Anxiety & Sleep

Lying awake at night with racing thoughts? Modern life can affect our quality of sleep, and the quality of our sleep can affect our mental health.

Ok, so let’s talk about false anxiety and true anxiety for a minute. Basically, false anxiety has a root cause and can be avoided or fixed. False anxiety can come from being over caffeinated, a bad night’s sleep, a sugar crash, etc. In fact, it can also originate from an email we got from our boss, an argument or fear of an argument with another person. Although these feelings are real, they are still considered false anxiety because it can be avoided or there is some potential remedy. Whereas true anxiety has a purposeful action, such as being cautious, it’s the anxiety that keeps us safe, it’s our built-in protector if you will. Anxiety is something that puts us into a stress response. The physical stress response is usually related to our physical imbalance, usually related to what we are eating. This goes back to our gut brain health and the importance of eating a healthy diet.

Anxiety can also be about us abandoning ourselves. When we abandon our needs for others, it can result in anxiety. We are conditioned to please others. When we feel we must abandon ourselves to please others, we can feel anxious. You question yourself, why am I signing up to do this? Is this actually something I want to do, or is it something I am doing to please someone else? We also have the false yes and false no’s. For example, when someone asks you for a favor or your boss asks you if you want to take on a new project. Our brain and our body say no, but our mouth end’s up saying yes. This can have long-term repercussions. We may end up resenting that other person or just simply feeling unhappy with ourselves for taking on this other project when we are already feeling overtaxed as it is.

Sleep is the most effective way to decrease our anxiety. When we sleep, our brain does a brain dump, if you will. Our brains empty out all the stuff we don’t need. This only happens when we sleep. During our sleep cycles, the brain gets rid of unnecessary chemicals, thoughts, emotions etc. We have a system in our brains for just this particular job, it’s called the glymphatic system and is similar to the lymphatic system. I heard a doctor once describe the glymphatic system like a city. We all know about our lymphatic system and how it cleans out all the junk in our bodies and that junk is moved through the body to be excreted through the kidneys or through our sweat. The glymphatic system is our brains dump trucks. As the doctor mentioned, in a city, we all have junk or garbage we take out each night. Then in the morning, the garbage truck comes along and takes it away. The same thing happens in our brains when we sleep. When we don’t get a good night's rest or plenty of sleep, the garbage trucks can’t do their full route, they can’t come get all the trash. So, the next day, we are operating with a brain full of junk. This can cause brain fog, and that feeling of not being able to think clearly. This in turn can also create feelings of anxiety. Our sleep patterns affect our ability to focus, our mood, and in a long-term manner it could even be contributing to the onset of dementia. There is still some research that needs to be done to find out more about this. However, it does appear to have some impact on dementia.

Now, let's talk about that food you are eating. I know, most people don’t even think about how what they put in their mouths could potentially affect their sleep or their mood. But that’s just the thing, nutrition has a huge impact on our entire body. Bad eating habits can create bad sleeping habits, bad mood, bad digestion, bad focus, and yes, even anxiety. Nutrition has a huge impact on our sleep. I know everyone knows that we get most of our vitamins and minerals from our food, but do we really think about it or did we decide to just overlook it and grab that slice of pizza anyway?

Now, let’s take a look at one way how what you eat can affect your sleep. Not eating the right foods and metabolizing those foods too quickly can affect our sleep. Most often, people who wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time going back to sleep may be suffering from low blood sugar. Low blood sugar can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night and keep you awake. This is because our bodies are going to put us in a stressed state, and that stressed state wakes us up.

Also, when our blood sugar gets low, it can cause that hangry anxiety feeling. Taking a spoonful of coconut oil or almond butter before you brush your teeth at night may help you wake up and go back to sleep more easily. This is because they are slow to digest and can keep your blood sugar stable throughout the night.

Caffeine can also be a huge contributor to not getting a good night’s rest and can cause anxiety. This caffeine late in the afternoon can create a terrible loop. So here is what happens, you don’t sleep well and then by 3pm you're tired and need caffeine, then you don’t get a good night's rest and then there you are stuck in this terrible loop of not getting a good night’s rest feeling anxious, mad mood, brain fog, etc.

This goes for any other stimulants too, such as nicotine, dark chocolates. This also includes alcohol, which makes you calm in the beginning, but the brain recognizes there is too much GABA (an inhibitory neurotransmitter) and tries to put the body back into homeostasis and the next thing we know we are feeling stressed. I also want to talk about food again. We are eating more processed foods these days than any other time in history, our foods are full of chemicals and this affects our gut flora. It can cause IBS, leaky gut, and poor digestion to name a few. Our guts are talking with our brains, and they are saying that things are not going so well down here.

