Here's the advice:

The colours that explode in beautiful shapes, the sounds of bangs and whistles and the ohhhs and ahhhhs as they light up the night sky.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could find something to celebrate every day and not just special occasions?  Wouldn’t it be great to feel that same excitement every day?  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could remember to capture that shared moment every day?

If you stopped for a moment and picked one thing to celebrate from each day before you closed your eyes at night, wouldn’t it be a great way to finish your day?  Sweet dreams!

Can you organize your health and well being?

Many times when clients call to book appointments they have “found” some time for “themselves” and call to arrange an hour of reflexology or an aroma therapy hot stone massage.  In that moment they have acknowledged a few things:

1/ “I can’t put up with THIS (pain/ache/stress you fill in the blank) any longer and I NEED to do something about it.”

 OR....

2/ “I want to escape from all THIS (you fill in the blank) and I’m going to MAKE the time to do something about it.”

OR.... 

3/ “I had a change in the busy schedule and now I CAN do something for ME.”

The build up of course to one of these three scenarios is that this same person has been ignoring, avoiding and belittling the signs of need from their bodies.

How many times have you heard your own self talk saying?

-          “oh it’s just a headache, a twinge, and it will go away”

-          “ouch it hurts but I don’t have time to do something about it, I’ll just take this and cover up the pain so I can continue with my routine”

-          “I’ll do something about it later after I’ve taken care of person A,B and C”

Many of us live with such a busy lifestyle that we don’t have time OR should I say we don’t prioritize time for organizing our wellbeing.  I know I’m guilty of it even now in my profession.  So how do we organize our health into our lifestyle?  It's much like organizing our  home!

Sometimes the answer is so simple we just don’t value the message.  Organize it!  Plan it! Prioritize it! Value it!

A good friend of mine Janice Kirwin is professional organizer with her own company Lighten-Up.  www.lightenup-getorganized.ca  I have asked her for some advice on how to get started with organizing your home.  After all how many of us live day to day in an environment that is laden with “stuff” waiting for us do something with it?  Perhaps by starting with your space and working towards getting it organized you might feel like you have more “space” in your life to organize some time for your well being.

Here’s the advice from Janice and perhaps after you’ve followed her recommendations you can swap the words “room” and “space” with your “body parts” and “organs” and you can simply apply the general advice to your health and well being.

 Organizing your residence!

 1/ Before you start you need to know what you want to get organized!  You need to have a VISION, some GOALS and some time to set aside to do it.  Have the TOOLS you need and then the most important thing is to MAINTAIN it!

2/ Work on one room at a time.  Start at one corner and work your way around the room, no zigagging or you will lose focus.  If you find something that belongs in another room have a box or a laundry basket at the door to put it in so you can return it to it's proper place at a later time.

3/ Give yourself a time limit and a reward!  Set aside a block of time for a room (laundry room), 30 minutes, set a timer, and take a break when you are finished... treat yourself to a nice cup of tea or a latte!

 I hope you can find time to organize your health and well being.

Lighten-Up…..Feel Good Again!

Recently I had a good friend die suddenly in a terrible accident and I was thrown back to that feeling of loss.  For myself working in the holistic health care field I was able to draw on techniques and practices to help me deal with this stress and release some of the feelings that came back to me.

DEATH!  Just the word alone can raise your stress level.  The loss is stressful, the burdens of the decisions that need to be made are stressful, and the paperwork ahead of you is stressful!  STRESS comes from many people and many places at a time of loss.  Some of you may relate to the stress of losing a loved one suddenly.  Some of you may not!

One of the ways we can reduce stress for others, typically our loved ones who we’re most concerned with, is to be prepared.  It sounds easy but death is not a “fun” topic and so many people AVOID thinking about it and as a result are not prepared.

I’ve asked several business colleagues to recommend ways in which YOU can reduce other’s stress and your own by getting organized as it relates to their particular field of expertise. 

The first person I want to introduce you to is, Hope Evenden a lawyer with MacDonald Evenden Law and she has provided me with 3 tips to help you be prepared.

1/ Make a will and you will gain peace of mind. A will ensures your estate will benefit whomever you want it to with the least legal costs if you should die unexpectedly.

2/ Assign a Continuing Power of Attorney for Property.  Provide for someone you trust to look after your finances, investments, real estate and other property while you are alive in the event you became incapable of doing so yourself.

3/ Appoint someone to make medical and other personal care decisions for you if you were unable to do so yourself with a Power of Attorney for Personal Care.  If you wish, a Living Will (medical directive) can be incorporated into the same document.

If you are someone who has put off these decisions because you don’t want to deal with it. I hope you will take the advice above and take some control back over your stress.  Trust me when I say, the first step is the hardest but you will get rid of stress and have peace of mind after.

At the Studio Wellness Clinic, we want you to FEEL GOOD AGAIN!

Feel Good Again with the Beauty of the Cherry Blossom!

If you find yourself in that same place here are some suggestions to use between your reflexology appointments. These are simple ideas that anyone can use to boost your spirits, your energy and your mood...Things That Make You Go AWWWWWWW!

- a cup of herbal tea! Now I know some of you love the java but a cup of tea mid afternoon that is a flavour you haven't had for a while can change your outlook. The scent of a tea such as licorice, or jasmine, or peach can stimulate the senses and bring you back to centre!

