Resources for Working on Yourself

Your greatest source of power lies in actively developing who you are as an instrument out in the world.

This work requires ongoing practice.

Cultivating Quality Sleep

Sleep is not a passive activity where we check out and go to la la land at night. It’s a multidimensional process where our bodies rest, replenish, recover and where our spirits are free to travel and make sense of our physical lives. Having good quality sleep is an important act that allows the body to process and clean ourselves and for the mind to store and integrate from our daily lives. It is also a chance where we connect to the other side and with spirits, travel to places where we need to and process our lives. Good quality sleeps supports all our organs working well, our mind to be sharp, aiding in our ability to concentrate, ground, focus and access calm in our waking life. If you have good sleep already, go you! If you need support in this area, peruse these links to support yourself with sleep hygiene practices that can help you cultivate better quality sleep.

 

Articles: Being Alert to Sleep Apnea, How Yoga Nidra Can Help You Get More Sleep, Top 10 Ayurvedic Tips for a Better Night's Sleep, Study shows weighted blankets can decrease insomnia severity, Insomnia in a pandemic, 7 Soothing Essential Oils For Your Best Night Of Sleep, Why Blackout Curtains Can Give You a Great Night’s Sleep, 5 ways working out helps you get a better night's sleep, Could Epsom salts be the answer for a better night’s sleep?, What You Need to Know About Magnesium and Your Sleep, Six Awesome Reasons Why White Noise Helps You Sleep Better, Having trouble sleeping? Research suggests spending more time outdoors, Does an air purifier or humidifier help you sleep better?, How Grieving Impacts Sleep, Why We Can't Sleep and What To Do About It, Mindfulness Exercises To Help You Sleep, Stress and Sleep – How To Master Stress And Enjoy Restful Sleep Instantly, Ashwagandha for sleep: will it help me get more rest?, How technology use messes with your sleep and what you can do about it, External Factors that Influence Sleep, Sleep Deficit: The Performance Killer, Social Relationships and Sleep Quality Study, How Yoga Improves Sleep, Can music help you sleep better?, How WiFi Affects Your Sleep & 10 Tips to Beat It, Can listening to whispers help you relax and fall sleep?, Can Dreams Connect You to a Spiritual Reality?, Meeting with Our Loved Ones In Sleep
Sleep Meditations/Sounds: This Yoga Nidra Routine will Make you feel like you got a Full Night’s Sleep, Insight Timer, Tracks to Relax - Guided Sleep Meditations, The Daily Meditation Podcast, Meditation Minis, Brain.fm
Websites: Sleep Education, Sleep Foundation, Sleepyti.me Sleep Cycle Calculator, Harvard Medical School, Division of Sleep Medicine: Health Sleep, Sleep Apnea: MedCram, Sleepio, Sleep Matters Club
Podcasts: Sleep With Me, Slow Radio, Nothing much happens; bedtime stories to help you slee‪p‬, Sleepy, Deep Energy Podcast, In Our Time, Sleep Whispers, The ASMR Podcast
Books: Why We Sleep (Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams), Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life: How to Harness the Power of Clock Genes to Lose Weight, Optimize Your Workout, and Finally Get a Good Night's Sleep, Sleepyhead: The Neuroscience of a Good Night's Rest, Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis, The Little Book of Sleep: The Art of Natural Sleep, The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It, The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time, The Book of Sleep: 75 Strategies to Relieve Insomnia, The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep, Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep
Audiobooks: The Sleep Solution, Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It, The Effortless Sleep Method, Gentle Rain and Birds Singing

Grief Tending

We are continuing to live through a time of immense change with lots of uncertainty and ambiguity across our lives, which has been tough for all of us to weather and has resulted in unprocessed grief for many.

In order to not get stuck in your life or feel like there is a constant cloud above your head preventing you from stretching and growing into the person you know you can be, tending to your grief is an important undertaking. Check out these resources and take the time to reflect on the things you have lost in your life, the grief you are carrying, what’s ready to be released and how you can move forward with greater strength, resiliency and grace.

If you feel called, join a Grief Ceremony co-hosted by Going Full Blossom (formerly known as Calm One, Calm All) to lean into this part of yourself further. Contact us to to learn more and attend.

 

Educating Yourself on Black Lives Matter

Together we are infected by a social/cultural disease called Racism.

It is every individual’s responsibility to work on examining this disease in your self to raise consciousness as the people who perpetuate the system and who also possess the opportunity for transformation.

Here are resources specific to continuing the work of de-programming ourselves and fostering a Beloved Community.

 

Black Lives Matter Resources

Books: Between the World and Me, White Fragility, How to be an Antiracist, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Just Mercy, So You Want to Talk about Race, Wilmington’s Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy, The Colors of Us,
Articles: Message to White Allies from A Black Anti-Racism Expert: You’re Doing It Wrong, A Call to White People: It’s Time to Live In the Answer, Deepening your Commitment to Racial Healing and Racial Justice, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Who Gets to Be Afraid In America, Of Course There Are Protests. The State Is Failing Black People, The Case for Reparations, How to Make This Moment the Turning Point for Real Change, My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant, The 1619 Project, The Intersectionality Wars, Where do I donate? Why is the uprising violent? Should I go protest?, Avoiding Racial Equity Detours, Performative Allyship Is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead)
Video: Why Are Difficult Conversations So Difficult?, How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion, The Hate You Give, James Baldwin Debates William F. Buckley in 1965, 13th, King in the Wilderness
Podcasts: About Race, Code Switch, Intersectionality Matters, Pod for the Cause, Momentum: A Race Forward, Seeing White
POC-perspective Centered Media: The Grio, The Root, Race Ahead,
More Resources to Check Out: Rachel Cargle, The Racial Healing Handbook, Anti-racism resources for white people, Anti-Racism Project,
“Why is this happening?” — an introduction to police brutality from 100 Year Hoodie, Anti-Oppression & Anti-Racism Resources

