How to Relieve PMS

How to Relieve PMS

woman covering her face with her hands

In this post you’ll learn how to relieve PMS using natural methods. I’ll be sharing techniques that I have found helpful for alleviating the typical, often unpleasant symptoms of PMS.

What is PMT or PMS

PMT and PMS refer to the same thing. PMT is an abbreviation of premenstrual tension, while PMS means premenstrual syndrome. I will be using the term PMS just because I use this term more often, although I often feel that the word ‘syndrome’ makes this completely natural process of female body sound like an ailment or a disease.

Yes, it can be unpleasant, but it’s not necessary to stigmatise the specific time of the natural monthly cycle. It’s not something we should be fighting against, try to stop it, but rather fully accept it, adjust to it, anticipate it, allow ourselves to ease up a bit during that time, and learn techniques for alleviating the emotional tension and physical discomfort.

Tips & Tools for PMS Relief

Neurovascular Hold

This simple exercise helps restore calm and reduce the jittery feeling. Place your palm on your forehead, the other at the back. The master practitioner of energy medicine, Donna Eden, explains and demonstrates it here:

Mellow Mudra

The word Mudra comes from Sanskrit and means ‘seal’, ‘gesture’ or ‘mark’. Yoga mudras, practiced in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, are symbolic gestures of the hands and fingers. They facilitate the flow of subtle energies in the body.

The exercise ‘Mellow Mudra’  is a combination of the previous exercise (The Neurovascular Hold) and a mudra, which activates specific energy pathways connected to the emotions of ‘letting go’, and helping with the release of grief.

This posture will also help you become less reactive, which, needless to say, is much needed during the premenstrual tension.

Donna Eden is describing this exercise in the following video:

Triple Warmer Smoothie

This is a super-simple yet effective technique which help you relax, lower your anxiety, and help relieve tension from your body.

It is based on a backward-tracing a meridian that governs the fight or flight response. After doing this, you will feel Doing this will more centered, grounded, and relaxed.

The technique is presented by an expert in the field of energy medicine, Prune Harris.

Blow Out

This technique called ‘Blow Out’ will help you release the built-up chemicals of stress from your body. By doing this simple exercise you will be engaging three important energy systems which will assist you with getting rid of stress (and possibly even preventing illness, because a large number of illnesses are stress-related). You will find it in this video (which I’ve already inserted to show the Neurovascular Hold) from 3:20 onwards.

Balance Your Meridians (Energy Pathways)

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, hormonal imbalances during PMS can be improved by calming and refreshing specific energetic pathways in your body, also called meridians or channels.

This can be done by tracing the meridians with your hands, or holding specific acupressure points

Acupressure can clear the meridians of stale and toxic energies, ease the emotions as well as physical pain, and help the body return to a state of balance.

Donna Eden recommends focusing on a number of meridians during PMS.

For emotional problems such as stress, anxiety, sadness, and gloominess she recommends:

  • Calming (sedating) the Triple Warmer meridian
  • Strengthening the Spleen meridian

For the physical symptoms of PMS, she recommends focusing on the following meridians:

  • Kidney (for back pain)
  • Liver (for groin pain)
  • Stomach (for breast tenderness and cramps)
  • Small Intestine (for pain in the upper back combines with cramps)
  • Large Intestine (for pain in the lower back)
  • Circulation Sex (if your period is late)

Here is an example of how to work with your meridians:

If you experience tension or pain in your back during PMS or your period, a great way of relieving the pain is to sedate your Kidney meridian.

You may wonder how could a back pain be connected to the kidneys; This is because the kidneys have to filter more blood and hormones than usual and become full, overcharged and stressed, which leads to pain in the surrounding area.

So, sedating the Kidney meridian relaxes the kidneys by removing excess, tense energy, and provides relief to the nearby area – i.e. your back.  

You sedate the Kidney meridian very easily by holding specific acupressure points. I have described the procedure (and other useful techniques) in my post called The Kidney Meridian.

I shall gradually add posts devoted to all the other meridians, including their sedating and strengthening points, so watch this space! ;).

Vitamin and Mineral-rich Foods and Supplements

Studies have shown that certain vitamins and minerals can assist with easing PMS symptoms from mood swings, anxiety, or insomnia, to breast tenderness and water retention.

These are:

  • Vitamin B-6 – found in chickpeas, oats, bananas, tuna, salmon, poultry
  • Magnesium – found in nuts and seeds, avocado, bananas, green leafy vegetables, legumes and seafood

Limit Your Caffeine and Alcohol Intake

It is a good idea to watch out for caffeine and alcohol during that week when you are more sensitive. If coffee usually lifts you up and gets you going, it could make you edgy and anxious instead. If an alcoholic drink usually cheers up up or relaxes you in your non-premenstrual days, it can have the very opposite during the sensitive week, making you easily angry or depressed! I am talking about my own experience.

Your Body Wants to Relax

If you notice that you’re within the week prior to your period then it’s time to honour it. Allow yourself an indulgent hot bath with relaxing essential oils and candles. Curl on the sofa with a cup of soothing herbal tea and a good book or a nice movie. All these little treats are well deserved and necessary.

By easing off for these few days, you will become more aligned with the natural rhytms of your body, and you’ll enjoy regaining your full strength and activity twice as much when this passes.

Allow Yourself to Go Within

Also, if it’s possible, try not to schedule any full-on social events, parties, family visits, etc during this period, because you may not enjoy it as much as you would at other times. Your body is inviting you to go within, get more introspective and quieter – basically, spend more time with yourself than with others. If others see you as ‘grumpy’, let them do so. It’s important to get synchronized with your body and recharge your batteries, so you can spring back to your active, cheerful, and extrovert self again soon.

Last But Not Least…

Anticipate PMS – Ideally With Your Partner!

What I highly recommend (because it’s worked wonders in my case) is to set a notification in your calendar about a week prior to your anticipated period. This little trick has saved me a lot of unpleasant surprises and disconcerted guilty feelings about my sudden mood drops, and low states.

PMS alert

It is comforting to get assured that the bad mood it’s not ‘you’, but your fluctuating hormonal levels,  and if you learn to listen to your body, it will start ‘collaborating’ with you. For example, as soon as I feel that something is ‘not right’ in my world, that I feel on edge, irritable, or vulnerable, I look at my calendar and often get the reassurance I needed!

If you feel like, tell the people around you (the ones that may get most affected) that you happen to be in that sensitive week. Tell your partner about it.

The more open you are about this topic, the more you’ll be helping to destigmatize the ‘dreaded PMS’, especially if you treat the whole thing with humour.

Next time your loved ones see you burst into tears for seemingly no reason, they won’t think that they have done something wrong, but will know that a chemical storm inside you is to blame instead.

Your Own Experience

I hope you’ve found this post helpful. If you have any tips or ideas to share, do leave a comment below – I’d love to hear about your (or your partner’s, or friend’s) way of dealing with PMS.

BY LUCIE DUN

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20 Tips for Better Sleep

20 Tips for Better Sleep

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We all know how awful it feels to be dragging ourselves through the day when we are sleep deprived. In this post, I’ll be exploring 20 tips for better sleep. My sincere wish is that you’ll try to implement some of the ideas, experience a noticeable improvement in your sleep, and feel great during the day as a result.

Tip 1: Try to Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule

Many sleep experts say that the key to good quality sleep is a regular sleep schedule. This means going to sleep and waking up at approximately the same time every day. According to the ‘Sleep Doctor’ Michael Breus, consistent waking time is even more important than the time we go to bed.

Try to stick to it even at weekends, days off work, or if you work from home. This may seem rather restrictive, but I can tell you from my own experience that you will be doing a great favour to yourself. Your body will get used to the regular sleep-wake patterns and reward you with feeling really good during the day.

Tip 2: At Least 15 Minutes of Sunlight in the Morning

Exposure to the natural light in the morning will help you sleep better at night. Sunlight increases your levels of serotonin, a hormone associated with feeling happy, awake and focused. An interesting fact is that by the evening, this very same hormone, serotonin, is synthesized into melatonin, which is the hormone that regulates our sleep.

Getting exposed to daylight as early as possible contributes to good quality sleep. Try to get out in the morning even on cloudy or rainy days, because your body will still benefit from natural light, even if it’s not a sunny day. (I’m sure dog owners know about this alreday!)

Tip 3: Exercise

Regular exercise during the day is the best way to make you tired naturally and ensures quality sleep. Vigorous exercise is ideal in the morning.

Research has been made about the impact of exercise on our sleep quality. It involved three groups of people – the first exercised in the morning, the second at 1pm, and the third at 7pm. The group that experienced the best quality sleep was the one that exercised in the morning.

So, if you can, try to slot an exercise routine into your morning, or afternoon as a second choice. If you want to exercise before bedtime, gentle exercises like yoga, qi-gong or tai-chi will relax you and prepare you for rest without overstimulating your body.

Your exercise routine doesn’t need to be long. I do a five-minute routine, based on Donna Eden’s Daily Energy Routine, which sets all the important energy flows in motion and jump-starts your whole system. (You can watch a video of the Daily Energy Routine towards the end of this post, under Tip 18.)

I love this routine for several reasons: It’s an instant mood improver, it gives you energy straight away, and it also strengthens your immunity in the long term. So if you want to prevent colds, practice this routine every day. You don’t have to do the whole routine in one go; parts of it can be done even when you’re walking, going up the stairs, or taking a shower.

I also do a short set of yoga asanas, which you can check in my article on chronic back pain, under Point 4. I also use a rebounder, which gets my heart pumping in a few seconds of jumping. 

Find the style of exercise that suits you the best. Any kind of physical activity can improve the quality of our sleep, and not only that; by exercising in the morning, you are doing a huge favour to yourself on many levels. You’ll notice that your mood is better, your thinking clearer, you have more mental and emotional resilience, and you can concentrate for longer periods of time.

Tip 4: Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises can help you with falling asleep and improve the quality of your sleep. Oxygenating your body lowers your stress levels, which in turn strengthens your immune system and makes you feel good.

The following method, presented by Dr Andrew Weill, M.D., has been proven to help people with various sleeping disorders, such as difficulty falling asleep, interrupted sleep, shallow sleep, or insomnia.

The method is called ‘The 4-7-8 Technique’ and it’s based on yogic practice of breath control known as pranayama. Prana is a Sanskrit word for life force, and ayama for expansion, extending, restraint, control, or stopping. The whole word pranayma translates as ‘regulation of the breath’, or ‘control of life force’.

Dr Andrew Weil describes the 4-7-8 exercise as a ‘natural tranquiliser for the nervous system’.

Practising this method will decrease your tension and allow your body to relax, thus improving your sleep. Some people fall asleep in just a minute while doing this technique.

How to Do the 4-7-8 Technique:

  • Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth.
  • Let all air out first by exhaling.
  • Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of four.
  • Hold your breath for seven counts.
  • Exhale forcefully through your mouth for a count of eight, making a ‘whoosh’ sound.
  • Repeat this cycle four times.

In this video, Dr Weill explains and demonstrates the 4-7-8 technique.

How Often Should You Practice the 4-7-8 Technique?

For the exercise to be effective, you should practice it at least twice a day.

You can do it more often than that if you want, but never more than four breath cycles at a time. If you practice it regularly for at least a month, then you can increase the number of cycles to eight (but no more than that).

You can do the whole cycle more slowly than Dr. Weill presents it, depending on how long you can hold your breath. Ideally, your breaths should be slower than in Dr. Weill’s demonstration, but don’t force it if you are a beginner. You will manage to lengthen your breath through regular practice. The important thing is that you are comfortable when you breathe and when you hold your breath.

According to Dr. Weill, after practicing this exercise for 4 -6 weeks, you can start using this exercise for multiple purposes:

  • When you’re getting tense and feel you may overreact
  • When you experience cravings (nicotine, sugar, etc.)
  • When you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall asleep

Changes in Your Physiology

After 2 or 3 months or regular practice you will start experiencing significant changes in your physiology:

  • Your sleep will improve
  • Your heart rate and blood pressure will slow down
  • Your digestion will improve
  • Your blood circulation will increase (so if you’ve suffere from cold hands, they may start to feel warm due to improved circulation)
  • You’ll be much less susceptible to anxiety

According to Dr. Weill, the 4-7-8 Technique is the most effective anti-anxiety technique. He has successfully taught it to patients with severe forms of panic disorder.

As a reward of practicing this regularly, you may start experiencing a pleasant altered state of consciousness during the exercise. The results may not come instantly, but if you are diligent and practice it daily at least twice a day, you will experience noticeable results. It is the consistency that produces dramatic changes.

Even though it only takes 1 – 2 minutes twice a day, doing this regularly over the period of weeks or months changes involuntary nervous function and through that the physiology of the body.

Many diseases are rooted in the unbalanced functioning of the involuntary nervous system. By imposing rhythms of the breath on the voluntary system, these rhythms are slowly induced to the involuntary system – so over time we are able to change the function – or modify the activity – of the involuntary nervous system, and massively improve our health as a result.

