meditation Archives | Falcon Healing Arts

Meditation

Guided Meditation for Stress Relief and Security

Try this guided meditation for stress relief whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed with stress, anxiety, and the demands in your life. Stress arises when we’re feeling disconnected from ourselves. Relief always comes from reconnecting to your body, heart, and mind. The best way to release tension and overwhelm is through meditation.

Anyone can do this meditation, even beginners! All it takes is a willingness to dive deep into the practice so you can fully access your healing capacity. That’s all that’s required to learn how to meditate for stress relief. However, it is helpful to prepare with this breathing practice first to help remove distractions and focus the mind on the body and your intention.

You may also want to download my FREE Stress Relieving Acupressure Guide below, which will help release physical tension and promote better sleep. You’ll love it! Click below to get it.

Guided Meditation for Stress Relief and Security

Join me in this 15 minute guided meditation video to create a relaxing, calming vibe in addition to stress and tension relief. Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel 🙂

How to Meditate for Stress Relief

Consciously Relax Into the Present Moment

Come into a comfortable seated position. This can be any version of a cross-legged pose, sitting in Vajrasana on the feet or in Virasana in between them. Of course you can also sit in a chair, just make sure your feet are firmly on the ground.

Close your eyes and align your spine evenly over your seat. Feel that the center of the chest is right over the center of the hips. Feel that the center of the head is right over the center of the chest.

Take several slow, deep, even breaths. With the first few breaths, exhale out through the mouth with a sigh to consciously release any stress and tension. Feel this release in the body, the heart, and the mind. Let go of anything that is feeling heavy. Tension in the body dissolves as you scan the body from the head down. You’re also letting go of any demands and obligations that are weighing on the mind and heart.

Turn your mind inward, watching the smooth flow of each breath. Feel the ease and spaciousness in every level of your being in the present moment.

Stress Relief by Creating a Safe Energetic Boundary

Create an imaginary boundary a few feet around you. Use materials that would feel or look inviting (eg. silk, warm wool, vibrant colored light, or even sound waves). This boundary is containing your energy so you’re not engaging too much with anything on the outside. It’s also protecting you from outside influences.

Fill your energetic space/tent/cocoon with anything you love that is beautiful and creates happiness (eg. animals, plants, art, crystals, etc.). Leave people out of your space since even your most loving friends and family can sometimes cause distress. Continue filling your space around you, with your creative mind, until you feel a change inside. You should actually feel more safe, secure, happy, and loved.

As you tap into these feelings, imagine that you’re absorbing this love and comfort into every cell of your body. It penetrates into the skin and all the organs. If you used light and sound for your energetic cocoon, you can imagine them penetrating inside too. Feel that you’re less solid, less rigid with stress as you release tension. You’re becoming more fluid and spacious.

With your awareness and these positive feelings that this healing space is creating, you’re releasing whatever is making you feel bound and overwhelmed in your body.

Search for a shift in your emotional tone as you feel emotions venting. Hopefully you’ll be feeling more neutral and less identified with any unsettling emotions that were previously there.

In your mind, see that you’re fully living in this freed up body, in this safe, comfortable space. You created this space and can create it at any time!

Stay Free of Tension and Overwhelm with Mindful Awareness

You can choose to leave this self-made cocoon around yourself with a balance of inner and outer awareness. You’ll be able to distinguish much easier now, what is happening in you and around you. And you’ll be able to make clear energetic boundaries so you’re more conscious of what to bring in and engage with from the outside world.

If you’re choosing to let this boundary dissolve, remember that you can return to it anytime throughout the day.

Let your senses start to widen, becoming more aware of what you’re hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling. Finally, let your eyes open. Before you leave this space, perhaps you can make an intention to remain mindful of your inner landscape as you move through the rest of your day.

With this guided meditation for stress relief, I hope you can now see that you have some control over how stress affects you. And hopefully you’re feeling more at ease, filled with love, and ready to move on with your day without it feeling overwhelming. Please let me know how it worked out for you, in the comments!

Namasté

Boost Energy, Meditation, Personal Development, Pranayama video

Morning Pranayama: Nine Clearing Breaths for Energy Balance

In this video I’m going to teach you a quick and easy pranayama or breathing practice that you can do in the morning before or after yoga and meditation or even by itself. It’s called the 9 Clearing Cycles and it’s an ancient Tibetan practice that help wake up your body, increase your vitality and improve your concentration skills.

