Serenity Center

That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief

We are grieving the loss of normalcy...the loss of control...the loss of safety...and more.

https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief

hbr.org The coronavirus pandemic has led to a collective loss of normalcy.

Feeling More Tired Than Usual During Lockdown? Psychologists Explain Why

Keywords here are: control and structure

sciencealert.com A lot of people have been posting on social media saying they have been feeling tired earlier than usual while on lockdown. Normally able to stay up into the small hours, they are hitting the pillow at 10 o'clock now. Many are wondering how this can

Essential Mind Hypnosis

Re-framing and shifting your mindset in times of uncertainty can help you maintain a sense of calm and well-being. Chronic stress and worry weakens the human immune system, it has never been more important to focus on what you can control and releasing what you can't. Wishing you health, peace and empowerment. ### J 💞

10 practical tips to ease your fears about coronavirus

Stress and anxiety can interfere with the proper functioning of your immune system.

wexnermedical.osu.edu Here are 10 tips from two Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center experts on how to cope with the fears of the coronavirus may disrupt our lives.

[04/26/18]   It's Spring! (finally)
Spring is here and it’s time to think of new beginnings. It’s also April – which is National Stress Awareness month. What better time to put together your stress management plan? Get a start on your stress management program by visiting my blog at https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Breath work is the easiest and the fastest way to deal with stress!

The holidays can be stressful - a simple breathing exercise can help (plus you can do it anywhere, anytime). Next time you're feeling tense, try the 4-7-8 exercise:

Holidays are upon us -- can holiday stress be far behind?

[10/31/17]   Serenity Center is currently taking a break. Please check back, or leave a message if you’d like to be contacted when we return to work.

15 Scientific Ways to Relax for National Relaxation Day

Do something special for National Relaxation Day!

mentalfloss.com Today is National Relaxation Day, so you have a great excuse to take it easy. Here’s how science can help you have the most laid-back day of the year.

Yoga Samiti

Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing:
- Calms the mind
- Helps to be in the present moment
- Helps to releasing fears, regret, and worry
- Stress relieving and relaxing for the body and mind
- Maintains body temperature.
- and more…

Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing:
- Calms the mind
- Helps to be in the present moment
- Helps to releasing fears, regret, and worry
- Stress relieving and relaxing for the body and mind
- Maintains body temperature.
- and more…

#AlternateNostril #Breathing #YogaSamiti

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course happening in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 10th - 31st October 2017.
For more info, click here: https://www.facebook.com/events/359498344437332/

Sounds True

Feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Here is a 3-5 minute breathing exercise that will help center your mind and bring tranquility into your busy week. An excerpt from Henry Grayson's new book, Your Power to Heal. bit.ly/2nVicuM #powertoheal #energyhealing #breathe

The Secret to the Fountain of Youth Is Something You Do Every Night

yahoo.com Contrary to popular belief, older adults need more — not less — slumber, according to an April 2017 study published in the journal Neuron. In fact, lack of quality shut-eye among senior citizens can heighten their risk of memory loss and a wide range of mental and physical disorders, such as Alzheim...

Body Sense - SPRING | 2017

Two effective additions to your massage session are aromatherapy and gentle stretching – and you’ll find articles on both in the Spring 2017 edition of Body Sense Magazine, available online now. Check for articles of interest in the archives, too. They’re all available at my website at www.4serenity.abmp.com.

bodysensemagazinedigital.com A public education magazine brought to you by ABMP spring 2017 Body Sense Aromatherapy The Perfect Complement to Massage Touch for Trauma The ABCs of Effective Stretching Mint-Mojito Foot Scrub

Body Sense - WINTER | 2016

The Winter 2016 Body Sense digital magazine discusses massage and fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition with no definitive diagnosis and no definitive treatment. I have had several fibromyalgia sufferers on my massage table over the years. Each one is different (actually each of my clients is “different” each time they visit me, since we all change every day). Sometimes I could use a bit more pressure, sometimes I could barely make contact with my client. It’s something we all need to consider: we may need a different type of massage every time we get one! Be sure you communicate with your massage therapist! (That’s covered in the article on “Your Massage: How to Perfect the Experience.”) Find the current and back issues of Body Sense at my website at www.4serenity.abmp.com.

http://www.bodysensemagazinedigital.com/i/765813-winter-2016

bodysensemagazinedigital.com A public education magazine brought to you by ABMP winter 2016 Body Sense Discover the Many Types of Massage & Bodywork Check out the guide inside to find the right approach for you! Perfect Your Massage Experience Effective Touch for Fibromyalgia Sufferers "Sometimes I fall asleep during my massage...

