Moderate lifestyle

Doctors of Ancient China considered " measured image life" as an important condition for longevity. Those who care about their health plan their work and leisure scientific basis, in accordance with the changing seasons, consciously following the natural course of things in nature. Properly organized daily life ensures the strengthening of vital energy in the kidneys, maintains health, and strengthens the body's resistance. An unsettled life can take a toll on your health, shorten the lifespan of your body, and lead to early aging of your skin.

1. Develop good habits

The concept " good habits", associated with life, includes compliance with the changes that occur around us when the seasons change, and the competent organization of the daily routine. As for the first component, this has already been discussed in the chapter “Harmony with the Seasons” and therefore will not be considered here. Next we will talk about the organization Everyday life. Modern Scientific research show that an organized daily life is important factor longevity. Regularity allows the organs and tissues of the body to work in a certain rhythm, receiving the necessary stimulation from the central nervous system. As for the rhythmicity of the body, its most noticeable manifestations are the rhythms of the heart and breathing. If rhythm is not disturbed in the course of our daily life, this has a beneficial effect on the smooth functioning of all organs. Unsettled life, in turn, disrupts this rhythm, causing harm to health and life itself.

A measured lifestyle promotes the development of conditioned reflexes, which can be beneficial for health and longevity. Let's take the cerebral cortex as an example. If you go to bed for a long time and get up at a certain time, a conditioned reflex will form. When the right time comes, the habit in the brain will work, drowsiness will appear, and you will fall asleep as soon as you lie down on the bed. When it's time to get up, a signal will be sent from your brain, waking you up from sleep. And you will be active and ready for a fruitful working day. When the regime is irregular, the brain rhythms are confused.

Another example is the stomach and intestines. With regular nutrition every day, a conditioned reflex will be developed. And vice versa: with an irregular diet, the work of the stomach and intestines will be chaotic, which can easily cause stomach diseases, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the "theory of movement of qi" (vital energy) includes "biological activity time" and "biological clock theory". The “Theory of Qi Movement” speaks of the regularity of circulation of Qi and blood in the body, which is akin to the movement of celestial bodies. A close relationship has been established between the movement of celestial bodies in space and the circulation of qi and blood in the body. Qi, vital energy, and blood move non-stop, like the passage of time, both day and night, and the movement of celestial bodies has a strong influence on them. These ideas formed the basis of the “time of biological activity”, “time of therapeutic action” and the “theory of biological clocks”. In other words, the modern “biological clock theory” was born from the womb of the “Qi movement theory” of traditional Chinese medicine. In order for the body’s “biological clock” to work in the proper rhythm and with the necessary regularity, a person’s life must be measured. Only with proper functioning of the “biological clock” can one achieve desired result– freedom from disease, good health and long life.

2. Sleep hygiene

Sleep is vital for all people and serves as a kind of protection for the nervous system. A person can go without food for several weeks, but several weeks without sleep will be a much more difficult test for him.

Experts in Ancient China emphasized the great influence of sleep on life expectancy and considered it as one of the essential methods of maintaining good health. The medical treatise “Ten Questions,” discovered during excavations of a Han Dynasty burial in Mawangdui (Changsha region), indicates that sleep promotes the absorption of medicine and the distribution of its power in the body. Li Yu, who lived during the reign of the Qing dynasty, in his treatise “Collected Works of the Old Man in a Bamboo Hat,” writes: “Sleep is the first secret of maintaining health. It helps replenish semen, improves health, fills the spleen and stomach with energy, and gives strength to bones and muscles.” The Yellow Emperor's Treatise on Medicine and other classical works of antiquity advise going to bed later in the spring and summer and getting up earlier, while in the fall and winter going to bed should be early and rising late. You should wake up no earlier than roosters, but no later than sunrise.

A midday nap is a good habit. It is especially important in middle and old age, as it improves immunity, prevents coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, gastritis and dementia, and prolongs life. Research shows that those who make it a habit to take an afternoon nap have stronger immune systems compared to those who don’t. After lunch, you should lie down for half an hour, and after that you should get up slowly.

During sleep, all processes in the body's tissues slow down, restoring energy.

As for body position during sleep, it is best to lie on your side. In ancient times, people believed that you should not lie with your head towards the north, since the north is yin to yin. The head should not be oriented towards the north to prevent cold yin qi from harming the body's vital qi.

Doctors of Ancient China came up with ten points on what should be avoided while sleeping. Firstly, it is better not to sleep on your back, because in this position the body is elongated and not relaxed, there is some tension in the muscles, the arms can easily end up on the chest, which often leads to nightmares and makes breathing and heartbeat difficult. You should lie on your side with your knees bent, because in this position the movement of energy and vital substances will be unhindered. When you wake up, you need to stretch - this promotes the circulation of qi and blood. Secondly, anxiety should be avoided. Before going to bed, try not to burden yourself with worries or overthinking - it is better to remain calm. The same thing was meant by Cai Zitong, who lived during the reign of the Song Dynasty, when he wrote in his treatise “Secrets of Sleep”: “When going to bed, relax your mind before falling asleep.” Third, avoid anger. It disrupts the normal circulation of qi and blood, causing insomnia and illness. Fourth, don't overeat before bed. The burden of a large meal burdens the stomach and intestines, which affects sleep. The expression given in the Questions and Answers - “indigestion interferes with sleep” - is indeed a wise remark from an experienced person. Fifth, try not to talk a lot before going to bed, as long conversations excite the spirit, which can cause insomnia. Sixth, do not sleep facing a light source, as this will prevent the mind from calming down, making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Seventh, it is better not to sleep with your mouth open. Sleeping at night with your mouth closed - good way preserve the original qi. Breathing with your mouth open is bad for your health. Among other things, this opens the lungs to cold air and dust, which can cause illness. Eighth, do not cover your head with a blanket; this makes normal breathing difficult, since the air under the blanket is stale. Ninth, don't sleep in the wind. The wind is the most main reason many diseases, it is always unpredictable in its changes of direction, and there is always the possibility that it will harm the body and cause disease. During sleep, “yang qi (male energy) remains inside.” Yang qi resists the attacks of external enemies, but if it returns inside the body, then the forces of its resistance are weakened, making it vulnerable to attacks from the wind and everything bad. Therefore, avoid sleeping in the wind. Tenth, avoid sleeping with your head facing a source of heat, as heat can have a bad effect on your well-being, making your head heavy and your eyes red, or causing abscesses, carbuncles and even a cold.