This is the second post in a series of my personal morning rituals that I’m sharing with you. If you want to live a positive, intentional life, then starting your mornings with ritual is a where you should begin! Last week I shared a morning yoga practice for stiffness that you can do with this breathing practice.

Though I love doing this pranayama practice in the morning, it’s fine to do it anytime of the day. In addition to combining it with yoga and meditation, it can be part of your other self-care rituals like acupressure massage. I have a FREE self-acupressure guide that you can download below which will help keep you relieve tension and manage stress. You’ll love it!

Morning Pranayama: Nine Clearing Breaths

In the morning, most of us want to build energy, but it’s important to make space in the body and mind first. The 9 clearing cycles is a nostril breathing practice that was introduced to me by my teacher Sarah Powers over a decade ago.

These Nine Clearing Breaths help to clear the energy channels of the body as well as the “poisons” of the mind which impede energy flow and stall our development. This practice always helps me start the day with receptive awareness which is necessary to keep a positive, open mind, and attract good things.

Try it! I know you’ll experience the same as well if this becomes part of your morning practice.

Please “like” this video and consider subscribing to my YouTube channel if you enjoy it!

Clearing the Nadis and Energy Channels

In this practice, we’re going to be working with the breath moving through the left and right nostrils. These relate to the Ida and Pingala nadis or energy channels of the body, that circulate Prana, Qi, also known as our “life force” that is connected with the breath.

Ida Pingala Sushumna Nadis and the Chakras — The Ida & Pingala nadis serpentine around the main nadi, the Sushumna,
which contains the chakras or energy wheels of the body.

These channels help balance yin/yang, left/right, female/male energy, and certain habitual tendencies related to these energies. They serpentine around the Sushumna, the central channel, which contains the chakras or energy wheels.

You’re purifying these three channels as well as the chakras in this breathing practice. It also incorporates quick exhalations from the belly which awakens our main power center, Manipura, the 3rd chakra. This is where you’ll experience a burst of energy.

How to do the Nine Clearing Cycles

Come into a comfortable seated position and make sure your spine is long and lifted.

We’re going to use our right hand to control the breathing for this whole practice. Cross the pinky finger over the ring finger as you’re looking at the palm. Place the ring finger to the left nostril, the thumb to the right nostril. The other two fingers rest at the third eye, in between the eyebrows.

Pre-Clearing the Nadis

First we’re going to prepare the channels by doing a pre-clearing.

You can open your airways with essential oils like Peppermint or the Breathe Blend.
Then close the right nostril and take five deep breaths through the left nostril. See if the inhalation and exhalation can be about 5 seconds in length. The left nostril relates to Ida nadi, yin, and one’s feminine nature. The poison of the mind associated with it is attachment or greed.
Then close the left nostril and take five slow breaths through the right nostril. This relates to Pingala nadi, our yang, masculine nature. The poison related to this nadi is anger.

Nine Clearing Cycles

Now we’ll do the Nine Clearing Cycles working with the Ida first (left nostril), then Pingala (right nostril), and then through both nostrils. there’s three cycles for each nadi which equals nine.

Each cycle consists of four parts (see video above for demonstration):

Inhale through the nostril for ~ 5 seconds.
Exhale through the nostril for ~ 5 seconds.
Inhale through the nostril for ~ 5 seconds.
Exhale quickly through the nostril and with the belly pressing in toward the spine (not so hard that it’s like your blowing your nose).

Let’s start with opening the ida, the left nostril. Imagine that you’re letting go of your attachments and greed. This can be the way you’re physically holding on to material items, or old patterns and beliefs.

With the pingala, the right nostril, you’re letting go of any anger, hatred or aggression in your life.

Now bring the hand down and do the cycles through both open nostrils, imagining that you’re letting go of any delusion, misunderstanding how life is working around you.

After the nine clearing rounds, inhale and hold the breath in for 10 seconds. Exhale slowly and hold the breath out for 5-10 seconds. Finish with three slow, even, deep breaths.

I hope you feel more clear, awake, and maybe even more powerful after doing this morning pranayama practice! Please let me know in the comments if this is something you’d like to add to your morning ritual!

Natural pain relief, Women's health, Yoga, yoga video

Meditative Yoga for Stiffness: Starting Your Morning with Ease

Do you feel achy and stiff every morning too? Sometimes I wake up sore because of the way I slept. Certainly diet and age play a part in this physical discomfort too. But oftentimes it’s the result of emotional and mental stress that I experienced days before. If you’re like me, then it’s important for you to relieve this pain as soon as you notice it. You don’t want to carry it into the rest of your day! Check out this Meditative Yoga for Stiffness video which guides you to release tension consciously, mindfully addressing the root of pain and discomfort.

