Focus

Getting Grounded (earthing)

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Getting Grounded (earthing)The phenomenon of being grounded involves being centered, focused, embodied, and in better control of all your faculties. It is a helpful state of being for reducing anxiety, dealing with depression, and addressing trauma.

Walk in the Grass in Bare Feet!

What is it: Take off your shoes and allow the soles of your feet to come in contact with the sand, grass, rocks, soil, or even indoors.

Why it works: People who talk about the phenomenon of earthing describe the electron transfer between living systems and the electromagnetic field of the earth. They may sound a bit esoteric, but research does confirm the antioxidant effects of walking barefoot on the earth. Some of the additional benefits include stimulation of reflexology points on the feet as well as the articulation of the joints of the foot and the benefits of the massaging action of walking barefoot on the fascia and other tissues of the feet.

Walk inside with bare feet while its cold, but get outside with those bare feet when it warms up.

Forest Bathing

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Forest BathingWhat is it? Japanese name for this practice is Shinrin-Yoku. Distinct from hiking, forest bathing is a practice of simply spending time in nature without any agenda. You can be in a remote area or even a park or urban forest to experience the benefits. Find a spot you love that is easy to access and just go outside. Refrain from text messaging.

How it works – Proven stress-relief comes from spending unstructured time in nature. There is a growing body of research that confirms the benefits, which include stress-reduction, improved immune system function, and reduction in anxiety and depression.

My favorite places for forest bathing are Lake Michigan, and in the woods in the fall and winter when there are few people. What is your favorite place to “forest bathe”? I love to either walk mindfully or just sit in one spot. Give it a try…I bet you will feel a sense of peace and a clearer mind.

Peppermint Essential Oil from Young Living

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Peppermint Essential OilI love this oil because it helps me in so many ways. Keep in mind these are ways that Peppermint Essential Oil from Young Living has helped me. I am not saying that it will cure these issues – only how it has helped me with these issues.  I am not a doctor. That being said I use Peppermint for the following:

  • To help me focus or wake up
  • To clear up my sinuses from a cold or allergies
  • To calm my upset stomach
  • To help with bowel movements
  • To help with heartburn
  • To cool off on a hot summer day

I tend to keep a bottle at the office so I can open it and simply let it sit on my desk – open – for 5 minutes. This helps to clear up any sinus issues I may be having. I also like to do this in the afternoon when I hit that afternoon slump. Smelling Peppermint helps to wake me up and focus my thoughts back on my work. I’ll rub a drop or two of Peppermint Essential Oil from Young Living on my stomach when I am not feeling well or I am having digestive issues. I heard recently that someone puts one or two drops in their toilet before sitting down when they need to have a bowel movement.

I have also put one or two drops of Peppermint Essential Oil from Young Living under my tongue to help with heartburn. In the summer it is nice to have a spray bottle with some of the peppermint oil and water combined to help me cool off in the heat. If you try this be sure you do not spray this on your face or in your eyes. Lastly, Peppermint oil is one of the 3 oils I use from Young Living as support for my sinus allergies. I combine the Peppermint with Lavender and Lemon in a capsule with the Young Living V6 carrier oil.

If you are interested in learning more about any of the information in these blogs please feel free to contact me through The Hammock LLC.

Well, that is it for now. We will chat again later.

Melissa

How Essential Oils Can Enhance Meditation and Yoga Practice

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How Essential Oils Can Enhance Meditation and Yoga PracticeEssential oils are a great tool for deepening your meditation or yoga practice. One of the ways to help you enter a meditative state is to use essential oils that bring focus, clarity, relaxation, and connection. You can choose a single oil that your intuition tells you is perfect for you at this moment, or you can choose or create your own blends that help you relax. Because of their thousands of benefits, essential oils are able to stimulate deep breathing, therefore improving this aspect of your yoga practice.

The practice of yoga includes holding postures (asanas) and observing prana (life force energy) in the body to strengthen the connection we have to the energy flow in our bodies. Essential oils are known to aid in this process, and further support the practice of yoga through aromatherapy. The quickest ways to bring your body back into balance are through natural therapies such as Aromatherapy, Meditation, and Reiki.

Both meditation and essential oils help to stimulate the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. When paired together they do wonders for managing emotional wellness and releasing negative thoughts and feelings. The more these tools are used, and in conjunction with each other, the quicker we can stimulate the relaxation response when we find ourselves in a stressful situation.

Benefits of Different Essential Oils for Relaxation and Yoga

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Essential OilsHey there! So, there are many different oils you can use for relaxation and/or yoga. It really depends on the person. For some people smelling something that brings back happy memories is all it takes to relax. Such as Pine essential oil may be relaxing for you if it reminds you of the fun times you had when camping.

Some common essential oils for calming or relaxing are Lavender, Stress Away, Cedarwood, Peace & Calming, or Frankincense. You can simply put a drop or two in the palm of your hands and cup your hands over your nose and inhale slowly to enjoy the calming effect. You could also put some in a diffuser or on your wrists. My favorite relaxing oils are a combination of Joy and Stress Away. I have blended them together with some witch hazel to make a perfume out of them and have received many compliments on my perfume.

For yoga, you could use any of the calming oils or if you are interested in something to help you focus you could try some Peppermint. It is great for focus as well as many other things like upset stomach and clogged sinuses. If you wanted something uplifting you could try Orange, Joy, or Lemon. One way to use the oils while doing yoga would be to put some of the oil in a spray bottle with distilled or filtered water and spray lightly spray your yoga mat before starting. This way you can smell the oil every time you get close to the mat.

Well, that’s it for now. We’ll chat again later on.

– Melissa