<p style="margin-left:auto;">Many individuals thrive when incorporating regular routines and rituals into their day. Cultivating good rituals and habits can have a profound impact on various aspects of life, from physical health to personal growth and happiness. Routines provide structure, discipline, and a clearer path to achieving our goals and living a fulfilling life. Athletes have widely-varied pre-game rituals that help them get focused and dialed-in to perform at their peak levels. Many professionals follow detailed morning routines that prepare them for a positive and successful day at work. Even children tend to find daily routines and rituals comforting, where consistency allows for more predictable and enjoyable days. While we are often familiar with “start-of-day routines,” we often miss the equally-powerful benefit of “end-of-day routines.” Bedtime routines help prepare our bodies and minds for the best sleep possible. Research shows that a quality night’s sleep affects everything from body repair processes to brain performance, focus, mood, and overall health. Let’s explore the many things we can do to create a successful bedtime routine and get the most out of our sleep.</p><p style="margin-left:auto;">&nbsp;</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Keep a consistent bedtime</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Go to bed at the same time each night to regulate your body’s internal clock. Research has shown that by doing this your body gets used to the consistent sleep schedule and naturally adjusts by feeling tired at about the same time each day. This in turn reduces the amount of time spent simply waiting to fall asleep, as well as the midnight tossing and turning.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Wind down</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Spend 30 minutes to an hour winding down with calming activities like reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing relaxation exercises. It is so important for our brains to decelerate slowly, and process any wandering thoughts and stresses of the day. This is vital for a restorative night’s sleep. So choose an activity that you personally find relaxes you and and releases tension. Ending the night with something that makes you happy means sleeping with a smile on our face. How beautiful is that!</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Limit screen time</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Winding down also means avoiding electronic devices like phones and computers at least an hour before bed, as the blue light can disrupt sleep. This is often hard for many as the demands of work and life require longer hours. It can still be tempting to fall down the rabbit hole of endless social media and scroll for hours. This is where intentional mindfulness in our bedtime routine can have a major impact. Challenge unhealthy habits by replacing nightly screen time with a calm wind-down activity. Once you start to notice the positive impact on your evening and sleep, you’ll find maintaining a healthy bedtime routine without electronic devices much easier.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Create a comfortable sleep environment</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Quieting the senses can also help prepare you for a restful sleep. A dark room signals the body to produce melatonin, a natural hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. A quiet room minimizes disruptions that can wake you or prevent you from falling asleep. Take simple steps to reduce noises from the outdoors, household activities, or electronic devices. When your environment is both dark and quiet, your body will find it much easier to enter and remain in the deeper stages of sleep, which are essential for feeling refreshed and rested. Lastly, adjust the thermostat for bedtime, since extreme temperatures can disrupt sleep patterns. This may be different from your daytime temperature. Experiment until you find an optimal temperature for the best sleep, since there may be different preferences in the same household. Make smaller adjustments with an extra blanket or room heater.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Eat light</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">It may be helpful to eat a light snack, or adjust your meal times and sizes to make sure you aren’t going to bed on the edge of hunger. Be careful not to eat heavy, spicy, or sugary foods right before bed, since they can be difficult or uncomfortable for your body to digest right before bed. Instead, opt for things like bananas, greek yogurt, almonds, whole grain toast, cottage cheese, oatmeal, or herbal teas. Cherries contain melatonin, and can be a great choice due to aid in sleep regulation. Make sure to consume any of these light snacks at least an hour before going to bed, and choose foods that are right for your personal preferences and dietary restrictions.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Practice mindfulness</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Consider meditation or deep breathing exercises to relax your mind. Your mind needs to be at peace for the best sleep possible. Meditation is a great way to center yourself and focus on the present moment. This creates a calm center to prepare your mind to relax. Stressful or anxious thoughts not only make it nearly impossible to fall asleep, but also make staying asleep much harder. Set aside a mindful moment before bedtime to write down thoughts, good and bad; this is a great way to take a load off and prepare for bed. A gratitude journal can redirect your thoughts to a positive mindset conducive for quality sleep. Daily mindful practices are also shown to improve mental health, enhance self-esteem, and manage stress.