Sniff The Coffee & Drink The Roses: Recent Episodes
Alistair Vermaak
We live in a Topsy-Turvy world at the moment and there is a lot of dark and light. It's my mission to bring you more light through all the Alternative Spiritual teachings & messages I can find
Previously the podcast was a little scattered. The new focus is on creating content for Business without spending on Ads. We'll share tips and tricks to help along the way
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Western medicine has many side effects if we take the time to look at the fine print on everything we buy. If we stop and ask ourselves if there's a better source of medicine, yes there is. It's nature herself.
She provides everything we could possibly want. I will use my resources and share absolutely everything I know and can share to help you make informed decisions.
Nature has the cure - you just need to trust her
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If you suffer from ingrown nails, cracked, brittle or splitting nails, then you know how irritating, painful and sometimes debilitating it can be. In this episode we cover some natural ways to combat problem nails and look at what you can do at home, to relieve some of the pain.
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Sometimes when we speak to others we may come from a place of anger or frustration and say things that may hurt the feelings of others. Other people also want to hear kind, gentle, loving words. This is a meditation to help you find remorse for harsh words and in future speak kindly.
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When we say negative things about people we're causing disharmony and division, especially when there are parties of people we're saying negative things about.
This is a short meditation to reflect on the actions and to prevent ourselves from repeating these actions.
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Athlete's Foot can be an irritating condition to deal with. It's cause by a fungal infection that loves warm, dark, moist places and one of the best places for a fungal infection to find such a place is between the toes of your feet.
Males are often afflicted with this condition because they have sweaty feet and often have their feet covered and stuck in socks for the majority of the day.
There are many anti-fungal treatments available. The most natural thing to do, is give your feet some fresh air at night. Don't use the same shoes every day, wash your feet every day and don't share your shoes and socks with others.
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Hives and heat rash are similar but different. Hives are a viral infection - they're often welts that flare up from time to time. The thing that triggers then can be food or stress. The best way to find out what triggers a flare-up is doing the elimination diet and slowly removing and adding foods to the diet, one ingredient at a time.
Heat rashes are cause when the skin is exposed to very hot climates and the body cannot cool down enough. The best thing to do is try remove yourself from the hot climate or add cooling ointments like menthol.
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Cold sores are caused by the Herpes simplex virus. They flare up when you stress, for ladies, it can flare up when your hormones are out of whack or during menstruations. It's a virus, so you can't kill it. Once you've got it, it lays dormant in your system and certain events will trigger it to show up.
Best thing to do, is get a medicinal cream or salve to apply to the infected area. Certain foods can trigger it. Try reduce your stress levels as best as you can. Hydrate, eat clean, reduce coffee and alcohol intake.
Don't share cups, forks and avoid intimate contact when the infected area may come into contact with someone else.
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Winter often brings with it a number of skin related irritants. Dry cracked lips is one of those problems. the air is dry and it's natural to have dry chapped lips in winter. The best thing so do is try not lick them too often, add a thick moisturizer. Keep a lip balm with you and whenever you feel your lips getting dry, don't lick, but add the lip balm. Stay hydrated, avoid the sun.
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Some boils can be excruciatingly painful, depending where you get them. They're at their wort just before they pop. If you have one that's painful, you can speak to a doctor and get it lanced to relieve the pain. Often time is the best healer and if required, antibiotics will clear it up.
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Blisters can be painful until they pop. There are a few things you can do to make it less painful. But, you should never pop it yourself. A blister is part of the natural healing process, so let it do it's thing. It will pop when it's ready.
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Deceiving and lying ruin trust and destroy relationships. Not only does lying show that you're not a good person, but the consequences of your actions will catch up to you. You are causing your own nightmare by lying and cheating. Your sleepless nights are your own doing and your conniving traits will get you into trouble sooner or later. This meditation is to help you rethink your motives and actions whenever a similar opportunity arises.
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When we use our sexual prowess in the wrong way, we do harm to others. We can ruin trust, physically harm, traumatize and destroy other people. Misconduct in this manner is completely unethical and crosses many boundaries. This is a meditation to help you consider others if you ever encounter the same experience in future,
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When we are taking things from others without consideration for their needs, we are doing ourselves and those around us an injustice. We need to be mindful and respect the right of people to have things that have significance to them and respect their right to own such items.
