Ten Steps To True Happiness

Ten Steps To True Happiness

A team of experts believe that they have found the essential ingredients to make a person's life happier. Based on best knowledge and research, the team came up with a 10-point plan for happiness listed below:

"The 10 steps to happiness"

1. Plant something and nurture it

2. Count your blessings - at least five - at the end of each day

3. Take time to talk - have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week

4. Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up

5. Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it

6. Have a good laugh at least once a day

7. Get physical - exercise for half an hour three times a week

8. Smile at and/or say hello to a stranger at least once each day

9. Cut your TV viewing by half

10. Spread some kindness - do a good turn for someone every day

and I have one more to add...

11. Read Positive Thoughts each and everyday!

NOTE: The happiness team included psychologist Dr Richard Stevens, psychotherapist Brett Kahr, work place specialists Jessica Pryce-Jones and Philippa Chapman, social entrepreneur Andrew Mawson OBE and Richard Reeves, whose expertise spans philosophy, public policy and economics.

What do you think? What would you add to this list?

Write me and share your "Steps to Happiness!"

The Path to Peace

It was American author Robert Fulghum who said:

"Peace is not something you wish for;

It is something you make;

Something you do;

Something you are;

Something you give away."

Peace is not up to others, sent forth with fervent hope that they might change our fate. It is up to us. It is a path we each must choose to take.

May every path you choose today be peace-filled.

And until tomorrow may you always be aware you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me. May your day be filled with all things good.

Sinus Headaches & Allergies

Sinus Headaches & Allergies

What is a sinus headache?
A sinus headache is a headache that occurs because your sinuses are swollen closed or congested with mucus. The sinuses are hollow spaces in the bones of your face. They connect with the nose through small openings. Like the nose, they are lined with membranes that make mucus. Mucus drains through the small openings to the nose.

How does it occur?
If you have a cold or allergies, the openings of your sinuses may be blocked by excess mucus or a swelling of the tissue that lines the sinuses. When drainage of mucus from the sinuses is blocked, the sinuses become congested. They may become infected with bacteria, a virus, or even fungus. The infection can make the sinuses even more clogged. The pressure caused by swelling and congestion causes sinus headaches.
Most sinus problems happen when you have had a cold. Often hay fever or irritation from dust or smoke causes swelling of the sinuses. Sometimes a tooth infection spreads to the sinuses.
If you have injured the bones in your nose or have a deformity of the nose that causes the sinuses not to drain properly, you may be more likely to get sinus congestion and infection.
What are the symptoms?
Some symptoms of a sinus headache are:

• pain or pressure in the forehead or around the eyes and cheeks
• tender skin and tender bones over and under the eyes.
• Blowing your nose, stooping down, or jarring your head (as might happen when you jog or do aerobics) may make your headache feel worse.

How is it diagnosed?
Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and examine you. You may have an x-ray and possibly a CT scan to look for swelling, fluid, or small benign growths (polyps) in the sinuses.
How is it treated?
Aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen can help relieve pain. Your health care provider may prescribe a decongestant. If your provider suspects you have a sinus infection, he or she may also prescribe an antibiotic. Antihistamines may help if allergies are a cause, however, please remember that antihistamines will also dry up your sinuses. If your sinuses are clogged and not draining, this may not be the best OTC remedy to use. Moist herbal packs placed along the frontal sinuses may help relieve the congestion. Also, you might want to try a moist, heated towel roll placed along the back of the neck for about 15 minutes. Inhaling steam, scented with Essential Lavender Oil or Eucalyptus Oil will help relieve the headaches and open the sinuses for drainage. And of course, Mom’s Chicken Soup works wonders.