Body Sense - AUTUMN | 2016

The Autumn 2016 issue of Body Sense is available now! Hot topics in massage these days include "cupping" and "fascia" -- there are articles on both in this issue.
http://www.bodysensemagazinedigital.com/i/727614-autumn-2016

bodysensemagazinedigital.com A public education magazine brought to you by The Miracle Beneath Our Skin: Fascia Cupping Therapy Explained Oh No! Bodily Noises autumn 2016 Body Sense PLUS "How is the lotion my MT uses different than the lotion I use at home?" Caring for Our Elders Through Bodywork Body ense Caring

Dr. Weil's Breathing Exercises: 4-7-8 Breath

A clear, concise explanation of the 4-7-8 breath. The only thing I would add is to count at your own pace. It's the ratio that's important, not absolute time

drweil.com The 4-7-8 Breath exercise which can be used to calm the nervous system and counteract stress.

Is there an ideal sleeping position?

The healthiest or best sleep position is the one that lets you sleep soundly through the night.

4serenityblog.wordpress.com Do you spend the whole night looking for it?

Working while you sleep – getting your ducks in a row!

Sleep is not just one long period of inactivity. There’s quite a lot going on to prepare the mind and body for the upcoming day. After a busy day we need to take time to get our ducks in a row for tomorrow.

4serenityblog.wordpress.com The body and mind are preparing for tomorrow

How much sleep do you need?

I'm baaack! My next blog posts will be a short series on sleep!

4serenityblog.wordpress.com the quantity – the quality – and the timing all count!

Serenity Center's cover photo

Making and Breaking Habits

Habits are easy to form. Just look at everything you do every day on “auto pilot.” Some of our habits are good, healthy ones – others, not so much. Habits can be formed by sheer repetition of actions. They can also be formed when the brain’s reward center is triggered by the release of dopamine. Actions or events we find enjoyable – including activities like smoking, overeating, gambling and even compulsive use of computers and social media – trigger dopamine release. [ 680 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/28/making-and-breaking-habits

4serenityblog.wordpress.com Why is it so hard to break a bad habit?

Do You Pandiculate?

Have you ever watched a sleeping dog or cat wake up? What’s the first thing they do? They look like they stretch before even trying to get up. But that’s not really stretching – that’s pandiculating. Just about all mammals (including humans) pandiculate. And note that the animals repeat this motion many times during the day! Webster’s Medical Dictionary defines pandiculation as “a stretching and stiffening especially of the trunk and extremities (as when fatigued and drowsy or after waking from sleep.” Pandiculating often includes a yawn. [ 441 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/do-you-pandiculate/

4serenityblog.wordpress.com Use your brain to re-set muscle resting length

Are your adrenals tired?

You have two adrenal glands; they’re about the size of your thumb and sit on top of each of your kidneys. The adrenal glands play a large role in human physiology. They secrete more than 50 hormones, some of which are essential for life. They help regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, help in protein and fat metabolism, support proper cardiovascular and gastrointestinal functioning and have a major responsibility in responding to stress. [ 756 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/06/are-your-adrenals-tired/

4serenityblog.wordpress.com These tiny glands do a great big job!

April is National Stress Awareness Month – April 16 is Stress Awareness Day

Life = change. Change = stress. So you probably don’t need to look far to find stress in your life. April is National Stress Awareness Month. The Health Resource Network (HRN) started National Stress Awareness Month in 1992. They chose the 16th of the month as National Stress Awareness Day. Obviously, stress doesn’t take an 11-month vacation and just “show up” in April, but this is a reminder to sit down, take a deep relaxing breath, and consider the stress in your life. [ 298 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/april-is-national-stress-awareness-month-april-16-is-stress-awareness-day

4serenityblog.wordpress.com (I’d have chosen April 15 — but they didn’t ask me)

Spring Cleaning the Feng Shui Way!

No, this is not a lecture on spring cleaning your house. This is a lecture on spring cleaning your life! We may not consciously be aware of it, but we constantly interact with our surroundings. Everything around us – both seen and unseen – carries energy and affects us. Karen Kingston defines feng shui (fung shway’) as “the art of balancing and harmonizing the flow of natural energies in our surroundings to create beneficial effects in our lives.” The Chinese characters for feng shui are the characters for “wind” and “water.” Wind and water carry… [ 781 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/spring-cleaning-the-feng-shui-way/

4serenityblog.wordpress.com Clear your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual clutter

Water, water everywhere. How much do you drink?

