Transcending Suffering through Natural Sleep Recovery

June 11, 2012 at 11:34 pm | Posted in Insomnia, Pain Management, Pain Relief, Sleep Health | Leave a comment
Tags: Behavioral Pain Relief, Chronic Pain, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, Holistic Health, Insomnia Treatment, Integrative Medicine, mind body medicine, Sleep Health

Transcending Suffering through Natural Sleep Recovery

Over the past 15 years, I have been practicing and teaching Natural Sleep Recovery. Natural Sleep Recovery has resulted in a very positive outcome for my own personal recovery from Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). Restless Legs Syndrome is a condition that is quite antagonistic to restorative sleep. I experienced nightly symptoms of RLS for well over 3 years. During that time, most nights were spent pacing around  my home, stretching, and taking hot baths while only getting around 3 to 4 hours of sleep. The physical and emotional challenges of not being able to sleep resulted in what felt like deep suffering. Through my personal research of RLS, I found some relief from various practices and strategies, although they were not enough for maintaining consistent sleep. I needed to go deeper; medications were not an acceptable treatment option for me.

My background in healthcare has been inspired by holistic health practices. Holistic practices tend to approach health challenges by focusing on the mind-body connection. Holistic practices are proactive, solution-oriented and empowering modalities of care. A holistic wellness philosophy was the path that changed my life, restored my health, and returned me to deep sleeping and dreaming.

Today, I am grateful for the ability to sleep an average of 7 hours on most nights. Sleeping well can change the quality of our life, health, relationships, emotions, and physical health. Listed are some of the essential practices that have made the difference in my life.

• Compassionate behavior for myself and others
• Believing that my body and mind can return to healthy balance
• Daily exercise; for me, it includes a 3 mile daily walk
• Learning to maintain present-centered awareness through practicing mindfulness meditation, which trains the mind to allow thoughts to come and go like clouds without being distracted by them
• Practicing self-regulation through Yoga, Qigong, and pranayama (breath control).
• Recognizing, understanding and adjusting personal habits to support emotional and physical wellness.
• Maintaining an openness to learning about the evolving field of sleep science
• Making dietary changes that include: less sugar, less caffeine, and fewer carbohydrates, with less overall food intake.
• Learning how to best strengthen my ability to better cope with stress
• Using personalized nutritional supplements

There are many conditions that interfere with our ability to sustain restorative sleep. Many people who suffer from insomnia know that there is not a one-way road to recovery. Sleep science continues to teach that there are many treatment options that can reclaim restorative sleep.

Natural Sleep Recovery is a component of the Integrative Sleep Health Certification Program, an educational program that offers a hopeful path towards discovering how to reclaim restorative sleep.  The Intregrative Sleep Health Certification Program will be offered starting with our day long Natural Sleep Recovery Retreat in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday, September 29th with Linda Cammarata, RN and Ed Glauser, LPC.

In the meantime, you are welcome to continue your journey to natural sleep recovery by joining the Mind Body Medicine Network, LLC for our June 24^th webinar on “Effective Self-Regulation Clinical Strategies for Restorative Sleep Recovery” with Linda Cammarata, RN and Ed Glauser, LPC at 7:00 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. CST/5:00 p.m. MST/4:00 p.m. PST by going to the following link to register for the MBMN webinar at: http://www.mindbodymedicinenetwork.com/Webinars.html.

Our Mind Body Medicine Network’ webinars represent The BEST Clinical Webinars in Mind Body Medicine in the World,” and we look very forward to you joining us for a very engaging, participatory, and effective way of enjoying natural sleep recovery! Register today by going to: http://www.mindbodymedicinenetwork.com/Webinars.html.

(Written by: Linda Cammarata, RN – Healthcare and Wellness Consultant – http://www.Mind-BodyWellness.org)

Ed Glauser, M.Ed., N.C.C., LPC

Owner & Clinician

Mind Body Medicine Network, LLC

http://www.mindbodymedicinenetwork.com