Friday, November 1, 2013

Affects of Stress

How does stress affect my body?


Roots to Breath, Dona Anderson

Affects of Stress - Google stress and how it affects us! In a couple of minutes you can make quite a list from physical symptoms to emotional  and behavioral symptoms and everything in between.  In just a few minutes I had over 60 so I stopped looking for more as I was feeling depressed (one of the symptoms) 


In looking at the list I can see a few that I have had to deal with.  I remember my how my lower back was and still is a great place for stress to visit frequently,  I checked off worry, frustration, digestive disorders, fatigue, mood changes, headaches, jaw and muscle tension, and weight gain to list a few.

If we have a few of these how do we then escape the accumulative affects that interfere with our daily work, home, and family life? 

How do we take back our health and wellness?  

How do we bring balance  back into our lives and breathe?

Medical research shows us more and more how stress is a link to so many illnesses and personal changes, I even saw articles saying it is a silent killer.  So that is why I try to keep learning and  sharing what I can.  I am finding that the more I present things to others the more I get someone talking and thinking.  Often they don't realize what is bothering them or they're maybe wanting to change but are not sure of what to do or how to do it.  And sometimes they don't realize that a few small changes can make a big difference!

This post is a request to us all!

Dona Anderson
What if we all got fed up with the stress in our lives and did something positive to make a change.  What if we could easily make a huge difference with a few small changes!

What if we extended a safe place out to others where we could honestly talk, listen, exchange ideas, respect and value each other, and maybe ask for help or offer help to others.  What if we talked more about change, easy things we can change, how we could do it.  What if we could just get some ideas flowing that could be workable and maintainable.

Imagine how you'd feel if you noticed a change in the air, felt life opening up, or you heard someone take a deep breath and then relax a bit today, then a bit more tomorrow and the next day.

What if you could cross off some of those items on that list that affect you
and say, no, not here any more!

Imagine!

I found this great link with pages of articles to pick from so we can start sharing and talking right away!


If you're interested in guided breathing, relaxation and meditation check out my book.  Online sales at Amazon  other ebook formats at online booksellers 


Visit me on Facebook  & Twitter

Don't miss future posts - sign up now to
Follow by Email.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Sharing a blog post by Louise Hay.

When did your life get started?


 Dona Anderson

Subscribe to Dona Anderson by Email

I love this post I read this morning by Louise Hay

so I'm sharing it with you! 

Her post really spoke to me and I saw similarities between what she wrote and how my life and activities have changed from years ago to now.

I've heard lots of wonderful people say their life really started and even got better at certain ages and for me, I sometimes think of it as when the turtle is finally ready to stick his head out a bit further from his shell to see all there is and finds out there is still so much more!

Yes, it can be scary...

And it can take us out of our comfort zone.

It can take us a while to find what it is you do like and want in your life, and if we look back we'd see that through our lives we've always been changing, practicing and gaining experience in everything we have learned and done. 

This post encourages us to not stop as we age. 

It's about loving life, still getting out there, investing in our self and continuing to make our life richer and fuller. 

Here's the link.


Friday, October 4, 2013

Blogging for Roots to Breath after 3 years!

How I Found New Ways to Express Myself!

Wow, I can't believe its been just over three years since I started this blog.  I initially started it to coincide with the launch of the 100 books I sent out on a travelling wellness journey (see post dated October 13, 2011).

It is interesting that writing my book felt different than this form of communication.  I remember my fears at writing something that anyone could instantly read, and the thought of my words and thoughts travelling around the world was terrifying,  This new way to communicate offered the words click here to get started which wasn't bad but the publish tab was very hard to do.  Well I got over that as you can see and this last year the page visitors have more than doubled.  And, I am especially excited to have now had visitors from 62 countries.
 
Absolutely Fabulous!  Thank You! Thank You!

As with all the things I seem to be getting myself into these past 10 years I owe it all to yoga and how yoga taught me to take my time, that it was Ok to just do what I could that day, and how I could move slowly to improve over time.  My teaching yoga also gently challenges me to keep learning and improving especially my weaker areas not only on the mat but also off the mat in my life.

All this has become my retirement to do's, and before retirement my list of things I thought I wanted to do had none of these things except yoga.  I guess it's better to say the old list was ripped up and the only thing I did take from it was yoga teacher that I put on the list during my second last week of work.   I am so glad I tossed out the old as my time now revolves around new thinking, new ideas, new learning, new dreams, new people and hopefully it will continue that way for as long as I'm able.

It's interesting how when we enter this change/not working/retirement phase we sometimes forget about how efficient we were and we may forget about how to make new contacts and find new resources.  We sometimes forget about planning for the future and how to organize and prioritize the day.  I remember how we usually got less done on the long weekends because we sat too much and sometimes we had to give ourselves that friendly kick in the butt. 

Even though I still do sit too long it is now always at the computer working on something because my life has new uses for my time, new uses for my creativity, it has new problems to solve, new ways to express myself, and it has many new magic moments to reflect upon.

This last year I also got to sit here and listen to some wonderful wellness related free online conferences.  I got to learn about Tapping, I did meditations with Oprah and Deepak Chopra,  heard lots of the great interviews from the Hay House World Summit, and just finished listening to most of the Recovery 2.0 conference.
 
