Natural cures for insomnia

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Tossing and turning all night, sleeping so light that every creek and cricket chirp wakes you up, your brain won’t stop no matter how exhausted you become…..Sound familiar?  If so this post is for you!

“Insomnia is defined as difficulty initiating, or maintaining sleep at least 3 nights per week, in addition to complaints of sleep-related daytime impairment.”-University of Maryland Medical Center

We need sleep to function properly, in fact most adults need at least 8 hours of sleep per night but hardly any of us are actually achieving this goal consistently.  There are many adverse side effects to not sleeping well including; memory loss, irritability, impaired abilities, physical ailments and more.  Causes for insomnia vary and may include; hormonal imbalances, health issues, stress, medication side effects and/or external circumstances such as noise1.  Getting to the bottom of the cause of your insomnia is an important first step in addressing the issue.  Take a hard look at your days, are there things that you could change that are causing you to lose sleep at night?  Your health is more important than anything and you may have to make major changes to create an environment that promotes optimal health.   Just remember that you will thank yourself later:)  You may also want to consult with your health care providers to make sure your medications, herbs, hormones and any underlying issues are thoroughly investigate as a source for your sleepless nights.

In addition to lifestyle and medication adjustments you might try some or all of the following natural cures for insomnia:

  • Massage-The National Institute of Health has stated that Massage Therapy can improve sleep2.  Massage decreases the stress hormone cortisol and norepinephrine, which causes vasoconstriction and increased heart rate by safely relaxing the autonomic nervous system3.  Massage is a great way to relax and find freedom from pain so if stress or injuries are keeping you up at night this is an excellent option!  Feel free to book your appointment online today with us at https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/home?studioid=158494 or give us a call if you have questions:  503.473.8515 also check out these great self massage techniques to find relief now:  http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/lifestyles/tcmrole_sleep_message.html

  • Acupuncture-“Some reports suggest that certain acupuncture procedures have a nearly 90% success rate for the treatment of insomnia. Through a complex series of signals to the brain, acupuncture increases the amount of certain substances in the brain, such as serotonin, which promote relaxation and sleep” University of Maryland Medical Center.  Acupuncture addresses each person as a whole which means it is working toward balance of the entire system.  This can be extremely important when working to cure something as complex as insomnia.  Acupuncturists also have many tools at their disposal such as herbs, lineaments, nutritional guidelines, traditional Chinese Massage techniques and more.  Feel free to book your appointment online today with us at https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/home?studioid=158494 or give us a call if you have questions:  503.473.8515

natural cures for insomnia

  • Melatonin-Melatonin supplements help induce sleep, particularly in people who have disrupted circadian rhythms (such as from jet lag or shift work), or those with low levels of melatonin (such as some people with schizophrenia). In fact, a review of scientific studies found that melatonin supplements help prevent jet lag, particularly in people who cross five or more time zones.  Speak to your health care provider to find out if melatonin is the right choice for you.1 

  • Diet and exercise-It is no secret that we are greatly effected by what we put into and how we use our bodies.  Our motto is everything in moderation unless it really doesn’t make you feel good and then maybe it is time to cut it out.  A foundation of healthy food is key to this idea, food is our fuel and it is so important that each meal has a good serving of a healthy protein and vegetables.  We are not saying that you should never eat potato chips again, just do your best to make the majority of your choices healthy ones so that when your body is processing the not so good stuff it doesn’t have to work as hard.  This goes for exercise too!  Our bodies were made to move in a variety of ways, make sure you are getting exercise most days and switch it up.  Walk one day, bike the next or find classes that you love such as yoga and weight lifting or boot camp and swimming.  Your body and mind will thank you and we guarantee you will sleep better at night!

The moral of the story is you have to put YOU first and choose a lifestyle that promotes optimal health.  This may require a good spring cleaning of you routines, especially when it comes to food, exercise, medications and stress factors.  We are here to help and can offer an objective insight on what might be contributing to your brand of insomnia!  If you have questions about this article or have found other natural remedies for those long sleepless nights please share, we are always open to ideas!  Thanks for reading and feel free to share.

