Recovering from the Sonoma Fires

Watching and Waiting

Recovering from the Sonoma Fires

This last week has been one of the most intense and crazy times most of us who live in Sonoma County and Napa County have ever experienced. The loss and devastation are beyond belief. My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes. Many are still in a place of uncertainty as to what is next. That is most likely going to be “the new normal” for awhile.

I hope that YOU are in a safe and comfortable place wherever you might be.

I’m one of the lucky ones

my home is intact. In fact, the evacuation has been lifted and I returned today to see my home for the first time since Monday the 9^th at 1:00 am when I raced away from our neighborhood. If you’ve been reading my Facebook posts, you know that my kids, Nicole and Chris, have been on the property on fire watch – keeping the buildings and gardens wet and putting out grass fires in the subdivision, along with other neighbors who were doing the same. Over the last few days, they have had to chase off looters who are cruising the areas affected by the fire. How sad that there are people who are hurting rather than helping their community.

I’ve been staying safe with friends in Petaluma. They managed to make me laugh when there was so much to be sad about. Since I work out of my home, I haven’t been able to see clients there. But a friend offered an extra room in her massage studio in Cotati, which has been working out beautifully. I’m expecting to be back in my home treatment room space by next Monday.

Being able to “do my work” with my clients has been my saving grace. Please reach out to me and let me know how you are doing. And, if you or someone you know has lost their home, I’m offering complimentary acupressure/Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions.

As you know, an acupressure session can relieve stress and effects of trauma, help with respiratory issues, correct digestive discomfort and relieve pain and discomfort. Please let me know if I may be of assistance.

I’d like to give you some ways to help your body let go of the build-up of stress.

Healing and Breathing

Easy Self-Help Acupressure Tips from Deborah

As the body experiences balance and harmony, you can relieve anxiety, let go of the pressure and stress, achieve calm, strengthen your immune system, promote healing, relieve pain (chronic or acute).

And super important right now – doing self-help acupressure can help with all breathing issues, including filtering the smoke from your system and relieving cough and sore throat.

Get LOTS of recovery tips in my Seasonal Allergy Guide, free for you to download when you add your email to our list. In addition, you will get the full 9-step Daily Clean Your House Flow.

[constantcontactapi formid=”3″ lists=”1329322227″]

Here are a few of the tips:

To open the breath and calm the whole system:

Hold thumbs with opposite hands
Hold index fingers with opposite hands
Fold arms across chest and hold opposite upper arms

To relieve respiratory distress, such as holding breath or coughing:

Hold right base of rib cage with right fingers
Hold right chest below clavicle with left fingers
Switch and hold opposite sides

To release jaw, mouth or throat tension, such as clenching or holding breath:

Cup sternum directly below clavicle with right hand
Place left fingertips in a vertical pattern below the navel

I hope that you make use of these suggestions! They can really make a difference!

Additional Energy and Recovery Tips

How you can speed up recovering from the Sonoma Fires:

Please wear your masks when you go outside. The air quality is poor after the fire.
Stay hydrated.
Get electrolytes into your system (coconut water is a great source, Smart Water, as well as electrolyte powders).
Take your EFA’s (essential fatty acids) — omegas are a natural anti-inflammatory.
Consider taking a supplement that will help your respiratory system get clear and stay clear (the ones I like are Dr. Michael Murray’s Lung, Bronchial & Sinus Health and Clear Lungs by Ridgecrest).
Drink Throat Coat tea.
Get enough sleep.

It is important to keep your stress level down and your immune system strong right now.

Share this :

Being a Kid and Discovering Magic

Disneyland is beyond magical —three days of being totally involved in the excitement and joy of Mickie and Minnie, parades, light shows and rides! And of extra special note — I was there with my family. For someone who loves amusement parks and being a kid-at-heart, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

I wasn’t the only one excited to be at the park. Even though it was raining, there were so many people who were thrilled to be at the happiest place on earth. So how did I contain some my excitement so I wasn’t a complete embarrassment to my kids? And how did I make sure my body cooperated so I could do everything I wanted to do? One of our days was fifteen hours long, so I had to make sure I didn’t lose my juice, especially since that day was cold.

Discovering Magic with These Energy Tips

As you follow these easy-to-do suggestions, you’ll notice that both you and your children can easily do them. All of you just might discover how much smoother your days can be!

