3 a.m.

 

"My favorite's the three o'clock hour. For most people, that's the hard time. If they don't sleep through it, that's the time the mind wakes up and starts worrying about what they did or didn't do that day, or what they'll do or not do the next. And the next, and right up until life's over."

Night Shield

___________________________

Ellin Beltz, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Now wide awake from a once peaceful slumber, you roll over to check the clock and find it’s 3 a.m. That’s the same time you woke up last night. And the night before.

 

If that sounds familiar, it’s because nocturnal awakenings happen to a lot of people. Waking up several times throughout the night is a natural occurrence often due to sleep architecture, which are the stages of sleep that one cycles through every night.

CNN

Secrets to A Good Night's Sleep

 He continued to eat, mildly amused by the annoyance in her voice. "Let me think about it. Why couldn't you sleep?"

"How do I know? The doctor's got some sort of holistic tea he wants me to try."

"Sex is a good is a good sedative."

"Maybe. Especially, for instance, if your partner's on the inadequate side. You can catch a quick nap during the act."

"I can promise you won't sleep through it."

She only smiled, and ate her salad.

ANGELS FALL

_____________________

Amin, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, most of us ignore a good night's sleep. Our prime focus is usually healthy food, exercise, and appropriate water intake. Experts say that sleep is the time when our body organizes all of its functions for a healthier you. So, fix your sleep to be healthy.

MSN

Best Pressure Points to Treat Headaches

 

“Pay attention. Pay attention to the points I’m pressing. I need you to do this for me when I’m

done. Are you hearing me?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He could hear her, nagging at him, while his head fucking exploded. Like

drilling holes in the back of his neck with her fingers was going to . . .

The pain eased from hot, stabbing knives to a dull misery. 

And when she took his hand, pressing,

pressing on the web between his thumb and forefinger, 

the misery downshifted to annoying ache.

The Pagan Stone

____________________

By Jose Navarro - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonavi/37509663536/in/photolist-Z9AQ9Q-XKWMmC-oX6s8F-m5bt3s-7n4MH9-6chpd-XKWMvq-7Swvfb-9ef5n1-24GAJut-c3Gm4o-dsFSCq-ogyP8L-nX1W7y-21YTgZU-2hYy4TM-54cb7f-2hiTBHE-JQXMXq-2gTmtuG-2h5RvAM-chnocy-uh4B5-SCRAWH-4mtmNu-24mW3Eo-8gRm8b-229B8Ch-8daNqn-4FVobe-JEeqx-cmVtij-6z9EJA-poEku-q7WzHc-2nrCDM-dkH41d-2sCRX3-fobWwC-2nw2db-2syuz4-d3X8cN-8py4hy-bvFPKQ-5sSPHp-574kYr-bEsvgJ-5mtDYG-KvNaa-a51GCe, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87274666

Experiencing the pain and discomfort of a headache is incredibly common. If you’re looking for a more natural way to treat your headache, you may want to think about acupressure and pressure points.

Pressure points are parts of the body believed to be extra sensitive, able to stimulate relief in the body. Practitioners of reflexology, a discipline of Chinese medicine, believe that touching pressure points in a certain way can:

 

• improve your health
• ease pain
• restore balance in the body

healthline

Embrace the sweet art of 'doing nothing'

Lilah wasn't ashamed of the fact that she would rather sit than stand, 

would certainly rather walk than run and saw the value of long naps 

as opposed to exercise for

keeping the body and mind in tune.

Not that she wasn't ambitious. It was simply that 

her ambitions ran to the notion that

physical comfort had priority over 

physical accomplishments.

For The Love of Lilah

__________________

By Geraint Owen from Llundain/London via Bangor a Caerdydd/Kierdiff - Paradwys, CC BY 2.0,

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6898818

"Maybe you sit and read a book. Maybe you stare out the window or balcony and listen to your favorite musician. Maybe you learn how to whistle … What can you do today to begin doing nothing?"

Those are big, important questions worth pondering. If only you were in a pondering mood. But let's embrace la dolce far niente — and take a nap instead.

Mother Nature Network

Self-Soothing

He could hear the funeral tones of Mozart's Requiem

coming from the parlor.

