect.

2. Stabilize that wondering eye! You know what I am talking about. If you truly are looking to maintain that loving relationship that you are in then you will have to control yourself when it comes to looking at other men or women.

Of course this may be just a physical act, but for those of you who have severe issues with commitment it also is a mental act. While you may be admiring someone who is nice looking, on a deeper level you are also looking for “something better” or “a way out” of your current relationship.

3. When you get angry at your girlfriend or boyfriend and argue, learn to stop the fight and reevaluate the root cause. People who have major issues with committing in a relationship tend to be overly anger at their partner.

They have these negative emotions due to their own lack of control when it comes to committing and tend to take it out on the other person. When you get angry then take a step back and really come clean with yourself about why you are angry and do something about it!

Popularity: 17% [?]

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