Tag: Anxiety

A Yoruba Recipe for Banishing Anxiety

A Yoruba Recipe for Banishing Anxiety

 

Components:

Ham Bone

Valerian Root

Tea Ball

 

Instructions:

Load the tea ball with valerian root (you may also need a nose plug) and boil with the hambone until the water becomes a tea. Allow it to cool and then bathe in it, or pour it over yourself in the bath tub. Do not wash it off. Take the hambone and tie it to the back of your car so that it hangs above the road, but not drag, and drive to a place of high elevation. If you don’t live near any high elevation, any kind of hill will do. As you drive, visualize the anxiety leaving you in the form of thick, sooty smoke and being soaked up by the hambone.

When you arrive at the hill or mountain, take the hambone from the back of your car by the string or rope. DO NOT TOUCH THE HAMBONE ITSELF. Throw it from you as far as you can and then compose yourself to meditation. Still the mind, relax, and if you wish, mentally ask Yemaya (the Yoruba Orisha of the Sea and Tranquility), or any other deity/spirit you wish to be with you and bless your intentions.

After 10 to 20 minutes of meditation, leave full in the knowledge that you have banished anxiety and restlessness. As with any other form of magick,, banish with laughter or ground with a good meal and forget about the exercise.

 

By Fra Khoronzon

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6 Tips for Less Stress & More Joy This Season

6 Tips for Less Stress & More Joy This Season

The clock is ticking toward the holidays, and  two very different feelings  are flashing on your emotional news feed:  impending joy and impending doom.

OK, maybe doom is overstating it; dread may be closer to the mark.  But let’s  face it, many of us are finding ourselves up at 3:00 in the  morning checking  our to-do lists and reviewing incessantly the parade of  possible catastrophes:  “Will my brined turkey be a disaster?” “Will  everyone be happy with their  gifts?” “How much weight (and debt) am I  going to gain?” “What if my family  doesn’t get along?” “What if I’m not  ready?” “What if I totally fail?!” Wait,  are we preparing for the  holidays — or final exams?

It doesn’t have to be this way.

It’s time to change our relationship with the holidays. We don’t have  to  break up with them, but just know that as with all things anxiety,  the holidays  aren’t the problem; it’s the story in our head about the  holidays that needs to  change.

So, don’t gather up the mistletoe or menorahs, waiting for that  starting gun  to say: “On your mark, get set, stress!” Instead, put down  the supplies, take  off your running shoes, and change your expectations.

The holidays are not a control-freak boss or a mother-in-law poised  with a  perfection-sensor critiquing your every move — more likely,  you’re doing that  number on yourself. The holidays are an opportunity —  your opportunity — to  acknowledge and celebrate in the ways that you  would like.

So, this year, give a gift to yourself. Be daring. Choose how you  want to  celebrate this season. Yes, you do have many choices in the  matter. Whether  that’s a tailgating party, a marathon family reading of The Hobbit,  or  the more traditional hot cider in front of the fire, don’t let the  anxious  chatter — “You should, you must, you’ve failed!” — ruin it for  you. Find your  own meaning, there are no right or wrong answers. If  it’s real to you, it’s  real.

Here are six ways to help you have more joy and less stress this holiday  season:

Get Specific and Fact-Check Your Worry

If the mantra in your head is: “I have to make this the most perfect  holiday  ever,” it’s time to release yourself from the impossible. The  constant worry  that this thought generates is sure to distract you — if  not derail you — from  enjoying what is. Take a minute and on one side  of a piece of a paper write  down what your worries are about the  holidays. Your worst picture of what could  go wrong. Then, on the other  side of the page, write down your answers to a  different question: What  do you think will actually happen? Or, put another  way: The next  morning, how do you think things will have actually turned out?  Pick up  the paper and read it from time to time, then notice what happens in   your body when you read your answers to those second questions. It’s  like  someone unplugged you from the stress machine and you’ve tapped  into the truth.  Make sure there’s room for reality in your head and at  your holiday table.

Don’t Script, Live

If you back up and look at the most cherished moments from holiday  times in  the past — the raucous game of charades or football, the quiet  moment when  everyone was happily entertaining themselves in the living  room while the snow  was falling out the window. What happened before those moments? It  wasn’t that anyone said, “Hey, let’s make memories  here — let’s all sit in the  living room and occupy ourselves  contentedly, okay?” Things just evolved. So as  much as it is great to  have plans and ideas, flexibility, spontaneity and being  open to what  might happen provide the greatest possibilities.

Let the Mistakes Be… New Traditions?

Forgot the cranberry sauce? Maybe a guest has a great idea for how to   innovate an alternative. Miscounted the spaces at the table? A  Christmas picnic  or a lighthearted impromptu game of musical chairs  before sitting for dinner  might be the memory that sticks for people —  and may give birth to a new  tradition.