Remember that it’s the approach to your yoga practice that enables it to transform your body, heart, and mind. Please let yourself have a deeper experience and prioritize your breathing, which brings more life to your being.

To prepare for the practice, make sure you’re well hydrated and are wearing comfortable clothes. A sticky mat, two blocks, and a strap are helpful. If you’d like to include acupressure in with your session, you can download my stress-relieving acupressure guide. These acupressure points are also great to use in the evening before bed which can also help avoid stiffness first thing in the morning.

Download the guide for FREE by clicking here:

Meditative Morning Yoga Practice

Consider subscribing to this YouTube channel while you’re viewing!

I hope you enjoyed this guided Meditative Yoga for Stiffness video. Please let me know how it felt for you by leaving a comment here or on YouTube. Also, let me know if you’d like to see more yoga videos in the future, in addition to my other holistic wellness ones. Well wishes to you…

Boost Energy, Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Meditation, Natural pain relief, Natural Remedies, Natural Sleep Support, Personal Development, Pregnancy, Women's health

Why Float Therapy May Be The Best Holistic Practice For You

Want to release stress, dissolve tension, and spark your creative juices? Float therapy in a sensory deprivation tank can bring you all of that as well as deep peace of mind! I highly recommend it and here’s why…

Float therapy has been popularized by athletes, celebrities, and other influencers who want to condition both their bodies and their minds. This is something we all can be striving for though!

Yes, there are several modalities that can do that too: the mindful movement of Yoga, the energetics of Taichi or Qigong, skilled massage, and of course Meditation. However, these methods are not attractive or accessible for everyone (like my dear husband!). I believe floating is a happy medium, where most people can experience peace without feeling like they need to learn special skills.

What is Float Therapy?

I had a vague idea of what floating was when Anna from Insight Float invited me to try out their services. I knew it involved two of my favorite things – water and relaxation – so of course I quickly accepted!

When booking my appointment on the website, I learned that Insight Float has two different sized tanks. Each of them provide two very different experiences. Rumi, the larger, custom-made one, is best for pregnant women and athletic recovery. Lilly Pad, the standard tank, is best for people who want to feel more grounded and is best for those experiencing anxiety. I decided to book Rumi, just to make sure I had enough space to move.

At my appointment, I was warmly welcomed by Sarah. She gave me a thorough 10 minute orientation about the floating experience that quickly turned my fear into fascination.

The float tanks are filled with 10 inches of body-temperature water, in which 1200 lbs. of epsom salts have been dissolved. The salt water matches the pressure inside the body, allowing one to float and feel perfectly balanced.

My Experience with Sensory Deprivation

I entered the water with nothing on. My legs effortlessly floated up, allowing me to rest back suspended by the warm water. I had brought in a floating light, but turned it off after a few minutes once I started relaxing.

The sound of my breath was amplified in the silent space. I stretched out my inhalations and doubled the length of my exhalations, making a conscious effort to let go of tension.

I became distracted as I started noticing pain in my upper back and neck. With my arms above my head, the tightness in between my shoulder blades quickly dissolved, but the pain in my neck became more pronounced and pinpointed. For about 10 minutes I fidgeted, massaged, and wondered if I’d ever get comfortable (not unlike my struggle with seated meditation!)

There was a shift when I realized I was spending too much time focusing on discomfort. I was saying to myself, “this would be perfect if only I didn’t have this pain in my neck.” Once I acknowledge this, I went back to my breath, knowing that I could still appreciate this simple moment regardless of tension. I don’t know how much time had passed, but when I brought awareness back to my neck, there was no more pain!

From that moment on, which was about 30 minutes into my session, I slipped into the deepest meditation since before I had my son (back when I’d go on silent 5-day retreats!).

Soft music ended my session. As I sat up, I almost started to cry. I had tapped into something really big here, not just for myself, but for my family, friends, and clients. I wanted everyone to know about this therapy and it’s possibilities for healing!

