Is pain taking over your life?

I understand all too well about life altering pain! I’ve had times when a part of my body hurts so much that it’s all I can think about.

I remember what transpired in my garden when I lifted too many heavy pails of water one afternoon. I should’ve known better. Right? Well, I injured my shoulder and arm by doing too much.

We’ve all done it. And afterwards, we can be so hard on ourselves! “Why wasn’t I smarter than that?”

But when the pain really kicks in and starts to affect how you’re thinking and what you decide to do and not do, it’s time to investigate possibilities of “what can I do about this pain and help my body heal?”

It’s one thing to have pain resulting from a physical injury like what I just described, or pain from a physical ailment. We can usually wrap our minds around those kinds of issues that create pain in the body. And if we don’t push our body to keep on doing, and if we help the body let go of the inflammation, we can often help healing take place.

It will usually take some extra attention, and of course, I’m suggesting you make use of self-help acupressure to help get on the other side of a pattern of pain.

Emotional Anguish

What if you’re living with the pain for so long, and it just becomes what you expect? And then what happens if your mind and emotions play into that way of being?

What if the pain is happening because of emotional trauma, like losing a loved one or exposure to violence? Or what if the pain is a result of feeling lost and isolated and maybe anxious and depressed?

That kind of pain can be just as debilitating because it’s often harder to figure out what is hurting and how to fix it.

Pain can create such deep, intense feelings that the senses get all caught up in “this way of living.” Well, your body would appreciate if you had another way of dealing with it and helping it not go in that direction.

You CAN change the patterns of how you talk to yourself and how you treat anything going on in your body and help it release old physical, mental, or emotional traumas.

Read on…

Self Conversations

Here are some possibilities of conversations you could be having with yourself about emotions and feelings in association with living with pain:

** Concern and worry

“What is happening with my body?  What do I need to do to get rid of this pain?”

This state of unknowing can lead to extreme nervousness and then confusion. And then it becomes almost too easy to go to “what am I doing wrong?” And, when you get caught up in that place, you start questioning yourself about almost everything?

When you’re stuck in that negative mode, it’s important to change your way of thinking to “what are some other possibilities?” That way you’ll increase your chances of getting answers as to how to take care of the pain and many other issues going on in your life. You and your body are now living in the space of believing that you ARE doing everything right to take care of you.

** Major fear that life is going to get really impacted

“What will happen if this pain doesn’t go away? What if this leads to something even worse?”

That sense of “feeling and being out of control” can lead to anxiety. And that’s one pattern we want to help our bodies not experience because it will cause aggravation of pain. Anxiousness is more like a “moment in time.” Being in a state of anxiety can become an issue that can become a project that then needs to be remedied.

The key is to help your body recognize that you and your body together CAN change the trajectory of thought patterns and improve your emotional state of being.

** Frustration and anger

 “This pain is driving me crazy. I’m so frustrated that I can’t do what I want to and need to do.”

Significant irritation at how you have to live day-to-day with pain can create belief patterns that cause you to feel like you’re unable to change something that could make a difference in your activities, relationships, and life – personal or business.

** Sadness and grief

“Life is so empty, and I can’t find a way to be happy.”

When pain takes over your day-to-day existence, you can all too easily begin to “miss how things used to be.” When the energetic body recognizes that you’re missing an integral part of yourself and can’t locate what you’re searching for, the body starts feeling like something has been lost. Then comes a state of sadness and grief for what’s missing.

A life that doesn’t seem happy creates an unhappy body. A body that’s experiencing lots of pain is most likely not in a state of experiencing joy and happiness.

** Trying too much and trying too hard – efforting

“My body doesn’t want to do what I need it to do. Everything seems too hard to do, and there’s just not enough time to do it all.”

When pain takes over the body and causes life to feel overwhelming, even expected and often simple daily activities take too much energy and can deplete your overall vitality. If you had vitality and the ability to be an “energizer bunny,” and now that’s missing, you and your body are experiencing a significant sense of loss and not knowing how to live in the world.

Energy Balance

So why this lengthy description of emotions and feelings when we’re discussing pain?

Pain causes so much “stopping us in our tracks” that emotions need to be addressed as we travel the journey of helping our bodies release the symptoms of pain and what is holding the pain IN the body.

