The Autonomic Nervous System - Parent and Kid Stress

How Do Healing Modalities Work? Your Autonomic Nervous System Explained

dfghvjbnk

Why do the various healing modalities such as Reiki, Acupuncture, Yoga, Meditation, Guided Imagery and others work with a person’s healing process? It is best understood through the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).

Remember your Autonomic Nervous System? If you do, then you know that your ANS is comprised of two specific systems: the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) and the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS).

SNS is the part of your body tied to your “flight or fight” response. The PNS is the part that is focused on the relaxed and restorative aspects of your body. Both are very important and both control or support aspects of our bodies ability to function.

For instance, I live in the greater Washington metropolitan area where people live extremely hectic lives. They are constantly on the go, running to their jobs, to their families, to their commitments and deadlines. Simply put, their whole body is almost constantly in a “flight or fight” mode. There Sympathetic Nervous System is on overdrive.

I am always surprised by how often a client does not realize that he or she is predominantly stuck in the “flight or fight” mode. Once we have done a relaxation technique, usually the person realizes the difference. The body finally relaxes, tension or aches are released and the person can begin to think more clearly and calmly about life and various issues or concerns.  This is when the person’s Parasympathetic Nervous System has taken over from the Sympathetic Nervous System.

The Parasympathetic Nervous System is known as “the rest and digest” state. It is the connection to a calmer, peaceful and more relaxed you. Most people relate it to how they feel after a great massage. You might also feel this after a meditation, a yoga session, being out in nature or even after a moment of silence or prayer.

Both the SNS and PNS are needed in our daily lives. One protects us and gets us going while the other allows our body & mind to rest and restore. If one system is working more than the other, the body begins to express it through physical signs and symptoms.

Let’s take a look at the overview provided below of the two systems and their impact on our physical bodies.

From the above diagram, you can see how both the PNS and SNS have specific roles to play within our bodies. Here are the specific physical signs, symptoms or conditions that you might experience if one system is out of balance.

When you are in your PNS state, you are able to release tension in your muscles (less headaches or body aches), able to have your digestion working properly and your elimination system works better for both urination and bowel movements.

Conversely, when you are in your SNS state, your body is able to have the energy and stamina to get going with the day’s activities. The SNS also gets our body moving internally too.

Both PNS and SNS are critical to our overall health. The trick is in learning how to balance them, ensuring that we are including both into our daily lives.

As mentioned previously, many people know how to incorporate the SNS into their lives. It seems as if our society, in general, needs help with incorporating the PNS equation to find balance.

What Helps Connect with the PNS?

  • Meditation
  • Guided Imagery
  • Yoga
  • Acupuncture
  • Tai Chi/QiGong
  • Being in Nature
  • Reiki
  • Chakra Balancing
  • Exercise (In most cases)
  • Massage
  • Prayer
  • Energy Work
  • Shamanic Work
  • Contemplative Exercises
  • Spiritual Coaching
  • Breath Work
  • Journaling

There are so many ways to connect with the PNS. The above listing is meant as a sampling of possibilities but take time to see what fits you best. What is it that allows you to tap into your relaxation and restorative state?

Enjoy!

Interested in exploring further?  Please schedule a session with Mara in person, by phone or by web at https://www.fourdirectionswellness.com/sessions/

 

The Yes/No Equation

“There’s a lot of talk, and a lot to be said, for the power of YES. Yes supports risk-taking, courage and an openhearted approach to life whose grace cannot be minimized. But NO – a metal grate that slams shut the window between one’s self and the influence of others – is rarely celebrated. It’s a hidden power because it is both easily misunderstood and difficult to engage.”

Judith Sills, Ph.D.

yes-973983_1280

Let’s start with saying “YES.” As perfectly articulated by Dr. Sills, it is about saying “YES” to something that allows you to stretch beyond your comfort zone and experience something new. It might be saying “YES” to a new hobby that you have always wanted to try. Or “YES” to taking the lead on a new project at work. Or “YES” to asking your boss for a promotion or salary increase after outlining your contributions and efforts at work. Usually, saying “YES” is not a significant life change but rather a step forward in a particular area of your life.

