Showing results by narrator "Katie Katie" in All Categories

Mornings set the whole day's beat: it is up to you to seize the opportunity of living a more relaxed and enjoyable life. This series of exercises are designed to take part in your personal morning routine, one or more at a time, as healthy habits to shape your way to success. Increase your self-esteem, become more relaxed and playful, learn mindfulness and improve your visualization skills through a journey of the senses, gain focus and presence through your whole day with proven and efficient techniques that will lead you to a more enlightened life.

Charles Baudelaire is one of the greatest French poets. His most famous work, "Les Fleurs du Mal"("The Flowers of Evil"), was deemed scandalous at the time because of its themes of sex and death, lesbianism, corruption, wine, and the oppressiveness of living. The effect on fellow artists was "immense, prodigious, unexpected, mingled with admiration and with some indefinable anxious fear", while the regime of the Second Empire had Baudelaire prosecuted and fined for his "insult to public decency". Baudelaire's style had a tremendous influence on French poetry, and also on English writers; he was a pioneering translator, and created strong ties with the Anglo-Saxon literature.

Anxiety takes a heavy toll; the lack of adequate support and techniques can make recovery longer than necessary. These relaxation exercises will teach you proven and efficient methods to relieve anxiety, ward off panic attacks or alleviate chronic stress. This guided practice provides you with techniques you can come back to whenever you feel the need, so that you can achieve relief on your own in any circumstance. The guided imagery techniques will lead you to become more playful, learn to stretch and achieve deep relaxation, and improve your visualization skills for better concentration and control.

Richard III: one of the most divisive and enigmatic figures in British history. Few monarchs have been held in greater infamy than Richard Plantagenet, who would later ascend the throne as King Richard III; his character has been passionately besmirched and defended, and the arguments still rage after several centuries. He was depicted as a deformed monster in Shakespeare's play, but maybe this was to obey the will of the Tudor monarchy of the time. His real tragedy was both personal and political; his story, replete with intrigue, murder, war, and treachery. Richard III laid the foundations for modern government, often taking the side of the people against the barons; for this, he eventually paid a terrible price.

"The Ridiculous Wishes" or "The Three Ridiculous Wishes" is a French literary fairy tale by Charles Perrault. A woodcutter complained of his poor lot. Jupiter granted him three wishes. The woodcutter went home, and his wife persuaded him to put off the wishing until the next day, after he had thought, but while sitting by the fire, he wished for sausages. His wife taxed him for his folly, and angry, he wished the sausages on her nose. Finally, they agreed to use the last wish to take the sausages off her nose, leaving them no better off than before.

Discover the fundamentals of the French republic with two essentials. "The French declaration of the rights of Man and of the Citizen" has been of tremendous influence on every democracy ever since; "La Marseillaise", which has been called "the greatest national anthem in the world", is a powerful and inspiring cry for battle and freedom. "The Declaration of the rights of Man and of the Citizen" introduce the idea that human rights are a feature of human nature itself; it is the first time the rights of man were said to be universal, without distinction of race or religion. This was the idea used to create a nation of free individuals equally protected by law, and it is still the basis of many democracies today.

Charles Baudelaire is one of the greatest French poets. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil), was deemed scandalous at the time because of its themes of sex and death, lesbianism, corruption, wine, and the oppressiveness of living. Its powerful imagery and ravaging use of the senses had many name him an unequaled master; the effect on fellow artists was "immense, prodigious, unexpected, mingled with admiration and with some indefinable anxious fear", while the regime of the Second Empire had Baudelaire prosecuted and fined for his "insult to public decency".

"The Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia", or the "Startling adventures of Baron Munchausen", is one of the funniest texts ever written. It relates the exploits of a grandiloquent figure, in a series of absurd, impossible and extravagant feats. It is a charming tale of dreamlike adventures, a powerful satire and a personal attack, as it was meant to mock a real Baron known for telling outrageous tall tales based on his military career during the Russo-Turkish war. The adventures of the Baron will have you roar with laughter and unleash your imagination as you witness his cannonball ride or travels to the moon.

Henry IV of France, also known as the "Good King Henry", was King of France from 1589 to 1610. Born a Catholic but raised a Protestant, he barely escaped assassination in the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, and later led Protestant forces against the royal army, before being called to the French succession upon the death of his cousin Henry III.

