Flower solutions

Finally, it is starting to look like spring. It is a little bit of light at the end of a long tunnel...and it gives me hope. And spring makes me think of flowers and flowers make me think of flower remedies and flower remedies make me think of Bach. Ahhh...Bach. See how my mind works? Anyway....many people use Bach Flower Remedies in their everyday lives. I am one of these people. Never heard of them? Go to www.bachflower.com and read up about them. They are readily available at health food stores...and I gotta tell ya..they really work. I use Rescue Remedy pretty often. If I am feeling anxious about something I will have a few drops of it. I also use Rescue Sleep..which is a spray that I keep on the nightstand and when I wake up in the middle of the night and my mind starts to mull over every stupid thing in life that I should be worrying about but don't really feel like worrying about because I want to sleep, I spray a bit in my mouth and I fall back asleep. I swear it works. I also use Impatiens sometimes. I used to use this in my old job a lot. I like what it says on the bottle: "helps you deal with slow situations or people with good humor rather than impatience or irritability." Now if there is one thing in life that I need...it's that!

So check them out. Anything that helps us decrease the nervous tension in our daily lives just has to be good, right?

Playing Possum

I was walking the dog the other day and saw a possum. Right there in broad daylight. I haven't seen a possum in a very long time, unless you count the dead ones on the road. Anyway, my dog was looking at him and thinking (because, yes, I do know what my dog thinks)"What the *&%# is that thing?" So we stood there and watched that possum for a long time. Here's what I thought about that possum. That possum was the ugliest thing I have ever seen. It's fur was sort of mottled looking, kinda checkered brown and white. And of course it had that rat tail that gives you the creeps. And that pointy face and red eyes. A seriously not good looking animal. But here's the thing. It was downright merry. I could almost hear it humming a little tune. I wonder what a possum would hum..... maybe "I gotta feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. And I thought..."good for you little possum! You don't care that you are hideous...and a bit thick in the middle." I mean, that possum was owning it ! So, like all good philosophers, I thought, "there is a lesson here." Be who you are. Even if you have a rat tail and a pointy face..be proud of who you are! That's what I liked about Napoleon Dynamite. Now he was a geeky kid, but he didn't care. He went on with his life as if he was the coolest thing ever. And he made it so. In the end he caught a delicious bass and got the girl.
So worry not about your imperfections. Go forth and be happy today!

Investment or luxury?

Many people view massage as a luxury...sometimes the ultimate luxury. But maybe we should look at it as an investment. An investment in our health, an investment in our relationships and an investment in, well...ourselves.

We tend to put ourselves on hold, don't we? "I don't need that." I think we do that because we view that massage is just for us...no one else....and isn't that kinda selfish? But really, if you don't have that ache in your shoulder that makes you just a little bit shorter to the people around you, isn't that going to help more than just you? If you address the sore muscles in your neck that lead to headaches, aren't you going to be more available?

Of course we all know the benefits of massage to our health; lower blood pressure, relief of chronic or, sometimes, even acute pain, increased range of motion, increased circulation and the list goes on and on. That should be enough reasons to want to invest in ourselves. But it's hard to measure how much this investment could save you in the long run. I get it. We have to measure things. Believe me...in my old job we spent a lot of time measuring everything!

So let's focus on what a good massage can do for you now. Every time I get a massage I learn something else about myself. This ultimately leads to feeling more content with myself, which I know helps me accept the imperfect world around me. It helps you be more aware of your body and how your emotions affect your physical body. It is an education that also just makes you feel better!

So, maybe you should get a massage today...or tomorrow. You get a lot for your money!

Seriously?

I was working on my friend last night (doing Reiki) and she said that when she reads my blog she "can't take it seriously." I started laughing. I told her that she isn't supposed to. Now, for sure, I know a lot of stuff, like I said in my first blog, I am not denying that. I think it is useful stuff, others would think it is completely useless and is taking up valuable space in my brain. Both are correct. One thing that I love about life is that it is basically just material (or fodder as my old lawyer friend used to say) for a good laugh. You know how they have "blue zones" where people tend to live longer than the norm? There are six main things that they all have in common: They put family first, they don't smoke, they rely mostly on a plant-based diet, they are physically active, they engage with people socially and they eat legumes. So, two of those...family and social engagement probably means they laugh. I know I laugh at my family and friends constantly and they laugh at me. So, what is my point? I don't know. I guess it is that health and wellness subjects do not have to be so serious. Drink wine with your family and friends and laugh at them. And you will live longer!