In addition to these ten points, you should remember that it is advisable not to drink strong tea, coffee or cocoa at night, since these drinks contain tonics that do not promote sleep and can cause insomnia. Middle-aged and elderly people should sleep on a soft and comfortable bed, and the bedroom should be free from wind and drafts, as well as bright light. The blanket should be warm and soft enough, and the pillows should not be high or low. Those in poor health can use pillows filled with medicinal herbs. Those suffering from hypertension, headaches or dizziness can sleep on pillows with chrysanthemums, senna, mung beans or other medicinal herbs. For insomnia, it is recommended to fill pillows with reeds or magnetic powder. In case of sinusitis with pus, you can put baizhi (angelica dahurian root) or xinxi (magnolia flowers) in the pillows. Patients with glaucoma can use pillows with coarse shakutsao powder, lotus leaves, bai zhi (angelica root) or caojueming (senna herb). When you suffer from headaches caused by cold, try putting steamed wuzhuyu (fruits of evodia) into your pillows, and for internal heat and ear pain, pour heated salt into your pillow.

It is worth considering that excess sleep can have a bad effect on your well-being. The Questions and Answers says: “Long sleep harms vital energy.” You need to sleep in moderation, without oversleeping or lacking sleep. Research shows that the mortality rate among people who sleep ten or more hours a night is 80% higher than among those who sleep eight hours a night. Until the age of 70, eight hours of sleep a night is enough. For those between 70 and 90 years of age, nine hours of sleep is good, and for those over 90, 10 to 12 hours of healthy sleep can be achieved.

3. Home hygiene

In ancient China, great importance was attached to the choice of place to build a house. It was believed that the location of the house has a great influence on the health and life expectancy of its residents, on the well-being of the family, on how successful their career and life are. Before starting construction, a geomancy specialist was invited to help choose a suitable location. The good place was called “a well of good feng shui (wind and water).” The core of feng shui is knowledge about making the right choice and the location of everything that makes up the living environment. This includes the geographical location of the house, taking into account the extent to which the topographical conditions in which it is located will be suitable for both the mental and physical health of its inhabitants, as well as a number of general characteristics: use and transformation of surrounding natural conditions, orientation of the building to the cardinal points, its height, size, information, where to locate the entrance, how to build a road, how to organize water supply and sewerage. Essentially, Feng Shui includes geology, meteorology, hydrology, architecture, psychology and environmental protection. Feng Shui is believed to have a significant impact on human health. For example, the directions of the earth's magnetic flows, groundwater flows, river flows, and winds influence people in one way or another. If the environment is unfavorable and the location of the house is unfortunate, then over time the unpleasant consequences of such an ill-considered choice may appear. This is consistent with the traditional Chinese medicine theory of human adaptation to its environment. natural environment. According to this theory, man and nature are closely interconnected, man is not something separate and independent from nature, and the environment and the movement of celestial bodies affect his health. There have been cases of misuse of Feng Shui, when various kinds of witches and spellcasters tried to make something mystical out of it, turning science into superstition. And that's it for us this topic let's leave it.

Doctors of ancient China developed the scientific theory “The Doctrine of Medicine about environment" They noted: “Food, drink and habitat are sources of disease,” clearly showing that a poorly constructed house can be one of the important factors causing disease, that both the structure itself and its arrangement must be made wisely and suitable for normal healthy life. What are the conditions for it? This can be expressed in several points below.

1) Quiet and beautiful surroundings. Houses should be built on elevated, dry, clean and sanitary places, which will ensure their inhabitants a healthy and long life. If you place a house in a damp, dirty and slushy lowland, the residents will get sick all year round and their life may not be long. Given these circumstances, in ancient times people attached great importance the choice of location of the house and the surrounding landscape. The habitat chosen by ancient doctors was always quiet and beautiful. For example, Sun Simiao, a famous doctor during the Tang Dynasty, who lived one hundred and one years, built his house near a picturesque hill with a beautiful pond, planted trees and flowers and spent years of his life there.

2) Well built house. In order for it to be suitable for a long and healthy life, it must be built properly. Sun Simiao said: “The walls must be strong and solid, without cracks through which the wind can penetrate.” Chen Zhi said: “You should always keep your bedroom clean and tidy. It should be open in the summer and tightly closed in the winter. The bed for sleeping should not be high and wide. The mattress should be smooth, flat and soft enough. It’s better to put screens on three sides to protect from the cold wind.” Make sure that the bedroom is warm in winter and cool in summer, there is no room for wind and dampness.

In old China, people were very particular about the orientation of the house, the position of the bed, the light sources in the bedroom, the height of the house, and how and where the windows open. For example, the treatise “Tian Yin Zi on how to be healthy” says: “What should be a good place for life? This is not a magnificent and large mansion with elaborate decoration. The house should face south, and the head of the bed for sleeping should face east. It is necessary to maintain a balance between yin and yang, to harmoniously combine illumination and shading. If the house is too high, there will be an excess of light and yang. If too low, there will be an excess of darkness and yin. Too much light is harmful hun(yang spirit), and when there is a lot of darkness, harm is caused By(yin spirit). In a person, hun is yang, and po is yin. If hun and po suffer, diseases arise. In my house there are curtains on the window and a screen against the wall. When it's too bright, I close the curtains and dim the lights in the house. When it's too dark, I open the curtains and let in more light. Try to always keep your soul fresh and your eyes beautiful. When the mind and vision are flawless, nothing will happen to the body.”

In addition, in ancient China, people paid great attention to the layout of their home. Often a house was built in a courtyard of a certain shape, which gave residents the opportunity to enjoy the sun, flowers, trees and other manifestations of nature outdoors.

3) Clean and hygienic place to live. A clean home can reduce the risk of disease and improve the well-being of its inhabitants. Below are some standard parameters for residential applications.

Temperature. The optimal room temperature is considered to be 16–24 °C; in summer it can be slightly higher: 21–32 °C.

Humidity. The average humidity in the room should be around 50–60%, with no lower than 35% in winter, and no higher than 70% in summer.

Ventilation. There must be sufficient air circulation in the room. Windows should be kept slightly open on both sides of the room to allow fresh air to flow through without allowing strong winds. What you need to aim for is a well-ventilated area, but Traditional Chinese Medicine is of the opinion that “wind is one of the main causes of all diseases.”

Lighting. Lack of light in a room can cause depression, a feeling of loneliness and lethargy among those in it, and lead to fatigue. If the light is too bright, people may become irritable and even dizzy. When there is enough light, people remain lively and flexible. The room must have transparent glass to provide access natural light. It is better to paint the walls and ceiling in soft colors like light yellow, blue, light orange, light apple green or other light, but tastefully chosen colors taking into account the preferences of those who will be in this room.

Peace. Silence in the house is good for health. Noise not only hurts the ear and interferes with sleep, but can also cause disturbances in the functioning of internal organs. Therefore, it is important that the room is protected from noise, quiet and comfortable. If the house is located near a factory or a noisy street, the windows should be tightly closed to protect residents from noise; it is good if there are thick curtains or other soundproofing measures.

