The Daily Om....

I love this article and thought I would share it for those who love napping and feel guilty about it.

My hubby loves naps and he never feels bad about it, I on the other hand keep thinking about all the other things I could have should be doing. I am also working on that should aspect.

So, may you all feel free to enjoy your naps from now on and may you feel rejuvenated after.

The Importance of Napping

The desire for a short nap during the day does not arise out of laziness, rather the need for the body to rejuvenate. In the modern world, we’re often compelled to be as productive as possible during as many hours of the day as we can be. While this can lead to great feats of accomplishment, we may become exhausted and find ourselves craving rest and rejuvenation. We may feel like taking a nap but feel guilty about indulging in even ten minutes of rest. This need for personal downtime, which many people experience in the early afternoon, isn’t a sign of laziness nor is it necessarily related to how much sleep you had the night before. There was even a time when taking a nap was considered a natural part of everyone’s day. Napping is a pleasurable yet brief period of sleep when our minds and bodies can take a break. Though judged by many to be a pastime for children or the elderly, napping can benefit people of all ages. The desire to nap is a trait shared by many mammals, and napping is still an important part of the day in some countries. Snoozing for a half-hour can be an enjoyable way to promote physical well-being, and naps have been known to improve your mood and memory. A 20-minute nap can sharpen your senses and revitalize you, while a ten minute nap can leave you feeling more cheerful. Falling into a light sleep during the daytime can feel meditative. The thoughts you have as you are taking a nap and the dreams you experience may offer you insights about your life that you may not have at night when you are in a deep sleep. In order to fully enjoy the benefits of napping, you may need to give yourself permission to nap. Feeling guilty about snoozing or worrying about your to-do list won’t do you much good when you are trying to take a nap because your thoughts or feelings will keep you awake. Try to nap at the same time each day, and use an alarm clock to ensure that you don’t sleep for too long. Learning to nap and enjoy its restorative benefits can help you wake up restored, rejuvenated, and ready for the rest of your day.

Let the river of energy flow. (a simple look at the chakras)

Watching a children's show...the last Airbender on NICK and found this explanation simple and  profound...

Chakras are like little pools of energy connected to each other and these pools need to be open to flow from one to another..."Let the river flow"

Each chakra has a specific purpose and can be blocked by emotional muck. Opening your chakras is an intense experience and must not be stopped until all 7 are open...

Root chakras: (base of the spine)
It deals with survival and is blocked by fear
(what are you most afraid of? Fears are an illusion. You are concerned with your survival but must surrender those fears...let your fears flow down the creek)

Sacral chakra (water chakra)
This chakra deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt.
Look at all the guilt that burdens you. What do you blame yourself for???
Accept the reality that these things happened but do not let them cloud and poison your energy. If you are to be a positive influence on the world, you need to forgive yourself (and others)

Third Chakra: Solar Plexus (Fire chakra) Located in the stomach
This chakra deals with real power and is blocked by shame.
What are you ashamed of and what are your biggest disappointments in yourself?
You will never find balance if you deny this part of your life....You are who you are.

Fourth Chakra: Heart chakra
This deals with love and is blocked by grief...lay all your grief out in front of you...release all your sadness and loss. Love is a form of energy that swirls all around us. Those that have loved you have not left, their love is still inside of your heart and is reborn in the form of new love. Let the pain flow out.

The Fifth Chakra: Throat...Sound chakra
Deals with truth and is blocked by lies...the ones we tell ourselves. You cannot lie about your own nature and must accept who you are. The god within you, the creator of your world.
Now open the chakra of truth.

The sixth Chakra (third eye)...Light chakra
Deals with insight and is blocked by Illusion.
The greatest illusion in this world is the illusion of separation. Release the illusions within.
Things we think are separate and different are actually one and the same...(different nations/nationalities/ color/ religions etc)
We are all one people but we live as if divided. We are all connected, a collective consciousness. Everything is connected even the four elements...open your mind, you will see all elements are one...four parts of the same whole.

The seventh Chakra: The though chakra...The Crown
Deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world. Let go of all that you have grown to love...let go of all those attachments, let them flow down the river. You cannot let the Cosmic energy from the Universe flow through you without letting go of all attachments...Realize that letting go doesn't mean that it truly disappears. You are then able to connect to your perfect, or "higher self"
With the flow of energy through this chakra comes complete control and awareness of all your thoughts and actions.

What a simple way to look deep within and identify where and what your blocks are and let them go and allow the creek of energy flow.

Taking time for me..

This has been an incredible year filled with lots of tears and changes, as well as laughter and travelling.

Why do we always wait for a crisis to make decisions that would have been made a lot easier if we did them in a timely manner?
I love what I do but have been starting to feel burned out and in need of a break. I obviously did not think that I deserved it on some level and did not pay enough attention to it. Finally the Universe (as I call the forces that be) created an opportunity for me to make a choice.
I felt kinda pushed into it and a whole fountain of emotions ensued.

Guilt is such a useless emotion that really does not serve anyone (my opinion). If we act in any manner of our choice, why feel guilty about it?....is it because of the reaction of others?...and are you to be held responsible for that?...
I put those thoughts out there because that was the strongest emotion I felt when I decided to close my office and take time of for me. I felt guilty for abandoning all my clients. For thinking of myself first.

Fortunately for me I do have practitioners that I see for my own care and with their gifts and guidance I have been reminded of the term 'healer heal thyself' and that I deserve to take time for me.

My advice is to take the time you need to care for yourself and to recharge your batteries and be able to come back with more light and energy. This is the best service you can offer anyone else.
It gives everyone around you permission to do the same and to be able to do it without the guilt.

This short sabbatical will allow me to focus on my passion for health and healing of the subtle bodies that make up our whole being. I can read all those books and write to my hearts content and never feel like I have to be somewhere or worry about this one or that one and all their health concerns. I free all of you to take responsibility for your health and to do what you think is right for you, I certainly am and I am proud of it.