Sleep Enhancement | Baliba NZ

Meditation Guide for Non Meditators

Wed, 11 May 2022 22:11:03 +0000

I am no woo-woo, and I did not believe in meditation.

Until I distilled what meditation really is.

At one time in my life, I suffered from chronic insomnia – a debilitating and very misunderstood condition.

I was introduced to a form of mediation through a sleep clinic I was sent to after almost causing a head on road crash. I know. Scary. That’s what insomnia does to you.

I was briefed to sit, with my eyes closed & find a small hole in the thoughts flying around in my head. Just a tiny pinprick of light. I had to focus on that small dot of light and progressively try to make is larger – make less room for the thoughts. I worried about losing track of the thoughts in my head, so I learned to put them away – in an imaginary trunk. Some days I had to put a lock on the trunk, and of course, then I worried about losing the key – so I was told to put it around my neck on a chain.

Being honest, this didn’t really work for me. Sitting still was not my thing – until I realised that meditation is about clearing your thoughts & finding space in your head – which leads naturally to finding peace in your mind.

From this realisation, I discovered that it is possible to ‘meditate’ while also carrying on with your day.

You don’t have to sit on a rock facing north, humming a ‘ooouumm’ with your hands in the correct mudra position. Although the ooouumm chanting is quite liberating. The vibration in the back of your throat contributes to wellbeing and positive though flow. Singing or humming has a similar impact on the mind.

The trick is to identify the thing that does that for you – to find your meditative activity.

For me, it’s running (or fast walking these days), but it must be outside. Running gives me focus.

Specifically, running makes me focus on the next driveway that I have to hit before I slow down, the top of the hill that I need to conquer (because I managed it last week), the extra block that I can make it around today (because I’ve decided I can).

What this does for me (and I know running isn’t for everyone), is take me out of my day to day thoughts and worries & place me in a state of euphoria – the ‘I can’ state of mind.
It’s awesome.

Removing the moths that dominate your headspace when you’re busy, anxious or stressed helps you focus on what you can do and what you can change.
It’s very empowering.

The thing is, it took me years to realise that this is what I gained from the physical exercise. It lights me up. Makes me feel positive.

This is the power of meditation.

So, putting this into the context of you, what things do you or could you put in place to create a similar focus on the positive & remove the focus from the daily?

For some it’s painting.
For others, it’s craftwork or pottery.
Learning a new language.
Swimming or cycling.
Playing an instrument or learning to sing scales.
Flower arranging or photography.

These are all great activities that will engage your mind in something other than your thoughts and daily worries.

All the above can be done with little or no investment – but the thing that turns them from being a hobby to being a meditative activity is the ritual you put around it.

In looking at traditional yoga mediation, there is always regime & routine around it.

You select a time of day.
You cleanse your feet (if not all of you).
You wear white, and you sit in a particular place – usually with particular music to perform your meditation.
You always end with giving thanks and an expression of gratitude.

Do the same with your selected activity.

Nominate a time.
Nominate a frequency.
Be a little bit selfish and stick to your nominated routine. It’s time you need and should take for yourself. You can’t serve others until you’ve looked after yourself.
Find music that fits your activity and make it a part of it.

This is where essential oils come in.

In engaging your sense of smell – the most powerful sense & the sense most closely related to emotions and memories, you enable smell to become a trigger for your active meditative state.

When you engage a particular scent with an activity, and make it part of your ritual, before too long, the scent alone can bring you back to the state of mind more frequently.

With running and swimming or other physical activities, the post workout ritual is where your scent trigger will come in (or even before if you want it to). Definitely make scents & smells a part of your active meditation.

You can use any scents – aroma oils included, but the properties of essential oils are ideal for this practice. Those that enable mental relaxation, those that enable euphoria, those that uplift – or the traditional meditative blends.

My recommendation is to start with a traditional meditation blend (frankincense & lavender), add to that with grapefruit, orange or lime for your uplift, geranium for balance and perhaps ylang ylang to inspire both confidence & enthusiasm.

As you learn more about essential oils, you’ll also start to learn which blends work for you best and how to dial elements of your blend up and down. Essential oils help create a particular state of mind in their own right. Connecting this with your routine is a fast track to enabling a positive state of mind.

Again, back to treating and overcoming insomnia. Once I recognised what the meditation process was really about, I signed up for learning massage therapy, which is where I met essential oils.

Initially a non-believer, I’ve long since come across the line. Scent and mediation belong together. They are a powerful combination.

Create your own space, your own ritual, your own active meditative process. You won’t regret it.

