Six Mini Vacations to Recharge The Spirit

Doctors have seen stress-induced ailments rise substantially as a result of financial pressures stemming from the Great Recession and they don’t expect the trend to change anytime soon.

“Over the next 12 months to 10 years we will notice more people suffering from insomnia, depression, rage, addiction and abuse,” says Dr. Andrea Pennington, author and president of the Int’l Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, and sometime guest of the Oprah Winfrey show.

The prescription? Well, you could visit a Spa everyday for a massage or better yet, hire a private masseuse to come to you. But we’re in a recession, remember? Instead, here are some no-frills, easy ways to get a mini-vacation for the soul so you can instill calm during these turbulent times.

Hydrotherapy
Nothing lifts your spirits like a stroll along the seashore and with good reason. Ocean waves create large numbers of negatively charged ions thought to be associated with good health. Research by the U.S. Air Force in the 40’s and 50’s showed that pilots passed out at high altitudes where the air was found to have high concentrations of positively charged ions. When negative ion generators were placed in the planes pilots stayed awake. Consider that at Yosemite Falls there are 100,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter as opposed to 100 negative ions per cubic centimeter on the L.A. Freeway at rush hour. Don’t live near the ocean? Niagara Falls too far away? Rain, Jacuzzi, boat-rides, even a walk near a stream or a bubbling brook will have you reaping the positive benefits of negative ions.

No Place Like 'OHM'
Various double blind studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health (including one that followed subjects for up to 18 years) show that regular practitioners of Transcendental Meditation have a 49% reduction in the rate of death from cancer, and a 30% reduction in the rate of death from cardiovascular disease. Although most women are aware of the physiological benefits of meditation (there are several forms- TM being just one) many complain they don’t know how to begin. Simply sit comfortably, eyes closed, and count the slow, deep breaths on the exhalation up to 10 and repeat. When the mind wanders gently bring it back to focusing on the breath and start over from 1. Try five minutes a day and work up to longer periods. Need further motivation? A study using electroencephalograms showed that the brains of Buddhist monks had greater activity in areas associated with positive emotions and the highest levels of gamma wave activity (involved in memory and learning) ever recorded.

Amazing Labyrinths
If many women find meditation difficult it may be because recent studies show what we’ve all suspected: men and women’s brains are different. The corpus collosum, the bridge of nerve tissue connecting the two hemispheres, is thicker in female fetuses. Brain imaging of adults indicates that while only the left hemisphere of male brains shows activity during language-oriented tasks, such as reading, both sides of women’s brains are working. This is one reason women are such good multi-taskers, but it also makes emptying the mind harder. Over the last few years, holistic practitioners are seeing an increase in finger labyrinths. They work much the same way as walking meditation labyrinths except you let your finger do the walking. You trace the meandering but purposeful path of a circular design either written on paper or etched into wood to and from the labyrinths center. It’s thought to be a spiritual journey to one’s core and back again into the world. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has lots of turns but no dead-ends; a nice metaphor for life. For more info go to www.labyrinthsociety.org

When in Aroma
Some turn to comfort foods in times of stress. A smarter choice is a hot bath; the perfect mini-vacay anytime and even more soothing when a fragrance is added (magnolia essence is my favorite). Our olfactory sense, that most underrated of the five, has the ability to affect our mood, memory, appetite and libido. Now researchers are finding that certain fragrances can both calm us down and perk us up. Lavender, long known for its relaxing effect, also helps people complete tasks faster and more accurately while remaining calm. If the warm bath is sedating enough try a touch of peppermint. Brain wave readings of a recent study show peppermint reduces fatigue. Be careful though, certain smells also have the power to elicit memories. So make sure the scent has positive associations and you’ll emerge from the tub feeling scentsational!

Aural Gratification
Ever since it was discovered that listening to Mozart improved test scores, researchers continue to see music as an important tool in keeping the body and mind healthy. Growing evidence suggests that music lowers blood pressure, boosts immunity, and eases muscle tension. There’s even a field of health care known as Music Therapy which uses music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and in pain management. Research shows that music with a strong beat can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat, with faster beats bringing a sharper concentration and more alert thinking, and a slower tempo promoting a calm state. Moreover, they’re finding that the change in brainwave activity levels that music can bring enable the brain to shift speeds more easily on its own as needed, meaning benefits which last long after the radio’s been turned off.

To reinvigorate the soul, line up your favorite tunes (slow or fast) and dance around the living room for twenty minutes. You’ll instantly understand why singer Tori Amos once called music ‘ether’.

Digital De-Stressor
Whipping up a dash of adrenaline (the fight or flight hormone) and mixing in a good dose of endorphins (those natural opiates released into the bloodstream during sex) along with some serotonin (low levels of this neurotransmitter are associated with depression) is the perfect recipe for relaxation according to one doctor with medical offices throughout Southern California. To achieve this balance of bio-chemicals, exercise for 10 minutes then lie down and squeeze your fingers and toes as hard as you can for five second, then relax for five seconds.

Repeat the digital exercise-relax pattern for two minutes. After the moderate exercise the adrenaline burns off but the endorphins and serotonin continue to be released into the system. The finger/toes technique is a quick, easy way to unwind during the day. As a sleep aid, exclude the ten minutes of moderate exercise and simply flex and relax the fingers and toes at five-second intervals for 2 minutes.

Practice at least three of these techniques each week for the next two months. You may still want to take that trip to the Bahamas next year…But chances are you’ll enjoy it more.