Natural Awakenings - February 2012 Read the February 2012 edition of Natural Awakenings. Wabi Sabi Love: Embracing Imperfections in Relationships Arielle Ford explores how we can shift our focus from what’s wrong to what’s right, cultivating a more loving connection through humor, listening, intimacy and generosity. Read More » Improve Your Snooze: Sleep Aids versus Sleep Sappers Can what we eat help us enjoy better sleep? Yes, says our panel of experts—see which foods, drinks and supplements they recommend to ease your zzz’s. Read More » How Can We All Get Along?: Resolving conflict benefits mind and body. Whether we experience a minor disagreement at home, a workplace quarrel or a complicated political dispute, the process of working through a conflict can leave us feeling stronger and improve our relationships. Read More » How a Brain Grows: Five Ways to Aid Development Try these scientifically backed tips, designed for parents and caregivers, to positively influence a child’s developing brain. Read More » Pint-Sized Pets: Smaller Pets Have Big Potential Whether they crawl, swim, hop or fly, speak, make other sounds or stay silent, many small wonders can make ideal pets. Read More » Exercise to Beat the Blues: Staying Active Lifts Our Spirits During winter, we tend to feel sluggish, fatigued and blue. Getting off the couch and becoming active is the best natural antidote. Read More » The Benefits of Burnout: An oxymoron? Not according to psychologist Joan Borysenko. Psychologist Joan Borysenko, the author of Fried: Why You Burn Out and How to Revive, suggests that we view burnout as an invitation to a more authentic life. Read More » Eat Plastic-Free: Healthy, Practical Tips for People and the Planet Plastic containers for food and drinks often contain unhealthy chemicals that contribute to toxic buildups in our bodies and landfills. Try these practical ways to avoid using them. Read More » A Brain-Building Blueprint: How to Keep the Mind Young and Memory Sharp The experts agree: We can do things throughout our lifetime that work to maintain the bulk and function of the brain. Use their advice to challenge and strengthen your own “little grey cells.” Read More » Green Laundry List: Use Cold Water and Eco-Wise Detergents These tips for clean, green wash days are easy on the pocketbook and planet. Read More » Crucial Shareware: Open Hardware Addresses Environmental Problems The concept of open hardware, like open software, aims to freely share all the necessary knowledge for building usable electronic devices... Read More » Low Tech: Silicon Valley School Eschews Computers A Silicon Valley Waldorf school eschews computers, saying they inhibit creativity. Read More » Blogging News: Teens See More Kindness than Cruelty Online A majority of American teens say their peers are mostly being kind to one another on social networking sites. Read More » Natural Wonders: Virgin Forests are Irreplaceable A new international analysis confirms the crucial role that virgin forests play in conserving the natural world and maintaining biodiversity. Read More » Big Book: Encyclopedia of Life Update The vastly expanded Encyclopedia of Life offers information on more than one-third of all known species on Earth, including hundreds of thousands of images and videos. Read More » Vanishing Species: Counting our Natural Blessings Scientists theorize that as many as 86 percent of Earth’s species are still unknown, and millions of organisms will remain undiscovered as extinctions accelerate worldwide at 10 to 100 times their natural rate. Read More » Vitamin C Helps Us See: Tip for Keeping Your Eyes Healthy Enjoy your morning orange juice—it helps the nerve cells in your eyes to stay healthy. Read More » Regular Bedtimes Make Kids Smarter: The Key to Developmentally Excelling Children that get adequate sleep score higher on a range of developmental assessments. Read More » Alcohol Impairs Recovery from Illness: Think Twice Before Downing a Hot Toddy Can hot toddies help a cold? Probably not—new research shows that alcohol impairs recovery from illness. Read More » Potassium Protects the Heart: Take in More for Better Cardiac Health Achieving a healthy sodium-potassium ratio is key to controlling blood pressure and improving heart health. Here’s what you need to know. Read More » Does Yawning Cool the Brain?: It Doesn't Just Mean You're Bored New research suggests that beyond signaling fatigue or boredom, yawning might be a physical reaction to cool an “overheated” brain. Read More » Seaweed Loves the Heart: A Rich Source of Heart-Healthy Goodness Seaweed and other microalgae may rival milk products as a source of bioactive peptides that reduce blood pressure. Read More » Meditation Boosts Brain Power: Slow Down Mental Deterioration The practice may slow down aging-related brain atrophy, perhaps by positively affecting the immune system. Read More » In-Print