Category Relaxation

Peaceful Buddha Fountain In My Dining Room

drstaceynaito 3 Comments

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I have had this water fountain in my dining room since approximately 2008 and love the glow which the light casts on Buddha’s face. I remember seeing this fountain at a local garden center and just had to get it. Since I already had fountains outside, I decided to put it in the dining room, making sure to place it in a spot which was clearly visible from the living room as well. This isn’t a small tabletop fountain (it measures 27 inches high, 15-1/2 inches wide, and 7 inches in depth), so it definitely carries some visual impact.

Eventually, this fountain developed a number of issues, such as a burnt out adapter for the light, a spewing corner of the fountain which caused it to leak onto the floor, a strong tendency to build up sediment in the reservoir, and a very loud pump. My cats also were drawn to the fountain and would (and still do!) drink from it, much to my horror, since there was so much sediment floating around in the water.

I finally completely cleaned out this fountain TWICE this year, bought a new light, and connected a quiet pump to the fountain. I also elected to fill the fountain only with distilled water. As a result of my efforts, this fountain is now the relaxing, quiet, and mesmerizing showpiece it was meant to be.

Who Turned Up The Heat?

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woman-fan-298x232

If you have ever awakened in the middle of the night with the feeling that you are burning up, and find yourself drenched in sweat, you have experienced night sweats. Though night sweats can be aggravated by spicy foods or alcohol, or sleeping in an overheated room, the true culprit in night sweats for the majority of peri-menopausal and menopausal women is fluctuating estrogen levels. Such fluctuations falsely signal the hypothalamus to cool down the body by triggering perspiration and blood vessel dilation. For those of you who have experienced this phenomenon, you know how much it interferes with normal sleep patterns!

What can you do to minimize night sweats? Regular exercise can reduce the severity of symptoms. I have also seen a marked improvement in night sweat symptoms in my patients after they have introduced maca root into their daily regimens. On a personal note, maca has been helpful in reducing the intensity of my night sweats so that I don’t wake up completely drenched in sweat in the middle of the night. If you have severe symptoms, you might want to consider being evaluated for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. I strongly advocate the use of bio-identical hormones for individuals who suffer from the symptoms of hormonal decline or imbalance.

The battle to eradicate my night sweats has not ended. I had a nice little break from them for about five months, then they crept back into my nightly patterns. To combat this, I decided that my comforter needed to be put in storage until the winter, and I purchased a cotton coverlet set. I also purchased a special mattress protector which is comprised of a cooling material, and though it was a bit pricey (about $100 for a Cal King), it was a godsend for me. Here are a couple of brands which are great:

http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Better-Iso-Cool-11-ounce-Mattress/dp/B000ZK4QBY?tag=hotflashwebsite-20

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Weave-Outlast-Temperature-Mattress/dp/B003J371E8?tag=hotflashwebsite-20

Another thing I highly recommend is to put a fan in your bedroom. I have a ceiling fan in my bedroom, and I almost always sleep with it on so that I can keep cool air circulating over the bed. Make sure the thermostat in your home is set to a cooler temperature so that you don’t overheat during the night, or open a window to allow a cool night breeze drift into your bedroom.

Hopefully these suggestions will have you sleeping more comfortably this summer!

Do You Have Lower Back Pain? Check Out The VacuPractor

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If you have lower back pain, you should check out the VacuPractor! The VacuPractor is a doctor-recommended and FDA registered device which relieves pain, decompresses vertebrae in the spine, and stretches the muscles naturally. It does so by utilizing an outward pull on the lower back, stretching the muscles in the area, and relieving pressure on disks and nerves. This device is easy and safe to use.

Use of the VacuPractor improves many lower back conditions, including the following:

low back pain
herniated discs
degenerated discs
compressed discs
back injuries
hip injuries
sciatica
spinal stenosis

I enthusiastically endorse the VacuPractor and encourage my patients, clients, friends, and followers to use it. I have been able to arrange a special price for all of you which is almost 50% off the price which is listed on the VacuPractor site! Instead of paying $89.95, you will only pay $50 if you enter my discount code at checkout. This is absolutely the lowest price you will find anywhere for the VacuPractor. There is also a 90 day money back guarantee, no questions asked.

Please make sure to enter the discount code “stacey” at checkout!

VacuPractor.com

Melatonin

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Originally published on RxGirl on Thursday, 19 June 2014

http://www.rxmuscle.com/rx-girl-articles/11102-melatonin.html
Sleep-girl
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain which regulates the wake-sleep cycle. Production is turned on later in the evening when lights are turned off for bedtime. However, there are a number of poor habits which people commonly engage in which interfere with the body’s production of melatonin, with harmful results such as impaired immune response, increased rate of cellular aging, and increasing the risk of cancer formation.

