September 22nd, 2007 by Phil

Just last week I witnessed an odd sight at one of my schools I work at. A class of 3^rd graders were circling the school building in wheelchairs. I was keen to know what was going on, but as my Japanese is very poor, the best conclusion I came up with was that they were planning to visit a home for disabled people. I guess the teachers wanted the students to experience what it was like to be in a wheelchair.

Minding my own business and without knowing how it happened, I was drafted in to supervise the students. It looked interesting and fun, so I headed down to join them. As I was walking down towards the gymnasium, I noticed a blockage at the hallway back-entrance.

They seemed to be having a problems getting past over the steps at the entrance. Looking around and seeing that there weren’t any teachers to help, I began helping the students lift their wheelchairs over the steps. After the 15^th wheelchair had passed I realized I was in for a long slog. I noticed that the first group of students that came through were circling back round and I could just about make them out in the distance ‘Oh dear, I thought’.

Having suffered from back problems in the past, I was already feeling an uncomfortable twinge in my lower spine. As you can imagine when the whole ordeal was over (total of 90+ wheelchairs passing through) my back wasn’t feeling healthy in the slightest.

A few hours later I could barely sit down without giving a yelp of pain. I got home and slowly collapsed on the bed ‘Why do I do these things?’ I thought. Anyway my wife came home wondering why dinner wasn’t on the table and why I was in bed. I told her what had happened, so she went down to the local drug store to pick up some painkillers.

The next day I was still in agony, luckily it was the weekend so I didn’t have to go to work. Not speaking much Japanese, I asked my wife to call the local Chinese medical practice to book an appointment to see an acupuncturist. So she did and they said I could go down in the afternoon.

I had to get my wife to drive me down, even though it was just a couple of blocks away. Inside, I was greeted by the doctor who took us into a pungent smelling room full of grounded medicinal herbs. We sat down and the wife explained the situation. I took off my shirt and was asked to lie down on a narrow bed on my front side.

The doctor then began placing the needles into my lower back. Having a slight phobia of needles I winced a little as he careful pushed the needles into my back. He continued this for a while. I began to relax knowing that in about 30 minutes he would be twisting each needle to stimulate the points further. That in my experience is the most painful part, although it isn’t all that painful after the first experience.

An hour later the doctor pulled out all the needles and I sat up feeling wonderfully relaxed. My back still twinged, but I knew that something was working. My wife made another appointment for the next day, which I managed to get to on my own.

It’s now Thursday and my back feels as right as rain. Having undergone acupuncture treatment before I know how effective it is, but it still surprises me each time. When I first tried it I was a complete skeptic, in fact I was expecting zero results. I was a skeptic because I didn’t understand it, but once I did, it made sense.

There’s no real mystery behind acupuncture although there are still many skeptics out there doubting its role in modern medicine. In fact acupuncture is a practice which has been around for thousands of years.

Acupuncture works by stimulating the meridian system in the body by using well placed needles on the meridian points of the body. The placement of the needles depends on the problem area. These meridian points are connected by energy channels. By stimulating the body’s acupressure points we can affect the energy flowing through those meridians and even redirect the flow to heal other areas.

If you would like to know more about acupuncture, take a look at this amazing site: www.tcmdirectory.com

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September 19th, 2007 by Phil

Natural sleep remedies are increasingly popular among insomnia sufferers as they are generally non-addictive and safer compared to prescribed sleeping pills. In this article I will mention a few natural sleep remedies that are widely available on the market and explain some of their benefits and usage.

Please note that although natural sleep remedies are perceived as being safer than sleeping pills, they should still be taken with caution and should not be taken unnecessarily. It is recommended that you consult your doctor before considering taking any natural sleep remedies.

Natural sleep remedies may contain natural ingredients that may interfere with prescription medication or may not be suitable for you. Seeking medical advice is a must before considering taking any sleep aids or remedies.

Prescribed Sleeping pills on the other hand are generally bad news. Sleeping pills will break down your body’s natural sleep cycle and make sleep very difficult in the long term. It may also affect the amount of deep sleep you attain during the night as the chemicals in most major sleeping pills interfere with normal brain wave patterns.

You may find that you wake up feeling groggy, drowsy or tired. Other Side effects include urinary retention, blurred vision, dizziness and palpitations. Sleeping pills may help you get to sleep but with continual use your body will build tolerance, and you may find that you need to ‘up’ your dose to attain the same affect.

Here are some natural sleep remedies to consider: Standardized Valerian extract is a safe and non addictive sedative which works by calming the mind and body. It has been used for centuries and again is widely used. Valerian is available at most pharmacies and is a natural remedy to aid sleep. Taken before bedtime it can ease nerves and calm the mind to help you drift off to sleep. Lemon balm and Hops, are also soothing remedies which can calm and relax the mind and body.

If you are suffering from mild depression, this could be the cause of your insomnia. St John’s wort, is fast becoming a popular herbal remedy, it is widely available and is used to treat mild to moderate depression. As with all medicines it is recommended to consult your doctor for advice. It may be a natural remedy, but it may not be right for you.

