While actors such as Wilford Brimley and Tom Selleck are just as well known for their mustaches as they are for their on-screen careers, an American actress would never even consider appearing on-screen with hair on her lip. For American women, hair on the upper lip is not only discouraged but can also be a source of embarrassment and low self-esteem. Women who have hair on their lip will find a number of products and treatments that promise to make this hair go away, but this most effective strategy is to complete a wax.

Some women opt to shave hair from lip, but this process is not recommended as results last just 2-3 days. Alternatively, performing an upper lip wax will remove hair at the roots so that it takes two weeks to grow back. Another process that some women use is bleaching, but inexperienced hair bleachers will end up with a bleach job that is too noticeable, attracting even more unwanted attention. Going to a spa to have an upper lip wax performed is a great way to inexpensively see results without having to complete the hair removal process on one’s own. Women who want an even cheaper, simpler hair removal option that can be completed in the privacy of their own can turn to home waxing strips. These strips cost less than $20, are not difficult to use, and are very effective when used correctly. Below is a step-by-step guide that individuals who have never used home waxing strips can utilize to ensure results.

Step One: Preparations

To prevent contamination, waxing strip users should start by washing their hands and upper lip area. Women who have long or unruly hair should consider using a hair tie or clip to keep it from touching the wax. Also, women should make sure that hair on the lip is at least ¼” long, as hair that is shorter will not stick to the wax.

Step Two: Divide the Upper Lip into Sections

An upper lip wax is a five step process, with women working on one section at a time. Women must start by dividing this into five sections, considering the skin below the nose as one section, and then dividing the sections on each side into two additional sections.

Step Three: Get Started

Start with one section by placing a wax strip on that section, pressing down so that the wax sticks to the hairs, and then pulling the strip away in one swift motion. This will remove hair at its root.

Step Four: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Repeat the previous step on each additional section of the lip.

Step Five: Finish

Use a tweezer to remove any hairs that were not removed by the home waxing strips product. Next, use moisturizer to remove wax residue and soothe the skin.

Once the upper lip wax is completed, the hair that eventually grows back will actually be lighter and finer. Frequently completing a wax will over time minimize the severity of upper lip hair.

SUMMATION

Home waxing strips allow women to conveniently and inexpensively perform an upper lip wax.

Anyone working towards the goal of seeing and feeling satisfying gains or weight loss knows that this process can become somewhat repetitious and expensive. Performing countless reps or tracking the distance you’ve completed hour after hour at the local gym can make success seem light years away from having the strength, stamina, and body type you long to achieve when beginning a training regiment. What is it that’s missing when so many training schedules fall victim to the, “It’s OK I can skip the gym today” or “I’ll start again on Monday” statements that we are so familiar with. Is it possible that the variety of machines and training routines available can sometimes get in the way of making simple decisions like how to go about getting the results you need to look and feel your best?

There is a traditional form of exercise that has been filling the void to these modern exercise conundrums we face when it comes to our physical appearance and mental well being. And martial artists have been capitalizing on these benefits for thousands of years. Practitioners of the martial arts have multiple requirements for self-defense techniques as a physical discipline, and combine it with the building of self-confidence and honor for both student and teacher. And this is considered basic training. Not only is this form of art a great blend of both cardio and anaerobic (weight training) workouts, it can help someone achieve a very defined physique by cutting and toning their body, in addition, this form of exercise teaches a self-defense system as the core foundation that contributes to the students dedication to progress and will to succeed. Weight benches, exercise bikes, and even loud personal trainers have yet to incorporate the three above mentioned martial arts attributes such as

1. Having a body of optimal strength and appearance

2. Feeling healthy inside and out and

3. Having the skills to protect all that you’ve worked for.

One particular self defense technique studied throughout the martial arts community and found in nearly every dojo as a mandatory skill taught to students around the world is the bo staff. Instead of stepping up to countless solid state machines or pumping reps with a free-weight bars jammed with dumbbells on both ends, how about taking and using just the bar itself? Probably the first combat weapon ever to be used following the fist, the bo staff would have been created quite easily with branches pulled from trees or fallen sticks found on the forest floor. If you have ever wanted a way to tone and shape your chest, back, and arms… the bo staff is a great tool for utilizing these muscle groups for a complete upper body exercise routine and there is no need to go to your local martial arts studio and register right away either.