We all have our lists to work with and I hope the small contribution I make here through my blog will also help send a few seeds of wellness out to blossom!
 
Thanks so much for your visit!
Namaste.

Catch up with me on Facebook & Twitter

You can sign up to Follow by Email and 
below you can share or comment. 

Much thanks!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Sharing a photo message

Wellness secrets can be this simple!


Roots to Breath, Dona Anderson


A One Rose Wellness message guides you down the path!

Remember to Breathe!

Dona Anderson

Photo by Dona Anderson
Message from Simply, One Breath At a Time

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

My DREAM

My Dream


Roots to Breath, Dona Anderson
 
It all started with a dream, a dream that I could send out into the world.  Simply, One Breath At a Time began from the dream to help others relax, breathe, soften and let go of their stress.  A book you can take anywhere and use as a tool and resource for yourself or to share with others.  It was my way to be a giver of care.

And, like the healing energy that travels through the hands and words of so many practioners, parents, teachers, and caregivers the simple, gentle and positive words in this book can help bring a person back to balance, and encourage ongoing healing through breath, reducing stress, and body and mind relaxation.
Dona Anderson

You can change your thoughts,
You can reduce your stresses, and
You can bring more wellness into your life.

I hope my dream can be a part of 
your better results!


Online sales for Simply, ... at Amazon

Other ebook formats at online booksellers

Please sign up to follow by email and
share or comment below!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Thoughts on the relaxation, Shifting Down

Dona Anderson

Shifting Down

Roots to Breath, Dona Anderson

How are you at visualization?

Thoughts on the relaxation Shifting Down that starts on page 76, in my book Simply, One Breath At a Time.

I like the title shifting down as it immediately signals you to think about making a change to something slower, and here you are asked to release, find stillness, and move your body from the outside world to a place of quiet, rest, possibilities....

Then you are asked to picture a beautiful place you'd like to be.  I am getting better at this technique but I do need a bit more concentration and practice ... I sometimes can't complete the picture in detail but I do get the feelings and this visualization requests a place that is restful and comfortable so that is pretty easy.

This type of imagery/visualization is great for calming emotions, reducing stress and improving our mood.  Each time you can create something unique to you and if you want you can even bring all your senses into the details.  Imagine adding in the smells of a bakery, the sounds of birds or the ocean, the taste of something you love and so on, the possibilities are endless ...

The relaxation continues on with breath awareness, relaxing areas throughout the body, and then at the end asks you to return to that beautiful place so you can rest there a little longer and take care of  yourself.

Whenever I do this combination of imagery and guided relaxation I find my whole body feels heavy and is deeply resting while at the same time the mind is free to travel somewhere beautiful so it is not focusing on other things.  What a wonderful way to free the mind and rest while you experience the journey into your image for a period of silent meditation.

And, I'm hoping for a beautiful smile on your face when you return to your day!


I also wanted to share this information Dr David Hamilton 


Link to Amazon e-Book also available
Other formats at online booksellers

Sign up to follow by email
Enter your email address:

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Celebrating and Remembering an old Friend

Friends through the seasons of life. 

 

Roots to Breath, Dona Anderson


Celebrating and Remembering an old Friend

I don’t mean old in age necessarily, you know those friends that are still there through all the ups and downs, changes, and years of our lives.   

This one was over 43 years to be exact. 

I recently learned of the passing of an old friend. I’ll call her Princess as that was what her husband said he still called her to the end!  I met her at a time of change and uncertainty in our lives.  My husband and I had recently lost our home in a fire, we had a 10 month old daughter and were pregnant again.  My husband had met her first because he could speak a bit of French and her husband was going away on a course and needed someone to check on his family and bring her the mail. 

A few weeks later we all met as we headed out to see a parade, it was the May long weekend in 1970. I couldn’t speak French, she only knew a few words in English but it didn’t matter.  It's funny how sometimes you connect with others when you can’t really communicate well or it seems you don’t have anything in common but there is something, something there that luckily ties you together and creates a bond.

We had some great times together as the children all grew and later on, there were gourmet meals, family outings, bowling nights, campfire nights and story nights.  It’s funny now how I just realized that it has been about 35 years since we haven’t lived in the same place so our friendship even though it has been very distant has remained.

Princess inspired me with her smile, her Vogue style, her friendship, her home that looked like a magazine article for country living,  all her hard work, and especially her ongoing optimism and hope.  It was a privilege for us to support her creativity and art when we could.  We get to see and admire it every day as we walk through our home and we even passed some on to our family.

I am so glad that when we last got together about 3 years ago we called ahead to plan a cheese fondue lunch where we lingered over wine while we got caught up, and told some old and new stories.  We then went for a walk in their yard to see and admire the gardens and to find and enjoy all the yard art.  Later we checked out her new passion for quilting, and we ended up staying for a wonderful supper before heading out.  The visit as always was inspiring, uplifting, and full of courage and hope just like she was right up until the final day.

In my next book that I’m still working on I have a writing about sharing your stories and sharing the stories of others.   Just like compliments that should be given out, I believe we have to speak about the wonderful things others do and pass them on in some way.  We are all affected in some way by those that we connect with and those that support us in our lives and I know for certain that I am definitely a much better person because of how this wonderful friend filled parts of my life, and she will always hold a very special place in my heart!

   I celebrate our friendship and her life!