Our autumn issue is out now. Editor Alison McEvoy delves into the nature of sleep to find out how we can have more restful nights. Dive on in to find out more…
Sleep Soundly
Natural approaches to help us sleep.
The numbers of people coping with sleeping issues rises each year and with a good night’s sleep being so important to our health, it’s good to get advice on how to improve it at home, easily. GP Dr. Roderick Fahey shared his thoughts.
“There are many different sleep aids for insomnia, including non prescription and prescription medications. However, as a doctor, I will always try to take an holistic approach to reaching a solution due to side effects or short effectiveness of sleeping tablets. I look to the common factors that play a role in most sleep disturbances. These include a Wellsense Insomnia Assessment which seeks to first understand what could be causing sleep difficulties. Broadly speaking, I assess the following areas: medical, lifestyle, diet, sleep environment, anxiety and depression. I am then in a position to personalise a treatment plan. Normally I recommend music as a first stage such as The Alphamusic of John Levine, which has received excellent feedback.”
Dr Roderick Fahey’s opinion does not stand alone. More and more doctors and other clinical practitioners are switching to proven natural methods when trying to cure patients’ symptoms such as depression or insomnia. Using relaxation techniques to ease the stress of dental anxiety is one of dentist Dr Nader Malik’s fundamental principles when treating each of his patients. Being concerned about the possible negative side effects of dental sedation on both his patients and staff, Dr Malik has incorporated natural drug-free methods such as Levine’s music also.
Good-quality, undisturbed sleep is essential for good health – and even more important for the healing process. The increased need for sleep that is often associated with illness is a sign that we can ‘sleep ourselves well’ in the truest sense. Unfortunately, however, sleeping well is not a given; external factors (noise, electrosmog, irregular lifestyle rhythms, jetlag) can just as easily rob us of sleep as internal ones (tension, stress, mental strain, illness). Gemstones can promote healthy sleep and ensure gentle, non-intrusive ways in which the body benefits from this time of generation.
In order to improve sleep quality it is important to know a little about the processes that take place during it. During sleep the body cleanses and detoxifies, purifying tissues and organs, it repairs itself and rebuilds, diverting waste products to the excretory systems. The immune system uses the downtime of sleep to fight pathogens and a similar process takes place in our consciousness: when we dream we process all the impressions and experiences of the day, bringing closure to unfinished mental and emotional processes. In this way, we free up our minds and make them ready for new perceptions and creative acts.
The easiest way of using gemstones to aid sleep is to place a sleep crystal under your pillow. Pillows should be filled with natural materials, which will not shield a crystals effect. Pillows with small pockets in which crystals can be placed are available from specialist outlets.
A circle of crystals placed around the bed will produce a powerful effect – possibly greater than a single stone under the pillow. Arranging stones in a circle creates an information field that reinforces the crystals’ effect and protects against other influences. You will need at least four stones (to position at top, bottom, right and left), but circles made from several more stones are better.
Individual stones placed near the bed – on a bedside table for example – are also effective during the night and for sleep patterns, but be aware that stimulant stones such as garnet, haematite, malachite or obsidian may interrupt or prevent sleep.
Healing crystals to aid good sleep
- Green aventurine quartz – Suitable for use when you find it difficult to get to sleep because you are kept awake by a host of thoughts and feelings; helps you to let go and makes it easier to sleep through the night.
- Moonstone – A useful aid when the full moon is stopping you from sleeping; place it under your pillow after new moon (if used too early, it will increase the disruption of the new moon period).
- Amethyst – Stimulates mental processing of the events of the day and thus initially brings vivid dreams, after 1-2 weeks, your sleep will become peaceful and calm; it is better to use light amethysts rather than dark ones.
- Black tourmaline (schorl) – Helps you to let go when falling asleep and compensates for the influences of areas of disturbance and electrosmog; this is no long-term solution and finding a good place to sleep with no disturbances should make more sense.
- Serpentine – A healing crystal containing magnesium helps you to relax, switch off and feel at ease; it creates an inner peace that improves quality of sleep considerably.
- Clear quartz – Promotes memory of dreams and so helps you to find closure to dream experiences in your waking consciousness. This makes sleep better and deeper over time.
Gemstone Healing – How to choose and use the right crystal and healing technique, by Michael Gienger, is available from Findhorn Press. £9.99
Sleeping Beauty
By Mary Berkery
The science behind your beauty sleep.
Sleep is not well understood and yet, is a much sought after commodity.
You could fast for 7 days on water or juices and at the end of seven days, how would you be feeling? You’d probably be hungry, perhaps a little weak, and almost certainly somewhat thinner and with many toxins gone from your body. If you deprive yourself of sleep for a week, the feeling is not so good. After several days, you’d be almost completely unable to function.