For me, I have found that I go through periods in my life when I am ready to stretch and push my comfort zones, only to retreat to what I know and love. Recently, though I said “YES” to what I would consider a big life change. That was of leaving a community I had worked in for over twenty years to start a new business focused on “whole person” care. Talk about stretching? I had to learn how to start a business, what social media was, how to use Quickbooks and a whole list of other stretching opportunities. That was a big, huge “YES.” That decision came only after much deliberation, planning and following my heart. I knew though that it was the right time to say “YES.”

While a big “YES” change may be in the offering for you, it is always good to start with a smaller “YES” and evaluate the situation as you go forward.

Remember When Saying “YES”

  1. It should be a positive step forward – not hurting you or anyone else.
  2. The “YES” should be to help you stretch in some area of your life.
  3. It does not, and rarely is, a big, huge change.
  4. And don’t be afraid to fail on your first attempt.

The opposite is of course saying “NO.” Out of either scenario, I find most people have more difficulty with saying “NO.” They believe it is mean-spirited or that the person is just being negative. It is not about either but rather respecting yourself enough to say “NO” when you do not have the energy, the ability or when it comes to the detriment to you or another person. Saying “NO” is really about having enough self-esteem to recognize when enough is enough.

You may need to consider your motivations behind saying a compassionate “NO.” And I did include the word “compassionate.” If you are changing the dynamics in a relationship, saying “NO” may come as a surprise to the other person. To say it compassionately without significant rationalizations behind it is a must. Yet, you may find they are not happy simply because they heard the word “NO.” You wont change their perception. You will however know that you evaluated the situation; considered the implications to your life and compassionately provided that feedback to them. You can control your own actions but you won’t be able to control the response from others.

All of the articles that I write have a personal impact to me and as I have said earlier, I am still learning and making mistakes as I go. Saying “NO” is often difficult for me. Recently, I had a friend who needed help both personally and with work. It felt overwhelming to me – trying to maintain all of the balls in the air – while supporting her life too. When I took time to truly evaluate, I realized that I was trying to be a rescuer and placing expectations on the relationship that she may or may not have had too. I finally spoke to her about where I found myself, and backed off of all of the expectations I was feeling from the relationship. It was a huge relief and more importantly taught me that I am not to control another person’s journey. It is theirs to do with as they wish.

It’s hard. It’s hard work to begin to say “NO” especially if you are use to saying “YES.” I encourage you to really look at your intentions and evaluate prior to saying “NO” if you can.

Remember that when saying “NO”

  1. Evaluate: is this my stuff or theirs? Be honest!
  2. What are the dynamics playing out?
  3. What are my intentions for saying “YES” or for saying “NO?” Evaluate both honestly. This does require you to be up front about your intentions and motivations.
  4. Claim what’s yours and what you need.
  5. Speak up with compassion and be truthful.

Are you interested to explore this further?  Take a moment now to schedule a session with Mara by visiting https://www.fourdirectionswellness.com/sessions/.  Sessions may be done in person, by phone or by web.

 

Speaking Truth, Listening Attentively

Body Mind and Spirit - Speaking Truth, Listening Attentively

Speaking Truth, Listening Attentively

Each day our bodies are sending us messages, wanting us to listen and hopefully act. The tricky part is paying attention to those inner messages.

How do you know when your body is talking to you? Messages can come in a variety of ways. They may come in the form of pain or tension. It might be an emotion that lingers for apparently no reason. Or maybe it is a dream that was particularly memorable or repeats itself.

In our society, we are not accustomed to internal listening. We have somehow disconnected from the intermingling of our personal body-mind-emotions-spirit interactions. We can change that – simply by paying attention.

Take a moment over the week to truly listen.

To begin, start with someone else. Each of us verbalizes the body-mind-spirit connection. For instance, we might hear someone say “he died of a broken heart.” Sure enough, this may happen after a long-time spouse passes away and the person left behind then suffers from heart problems – the broken heart.