References

1.University of Maryland Medical Center; Insomnia; January 2012; http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/insomnia

2. AMTA; Massage Therapy Can Help Improve Sleep; October 2012; www.amtamassage.org/approved_position_statements/Massage-Therapy-Can-Help-Improve-Sleep.html

3.  Massage Magazine;  Research shows massage therapy relaxes the autonomic nervous system; November 2011; http://www.massagemag.com/research-shows-massage-therapy-relaxes-the-autonomic-nervous-system-10098/

mother’s day |4 gift ideas to honor mom

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mother’s day is less than a month away!

We know how difficult it can be to find the perfect things to honor such a special person in your life so we thought we would give you a few ideas:

 

#1 Mom’s work hard!  Give your mom the gift of sweet relaxation by taking 15% off of all gift certificates, packages and memberships-Click here to buy and use promo code: momsrule

mother's day

 

#2 How about a beautiful poem to let your mom know how wonderful you think she is?

Mother, A Cradle to Hold Me

– Maya Angelou

It is true
I was created in you.
It is also true
That you were created for me.
I owned your voice.
It was shaped and tuned to soothe me.
Your arms were molded
Into a cradle to hold me, to rock me.
The scent of your body was the air
Perfumed for me to breathe.

Mother,
During those early, dearest days
I did not dream that you had
A large life which included me,
For I had a life
Which was only you.

Time passed steadily and drew us apart.
I was unwilling.
I feared if I let you go
You would leave me eternally.
You smiled at my fears, saying
I could not stay in your lap forever.
That one day you would have to stand
And where would I be?
You smiled again.
I did not.
Without warning you left me,
But you returned immediately.
You left again and returned,
I admit, quickly,
But relief did not rest with me easily.
You left again, but again returned.
You left again, but again returned.
Each time you reentered my world
You brought assurance.
Slowly I gained confidence.

You thought you know me,
But I did know you,
You thought you were watching me,
But I did hold you securely in my sight,
Recording every moment,
Memorizing your smiles, tracing your frowns.
In your absence
I rehearsed you,
The way you had of singing
On a breeze,
While a sob lay
At the root of your song.

The way you posed your head
So that the light could caress your face
When you put your fingers on my hand
And your hand on my arm,
I was blessed with a sense of health,
Of strength and very good fortune.

You were always
the heart of happiness to me,
Bringing nougats of glee,
Sweets of open laughter.

I loved you even during the years
When you knew nothing
And I knew everything, I loved you still.
Condescendingly of course,
From my high perch
Of teenage wisdom.
I spoke sharply of you, often
Because you were slow to understand.
I grew older and
Was stunned to find
How much knowledge you had gleaned.
And so quickly.

Mother, I have learned enough now
To know I have learned nearly nothing.
On this day
When mothers are being honored,
Let me thank you
That my selfishness, ignorance, and mockery
Did not bring you to
Discard me like a broken doll
Which had lost its favor.
I thank you that
You still find something in me
To cherish, to admire and to love.

I thank you, Mother.
I love you.

#3 DIY Mother’s day tea towels

mother's day

I scoured the web for cool gifts that adults could make on their own fairly easily and this is one that I loved!  If you have little one’s you could trace their hand and use it as the pattern and if not you could either find the hospital print of your baby hand to trace, make a cut out and then use that as a stencil on the fabric or if mom has a sense of humor you could trace your adult hand and use it as the pattern:)  I am pretty certain my mom would love the adult hand version so that is the way I am going to go!  Here is the link to this super cool project:  http://www.loveandlion.com/2014/04/mothers-day-craft-tea-towels.html

*If you try this I would love to see pics of your end results and I will share mine as well

#4 A Mother’s day Facial with Kariman Skin Care

(located in the same space as Written on the Body)

I just got a facial with Kariman and it was fantastic! My skin feels so clean and soft, I highly recommend her services.