</p><p style="margin-left:auto;">Sleep rituals are important because they set the stage for restful, consistent, and high-quality sleep. They help align your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, reduce stress, and contribute to overall physical and mental health. By prioritizing healthy bedtime routines, you can enjoy better sleep and reap a wide range of benefits for your overall well-being. Remember, too, that everyone’s sleep needs are different, so it may take some trial and error to find the routine that works best for you. For more tips on sleep, and even specific wind-down sleep stories, check out the Innergy App! Don’t wait any longer to get a restful night’s sleep!</p><p style="margin-left:auto;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Resources</h2><p style="margin-left:auto;"><i>NIH News in Health (April 2021). Good Sleep for Good Health. newinhealth.nih.gov</i></p><p style="margin-left:auto;"><i>Wakefit (March 2020). Why you should go to bed at the same time every night.</i><br><i>wakefit.co</i></p>

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Bedtime Rituals for a Better Sleep

<p style="margin-left:0px;">Restful sleep is absolutely vital to a productive day. Research has shown a lack of quality sleep significantly affects your work productivity, focus, brain performance, mood, eating patterns, and overall health. We all crave getting enough hours of uninterrupted sleep consistently so that we can feel refreshed and function optimally during the day. Just being mindful about the environment we create to promote sleep can make a major difference in our overall sleeping patterns. One simple way to determine what changes may need to be made in our sleep environment is to think about each of our five senses, and how our sleep environment is affecting them.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;"><br><span style="font-size:19px;"><strong>Sense of Sight</strong></span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;">If possible, dim your lights one to two hours before you sleep. Our bodies respond to darkness by producing melatonin, the chemical which helps create the feeling of sleepiness. Wearing an eye mask or darkening your room with window shades can help in blocking out excess light. Creating a restful state also means shutting off the computer and minimizing screen time a couple hours before sleep. The artificial light of electronic devices impacts our body’s circadian rhythm, a natural process that helps to regulate our sleep. Overuse of screens late in the evening can affect your natural ability to feel sleepy; unfortunately, this is a common pitfall for many of us. Be mindful, and limit screen time before bed.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;">Keeping your bedroom clean and organized can also affect your ability to fall asleep. Visual reminders all around us of messes to clean, laundry to fold, and work to be done can detract from the good work we’ve done limiting harmful light. Dr. Salas of John Hopkins, points out that clutter isn’t just impractical, it actively stresses us out. A stressed mind is not conducive to a good night’s rest. An easy yet powerful way to minimize visual barriers to good sleep is simply to block out a couple quick minutes in your bedtime routine to tidy up your sleeping space!</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Sense of Hearing</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">This one is easy. Just like distracting noises make it difficult to focus on work tasks, they also make it difficult to fall or stay asleep. A 2016 study found that participants had worse sleep in a hospital setting than at home, due primarily to the ambient noise level. Do you sleep in the quietest room in your home? Some people use a white noise machine to block out sounds they cannot control such as street noise in big cities. Depending on your family lifestyle, where you live, and any number of other dynamics, unwanted noise can be difficult to fully control. However, if it is keeping you from feeling well-rested in the morning, you may find it worthwhile to consider wearing earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones. Make sure as well to turn off your phone alert sounds before bed, and communicate with family members if necessary on how to be considerate with noise levels in the home while you are resting.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Sense of Touch</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">What our bodies find comfortable to touch and feel can also have a major impact on our sleep. Finding a quality mattress can be the difference between waking up comfortable and relaxed, and waking up with aches and pains from constant tossing and turning. What we sleep on is important, and an investment worth making since sleep makes up, on average, a third of our lifetime. Just like a comfortable chair can promote better focus at work, a quality mattress can promote more restful sleep. Good bedding and pillows are also vital. From material preference with your sheets to the firmness of your pillows, if you don’t feel comfortable, take time to research and experimenting until you are comfortable. Accommodating our sense of touch also includes being aware of ambient temperature. The National Sleep Foundation recommends a cool room with a temperature of 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit to promote quality sleep. If needed, turning on a fan or heater, opening a window, or adjusting the number and type of sheets or blankets can help dial-in the temperature in your bedroom to optimal comfort.