Rest.Refuel.Repeat.
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Welcome back! This week I have a few more suggestions on how we can allow our body to rest and feel refueled.
Yoga: Back in "Strettch" I highlighted the many reasons why stretching is beneficial to our bodies. Yoga is a technique that not only helps to stretch the body but mental benefits as well. The ancient remedy has been around for many years across a variety of cultures. In Western society, we consider Yoga to be a great exercise and relax for the body.
Use: There are a variety of different types of yoga. Each of which will have their unique benefits. Finding a specific type of yoga style may be difficult depending on our location but there are any free classes online or specific yoga instructors who will teach a certain style. The main goal or purpose has shifted from enlightenment to some common Western goals like strength, flexibility, and mental clarity. The Chakras are energy points through the body, yoga helps to balance these energies.
Decide on what outcome is needed for the body, mind, or spirit. From there, decide what type of yoga is needed.
Find a local yoga studio, see if the class is offered at a gym (cheaper option), or find the class online.
Show up! I always tell people the only requirement is to know how to breath. If you are able to breath, you are able to partake in Yoga. There is no such thing as being "good at yoga". Some people may have a set technique, or seem balanced, or in great shape but everyone is there to learn. There is always a way to improve. We are all students to the practice. The master mindset is forgotten.
Be sure to wear clothes that are not see through…Downward dog can quickly become a show.
Benefits: There is a reason this technique has lasted so long. I have found the pros begin from the inside first. Be ready for a reduction in injuries, increase flexibility, strengthen cardiac and skeletal muscle, tone, improve sleep, increase energy, help athletic performance, release endorphins, improve chronic pain, reduce anxiety and depression, detox organs and body, regulate breathing, help with addictions, improve quality of life, body awareness, overall mindfulness, maintain weight, and help with losing weight.
Side effects: Yoga is about challenging ourselves. Some of us like big challenges and will try poses we may not be ready for; this is where injuries usually occur. Overstretching is real too, learning the bodies limits will help determine what is pain from a challenge vs on its way to becoming an injury. If pregnant, let the instructor know so they can help navigate different pose options or which ones should be omitted entirely. There are pregnant specific poses to help avoid any twisting, backbends, abdominal crunching, and bouncing.
Location: Many gyms or park districts will offer a yoga class either included in the membership or at an additional cost. This may be 1 or 2 classes throughout the week taught by one or two instructors. Going to a studio will open up more options for different types of yoga and different instructors. Vibing with an instructor is a real thing. At home is an option as well! Use social media to find an instructor to subscribe to their class or find other videos teaching the different flows. Yoga can be done on our own as well. Find different poses that are needed for the body and do them on the ground outside or indoors. Being "grounded" in yoga is an important part of the art. Try taking it to the next level by performing the poses outside on the actual ground. Feel the lightness of the dirt between the toes, the fuzziness of the grass, or the grittiness of the sand. This is how our ancestors practiced, on the ground, feeling her energy.
Budget: A private 1:1 instructor will probably be the most expensive option. A studio can get pricey too. Finding a gym that includes classes will be a full package option. The cheapest option I have found is typing in "free yoga class" into a search engine.
Foam Rolling: Being part of the "gym culture" I have heard many people rave about foam rolling. I would agree with them. This is a great SMR technique to help our muscles repair. Often, when we are working out, we are increasing our inflammation in our bodies causing tight and sore muscles, using a roller to help massage these muscles can help.
Use: Ideally this can be done before or after a workout. Choosing which is right can be based on time, what works for our unique bodies, and what research we choose to believe. Personally, I like to foam roll afterwards or dedicate a specific time during the day just to rolling. Rolling before will help increase blood flow to the muscle and reduce tension.
Choose the right foam roller. This can be at the gym or through purchasing. Find one that has a different texture and is firm.
Start with a low amount of pressure and increase as the muscle is able to handle. Keep the muscle extended (for example point the toe and keep the leg long).
Roll not only the muscle that was put to the test that day (or will be) but the sounding muscles too. For example, if today was a leg day and I focused heavily on the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, I would roll all three of those muscles and add the calves too.
Be sure to roll for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Over one minute is not suggested for a particular muscle. Ideally, we want to be rolling perpendicular to the muscle.
If there is a certain "sticky" or "extra tense" spot, pause, apply pressure, roll the area and surrounding area, add more pressure, and repeat until the whole muscle feels smooth.
Avoid any joints and heavy pressure around these joints.
