Tag Archives: chronic fatigue

♥ Meditation for reducing inflammation and promoting healing within your body

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Maidenhair fern from my garden - the delicate leaves remind me of the branching nerves and capillaries in our bodies, and green is always so anti-inflammatory, don't you think?

I am a great believer in the body’s wisdom and capacity to heal itself. Today’s blog is a guided healing meditation for you to assist in removing inflammation in your body, protecting nerves and circulation to the brain, heart, organs and limbs, promoting healthy immune response and improving digestive function so that the body is well oxygenated and well nourished. The mind is a powerful thing, and our thought and intent are as potent as any medicine.

Inflammation within the body is a corrosive force that wreaks havoc on our nerves, joints, arteries and veins. It is created through stress, and through diets high in sugar, acid and processed foods. It is exacerbated by lack of sleep, lack of sunlight, lack of or too much exercise, dehydration, smoking and exposure to toxins. Inflammation within the body leads to other problems over time, such as weakened immune systems, auto-immune diseases, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue, adrenal burnout, arthritis and cancer. It is like rust that eats away at our pipes and structural supports.

Image from abstractinfluence.com

Simple ways to reduce inflammation in your body include:

  • supporting your liver, and detoxing where necessary
  • removing foods that create inflammation
  • eating a diet rich in fresh vegetables
  • drinking more water
  • cutting out sugar, caffeine and artificial sweeteners
  • getting plenty of rest
  • spending time in the sun
  • reducing stress
  • meditating
  • using exercise that promotes flow, such as yoga or tai chi
  • eating healthy fats and avoiding trans-fats
  • doing things that make you happy and that relax you

Guided Meditation

I’ve recorded the following meditation to help guide you through a process of reducing inflammation and promoting healing within your body.  It’s around 15 minutes long and all you need to do is close your eyes, and follow my words. (I get a bit choked up near the beginning, so forgive the momentary catch in my voice…)

Nicole Cody’s Guided Meditation for Healing Inflammation and Dis-Ease

Be well. ♥ Know that you are loved, and that healing is always possible. ♥

Image from healinghands.net

The Magic of an Epsom Salts Bath

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One of my favourite things is soaking in an Epsom Salts bath after a long day of psychic work. It works to soothe me on all levels – body, mind and spirit.

Because the magnesium from the Epsom Salts is absorbed directly through your skin, it allows even people who find it hard taking magnesium orally, to be able to top themselves up with this magical mineral.

Magnesium is an important element within our body.  It is used by our nervous system, and also by our muscles.  When we do psychic or metaphysical work we also burn up lots of magnesium. Magnesium is also a co-factor in over 300 enzymatic actions in the human body, such as co-factoring with calcium to build and sustain healthy bones. It gives us energy, prevents muscle cramps and pains, calms us and helps us sleep.

How do you know if you might be magnesium deficient?  There’s a list of common symptoms here.

How to make your own Epsom Salts Bath:

Firstly, you’ll need a bathtub!  If you don’t have one then a big bucket to soak your feet in is the next best thing. The ingredients I list are for a bathtub, so reduce them accordingly if you are using a bucket.

Fill your bath with water that is tolerably hot (it needs to be able to flush your skin slightly pink) without burning you.  You need the water hot so that your pores open and beacsue it aids osmosis.

Now add two heaped cups of Epsom Salts to your bath, and stir to dissolve. Spend at least ten minutes having a good soak!

Extras – for that Deluxe Bath Experience

You can also add some essential oils to your bath to enhance the experience.  Use a few drops of Lavender at the end of the day if you want to relax – this is a great sleep enhancer.

3 drops of Rose Geranium, 3 drops of Bergamot and one drop of Vetiver will reduce stress and help rebalance hormones.

2 drops Rosemary, 3 drops Basil and 3 drops of Lemon will perk you up, enhance your mental clarity and memory, and boost your immune system.

Epsom Salts baths also detoxify the body, and work wonders on your aura – that energetic bubble our physical bodies reside within.  Epsom Salt baths clear our auras and strengthen them.

I often put a few tumbled crystals in my bath too – favourites are smoky quartz for clearing negativity and low vibrations from my aura, rose quartz for love and nurture, and amethyst for enhancing spiritual connection.  I often throw in a carnelian too, as it is a great physical healer and energy booster.

Enjoy!  ♥ ♥ ♥

The Broken Robot Repair Shop

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There is an alarming trend I’m seeing, of broken people wanting to be fixed so that they can keep doing the things that broke them.

I call it Broken Robot Syndrome – people so busy, so stretched, so weighed down by debt and responsibility and complexity that they are deep in fatigue, immersed in exhaustion, and no longer capable of recognising that they have become robots.