Neatness. Furniture in the bedroom should be as simple and practical as possible. The room must be kept clean, orderly and tidy. It is always important to have “your own corner” where you can do household chores. It is good to hang one or more paintings, calligraphy or landscapes on the wall. You can put a craft on a table or bookshelf self made or miniature bonsai. All this will help create a comfortable atmosphere.

4. Keeping it clean

Maintaining personal hygiene is an important factor in maintaining health, self-esteem and position in society.

1) Don’t forget to wash your face, hair and hands. In addition to simply washing your face, middle-aged and elderly people should rub their face to stimulate blood circulation and keep the skin soft and wrinkle-free. You need to wash your hair at least once every five to seven days. This will help preserve hair, its color and shine, stimulate nerve endings, and improve physical and mental qualities. When washing your hair and face, pay attention to the following points:

– Water temperature and purity. It must be clean, complying with sanitary standards, and without any impurities, it should not be hot or cold, but give a pleasant feeling of warmth and comfort. Good warm tap water is quite suitable for washing your hair and face, keeping you clean, fresh and feeling good.

– Towel and toilet soap. If you use basins for washing, then try to ensure that each family member has their own personal basin and towel. For personal hygiene, you must use toilet soap, not laundry soap. Laundry soap contains more soda, which is bad for the skin. In toilet soap the soda content is lower, it is quite neutral and suitable for use.

After washing your hair, do not catch a cold, as this can cause facial paralysis and cerebrovascular disease.

Hands get dirty quickly and are a major way for bacteria and disease to spread.

Since in middle and old age the sebaceous and sweat glands work poorly, the skin is often dry and cracked, especially in winter. Therefore, after each water procedure, such people should use some kind of moisturizer such as face cream, cream with pearl powder or 30 percent glycerin.

2) Don't forget to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth. Rinsing helps remove food debris and reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth. Thorough brushing of teeth is also an important part of hygiene. Rinsing your mouth after eating with warm, slightly salted water keeps your mouth clean and destroys bacteria.

Brushing your teeth removes plaque, massages your gums and protects surrounding tissue. This requires both a good toothbrush and proper brushing skills. When brushing your upper teeth, use a downward motion, brushing your teeth from top to bottom. When brushing your lower teeth, use an upward motion, brushing your teeth from bottom to top. Remember to brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth, and brush the inside of your front teeth using vertical strokes. After use, the toothbrush must be rinsed thoroughly. A toothbrush is a purely personal hygiene tool and should only be used by one person. It is important that brushing your teeth in the morning and evening, as well as rinsing your mouth after eating, become a habit. To clean your teeth and oral cavity for preventive purposes, you can use regular toothpaste, and to treat periodontitis, gum inflammation and increased sensitivity of teeth, you should use special medicated toothpastes.

3) Taking baths. This includes washing the body in water and using medicinal solutions for the prevention and treatment of diseases.

Baths can be cold, hot, warm, mineral, sea, medicinal and steam.

Cold baths. The water temperature should not be higher than 20 °C. This can be either taking a bath or taking a shower. The duration of the bath depends on the physical condition of the person. If the water is very cold, the procedure should not last more than two to three minutes. After the bath, take a dry towel and dry your body thoroughly, get dressed so as not to catch a cold. Cold baths are used to tonify the nervous system and stimulate the cardiovascular system, improve physical well-being, and increase the body's adaptive capabilities to changes in the environment.

Hot baths. The water temperature should be above 39 °C, usually 40–45 °C. Take a bath 2-3 times for 8-10 minutes. Let your body dry in a warm and well-ventilated room, get dressed when the perspiration has passed. Hot baths help dilate blood vessels, promote better blood circulation and metabolism, can reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and eliminate itching. They help well with rheumatoid arthritis, neuralgia, neuritis, chronic intoxication, gout, nephritis, obesity and itchy skin.

Warm baths. The water temperature should be in the range of 34–36 °C. This helps calm the nerves, ease stress on the cardiovascular system and relieve pain. Warm baths are also good for high blood pressure, neurasthenia and itchy skin.

Mineral baths. Accepted similarly to the above procedures. As a rule, the temperature of mineral baths is quite high. Since mineral water contains a high concentration chemical elements, such as carbonic salts, sulfates, sulfur, iodine, fluorine, iron, boron, radium, uranium, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, they are good for both maintaining and restoring health. They are also suitable for the treatment of almost all diseases of old age, including chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema, allergic rhinitis, chronic pharyngitis, stomach cramps, stomach and duodenal ulcers, atrophic gastritis, gastric prolapse, high and low acidity, chronic hepatitis, cholelithiasis, inflammation of the gallbladder, chronic inflammation of the small intestine, inflammation of the veins, hyperthyroidism, gout, diabetes, obesity, chronic prostatitis and prostate hypertrophy.

Sea baths. Take a swim or swim in the sea water. It is rich in various salts of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, trace elements and oxygen gas, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. When these elements come into contact with the skin, they stimulate nerve endings, thereby causing a rush of blood to the surface of the body, improving the functioning of the reticular endothelial system. Sea baths help refresh the body and mind, relax the limbs, and improve metabolism. They have a good effect on neurasthenia, obesity, chronic bronchitis, chronic rhinitis, gout, asthma, hypertension, and vascular diseases.

Sunbathing. What is the benefit of them to the human body?

Firstly, ultraviolet solar radiation has a stimulating effect, enhancing impulses in the nervous system, thereby stimulating internal organs. In addition, sunlight (and ultraviolet rays in particular) can destroy bacteria. Frequently repeated sunbathing helps to sterilize the entire body, thereby increasing the body's resistance. Ultraviolet light promotes the synthesis of vitamin D in the body, which is necessary for normal metabolism and the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Sunbathing improves the functioning of the heart and lungs, accelerates blood flow, deepens breathing, and increases vitality.

Considering the above, it should be said to those who suffer from pulmonary tuberculosis, suppressed neurosis, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and chronic enteritis, sunbathing can be very useful. People with acute illnesses such as anemia, fever, skin diseases, excessive fatigue, insomnia and some types of pulmonary tuberculosis should first consult a doctor. How to sunbathe? They are usually taken at the beach or poolside. Duration may vary. It is better to start with 10 minutes and then gradually increase the time to one or even two hours. It is better to extend the procedure gradually. If you have spent a long time under the sun, then take a break and rest in the shade. In case of health problems, all parts of the body should be covered, leaving only damaged or diseased areas exposed to the sun.

What should you pay attention to when sunbathing?

– Do not take them after meals or on an empty stomach. It is best to do this some time after eating and give yourself a rest after them before starting your next meal.

– Do not neglect a hat and sunglasses - this will protect your head and eyes.

– Do not fall asleep, smoke or read while sunbathing. Focus on the process.

– Rest in the shade after finishing the procedure, and then take a shower.