Benefits: There are a variety of benefits people experience while foam rolling. These include, increase speed, improve flexibility, increase range of motion, reduce muscle pain, reduce cellulite appearance temporarily, reduce back pain, help with fibromyalgia, overall relaxation, reduce muscle soreness, reduce inflammation, and add blood flow to muscles.
Side effects: We want to avoid boney areas, joints, and tendons for the most part. If there is a tear or rip in the muscle, do not roll it. If pregnant, consult a doctor first.
Location: Some gyms may offer one but be sure to wipe them first. Bacteria loves these things. I like to keep one at home, so I actually use it.
Budget: The is probably one of the cheapest methods we will review. Foam rolling can be a close substitute to getting a massage. One can be purchased to use at home in front of the TV, before bed, or before leaving for the gym.
Sleep: Some of you shuddered at the very idea of sleep. She does not come easily to us all. I like to think of sleep as the reflection of my daily life. If my day was unproductive or filled with conflict, my rest will be as well. If my rest is not full, the cycle continues. Improving our sleep begins with improving our day. The amount of sleep we need looks different for everyone. Remember, quality>quantity.
Use: Who am I to tell you how to sleep? A short story. When I was young maybe around middle school age, I went to the doctor because I could not sleep at night. Like at all. I would read then stare at the ceiling for maybe two hours then walk around. Sometimes I would stay up too late and suddenly my acid reflux seemed to be triggered. Then I was up for another hour or two throwing up. My doctor was luckily not captivated by pharmaceuticals and instead offered honest feedback. He simply said, "maybe you are just not doing enough throughout the day". He suggested exercise and running, even if it was just in circles. From there, I began to get more active. I joined cheerleading and kickboxing (probably the best combo). Then I slept at night. To this day, I work out not only for the many benefits, but to also allow sleep to come easily. I also want to note how lucky I was to have a doctor who did not push sleeping pills. I would probably still be on them today if it were not him recognizing how my environment needed to change instead of pushing a pill that would produce other side effects. I am not a sleep expert in anyway, but here are some suggestions:
Remember in "Liquid Red" how I ranted for a bit about our environment, consumption habits, overall brain health, soul, moving our bodies, rest techniques, creativity, and using our voices? Reread that one. I think it is a good start to recreating ourselves to invite sleep into our lives.
What will not help us sleep? Alcohol and caffeine. Take care to be sure caffeine is not ingested too close to bedtime (ideally none after 11am). Although some would argue alcohol helps them go to sleep, most of the time the quality of sleep is interrupted.
Practice is hara hachi bu. This is a Japanese term to help control eating habits. Focus on not eating before bed and especially not eating overeating. As the tradition goes, eat to leave room as to not become lazy.
Stick to a schedule. Going to bed and waking up at different times either during the week or on the weekends can confuse the body. Stay consistent with the time we wake up and go to bed each day. Many people have seen great improvements from just this step alone.
Do not force sleep. If we lay down and toss and turn or 20 minutes maybe our bodies are just not tired. Go to a different spot, other than the bed, and read or partake in a relaxing activity until our bodies grow tired and ready to try the bed again. This is not a good time to check the phone. Like at all.
Stop napping. Naps are not needed for most of us. If one is needed, try a 20-minute power nap.
Better the sleeping environment. If possible, avoid all work in the bed and in the bedroom. When we lay down to sleep, we may be triggered by the lack of separation of spaces. Keep the side nightstand clear, the room dark, add a fan, put in noise canceling earbuds, and omit anything stressful.
Avoid arguments and hard conversations after 9pm. Most of us are tired after a long day. The last thing we need is a triggering conversation that can wait until tomorrow after a good rest.
Remember "Time to Workout"? This article describes how different times we workout impact not only or workouts but also our sleep. I am not able to work out too late because my body temperature raises too much, and it is hard for me to sleep. Sometimes a cold shower will help. In general, becoming more active in our daily lives will help us rest at the end of the day. It worked for me as a child and continues to this day.
Journal! Every night for about 6 years I would wright down all the positive things that happened in that day and what I was thankful for. Every single day. This is called a gratitude journal and a great way to not only get our worries out of our head before sleeping, but also a way to shift our mind into a positive frame. I suggest this to every person I know from the optimists to the pessimists. Your thought patterns will change from this single step, guaranteed.
We live in a world of lights. So bright that we cannot even see nature's lights, the stars. This is a problem for many reasons. An overall good rule to follow is no lights (especially from screens) 2 hours before bed. I have even seen some people suggest 4-6 hours before bed. Set the scene at the end of the night by turning off lights, adding in dimmers, and turning off all screens way before sleep.
