Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Must-See Places in Tahiti


As one of the leaders at Awaken.com, Entrepreneur and Wellness Guru Henry Gellis oversees strategic planning and fundraising for a company that searches for innovative technologies that reduce stress, including high-tech meditation as a mechanism to make brain waves more relaxed. He also maintains an interest in the use of Tibetan and Hindu mantras to change consciousness. In his free time, Henry Gellis enjoys traveling and has visited Tahiti, a French Polynesian island that offers a number of fascinating destinations. Here are a few of the most popular places to see:

- La Plage de Maui. A famous stretch of beach, La Plage de Maui features pearly white sand that stands out from the island's typical volcanic black sand. This south shore beach also features a lagoon with shallow, warm water. 

- Marché de Papeete. A large market in Papeete, Marché takes up an entire city block. The market features vendors of shell necklaces, colorful pareo (sarongs), and woven hats, as well as meat and fish sellers. 

- Musée de la Perle. Developed by the famous pearl dealer Robert Wan, this small pearl museum explains the ins and outs of the pearl-cultivating industry. Visitors can view the displays in English and explore Monsieur Wan’s beautiful jewelry collection.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Meditation and Yoga- Finding Strategies for Letting Go of Anger


The co-owner of Awaken.com, Henry Gellis guides its development as the site president. Through the site, Henry Gellis and his team tackle subjects relevant to everyday joy, such as the benefits of meditation and yoga. One of the major benefits of these practices is finding ways to let go of anger.

Known as a secondary emotion, anger often covers up a deeper, more troubling emotion, such as grief, fear, or shame. Because these deeper emotions expose our vulnerabilities, we often cover them with anger, a powerful emotion that we feel coursing through our whole bodies. Acting from a place of anger tends to only put more anger in the world, so it is important to keep this emotion in check. 

While screaming, violence, and destruction are common reactions to feeling anger, these actions do not get at the root of the emotion. For that reason, it is more powerful to recognize that anger is present by naming it nonjudgmentally and digging deeper to find its cause. Meditation and yoga provide us with the self-awareness and tools we need to recognize and deal with anger in a constructive manner. 

Every person experiences anger in a unique way, so transforming the anger also takes a personalized approach. When we know the root of our anger, we can approach it appropriately and learn to let it go.

Monday, December 12, 2016

The Benefits of Organic Food for the Environment and Health


Thursday, December 1, 2016

Yoga Linked to Improved Health Through a More Diverse Gut Microbiome


The owner of Gellis Investment Management and president of Awaken.com, Entrepreneur and Wellness Guru Henry Gellis is interested in the intersection of stress reduction, nutrition, health, and technology. One of Henry Gellis’ primary hobbies is yoga. 

The benefits of yoga are numerous and some are perhaps unexpected. For example, yoga has been linked to a better gut microbiome. The gut is linked to health in many ways, including immunity, weight regulation, and food digestion. Part of a healthy gut includes good bacteria, but many things can upset this microbiome, include chronic stress, environmental toxins, and processed foods.

Yoga has been linked to a healthier gut microbiome for two key reasons. First, yoga helps control stress levels. Too much stress changes the way in which gut microbes interact with the body. By controlling stress, yoga helps maintain a good gut balance. Secondly, moderate exercise like yoga is linked to better microbial diversity, especially when paired with a high-protein diet. Microbial diversity is very important for strengthening the immune system and maintaining healthy body processes. 

The impact of yoga on gastrointestinal health may explain some of the other benefits of the practice. In addition to a stronger immune system, a good gut microbiome increases energy and endurance, strengthens bones and joints, and combats depression.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

What Distinguishers Original Thinkers from the Rest of Us?


The president of Los Angeles-based Awaken.com, Henry Gellis also leads Gellis Investment Management, which has invested in a number of companies working in stress reduction, health, and nutrition. To get inspired, Henry Gellis enjoys talking to some of the most original thinkers alive today. 

Some people may wonder if there is a way to distinguish original thinkers from the crowd. Psychologist Adam Grant set out to answer this question and spent years studying the most cutting-edge minds of our generation. His studies identified three common traits of all original thinkers. The first of these traits, perhaps surprisingly, is procrastination. While procrastinators typically take more time to finish a project, research has shown that their end results tend to be much more creative. According to Grant, this creativity results from procrastinators taking the time to consider new, outside-the-box possibilities.

The second common trait is that original thinkers tend to have a large number of ideas. Not all of these ideas are necessarily good, but original thinkers have several that they would be willing to bet on being successful. Grant acknowledges that original thinkers tend to fail often, but they are willing to try. 

Some people may think original thinkers are fearless, but this is not true. In fact, says Grant, fear is the third common trait. However, these individuals tend to use their doubt to improve their ideas rather than hold them back. Because of doubt, original thinkers tend to continue refining their ideas to be as good as possible.

Monday, October 3, 2016

A Helpful Guide for Vegetarians Traveling in Thailand


Henry Gellis is the owner of Gellis Investment Management in Los Angeles, California. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Henry Gellis has spent a lot of time traveling. As he tries to limit his consumption of animal products, he has experience ordering vegetarian cuisine in many countries, including Thailand. 

While Thailand can prove extremely friendly to vegetarians, individuals need to understand the philosophy of eating in this country. First, visitors need to understand that vegetarian in Thai means that people do not eat chunks of meat or fish. In other words, meat stock, fish sauce, eggs, and similar ingredients are allowed. For that reason, some people may want to order vegan dishes. However, even vegan has a different meaning. Vegan foods contain no animal products or garlic, and certain herbs and vegetables may be left out.

Some dishes in Thailand are typically vegetarian, such as pad pak ruam prik gaeng, which consists of mixed vegetables cooked in chili curry paste and kaffir lime leaves. Another option is pad pak gachet, which is stir-fried water mimosa, a delicious Thai vegetable that grows underwater. Individuals can also order vegetarian pad gra pao het jay, which replaces pork with mushrooms. In all of these cases, it can be helpful to ask for no fish sauce, which is commonly used in restaurants.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Byron Katie’s Four Questions for Self-Discovery and Healing

 

Entrepreneur and Wellness Guru Gellis brings yoga tips, health-related news, and inspiration to his readers as the president of www.awaken.com. On his website, Henry Gellis offers advice and original interviews from popular leaders in mindfulness and self-improvement, including Byron Katie.

Byron Katie’s method of self-searching relies on four big questions. She suggests that directed self-inquiry helps uncover the real reasons people experience suffering and emotional hardships in their own lives. As part of the healing process, Byron Katie asks people to identify an issue that is weighing on their mind and answer the following four questions honestly.

1. “Is it true?” Individuals must determine if an issue is as it seems or if something else is sparking the negative feelings.

2. “Can you absolutely know that it is true?” For example, it is difficult to know absolutely what another person thinks about you, and people cannot see the future to know if their fear will come to pass.

3. “How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?” This question asks people to evaluate how focusing on negative thoughts impacts their behavior and feelings.

4. “Who would you be without that thought?” The final question encourages people to envision themselves without the negativity that causes them pain.