Tips for Better Sleep
By Katie Pakizer
Sleep Deprivation: General Info
· The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep
· Sleep loss can impair the ability to perform tasks involving memory, learning, and logical reasoning
· Sleep deprivation can inhibit weight loss
· More than 100,000 auto crashes every year are fatigue-related
Try to avoid:
· Alcohol or caffeine in the late afternoon or evening
· Disturbing noise in the sleep environment
· Exercise three hours before bed
· Using the bed for anything but sleep or sex
· Exposure to bright light before bed
If you can’t fall asleep, don’t force yourself to stay in bed! This will only cause more anxiety. Get up and do some kind of relaxing activity until you feel sleepy like listening to soothing music, reading, or knitting. See also: sleepfoundation.com
Meet a Professor: Jeff Halsey, double bass
By Sarah Puckett
It’s happened to us all before: you hit a wall practicing and you can’t figure out how to conquer a piece. The technique’s all wrong and the notes aren’t coming. You start to get stiff—things just feel wrong in your body. What do you do? For jazz bass professor Jeff Halsey, it’s all about community.“The jazz musician knows right up front it’s about all of us, together,” he says. “And I really think it affects brain chemistry.” Something about trusting the group sets him free. “I tell you when I perform there’s an elation that happens. ‘Cause we jump off the cliff every time we play. And somehow when we play we create a safety net for each other.” Somehow, that safety net sets his fingers free so when he’s on stage Wednesdays at 149, his giant, heavy bass seems light and effortless to play.
It wasn’t always so easy, though. When Halsey was a student, it was all about standing out from the competition (maybe things haven’t changed so much). “You’re focusing on all this hot technique trying to become the next big lion or lioness,” he says. But people wouldn’t think about how it felt to play. “We would get pain,” he says. “I remember playing and having repetitive stress pain, but I was always trained as a kid, ‘that’s pain and you’ll just deal with it.’”
This lack of body awareness worked for Halsey when he was younger. At least the consequences weren’t so apparent then. How he treated his body in the practice room or what he put in his mouth for fuel didn’t matter so much. A typical meal on tour, he says, would consist of a Hostess Sno Ball, a Diet Coke, “some sort of meat stick” and a cigarette.
Then, a few years ago, a visit to the doctor made Halsey aware of just how important his body was. “I was sort of shocked into improving my health,” he says. “For one year I went on a very strict diet regime. I got interested in Indian food because it’s so flavorful without having all the fats and things that aren’t good for your health, and I dropped two pounds a week for a year.” He lost a total of 120 pounds and made exercise a daily part of his life.
Now he notices when his exercise routine is off or he eats too much red meat. “You don’t have as much energy, everything’s not running on all cylinders.” All the physical health aspects have to be there, because, he says, “Your body is your vessel; it’s what allows you to communicate.”
And when communication is open, there is the potential for that magic that happens when Halsey loses himself in the music with a group. With those young lions and lionesses, communication gets shut off, both within their own bodies and with other musicians. If all you care about is showing off technique, according to Halsey, you miss the point. But if you remember that you’re using your body to create music, great things are possible. “If you serve the music,” he says, “the music will serve you.”
Breathing Exercises to Reduce Stress and Develop Body Awareness
By Drew Sevel
One:
· Sit or stand straight.
· Inhale through your nose. Fill the lower section of your lungs.
· Notice how your chest raises and your lower ribs expand.
· Hold your breath for a few seconds.
· Exhale slowly, allowing your abdomen to relax.
Two:
· Sit or stand straight.
· Inhale a complete natural breath, as described in the previous exercise.
· Hold this breath for several seconds.
· Exhale a little of the air with force through a small opening in your lips.
· Stop exhaling for a moment, then blow out more air.
· Repeat until you have exhaled all the air.
Fast healthy dinner on a school night: Sweet potato with curry yogurt
From Sara Courson
1 large sweet potato
¼ c plain yogurt
½ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp cayenne or ancho chile powder (optional—spicy)
Diced cucumber, garnish
Microwave sweet potato 1.5 minutes, pierce with fork 3 to 5 times, then microwave another 1.5 minutes or until tender. Stir together yogurt, curry powder, cayenne or ancho chile powder and cucumber. Serve over potato.
Did you know?
Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables according to the Center for Public Interest. Not only do they contain hardly any fat or sodium but they are also high in vitamins E, A and C and they provide a good source of fiber (especially when eaten with the skin). Sweet potatoes may help promote healthy digestion, maintain a healthy immune system, and lower the risk of colon cancer. For more info on this orange tuber, see www.sweetpotato.org
Therapy Spotlight: Massage and Reiki
By Dan Frakes
Adapted from a presentation given by Dr. Christina Laberge, Reiki Master Teacher, at the Wellness Group Meeting on March 28th
Massage
Not-so-obvious benefits:
-stress reduction
-shorter healing time for injuries
-reduction of muscular tension (tension in the shoulders is extremely common, and can lead to tension in arms, forearms, hands, jaw, tongue, and head)
-overall sense of well-being
-release of impinged nerves which can cause pain, numbness and/or tingling
-increased flexibility
-increased awareness of areas of muscular tension
-sinus drainage
-release of muscular toxins like lactic acid that accumulate, causing fatigue
-reduction of headaches
Reiki: What is it?
Reiki is a form of therapy that considers four different kinds of health: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It utilizes the same type of energy involved in acupuncture, but instead of needles, the therapist transmits the energy directly through his or her hands. Reiki can help acute and chronic physical conditions, and is most often used in conjunction with other forms of therapy.
To learn more, visit www.reiki.org or if you’re interested in booking an appointment, go to Dr. Laberge’s website at www.wellspringbodyworks.com
