Since humans have gone into the water with sharks the desire to be able to repel sharks has always been ever-present. The natives in the Amazon used red peppers dragged behind a boat to stop bull sharks and many other ancient cultures used many other methods with little or no definitive success.

Until the 1900′s no real effort was pursued and the pivotal moment was the USS Indianapolis which was sunk in World War II. Once the sailors went into the water the ocean white tips and other open ocean sharks picked off those who survived in great numbers.

This prompted the US navy to develop a shark repellent that would give sailors a sense of comfort and safety if they found themselves in the water with sharks. The packet was composed of a dye and copper acetate as the main ingredients which in some cases deterred sharks. There was also a bag that the sailor or airman got into which masked his scent and hopefully prevented a shark attack.

Under optimal conditions these deterrents and protective measure worked but the shark being one of the ultimate predators of the oceans was not always prevented from attacking the person in the water. So many conditions need to be perfect for these deterrents to be effective such as the type of shark, the water conditions, salinity, current, proximity to the shark and how hungry the shark is.

In recent years technology has improved and so have innovations in shark defense. Magnets, electro-magnetic fields and chemicals have been developed with varying claims of success.

Some of the products on the market today are the shark banz, shark shield, shark replusion, shark chaser, electronic shark defense system, shark defense and a new entry being, shark bio barrier. Well, the shark may or may not be affected by any or all these systems at any given time, place or condition. That’s a fact!

The prices range from $25 to $499 and everything in between. One thing to consider if the shark deterrent is an electronic device then the salt water will eventually render it useless. If it is a passive magnet device then it won’t break but the science is still uncertain as to its effectiveness. And if it depends on a dead shark chemical then it still is affected by currents, the type of shark, water conditions and other variables. In other words nothing works all the time every time, period!

The thing about sharks is they are smarter than we realize and will sense that the particular deterrent they are dealing with has its limitations and will exploit the limitations by testing what it can or can not do. Remember that all the testing in the world will not prevent an ambush attack or an aggressive shark such as a large bull or tiger shark.

The shark deterrent, shark bio barrier is based on the shark’s smell and electric sensing system and it is a passive system which can’t break or fail due to a malfunction. The bio available essential oils with the natural magnetic mineral, magnetite work in combination to mask your odor, make your presence unpleasant and disrupt their electric sensing system. Priced at $29.95 for the recreational size it is very affordable and comes in a canister with a built in brush so you can lightly coat different objects on your person prior to entering the water. Very easy to apply and remove.

Is it perfect? No, nothing is and may never be! There are so many different species of dangerous sharks that under various conditions will attack out of curiosity, hunger or outright aggression. There are too many variables in play to guarantee total shark deterrence but if you are able to deter many of them then you are much safer than the people who choose to use nothing at all. Peace of mind is priceless and anything that can provide it is also priceless.

Do your own research and make an educated decision on what shark deterrent you want to depend on. Something to consider is that the US Navy has not officially endorsed any shark repellent on the market today and they have the most stringent testing requirements in the world today!

It’s not generally easy for us human beings to adopt new habits. One thing that helps is to make them easy. Noticing is a habit made easy by my seventh grade teacher and Dick Olney.

Living in Turkey, it was natural to hear the call to worship several times a day. A teacher at the time invited our class to pause whenever we heard it, be quiet, still our bodies and notice. That stuck. When I moved back to the states, sirens and red lights and now the sound of an airplane overhead invites that same pause -modern mindfulness bells.

Long before mindfulness was as accessible as it is today, Dick Olney occasionally talked about noticing practice. He taught how noticing practice can help us “Think in other categories.” What he meant by thinking in other categories is to wake up, to wake up from the bad dream of who we think we are IN ANY GIVEN MOMENT.

Woman: What I really want is to love, value and appreciate who I really am.

Dick: What about just experiencing it?

(Excerpted from Alive and Real)

Noticing is a practice like that, an invitation into becoming aware of your experience in the moment. This awareness is an invitation in gradual expansions in acceptance. For acceptance is free from the pull of liking or disliking. The awareness that comes from noticing without the inhibition of judgment, criticism or evaluation is liberated from clinging to some idea of good or bad, right or wrong, pleasant or unpleasant.

Noticing practice can also be an antidote to apathy or pain. You may find yourself savoring the floating moments of time – but that is NOT the goal. The goal is to simply notice.

I took to heart Dick’s teaching not to wait until you are in the middle of a fire to practice a fire drill. This idea struck a chord with me. I had been a dancer for about 20 years, practiced yoga and meditation for several years by the time I met Dick. Practice makes sense to me.

Though I do meditate, my noticing practice is not a formal sit down mindfulness meditation kind of practice, but a walking around and pausing to experience life in this moment kind of practice. The savoring of life’s floating moments happens unbidden, surprising me. It’s a habit that bears fruit in the most surprising places.

Of course, noticing involves acceptance. The more complete the experience of acceptance is, the more interesting I find the noticing and vice versa. It can become a pleasant game of acceptance. Practicing acceptance in this way becomes alive.

In the beginning, it is useful to put your attention to various elements of life generally thought to be noxious, like smelly garbage. Ask yourself, “can I accept this?” Remember, you don’t have to like it, you don’t have to somehow agree that “it” is OK. The question is “can I accept this?”

Practicing with inanimate objects can have an effect when you encounter another person who you judge as somehow not good or OK, somehow less than OR greater than. First, accept that you are judging them (and you). Then, practice accepting them in that moment. Your acceptance does not mean that you like or approve. It means you can accept that they are present.