I recommend trying the 4-7-8 technique right now following Dr Weill’s video, and then again in bed tonight.

Tip 5: Take Cold Showers

I’m sure some of you will refuse to even think about getting into cold water. However, cold water has been successfully used for hundreds of years to bring down fevers or as first aid for burns. Athletes often use cold showers or ice baths to speed up recovery after physical exercise. In the past, cold therapies were also used to calm patients with manic-depressive psychoses.

Here are a few examples of what exposure to cold can do for you:

  • Reset the nervous system
  • Decrease inflammation
  • Reduce swelling
  • Soothe sore muscles
  • Speed up metabolism
  • Improve your ability to focus
  • Strengthen your immunity
  • And, last but not least, improve the quality of your sleep!

Taking cold showers has been a game changer for me. I’ve got inspired by two amazing people: The ‘brain coach’ Jim Kwik, who has a cold shower as a part of is daily routine, and ‘The Iceman’ Wim Hof.

I am taking cold showers twice a day – after getting up and before going to sleep. Both times of the day have their specific advantages for exposing my body to cold.

In the morning it is a great way to wake up; while I’m taking the shower, I do intensive breathing, and several exercises from The Daily Energy Routine by Donna Eden (e.g. thumping my thymus to strengthen my immunity).

Cooling your body down promotes good sleep, so it is beneficial to have a cold shower in the evening as well, without stimulating the body with exercise.

If you have never taken cold showers before, and the idea just seems unbearable, start with a warm shower and finish with cold water. Deep, long breaths will help you feel less cold. You’ll soon start experiencing the fresh, liberating feeling that cold water brings, and feel fantastic afterwards! (You can tick it off as a first major achievement of your day!)

Water can cleanse more than just the surface. It is capable of cleansing your etheric energy field and flushing a good amount of negative energy from your body, which is, of course, another bonus for better sleep. (I recommend a beautiful book The Hidden Messages in Water by M. Emoto, which explores how molecules of water can react to energy, including your thoughts, words, feelings, and intentions.)

the hidden messages in water by masaru emoto

Tip 6 – Stop Caffeine by 2pm

Caffeine takes a long time to process. We are all different in terms of our ability to metabolise, but in general, caffeine can stay in your system for up to 10 hours. Therefore, be mindful of the time of the day you drink coffee or other drinks containing caffeine.

Personally, if I have a coffee at 1pm, I have difficulty falling asleep at 11pm. So, if I have a coffee, I prefer to have as early as possible – by midday at the latest.

Tip 7 – Stop Alcohol At Least 3 Hours Before Sleep

Alcohol can take several hours to metabolise. For example, a large glass of wine can take approximately three hours to break down, and a pint of lager between 2 to three hours. So it is a good idea to think of your sleep time and be aware of the time plan the time when you drink.

Tip 8: Avoid Sugary Foods and Refined Carbohydrates

We should be mindful of consuming sugar and refined carbs in general, but especially close to our bedtime. This includes biscuits, pasta, white bread, cakes, chocolate – anything containing sugar or processed carbohydrates.

When I was touring with bands, I often needed to stay awake at night (especially in countries like Spain or Italy) because we would often get on stage well after midnight. I ate a lot of sugary food and drinks to help me stay awake during the gig, and when I finally got to bed a few hours later, my heart would be racing and I would barely get any sleep.

However, you don’t have to go to bed on an empty stomach. In fact, it is not recommended. Feeling ravenous won’t do our sleep any good. You can have a light snack to feel cosy inside. I sometimes have a small bowl of oatmeal porridge, white yogurt, or a glass of warm milk.

Tip 9:  Don’t Sleep With You Phone on (And Near You)

This might initially be very hard for many of us. But if we take our health seriously, we should stop the excuse that we need to keep your phone on – often near our head – because of the alarm clock. One tends to wonder, how did people manage to wake themselves up before the advent of smartphones?

Mobiles and laptops not only stimulate the brain when we use them; they also emit blue light which sends your brain constant signals to stay active – a guaranteed way to insomnia. Even if you have your device further from your bed, if it stays on while you sleep, it will communicate with your body and stimulate it by radiation and blue light.

I personally keep my iPhone switched off and outside the bedroom. I use either a traditional alarm clock or my ‘ancient’ Nokia phone, which, to my delight, I can switch off completely and it will still come to life at the time I’ve set the alarm for. No iPhone or Android smartphones can do this amazing feat. You have to keep them on. I often wonder, how is it possible that our modern day super-smart phones are not capable of this simple function?

I hope the time when we see the link between the over exposure to man-made electromagnetic fields and our health and mental wellbeing will come soon. You can read more in my article Is Wifi Dangerous to Health?

Tip 10: Don’t Check Your Email or Social Media Last Thing Before Going to Bed

It goes without saying that you should not use your laptop, iPad or iPhone in your bed, unless you want to toss and turn wide awake most of the night. But even if your devices are located outside your sleep temple, make sure you don’t glare into their bright screens just before going to sleep.

From my own experience, checking email, Messenger, WhatsApp, and all the other social media notifications or feeds is one of the most stimulating things which can well prevent me from falling asleep. A lot of things you see on social media can also stir negative emotions, which will affect your sleep.

Whenever I switch my mobile before going to sleep, I try to resist looking at all the notifications on the screen. Sometimes I even disable my social media notifications altogether – at least when it’s getting late and I know that I should be winding down.

This leads to the next tip:

Tip 11: Make Sure You Are Relaxed Before Going to Bed

To ensure you’ll have a good quality sleep, aim to go to bed relaxed. You could spend 20 minutes relaxing on the sofa reading a book, writing a diary  – planner, listening to an audiobook, or going for a short relaxing walk. It is also nice to have little atmosphere enhancers prior to your bedtime, such as lighting a candle or switching on an essential oil diffuser.

Tip 12: Neither Relax nor Work in Your Bed During the Day

With the exception of the delights of love, your bed should be treated as a place for sleep only. Watching TV, or using your electronic devices, should not be done in your bed. It’s much better to train your brain to associate the bed with restoring your body, rather than mentally stimulating pursuits, otherwise you’ll find the natural act of going to sleep an onerous task.

Tip 13 – Don’t Keep Your Bedroom Too Warm

The idea of a warm bedroom might seem cosy, yet if we keep our sleep space fresh and cool, we’ll help our body get into a naturally hibernating mode much more easily. Ideally, we should have a window open at least a bit, to allow fresh air in, and stale air out. If the weather’s particularly cold, a hot water bottle by your feet can do wonders.

In the past, due to my dislike of being cold and my fear of catching a cold as a result, I used to sleep in several layers, which included a tracksuit and socks! No wonder I usually ended up feeling cold. Then I heard that the natural body temperature actually heats the space under the duvet much more effectively. I ditched all those North Pole expedition layers and never felt cold again.

Tip 14: Darkness

Having as little light as possible entering your bedroom can enhance the quality of your sleep to a great extent. This is because darkness encourages the brain to produce melatonin, the hormone responsible for helping us sleep. (And vice versa – light stimulates the production of serotonin, which is later synthesized into melatonin.)

An ideal scenario is to have light-blocking blinds or curtains (or both) which don’t let any outside light in. Wearing a light-blocking sleepmask can also improve your sleep considerably. I also believe that my brain is recognizing the act of putting a sleepmask on as a signal to go to sleep.

When buying a sleepmask, consider one important fact: The sleepmask has to be shaped creating a hollow space between it and your eyes, so that your eyeballs are free to move, especially during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase. Get yourself a good quality ‘3D’ sleepmask, similar to this one:

ergonomic sleep mask

Don’t fall for those bulky, fancy ones which will only put pressure on your eyes and prevent them from free movement.

Beware of Tiny Lights in Your Room

Even when you wear a sleep mask, beware of tiny lights in your room, such as the light from a fire alarm, or any other electronic device. Your skin will still absorb the light.

The memory expert Jim Kwik mentions an experiment, where a person sleeping in a completely dark room has a little light under his knee. The sleep-quality measuring devices, which were part of this experiment, proved that this light caused notable disturbance to the person’s sleep.

Tip 15: Sleep-Enhancing Aromas

I swear by sleep-enhancing oils, mists, and sprays.

Magnesium-containing sprays in particular are very beneficial, because magnesium, a vital mineral for the healthy functioning of our body, has natural relaxing properties. It is also great for aching muscles, so before going to sleep, you can spray it on your shoulders, back, wrists, etc.

When you first apply magnesium to your skin, it may tingle a bit, but it’s a useful signal from your body telling you that you don’t have enough magnesium. If you persist, it will stop tingling, which usually happens very soon.

My favourite, Better You Magnesium Oil Goodnight Spray, also has clary sage essential oil in it, which promotes lucid dreams.

magnesium oil for better sleep

Then comes the traditional lavender essential oil. A drop or two on your pillow (or a small cloth or tissue near your head) can enhance your sleep considerably. Or, if you have a bath before going to sleep, you can use a few drops in your bath.

A recommended way is to use a carrier oil (e.g. almond, avodaco, or hemp oil) and mix a few drops of oil in it. Then you pour the mixture in the bath, which will make your skin soft and lustrous while retaining the essence of the oil on it. 

organic lavender oil

You may also want to get a mixtire of essential oils for promoting sleep, such as ‘Wind Down’ essential oil mixture, which contains a blend of lavender, vetiver and clary sage.

ellia wind down essential oil
ellia wind down essential oil

Ellia.com also sell a wide variety of diffusers, which is another great way to fill your room with a relaxing aroma – something I do on a daily basis. I have one which I use at night before going to sleep. I usually fill it with lavender and other soothing essential oils. During the day, I use oils that uplift me and improve my focus, e.g. rosemary, grapefruit, orange, bergamot etc.

Tip 16: Sound Spas

Every parent uses soothing sounds to lull their baby to sleep; either by their own voice, or a sound produced by an electronic device. So why shouldn’t adults lull themself to sleep with soothing sounds as well? Research has shown that natural sounds are amongst the most effective sleep aids. The sound of the sea, rain, or a simple white noise can create the best sleep-inducing environment.

You can explore a vast range of sound spas and white noise devices on Amazon.

Sound Spas

Tip 17 -Natural Sleep-Enhancing Remedies

Another tried and tested method for improved sleep is using natural remedies and sleep potions.

The herb Valerian has been used in traditional medicine for many years. You can get products containing Valerian extract, such as sleep tablets called Kalms.

These tables are so popular because they don’t cause drowsiness the following day.

kalms valerian extract for better sleep

Another popular calming potion is Bach Rescue Remedy, which contains specifically selected calming flower essences. This homeopathic remedy comes in many variations. The original Rescue tincture, in a form of dropper, is used for feelings of general stress or anxiety, and contains five traditional flower remedies, preserved in grape alcohol solution: Rock Rose (against terror and panic), Star of Bethlehem (to treator shock), Impatiens (to bring down irritation and impatience), Cherry Plum (against irrational thoughts) and Clematis (to restore focus).

bach rescue remedy traditional homeopathic stress reliever

The RESCUE Night Spray, which is alcohol free and comes in an easy to use spray format, is perfect for enhancing your sleep. It contains the same flower essences as the original Rescue Remedy, with an extra addition of the essence of the White Chestnut essence, traditionally used to help the mind from unwanted, repetitive thoughts, so you can fall asleep more easily and enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.

bach rescue night spray

Tip 18 – Energy Medicine Techniques

Energy medicine is another field that can help you with sleep issues. We all are made of energy, and you can easily influence and shift your energies through simple exercises. I have selected seven techniques that are frequently used by energy medicine practitioners.

Brazilian Toe Technique

A simple but powerful technique based on gentle holding of acupressure points on one’s toes. Almost everyone drifts off when their toes are held correctly and for the required amount of time. You can read the full description of the technique in the post Two Simple Techniques for Deep Relaxation.

Connecting Heaven and Earth

Connecting Heaven and Earth is a good calming exercise that you can do just before climbing into your bed. Donna Eden demonstrates it in the video 6:44 onwards, as a part of The Daily Energy Routine that I have mentioned at the beginning of this post.

Expelling the Venom

This is an old technique from Qi-Gong. It releases tension and calms your nervous system. By doing this, you can release energy tied with many different emotions – from frustration, anger, shame, or guilt, to sadness or grief.

I recommend watching Patricia Janusz, who is an expert in vibrational medicine, showing the correct procedure:

The Crown Pull

Press the tips of your fingers into your forehead, and then drag them apart, all the way to your temples. Once you’ve reached your temples, shake your hands off.

Then continue a bit further up your head. To do this correctly, you can either follow Patricia Janusz from ‘Shift Your Life’ from the previous video, (1:00 onwards).

Smoothing Behind the Ears

In energy medicine, this exercise called ‘Triple Warmer Smoothie’. It is based on calming the energy pathway which is connected with the fight or flight response. Tracing part of the meridian backwards.