Getting a better night’s sleep could also help with shedding extra weight healthily. According to a study at Uppsala University in Sweden, lack of sleep can actually slow down your metabolism. Another study, published in 2010 in the British Medical Journal, showed that regular shut-eye makes you look healthier and more attractive. Researchers photographed 23 people after a period of sleep deprivation and after a normal night’s sleep of eight hours. The photos were shown to 65 people who rated each photo based on health, attractiveness and tiredness. The sleep deprived group scored lower in all three categories. And I know only too well how dull my skin can look if I have had insufficient sleep.
We’ve all heard of sleeping on a problem, in the hope that come morning the solution will be clear. Scientists have found that when you do this, your brain still looks for a solution, while you’re asleep! Even if you don’t wake up with an answer, a good night’s sleep will equip your brain to assess the problem afresh. There is a saying in a certain self-help group that says “H.A.L.T on action making when you are hungry, angry, lonely or tired.” A good night’s sleep let’s you wake up ready to take on the challenges of the day.
Sleeping tips
- Go to bed earlier and if possible at the same time each night. It sounds obvious, yet so often a conversation, TV programme or late evening web-surfing can eat into precious sleeping time. Then, you wake up at the latest possible time you think is acceptable and your day can end up running on ‘catch-up’. If you don’t ritualise a specific bedtime, you’ll find ways to stay up later.
- Start winding down at least 45 minutes before you turn out the light. You won’t fall asleep if you’re wound-up from answering emails, having stimulating conversations or doing other work. Create a ritual around drinking a cup of herbal tea, listening to music or laying out your clothes for the following day. All these rituals can help you relax.
- Write down what’s on your mind, especially unfinished to-do lists and unresolved concerns. If you leave items in your working memory, they’ll make it harder to fall asleep and you may end up ruminating on them during the night. Journaling helps clear them from your mind and bring peace.
- Cut out refined sugars, carbonated drinks and caffeine drinks. I have personally experienced that when I stay with my vegan and health nutrition, I sleep better and deeper.
- Keep your mobile phone away from beside your bed. Leave it in another room switched off and if possible switch off the Wi-Fi connection in your home before sleeping.
- Have adequate fresh air circulating in your bedroom to allow your cells sufficient oxygen.
- Release your sleep to healing and love and ask for divine care to be with you as you rest in body and in mind.
mary@livingbeauty.ie
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Easy-to-follow life-changing advice…
Have you ever wondered how some people heal quicker than others, from physical cuts and wounds to illnesses like colds and flu? The body knows how to heal. Give it what it needs and watch the body do its job. Here are 5 ways that you can improve your own body’s healing ability:
1. Make sure you get enough rest and sleep. This is the time that your body heals thanks to the parasympathetic nervous system (an automatic response) which facilitates repair and regeneration.
2. Try to cut down on deep fried foods and refined/processed foods. These foods cause significant stress on your body. Instead, look for more fruits and vegetables. Keep hydrated and focus on the good fats and essential amino acids that are critical nutritional factors for optimal healing.
3. Work on your circulatory pathway and keep the blood pumping. Proper blood flow is absolutely critical to allow your body to heal and repair.
4. Sweat and clean your body. It has long been known that sweating can help maintain good health, but now, thanks to sweat analysis studies, science has shown that the body can eliminate large quantities of dangerous environmental chemicals. Clean them out and let your body focus on more important issues like function, repair, growth, and regeneration.
5. Smile and be happy. Studies have confirmed that the mind has a powerful effect on the body, the nervous system, and the immune system. Start now and change the way you feel.
www.wellnesswithoutlimits.com
Feng Shui for Peace and Health, Amanda Collins
Home is the foundation of everything. That’s why it’s so important that your home supports health, peace and well being. I invite you to connect to your home just like you would connect to a person. Listen and pay attention to how you feel in your home. Ask yourself, do my spirits raise or fall when I walk in my front door? Whatever the answer is, things can always be done to improve the energy with a little knowledge and love.
Sleep is vital for rejuvenation, so let’s start with some tips for a good night’s sleep. Place your bed so you have a full view of the door, but don’t place it directly under windows. If possible, don’t sleep with your head against the toilet wall. Solid, wooden, supportive headboards and natural mattresses are best.
The bedroom is a place for rest and romance, not work or exercise. Remove Energy Stimulants that have high amounts of electromagnetic energy like TVs, digital clocks, computers, and telephones. Clear all clutter from your bedroom and under your bed. Bedroom furniture should have rounded edges, not sharp. If you have an en-suite bathroom, make sure the toilet lid is down and the door is shut before you settle down for the night.
