Aromatherapy Sleep mask
Many people I know can fall asleep in the middle of a well lit room with the television going. I don’t know how they do it. I have to have darkness, and I have to have the sound of a fan going. If the television is on, my mind struggles to stay awake to see what will happen next. It’s simply impossible for me to fall asleep that way, and to sleep well. A fan is great because it masks noises that might wake me up. Having darkness is often a problem, so that is why I use a sleep mask.
When I first thought I might like to have a aromatherapy sleep mask, I had a harder time finding one than I thought I would. There was no such thing as the Internet then (at least in my house), and if there had been, my search would have been easy. You can find them all over the Internet now, and you can usually be very choosy about what you want to get because there are so many out there. When I was looking for one, I had to find one in the stores. I thought they would be common, but for some reason, I could not find one.
The first sleep mask that I got was made of gel and you could see right through it. I had told my mom that I was looking for one, and I guess she thought that any one would do. This type of aromatherapy sleep mask is not meant to keep the light out, but rather, to help with dark circles under the eyes. The gel should go into the refrigerator (or freezer) to get cold, and that cold will then help keep the black circles from forming, or will help them go away. She meant well, but it was not what I was looking for.
I finally found one that was mean to shield the eyes, but it did not fit on my head very well. It was more for looks than anything, and really didn’t fit like it was made for the real purpose for which they are intended. I am guessing it was more of a fun gift item than something made to ensure the quality of sleep. When you buy a aromatherapy sleep mask, the tie behind the head should not pinch, but might a little. You can get used to that within a few nights. More importantly, it should cover adequately so that no light can sneak in to interrupt your sleep if that is what you need to rest well. Luckily, they are not that expensive, and are much easier to find now, at least for me. That means if one sleep mask does not work, buying another to try is not that much of a trial or an expense.
If someone sticking pins in your body isn’t your idea of a cure.
Acupuncture is an ancient form of physical treatment and therapy with an impressive record of success. It’s origin is in the orient, based on the theory that the body is organized by an energetic system which, having no observable pathways available to empirical study, yet manifests itself in countless examples of cures of diverse diseases and the alleviation of a variety of pains. Even many modern hospitals employ acupuncture as an alternative form of treatment for such ailments as muscle injuries and bone, spine, shoulder and hip diseases, and as a means of anesthetic. While many people welcome the treatment, others abhor it, primarily because the principal method of acupuncture is that of sticking the tips of needles along energy pathway. It’s the needles they don’t like, and who can argue with that. Isn’t there an acupuncture alternative, most will ask, something that does the same thing, works with the same energy system, but doesn’t involve sticking needles into my skin>
Acupuncture alternatives have been available as long as acupuncture has been available. The most prominent of these acupuncture alternatives, and the most popular, is a form of oriental physical treatment and therapy that uses the same theoretical structure as acupuncture, but without the needles. Acupuncture aims to relieve pain by tonifying, calming, or dispersing blockages in the energy system that delivers life force, Ki, throughout the body. This is done by inserting needles into connecting nodes between Ki channels to disperse, relieve or strengthen this connecting node, called a “Tsubo”. Shiatsu, as an acupuncture alternative, recognizes the validity of the acupuncture approach, but does not concentrate on the fixed Tsubos that connect energetic pathways. Shiatsu maintains that many ailments are the result of an imbalance in the flow of Ki through these channels. One form of dysfunctional flow is called Kyo, which is found in the channel as depleted, weak, under active or even empty Ki flow. Its reverse and equally unbalanced condition is called Jitsu. With Jitsu, Ki is overactive, bulging, and knotty. It is more obvious, resistant, causing congestion and blockages. Naturally, Kyo and Jitsu will often appear in combination, Jitsu causing the weakness and decreased flow of Ki at the Kyo region. The whole effort of this acupuncture alternative is to create a balance between the Jitsu and the Kyo regions found along the web on energy that is the body’s life force.
The methods of Shiatsu are not as frightening as acupuncture. Shiatsu practitioners use variable pressures along the Ki channels to move, dispel and harmonize the affect regions. It calls for a mind/body balance to retain the balance that physical postures and precise massaging effect in the treatment. It is something like chiropractic treatment, but with an oriental slant. So, when that Doctor of Acupuncture shows up with his tray of needles, inquire first if a Shiatsu practitioner is on call. Now you can get your Ki system in balance without the pricks.
