heal your life – Stacy Crep, Adventure Sister

Here is my check in from my first week of daily meditation practice. With the first 7 days, of the 90 days of daily meditation behind me, I am excited to share my experiences with you.

Experiences during the week: My first week of daily meditation was full of business. The first few days I was trying the various apps but as the weekend approached, I had to pause, as I had a gathering and Mother’s Day to prepare for. When I meditated at first, it seemed that it was one more thing on my to do list that had to be taken care of. However, once I took the time to do it, I felt better. Even calmer and more centered. There were a couple of days where I laid down at night, only to realize I had not yet sat in peaceful meditation for that day. One those days I tried meditating in bed while laying down. I made a discovery; when I meditate laying down, I fall asleep! Probably not my best plan. Over the course of the week I tried the apps with their instructional meditation. I listened to several guided meditations and I also sat in quiet mindfulness meditation. I found I personally prefer the silent meditation. Although guided meditations can be quite powerful, at times I found them distracting.

What I learned: My favorite time of day to meditate was first thing in the morning. I especially enjoyed it when I could do it near an open window, so the sound of birds and the wind chimes in the backyard would float in on the cool morning breeze.

My weight: I am on the road for the next four weeks, so I do not have access to my scale. I will be unable to share a number with any weight changes as a result of this. After the first week, though, I do not sense any changes in how my clothing is fitting.

How I feel: As I write this morning, I feel calm. The to do list of tasks to get taken care of doesn’t seem to be pressing down on me the way it does some days. I feel hopeful in all situations (which would be a great mantra to meditate with).

How it’s affected my life: On the morning of Mother’s Day, my husband and I went outside to discover that our fire-pit patio table had been stolen. Although it is disappointing and frustrating, I felt as though I was able to maintain calm and sent out a plea that everyone send love and healing to the thief. People who have healthy balanced lives do not hurt others. This act is a reflection of pain and poor self-esteem of the perpetrator. When I have experienced previous violations like this, although I still sent loving kindness to the violator, I also had a fair amount of anger. On this occasion I had no anger. Is this a result of my daily meditation practice? I think so.

Thank you for reading my blog today. How was week one for you? Please share your experiences with us. As I go forward I will stick with these same five areas. Are there any other areas you would like to see me include in my upcoming weekly check-ins? If so, let me know. I wish you a lifetime of hopefulness in all situations.

Previous meditation blogs by the Adventure Sisters: Join Us on This Adventure, Meditate the weight away?, 9 ways to improve meditation, Meditation contemplations, There’s an App for That: A review of meditation Apps, 7 Common Meditation Myths, 11 Types of Meditation

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Many people suffer from back pain. For some it is a chronic condition; for others, it is an occasional occurrence after a strenuous day or twisting the wrong way. It can be debilitating and western medicine does not always have the answers. There are many holistic options to treat back pain that are surely worth a shot as an alternative to narcotics, living with pain, or considering surgery. Here are some of my favorites.

Frankincense essential oil – I love this essential oil for so many things. Rubbing it on the bottom of your feet can provide miraculous relief from chronic back pain.
Ice – When I first started having back pain I always went to heat. Ice seemed intolerable. Once I tried ice, I knew I would never go back to heat. The problem with heat is that it increases blood flow into and out of the area. This can cause the inflammation in the area to become worse. Ice decreases swelling. It has made such a difference for me. At the first indication of any back pain I am reaching for the ice pack. Just remember not longer than 20 minutes.
Yoga – The stretching and various poses Yoga has to offer can be great for back pain. There are Yoga kriyas or sets that are specifically formulated for back health. They help get the spinal cord moving, can help compress excess fluid out of the disks, and stretch bunched up muscles. Plus the meditative aspects of Yoga can help to provide over all calming, which can relax those tight muscle in the back.
Massage – Knots and tight muscles can cause a lot of discomfort in the back and the skills of a massage therapist can really work them out and help provide relief from the pain.
Acupuncture– If you have never tried this, I highly suggest it! I find it so relaxing. I know that sounds crazy but it provides a sense of calm I do not get from other modalities. The needles help increase circulation and chi to the areas of pain. I am not an acupuncturist but I am sure someone with the qualification could explain this better than I can. I know it works for my back pain.
Chiropractic – There are many different times of chiropractors out there. If you chose to seek this treatment, do your homework and ask questions. One type of Chiropractor may not be right for you while another may be very beneficial. Some Chiropractors use a tool called an “activator” while others uses their bodies to adjust yours and still others have tables that help to make the adjustments. There are also Chiropractors who work more energetically and with your breath.
Mantras – Louis L Hay felt that our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves cause the illness in our body. In her book, Heal Your Body A-Z, she has mantras for upper, middle, or lower back pain. This is another thing I have done to find my bodies own ability to heal itself. It is something you can try that won’t break the bank and puts the trust in your own body to heal itself. “I trust in the process of life. All I need is taken care of. I am safe.” is her mantra for lower back pain. For other types of back pain, check out her book.
Strengthen your core – There are lots of ways to do this. Crunches is one that we hear about a lot but there are many resources or personnel trainers out there who could help you with this. A stronger core means there are more muscle to help your back hold you up.
Turmeric– It helps reduce inflammation. When I was doing my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training it was strenuous, with back to back days of full day yoga instruction. One blessed yogi would bring us golden milk to help our sore bodies. Golden milk is almond milk, Turmeric, and Honey. The anti-inflammatory properties of the turmeric helped us get through the growing we were doing physically, while our mind and spirits continued to be enhanced but the yoga.

I hope you are able to give some of these a try. I hope that they are beneficial to you. If you have other tips for people suffering from back pain please share.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I wish you a day filled with flexibility and ease.

Tag: heal your life

Daily Meditation – week 1 check in

9 Way to Improve Back Pain