relax Archives - Custom Calm

Relax- What is That?

Posted by Ellen Sichel on March 8, 2012

My husband and I went on a weekend retreat at a Bed and Breakfast in the country. It was a cozy, beautiful facility with great food, a massage and other activities that I could choose to do if I liked.

A single woman showed up late the first evening, looking quite harried and stressed. She had gotten a late start and drove through the rain. As the weekend progressed, she began to unwind and get so relaxed that she did not know how to deal with her state of mind. She had never taken a full weekend to be pampered while letting go of her responsibilities of being a single mom and full time employee. It was as if her mind shut down. Physically she felt relief from a chronic medical condition.

It was a pleasure to watch her smile, taking her time and really enjoy the easy, quite pace. If we don’t take breaks in our week for relaxation, then our well-being is compromised.

In our busy world of autopilot, we need to learn and experience what it really feels like to relax.

What does relaxation feel like to you? Let me know in the comments below.

Tags: chronic medical condition, relax, state of mind, stressed

Posted in: A Calm Perspective

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Revitalize in 5 Easy Steps

Posted by Ellen Sichel on September 12, 2011

After a long day, a few minutes with your legs up the wall will quickly help you to restore and recover.

Benefits: Varicose veins, circulation, new blood flow to upper body and much more

Do not do: Detached Retina, Glaucoma, Hiatal Hernia

Try this:

Lie on your back about 6 inches away from the wall with your back flat on the floor
Allow your head to be level (if it is not, place a pillow or towel under your head)
Bring your legs side by side with your heels close to each other
Allow your knees to straighten with your thighs relaxed (if they are not, move further from wall)
Take easy deep breaths with your belly relaxed for a few minutes

This is a simple way to bring inner calm and center. This will revitalize you while bringing a sense of mental stillness and ease.

Let me know in the comments below how you felt after this practice. If it did not help, what do you think happened?

Tags: calm, center, ciruclation, relax, renew, restore, revitalize, varicose veins

Posted in: Technique of the Week

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Cathy is a Cancer Survivor with Back Pain

Posted by Ellen Sichel on April 20, 2011

Cathy’s Challenges

I am a three time breast cancer survivor. It had been three years since my last cancer diagnoses and I finally felt well enough to do some traveling. Unfortunately, the consequence was chronic back pain.

What Cathy Tried

I had done yoga in the past and never really enjoyed it, finding it difficult and boring.

What Worked for Cathy

When I do Custom Calm yoga poses I use props, so the poses were fairly easy to do. The teacher pays close attention to everyone, giving individual attention to anyone who needs help. The teacher is exceptional and I find the time flies by.

It is a very different experience from all of the yoga that I had tried before. I felt very relaxed after the first class and after just three or four classes, my back pain dissipated. I also experienced more energy and an improved state of well-being. I started incorporating the poses in a daily home practice.

I attended some of the meditation classes and began a breathing practice too. I found that whenever I felt stressed, doing the breathing routines, in conjunction with the yoga poses, really helped relax me. The most important lesson I have learned is how imperative it is to stay in the moment, not focusing on the past or looking into the future.

What you can learn from Cathy’s Experience

Not all yoga is the same. With proper support and attention, pain can be alleviated. It is easy to learn practices to incorporate into your daily living. The benefits that the practices had on Cathy went way beyond her back pain. Every part of her daily life improved.

*Last name has been left off for anonymity.

Tags: back pain, breath, calming technique, cancer, chronic low back pain, improved well-being, relax, supported yoga, yoga

Posted in: This Stuff Works

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Showered in Simple Pleasure

Posted by Ellen Sichel on March 4, 2011

The morning or evening shower. Some days we rush thorough it and on other days we enjoy it. We shower to get clean, but there is more to it than that.

Have you ever taken a shower and forgot how many times you have shampooed? Maybe you have showered and you were thinking about an upcoming meeting, or reviewing the list of things you had to do for the family.

Whatever it was you were thinking about, it has kept you from enjoying the feeling of the water on your body, or the warmth when you rinse the lather of shampoo out of your hair, or even belting out a tune.

You were showering alone, but there was entire committee there with you!

Allow yourself to enjoy the simple pleasures in your routine and you will be amazed with how you feel. Your shower will refresh you in a whole new way.

What do you think about when you shower?

Tags: enjoyment, live in the moment, presence, quiet mind, refresh yourself, relax, simple pleasure, unwind

Posted in: A Calm Perspective

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