What Day Is It?

Vacation.

Isn’t it a great word?

Although it’s a verb, the word vacation doesn’t evoke action to me.  When I hear the word vacation I think about the air being let out of a balloon.  Or exhaling slowly.

I am in vacation right now and I feel blessed to be having one.  I am off-schedule, under the radar and very much unplugged, living in an alternate universe of sleeping in, eating and reading books whenever I want and not knowing what time it is.

Or even what day it is.  I haven't turned on the television in days.  What a surprise it was to log on to the internet and discover today is the first day of August!  

I work hard and enjoy working hard but at a certain point everyone needs to take a break from their daily routine and enjoy themselves.

As one of my friends said as we set up everything on the beach, “I didn’t think I needed a vacation until I got here.  Now I realize how much I needed one!”

Even writing this post is a stretch for me because my brain is resisting complete thoughts.

I hope everyone has the opportunity this summer to rest, relax and refresh!!

You deserve it!

Sleepy Time

I love the scent of lavender.  At the farmer's market near my office, a lavender farmer is one of the vendors and it is heavenly to smell the soaps, creams and oils he sells.  I knew you could cook with  lavender but I didn't know that it had secret sleeping powers.  Browsing around in one of my health books, I came upon some information that might help those of you who are struggling with getting a good night's sleep.

Grief can put your sleeping patterns into a netherworld of having an exhausted body but a restless mind that just won't slow down.  During this time, rest is elusive and you just want to sleep, sleep sleep.   Just when you need a restful sleep, you can't seem to get it.  Unfortunately, sleep deprivation produces a sharp decrease in seratonin levels, a key buffer against depression.

Maybe lavender can help.  Lavender is amazing because it is an herb with natural calming properties.  Some of you may already know this but I am just discovering that besides lavender's wonderful scent, it has long been used as a folk remedy to help people fall asleep  Researchers have found that lavender lengthens total sleep time, increases deep sleep and helps people feel refreshed. 

According to Dr. Alan Hirsch, neurological director at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, lavender oil is a safe and effective remedy for insomnia sufferers.  Dr. Hirsch suggests the following:

               --place several drops of essential oil of lavender on a cloth and leave it on your nighstand, or fill an electric diffuser with oil to disperse fragrance throughout the room;

               --grow your own lavender and keep a basket of flowers at your bedside;

               --make an herbal pillow filled with fresh lavender leaves and refresh the leaves every three weeks;

               --massage lavender drops on your temples to soothe headaches or migraines.

Relaxation is the key to sleeping well all the way through the night, not just an hour ot two.  Perhaps the scent of lavender can help you close your eyes and take you there.

In this fast-paced, 24/7, non-stop world that we live in, we all deserve a restful night of sleep.

Let's Get Physical

Steps behind the Lincoln Memorial

A healthy mind needs a healthy body. Or is it a healthy body needs a healthy mind?

Anywho, this past weekend was one great big package of fabulous weather so I took the ole bod out for some much needed exercise and it was great!  Any kind of exercise is always good but sometimes it's hard to find the time.  But when I do make time for it, I always feel thankful that I did.  In the beginning, I felt a bit like the tin man in "The Wizard of Oz," trying to stretch, warm up and get the kinks out of my muscles. Oil can please?

As much as I try to walk every day, I don't walk as much as I should and this year for some reason I feel particularly out of shape. I am from the "use it or lose it" school of exercise and I know that if I don't push myself to get going then I will find something else that will distract me from moving. Maintaining a certain level of energy and ease of movement has always been important to me and I don't take it for granted.

With my ipod charged up, I slowly walked for about 10 minutes and then worked myself into a gentle run. I probably ran for about a mile and I could have gone further but I didn't want to overdo it and wake up the next day with really tight and sore muscles. It felt so good to get the body moving and take in the fresh air and beautiful blooming flowers and trees.

Whenever I am feeling helpless, or as if my mind is running in a million different directions, I try to go for a walk or get on my stationary bicycle. I know that the act of moving helps me work through whatever I am trying to untangle.  If you're wondering why exercise is so beneficial, doctors say this is why:   physical activity releases endorphins, natural chemicals in your body that can enhance your mood, decrease stress hormones and improve sleeping patterns.  And that's not all.  According to Dr. Brian Clement, the body heals eight times faster when you exercise regularly!

Taking care of yourself is project number one and I hope this warm weather stays around to help me and you stay healthy, active and mentally postive.