I have been consciously spending some time each week looking for positive story’s, breakthrough studies, heart-warming moments, inspiring songs, which keep my little candle light flickering through the negative news tornado. I am going to try a weekly Good News post, to share that upliftment and positivity with others, because we need it.

You can shift your perspective. The internet may be many scary things, but it is one of our greatest tools for moving forward in my opinion. Start using it Wisely!

Image courtesy of @riverflows

After 65 years, Kellogg’s finally bans testing on Animals

PETA US has spent 11 years in extensive discussions regarding testing on animals with the world’s leading cereal company, Kellogg’s, and finally a deal has been agreed. The company, who have tested on animals for 65 years, have agreed to end their use of animals in ‘harmful and deadly’ tests for food ingredients and other products.

Their recently finalised new global policy prohibits funding, supporting, or conducting animal testing. The Vice President of PETA US said- "The global food industry is recognising that no marketing claim can possibly excuse force-feeding, poisoning, suffocating, and killing gentle rats in cruel and deadly tests, PETA applauds the company's decision to embrace superior, non-animal research methods."

Kellogg's have now joined a growing list of food companies to ban animal testing, such as The Coca-Cola Company, House Foods & McCain Foods.

Progress!!

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Practising Meditation and Yoga Reverses DNA damage

In a systemic review of gene expression changes induced by meditation and related practices, spanning 10 years of research, the Frontiers in Immunology journal stated that “these practises don’t simply relax us, they can reverse the molecular reactions in our DNA which cause ill-health and depression.”

Stressful situations trigger the fight or flight response as the Sympathetic Nervous system, or the SNS, is activated. Adrenaline is released, and blood rushes into your muscles in preparation to flee or fight. This causes a cascade of physiological changes in our body and was crucial for our survival in the early days. Our body systems would return to normal fairly quickly if you survived the event.

Our brains can’t actually tell the difference between the threat of being eaten by a sabretooth tiger, or your boss just being a total dick. The same activation of the SNS occurs and your body is actually in the fight or flight response whenever you are stressed about something (this is grossly oversimplified).

Once the SNS is activated, production increases of a molecule called nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB). This molecule controls how our genes are expressed (switched on or switched off). NF-kB turns on genes that make and release proteins that cause inflammation and contribute to illness and disease.

However, the review found that people who engage in these Mind-body Interventions like yoga and meditation, show a remarkable reduction in the manufacture of both Nf-kB and the proteins which cause inflammation.

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“These activities are leaving what we call a molecular signature in our cells, which reverses the effect that stress or anxiety would have on the body by changing how our genes are expressed. Put simply, mind body interventions cause the brain to steer our DNA processes along a path which improves our wellbeing.”

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Just for Giggles

This had me Cry Laughing in Work when I saw it! Cat powers up it’s bite!

Gigantic Crystal Geode discovered in Spain

An enormous cave of crystals has been found in an old silver mine in Spain. The geode is 8 metres (26ft) long and crammed full of gypsum prisms. It has been placed under police protection to stop souvenir hunters from raiding the extraordinary natural phenomenon.

Javier Garcia-Guinea, the geologist who made the find, wants to turn the site into a tourist attraction. He said that up to 10 people could sit inside the geode - an object normally small enough to hold in your hands. "Bending your body between the huge crystals is an incredible sensation," he said. "When I was young I dreamt of flying, but never to go into a geode internally covered with transparent crystals."

"The crystals are absolutely transparent and perfect," he said. He has searched the international literature and cannot find another object which compares in size.

If this opens up to tourists I am absolutely paying it a visit!

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Elon musk releases all Tesla patents to help save the world

Elon must has released all patents of the electric carmaker company Tesla, in an effort to fight against climate change.
Making the announcement via a blog post, the billionaire promised that Tesla “will not initiate patent law suits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology.”

This move is in sharp contrast to the pattern laid out by the majority of the industry where the smallest invention or idea is carefully guarded to protect its monetary value. On the same day as Musk’s announcement, US prosecutors charged a Chinese national with stealing secrets from the Self driving project of Apple.

“If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal,” Musk said. He is sceptical of patents that often only served “to stifle progress” and help to enrich lawyers and giant corporations rather than inventors.

He said he earlier on had felt compelled to file patents for Tesla, to stop big car companies from copying the tech and taking over the market. “We couldn’t have been more wrong. The unfortunate reality is the opposite,” they found that clean-fuel or electric cars “at the major manufacturers are small to non-existent.”

He went on to say that with car production figures being near 100 million a year “it is impossible for Tesla to build electric cars fast enough to address the carbon crisis.” Having other companies making electric cars and the world would benefit from rapid advances in technology.

Seems the choosing of the name Tesla was meant to symbolise many layers. Much respect to this man.

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Inspirational Music

I thought I would share something a bit different this week. This week’s song is an instrumental. I’m not exactly sure what the deal is I think it was made by a music channel on you tube, it’s called Indigo child- Nostalgia.

It has an incredibly soothing effect on my soul. Sometimes I am too agitated or not in the right frame of mind to meditate, no matter how much I try and force my self it’s not happening. I have written previously about it, yet this song is like a sort of substitute mini meditation for me. I have been using it for when I get home from work, I am normally full of pent up frustration or just very tried and I can’t meditate yet, but I want to switch off. I stick this on, it’s less than 5 minutes long, and it casts a soothing spell on me. I am not trying to meditate or still my thoughts, I just focus on listening and tuning into the frequency of the song.

Be The Silent Watcher of Your Thoughts And Behaviour. You Are Beneath The Thinker. You Are The Stillness Beneath The Mental Noise. You Are The Love And Joy Beneath The Pain.

-Eckhart Tolle

Thanks for Reading
Much Love
MyIndigoInsight