America Needs Nurturing

It is my observation at this time, when slightly less than half of the voters in our country have expressed that their hopes have been crushed with the election of Donald Trump as our next president, that many of these people could use a message of hope, a mental and emotional perspective shift, and a strong but gentle and compassionate leader to follow.

What does this mean to you?

It means that if you're a strong person, now is the time to build something great. Why? Because very few will be standing in your way.

It means that if you're already in a position of leadership, now is the time to step up and offer a glimmer of hope, a cause, an aspiration, something for these people to cling to and feel as though they can make a difference.

It means that if you're naturally a nurturer, a space has opened up for you to step into and begin creating a safe haven for those who need it.

It means that if you've been wanting to build a following, now is your chance. Start preaching - eyes and ears and hearts are open.

Here's an example of the kind of nurturing that many, many people in this country are in dire need of. If you offer something like this, don't become distracted by chatter. It's time to focus and strengthen your influence, a time to embody something positive that people will naturally flock to in their need to feel secure.

It starts with a mindshift. Here's Coach Susan Liddy from Los Gatos, CA, with an exercise to help you change your emotional state.

Namaste.

Say "Goodnight" and Mean It... with Susan Liddy's Yoga Nidra Meditation for Deep, Restful Sleep

As I mentioned in an earlier post, sleep and I have a love-hate relationship. Are you a busy mom in your 40s, working from home, trying to balance it all and then finding that you can't seem to turn off your brain and put your body into a restful state when you need it most?

Susan Liddy is a wonderful life and business coach from Los Gatos, CA who offers sleep support solutions with her Yoga Nidra series on Youtube.

The next time I have trouble falling or staying asleep, I'm going to come downstairs and let Susan's Yoga Nidra meditation sink in deep.

Perhaps you'd like to join me in spirit! Here's Coach Susan Liddy; thank you for sharing your soothing audio with us!

The Kiss of Death

Do you ever say stuff like "Oh my God, it's the kiss of death!" Sometimes I do. I'll tell you what my "kiss of death" is.

It's falling asleep in my son's bed during 7:30 story time, then waking up 2 hours later all "Oh, no! WTF, where am I!?"

Because if you take a NAP at 8 p.m. and wake up at 10, you know that you're not going to feel tired again until, OHH, 3 a.m., and that isn't really the ideal time to "go to bed" when you have to wake up at five-fucking-thirty!

I am writing in the blog right now because that's exactly what happened tonight. Do you know what this busy mom ain't got time for? Sitting there being idly awake when the rest of the world is sawing wood like they should be!

My husband is sawing wood right now, actually. This just compounds my problem of being awake at an inconvenient hour. When I finally realized (at midnight) that, hey, this whole sleep thing isn't working for me right now, who comes shuffling up the stairs but dear Hubby. Who, bless his soul, is dead to the world as soon as his head hits the pillow and stays that way all night.

Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Sleep and me, we have a special kind of love-hate relationship. Here are some things I've tried in the name of conquering the insomnia beast.

Yoga. I did my yoga this morning, and again, just before giving in to writing this. Did it work? No. Why would night time yoga relax and put me to sleep?



Meditation. This is something I'm not good at, and rarely feel inspired to do. I don't even really understand what meditation is. Sitting cross-legged on the floor with eyes closed, imagining a flickering candle flame, while attempting to clear my mental clutter?


Natural progesterone cream. I'm at the age where a gal needs a little progesterone boost now and then. Cranky, cranky! My brand of choice is Natural Woman. It's pleasantly scented with lemongrass.

Knitting. Knitting is supremely relaxing. But I don't feel like doing it right now. Maybe after I finish this post, I'll park myself in front of some Netflix comedy with some worsted and a pair of circulars.

Ear plugs. My dear hubby bought me a container of lady-sized ear plugs. They're pink foam. You squeeze them and shove in your ears, then they expand. I have my trusty ear plugs in now. They work pretty well, but tonight the hubs was really taking his snoring to new and impressive levels.

White noise. Window air conditioners... an insomniac's best friend! I use fans in the cooler months, and just position them so they're not blowing on us. I was hoping the fan would drown out hubby tonight, but alas, it did not.

Deepak Chopra's book on sleep. The cover is purple, it's a paperback, I think I may have sold it in a garage sale though. Among others, such as yoga and not eating late at night, his big breakthrough tip was to sip hot water all day every day. Hmmm. Oh, and I think he said to relax. Wow, what a revolutionary idea. Thank you, Mr. Chopra.

Do you have occasional brushes with the insomnia monster? What are your favorite ways to get back to sleep?