There are many resources available such as YouTube, eHow, or even the EzineArticles directory where you can find many different instructors teaching the basics for free and it’s as simple as grabbing that broom stick in the corner of the laundry room or visiting your nearest building supply center to pick up a wooden dowel for less than ten dollars. Practicing and training with a bo staff can bring a complete workout that sharpens your upper body. Movements such as spinning and striking with the bo can be both physically demanding, but also a lot fun. If you can remember flinging a branch around when you were younger, or finding that perfect walking stick when camping or hiking… there is almost a nostalgic feeling when training with a 6 foot wooden bo staff, making it feel less like a chore as exercise can sometimes be.

When training with a bo staff you are learning a more than a thousand year old traditional form of weaponry. It can look and feel quite impressive when performing its most basic level techniques and it can be very useful as a form of self-defense protection for your self and others.

One of the most popular accessories for a man these days has to be upper arm tattoo designs. They show strength and are very sexy when well chosen and done by a great artists. The hardest thing is always choosing the design and most men spend many hours picking out something that will represent them for the rest of their lives.

In this article I want to give you some advice for choosing that perfect upper arm tattoo design so that you can make a really good choice and be happy with it for years and years.

1. Old school designs like anchors and stars

To bring these old designs in to the present why not go for something in 3D. These old school designs can still look very cool and are very manly.

2. The tribal design

These slick black tattoos often get a lot of attention and the best ones come from the Maori tribes. You can find a lot of inspiration on Google images but I would suggest that you find out what any tattoo means before inking because you don’t want to upset anyone. The upper arm is the perfect place to get one of these tribal designs because there is a larger amount of flesh to be working with.

3. The heart

You have a couple of options here. The first is to depict a hear with an arrow through for a man who has been unlucky in love and the second is to show a heart made of rock for the man who is a committed bachelor.

4. Animal

A very ancient symbol of strength and a perfect design for your next tattoo. The Lion is a great idea as the mythical king of the jungle, and if you have aspirations to be an alpha male this can work a treat.

5. Dragons

I saved this one till last because they are they most popular option for the upper arm. They are often based on Japanese designs and you will have a whole load of different designs to choose from.

Pyramids: The upper Merkaba

Prologue:

For hundreds of years, people were mesmerized by the gigantic architecture of Egypt known as pyramids. Lately, we came to know about recent discoveries about these ancient structures. We learned about its astrological and astronomical perspective, its metaphysical aspects, applied mathematics, connection to earth sciences, religious belief and so on. This is a real awe to see these huge geometric elevations with such a precision.

To relate the above statement with truth, I would refer to the recent unveiling of the fact that the pyramid of Giza is eight-sided. We had a different view a few years back. The solar equinox accidentally proved the slight angular bent of the pyramid’s side faces.

Anyways, I am going to present here another hypothesis which a few learned researchers stated believing about the geometry.

Merkaba:

Merkaba does mean a chariot in Hebrew text. Commonly, it depicts the transition or ascension from the body to the spirit with the help of divine light.

“Mer” means light, “Ka” relates to the spirit and “Ba” is the body.

The Merkaba is basically a merged geometric structure of two pyramids.

Definitely, it falls under sacred geometry and it has its own metaphysical aspects.

In the Bible (Ezekiel 1:4-26), it was described as a four-wheeled chariot which was driven by four Cherubim’s with four wings and four faces. These concepts fall under the school of Jewish mysticism. Ezekiel was taken on this chariot alive. These facts or myths were vastly depicted in Maaseh Merkabah. It also has a relation with ancient alien theory as proposed by many researchers.

Recent advancements on Merkaba found a definitive relation with our DNA structure. So, in other words, Merkaba can be the geometric model of the building block of modern mankind.

“Chassidic” philosophy says about the intricate relations of Merkaba with the human kind, its ecosystem and this universe and how to go beyond the physical level.