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All sentient beings have a right to life. If for some reason, we take the life of a sentient being deliberately, we will incur serious Karma. This meditation let's you work on the mental aspects of remorse so that you can stop yourself and consider your actions when the same situation arises.
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If you haven't meditated before, or you're just getting into it, here is a simple exercise to get started. It's not about forcing your mind to quieten, but to acknowledge the thoughts coming to your mind and consistently drawing your attention back on the breath.
Be gentle on yourself.
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Do you fully believe what you see in the world in each waling moment? Do you believe everything you're told? Are you asking the right questions? Are you looking for the truth in the right places?
Who is right? Who can you trust?
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This series of posts are for people who are ready to start looking at the world from a new perspective. Curious, asking questions. Is this life all there is? Is everything we see the truth? Are we being taken care of by the institutions we have given the power to?
Join me as I talk about what I know and I invite you to share what you know............................
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If you've got cellulite, you probably know that the best remedy is, exercise. Find a workout routine and stick with it. In the podcast we cover a quick exercise you can do. The other things you need to consider:
- Diet
- Water intake
- Activity levels
- Reduce your coffee intake
- Smoking must go
- Alcohol can be reduced
- Junk food should be avoided
Drink at least 2.5 litres of water to really help flush out the unnecessary fat stored in your body.
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In our previous podcast we listed the 8 noble paths and in today's podcast we're going to list the 10 non-virtuous actions that should be avoided. We want to know how to be better people and live in a more harmonious spiritual manner. Here are the rules to live a more harmonious life:
Keep in mind, these are broad categories related to the Mind, Body & Speech:
- Do not kill
- Do not steal
- Do not be promiscuous (Sexual Misconduct)
- Do not lie
- Do not use hateful, divisive speech
- Do not use harsh words
- Do not gossip
- Do not think of coveting others or their property
- Do not have ill will towards others
- Do not have the wrong/negative views
Now that you know what the wrong things are. You can work at eliminating these from your life. Then they arrive in your mind or you have the opportunity to see them before you, you can take the right action to avoid partaking in them or help others see the error of their ways.
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Today's podcast concerns natural home remedies for dealing with dermatitis. Although not contagious, living with dermatitis can be uncomfortable for the person with it.
We mentioned a few medications you can use in the recording, but some of them were a mouthful, so I'm going to list them her for your convenience:
Emollient creams can be used to soothe and soften the affected areas.
Corticosteroid creams can be used to reduce inflammation.
Alitretonin can be used to treat severe cases of dermatitis.
Homeopathic remedies include:
Rhus Toxicodendron 6C - for poison ivy type rashes
Sulphur 6C for red, burning, itching or scaling dermatitis symptoms (especially irritated by heat and water)
Urtica 6C for itchy, stinging, blotchy rashes and cracked skin
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If you want to free yourself from suffering and the repeated Karmic rebirth into this kind of reality, you can choose the 8 fold noble path and lead a more spiritual life.
The 8 noble paths are:
- Right View
- Right Intention
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Concentration
When we use the experience of daily life to "see" how the actions we take, what we do, think and say can harm not only ourselves but others as well.
When we do harm to ourselves and others, we are setting ourselves up for more suffering. It's better to follow a righteous path than continue living a life of suffering.
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Look around you at the "things" you've collected over the years. I can bet that everything you bought went like this:
- You see or hear of something and you look for it
- You like what you see, but don't have the money
- You work hard, save the money and go buy said item
- You're proud and like seeing your new purchase
It becomes old news or a white elephant after a few months. Sometimes it works wonders as a flower pot, TV stand, Bookshelf or doorstopper.
- You see or hear of something and you look for it
- You like what you see, but don't have the money
- You work hard, save the money and go buy said item
- You're proud and like seeing your new purchase
Pretty soon your most recent purchase suffers the same fate as the last one. You keep repeating the cycle, over and over again. But, one day, a fire breaks out. Your house is gutted and you have nothing left but the clothes on your back.