My First Appointment at Insight Float

Benefits of Float Therapy

I felt grounded, clear, and confident for days after my first float therapy session. There are even more benefits of floating than what I experienced though! Here’s a list of possible effects that sensory deprivation in a float tank can create:

Clarity of mind
Reduced pain and inflammation
Relaxed muscles
Balanced emotions & improved mood
Flow of creative thoughts
Relief from pregnancy symptoms (swelling, pain, agitation, etc.)
Clear skin
Regulation of blood pressure
Improved immunity
Deeper sleep

What do you think? Are you up for trying float therapy too? I’d love to hear about your experience once you do! Please let us all know in the comments.

Well wishes to you…

Emotional health, Meditation, Organic lifestyle, Seasons, Summer, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Whole Food Diet, Women's health

How to Stay Healthy This Summer According to Chinese Medicine

Summer is the season we associate with fun, relaxation, and carefree living. Our days are less structured, so our kids tend to stay up and sleep in later. We often become more lax with our diets too, as restaurants visited on family vacations don’t always have the best quality food. To stay well in summer, it’s important not to fall into unhealthy habits. Learn how to stay healthy in summer with these simple guidelines, so you can enjoy this season to the fullest!

How to Stay Healthy This Summer with TCM

1. Adjust Your Activity Level

The Yang energy of the sun reaches its maximum at the summer solstice on June 21. From there it starts a gradual decline until the winter Solstice in December.

What does that mean?

Since Yang is decreasing, Yin energy is increasing; we need to adjust our activity to become more Yin as well. Being “more Yin” means to embrace quiet, stillness, and our calm, receptive feminine nature.

I know, it doesn’t sound like summer. It’s supposed to be exciting!

Remember, this is a gradual change we’re adjusting to over the season. We can be lively in June and then start to ramp it down. By the end of August, hopefully we’re all grounded enough that kids can adjust well to the new school year and we can easily commit to our work life again.

If we ignore the cues from nature and go full force in the Summer Heat, we’re likely to burn out. This is bad new for our health in Fall, as we may get sick quickly and often without the restorative energy of Summer.

2. Get Some Morning Sun and Finish Activities Early

Part of adjusting your activity level is to also adjust the timing of your activities. If you live in a really hot climate, you already know how to do this well:

Get your workouts, errands, gardening, and other outdoor obligations done early.

You’ll need to resist the temptation to start the days slow. Trust me, you’ll be feeling great after absorbing that morning sun. It will elevate your mood and give you the energy you need to be productive. Then you can rest in the afternoon (which will become the hottest part of the day as summer progresses) completely guilt-free.

3. Eat These Foods to Stay Healthy in Summer

Summer is packed full of opportunities to eat out – restaurants, ballparks, amusement parks, family BBQs, etc. Since you may not always have control over these meals, it’s extra important to eat well at home.

Our digestion is stronger in summer. We’re now able to eat raw and cooling foods without gas and bloating.

These are the best foods to balance summer heat (from The Tao of Nutrition):

Everyone should do their best to refrain from these foods which may increase heat in the body and cause inflammation, dryness, constipation, and headaches.

processed sugar
alcohol
deep fried foods
caffeine (not too much chocolate either!)
hot, spicy foods

You may want to revisit: Have a Sweet Summer Without Excess Sugar

4. Be Cool and Refrain From Anger & Overexcitement

Anger and mania cause heat to rise internally according to Chinese Medicine philosophy. Accumulation of heat internally over a long period of time can cause disease. Anger and excitement are normal human emotions, of course, but it’s important to be mindful of what is causing them so we’re not caught up in these emotions continuously.

Meditation helps us become less reactive, and is a great practice to remain calm, cool, and level-headed. If you’re not ready to meditate, you can try to process your emotions through journaling or talking with a dear friend. You can try a Yin yoga practice which is an active meditation. Or use essential oils to manage your emotions and the heat that can arise.

Chinese Medicine helps us to see the connection between us and nature. Living in harmony with the rhythm of nature and preventing disease is the basis of it’s philosophy. If you adhere to these guidelines, or at least try returning to them whenever you get off track with summer (& sometimes unhealthy) fun, then you’ll find that you maintain wellness longer.

If you enjoyed this article, please share with your friends! Let me know what you think of these summer health tips in the comments. Well wishes to you…

Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Gut Health, Personal Development, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Women's health

Do You Need An Attitude Adjustment?

Do you need an attitude adjustment?

I think we all do. Our attitudes to life affect our emotions, and many of us don’t see the connection between our emotions and general health.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emotions and our vital energy (Qi) are the bridge between our physical and spiritual well-being. We know that many physical diseases actually have an emotional imbalances at the root.

