Heart and Sole

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Heart and Sole
November 2001

Reflexology

Time to Unmind

Reflexology is one of the things you can do to reduce stress. Stress is the result of not allowing time to rest and recuperate from a busy schedule. When you have a busy life with each moment accounted for, after a while you can forget what it really feels like to relax. You need time to unmind.

Stress usually occurs when we spend too many hours a day doing and not enough time just being. Reflexology is a therapeutic touch technique which helps us to remember what it means to relax. It reduces fatigue and give you more energy to handle stressful situations.

Reflexology is a way to nurture yourself. By reducing stress you increase the immune function. We never outgrow to need to be nurtured. It can be a preventive measure for one’s general health.

Time spent replenishing your energy supply is time well spent. If you or someone you know needs a relaxation break, the time to recharge, why not consider Reflexology?

Interview with God

“Come in,” God said, “So, you would like to interview Me?”

“If you have the time,” I said. God smiled and said: “My time is eternity and is enough to do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?”

“What surprises you most about         mankind?”

God answered: “That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.

That they lose their health to make money and lose their money to restore their health.

That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.

That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived...”

God’s hands took mine and we were silent for a while and then I asked...”As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?”

God replied with a smile: “To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.

To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.

To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis!

To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and it takes many years to heal them.

To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.

To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.

To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.

To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different.

To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.

To learn that is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves.”

I sat there for a while enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied, “Anytime, I’m here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I’ll answer.”

People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Balance the Scale

Together or Alone

The holidays are a time to get together with our families and friends, exchanging stories, food, gifts, and the holiday cheer. This is one of the things that make the holiday season so gleeful. The excitement of sharing the moments with the special people in our lives. Add to that the lights and music and indeed the vision of sugarplums are dancing in our head. These make the season festive, the gatherings, reunions and sharing.

This is also a time because of all the flurry, we need to allow some time to be alone, to open our mind and let it go, time to reflect. The amount of time alone needed varies from one individual to another, depending on our personality. If we realize we need that alone time we can take the long way home. Walking or jogging are a good way to have time to ourselves. We might have a bag lunch and go to the park.

If we have had a superabundance of togetherness, then lets’ just make it a point to allow some time to be alone. Life is really a balancing act and balance is the key to a happy, healthy life. When we realize we have too much togetherness, we can seek and find some time alone and balance the scale.

Regard life as a marathon - not a sprint. - Carol James

Stress

In short term stress is vital, but over time it turns destructive. Research shows how chronic stress breaks down the body and makes way for disease. The worst part is, we can be the one who inflicts it upon ourselves, by over-crowding or over-stimulation.

Overcrowding

People cram their days from dawn till dark without a break. “People often crowd in much more than they should for optimal mental health,” says psychologist Robert E. Thayer, Ph.D. “Our culture sends the message that if you aren’t constantly busy, something must be wrong”, Dr. Thayer says. So we keep doing more and more, until we can no longer distinguish “must do” from plain old nonessential do’s that are little more than old habits. If we realize this has happened to us, let’s allocate some time each day just for ourselves and watch your background stress melt. Take a long walk. Instead of folding laundry, go outside and watch a sunset. Take some time to recharge.

Over-stimulation

Is the TV always on in the background at your house? Do you prepare a meal while talking on the phone and helping with homework? Doing 2 or 3 things at once may not be good for you, says Geoffrey Godbey, Ph.D., author of Time for Life: The Surprising Way Americans Use Their Time. If we realize we are stressed out because of over-stimulation, lets make a concerted, real concerted effort to do only on thing at a time. We might be surprised at how productive this can be and our stress levels lowered.

Holiday Stress

In addition to all the routine goings-on of life, holidays add entertaining and visiting, decorating, gifts, cooking, and financial strain. Add to this the pressure to be relaxed and happy everywhere you turn. Holidays present situations that differ from our usual day-to-day life. When we are used to something and know what to expect from it--we enjoy a comfortable sense of control.

According to Dr. Paul Rosch, president of the American Institute of Stress, one Midwestern headache clinic reported that complaints of tension and migraine headaches increased 40% from Thanksgiving to Christmas, compared with other six-week periods during this year.

Recognizing stress is crucial to doing something about it. We have a strong say in determining the impact of stress in our daily lives. Once we realize we need stress relief, we can begin to make changes to reduce the stress. Taking slow, deep, breaths is one of the most effective methods which is available to us at all times. We can use this method whether we are alone or in a group. Try it, it works! Also lets make it a point to allow time to do something we find relaxing. We will be the winner.

The Power of Color

I recently came across an article in Woman’s Day magazine about the influence of different colors. It was a very small article, but it inspired me to do some research and learn more about color utilization. The use of colors can be fun and open up a new perspective of the environment around us.

Color permeates our language and our culture. It is one of the constants in our lives. The colors we see in our daily life have a profound effect on our moods even when we are not aware of them. The interior of fast food restaurants are usually brightly colored because some studies have shown bright color stimulate appetite.

We associate just about everything we do with color. The more we learn about color, we begin to realize its subtle effects--from the clothes we wear, to the color of our office or home, to the color of the car we drive, and more.

Keep in mind that color likes and dislikes are unique to each individual. Men and women also respond differently to colors. For example, when it comes to the color red, men are more drawn and stimulated by the red-orange range. Women on the other hand are more drawn to reds in the red-violet range.

In 1990 J.D. Radeloff in his study discovered that women were more likely than men to have a favorite color. In expressing the preference for light versus dark colors, there was no significant differences between men and women: however, in expressing preference for bright and soft colors, there was a difference, with women preferring soft colors and men preferring bright ones.

Color Effects/Associations

Red
Attributes: Simulating, Up-Beat.

Pink
Attributes: Feminine, gentle.

Blue
Attributes: Cooling, peaceful.

Brown
Attributes: Earthy, homey, gregarious.

Yellow
Attributes: Catches the eye, cheerful, active.

Green
Attributes: Most predominant color on the planet, calming effect.

Orange
Attributes: Color of joy, creativity, vitality, fun, sociability.

Violet - True violet is 50% red and 50% blue.
Attributes: Imaginative, sensitive, intuitive, unusual.

Gray
Attributes: Neutral and balanced.

Black
Attributes: Formal, sophisticated, mysterious, strong.

White
Attributes: Clean, fresh, futuristic.

Fashion designers and interior decorators use color to create moods and also illusions. We can use the magic of color to create an environment that is pleasing to us, whether it be cool or warm, exciting or calming, or sunny or bright.

Gift Certificates are a way to encourage someone to take time to do something nice for themselves. Call (334) 358-3990 for information, and remember Gift Certificates are available in person or by mail.

Recommended Reading:

Live the life you really love!
by: Barbara Sheer

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by: Stephen R. Covey

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