Boost Your Sleep!

Lately I have had a lot of discussions on simple techniques that might help improve your sleep quality. 

If we are trying to help our bodies heal or recover, sleep can play a vital role. It is the phase of our day that our body uses to detoxify, restore and recover. Your sleep quality can also have a massive impact on your day. I know when I don't get a good night's sleep I feel on the edge, my head and thinking processes aren't as clear and I might have not much motivation at all. For me it comes down to putting myself first, self care or self love and most of all self respect. I know if I do not look after my own needs first, I won't be able to look after someone else with all my love and care.

So here are some strategies that I enjoy and use regularly that help me get better sleep

1. Light some candles and pour yourself a bath. This is such an easy way to relax and calm the mind before going to bed. You can use your favourite bath salts, some flower petals, essential oils or an organic bubble bath. A bath is one of my favourite ways to close the day and be grateful for all the wonderful moments this day has brought me.   
2. Treat yourself to some essential oils and apply them to your skin. Make sure you use the best quality. I love Young Living essential oils. There is some wonderful blends available such as Valor, Peace and Calming, Dream Catcher or Gentle Baby that may help you get a more restful sleep. You can also use Lavender or Roman Chamomile to help relax and get a good night's sleep. If you want to find out more check out our website World of Oils
3. Stretch or do very gentle yoga before bed. This is another way to slow down and get ready to just switch off. Even if you are unsure how to do this, there are many short YouTube videos out there. I love the stretching videos by Tara Stiles.
4. Try deep relaxation or meditation. A lot of people are unsure about this technique at first but it doesn't have to be complicated. Just sit down comfortably and observe your breath. Try to make your breaths longer, deeper and smoother. If your mind wonders, that is fine. Don't worry. Just bring your awareness gently back to your breath. Start with 5 minutes and see how you go. If you enjoy this you can slowly increase the time up to 30 minutes.
5. In a journal start a practice before bed every day where you write down 10 things you are grateful  for. Gratitude is a very powerful tool and helps to shift your intention and shifts your energy to a more precious place.
6. If you are the type of person that goes at 100 miles an hour and you have difficulty switching off, put a note pad on your bed side table. Before bed write down your to do list for the next day or things that are important to remember. You can also write down any concerns or other thoughts that bother you. This way they are written down and some people find this helpful in switching off more easily.
7. I also use grounding or some people call it earthing. All you need is an earthing body strap and you are ready to go. Through the power plug you connect to the earth's energy or frequency and I find this very relaxing. There is also a lot of information on YouTube about this in case that you would like to do further research.

Hopefully you found the above useful. Try these techniques out and see which ones work for you. Something to remember start out small with just one or two from the above list so that any changes you make will be for the long term. And most importantly remember to tune into your body and find out what works for you or what your body needs.

Fruity Dinner

Hi There,

Since I have done the Juice Detox I always seem to want fresh fruit and vegetables when I am hungry. Everything tastes so much better as well.

So tonight I had two mangoes for dinner plus a avocado and banana smoothie. For the smoothie I used one banana and half of an avocado plus a small cup of water and blended the whole lot in my Thermomix. Sorry the smoothie was so fast gone that I completely forgot to take a picture for you to see...

Not only did it tastes delicious but I know exactly that tomorrow when I do my training I will feel my  best and will be able to put 100% into it.

The training has been going really well though I have to say I noticed that I stepped it up for this week. This morning for my strength training I did a lower body and core yoga DVD for about 30 minutes. My muscles were pumping but I felt really good after especially after the tiny meditation at the end of the practice. Shortly I will be heading out for a short walk with my hubby to get some fresh air and move my legs.

My training today - yoga with Shiva Rea Creative Core and Upper Body

I have been going to the gym to the lunch time yoga class for over a year but somehow it never fully connected with me. I suppose I still noticed the good that it did for my body which is why I kept attending the class.

The turning point for me was when a close friend invited me to a yoga weekend down south in WA with Amber Spear. This weekend established an amazing connection with yoga for me and a connection to myself. During the two days it was perfect; health focused food, exploring different yoga styles. I cam back feeling in balance with life and my surroundings.

From this point I have more and more connected with yoga and find that I keep learning more about myself on this journey. I recently decided to purchase a set of Shiva Rea's DVDs online because I want to work towards maintaining balance in my life. To be honest I had never heard of Shiva Rea before ordering the DVDs but I only found positive reviews which encouraged me.

So last night I decided to do the creative core and upper body DVD. It was an amazing workout; great if you have just spent the whole day at the office and challenging to build up that inner heat for a good workout. I loved it and can feel that happy pulling in my muscles today. I am planning on including more core work into my weekly schedule now because a strong core can boost your endurance massively. I am currently feeling a little bored with the standard core workouts so this DVD made a big difference by using yoga to strengthen the core.

I think the main thing is to find that style and/or teacher that you connect with so that you are able to reap the full benefits from your practice.

Enjoy your journey!