Or maybe your friend expresses that he has a pain in his neck. As your friend continues, he may express frustration with a boss who will not let up with him at work. The boss is his “pain in the neck.”

All of these examples may be oversimplified. Often the situation is more complex, but sometimes it is exactly what has been verbalized.

I know personally that I see the body-mind-spirit connection frequently within me. I once really wanted a specific job. Thought for sure I would get it. A call soon came to me letting me know that I had not been offered the position.

Disappointed, I ended the call. Over the next couple of hours, I began to notice that I was developing an earache. I remember thinking then…the call did not deliver the message that I wanted to hear.

Once you hear it with others, you will also begin to hear yourself verbalize the body-mind-emotion-spirit connection. Take time this week to listen to another — truly listen – and see what you hear from your friend, significant other, family member, coworker or yourself.

Are you interested to learn more about yourself?  Take a moment now to schedule a session with Mara by visiting https://www.fourdirectionswellness.com/sessions/.  Sessions may be offered in person, by phone or by web.

Gratitude and Miracles

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

Albert Einstein

 

Person on the mountaintop. Gratitude and miracles.

 

Is life a miracle or not? For instance, did you know?

  • The Hubble telescope allows us to look back billions of years into the past. (Alex Morris)
  • It takes 225 million years for our Sun to travel round the galaxy. (Alex Morris)

If you simply begin to contemplate the human body, it is amazing to think how it all works on a day-to-day basis for us. For instance, your nose can remember 50,000 different scents. You also have over 100,000 miles of blood vessels in your body. Both amazing facts also have many more outlined by Body Facts. When you review each one, it is amazing to think how our bodies are such well-oiled machines. How does it run daily all on its own?

Let’s go larger. It’s almost like the wonderful Dr. Seuss book Horton Hears a Who where you could imagine that there is a whole other world living on the top of a flower. In reality, is that not true? The Hubble telescope and other NASA technology shows us just how large the cosmos really is and we are just living in a very tiny part of it – like at the top of Horton’s flower.

When we place all of these amazing and wonderful facts together, you can’t help but realize that there is something much larger than we know happening here. It is a miracle.

Taking Time to Appreciate:

Living our life as though everything is a miracle, opens up our heart, gives us a broader perspective and helps us to remain optimistic throughout our day. Recent research including one by Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California and Mike McCullough of the University of Miami found that people who daily recorded things they were grateful for had a higher happiness and contentment factor than those who remained neutral or thought of negative issues or situations.

So let’s start seeing everything as a miracle! Here are some examples to help get you started.

  1. As you wake up in the morning, take a moment to stretch, feel your body and verbally or mentally say “thank you” to your wonderful body;
  1. Throughout your day, when someone does something nice for you. Take a moment to thank them. It might be someone who opens a door for you or allows you to merge in front of them in traffic. Show your appreciation!
  1. Send a note, text, email, Facebook message to someone you truly appreciate. Say “thank you” and take a moment to say why you appreciate that person.
  1. Before going to sleep, take a moment to think of at least 5 things that you were appreciative from the day.

Each of these exercises opens you up to seeing the other miracles around us.

Enjoy!

Are you interested in practicing gratitude and mindfulness?  Join Four Directions Wellness for Mindfulness Mondays.  Every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, join us for a complimentary meditation.  Learn more here.

 

Divisiveness: From Part to Whole

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

Albert Einstein

A cluster of stars. Feelings of divisiveness as part of a whole.

 

Definition of Divisiveness: 1) forming or expressing division or distribution; 2) creating dissension or discord.

Over the past several months as I have had the privilege of working with others on body-mind-spirit techniques, I find a key theme is a feeling of depression or anxiety. The feeling may be attributed to a number of events including: global threats; the political environment; social media or issues impacting our economy, environment, social community & justice, financial markets, healthcare, education, religion and so on.

Much of the depression and anxiety seem to flow from the divisiveness being expressed by society. You must either be for or against a certain belief, person or issue facing our country. Each side ratchets up its rhetoric to gain more support and followers, no matter the issue or cause.