The point is:

Pyramids are a physical form of Merkaba but only the upper section. We have to consider theoretically about the upside down the structure. It has accurately mimicked the Merkaba described in ancient texts and helps in elevating human consciousness.

Researchers say that when they kept burnt out batteries under a small pyramidal structure cloned accurately form the original one, it gained charge for few minutes. Even a blunt-edged razor got back its sharpness.

Meat, vegetables kept under it doesn’t rot. A surge in astral projections is noticed especially for those who have this kind of faculty. Lucid dreaming becomes easy while sleeping under pyramids.

There are more to it.

In Indian temple architecture, we see a similar structure though highly ornamented with carvings. It rises from a square base up to a point.

The 3D structure of a “Shri Yantra” is highly similar to these temples.

Indian scriptures set a rule for all to visit the temples and sit there in silence for at least 15-20 minutes. This is because the architecture of these temples is made in a way so as to harness cosmic energies and accumulate under the shrine which is more or less 1/3 of the temple height.

Strikingly similar to the Indian temples, pyramids do have the same philosophy and it has been proved (not in the laboratory as we are still far from doing it) that it affects human consciousness.

Merkaba is a visualization which endows power to humans for elevating their “chakra” level or rather the conscious level to a higher dimension.

Why would such a developed culture, where men were powered with mathematics, Astronomy, agriculture, chemistry, medicines and more shall spend their time, effort on building tombs!

The mystery lies in their glyphs and their silent immobile magnificent designs. They codified an unimaginable secret message in this timed structures. We sent spaced probes which cover distances in search of new lives.

They built pyramids which traveled through ages with a message hidden in its high precision geometric structures. Ancient Egyptian structures are still traveling in time to find the right stage of civilization that will decipher the code and bring out a truth for which we may still not be ready.

Experiments:

Well, it’s not that easy to spend few days under a real pyramid (after all it is not a resort) but we can possibly do some experiments with a mimic of a pyramid (say for instance; the pyramid of Khufu) and perform few experiments. We have to keep in mind that a typical pyramid is theoretically a Merkaba.

A practice of meditation and active visualization is the major ingredient of these experiments. For the laboratory, we need to have a pyramid made of cardboard or wood (few people have constructed their roofs in the form of a pyramid).

Conduct a simple mathematics and find out the ratio of the lengths and depths (you can easily find in top-level search engines). Angle will remain the same.

Find out a place to install the homemade pyramid and place it above the ground so that if you sit inside it, your height of the sitting posture should be 1/3 of the pyramid height. (Please do remember that the sarcophagus of the king in the king’s chamber is exactly 1/3 the height of the pyramid)

Meditate and visualize the Merkaba inside you as a glowing geometrical construct. Meditate upon the consciousness, which is you. Let it flow freely.

The results will felt by you only.

Good luck to you all.

When I was in the seventh grade, a classmate of mine died from uremic poisoning. The principal of our small grade school requested from the parents classmate attendance at her funeral. The heavy scent of carnations and the haunting tune, Beautiful Dreamer, played on the organ, affect me still. Lorraine, in her padded coffin, appeared much prettier to me in death than she had in life. A thin, sickly, shy girl (with a healthier twin sister), Lorraine seemed almost shadow-like in our class. When I later asked my mother when Lorraine was going to wake up, she replied, “Never.” No words of heaven, or that she’s now in a happier place. The thought that the girl was doomed to eternal sleep was staggering to me.

My family moved around a lot. As a child, it often seemed to involve playing catch-up with classmates more fully rooted in place. Following our parents’ dictates, we three siblings were weekly shuttled to the nearest Sunday school. It didn’t seem to matter which one – Methodist, Congregational, Lutheran, etc. I found it embarrassing and disconcerting to walk into a new classroom and realize that we were either ahead or, more often, behind our peers in religious study. My parents were comfortably loose believers in “Something up there …”

Not tied to any particular familial religious dogma during our childhood years, we were mentally unencumbered as adults to pursue our own, if any, spiritual inclinations. Personally, I’ve found that life slowly offers up its deeper inner secrets to the truly venturesome and inquisitive in Spirit.