– Best time- from 9 to 11 in the morning and from 3 to 5 in the afternoon, since then solar radiation is not so intense.

– If the skin itches, ulcers form, or feels hot, you should go into the shade. If you experience a headache, a feeling of nausea, poor sleep, arrhythmia or indigestion, you should completely stop sunbathing.

Below are recipes for baths that help with various diseases.

Ulcers: shakutsao (blackhead), jinyinhua (Japanese honeysuckle flowers), liuzingu (ragwort) and chishao (red peony root), 30 g each; Pugunin (dandelion) – 60 g, bai zhi (angelica daurica root) – 15 g. Prepare a decoction of water, strain and use for baths.

Scabies: use sulfuric water for baths.

Skin itching: fanfeng (cobbler's root), qianghuo (rhizome and root of notopterygium), jingze (schizonepeta), shendi (rehmannia root), 30 g each; Difuzi (dried ripe fruits of Kochia broom) and Shechuangzi (dried ripe fruits of zhong root), 50 g each; chuanwu (roots of Chinese aconite), tsao-wu (roots of Kuznetsov's aconite), 10 g each; duckweed – 100 g. Prepare a decoction in water and use for hot baths.

Chronic rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis: dangui (angelica chinensis root) – 15 g, chuanxiong (lovage roots) – 30 g, zixueteng (milettia reticulum stem) – 40 g, chishao (red peony root) – 60 g, fanfeng (cobbler’s splayed), daho (angelica pilosa root) ), chuanxuduan (teasel root), guozi (cybotium rhizome), baizitian (morinda root), huluba (dried mature fenugreek seeds), chuanyusi (strawflower two-toothed) and guizhi (cinnamon branch), 100 g each. Prepare a decoction in water, strain and add to daily hot baths.

Sciatica, intercostal neuralgia and neuritis: dangui (angelica root), zhuxiang (frankincense - boswellia resin), moyao (myrrh - balsam tree resin), 20 g each; Honghua (tinting safrole) – 30 g; nyushi (two-toothed straw flower), kirkazon, xuejie (dragon's blood, red dragon tree resin), ercha (black betel), 60 g each; sumu (caesalpinia sappan wood), chuanxuduan (teasel root), guozi (cibotium rhizome), fanfeng (cobbler's plant), daho (angelica pilosa root), chuanqianghuo (notopterygium), 100 g each; Zixueteng (stem of Milettia reticulum) – 150 g. Prepare a decoction in water, strain and add to daily hot baths. Course 15–30 days.

Gout: use the same baths and medications as for sciatica.

Injuries after falls, fractures, bruises, sprains, sharp stretching of the lumbar muscles and chest pain when breathing: dangui (root of angelica chinensis), tuyuan (ground beetle), danpi (bark of tree peony roots), fuzi (processed young (daughter) root tubers of aconite chinensis), zhuxiang (frankincense), moyao (myrrh), ercha (catechu), 20 g each everyone; Chuanxiong (lovage roots), Honghua (tinting safrole), peach kernels, Chishao (red peony root), Guizhi (cinnamon branch), Xuejie (dragon's blood), Zizhantong (pyrite), Chuanxuduan (teasel root), 30 g each; zelan (brilliant zyuznik), gusuybu (drinaria rhizome), 60 g each. Prepare a decoction in water and add to a warm bath. Take once a day.

Chronic nephritis: huangqi (astragalus root), fanfeng (cobbler's plant), chuanxuduan (teasel root), guozi (cibotium rhizome), huluba (fenugreek seeds), guizhi (cinnamon branch), cangzhu (atractylodes rhizome) and baizhu (atractylodes rhizome), 60 g each; zese (dried rhizomes of chastukha eastern) – 45 g; fupin (duckweed), zhendongten (branches of Japanese honeysuckle), dongguapi (wax gourd peel), 100 g each. Prepare a decoction in water, strain and add to daily hot baths.

Obesity: wax gourd peel, fulin (Poria cocos), 500 g each; mugua (Japanese quince fruit) – 300 g. Prepare a decoction in water, strain and add to hot baths. Follow moderation in food and drink.

Cirrhosis of the liver with abdominal hydrops: manxiao (sodium sulfate), dahuang (rhubarb), gansui (euphorbia gan-sui root), qianxiuzi (Fabritis purpurea seeds), 50 g each. Prepare a decoction with water. Take a full body bath once a day, ensuring that the temperature of the infusion is 40°C.

Constipation: the same baths as for cirrhosis of the liver with abdominal dropsy.

Dropsy: mahuang (branches of ephedra medina), qianghuo (rhizome and root of notopterygium), cangzhu (rhizome of atractylodes), chaihu (roots of the capillary plant), zisu (perilla), jingze (schizonepeta), fanfeng (shoemaker), niubangzi (fruits of burdock), zhendongten (Japanese honeysuckle branches), willow branches and leek stems, 60 g each. Prepare a decoction with water. When the temperature of the decoction reaches 40 °C, bathe the entire body until you sweat. The procedure is performed once a day.

When taking baths, middle-aged and elderly people should balance the temperature of the water and the duration of the procedure with their physical condition. If you have cardiovascular disease or are weak, the temperature should not be too high and the procedure should not be too long. You need to stop it at the first signs of dizziness, nausea, chest pressure or anxiety and lie down in a warm, well-ventilated room.

The interval between baths depends on the time of year and the individual needs of the body. In summer, baths can be daily; in spring and autumn, once every two to three days is enough, and in winter – once a week. If medicinal baths are needed for a specific disease, they are taken once a day.

Middle-aged and elderly people should not take baths when hungry or immediately after eating. This can cause cerebral hemorrhage or myocardial infarction. When leaving the bath, beware of wind or cold. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that “wind is the first and main cause of most diseases.” Since the pores of the skin are open after a bath, cold air can easily enter the body through them and cause illness.

4) Washing the feet. Foot washing not only helps eliminate dust, sweat, dead skin and unpleasant odors, but also stimulates blood circulation, relieves fatigue, improves sleep, cures insomnia and wet dreams. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, foot washing “increases the yang of the spleen, preventing complete breakdown in the spring, eliminates pathogenic dampness in the summer, moisturizes the lungs in the fall and warms the elixir field in the winter.” In recent years, Chinese medical scientists, based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine about meridians, have conducted research on the reflex zones on the foot corresponding to internal organs. They concluded that if you massage your toes and soles while washing your feet, it can help prevent and cure many diseases. The big toes serve as the beginning of the meridians of the liver and spleen, and kneading them calms the liver and improves the functioning of the spleen, and increases appetite. The fourth finger is connected to the gallbladder meridian, and kneading it will help prevent constipation and pain in the hypochondrium. The little toes are connected to the bladder meridian; massaging them will help with frequent urination, urinary retention and incontinence. On the sole of each foot there is a yongquan point, which belongs to the kidney meridian; kneading it helps get rid of kidney failure syndrome and physical weakness. Modern scientific research also confirms that washing feet in warm water stimulates nerve endings, improves memory, and relaxes the feet and brain.

