The theme for this months blog posts is LOVE & SUPPORT. We celebrate St Valentines Day on the 14th February when we tell our loved ones how much we care for them. We shouldn’t forget that it is important to love ourselves as well.

This month you need to continue working with the goals you set for yourself in January. We reviewed ours yesterday and set some more for February. I had managed to achieve over 50% of mine, Pete had achieved most of his and Benammi all of his!

A new moon occurs on St Valentines Day also marking the start of the Chinese New Year which is the year of the Metal Tiger. The full moon occurs on the 28th February.

On Friday night (29th Jan) we viewed Mars to the left of a nearly full moon. A magnificent site which was in a very clear sky leaving a wonderful thick white frost covering everywhere the following morning.

Look out for the blog articles – hopefully they should come out weekly from now on!

It’s the time if year when we probably all want to make a fresh start and get rid of “old, dusty bits” that have been hanging around for ages.

 Essential oils are great for moving blockages, clearing the air and giving a lift to the spirits. Below are some suggestions of essential oils and blends plus ways to use them:

 Essential Oils:

 Frankincense (Boswellia Carteri) – This is a deep, calming aroma. It was a gift from the wise men to the infant Jesus giving it religious links. It is used in incense for religious ceremonies. The wood of the tree is used in temple building as well as ceremonial statues. The oil is derived from the resin which can also be bought granulated or in chunks which can be lit to release a smoky aroma. It is used during meditation to deepen the breathing. It is calming to the system and helps you to move on and dispel the past.

 Pine (Pinus Sylvestris) – Pine oil has a warming and drying action. It is excellent as a decongestant for the lungs. It increases self confidence, wakens the spirit and encourages perseverance and patience. It is an excellent oil for clearing negative feelings and energies not only in the body but in working and creative spaces.

 May Chang (Litsea Cubeba) – This is sometimes known as ‘happy oil’. It is a clean refreshing smell with wonderful uplifting properties. The aroma is reminiscent of sherbet lemon sweets. Great for dispelling the blues, lifting the spirits and adding a spring to your step.

 Grapefruit (Citrus Paradisi) – This citrus oil has a clean, fresh and sharp smell. It lifts the spirits especially in winter to help reduce exhaustion, tension and lethargy. It also lifts the self esteem and promots optimism.

 Cedarwood (Cedrus Atlantica) – This camphor like smell has smoky notes and a resinous quality. It is used to calm the system, making it excellent for use in meditation. It helps to promote confidence, courage and inner strength.

 Suggested Blends & Uses:

 Meditation blend

2 drops Pine

2 drops Frankincense

2 Drops Cedarwood

Use this blend on a tissue or in a diffuser in your meditation space.

It can also be added in a carrier to a bath before bedtime to promote deep, relaxing sleep

Blowing away the cobwebs blend

2 drops Grapefruit

2 drops May Chang

2 drops Pine

Use this blend in a carrier for a morning bath or use on a tissue to give you strength and vision throughout the day

Moving on blend

2 drops Frankincense

2 drops Cedarwood

1 drop Grapefruit

1 drop May Chang

Use this blend in a diffuser when meditating or in your living / working space

Sources:

The Aromatherapy Bible – Gill Farrer – Halls

The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy – Salvatore Battaglia

If you would like a personalised blend I provide consultations by e-mail, Skype or telephone:

e-mail: info@essentiallyholistic.co.uk

Skype: essentiallyholistic

Telephone 0044 7951 701406

 I know this is a little late but I want to send everyone my best wishes for the coming year. We saw out 2009 under a ‘blue moon’ (something that last happened two decades ago). The term is used when two full moons occur within the same month and give us the phrase ‘once in a blue moon’. Since then we have been covered by a blanket of snow which has then turned slushy, iced over and provided us with a skating rink – whether we want it or not. Now the weather is grey, mizzly and dull!

 The New Year gives us a chance for new beginnings. Although I don’t tend to make resolutions we sit down as a family and make a list of things that we would like to do singly and as a family during the coming year. We regularly review our lists and plan how we can achieve our wishes.

