Q: Breathing is so natural that we rarely take time to ever think about paying attention to its healthy benefits. Taking short, three minute breaks a few times every day to stop what you are doing and inhale and exhale deeply can help clarify your thoughts, calm you down, and make you more productive. Make sure you find a quiet space so that you can concentrate on breathing as the air circulates throughout your entire body. Start by deliberately preparing to engage in a breathing exercise by either sitting or standing in a quiet area. As you close your eyes to begin inhaling, ask yourself what thoughts, feelings, and sensations you are currently experiencing. Do this for one minute. After one minute, redirect your focus on your breathing from inhale to exhale as you gather and focus your attention on physical sensations. As you exhale, do not let your mind wonder. Do this for another one minute. During the final minute, expand your attention by including thoughts about your posture and facial expressions and search for any discomfort or tension. If so, concentrate your attention by imagining the intensity of your breath to the location of the pain. Breathing has a dual impact: it's a meditation that helps you to maintain compassion and thoughtfulness, and allows you to reduce stress and pressure by taking control of the situation. Most people believe that it is a fundamental act to close your eyes while performing meditation, but many forms of meditation require "open eyes" to avoid falling asleep. Most techniques want you to keep your eyes half open while others suggest you perform a full stare. Although both "eyes open" and "eyes shut" are acceptable while trying to find peace in your day. Start by focusing your eyes on a static point while relaxing your body. Take three deep breaths and as you exhale, relax your shoulders, jaw, and face. Be aware of the world around you sounds, smells, and temperature to help you realize what you are thinking and feeling on the inside. Accept all of the sensory information you are processing. It is important not to make an effort to control or change anything. Remember that meditation is a practice. Just like any other exercise or sport, you must set aside time to develop your skills for practical use. Indeed, the goal of open eye meditation is to maintain a centered awareness while you perform the duties of life. There are several ways to relax your body sitting in a variety of positions. The most important factor is that you choose a position that affords you the most comfort. Although sitting in a chair is the easiest position, you should make sure that your spine is upright; your spine, shoulders, and head should be relaxed; and never slouch or slump over. Avoid putting yourself in a position that demands more flexibility than you really have. Remember the point is to be relaxed. Place blocks of wood or a telephone directory to raise the back legs of the chair in order to make sure you are using correct posture: sit upright without having to either hold your back rigidly, or leaning against the back of the chair, only the base of your spine should touch the back of the chair. Your hands should be on your thighs with your palms facing down unless you place a pillow on your lap then your palms should face up. Keep your feet flat on the ground. If your feet cannot reach the ground, then place a folded blanket under your feet to keep them from dangling. If sitting in a chair is too easy and you cannot sit cross-legged, then you might want to consider just sitting on the floor. The floor is a safe venue for you to mediate because it provides solid base allowing you to concentrate on easing your mind. It is okay to just kneel or you can place a pillow or bench to support your full body weight. If you use pillows, make sure they are really firm and supportive (zafus are specially-designed pillows made for meditation). Make sure the height of the pillows is appropriate, otherwise you might slump which causes discomfort, pinching, and a lack of concentration. You can place your hands in several different positions, but it might be easiest if you just have your hands supported in front of you. If there is discomfort, you can always place another pillow or a blanket in front of you to rest your hands on. Similar to the half-lotus and full-lotus position in yoga, sitting cross-legged is the most difficult position to mediate in. Therefore, caution should be taken not to force yourself into this uncomfortable posture since it could cause long-term damage to muscles and joints. You also will not be able to concentrate if you are in pain. For mediators, the tailor position is the simplest and most common cross-legged position. For this pose, make sure both your knees are on the ground for proper support. If you cannot get both knees on the floor, use a firm cushion or folded blanket to keep your knees stable by placing it under the knee that is not touching the ground. If you cannot reach the complete position, trying doing yoga exercises to loosen your hips. Keep your hands rested on your lap with your palms facing up.
A: Focus on breathing. Rest your eyes. Relax while you sit in a chair. Kneel or use a pillow. Sit cross-legged.

Q: Wash the piercing with a basic soap with no dyes or extra chemicals (that is not antibacterial soap) once or twice a day. Remove any crust on the piercing with a cotton swab or Q-Tip. Then gently clean the site with the basic soap and water. Avoid tugging on the piercing; this will be painful and slow the healing. The easiest, gentlest way to do this is to half-fill a cup with soapy water, gently place it over the piercing, and lightly swish it around. It may hurt a little if the piercing is fairly new, but the pain will wear off in a few days. Dry the piercing after cleaning with a paper towel or napkin instead of a bath towel or a cloth. Towels can contain germs and bacteria, so it is better to use a disposable paper product instead. These solutions can slow the healing process and kill new, healthy cells.
A: Rinse the area. Make sure the soap suds get in the holes. Dry the piercing properly. Avoid hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.

Q: Saying "I love you" for the first time is really scary. If you're nervous, planning what you are going to say can boost your confidence. Think about what you want her to know, then rehearse your declaration of love. Instead of just saying "I love you," consider going deeper. For example: Give her reasons why you love her. Tell her when you fell in love with her. Let her know how special she is to you. Decide if you will keep it simple or make it a grand, romantic gesture. Telling someone you love them is a personal, special affair. You want the moment to be perfect. Pick a location that is private, perhaps even meaningful to your relationship, and a time that is appropriate. Don't express your love for her in the middle of class. If you are with a group of people, pull her aside. You can plan a special date for the occasion. Take her on a walk or a picnic. Tell her during a dinner you prepared for her. In addition to preparing what you will say, you should also prepare for her response to those three little words. Ideally, she will say, "I love you too!" However, she may not feel the same way about you. She might ignore your comment or divert the conversation to a new topic. If this happens, do not ask her, "well, do you love me too?" Be prepared to give her some time and space to digest what you said. Try to go on with the date as normal. Remain calm and mature if she rejects you. Have a positive, kind response preparedyour maturity just might impress her.
A:
Practice what you are going to say. Find the right time and place. Don't assume that she loves you too.