The biggest area of neglect for most people, and especially women is care of our spiritual and mental selves. Women can't shut down their brains, it's like the energizer bunny, it keeps going and going, even in our sleep! One of the best practices or habits to incorporate in your health regimen is meditation and a restful night of sleep!
Meditation is essential to our spiritual and mental well-being. I believe if prayer is us communing with our Heavenly Father, than meditation is the act of being still and listening to his response. There are tons of health benefits to meditating, just google it, you'll find a lot of info blogs and many studies providing solid evidence, but I will share this short list...
A FEW BENEFITS TO MEDITATION
- Meditation reduces stress
- It improves concentration
- It encourages a healthy lifestyle
- The practice increases self-awareness
- It increases happiness
- Meditation increases acceptance
- It slows aging
- The practice benefits cardiovascular and immune health.
In a recently published study, 89 participants were asked to take part in an eight-week stress management program. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: one focusing on established stress management methods, such as improving nutrition and sleep habits, while the research group focused their efforts on mindful meditation. Mindful meditation is a simple method that includes sitting in a peaceful environment, paying attention to breathing patterns, and allowing one’s attention to wander for a fixed amount of time. Prior to starting and upon completion of the program, participants took the Trier Social Stress Test, an experimental technique intended to prompt anxiety responses, while having several physiological markers of anxiety monitored. The results: those in the experimental mindful meditation group showed significant decreases in stress hormone ACTH and inflammatory proteins IL-6 and TNF-a after having completed the program, while the control group actually exhibited worsened responses. Those who practiced mindful meditation also self-reported significantly lower levels of stress overall than participants in the control group. Contributed by Damian Rodriguez, DHSc, MS
I can go on why meditating is so essential for our health, but I don't want this post to put you to sleep just yet, but if you have time do check out this article explaining the many benefits, Live And Dare: Benefits of Meditation.
By the way! Here is a snapshot of what would happen if you started today.
Sources: liveanddare.com
Many "think" they can't meditate because they just can't stop thinking. However, it not about having no thought at all, that's almost impossible to do all the time. Rather, it's recognising when you are drifting off in thought, and being able to redirect your course back to being present and still. It's about realising you are lost in thought and returning back to the stillness of your mind without judgement of self, being in a state of acceptance and enoughness. It's about the journey to self-mastery.
Here are my personal favorite list oils for meditation:
SINGLE OILS
- Arborvitae
- Cedarwood
- Frankincense
- Lemongrass
- Marjoram
- Melissa
- Roman Chamomile
- Rosemary
- Sandalwood
- Vetiver
- Wintergreen
OIL BLENDS:
- Balance
- Immortelle
- Console
- Zendocrine
- DDR Prime
- Intune
- ClaryCalm
- Peace
- Breathe
- Past Tense
WHEN I MEDITATE:
- First thing in the morning after prayer
- When I'm having anxious feelings
- Times during decision making
- Prepare my self when going to a place of worship
- When I feel emotionally out of control
- When I am craving it!
Need Help meditating? My favorite app/website for meditation is Calm, it's perfect for beginners and veterans alike and it has sleep stories!! YES! I SAID SLEEP STORIES! For the kids and and adults!
REST
Proper sleep is also essential for health, if not the most important! You can drastically compromise your immune system with the lack of sleep. About 33% of Americans are not getting enough sleep, and you need at least 7 to 8 hours of it. Do you know that the lack of sleep leads to weight gain, but if you get enough of it, will actually help you manage your weight better and lose! YUP! SNOOZE IT UP PEOPLE! Sleeps helps your body to reset, and de-stress from your day, trust me I know how it feels to go 24+ without sleep trying to reach a deadline to deliver a cake, and it feels horrible, almost like coming down with the flu, with an achy body, mental confusion and digestive issues.
"Depriving your body of sleep has been associated with many health risks and places a tremendous burden on virtually every organ system in your body. Lack of adequate sleep affects our ability to lose, or maintain, a healthy weight; influences how we feel, learn, and behave; and negatively impacts our cardiovascular health and overall well-being. Even more importantly, not getting enough sleep can reduce reaction time and interfere with our ability to drive3. The inability to drive safely not only puts those in the car at risk, but also those with whom we share the road. In short, the less sleep you get, the less opportunity you give your body to heal and prepare itself for the following day, reducing overall quality of life." Jeff Dorsett, MSHS doTERRA Research Scientist
HOW TO GET SOME ZZzzzz!
What I use for a good night sleep is the Serenity Blend with the Serenity Complex Gel 
Capsules. These two together is my jam! I'm a super light sleeper, if my cat meow's I wake up, if someone drive into our neighborhood I'm up, If I SNORE I wake up, it just sad, and in the morning I'm one grumpy achy chic. But I kid you not, the Serenity Soft gels and oil blend has my butt out at night. I don't go to bed without it! Something to keep in mind, is that we all have different body chemistry and what may work well for me may not work well for you. I know plenty of people that loves this compensation for a restful night of sleep. However I have met a few that found just Lavender works for them, or Cedarwood and Wild Orange, or maybe Bergamot, or Roman Chamomile, there is so many oils and combinations of oils and their blends to play with, and that's the beauty of using essential oils, you have so many options and combinations of ways to find a solution.
Here are some oil blends you can try if you have a good diffuser at home. Get you some oils and a diffuser and try them out! I hope you enjoyed this 3 part series, and that it was, enlightening, brought lots of value, and that it has inspired you to take better attention to your self-care. It's hard to break out of old habits, but once you have more knowledge and know the whats and the why you should do it, it's easier to make that effort in forming healthier habits. If not for you, do it for your family or the one that cares for you most. Again there is a big difference in being selfish and self-full, one deprives, takes away from, or hurts others to gain, while the other is about taking care of me first, so that I can better take care of others! In other words, if you're a hot mess your no go to other!
Please leave your thought in the comments below, and as always...
Until next time
Be Well and Keep Oiling!