To cope with fatigue and to boost your immune system, try Ginseng. Ginkgo Biloba is also widely available and can help improve memory, concentration and increase oxygen flow to the brain.

Although side effects are rare when taking natural sleep remedies, you should stop taking them immediately and seek medical advice if you experience anything unusual. To be honest it is best not to take anything at all. Instead pay attention to your sleep habits (also referred to as sleep hygiene). Your daily routine, habits, diet and emotional levels all play a part in how well you are able to sleep.

It’s far more effective to tackle the cause of insomnia rather than the symptoms alone. Here are some simple steps you can take to improve your sleep:

• Get up and sleep at the same time everyday.
• Wind down an hour or so before you sleep.
• Relax with some soothing music or chamomile tea.
• Leave your work at work!
• Expose yourself to sunlight in the day.
• Ensure that your bed is comfortable and supportive.
• Ensure your bedroom is quiet, dark and not to warm.
• Talk about your problems and don’t let your emotions build up.
• Remind yourself that bedtime is for sleep and not a time to worry.

I hope you find these simple tips useful.

Taking natural sleep remedies may aid sleep, however you may also want to consider alternative therapies and practices such as acupuncture, hypnosis and reflexology.

September 17th, 2007 by Phil

Sleep is an important and necessary part of life, without it your mind and body cannot function to its highest potential. Sleep can give you the strength and energy you need to tackle a stressful day. Sleep can enhance your mood, improve your health, strengthen your immune system and reduce the risk of disease.
Recent studies have shown good sleep can prolong life and people who sleep more are less likely to develop a depression, diabetes and gain weight. With proper revitalizing sleep you not only feel like a different person, you are a different person. Sleep can give you life, make you feel brand new, and ready tackle anything.

So how has something so simple, so essential to restoring the mind and body’s health become so difficult to achieve? How has sleep become a waking nightmare and affected so many millions of people around the world?

For a lot of people the answer lies within the world we live in; from when we wake up we face a barrage of stress and yet we never pay attention to the early signs that the body is screaming out, and when we do, it’s too late, the damage has been done. We develop aches, pains and build excess tension which affects the mind and body, sleep is then inhibited.

We block the natural process as the sub-conscious has been continuously over-ridden by the conscious mind. Sleep becomes seemingly impossible and by forcing sleep we only make it more difficult and a vicious circle develops. But what you’ll be glad to hear is that your sub-conscious still knows how to sleep and in the next few posts we will be looking at some simple techniques and methods to help you restore a normal sleeping pattern.

September 17th, 2007 by Phil

I found this great video on YouTube by Brian Tracy I wanted to share with you. I’ve always been a great believer in writing lists and prioritizing the most important tasks of the day.

By using the 80/20 rule and focusing on completing at least 20% of the top most important things on your list, they will account for 80% of your results.

I know that most people write lists and like me in the past have been overwhelmed with the amount of projects on their lists. What I have found is that by focusing on just the top 20% I not only relieve pressure on myself to have to complete all tasks, I perform with more efficiency and ease.

Half the time you will find that within your 80% of tasks, you find trivial and unimportant projects that can be scrapped. Simply rewrite the list the next day. Rinse, wash and repeat, and watch your productivity shoot sky high.

Enjoy the video:

September 14th, 2007 by Phil

So you’re suffering from insomnia, another sleepless night and you’re wondering how much more you can take before you crack. You’re tired, no you’re more than tired, you’re completely exhausted yet you still can’t sleep. You feel like you’re being punished for something you’ve done ‘Why can’t I sleep?!!’ ‘Why can’t I beat this insomnia?!’ ‘What’s wrong with me?!!’ You take another sleeping pill, hoping to fall asleep. You lie there awake, tormented by the clock as it ticks away any time left to sleep, any chance of being remotely energized or awake the next day. You can’t remember the last time you’ve slept well, you’ve tried all the sleep remedies but you can’t seem to overcome this problem, this nightmare, this dreaded insomnia.

Sound familiar? Over the next few weeks we’re going to look into insomnia in more depth. After all you wouldn’t go to war without knowing more about your enemy. By learning more about insomnia we can look at ways to deal with it and learn to overcome it.

September 13th, 2007 by Phil

This blog isn’t just about conquering insomnia; it’s a blog on life. It’s a blog on how to better your life so that you can live happier and healthier. Life is about sharing lessons and experiences so that we can learn and strive to better ourselves and become happy with who we are. This blog will cover various topics and aspects on life, however they are all connected to one goal, living a healthier and happier life.

I will share my experiences, my knowledge as well as various articles, audios and videos with you that have inspired me and many others. This is a blog which is free for all (except spammers and the like). Share this with others, bookmark it and share your comments, your thoughts, ideas and life.

We are here to learn from each other and most importantly to take action and make a change. We have all experienced suffering, struggles and pain and we have all done things we regret. Your experience, your lessons in life and your voice counts. Comments are most welcome. Please think about what you write. This is a blog for all, so bear in mind any offensive language or comments will be removed promptly.

With that I say ‘Welcome to the Blog! And enjoy you stay!’