When you dive into all that can be affecting your body, you’ll travel through all the systems and places that are being reactive –

• Respiratory
• Digestive
• Elimination
• Muscular
• Skeletal
• Vascular
• Cognitive
• Emotional

Additionally, you will connect with your

• Adrenal
• Endocrine
• Immune
• Lymphatic
• Nervous systems

so they can easily support your WHOLE body fully.

For instance, you may notice that when you’re experiencing a stretch of pain, it’s harder to get a full inhale and exhale. Your breath MUST open up to help spread the energy and be able to let go of ALL that’s in the way of change and healing.

Breath

Do this energy flow to open your breath AND to release the tendency for inflammation to be present in the body when there is injury, ailment, trauma, distress, and the emotions that are talking back. Doing this energy flow will also help your body rediscover easy and comfortable movement:

Right hand – hold fingers on the left elbow

Left hand – hold fingers on the right elbow

Left hand – move fingers to the base of the right front ribcage

Right hand – move fingers to right chest below collarbone

Inflammation Release

Do this simple energy hold to remind the body that inflammation can let go and not be a pattern.

Left hand – hold fingers on the outside of the left knee

Right hand – hold fingers on the outside of the right knee

Be in Flow

Follow with this simple energy flow to remind your body to be in flow and breath and calm!

Right hand – cup your sternum directly below the collarbone

Left hand – hold your fingers on your tummy below your navel

Use these acupressure flows using light gentle touch to get back into an energy balance for your body, mind, and emotions.

What I just shared with you is just the tip of the iceberg that I will be covering in the upcoming THE GREAT PAIN ESCAPE workshop!

_{>> Get all event details and register<<}

Balance, Bliss, and Energy

Align your energy and fly through your days with ease.

Learn how to:

• Stay calm amid daily challenges
• Be ready to embrace seasonal changes
• Align intention and action with your purpose
• Let your energy move and flow

Webinar Value: $597
Regular rate: $247
Early-bird rate: $147 (until August 20)

Register for Balance, Bliss, and Energy

Remedies for Dryness During a Drought

There is no doubt we are in a drought

Drought. Here in Northern California and other parts of the world are experiencing extreme weather: some too hot, others too wet, lots of confusion and shifts in seasonal patterns.

My garden is my cheerful spot. Reflecting on the water situation in my area made me realize changes to the weather are affecting more than the land we live on. Our bodies, the other critters who inhabit the earth, and plants are responding to these dry conditions. I share my thoughts and solutions to keep you feeling your best and in balance.

I took this video in my garden and runs 6 minutes 41 seconds

Lapping up Sunshine

I am down in my garden, lapping up the sun and the vitamin D. It is a gorgeous day. The mid-afternoon sky is blue. The sun is shining. It’s a little warm, but at least it cooled. We’re lucky where we are. Sonoma County has been giving us the experience of waking up to the fog and starting with cool days.

Everyone is talking about the heat and dryness and the drought. I know we’re not the only ones. The need for rain is prevalent in many places throughout the country and the world.

I’m working on saving water

Just like a lot of other folks, I’m collecting water from my shower and finding other ways to reuse water. In my garden, I’m also determining what changes to make. It’s decision-making time. We are in a drought cycle.

I had to make a hard decision a few days ago. I emptied my fountain. That required that it get thoroughly cleaned to ensure that the pump stays viable when it doesn’t have water.

Oh my. I can’t even believe how much I was used to the sound of the water cascading from one basin to the next. I’m already missing it immensely. And I’m also looking at the plants in the garden and determining what I can keep alive. If a plant is in jeopardy and having a hard time, I need to consider whether it is time to let it go. Water is a finite substance, even when you’re on a well.

Bring fluid to your body

Guess what? Your body needs fluid, too. Are you getting enough good water with electrolytes to feed every cell, so your body recognizes that it has plenty to assimilate? Your body needs to experience a state of sustenance.

So, make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D and enough good fluids that feed every cell of your being. Help your body know that you are consistently nourishing it.

According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, drought can have an adverse impact on people:

“Drought can also affect people’s health and safety. Examples of drought impacts on society include anxiety or depression about economic losses, conflicts when there is not  enough water, reduced incomes, fewer recreational activities, higher incidents of heat stroke, and even loss of human life.”