You're devastated. You end up living with some folks for a few months until you can get alternative accommodation.
You finally get the opportunity to move into a new place, but something's happened to you.
You no longer feel the need to fill your home with "stuff."
What happened, why do you feel so empty, why does it feel like your life is pretty much over, yet here you stand, alive, but not feeling like you used to?
Do you really want to know what you're experiencing?
You had a taste of true freedom. A taste of what it's like to have no burdens, no attachments and no "stuff" to constantly worry about.
You see, we all seem to believe we need to have more "stuff" in our lives to feel whole, to feel like we've accomplished something. But that's not true.
All the "things" we surround ourselves with are impermanent. The things, people and situations we find ourselves with/in, are all there for a short time. At any moment they can be lost/or move on their own.
So why do we put ourselves through suffering to attain more things? It's because of the ideals we've learnt from others. It's the perceptions of others that have made us believe that we should be doing these things, because it is just the way things are and doing these thing is "normal."
There is a difference. There is normal and there is insanity.
Stating attached to the idea that you need to have more stuff to be happy is just insane. It's actually the opposite.
The less you have, the less you have to worry about. Right or wrong?
Yes, I get it, we need to have certain people and things in our lives in order for us to function in society, so how can we end our suffering?
The answer is actually simple - We need to detach from the thought of being in control and owning things. When we realize that noting is truly permanent, nothing is really in our control, and we let go of the need to have things, we can find peace.
We need to stop jumping from one shiny possession to the next. Stop jumping from one conquest to the next, but be content and happy with what we have at each moment of the day.
Each day, we need to contemplate on what we have done, what we said and how we treated other people. When we keep those things in mind, we can make changes to our beliefs and actions to end our suffering.
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Psoriasis can be quite an irritation condition to have. It's often an inherited condition, but other external factors like stress, poor diet and bad skin regimens can cause a breakout.
The most common symptoms are dry scaling patches of skin, which may crack and bleed. Sometimes the sores can become infected. When this happens, it's time to see a doctor.
There are a number of ways to treat and live with the symptoms. Find a way to de-stress. You can do Yoga, Thai-Shi or meditate. If you are Ok with using medicine, you can find many topical treatments to treat the affected areas.
Foods rich in omega 3 fats are good treatments for psoriasis. Home remedies include making topical creams. Food is your best ally - fish, nuts, seeds, fruit and leafy green vegetables are your friends.
Whatever path you choose, there is a way to live with psoriasis. If however, you really are depressed with your attempts to live with it but nothing works, then you should consider seeing a doctor for medical advice.
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As we age everyone gets wrinkles. You can't stop aging, it's inevitable. But your can live with wrinkles and try keep your skin looking younger and more supple by taking care of a few basic things from day to day.
You can use Aloe Vera gel straight from the plant or you can apply a topical cream to wrinkle prone areas. Add more oily foods to your diet to ensure your skin has the right nutrients. Hydration plays a huge part in preventing wrinkles, so you're advised to stay hydrated and avoid the sun and sunbeds.
Have a listen to the podcast and let us know if you've learnt anything from the episode. If you've got other remedies that you use at home, let us know here and we'll add your voice notes tot he show.
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To end suffering we need to understand that suffering begins with our thoughts and actions related to the reality we create for ourselves. It is not because of real circumstances that exist, but because of the things we tell ourselves to be true, even though they aren't.
When one begins to understand that our thoughts create our perceived reality we can learn ways to put aside our pre-conditioned ideals and see the true reality of each situation.
The mind is a powerful tool that has built in features. Everything that you've heard, seen and absorbed since your birth has shaped your self identity or the "ego."
The "ego" is your filter. It contains all your beliefs, projections, biases and everything else that's been influencing you your whole life.
To train and master your state of mind and "ego" will take time. Once you learn to put aside all of these perceived ideals, you can greatly reduce or even eliminate suffering from your life.
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In Buddhism it is understood that we are all the masters of our lives and it's we that create our own suffering. We suffer because we attach ourselves to things, people, situations and events.