A couple of hours before bedtime, dim the lights to help your inner clock move towards sleep. Natural soy, paraffin-free candles are also a sensual and soothing way to calm the spirit. Use aromatherapy to further relax the body; try lavender or gardenia.
Create a special sleep ritual. Spend a couple of minutes writing down your worries or anything you must remember for the next day so your mind can let go of anxiety. Have some herbal tea, meditate, do gentle yoga, take a walk, write in a gratitude journal or take a warm bath.
Keep in mind: a mirror at the foot of anyone’s bed is not advisable, especially children. It will make the child too active at night-time. Bunk beds are not advisable for children either. The child on the bottom feels compressed and the child on top does not have the ground support needed, which can lead to confusion and stress. Make sure artwork in children’s bedrooms does not depict fighting cartoon characters.
Have an abundance of plants in your home; they’ll improve air quality. Cactus and dried flowers, however, are not recommended. Place happy photos and images of you and your family around, and surround yourself with art you love and things that inspire you. Decorate with calming colours such as a pastels and earth tones.
The centre of your home is considered the Health area so it’s important to keep it clutter free and open. Consider using an air ionizer and purifier. Add specific plants that purify the air, such as Boston Ferns. Try to spend some time enjoying Mother Nature at least once a day.
Aim to create a clutter-free kitchen with a sense of freshness and lightness. Adding a mirror above your stove will put you in the power position when you are cooking. Placing the colours blue or black near or on the refrigerator has been scientifically proven to help suppress appetite. Clear all random magnets and replace them with a single positive affirmation: I love my body and feed it natural healthy foods.
Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter and grow fresh herbs, and greenery in the window. Eat fresh, organic food and keep processed food with little chi value to a minimum. Create a sacred eating ritual, decorate the table with fresh flowers, bless your food, and show gratitude for it. To support conscious eating, always eat dinner sitting at the table, not sitting watching television!
Inspiring health affirmations will also help you live in harmony. Try repeating:
I listen to my body’s messages with love.
I nourish my mind, body, and soul.
I am healthy, whole, and complete.
Rest for Radiance
By Mary Berkery
This summer and autumn, new directions opened to me as a wellness coach. I followed my dream of many years to study equine-assisted learning, which took me to the USA for over four months, working and studying in this methodology. It was a wonderful and rich experience. So, for those who know me as the living beauty expert, I now share another aspect. I will integrate this work I do with horses, allowing them, whenever possible, to facilitate transformation in my coaching and retreat work.
After the expansion and excitement of summer and autumn, I want things in life to happen now. Yet, in my daily quiet time, the wisdom within says, “”Rest and allow this deeper life expression to unfold.” Rather than push it with goals and tasks, which is normal for me, I need to let it be, allowing the new year and spring to put voice to it in a clear way. This brings me to the point that I want to get to for this winter issue – how to rest.
What does rest mean? Particularly, what does it mean in winter time?
Last winter, I wrote an article titled ‘Less is More in Winter’ for Positive Life. The theme also applies this winter, for me and perhaps for us all. A good educator is said to repeat themselves often until one gets it!
We live in a world where everything is fast. There’s instant contact with others through text, email and telephones. Cars, aeroplanes, etc., move us from A to B rapidly. TV with news and conversation coming fast. Foods prepared quickly. Beverages like coffee and sodas speeding up body functions to an almost constant state of movement and excitement.
To drop inside oneself, to find or feel our own natural slower rhythm can be difficult. More than any other season, winter is the time to consciously be more within, to rest, to be, to allow our bodies to replenish and our souls to reflect.
So, what does rest mean? I believe it means much more that just physically resting, although that is important. For me, it means resting the mind. To be able to stop the inner clatter, to look at a sunset or a tree and look at it without the mind racing ahead or worrying.
Stop rushing. Our society seems to encourage responses such as, ‘I’m busy. No time right now.’ I have a dear wise friend, a renowned body rolfer. He has made a commitment not to rush when talking, walking or doing, and is a joy to be with. Another way that helps me pace myself is to run my day through before living it; see if there is space and time or if I’ll be running from one task to the next.
Jennifer Thomson of Raw Food Bliss says, “Sleep well and early. Sleep may be the single most important thing we can do to help our immune system.” It truly does allow the nervous system to relax. Sleep more in winter and watch less TV. Since the return from my travels, I have not watched any TV.
Do one task at a time. This is difficult with Christmas looming. So, how about keeping your mind on the task that you are doing, rather than thinking about and planning another? Complete a task when you start it. This is challenging for me and I am committing to this as a practice.
I have not given obvious vitality or beauty tips. However, when we can find this inner rest, mental calm and innate rhythm, we connect to a self that maintains health and emanates a glow that makes others feel at ease in our company. So, rest within well…
Enquiries: mary@livingbeauty.ie
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