Sleeping like a Baby, our built in Healer!

Sleep is truly our built in healer. Of course, today you can find yards and yards of research on the benefits of sleep, but is that information helping you SLEEP? There are a myriad of sleep aids from natural herbal and nutritional sleep supports to addictive sleep drugs which do not give you healthy sleep. You can have a sleep study done, which will tell what you already know...if you're like the average American, you are not getting ENOUGH SLEEP.

We search for the seemingly elusive answer to our lack of sleep but for most of us the information does not translate into actual sleep!

The answer to good sleep lies in a basic commonsense understanding about what the body can deal with and what it cannot. During a recent workshop as a part of my Chi Nei Tsang training, Gilles Marin laid out succinctly what is the obvious answer when one really thinks about it. The average person lives in a body charged with adrenaline and deplete in serotonin which makes normal healthy sleep patterns impossible. At this workshop he gave us a simple exercise to restore the balance of serotonin which in turn leads to increased production of melatonin paving the way for sleep. SEE BELOW FOR  INSTRUCTIONS.

Interestingly, this ties into what I have been saying for years...we do not get enough sun! Sun stimulates the production of many hormonal processes, including most especially the production of melatonin and in turn produces the vitamin D supply so essential to hormonal function.

Oh no, you all GASP! The sun gives you skin cancer. Yes, if you don't have a healthy tan, that can happen. The production of melatonin from moderate sun exposure protects the skin from burning and makes it possible for you to receive your daily dose of healthy sun without fear. Twenty minutes a day is all you need to support melatonin and vitamin D production, YOU CAN DO THAT! FYI, the best way to protect your kids from too much sun is not to have them out for longer than 20 minutes, after that cover up, long sleeves, hats, you know the basics!

How did we get to this fear of the sun? From sunscreen manufacturers who promote to use of sunscreen. Sunscreens block the healing benefits of sunbathing and the production of vitamin D. Use of sunscreen misleads us by implying it's safe to be in the sun for hours. Longer unsafe exposure equals higher rates of skin and other cancers. The dangers of a lack of vitamin D is well documented. So we reach for another manufactured answer...vitamin D supplementation! GOOD GRIEF!

It's a crazy catch-22! WE cannot replace or recreate what the natural body can do all on it's own, if you give it the chance!
The following is the COMMONSENSE answer to improving not only your sleep, but increasing vitamin D, improving calcium utilization (the key to calmness) and looking lively and healthy with a beautiful sun glow!

​       YOU'LL FEEL BETTER AND ENJOY LIFE MORE WHICH IS THE GREATEST PATHWAY TO TRUE HEALTH AND HEALING!

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We may not all look like this lovely lady or be at a sunny beach, but don't let that stop you!

If you do not have a sunny day, no worries. The sun's rays are very powerful, they can penetrate clouds and fog. If weather does not permit sun gazing, simply substitute a candle, a landscape view or picture of a favorite place or person. I use the sunny face of my granddaughter when I cannot be in the actual sun. Focus your thoughts on receiving the warm energy from the substitute into your eyes, pineal gland and optic nerves.

Simple Steps to Better Sleep:
As a practice you will do this simple process two times each AM and two times each afternoon.

• Go out into the sun
• Close your eyes and gaze toward to sun for 3 - 5 minutes.
• As you do, allow your eyes to drink in the rays of the sun.
• You can add a visualization if you like. Perhaps you can focus on the sunlight stimulating your pineal gland which is located in deep in the brain behind the optic nerve.

Go have your morning beverage, eat, get ready for work, whatever is your AM routine. Before you leave your house or move onto any other activities.... 

• ​​Go out into the sun and do it again
• Close your eyes and gaze toward to sun for 3 - 5 minutes.

Repeat the sun gazing two other times in the day. Perhaps at your lunch break, and again at the end of the day. 3 -5 minutes is all it takes!

​Continue with the 4 sun gazing sessions per day for two weeks. After that point do it as often as you can. I suggest at least once a day in the AM as an easily incorporated habit. 

​Below is the basic 101 of why this will help with sleep. I encourage you to get on line and read up on this natural and powerful way to restore sleep.

Restoring healthy levels of serotonin are the key to sleeping well and enjoying life more!

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Okay, the basic 101 of why sun gazing works to restore healthy sleep patterns.
We are a nation of adrenaline junkies. Coffee, Red Bulls, Matcha, rushing through our day, never feeling like it all gets done! YIKES, that's not enjoying life. This pattern of over stimulation is made further worse by eating fast, being on devices such as computers, pads and phones all day long. No wonder we cannot sleep!
The end result is depletion of serotonin. Serotonin works to promote the production of melatonin, essential to healthy sleep.
When we sun gaze, the suns rays penetrate the eye lids, stimulating the pineal gland through the optic nerve. This small, but powerful gland initiates the process of melatonin production. Once you get the pineal gland back on line you will gradually begin to have better sleep. 

​Attention females! You can also stimulate more serotonin by making sure you get plenty of girl time. Women produce more serotonin when the gab it up with their gal pals!  Men do not possess this skill, but they do get to pee standing up! It all balances out!

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Along with sun gazing here are some other healthy habits to promote better sleep.

• Take your time eating and enjoying your food.
• Take an evening walk after your evening meal. Just a short 20-30 minutes.
• Don't eat after 7:00 PM, 7:30 at the latest.
• Stop watching TV or being on devices at least 1 hour before going to bed. READ, play a game, sweep your kitchen floor, dance in your underwear, anything else but TV!
• Do not go to bed with a device!
• Don't go to bed angry, agree to let go of issues and SLEEP on IT!
• Take tart cherry 30 minutes before bedtime, 1000 mg's. Tart cherry is a super food that helps with melatonin production.
• Listen to calming music for 20 minutes or so before closing your eyes.
• Go to bed EARLY! The best most productive sleep happens before 11:00 PM
• If you cannot sleep, do not get up. Some sleep experts will say to get out of bed. It is better to remain prone, rest and meditate on your breathing.

Those who are depressed may worry about sleeping too much. The excessive sleeping of depression is an indication that the brain and body need to heal. Perhaps taking some time off to just sleep would be a good curative for the depression. HMM!