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Sleep, elusive sleep!

4/20/2014

Well, I must report that the sleep experiment is not going all that well. Instead of feeling dipped in God each night, I feel ... well, let's just say dipped in something else altogether! My cat, Misty, is not cooperating with this new plan at all. Though she can sleep up to 75% of the time, she doesn't see inclined to let me do so between 3 and 4 am, in particular. So, I have been reworking it and trying new approaches. This is what works best:

1. Relaxing before bedtime, breathing and gently stretching

2. Using quiet music to wind down

3. Listening to Max Highstein's Sleep Well Tonight - Cottage by the Sea meditation (you can listen to a bit of this by clicking the link below)

4. Taking melatonin about a half hour before bedtime.

Just thought I'd check in with everyone and see if anyone else out there is feeling sleep deprived...yawn.
Up since 3 am. Sigh. Maybe an afternoon nap will be in order.

Sleep Well Tonight

Enjoy a good night's sleep with this gentle inner journey. Take an evening walk along the beach to your secluded seaside cottage. Secure in your comfy bed on the screened-in porch, enjoy a full body relaxation, and then let the waves lull you into dreamland. At the end of the inner journey the narration tapers off, and the waves continue for another 30 minutes. More about Sleep Well Tonight...

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Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much...and take a break from the news!

8/7/2012

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I've seen variations of this phrase on plaques and in TV commericals (it sounds like a wine commercial -- perhaps it is a wine commercial, but I'm not endorsing alcohol here!) I think it is sage advice, with or without the wine, and it works as a philosophy of life, too. We humans tend to be sucked into seriousness at the drop of a stock market and it takes real determination to remain positive when all around you gloom and doom abounds. All the more reason to concentrate your efforts in the direction of life. After all, the stock market can't give you a hug and dry your tears when you are upset.

A very wise teacher once pointed out that the nightly (or morning) news is always the bad news. It was true then, and it's even more so now that the information age brings so much to our attention, in such immediate and varied ways. Do you sometimes feel totally bombarded by information, as if you are under attack? I do! There's always plenty to be sad/upset/outraged/shocked (insert your own emotion here) about when watching the TV news, or seeing it through a feed on your computer or smartphone. And even the efforts of some news media to play a "feel good" story at the end of the broadcast does not cancel out a half an hour of bad news and shocking images. The thing you must remember to keep things in perspective is: bad news, the more shocking the better, sells, and that is what advertisers are looking to do.

So, do we mere mortals have any control over the bad news brigade? Well, the answer is no -- and yes! The one thing we can (and I've come to believe should) do is to unplug ourselves from the onslaught -- yes, I know this is a very radical idea. I'm proposing a complete news fast. If you want a challenge in flexing your muscles of self-control -- here it is! Can you stop watching, listening, reading, computing or otherwise ingesting the news for a fixed period of time? It's a whole lot more difficult than you might initially think.

If you rise to the challenge, you can start by unplugging the TV. Leave it unplugged. Just try it for a week. Or, if you are a real addict, try it for one day. Just a day! You can do that!! No cheating, now. If you don't live alone, this is obviously a LOT more complicated, because you have to get everyone to agree to do this. See what I mean about the difficulty? You might want to wait until the Olympics is over to start the news fast. Just a thought to keep the proverbial peace. Once you've mastered the TV, move on to the computer. Facebook will still be there when you return. Just don't turn it on. Or if you do, use it for creative writing or something that's purely fun and not tainted with any news. It's not easy, but you can do it!

Then, you can find all kinds of positive ways to fill the time you would normally spend watching the news/TV/computer internet surfing/reading the paper. Do you enjoy reading? If so, pick up that new novel you've been meaning to start. Or start a craft project. Or a home repair project. Or a hobby you've not had time to do in umpteen years. Or go out dancing or sailing or whatever you enjoy. That's a major advantage of going on a news fast -- you will find your leisure time increases exponentially. The other rather wonderful side effect of a news fast is that you start to feel calmer, less frazzled, less distressed/depressed if you don't have a constant barrage of negativity coming at you all during your waking hours. The trick is to do this in baby steps. At first you might feel shaky. You may fall down (and plug the TV back in for a fix or take a peek at Facebook), but if you persist, you will find some truly worthwile benefits. My husband and I did a news fast for a whole month and it literally changed our lives. We even had meaningful conversations when not glued to the TV. Really. Try it.