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Sense of Smell</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Some find the use of aromatherapy and essential oils helpful for calming bedtime routines and rejuvenating sleep. Diffusers are now convenient and affordable, and lavender essential oils can aid in decreasing stress hormones. Chamomile and peppermint can also promote sleep by decreasing anxiety and stress. The effect and benefits of essential oils vary significantly between individuals, so experiment but be willing to adjust. You can also seek advice from an expert that can give guidance on essential oils and how to use them.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Sense of Taste</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Though we may not think about eating as part of our sleeping environment, it is important to address, since it can take 2-3 hours to digest any meal. Lying down immediately after eating a meal can lead to discomfort and difficulty sleeping. Be mindful of your meal times, and make adjustments as necessary. Drinking chamomile tea with dinner or during your bedtime wind-down routine can help relax the body and mind. Make sure to avoid drinking any liquid too late in the evening, however, since drinking liquids in large quantities late in the evening may disrupt your sleep with repeat trips to the bathroom. Also important to note is that while alcohol may act as a sedative, it can negatively affect the quality of your sleep. Caffeine should also be avoided late in the day as it is shown to negatively impact our ability to fall and stay asleep.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;">Simple adjustments to your environment can have a profound positive impact on the quality of our sleep. Since the quality of your day is greatly dependent on your sleep patterns, we highly recommend investing appropriate time in optimizing your sleeping environment. With the Innergy app, you can find expert advice on how to improve sleep and optimize your ability to live a better life. You can even find a vareity of meditation techniques to incorporate into your bedtime routine and help with relaxation. Don’t forget: quality sleep is vital for a healthy mind and body.</p>

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Creating the Perfect Environment for Restful Sleep

<p style="margin-left:auto;">Meditation offers numerous benefits, from reducing stress to improving focus, enhancing emotional wellbeing, and promoting self-awareness. It can help cultivate mindfulness so that there is a better understanding of one’s thoughts and feelings. Many individuals find that regular meditation practice contributes to a calmer mind and an overall sense of balance in their lives. However, people often give up on meditation due to the challenges of maintaining consistentcy, unrealistic expectations, difficulty quieting the mind, or feeling that they’re not experiencing immediate benefits. It’s important to remember that meditation as a skill takes time to develop, and it’s normal to encounter obstacles along the way. Patience, guidance, and the right approach can help overcome these barriers. Here are a few tips to elevate your meditation practice.</p><hr><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Consistency is Key</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Regular practice of any skill is important if you want to improve skill and confidence. Learning to sit still, calm our mind, and focus on the present moment for an extended period of time takes daily practice. Our lives are often busy and over-stimulated, to the point that sitting still feels unnatural. Meditating daily not only creates a healthy habit, but also helps mprove technique. Just like physical fitness, meditation improves most reliably with consistent practice. Our minds, just like our muscles, needs to be trained. Set aside a regular time of the day where you can meditate without interruption – and then stick to it. Diligent routine quickly becomes a natural habit, as automatic as getting dressed or brushing your teeth.</p><hr><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Extend Duration Gradually</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">There’s no need to start out with hour-long sessions! If you’re struggling with your meditation sessions, focus on meditating *consistently* for a shorter length of time in the beginning, slowly building on that as your practice increases in comfortability and routine. Just like a first-time mountaineer wouldn’t expect to climb Mount Everest their first day, it’s unrealistic to expect yourself to have a fruitful meditation for a straight half-hour the first time you meditate. Start for just 5-10 minutes daily and work up from there. Often people get discouraged because they can’t maintain their focus for an extended period of time. Just like any new skill, a step-by-step approach needs to be taken. Start with a shorter duration, and extend time gradually. Take notice of your increasing ability to manage thoughts and maintain focus. Celebrate those incremental achievements!</p><hr><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Be Comfortable</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">One commonly overlooked key to sustainable meditation is simply this: be comfortable! Some of the best “meditation tools” are clothes that allow you to sit for your desired period of time without constantly feeling like you need to adjustyour position; wearing ill-fitting or uncomfortable clothing can be a major distraction, so be mindful of that. Don’t forget your environment either! Choose a quiet space with minimal inherent interruptions. Unexpected noises and sounds can easily break your focus, derailing the progress made in a daily session. Finally, choose a comfortable position which allows you to meditate for a long period of time without strain. Physical discomfort can hinder your ability to focus, making it difficult to achieve the mental stillness and relaxation that meditation aims to cultivate. Proactive choices about what you’re wearing, where you’re meditating, and how you’re sitting provide easy steps toward a more productive meditation.