In Yoga, we investigate the emotions in deeper meditative practices to create inner harmony. In turn, we create physical ease. This gives space for the mind to open up to profound spiritual experiences, connecting us to others, and to the beauty of life in general.

Insight from these Eastern practices is desperately needed here in the West where:

psychotherapy is still considered “quackery” to some
we complain endlessly about our health, circumstances, & politics, yet don’t take action to improve situations or try new approaches
we like to place blame for our misfortune
many have poverty consciousness and an unhealthy relationship with money
sarcasm and cynicism are considered funny and cool personality traits
stress and busyness are valued and intimately linked to our self-worth

How Our Attitudes Create Stress, Disease, and Disconnection

Much of our attention on health is with diet and physical health. You may have the cleanest diet, and yet, if you’re caught up in the rat race, your body’s stress response can keep you in the sympathetic “fight or flight” mode. This emotional imbalance increases adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones. They flood your system, lowering beneficial gut bacteria populations, and proper immune response.

This can lead to:

chronic pain
recurrent illnesses
poor sleep
gastric distress
allergies
high blood pressure
heart disease
unintentional weight gain
unintentional weight loss
depression/anxiety
memory problems
low libido
fertility issues

Stress is relative and is a personal habitual reaction to stimuli. We can all be in the same traffic jam, yet have a different response because of our different inner attitudes and awareness of how we’re reacting.

“An emotion in excess, an inappropriate reaction, a self-destructive passion, an emotional response out of proportion to a situation, or a single automatic habitual response to many different life events all can be signs that the human being has lost his or her capacity for harmonious reactivity.”

– Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D. from The Web That Has No Weaver

Manic elation, worry, sadness, anger, and fear are all normal in the human landscape. But if we hold them in, allow them to fester, or even let them become a major part of our personality, they can create disease from the TCM perspective.

Sun Si-miao (590-682 C.E.), a great physician of the Tang dynasty wrote that people suffer illness “because they do not have love in their life and are not cherished.” I think this notion is still relevant today, but that it’s self-love that’s lacking in many people and we have a hard time cherishing our own body, mind, and spirit which causes suffering.

How Do You Change Your Attitude and Achieve Health?

Yoga, Meditation, and TCM are wonderful ways to work with the energy of emotions to help one heal on all levels, but the person receiving still needs to participate.

If you’re laying on the table receiving acupuncture, you’re yielding to the treatment, trusting that energy is flowing where it needs to. Following the treatment plan provided by your practitioner is also a way you’re participating in your health by adapting to a positive lifestyle change.

In a yoga class, you’re working with a personal intention, paying attention to emotional cues that are linked with your breathing, and not just going through the physical motions.

Participating in your emotional well-being means that we adjust our inner attitude to breed:

Positivity
Hope
Trust
Curiosity
Equanimity
Joy
Insight

These are the “higher vibrations” we were referring to in Chakra Meditation: Radiate Out What You Want To Attract.

Adopting a Positive Attitude is a Conscious Choice

If we’re constantly evaluating how we’re feeling and pause often before reacting, we can see how we have some control over the outcome. We can then take responsibility for that outcome.

I just want to share a personal example here to drive my point home…

Yesterday I had the most amazing morning.

After sleeping in, I meditated and expressed gratitude for one more day of life. I took my son to a playgroup at the beach while I worked at a café a little down the road. It was a productive, yet relaxed day. On the way home, my son and I had some lovely conversations. I vowed to myself that I was going to keep this content feeling going throughout the day.

So later on when I discovered that a bird had crapped all over the side of my car, or when I had to deal with disorganized parking at gymnastics, and then with slow traffic on the way home from that, I did not take any of it personally. I did not take on any physical tension.

Today was a different story.

I had to wake early to get ready to teach a yoga class. People were expecting me to be on time and to be creative. I snapped at my son a few times as I was trying to get him out the door. Tension started to build in my body because I wasn’t feeling prepared for class. Luckily, there was some residue from my brief meditation that made me pause. I remembered the day before and knew that it was possible to stay calm again, even though I had more obligations. As long as I stayed calm, I knew creativity would spring from that.

Sure enough, I taught a pretty good class and the rest of the day went well too!