For a more disciplined approach to noticing practice, try these tips:

Set a reminder on your phone or watch every couple of hours or so. You could use an app like CHILL that has inspirational quotes.
If you spend a lot of time in the car, use stop lights and stop signs to notice.
For 30 seconds to 1 minute pause, notice. Become aware. Notice your thoughts. Notice the images around you, emotions in the moment and body sensations. Take a few easy breaths. Just noticing.
Don’t aim to find something to appreciate. Linger as you like.
Simply notice the creation. Notice without the inhibition of judgment, criticism or evaluation.
Notice your thoughts.
Notice your breath.
Use your senses – what are you seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting – what are you sensing?

Yoga has caught on like wildfire, and for good reason. People use yoga as a way to relax, to test their body, to connect their body and mind and find a ‘centering’ experience that results in much more than a stronger body. In fact, this connection between the mind and body can be so strong that proponents of yoga have been searching for new ways to enhance it. That’s where naked yoga comes in. It’s exactly what it sounds like, and it’s a strong possibility for those men who are interested not only in good penis care, but in overall health as well.

Naked yoga is often just like typical yoga, though the people in the class are completely unclothed. It’s important to remember the idea is not to become aroused or to seek out a date at these events. The idea is to simply admire the human form while feeling the freedom that comes from wearing nothing at all while pushing your body to move in challenging ways. Besides that, the classes have the bonus effect of making people more comfortable with nudity, whether their own or that of others, which can have a positive effect on their personal life outside the studio.

Making sure the penis is ready for yoga

When a man goes into a naked yoga class, he might be quite self-conscious. After all, he is showing off his equipment in front of strangers! That’s why it’s so important to do whatever possible to keep a very handsome penis ready to go.

Here are a few tips a man needs to get ready for naked yoga:

1. Pay attention to hygiene. Naked yoga means the penis will be exposed to everyone else in the studio, so a guy should take care to make sure everything is as clean as possible. This means a very good shower right before he leaves for class. Take care to use proper cleansers to avoid dry penis skin. Intact men should clean well under the foreskin. All men should consider manscaping to help ensure the best look possible when they drop their clothing for the class.

2. Use a proper penis health crème. The use of a top-notch penis health crème on a regular basis can help keep the penis as smooth and supple as possible. The right ingredients, such as vitamin A, can also help fight penis odor, making a much better presentation for those in the room. Using the crème every day, and especially before a naked yoga class, is recommended.

3. Don’t sweat the erections. When a man engages in naked yoga, he is likely to have an erection at some point. This might be because he becomes aroused by the naked bodies, but it’s just as likely that it comes from all the physical movement and activity he is doing while he’s “in the zone” and enjoying the yoga moves. Don’t worry about the erections, as this is quite common and shouldn’t be a focus of concern for anyone in the class. After all, everyone should be there for the yoga, not for the ogling!

Choosing the right penis health crème

As mentioned earlier, a specially formulated penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) can be quite helpful when it comes to creating the most handsome penis possible. Look for a crème that contains not only vitamin A for odor-fighting properties, but vitamin C for collagen enhancement, vitamin E for significant hydration and vitamin D for overall health of the penis. Shea butter makes for a great foundation for any crème; it provides top-notch hydration, which is important to avoid unsightly dry skin and keep the penis looking as handsome as possible.

Did you know being diagnosed with prediabetes is good news? Well, at least if you consider yourself the type of person who sees a glass as half full. While prediabetes tends to catch many people off guard, it is in reality, a warning of what is to come if no action is taken to be tested regularly to be sure you have your levels back in check. And by realizing a prediabetes diagnosis has this silver lining, you can act to prevent the problems that go hand-in-hand with a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

Your blood sugar levels are not quite high enough to give you a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, but it means you are on your way unless you intervene now. When it comes to dealing with a prediabetes diagnosis, this is the time to deal with your rising insulin levels which may be very high, although your fasting blood sugar may be only mildly elevated.

How are you dealing with this, or how would you act if it happened to you? Take a brief moment to reflect.

Being diagnosed with full-blown Type 2 diabetes is not the end of the world. Even though it is a harmful and deadly disease, there is much you can do to stop insulin resistance and the ensuing high blood sugar levels in their track. Therefore, the first step to dealing with being diagnosed with prediabetes is to stay calm.

What prediabetes means is your blood sugar levels are higher than normal – but not enough for you to be considered a Type 2 diabetic. Prediabetes is defined as having a fasting blood sugar reading of 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L). Since you are somewhere in between, you are in a great position to recover. With just a few lifestyle changes and the guidance of your healthcare provider, you can reduce your blood sugar back to a healthy range and no longer be at risk of developing a concerning disease.

Besides, it is a likely time for you to make some changes in your life anyway. Most of us could either start to exercise or afford to put in more effort. More importantly, each one of us can eat healthier than we currently do.

Food is fuel for your body. The nutrients you choose make a difference. Quality foods are conducive to a healthy body – physically and mentally. Eating well also has an immediate effect on how you feel. Compare how you feel on the days you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to those where you consume fast foods or junk meals. The difference is night and day.

Prediabetes presents a chance to change or improve. If you have prediabetes, you should begin taking action right away to reverse the process. The thing that tips a person with insulin resistance into Type 2 diabetes is the pancreas starts to wear out. It loses the ability to continue putting out enough insulin to overcome insulin resistance. With the combination of insulin resistance and a gradually weakening pancreas – your blood sugar levels start to rise. Your pancreas becomes too exhausted to compensate any longer.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.