You can watch Donna Eden showing how to do this super-simple exercise:

Hold Your Palm on Your Forehead

There are many points on our forehead, which are connected to our nervous system. This super-simple act of placing your hand on your forehead will bring calm to your brain, thus helping you fall asleep better.

Watch Donna Eden demonstrate this technique at the beginning of this video:

The Mingmen Point

Mingmen point, also known as Gate of Life, is one of the most important points in Chinese Medicine. It lies about two inches below your belly button, but on the other side of your body – i.e. on your lower back.

There are several ways you can work with your Mingmen point to promote good sleep:

Place your hands on the Mingmen point and rub it vigorously to release energy, which will aid your sleep and prevent insomnia.

Or: Rub your hands vigorously and then place them on the point and let them rest there.

If it’s too uncomfortable laying your hands on your back while you’re lying, place your palms on your navel instead and imagine sending energy to the Mingmen point through your body.

Visualisation and imagining play a major part in the placebo effect, so don’t dismiss it as a hippy dippy nonsense. Our thoughts can be very powerful vehicles of energy and can help you heal your body as well as regulate your sleep.

If you have a partner or a child who suffers from insomnia, you can do this for them. Make them lie on their back, then rub your hands and slide them under their lower back. Hold your hands on their Mingmen point for a few minutes.

Tip 19 – Practice Meditation

One of the many benefits of regular meditation (together with stronger immunity, decreased anxiety, or even increase in your brain’s gray matter) is better quality, deeper sleep. Many people have reported that meditation has helped them cure their insomnia.

I’ve written about my own experience with meditation in the article The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Meditation. which includes a video of Russel Brandt describing what happened after he started meditating. Because of my own great experience with this ancient practice, including better sleep and needing less hours than before, I highly recommend trying it out!

meditation-levitation - Image by Benjamin Balazs from Pixabay

Tip 20: Try to Forgive  

“Don’t let the sun go down on your anger” are words by St Paul in his letter to Ephesians.

Unresolved disagreements can affect our sleep more than we think. Either by disturbing dreams or by shallow sleep, or both. Freeing yourself from negative charges you hold against other people is a crucial act for healing many areas in your life. It’s similar to getting rid of the poison in your body. As the famous quote goes, “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

You might even experience physical healing after you have profoundly forgiven someone.

In this video, the ‘father of motivation’, Dr. Wayne Dyer, speaks about how forgiveness dramatically changed the path of his life.

The next video shows the founder of Mindvalley, Vishen Lakhiani, talk about the scientifically backed power of forgiveness. (From 13:33 onwards.) 

How Is It Working For You?

I would be delighted if you let me know about your experience with sleep improvement. Have you already tried any of the ideas from this article, and if so, with what result? Have you got another tried & tested tip to share? Please let me know in the comments below. I wish you a great, deep sleep tonight!

BY LUCIE DUN

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How to Relieve Chronic Back Pain

How to Relieve Chronic Back Pain

back pain

Every one of us has experienced some form of short-term back pain, but for some of us, it is an ongoing, persistent problem. This article offers a number of tips on how to relieve chronic back pain and hopefully eliminate it.

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through my links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The full disclosure can be accessed here.

1) Using Magnets for Pain Relief

Magnets can be very effective tools for back pain relief, if used correctly. They have been successfully used by medical practitioners all over the world. They are frequently used in Chinese medicine, various forms of holistic therapy, and they becoming increasingly popular in Western medicine as well.

There’s no magic behind their successful use, just pure physics: Magnets have electromagnetic fields around them, which you can easily see when you place them near particles of metal. A shape depicting the magnetic field will immediately appear.

magnetic fields

Given the fact that we are also electromagnetic beings – we are made of energy like everything else in this universe – magnets can influence the flow of our energy.

If we suffer from pain, which often means there is over-accumulated, stuck energy in our body, the North polarity of the magnet can draw the excess energy towards itself, thus alleviate our pain.

Vice versa, if we need to improve our circulation or speed up the repair of a broken bone, we can use the South polarity of a magnet, which disperses and amplifies energy.

It is very important to use the correct side (polarity) of a magnet according to our condition. For pain, we generally use the North polarity.

round silver colored analog watch next to compass

You can test a magnet’s polarity with a compass. The North polarity of a magnet is always south-seeking, so if you place one side of a magnet near a compass and see the south end of the magnetic needle (usually painted white) being attracted by it, it means that you are pointing the magnet’s North polarity to the compass.

Keep moving your magnet around the compass to make the needle follow it, so you can be double-sure about the correct polarity. If you’re pointing the Soth polarity of a magnet towards your compass, the north end of the magnetic needle (usually painted red) will turn towards it.

You can mark the North side of your magnet, e.g. by engraving ‘N’ into it, or using a nail varnish to mark it. Once you know which side of the magnet is the North polarity, you can use it for pain relief.

According to rules of Eden Energy Medicine (which I study), the North side of a magnet should not be attached to your body for longer than twelve hours.Whenere you feel hat the pain has gone, you should remove the magnet.

With the South polarity (which is amplifying energy and stimulating growth) the magnet should be on the body for much shorter time – 30 minutes only. This is because if someone has a cancerous growth and keeps a South polarity of a magnet near it for long, it could encourage the cancer cells to grow.

As this post is about pain relief, I’ll be concentrating on the North Polarity (South-seeking side of the magnet).

What Kind of Magnet is Safe to Use?

The magnet should be quite weak. Magnets that are stronger than 1000 Gauss could be harmful to your system.

You can get safe and still very effective magnets in Chinese medicine stores or on the internet. Amazon sells a set of therapeutic magnets that I have personally tried and can recommend. You can find them in the Health & Wellbeing Products section of this website.

small magnets for pain relief
small magnet for pain relief

To use, apply the plaster with the magnet on the area of strained or pulled muscles – for example, stiff shoulder, upper or lower back, around the knee etc.

I recommend reading customers’ reviews so you can see that these tiny magnets can be very effective for pain relief.

ceramic magnets

Another option is to tape a round ceramic magnet over the painful area. Although sold as a science toy for children, these magnets can also be used for pain relief therapy, as they are not too strong. They are frequently used by energy medicine practitioners.

Just tape one of the magnets over the painful muscle – but make sure the magnet is placed North side down. You can test this by putting the magnet near a compass. The North side of the magnet should attract the south end of the compass’ needle.

Back Up by Nada Chair

2) Block Therapy – Fascia Decompression

Block Therapy is one of the most intriguing self-care methods I’ve ever come across. In Block Therapy, you lie on a therapeutic tool called the Block Buddy for at least three minutes in various positions in order to decompress your fascia adhesions throughout your body. Fascia is a tissue netting all over our body, and it often becomes frozen and rigid, causing a whole number of health problems.

The Block Buddy is made from Bamboo, because, unlike artificial materials like foam or plastic, it shares a similar density to our bones. Using gravity and body weight, the Block Buddy is able to sink deeply into the tissue and address the root of your issues – such as chronic pain, inability, to lose weight, premature aging etc.

Increased Oxygen Absorption

The pressure of this Bamboo brick brings increased blood and oxygen into the area, warming the connective tissue and “melting” fascia adhesions and knots. You need to breathe diaphramatically while using this tool.

When you practice diaphragmatic breathing, you increase oxygen absorption up to 6 times the amount compared to breathing through the muscles of the upper chest. The combination of increased oxygen, the freeing of fascia adhesions, correct posture and alignment form the basis of Block Therapy. Check this amazing method out at www.blocktherapy.com.

Also, I recommend watching this amazing testimonial video by the founder of Block Therapy (also referred to as Fluid Isometrics), Deanna Hansen.

3) Supporting Your Back

Maintaining a correct posture is vital for preventing back pain, but it is impossible to always remember to stand or sit with our back straight. The good news is that nowadays there are plenty of devices that can provide proper support for the back, and simultaneously diminish pain caused by stress or bad posture.

Back Up by Nada Chair

Back-Up: A Simple Device for Back Pain Relief

There was a time when I suffered from intense pain in my back because of the frequent carrying of heavy musical equipment.  The pain would often last for a number of days which seemed like an eternity.

A great discovery was thus a simple-looking, yet surprisingly effective accessory called Back-Up. It was made by a company called ‘Nada Chair’, who holds the World Chiropractic Alliance’s endorsement, and I now understand why!

‘Back-up Nada Chair’ supports the lower back, helps with maintaining correct posture, and diminishes back strain.

Back Up back support by Nada Chair

It can be highly effective for people suffering from chronic back pain, aching back muscles, pregnant women, or anyone who spends considerable time sitting. But what sparked my interest in particular was the fact that it has even been used by NASA astronauts.

You can read my review of Back-Up Nada Chair here.

Back Up back support by Nada Chair

4) Using Back Massagers

A good-quality back massager can provide considerable relief of your back pain without the side effects of medication. They must not be used on slipped discs or any type of injury that may worsen by external pressure, but they are ideal for chronic back pain or aches caused by strained muscles or stress.

A back massager will reduce your back pain by:

– stimulating the skin, muscles and ligaments and encouraging healthy blood flow into the area

– relaxing stiff and tightened back muscles

– dispersing stuck energy (which is often a major cause of pain)

What Type of Massager Is the Best?

There are plenty of variations of back massagers on the market, so it is a good idea to take some time to decide which one would be suitable for your specific needs. The most popular and effective are hand-held massagers and massager chairs.

I have both a hand-held massager and a massage chair, because both types have their own advantages.

backnobber hand-held massaging device

The Backnobber

One of my best discoveries in terms of hand-held massage devices has been an S-shaped tool called The Original Backnobber II. Despite its funny name, it is one of the best tools for self-massage. It is designed for deep muscle therapy and it surely does its job. I always take it with me in the car when I have a long drive ahead of me and use it during my breaks. Stimulating my back muscles makes me less tired and prevents my back from becoming stiff after the drive.

The Backnobber is very easy to use: You simply hook this S-shaped tool over your shoulder, or sideways (to reach your lower back), and use its leverage to apply deep pressure the points of your choice, mainly in the muscles of the neck, shoulders or back. You can find out more from my review, where I describe my favourite ways of using this tool.

backnobber hand-held massaging device

You can split the tool into two parts, which makes it easy to carry and store. 

Watch the manufacturer’s video with an explanation how the Backnobber works and what benefits you’ll experience by using it. 

If you like the features of The Original Backnobber II, and think you may find it useful, try it out and then let me know in the comments under this post how it’s working for you and what your favourite techniques are.

Finally, don’t forget to check my review of the Backnobber. It is full of tips on how to use it effectively, and I’ve also included quite a lot of customer reviews, both positive and negative – which is always worth checking out before you make a purchase.

Percussive Therapy Massager

If you’re looking for a mains-powered held-held device than I’d highly recommend getting a percussive-therapy massager. Percussion is more powerful and effective than just ordinary vibration. The difference between percussive and vibration massage therapy is that percussive therapy can reach about 60% deeper into the muscle than the standard vibration massagers.

The device I have and can fully recommend is called Hangsun Percussion Massager. You can read a review of it here. 

hangsun percussion massager

Spinal Flush

A handheld percussion massager is perfect for a back-massaging technique used in Energy Medicine. It’s called Spinal Flush, and it’s incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating.

However, you can do Spinal Flush even if you don’t have a massager –  just use your hands and apply firm pressure. Find out more in my article Two Simple Techniques for Deep Relaxation where I describe the procedure, and where you can also watch Donna Eden showing the technique in a video called  ‘How to Connect with Your Partner Using Energy medicine‘. It’s really worth learning! 

Easy Lounge Shiatsu Massaging Lounge Chair

Massage Chair

If you like a complex, luxurious style of massage with a number of massaging variations, optional vibration, and heat, a massage chair is an answer. I have a massage chair from Homedics and it’s a hit with every visitor of ours.

Most Homedics massage chairs offer several functions such as kneading shiatsu massage, or tapping percussion. You can usually select your own massage style, or have a pre-programmed massaging variation.

Perfect Touch Masseuse App-Controlled Massage Cushion with Heat by Homedics

You can get a deep neck, shoulder and back massage, and select from several different massage zones and spots, with optional heat function. 

   Gentle Touch Gel Deluxe Shiatsu Massage Cushion with Soothing Heat

You can choose from a wide range of Homedics massagers in their Amazon store.

Wherever you prefer a hand-held massager or a massage chair, both types are highly beneficial for your health and, needless to say, they make brilliant gifts. (I can still remember my parents’ expression when they tried their first massage chair!)