So believe me, you can experience more health and joy in your life if you make the conscious choice. Meditation, Yoga, TCM, psychotherapy, hypnotism, and aromatherapy can all give us a greater perspective on our emotions, inner attitudes, energy, and holistic health. They help us see more clearly how we need to change to release limited beliefs that keep us sick and disconnected.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all had this awareness? The change in that direction starts with you…

If you enjoyed this article, please share with your friends! I’d love to engage with you in the comments as well. Best wishes to you…

Emotional health, Meditation, Personal Development, Women's health

How Meditation Changed The Course Of My Life

Most people are familiar with the many benefits of meditation such as stress reduction, better sleep, lowered blood pressure, balanced emotions, greater self-awareness & empathy. I’d like to share with you how meditation changed my life. I hope that my story can inspire you to start meditating too!

My teacher, Sarah Powers, is fond of saying that people turn to meditation when they are utterly sick of themselves. They commit to the practice when they realize that their habitual ways of being are getting them nowhere in life. Meditation, especially Vipassana or Insight Meditation, shows us where disharmony exists in our lives. It gives us tools to pull us up and out of our personal mess.

How I Was Introduced To Meditation

If you really want to know more about my personal mess, you can read my original post on my introduction to meditation. Basically, I had a really difficult time obtaining my college education and racked up considerable credit card debt. I adopted really bad lifestyle habits and endured several shallow, heartbreaking relationships. Despite all that, I was doing really well in my full-time job. I placed all my energy there, and it’s where I received the most help.

My supervisor suggested that I attend an “Intro to Meditation” workshop my co-workers were having after hours. I remember feeling self-conscious. I noticed that everyone was at least 10 years older than I, and wondering why in the world she thought to include me. But I respected her immensely and opened my mind fully to the experience.

Mindfulness ~ A Sensual Experience

What happened next, was not what I expected. I thought we would just sit as still as possible and try to empty our minds.

Instead, the instructor invited us to pick up a single raisin from many that she had on the tray. First, we described the raisin to each other. We noted it’s size, it’s texture, it’s color, and it’s smell. Then we let our mouths salivate. We chewed the raisin, tasted it, felt the change in it’s structure as it turned to liquid, and swallowed the syrupy goodness. Our senses were alive and these simple details became important as we put them in the foreground of our awareness.

I experienced a raisin as I never had before! And I appreciated my body for the pleasure of it’s sweet taste. Then it occurred to me: if I had overlooked the simple details of eating, what else was I missing in life?

As I was mindfully eating the raisin, I was calm, focused, and felt less shy when we shared in the group afterwards. Somehow I had tapped into a well of confidence and felt a greater connection to the people in the group. It didn’t matter anymore that these people were older than me, different from me.

How Meditation Changed My Life

This seed of experience was planted in my consciousness long ago. It took many more years of hardship before I really understood how meditation could help me. It was around the time I started practicing yoga too, when meditation became a larger part of my life.

I immersed myself in the practice and found my teachers. At that point, compassion, patience, and understanding replaced the desperation, self-loathing, and worry that I clung to as a young adult.

Eventually I discovered my life purpose as an alternative health practitioner & educator. I now have a healthy relationship with money. It flows into my life easily. I give it freely to people and causes that I value without feeling any loss. I have a loving, respectful relationship with my husband and we have the most beautiful, inquisitive child. I’m aware when stress builds in my body and have natural, healthy ways to relieve it.

The Place of Meditation In My Life Now

Of course that’s not the end of my story! Life is not always rainbows and roses. I will never be “done” with this inner journey as long as I’m alive.

It’s still hard to prioritize a formal sitting practice when I have so many other obligations. But even just mindfully sitting a few minutes here and there helps. When I’m overly reactive to things happening around me, when relationships with friends feel strained, or I’m feeling unsatisfied in my business, I can usually trace it back to a disconnection in my inner life. This then helps me reprioritize meditation. And I do this over, and over, and over.

I am so grateful for this practice. Meditation changed my life by connecting me to consciousness in a deep and meaningful way.

If you’re feeling inspired to begin a meditation practice but don’t know where to start, check out my website’s Yoga & Meditation page. There are several guided meditations, all approximately 15 minutes, that can help get you started.

If you like this article and the meditations, please share this resource with your friends! I’d love to hear how you’re doing with them in the comments too! Well wishes to you…

Emotional health, Essential Oils, Meditation, Natural pain relief, Natural Remedies, Women's health

Essential Oils For Calming The Mind and Soothing Tension

Even though essential oils have been used all over the world for thousands of years, they’re still unfamiliar to many modern Americans. Luckily for all, there is a new wave of interest . People are discovering that they do much more than offer a pleasing fragrance. Essential oils can support one’s physical, emotional, and mental health in a natural way, free of side effects and addictions. In this article, we’ll discuss the best essential oils for stress, a condition most of us need help with!