I won't go on and list all the benefits of less stress and a more positive outlook. You've no doubt seen those numbers and read those articles. What I will tell you, is that finding ways to truly come alive, to share laughter that makes your sides hurt and tears stream down your face, to experience a joyful, deeper intimacy with those you love -- these things are the priceless jewels in our human lives and we can choose, consciously, to nurture them and let them shine. So, take back a bit of control over your life and turn it in a positive, fulfilling, uplifting direction. Live, laugh, and love. Do it for a day. You may like the results so much you'll make it a permanent lifestyle change.

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The Story of Stuff

7/20/2012

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Does your life feel overstuffed? I'm talking about that slightly claustrophobic panicky feeling you get when you look around your home and see tons of stuff that you either no longer use, doesn't fit, is broken, is too valuable to give away, you have no storage place to keep...you know, the clutter & paraphernalia of a busy life, that seems to grow and take on a life of its own (my personal theory is it multiplies while we are sleeping). Well, unless you are a seriously organized and disciplined person, this shoe will fit you, (oh no, shoes! I don't even want to go there)! Almost everyone has some piles of "stuff" that they have been meaning to sort through, dispatch to another location or otherwise handle.

If you have ever spent money on a storage unit, especially over a long period of time, such as a year, only to finally open the boxes and realize that you paid a whole lot of money to store what is essential useless, outdated or otherwise not worth keeping -- I'm talking to YOU!

First, you are not alone. Most Americans are addicted to their "stuff", and it isn't by accident, but by design. This short video is an absolutely mind-blowing expose on the story of stuff -- how and why we accumulate, how much has to do with planned obsolescense, and what the true, hidden costs of stuff are. That's the monetary costs, not the psychic ones.

There are very real mental and emotional costs and a severe energy drain caused by having too much stuff and clutter in our homes and lives, and these are costs we can only evaluate for ourselves. I know in my own life, the time I waste dealing with clutter and stuff is very significant and a huge drain on my energy reserves. I think the impact of this video has changed that--once and for all. It's called the Story of Stuff and is produced by Annie Leonard. Check out the website at www.storyofstuff.org and watch the video below. See what you think. Ready to get unstuffed?

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April Showers bring May flowers

5/1/2012

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I have a love affair with flowers -- especially roses. Also, with wonderful pungent herbs such as lavender, spearmint, & rosemary, There is nothing quite so special as being able to go out the back door into the garden and bring in a lovely bouquet to please all the senses! Yes, even taste if you have culinary herbs or nastutiums or hibiscus flowers which are edible!

This weekend, I made a sweet arrangement from the pink Dreamweaver climbing rose and added some lavender blooms and lantana for scent and color, placing it in a pretty cobalt blue cut glass vase. Such a simple thing, yet it brought me joy each time I looked at it or caught the scent. It brought me joy in walking around the garden selecting and cutting the flowers and herbs, and it is bringing me pleasure all over again sharing it with you!

This is one example of taking extreme care of yourself, to use the term made near famous now by noted author, speaker and life coach, Cheryl Richardson. Extreme self care is a concept we should all be embracing since it adds so much quality and depth to our lives. Contrary to what we may have been taught, taking good care of ourselves is not an act of selfishness at all, but a way to renew our senses and nourish our soul and body, so that we have more to give to others. After all, the gift that matters most is our love, time, attention and care. We need to reframe our thinking to allow ourselves permission to care, not only for others, which so many of us do every day, but for ourselves. So, today, I challenge you to take one baby step toward extreme self care -- it can be buying a plant for your house, garden or desk, or a special food treat (healthy, of course), a walk on the beach or in a beautiful natural setting, or making space in your busy calendar for a massage or spa day, or getting together with good friends -- whatever feeds your soul and brings happiness into your being. What makes you feel nurtured? Share your favorites.

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Sleep, elusive sleep!

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much...and take a break from the news!

The Story of Stuff

April Showers bring May flowers

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