You can find out more about weather and the environment on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website.

And where would I be without doing a little energy work?

Ready to help your body receive extra fluidity? This self-help acupressure movement will help your body accept and move lubrication to every cell.

Cup the sternum below your collarbones and hold your other hand on your tummy directly below your navel. It’s that easy!

When you do this, it helps your body accept and let go simultaneously. How can the body do that? It’s magic! The body is so darn clever! The energy balance points under your collarbones give your body the signal to receive, gather, and disperse fluid, food, breath, and energy. When you put your hand on your tummy, you are connecting with an energy balance area that brings all of that to every cell of your being.

Have you noticed that your body seems to take on the dryness of your environment? You may have dry skin, sinuses, ears, nostrils, mouth, and eyes. Do this simple self-help acupressure movement to relieve the discomfort. Hold each energy balance point with a light touch for several good breaths. By the way, instead of problems, I call them projects. Projects are more fun to work with and have a beginning and an end!

For left side pressure/tension or “project”
Right hand—hold fingers along the right side of your neck
Left hand—fingers “travel” along the left side of the “centerline”

* at top of head close to “centerline”
* then just into hairline
* next, move fingers to the left side of forehead
* and then to the inside of left eyebrow
* place fingers at left cheekbone close to nostril
* and next, rest fingers just below left collarbone, close to your sternum,

For a right side “project,” switch your hands

Take Care of Your Body and Your Home

I hope you find you can do these energy flows easily and effortlessly. That’s what this is all about—helping your body remember how to be in flow and at ease.

You’re taking care of your garden and yard so they can more easily come back after they struggle with dryness. Give your body at least the same amount of attention, and maybe more!

Remember, any body needs to be taken care of. So, be good to your garden, and take care of your property. And take care of this body that you walk around in. It’s your house. It’s there for you. Your body deserves it!

Boost Your Immune System!

Boost Your Immune System!

Jane, a new client, recently said, “A session with Deborah turned the tide for me! I was feeling lousy and thought I was getting a cold.”

Within a few minutes of starting our call, she felt relief from sinus pressure, headache, and achiness.

“…And then she gave me self-help acupressure flows to continue using for allergies and my Covid shot!

Those flows and energy tips keep on doing the trick, and I’ve had more energy than I’ve had in days. Now I see Deborah regularly, and my body is a lot happier with no aches and pain. I live hundreds of miles away from her, but those Zoom sessions are changing my life. I didn’t even have reactions after my second Covid vaccination!!

Deborah’s right! Boost your immune system, and your body will be happier!”

Energy balancing IS all about strengthening your immune system!

COVID brings the conversation about immune systems front and center. A stronger immune system will help you and your body resist germs and bugs, reduce allergy symptoms, potentially lessen reactions to vaccinations, and calm the nervous system.

There are healthy ways to strengthen your immune system

Harvard Health Medical School suggests that following general good-health guidelines is the best way to keep your immune system working properly. A few of the top strategies include:

• Minimize stress.
• Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise regularly
• Get adequate sleep.
• Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently.

You can read more about what they say at —

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

Harvard Health study says stress can suppress your immune system, increase your susceptibility to illness, contribute to anxiety, and cause depression.

We can’t avoid all sources of stress in our lives, nor would we want to. But we can develop healthier ways of responding to them. Harvard Health recommends that breath and relaxation can make a difference in your wellbeing.

I’d like to show you how YOU can help your body let go of stress and not have it accumulate in your system.

Self-care Practice

A self-care practice teaches your body how to take care of itself and to be healthy and vital. While doing your self-help acupressure, you are also doing the following and a lot more–expanding breath, relieving pain, having more vitality for your daily activities, managing feelings, sharpening clarity and focus, increasing creativity and productivity.

Here are self-help acupressure energy tips to boost your immune system, relieve allergies, and help you move easily through your vaccination.