Recently, I’ve been working with a technique called Aroma Acupoint Therapy in my TCM clinic that combines essential oils with acupuncture points. I’m finding that the effects are so profound that for children & sensitive adults, this method is a fine substitute for acupuncture.

The treatment I do the most is for relieving tension and calming the spirit. If this is something you need too, then I highly suggest using the following oils alone or as a lovely blend.

All are safe used neat, in their concentrated form, if using on specific body points as I do with acupressure. But for beginners, it may be easier to dilute the oils in a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil, to spread across a larger surface of the body. The bottom of the feet is a great place for topical application of these oils. This helps you ground your energy, relieve tension, and also activate many systemic reflexology points.

Or, simply place a few drops in a diffuser and let your brain’s olfactory perception of these oils help melt away the tension.

Essential Oils for Stress and Tension

Bergamot

This oil, derived from the rind of the fruit, has both calming and uplifting properties. It’s perfect for when one is feeling anxious or depressed. Like most citrus oils, you must stay out of sunlight, avoiding UV rays for up to 12 hours after topical application. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it though! Just put the oil where the sun doesn’t shine or choose to diffuse it instead.

Lavender

Lavender is one of the oldest oils, used by Romans & Egyptians when bathing, cooking, relaxing, and as a perfume. It’s a must-have for modern people who experience restless sleep. In addition to diffusing and spreading across the bottom of the feet, you can place a few drops on a cotton ball and place under your pillow when you’re ready to snooze.

Marjoram

It’s not just a tasty culinary herb! The essential oil of marjoram supports the nervous system, having a sedative effect and also eases sore muscles. Apply it to the back of the neck or wherever tension is showing up in your body. It’s especially effective for releasing tension in your body that might be keeping you awake at night, so would be great to put in an evening bath.

Blue Tansy

The chemical chamazulene creates the brilliant blue shade of Blue Tansy, also known as Moroccan Chamomile. Blue tansy can be diffused to uplift your mood or be massaged into the skin to relax muscular tension.

Cedarwood

Cedarwood is a very grounding oil that can help move tense energy down and out from the neck, shoulders, and upper back when applied to the feet. You can create a calming ritual where you take a hot foot bath in epsom salts and then massage Cedarwood into your feet afterwards with fractionated coconut oil.

In order to receive the greatest benefit, it’s important to use “Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade” essential oils. Unfortunately, due to loose regulation, there are many oils on the market that have been adulterated even though the labels say they are 100% pure. Visit my Natural Health Products page for my suggestions and support.

Have you used essential oils for calming the mind and soothing tension? Please let me know about your experience in the comments! Well wishes to you…

Emotional health, Meditation, Parenting, Personal Development

2 Meditations That Will Shape Your Day In A Positive Way

I learned from my teacher long ago, the importance of engaging in two brief periods of mindfulness with certain intentions. In the morning, we experience gratitude for the new day. We appreciate all the ways that we’re supported in our life and acknowledge how we support others. In the evening before bed, we engage in a forgiveness meditation. This allows us to clear away any weight on our heart and mind so we can sleep peacefully and start the next day with a fresher perspective. Together, these gratitude and forgiveness meditations help us create the most positive life possible if we do them daily.

Practicing Gratitude

We’ve already discussed the importance of gratitude in Grateful Heart, Joy-filled Life. You may want to look back at it to learn about other ways you can experience gratitude throughout your day. The following guided meditation will really help you. If you’re feeling like your days are monotonous, overwhelming, and that life is unfair, this can dramatically alter your perspective.

If you have children, this is a wonderful practice to introduce to them. Depending on their age and temperament, you may want to do it with them or just model it for them.

Practicing Forgiveness

At the end of the day, there’s a tendency for many of us to rehash the events of the day. Sometimes, we obsess over interactions with other people that were unpleasant. Other times, we’re overwhelmed with how certain conditions, politically or socially, are negatively affecting our lives. Perhaps we’re upset with ourselves for behaving in a certain way. We don’t want to go to sleep holding a grudge! Sleep will be restless and unsettling, and you’ll just be carrying these feelings over to the next day.

In the recorded meditation below, we work with specific affirmations to help you accept what occurred and all the feelings that resulted. We forgive to the degree that we don’t carry a load of hate & resentment, but we don’t brush off or forget injustices. When the time is right, we can process these incidents further to find the lesson learned.