Some people feel stressed with simply thinking about and making meals. This can easily change when we learn more about nutrition, find easy recipes on Pinterest or some other website.

Getting the best nutrition helps with our mental health, our sleep, our digestion and overall health. I’m not saying that all meds are bad; however, I do not prescribe them, I prefer to look at our health in a more holistic manner and getting better nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Now, let’s look at some ways to improve our sleep OTC meds or Rx meds. We already know that eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise are the biggest contributors to getting a good night’s rest. Let’s look at some other simple tasks we can do each night that don’t cost us a thing, except diligence and consistency.

First, try using the night shift mode on your computer and your phone. Sleeping in total darkness helps a lot. Turn the TV off, and try not to have so many electronics around you. Try to keep electronics at least 6 feet away from your bed. Also, wearing blue blocking glasses in the evening can help get the bright blue light emitting from your computer out of your eyes. The blue-green rays coming from your electronics can suppress your body’s ability to produce melatonin. Instead, try using a red light at night. I use red light therapy with my patients all the time. It has tons of benefits other than not suppressing melatonin production in our brains. But that is for another article.

Melatonin can help as well. We secrete melatonin in response to darkness, telling our bodies it’s time to go to sleep. I suggest taking a low dose of 10 mg for only a few nights. You don’t want to take it every night or your body will stop making it on its own, and you will end up having to take it.

Try making it a bit cooler at night, around 66-68 degrees. Throwing in a hot shower and then going into a cool room triggers the brain that it’s time to go to sleep. An Epsom salt bath is also a great way to get better sleep because of the magnesium sulfate. Taking magnesium glycinate 124 mg in pill form is also a natural way to help you get better rest. I simply love Epsom salt baths, so, my personal preference is to get my magnesium from my bath. However, not all enjoy taking a hot bath and prefer a hot shower and in some cases there is only a shower available.

Waking up early and getting sunlight in your eyes before 9 am helps tell the brain that it is time to get up and get going. Then get out in nature, this is another therapy I use with my patients for many different areas of their lives and/or ailments, other than getting better sleep. Again, nature therapy is also for another article.

Try meditating at night before going to bed. I like to sit in a dark room and meditate for about 30 minutes before going to bed. This relaxes the body and the mind. Not to mention, sitting in a dark room for 30 minutes tells the brain to start producing melatonin. A great routine to adopt is 1 hour before bedtime, turn off all the electronic devices, leave your phone in another room, take a spoonful of almond butter or coconut oil, brush your teeth, take a nice hot shower or Epsom salt bath, sit down and meditate for 30 min and lay down in a cool room under nice warm blankets.

Hope this helps you guys get some sleep and beat that insomnia monster.

Stacia Modisette

Altura Natural Living & Wellness Center

Quieting the Monkey Mind

I hear this all the time. “I can’t meditate. I can’t stop thinking. It doesn’t work for me. I don’t know how. I feel like I’m doing something wrong.”

The thing is, this is normal, it even happens to those who have meditated for years. It’s not always easy to “just be” and not think about things.

I know this can be very frustrating and can make you feel like you are doing something wrong.

Just because you have a wondering mind, doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong. It does mean that at some point in the future, with practice, you can quiet your mind better.

Just think, all the things you accomplished that took lots of practice. Things like riding a bike when you were a kid. You didn’t just jump on that bike and take off riding, did you? Now, it may have been easier for some and harder for others, but no matter your skill level, it took some practice.

Think about this: When you are meditating, and you slip off into your thoughts or start daydreaming and all of a sudden you realize, “Oh, I am thinking or daydreaming”. Guess what, you just recognized that you were thinking or daydreaming. The fact that you noticed it is a good sign. You brought your awareness back to your meditation practice.

Every time you realize that you’ve gotten lost with your thoughts, you can just continue with the practice right where you left off. There are some really good guided meditations that can help with letting go of those thoughts. I have written a few down at the end of this article.

Just keep meditating like it never happened. Don’t get upset with yourself or feel discouraged. Once you’ve done that, you will have a harder time getting back to the meditation because you will be thinking about not being able to meditate.

The thing is, sometimes we are so caught up in work or home issues, that these thoughts overwhelm us. There is always something that needs to be done, a project that needs to be completed, bills that need to be paid, laundry, something. The point of meditating is trying to get away from those thoughts and give ourselves a brain break. However, if you do get caught up in thought and don’t try to get back to the meditation, you are simply just sitting there thinking and headed down that rabbit hole of thought. This is not the same as realizing you were thinking and getting back to the meditation.

