Tag Archives: self-care

I Bought Myself a Cherry Pie Today! Self-Nurturing

Posted on by

Remember to consider how best to be self-nurturing!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, and Amazing Holidays however you choose to celebrate. As I write this blog it is late December and the days are cooler and short in Northwest Washington. Today, I find myself at home coping with an ear infection which is stripping me of ability to have social interaction and to communicate. This is due to a loss of hearing and my body telling me that I need to take some time to withdraw from my busy schedule. This is an opportunity to write and today I want to share my story of shopping… Not for Holiday gifts but for the simple food required to re-stock. In my trip through the supermarket, I decided I “needed to “treat” myself.” Perhaps because I have been stuck indoors for a couple of days.

Self-nurturing takes many forms. Perhaps you meditate, do yoga, get exercise, take a trip, walk outdoors, meet friends/family, play with your child or pet, read a good enriching book, or buy yourself a cherry pie. Cherry pies are not as high up on the self-nurturing scale as some of the many other suggestions but this is what I chose for myself, today. This is not a recommendation. This is an honest admission…

This cherry pie was on sale. It was appealing. I felt like I wanted a treat. AND, I got a topic for this blog… When I got home I ate a piece of cherry pie and felt pretty good to honor this feeling. Normally, I am not the most dessert driven person. Some people are and You know who you are! There are healthier alternatives but there is NO reason for guilt or shame. My most recent past blog, see below on this blog page, was about being a good role model. I am not sure that buying yourself a cherry pie for self-nurturing is the “BEST” role modeling behavior but being “Human” is! I am taking responsibility for this weird choice and my behavior. I am not unhappy. In fact, this experience has raised my energy level (probably sugar related) and allowed me a great self-nurturing distraction from my aching ear.

Impulsive actions are not all bad. Chronic compulsive or addictive behaviors are significant lessons for everyone involved. Taking responsibility for your behavior is an important step and then decisions can be made and actions taken, again with responsibility. My cherry pie today was not a chronic experience or coming from a deeper addictive behavior but not everyone reading this will necessarily agree… We all have “choices!”

We are entering into a new calendar year and some of us will attempt to make, and then keep, new year’s resolutions. Futile! But, you do want to consider how to keep moving forward in your personal development and quest for consciousness. Do not forget to find the time, energy and resources for self-care and self-nurturing. Fill your life with JOY! Have some FUN! Live with Gusto! Dance like No One is Watching!

You are a Blessing! When a cherry pie type feeling happens, do not ignore it. You do not have to act upon it, but consider what your body is feeling and find the best way for you to celebrate life, especially, your life!

Happy New Year, no matter when in the year you stumble upon these words. You were meant to read them! AND, if cherry pie comes flying at you enjoy your options…

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Oneness vs Self

Posted on by

Dilemma: Oneness and 100% connection versus the preservation and requirements of Self-care…

Is there a conflict or not? Does the concept of “Oneness” mean Selfless and complete lack of Separation from all other Divine Souls or can the human incarnation engage in the activity of Self-care?

Some say that there is Not a conflict. A priority of self-care as a priority is a demonstration of Self-love and the Self-awareness adding to the consciousness of the greater Divinity. The act of inward reflection in meditation adds to personal awareness and growth. It is an act of Self-care. It also takes the edge off mental/emotional swings of the Mind and Ego.

Self-care with exercise can allow you to find your way into the “Present” moment and can help to release guilt and the held upset from past remembrances and anxiety for the changes and unknowns of the future.

Personal reflection and insights as you view your life’s lessons and interactions is the purpose of your incarnation. We learn from “Bumping” up against our “Triggers” and testing out our new skill sets and new learnings to see how these fit our “lessons” as we plod along our paths toward greater consciousness. It forces us to accept and to love unconditionally all the people and situations our egos may find annoying, difficult or distracting.

These are our challenges and our laboratory for testing our newly developing consciousness and wisdoms. If we are “triggered,” then we have a lesson to learn more fully.

You are a Divine Soul and perfect. You are here to serve and to assist other pilgrims. Whether you know it or not, You are a Master. If you seek a non-religious community for support and to enhance your conscious development, consider Masters of the Journey and tell Your story!

Healing Secret

Posted on by

Do you believe that someone else “Heals” you? Or, do you believe that you heal yourself? When you get a small cut or scratch how does your body repair itself? When you get exposed to a cold virus how does your body fight off the virus infection? These are mysteries that are just being explored. A doctor in an emergency room can set a bone, or put stitches in a wound, or restart your heart, or prescribe a medication like an antibiotic which can save your life. This demonstrates the mastery of medical arts, but does this heal you?

The power to heal is within you. People with faith may believe that the holy spirit can help the healing process or is it the “belief” in the holy spirit that actually supports the healing? The magic of the body hunting for an infection, building anti-bodies, and then destroying a bacteria or virus or even a cancer cell is still not well understood by medical professionals. There are many who believe that healing can be enhanced by the power of the focused mind.

I bought my wife a crystal that has healing properties, as told to me by the shop keeper. Perhaps the crystal focuses a healing energy that can not be measured by current scientific monitors or perhaps a person’s belief in the healing properties of the crystal are what rallies the patient to enhance their own healing mechanisms. In many ways, it does not matter whether the crystal does the healing or the faith in the crystal provides the healing, but…

From past experience in coaching clients, I have witnessed the power of the positive suggestions offered to enhance the healing process. The positive focus and concentration upon the positive end results and a soothing or calming environment can help promote the healing process. Many clients have responded well, physically and emotionally, to positive visualizations and suggestions, but I can not claim to know why this happens. I do know that the safe way I practice this use of suggestions does not hurt them and it is meant as an adjunctive process to traditional medical protocols.

