Creative Mind by Nancy Ann

Some people may think this technique for relaxation sounds corny or strange but for me and many others it really works and all you need are a few minutes a day when you feel you need it the most.  It is excellent before bedtime for a great nights sleep or to relax yourself to face an active stressful day. In fact it works so well that it is also used in hospitals and private nursing care facilities to help patients. http://www.livestrong.com/article/150430-benefit-of-guided-imagery/ http://www.guidedimageryinc.com/home/surgery_procedures_pain_relief.aspx " Guided imagery is the use of visualization techniques to help your body enter a relaxed state. In other words, you close your eyes and imagine the sights and sounds of a place that you find relaxing. The most common visualizations often involve a tropical beach, warm sun and soothing sounds of the ocean -- in fact, this is the visualization that I find most relaxing. If you find, however, that some other imagined scene is more a...

Over the last 25 years I have been busy with raising my three sons who are all now in college. Last Summer, to fight the "empty nest syndrome", I started to try and find things that I am interested in and enjoy. I always loved photography but never really had the time to explore my interests. One nice Summer day morning I stepped outside to enjoy a cup of coffee on my back deck and brought my camera to take pictures of my two basset hounds, Clyde & Opie. As I was sitting there, as I did many times, I was admiring my three Rose of Sharon bushes with all their amazing flowers when for the very first time,  I took notice of the enormous amount of bumblebees flying in and out of the flowers. I never really paid much attention to them or gave them much thought. For the heck of it I grabbed my camera and began to take pictures of them. That was where it all started - the obsession and appreciation of these little hard working creatures that go so unnoticed unless they buzz pas...

Lemon Balm is one of my very favorite herbs for my personal "wellness".  It is in the mint family of herbs but it actually has a very strong, soothing lemon scent when you rub the leaves. It has been used as far back as the Middle Ages as a "calming" herb to reduce stress and anxiety, to promote sleep and so much more.  It is grown all over the world.  Plant some in your garden this year with your herbs and you will also help with the bee population! There is just so many ways to use lemon balm.  You can purchase the pure essential oil and burn as aromatherapy or place few drops in your bath for total relaxation. (That is my preferred method of use.)  It is also sold as teas, capsules,   extracts & tinctures.  Crops are grown all over the world and used in everything from medicines, cosmetics and furniture products. As with anything, if you have a medical condition consult with your physician.  I do not promote use of herbs as an alternate cho...

I have loved Burt's Bees products for years but the more I researched their products and their company, the more I love them!  I started using their products many years ago.  Our skin is our bodies largest organ so I have always tried to use natural products and lotions.   Burt's Bees products are also affected by the "Honey Bee Crisis".  While browsing around their website I clicked on their "Wellness Program Overview".  " At Burt’s Bees, Inc., we care about the well being of our employees. They’re the heart and soul of Burt’s Bees, and we strive to support them - body, mind and spirit. The aim of our Wellness Program is to inspire and assist our employees in succeeding in their health and life goals. Toward that end, we've assembled an assortment of benefits and services to help them stay healthy and live the life they want to live." http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/body-moisturizers/ They not only offer great products, t...

Stress is a normal reaction to positive and negative moments in our lives.  Let's face it though, nowadays there seems to be a lot more than our usual "everyday stresses" to stress about... like reading the headline news and hearing about the insanity going on in the world, the state of the economy etc. When we experience stress our bodies have a stress hormone called "Cortisol" that increases.  That hormone affects body functions like blood pressure, insulin for blood sugar and proper immune function. So our bodies are equipped to handle stress but too much stress for too long can lead to all kinds of health problems like heart disease, stroke, cancer, depression, obesity, diabetes, memory loss  -etc.  That is why it is important to find different ways for you to relax under stressful conditions so you can lower the stress hormone back to a normal level.  I try to  find natural & healthier ways to relieve daily stresses like exer...

         I had a bit of Winter "cabin fever" with all the recent snow storms. Cabin fever  explanation from Wikipedia: "Cabin fever is an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in, in a small space, with nothing to do, for an extended period (as in a simple country vacation cottage during a long rain or snow). Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, irrational frustration with everyday objects, forgetfulness, laughter, excessive sleeping, distrust of anyone they are with, and an urge to go outside even in the rain, snow or dark."  ......yup, I had cabin fever!    I needed to force myself to get some fresh air and go find some "nature therapy" in the middle of this cold  month of January.   The moon looked like a big snowball in the sky.  Maybe the moon is frozen too?? That got me thinking about the temperature on t...

