#LiveWholeHealth

Many things can affect the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Our sleep patterns can change as we age and not everybody requires the same amount of sleep. Some people may sleep through the night, but they do not feel refreshed when they wake up. Sometimes after several nights of poor sleep, people may begin to worry or feel anxious anticipating another night of struggle. Acupressure, along with your other medical care, may be useful to support your sleep.

Did you ever think that relaxation would take practice? When we were young it was easy to relax: We simply rested our bodies and minds when we were tired. How did our adult minds get so busy and filled with thoughts that make taking those important breaks so hard to do? This relaxation practice can help.

Many people are drawn to meditation to help manage those times when things seem down or out of our control. There are many different types of meditation, including visualization, compassion, gratitude, breath, mantra – and the list goes on. These meditations can improve your life by reducing stress and anxiety, and help you feel more grounded and at ease.

When you hear music playing do you automatically find yourself swaying, toe tapping, or feel like bursting out in dance? Well – you are not alone! Studies have shown that moving to the beat is built into our nervous systems.

If sitting meditation is not for you, yet you want the benefits that come from these practices, you may want to try a gentle movement practice such as “Brain Break.”

When we work towards improving our health and well-being, we often focus on making substantial lifestyle changes such as eating more fruits and vegetables, becoming more active, dedicating time to meditation or yoga, or building our social support system. While all of these are valuable, we can also improve our health through smaller actions. For example, by sitting down.

On this #LiveWholeHealth exercise, we talk about playing and moving our bodies for fun. Think back to when you were a kid and you spent your days bike riding, climbing trees, playing tag, and simply running around the neighborhood with friends. Try to imagine what it felt like to use your body in all these ways. Can you recall climbing into bed after a long day of swimming? Remember that feeling of pure exhaustion?

Why do we stop using our bodies for fun? When did we decide that moving our bodies was too much work, too painful, or a waste of time?

Gratitude is a quality, attitude or expression of thankful appreciation, and it's a positive emotion that can serve a biological purpose: scientists have measured positive effects on the body and mind from a gratitude practice.

Our bodies need a break. We need to rest and recharge from too much time on computers, devices, driving, and sitting. These activities are causing our bodies to suffer from stress and fatigue.

what if there was a different way to manage headaches? Would you give it a try? Acupressure can be useful for all types of headaches, including tension headaches, sinus headaches and migraines.

Living with low back pain can affect every aspect of your daily life, and it is a common complaint among Veterans and the general population. Research shows that movement is essential for reducing most low back pain. Follow along with this acupressure video to help manage your pain.

When it comes to yoga, we hear these often: “I can’t do yoga, I’m not flexible,” or “I don’t know what all the fuss is about yoga,” or “My daughter does yoga, but she’s young and fit,” and “You won’t catch me in yoga pants!” But what about chair yoga?