</p><hr><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Be Mindful Throughout the Day</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Being mindful simply means observing your thoughts and emotions without judgment. Practicing mindfulness makes it easier to be fully present in the moment. This heightened awareness can lead to clearer insights about yourself and your thought patterns. Practicing mindfulness may initially take a strong conscious effort in the beginning, but it will quickly become a more natural habit, and the benefits regardless of effort are powerful. Awareness of negative thought patterns, how they may be causing stress and anxiety, and hindering your focus and productivity, is a vital step in adjusting to a more positive mindset. A daily gratitude practice can also cultivate positive emotions. This proactive mindset can significantly enhance meditation practices and nurture inner wellbeing.</p><hr><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Choose a Mantra</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Choosing a mantra is another way to maintain focus on the present. Pick a mantra that holds personal significance, remembering that the power of a mantra comes from your intention and connection to it. Use your mantra consistently, and observe its effects on your level of focus and calm. Mantras can help deepen a meditation experience, as well as help extend the duration of sitting time. Mantra meditations are extremely adjustable, and can easily be used in a variety of real-life circumstances, as well as in combination with other meditation techniques. Choose a method that you feel comfortable with and works for you.</p><hr><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Be Curious and Do your Research</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Receiving knowledge from an expert can significantly accelerate progress when acquiring new skills. Experts possess in-depth knowledge, experience, and insights that can accelerate your own growth. Whether it’s reading a book, listening to a podcast, or going to a masterclass, save time and effort by taking advantage of others’ knowledge, techniques, practical tips, and strategies that have already been refined through experience. Interacting with someone who has mastered the skill can inspire you to continue striving for improvement, and stay motivated during challenging times. Meditation is an art, and it is important to approach it with an open mind so that your experiences can be more enriched.</p><hr><p style="margin-left:auto;">Just as with any skill, the success and impact of your meditation practices can be powerfully elevated through consistency, patience, and research. Above all, remember: don’t be too harsh in judging your efforts. Focus instead on developing consistent healthy habits – without being attached to the results. You may not notice the benefits of meditation right away, but it is important to not be easily discouraged; any worthwhile goal takes discipline and consistency. For more insightful knowledge on meditation practices visit the Innergy App and start enriching your meditation experiences today!</p>

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Elevating Your Meditation Practices

<p style="margin-left:auto;"><br>Consistency is key when forming habits and developing skills. Psychology Today notes that any lasting behavior change is going to take work – and a lot of repetition. It is the fruits of that labor that turns our efforts into real lasting routines. It’s important to remember, though, that if you have to think about a behavior, then it may not a habit. The real question, then, is how do we get to the point where healthy habits such as working out is truly a habit, and not a chore? Consistency in your daily workouts is the keystone for achieving your fitness goals. That consistency helps build habits, improve performance, and ensure long-term progress. Regular exercise, not occasional grueling gym sessions, is what leads to better physical and mental health, increased strength, endurance, and overall increased wellbeing. The key is to find a routine that you genuinely enjoy and can sustain over time.</p><hr><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Building a sustainable workout habit isn’t necessarily complicated – but it can still be difficult in the midst of everything life throws at you. Here are some steps to help you establish a consistent exercise routine:</h2><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Set Clear Goals</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Define your fitness objectives, whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, improved endurance, or overall health. Specific goals will help motivate you, and help you target the types of workouts that will be most beneficial in reaching those goals.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Start Small</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Begin with manageable workouts that fit into your daily schedule. If you can, gradually increase the intensity and duration over time. The reward of gradual but noticeable progress will help keep you challenged and engaged in your workouts.