One of the most amazing natural foods is honey.  We all know it is great to add to hot tea or oatmeal but it has so many health benefits. Honey is a natural energy booster, immune system builder and is a remedy for many ailments ranging from cuts and burns, hangovers, sore throats and sleeplessness to name a few. Honey does not cure cancer but it possesses carcinogen-preventing and anti-tumour properties. It's antiseptic properties inhibits the growth of certain bacteria and helps keep external wounds clean and free from infection. Recommended reading: HELP save our honey bees! Did you know that our honey bee populations are disappearing at an alarming rate! "Over the last three years more than one in three honey bee colonies has died nationwide, posing a serious risk to our natural food supply. " "One cause of these losses is an alarming phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder, or “CCD.” When a hive experiences CCD, the honey bees mysteriously desert their ...

Imagine this.....a world without music?  I can't, can you? It is such a vital part of our lives.   We all enjoy it and everyone has their own genres they enjoy.  There is more to music than people realize.  Research shows that music  can help you concentrate, or put you in a meditative state, prevent the affects of cronic stress, lower blood pressure, calm muscle tension, keep you alert, help with depression and the list goes on and on. Music therapy promotes health.  As a matter of fact Music Therapy is a growing field of health care.  Please take a moment and click on the following link  and read the article to find out more.  http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/music_therapy.htm I used to teach herbal wellness classes.  Guests would relax to stress reduction music while enjoying an herbal footbath & aromathery . Although the footbath and aromatherapy was enjoyable, it was the music that helped make it  eve...

Years ago when my two oldest sons were very young, their Father and I took them on a road trip to Bar Harbor, Maine to Acadia National Park, on the summit of Cadillac Mountain, overlooking the sea at Thunder Hole, and on the shores of Jordan Pond. There is something already very magical about this beautiful place.   The summit of Cadillac Mountain  is the first place the sun touches the United States when it rises every day.  If you have never been,  you must put it on your "places I must travel to and experience" list. After an exhausting day of travel and sightseeing, the babies weren't the only ones cranky and exhausted.  We stepped into a little gift shop and instantly felt relaxed and calm listening to beautiful music playing throughout the store. We lingered in the store to hear one song after the next. Each one captivated us.  I looked down to see both boys falling fast asleep in their strollers.  I commen...

http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html Run out and buy yourself some coconut oil!!  How many products do you know of that you can  lather it on your head & skin  to moisturize & relieve stress while putting some in your oatmeal cookie recipe? Seriously, coconut oil has amazing health benefits. Easily found at your local supermarket near all the cooking oils. Check it out! There are many brands available but this is what I have in my pantry now... Great for cooking but I also put some in a small container in the bathroom and massage some on after a shower while skin is still moist - great Winter moisturizer!

Nature Therapy with Nancy Ann: Breakfast in the Flower Garden Set to Tiny Geometr...

My personal experience with the powers of orange essential oil: After a relaxing week at a wellness spa in Hotel Kurhaus training on herbal wellness with 30 colleagues from the USA in a small village nestled in the foothills of the Swiss Alps in Walzenhausen, Switzerland, we had a long stressful flight to Boston, Mass.  Once we arrived in the Boston area we had to circle the airport for almost an hour.  We were one of the last flights they allowed in due to a severe ice storm.  After we slid into a stop on the runway we entered the airport terminal.  Fatique and stress took a toll on me and I had blurred vision, nausea and the entire floor of the airport was rocking as though I was on a ship in the high seas in the perfect storm.  It was the quick thinking on the part of my traveling companions, my sister Susie and friend Val, that saved the day.  We had gotten essential oils from our herbal wellness company.  Sifting through their bag...

My dear friend & soul sister Karen & her wonderful husband Greg are in the process of creating a retreat center in Costa Rica.  Follow them on their journey.... http://newcostaricaretreat.wordpress.com/ http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=134988613209188#!/SanctuaryForTheSoul http://newcostaricaretreat.wordpress.com/

Lavender oil has a calming effect, it is used in the treatment of tension headaches, migraines, depression, anxiety, stress, etc. Lavender oil is also used for treating insomnia, as it has been found that this essential oil can stimulate sleep in people with complaints of insomnia. http://www.bodyecology.com/07/03/29/lavender_improve_skin_immune_system.php

Click on full screen & if you have them, use ear phones & enjoy.

Hectic day? Under alot of stress?  Before you retire for the evening unwind and relax by using visualization set to relaxation music.  Click on full screen, put on ear phones if you have them ....and just chill.  http://www.youtube.com/user/clydelady2#p/u/1/VEO1-83mBAk