 It is a good idea to set small milestones that are achievable for each month. Write these separately on small pieces of paper then when you have achieved them, screw them up and at the next full or new moon burn them in a small fire. This is also a great way of getting rid of things that may be worrying you or holding you back.

 Why not try setting yourself a few things that you would like to achieve this month. If anything is worrying you write it down and burn it to release the emotions you are holding onto.

 The next full moon is on the 30^th January and the new moon is on 14th February

 Have fun setting some goals for January – let me know on my Essentially Holistic Face book fan page how you get on!!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/EssentiallyHolistic/171614866007?ref=ts

Yesterday I was given the gift of a book (Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff) from Tara Michener, Founder of the Black Women In Business Brainstorm.  Great gift! The first chapter that I chose to read was “Set Aside Quite Time Every Day”.  In that chapter, Dr. Richard Carlson makes the point that we all need to get our own quiet time every day.

Carlson says, “I can’t think of a single person whom I would consider to be inwardly peaceful who doesn’t carve out at least a little quiet time, virtually every day…like spending time alone, it helps to balance the noise and confusion that infiltrate much of our day.”

No matter what we have on our plate, we have to get in our quiet time or it makes life a bit more hectic, not to mention stressful.  Along with the things that you place in your calendar during your regular planning, make sure to add some time for you as well as quiet time.  It can be morning meditation, time in the evening before turning in for the night, a walk by yourself early in the morning or late evening or what ever you choose.  The important thing is that you make it a part of every day.  It will contribute to your productivity.  It’s a small step that you can take to make a big difference in your life.

Why people use a To-Do list?

Start by creating a simple To-Do list. This can be done on paper, on your computer, on-line… check out http://www.tadalist.com/ it’s free and best of all easy,,, Check out the video.

It’s as simple as breaking everything down  into manageable chunks, a daily, weekly, monthly and finally a yearly list. You can break it down to whatever works for you, make sure it the way that’s simple enough not to confuse or over burden you . Keep it short, try not to have more than 10 things on a your daily To-Do list as a long list may overwhelm you and thus reduce your success rate in completing your tasks.

There are tons of tools out there to help you get organized and most of all remember to delegate tasks that can be done by others.

The 5 major reasons for using a To-Do list.

1. Peace of mind

2. Achieving your goals

3. Improving your productivity

4. Saving you money

5. Reducing your stress

It’s time to stop  the rushing and working and worrying. You can always pick that up later. For now, as we come to the end of another year,  let’s all take a deep breath and calm ourselves.  As my holiday present,  I’ve put together a little virtual retreat for you. You’ll find some wonderful calming images, music, books, and quotations below. Start anywhere you like.  There’s the three minute Whispering Sea guitar video.  You can  feast your eyes on all the sumptuous calming images from Google. There are three books you might want to check out. There are also some insightful quotations on calmness, my favorite being:

The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.
~James Allen

Calming images

Wander through Google’s calming photos and feel the tension draining away. Click here for some gorgeous images.

Calming books

• The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook

• Instant Calm: Over 100 Easy-to-Use Techniques for Relaxing Mind and Body

• The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide: 77 Simple Strategies for Serenity

Quotations on calmness

For some  quotes click here . And there are more here.

Seascape photo by Brent Pearson

Geese and moon photo by Vicki DeLoach

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Avoid stress?  Impossible!  To be alive is to be under stress.  We can either grow, thrive and heal in the face of stress, or be reduced to dullness and disease.  The way we react to stress can be more important than the stress itself. 

Feeling Stressed?

There are three stages we go through when under stress.  First is the alarm reaction where stress hormones are released during a “fight or flight” response.  If the stress remains the stage of resistance occurs where our muscles tense up and blood pressure increases.  If the stress continues then the stage of exhaustion occurs, ultimately leading to disease.

Chiropractic focuses on removing nerve stress from our bodies as we live in a world of chronic stress.  This allows us to adapt better, heal better and get the most out of life!