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Create a Schedule</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Establish a regular workout schedule. Consistency is key, so choose specific days and times to exercise that work for you, and stick to them.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Be Accountable</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Share your goals with a friend or family member who can hold you accountable. Maybe even consider a workout buddy who can motivate you on those particularly challenging days. You can also join fitness classes, exercise groups, or an app for added motivation.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Track Your Progress</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Keep a workout journal or use a fitness app to monitor your achievements. Seeing your progress can be highly motivating – and if you falter, can help get you back on track by reminding you of what you’ve already been able to achieve.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Have fun</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Choose activities that you genuinely find enjoyable! If you attend a class that friends raved about, but it just feels like a chore to you, keep exploring! One person’s absolute favorite activity often isn’t another’s cup of tea. If you like what you’re doing, you’re more likely to stick with it!</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Eliminate Excuses</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Preemptively clear away obstacles that may prevent you from your workout routine. Lay out your workout clothes the night before, prepare a gym bag, or create a home workout space.&nbsp; Planning out the day and staying organized can eliminate the excuses that so easily creep into your mind and stop you from exercising.&nbsp;</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Reward Yourself</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Celebrate your milestones and achievements with a reward, but avoid using unhealthy treats as incentives. It could be a relaxing bath, a new book, a movie night, or even buying fitness–related items like new workout gear. Share your successes with family members or a friend that has been a great support. Be grateful for having the ability to move your body, and recognize how far you’ve come. Rewarding yourself is a great way to stay motivated and reinforce commitment to your fitness goals.&nbsp;</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Be Flexible</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Be adaptable with your routine to accommodate unexpected events. If you miss a session, don’t be discouraged or obsess over the missed day. Simply get back on track the next day.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Patience is Key</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Habits take time to form. Be patient and consistent, and remember that setbacks are a natural part of the process. This is where positive self–talk comes in handy.&nbsp; Keeping a positive mindset can get you through those rough moments when things may seem like they are not going your way. By staying committed, you can build lasting workout habits that contribute to a healthier lifestyle.</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Consistency in workouts is essential for improved performance and long-term progress in several ways. Research has shown there are so many physical and mental health benefits to adopting a fitness routine. Add Your Heading Text Here</h2><p style="margin-left:auto;">Consistency ensures that your muscles are continuously challenged, leading to increased strength and endurance. Regular practice perfects specific movements and skills, leading to improved performance (not to mention enjoyment) in activities such as weightlifting, yoga, or sports. Regular exercise boosts your metabolism, helping you burn calories efficiently and maintain a healthy weight. Adopting regular cardiovascular workout routines, such as running or cycling, helps heart health by improving circulation, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the risk of heart-related issues. Building lean muscle mass aids in weight loss or maintenance over the long term. Research has shown daily exercise has significant mental health benefits as well, including reduced stress, improved mood, and enhanced cognitive function.</p><p style="margin-left:auto;">With the power of consistency comes the power of progress, boosting motivation and self-confidence. The improvements in abilities and physique you’ll begin to see will help bolster committment to your routine. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to begin and grow on your fitness journey, go to the Innergy App and try a new workout today!</p><hr><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Resources</h2><p style="margin-left:auto;"><i>Psychology Today (Jan. 2, 2020). How long does it take to form a new habit? Psychologytoday.com</i></p><p style="margin-left:auto;"><i>Mayo Clinic (July 28, 2023). Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. Mayaclinic.org</i></p>

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The Power of Consistency in Workouts