This makes our society see things as black or white, as good or bad, as truth or lies and as “Them” versus “Us.” It leaves many people feeling hopeless. Hopeless as to what they can personally do to see more positive changes, in their life or for the greater good. Hopeless about how to resolve key issues facing their communities or even the larger world around them.

Let’s be honest. It is overwhelming! Is it even possible to support positive change as just one person?

To answer that question, it might be helpful to look at world leaders who did make a difference. One wise world leader advised, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatmas Gandhi faced many personal and societal challenges but through it all he maintained a higher perspective of events and sought to make small changes that ultimately had a huge impact.

One of his first steps was to focus on himself, learning to do daily practices for internal balance, peace and perspective. That one small change allowed him to maintain his center while chaos circled around him.

“Widen our circle of compassion,” was how Albert Einstein saw that we could make a difference. In order to give compassion broadly, it must come from a reserve within us. This, too, requires that we commit to a daily regiment of seeking that inner calmness and peace.  Warning: It’s a practice not easily perfected overnight. (Trust me. I know this part very well.)

But it is how we begin to see the changes we wish to see. It begins with each one of us – committed to our own centering, setting the intention, taking responsibility for our self, and showing compassion to our self and to others.

Let’s start today!

Want to find your center in the midst of it all?  Take time now to schedule a session with Mara.  Schedule a session either in person, by phone or by web.

 

Aromatherapy: Essential Oils 101

(This article was written as part of my training as a medical intuitive through the Institute of Applied Energetics. Aromatherapy Article)

essential oils

Aromatherapy, using essential oils, was my first experience into the realm of relaxation and learning how to lessen my stress level, making only a slight connection between the body, mind and spirit. I remember going with my mother for a spa treatment and “girls’ day out” including a massage and slumbering on lounge chairs drinking herbal tea. The perfect opportunity to bond with Mom and find my moment of Zen in my otherwise lacking spiritual life.

As I headed into the massage room, the therapist would ask which of the aromas I would prefer for my session. Would it be peppermint? Eucalyptus? Lavender? Or citrus? I almost always asked for lavender as a way to increase my relaxation and to disconnect from the world around me. I would soon be purchasing the essential oil candles, hand lotion and soaps as a way to continue my experience but never thoroughly considered the other uses and opportunities that essential oils and aromatherapy provides for the mind-body-spirit connection.

For instance, did you know aromatherapy might help to promote health and reduce health risks? One example is a recent 2012 news article in Natural News by Sherry Baker discusses a study “published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, found that the essential oils used in aromatherapy for stress relief may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.” Baker’s news article highlights how researchers at Taipei Medical University in Taiwan worked with “100 young, healthy non-smoking men and women” who received vaporized bergamot essential oil resulting in “reduced blood pressure and slowed heart rate for between 15 and 60 minutes after exposure.” The researchers cited their results as “statistically significant.” There was a caveat, however, the researchers also found that if recipients were exposed to the bergamot essential oil for over an hour, they observed increase heart rate and blood pressure. (Baker)

The National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), founded in 1990 with a mission to “advance the knowledge of the medicinal use of aromatic plants and essential oils to its fullest extent and to support aromatherapy as a truly holistic professional art and science,” has available on its website the most recent research on aromatherapy. The research shows the array of essential oils and their impact on various dis-eases such as insomnia; breast cancer; respiratory problems; neurobehavioral issues and even head lice. (NAHA)

So what else do we know about aromatherapy? In the book titled Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils, aromatherapy and the use of essential oils are described as “antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, anti-infectious, antimicrobial, antitumor, antiparasitic, antiviral and antiseptic.” The essential oils are described as “helping to promote emotional, physical and spiritual healing.” (Modern Essentials)

If you have an ailment, it will only take a moment to determine which of the numerous essential oils might be the most optimal to help resolve the problem. Then, you need to consider how best to utilize the essential oil. (Modern Essentials)