I have seen “miracles” (or unexplained benefits) occur. As an example, I had a woman in her mid-twenties come in to my private practice with a diagnosis of a hyper-active thyroid and the symptoms that go along with this diagnosis. She said that she had been treated by an endocrinologist for 4 years with little positive result. Her symptoms included: hyperactive behavior, skin breakouts, bulging (protruding) eyes and high levels of thyroid hormone in her blood tests. I told her that I had not worked with this diagnosis (this was early in my career) but as we discussed her life she seemed to respond to information about biofeedback and stress management. We discussed a process that involved relaxation with Autogenic Training and a targeted visualization of blue light and coolness surrounding her thyroid gland to reduce blood supply to her overactive thyroid. It seemed to make sense to her and she went home to practice these techniques. 4 weeks later her skin was better. Her eyes were not bulging. Her energy levels seemed better under control. AND, her doctor found no trace of excessive thyroid hormone in her blood test. She felt that her success was due to her relaxation and visualization of a positive result. She used the power of her mind to heal herself in a measurable way. I loved this experience but I can not really explain the positive result.

I believe that we have the power to help keep ourselves healthy and we can be a big part of the healing process. I recommend that we get diagnosis and support from our medical professionals especially with our personal physicians but we should not always assume that they will heal us… We have a big part of this responsibility and we need to do our part.

I do not know whether a crystal helped my wife but I like to think that she may found emotional support in the belief that a positive environment helped her invest her own healing energies in appropriate ways. I also know that other people’s prayers, healing thoughts, love and positive energy can give great comfort and support. This may assist the healing process by having positive effects on the mind, emotion, and spirit of the person receiving this support.

Heal yourself. Share love and support with people who need healing. Allow them to bask in the healing, spiritual golden-white light of your unconditional, loving thoughts and prayers.

Contact me through the Stress Education Center’s website at www.dstress.com for more healing examples or coaching on how this might benefit your healing process. Please take good care of yourself.

Dangers of Ignoring the Impact of Stress

Posted on by

Why are we in denial?

Have you ever experienced any stress? Is the world more stressful now than it was 20 years ago? Have you ever experienced physical or emotional symptoms that are made worse as a response to stress? Do you believe that the best solution to stress is getting drunk or taking drugs?

I ask these questions many times per month to groups I train or individuals I coach. Without exception, people respond by saying that there is plenty of stress out in the world. It can be a distraction and effect physical and emotional health.

Now I ask you, what do you do, on a daily basis, to control your responses to stress? Do you meditate or practice stress management for 20 minutes per day? Most people say that they are too busy for 20 minutes of relaxation. People think that there is some easier way to control stress like taking medication. It is not convenient to practice stress management, so why bother to do it? The other response that many people use when confronted by the challenges of stress is to a point a finger and then blame someone or something else, rather that to take any responsibility for ones own habitual response to life’s stress.

Do not believe me without testing this out for yourself, but most people find that by practicing 20 minutes of deep relaxation, daily, they will actually save time and energy. Research suggests that 20 minutes of deep relaxation can take the place of as much as 2 hours of sleep and the sleep that you do get will be deeper and more restful. When I first heard this statistic I did not believe it, as most of you will not. I tested the statement and after 3 months I discovered that I required less sleep. Instead of needing 8.5 hours of sleep, I was getting rested with only 7 hours of sleep. So I invested 20 minutes and required 1.5 hours less sleep time. I came out ahead by one hour and ten minutes. Many of my Executive Coaching clients, after I convince them to try the 20 minutes of stress management, report that they get more work done in less time, with less energy, because they are better able to focus and make fewer mistakes. I challenge you to try this activity for 8-12 weeks and find the benefits that will surface.

People resist trying new things even if these “new things” are good for them. In fact, people are so overwhelmed that most of us are apathetic about taking good care of ourselves. We simply do not have the energy to care… Making time, even just 20 minutes per day, is painful and difficult. Motivation is low for using stress management preventively. Stress can cause headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, rapid heart rates, anxiety, depression, GI complaints, sexual dysfunction, back or neck pain, and poor quality of life, and yet most people would rather develop annoying or dangerous symptoms rather than practice stress management…

Most people have an unconscious need to get beaten up by stress as if it were their badge of honor for surviving our hectic world… There are a few genetic immunes who thrive on stress, with no sleep, and they make the rest of us mere mortals look bad. These “immunes” are in denial and stress will eventually affect their health or their relationships in negative ways. In Japan there is a word “Karoshi” which translates; people who work themselves to death. There is an addiction to work in our society and we need to be aware that the long term consequences of this attitude are high costs to our health, relationships, and quality of life.

When we are younger, we can get away with not sleeping or self-care. We are young and strong and flexible, but as we get older, we lose our flexibility and our strength. We have to learn how to do things smarter instead of “muscling through.” If we don’t, we will pay the price and our denial will not save us from our suffering.

Things in life that are the most stressful are the things that you care the most about but that you can not control. The only thing that you can control is the way that you respond in these difficult situations but this can take time and effort.

Please take your head out of the sand and take good care of yourself. Even if this means spending 20 minutes per day with stress management. It will save you time, energy, and even money in the long run.

L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the country’s leading expert on stress management and the author of the best selling “Guide to Stress Reduction.” Since 1977, he has offered Executive Coaching and Training. In 1978, he opened the Stress Education Center www.dstress.com.