Make it from scratch and inhale the aroma as you stir your soup.
How long will the effects last?
Your head should stop hurting when the sinuses become less congested. This usually takes about 1 to 3 days after you start treatment.
How can I take care of myself?
Add moisture to the air with a whistling steam tea pot or kettle. I do not like a humidifier or a vaporizer because mold may grow in your vaporizer.
Inhale steam from a basin of hot water or shower to relieve pain.
Put warm, moist washcloths on your face.
Use decongestants as directed. Never use nonprescription nasal spray decongestants for more than 3 days. After 3 days they may cause your symptoms to get worse.
Remember that antihistamines dry up your sinuses.
Get plenty of rest and drink a lot of water.
Drink orange juice or hot teas.
Take Vitamin C and Echinacea to boost your immune system.

Elevate your head in bed, but only slightly.
Take all of your medicine as prescribed by your doctor.
Call your health care provider if:
Your headache is not relieved by the medicine and other symptoms do not go away in 3 to 5 days.
You have a fever over 102F (38.9C) or foul-smelling discharge from your nose.
Your nose is bleeding.
Swelling over your forehead, eyes, nose, or cheeks has gotten worse.
Your vision is blurred or double, or you have problems with balance.
How can I help prevent sinus headaches?
Treat the problems that might cause the headaches, such as allergies.
Food-causing allergies might include cheese products as mold is used to help make it cheese; wine; yeast-based products, including beer and other alcoholic beverages.
Use oral or nasal decongestants before you fly, travel to high altitudes, or swim in deep water.
Use a humidifier in your home if the air is particularly dry (for example, if you wake up in the morning with a dry mouth).
Wash your hands after you blow your nose.
Sanitize your toothbrush or replace it with a new one. Your mouth harbors tons of germs. When you are ill, these germs have a thriving place to grow. Remember that your sinuses drain into the back of your mouth and throat, not just your nose. When your sinus cold is gone, replace your toothbrush to avoid cross contaminating yourself again.
Allergy Prevention is Key
A simple remedy, but often overlooked is a clean home. Replace your shower curtain, sanitize your dishwasher and washing machine, scrub away the mold that builds up around sink handles, clean out the drip tray in the bottom of your fridge. Make sure you do not have a source for mold under the sink, way in the back, where non-used items accumulate throughout the years.
Avoid smoke, other inhaled irritants, and allergens, such as animal dander, mold, and food allergies.
I am not a fan of potpourri, as I feel this is a catch-all for dust and all sorts of things. Once, I found dead bugs in my potpourri, even though the artificial fragrance was still strong!
Check your carpet. Is it a source for the breeding of allergens? We recently ripped up our basement carpeting, and sure enough, the carpet was molding in the corners.
Artificial scents for the home can be a source of allergens. If your home is clean, you do not need scented sprays or powdered carpet fresheners. Replace them with clean-burning, natural, soy candles scented with natural essential oils if you desire a fresh fragrance to your home.
Clean your furnace regularly; change filters monthly.

MASSAGE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS
FIBROMYALGIA CLIENTS
Copyright, 2006 ~ Lisa Ledger

FIBROMYALGIA is a devastating form of chronic pain that exacerbates itself in the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the body. The syndrome is often referred to as FIBROMYALGIA Syndrome or FMS. Clients affected by FMS are 80-90% women of all ages, race, and socio-economic status. Often FMS is brought on by a virus, such as Epstein-Barr, or a traumatic accident such as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Medical research has yet to “discover” the cause of this debilitating disorder. Symptoms include:

• Headaches and facial pain, TMJ symptoms
• Sensitivity to touch, light, sound, or ordors
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Mood swings (not related to PMS)
• Poor sleep or no restorative sleep
• Difficulties with memory and concentration
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Depression
• Other chronic pain disorders, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Pain in the four quadrants of the body
• Pain, numbness without evidence of nerve damage

There are 18 tender points that are considered when diagnosing FMS. These are:

(1 & 2) Occiput: on both sides (bilateral), at the sub-occipital muscle insertions.

(3 & 4) Low Cervical: bilateral, at the anterior aspects of the inter-transverse spaces.