Basically, those late nights you spend watching TV or reading are interfering with optimal health. As soon as a light is turned on at night, you send a signal to your brain that it is daytime. Production of melatonin ceases and does not resume when you turn the light off either.

Shorter wavelengths (red, orange, yellow) of light are less detrimental than white or blue light and should be used in the evening. I love the salt lamp I have in my bedroom and try to use that light as my sole illumination in the bedroom as much as possible at night.

Why is it so important to preserve the body’s natural production of melatonin? Because melatonin is a potent antioxidant and excellent for reducing inflammation throughout the body, including the brain.

Implement the following guidelines to optimize the body’s production of melatonin:

1. Try to get daily bright sun exposure. Production of melatonin approximates the contrast between bright sun exposure during the day and complete darkness in the evening.

SuprachiasmaticNucleus

2. Turn off your computer and TV at least one hour before going to bed. Both computers and televisions emit blue light which interferes with the body’s normal production of melatonin.

3. Sleep without any lights on. The darker your room is while you sleep, the better chance you have of allowing your body to produce melatonin without interruption.

4. Drop the thermostat to 60 to 70 degrees.

If you think your melatonin levels are low or you have lab work demonstrating low melatonin, and you also suffer from insomnia, you might want to supplement with melatonin tablets. Beware of the dosage, and keep it at 0.5 to 3 milligrams maximum dosage each night. At higher doses, melatonin can have hypnotic effects on some individuals, and on others, a paradoxical hyperaware state may manifest.

On a personal note, I had lab work early this year which demonstrated low melatonin, but I wasn’t suffering from insomnia. A colleague insisted I supplement with 3 milligrams of melatonin per night, which resulted in anxiety and a completely sleepless night for all of the nights I took melatonin.

Another caution: If you are trying to get pregnant, you must avoid taking melatonin supplements because they interfere with fertility.

Sleep Deficit And Muscle Loss

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Originally published on mensphysique.com on Wednesday, 05 March 2014

http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-news-the-newest-in-mp/10329-sleep-deficit-and-muscle-loss.html
sleep equals muscle
Those of you who insist on burning the midnight oil and carving into time during which you should be sleeping are doing yourselves a disservice. When you build up a sleep deficit, not only do you adversely affect your attention and overall energy, you also diminish the potential muscle gains you would obtain if you consistently got a good night’s rest.

A good portion of the slump in muscle repair and growth which occurs from inadequate sleep is due to inadequate secretion of growth hormone (GH). GH is only secreted during deep sleep, so people who don’t sleep for more than a few hours will spend less time in deep sleep and cause GH secretion to drop. In addition, there is some evidence that testosterone secretion also drops, creating a double whammy which cripples the body’s ability to utilize fat and build muscle.

Cravings can also become a significant issue with sleep deficits as a result of hormonal effects. Leptin, a hormone which signals that you are full from a meal, is inhibited during sleep deprivation, resulting in increased food cravings (especially for carbohydrates). Conversely, ghrelin, a hormone which signals hunger, increases by as much as 30 percent after only a two night sleep deficit.

The body also produces more cortisol during the late afternoon, which is exactly when the body’s production should be tapering down to prepare the body for sleep. Higher cortisol levels promote deposition of more fat and utilization of muscle for energy during a sleep-deprived state.

When you cheat yourself out of a full night’s sleep, you also deplete neurotransmitters in the brain which are in charge of regulating mood. The result is irritability and, over the long term, depression, both of which can impact the intensity of your workouts and hinder your efforts to pack on muscle.

Sleep deficits also result in a decrease in alertness and concentration which often translates into submaximal workouts. And Sleep deficit affects strength. A study in Ergonomics examined the effects of sleep deprivation on weightlifting, with compelling results. As expected, there was a significant decrease in maximal lift for bench press, leg press, and dead lift after a three-day sleep deficit was established.

If you are in the habit of cutting into your sleep time, or you practice erratic sleeping patterns which are creating a sleep deficit, try to get into a rhythm in which you get enough sleep every night, especially if you are hitting a plateau with your training. Once you start getting adequate sleep, you will notice a big difference in your strength and muscle gains.

Time Zones, Reasonable Hours And The People Who Ignore Them

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World TimeZones (analog)

I appreciate being able to meet people from other parts of the United States and the globe because they broaden my perspective and remind me that the world is much larger than what I am aware of as I navigate through a typical day in Southern California. As a result of my travels, I communicate relatively regularly with people who live in time zones that are 3 to 19 hours ahead of me. Whenever I attempt to communicate with them, I try to remain acutely aware of what time it is for them in their corner of the world. That is why I become very irritated when I get text messages and messages on Facebook Messenger in the middle of the night from people who are on the other side of the globe and think it’s a good time to initiate a chat with me. Some people are so clueless that when I respond to a message stating that I am trying to sleep, they KEEP MESSAGING me, causing my phone to clang repeatedly like a bell. I realize that I can (and DO) turn off my ringer, turn off my phone or ignore the messages, but there are two reasons why I respond to such communication attempts:

1. If I don’t respond immediately, I must deal with and endless stream of lengthy messages the next morning, scolding me for not responding.
2. I feel strongly compelled to inform the person that it’s late and that I must put an abrupt end to the conversation stream.