Just because you got distracted doesn’t mean you aren’t meditating. It’s ok to have periods of time when you are not focused and present in the moment.

If you meditate for 30 minutes and, say, 12 of those minutes you were lost in thought. That’s pretty good. You wandered off for a few minutes, but you came back. With practice, you will be able to go for longer periods of time. It takes most many years to be able to meditate without distraction, and they practice several times a day for years. You can’t go into surgery and conduct a heart transplant without getting the knowledge and practice. What makes you think you can be an expert at meditating from the beginning? It rarely happens.

Each time you get distracted, just take a moment to let it go and go back to meditating. I always say, meditating is like listening. You can’t listen when you are talking or thinking about other things. Despite all the distractions, you kept going. You did it!

Remember, it is impossible to meditate wrong or incorrectly. Just showing up and trying is very beneficial.

You can find more meditation tips and tricks and guided meditations in my e-books, which can be found here on my blog page or here on our Facebook page. I have just a few e-books on the shop page at this time; more will be added soon, so check back often. Find the one that best suits your needs, or try them all and see which one you like best. Personally, I like all of them for different times and different needs in my life.

What is Energy Healing?

Everything is Energy

All matter, the earth, trees, our homes, and including us, are made of pure energy and we have the science to back it up. According to research conducted by quantum physicists everything is made of pure energy. All matter is made up of particles. These particles are considered the building blocks of matter called atoms and molecules. Atoms bond and stick together forming a molecule. Molecules are the smallest part of a substance that has all the properties of that substance. The atoms that make up the molecules are electrically charged particles. Therefore, all things surrounding us have an electrical charge, including us.

The Science

Ok so here is where it gets interesting. Scientists have observed electrons acting as a wave and as a particle. Waves are capable of transferring energy through matter or space with little or no mass. Electromagnetic waves do not require a medium. Energy healing is the practice of sending energy in a wave form. Therefore, the practitioner does not necessarily need to be in a close proximity to the receiver. Reiki or energy healing has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. Most believe it originated in India and the Eastern countries thousands of years ago. Although, it did not get the name of Reiki until a little over two hundred years ago by Dr. Mikao Usui. Reiki is a Japanese word meaning universal life force. The proper Japanese pronunciation is RYE-KEY although many Americans pronounce it RAY-KEY.

Reiki Energy Healing

Rei Means universal or omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time).

Ki is the life force, the nonphysical vitality that is the energy in everything surrounding us.

Reiki energy can be found within all things. It is the connection to the universal energy that is in every atom. The Japanese call this energy Ki, for the Chinese it is Chi, and it has been called Prana in Asian cultures. No matter what you decide to call it, it is a universal energy that can be sent across long distances as well as in a hands-on session that has the ability to heal.

When your Ki energy is low due to stress, depression, prolonged anxiety, etc. this makes you more vulnerable to sickness or disease. Many things can weaken our energy levels. Some we can control, and some are completely out of our control. Most things that effect our energy we can control; unfortunately, we cannot control the air quality around us, the toxins we come in contact with in public places, or our work place. We all must work and not everyone has the opportunity to have a job they absolutely love.

· Anger

· Depression

· Negative Thoughts

· Not Spending Enough Time in Nature

· Drinking Too Much Alcohol

· Drugs Use

· Smoking

· Poor Diet

· Stress

· Poor Sleeping Habits

· Lack of Exercise

· Poor Air Quality

We are all effected by these things in our lives daily. This is why energy healing is important to us. When we receive energy healing from someone they are helping lift those low energy levels and clear blocked areas allowing the body to heal itself. Regular sessions can bring the body and spirit into balance helping to prevent future illnesses and disease.

Reiki energy is sent to individuals desiring to accept the energy from individuals who have learned how to harness this energy and send this energy through time and space. Reiki is a holistic form of healing. It can help heal physical and mental issues. Everyone can benefit from a healing session. However, everyone is different, and the healing energies will affect each person differently. Typically, four consecutive sessions are recommended to improve the flow of energy. It will stimulate the immune system and begin cleansing itself of toxins. Once the poisonous toxins are removed the body can begin re-balancing itself.

There are seven main energy centers in the body that control the flow of the universal life force. They are called the Chakras. Each chakra is responsible for specific parts of the body. When these energy centers are blocked or congested the body becomes sick and the flow of energy is weakened.

The Crown Chakra: (Sahasrara) Violet: Connection to the divine.

Location: Positioned on top of the head

Emotional Issues: Inner and outer beauty, and connection to spirituality.

Physical association: Effects the pineal glands, upper brain, and right eye.