On a cold New Year's Eve, a young, poor girl tries to sell matches in the street. She is already shivering from cold. She shelters in a nook and sits down. The girl lights the matches to warm herself. In their glow she sees several lovely visions, including a Christmas tree and a holiday feast. The girl looks skyward and sees a shooting star; she then remembers her grandmother saying that such a falling star means someone is dying and is going to Heaven. As she lights the next match, she sees a vision of her grandmother, the only person to have treated her with love and kindness. She strikes one match after another to keep the vision of her grandmother alive for as long as she can.

The Sun King's reputation still stands on his reign, rich in art and literature, his brilliant court and invincible armies. He was in power for 72 years, the longest reign of any monarch in European history; he made France the leading European power, set up the lavish palace of Versailles to be sure the rebellious nobility would always be before his eyes, and consolidated a system of absolute monarchical rule in France that endured until the French Revolution.

"The Mutineers of the Bounty" is a short story by Jules Verne, part of the series The Extraordinary Voyages. It is based on a true story a mutiny that occured on the Royal Navy vessel HMS Bounty in 1789. The ship had been sent to Tahiti, and the relations between Captain William Bligh and his crew quickly deteriorated, leading to increasingly harsh punishments and abuse. A cabal formed between the men, and one night, they overpowered the captain, seized the ship, and sent him and 18 of his loyalists out at sea to die.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. Now she restlessly wanders the town, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere. When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely familiar, from the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel.

"The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids" is a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. A mother leaves her seven children at home while she ventures into the forest to find food. Before she leaves, she warns her young about the Big Bad Wolf who will try to sneak into the house and gobble them up. The wolf will pretend to be their mother and convince the kids to open the door. The young children will be able to recognize their true mother by her white feet and sweet voice. The mother leaves and the seven kids stay in the house. Before long, they hear a voice at the door that says "Let me in children, your mother has something for each and every one of you". His gruff voice betrays him and the kids do not let him in.

How much do we really know about those we love? Kate is visiting Albania with her husband, Paul, a much needed break from Paul's stressful website business. 'Hold still,' says Kate, taking a picture as Paul steps onto the hotel room balcony. 'We'll always be together,' Paul responds. Suddenly there is screaming below and a blaring car horn. Kate stares down from the balcony at the broken body of her husband lying lifeless in the street.

Never part of the in crowd, Raye is thrilled when popular girl Ella Parker starts to show interest in her. So when Ella proposes an online prank on her ex, Julian Kilgarry, Raye is more than happy to play along. Together they develop an online persona and use it to "friend" him. But then things go a bit too far. And when Ella learns that Raye has been flirting with Julian face-to-face, things really escalate. Soon, what Raye thought was just some innocent online fun turns into a vicious smear campaign - against Raye herself!

The stress of exams takes its toll on students every year, and the most thorough preparation can fail if you get there tense and anxious. The fight-or-flight mode due to stress can effectively prevent memorization or in-depth reasoning at the time you most need it. This is a series of simple and efficient relaxation techniques, easy to learn and quick to apply. They are designed to provide you with a range of proven techniques to help you prepare for an exam in the most efficient way possible, so as to overcome anxiety before and during the exam for maximum results.

Rejection and failure are unavoidable parts of living. Being unable to cope with them in a relaxed and efficient way prevents achievements by leading you into withdrawal. True success comes from being consciously prepared for failure and being able to deal with it when it inevitably comes, so that it becomes possible to try and push towards one's goal without the hindrance of fear and low self-esteem.

Poorly managed tension can lead to self-harm as an addictive and destructive way of taking control of anxiety. It has to be addressed as soon as possible with proven and effective tools. This series of exercises has been designed to provide you with simple and powerful techniques to get rid of tension before it escalates into self-harm, to build self-esteem through guided imagery and relaxation, and to relieve anxiety in a helpful, soothing way. Use these techniques whenever the need arises to take good care of yourself and heal.

The power of visualization is the most sought-after skill in meditation and relaxation techniques. It is key to a successful life, as a clear visualization of your goals boosts the possibility of attaining them in a quick and easy way; it enhances your active imagination, for a more colorful inner life and vastly enhanced memorization skills. It is also the most effective relaxation tool, to relieve yourself of stress and anxiety and avoid the toll they can take on your health.