5) Yoga and Stretching

I believe that regular yoga or general stretching practice may help with getting rid of chronic back pain altogether. I would recommend the following asanas and exercises:

The Cobra pose

Cobra pose in yoga

The Bridge Pose

bridge pose in yoga

The Candle Pose (Shoulder Stand)

candle pose in yoga

Downward Dog

downward dog pose in yoga

Connecting Heaven and Earth

donna eden connecting heaven and earth exercise

Connecting Heaven and Earth is an age-old practice that has been depicted in ancient texts. It is brilliant for easing back pain because it allows old energy to leave, whole filling the body with new energy, and offering a great stretch at the same time. You can see how it is done in this video of Donna Eden’s Daily Energy Routine. (You will find it from 6:44 onwards.)

6) Tapping

Tapping, or EFT, (an abbreviation for Emotional Freedom Techniques) has been proven to help with a large number of issues like stress, anxiety, fear, depression, anger, trauma, and phobias, but also with physical pain. It has been successfully used for treating both chronic, and acute back pain.

Although there are still many people who have never heard of it before, the effectiveness of EFT is helping to make it an increasingly popular and scientifically verified therapeutic method. Over 100 clinical trials of EFT have been published in peer-reviewed medical and psychology journals.

The Science Behind Tapping

Tapping is applied by tapping your fingertips on specific acupressure points on the body, through which a signal is sent to the areas of the brain that are in charge of the ‘fight or flight’ stress response. This process often allows the body to relax and heal from both emotional and physical issues.

The clinical psychologist David Feinstein, Ph.D. is one of the practitioners who has been using EFT for years, and with great results. He is the author of  The Healing Power of EFT & Energy Psychology, co-written with Donna Eden and Gary Craig, the original founder of EFT.

Another highly-respected researcher in this field of EFT is Dawson Church, Ph.D. He’s the author of a number of books about tapping, such as The EFT Manual, a book is based on Clinical EFT, a method validated in a large number of scientific studies.

Can EFT Help with Back Pain?

A large number of back pain sufferers who have been using EFT have reported quick shifts after using this technique. Through EFT, people suffering from pain can often identify the emotional root causes of their pain. It then helps them to make small adjustments, which often produces surprising results.

Apart from The EFT Manual, Dawson Church has also published EFT for Back Pain, a guide filled with the stories of many people who have experienced the benefits of tapping for their back pain and associated emotional problems. The book teaches the basics of EFT, and how to apply them.

eft for backpain by dawson church

Nick Ortner, an EFT expert and founder of The Tapping Solution’ is the author of the book The Tapping Solution for Pain Relief, which addresses many forms of pain, back pain included, and contains plenty of success stories. The book got endorsed by Tony Robbins with the following words:

“If you are in chronic pain, I suggest you choose this book and follow the programme inside. Nick’s results with helping people relieve chronic pain speak for themselves. It’s that simple.”

the tapping solution for pain relief

In this video, Nick Ortner talks about EFT for pain relief and demonstrates the tapping process. Check some of the comments below his video (on Youtube), where quite a few people have shared how it’s worked for them. It’s rather exciting to read these testimonials.

7) Use CBD – a Natural Compound of Hemp

CBD (cannabidiol) is a chemical compound found in the cannabis (hemp) plant. Products made from CBD have been used to help people relieve pain, relieve stress and anxiety, and help with their sleep.

One of such products is the ‘Freeze Roll-On Pain Relief’ by ‘Just CBD’. The pain-relief cream is made with full-spectrum hemp-derived CBD, which has been known for relieving pain and inflammation.

roll-on opain relief gel by just cbd

The ‘Freeze Roll-On’ cooling cream has a lot of positive reviews; below is a screenshot of the first few pages. (You can check all of them on the product’s page. )

You can find this roll-on as well as other pain relief creams and gels on the JUST CBD website, under ‘CBD Topicals’.

CBD-gel reviews
CBD-gel reviews
CBD-gel reviews
freeze roll on pain relief cream review

8) Sedate the Kidney Meridian

An interesting approach to relieving back pain is to use the Traditional Chinese Medicine method for sedating your Kidney meridian.

You may be asking “What on earth have kidneys to do with back pain?” The answer is, if the meridian (energetic pathway) that goes through your kidneys becomes overcharged and stressed, it will lead to pain in the surrounding area.

Sedating the Kidney meridian will relax the kidneys by removing all the excess, stuck energy and provide relief to the back.

You can sedate the Kidney meridian by holding specific acupressure points. I am describing the procedure in my post called The Kidney Meridian. (Just look up “Sedating Kidney meridian” in the list of contents on the page.)

Kidney Meridian by Wellcome Collection

Let Me Know About Your Favourite Technique

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the list of ideas for combating back pain. As I’m writing this, I’m wearing my ‘Back-Up’ back-support and enjoying the sensating of being able to relax and keep my back the straight and strong at the same time. I’m glad I could share my favourite devices with you here, and hope that you too might find them helpful.

If you’d like to share your experience, please leave a comment below. I’d be so happy to hear if any of these techniques have worked for you. I would also appreciate it if you let me know about any other effective techniques or gadgets that you have found effective.

BY LUCIE DUN

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10 Things to Do When Feeling Down

10 Things to Do When Feeling Down

10 things to do when feeling down

There are many degrees and shades of not feeling good, from bad mood to serious depression. The latter requires professional treatment, but there are many things to do when feeling down in the ‘common’ way, and considerably improve one’s state of mind. This article explores a variety of ways to come out of those low states.

Explore a Variety of Techniques

We are all different and that’s why I have selected a range of different techniques and approaches, so you can choose a technique that resonates with you. I would recommend exploring all the techniques, comparing their effectiveness, and decide what works for you best. I use a mixture of all these techniques, according to a specific situation.

Feeling Depressed for No Reason?

It’s hard to count how many times in the past I asked myself: “Why do I feel depressed for no reason?” Generally, I perceive myself as a joyful person with almost childlike curiosity about life and fascination by the beauty of creation, but because I can reach such internal highs, feeling truly ecstatic, I can also get seriously down, to the point of self-destructive thoughts. And often there is no clear reason for such states.

I have long acknowledged and accepted this fact about myself, but I have also decided to work on it. I’ve made myself a promise that if I find myself feeling low, I won’t feel guilty for having these emotions, but I will make an effort not to stay in such states for long. I want to systematically work on strengthening my emotional resilience. That’s why I have researched many different ways that would help me spring back from the dark places very fast, and which I could then share with others.

Below is a list of ten techniques or concepts that I have found helpful, and which I frequently use to feel good and keep the low states of mind at bay. I hope that you will find some of them helpful too.

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through my links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The full disclosure can be accessed here.

martial_arts

1) Change Your Physical State

There are many ways to improve our emotional state by changing our physical state. In this section, I will describe four different approaches.

When I feel generally low and demotivated for no obvious reason, I follow the techniques that the ‘motivational guru’ Tony Robbins often uses during his talks and seminars.

These techniques are meant to change your physical state, alter your brain chemistry, and consequently improve the way you feel. You’ll basically trick your brain into thinking that you’re happy when you feel the very opposite. Your brain will then release some feel-good chemicals, which will result in improving your mood, and your day may be saved from being a near-failure into a day with a new perspective, filled with inspired, meaningful action and sense of connection with everyone.

Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins

It takes some will to get yourself to do anything when you’re miserable, but there’s nothing more rewarding than knowing you’ve overcome your worst self and conquered your own mind. Just like The Buddha said –

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles.”

angel statue

Strike Some Power Poses

Our posture and body language affect how others perceive us, but – and much more importantly – it also affects how we perceive ourselves. Tony Robbins believes that assuming a confident posture even when we don’t feel confident can increase feelings of confidence in the present moment, while in the long run it positively impacts our chances for success.

To sum up:

Our physiology can change our minds.

Our minds can change our behavior.

Our behavior can change our outcomes.

These points have been a subject of many studies, including a Harvard University study conducted by Dr. Amy Cuddy, whom Tony Robbins often quotes during his talks and events.

The following two simple techniques that Tony Robbins shows in the video further down are known as ‘Power Poses’. They’ve also been explored in Dr. Cuddy’s academic paper published in Psychological Science.

The first Power Pose is done by standing straight with your shoulders back, and placing your hands on your hips, and remaining in this resolute, ‘Wonder Woman’ posture, for up to two minutes.

This should help you feel more clear-minded and decisive.

wonder woman

The second technique is based on the theory that making an expansive posture helps people (and animals!) feel more powerful. Expand and raise your arms upwards as is you were shouting “Hooray!”

expanding_pose

In fact, saying “Hooray” to yourself can make the technique even more effective. (Even if you start with a genuinely sour, resentful face!)

Do this three times and notice how you feel afterwards.

This is one of my favourite techniques, because if I’m feeling low or grumpy and try to do this, the sheer absurdity of it makes me laugh, and I know I’m on my way from my misery.

You can check one of Tony Robbin’s motivating mini-lessons on breaking your negative thinking here:

You can also visit his website and glance through all his personal and professional development programs here: https://naturegrooves.com/tony-robbins-programs.

rebounder

Vigorously Move Your Body

A very simple and effective way to improve your state of mind is to move your body. This will change your physical state instantly. Dancing is one of the best ways to trigger joyful, liberating feelings and diminish the bad ones.

Whenever I think of dance as a way of freeing the mind from all troubles, it makes me remember several poignant scenes from Zorba the Greek. However, for most people, it’s impossible to force themself to dance when they’re feeling low (unlike Zorba, who was able to transform any misfortune, deep grief included, into a wild dance).

If dancing is the last thing you’d think of when you’re in a miserable place, I’d highly recommend getting a rebounder and try some jumping instead. I find it incredibly helpful when I feel down; the flying movement, without having to develop much effort, always lifts my mood.

Or, if I feel angry, jumping helps me to get rid of excessive energy. It feels as if I am literally shaking all the bad thoughts off. After all, we are made of energy, and emotions are just various forms of energy. Energy sometimes over-accumulates or gets stuck, making us feel out of sorts, but fortunately we can influence energy by movement. (Hooray!)

Jumping on a rebounder gets the lymph moving, which helps remove toxins from the body, toxic thoughts included.

getting a back massage

Have a ‘Spinal Flush’

Spinal Flush is a simple, but very effective massage technique that I’ve learned from Donna Eden, the renowned energy medicine practitioner and teacher. It is based on pressing the areas about an inch outward from your spine, in a downward movement.

Massaging your body can considerably improve both your physical and emotional state, and Spinal Flush reduces a large amount of your accumulated stress and emotional tension by ‘flushing’ the built-up toxins away.

This technique can be a very welcome treat for women experiencing PMS, and for anyone who feels down in the dumps or is simply tired. I can guarantee that after several rounds of Spinal Flush you will feel considerably relaxed and rejuvenated.

I have described the Spinal Flush in more detail in the article Two Simple Techniques for Deep Relaxation, where you can also watch a video of the charming Donna Eden and her husband David Feinstein demonstrate this technique. It’s very well worth learning if you want to give your partner or friend a big treat!

donna-eden-holding-neurovascular_points

Donna Eden and David Feinstein

Hold the Neurovascular Points on Your Forehead

You can change your physical state and shift your emotions with the following simple technique, also taught by Donna Eden. It involves holding the two frontal eminences on your forehead. They are known as the neurovascular points.

When you are stressed, a large amount of blood flows into your muscles to help you ‘flee the enemy’. Your brain doesn’t know it is only a stressful thought. Holding your neurovascular points will cause the blood flow back to your head and restore calm.

The technique is simple: Put your one hand over your forehead and the other hand over the back of your head, while thinking of something that bothers you.

By doing this, you will be redirecting the blood flow back to your brain, because the electromagnetic fields of your hands can influence your blood flow and draw it towards them. Bringing the blood back to the head will teach the ‘fight or flight’ system of your brain to respond in a calm way, rather than perceiving your every stressful thought as an emergency-trigger.

You can watch a video of Donna Eden showing this technique in my article How to Relieve Stress and Anxiety. You may also try the fun kinesiology-based experiment with lifting the kettle, described in the article. Children love this experiment!

contentment

2) Internalise That You Are Enough

When I notice that my confidence and self-esteem are plummeting, and my mind is haunted by images from my youth when I felt bullied or belittled by some of my peers, I listen to the renowned British psychotherapist Marisa Peer (pun purely coincidental). She has developed a unique method partially based on autosuggestion and hypnotherapy, which can ‘rewire’ your mind to free you from old patterns of self-sabotage and negative thinking.

In her talks and workshops, Marisa Peer highlights the following three points:

1) The common denominator of all our emotional issues is that we don’t feel good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, wealthy enough, talented enough…in short: We don’t feel we are enough.

2) The major cause of depression are the harsh, hurtful words you say to yourself.

3) Your own praise is more effective than praise from anyone else.

The main aim of Marisa’s work is to us fully implement the belief that we are enough. Under her guidance, many people have experienced deep healing from the grip of their subconscious mind and limiting beliefs.

If you’d like to learn more about her method, you can watch her free masterclass.

I Am Enough Marisa Peer

3) Observe The Voice in Your Head

I often notice that there’s a voice in my head which is making a list of all the things I should worry about. However, the very fact that I manage to notice it is good news. In the past, I would not actively notice the voice; I used to think that I was the voice – and that had caused me to feel bad far too often.

