6 Natural Tips for Deep Sleep

6 Natural Tips for Deep Sleep

By Dr. Maoshing Ni

1. Relaxing Rituals to Rest Easy

In Chinese Medicine, nighttime is yin time—or, simply, when the body takes care of itself instead of your desires. Proper sleep is required for your body to repair itself and regenerate. To reach deep, restful sleep, your spirit and heart must be calm. Excessive worry, anxiety, and depression can all disturb the spirit and activate the mind—making it near impossible to fall asleep and stay asleep. Rituals to sooth your spirit and induce a sleep response before bed include soaking your feet in Epson salts for 15 minutes, writing all of your thoughts in a journal to get them out of your head, and practicing relaxation before bed, like the Stress Release meditation below.

2. When Food Disturbs Sleep

When you eat late, you wake up tired. Your body will be busy digesting your dinner while you are trying to sleep, so you won't feel rested in the morning. Do not eat anything for at least three hours before bedtime. Also, cut back on eating bacon, cheese, chocolate, ham, potatoes, tomatoes, and sausage, especially before bed. These foods contain tyramine, which inhibits neurochemicals like norepinephrine and can cause insomnia. And, of course if you have sleep problems, caffeine should be cut out.Eat for sleep! Try eating more grains at dinner; carbohydrates tend to make people sleepy. Another snooze snack is a warm cup of milk; because milk is rich in the amino acid tryptophan, it can sometimes aid in deep sleep. Mix in natural vanilla flavoring for a soothing snack. Or if you prefer, eat 1 cup of natural yogurt an hour before bedtime.

3. A Peaceful Place for Sleep

Your sleeping environment makes a huge difference to the quality of your sleep. Do everything you can to create a quiet and cozy atmosphere. Ideally, your bedroom should be located in the quietest area of your home. Keep the décor minimal. Lighting should be dim and any music that is played should be soothing. Research has found that lavender, vanilla, and green apple are among the best scents to help lower anxiety and induce sleep, making these smells a good choice for a scented candle or heated essential oil. Try to limit your pets to outside of the bedroom because their movements will keep with your body from fully relaxing into deep R. E. M. sleep. As much as possible, your bedroom should be only for sleep.

4. Exercise Enables Sleep

People with regular exercise routines often sleep better and have fewer incidents of insomnia than those don't get regular physical activity. Exercise promotes sleep and improves sleep quality by altering brain chemistry. Exercising moderately for 20 to 30 minutes three times a day, combined with meditation or tai chi in the evening, will not only help you fall and stay asleep, but will also increase the amount of time you spend in R.E.M. sleep. In fact, for some people, exercise alone is enough to overcome sleep problems. Exercise in the morning or afternoon, but do not exercise for at least two hours before bed.

5. Herbs to Sleep Tight

A calming tea before bedtime can ensure a good night's sleep. Drink valerian or passionflower (or passiflora) tea before bedtime every night for one month. Simply steep 1 to 2 tablespoons of the dried herbs in one cup of hot water and drink just before bed. Or look for one with the traditional Chinese herbs zizyphus or jujube seed, bamboo shavings, and oyster shell, which soothe the mind and spirit. You might also try Calm-Fort/Sleep formula with useful herbs like lily bulbs, polygala and turmeric that help manage stress and calm the spirit while relieving restlessness and insomnia.

6. A Sleep-Friendly Meditation

I had one patient with insomnia who also felt anxious and even a little depressed. In addition to acupuncture and herbal therapies, I decided to teach her a stress release meditation that she could do before bedtime to help with her anxiety. I am happy to report that she is now sleeping like a baby.Try this Stress Release meditation, which works for the majority of my patients who have sleeping problems: Sit comfortably or lie down on your back. Slow your respiration to deep, abdominal breathing. Utter the word "calm" in your mind with every exhalation. Focus on relaxing each area of your body in sequence, from the top of your head to your toes. Starting with the top of your head, inhale and then exhale while visualizing your scalp muscles relaxing. Say "calm" in your mind. Repeat this with each body part as you move down through all body parts, front, back, and sides, in succession: your face, throat, chest, arms, stomach, abdomen, thighs, knees, legs, ankles, until finally you reach your feet. When you've relaxed your feet, visualize all the tension in your body leaving through your toes as dark smoke. Practice this for at least 15 minutes before bedtime.