Custom Facials-No two facials are the same. Each healthy, rejuvenating skincare session is customized for your unique skin type.Deep cleansing, exfoliation, masque, treatment serum, moisturizing and stress-relieving facial massage (stimulates toxin elimination and decreases inflammation), to provide thorough skin care and true skin nutrition. $75 for 60 minutes  Click here to go to Kariman’s website

 

Mom’s are awesome and we truly hope you find a great way to celebrate yours!  Thanks for reading and we hope to see you soon:)

www.portlandmassagestudio.com

You are important: the necessity of putting yourself first

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“For those of you who struggle with guilt regarding self-care, answer this question: What greater gift can you give to those you love than your own wholeness?”
― Shannon Tanner, Worthy: The POWER of Wholeness

This post is to remind you that you are important…

It’s hard for some of us, remembering to prioritize ourselves among many things we give our time and energy to.  We have so much to give to the world and sometimes it feels like even when we give it all, we should be able to give more.  It is true that this may not apply to everyone but I know it will at least speak to a few of you.  It is time for you to spend a little of that beautiful energy bubbling inside of you on the most important being in your life-YOU.  That’s right you are important, as or more important than any other thing in your life.  What would your day look like if you spent an hour each morning just doing you?

We had our team meeting last night at Written on the Body and one of the topics of discussion was strategies for getting clients to rebook.  You may not know us that well yet and so I will tell you now, this team of ours is incredibly smart, talented and compassionate which always makes for an enlightening discussion, no matter what the topic.  When it comes to our clients we are each bursting with passion, when we talk about asking you to rebook with us what we mean is how can we convince you to prioritize yourself.  We KNOW that we can help you.  It may just be helping you find balance in a busy schedule by taking an hour a month to give back to yourself or it could be in finding freedom from a long time injury or pain, whatever the case we get excited about the opportunity to improve your life.

In our discussions on this I am always reminded of how easy it is to put ourselves last, giving all of our efforts to work, family and to do lists and leaving nothing or not enough for ourselves.  Now, you may be thinking about how being selfless, hard working and generous are all virtues, I don’t disagree.  But I do think that this should also include giving the same grace and generosity to ourselves.  You will be a better person if you are taken care of!

Do you have pain?  Trouble sleeping?  Anxiety? Stress?

If so then it is probably time to improve on or incorporate a self care routine, make yourself an “A” item on your to do list so that you can continue being the loving and generous person you are for a long time to come.  You are as important as your job, your tasks, your friends, your partner, your family members and it is time to treat yourself with kindness by setting aside time to rejuvenate, heal and relax.

Here are a few simple ideas on where to start, but whatever you do, make sure you love it, that it serves you and it makes you feel good:

  • Start your day off right:  Get up earlier, use your time more wisely or start work later and then use that time to give back to yourself with meditation, a quiet cup of coffee outdoors, a gentle stretching routine or a couple chapters of a good book.

  • Turn your phone/computer/tablet off for one hour a day and do only things that make you happier during that time:  Technology can be such a time sucking black hole.  Don’t get me wrong-I love it, but I know I have wasted hours looking at things I really did not care about.  Choose yourself instead.

  • Start an exercise routine that you enjoy:  If you have an exercise routine that is monotonous or that you dread then it is seriously time to reassess.  There are way too many options out there to exercise unhappily.  Sign up for something new, like Zumba or aerial yoga, or make a date with a friend to go for a nice long hike instead.  We have a precious few moments on this planet, use them wisely.

  • Let go of things that no longer serve you/practice self examination:  What patterns are you perpetuating in your life that are harming you more than helping you?  What situations keep coming up over and over again that bring you down?  It isn’t easy, I know, but it’s time to begin the journey of changing these things and making space for things that fill you up and make you feel great.

  • Spend time with people who make you laugh and won’t let you work:  I need friends and family that build me up and for me this means going with it when my sisters want to have an impromptu breakfast or committing to a weekly date with my BFF.  These guys take my mind away from it all and remind me to put my phone down and enjoy the moment at hand.  Having people in your world who are as committed to giving back to you as much as you give to them can be a major replenishing force!

  • Of course you already know that I believe establishing a routine of massage and/or acupuncture care can make a huge difference in your overall health and well being-why live with pain and stress when you don’t have to?  You are important to us! Book with us online today:  https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=158494  We hope to see  you soon!

I really could go on and on but I think you get the point, YOU ARE IMPORTANT!

Thank you for reading and if you have wisdom to share on this topic please do so in the comments, I would love to hear from you.

I leave you with some wise words to live by:

“You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”
― Eleanor Brownn