As soon as you learn to recognize the anxious, negative self-talk, you are on your way to freeing yourself from it. You will be able to savour the present moment and become a much more content person.

This concept forms a large part of the teachings of the spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, the author of The Power of Now, which has been crucial for helping me gain better control over my thoughts and emotions.

His teachings, closely related to Zen Buddhist philosophy, are based on realizing that the constant voice in our head, which is often negative and criticising, doesn’t have to control the way we feel. He teaches how to recognize this ‘background noise’, observe it, and act from the point of conscious presence and stillness, so the judgmental, self-criticising inner banter no longer controls your emotional states.

Eckhart often talks about the liberating power of the present moment. When we are fully present, we cannot be really worried, stressed or anxious because these emotions are caused by ‘too much future’ in our heads. Likewise, when we are fully in the Now, we can’t be wallowing in guilt, regret, past grievances and resentments.

Realising this has been groundbreaking for me. Whenever I feel overcome by worries, I read a few paragraphs from his book, or listen to his talks.

Here are a few of my favourite qutoes from Eckhart’s teachings:

“Focus your attention on the Now and tell me what problem you have at this moment.”

“Do not be concerned with the fruit of your action – just give attention to the action itself. The fruit will come on its own accord.”

Negativity won’t survive in your conscious presence.”

“Anything you accept fully will take you into peace.”

“You cannot have an argument with a fully conscious person.”

You can find out more about Eckhart Tolle on the page Resources, where, along with his book The Power of Now, I list some of his teachings and talks, available as audio downloads. This includes Enlightened Relationships, Transmuting Suffering into Peace, The Joy of Being, or The Great Western Classics – Eckhart’s reflections of the writings of famous philosophers and mystics.

Remember: Try to not to lose yourself in the voice in your head. Instead, be aware of it, don’t feel bad about having it, just observe it like you would observe someone else. And from that position, have compassion towards ‘that person’, pause for a second and become aware of the stillness and space of the present moment.

If you practice this awareness and presence, you will start experiencing a sense of deep inner peace, and won’t be thrown by external circumstances as much as before. You’ll be building your internal foundations on a rock, and not on the sand, as described in the famous parable from the Gospels.

juggling

4) Take some ‘Kwik’ action

Whenever I feel that I need to improve my memory, think more clearly, or boost my overall productivity and motivation, I listen to podcasts of the ‘brain coach’ Jim Kwik. Jim is a memory expert, who has taught memory techniques and learning strategies to thousands of people, including top personalities in sports and entertainment, such as Will Smith, Jim Carrey, Oprah Winfrey, or Richard Branson.

Despite all his achievements, Jim remains a humble, incredibly nice person. I love his approach and warmth. I have attended several of Jim’s courses and coaching live calls, and every time I’ve done so, things have move forward in my life. This is because Jim motivated me to take the required action.

His personal story is very touching. As a child, he suffered a head injury which left him with learning difficulties, especially in the area of memory and reading. He was called by one of his teachers ‘The boy with the broken brain’.

However, because of his love of super-hero comic books, his ‘inner warrior’ didn’t allow him to waste his life away, wallowing in self-pity. He took his handicap as a challenge, and he decided to develop a learning method – not for what to learn, but how to learn. 

Will Smith with Jim Kwik

Now Jim speaks in front of thousands, teaching memory-improving methods to learn and retain information. He can memorise over one hundred names or numbers and repeat them backward. He doesn’t do these ‘super-brain’ feats to show off, but to demonstrate that if a ‘boy with a broken brain’ can, then everyone else can radically improve their cognitive abilities.

Jim is discussing his learning methods and strategies in his book ‘Limitless’, which I highly recommend. The book is available from Amazon where you can read the first few chapters for free in the Look Inside’ section. It includes the moving story of his childhood.

Learning New Skills Increases Happiness

Now back to the title of this section. By ‘taking Kwik action’ I mean several things that Jim recommends to make us feel better about ourselves, while improving our cognitive abilities. One of them is learning new skills, which creates new neurological connections in the brain.

Learning a new skill will naturally make you feel better about yourself. That’s why I’ve included this section in this post as one of the strategies to overcome low states.

One of Jim’s favourite activities to keep the brain sharp is learning to juggle. Absolutely anyone can do that – because even I have learned it. All it took was following a step-by-step tutorial and a bit of consistency.

jim kwik juggling with lemons

Jim Kwik

In my article ‘Learn to Juggle for Your Brain Health’, I’ve included a short video of my first juggling attempts (needless to say, rather laughable), but the same video shows a considerable improvement a few weeks later.

The article also includes a step-by-step video tutorial by a professional juggler Coach Bob. To me, it is one of the most comprehensible tutorials for beginners. I learned to juggle by following the video in about two to three weeks.

I highly recommend you give it a go – it’s so uplifting to realise how easy it is to learn something new if we practice just a little, but frequently. And, to get back to the main point of this article, when you fully focus on doing something, you can’t feel miserable at the same time!

Meditating Frog Garden Statue, 6 Inches

5) Meditate

I used to view meditation as a practice for highly spiritually evolved people only. When I went to India as a volunteer in 2004, I tried it there, but I just couldn’t concentrate. I made the conclusion that my mind was too busy for this kind of thing, and forgot all about it.

Only years later I began to learn about the many benefits of meditation, such as slower process of aging, lower levels of cortisol, better sleep and needing fewer hours of sleep to feel fully rested, increased sense of well-being, becoming much less edgy and reactive…the list goes on.

After learning about all these benefits of meditation, I decided to give it a go again, and I am so glad I did! Meditation has been one of the best things I’ve ever committed to as a regular practice. I’d thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Recharging with meditation15 Minutes!

Regular meditation practice can make measurable changes in our brains, resulting in greater emotional resilience and feeling of contentment and inner peace, even if our life circumstances are unstable or adverse.

Research has shown that deep meditation can cause our brains to release a number of highly pleasurable neurochemicals. One of them is anandamide, a neurotransmitter also known as ‘the bliss molecule’ because of its similar effects to THC – the active ingredient in cannabis. 

As we keep cultivating these pleasurable states on a regular basis, they eventually become traits. We won’t just experience short term-happiness which is dependable on external circumstances, or other people making us feel good; the positive changes will be hard-wired into our brains, becoming stable and long-lasting.

You will find out that more people are drawn to you because your peaceful presence will make them feel good. And this can be seen as a gift to others – you are contributing to the world by spreading good vibes.

You can read more about meditation, and my own experience with it, in my article ‘The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Meditation’. It includes a description of how to meditate, and a video of a meditation teacher’s talk at Google’s headquarters. Yes, meditation is becoming a productivity tool as well, apart from just a ‘bliss-drug’!

sitting silhouette at sunset

6) Practice Visualisations

The founder of the online learning platform Mindvalley, Vishen Lakhiani, teaches a visualisation technique which is believed to increase our levels of happiness, and improve multiple areas in our lives. He speaks of six areas that are important to have, in order to live a balanced and happy life:

  1. Love and Compassion
  2. Gratitude
  3. Peace
  4. Vision
  5. Sense of control
  6. Feeling supported

Vishen has implemented all the six areas into a visualisation technique that he calls ‘The Six-Phase Meditation”.

I prefer to call it a visualisation rather than meditation, because the type of meditation that I practice is based on doing nothing with my mind, not engaging in any mental activity, including visualisations. This gives my body a deep, healing rest, and all the other benefits mentioned in my article about meditation.

However, I do practice Vishen’s visualization technique daily – usually after I’ve done my deep meditation. It is a powerful technique that is well worth trying and observing its effects during the day.

The visualisation reflects the six areas mentioned above, and is divided into six parts. The goal of the visualization is to enter a state of mind that allows you to clearly see and feel each area, such as gratitude or forgiveness. This should lead to improvement in multiple areas in your life, including better relationships, increased productivity, clearer goals, and gaining new insights that may help with manifesting your dreams.

The Six-Phase  Visualisation comprises of:

  1. Compassion
  2. Gratitude
  3. Forgiveness
  4. Visualising our future
  5. Visualizing our day ahead
  6. Blessing

Let’s look at forgiveness as an example.

A famous quote says:

“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

Getting rid of negative charges you have inside you towards other people who may have wronged you is a highly important act to heal multiple areas in your life. It’s really like getting rid of the poison in your body. You may even experience physical healing after you have profoundly forgiven someone.

Vishen Lakhiani has studied, taught and successfully practiced the ‘Silva Method’, which is a technique developed to get your brain into an Alpha state, and which is said to improve your performance and productivity. Vishen claims that when he used to work as a salesman, that after actively practicing the Silva method, his sales had doubled.

I have not tried the Silva method yet, but I believe that by practicing the 6-Phase Meditation (or visualisation) you can also enter an Alpha state.

I fully recommend watching Vishen’s interesting and witty talk he gave in Dublin. It’s called  ‘A 15 Minute Mind-Hack to Massively Enhance Your Brain Power and Emotional State’, and in this talk, he addresses the whole Six-Phase Meditation in detail. You can watch it here:

7) Try EFT Tapping

EFT is an abbreviation for Emotional Freedom Techniques. It is also known as Tapping, or ‘acupressure for the emotions’. In clinical use, it is referred to as ‘energy psychology’.

Tapping can often rapidly release the emotional impact of stressful or traumatic life events. It has been used by a considerable number of clinical psychologists and therapists who apply this method when treating war veterans and people with various kinds of trauma or phobias.

Although EFT is still an unknown method for many, it has been successfully used by a huge number of people all over the world, and it is perceived by many as one of the most successful psychology self-help techniques ever. Thousands of people have shared how EFT has helped them with issues like stress, anxiety, fear, anger, depression, trauma, or even physical pain.

The process of EFT is done by tapping your fingertips on specific pressure points on the body which are connected to the meridian lines (energy pathways). This sends signals to the part of the brain that controls stress, and leads to restoring emotional balance.

Three EFT Experts to Learn From

One of the best researchers in this field is Dawson Church, Ph.D., the author of The EFT Manual. The book is based on Clinical EFT, a method validated in dozens of scientific studies. More than 100 clinical trials of EFT have been published in peer-reviewed medical and psychology journals.

You can read a free sample of the EFT Manual in Amazon’s ‘Look Inside’ section.

The clinical psychologist David Feinstein, Ph.D. (who you might have noticed in Point 1 with Donna Eden) is another therapist who has been using EFT for years. He is the author of The Healing Power of EFT & Energy Psychologyco-written with Donna Eden and Gary Craig, the actual founder of EFT.

the healing power of energy psychology by david feinstein, donna eden, and gary craig

The third EFT specialist worth mentioning is Nick Ortner from the The Tapping Solution’. He and his sister Jessica are the presenters of the ‘The Tapping World Summit’, an annual online event where they interview dozens of EFT experts, neuroscientists, and holistic healing practitioners.

Nick Ortner is the author of the book The Tapping Solution for Pain Relief, which got endorsed by Tony Robbins, Dr Christiane Northrup, De Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield, and many more. 

the tapping solution for pain relief

I have devoted a whole section to EFT tapping for pain relief in my article ‘How to Relieve Chronic Back Pain’, which includes a video of Nick Ortner demonstrating the tapping process. If you suffer from any physical pain, I do recommend watching the video and give tapping a try.

Apart from helping people relieve their physical pain, Nick Ortner has also developed special tapping programs dealing with specific areas of life that are often the major cause of feeling down or depressed, such as a bad financial situation or problems with weight.

You can download Nick Ortner’s eBooks dealing with these topics and try the tapping process yourself.

If you’d like some guidance with removing limiting beliefs about money and success, and experience how tapping works at the same time, download Nick Ortner’s eBook and try it out:

103 Disempowering Beliefs About Money and Success and How to Eliminate Them – Free eBook

Or, for tapping for weight loss and body confidence, which is an area governed by a whole scale of emotions, you can try the following guide:

103 Disempowering Beliefs About Weight Loss and Body Confidence and How to Eliminate Them in Minutes – Free eBook

8) Use Essential Oils

Apart from their well-known abilities such as decongesting respiratory system, cleaning and nourishing complexion and hair, or even repelling insects, essential oils can have a noticeably uplifting or calming effect on your state of mind.

organic lavender oil

This is because our sense of smell, known as an olfactory system, is closely linked to the part of our brain that regulates emotions.

Lavender is known for its calming, relaxing effect, rosemary improves concentration and sharpens the mind (it is great for studying or writing articles!) and frankincense can act as a mild antidepressant.

For a large range of 100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils, you can visit Ellia’s Essential Oils, where you will find single note essential oils, essential oil blends, carrier oils, roll-ons, aroma diffusers and more.

relaxation calming blend of essential oils

You can search for your ideal oil by its characteristic – e.g. calming, comforting, energising, grounding, motivating, etc. Or by scent – e.g. citrus, mint, floral, or herb & spice.

