Tips of the Week to Find Wellness Within

I had planned on writing these tips on Sunday and then again on Monday but here I am on Tuesday sitting down to give you the tips of the week. I now know why. The information on forgiveness just came to me today & I plan on sharing more later. Until then…

Body-Get the Right amount of sleep. Many of us fit sleep in to our schedule and really we should be setting our schedule around our sleep. Most do not realize how important the right amount of sleep really is or that each of us needs a different amount to function at our optimal best. It is easy to get into a pattern of under or over sleeping and both can be harmful to your health. While every person’s sleep needs are different, it is very important to be completly honest with yourself and aware that you aren’t fooling yourself because it’s convenient. I have heard people say that ‘I only need 4 hours of sleep’. I don’t really believe that statement.  Consistent lack of sleep can create numerous symptoms such as chronic headaches, ADHD symptoms, depression, anxiety, just to name a few. Also, are you aware that people who sleep excessively have a higher rate of certain cancers? There is alot of great information on sleep at www.sleepfoundation.org. There you can also find a list of tips to get a good night’s sleep.  You may not even be aware that you have a sleep issue. There are stages of the sleep cycle. If you are not getting to certain stages of the sleep cycle it’s almost as if you are not sleeping at all.  Have you ever had a morning when you wake up feeling just as tired as the night before. This may be the explaination. Sweet dreams!

Mind-our minds are constantly running. One of the most important things I practice daily is quieting my mind. There was a picture hanging on the wall at the therapists office years ago that helped me to begin my healing journey. I have studied this saying for years and actually two copies hanging in my home.

“Listening to your heart, finding out who you are is not simple.  It takes time for the chatter to quiet down.  In the silence of ‘not doing’ we begin to know what we feel.  If we listen and hear what is being offered, then anything in life can be our guide.  LISTEN.”

Have you ever tried to pay attention or listen in a room full of chatter and noise. I can’t do it. I am too easily distracted. The same is true with the inner chatter of my mind. It is important to work on quieting that chatter. I do this by trying to spend just 5 min. morning and night just being, not thinking.  I try to ’see’ a picture/color/word in my mind, such as seeing the word QUIET or PEACE, every time I find myself thinking of something I come back to the picture and imagine the thought either floating away on a stream or flying away in a balloon. This is a very difficult thing to do, believe it or not. Another easier way which I started out is using a guided meditation CD.  I would listen at bedtime and more times than not fell asleep. But that’s ok, our brains are not sleeping even though our bodies are. There are many out there, one of my favorites is Sands of Time by my dear friend, Mirabai Galashan http://www.mirabaigalashan.com/audio_cds.html.

Spirit-Forgiveness can actually have health benefits &  is very freeing to the spirit.  We have all needed to practice the art of forgiveness whether it be to the person that cut us off in traffic or the parent who sexually abused their own child. Hanging onto anger, hurts, grudges etc. can actually lead to high blood pressure, depression, heart disease. There are studies out there that prove this. Forgiveness can be very, very difficult to put it mildly. I feel very strongly about this. As a hospice nurse for many years, I have witnessed several people waiting until the end of their life to forgive past hurts. My heart aches because lost years of not talking can not be gotten back. And there is often soo much regret for hanging on to what turns out to be minor slights in the large scheme of things. I say we really need to look at this before our life is flashing before our eyes.  Just sit with this idea for awhile. I would like to revisit this later. But in the mean time try practicing this for the next week. I am working on this myself through the advise I received just last night on a teleclass called “Get Clear Energy & Intuition Class” with Vanessa Smith http://www.integrativewellnessworks.com/get-clear-intuition-energy-program-.html. I will leave you with this thought to share with yourself…..

“I love myself.  I forgive myself.  I set myself free.”