Does any of the following definition apply to you?

Definition of ROBOT (from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

  1. a : a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (as walking or talking) of a human being; also : a similar but fictional machine whose lack of capacity for human emotions is often emphasized    b : an efficient insensitive person who functions automatically
  2. : a device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks
  3. : a mechanism guided by automatic controls

Lack of sleep exhausts us. Having a too-busy schedule with no down time, play time or rest time fatigues us. The combination of the two breaks us.

There are warning signs of being in that robotic place:

  • Lack of libido.  Libido is about joy of life, not just sexual drive. But the two go hand in hand.
  • Creative and original thought dries up. We struggle to be innovative and to come up with fresh ideas.  At worst we think through a fog.
  • Health decline. Vague symptoms of weariness, sleep issues, digestive issues, aches and pains that gradually build into definable illnesses and burnout.
  • Inability to make even simple decisions. Suddenly a menu with 50 choices and a need to pick something satisfying becomes an event capable of reducing you to tears because you no longer recognise what you want, let alone what you need.
  • Everything is scheduled. Everything.
  • Tired all the time, and doing the usual things – coffee, sugar, pick-me-ups, naturopath, gym, diet, counselling – make not a jot of difference.
  • Overwhelm, depression and negativity are regular companions.

So, what to do?

First of all, understand that fixing a broken robot so that they can keep functioning as a robot is really not a suitable solution for a human.

Here are some tools from the Robot Repair First Aid Kit that might work for you:

  1. Get more sleep.  Go to bed earlier.  Create days where you can have sleep-in catch ups, or lie in bed all day reading, resting and relaxing.
  2. Simplify. Cut back on your activities, responsibilities and involvements, and make sure that the kids don’t get caught up in the vicious cycle of over-achievement and over-commitment either.
  3. Get help for the things that are stressing you. When we go to bed worried and wake up worried, and are kept up nights by worry then something has to give. If your worries involve money see what you can do to cut down the debt mountain – speak to your lending organisations or the places you owe and get an easier ‘hardship’ repayment scheme. Sell something. Downsize. Simplify. Put your hand up and ask for help. Make sure that your household are all committed to the same plan.
  4. If your worries involve relationships, get some time on your own, even if this is just a cup of coffee at the local cafe. Use that time to think about where you are, how you got there, and what your next move is. Staying in a relationship that is unloving, unsupportive, or where there are serious issues can be enough to bring any sane person to their knees. Find a good counsellor to help you work through your options. If you’re a carer, find a support group.  If you already know what you need to do, then act.  Staying and not doing or saying anything, hoping for change, has seldom proved to be a winning strategy. Only action brings change.
  5. Ask yourself the big question, “Does this relationship/job/choice/decision honour me?” Maybe it’s time to change jobs, move house, stop studying, start studying, have the conversation…
  6. Know that wherever you’ve ended up, it can change.  There is a road ahead of you to lead you back to yourself and to a place of content and security.

Here are some things to help Robots turn back into humans:

  • Time with friends
  • Time alone
  • Time in nature – walking, surfing, cloud busting, playing with pets in the backyard, gardening
  • Time for yourself and your own interests
  • Sleep
  • Relaxation time with NO expectations, goals or objectives
  • Music
  • Making art
  • Good food and good company
  • Emotional connection
  • Hugs
  • Spiritual connection, meditation, prayer or other practices that help you connect to your inner wisdom and to a Higher power.
  • Movement – not going to the gym because you have to – walking in the rain because it’s fun, dancing in the lounge room in your pyjamas because you love the music, playing with the kids or the dogs in some silly run-around game that makes everybody laugh

Life is short.  Life is precious.  When you become a Robot you miss everything good. Don’t fix yourself up to keep doing the thing that broke you. Allow 2012 to be the year where you create real, lasting and positive change.  Bless xx

 

How to nurture your Mind

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We spend a lot of time in our minds. Being able to think, problem solve and create is a wonderful gift, and it’s an area we can strengthen by giving our minds a little positive attention.  It’s also good for our mental health, boosting our ability to work through depression, anxiety and overwhelm.

Our minds are plastic – they change, heal and grow. I know this because after a bacterial infection in my own brain and heart muscle (mycoplasma fermentans) left me with serious damage, I have regained cognitive function, balance (still can’t wear high heels but I no longer fall over for no reason), the ability to plan and work with numbers, and to write – all things that went seriously screwy in me for a while there. Hooray for neuroplasticity.