Are you having mood swings? Modern Essentials states, “a mood swing is a rapid change caused by fatigue or by a sudden shift in the body’s hormonal balance.” To help support a change in a person’s holistic health, the primary recommendation is to use clary sage or lavender by diffusing the essential oil in the air. These are the two primary and optimal oils found to be effective in helping with mood swings but others may be substituted as well. (Modern Essentials)

While the public seems to be more enamored recently with essential oils and their healing capabilities, the use of the oils has been around for centuries. In Dr. Joie Power’s article “Aromatherapy and Emotions,” essential oils were used by the ancient cultures of India, China and Persia. The ancient cultures “left records that document their use of fragrance for its effect on mental states and feelings,” states Power while further specifying, “the Egyptians, in particular, made extensive use of incense and fragrant oils in their religious rituals. Kyphi, an incense containing at least 16 herbs and other fragrant plants such as Juniper, Cinnamon, and Myrrh, was used by Egyptian priests to facilitate the attainment of ecstatic states during religious rites.” (Powers, Vol. 2 No. 2) Egyptian priests were not the only religious practitioners of essential oils. There are over 180 references within the Bible of the use of essential oils. (Modern Essentials) As we all know, Jesus’ birth brought the arrival of the wise men with their frankincense and myrrh as special gifts to the newborn king.

While ancient cultures understood the importance of essential oils, there has been a recent resurgence by modern culture to regain that knowledge and understanding of essential oils for our health and self-care. Power’s in her “Aromatherapy: The Basics” explains that “in the 1950’s, the practice of aromatherapy enjoyed a strong revival that has continued into the present.” More and more individuals are searching for alternative approaches to the current medical treatments.

As Power’s describes, “essential oils are complex mixtures of naturally occurring compounds that exist in some plants which have fragrant flowers, leaves, wood, bark, roots or seeds.” (Powers. Vol. 2 No. 4) Essential oils vary from that of vegetable oils in many ways and it is important to understand the difference. Essential oils are known as “volatile” meaning that “they evaporate when exposed to air; they are fragrant; they do not feel slick or oily, and do not leave an oily residue.” (Powers. Vol. 2 No. 4) Power’s contrasts essential oils to vegetable oils by describing them as, “as almond oil, apricot oil, olive oil, or avocado oil [that] are not fragrant; they do not evaporate readily; they do feel oily and leave an oily residue.” (Powers. Vol. 2 No. 4) Vegetable oils are combined with essential oils for the use of safely applying the oils to the skin. (Powers. Vol. 2 No. 4)

So the next time you are faced with a specific feeling or pain, my recommendation would be to consider if aromatherapy or the effective use of essential oils may be the best medicine. In Modern Essentials, the book offers the following recommendations:

For anxiety: Diffuse into the air either lavender; orange or lemon or secondarily ylang ylang; frankincense or sandalwood.

For headaches: Diffuse into the air peppermint; basil or rosemary. A secondary oil may be eucalyptus or frankincense.

For stomachache: Take internally or apply topically either basil; peppermint or lemongrass. A secondary oil may be ginger.

For fatigue: Diffuse into the air either rosemary or thyme. Both of these may also be applied topically.
The list goes on and on as to the best and optimal uses of essential oils and their use in treating dis-ease.

Luckily for me, I no longer have to wait for a spa treatment to be able to enjoy all of the benefits associated with aromatherapy and essential oils. I am also a more informed recipient of the use, benefits and options available with essential oils and aromatherapy.

Works Cited

Baker, Sherry. “New study: Short-term aromatherapy with essential oils may
prevent heart disease.” National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, 2012. Web. 21 June 2014.
National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA). National Association for
Holistic Aromatherapy. 2014 Web. 21 June 2014.
Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential
Oils. Utah: Abundant Health LLC, 2011. Print
Power, Joie. “Aromatherapy and Emotions.” World Health News – Vol. 2, No. 2
Spring 1998 Print.
Powers, Joie. “Aromatherapy: The Basics.” World Health News – Vol. 2, No. 4
Winter 1999. Print.