Two years ago I attended a relative’s funeral on the East Coast. At the memorial service I became aware that he had been a respected member of the church’s choir. After each week’s choir practice in the church, the men retire upstairs to a second-story room. There, the men who gather share fellowship, faith, and comradery. They proudly call themselves MOTUR: Men Of The Upstairs Room.

I like to imagine other individuals who, like myself, are Seekers, whose strong desire for elusive Truth keep them journeying along on their own unique paths of discovery, are united with me in a spiritual sense. We too are MOTUR – Members (future Masters) Of The Upper Room – open in our individual consciousness to new inner direction and enfoldment.

The lower back gets a lot of attention as one of the leading causes of missed work days, disability and hospital visits per year. Although not as pervasive, upper back, neck and shoulder pain can be just as disruptive as lower back pain.

While sometimes a joint problem is responsible, the most common cause of pain in the neck, upper back and shoulder is muscular. There are a number of muscles in the upper back, the trapezius being the largest. It is triangular, stretching from the mid-spine up to the base of the skull and over to the scapula. Its unique shape makes it responsible for a variety of actions, including tilting the head, supporting the upper body, stabilizing the shoulder joints and serving as a base for arm movements. Since it is located in the neck, shoulder and upper back, the trapezius is a likely culprit for pain in these regions.

If you have injured your trapezius muscle, a number of movements will be painful, including shrugging your shoulders, rotating your shoulders and moving your neck. There are two common causes of neck, back and shoulder pain associated with the trapezius muscle.

Overuse

Overuse injuries can occur to any part of the body. They are caused by repetitive motions that tax muscles, ligaments and tendons without giving them adequate rest time in between actions. Even light repetitive use of the trapezius can cause an overuse injury. If your job or other activities demand constant movement of a shoulder, the muscle will be contracting frequently without sufficient time to rest between contractions. Rest time is essential, since blood flow depends on a contraction/relaxation cycle. When a muscle becomes chronically tense due to overuse, it does not receive ample amounts of fresh nutrients and oxygen from blood. Chronically tense muscles can develop knots called trigger points that make it even hard for a muscle to relax.

The trapezius can suffer an overuse injury if you use a computer with a mouse throughout the day. Holding a phone between your head and shoulder is another way the muscle becomes chronically tight. If your upper back, neck and shoulder hurt on one side of your body, it is likely that something you do with that side of your body is causing an overuse injury. Being creative about your work station can resolve these types of injuries. For example, using a mouse with a roller ball or investing in a headset or ear bud for your phone would allow the muscle to relax.

You will need to undo the damage done to your trapezius by forcing it to relax. This can be done by self-myofascial release (SMR), trigger point massage or deep tissue massage. See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCVowv5A66Q to learn more about SMR for your trapezius.

Postural Dysfunction

We’ve all been told as children to sit up straight, but how many of us practice proper posture at work, at home or on the road? The human body is not designed for prolonged sitting, yet modern life often encourages and demands it. Unless you have a very strong core and pay constant attention to your posture, you likely end up slouching part way through the day. This position entails hunched shoulder and a forward head.

Consider what happens to the muscles in the chest when held in this position. The pectoral muscles in the chest and the teres muscles in the armpit at the bottom of the shoulder blade are tight and shortened. Eventually, muscle memory develops to automatically tighten these muscles. Their shortened length and tension exert a pull on structures surrounding them, including the trapezius. The trapezius lengthens and weakens, and this tug-of-war further encourages stooped posture.

Overstretched muscles suffer tears that can cause pain. These muscles also react by attempting to tighten; this is to protect themselves from further tearing. An overstretched trapezius overworks to prevent further stretching, while it fails to perform its intended job of upper back and shoulder stability. Pain can be felt throughout the length of an overstretched trapezius.

Restoring proper length and strength to your muscle means relaxing the pectoral and teres muscles, then conditioning the upper back. SMR can be used on the chest muscles. You can stretch the pectorals by clasping your hands behind your back and pulling away from the body. The teres group may be stretched by lifting your arm above your head and bending to the opposite side. See http://www.livestrong.com/article/156529-home-exercises-for-the-trapezius-muscle/ for trapezius conditioning exercises.