In addition to warm water, medicinal solutions can be used to wash the feet, helping to prevent and cure many diseases of old age. Below are some of them.

Heel pain: togucao (fresh stems of impatiens impatiens), xiongufeng (stem of kirkazona) and laoguancao (stork grass), 30 g each; huanghao (dried wormwood herb) – 20 g; duhuo (root of angelica pubis) – 15 g; Ruxiang (frankincense), moyao (myrrh), xuejie (dragon's blood), 10 g each. Prepare a water decoction and wash your feet with warm liquid twice a day.

Ankle arthritis: use the same composition and method for heel pain.

Injuries after falls, fractures, bruises and sprains: sumu (caesalpinia sappan wood), zizhantong (pyrite), 30 g each; peach kernels, Honghua (safrole dye), Tuyuan (ground beetles), Xuejie (dragon's blood), Ruxiang (frankincense), Moyao (myrrh), 12 g each. Wash your feet in warm water broth two to three times a day.

Angiitis: leech and earthworm, 30 g each; chuanyusi (root of the medicinal strawflower), fuzi (processed young (daughter) root tubers of aconite chinensis), guizhi (cinnamon branch), gancao (licorice root), 15 g each; Tuyuan (ground beetles), sumu (caesalpinia sappan wood), honghua (safrole dye), xuejie (dragon's blood), zhuxiang (frankincense), moyao (myrrh), 10 g each. Boil with water for 20 minutes. Drain the broth into another bowl, add new water to the thick part and boil for another 60 minutes. Pour both decoctions into a wooden tub and soak your legs and feet in the warm liquid.

Foot ulcers: honeysuckle flowers, liangcao (fruits of forsythia pendula), shakucao (blackhead inflorescences), pugongying (dandelion), zihuading (violet), 30 g each; danpi (tree peony root bark), huangliang (coptis rhizome), changzhu (atractylodis rhizome), 10 g each. Prepare a water decoction and wash the sore foot or feet, after cooling the decoction to 40 °C.

Avitaminosis: Boil 100 g of black plums in water. When the broth has cooled, wash your feet in it and wipe dry with a towel. Do this 1-3 times a day.

During the treatment period, you should not wear plastic shoes or those that rub your feet. After treatment, it is recommended to wear shoes made of genuine leather. Inner surface Shoes must be kept clean and dry.

For pain, itching and redness of the eyes wash your feet 1-3 times a day using a water decoction of 60 g of chrysanthemum flowers.

High blood pressure: shakutsao (common blackhead), gouten (uncaria thorny stem), mulberry leaves and chrysanthemum flowers, 30 g each. Prepare a water decoction and take 10-15 minute baths once or twice a day.

Dizziness: use the same recipe and method as for high blood pressure.

Toothache due to wind-fire combination: digupi (bark of Chinese wolfberry roots) and gypsum, 60 g each; chrysanthemum – 30 g; fanfeng (cobbler root) – 15 g; tree peony root bark – 10 g. Prepare a water decoction and take 5-10 minute baths two to three times a day. Avoid spicy and fatty foods, try to limit the amount of food you eat, especially in the evening.

Frostbite: guizhi (cinnamon branch), fuzi (processed young (daughter) root tubers of Chinese aconite) and dried ginger, 15 g each. Prepare a water decoction and take 10-15 minute baths two to three times a day in a warm solution.

Intractable spasm of the knees and ankles: Boil 200 g of chicken feathers in water, pour the broth into a wooden tub and place your legs in it so that all the diseased parts are immersed in a liquid of a tolerable temperature (about 50 ° C). Be careful not to scald your skin.

I have a slightly strange feeling, of course, from my life today.
There is no need to rush, rush, run anywhere... Maybe the frosts contributed to this to some extent - after all, I have the opportunity not to go anywhere at all on frosty days.
And I sit at home and do household chores...

I bought another jar (1 kg) of water-dispersion acrylic paint - and already finished painting everything that needed to be repainted, tinted, or updated. After all, in addition to interior doors, I also painted built-in cabinets, and even the edges of the doors and drawers of the kitchen unit (we have them painted - this was done by a furniture factory at the end of socialism).
I really want new wallpaper for the hallway, as I planned at the end of 2013. I’m already looking in stores. And as soon as we pay off the debt for the washing machine, I’ll think about it more seriously. I hope I can allocate money for new wallpaper and update the hallway.

The first weekend passed when we didn’t ride at all: neither on Saturday nor on Sunday - because of the frost, of course.
Even the Russian Ski Track 2014 in Udmurtia was postponed to the upcoming weekend. I never went to register, which means I won’t participate this year. And I forced my husband to go to registration - and he registered with a passport, but he didn’t have mine. True, he was registered where the athletes will participate - at the ski complex named after. G.A. Kulakova. Well, I don’t want to participate there.
It will be good if this mass race takes place at all - it seems like we are expecting cold weather again. And competitions don’t seem to be held at temperatures below minus 18 degrees.
They gave my husband a number, but they should give me a hat at registration for the start - it was the hat I dreamed of, so that I could have another hat with 2014.
Will it appear? Time will show!

Today I'm working on a new curtain for the window in my son's room. My son and I bought the fabric back in December. I finally decided to sew it - well, I need to do it for the men's holiday!

We live in a mode of strict money saving. True, this is reflected only in the fact that we do not buy any industrial goods, yes, I don’t go to any fitness classes, we don’t go to the cinema, or to the theater, or to the circus, or to concerts. We can only ski at the ski resort - after all, the club card for the entire season was paid for back in December.
We basically eat as usual, although I try to go to the store less often - so that there are fewer temptations to buy something that you can easily do without.
And my men have already even received an order - to start baking bread for me myself.
Maybe I’ll get around to it someday - after all, there are a lot of bread recipes. Sorry, special. I don't have a bread machine. And those who have it are happy to bake their own bread - just like that, with whatever additives they want.

So maybe soon I will be able to write:
For the first time in my life I baked bread with bran - exactly what I think my first bread will be, albeit not from a bread machine, but from an electric oven.
I'm sure there will be reasons to please your beloved men - after all, the February holidays are ahead.

I definitely want (I’ve been dreaming about this for several years!) to make my own mayonnaise.
And also... ice cream.
All this is real, all this is feasible. Just prepare all the ingredients and want to get your hands on it!

January has flown by. And I already wrote gratitude to myself and life in the draft diary.
This is exactly what I want to do this year. And I’m very glad that I started doing this - my gratitude posts will be quarterly.

This is how life goes: and every day can be painted by us in any color - sometimes brighter, sometimes calmer...