To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor.  If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL me at The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234. 

I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others !

I blogged recently that I’m currently in a season of no television and while it has taken a while to get used to, I’m enjoying it (mostly!).  At this early stage I don’t think I will be a no television household, but I do think I will ensure my viewing is purposeful! Another media source I’ve been trying to cut back on is computer time. I find the internet a very useful tool for keeping in touch with family & friends, blogging (obviously!) and learning (as well as job searching at the moment!) but as I said good-bye to my television viewing I’ve also noticed that my internet time has decreased. While I might be blogging more, I’m also ensuring that my time spent online is more purposeful and goal oriented, while still allowing myself the occasional mindless wander!

I’m trying to get into a routine of going online for no more than 30 minutes in the morning and no more than an hour in the evenings. I’ve employed a few strategies which have really helped me, even in this season of searching for jobs online and in theory needing to be online more!

1. I make sure I’m showered and dressed before I put the internet on in the morning! This means I can quickly check emails and then switch off knowing I can instantly start something else. Personally I find if I’m in my PJ’s and tired, I’m more likely to blank stare at the screen!

2. Before I turn the computer on I make a list of what I need to accomplish! This lets me check off what I have done and reminds me that my goals are met and it is time to get on with the day!

3.  I personally can not check my favourite blogs and blogs of all my wonderful blog friends every single day, I have several thousand people who read these daily blog posts and about 250 people leave comments and email (although thankfully, not all at once!). At the same time I really enjoy other people’s blogs, learn from them and want to support my blog friend’s blogs. For a while the guilt crippled me, but I then realized that that in itself was unhelpful and I’ve come up with a solution that I will nominate two days a week for blog reading & commenting! I will begin this next week!

4. I try to stay offline one day per week, this used to be Sundays but due to Reclaiming Simple Sundays, I need to move that day around. I’m not sure what day I will nominate but as I get into a new routine, I will be taking a one day a week, much needed, full media fast!

5. I’m working hard to get into the routine of not checking emails or going online in the evenings if I’ve been out. Wednesday nights is my Bible Study group and I normally get home sometime between 9:30 and 10:00. I find if I go online I wake up and then start doing things. My goal is to stop feeling like I have to check in before I go to bed.

6. I’m also working hard to find time to maintain and nourish friendships in real life! I have found that actually spending time with friends is more advantageous than simply quick emails/texts/Facebook. I have found that when we only rely on media as an outlet for our friendships we may be in touch more often, but we really aren’t supporting each other or spending time with each other. So rather than spend hours on the internet, I’m trying to spend time in real life with each of them!

7. I can not be a part of every online community! Blogging takes time and is also something I really enjoy, but I only have so much time. I am not part of yahoo groups or gaming or many of the other online activities or groups!

While non of these suggestions are anything earth shattering, I have found they have made an incredible difference in the amount of time I spend online and in making my online time more purposeful!

I’d love to hear if you have any further suggestions for online media balance!

Anxiety disorders are often a result of stress. From GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) to panic disorder, you can cut back on the anxiety in your life simply by lowering stress. Stress is regular in day after day life no matter who you are, but if you allow your stress take control of your life, serious problems will arise. Fortunately, constant stress is easy to overcome, but it is critical to know the steps to doing so. Stress is an internal reaction triggered by external factors, like pressure. One of the top ways to overcome these reactions is with ample of exercise. Daily exercise can assist you learn to physically deal with stress by improving your tolerance to stress during exercise. During a panic attack, most people feel short of breath and a racing heart. A rigid workout gives you these same experiences, but in a healthy way. As you exercise more and more, you push your body to accept these conditions without panicking.