Once balance has been restored to your upper body muscles, you can practice proper posture and prevent upper back pain from recurring.

Neck, shoulder and upper back pain are commonly caused by muscular problems related to overuse or posture. If your imbalance or injury is severe, you may need the assistance of a physical therapist. Otherwise, you can likely resolve the pain on your own with a little knowledge and motivation.

A lean and muscular upper body is a symbol of strength, power and youth. Strengthening the upper body muscles is important to not only look attractive, healthy and fit, but to stay confident and young as well. There are different exercises that focus on building lean and strong upper body mass. The most effective upper body exercises work your shoulders, abdominal muscles, arms, chest and upper back. It is important to keep in your mind that workout and training sessions are just one aspect of building your body mass and you need to include a solid diet plan in your daily routine to get your dream upper body muscles.

Deadlifts can play a very important role in developing your upper body muscles. This wonderful exercise works your forearms, traps, biceps, shoulders as well as your hips, glute, thigh and back muscles. Moreover, a recent study revealed that this exercise also promotes the release of growth hormone in your body. Chin ups is another good exercise to build your upper body muscles especially biceps and wings. Push ups is a great exercise for developing chest, biceps and front shoulder muscles. This exercise makes use of your own body weight to develop your upper body muscles.

Military or shoulder press is another wonderful exercise to build your triceps, front and side shoulders. To start this exercise, stand upright with your arms bent and dumbbells at your shoulder level. Now, slowly raise the weight above your head without locking your elbows. Continue to raise the weight until your arms are straight and then slowly bring the dumbbells back to their starting position.

Bench press is considered as an excellent exercise for developing your biceps, triceps, front shoulder and chest muscles. In order to do this exercise, lay flat on your back on a bench. If you are using a barbell to do this exercise, slowly extend your arms in order to push the barbell from your chest away from you. Now, slowly bring the barbell back to its starting position. With dumbbells, you can start with each dumbbell at either shoulder. Now, slowly bring them together in front of you by straightening your arms. Close grip bench press is a great exercise for building your triceps. To do this exercise, sit on a bench and grab the bar about your shoulder width. Now, lower the bar to your chest level. Make sure that your arms are parallel to your body and you use your triceps for the lift.

Bent-Over Rows is considered as one of the best exercises to build your upper body muscles and it works your deltoids, upper back and forearms. Parallel bar dips are great for building strength and size of triceps, chest and shoulders. To begin this exercise, jump up on the bar and proceed by grabbing it at about your shoulder width. Lean forward and lower your body until you reach a 90 degree angle between your upper body and your arms.

My wife and I took the leap to a more rewarding future in 2002, when we bought my first fixer-upper house, repaired it, and rented it out.

What motivated us to get started in fixer-upper houses was the repercussions of the 9/11 attacks. Funds for environmental projects, such as the kind I worked on, were being redirected to military activities, and the future of my job looked shaky.

Responding to a Newspaper Ad

Prior to that I’d been reading about real estate investing and when my wife and I saw a newspaper ad for a fix-up property in a relatively nice neighborhood, we made an offer on it and wound up buying it. We didn’t have a lot of knowledge of what we had jumped into, buy we had a lot of enthusiasm. We learned as we went along.

Jacks-of-One-Trade

In the area of house repair we became jacks of all trades, learning to repair almost anything that was in a fix-up house. But, in our fixer-upper niche business we were jacks-of-one-trade. We stay focused on what we do best- buy, fix, and rent. And, if you do something often enough, you get pretty good at it.

We worked like dogs, we slept like logs and we ate like hogs! But, now we have the routine down, and are making good money with less effort in our fixer-upper business.

Investing in fixer-uppers is a great way to get a business going in your spare time. It can allow you to gradually build up financial security, and eventually change into a career where you control your destiny.

Is Now a Bad Time to Invest?

When I bought my first house, many thought I was crazy. Following 9/11 there was a great deal of uncertainty about what would happen next. Would the country go to war? Would I lose my job? Would the economy go down the toilet?