Water is H2O – a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. It covers more than 70% of the earth’s surface. It is the basis for all the fluids in the body; every cell and organ needs water. It makes up about 50-65% of the human body, more than 75% of the brain, more than 80% of blood, and 90% of the lungs. [ 712 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/26/water-water-everywhere-how-much-do-you-drink/

4serenityblog.wordpress.com (with apologies to Coleridge)

Body Sense - SPRING | 2016

"Massage: Your Gateway to Body Awareness" is in the Spring issue of Body Sense magazine. I always tell my clients that there is pain being inflicted and there is pain being released. This article explains that being aware of pain is the first step in reducing or eliminating it.

The current and archived issues of Body Sense are always available through the Serenity Center website.

bodysensemagazinedigital.com A public education magazine brought to you by Massage Your Gateway to Body Awareness Tipping What Do Therapists Expect? What Should You Do? spring 2016 Body Sense massage, bodywork & healthy living PLUS Reiki's effectiveness for pain reduction Movement Therapies Strengthen Your Body and Accentuate Y…

Technostress will get you if you don’t watch out!

Why is technology so difficult? It’s invisible. Older, mechanical systems had parts we could take off, fix and reinstall. That’s not done with a computer! “We have difficulty understanding what we can’t see, touch or fix and it is human nature to fear or avoid what we can’t understand or explain” according to Weil and Rosen, authors of TechnoStress. [ 927 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/21/technostress-will-get-you-if-you-dont-watch-out

4serenityblog.wordpress.com It’s human vs computers in the tech revolution

How to balance a bowling ball on a broomstick

Gotcha! You don’t need a “how to” lesson on this, but maybe a refresher course is in order. The adult human head, on average, weighs 10 to 12 pounds. That’s the weight of a bowling ball. And the human spinal column is about the diameter of a broomstick. So all day, every day as you move around, you are balancing a bowling ball on a broomstick! [ 865 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/how-to-balance-a-bowling-ball-on-a-broomstick/

4serenityblog.wordpress.com You already do this – every day.

Can your home or office make you sick?

"Sick building syndrome" is a symptom of poor quality indoor air. Fumes given off (offgassing) by synthetic chemicals and toxins used in modern building materials that cannot escape a tightly-constructed, super-insulated home build up in the indoor environment. Moisture also is trapped; mold and mildew can be the result. Radon, a radioactive substance in the ground can seep into buildings. [ 558 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/can-your-home-or-office-make-you-sick

4serenityblog.wordpress.com Building Biology seeks healthy, ecologically sound environments

March is National Sleep Awareness Month. Do you get enough sleep? Is it quality sleep? People who don’t feel truly refreshed even after a night’s sleep may be sleep deprived. The NIH suggests the average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Sleep is when the body restores itself.
Sleep deprivation can result in a number of health and behavior issues. Memory, alertness, focus and the ability to handle stress may suffer. Sleep disorders can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, obesity and stroke among other problems.

You’re Grounded! (but in a good way) – Part 2

You’re Grounded! (but in a good way) – Part 1 discussed centering and grounding. Grounding, though, also has a more literal interpretation. It can refer to the physical connection between your bioelectrical body and the earth’s surface. Barefooting and earthing are two more ways to become grounded. Barefooting Eastern philosophies are centered around a vital energy – the life force – called qi (or chi) or prana that exists in all things. [ 1119 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/06/youre-grounded-but-in-a-good-way-part-2

4serenityblog.wordpress.com Barefooting and earthing

You’re Grounded! (but in a good way) – Part 1

Centering You’ve probably heard about your “center of balance.” This is a physical point where your weight is evenly distributed. In a similar manner, your energy center is also a physical (although invisible) point where your energies are balanced. You become centered by sinking into this point, becoming aware of the flow of your internal energies. More specifically, centering means focusing on the hara. [ 1139 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/28/youre-grounded-but-in-a-good-way-part-1

4serenityblog.wordpress.com How to get centered and grounded

How do we cope with stress?

Biologic stress is not the same as nervous tension. Selye described an environmental view of stress in terms of change and adaptation dictated by life events. Over time, persistent stress may cause the body to adapt—to permanently change, possibly in unhealthy ways. Quality of adaptation to psychological, physical, social, and economic stressors determines quality of life. Failure to adapt leads to what Selye called… [ 838 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/how-do-we-cope-with-stress

4serenityblog.wordpress.com “we’ve evolved to be smart enough to make ourselves sick” (Sapolsky)

Are you at risk for “sitting disease”?

Have you heard that “sitting is the new smoking”? A sedentary lifestyle has been implicated in heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. It’s possible to quit smoking (I know how hard that is – I’ve done it). But how do you quit sitting? That’s hardly practical. Recent articles about health problems associated with prolonged sitting prompted me to re-read Sitting Kills, Moving Heals… [ 573 more words. ]

https://4serenityblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/are-you-at-risk-for-sitting-disease/

4serenityblog.wordpress.com One expert explains why exercise alone won’t prevent it