Blog: The Hidden Power of Relaxation

  In this classic fairy story, the princess proves her royal status to the doubting Queen by being highly sensitive to and disturbed by the pea placed under her mattress overnight. Subsequently, she and the prince are married, and of course, “live happily ever after.” But, unfortunately, we don’t hear about how overwhelming it can be for a sensitive princess (or prince) to live in the real world of loud noises, bright lights, insensitive people,…

Eve is in her mid-seventies. Her above-average height contributes to an imposing figure, always dressed in a bold colored and well-tailored trouser suit. She exudes a quiet confidence that she doesn’t have to prove to anyone. Her movements are slow and deliberate, her posture burdened by many years with too many responsibilities. However, when she lays her steely blue eyes upon you, you can virtually feel a force-field spring out of them. They almost hypnotize…

I reach out to the bedside table and feel around for my smartphone. I have it on the lowest light setting because I’m aware that blue light on any computer screen can disturb sleep rhythms. I confess that I don’t always remember putting my phone on Airplane mode to cut the EMF (electric & magnetic fields) radiation. I recognize that just having the phone in my bedroom is not recommended and contributes to sleep disruption.…

Some of us have been more isolated than others during this crazy Corona-coaster ride. Not having anyone to touch, or share any physical closeness with, may have affected levels of loneliness for some, more acutely than others. Those of us with a spouse, lover, trusted friend, children, parents, grandchildren, or siblings to hold & hug are very fortunate. A dear friend told me about a very different kind of hug she experienced recently. Sara and…

Most of us may think of noise as something coming from the outside of our bodies such as traffic, horns hooting, brakes squealing, sirens whining.  Others may consider people’s voices, children squealing, dogs barking or TV sounds constantly in the background as noisy.  Thank heavens most of us do not have to deal with the sound and threat of guns firing off in our neighborhoods. We are all affected by our environment and the sounds…

Is meditation for you? I know that for many of you meditation brings forth images of sitting in abnormal positions and concentrating on being calm and relaxed for extended periods of time. That alone can put you off from this practice, which is as ancient as civilization itself and yet has re-emerged in the last 40 years or so. So I’m here to let you know that meditation can be highly beneficial for you and…

  When I ask clients if they enjoy breathing, they tend to pause and look at me quizzically like I’ve asked a rather dumb question. The usual reply is, “I never really thought about it.” A natural response, as we all tend to take breathing as a given. It just happens, doesn’t it?  We don’t even have to think about it. The automatic inhale and exhale that keeps us alive is totally taken for granted.…