1.  Right hand—cup right shoulder near the neck
   • Left hand—hold fingers on the left chest below the collarbone
   • Switch to do the other side
2. Right hand—hold fingers on the right base of the skull
   • Left hand—hold fingers on left base of the skull
3. Right hand—cup forehead with fingers on the left side
   • Left hand—cup back of head with fingers on the right base of the skull
   • Switch to do the other side
4. Left hand—cup right shoulder near the neck
   • Right hand—hold fingers at sitz bone/hip area
   • Switch to do other side

Harvard Medical Recommends

Harvard Medical identifies several techniques to help turn down your response to stress. Breath focus helps with nearly all of them:

1. 1. • Progressive muscle relaxation
      • Meditation
      • Yoga, tai chi, and Qi Gong
      • Guided imagery

Add self-help acupressure to the list!!

Read more about why Harvard Health Medical School suggests relaxation techniques to reduce stress.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response

Another resource on how to cope with stress during troublesome times

University of Maryland Medical System

https://www.umms.org/coronavirus/what-to-know/managing-medical-conditions/healthy-habits/stress-management

Dr. Stephanie Knight, Chief of Psychiatry, suggests these tips to help cope with stress during troublesome times:

1. 1. 1. Stay connected with friends and family members. It’s important to be processing your thoughts out loud, rather than keeping them close to your chest.
      2. Eat healthy
      3. Exercise regularly
      4. Get outside
      5. Get plenty of rest
      6. Practice mindfulness activities, such as meditation, journaling, movement, yoga, pay attention to sensations

Additional Resources to Boost Your Immune System

Ah(choo) Spring!

Allergies Getting the Best of You?

Finding Joy and Ease Amid Our Topsy-Turvy World

How to Reduce Stress and Have Your Joy

April is Stress Awareness Month

Corona Virus Prevention Recommendations

Get Your Free Stress Relief Guide

It’s easy and all you need is to click on this link.

How to Reduce Stress and Have Your Joy

Did you know that stress can steal your joy? Let’s change that picture!!

Joy is such a glorious experience. It’s a feeling that can bring you to a place of gratitude for what you have and allow you to experience a sense of wonder and delight in the possibilities.

I’m all about joy, especially during the holidays. The spirit of the season and the colors, lights, and sparkle make me smile. I love holiday magic!

Stress takes away the magic

Then here comes stress, that thing that lives on the other side of the proverbial coin. And, right now, the stress level is exceptionally high because of the holidays, the pandemic, travel plans affected, civil unrest, decision fatigue, interrupted sleep patterns, loss of vitality, too much computer time, the list goes on and on.

Stress can take away your juice, affect the quality of your life, and cause you to lose your appreciation of life. In that realm, how on earth can we have great expectations and be positive?? So, it’s no wonder that stress can affect your ability to communicate your feelings and thus influence your relationships. If it’s tough to be positive, it will show up in how you are with anyone, whether in person or virtual, on Zoom, or on the phone.

So, maybe that’s why it can be so tricky during the holidays to be with your loved ones, especially if you’re amid a stressful period. Sad to say, most of us are experiencing high levels of stress. Much of that is because we’re in a “not knowing state of being.” Humans want to know and need to know what’s around the corner. Most of us don’t want to admit that we don’t know! And yet we need to express ourselves.

You can choose to live a reactive or a proactive life

Are you in a place of wanting and maybe even needing to express some of your hidden emotions?? You are not alone!! Did you know that when you communicate your feelings, you will more easily let go of any stress you’re carrying? And that you can even help prevent burnout??

The trick is to recognize you’re feeling something and then acknowledge that you reacted to whatever was going on, whether it was a physical, mental, or emotional reaction. THAT is an awareness that allows you to be on a path of changing how you’re feeling. And then the stress can deconstruct and transform and help you strip away what doesn’t matter.

Changing the patterns of stress

1. Look at what is “wrong,” what is stressful, and what you want to change. You’re capable of making it through these times. Look at what you’ve already been through in all parts of your life, what you changed to make it to where you are, and then KNOW that you can do it again.
2. Change up negative self-talk. Once you’ve noticed that you’re doing it, you’ll recognize that you’re uncomfortable with it. THAT is the moment you can address the talk and change it up.
3. When you’re in that better place of positive self-talk, those around you will notice it too. You will see evidence that you can more easily express your feelings and not hold things in. So, speak and be true to yourself! Be positive, and it will be easier to have gratitude live within you. And you’ll smile more often!
4. Recognize that change is just that. And if you’re questioning your ability to change old ways, acknowledge that “you just don’t know how to do the “new thing” yet. You just don’t know yet how to do it differently from how you’ve done it before!! In that moment of realization, you are on the road to change.
5. Get support. We rarely recognize how important it is to bring another voice into the picture. Ask for “a listening ear.” Maybe it’s a friend or a colleague who will be your sounding board as you unload. That process lets go of the mind chatter so you can get on the other side of “the voices inside.”
6. Get some movement happening. Exercise, walk, garden, whatever you do will trigger a positive feeling, feel emotionally stronger, and lower stress.
7. Create a daily practice that is super simple to accomplish. When it becomes a routine that you and your body discover is supportive and healing, you will FEEL stronger, healthier, more vital, and more prepared for whatever comes along.