Today, because of the possibility of a recession, people are making the same arguments. But remember, you don’t make money by buying houses when the economy is strong. Prices are too high then. You make your money when the economy is weak, and housing prices are low and negotiable.

In a previous article I discussed learning fix-up skills by 1) trying to do repairs as you encounter them and using your investment fixer-upper house as a “practice” house; and, 2) by taking community college classes in the construction trades.

Two more ways to learn repair skills are: 1) reflect on past experiences and on persons who were good examples, and 2) put together your own repair book reference library.

1.) Reflecting on the Past

After I got more involved in doing repair work of my investment houses, I thought back about how my father had taught me a lot by example. I recall seeing him construct screened-in porches on various houses that we had lived in. I was too young to help out much at the time, or to appreciate what he was doing. Looking back I realize that it required a strong desire to learn the basic principals, and a sense of self-confidence to build it. He had no formal training in construction, and did not have reference books like I do but he learned by observing other porches that had been built in the neighborhood and by talking to people.

I also have a friend who has made a career out of living frugally. He does virtually all of his own house repair and car repair work. If he gets stuck, he goes to the library and finds books to help him. It helps that he has a background in teaching vocational education. We have helped each other with house repair projects over the years, and he is a reliable source of practical advice when I need help.

There may be people around you who can teach you a lot about home repair. This is the kind of person who can be an invaluable resource for you. Be sure to take them out to lunch once in awhile.

2.) Put Together a House Repair Book Library

I like to scour the fix-up book areas at used book stores for good buys. I buy a book as soon as I see it if I know that it has valuable information. If you wait to purchase the book you may return later and find that the book I had wanted is gone. The price you pay will literally be a drop in the bucket compared to the money you will save. I have books on almost every possible repair topic, including electrical wiring, plumbing, flooring, you name it. Some books offer information on a wide variety of repairs. Reader’ Digest Fix-it Yourself Manual and Better Home and Gardens Complete Guide to Home Repair, are good books to start with. From there, you may need to go to a more focused book on electricity or plumbing. The Home Depot books are generally good choices to include in your library. I have several.

When a book is not enough, you can usually get good advice on specific jobs at hardware stores, like Ace Hardware. And, you can often get good advice on difficult repairs by doing a Google search.

The chest is one of those show muscles that everyone wants to get. The bigger, wider and more defined the chest the better. It is the main front muscle that everyone will see, no matter if you’re wearing a shirt. The upper chest line will even be visible from the top opening of your shirt, revealing a big defined chest below. But how do you go about getting that upper chest line, it is one of the hardest parts to hit on your chest, this article will show you how.

Build the chest as a whole

The reason people get that great looking line that splits between the pectoral muscle is because they have a well-built chest overall. They have built it up in muscle mass so much that they naturally get that line.

This means training your chest with the correct exercises and bulking it up with proper nutrition. Once you have gained significant amounts of muscle mass you will naturally get that upper pec line you are looking for.

Perform exercises that work

There are many exercises for the chest, the bench press being the most common only for the chest, but as a bodybuilding exercise in general. The only problem is that it is not the best exercise for the chest. The bench press actually activated the triceps and front shoulders a lot more, taking away from the stimulation of the chest.

Then there are isolation exercises like dumbbell chest flyes. These are great for directly hitting the chest muscles, but don’t allow for much weight to be used which won’t create a very big anabolic response from your body.

The best exercise for your chest is a hard body weight exercise. The dips are the best exercise for overall chest development and surprisingly will hit the upper middle of your pecs extremely well. The key is to perform them correctly.

Many people perform dips with a way to close grip and close together elbows, this will mainly hit the triceps. To really hit the pecs you must widen the grip to above 30 inches, once you do this you will really feel it in your chest. Then you must make sure your keep your elbows out as far as possible. Lower down and get a good stretch in your chest, then squeeze the pecs together on the way up. This will totally obliterate your chest muscles.

Perform the dips with every chest workout, focus on them only. Aim to increase the reps each week, you may only be able to get 1 more rep each week, as they are a hard exercise. Stay consistent for a few weeks and you will be amazed at the development of that inner pec line.