The Third Eye Chakra: (Ajna) Indigo: Intuition, sense of purpose and direction in life.

Location: Positioned in the middle of the forehead, just above the eyebrows.

Emotional Issues: Intuition, imagination, wisdom, ability to think and make decisions. Ability to focus, (see the big picture) perception, telepathy, and ESP.

Physical association: Effects the lower brain, left eye, pituitary glands, nose, ears, eyes, and sinuses.

The Throat Chakra: (Vishuddha) Light Blue: Self-expression

Location: Positioned in the center of the throat.

Emotional Issues: Responsible for self-expression, communication, and speaking the truth.

Physical association: Effects the throat, thyroid gland, upper lungs, arms, teeth and vocal cords.

The Heart Chakra: (ANAHATA) Green: Love, Relationships, and self-acceptance.

Location: Positioned in the middle of the chest just above the heart.

Emotional Issues: Responsible for emotions, love, devotion, spiritual growth, inner peace, joy and compassion.

Physical association: Effects the heart, thymus, lower lungs, immune system, and the circulatory system.

The Solar Plexus Chakra: (Manipura) Yellow: Personal power

Location: Positioned just above the naval.

Emotional Issues: Responsible for self-confidence, self-worth, self-esteem, emotions, represents the center of the body.

Physical association: Effects central nervous system, digestion, stomach, liver, gall bladder, and the pancreas.

The Sacral Chakra: (Swadhisthana) Orange: Sexuality and pleasure

Location: Positioned just below the naval.

Emotional Issues: Responsible for sexual energy, connecting and accepting others, sense of abundance, well-being, pleasure, sexuality, perceptions, and first impressions. Sometimes called the gut feeling.

Physical association: Effects reproductive organs, kidneys, bladder, bowels, and immune system.

The Root Chakra: (Muladhara) Red: Career, money mindset, and sense of belonging.

Location: Positioned at the base of the spine in tailbone area.

Emotional Issues: Represents our foundation and feeling grounded. Responsible for our basic survival needs such as food, shelter, need to belong, sense of purpose, financial independence, and money as well as our physical vitality.

Physical association: Effects the spine, rectum, legs, arms, circulatory system, and the suprarenal glands.

Our Chakras are affected by our everyday lives in one way or another. Our thoughts and actions directly affect our chakras in positive and negative ways.

Here are some ideas you can try at home for yourself in between energy healing sessions.

Thoughts Every thought we have affects our energy chakras. Science has proven that thought is an energy form. Positive thoughts affect our energy in a positive way just as negative thoughts affect our energy in a negative way. It has also been shown that negative thoughts can increase free-radicals affecting our physical body. In the same sense that positive thoughts can reduce free-radicals and even heal us mentally and physically. Ever heard of laughter is the best medicine? We can change the physical state of our being through our thoughts alone. Continual angry thoughts will lower your root chakra’s energy.

Nature Getting out and enjoying nature can be very therapeutic. The sun is an important energy source. People, animals, plants, minerals, water and our chakras receive energy from the sun. Just as important is getting outside barefoot and allowing the earths energy to flow through your entire body. Sitting by a brook or body of water also provides us with energy and can open and cleanse the chakras.

Food Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. Eat foods that are earth-made instead of man-made. Try to eat fresher organic, non-GMO foods, and pasture raised meats. Canned or pre-packaged foods do not contain the nutrition that fresh food provides not to mention there are no toxins or chemicals used. Try eating foods of different colors.

Meditation Meditation & Breathing. Meditating and visualizing a particular positive outcome is very powerful in balancing the chakras and healing the body. Since thought is a form of energy you can use meditation and visualization along with focused to affect various chakra centers.

Crystals Crystals, gemstones and minerals all have energy. For example, crystals contain a similar crystalline structure as the human body. Crystals amplify energy and can be programmed (e.g. computer chips and watches). Wearing jewelry made of crystals or gemstones can help increase your chakra energy. People often place stones under their pillows for better sleep. You can also hold the stone in your hand while meditating to increase the energy vibration.

Aromatherapy Smells can affect our energy, they have even been used in many cases to help recall a certain memory. Essential oils are the pure essence of the plant or flower. Essential oils have a vibration and energy. They can be used topically to heal wounds, some can be ingested, and all are wonderful in a diffuser. Just be careful to purchase high grade essential oils. Cheaper versions may contain toxins and less of the actual essential oil. Never apply directly to skin unless the label says it is ok. Tea Tree Oil can be placed directly on the skin; however, most all essential oils must be diluted with a carrier oil such as olive oil, coconut oil, or Jojoba oil.