(5 & 6) Lateral Epicondyle: bilateral, 2 cm distal to the epicondyles

(7 & 8) Knee: bilateral, at the medial fat pad proximal to the joint line.

(9 & 10) Second Rib: bilateral, at the second costochondral junction, just lateral to the junctions on upper surfaces.

(11 & 12) Trapeziums: bilateral, at the midpoint of the upper border of the muscle.

(13 & 14) Supraspinatus: bilateral, at origins, above the spine of the scapula (shoulder blade) near the medial border

(15 & 16) Glutei: bilateral, in upper outer quadrants of buttocks in anterior fold of muscle.

(17 & 18) Greater Trochanter: bilateral, posterior to the trochanteric prominence.

These tender points are shown below on the model.

TREATMENT FOR FIBROMALYGIA
Therapeutic massage affects the neurochemicals involved by increasing dopamine and serotonin levels and increasing the norepinephrine level during the first 15 minutes of massage. If massage stimulates the same neurochemicals as medications, it might be possible to lower the dosage of medications. Close monitoring of a patient’s medications by the primary care physician along with the pharmacist would be necessary.

As part of treatment for a FMS client, massage therapy should be incorporated to help the client build health, prevent disease and change what is necessary. Massage therapy would be used to improve the circulation in the muscle, increase the flow of nutrients in the muscle, and eliminate toxic waste in the muscle. Nutritional aspects of the client’s life, along with stress inducers need to be evaluated and modified if necessary. Therapy goals would be:

• Get pain under control
• ROM exercises and stretching to regain muscle function
• Professional therapy to help with emotional scars from long-term pain
• Return to activities of daily living

The therapeutic massage would include compression techniques and effleurage. If the client can tolerate touch on that day, then light petrissage could be used. Range of motion techniques along with stretching exercises for the shoulders would be indicated. Stretching of the pelvic area would also be indicated. The client would be taught these ROM and stretches for use at home. Deep tissue massage is contraindicated as this is usually too painful for the client.

A bodywork modality that I highly recommend is CranioSacral Therapy. I have had wonderful luck in treating those with FMS and CFS and migraines. CranioSacral Therapy does not require the client to disrobe. Lights are dimmed, soft relaxing music is played, and the Therapist places their hands on key points of the spinal and cranial system to allow the body to release restrictions that contribute to the symptoms of FMS and CFS. Migraines are greatly diminished using this technique.

Healing through massage may find resistance in the chronically ill client. Without the disease in one’s life, the client may have difficulty coping with personal or job related issues. In addition to professional counselling, healing massage should focus on short-term benefits with the emphasis on the act of reasserting control over one’s life. If this is the case, then I recommend Reiki Healing in addition to massage therapy. Reiki allows a wonderful peace to penetrate the whole being of the client. The disease may never go away. However, in conjunction with the client’s other health care professionals, the massage therapist can help the client to achieve the highest quality of life possible.

Other alternative help might be to develop a plan to avoid stress or limit overexertion and emotional stress. Allow yourself time each day to relax. That may mean learning how to say no without guilt. Try not to change your routine completely. People who quit work or drop all activity tend to do worse than those who remain active. Try stress management techniques, such as deep-breathing exercises or meditation.

Because fatigue is one of the main characteristics of fibromyalgia, getting sufficient SLEEP is essential. While some might consider taking naps in the afternoon, naps may interfere with the quality of your sleep later on. In addition to allotting enough time for sleep, practice good sleep habits, such as going to bed and getting up at the same time each day and limiting daytime napping.