Learn About The Ayurvedic Use of Essential Oils

If you would like to gain a deeper understanding of how your olfactory system works on your mind, emotions, and biorhythms, you can attend a free 60-minute online workshop with a renowned botanical expert, David Crow.

The Ayurvedic Use of Essential Oils Event with David Crow

In his free video event, David talks about essential oil healing methods based on Ayurvedic principles.

You’ll learn about the different Ayurvedic energy types, and how to determine the best essential oils for your body type.

You’ll also learn about specific ancient recipes for enhancing and relaxing your mood, as well as strengthening your immune system and help with skin problems or respiratory issues by decreasing inflammation.

shrimp risotto dish

9) Balanced Diet – Eating Well, And Enjoying it!

Being happy with your body leads to good self-esteem and feeling good in general. Having a balanced diet with sufficient nutrients fuelling our body is crucial for the way we feel. I don’t know anyone who would fuel their car with the wrong type of fuel, but I know quite a few people who regularly do this to their bodies, which backfires on them by having low energy and excessive weight. Many of them try to lose weight with all sorts of diets, only to regain it all soon after the diet’s end.

I’m not a fan of this approach. I am happy with my body, and I never feel I am restricting myself in my diet. In fact, I can get quite indulgent while still keeping my ideal weight.

I’ve recently come across an interesting weight loss and nutrition program with a fun name ‘Losers Welcome’. Their approach resonates with me, because it represents my own approach to food: Include high-quality nutrients in my meals and make them fully enjoyable at the same time.

Losers Welcome - Weightloss and Nutrition Programme

What’s interesting about ‘Losers Welcome’ is that their meal plans are inspired by technology derived from NASA. Check out their welcome video where the fitness trainer Victor Costa explains the following: In order to be happy with your body and reach the desired weight, you don’t have to go on a drastic diet and forget about your favourite foods.

With Losers Welcome, you enter your favourite foods (even pizza or ice-cream!) and based on this information, the team will create a nutritionally balanced menu including your favourites. You’ll also get access to an online fitness training program, including yoga classes if you wish.

This non-restrictive approach really appeals to me, and if I start gaining more weight, I’ll definitely sign up with their program. If this is something that might interest you, visit Losers Welcome page for more information.

Buddhist gift store Buddhagroove

10) Give an Inspiring Gift

It may sound very simple, but it is a well known fact: The act of giving increases our levels of wellbeing. It helps us to defocus from our own issues and seeing someone else happy (especially because of us) will increase our own happiness.

Here are my favourite quotes about giving:

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ―Anne Frank

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” ―H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ―Winston Churchill

“For it is in giving that we receive.” ―St. Francis of Assisi

Give an inspiring gift – to someone else but also to yourself – and you’ll notice that perspective of your day will be enhanced with new meaning. A ray of light will shine through your soul, and your inner colours will gain a warmer tint. (At least this is how I feel after giving a present!)

Lavender Sachet Trio, Made in the USA

Buddha Groove Gift Store

For inspiring gift ideas, you can visit my article about Buddha Groove, an online gift store with stunning gemstone jewellery and decor, home and garden accents, and many other soul-uplifting items such as Tibetan singing bowls. The page includes a 6-minute video from Nepal with a fascinating demonstration of the healing properties of singing bowls.

The cute meditating frog near the section about meditation (point number 5) also comes from Buddha Groove. A great smile-generator to be placed in the window!

Buddhist gift store Buddhagroove

Inspiring Books and Audio, Courses and Events

If you would like to give an inspiring book, CD, online event, or even a retreat, visit Sounds True, a multimedia publishing company whose mission is to spread spiritual wisdom. You can browse through their large store of books, eBooks, audio, video, courses, trainings, and even spiritual retreats. Amongst their authors are Michael Bernard Beckwith, Wayne Dyer, Donna Eden, Marianne Williamson, Eckhart Tolle, Pema Chödrön, Mooji, Caroline Myss, and more.

The topics include psychology, health and healing, yoga and movement, conscious parenting, mindfulness, meditation, or shamanism.

sounds true publishing

Another website worth visiting is BetterListen!, where you can browse through a large number of inspirational audio downloads divided into categories such as health, wellness, relationships, psychology, personal growth, philosophy, spirituality, or science.

Featured authors include Marianne Williamson, Mark Hyman, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ram Dass, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Bernie Siegel, Jack Canfield, Bob Proctor, etc.

logo of betterlisten audio publishers

Experiment and Share

Now you can explore these techniques, choose your favorite ones, and apply them according to your needs. I hope you will find some of them helpful and beneficial as I have done, and that you will share them with others.

Questions or Comments?

Should you wish to ask about anything in this post or contribute with any other tips, do leave a comment below. I’d love to hear about your experience with these techniques, and any others that have worked for you.

BY LUCIE DUN

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The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Meditation

The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Meditation

Meditating Frog Garden Statue, 6 Inches

What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘meditation’? A lot of people see it as a way of spiritual discipline, but have you ever heard about the psychological benefits of meditation, such as increased productivity? Or physical benefits like better sleep? Or, have you been, like me, rather unclear on how to meditate, and why meditate in the first place?

In 2016 I was going through a stressful period caused by my worries about Brexit and my uncertain future in the UK as an EU citizen. I went to see the doctor about my anxiety and panic attacks, and she ‘prescribed’ me a guided meditation app. I gave it a go and quite enjoyed it, but I felt I was too fidgety to be able to practice it regularly; my mind was just too busy to fully utilize this tool. I thought I had to slow down the stream of my excessive thoughts in order to enter that deeply relaxed state of my mind, and although I wanted to, there was never the right time and space to do that.

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through my links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The full disclosure can be accessed here.

Why We Don’t Meditate

To my mind, the most common reasons why people don’t meditate are the following two:

1) They are simply not interested – they don’t have a reason or don’t feel the need to meditate. (If they realised what they were missing, I suspect it would be a completely different story!)

2) They are interested but are convinced that they wouldn’t be good meditators, because they are either too busy and don’t have time, or they can’t force themselves to sit still and empty their minds. I belonged to this category.

What’s Changed My Concept of Meditation

My first closer encounter with meditation was through the rock legend Arthur Brown, when I played keyboards in his band, ‘The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’. (More in the article ‘My Musical Journey‘.) During one of our in Germany, he told me about his meditation practice. The idea that meditation and rock’n’roll could complement each other was not new to me – take George Harrison or Donovan, for example – but knowing a meditating rockstar personally motivated me to learn more about the ancient practice. This wild man, who could set a stage on fire (sometimes literally) was always full of incredible energy and inner radiance and needed to sleep less than the rest of the band. I was starting to see that his regular meditation practice somehow played a part in this, although I couldn’t yet fully figure out how exactly.

One of our wild gigs with Arthur Brown, 2009

My second (and most important) encounter with meditation happened in November 2019, when an upbeat New Yorker, a former Broadway actress Emily Fletcher, appeared in my Youtube playlist. She was giving a presentation at Google, with a provocative title ‘Why Meditation is the New Caffeine’.

The way she spoke about meditation was different than what I’ve seen around so far. To my surprise, she was describing meditation as a productivity tool rather than a monk-like discipline, best done in quiet temples or caves.

I was intrigued by the fact that a woman with an air of a highly driven entrepreneur and looks of a catwalk queen was so passionate about meditation, and that she wasn’t delivering her talk at a hippie retreat, but at Google headquarters.

The meditation technique Emily teaches is called ‘Ziva Meditation’ (Ziva is a Sanskrit word for ‘bliss’ ), and it is designed specifically for high achievers.

Her clients include executives at global corporations like Google or Barclays, NBA players, Oscar winners, CEOs, entrepreneurs, busy parents – simply anyone who wants to boost their productivity and gain more hours in the day while having more energy.

One of the things that caught my attention was when Emily mentioned that meditation gives your body with rest which is from 2 to 5 times deeper than sleep. This sounded a bit far-fetched to me at first, but when I noticed her work has been praised by a number of neurobiologists, I became more open to what she had to say. Sleep was exactly the area of my life that needed improvement; I had never felt fully rested and refreshed if I had less than nine hours of sleep, so I decided to explore her work further.

When Emily said: “We meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation“, I got curious: How exactly could meditation be affecting one’s life?

I thought meditation was ok for temporary relaxation, to make one feel a bit better for a while, perhaps with the help of a mindfulness app or the calming sound of Tibetan singing bowls, but how could it improve things in one’s life in general?

As I checked Emily’s website and read through the testimonials of her students,  I realised that I was about to discover something powerful. Her meditation technique seemed to improve people’s lives on multiple levels.

One testimony title, written by a financial expert, read:

‘It’s like a shot of espresso without the anxious jitters and the crash.’

Another, by a nurse practitioner:

‘If I could prescribe ONE thing to every single patient who walks in my door it would be: Learn meditation.’

And finally, from a pen of CEO:

‘Ziva blows all other meditation trainings away.’

 Emily’s talk ‘Why Meditation is the New Caffeine’

Harvard University Research

I checked what other sources said about meditation and found out that in the 1970s, medical researchers at Harvard University began studying the effects of meditation on human body.

They discovered that during the practice of meditation, a process called ‘the relaxation response’ starts happening in the body, and this is what gives the body deep rest that is deeper than the rest we get from sleep.

They also found that through regular meditation that deep rest accumulates in our body over time, and this deepening reservoir of rest results in the many benefits of meditation, including stronger immunity, decreased stress, healing from old traumas and a sense of inner wellbeing.

What Is (And What Isn’t) Meditation

First of all, let’s clarify what meditation isn’t, and this might surprise (and hopefully encourage) quite a number of people:

Meditation is NOT about trying to clear one’s mind or stopping one’s thoughts. In Emily’s words, “the mind thinks involuntarily in the same way your heart beats involuntarily”. Having involuntary thoughts during meditating is a completely natural part of the process; in fact, the more effortless it is, the better.

So what IS meditation? Meditation, as Emily Fletcher defines it, is accessing a verifiable fourth state of consciousness.  It is a state which is different than waking, sleeping or dreaming, and which can be verified (measured) by EEG equipment.

When practiced regularly, meditation will start removing long-term accumulated stress from your system, strengthening your body and mind. What’s particularly nice about meditating is that soon after you get into the state of surrender, you’ll be able to feel your body flooding with a whole range of bliss chemicals. 

Get High on Your Own Supply

Amongst these main pleasurable neurochemicals, providing you with elevated emotions and higher states of mind, are:

Dopamine

When people use cocaine, it is not the actual drug that causes the instant high. It’s because cocaine causes a build-up of dopamine—which then gives rise to euphoria and creates a rush of energy, which at that moment seems eternal.

Similarly, THC, the main psychoactive component in marijuana, stimulates neurons in the reward system, causing them to release high levels of dopamine, which causes the user to feel euphoric.

Serotonin

Serotonin causes a feeling of euphoria, happiness, and well-being. This feel-good hormone binds with the same receptor as psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms.

Both serotonin and dopamine are alkaline in nature, and an alkaline body can repair itself more quickly. It is also a well-known fact that cancer thrives in an acidic environment, and can’t survive in an alkaline and well-oxygenated environment – both of which meditation provides.

Nitric oxide

Nitric oxide is a molecule responsible for vasodilation – widening of the blood vessels, which increases circulation and lowers blood pressure – the best protection against a stroke!

Anandamide

The name derives from the Sanskrit word ananda, meaning ‘joy, bliss, one of the highest states of being’. Anandamide makes me recall the name of the legendary yogi Parahamansa Yogananda. (The name consists of Yoga = Divine union, and Ananda = Bliss.)

Yogananda is the author of ‘Autobiography of a Yogi‘, a spiritual bestseller held dear by many – i.e. Elvis Presley, George Harrison, or Apple’s former CEO Steve Jobs, who ordered 500 copies of the book for his own memorial service.

Anandamide, a neurotransmitter also called the “bliss molecule” for the role it plays in happiness and mental well-being, is one of the most important endocannabinoids in our body. Endocannabinoids are biochemicals produced within the body, and they bind to cannabinoid receptors.

THC, the main psychoactive component in marijuana, also binds to these same receptors, and can induce feelings of unity with all that is, elation, pure happiness and peace – but we can induce the same feelings by own internal production of anandamide.

You can increase anandamide by exercising, spending time in “the zone,” (when you are in the workflow, experiencing that slight trance sensation) eating high-quality chocolate (such as my favourite Ombar), and, of course, meditation.

Oxytocin

Also known as ‘bonding hormone’, oxytocin is a naturally occurring compound that acts as both a hormone and neurotransmitter.

It stimulates the production of the bliss molecule anandamide, so by increasing oxytocin, you’ll also increase anandamide.

Oxytocin is naturally released during giving birth, increasing the mother’s bond with her newborn baby, or sexual climax.

On a daily basis, we can increase production of oxytocin by physical touch, hugs, massage, yoga, and meditation.

