Hibernation for Health

[Guest guest]

Hibernation for Health

By Mary Ellen Ott, M.Ed., RCC. C.Ht.

 

 

Hibernation refers to a state of seclusion and inactivity - rare

commodities in our fast-paced society. However, both are essential to

maintaining vibrant health and radiant wellbeing. Without healthy hibernation,

we are at greater risk for " dis-ease " in every sense of the word - mental,

physical and spiritual. Our entire being relies on an opportunity to rest and

recharge in order to optimally function.

 

More than three decades ago, cardiologists Ray Rosenman and Meyer Friedman

spent 30 years studying heart-attack victims. They found that certain behavior

patterns, referred to as " Type A " behaviors, contribute to more than half the

cases of heart attacks that otherwise appear to be unrelated to diet, smoking or

lack of exercise. They discovered that coronary-prone individuals self-impose

unrealistic and inflexible standards, and are persistently vigilant about

maintaining their productivity. Persons displaying the Type A behaviors are

generally powerful people who enjoy competition and command a high level of

respect from others. In fact, Type A individuals feel more comfortable while

multi-tasking than when relaxing. For them, relaxation may actually invoke a

sense of guilt.

 

While our society reveres high productivity, if it is not balanced with

periods of rest and relaxation, it actually becomes counter-productive. People

who do not take time for wellness often end up forced to take time to cope with

illness. Living an unbalanced life inevitably adds to the stress of living.

Since stress never can be completely eliminated, it must at least be mitigated

in order to protect our bodies from its effects.

 

According to Dr. Andrew Weil in his book Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide

to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being, people need to cultivate the

" relaxation response " that Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard University has

researched and written about. This relaxation response helps to shift the body's

autonomic nervous system from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance.

 

In Healthy Aging, Dr. Weil describes the sympathetic nervous system, which

is the " fight or flight " response needed to deal with danger and survive.

Unfortunately, in our society, many situations trigger this response. Dr. Weil

writes:

 

Sympathetic stimulation causes the heart to beat faster, blood pressure to

rise, blood sugar to rise, blood flow to shift away from the surface of the body

to the core (causing cold extremities) and digestion to slow or stop. It also

raises cortisol levels. Chronic over stimulation by the sympathetic nervous

system can cause a multitude of diseases, from cardiac arrhythmias and

hypertension to metabolic disturbances, endocrine disorders, imbalances of

immunity and gastrointestinal ailments. Obviously it also is associated with

anxiety and sleep disorders and, often, with defensiveness and isolation.

 

There are innumerable health benefits to allowing the parasympathetic

nervous system to take over. The effects of cortisol, an adrenal hormone that is

elevated at times of stress, are especially devastating, and as Dr. Weil states,

" (it) is directly toxic to neurons in the part of the brain responsible for

memory and emotion. " Research proves that unchecked stress is truly

counterproductive. Everyone needs healthy hibernation.

 

Dr. Weil cautions readers to be wary of some common activities that are

considered forms of relaxation, such as having a drink, watching television,

going on vacation and working out. Drinking in moderation can be an enjoyable

experience and some researchers have found that it may even have limited health

benefits. However, alcohol can be addictive and excess consumption can lead to a

host of problems. Watching television and taking vacations can be relaxing,

depending on what you watch or where you go. However, if you are not careful,

both can be enervating rather than relaxing. Lastly, exercise is a good way to

release negative energy, but it should be used as a complement to other

relaxation methods.

 

Dr. Weil, as well as other experts, recommends meditation, or a quieting

of the mind, for stress management. Dr. Judith Orloff, an energy psychiatrist

and author of Positive Energy, also recommends meditation. She suggests a

time-limited " three minutes only " meditation, perfect for busy people. Dr.

Orloff instructs her patients to set a timer for three minutes and get into a

comfortable position. She has them start their meditation by taking a deep

breath in and out. Next, she has patients put their hand, palm side down, on the

center of their chest, an area that is known as the " heart chakra. " As patients

focus on their breath, they simply allow all thoughts to come and go; she

suggests visualizing thoughts as clouds just floating by. Then, she asks

patients to focus their thought on an image that invokes positive feelings, such

as thinking about a loved one or a beautiful sunset. As they focus on the image,

they may feel a tingling or warmth as the energy is stirred and moved in that

area of the body. At the end of the three minutes, her patients emerge with a

sense of peacefulness that acts as a shield to combat negativity.

 

Another powerful tool (recommended by Dr. Weil for relaxation) that

incorporates breathwork and positive visualization is hypnosis. While meditation

seeks primarily to quiet the mind, hypnosis, when used for relaxation, seeks to

positively guide and direct the mind, in particular, the subconscious mind.

While the conscious mind is the logical, analytical, thinking mind, the

subconscious mind is the literal, feeling and emotional mind. Both aspects of

the mind are benevolent and act toward our highest good. However, the

subconscious mind lacks the ability to evaluate the information that it

processes. Therefore, as Alan Seale states in his book Soul Mission, Life

Vision: Recognize Your True Gifts and Make Your Mark in the World, our level of

conscious awareness is important because it is the filter for our subconscious

mind as well. He explains that the subconscious mind is the larger intuitive

mind, the " body-mind " that functions within every cell of the body.

