awareness tools
Awareness and the Physical Reality
You cannot hope to enhance the level of your awareness without taking into consideration the physical reality. What you take into your body directly affects the brain, hence the level of awareness. We are not only talking about alcohol and drugs here, but also excessive intake of refined sugar and artificial sweeteners, processed food, toxic chemicals in the food and water, and so on (Here is a very inspiring and informative lecture on nutrition and behavior). Including moderate physical exercise, deep breathing, meditation, Chi-Gong, or Tai-chi in your daily routine is always a good idea. (I've also added a collection of healthy recipes on this site. Please click on CAFE HAVEN from Links & Resources menu on the right column of this page.)
Although it may be difficult for city dwellers, being mindful about what you take in from the environment also means to stay away as much as possible from polluted water and air, toxic chemicals found in buildings and household cleaners, soap and detergent, certain types of cosmetics, as well as electromagnetic radiation from the cell-phone, wireless internet and household appliances. This is not only about taking care of yourself but also about being more mindful about the planet, as we are not separate from the environment that we are living in. For information on health, life styles and other issues, we strongly recommend to look into researches and websites that are not funded by pharmaceutical companies and other large corporations (for example, http://www.naturalnews.com/).
Speaking of what we receive from the field that surrounds us, we are also bombarded daily with all kinds of information and messages through mass-media, commercial advertising, and TV shows that seem to intend to keep us trapped in limited perspectives. We encourage you to look into non-mainstream media and publications to search for information that gives you wider range of ideas and perspectives. Wherever the information comes from, it's important to always question as well as keep an open mind, and discern. Needless to say, I encourage you to question also what I offer on this website, and only take home what feels right for you.