Discover that rituals help your day begin with optimism and continue with joy

Have hope and faith that the changes you want in your body and life can happen! Embrace the possibility and relax with the process.
Balance emotions and habits, and you will discover how easy it is to be positive, be joyful, be proactive, and take control of your own well-being.

YOU are worth it!

Are you ready for a daily practice that is easy to accomplish??

1. Do the Daily Clean Your House Flow, a nine-step self-help acupressure flow that is super easy to do and takes less than ten minutes to complete. As a nine-year-old so succinctly told me, “It is the Daily Flow, so of course I do it every day! And I do it more than that!”
2. Keep your breath open. Feel the expansiveness of the inhale and the letting go during the exhale. Go to my website, click on the purple button “Learn the Daily Flow,” and you’ll get some energy tips that will expand your breath. Plan on doing them off and on throughout the day. There is no such thing as too much self-help!!
3. Give yourself lots of love! The first step of the Daily Flow is giving yourself a hug. It opens up breath, shows your body you are taking care of it, and it connects with heart health.
4. Throughout the day, manage your feelings so stress doesn’t have room to hang out.
   A super simple energy movement that allows you to express yourself.
   Right hand—cup sternum directly below the collarbone
   Left hand—hold your fingers on your tummy

By the way, I’m taking singing lessons, and I cup my sternum and hold my tummy a lot! It opens up my breath, softens my throat and vocal cords, drops my jaw, opens up my face muscles, and projects my voice. If I may say so myself—it’s astonishing how far I have come with my singing! Mostly when I had lost my singing voice after surgery.

Read more about letting go of negativity and stress:

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-let-go-of-negativity-and-stress-3145006

And see what Psychology Today says about stress and joy:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anxiety-zen/201804/springing-more-joy-and-less-stress-30-day-guide

Hope, Faith & Energy Workshop Series

Let go of all your challenges. It’s time to celebrate the holidays with fun and joy!

Change is natural. Yet you may find that you need help to make the changes you want in your body, life, or the world. You may feel it’s taking too much hard work to get that change to happen.

You can learn to embrace change and relax with the process!

In this workshop, we’ll combine acupressure and neural science discoveries. You’ll practice partnering with your body to shift your response to change and stay in balance. And you will enjoy the holidays a lot more!

Balance emotions and habits, and you will discover how easy it is to be positive

Amid all that is going on in our world, it is super important to turn down the stress and anxiety meter and find joy and positivity.

COVID-19 and Change

Have you been noticing the emotional rollercoasters as you continue to be in various stages of lock-down??

If you have kids in your life, you will most likely notice that they are experiencing the same difficulties. All of us have experienced an interruption of everyday routines during this year. Our social interactions have shifted from in-person to on-screen. Human beings need physical contact to thrive, yet we fear the peril that may come with touch.

What if you could recognize and acknowledge the surrounding changes in a way that takes you out of reaction and into positive action?

Does any of the following impact you?

• Feeling stressed and anxious
• Feeling a loss of breath
• Experiencing decision fatigue
• Feeling tired, unproductive, overwhelmed
• State of mind, fear, apathy, apprehension, confusion
• Hard to find joy and feel happy
• Your recovery from a challenging personal event
• Too much time in front of the computer and a loss of in-person interaction

You Can Feel Better if You Know How to Balance Your Body

• Experience your body as an energy system—be in touch with your body and discover breath, ease, calm, and vitality. You’ll even notice when your body is giving you a message so you can DO something about it.
• Manage feelings and emotions—recognize them and re-pattern them so you can more easily have positive, smoother experiences instead of stumbling blocks
• Boost the immune, endocrine, and adrenal systems—prepare your body to become healthier, more robust. You will be better prepared to handle potential exposure to viruses and bacteria

Stay Calm and Carry On

If creating a sense of calm and curiosity appeal to you, this three-part workshop series is right for you.