Why Do People Take Drugs?

The answer couldn’t be simpler – people take drugs to feel better.

Too many of them don’t realise that they can get intoxicated with their own internal neurotransmitters and hormones.

They can evoke those high states in their brains by releasing all these highly pleasurable neurochemicals, without the side effects of addiction and physical and mental damage.

Meditation can save you both the cash and health. You’ll notice that once you’ll start meditating and experiencing all these elevated emotions, you’ll soon become less reliant on external substances to give your mood a boost.

You’ll find yourself gradually cutting down on sweets, cigarettes, coffee, alcohol etc., without making you feel restricting yourself in any way. The reduced need for all these will come completely naturally. In my case, I’ve experienced a surprisingly reduced need for caffeine and alcohol, the two substances that were such an important part of my daily life for years.

I wish all this would be taught in schools one day. The compound noun ‘high school’ would gain a new, more attractive meaning, if we learned about all the exciting neurochemistry which we can access for free.

The ‘Side Effects’ of Meditation:

Your Health Will Improve

Meditation can have a powerful effect on your physical and mental health. It is proven to reduce stress, anxiety, inflammation and help you detox your body while improving immunity, resilience, and emotional wellbeing.

Harvard researchers estimate that 80% of doctor’s visits are related to stress. And while getting stressed short term may not be too harmful to you, staying stressed is.

Adrenalin and cortisol are the main stress chemicals, which, if accumulated in your body, cause premature aging, depression, and a whole range of diseases including autoimmune diseases and cancer.

While stress causes premature aging, meditation is slowing down the premature aging of your body. This is because your body will be receiving a deep, healing rest, removing large amounts of stress, stored in our cellular memory over the years. People who meditate regularly tend to be healthier, and often look younger.

Emily likes to compare a brain to a computer. If we are using too many programs at once and running out of the storage at the same time, we will start losing our computing power. But if we clean and defragment the computer from all the trash, old files and applications, we will regain computing power again.

‘Defragmenting’ our brain and detoxing our body through meditation has the ability to facilitate healing from long-term illness and old traumas, up-levelling your overall performance and improving the quality of your sleep, which will become deeper and more effective. (Emily’s students have reported a 90% success rate with getting rid of insomnia.)

You may also, rather conveniently, notice a decrease in the hours you need to feel fully rested; I can confirm this from my own experience with The Ziva Technique. Before I started meditating, I needed at least 9 hours of sleep, while now I wake up completely rested, without an alarm clock, after 7 hours, sometimes even just 6.5. And at the same time, I have stopped experiencing those afternoon energy slumps! I’m still in a state of amazement over this fact. If any of you reading this is having doubts about meditation (like I was), please do try it for a few weeks and you’ll see for yourself!

Increased Productivity and Creativity

You will experience increased creativity as well as more focus and alertness, which will lead to better decision making and surprising growth in your productivity. Again, I can confirm this from my own experience with The Ziva Technique.

 

Improved Mental Wellbeing

As already mentioned, one of the most common reasons for people not to meditate is a lack of time in their already jam-packed life. But meditation shouldn’t be looked at as a spa treatment for your brain. In Emily’s words, it is ‘the most important piece of mental hygiene’ you could ever practice.

I also like her provocative statement that ‘leaving your house without meditating should be considered as rude as leaving your house without brushing your teeth.’

This might be hard to understand by people who have never experienced the positive physical and psychological effects of meditation, but for the ones who have, (and I hope that one day you’ll be one of them ) it makes complete sense. If you commit to a regular meditation practice, you can look forward to the following benefits:

Meditation will start shifting things for you internally. You’ll gain adaptation energy which will give you the ability to handle life’s challenges with more ease and grace, and you will be surprised to observe that you are becoming less reactive to people or situations that would previously drive you mad or make you fall to pieces psychologically.

You’ll experience more of the ‘Power of Now’ moments, as described by Eckhart Tolle in his book (one of the best books on modern-day spiritual enlightenment I’ve ever read).

More Time in Your Day

There is really no better usage of your time than the time you take to meditate. You will start to see this return on time investment in your life very soon after committing to regular practice. Meditation actually creates more time in your day! You will find out that one you have prioritised meditation, you will have more hours to play with.

Mindfulness Versus Meditation

It is very important to point out that mindfulness and meditation are not the same. Many people who have been listening to various ‘meditation apps’, thinking they were meditation, have actually been practicing mindfulness instead.

So what is the difference between mindfulness and meditation?

Mindfulness

When practicing mindfulness, we are directing our focus. This could include:

Drawing your attention to the present moment, directing your focus on your five senses, being aware of your breath, doing guided visualisations, feeling your body centered and grounded etc.

Both mindfulness and meditation have long been a topic of neuroscientific studies. An interesting fact has been observed during brain scans of people separately practicing mindfulness and meditation.

When they’re practising mindfulness (i.e. drawing your attention to the present moment, directing your focus on your body, etc.) a small part of the front of the brain – the Prefrontal cortex – lights up very brightly.

This reflects the fact that practicing mindfulness improves our clarity and focus, which makes us good at focusing on our tasks, reading, decision making, coming up quickly with ideas and solutions, navigating, etc.

It also helps to deal with stress in the present moment, which is very useful for staying calm during emotionally turbulent situations, from arguments or missed flights to viral pandemics.

But most of us find long practices of mindfulness almost impossible. Either boring or too challenging to keep focusing one’s attention for too long. There is a reason for this: Mindfulness has been designed for monks!

Not too many people are aware of this. Mindfulness requires discipline and concentration, and it makes sense that a modern-day person with a constantly busy mind can find it challenging to practice it for longer than a few minutes.

So that’s the very reason why many people who try to mediate eventually quit. They’ve been simply confusing meditation with mindfulness!

So once again: Mindfulness is great for dealing with stress ‘right now’, i.e. in any situation where we could potentially ‘lose it’.

Meditation

When practicing meditation, we are entering a different state of consciousness by surrendering, letting go, simply doing nothing. The only thing that we ‘do’ is to have a mantra (a specific word or a phrase) which we use as a gentle anchor for our wandering mind. This means peacefully acknowledging all those constantly arriving trains of thoughts, and replacing them with our mantra.

This process of gently replacing thoughts with the mantra will be happening many times during a single meditation, and it is completely normal. It’s important to remember that we are NOT trying to stop our thoughts: Meditation is the very opposite of actively directing our focus (as during mindfulness).

I really like the analogy of slowly submerging into a hot bath after a long day. Imagining this helps me enter my meditation more effortlessly. And as you slowly and gently give in to the ‘cosmic bath of your consciousness’, things will start happening on a neurochemical level, inducing a state of deep peace and harmony with all that is.

When you connect your brain to an EEG machine during waking, sleeping, and dreaming state of consciousness, it shows that your right and left hemispheres are functioning separately.

But in the state of meditation (i.e. thefourth state of consciousness’), the right and left brain hemispheres start to function in unison.

This is important because your left brain is in charge of your critical, analytical thoughts and your concepts of past and future, while your right brain is in charge of your creative, intuitive thoughts, your ‘right now’. So when we’re meditating, our right and left hemispheres are communicating with each other.

In the deep state of meditation, when the mind just lets go of everything and drifts away, brain scans reveal that the whole brain lights up (instead of a small part of the brain, as in mindfulness).

The light is not as intense as during mindfulness (which we need ‘here and now’ for those cancelled flights), but it lights evenly across the whole brain area, which causes an increase in neuroplasticity – the ability of the brain to change itself. It also increases neurogenesis – the brain’s ability to generate new brain cells.

Your right and left hemispheres are connected with a bridge called Corpus Callosumand brain scans have revealed that this bridge (or connection) is visibly stronger with regular meditators, allowing both hemispheres to communicate better. You will experience that creativity and intuition of your right brain will start to get in harmony with the logical, analytical part of your left brain.

For instance, when we suddenly get a creative idea, we won’t just critically dismiss it (as we would when our two hemispheres act separately), but take some inspired action. We will experience more presence and a sense of inner wellbeing, which in turn will allow us to act without the negative, self-deprecating thoughts that often prevent us from mobilising our inner drive and achieving our goals.

Highlights:

1) Mindfulness and meditations are two different things.

2) Mindfulness is a focus-based mental technique good for improving your concentration and helping you stay calm and grounded in any given moment.

3) Meditation induces brain cohesion and gives the body deep, healing rest to get rid of stress from the past. Meditation can almost feel like a mini-nap, from which you will come up physically refreshed and energised.

4) Both mindfulness and meditation are beneficial – that’s why Emily incorporated both practices in The Ziva Technique, which I’ll be mentioning further down.

What’s the Best Way to Learn to Meditate?

The best way to learn to meditate is by meditating.

How Often and How Long For?

To fully benefit from all the amazing effects of meditation, it is advisable to commit to a 15-minute session twice a day – one in the morning and the other in the afternoon or early evening.

The benefits are well worth it, and as soon as you’ll start experiencing them as I have done, you will look forward to your 15-minute sessions and won’t feel awkward about asking people around you to consider this. I’ve learned to let others know about my discipline. Even during a busy family visits, I don’t compromise on my 15 minutes twice a day, and it is rewarding for me as well as everyone around me, because as a result, I’ll have more energy and patience. Once I was meditating on a rush-hour train with my mum next to me, or with my little nephews running around in the room – they knew that their aunt was ‘recharging’ and would have more energy to play with them afterwards!

Choosing Your Mantra

The Sanskrit word mantra means ‘mind vehicle’ (man = mind, tra = vehicle), and it is a word or a short phrase that you silently repeat (by hearing it in your mind, not saying it) during your meditation. It can be any word, sound, or short phrase you like. Some people chose the word ‘One’, as it can symbolise unity with everything.

Your mantra can also be chosen according to your religious tradition. “Maranatha”, “Shalom”, (Christianity/Judaism) “So Hum”, Sat Chit Ananda”, “Aham Brahmasmi” (Hinduism), “Insha’Allah” (Islam), “Om Mani Padme Hum” (Buddhism), etc.

Preparing for Your Meditation

Sit in a comfortable position. You don’t need to sit cross-legged or in a lotus posture. Your hands can rest on your thighs, or be folded in your lap.

Close your eyes, and take several long, deep breaths to get to the relaxed state. Try to make your out-breath twice longer than your in-breath.

Then focus on your senses – the light you can see through your closed eyes, the sounds around you, and any bodily sensations, and energy flowing through your body. If you think you can’t feel any energy, try this experiment: Look at your hand and then close your eyes. How do you know your hand is still there? Because you feel its energy.

All the above is a mindfulness practice which makes you more conscious of your body and its energies, and prepare you for the actual meditation.

Entering Your Meditation

Then you gently enter the actual meditation state. I always imagine that I am slowly submerging into a ‘cosmic bath’, surrendering to the most relaxed state, letting go of all my preconceptions, and allowing the wisdom of my body to take over.

Now, with the eyes still closed, start mentally repeating your chosen mantra.

Important: Do not say or whisper the word, your mouth and jaw should be completely relaxed. You’ll only repeat that word by ‘hearing it in your mind’. This should be done with relaxed ease, and if any of your thoughts interfere with the mantra, simply acknowledge them and gently return to the mantra.

But why have I mentioned that your mouth and jaw should be relaxed? There’s more behind relaxing your mouth than one would think. There is an important nerve in your tongue called the hypoglossal nerve. Thus nerve flows into the vagus nerve, which then sends relaxing signals to every major organ system in your body. So holding your tongue completely relaxed on the floor of your mouth has the power to calm your whole body. It’s good to remember this ‘trick’ while getting into meditation, and it can equally useful in any situation when you feel stressed, anxious, angry etc.

As You Are Meditating…

Slowly repeat your mantra (in your mind) in a simple, effortless way for about 15 minutes.

As you repeat your mantra, plenty of other thoughts will appear, which is absolutely natural. Do not try to stop them or get frustrated. When you ‘try to make meditation happen’ it will diminish the benefits of meditating, and it could even give you a headache. The key to meditating is to do nothing.

Instead, when thoughts do come, gently return to thinking your mantra in a relaxed, effortless way. I tend to visualise two clouds – one is my mantra, the other contains my thoughts. This image helps me to switch back to my mantra when I find myself inside the ‘thought cloud’.

When you have finished meditating, rest for a few minutes. Never come out of a meditation abruptly.

How Soon to Expect the Benefits

Avoid looking for immediate experiences or signs of progress because that hinders meditation. Just be confident that by ‘doing nothing’ you will start to notice the benefits of meditating during your day soon or later.

You may be generally happier, feeling more at ease, having more drive and focus, getting along better with others, and sleeping better.

How soon will these benefits show depends on how regularly you do your twice-a-day 15-minute session. Some people notice the benefits within days, others in a few weeks’ time.

The best thing is to just get in the habit of meditating regularly and making it non-negotiable. But have compassion with yourself – if you stop meditating for a day or two, just go back and start meditating again.