Getting a good night’s sleep is also very crucial to reducing stress. Stress can physically wear out a person’s body, and without rest, you will feel the effects of stress much more readily. This can lead to anxiety disorders very easily. To get sufficient sleep, make sure that you allocate at least 8 hours for sleeping. Don’t eat or drink lots of sugar or caffeine products before bedtime and try to do soothing activities in the short time prior to bedtime. If required, see your doctor for help with sleeping problems. Another key to lowering stress is to schedule time for non-work related activities. Take vacations or at least days off in order to have fun. Work is a main cause of stress, and with that stress comes worry about money, health, and many other things. By setting aside sufficient time to enjoy yourself with loved ones or on your own, you can physically and mentally set aside the stress for at least a short time. Try to have at least an hour to yourself every day and an entire long weekend every few months to enjoy fun activities. Lastly, make effort to ease stress by learning to think differently about life. Some of the most stressed-out people are perfectionists. While this can be a worthy trait, it can also go too far. Know when to let something go. Also, think optimistically about your life. When you fear that you aren’t good enough or are sad about little things, they really add up to hurt you. Managing your thought process is just part of the battle, but if you work at lowering stress, you can avoid developing anxiety problems. For quality health insurance quotes: Health Health Insurance

Anxiety disorders are often a result of stress. From GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) to panic disorder, you can cut back on the anxiety in your life merely by reducing stress. Stress is ordinary in every day life no matter who you are, but if you allow your stress take control of your life, serious problems will arise. Luckily, continuing stress is easy to overcome, but it is critical to know the steps to doing so. Stress is an internal response triggered by outside factors, like pressure. One of the top ways to overcome these reactions is with ample of exercise. Daily exercise can assist you learn to physically deal with stress by improving your tolerance to stress during exercise. During a panic attack, most people feel short of breath and a pounding heart. A solid workout gives you these same experiences, but in a healthy way. As you exercise more and more, you push your body to accept these conditions without panicking.

Getting a good night’s sleep is also very significant to reducing stress. Stress can physically wear out a person’s body, and without sleep, you will feel the effects of stress much more readily. This can lead to anxiety disorders very easily. To get enough sleep, make sure that you plan at least 8 hours for sleeping. Don’t eat or drink lots of sugar or caffeine products before bedtime and try to do comforting activities in the few hours before bedtime. If required, see your doctor for help with sleeping troubles. Another key to lowering stress is to plan time for non-work related activities. Take vacations or at least days off in order to have fun. Work is a chief cause of stress, and with that stress comes worry about money, health, and many other things. By setting aside sufficient time to enjoy yourself with loved ones or on your own, you can physically and mentally set aside the stress for at least a a little while. Try to have at least an hour to yourself every day and an entire long weekend every few months to purely enjoy fun activities. Lastly, make effort to reduce stress by learning to think a little differently about life. Some of the most stressed-out people are perfectionists. While this can be a useful quality, it can also go too far. Know when to let something go. Also, think positively about your life. When you fear that you aren’t good enough or are dismayed about little things, they really add up to hurt you. Managing your thought process is just part of the battle, but if you work at lowering stress, you can prevent developing anxiety problems. For quality health insurance quotes: Health Health Insurance

One of the major contributors to fatigue & illness, especially around this time of year, is stress.

We stress over money, over schedules, over the weather, over menus, over presents…

Then we get tired, then we get sick, then we get… You guessed it… More stressed!

There are 6 types of stress, according to Paul Chek’s “How to eat, move & be healthy”.
* Physical
* Chemical
* Electromagnetic
* Psychic/mental
* Nutritional
* Thermal.

In each category there are both good and bad versions of “stress”. For example, under the category of Physical Stress, Good = beneficial exercise, Bad = over-exercising.

The thing is, our body doesn’t distinguish between good and bad, it just reads “stress” and adds them all together. It’s up to us try to filter more “good” stress into our life than bad. Our goal is not to eliminate stress all-together, but rather tip the scales from the “bad” stress side, to the “good” stress side.

A little bit of pre-planning & delegating can alleviate most of that “bad” stress tension, and get you through the holiday season invigorated, while relaxed & healthy. There are 37 more sleeps until your gaggle of dysfunctional friends & family converge on your doorstep, leaving plenty of time to prepare in advance for all the “little things” so they don’t turn into that big thing that knocks you on your butt without warning.