Again, if you have children, let them know what you’re doing! Teaching forgiveness is essential for your child’s emotional intelligence. I love this, from Sherrie Campbell, PhD in 5 Ways Parents Can Teach Their Kids to Forgive:

“The relationships our children have will, for certain, be their greatest teachers of love and pain. They will never need to use forgiveness more than in their relationships. Forgiveness is many things — but we also must teach that forgiveness doesn’t always mean reconciliation. It is not about condoning harms which have been done. Forgiveness is about taking power back.”

I’m eager to hear how you did with these meditations. Did you feel a positive shift? Please let us know in the comments. And if you found the meditations helpful, please share this post far and wide! Namasté

Emotional health, Meditation, Natural Remedies, Natural Sleep Support, Women's health, Yoga

Improve Your Sleep With This Yoga Sequence

Hopefully you were able to try out some of the tips in our last post about getting in touch with and resetting your circadian rhythm. But if you tried all the suggestions and are not sleeping soundly, no worries. I’ll bet that you can improve your sleep with the lovely yoga sequence I have for you below.

Yoga is an effective, enjoyable way to address the root of your sleep issues and induce a pleasant snooze. In a national survey of 35,000 households, 55% of people who practiced yoga reported that it helped them sleep while 85% said that it helped them reduce stress.

Remember that approach is key, since how we do our yoga practice is just as, if not more important that what we do. We have to be conscious of our breathing and back off when a posture becomes too exciting or stressful.

Not all forms of yoga are relaxing either (no vigorous vinyasa or heated yoga classes before bed!), so a calming, more restorative approach is necessary to get the body ready for sleep.

The following sequence is an essential part of my nighttime routine. It melts away any muscle tension accumulated throughout the day and reduces stress. When done in a meditative way with mindful breathing, it also helps to tame obsessive thoughts, calm the mind, and prepare it for sleep.

Hold the following postures for 5-8 slow, deep breath, perhaps emphasizing the exhalation to help let go of tension. It’s best to do this immediately before retiring, so you can climb right into bed afterwards.

Yoga Sequence for Better Sleep

1. Standing forward bend (Uttanasana)

This posture is great for relieving tension in the back. Crossing the forearms makes the upper body heavier so there’s greater traction along the spine. Blood and energy is directed toward the head to calm the mind.

Bend the knees if tight hamstrings are pulling your low back, causing discomfort.

2. Headstand or rabbit (Sirsasana or Sasangasana )

If Headstand is already part of your practice, doing it at night can activate the endocrine glands and calm your nervous system. Contraindications to this pose include neck injuries, high blood pressure, heart conditions, and menstruation.

Like Headstand, Rabbit pose is therapeutic due to it’s direct effect on the brain. But this posture is more approachable since you can control the pressure placed on the head and ensure that the neck is not compressed.

3. Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana)

Shoulderstand is a counter pose to Headstand variations. It regulates any hormonal imbalances and soothes the nerves. This pose should be skipped though if you have a neck injury, high blood pressure, or are menstruating.

4. Bound angle w/ neck extension & open chest (Baddha konasana)

yoga Baddha konasana Bound angle pose w/ neck extension

This posture (as well as #5-8 below) relieves tension accumulated in the hips, chest, and neck from long periods of work in front of a computer.

5. Seated twist (Ardha matseyandrasana)

6. Neck stretch, simple seated posture

yoga Neck stretch in simple seated posture Sukhasana

7. Eagle (Garudasana) arms, simple seated posture

yoga Garudasana (Eagle pose) arms in Sukhasana (Simple seated pose)

8. Reclined Figure-4 Stretch

yoga Reclined eye of needle stretch figure 4

9. Legs-up-the-wall-or-bed (Viparita karani)

yoga Viparita karani Inverted Lake or legs-up-the-wall pose

This inversion is necessary to ease tired legs and reverse blood flow to the heart and brain, especially if you were not able to include headstand and shoulderstand in your routine. It reduces anxiety, calms the mind, and helps regulate blood pressure. It can even calm crazy 7-year-old boy energy!

Most of you will be yawning before you complete this series! If so, hop in bed and have a wonderful night’s rest!

Still needing extra help? You may also want to check out my Yoga Nidra meditation on my Meditation Page. Yoga Nidra (Yoga sleep) is a very effective meditation to induce a relaxed state of mind and is also effective with changing mindset and habitual patterns.

Well wishes to you all…

Read Part 3: Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture for sleep issues