Oh, and this same friend is the person who inspired me to put taller legs on my couch so it is easier to get up. Most furniture is made for short people. This means that when you get up off the couch you feel like a fat, out of shape loser. Just raise the couch to a more normal height for you and, voila...you are not a fat loser anymore! I did not know that you can buy replacement legs for your furniture at Lowe's or Home Depot and just screw them on (well, in all fairness and because he will probably read this, I had my boyfriend do it)and it was easy! Just another perfect (?) solution for an imperfect world!

My dream

You know what I hope? I hope that through all this silliness about whether we should have government or private run health care, or whether our current administration is going about the health care bill keeping the constitution in mind, that we (the people) focus on how to STAY healthy instead of focusing on what the heck are we gonna do if we get sick. Now, of course, I know that we are all gonna die of something. And we probably will not see that coming (I hope), but I do believe that we can be doing more individually to stay healthy and feel better.

Everyone knows that emotional blocks can lead to physical ailments and disease, right? There are several ways to let that old emotional baggage go...and different things work for different people. There is plain old exercise, vacations, meditation, and so on. One of the best ways, that is, by the way super relaxing, is Reiki. Reiki is amazing at helping your body unblock what is blocked. The main thing that it does is help your body go into a parasympathetic state as opposed to the almost constant sympathetic state. Remember the "flight or fight" and "rest and digest" that we learned about the autonomic nervous system in, like the 8th grade? Well, remember back that to be in "flight or fight" all the time equals....STRESS! That stress keeps things blocked. Reiki is a great treatment for anyone, especially those that are stressed out or having trouble sleeping. Really, it is beneficial for anyone.

So, next time you feel like screaming about the health care fight...maybe you should try some Reiki! Now that's being proactive for sure!

Take care! Breathe!

Lee

the root of it all

I read somewhere yesterday that it is colon cancer awareness month. Well, let's make that even simpler and just call it colon awareness month. I love talking about the colon. Anyone that knows me knows this to be true. They say that all disease starts in the colon and that makes sense to me. Therefore, it must be very important to take good care of it and by taking good care of it I mean cleaning it out. Oh yeah. If you have never had a colon cleanse (or some call it a high colonic) you are really missing out. Stuff comes out of there that I am positive you do not want inside your body. Once you get past the "gross factor" it really is interesting.One time I lost six lbs in one day. Gotta love that. And I felt great!

Some people just cannot imagine going to a professional for this very personal thing. And I guess I can respect that. But remember that they are professionals and will make it comfortable for you in every way possible. However, if you just can't do it then there are several cleanses that you can do in the privacy of your own home. Research it and find one that does not use any chemicals and you will be better off for it. Then, once you have gotten rid of...oh so much..then you need to keep it flowing so to speak. Psyllium fiber is a must. You can find this in a variety of natural food stores, even Kirkland has a good product. If you do get backed up you can always drink aloe juice...which works wonders and is good for you in many ways. Also, if you drink chloroxygen in your water (couple of posts back) this will not be a stinky process at all!

Your colon is your friend, people. And like your friends, it wants your attention.

Rough morning?

You know how sometimes you sleep too much and you wake up with a sore neck and feeling really groggy? Well, here is the solution for that: hang upside down. Now anyone that has practiced yoga to any extent has tried a headstand. But I never liked to do a headstand where I put pressure on my neck. If you knew my neck you'd understand why. So what I do is get two matching chairs and put them face to face, so to speak...like in the picture. Then lean down facing the wall and put your head in between the chairs, resting your shoulders on the chairs, then push your hips up against the wall (your legs will follow) and voila you are doing a headstand that puts no pressure on your neck. Make sure you are as straight as you can be and if anything hurts, get down! Let your head just hang a few minutes, then come down in a controlled way. Believe me if I can do this anyone can. Really. Not only will this act as a gentle (and free) spinal adjustment, but it gets your blood moving (backwards at that!) and that helps your energy level and grogginess. That's my free tip for the day. Hope you like it!

48

So, I am 48 today. Yeah for me. When I say the number out loud it sounds bad. But I don't feel bad. Of course all my friends and family were telling me that I don't look anywhere near my real age, which, of course is just them being nice. But really, I feel the same as I have always felt. Except for being a little stiffer in the mornings when I wake up, I feel energetic and, well....good. Why is that? I am not in triathlon shape (or anywhere near that) and I am packing around a few extra lbs (just in case I get stuck somewhere without any food). I don't take any drugs and I like to exercise moderatly. I take glucosamine for my joints which, I think, helps. I put cholorphyll in my water too. I use Chloroxygen (that is the brand name) which helps build red blood cells and increases the amount of oxygen available to your cells. Check out a more thorough explanation at www.herbsetc.com . I believe it increases my energy level, it is good for my liver and it is a natural deodorizer. That is what I do, not to live longer, but to feel good while I am here. That is what I am interested in.
The one thing I wish I had an easy solution for is Coldstone Creamery Ice Cream cake. I just ate the leftover piece that my family brought over yesterday. So that makes two days in a row that I had some of the most decadent, fattening ice cream cake ever. Coffee Toffee. OMG....not sure the chloroxygen can fix that!