Once Dec 1st hits, the panic sets in, so let’s take the remainder of November to lay the “find our happy place” groundwork. Our tasks between now and then:

1) Identify the things that cause you the most stress (year after year) or that could potentially cause stress this year, and see what can be eliminated or re-routed!

2) Make a plan ahead of time. (Lay everything out on paper so there are no surprises)

3) Make a commitment now to start eating healthy and hydrating (with water not festive beverages!!)

4) incorporate some regular exercise or movement into your routine (walking, yoga, Best Body Bootcamp )

5) set aside a little time each week to chillax in your “happy place” (reading a good book, going to museum/art gallery, listening to some music, etc…)

 

In the coming weeks, several upcoming entries will be filled with helpful tips to tackle our list above. Everything from a 7-day plan to tidy & prepare your house, tips on cleaning out and re-jigging your pantry & fridge, advice on how to manage those decadent hors d’oeuvres being passed around and perhaps most importantly, some ideas/suggestions on how to make time for yourself throughout the process.

Your homework in the meantime is to make a list of all the things causing you stress, and see what can be eliminated now, see what can be tweaked via any of the above categories. We also want you to keep or start moving! Those of you in bootcamp this session are ahead of the curve in that regard! See, you’ve already improved your stress quotient!

Until next time, be well & be happy!

“Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.”
~Baron Baptiste

Many sources site stress as the number one killer to date. Stress can take on many different forms, and can contribute to symptoms of illness. Common symptoms include headache, sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating, short-temper, upset stomach, job dissatisfaction, low morale, depression, and anxiety.

We all have stress we just need to figure out how to cope without it taking it’s toll on the vital organs of the body. I mean, what is more important than your body? It is your vehicle for LIFE.

Read on for some tips for reducing stress. I am also offering a stress reduction special for October and November.
* Tend : protect and care for your children…oxytocin release.

* Get a babysitter (maybe it is those kids are driving you nuts).

* Befriend. chatting and giggling advised.

* Relax. breathing, yoga, meditation, couch time.

* Acupuncture. Read study below on how acupuncture works.

* Make time for yourself. even 15 minutes can help.

* Sleep. 7-9 hours boosts immunity.

* Sex. Oxytocin is good.

* Move that body…see above.

* Eat right. you know the drill.

* Get help from a professional if you need it.

* Compromise. being right all the time doesn’t foster friendship.

* Write down your thoughts. conjuring Pablo Neruda…

* Help others. Its nice not to think about yourself.

* Get a hobby.

* Set limits. There are only so many hours in the day.

* Plan your time.

* Avoid: drinking too much alcohol, using drugs, smoking, or overeating.

Stress Reducing Bargain:

Save 15% on 5 Treatments. $63 Value.
Acupuncture can help calm the mind, ease anxiety and remember how you innately want to feel…awesome.

Facial Rejuvenation: Packages include full body and facial rejuvenating acupuncture and acupressure. Save 10% on Packages of 10. $100 Value.

offer valid until November 15th 2009.

contact: Laurel@ancientcurrent.com for more information.

Tonight I am focusing on:

:: A beautiful print from Allison Made shop on Folksy - found via a posting on Tea For Joy - perhaps one of my most favourite blogs, and folksy is most certainly one of my new favourite finds!

:: Singing and dancing to Ella Fitzgerald and imagining it is the 20’s or 30’s or 40’s and I am dancing with new shoes on. Green ones.  My feet are happy in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Very happy.

:: Sending a letter and parcel to my great aunt, including a much longed for book I found for her and hearing the joy in her voice upon receiving it

:: Catching up with a dear friend from Edinburgh – chatting until my jaw hurts – picture is of East Berwick, near Edinburgh!

I have rejected the stress caused by

• Work woes
• Work pressure
• Work difficulty galore….!
• The pain a friend is experiencing after waiting 20 months to adopt with no end in sight
• The sadness in my aunts voice as she told me her son and daughter in law never visit more than once a year with her grandchildren, despite the fact she is a widow and they are only less than an hour away
• Having to miss a family wedding
• Flu which shows no sign of leaving – yes 10 days later I still have every single flu symptom
• Lost post
• Difficulties with BT (or should that read continued difficulties)
• Trying to make huge life decisions without all facts & info
• Watching people you love make poor financial choices simply because they don’t budget. Sigh!
• Did I mention the flu???