<p style="margin-left:auto;">When our life is balanced, we feel connected, fulfilled, happy, and peaceful. However, with busy work days and family life, we tend to put our personal needs and growth last. When we do get the chance to focus on our own development, we often default to looking somewhere outside ourselves for something that will complete us. At Innergy, we believe that everything you need can be found inside you; you simply need to get in touch with that inner energy (or “Innergy”).</p><p style="margin-left:auto;">We work hard to make tapping into your inner energy more convenient and achievable for those seeking a holistic approach to health and happiness. The Innergy App is an easy-to-use all-in-one mobile app that provides expert advice and information on how to nurture your whole self – mind, body, diet, relationships, service, and more. How do each of these areas contribute to a holistic life of deep connection to your innergy?</p><hr><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Mental Wellness</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">According to the World Health Organization, mental health is “a state of mental wellbeing that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.” There is no doubt that mental wellness brings more happiness, peace, work productivity, and focus.&nbsp; However, our society and fast-paced lives make it difficult to nurture and be mindful of our mental health and wellness.&nbsp; That is why we provide research-based information on all aspects of mental health, such as how to deal with stress, anxiety, sleep, and productivity, as well as suggestions and solutions to everyday issues that affect our mental wellness. In the Innergy app, you can find a variety of meditation practices and exercises that you can use to&nbsp; enrich your daily life. We feel everyone should have access to the &nbsp;information and techniques they need to live their best life!&nbsp;</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Physical Health</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Physical fitness helps improve brain health, manage weight, reduce risk of disease, and strengthen both bone and muscle to help improve our ability to tackle the requirements of daily life. Regardless of our intentions, it can be tough finding the time to identify sustainable fitness practices to keep our bodies moving in the midst of busy days. In the Innergy app, you’ll find a variety of workouts for all levels of fitness. Expert trainers will inspire you to reach your individual goals and get you to the next level. From yoga to HIIT workouts, dance, and even gentle stretching, there is something for everyone!</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Healthy Eating</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">The benefits of healthy eating and nutrition go far beyond building strong bones and protecting the body from disease. Good eating habits and quality food help improve mood, focus, and overall wellness. This is why we work hard to provide research-based information on the value of nutrition and healthy eating, complete with hundreds of plant-based recipes from a wide variety of cuisines around the world. Healthy eating should be easy and convenient for everyone. A healthy mind first requires a healthy body. Easy-to-follow recipes complete with ingredients, directions, pictures, and nutritional value are all easily accessible in the Innergy app. Healthy eating really is achievable, and is a stepping stone to living a more productive life.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Family, Work, and Community</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Building healthy family and community relationships is vital to holistic wellness. A big part of living a positive and enriched life is nurturing healthy relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and the community at large. Innergy provides strategies and research-based information on how to form positive relationships, resolve conflict, maintain strong family connections, and foster healthy relational habits in any environment. A variety of kid-friendly articles and recipes are incorporated throughout the app. Bringing up the next generation with the tools to live a happy and peaceful life is an important part of Innergy and our goal of holistic health for all.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Service</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Multiple studies have shown the close relationship between happiness and volunteering.&nbsp; Selfless service, also known as ‘seva’ in eastern cultures, has been shown to connect us to others, increase self-esteem, gratitude, and optimism, and give us a sense of purpose. At Innergy, we stress the importance of service and provide creative and easy ways to volunteer and give back to those in need. Anyone can do ‘seva,’ so start today and watch your heart and compassion grow!&nbsp;</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Special Features</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">As a specific mobile app, Innergy has the unique ability to personalize the user experience to match your particular goals. Powerful tools such as fitness and meditation tracking, gratitude and mood journaling, and many more will help you develop healthy and sustainable practices that will impact your inner wellness journey in many ways. Recording individual progress can help with reaching milestones in your health journey, as well as identify areas for ongoing improvement.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;">At Innergy, all spheres of your health matter because they are all intertwined. A balanced life requires that you pay attention to your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Your holistic wellness requires appropriate attention to each of these facets, and they each need to be nurtured to live your optimal life. So awaken your inner energy today with Innergy!</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

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What is Innergy?