Enabling your mind to be free from the mental moths that fly around in your head – if even only for short while, creates also an enabling of a more peaceful space to allow new thoughts to come through the clutter, deeper sleep, a more positive mindset & increased energy.

Essential Oil Foot Spa for Anxiety

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 21:43:51 +0000

Essential Oil Foot Spa Ritual – a Must-Try Baliba Spa Ritual!

Use this ritual with or without essential oils. You’ll be amazed at how relaxing and calming it is!

Recently, I was certified as a Yoga Instructor.

I’ve been around exercise my whole life and was a NZ rep athlete decades ago, taught high impact aerobics back in the day then migrated to personal training.

I did not ever consider taking up yoga.

I always saw yoga as stretching routines. Not my thing.

In fact, my friend talked me into doing the certification course with her, because it was able to be done online due to the pandemic. Usually, you have to go to the school in India (which is now totally on my list post-covid).

I didn’t think I would enjoy it.

I was wrong.

Yoga is all about creating a sense of calm in your life.

Clearing energy channels.

Using breath (prana) to calm the central nervous system & proactively reduce the impact of stress.

Making space in your head.

Retaining energy & building life-force within yourself.

It’s really empowering and not at all about stretching your limbs into impossible contortions.

However, I am not writing this to sell you on Yoga.

I wanted to share something that I found really interesting – the zone of overlap for yoga and aromatherapy (or one of them).

Yoga daily routines usually involve meditation of some sort. Before entering this meditative zone, one should cleanse – and in particular, cleanse one’s feet.

I thought this was ridiculous, until I tried it.

Cleansing your feet – is incredibly relaxing.

Now I can’t do yoga without cleaning my feet (& teeth) first.

Then I remembered learning about foot treatments for aromatherapy & it makes perfect sense to combine the two therapies.

So I did, and here it is – the essential oil foot spa from bringing stress down a few notches and bringing energy up a few.

I recommend doing this before bed & you’ll not only sleep better, you’ll never put dirty feet onto bed sheets again!

I’ve created two versions of the foot spa:

If you have no bath or bowl large enough to do this, use hand towels and soak them in a hand basin, wring them out and wrap your feet in them wet. Also note, if you have no essential oils on hand, you can definitely perform this ritual with just warm water.

Part fill a basin or bath with warm water – not hot. You will need it to be deep enough to get your feet submerged, ideally over your ankles.

Place a chair beside it to sit on, and a clean (ideally warm) towel next to you.

Add 4 – 6 drops of essential oil to warm carrier oil. Almost any carrier oil will work for this for Version A, but if you go with Version B, jojoba oil or sweet almond would be best – apricot kernel oil or macadamia nut oil if your skin is super dry).

Version A low levels of stress, more fatigue than anxiousness:

Blend 4 – 6 drops of your chosen blend or essential oil into about 1/4 cup carrier oil.

Pour it into the warm water & agitate the water to blend it in as much as you can.
Place your feet in the water and submerge them for at least 5 minutes, focusing on breathing deeply into your stomach as you do so – inhale through the nostrils and exhale/release the air gently through the mouth.
After your 5 minutes (this feels like forever – definitely use a timer), dry your feet carefully and thoroughly with a clean (ideally warm) towel.
Dry each toe separately, giving each a little focus – one at a time.

Version B for people feeling moderate to high levels of stress:

Blend 4 – 6 drops of your chosen blend or essential oil into about 1/4 cup carrier oil and massage the oil into your feet, toes & ankles. Include the calves if you feel like it.
Work the oil into each of the toes and the space between the toes as well as the foot, ankles & calf.
Drop any remaining oil into the warm water and agitate as above.
Place your feet in the warm water and relax – breathing as above (slowly inhaling through the nose and exhaling gently through the mouth.
Dry your feet and toes as above.

Once you have finished your 5 minute foot soak & have dried your feet as above:

Find a place to sit with your legs out in front of you – on the floor or couch.
Place your hands beside your hips, hands pointing toward your feet, with your arms partially supporting your weight so that you are sitting upright.
Bend your toes slowly toward you – all 10 of them together (inhaling as before).
Push them away as you exhale.
Repeat 10 times
Next, flex your ankles – pulling both feet toward you (inhaling) & point your feet away from (exhaling).
Repeat 10 times.

There is more to this ritual, but just this should get you feeling calmer and more in control. I recommend trying this right before bed. If you have any remaining oil on your feet (or if you massage more in after the routine), just put some cotton socks on to avoid getting oil on your sheets.

VIEW ESSENTIAL OIL COLLECTION

Julie Comber

Owner

I have been working with essential oils for over 20 years.

The more you learn, the more fascinating this area becomes. I truly believe there is a place for natural and holistic therapies in everyone’s life.

