The Holistic Wisdom Journal  

June 1, 2001 ~ Articles In This Issue...

~ Holistic Tips On Insomnia

~ Psychic Boundaries

Holistic Tips On Insomnia
By Lisa S. Lawless, Ph.D.
Holistic Wisdom C.E.O.

There are many causes of insomnia. If you struggle with it, or know someone who does, here are some useful tips on how to manage it.

Some of the symptoms of insomnia are:

1) An over-active mind which causes difficulty falling asleep.
2) Nervousness and restlessness.
3) Nightmares once asleep that wake you up.
4) Irritability.
5) Mood swings involving hysterical behavior. If these symptoms continue you can actually develop a fear of bed time, so that you begin to have anxiety over the anxiety that prevents you from sleeping in the first place! It becomes a pretty nasty cycle, one that can be broken when you take corrective steps.

Many experience insomnia due to emotional stress, however there are other causes such as: pain; excess caffeine, alcohol and drugs; food allergies; or sleeping in an uncomfortable environment.

It is interesting to note that only in recent years, sleep- disorder medicine has become a branch of medicine. There are now centers and treatment located throughout the U.S.

There are many conflicting reports around taking sleeping medications, and a recent study indicated that 50 percent of people who take sleeping pills for insomnia find that the condition worsens.

About 80 percent of our sleep is NREM (non-rapid eye movement) and 20 percent is REM (rapid eye movement). If you feel tired most of the time it is probably because you have not had enough REM sleep. If you have problems with your memory it is probably because you have not had adequate REM sleep.

It is also reported that 80% of people who report that they are tired, often actually get adequate sleep, and that the problem lies in nutritional deficiencies which can be cleared up by taking a good multivitamin and mineral supplement while improving their diet. Exercise is also reported to assist those who have fatigue problems regardless of whether the fatigue is caused by lack of sleep or a general sense of fatigue.

If you find that you are struggling with insomnia and you believe it to be due to an emotionally stressful event in your life, or if you are struggling with anxiety or depression, you may want look into getting counseling to work through it. Whether you get counseling with us or somewhere else, it may be just what you have needed to not only deal with the emotional stressors in your life, but to get some sleep!

Here are some herbal remedies that may be helpful-

Chinese Herbalism:

~ Wild Jujube
~ Fleeceflower
~ Hoelen

Herbalism:

~ A warm bath with an infusion of chamomile, catnip, lavender or limeflowers.
~ A cup of warm tea: chamomile or blends such as Celestial Seasonings (TM) Sleepy Time or Tension Tamer Teas.
~ Make a small lavender filled pillow to sleep near.

Aromatherapy:

~ Chamomile
~ Marjoram
~ Lavender
~ Clary Sage
~ Rose
~ Neroli

Use in bath, on skin mixed with a light carrier oil, or apply a few drops to your handkerchief to put in your pillow.

Flower Essences:

~ White Chestnut for worrisome thoughts & mental arguments.
~ Scleranthus for indecisiveness.
~ Vervain, Vine, Elm, Beech, or Impatiens for stress, strain, frustration and an inability to relax.

Vitamins & Minerals:

~ Vitamins B
~ Vitamin C
~ Folic Acid
~ Zinc
~ Calcium

Psychic Boundaries
By Lisa S. Lawless, Ph.D.
Holistic Wisdom C.E.O.

It is important when learning about psychic abilities to remember the importance of psychic boundaries. Often when we develop our psychic abilities we become more sensitive to the energies around us. When this happens we can sometimes feel overwhelmed from someone else’s energy. This can occur in many ways. An example might be sitting next to someone in a movie theater who is very depressed. Suddenly out of nowhere you start to feel very sad. When this occurs it is important to bring this to your consciousness so that you can decipher whether it is you who is truly feeling sad, or if it is someone in your environment. Some people who are extraordinarily sensitive to psychic energy may find it difficult to be in public places where there is a lot of hostile or negative energy. A walk through New York City might completely overwhelm someone with this level of sensitivity.

Learning techniques that can assist you in protecting your self will be valuable for these reasons. Because our intentions are a form of strong energy that is omitted, holding an intention can be a very effective way of protecting ourselves without cutting ourselves off from the world around us. Be creative in setting an intention. Using visualizations is an especially powerful medium for doing this. The following is an example of such visualization.

First, try to find a place where you can be quite and still for a moment. Breathe in and relax, remembering that you are one with the divine. Close your eyes and imagine that a beautiful white light is coming through the top of your head (through your crown chakra) and flowing through your entire body. Every atom that you physically consist of is being cleansed with this beautiful light. Now visualize a wonderful silvery bubble that is three feet all around you. Notice that it is creating a mirrored image all around you, and that despite it’s strength it is permeable. What you allow inside your bubble is love, respect, honor, integrity, and information that is useful to you. What it protects you from is fear, hostility, disrespect, and what does not serve you. It’s silvery image reflects to those you interact with the mirror image of how they come across to you so that they can become conscious of the way that they are in the world, and toward you. To finish this exercise, take your arms and feel the silvery bubble around you energetically. You are now ready to take on life as a psychic with boundaries.

Get creative and make your own visualizations. As stated before, intentions are the seeds of power that create those things that "come to be" in our lives. If you become masterful at holding intentions, you will be masterful at guiding yourself and those around you.

Thank You For Reading The Articles Contained In The Holistic Wisdom Journal

...Namaste
(I honor Spirit within you,
as you honor Spirit within me)