- a tincture of RESCUE REMEDY! Keep this handy in your purse, your desk drawer or your babies diaper bag for when you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious and out of control. It's simple and effective!

- a golf ball! Rolling the golf ball in the palm of your hands is like having a mini Reflexology session. It will stimulate the reflex points on your hands relative to your digestive system, the immune system and your shoulders and neck. Let that tension go!

- a scented candle! Now this may not work in all locations because of the flame however in a safe environment a scented candle can stimulate the brain, relax the body and improve your mood.

- a vile of the essential oil lavender! Roll this on your wrists or neck and breathe in the beautiful essence to help relieve emotions that are running off at full speed. Slow down your moment in time by breathing in this beautiful scent.

So remember....if you are between your Reflexology appointments and you need to FEEL GOOD AGAIN why not try some of these suggestions!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R3DCmA7CVr0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Think about how many 5 minutes you've wasted or 5 minutes you've lost....So here are 5 Things to Ponder that might just create 5 minutes of calm in your hectic life.

Here are FIVE Things to ponder!  Enjoy.

1/ who are the FIVE people you would like to say THANK YOU to and haven’t had the time to?

 2/ what are FIVE things you would like to do if you had one whole day to yourself?

 3/ where are your FIVE most favourite places to be?

4/ when would you like to take FIVE weeks vacation, winter, summer, spring or fall?

 5/ why would you like to have an extra FIVE thousand dollars?

It's not a test!  It's an exercise of FIVE for your better health.

It was on one of the walks that I thought how nice it would be if we "humans" could co-exist more like the forest.  We could support each other even though we had differences.  We could feel comfortable moving to our own rythm without worrying about why the next person wasn't moving the same way.  We could co-exist in the same space and create a beautiful environment that others wanted to be a part of and admire.

Lessons from the forest!

In years gone by in a former life I would have said I was multitasking but today it feels more like the natural rythm of reflexology.  If Billy Joel is the piano man I feel like the piano playing the natural rythm of reflexology.

Is Sleep or Good Quality Sleep an issue for you?

Working with clients over the years I have come to understand that for many, sleep or Good Quality Sleep is a big issue!

Without the proper amount of good quality sleep we don’t function well either physically, mentally or emotionally.

In a lot of cases personal stress leads to poor quality sleep and lack of sleep leads to more stress as you try to function through you busy lifestyle.

There are many recommendations that you can do to prepare for a good nights sleep

1:         Regular bedtime routine: Stop watching TV or working on the computer at least a half hour before you go to sleep.  So YES! Stop taking the laptop to bed to work.  Remember how as children it was 730pm and the TV goes off, wash your face, brush your teeth, get into bed and read for a few minutes then lights out.  As adults we can still benefit from a regular routine to prepare to relax and to prepare to sleep.

2:         Music: There are many music cd’s that have the correct “rhythm” to work with your brainwaves and send your body into a relaxed state so you can fall asleep.  One of my favourites is “Peaceful – Music for Sleep” by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson.  I use this CD in my studio during reflexology sessions.

3:         Light: Block out as much as is possible.  Blinking lights from alarm clocks, TVs or other electronic devices can disturb the brain patterns and prevent you from getting into a deep sleep. A sleep mask is another great idea especially for those working shift work!

4:         Exercise: Light exercise like yoga or stretching can relax the muscles and allow you to stay in a deep sleep.  It may also prevent you from waking suddenly with a muscle cramp.

5:         Hydration: Ensuring that throughout the day you have had sufficient water intake to keep the body hydrated.  Dehydration is another reason why muscle cramps happen.

6:         Meditation: Take 5 minutes either before you get into bed or lying quietly in bed try some visioning.  Allow your mind to release those thoughts that are still reeling and give yourself permission to shelve them until tomorrow.

7:         Food: Eating before bed can be harmful but eating the right foods can be beneficial.  Here are some examples:

Almonds: A handful contains muscle-relaxing magnesium and sleep-inducing tryptophan, which increases the brain's level of feel-good serotonin. 

Bananas: Beneath the peel is a trifecta of soothers: serotonin, magnesium, and melatonin, your body's natural sleep regulator.

Skim milk: We should have listened to Mom- a warm glassful will help you sleep better. The milk's tryptophan has a sedating effect. Plus, it's calcium that helps your brain use that tryptophan.

Oatmeal: Oats are rich in sleep-regulating melatonin. Drizzle just a little honey on top, it tells your brain to turn off orexin, a neuropeptide linked to alertness.

Whole-wheat bread: A slice of toast dotted with banana slices releases insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain. There it changes into serotonin and whispers, "Sweet dreams."

8: Reflexology: Reflexology is a pressure treatment that can be done on the feet, the hands, the head and the ears.  There are pressure points relative to every body part, organ and gland.  By applying pressure to these points it is a relaxing therapy that can help you release tensions and aches and allow your body to float into a deep sleep. 

9: Aroma therapy bath: 2 cups of Epsom salts or Sea salt along with a few drops of an essential oil, such as lavender, will help to ease the muscles and the mind.  There are many different blends that can be prepared for every nose to enjoy.

10: Deep Breathing: Once you climb into bed take three deep cleansing breaths.  Breathe in through the nose for the count of 2 hold it for the count of 3 and release it breathing through the mouth to the count of 5.  Close your eyes while you do this and just allow your body to relax into the bed.  Give your body permission to let go of all the strain it is holding and just let it float away.

Good night!