To be honest, I know that I test people when I tell them that it is late and that I am going back to sleep. The way to pass my test is to register a quick apology and allow me to rest, but some individuals seem to lack the sense to drop the conversation. One person who was an acquaintance I knew through Facebook contacted me last night past midnight and kept sending messages and images which woke me up repeatedly, so I told him to please stop. Instead of stopping, he explained to me that it was 12 noon where he was. Okay, that’s fine, but why did he keep messaging me, trying to engage me in a conversation I wanted no part of? I told him to please stop sending messages so that I could go back to sleep. His reaction was to KEEP MESSAGING ME. I have been in situations where I had miscalculated the time zone where a friend was, but as soon as I realized my mistake, I sent a quick apology and then stopped communicating with them. Unfortunately, this guy didn’t have the sense to realize how much of a pest he was, so my reward for his persistence was to block him.
doctorisout
I deal with people who think that because I am in the public eye and a physician, I must be on call 24/7. Not so, ESPECIALLY if someone pressures me to take care of their needs immediately when I have no professional responsibility toward them. The sense of entitlement some people have just blows me away! So-called “quick questions” become long, drawn-out consultation requests, and when I don’t have answers, some individuals cop an attitude after I have taken time out of my busy day to be cordial and helpful. It’s enough for me to consider telling everyone that they must submit questions to me during normal business hours, otherwise leave me alone. I must draw a line in the sand because I tend to sacrifice a great deal of my time and resources to help others, and run myself into the ground as a result.

Different Types Of Buddhas

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Check out this link: http://feng-shui.lovetoknow.com/Buddha_Statues_for_the_Home_and_Garden

buddha-toothrelic(1)I have copied and pasted the information on the different types of Buddhas which is presented in the article from the link above. There are suggestions on where to put each type of Buddha in your home, based on Feng Shui principles.

Meditating Buddha
This statue style most commonly found in Buddhist altars in the home. These statues typically render Buddha in a sitting position with both hands in a meditative position called “Cosmic Mudra. The hands overlap each other. The left hand is placed on top of the right one so the thumb tips touch to form an oval, symbolizing the turning of one’s attention inward.

The statue should face the east direction since the Buddha meditated on the sun rising in his search for enlightenment.

Rubbing his belly will bring greater good luck and fortune.

Laughing Buddha
In western culture, the laughing Buddha is probably the most widely recognizable and used. It’s also known as the good luck, prosperity or abundance Buddha. It depicts Buddha in his later years as happy and with a large belly from an abundant lifetime. He’ll either be in a sitting position or standing with his hands over his head supporting a real or imaginary Ru-Yi pot (vessel or bowl of plenty).

This statue is affectionately dubbed Happy. It’s tradition to rub his belly to ensure even greater luck is bestowed upon you. Place this statue in your personal wealth corner or southeast sector of your home. It’s great for an office on the north wall facing those who enter.
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Other variations include:

Laughing Buddha with children at his feet: Place in west sector (descendants) of garden facing your home. Also use in same sector inside your home.
Traveling Buddha: A variation of the laughing Buddha as a monk features a cotton-sack over one shoulder or tied to a stick. He holds a wealth ball in his other hand. It is an excellent choice if you travel for work. Place in your office in north sector.
Spiritual Journey Buddha: This is another version of the Traveling Buddha. He carries a gourd (wu-lou) of enlightenment suspended from a stick while holding a fan in his other hand and wears a prayer bead necklace. Place in northeast sector (education) or southwest (love and relationships).
Blessing Buddha
The Blessing pose depicts Buddha bestowing fearlessness (upper hand gesture) and compassion (lower hand). Good areas inside the home for this statue include the office and den. You can apply this as a cure for any area inside or outside your home that suffers from weak or afflicted chi due to flying star placement.

Teaching Buddha
Known as Dharma Chakra Buddha, the Teaching Buddha statue is in a sitting or standing position. The most popular is the sitting pose, since this is the position the Buddha assumed when teaching. This is an important period in the Buddha’s life. It symbolizes his sharing of the knowledge he’d gained after his enlightenment in the deer park, Sarnath, located in Uttar Pradesh, India with his disciples.

Since the Buddha’s teachings came from his heart, the both hands are in front of his chest. The index fingers and thumbs touch to form a circle, representing his teaching of the Wheel of Dharma (union of wisdom and method). The other three fingers of both hands always remain extended.