My time in corporate was harsh. Not a good fit for me in so many ways – and while I was ‘successful’ on the corporate ladder, managing Baliba and getting to know customers is a better life.

Thank you for being here and reading my material.

Julie

Colour Therapy, Diffusers & Essential Oils

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 23:47:30 +0000

The science behind colour therapy or chromotherapy is interesting – and fits perfectly alongside essential oils

The first time I heard about this, I have to admit, I dismissed it, but then, after speaking to a number of therapists in different fields who use chromotherapy, I tried it, and I was surprised to find that it was a thing. I didn’t make the connection between the coloured lights on the Diffusers and the theory of colour therapy for a couple of years.

When I tried the colours in combination with essential oils, I was pretty impressed. Everything made sense – especially the halftones.

So, here are the colours and how they can impact:

Cyan Blue – to reduce stress & enhance a state of rational calmness
Red – to reduce feelings of hypertension & promote courage
Yellow – to reduce melancholy or feelings of sadness
Green – to enhance balance
Mauve/Violet – to enhance restfulness
Pink – to reduce feelings of anxiousness
Silver/White – to enhance wellness

I must add at this point that many many institutions use these colours in clinic and therapy rooms to impact on a patient or client’s mindset.

Here is a little more on the theory of each of the colours used in colour therapy:

Blue is an intellectual colour. It helps promote feelings of calmness, a restoring of logic and of clarity of communication. Blue also helps remove emotion from situations – thus enabling a more rational state of mind and presence of mind.

Red is the colour of action. It is stimulating, but is also warming and delivers courage – assisting with a feeling of having control and fighting the feelings of being out of control.

Yellow is the colour of optimism, yellow helps where self-esteem is lacking. The flipside of yellow is that it can also cause people to hold back. Moving from yellow to red would be a good example of managing your day by colours.

Mauve/Violet is the spiritual colour of reflection and deep thought. it helps bring feelings of satisfaction, quality and a lesser focus on details or daily toils. Violet is useful at night when sleep is restless.

Colour Therapy and essential oils.

To match colours with oils will definitely have an additional impact. Here’s a guide to get started:

Cyan Blue – to reduce stress & enhance a state of rational calmness | Essential Oils – Stress Less Blend, Marjoram, Frankincense, Sweet Orange
Red – to reduce feelings of hypertension & promote courage | Essential Oils – Ylang Ylang, Lavender, Lemongrass
Yellow – to reduce melancholy or feelings of sadness | Essential Oils Bergamot, Rosemary, Mandarin, Orange
Green – to enhance balance | Essential Oils Geranium, Marjoram, Lavender, Orange
Mauve/Violet – to enhance restfulness & recovery | Essential Oils Deep Rest Blend, Frankincense, Lavender, Ginger
Silver/White – to enhance wellness | Essential Oils Eucalyptus, Lavender, Tea Tree, Ginger

This is a guide only and can vary by individual. The universal truth, however, is that the more you learn about essential oil and alternative therapies, the more they impact your life.

Essential Oils for Stress Management:

Essential Oils For Sleep Improvement.

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 22:33:02 +0000

Essential oils can help improve sleep quality.

We’re a special breed – and weirdly, we appear to understand each other well.

Nothing takes the shine off your day like a crappy night’s sleep.

It seems that being excited, being sad, being worried – even needing to get up early to catch a flight can keep you awake at night.

Let’s look into the things that might help with sleep improvement – and yes, I am going to give you some essential oil blends to try, but I feel it goes broader than that.

Pre-sleep preparation guide.

Have a ‘finish work’ time, and stop cramming last minute jobs in after it.
Give yourself an after-I-have-finished-working task – like a short walk, a warm shower, a cup of tea and a lie-down or just standing outside looking at the clouds (or the moon) just pick something out that you enjoy doing and mark out 5 minutes to do it as a ‘finish the workday’ ritual.
Get your PulsePoint essential oil Deep Rest or Stress Less blend out and apply around your neck, the base of the skull, across your shoulders & clavicle. Optional extra – apply across the backs of your knees and ankles. Those are areas with lots of lymph. If you don’t have a Pulsepoint, use the essential oil blend and mix a drop or two into massage oil or moisturising lotion & massage that in.
Massage the oils in.
About an hour before bed, add a few drops of the essential oil blend to your diffuser.
Set the coloured lights on your diffuser (if you have coloured lights) to the deepest mauve colour you can get – mauve is the deep resting colour.
1. 1. - Sit in a chair with both feet flat on the floor and work your way through this relaxation exercise:
      With one hand, pinch the other (meaning bring the thumb and first finger closer together, effectively pinching the space between each finger – first do the larger gap in between the thumb and fingers, then pinch the space between the phalanges bones between each of the fingers. Pinch and hold firmly. Count to ten for each hold. This should take you a couple of minutes. Also pinch the pad on the outside of the little finger.
    - Now lie flat (I do this on the floor with a pillow under my head) with your feet up (I put them on the chair). If you are more comfortable on a bed or couch that’s fine. Concentrate on allowing your head and shoulders to connect with the ground. It will feel like a long time. Stay in this position for at least 3 minutes. Close your eyes and try to bring that deep mauve colour of the diffuser into your closed eye vision.
    - Stay lying down for another 2 or three minutes and shift your focus to breathing to the bottom of your stomach – think about breathing in through your nose, filling your stomach with air – then slowly releasing it to a count of ten through your mouth. Do at least ten of those.