At first, EXERCISE may increase your pain. The FMS client should not embark upon a club or gym workout at first - intentions are great, but the body will rebel against it. However, doing a light exercise program regularly often decreases symptoms. Appropriate exercises may include walking, swimming, biking and water aerobics. A physical therapist can help you develop a home exercise program. Stretching, good posture and relaxation exercises also are helpful. Pace yourself. Keep your activity on an even level. A problem that I have is when I feel good, I want to totally clean the house, top to bottom. Then, I crash for the next two weeks. If you do too much on your good days, you may have more bad days.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE . Eat healthy foods. Limit your caffeine intake. Slowly make dietary changes, maybe one healthy change a week. One way might be to correct your grocery shopping habits - no one wants to throw away food (even if it is “bad” for you) that has already been paid for! For those with IBS symptoms, you might want to cut out dairy products, replacing with organic yogurt or Lifeway Kefir to add probiotics to your intestinal system. Eating healthy will be more expensive that you are used to. However, I feel that the benefits of a healthy life has more than outweighed the monetary difference in work productivity, and especially just being able to enjoy the day with my kids.

References
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_diagnosis.html
Fritz, Sandy, Mosby’s Fundamentals of Therapeutic Massage, St. Louis, 2004, Mosby. P 508
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia/DS00079/DSECTION=11

Breath of Life

Most clients that come to me for stress relief and pain reduction do not know how to breathe. How can a person not know how to breathe? Isn't it a natural thing to do? Well, yes and no. Yes, it is natural. No, we forget. When we are babies, we automatically know how to breathe. As we grow up and become stressed, frightened, we forget how.

Breathing does more than just provide oxygen to our system, keeping us alive. As we breathe, we begin to remember how to expand our lungs completely. The lung is made up of different segments to help us breath. When we don't expand our abdomens during breathe, we do not use our lower lobes to push down on the diaphragm. As our diaphram expands downward, pushing onto our organs, notably the liver, gallbladder, and stomach. These organs in turn, push downward onto the rest of our organs. And suddenly, there is no room to push down anymore, so taking the path of least resistance, out goes our stomach. This is a type of massage for our organs, a much needed massage. Organs are squeezed, pushed out of all extra fluids, including our intestines. When a person starts breathing correctly, he will notice increased bowel sounds. No, that does not mean you are hungry, either!

As you return to breathing correctly, you will notice an increase in energy, more clear thinking, less sinus congestion, less intestinal issues (IBS, constipation, etc.) among other wonderful benefits!

So, let's get started!

Breathing Exercises
The following exercise may make you feel tired at first. Do keep at it as you will begin to notice that it takes less effort to breath, less energy is used when breathing plus it helps you learn to co-ordinate the diaphragm and abdominal muscles when breathing. To find out if you are breathing correctly, place a hand on your belly button. This area should expand first when you breathe in and then spread upwards until your chest is expanded (don't lift the shoulders or push the stomach out). If you feel you are not breathing properly, practice the following exercise. Lay flat on your back. Place your hands on your waist, fingers pointing towards your belly button. Focus on filling up your stomach from the bottom to the top taking a slow deep breath. (The aim is not to fill yourself to bursting but to inhale enough air so that you can feel the difference between a shallow breath taken when breathing from the chest). You should feel your stomach rise and your hands being raised gently up and outward until you feel your chest expanding. The expansion is not only at the front of the body but also to the sides and back as well. Breath out slowly to a count of 5. Repeat the exercise 10 times.

Exercise 1
Stand with your feet apart and bend over so that your hands are almost touching the floor. Make sure that your head and neck are completely relaxed. While in this position, breathe in a little way, allowing your torso to rise with the intake of breath, then exhale and flop back down again. On the third intake of breath, slowly stand up, gradually raising arms above your head, thus lifting your whole rib cage. On the exhale, flop back down. Do this 3-4 times.

Exercise 2
Stand comfortably upright, with body weight a bit more on one foot than the other. Relax your lower abdominal muscles and breathe in slowly as you raise your arms to the sides at shoulder level; bring them forward, really feeling a stretch. Do this during one complete inhale. As you exhale, reverse the movement, slowly bringing arms back to sides.

Exercise 3 - Pant.