When we are forced to let go of the things we've attached ourselves to, we become upset because we feel that we have lost something of value.
What we need to learn as people is that it doesn't serve our higher interests to attach ourselves to anything.
Nothing is permanent, nothing is set in stone and we should never expect to be in the possession of anything for eternity.
The more we let go of expectations, the less we attach to things, the freer and happier we can be with our day to day situations.
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Although eczema isn't a debilitating skin condition, it can be very irritating to the person who has it. The main problem that causes eczema to begin with is that there is a lack of moisture.
Eczema is often triggered by stress and the best way to treat it is to try remove yourself from stressful situations.
To treat the symptoms, use topical creams, don't use harsh soaps, try stay away from any chemicals that will dry your skin, try not to use hot water and ensure you keep the affected area moisturized.
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Do you suffer from or have someone suffering with Acne. It's not really a disease, but can be genetic. The cause is testosterone. There are however a number of means of dealing with and to a greater extent, manage the symptoms that will enable anyone to live comfortably with the effects of Acne.
You will often find acne reducing in winter and getting worse in summer. Do yourself a favor if you have acne - get about 10 to 30 minutes of direct sunlight onto the affected areas everyday (Just don't do it between 10h00 and 14h00 or when the sun is at it's hottest).
Try keep your hair short if you have acne, as this can distribute oil across your skin.
I briefly touch on conventional treatment, natural remedies, homeopathy and things you need to avoid and what to use in order to better manage acne in your life.
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In this episode we discuss the cause of suffering and the truths behind the suffering. I briefly explain each of the truths and give you the tools to identify them in your life and then leave you with a choice.
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Oily skin isn't a serious condition, but some of us don't like having a shiny face, nor the possible side effects like blemishes, spots and blackheads.
In the most severe cases, acne could result, but acne is more of a hormonal imbalance than a oily skin problem. Only when acne sets in will you possibly be required to visit a doctor so that he can prescribe regular medicine or antibiotics.
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If you've never meditated before, you're going to hear the term "monkey-mind" a lot and wonder what it is and how to control it. Monkey-mind just means that our thoughts come and go, a lot and we often allow our thoughts to control our day.
By learning simple meditation processes we can easily tame the monkey.
It starts with focusing on your breath. Focus on the breath comin into and leaving your body. Whenever thoughts come to mind, allow them to come, acknowledge them, but then let them go just as easily as they arrived, and continue to focus on the breath.
Once your mind has focused on the breath and is silenced, you can just be......
If thoughts come again to the mind, see them, acknowledge them and let them go again and re-focus on the breath. When the thoughts have left, you can just be, once again.
It takes time to train the monkey-mind to bend to your will. You might be wondering what you're supposed to "do." Nothing! Sometimes, if you really have to do something, you can repeat a mantra.
We'll get to mantras a little later.
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In this podcast we go through the symptoms of dry skin, what you can do to prevent it and a couple of home remedies you can try to treat it. It can be expensive trying to buy ready made creams and salves, but often the solution to the problem can come down to diet, how we treat our skin and what we do to prevent recurrences.
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Contrary to popular belief, there isn't just one type of Buddhism. There's actually a variety. In this podcast we briefly discuss the various types and what they are rooted in.
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We're starting off the health section today the 24th June 2021. We're starting off by looking at various skin and hair problems that can occur and each day, I'll cover a problem and what you can use to naturally treat each condition.
To learn more, head on to the health category on my site https://alistairvermaak.com for more information.
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In this podcast episode we learn what Buddhism is. We also learn the history of the founder Siddhartha Gautama who came from a wealthy family, but decided to give up his protected life in the kingdom of his father and wander out into the real world where he discovered all manner of suffering.
After meditating for an extended time, he realized that it was the cycle of man, his behavior, thoughts and actions that led him to suffer. It was Siddhartha's belief that he could end suffering if he could teach others the error of their ways.
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In this episode, we're just getting started and I briefly discuss Meditation and incorporating it into daily life
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Just My Opening intro letting you know what we'll be covering. Come learn more about me at https://alistairvermaak.com
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