<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Why Should I Meditate?</h2><p style="margin-left:auto;">It’s a question many are asking themselves these days – and still a question even more people ought to be asking. While meditation has a long history of varied practice, styles, and purposes, the Cleveland Clinic describes it holistically as “a practice that involves focusing or clearing your mind using a combination of mental and physical techniques… to relax, reduce anxiety and stress and more.” The answer to the personal question of “why should *I* meditate” is simultaneously simple and complex. The simple answer is because it works, and because it has been proven scientifically to help people improve their lives. At the most basic level, there are numerous benefits, no major downsides, and that makes it worth at least trying. At a deeper level, the complex answer requires delving more specifically into the particular benefits of meditation.</p><p style="margin-left:auto;">&nbsp;</p><hr><h2 style="margin-left:auto;">What are the Benefits of Meditation?&nbsp;</h2><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Mental Benefits</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">The most obvious benefits of meditation to both comprehend and feel take place in the mind. Meditation has been found to reduce stress, improve confidence, increase self-awareness, and more. It’s important to note that while common phrases like “it’s all in your head” imply that things existing in the mind are somehow less real, the known scientific reality is quite the opposite. The state of our minds – our level of self-awareness, the practiced ability to manage stress, openness to creativity and imagination – has incredible real-world impact on not just ourselves, but all those around us as well, and meditation has the power to effectively improve all these aspects and more (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Even total beginners mention noticing significant impact on their mental, emotional, and relational wellbeing with the introduction of simple meditation practices to their routines.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Physical Benefits</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">While most are familiar at some level with the mental benefits of meditation, far fewer are aware of the physiological benefits meditation can provide. According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation has been found to lower resting heart rate and blood pressure, improve sleep quality, and bring relief to symptoms of depression and anxiety, chronic pain, heart disease, even cancer; this occurs practically through lowering blood pressure and stress levels, resetting circadian rhythms, triggering the release of certain hormones, etc. Recent studies in the Journal of Religion &amp; Health have shown meditation to be a powerful instrument of bodily self-regulation, and an effective alternative therapy when associated with conventional medical treatments.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">A Bigger Picture</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">Okay, so meditation can help you both mentally and physically – that’s huge! But that’s not all. There’s another cumulative benefit to meditation. A study in the Journal of Public Policy &amp; Marketing found that when communities collectively begin to develop greater mindfulness, one of the most general effects of meditation, there is a powerful potential for improving consumer, societal, and environmental wellbeing. While meditation can be deeply transformative in our individual lives, there is an even greater impact possible when we think beyond just ourselves to our larger communities. In how many ways will the world look different when filled with self-aware, mindful, contemplative individuals?</p><hr><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">References</h2><p style="margin-left:auto;"><i>Bahl, S., Milne, G. R., Ross, S. M., Mick, D. G., Grier, S. A., Chugani, S. K., Chan, S. S., Gould, S., Cho, Y.-N., Dorsey, J. D., Schindler, R. M., Murdock, M. R., &amp; Boesen-Mariani, S. (2016). Mindfulness: Its Transformative Potential for Consumer, Societal, and Environmental Well-Being. Journal of Public Policy &amp; Marketing, 35(2), 198–210.</i></p><p style="margin-left:auto;"><i>The Cleveland Clinic (2022). Meditation. My.ClevelandClinic.org.</i></p><p style="margin-left:auto;"><i>Haynes, A. (2004). Meditation and Health: An Annotated Bibliography. Reference &amp; User Services Quarterly, 44(1), 18–25.</i></p><p style="margin-left:auto;"><i>Mayo Clinic (2022). Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress. MayoClinic.org</i></p><p style="margin-left:auto;"><i>Sampaio, C. V. S., Lima, M. G., &amp; Ladeia, A. M. (2017). Meditation, Health and Scientific Investigations: Review of the Literature. Journal of Religion and Health, 56(2), 411–427.</i></p>