The meditation procedure described above is a combination of techniques I’ve learned from several different teachers, such as Emily Fletcher, Dawson Church (author of ‘Bliss Brain’ and  ‘Mind to Matter’), Deepak Chopra, or Arthur Brown. If you are serious about getting clear and lasting benefits from meditation, I would really recommend following an experienced teacher, such as Emily Fletcher, who teaches the ZIVA Technique. This is what I practice and what has given me some very real results (mentioned further down).

What Is ZIVA Technique

Ziva Technique is a meditation technique based on ancient meditation practices, but designed for people with busy minds and busy lives.

You won’t have to ‘clear your mind’ in order to be successful at meditation and start to experience all the amazing benefits soon. But The Ziva Technique is not only about meditation – it is a powerful combination of mindfulness, meditation and manifesting.

The mindfulness portion is like the appetizer course, consisting of techniques to immediately draw your awareness into the present moment. (This is what most people have tried already – it is what most apps and YouTube videos walk you through.)

But the meditation portion – the ‘main course’ in Ziva Technique’ – is where the real magic happens: your metabolic rate slows, your breathing gets shallower, and you drift into a rest that is 5x deeper than sleep.

Your brain and body will flood with all the bliss biochemicals mentioned above, and you will be getting rid of the life-long amount of stress you have saved in your nervous system on a cellular level.

Last but not least, the ‘dessert’ portion is manifesting, which means getting really clear on your dreams, goals or desires so you can begin to make active choices in your waking state to transform those dreams into reality. You’ll notice that synchronicities will start happening and that you will draw specific people and situations into your life which will help with fulfilling your dreams.

Stress Less Accomplish More

Soon after watching Emily’s talk about meditation and caffeine, I got her book Stress Less Accomplish More. ‘What a non-meditative title..!’, I thought. But perhaps that was the reason I bought it.

The book is based on deep research and years of experience of meditating and meditation teaching. It is written in a warm, personal, and often charmingly witty way. I highly recommend it. You can read a free chapter in the ‘Look Inside’ section.

I learned a lot from the book, and it ignited my desire to experience being taught by Emily in her 15-day online course.

I enjoyed every day of it, and around day 4 or 5 I started noticing visible changes. It was around that time when I started requiring less hour to sleep and getting into the ‘flow state’ during the day a lot more than before.

My ZivaONLINE certificate

Impact of Meditation on My Life

I can easily say that ZivaONLINE has been one of the most life-impacting courses I have ever taken.

I have gone through a number of transformations while noticing  the following:

– Deeper, more restful sleep (decreased need of 9 hours to 7, sometimes even 6.5), and no afternoon energy crashes

– More energy, focus, and clarity of mind, reading with more focus and retaining information better

– More tasks accomplished in the day (which now feels longer), and with less effort, experiencing more states of flow

– Less need for reactivity and getting into arguments, staying more present in tense situations

– Feeling more connected to others, releasing negative feelings more quickly, and forgiving more easily

– A huge decrease of involuntary negative thoughts and inner critical commentaries

– Almost zero need for stimulating my body with caffeine, or relaxing it with alcohol

I can still have both if I want, but I’ve noticed that their effect on my body is much stronger since I started meditating. So if I still feel like having a coffee or a beer, I’ll have it in a much smaller quantity and still enjoy it. I also think that the fact I require less sleep can be attributed to my reduction in caffeine and alcohol intake.

– An annoying habit of biting my nails stopped (I used to do this when I was nervous and edgy, especially when affected by caffeine)

The Ultimate Portable Device

I sincerely hope that this article has helped you clarify some common misconceptions about meditation. The myths which prevent a majority of people from one of the best things they could be doing for themselves and others, by having so much more to offer by literally recharging themselves with meditation.

Who wouldn’t like to have more energy, a new zest for life, increased creativity, and the ability to handle demands and stressful situations so much better than when ruled by stress?

I am convinced that if everyone knew how easy it is to meditate and what powerful effect it can have on our lives, the whole world would be meditating by now, and that, in Emily’s words, ‘coffee shops would be replaced by meditating stations’.

So go ahead and try the ‘ultimate portable device’.  You will soon start to notice some very interesting things happening in your life as I’ve seen in mine.

Learn More About the Ziva Technique

Here are a few things you could do to learn more about this transformative meditation technique:

– Check out Emily’s book ‘Stress Less Accomplish More’.

 A quote from the book’s introduction:

‘This book is dedicated to everyone who has “tried meditation” and felt like a failure. You are not a meditation failure; you just haven’t been taught yet. This book will teach you.’

I recommend reading the first chapter (for free, by clicking on ‘Look Inside’) which includes the foreword by Mark Hyman, M.D., and preface by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., so you can have an idea what sort of treats are in store for you.

– Find out more about Ziva Technique online course.

Taking this course has caused me to start thinking about my life as ‘before meditation’ and ‘after meditation’

– Watch Emily’s talk about meditation for Mindvalley:

– See what Russel Brandt has to say about meditation:

Let’s finish with the words from the director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, Mark Hyman, M.D.:

‘I encourage everyone to check out the Ziva Technique. I can honestly say I can’t live without it. Now I don’t have time not to meditate. “Stress less, accomplish more.” It’s for real, trust me.’

Any questions or comments about your own experience (or non-experience) with meditation are very welcome.

BY LUCIE DUN

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6 Non-Invasive Pain Relief Techniques

6 Non-Invasive Pain Relief Techniques

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Edward Munch – ‘Vampire’

This article explores six non-invasive pain relief techniques that I have learned from the legendary energy medicine practitioner and teacher Donna Eden. If you are experiencing pain, I encourage you to experiment with these techniques and see what works for you. I hope you will find some of them helpful, and if you do, please share them with others.

The Nature of Pain

Physical pain, in its various forms and degrees, can range from uncomfortable, unpleasant, to incapacitating and debilitating.

However unwelcome and inconvenient pain always is, it is a useful tool for recognising that our body needs our conscious attention to get things back to normal, and possibly avert a much worse health issue.

Pain insists very clearly that we should start taking care of our body. If we don’t get pain, we might not be motivated enough to take care of our body through healthy diet and exercise etc. But when pain strikes, we can be fast enough to try and get ourselves better. To paraphrase Marcel Proust, we make promise to kindness and knowledge, but we obey pain.

Most of us immediately reach for painkillers, or rush to the doctor or a pharmacy to get some, so we can start pain-free again. What was taken for granted before – our normal state without pain, is now regarded as something so desperately desired that we’d give just anything to get it back.

Using Energy to Diminish Pain

Although painkillers can be highly effective in diminishing the pain, in most cases they don’t cause the actual healing – they don’t really treat the underlying issue behind the pain. Through working with energies, we can often achieve results that are much more beneficial to our body then just numbing the pain with chemicals. What’s more, the results of such treatments can be long-lasting.

Pain As Congested Energy

One of the brilliant things about using energy for treating pain is that when we free the stuck / congested energy in the body, the pain often diminishes very quickly and noticeably. And to move the congested energy is often easier than people realise!

Also, stimulating acupuncture points can often increase pain-suppressing endorphins, and release opioid peptides, which are highly effective in relieving pain associated with autoimmune diseases, postoperative discomfort, period cramps, lower back pain, tendonitis, etc.

There are a number of techniques to diminish pain; here are a few examples of the techniques I’ve used with success:

1.Breathing Out The Pain

This is one of the simplest techniques which can be combined with other more complex ones, but it can be helpful even on its own. Since energy can be moved by breathing, we can gain some degree of control over our pain by breathing in through our nose (with mouth closed), an breathing out through our mouth.

Exhaling can release some energy involved with the pain. It’s good to visualise that on the outbreath we are releasing all our physical tension from our head to your toes.

This technique was also popularised by a French obstetrician Fernand Lamaze, who in the 1950s introduced a method called psychoprophylaxis, also known as ‘Lamaze breathing technique’, which helps women in labour to better manage contraction pains, through the use of controlled breathing and conscious relaxation.

The best way to remember this technique is to think of smelling a rose (for the inbreath) and then blowing out a candle (for the outbreath).

2.Tapping

Tapping is another effective technique which is familiar to the body, as it resembles the heartbeat. You’ll be freeing energy in the congested area. This technique is specially good to use for aching muscles – e.g. after carrying heavy luggage.

If, for example, you experience pain in your shoulders, you can use your fingers or a hairbrush to do the tapping. (I particularly like using a wooden hairbrush.) Keep tapping for about a minute, while breathing in through your nose and out though your mouth, visualizing the pain being tapped out of the sore area.

3. Stretching

If you gently stretch the area around the epicentre of the pain, you can often experience some relief. This is due to smoothing, evening out, or freeing the energy that has over-accumulated at the site where you feel the pain. (This technique is obviously not suitable for open wounds or burnt skin)

4. Pinching (‘Spindle Cell Mechanism’)

Using your thumb and your forefinger, VERY lightly pinch the skin around the painful area. This super-light pinch is powerful enough to free clogged energy in the painful area through communicating with your nervous system, informing it that pain is no longer necessary.

5. Siphoning the Pain

As the left side of our body receives energy, and the right sight releases it, this method can provide considerable relief from pain by placing our left hand on the painful area of the person we want to help. Our left hand will be pulling the excess energy from the sore area – ‘siphoning’ it off the other person, and thus providing him/her with relief. The energy will be draining off your right hand. Hold your right hand away from your body, facing down, and out.

Although this doesn’t often happen, it’s good to be aware of the risk of the energy of the other person being caught in your own body while performing this technique; you may start feeling pain yourself. This happened to me recently when I was treating my husband.

If this happens, stop at once and shake your hands off energetically. (I did exactly that, and then, to free my right hand from pain completely, did another healing technique on myself, described below. My pain was gone in less than ten minutes.)

6. Zone Tapping

One of the ways to stop or diminish pain is a technique called Zone Tapping. This technique is also practised in foot reflexology. I have used this technique on quite a few people including myself, and I’m happy to say that in most cases this simple treatment resulted in noticeable pain relief. According to this discipline, the body is divided into 6 zones (Figure 1 and 2).

First, you first locate the source of the pain on your body, then look it up on the diagram and determine on which zone the point of your pain lies. (This technique is more suitable for localised pain, rather than diffuse, widely spread pain)

You’ll then tap specific points on your wrists or your ankles, depending on which zone your pain is, and also whether it is on the front or the back of your body.

The softer parts of the body, which are in front your body and inside the limbs, (where hair doesn’t grow as easily) are classified as YIN.

This also includes the bottoms of your feet and the palms of your hand. It is easy to remember the yin parts especially when we think of the hairless areas of the arms and legs.

The slightly tougher areas of your body, especially the back, are considered YANG. This also includes the backs of your hands, the tops of your feet, the outsides of your limbs (where hair can grow) and the back of your head and neck.

To practise the zone tapping, follow these steps:

1. Locate your pain on your body and then look it up on the map of the body (Figures 1 and 2)

Figure  1 

Figure  2 

2. Find the number of the zone which flows through the area of your pain.

3. If your pain is anywhere above your waist, you will be tapping one of the allocated points on your wrist;

If the pain is anywhere below your waist, you will be tapping one of the corresponding points on your ankle.

(Note: ‘A’ in the diagram means Ankle, and ‘W’ means Wrist.

If your pain lies on the front (YIN) part of your body, you’ll be tapping on the INSIDE of your ankle or your wrist. (Remember: Yin = Inside)

If the pain lies on the back (YANG) of your body, you’ll be tapping the OUTSIDE of your ankle or your wrist. (Remember: Yan = Outside) 

4.  Find the point on the wrist (for pain above the waist) or ankle (for pain below the waist) that corresponds with the point of your pain. (Figures 3 and 4)

Figure  3 

Figure  4 

For example, if your pain is on the front of your head, near the centre, it will be in zone 1.

As it is above the waist, we’ll be tapping on the wrist.

And as it is located on the front (YIN) of the body, we’ll be tapping inside the wrist.

Then we’ll find W1 (Wrist 1) point on the diagram.

 

The Tapping Procedure:

1. Tap the point about ten times, and then stop for ten seconds.

2. Tap for 1,5 minutes (90 seconds) more. I usually tap in a one second interval and count to ninety.

3. In about ten minutes the pain should ease or disappear. If it doesn’t, do the same procedure on the opposite side of the body.

 

Note: If you are unsure whether you were tapping the correct point, you can energy test each of the points first. Press each of the points, and at the same time push the treated person’s arm (which is extended in 90 degrees from the body) down.

The person will lose energy on the zone that needs to be tapped and will remain strong on the other ones.

Back and Shoulder Pain

If you are suffering from back or shoulder pain, I recommend you visit my article ‘How to Relieve Chronic Back Pain.’

I hope you’ve found this article helpful. If you have any questions or comments, leave a comment below. I wish you a pain-free day!

BY LUCIE DUN

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