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/17735/6-natural-tips-for-deep-sleep/;_ylt=AjCiUy6HnOTM2qsQrxw3SP51kIV4

Saint Valentine's Day Love Tips!

How to Know if He Loves You?

Girls are a bit apprehensive when it comes to their relationship with a guy. It has been noted that men hesitate to express their love or feelings and end up laying a false belief for themselves. It is not only difficult but even more complex to analyze what a man desires and what is going in his mind. The question whether he loves me or not usually bothers every girl. But, with one ideal solution it is possible to know the actual love of the guy for you. Tips to Know if He Loves YouDon't worry damsels, here are some useful tips to know whether your mate/partner or lover really loves you or not:

• A very obvious one when he takes interests in your matters like work schedule, it means he is really concerned with you and loves you.
• Whenever a guy keeps a track on your habits, remembers whatever you do and say simply indicates his love for you.
• When a guy wants to spend more time with you, dates out with you at places of your choice and share the your favorite pastimes then he is madly in love with you.
• If he gives more importance to his friends even if you are sick or in need of him shows his lack of interest in you.
• Changing of topic when you discuss about your future with him is not a good sign of a healthy relationship with your love.
• If he doesn't want to spend time with you or don't ever want to go out with you in public and never introduces you to his friends mean he does not love you.
• When he calls you or message you just to chitchat with you means he deeply loves you and was finding any reason to talk to you.
• If he is really concerned about you and loves you then he would always take out time from his busy schedule.
• When he keeps looking you when you are around and suddenly takes off his eyes when you look at him shows he's in love with you.
• When he praises about you to his friends, family and others means he truly loves you.
• His every action will make you believe he loves you.
• If he changes his plans or cancels them last minute then he is surely avoiding you.
• If he is trying to be friendly with you and tries to make an effort to know more about you shows signs of love for you.
• You can make out from a person's eyes. The person in love with you has special shine in his eyes when he's talking to you.

How to Know if She Loves You?

Today, guys find it more difficult to know whether the girl whom they are dating or with whom they are seriously in love shares the same feeling for him or not. Now-a-days, girls have made it trend to flirt out with guys openly. In case your girl too is putting you in a confusing state of “she does” or “she does not” then here are some tips to figure out whether she really loves you or she is just being nice to you. Signs to Know She Loves You Given below are some ways to know if she likes you and want to carry on a long-term relation with you:

• If she cares for you and always take interest in your activities then she truly loves you.
• If you come to know from her family and friends that she often brags about you shows her love for you.
• If a girl tries to get closer to you by touching your hands, shoulders or cheeks means she likes you.
• If she keeps staring you when the conversation is on depicts that she likes you and want to say something but is shy of that.
• When a girl blushes on your talks and keep praising you in front of your friends then she loves you.
• When a girl does not respond to the messages or calls given by you it means she is trying to avoid you.
• If she doesn't want to declare it in public or make some excuses when caught by your close friend in public by saying, “ he's my friend”, shows her disinterest in you.
• If she never praises you and keeps counting flaws in you means she's trying to dissolve the relation by taking these flaws as the base.
• A girl is deeply in love with a guy is she accepts his family no matter how they are.
• When she talks to you very nicely after a long time means she is in need of you and is talking to you merely for your company as she has no other solution.
• If she always encourage and motivate you to go ahead with your plans then she is an ideal lover and is sincerely attached with what you want from your life.
• If she wants to spend some time with you and want to help you out in every project or assignment means her love for you.

  http://www.stvalentinesday.org/how-to-know-if-she-loves-u.html

7 Foods That Fight Anxiety

Bills arriving in heaps? Gas prices sky-rocketing? Summer love turned sour? Regardless of the cause, there's a counter-intuitiveness to the goodies we turn to for comfort. Take the classic-curling up with a pint of ice cream. It's a total backfire. Why? Sweets are insidious: After the initial rush, the body's insulin response kicks in, causing a sudden blood sugar drop that triggers the release of stress hormones. Soon you're feeling more jangled than you were before you inhaled that whole container of Chunky Monkey. And alcohol, of course, is a wolfish stimulant in calm sheep's clothing.