 

In Alan Seale's words:

 

This is why we must always focus our attention and thought on what we do

want, not on what we do not want. The subconscious mind cannot distinguish

between what you want or do not want. It only knows the subject of your thought.

Therefore, when the subject of your thought is what you do not want; your

subconscious mind will do everything it can to manifest that which you do not

want, because that has been the subject of your thought.

 

The need to focus attention and thoughts in a positive direction is

precisely why hypnosis is so effective, especially for those people who

experience difficulty relaxing. A trained hypnotherapist is an excellent

resource for facilitating trance, which is a natural state of deep relaxation.

Hypnotherapists also teach clients to positively reprogram their subconscious

and enhance their ability to use visualization techniques.

 

Stress will never be eliminated, but by utilizing a variety of relaxation

strategies, people can help protect themselves from its negative effects.

Relaxation is not the antithesis of productivity, but rather an essential

element that enhances it. Use the quiet indoor time of the winter season to

" hibernate " and enhance your parasympathetic responses. Then allow your newfound

inner peace to radiate throughout the year.

 

 

 

Mary Ellen Ott has more than 20 years of experience in the field of mental

health and education, and she is the owner and founder of Nurture U. She is a

registered corporate coach and a certified hypnotherapist. Her unique " Life

Sculpting " sessions help clients address wellness, life balance and life-purpose

issues. One of her specialties is stress management. For more information, call

(440) 670-1518 or visit www.NurtureU.com.

 

 

¸,.·´¯`·.»§« Practice a Random Act of Kindness »§«.·´¯`·.,¸

 

© Spiritually_Speaking

spiritually_speaking- :

)

 

Permission to share freely as long as credit is

given.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

This is so true!!!! I am type A personality and I have to WORK at relaxing. I

finally had to be logical about it and tell myself that it is GOOD for me and

healthy to relax and I had to be able to justify it in my own mind, to tell

myself that it is healthy for me! I often feel guilty when I am not doing

something or feeling productive, but as time moves on, I know more and more how

important it is to relax.

 

<<<Persons displaying the Type A behaviors are generally powerful people who

enjoy competition and command a high level of respect from others. In fact, Type

A individuals feel more comfortable while multi-tasking than when relaxing. For

them, relaxation may actually invoke a sense of guilt.>>>

 

 

Marsha and the Yorkies

http://www.miracleyorkies.com

 

 

[Guest guest]

I'd say: get a hobby.

It is the most beneficial thing you can do to yourself.

While at it, you can meditate, you relax, you focus, you de-stress,

you enjoy, you produce, and you work with your hands, which are

connected to your heart, among other things.

 

Dr. Maria Moratto

Prescription For Bliss

The Law of Attraction Alternative

rx4bliss

 

 

, " Lisa Day " <day6

wrote:

>

> Hibernation for Health

> By Mary Ellen Ott, M.Ed., RCC. C.Ht.

>

>

> Hibernation refers to a state of seclusion and inactivity -

rare commodities in our fast-paced society. However, both are

essential to maintaining vibrant health and radiant wellbeing.

Without healthy hibernation, we are at greater risk for " dis-ease "

in every sense of the word - mental, physical and spiritual. Our

entire being relies on an opportunity to rest and recharge in order

to optimally function.

>

> More than three decades ago, cardiologists Ray Rosenman and

Meyer Friedman spent 30 years studying heart-attack victims. They

found that certain behavior patterns, referred to as " Type A "

behaviors, contribute to more than half the cases of heart attacks

that otherwise appear to be unrelated to diet, smoking or lack of

exercise. They discovered that coronary-prone individuals self-

impose unrealistic and inflexible standards, and are persistently

vigilant about maintaining their productivity. Persons displaying

the Type A behaviors are generally powerful people who enjoy

competition and command a high level of respect from others. In

fact, Type A individuals feel more comfortable while multi-tasking

than when relaxing. For them, relaxation may actually invoke a sense

of guilt.

>

> While our society reveres high productivity, if it is not

balanced with periods of rest and relaxation, it actually becomes

counter-productive. People who do not take time for wellness often

end up forced to take time to cope with illness. Living an

unbalanced life inevitably adds to the stress of living. Since

stress never can be completely eliminated, it must at least be

mitigated in order to protect our bodies from its effects.

>

> According to Dr. Andrew Weil in his book Healthy Aging: A

Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being, people

need to cultivate the " relaxation response " that Dr. Herbert Benson

of Harvard University has researched and written about. This

relaxation response helps to shift the body's autonomic nervous

system from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance.