Know - everything depends on you!!!
The brightness of the colors of ordinary days...
Proud thoughts fly high...
Colorfulness of bright feelings...

These are the words that came into my microblog today from the poem “The Page Turned...” (© Copyright: Elena Butorina, 2014
Certificate of publication No. 114011110275).

And after that, this post was born.

Success means being on time. In order to get everything done, we strive to accelerate more and more. Could it be different, is it possible to slow down and how does overclocking and flashing work?
Here are some of my observations about slowing down and speeding up. I'll start with overclocking and tell you what it looks like using video cards as an example.

How video cards are overclocked

Since the advent of the first computers, we have strived to “overclock” them, since each board was initially deliberately limited in its capabilities, so as not to accelerate human progress ahead of schedule. The so-called theory of planned obsolescence.
So, in order to overclock a video card, you must first remove restrictions in the firmware, reflash basic system BIOS. And then gradually increase the indicators: energy, core and memory frequencies, fan speeds to cool the core, and most importantly, monitor the stability of the entire system. If you overclock everything at once, the card may burn out. In general, if there are a lot of cards of the same type, then average settings are displayed and all cards are overclocked equally, and those cards that are not overclocked are either rejected or left to run at lower speeds.
So with people it’s about the same, we are accelerated somewhere from the moment we enter kindergarten, deliberately increasing the nominal indicators of our body and behavioral rhythm. To begin with, flashing the BIOS, in our case there is an ideology for this: “Success means being on time” or “The Party said it is necessary, the Motherland will answer,” etc.
You know, there is a legend about how one American explorer came to an African tribe remote from civilization, gathered all the children there and placed a large basket of fruit at the end of the clearing. Whoever gets there first gets the basket. But they held hands and, shouting Obonato, they all came running together. "Obonato" in their language means "I exist because we exist." The theory of success does not imply coexistence; someone must be the first and take the entire basket, and then decide who gets how much fruit to allocate. So they reflashed our consciousness, our bios, and we began to “work to earn, live to serve.”

We have many functional buttons that can be pressed in the BIOS, for example, greed, and we definitely need to earn more, which means we need to do more, and accordingly we need to speed up with all the ensuing consequences. There is also a thirst for power, recognition, etc. But we will return to further stages of acceleration for now.

What does our energy consumption and core frequency look like?

After removing restrictions in consciousness (our bios), we begin to increase our energy levels: At this stage, everything starts with food as a basic source of energy. Compared to the usual diet of a non-overclocked person, ours is a solid energy drink. We quietly consume too much sugar and grains, and huge amounts of carbohydrates. Next are concentrates, semi-finished products, energy drinks, starting with coffee, tea and ending with stimulants such as alcohol. Everyone does this, and this is actually the norm of modern life, but in fact it is an overclocking system for the needs of the consumer market.
Next comes memory overclocking by increasing information channels. It was observed that one edition of the NewYorkTimes newspaper contained as much information as a person from the Middle Ages received throughout his life. Now my four-year-old child freely chooses channels to watch on YouTube and, in general, receives his own education.
Next comes the overclocking of the fans so that the processor does not burn out with a blue flame. Running, fitness, exercise equipment, a necessary component of proper acceleration. Those who have not accelerated the body, while accelerating other parameters, at the age of 30 already observe disruptions in the heart and blood pressure. In fact, this is already a rejected video card, since it cannot be reinstalled with firmware.
A properly accelerated person with a stable supply of energy and rhythm of life can live his whole life, the main problem is stopping.

In Germany, they did a study that city dwellers experience the most stress while stuck in traffic jams. An angry person at this moment resembles a fly caught in an inverted glass. It’s even worse when a person falls out of his rhythm of life and does not find use for himself in that overclocked form. For example, dismissal or retirement, which often leads to depression or disruptions in the body. My parents are already of retirement age, but they continue to work at high speeds; they cannot slow down and slow down. And I feel very sorry for them. They go on an IV for a couple of days and then go back into battle, which forces me to draw conclusions about my life.

The Art of Slowing Down

The first to come to the question of slowing down were those who were at the peak of speed, white collar workers, Wall Street wolves, traders, senior managers who achieved that legendary success and, more than anyone, understand the danger of burnout and emptiness behind it. They voluntarily began to unplug themselves and look for ways to return to a natural, measured rhythm of life. This is how the phenomenon of slow living, eating, slow training and information starvation appeared in the world.
It’s not easy to slow down, it’s no secret that many overclocked people don’t even take vacations because they can’t imagine how they will live Slowly. Of course, they will give hundreds of other reasons, such as the fact that they will be left without money. But many people here have been going to work for $100 a month for decades, and most likely they are not doing it for the money.

The issue of slowdown is flashing back

I always admire village people for their measured rhythm of life. So the grandfather took the buckets and went to the well, filled it up and went back, met a neighbor, stopped. We got up and talked about the weather, about plans, smiled with our eyes, and wished us all the best. He leisurely admired the blooming apple tree, took the bucket and went home. He is 75 and manages everything at this speed.
Living here and now, rejoicing and enjoying the current moment is one of the principles of slowing down, but there are moments.

A stranger among one's own and one's own among strangers

They say there are about 30 thousand alternative settlements or eco-villages in the world that are trying to build alternative societies, but only 10% of them are successful. There are also (their number does not exceed 50 thousand inhabitants) who are trying to set the pace of a measured life for their residents and there are already about 200 of them. Perhaps we should proceed from the environment so that the pace of the outside world matches the inside and all this looks natural and not artificial ...
Psychologists claim that in order to feel comfortable in a slow pace, a person needs to live in a settlement of about 150-200 households or a community of like-minded people from small slow cities, such as an urban community, who independently improve their city from contributions from local activists, grants, foundations and, for example, from the income of a public restaurant, as Teple Misto does in Ivano-Frankivsk.

The world is changing very rapidly and overclocked, highly productive people will be replaced by more productive robots and algorithms. Exxconn recently replaced 500 thousand people with robots and productivity increased by 250%. People focused on speed goals will have to learn to humanize, slow down, contemplate and create. In the career race for success and recognition, we are used to competing rather than uniting. We need to relearn how to build communities and walk together hand in hand, like those children from the African tribe. According to forecasts, very soon 70% of the population will move to live in megacities, keeping up with the pace of large cities. All civilization will unite around largest centers civilization, but with the current Internet coverage it is possible to live at a slower pace. Who knows, maybe thanks to progress we will return to our usual way of life and will not break alarm clocks and drive to work as the key meaning of our lives, but will learn to see the world around us and live more measuredly.

Don't worry about the house, don't cry about the women
And don’t sing a forgotten song.
We will meet you on Vaigach Island
Between the Old and New Earth...