I started the day with the Daily Clean Your House Flow. And then while I was waiting in lines and waiting for rides to start I did the following to make sure my body was prepared for what I was going to ask it to do:

To release any neck tension and boost the immune system

Right hand — hold fingers at base of right side of skull
Left hand — hold fingers just below center of right collarbone
Right hand — move fingers to right side of neck
Left hand — move fingers to left chest below left collarbone

To warm up — hold fingers on outside of knees

To expand breath and “handle feelings”

Jumper cable — gently cup each thumb and finger
Cup ring finger and middle finger at the same time — will help create a sense of happiness and joy and take away frustration, all at the same time!

Being a Kid

One of the things I discovered as I played in Disneyland is that it creates a child-like excitement when you allow yourself to be caught up in the moment. I love being a kid and I don’t mind being seen as a kid. I might be sixty-three years old, but whether it’s Disneyland, or Christmas, or being with little ones, I’ll never grow up.

I wish for you to have lots of fun-filled moments — whether you’re on your own or with your children. My suggestion is to find ways to be a kid. It really is okay to be filled with the child-like joy!

Share this :

My Gift of Energy Tips for You!

My gift of energy tips for you!

Prepping for the Holidays

Prepping for the holidays is all about finding the time to do all you want to do! Maybe there’s some “I should do this” in the mix, but let’s just see how we can make it more manageable.

Your list can be pretty extensive: making the shopping list (we’re talking the gifts you’ve decided on), the shopping itself (usually requires multiple trips out), decorating, the clean-up that follows, wrapping gifts, baking, planning your own entertaining (definitely lots of steps involved including the food preparation on the day of your event), making time for all of the events you want to attend (don’t forget to make your reservations and get your tickets), getting those wrapped gifts delivered (either personal delivery or setting up shipment). Okay — I bet there are more than a few things that I’ve forgotten.

Are You Tired Yet?

You don’t have to be. In fact you can be totally with it and ready for the next thing on the list. And you can feel that you have it handled, with no built-up stress and anxiety about anything you have planned and still need to do.

The key is to have clarity and focus, energy to do what you want to do, and feeling rested for next “thing to do.” Here are easy-to-do energy tips to help you feel great about your holiday and all of your plans.

Holiday Energy Tips

Start each day with the Daily Clean Your House Flow
Consider doing the Daily Flow in the middle of the day to give you an extra boost.
When you feel “out of sync” or “I’ve lost my juice” do this to help you get centered and grounded and to feel revitalized:
With one hand: cup your sternum under your collarbone
With the other hand: hold fingers on your tummy
If you feel “out of breath” or feel “anxious about the crazy list I’ve created” do this to create breath and feel empowered:
Hold your upper arms by folding arms across your chest
Or gently cup your thumbs (let’s go of worry)
If you feel unsure and unclear of the plan and have lost track:
With one hand: cup your forehead
With the other hand: cup the base of your skull
To get a really good night’s sleep (and in the middle of the day, to feel like you actually took a nap)!:
Place fingers on right and left base of skull
Jumper Cable! Gently cup each thumb and finger for several good breaths.

Holiday Momentum

Okay! I hope you feel more prepared for your holiday season and for all that you want to create!

Mine is going forward with full steam ahead momentum! I love this time of year and I love being fully engaged with each and every part of my list. In fact, the list is “just there” and the time somehow appears for the items to be taken care of. As you can see, decorating my tree is an important item on my list. And the rest of the house reflects my love of “decking my halls!”

I wish each and every one of you a magnificent holiday season!

Share this :

School should be FUN!

Is your child feeling anxious about school or an activity or maybe even about a relationship? If that’s the case, his or her apprehension makes you want something to change so your child isn’t nervous, worried or fretful, all of which can be overwhelming to the system. You want your child to be excited about life, not overcome with unhappiness.

How best to make that happen? Changing the pattern should be easy so we don’t have to create “one more thing to be anxious about.”

First Aid for Anxiety

Here are a few simple self-help energy tips to help discover “ease and joy” – no matter what’s going on. Try one at a time to see which one or ones resonate with your child.

Hold upper arms by folding arms across the chest. Yep – it’s the first step of the Daily Clean Your House Flow! This simple pose reminds the body to breathe. And breath is one of the first body mechanics that gets affected when there is anxiety or stress.
Gently cup each thumb – helps let go of worry and concern.
Gently cup each little finger – helps let go of overwhelm
With one hand, cup the forehead and with the other, cup the base of the skull. This will bring in clarity and focus and help the body recognize that holding on to the “stuff isn’t good for the body to be experiencing”
Hold the outside of the knees. When you bring balance to this energy balance area the body will experience peace because it brings in a new pattern that is better for the body.

And, of course, it would be a GOOD thing to do the whole Daily Clean Your House Flow! It creates a firm foundation so that all levels of the body (physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral) can find balance and let go of the “stuff” that is in the way of feeling good and having fun.

Share this :