One holiday bonding experience happened one year when we were hosting   Christmas dinner for friends and discovered that our kitchen had a  mouse. We  called our friends and asked if we could bring food to their  house and cook  there. The last-minute change, the pulling together in a  pinch, solidified our  friendship. Mistakes and glitches are often the  shortest distance between two  people if you have the right spirit about  it.

Pace Yourself and Schedule in Down-Time

Having a week off for the holidays can feel like winning the lottery:  You’re  flush with time and yet, like winning the lottery, when you  start divvying up  the pot of who is going to get what– or, in holiday  break terms, who you’re  going to see when — you may end up feeling  broke, with nothing left for you.  Rather than end winter vacation  feeling like you need a vacation, do what  marathoners do. Pace yourself.  Schedule in some coasting time. Would you like  to sit and read the  paper (or similar) once during the holidays? Put it in your  calendar.  Block out the time and enjoy. Repeat when possible.

Finding Joy: Savoring the Moment

I like to think about the one thing that I want to notice during the   holidays. Yes, I know I’m scripting it ahead, but bear with me — my  ability to  live in a clutch-free or cling-free manner of zen  present-centeredness is still  under construction. For me, it’s noticing  that moment at the holiday table when  everyone is contentedly eating and  conversation is flowing and my only wish is  exactly what I am  experiencing right then. Sometimes that picture doesn’t  happen, and  something else happens that hits that spot. Be on the look out for  that  one moment where you stop worrying about what’s next and you’re   thoroughly savoring what is.

Turn the Focus Outward: Help Others

Anxiety and worry turn the focus inward — the critic in your head  has a  strong bias toward “that’s not good enough.” Unplug that  microphone, get out of  the spotlight and focus on others: Volunteer time  if you’ve got it, contribute  if you don’t. It doesn’t have to be a pot  of gold, donating clothing or canned  goods can make a great difference  to a family in need.

So this year, forego the worry and give yourself more breathing room. In  so  doing, you will give joy, gratitude, and contentedness a wider berth  to find  their way into your life for the holidays and beyond.

Copyright Tamar Chansky, Ph.D., author of Freeing Yourself from Anxiety (DaCapo, 2012).

Daily Motivator for November 7th – Stop stopping

Stop stopping

Stop stopping yourself. Stop holding yourself back.

Stop giving power to your limitations. Instead, give commitment, action and  persistence to your best possibilities.

Fear and anxiety are immensely compelling, yet you are even stronger. The  inertia of complacency is powerful, and yet you can overcome it.

Whatever may have been holding you back has done so with your cooperation.  Choose now to no longer cooperate.

You have made the excuses and rationalizations, and you can now let them go.  You have focused on the fear, and you can now move beyond it.

The challenges facing you are very real, but that doesn’t mean you must add  to them. Instead, use the positive power of your life to move successfully  through them.

— Ralph Marston

 

The Daily Motivator

Daily OM For November 1 ~ Anxiety about Change

Anxiety about Change

Anticipating the Good

by Madisyn Taylor

Change will occur in almost every aspect of our lives, we can learn to embrace it while releasing the past with grace.

 

When we find ourselves going through any kind of change in our lives, our natural response may be to tense up on the physical, mental, or emotional level. We may not even notice that we have braced ourselves against a shift until we recognize the anxiety, mood swings, or general worried feeling toward the unknown that usually results. There are positive ways to move through change without pushing it away, however, or attempting to deny that it is happening. Since change will occur in almost every aspect of our lives, we can learn to make our response to it an affirmative one of anticipation, welcoming the new while releasing the past with grace.

One thing we can do is change our perspective by changing the labels we use to identify our feelings. We can reinterpret feelings of anxiety as the anxious butterflies that come with eager expectation. With this shift, we begin to look for the good that is on its way to us. Though we may only be able to imagine the possibilities, when we acknowledge that good is there for us to find, we focus our energy on joyful anticipation and bring it into our experience while allowing the feelings to carry us forward.

We can also choose to do a ceremony to allow our emotions to process. Every culture has created ceremonies to help people make the transition from one phase of life to the next. We can always create a ceremony too, perhaps by burning written thoughts to watch the smoke carry them away, thereby releasing them, or we can welcome new endeavors by planting flowers or trees. Some ceremonial activities such as a farewell send-off or housewarming party, we may do automatically. Society also has built-in ceremonies, like graduation and weddings, which may satisfy the need we feel. Sometimes the shift from denial to acceptance is all that is needed to ease our anxiety, allowing us to bring our memories with us as we move through nervousness to joyful excitement about the good to come.

 

Daily OM

Daily Aromatherapy Tip of the Day for Jan 31

 

Daily Aromatherapy Tip


One of the best eo’s for extreme anxiety and rapid heart beat is Ylang Ylang. Botanical name Cananga odorata
To achieve these results you’ll need Ylang Ylang Extra or Complete which contain a higher (50%) amount of linalool
not found in poorer grades of Ylang Ylang, (1, 2 0r 3). Enjoy!