You will find that you are feeling calmer and that your mind has slowed down.

Keep your diffuser on during the night, even if you don’t have essential oils in it. The negative ions in the vapour will keep the air fresh & clean.

NOTES: you don’t have to have PulsePoint, you can just add your essential oils to a base (carrier) oil and do it that way, but you do not need much at all.
If your end of day ritual involves a bath, make it a warm bath and blend your essential oils in a heavy oil like flaxseed and add that to your bath.

Essential oil blends for sleep.

Evening – finishing after work: Deep Rest Blend or Stress Less Blend

Boost with frankincense if you need an additional ‘unwind’ factor.
Boost with mandarin if you are experiencing ‘racing mind’ or feeling anxious about something.
Boost with sweet orange if you are feeling bloated or digestion is an issue.
Boost with Bergamot if you feel a bit down (add Ginger if you feel really down, or if grief is a factor)
Boost with lemongrass if you are feeling overwhelmed.

When ready to sleep: Sleep Support Blend

Boost with frankincense if required
Apply Deep Rest Blend PulsePoint if a boost is required

Essential Oils For Sleep Improvement

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Essential oils that help with sleep

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 17:16:41 +0000

Essential Oils to Help With Sleep

Good quality sleep is essential for people, and when we lack sleep, we tend to also start to lack perspective – making us vulnerable to a negative spiral in many ways.

Here’s how essential oils can help.

Here is a rundown on the essential oils that can help restore balance and get you back in the good sleep zone.

As always, start with only one drop of each oil and increase from there.

Always mix up your sleep ‘remedies’ and this to the reason you’re not sleeping rather than looking for symptom cures.

Essential Oils that help with restful sleep and reduction of worry.

Bergamot essential oil

One of the citrus family enhances & promotes lightheartedness when things get intense. Bergamot is also one of the best essential oils for allaying minor anxiety, so if something is on your mind and you wake thinking about it, include Bergamot in your blend.

Lavender essential oil

A great all rounder and usually considered for relaxation, Lavender’s properties make it a necessary inclusion where anxiety has moved up a notch, where negative feelings of self-worth come into play and contribution of an overall feeling of being in balance. That out of control feeling that we sometimes feel in a state of overwhelm is debilitating when it comes to positive sleep patterns. lavender in combination with Bergamot is a great team.

Marjoram essential oil

Always on the team when comfort is required. Marjoram is warm, comforting, promotes deep restful relaxation and a feeling of being nurtured. Marjoram is commonly used where grief is at play – and that can be any type of grief from loss of job or relationship disestablishment. Marjoram helps let your mind get some rest, and is often teamed with Ginger in this situation.

Orange essential oil

Is the second citrus oil in this recommended mix, and is one of my personal favourites for sleep and for daytime. Orange has a natural exhuberance – a joie de vivre with a creative spirit. It is one of the essential oils that helps to open the mind to possibilities – and thus distract to a point from the negatives.

Frankincense also has a place in the essential oils for sleep blend as it adds a feeling of deep relaxation in its own right and amplifies the impact of the other oils.

Where balance is a factor (as in you feel out of control, things are out of perspective, consider adding geranium to your mix.

Consider the cause of the lack of sleep before considering the the essential oil blend.

Where despondence is creeping up the scale and particularly if you’ve sunk quite low in terms of your positive spirit, include one drop of ginger and if you feel generally negative and lacking in optimism, reach for Lime.

My own recommendation – being a chronic bad sleeper and insomniac (the best ideas usually come around 2am), is to spend an hour before bedtime stretching, perhaps reading if you can focus on a book, try to get outside if you can and move your body.

Have your essential oil blend diffusing at least 30 mins before you actually get into bed. It takes around30 minutes for the oils to be through your entire system.