We will cover:

• Creative ways to appreciate yourself
• Cognitive Behavioral Theory
• Using Easy Self-Help Acupressure to keep in balance

Take Control of What You Can

Ready to take responsibility for your well-being? Give yourself a gift of Hope, Faith & Energy, and enjoy the holidays. Set yourself up to begin the new year.

Hope, Faith & Energy Workshop

I’m excited about my upcoming workshop to prepare for the holidays. And I’d love YOU to be there! I want this to be a fantastic season for you and your family! And I want to share how you can more easily get that to happen.

Register for the workshop using this link. And, if you can’t attend the live class, you’ll be able to access the recording.

You are worth it!!
Your investment in your improved health:
Only $97.00 for all 3 class meetings!!

The meetings will take place via Zoom on the following Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 pm

November 24^th
December 1^st
December 8^th

You will receive an email with instructions for joining the workshop after you register. You can take part via computer, mobile devices, or phone.

Ready to take responsibility for your well-being? Give yourself a gift of Hope, Faith & Energy, and enjoy the holidays.

Hope, Faith & Energy

Photo by Inna Lesyk from Pexels

Hope, Faith & Energy

Are you feeling at odds, unhappy, maybe lonely? Are you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what you should do next to clear the to-do list? Perhaps you’re also taking care of others, and you have their feelings and needs to look after, too.

If you have all of that going on and even more “stuff,” you might experience a sense of hopelessness, feeling that it’s never going to change. And, with all of that, you’re most likely experiencing some fatigue. Dealing with it is just too much!

Look at everything that is going on in this crazy world. COVID-19, social distancing, massive civil unrest, fires or hurricanes or flooding depending on where you live, evacuations, destruction, the election. Okay. The list is already too long, especially since each one of those can create stress and anxiety and the feeling that “it’s just too much.” No wonder we hear the phrase “pandemic fatigue.”

Kids are Feeling Stressed Out

What’s sad is that children are experiencing the same stress, overwhelm, not knowing what’s coming next, frustration, and sadness. They feel exhausted by social distancing, not being with their friends, and feeling hemmed in.

How do we cope and get on the other side of it? It’s super important to help our bodies get to that place. Otherwise, our bodies will think they are in constant trauma.

Trauma Adds Stress

Trauma and the effects of trauma bring us to a place of being on edge, wary, confused, even holding our breath. Energetically, trauma causes the energy pathways to get blocked and stuck. Energy needs to move, and it needs to change. Otherwise, our bodies will manifest “projects” that can cause unhealthiness and chronic fatigue. (Instead of problems, let’s use the word projects. They’re more fun to work with, and they have a beginning and an end).

Tips for Reducing the Effects of Stress

I have some easy-to-do ideas on how to get on the other side of it all.

Number One

We can help our bodies get out of confusion and create calm. You can do easy self-help acupressure to let go of fatigue and develop physical, mental, and emotional balance. It will help you sleep easily, feel healthy, be happy and joyful, have clarity and focus, increase self-esteem, and feel optimistic about tomorrow and beyond.  That’s where hope and faith come into the picture! (There’s a link at the end of the article to get you to easy self-help energy tips).

Number Two

I think we need to take Oprah’s advice that I read in her recent Inspiration Newsletter. We need to embrace hygge, the Danish art of coziness. Danes rank as the happiest people in the world, even today.  How do they get to that place?

Photo by Daria Rem from Pexels

What the Danes Do to Feel Happier

The Danish make sure that several essential elements are part of their daily lives, including relaxed thoughtfulness, meditation, and time spent with others. And, yes, we can spend time with others without actual physical contact. Now more than ever, we need to create time with others that create an atmosphere that is warm, relaxed, friendly, down-to-earth, close, comfortable, snug, and welcoming. It is like a friendly hug—but without the physical contact. In this situation, you can be yourself and relax completely. Therefore, the art of hygge is also the art of expanding your comfort zone to include other people.

