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Spiral Eye NewsletterOctober 2006
As we move from summer into autumn, we may take this opportunity to tune in to natural rhythms. Consider slowing down, resting more as the nights get longer and the temperatures begin to cool. Listen to the rain and cozy up with a good book or a loved one, a cat and a cup of tea. Sometimes, if seasonal transition anxiety overcomes you, try deliberately slowing your pace - consciously move more slowly and with awareness. Do the dishes as a meditation, not just a task to rush through. Maybe make more space in your schedule. Let go of some things, tasks, activities, social obligations. Consider that it may be less of a letting go than actually taking the time to fully embrace what we have, improving the quality of life by cherishing each moment.
Namaste, Honor the Light Within, Sue Redding
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* Relax, refresh, rejuvenate... Take time in your day for yourself, relax and feel the tensions melt away as you also receive the health benefits of massage. Relief from emotional stress, sore muscles and painful joints, tension headaches... Weekday Special Offer: Save on any session of massage Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays, 1-5PM. Only $50 for 1 hour, $75 for 1.5 hours. (Normal rates apply 5-7pm and on Saturdays. Offer good thru 12/21/06.)
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"Let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you" -- Kahlil Gibran
"The desire to make things happen is the enemy of equanimity and clear-headedness." -- C. J. Lowe and G. David Nordley
"You must have a room or a certain hour of the day or so where you do not know what was in the morning paper, where you do not know who your friends are, you don't know what you owe anybody, or what they owe you-but a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. At first you may find nothing is happening. but if you have a sacred place and use it, take advantage of it, something will happen." -- Joseph Campbell
"Namaste: This simple word uttered with a gesture of folded hands is among the finest salutations mankind has been able to vocalize. It simply means: I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. That place of love and light and of truth and of peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are one." -- Rajendra Krishna
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* Experience the joy of Reiki energy healing... Gentle and profound, peaceful and calm... Reiki (ray-key) is a spiritually-based form of energy work that benefits spirit, body, and mind, and may be used in conjunction with other healing modalities. Reiki may be performed with the client fully clothed as the practitioner channels universal life energy through the hands to balance, harmonize, and heal the client. - Call for an appointment with Reiki Master Sue Redding or for more information - 503-235-4839. Try Reiki soon - only $40 for a 1-hour treatment. More information is available at www.sueredding.com or www.reiki.org.
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Caffeine: Use With Caution
As a follow-up to last month's tips on getting better sleep, here is some important information about the most commonly-used stimulant in America.
Your body might like caffeine in the short term, especially if you are low on sleep and need to remain active. Caffeine makes you feel alert. It injects adrenaline into the system to give you a boost. And it manipulates dopamine production to make you feel good.
The problem with caffeine is the longer-term effects, which tend to spiral. For example, once the adrenaline wears off, you face fatigue and depression. You take more caffeine to get the adrenaline going again. As you might imagine, having your body in a state of emergency all day long isn't very healthy, and it also makes you jumpy and irritable.
The most important long-term problem with caffeine is the effect that it has on sleep. If you consume a cup of coffee at 3 PM, by 9 PM about half of that caffeine is still in your system. You may be able to fall asleep, but your body probably will miss out on the benefits of deep sleep. That deficit adds up fast.
Caffeine can be dehydrating, as it acts as a mild diuretic. It causes the brain's blood vessels to constrict, increases neuron firing, and Stimulates adrenaline production, which has a number of effects on your body: • Your pupils dilate. • Your breathing tubes open up • Your heart beats faster. • Blood vessels on the surface constrict to slow blood flow from cuts and also to increase blood flow to muscles. • Blood pressure rises. • Blood flow to the stomach slows. • The liver releases sugar into the bloodstream for extra energy. • Muscles tighten up, ready for action.
Caffeine is an addictive drug. Among its many actions, it operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin use to increase dopamine levels that stimulate the pleasure center of theBrain, although caffeine's effects are more mild.
common sources of caffeine for Americans: • typical drip-brewed coffee contains 100 mg per 6-ounce cup. A big mug or coffee store serving may contain as much as 12-20-ounces. • typical brewed tea contains 70 mg per 6-ounce cup. • typical colas contain 50 mg per 12-ounce can. • typical milk chocolate contains 6 mg per ounce.
Do yourself and your massage therapist a favor - don't chug a mug of coffee right before your massage.
For
more information, see the article "How Caffeine Works" By Marshall Brain,
posted on www.howstuffworks.com. | ||||||