But true comfort foods do exist.

1. Berries, any berries

Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in the stress hormone cortisol.

2. Guacamole

If you're craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips-crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.

3. Mixed nuts

Just an ounce will help replace those stress-depleted Bs (walnuts), give you a whopping amount of zinc (Brazil nuts)-it's also drained by high anxiety-and boost your E (almonds), which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multi-tasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you're releasing a little bit of tension.

4. Oranges

People who take a 1,000 mg of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressure than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind and you'll get a bunch of C as well.

5. Asparagus

Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood-lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.

6. Chai tea

A warm drink is a super soother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away.

7. Dark chocolate

Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.

Source: www.yahoo.com

Recruiter Roundtable: Keys to Success in 2009

In light of the troubling economic climate and tightening job market, what is the one thing that job-seekers must do in order to be successful in landing a good job in 2009?

Exhaust All Options

Tell everyone you know about the type of position you are looking for, network online and at industry events, go on informational interviews, work with a recruiting firm, take on temporary assignments, and be flexible when meeting with prospective employers.

When developing your cover letter and resume, quantify the value of your contributions to previous employers, including how you helped cut costs, reduce inefficiencies or improve profitability. There are opportunities available, but job seekers will have to work harder to find them and cannot afford to leave even one stone unturned.

-- DeLynn Senna, executive director of North American permanent placement services, Robert Half International

Network With Smarts

Candidates must be building and strengthening their network -- ideally before it's needed. Find networking events to go find other like-minded individuals and connectors. Build your online presence through your social networks and be an active participant in the community. And remember to give more than take -- share your knowledge, help others be better, and invest time in building strong, long-lasting relationships. These are the relationships that could turn into future job leads.

-- Lindsay Olson, partner, Paradigm Staffing

Flexibility Is Key

Stay open to opportunities in new or related industries, companies of a different size, or in a different location; and be aware that with the advent of technology, a new location just may be your home office.

Be flexible. You may or may not have to travel a bit more, take a different title, or give up some of the perks you've had in the past to assume your new role. All things being equal, if you're flexible around these topics you're chances of getting hired increase considerably.

-- Cheryl Ferguson, recruiter, The Recruiter's Studio

Diversify and Listen My advice is two-fold: Be ready to diversify the ways in which you communicate your experiences AND listen well.

First, make a laundry list, just for yourself, of all the projects, contributions, ideas, etc., from your last three positions. This is what's not on your resume. It jogs your memory about how you have differentiated yourself. You'll recall and distill examples of your success, and you'll be ready for more questions.

Second, listen closely to what the recruiter and/or hiring manager is asking you. They are looking for something very particular, whether the opportunity is leadership or entry-level. Walking someone through your resume or citing examples that they're not seeking could hinder your ability to seem specific to their job. You want to be very clear about your transferable skills and your willingness to adapt to their environment.

-- Ross Pasquale, recruiting/sourcing consultant, Monday Ventures

Tailor Your Resume

The most important thing that job seekers must do in 2009 to be successful is to diversify the content of their resumes based on the roles that they are applying for. For example, a job seeker may have worked in the past as a Java engineer, and also obtained project management along the way. However, a resume that is oriented strongly toward being a Java engineer has only a slight chance of being considered for a project-manager position.

For job seekers to increase their chances at success, they should shape their resumes to reflect relevant matching skills with the job posting(s) they are applying to. By doing so, a recruiter and/or hiring manager will more easily understand how a job seeker's past experiences apply to the posted role. This method increases the chance of being considered a strong candidate, receiving an interview, and, ultimately, a new position.

-- Joanna Samuels, senior account manager, GravityPeople

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-recruiter_roundtable_keys_to_success_in_2009-621

Merry Christmas Augustinians!

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