This is an excellent choice for the northeast (education) sector of both inside your home or office and your garden.

Some statues depict the thumb touching the ring finger instead of the forefinger. This changes the meaning to one of good fortune. This style can be placed in the north sector (career) or southeast sector (wealth).

Long Life Buddha
This Buddha sits with the bag of blessings by his side or may hold the bag in his lap. In one hand, he cradles a wealth ball raised in front of him and a Ru-Yi pot in his other hand. Place in your home or garden in the east (health), west (children, descendants) or southeast (wealth) sector. You can also place it in your office in these directions.

Happy Home Buddha
The seated Happy Home Buddha holds a parasol over his shoulder. Place inside and outside your home in the southwest sector (relationships).

Earth Buddha
Also known as the Calling Earth to Witness, the Earth Buddha sits on the ground with his right hand extended so his fingers point to the earth beneath him. This statue honors the time when Buddha was repeatedly tempted by the demon, Mara, but resisted and finally reached enlightenment.

You can place this statue in any sector inside or outside your home that you’re being tempted to reject. If you’re having difficulty in a relationship, place it in the southwest sector to bolster your resolve and commitment. If you’re becoming complacent at work, put this in the north sector (career) to strengthen your dedication to your job.

Reclining Buddha
Buddha awaits his transition from this life to death, viewed as a mere transition into a different state of being. if you’re in a transition period, this is a good choice for inside your home or in a garden.

Place in the sector that represents the area of your transition. For example, place in north sector of home or office if changing jobs. If a relationship has ended, place in southwest sector. If you’re a new empty nester, place statue in west sector to ease this life-changing transition.

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Wi Spa Rocks!

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Wi Spa
http://www.wispausa.com/

What a GREAT place to go in Los Angeles for affordable massage, nail, face and body treatments, and sauna and steam room services! This place is on Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, and features Korean style spa amenities, including a Korean style restaurant on the top floor. It is open 24 hours a day. There are a number of community tubs and saunas in the women’s and men’s spas, and the coed area features several dry saunas. My dear friend Blanche Le Beau and I visited the facility right before Halloween, and we both had a Buff Treatment done:

BUFF (BODY SCRUB) 35min
$30.00
The buff is a traditional Korean technique which employs full body exfoliating techniques to lift impurities and dead skin, while naturally boosting your blood circulation, leaving you with healthier, brighter skin

Basically, I felt like a fish being scaled during this treatment. An elderly Korean woman clad in a black bra and black granny underwear called my number, then escorted me to a table which was covered in bubble gum pink plastic. She threw a bucket of water on the table so that it was wet, then instructed me to lie face down on the table, whereupon she commenced scrubbing my skin vigorously. I was instructed at intervals to turn over and to lie on my side while she continued this vigorous scrubbing technique. At the end of the treatment, my skin was incredibly soft and glowing. I would HIGHLY recommend this treatment for sloughing off dead skin cells.

Replace That Mattress

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mattress
The Better Sleep Council states that mattresses should be replaced every 5 to 7 years, and that the springs in most mattresses will lose their function in that span of time. What is interesting, though, is that other tests on mattresses which are conducted by independent companies have found that many mattresses hold up 8, 9 even 10 years after purchase. So what is the rule of thumb with mattress replacement?

The main factor in determining when to replace a mattress is sleep quality. Since we spend (or should spend) one-third of our lives sleeping, it is imperative to have a mattress which imparts comfortable sleep. So if you have a mattress which is 5 or more years old, you might want to assess whether the quality of your sleep has diminished recently, if you awaken with back pain, or if you are tossing and turning to get comfortable in bed.

My personal story is that I have been sleeping on the same mattress for almost 9 years now, and though it has a 3 inch pillowtop and used to feel like a cloud, I am noticing that I cannot find a comfortable spot on my mattress. As a result, I have decided to ring in the new year with a new mattress, provided I can scrape up the money to buy one. The other tricky thing will be to find one which I love, and which I can afford. Some mattresses go for several thousand dollars, which is far beyond what I can even hope to afford.

Keep in mind that many mattress stores have no interest financing so that you can make your purchase without paying anything for months on end. It may be time to schedule a visit with your spouse or significant other to a mattress store to find a mattress which will improve the quality of your slumber.

List Of Countries On My Dream List

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Here is a list of countries I have not yet visited which I would love to visit at some point. I am excited to see what countries I actually will end up visiting!

Hammock
Argentina

Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Brazil

Costa Rica
Czech Republic (Czechia)

Egypt

Fiji
Finland

Jamaica
Japan

Kenya

Maldives

Nepal
New Zealand
Norway

Peru
Portugal

Spain
Sweden

Thailand

Virgin Islands (United States)