Month: February 2013

Pressure points for great sleep

Posted on by bridget

A great deal of people have trouble sleeping. Many resort to using sleep aids to help them attain shuteye, including taking pills. Unfortunately, sleeping pills are not generally a long-term option, as they can upset people’s natural sleep cycle. A far better alternative is to use a natural method when trying to get to sleep such as acupressure, which involves applying pressure with your thumb or fingers to specific areas of your body.

Acupressure for better sleep

This ancient art, much like acupuncture, works on a meridian system similar to a map. It is thought that when people suffer from ailments such as insomnia, energy lines that run through their body are blocked. Stimulating pressure points relating to particular health problems can help release energy so that health can be restored.

While acupuncture, as its name suggests, entails puncturing the skin at certain points, acupressure relies on applying pressure to achieve similar effects. Stimulating pressure points relating to relaxation and stress relief can help promote healthful sleep.

Behind your ear

Anmien, a pressure point located above your jaw, and behind your ear, working towards the area just before your neck, is said to help promote serene, relaxing sleep. You will know when you’ve found the right place to apply pressure with your index and central finger, as they will rest in a tender depression in the described location. Hold this position for up to twenty minutes for beneficial results. The pressure used should be strong enough for you to recognize, but not be uncomfortable or difficult to maintain.

Your wrist

The inner gate, sometimes referred to as Neiguan, can be highly successful when used to alleviate insomnia. This pressure point is thought to relax the spirit and calm an over-active mind. Use three fingers to apply pressure underneath your wrist at its base. Between your tendons in this location is a hollow, and this is the correct position.

Interestingly, there are also pressure points located in the creases of your wrists if you follow down from your little finger, or thumb. Therefore, the wrist is a prime area that can help with sleep.

The ball of your foot

Beneath the ball of your foot is a pressure point that can help you relax and get to sleep more easily. Use your thumb to apply pressure, and gently massage this area until you feel very calm and restful.

Above your toes

Use your index finger to massage the point that can be located three thumb tips in width up your foot, from the area between your big toe and the next toe along. Sleep should eventually follow.

Acupressure is a great way of achieving sleep naturally, without having to resort to expensive treatments or pills. You can easily work on the pressure points that promote sleep by yourself. Alternatively, you can always ask a friend to lend you a hand.

 

Essential oils to help you relax

Posted on by bridget

Essential oils, also known as aromatherapy oils have been used for thousands of years for their soothing and calming properties. Unlike oils you use to cook with, essential oils don’t feel greasy and slippery when applied to your skin. In addition, as you only need a small amount to gain a big result, they are cost effective, despite their price.

Relaxing essential oils

Some oils are more expensive than others are, but the number one oil used for relaxation, lavender, is also one of the least expensive to purchase. Lavender oil can help you loosen up and let go of stress. It can also help lift depression and reduce insomnia.

Chamomile is perhaps, the second best essential oil used for relaxation. It is especially useful for calming children who are stressed and anxious.

Geranium oil can help lift your spirit when you are feeling low, and soothe your mind. Ylang ylang and patchouli have a more exotic scent. Both can help relive stress and lift your mood, and are best known as being useful for reducing depression.

Tangerine and orange are restorative oils that can raise your emotional energy level while leaving you feeling calm and relaxed. They are best used indoors, as they can react with the sun and irritate your skin.

Clary sage is often thought of as a mild, mood altering oil, as it can change your disposition quite readily if you are susceptible to its properties. It helps relieve frazzled nerves and fatigue, and can be effective for migraine relief. However, experts advise against the use of clary sage if you are pregnant or intend to operate machinery.

How to use essential oils

There are various ways you can use essential oils, but the easiest is to place a few drops of the oil you require in your bath water so that it scents the air as steam rises, or on a tissue to sniff.

Oils can also be put in a diffuser ring and placed on a hot lightbulb, or in water in a ceramic diffuser that relies on the heating process supplied by a candle to enable circulation through the air.

If you want to use essential oils on your skin, you’ll need to mix them with carrier oil such as grapeseed. Roughly, five drops of an essential oil is all that’s needed per ounce of carrier oil. You can use the blend as massage oil, or simply apply to pulse points such as your wrist.

Essential oils can be wonderful, natural remedies that sooth and calm your system and prepare you for sleep, or simply help you unwind after a hard day.

How to stop your mind from racing

Posted on by bridget

If your mind is racing, the chances are that you are excited, stressed, or have information overload. People’s minds tend to race if they are experiencing feelings of anxiety, or when they have been studying, working intently and focusing upon a subject. You may want to stop your mind racing because you need to sleep, or because constant thoughts are interfering with your enjoyment of being present in the moment.

How you tackle a racing mind will depend upon why your mind is racing. A constant barrage of thoughts due to work overload for example, is an indication that you need to slow down, take more regular breaks, and engage in other activities to take your mind away from what you have been focusing on.

When your mind buzzes, but you want to sleep, it is best to get out of bed and do something for a short while. You may make a hot beverage or find a good book to read before returning to bed. Lying in bed and going over unwanted thoughts however, will only serve by making you feel more stressed or excited.

At any time of day or night, provided the situation is appropriate, you may decide to practice relaxation exercises. You can make your mind still and calm by slowing down your breathing, and taking breaths deep down into your stomach area. Concentrate on taking long, slow breaths in and out, and take no notice of distractions.

Visualization can be a helpful method for quietening down your mind also. You can practice the art of visualization either in a comfortable chair, or lying down somewhere you will not be disturbed. Close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing until you begin to feel relaxed. You may then deepen your state of relaxation by tensing your muscles one by one and releasing them in turn. Begin at your toes, and work your way up your body to the top of your scalp.

Once you are extremely relaxed, visualize a pleasant scene, a favorite place, or a relaxing and enjoyable experience that makes you feel stress free and happy. Imagine what you would really see, hear, touch, taste and smell in order to increase the realness of the visualization. It may make you drift off to sleep, so only practice this method of quietening your mind when you are not in hurry to go anywhere.

When you have completed the visualization, you should feel calm, relaxed and refreshed. Your mind will also have stopped racing. Allow yourself to slowly come to, and wriggle your arms, legs, fingers and toes as you come back to reality before getting up from the position you are sitting or laying in.

Aids to help you quieten your mind can help stop racing thoughts in their tracks, and may be useful if you are unable to practice relaxation methods. Lavender oil, slow tempo music, a hot milky cereal drink or a hot bath will begin to quieten your mind.
Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, violent video games, excessive computer use and watching television when you want your thoughts to slow down. By reducing internal and external excitement, you can be better in control of the output of your thoughts.