So, I guess we have to do it with social distancing and maybe even over Zoom. No matter what, create the time for cozy togetherness! Our bodies, hearts, and souls hunger for it!

Another significant element the Danes bring into their lives is “living lights.” They make use of candles to bring light and create sunny smiles.

Maybe this year, we need to make sure we put up those holiday lights for the color and the sparkling lights that bring those big smiles. As many of you know, I love Christmas. What I also know is that I need those lights as the days get shorter and shorter. And, even though very few people will see my Christmas extravaganza, it just might be the year it all gets displayed.

Read more about Embracing Hygge:

http://www.oprah.com/health_wellness/how-to-embrace-hygge#ixzz6cNxufzLL

Hope and Change

Another piece we need to be aware of—change wants to happen, and it needs to happen. The body you walk around in is in constant flux because it’s energy. A body in energetic balance will quickly experience the change, and it will be a positive shift. The trick is to be creative in appreciating ourselves and find enjoyment within the shift. Maybe the difference is merely relishing an accomplishment.

Consider using this simple worksheet to help you see the changes that you can implement. It uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which uses your mind to notice the good stuff. It focuses on behavioral changes in your daily life, for instance, tracking your emotions according to your activities. So, it’s learning how to notice when your body is giving you a message.

behavioral-activation quiz

If you would like to learn more about behavioral-based therapy, visit the Therapist Aid website.

Your Key to Hope, Faith  & Energy

To help your body thoroughly experience change and get messages, go to my website and click on the purple button, “Learn the Daily Flow.” You will receive self-help acupressure suggestions that will help your body experience balance and harmony. Included is the Daily Clean Your House Flow® and energy tips to expand the breath, let go of frustration, achieve focus, boost motivation, and increase productivity. Now, those are some changes your body will appreciate!  And you are fully experiencing hope, faith, and energy. Enjoy the movement and the difference!

Keep Your Breath Moving!

Breath is the Key

How is YOUR breath?  Are you feeling like you’re getting enough air into your lungs?

I love the fall. It’s one of my favorite times of the year with the changing of the light, the season’s colors, and the harvest of all that Mother Nature and my garden created. It also is the time to evaluate the first part of the year and determine what I need to take care of before the onset of wet weather and the end of the year. You know that thing called “getting all your ducks in a row?”

But 2020 has taken all of us on a crazy ride, and everything seems so disjointed and out of sorts. Like you get something started, and then it gets interrupted. It’s not procrastination; we are experiencing total disruption. It’s hard to experience safety, security, and accomplishments amid being enmeshed in all of the craziness.

The upheavals and stress of 2020

All of us are coping with so much. Depending on where you reside, you might live with the threat of wildfires, intense heat, or life-threatening storms. There is the pandemic and all the fallout, the underlying concern about whether one’s health is in jeopardy, and the violence that seems to run rampant. And, if you’ve experienced any loss, whether it’s the loss of a loved one or personal or property loss, your life is filled with figuring out how to handle all of it. No wonder so many people are experiencing depression.

Everything I’ve listed can too easily create anxiety, and anxiety can develop into “shortness of breath.” Many say that they can’t get their lungs to move the air. And, if you’re living where there is a lot of smoke in the air and intense heat, your physical body is in massive reaction. If you have preexisting respiratory issues, your body is even more sensitive, challenged, and stressed.

The all-important inhale

Stress can take our breath away, cause us to wait with bated breath, and cause us to wait for the next shoe to drop. And, when that’s the case, “held breath” brings about other “projects” that can affect physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

We all know how important breath is. We need expansive inhales to bring in the oxygen that gives us life and vitality. And we need the purging power of our exhale to make room for the new inhale. We can help our bodies always have space for the breath, no matter what gets in our way, what disruptions occur, what calamities take place. We can help our bodies prepare for whatever might come at them and for whatever we ask them to do for us. And it’s not telling them, “I expect you to be stuck and not be able to do this.” It’s telling them, “I love you being in the flow, and this is how we’re going to do it together.” Doing your self-help acupressure is about you being a partner with your body.

Let’s help your breath move! Bring on health and vitality!

Please share this information with others in your life, including kids. Self-help acupressure works for all ages.