What not to do

Sometimes a solution is not what to do to solve a problem, it's what not to do, which avoids the problem altogether and there is no need for a solution. For instance, you should not eat bacon and pancakes and red wine and then go to bed. I learned this the hard way. I won't even go into how I got myself in this situation, but it really did not seem like that bad of an idea at the time. I, and the two others with me, have learned a hard lesson. When I woke up at 3:30 this morning and drank 2 qts of water and still needed more, I realized that it was a bad idea afterall. I woke this morning at 8 with a pretty serious bacon hangover. My two friends were in the same boat and yes, they did apologize for trying to kill me. Common sense can go a long way, but life is way funnier when you talk yourself into not listening to that little voice every once in a while.
Eat right, my friends!
Lee

feel better

Good Morning!

It's pretty easy to get stuck in the terribleness of our current economical situation. But then you see an old friend or you read something that inspires you and you remember that, really, things are the same. What really matters is the same. And we will all learn from this and not take things for granted. Right?
It's important to not stay stuck in the negativity. Do something to make yourself feel better. Of course it is different things to different people. It's usually simple and it's usually free or inexpensive. I saw Tom Hanks on Good Morning America this morning. I love him. He was talking about his new movie, The Pacific, I think. Which got me remembering about a book that made me feel better about our country. The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw. That book makes you feel better. Cooking a comfort meal makes you feel better. Massage makes you feel better. For my friend, Molly, changing the furniture around in her house made her feel better. Keep on keeping on. We can't stay stuck. In QiGong we learned to talk to ourselves. Whether it is a thought that won't go away, or a sore knee. Talk to it: say " I feel you sore knee. I love you knee. You have a little too much energy (chi) right now. You have the ability to heal yourself, now do a good job." Sounds silly....but just focusing on and acknowledging your "stuck places" can absolutely lead to clearing out that excess chi. Try it. Remember that your body wants to be healthy. It will respond to your directives. Have a good day everyone. Do one thing to make yourself feel better.

Lee

first common sense solution

So, the idea of this blog, besides giving me a place to vent, is to share things that have worked for me. I do not profess to know anything, really. I am not a doctor or a psychologist or any of that...blah blah blah. But I, like you, have had "issues" in my life that I have tried to deal with in the most common sensical (is that a word) and natural way possible. I really don't believe in going to the doctor and getting drugs for every little thing..and I think it is sick that the commercialism of drugs is so HUGE.

And times are tough. Times are really tough. Believe me, had I known that the economy was going to tank so badly I probably would not have quit my job and tried to start a small business. But that is talk for another day. In these tough times I think it is important to share cheap (or free) ideas to help people cope and just feel better! It's not rocket science. So I will start with the easiest thing ever. If you are feeling down, low, depressed, icky.....get up, put your shoes on and go for a walk. Preferably somewhere where there are no cars that can run you over. Try to go somewhere where you can hear yourself think. And leave the ipod at home. Just walk and be quiet. Take your dog if you have one. I guarantee you will feel more optimistic. After my husband died I would sit in my house and it felt like I could not move, I was empty. But I would make myself just walk out the door. And walk. And it ALWAYS made me feel better. I recently talked to a friend of mine who also lost her husband (just a year ago) and she walks about 50 miles a week. Wow...she is an over achiever. But I bet she would tell you that it keeps her from being completely and utterly depressed. So go for a walk. That is my simple suggestion of the day.
Lee

Perfect(?) Solutions

Perfect (?) Solutions for an imperfect world

That, among other things, is what I want to talk about. I know a lot of stuff. Really, I do. But my friends and family are sick of listening to the vast knowledge that is mine. So, I have to branch out and seek others to ignore me.

I changed careers recently from juvenile probation officer to massage therapist. I know, right? During all that I met some very interesting people. These people taught me things. Some good, some not so much. But it all helps, and hey, it's free. I will share these nuggets with you as my mood dictates. Sometimes (this is an educated guess) I will spew my opinions about what is happening in the world. Be warned. Anyway, it will be way easy for you to ignore me so I am not worried. When possible, I will credit the information that I am passing along to the person who I learned it from.

Since this is the first entry, and I am not positive it will work..I won't write too much today. Please go to my very new website www.leepetmeckymassage.com if you have a mind to. I need to figure out how to increase traffic enough so that Google recognizes me!

More later, I promise!

Lee