Touch of Nature - editorial

Welcome to Touch of Nature.

March/April Specials

Mokshayoga Offers a special YOGA class rate for any Touch of Nature Client.
Please enquire for further details.
Tel: 03 9766 4880
email: info@mokshayoga.com.au

Forgo stress with a "pure indulgent" treatment one and a half hours of deep and soft tissue massage for calming, De-stressing and re-energising the whole body and nervous system. By locating and relieving the stress held in your physical body, the essential oils are carefully selected to help release physical and mental tension which in turn helps sooth your senses and clear the mind.
(includes a bottle of blended pure essential oil to take home with you)
Discounted Price:$95.00

GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
(Buy a yearly block of 12 massages and receive a 10% discount)

"He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened."

--Lao-Tzu

This months feature topic is regarding your stress and healthy stress levels. Throughout our life we stumble on many different differences of opinion towards what one should, or could not be doing. Today I would like to visibly clear up any mustered misconceptions. The idea we take our car to a mechanic for a service and tune up is a great analogy for what we should be doing for our bodys,and our minds pure health with the "can do" attitude always as the motivator in achieving the results you ideally visualise beforehand, the service of your car, in this case!

Nighttime city scape Following up from last month on pain management, as a rule, movement reduces pain. If you think about this concept the actual pain is a warning telling you to either stop, look and listen for the first trigger to rectify the wrong and address the problem that may be causing the damage. How do these ideas promote the healthy stress we should be searching to experience? There are three phases we undergo during physiological and emotional stress. Every one of us has their own homeostatic levels of stress. Naturally it is dependant on your environment in terms of the responses you have towards arousal or stimulation, lifestyle factors, thought processes as well as habits and routines. In some cases these areas of our lives require massive or small changes.

Phase 1: Alarm Phase: adrenaline occurs when the "fright-flight-fight response" to a stress-ful event takes place.
Phase 2: Resistance Phase: When we repeatedly or chronically stress and this results in a requirement for 'mental and physical coping' strategies to be put into place. So to manage or resist the ongoing stress.
Phase 3: Exhaustion Phase: when stress surpasses the resistance phase and causes immune suppression and other dis-ease related issues occuring in the vital body organs.

Considering that poor diet, internal toxicity, drugs and other external toxins increase stress, which produce the stress hormones;cortisol and adrenaline. Lets think a little about the vital role when functionally optimally;

helps to regulate blood pressure.
helps to regulate the immune system.
helps to balance the effect of insulin to keep the blood sugar level normal.
helps the body to respond to stress

"Stress management stratergies evoke the physical relaxation respons on a regular, daily basis"

Measures to Combat Stress

Relaxation - Should be a supportive environment where you will not be disturbed. You should also allow yourself to not answer phones. Allow your mind to quiet down. Leaving all tense thoughts aside. stay alert and comfortable, work around your body from hands and feet through to your limbs, face and top of the head area. Learn in this process to unwind the tense muscles to create a relaxed respons and an easy mind, close your eyes too this will help you to shut out unwanted distractions.Now become and stay aware of your breathing rythum and intensity.
Breathing Exercises - Exhale...allow this exhalation to make you to as if you have let go of all feelings(unwanted ones) Feel your belly raising up and down, moving the rib cage up and down and then your chest. Hold then exhale. Breathe in, "letting go of all tension" then pause, breath out then wait. Start and finish with "leeting go of tension" and repeat this process over and over till you reach a comfortable pattern of breathing which is soothing yet also, invigorating to your lungs, body, mind and soul!
Herbs to calm - These herbs are particularily useful to treat nervous conditions:Chamomile Lavender, Hops, Skullcap,Lemon balm, Oats and Valerian(all have calming properties for your nervous system) Siberian ginseng, Withania and Astragalus (support the adrenal glands, nervous and immune system)
Foods to avoid -
- Caffeine (Tea, coffee Green Tea is okay as it is low in caffeine)
- Sugar (Lollie, cakes, biscuits, soft drinks and foods with sugar)
- Alcohol (Wine, beer, spirits. A maximum of 1-2 units/day maybe safely consumed with at least 3 alcohol free days. In many cases avoidance is recommended.
- Cigarettes (Cigarettes ahs a strong influence on the nervous system, apart from the obvious link with heart disease and cancer) There is no situation where smoking is harmless.
- High IG Carbohydrates(A variety of balanced foods are ideal and research in this area is highly recommended to aide you with the correct choices to make)
5 tips -
- Have clear well-defined goals (work out where you want to be and what you need to do to get there;SMART= Specific,Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed.)
- Develop effective coping stratergies (Quit addictive behaviours or substances and learn a few time management, meditation, lifestyle and communication skills.
- Develop and nurture relationships (These are the essence of life)
- Look after your health (Exercise regularily, eat well and enjoy your food, make sure you get enough sleep and rest, and take a multivitamin and mineral daily)
- Live for today(Try not dwelling on the past think to the future, tomorrow is just a day ahead it is how we live today that governs our tomorrow)

Health Problems related to Stress & anxiety

Resources

Health awareness for March 2008:

National Nutrition Month
Orthoptic Awareness Week (10 - 14 March)
World's Greatest Shave (13 - 15 March)
Brain Awareness Week (17 - 23 March)
National Youth Tobacco Free Day (19 March)
World Tuberculosis Day (24 March)
National Huntington's Disease Awareness Day (28 March)
National Collegiate Health and Wellness Week (2-8 March)
National Problem Gambling Awareness Week (9-15 March)
National Sleep Awareness Week (3-9 March)
Kick Butts Day (5 March)

Health awareness for April 2007:

National Humor Month
The Great Australian Bite (1 - 30 April)
Arthritis Awareness Week (6 - 12 April)
World Health Day 2007 (7 April)
Walk Against Want (20 April)
Osteopathy Awareness Week (22 - 28 April)
World Health Day (7 April)
Select and Train Peer Educators for Next Year (4-18 April)
National Alcohol Screening Day (10 April)
National Minority Cancer Awareness Week (20-26 April)
National Volunteer Week (20-26 April)
Earth Day (22 April)

May these months bring you beautiful state of healthy stress for you to work on peacefully.

All my love,

Blanca Perez :)

Blanca Perez

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