1. Do the Daily Clean Your House Flow^®! You’ve heard me say that lots. But it’s a foundation that can create stability and ease and calm. So, do it at least once a day. You can see the step-by-step on my website at deborahmyerswellness.com. Click on the purple button to get a copy. And see the animated video of the Daily Flow in its entirety.
2. Do the Jumper Cables (last step of the Daily Flow) whenever you think of it, or when your body tells you to do it! It will balance all emotions and feelings.
3. Hold upper arms by folding arms across the chest
4. Hold thumbs
5. For respiratory distress – anxiety, holding your breath, lung tightness

• Right fingers—hold the right base of the ribcage
• Left fingers—hold the right chest below the collarbone
• Switch hands and hold opposite sides

6. Right hand—cup your sternum directly below the collarbone
   Left hand – hold fingertips in a vertical pattern below the naval

Whenever you do your energy balancing, visualize ease, calm, and strength for all parts of your body: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And picture the same flow for others in your life as well as for the rest of the world. See that same calm experienced and enjoyed by our environment, including our forests. They are just as hungry for peace, strength, and health.

I wish each of you calm and peace and lots of easy breath.

Stay Fit and Healthy

Stay fit and healthy while you are at home. Searching for an outstanding fitness class? Here are my recommendations:

BikerBarre Fit

BikerBarre Fit is located in Santa Rosa and offers virtual classes accessible anywhere you live. It is your one-stop-shop for strength, flexibility, and fun fitness. Someday soon, I’ll be back there in-person. Until that happens, I love their live stream classes. Check it out!  And my daughter Nicole is an instructor.

https://www.bikerbarrefit.com

Blue Door Yoga

Blue Door Yoga in Penngrove is an impressive yoga studio. The studio focuses on health, flexibility, and spirit and specializes in creating safe classes for all levels of yogis. They are offering a variety of online yoga classes. Be sure to check them out no matter where you live! My daughter, Nicole, is likewise an instructor at Blue Door!

https://ilovebluedoor.com

Enjoying Mother Nature

Being in the outdoors can feed your soul. Whether you wander, hike, bike, ride horseback, garden, stroll in the sand at the beach, climb a mountain, or sit and listen to the birds singing, allow yourself time to soak up the environment. It’s one of the best ways to discover breath, be in joy, and relax. Mother Nature will assist you to have a perfect meditation.

Energy Tips for Getting & Staying Calm

Breath is the key! When we have full expansive inhales, our breath feeds us. And those inhales allow us to have full purging exhales.

So much of what has been going on the last four-plus months can affect our breathing. Stress causes us to hold our breath, to wait with bated breath, expecting the next shoe to drop. When our bodies are dealing with stress, anxiety, frustration, sadness, or fear your nervous systems can be on edge and fired up. Heightened arousal = burnout, irritability, fatigue.

Super easy energy tips for ease and calm:

1. Hold fingertips on opposite upper arms and feel your breath (first step in the Daily Flow)
2. Hold right fingers on right base of skull and left fingers on outside of right wrist
3. Hold left fingers on left base of skull and right fingers on outside of left wrist
4. Cup right hand at sternum below collarbone and hold left fingers on tummy.
5. Hold right fingers on outside of right knee and left fingers on outside of left knee

Check out my Deborah Myers Wellness Facebook Page for videos of some energy tips while I give you a tour of my garden.

See the animated video of the Daily Clean Your House Flow, an Easy Self-Help Acupressure Flow that both kids and adults love and practice to create a foundation for health and wellbeing. Go to DeborahMyersWellness.com/covid19. It’s available to watch and use at no charge.

Creation from your garden’s bounty or from the farmer’s market

Grilled Summer Vegetables

You’ll need a good-sized grill pan coated with a bit of olive oil.

Coat chunks of onions, zucchini, green beans, garlic, peppers, and whatever else you have with oil. (I enjoy using large slices so everything stays firm).

Season with salt, pepper, and any seasoning that complements the other dishes you’re serving. Then place them into the hot grill pan.

In a separate pan, have a single layer of mushrooms and dry grill (they’ll stay firm and are easy to mix with other veggies).

When veggies have finished cooking and still firm, dump into a large bowl, incorporate sizable chunks of fresh tomatoes and basil. I also add basil salt that I made from last year’s crop.

Stay fit and healthy

It is easy to do. Mind, body, spirit in harmony.