Brought to you by AromaThyme.com

 

Feng Shui to Alleviate Anxiety

Feng Shui to Alleviate Anxiety

  • Jana, selected from Natural Solutions magazine

Anxiety escalates around the holidays as life’s frantic pace shifts into overdrive. Too much to do in too little time leaves you more susceptible to the telltale signs of anxiety such as headaches, muscle tension, insomnia, irritability, and even panic attacks. Looking for relief? You could follow the typical Western path, or you could try an option with considerably fewer side effects: The metaphor-rich design system called feng shui (pronounced fung shway).

Based on influencing the flow of qi (chi) or energy through your home and other aspects of your environment, feng shui principles align energy patterns with healing forces of nature. The result is a harmonious home that lays the foundation for emotional, spiritual, and physical health, says Brooklyn-based chakracologist (a term she’s coined) and feng shui expert Nancy SantoPietro.

“The feng shui of your home mirrors your life and health back to you in an objective, tangible way,” says SantoPietro, author of Feng Shui and Health: The Anatomy of a Home (Three Rivers Press, 2002). Survey your abode. Do clutter and chaos reign supreme? If so, your home’s feng shui may reflect the emotional, spiritual, and physical issues contributing to anxiety. But according to SantoPietro, by correcting the energy flow in your intimate living space, you can dismantle anxiety supported by unhealthy energy patterns and design layouts.

Use these feng shui tips to make your home an anxiety-free zone.

Repair all electrical systems. “Electricity runs through the wires of your home much like qi runs through the meridians of your body. When your home’s electrical system breaks down, it interferes with your energy flow and ability to stay focused, clear, and calm,” SantoPietro explains. Avoid energy clogs or leaks by repairing or replacing worn wires, blown light bulbs, and faulty outlets.

Clear away clutter. Clutter stagnates energy, both in your environment and in you. Entranceways are particularly important, SantoPietro notes, as they set the tone for the feng shui throughout your home. Keep them clear and unrestricted.

Reduce bedroom energy. “Remove electrical sources such as TVs, computers, and LED clock radios from your bedroom because they leak radiation, depress immunity, and interfere with sleep,” urges SantoPietro. The bedroom is meant for rejuvenation, renewal, and intimacy.

Just add color. “White decor deflects life force and thus neutralizes feelings,” SantoPietro says, “but decorate with color and you’ll invoke it. Any time I evaluate a home with all white decor, I know that someone in that house is not dealing with something.” And avoiding feelings often leads to anxiety.

Good Tuesday Afternoon To You All!

I couldn’t resist this picture. This wolf looks just exactly like my wolf-hybrid I had to have put to sleep two years ago. That nearly killed me, I had panic attack after panic attack in the clinic. I didn’t want to let her go for nothing but she was in pain and I couldn’t stand to see her suffer anymore. But to this day, I still love her with all my heart.

I got to thinking about wolves and dogs because it is 100 degrees outside. My Pomeranian is stretched out all over the bed. I take her every place I go almost. She had been pissed off at me because it turned off hot and I had been leaving her home.  I decided the other day that I would show her why she was having to stay home.  We where going to run down to the local Dollar Store (time to get dressed up, going to the Dollar Store!). I had been cleaning house and about to burn up. So I took a headband and brushed my hair straight back and then took a clasp and put it up. I normally have long curly hair. Well we went to the Dollar Store. I locked the door of the truck.  Ran in and right back out.  My goofy dog didn’t recognize me and was trying to eat me up. She was at the window showing her teeth and growling. Hell, I never knew little dogs acted like that. Needless to say, a crowd gathered. I turned around and there was people on both sides of me. They acted like I was trying to steal the truck and the dog.  I finally screamed loud enough for my goofy dog to hear me. She calmed down and I got the key in the door. I had to ask several of the people to excuse me to open the door. I got in and under my breath I had a good talk to my pooch. While I was talking to the pooch, even more people had gathered. I just looked up in amazement. What the heck are these people planning to do lynch me? HELP! I opened the door and stood up on the door frame. I asked them if they could move where I could get going. They just stood there. I asked them again. One of the men had the gall to tell me they still wasn’t sure it was my truck. I got so pissed I couldn’t see straight. It was 100 degrees outside, I had sweat running down my face and this idiot wanted to know if this was my truck. My reply to him was not very nice (I have cleaned it up were I can post it here), “Well, Mister, if you go out there and lay down in the road, I’ll show you this is my truck!”  It is amazing a loud mouth redhead can move mountains or a sea of hicks when she has too.  When I got home I ran into the house with all my packages, locked the doors and barred the windows. And all this because of my cute, adorable, sweet, loveable Kiki! Yeah right!