Look after your mind.  It’s a precious and miraculous thing, and it can serve us well our whole life if we nurture it.  Here are some ideas to help you do that:                    (image by africa)

  1. Stop multi-tasking.  Do one thing at a time. Devote your entire awareness to that one task.  When it is finished, move on to the next one.  This builds concentration and focus skills.
  2. Create a master list book – a place where you can keep all of your tasks and points to action.  Date new entries, and cross them off when the task is completed.  Having a book with all of those lists in one place helps you manage stress and your time. It also builds trust in yourself and your ability to complete tasks.  Once again, complete a task before moving to a new one.  If the task is big, break it down into smaller chunks and write those into your list book.
  3. Daydream.  Give yourself permission to go wandering around in your imagination.  Visualise different possibilities and outcomes for yourself.
  4. Read books and vary what you read. Try biographies of people who inspire you, travel books, novels, cook books, self-help, new writers, classics, children’s and young adult and everything in between.  Ask for recommendations from friends, librarians and book sellers.  Read outside where you’d normally choose. (image by graur codrin)
  5. Take a class to learn something new. Choose things that are far from what you do every day.  If you’re an accountant try jewellery making or Japanese cooking, if you’re a masseuse learn a language or numerology.  Find things that challenge you – if it’s hard and stretches you a little that’s a good thing.  Brains need to be used, or they rust!
  6. Journal. Journalling gives you an avenue for clearing out what troubles you, for dreaming and creating, for aspiring and designing. It’s a great form of therapy and self-work. 
  7. Exercise – oxygenates the brain, and improves balance, hand-eye co-ordination and circulation.
  8. Practice gratitude. Keep a positive mental attitude and count your blessings.
  9. Crosswords, Sudoko, Jigsaws, Logic Games and other puzzles. All these things make you think! Look for things where you can scale up your ability over time by moving from beginner to more advanced levels.
  10. Meditate – it creates space in your brain, and de-clutters your mind.
  11. Play card and board games that require you to think and strategise.  Tactics, forward thinking, analysis and logic are all developed when we play games against others. (image from Flickr by Domiriel)
  12. Eat a diet rich in essential fatty acids, protein and fresh fruit and vegetables. Take a vitamin supplement that includes a strong level of B group vitamins, as well as C and E. Drink plenty of water.
  13. Engage in stimulating conversation and strong social networks.  This can be through a club, social outings with friends, or even the internet.  Where you can, meet face-to-face.  Physical connection with other humans is a basic requirement for well-being. 
  14. Peaceful pastimes such as yoga, gardening, art, or playing a musical instrument.  These put us into the same brain waves as meditation, allowing us to be relaxed and focused at the same time.
  15. Stop smoking, stay hydrated, wear a hat in the sun and don’t overheat, lose weight to cut risk factors for high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Be safety-conscious. Wear a seatbelt in the car, and a bike helmet when cycling, skating or carting.  Don’t speed, drink and drive or text and drive.  Be careful at heights.  Use a helmet when playing cricket, baseball or other contact sports. Strokes and head trauma rob us of mental function and most of these situations are preventable.
Here’s some inspiration for trying something new.  This is Suzi Blu and I totally heart her and her wonderful art journals.
Sending you all Love, Light and Blessings, Nicole xx

Embracing the Small Things – an Antidote to Despair

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Like you, I’ve known hard days. For a while I even had a run of days that piled up into years.  Poor health, awful health, nearly deadness, and then the fallout of the mess that is created from a person incapable of functioning. It doesn’t matter what the reason for the non-functioning is – what matters is that place you are in where you can’t seem to drag yourself out of misery.

So what to do when you find yourself in that dark place?

I found one thing that worked for me, and I absolutely believe it will work for you. It’s so simple that it may sound trite.  But there is a power to this act that can transform lives. 

Embrace the Small Things

Shift your focus from everything that isn’t working in your life, and find the tiny details that are. Most of these will be present in your life, and accessible, no matter what your circumstances. They are always here, just waiting to be appreciated.

The slant of sunlight through a window and how that makes rainbows dance on the carpet. A fragrant cup of Earl Grey tea first thing on a cold morning. Good coffee. The smell of rain on hot concrete.  The rustle of wind in the tree tops. A smile. Birds supping nectar in the garden. Soft pillows.  Clean sheets. Music that reminds you of wonderful memories, people and places.  Favourite childhood books. Kindness. Ducks in the rain on our dam.

Each day I still choose to embrace the small pleasures and details of life. This simple act of living mindfully gives my existence a richness that was lacking for many years, and gives me resilience to cope better with life’s turbulent waters.

This link explains the act of mindfulness very well.

Thich Nhat Hanh on Mindfulness