Rejecting stress feels good. Won’t you try it?  :)

And now I’m off to eat my dinner – toasted sourdough bread with melted sharp cheddar cheese, avocado, edameme, spinach and snow peas (yes, snowpeas in a sandwich). Don’t forget the mustard. Washed down with sparkling water and a mince pie on the side.  Of course I will have to share my dinner with my favourite cat.

:: I can see the beginning of a day, where I’m watching the sea, miles ahead in the distance

:: I can feel the wind blowing around me

:: I can watch the cats, basking in the sunlight

:: I can hear the giggles and excitement of my little ones as we explore and discover all things new

:: I can taste the joy found in simple snacks, shared with those you most love

::  I can relax as I hear the little inspirations in the distance, back with the family, ready to jump the waves & stay for tea…

:: I can ease into my role capturing natural moments that occur when I least expect them

:: I welcome all & sundry into our home (& their dogs too!)

:: I relish in the simple, wholesome meals we can create & share because we see the abundance of blessings bestowed upon us

:: I end the evening with a stroll, slowly taking everyone but the most precious few, home

:: I arrive home to dim lights, a lit fireplace, favourite blankets, cups of tea, games of scrabble & colouring. We must not forget the colouring!

:: And as the house is no longer filled with noise, a new sound emerges – a light click here and there, and a creation begins

:: As my eyes grow weary, I play my very own lullaby and as I play I feel the relaxation that only comes through the stroke of the bow on the strings, the dusting of raisin escaping into the air

Thank you for the wonderful support & encouragement on the last post. I can now reveal that I have flu yet again, apparently it is possible to get the piggy flu twice as it changes and becomes resistent. On Monday I will find out if I also have pneumonia. I’m convinced, once this is done I will chase away what is causing this and really and seriously get healthy even if it means doing a lot less, giving up the lists and just being. There are things I don’t blog about which I think create far more stress then I realize, somehow I need to find a way to let go, to understand my own limitations.  To be honest that sounds like just what I need!

When you close your eyes, what do you dream?

We have said many times that organization and teamwork are the two major contributors to a businesses downfall, so lets clean-up the mess and focus on organization.  Being organized has many meanings and we are going to cover a few right now.

Organize your organization board.  Every company we work with that has more that one employee requires up to start by creating what we call an executable organization board off the foundation of our Octopus Model.  Our model breaks a business out into 8 different divisions of a company and each of those divisions has a director, performance statistics, roles and responsibilities, and a clearly defined and communicated purpose.  We do this because many companies have never thought to look that in-depth into how their companies are aligned and we end up finding gaps, duplication, and employees that can handle more or don’t have the skills for the position.  This foundation also sets up the business for the next Fall Clean-Up step.

Communication!  How do the employee’s communicate in your business?  Years ago I was working for a large F500 bank and handling the commercial lending office in Boston, which could be considered the “sales division” of the bank.  Our marketing division was based on the west coast and our two divisions had very little communication.  Clients in Boston were receiving marketing materials and offers that the lending officers (sales team) in Boston did not know about.  When clients received the marketing offers and called their loan officers about the deal there was a real problem!  The bank employees did not know about the offer and could not speak intelligently about it which makes them lose credibility in the eyes of the customers.

Building a system of communication between the divisions of a company will prevent this from happening, but you can not set up a great communication system without a clear and workable organization board.

The next step to being productive and professional in the Fall Clean-Up is simple…Clean your office, it’s a mess!  Productively comes from being organized and clean.  If you are in an environment that is free of clutter and well kept, you will most likely find being in the office a more calming experience because you will not have the stress of a messy office lingering over you.

The weather is turning cool and it is time for the Fall Clean-Up; let’s get it done!