Anything that we use for an extended period of time should be good quality. This includes our mattresses, pillows, sheets, and blankets. My article on what to wear also includes the materials our sheets and blankets should be made of. Stick to cooling materials like bamboo or hemp. A mattress should be replaced often. Pillows should be washed regularly.
What are you wearing to bed? Not only the materials… but maybe nothing at all. This could help.
Benefits: There is no denying the benefits of a good amount and quality of sleep. Cardiac health, mood and brain health, reduce stress and anxiety, regulate blood sugar, help immune system, repair muscles and help athletic performance, and help with weight.
Side effects: The side effects of NOT getting sleep are severe.
Location: Ideally, we want to sleep in the same place each night. This option is not available to us all. Follow the other tips above if sleeping in a different location.
Budget: Spend the money on a good mattress, pillows, and sheets. When we are spending 2,920 hours (8 hours of sleep per night) in this location, good quality is important. Try to stay away from mattresses that are filled with harmful sprays and try one of these instead.
Laugher: Do not underestimate this one! Even fake laughter has been proven to be beneficial. Laughter is great because we can really do this one our own. However, laughing on our own and by ourselves may be considered a little strange, our hormones do not think so. I find it more fun to laugh with friends and family anyway.
Use: There can be many ways to do this.
I am a big fan of comedy and luckily many comedians are big fans of us. That means many of them have been uploading their content for free on their websites or through social media. This is a great place to start to get in a bit of laughs.
Connect with friends and family. Who can make us laugh the most? This is usually the people who know us best and know where our "funny bones" are. Plan a game night, see a comedy show together, watch a funny movie or show together, tell funny stories or memories together, and just laugh together.
Benefits: Laughter adds air/oxygen to our bodies. This can help release endorphins that will travel to our other organs, stimulating them. Laughter can also reduce stress, lower heart rate and blood pressure, encourage circulation resulting in relaxing muscles, improve immune health, fight illnesses, release neuropeptides, reduce pain, help with building bonds between people, increase mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and increase self-esteem.
Side effects: Not laughing can cause the opposite of the above benefits. Isolation is dangerous. We have even more research to prove this after the effects of the last few years. Practice daily laughter.
Location: Our mouths and brains are part of our bodies so this can be done anywhere :) Go ahead, try it right now.
Budget: FREEEEEEEEEEEEE
Self-Care: This can look different for each of us because we all have unique interests and ways, we can feel relaxed. For some of us it may be a massage or hanging out with friends and family. Some of us would prefer to stay in with a good book or show with our hot tea and blankets, others would like to experience a movie theater with our loved ones. Maybe a face mask or getting our hair done. Maybe shopping or eating at our favorite restaurant. Some of us practice self-care by saying no. Others may need to get some chores done. Some of us need to get done what we have been avoiding. Whatever our technique is for self-care, it is important to stay consistent with.
Use: Like I said, this looks different for all of us. Having trouble finding some ideas? Take a look at this article or research your own ideas or even ask some friends.
Benefits: We need to take care of ourselves. Period. We cannot even begin to help others if we are not helping ourselves. Take time to reduce anxieties by getting things done. Take care of depression through connection and gratitude. Take care of our overall mental health through meditation and moving the body. Take care of the spiritual through knowledge and community. Take care of yourself and others.
Side effects: Not taking care of us can result in burnout. This can be in the mental form and in the physical. Many people have ended up in the hospital from overworking themselves. This does not have to be you. Taking care of ourselves is a form of self-love.
Location: Anywhere and in any form that works for you, my friends.
Budget: To reduce financial strain, practice self-care in a specific budget. Maybe this is a set amount we set aside each month to "treat yourself". Do not feel the need to over consume either. Self-care can be free through even a simple walk.
Nature baths: I have talked about the term shinrin-yoku before. Walking through nature is important to us as humans. We came from the Earth so we must return back to the Earth.
Use: Take time to walk through nature. This could be the woods or past a stream of just outside in the neighborhood. Go with friends or family to enjoy the benefits together and engage in happy conversations
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Benefits: Boost creativity, reduce anxiety and depression, reduce anger, help sleep, improve breathing, help with eyesight, improve immune system, overall well-being.
Side effects: The side effects are more about safety. For women especially, be aware of your surroundings. Be aware of wild animals as well. They live in nature and we invite ourselves in their homes.
Location: Find a forest preserve or a nice neighborhood to walk around in.
Budget: FREEEEEEEE
There we go! My advice on how to refuel the body. I hope this works for you as they have for me. The body will forever be our home, let's take care of it.
Thank you for reading!
"Destiny is Mine"
*Reminder* I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. Please refer to your medical practitioner for details pertaining to your specific health.