Page 8 - Living Aloha Magazine March/April 2017 Issue

HealinG CAtAlYSt CORneR

Inspiring you to make connections that heal by Denise LaBarre

Aloha!

Welcome to the Healing Catalyst Corner, a new column about healing. Here, I discuss
healing our bodies, our emotions, our earth, and ways we can improve the connection
between all of them. Illness, dis-ease, and disharmony result from disconnection. We
have the potential to be healing catalysts—creative connectors who change our internal
and external worlds through positive intention and practice. No matter how frazzled or
overloaded we get, if we cut through the daily overload with actionable inspiration that
realigns our physical and emotional well-being, miracles are possible.

Better Sleep, Easily trouBle GoInG

Back to Sleep?

Here are some pointers for when
you wake up and have trouble
Idea for today: tighter areas. Feel and breathe into going back to sleep.
Get Better Sleep them, with your hand rising and Sometimes you awaken from a
falling on your belly. Notice the nightmare or startle awake with a
Often the most profound ideas knots dissolving. This simple action racing pulse. Perhaps an unfamiliar
are the simplest. One of the best and intention, repeated nightly sound or movement disturbs you
ways to improve your health is to as you settle down, can shift you and your thoughts get going,
improve your sleep. You’ve heard into a whole new realm of body- preventing you from falling back to
this before, but probably could use centered, better sleep. sleep. Maybe you ate too much, or
a reminder. Throughout a busy too late. There are many things that
day, you get physically wound up Another practice for better sleep can disrupt sound, restful sleep. If
as you pull energy into your head is to spend more time tuning in this happens repeatedly, you may
and then hold it up there with neck to nature. If you can incrementally have established a pattern that is
and shoulder tension + shallow shift toward being awake in challenging to reset.
breathing. You can reverse that daylight hours and sleeping when
wind-up by taking 5 deep, slow, it’s dark, you’ll have the support Whatever the cause, when you
belly breaths as you settle into of Nature and her rhythms. Start a awaken, the important thing is not
your bed. This pulls the energy vegetable garden or grow some to let your thoughts take off. Your
out of your head and recirculates flowers. Even if you only have 30 mind wants to wake up and do
it through your body – where it minutes on a lunch break – make its thinking - that’s its nature – but
needs to be for good sleep. To friends with a plant and visit it each don’t let it. Thoughts pull energy
make sure you’re not just thinking time; watch some ants marching up into your head and out of your
about breathing, put your hand on along the ground; or meditatively body – where you need it most
your lower belly to feel your belly observe the leaves on a tree to sleep. There are usually a few
rising and falling with your breaths. blowing in the wind. Tuning in on moments when you first awaken
Then, energetically feel around that fundamental level – like you when your mind hasn’t completely
in your body for tight spots – the did naturally as a kid – relaxes and taken over. If you can catch yourself
way you would feel around in a centers you in a way that will re- in those moments and take a few
sack with a few potatoes in it - and align your physical rhythms if you deep breaths, you put your energy
let yourself get interested in those do it consistently. back into your body, which dearly

8 COLUMNS Living Aloha | MARCH–APRIL 2017