Monthly Archives: October 2013

ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy living, stress reduction

Using Your Hands To Reduce Stress

Did you know that stress relief is in the palm of your hands or rather within your grasp? As the old saying goes “sometimes the answer is in your hands.” We have all heard of the various spa treatments that are aimed at relieving your stress. In fact many spas now offer 3, 5 and 7 day spa retreats designed to decrease your stress and improve your well being however I am here to tell you that you do not have to go to a spa or go on a spa retreat to relieve your stress, in fact you can do it everyday as often and needed and the best thing of all it is “free.”

 

 

I am so excited to share this with you because I know how much damage stress can do on the mind and body. When I work with a client, one of the first things that I do is an assessment on them. I take a look at every aspect that is important to my Ayurvedic assessment of the person. As part of my assessment I examine the hands. I look at the nails, the shape and width of the hand and I look at the fingers. I can tell a lot about a person’s wellbeing by doing this. The reason I share this with you is to help you to bring awareness to how fabulous your hands are, how much your hands say about you and your wellness status.

 

 

Because our hands are so important to us it only makes sense that we should be able to use them as healing tools for the body and the mind. By now almost everyone has heard of reflexology. Reflexology is a specialized foot massage focusing on various points on the foot that correlates to organs within the body and bodily functions. It is believed that when you massage certain points, that particular area of the body and be stimulated and if there is any blocked energy it is able to be released. If you have not had a reflexology treatment, I highly suggest that you do. Reflexology is not just a foot massage, it is so much more.

 

 

I mention reflexology as a way to let you know that it is not just for the feet alone. Giving yourself a hand reflexology treatment is a sensational way to relieve your stress and can be done just about anywhere. . In Ayurveda we believe that each finger represents one of the 5 elements as well as corresponds to a particular organ. For example, the thumb correlates to the element of ether and the brain. When the thumb is massaged it helps to balance the ether quality within the body and the brain. Below is a method that I use and share with my clients to help them stay joyful and calm.

 

 

The sequence outlined applies to each finger starting with the thumb. You can choose to do either the left hand first or right hand first, it does not matter. Just remember to follow the sequence for each finger on one hand before moving to the next hand.

 

 

1)    Start at the thumb. Very slowly pin the tip of the thumb with gentle pressure.

 

Then pinch the side of the thumb with your finger tips.

 

2)    Moving from the base to the tip, rub the tops and bottoms and then the sides of the thumb, using a vigorous back and forth motion.

 

3)    Next grasp the digit at its base and tug firmly with your opposite thumb and index finger, then loosen your grip slightly and move along the length of the digit to the tip, then release.

 

4)    Again using the thumb and the index finger of the opposite hand grasp the webbed between each digit. Tug gently for a couple of seconds, then release. Repeat for each finger.

 

5)    Now rest whichever hand you are working on palm down and use your opposite thumb to massage the back of the hand. Start by leisurely manipulating the knuckles and work downward.

 

6)    Turn your hand over and cradle your wrist inside and massage the inner wrist very gently with the opposite thumb.

 

7)    Next massage the palm, starting at the base of the fingers and working downward.

 

8)    Finish by pressing the opposite thumb deeply into the center of the palm of the hand that you are working on, holding the position for a few seconds. Let your hand hang by your side gently shaking it out and taking a few cleansing breaths before moving to the next hand.

 

9)    Repeat the above steps for each finger and then for the opposite hand.

 

 

This little hand reflexology treatment will do wonders for your mind and your body. You will immediately feel a relief in your stress level and your hands will feel great.

 

 

Wishing you much health and wellness!

 

 

Namaste,

 

 

Rochéle Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

 

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

 

 

I would like to share with you some more fabulous ways that you can relieve your stress.

 

You can pick them up here: www.freegiftsfromrochele.com

 

 

 

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ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

The After Glow

Have you ever noticed that when you come home from a vacation feeling relaxed and refreshed you seem to have a more radiant appearance? Taking a break from the stresses of everyday life isn’t just good for your health and well-being the effects can be seen all over your face.

It turns out that many of the things you do when you get away, like getting enough rest, exercise and stress reducing activities like yoga or meditation are the same practices that some doctors recommend to maintain the health and appearance of your skin. In Ayurveda, it is believed that the skin is a view of a person’s overall health and well-being. A lot can be discovered about the wellness state of an individual just by looking at a person’s skin.

You do not have to wait for your next trip to reap the benefits. Get radiant skin at home by adopting the good habits of vacation and indulging in a few at home spa treatments. Here are some vacation inspired indulgences for you to do at home.