Ayurveda

Ayurveda, a 5,000 year old Indian science of life, offers a holistic healing system that guides individuals towards vibrant health and the realization of full human potential.  With so much change and upheaval happening currently, Ayurveda has stood the test of time offering an ancient science that serves as a North Star supporting people in finding and cultivating one’s path and role in the world.

Considered a medical science in the West and a way of life in the East, this preventative health system seeks to uncover the root causes of disease or sickness to free people up to a thriving path. Health according to Ayurveda derives from the balancing and alignment of body, mind and spirit in relation to the environment. The notion that humans embody nature and vice versa serves as a foundation for the entire cosmology.  Through lifestyle and diet guidelines, proper care of the senses, herbs, massage treatments, breathing and meditation practices along with the harmonization of daily and seasonal routines with nature’s rhythms and cycles, Ayurveda offers a blueprint for a joyous life.

Ayurveda respects the uniqueness of each individual and their respective environment, which prompts a customized approach to meet the needs of each individual. All individuals live in different physical environments, with varying types of work/roles, personal interests, associated groups, family systems, etc… that factor into the health and wellness for each individual. Interwoven into this living system approach, Ayurveda demonstrates an application of natural therapies, treatments and dietary recommendations without synthetics or chemicals and an emphasis on a middle path and moderation, a principle derived from nature.

 

Websites: www.banyanbotanicals.com - well researched and in-depth site for learning about Ayurveda & shopping for herbs, oils & other health products, http://ayurvedanextdoor.com - online resource that educates people about Ayurveda and connects them with Ayurvedic professionals, schools, clinics & centers.
Cooking Website: Joyful Belly - Ayurvedic cooking site that includes information on diet, imbalances, recipes and a store
Blog: HeyMonicaB - Ayurvedic educational blog with useful tips
Books and References: Ayurvedic Institute - Reading List & References - provides a very comprehensive list of modern & classic Ayurvedic texts, Ayurveda: A Life of Balance: The complete Guide to Ayurvedic Nutrition & Body Types with Recipes  - author who recovered from cancer using Ayurveda, Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing: A Practical Guide - simple, straightforward resource written by Dr. Vasant Lad., Ayurveda and the Mind: The Healing of Consciousness by David Frawley 

Meditation

This is a timeless technique of training the mind to focus and cultivate attention. There are many types including: mindfulness, walking, zen, mantra, etc.

Meditation has been found to lower blood pressure, anxiety, depression, enhance the immune system and so much more. During these times of change, some form of quieting the busy mind using meditation is an important practice.

 

Meditation Resources

Websites: Mindful.org, Tara Brach
Articles: How to Meditate, 25 Best Meditation Resources
Podcasts: Heart Wisdom, Untangle, Mindfulness Meditation Podcast, Ten Percent Happier
Spotify: Nature Sounds, Deep Sleep, Meditation
Blogs: About Meditation, Muse
Free Apps: Insight Timer: There are many meditations to choose from, including courses where you can sign up for 40 days or longer that helps in jumpstarting a practice, MindFulness Daily 40 Day Course, Smiling Mind, Stop, Breathe & Think, UCLA Mindful, 10% Happier

Breathing

Breathing is one of the most primordial rhythms that supports grounding and calming.

When we are stressed out, our breathing becomes more shallow and that triggers anxiety and agitation. Deep breathing has been proven to calm the nervous system, decrease blood pressure, improve the digestive system and support well-being. It’s one of the most powerful mechanisms to nurture a sense of calm.

 

Spending Time in Nature

It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that human beings are animals, one species making up part of the web of life on Earth. As such, spending time in nature is a type of homecoming that generates calmness and relaxation.

The need and benefit to being outside is compounded by the significant amount of time many spend plugged into the digital world. Spending time in nature is an antidote.

 

Structure and Routines

Sudden change is chaotic. Old patterns that have provided structure are unexpectedly gone. Navigating a new normal is stressful, particularly when the larger context has not yet settled into something stable.

Creating your own daily/weekly structure with routines provides a familiar pulse that can pacify the nervous system and provide a sense of grounding.

 

Right Relationship with Technology

Constant use of computers and mobile devices has been normalized, but that does not mean that is healthy or in everyone’s control.

Examining your relationship with technology to ensure that you are connecting and using with purpose is an important part of establishing healthy boundaries. Consider taking a digital detox if you have down time to reset. You can also consciously assess your daily use of technology to determine how and when you would like to be plugged in/unplugged so that you can use technology and not have it use you.

 

Movement and Exercise

We are animals and we forget that fact. Our natural home is outside and our bodies are designed for regular movement. Studies have proven that physically burning energy has profound health and wellness impacts.

Engaging in this practice does not have to be strenuous necessarily. Something as simple as taking a walk regularly is a huge step towards health and feeling more grounded.