Alexander Gorodnitsky

The poem by the Soviet bard (there are five quatrains in total) contains the main characteristics of the island of Vaygach: this island, located between the mainland and Novaya Zemlya, from which it is separated by the Kara Gate and Yugorsky Shar straits, on the border of the Kara and Barents seas, was a “sacred land” for Nenets of the continental tundra; in the 1930s there was a “Vaigach separate camp site” here, set up for industrial mining of the most valuable lead-zinc ore discovered here; in the quiet - relatively - Varnek Bay (named after the polar explorer A.I. Varnek), ships traveling on their way stop to “rest.”

By the way, since the 16th century, travelers who managed to get to the Kara Sea could not pass this picturesque island, describing the Nenets sanctuaries located on it. There was no permanent population here; nomads arrived here through the strait.

Fig.: sanctuary on Cape Bolvansky on Vaygach Island; Dutch engraving from the 16th century.

We will focus on the aspect that concerns the results of the state experiment to transfer the Nenets nomads to “settled life,” which began in the 1870s on Novaya Zemlya. This archipelago, completely unsuited for human life, attracted people with its natural resources. that our western neighbors will begin to develop Novaya Zemlya. Pursuing a number of goals (to populate the archipelago with Russian subjects; to prevent further exploitation by Russians and Komi of the Nenets living in the western tundras, which led to their impoverishment and alcoholism), the Arkhangelsk governors decided to create preferential conditions for several dozen Nenets families who agreed to move to the islands. Good-quality huts were built for them, and gradually the Nenets moved there, abandoning the usual tents. Yakut sled dogs were purchased because there was not enough food for the reindeer here, and the climate, especially on the northern island of Novaya Zemlya, was destructive for them. Providing Novaya Zemlya with certain types of food, including vegetables and fruits, to which the Nenets quickly became accustomed, as well as rifles and other equipment for hunting, and motor boats for moving along the coasts, were taken over by the provincial authorities. During the First World War, and especially the Civil War, supply shortages began, and the New Zealanders returned to some traditional activities, but survived; almost no one returned to the mainland.

The question of returning arose after the organization of a nuclear test site on Novaya Zemlya. In 1957, the Nenets were forced to move to the mainland. Several families “stopped” at Vaygach. At that time, here, in Varnek Bay, the buildings of the Vaygach expedition were preserved, and the Bolshezemelsky Nenets roamed around the island itself, since here, despite the remaining cultural prohibitions, their collective farm brigade was stationed.

The Novaya Zemlya Nenets, already accustomed to living in permanent premises, began to occupy houses. Cultural policy strongly supported the transition to settled life, and more and more often the wives of Bolshezemelsky reindeer herders with their children remained in the village, where there was a medical assistant station, a school and kindergarten ik, bathhouse, shop, post office. And most importantly, work for women: there was a factory for the production of fur products. Following women, men began to stay in houses for more or less long periods; Now almost no one wanders anymore. The deer, as the residents themselves say, have “gone wild”, graze on their own, and reindeer herders catch and bring them in only for slaughter. Two shepherds remained from the collective farm brigade.

In post-perestroika times, industry in the village died out. The Northern Sea Route was almost abandoned, and a rare steamship entered the bay. The products of reindeer herders, hunters and fishermen have ceased to be in demand, including due to the high cost of delivering them to places of consumption. The fur factory was closed. The population began to disperse to mainland villages. The school and kindergarten were closed; young families, not wanting to part with their children, continue to leave Vaygach for this reason.

Currently, the village has twelve houses, in which about a hundred people live (more than half are children, who mainly live on the “mainland”, in boarding schools), a club, a paramedic station, a store, diesel power station and the pride of the residents is the bathhouse.

In general, getting to know the settled Nenets shatters to smithereens many stereotypes that have developed about them under the influence of travelers of the 19th-20th centuries. The “sloppiness” of the nomads, quite explainable by difficult living conditions, when there was no opportunity to wash, wash, or carry unnecessary things with them, is completely unusual for the settled Nenets, who are very fond of bathhouses, dress cleanly and very smartly. The inside of the houses is unusually clean, the kitchen utensils - despite the fact that they cook on stoves - show absolutely no signs of use, as if they had just been bought in a store. Women who are not busy with other things (there are no livestock or gardens here) wash their homes several times a day.

The second stereotype is about the poor learning ability of the Nenets. A small local library has been read and re-read. Local residents, among whom there are many who have never been further than the regional center, are erudite and witty. They know a lot about the history of their island, about the polar expeditions that visited here; even the period of existence of the camp here is considered as a page in its history (although the camp was closed twenty years before the settled Nenets population appeared here).

By the way, they know the laws quite well, including those concerning benefits for indigenous peoples. Another thing is that, like many carriers of the “appropriating” economic culture, they are not accustomed to monotonous daily work. However, he is not here.

Men have more activities than women, but they also do not require much time. Throw in the nets, pull out the fish, clean and salt them... Hunting is now practically prohibited. There are activities related to housing provision. Previously, it was necessary to look for discarded logs on the shore and stock up on firewood. Now they bring coal and already chopped firewood. And here drinking water need to get it. Due to climate change, icebergs rarely swim into the bay in summer, main source fresh water. Previously, hunters went out to “catch” icebergs in boats, grabbed them by the surface with a rope loop and “brought” them to the shore. Now they go “for water” on snowmobiles: they extract ice from glaciers, which are still preserved all year round, and bring them home, where they get melt water.

In general, transport issues are resolved here in an unusual way. Since the village is inhabited by descendants of representatives of actually two cultures – the “traditional” Bolshezemelskaya, and the “innovative” for the tundra, Novaya Zemlya - there are two types of transport. Some continue to use reindeer teams, others keep sled dogs. However, both types of transport are no longer popular. Not only in winter, but also in summer, people ride snowmobiles on the tundra. However, Vaygach is not mainland tundra. There are many steep banks and high cliffs here. Deer or dogs will stop in the face of danger, but there is no hope for technology. In winter, when there is practically no daylight, a careless driver can gape and fall from a high cliff into the abyss. There are many such cases.

Mostly young men die. There are rumors that the island is taking “revenge” for breaking ancient taboos. And the population, which, in fact, has recently taken shape here, has its own myth-making. For example, they say that sometimes in the middle of a winter blizzard (and they are terrible here, on a treeless island), a girl in summer clothes appears before travelers on the tundra... This is, as it were, a harbinger of imminent death. You need to stop, talk to the “ghost,” smoke, and finally just change your shoes. Perhaps this is a life-saving strategy, because hallucinations appear in a very tired person. A short rest will allow you to gather your strength and return home.

A taboo remains on visiting “protected places” - any visitor will be told a terrible (but unreliable) story of what happens to those who violate the ban. And any visitor is necessarily taken to the local “accessible” attractions: to the cape, located about seven kilometers from the village, where the remains of mines are preserved, and to the more distant cape, Dyakov, where one of the sanctuaries and the famous fault is located - a hole in a horizontal rock, under where sea waves rage at a considerable distance. A visit to the sanctuary is also complemented by an excursion, as well as a recommendation to be sure to sacrifice something to the spirits - candy, or better yet, a cigarette.