>

> In Healthy Aging, Dr. Weil describes the sympathetic nervous

system, which is the " fight or flight " response needed to deal with

danger and survive. Unfortunately, in our society, many situations

trigger this response. Dr. Weil writes:

>

> Sympathetic stimulation causes the heart to beat faster,

blood pressure to rise, blood sugar to rise, blood flow to shift

away from the surface of the body to the core (causing cold

extremities) and digestion to slow or stop. It also raises cortisol

levels. Chronic over stimulation by the sympathetic nervous system

can cause a multitude of diseases, from cardiac arrhythmias and

hypertension to metabolic disturbances, endocrine disorders,

imbalances of immunity and gastrointestinal ailments. Obviously it

also is associated with anxiety and sleep disorders and, often, with

defensiveness and isolation.

>

> There are innumerable health benefits to allowing the

parasympathetic nervous system to take over. The effects of

cortisol, an adrenal hormone that is elevated at times of stress,

are especially devastating, and as Dr. Weil states, " (it) is

directly toxic to neurons in the part of the brain responsible for

memory and emotion. " Research proves that unchecked stress is truly

counterproductive. Everyone needs healthy hibernation.

>

> Dr. Weil cautions readers to be wary of some common

activities that are considered forms of relaxation, such as having a

drink, watching television, going on vacation and working out.

Drinking in moderation can be an enjoyable experience and some

researchers have found that it may even have limited health

benefits. However, alcohol can be addictive and excess consumption

can lead to a host of problems. Watching television and taking

vacations can be relaxing, depending on what you watch or where you

go. However, if you are not careful, both can be enervating rather

than relaxing. Lastly, exercise is a good way to release negative

energy, but it should be used as a complement to other relaxation

methods.

>

> Dr. Weil, as well as other experts, recommends meditation,

or a quieting of the mind, for stress management. Dr. Judith Orloff,

an energy psychiatrist and author of Positive Energy, also

recommends meditation. She suggests a time-limited " three minutes

only " meditation, perfect for busy people. Dr. Orloff instructs her

patients to set a timer for three minutes and get into a comfortable

position. She has them start their meditation by taking a deep

breath in and out. Next, she has patients put their hand, palm side

down, on the center of their chest, an area that is known as

the " heart chakra. " As patients focus on their breath, they simply

allow all thoughts to come and go; she suggests visualizing thoughts

as clouds just floating by. Then, she asks patients to focus their

thought on an image that invokes positive feelings, such as thinking

about a loved one or a beautiful sunset. As they focus on the image,

they may feel a tingling or warmth as the energy is stirred and

moved in that area of the body. At the end of the three minutes, her

patients emerge with a sense of peacefulness that acts as a shield

to combat negativity.

>

> Another powerful tool (recommended by Dr. Weil for

relaxation) that incorporates breathwork and positive visualization

is hypnosis. While meditation seeks primarily to quiet the mind,

hypnosis, when used for relaxation, seeks to positively guide and

direct the mind, in particular, the subconscious mind. While the

conscious mind is the logical, analytical, thinking mind, the

subconscious mind is the literal, feeling and emotional mind. Both

aspects of the mind are benevolent and act toward our highest good.

However, the subconscious mind lacks the ability to evaluate the

information that it processes. Therefore, as Alan Seale states in

his book Soul Mission, Life Vision: Recognize Your True Gifts and

Make Your Mark in the World, our level of conscious awareness is

important because it is the filter for our subconscious mind as

well. He explains that the subconscious mind is the larger intuitive

mind, the " body-mind " that functions within every cell of the body.

>

> In Alan Seale's words:

>

> This is why we must always focus our attention and thought

on what we do want, not on what we do not want. The subconscious

mind cannot distinguish between what you want or do not want. It

only knows the subject of your thought. Therefore, when the subject

of your thought is what you do not want; your subconscious mind will

do everything it can to manifest that which you do not want, because

that has been the subject of your thought.

>

> The need to focus attention and thoughts in a positive

direction is precisely why hypnosis is so effective, especially for

those people who experience difficulty relaxing. A trained

hypnotherapist is an excellent resource for facilitating trance,

which is a natural state of deep relaxation. Hypnotherapists also

teach clients to positively reprogram their subconscious and enhance

their ability to use visualization techniques.

>

> Stress will never be eliminated, but by utilizing a variety

of relaxation strategies, people can help protect themselves from

its negative effects. Relaxation is not the antithesis of

productivity, but rather an essential element that enhances it. Use

the quiet indoor time of the winter season to " hibernate " and

enhance your parasympathetic responses. Then allow your newfound

inner peace to radiate throughout the year.

>

>

>

> Mary Ellen Ott has more than 20 years of experience in the

field of mental health and education, and she is the owner and

founder of Nurture U. She is a registered corporate coach and a

certified hypnotherapist. Her unique " Life Sculpting " sessions help

clients address wellness, life balance and life-purpose issues. One

of her specialties is stress management. For more information, call

(440) 670-1518 or visit www.NurtureU.com.

>

>

> ¸,.·´¯`·.»§« Practice a Random Act of

Kindness »§«.·´¯`·.,¸

>

> ©

Spiritually_Speaking

> spiritually_speaking-

: )

>

> Permission to share freely as long as

credit is given.

>

>

>