  • Whether on vacation or at home, load up on colorful carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables. Researchers in Scotland measured the skin tone of people who added more fresh produce to their diets and found that their skin took on a warm golden tone, which was deemed more attractive. Eating antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables protects your skin from free radicals and sun damage.
  • Move your body whether it is on a yoga mat, a hike, a jog, a run or a swim. Regular exercise can brighten your complexion and improve the health of our skin. Movement stimulates the lymphatic system, which carries away waste products from your cells. Exercise increases micro circulation in your face, nourishing your cells.
  • Picture a peaceful place. Your thoughts can have a powerful effect on your appearance. Stressful thoughts and feelings trigger the release of biochemical signals from the brain, including the hormones testosterone and cortisol and pro-inflammatory signals that can incite acne, cause the skin to be more sensitive and more prone to infection and lead to blotchy skin tone. Practices that calm you and keep your stress levels in check- including focusing on positive, visualization and peaceful thoughts have the opposite effect.
  • Breathe freely. It might be the simplest beauty routine of all. Take a slow, deep breath. Deep exhalations clear stale carbon dioxide from the lungs and allow them to draw in more oxygen on the inhalation. This has an alkalizing effect on the body that can help promote growth of healthy skin cells.
  • Get your beauty sleep. Your cells respond to environmental cues such as temperature and light, in effect keeping time and following their own circadian rhythm. These cues can trigger important repair and regeneration processes that take place at night. While you sleep lower cortisol levels and higher growth hormone levels stimulate cell reproduction and growth. So turn off the electronics an hour before bed, dim the lights, and drink a soothing cup of herbal tea to ensure a good night’s sleep.
  • Cool off. Breathing in the scent of roses can soothe overheated or irritated skin. In Ayurveda, India’s ancient healing science, roses are viewed as the ideal for cooling and soothing an excess of the fire element or pitta. Rose is especially calming for the skin in the heat of summer when the quality of pitta increases. I suggest keeping a bottle of rose water on hand for those hot days. This rose water can be used to spritz your face, wrists, and ankles. For added cooling power brew a cup of fennel and dried rose petal tea. Cool it in the refrigerator and add a few drops of rose essential oil. Pour it into a mister, give it a shake and spray it on your face. For dry or blood shot eyes, soak several fresh rose petals in rosewater and place them over your eyes while you rest.

You now have the secrets to getting that radiant looking skin which I call “After Glow” without going on vacation. In fact your “After Glow” can begin as soon as you finish reading this and can last for the rest of your life. Happy Glowing!

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochele Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

www.rochelelawson.com

www.healthhealingwellness.com

http://webtalkradio.net/shows/blissful-living

www.freegiftsfromrochele.com

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Uncategorized

The Art of Successful Intention

How often do you set an intention to do something but you do not do it? How many times have you heard recently that setting intentions is the start to greatness in your life and it is something that you must do? The truth of the matter is that it takes more than just setting an intention to have the intention manifest in your life. It doesn’t matter if you say it to the cows come home, if you do not move forward to make it a reality than all it is are spoken words or worse yet words thought in the mind and not brought forth by verbalization therefore they have no energy.

Simply setting an intention is not a foolproof way to make your goals come true. If hidden reservations or unconscious agendas lurk under the surface of your mind, they can sabotage the arrow of your intention. That arrow of intention will not fly straight. This fact is true no matter what your intention may be. So at the beginning of an intentional process, it is important to face your own reservations, feelings of not quite deserving what you think you want, or simply unprocessed emotions. This allows you to bring to the forefront of the mind any baggage you’re carrying and anything that could subtly stand in the way of your intention.

Let me explain, you see that by acknowledging the thoughts that come to the surface of your mind around the intention you are setting, you are able to reconcile the fact that these emotions or doubts do exist within you and it is ok for them to be. It is when we get in the mode of pushing what comes to the surface down that we stagnate the energy and flow of our allowing the intentions to manifest. When these emotions or doubts surface don’t be afraid to explore where they are coming from and why it only when you do this that you are able to move forward and end the suffering of another failed “intention attempt.” Clearly there is a reason that the intention is calling the doubts and emotions to your attention so be kind and compassionate with yourself and for that moment, just be with all that is surfacing for you. And for goodness sake do not pass judgment on yourself at anytime during this process and have no regrets for allowing yourself to go through this process. It is a good thing for you to do.

Once you have acknowledged the doubt or emotion, give yourself time to feel happy and proud that you did not push the feeling down, that you stuck with it. This is a way to shifting the negative feeling to a positive feeling. The positive energy is what the intention feeds upon to fly straight. You will actually feel a sense of freedom from the release of the positive energy that is set forth during this process. I have found that when I follow the process of being at one with my intention, some positive, life changing events have occurred in my life.

Here are some suggestions for setting an intention that I have used and have shared with my clients that have worked fabulously and I would like to share them with you.

  1. Take time to consciously collect the words that you want to use to set your intention. These words should be positive with high vibration and energy.
  2. Write the intention down on a piece of paper or in a journal.
  3. Carry the intention with you for the day and pull it out often during the day to take a look at it and verbally state the intention out loud.
  4. I recommend doing this when you are alone.
  5. Each time you read the intention during the day infuse it with energy and vibrancy.
  6. After you state the intention, take a deep breath in and exhale it out and go about your day until the next time you pull out your intention to read it.

There is no set number of times that you need to read your intention and state it out loud as a declaration for the Divine to hear. Do whatever is comfortable for you. I do recommend to my clients to read it at least 8 times per day. That is what has worked best for me but do whatever works best for you as it should feel unforced and “right” for you.

At the end of the day before you go to sleep, state your intention one more time and give thanks to the Divine for allowing you to enjoy another day. Close your eyes and rest peacefully knowing that you have fueled your intention with the energy of success so that it may manifest in your life.

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochéle Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Host of “Blissful Living”

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