In general, cigarettes, and even fresh fruits and vegetables, are the most valuable goods on the island. The local cooperative imports food products quite rarely, during northern deliveries, and perishable products are very common here. a short time. Delivery by air, by helicopter, makes goods unimaginably expensive. A conflict arose with the population, which was outraged by the high cost of cigarettes, for this reason the cooperative stopped importing them. (They are brought from the “mainland”, from where a passenger helicopter flies in twice a month).

But the population itself asks not to bring alcoholic beverages into the store. The residents, led by their small activist group, organized themselves and made this decision. If suddenly the cooperative breaks its word and imports “light drinks” - beer or tincture - then the authority of the local seller comes into force. Her authority is not accidental. It is known from numerous literary and archival sources that the Nenets have always loved to take goods “on credit” and “on credit.” Therefore, in the village of Varnek, the practice of giving “goods on record” in the store, which exists in almost every Russian village, has been improved. Since the main sources cash income– these are pensions and benefits ( wages only a few people receive it - diesel workers, bathhouse attendants, a salesman, who is also a postman; as well as the head of the club and the cleaner, the paramedic and the nurse, the village elder, the baker and a couple of other “part-time” positions - they are issued at the post office. But in fact they don’t give it out: the seller leaves the money at the request of the recipients themselves “at the cash register” and, based on the available amount, gives them the products. Taking advantage of this unwritten right, the seller sells alcoholic drinks half an hour before the store closes, and only one bottle per person. They no longer have time to drink it and “run for a second one.” This is how the “fight against drunkenness” was modified here, which the tsarist and then the Soviet governments tried to carry out against the nomadic population of the Arkhangelsk tundra since the 18th century.

In general, knowing the history of Nenets management, you can see what practices have taken root, changed to meet the modern needs of the population, and continue to exist, despite the “liberalization” of state policy in this regard. The nomadic culture is unusually flexible, easily accepting innovations that are useful to them, but categorically rejecting those that could violate established foundations.

For example, the Nenets strictly adhere to exogamy (prohibition of closely related marriages). In a small society, and in general, for a relatively small people, it is difficult to realize this requirement. But there are no violations. It seems that the population of the village consists of representatives of two groups of Nenets people, who practically did not intersect before the phenomenon of such cohabitation. But over the course of several decades, everyone has long since become relatives and brothers-in-law, marriages between whom, and even extramarital relationships, are condemned. Therefore, many men in the village remain bachelors. And women easily adapted to using dating sites on the Internet. Therefore, from time to time husbands from the “mainland” appear, and life in the village does not stop.

Despite the fact that most residents have lived in the village almost since birth and are accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle, the qualities characteristic of nomads, such as individualism, are preserved. In the store, women do not gather to “chat” (as in Russian villages); It’s not customary to discuss someone or take an interest in someone else’s life. No one here will tell you anything about their neighbor in a whisper, even if they can’t stand him. Of course, people are people, they need to communicate. This is where the Internet came to the rescue; there is a “plate” at the club, in almost every house there is a computer, and all the “news” in the village, which, as already mentioned, has only 12 residential buildings (each for 1-2 families) is transmitted through a “social network”.

People do not want to break away from the entire people - both Nenets and Russian. For example, in permafrost conditions, on a treeless rocky island, they are trying to grow some plants. There is a Christmas tree - it still has 2-3 branches with half-fallen needles. But on New Year the population gathers in the club, decorates their Christmas tree and celebrates the holiday according to all existing canons. Until recently, there was a tradition of celebrating May 1st with a “demonstration”: residents left their houses and walked in their own way. small village and gathered at the club...

Let's summarize. Different opinions exist regarding the results of the transfer of nomadic peoples to settled living. The village of Vaygach shows us both negative and – more numerous – positive results. As was noted back in the 1820s, when laws were created “to manage wandering foreigners,” over time these peoples will accept the fruits of civilization. When the accelerated and largely violent activities carried out in this regard Soviet power, stopped, people kept for themselves those innovations that they really needed. Of course, the residents of the village of Varnek are unlikely to win the unequal struggle with civilization. Just as their parents once abandoned plagues in favor of more comfortable living conditions, so they, in any case, their children will move closer to new accessible sources of household goods. But while there are those who want to live here, on the edge of the inhabited earth, we must support this desire in every possible way, supplementing it with meanings, the most important of which are Work and Family.

Photos by Svetlana Sokolova.

Have you lately felt that you are nervous, tired and your productivity is at zero? Can't understand the reason for this condition?

Try to look at the situation around you.

You see a lot of unnecessary things scattered everywhere in your home, office and even head? Not all people realize it, but clutter can be a significant cause of stress. When there is clutter around us, our minds are constantly bombarded by completely unnecessary things - often visible, but sometimes also those that can be smelled or touched. This is what prevents our brain from relaxing.

1. Learn to sort and classify

This is the starting point on your decluttering journey. The most in a simple way will sort all things into two groups:

1. Needed/Wanted
2. Unnecessary/Unwanted

Go through all your things and determine which ones are still needed and important to you. Sometimes we are afraid to throw things away because we think: what if I need them in the future? But the basic rule is this: if you haven’t used an item for a year, then there’s a good chance that you won’t use it in the future.

You can also go ahead and categorize everything into three categories:

1. Needing repairs
2. For reuse/charity
3. To be thrown away

2. Develop a system

This means that you will need to create rules to prevent clutter from creeping into your life. You can build a file system or introduce your own rules. For example, at home you can select special places for certain things. And in the office, you can introduce a “clean desk, clean floor” policy. Successful implementation of these regulations can be supported by a variety of equipment such as file cabinets, labeled boxes, racks and shelves.

3. Clean throughout the year.

On the path to achieving a clutter-free life, you must tidy up every day. Some self-organization experts suggest using a “cleaning calendar” that will tell you what and where you should clean up on a certain day of the year. It would also be helpful if you set certain time for daily cleaning – the time that will be optimal for you to complete this task. This could be just after you get home from work, after dinner, or before you go to bed. And it’s not at all necessary to spend several hours cleaning. 10-30 minutes a day is quite enough. The more often you do this, the less time each day you will spend cleaning.

4. Involve your household

You'll have a better chance of success if you involve others in the process. At home, you should share cleaning responsibilities with the rest of your family, and at the office, share your thoughts with your colleagues. You will need to enlist their support, because you yourself cannot cope with the task of maintaining order alone if others endlessly throw everything around.

The simplest principle for keeping your surroundings tidy is to keep things simple, so don't buy too much empty tinsel.

Source: http://synderesis.ru