If Miranda was playing that, he knew the trip hadn't gone well.

He found her curled up in a chair in front of the fire, bundled into 

her favored gray cashmere robe, sipping tea from their grandmother's

best china.

All of her comfort tools, he noted, neatly in place.

Homeport

_____________________

By Aman.the.dark - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49293460

It might not be a concept we’re familiar with nor might we know what
sorts of things might soothe us, but at times when we feel particularly anxious
or distressed, self-soothing can be a useful part of our mental health toolkit.

blurt

Brad Pitt ‘Removed’ His ‘Drinking Privileges’

"It's easy to delude yourself that you're entitled, that you're just fine when you're in a haze most of the time. Easy to ignore the fact that you're letting your wife and child down in a dozen ways, every single day. Forgetting dinner parties or birthdays, slipping out of bed-where you are useless to her in any case- to have just one more drink, dozing off when you're supposed to be watching your own baby. Just not being there, not completely there. Ever."

"It's a hard thing to go through, I imagine. For everyone involved."

"Harder for the ones you shipwreck with you, believe me. I wouldn't go to counseling with her, refused to attend meetings, to talk to anyone about what she saw as my problem. Even when she told me she was leaving me, when she packed her things, and Josh's

things, and walked out. I barely noticed they were gone."

Black Rose

______________________

By SpreePiX from Budapest, HU - IMG_8724_1 Brad Pitt, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10776545

Brad Pitt is known to be one of the most dedicated actors in Hollywood — 

and he used that quality to get sober following his split from ex-wife Angelina Jolie.

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star detailed his journey in a new profile 

The New York Times published on Wednesday, September 4.

MSN

______________________

"That was tremendously brave of her."

"Yes, it was." His gaze sharpened on Roz's face. 

"Yes, it was, and I suppose a woman like you would understand just how brave it

was. It took me another full year to hit the bottom, to look around at my life and see nothing. 

To realize I'd lost what was most precious,

and that it was too late to ever get it back. I went to meetings."

"That takes courage, too."

"My first meeting?" He took another bite of his sandwich. "Scared to death. 

I sat in the back of the room, in the basement of this tiny

church, and shook like a child."

"A lot of courage."

Black Rose

Healing Stones

"You're interested in crystals?"

"I could be." Idly he picked up a hunk of amethyst. "But I flunked my earth

science course in high school."

"I don't think you'll be graded here." She nodded toward the stone he held. "If

you want to get in touch with your inner self, you should hold it in your left

hand."

Captivated 

_____________________

Top Healing Stones and Their Characteristics

Gemstones are Mother Nature's natural healers and are a delight to give and receive. By gifting someone with a crystal, you are also offering healing. There are hundreds of different types of stones to choose from, and exploring them and discovering the perfect gemstone for you can be fun.

Learn Religions 

_____________________

"Breathe." Ana's voice was gentle as she placed crystals over Morgana's belly.

They hovered in the air, gleaming with an unearthly light that Mel 

tried to take in stride.

Charmed

Getting back to nature

She imagined them sinking into cool, tobacco-colored water in the bend of a

river where fiddlehead ferns grew thick and green and moonlight shimmered in

rays through a canopy of trees.

“I want to go to your swimming hole.”

“We will.”

“In the moonlight,” she said.

The Witness

__________________________

By Jim Champion, CC BY-SA 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9305393

how forest bathing can make us feel better

The Japanese have known for years that spending mindful time in the woods is beneficial for body and soul. Now western doctors – and royals – agree

Every day, apart from when it’s raining heavily, Dr Qing Li heads to a leafy park near the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo where he works. It’s not just a pleasant place to eat his lunch; he believes the time spent under the trees’ canopy is a critical factor in the fight against diseases, of the mind and body.

Once a month Li spends three days in forests near Tokyo, using all five senses to connect with the environment and clear his mind. This practice of shinrin-yoku – literally, forest bath – has the power to counter illnesses including cancer, strokes, gastric ulcers, depression, anxiety and stress, he says.

The Guardian

How Crochet and Knitting Help the Brain

With one ear cocked toward Phoebe’s room, 

Essie carefully folded the white-on-white

bedspread with its stylized pattern of lovebirds. 

The intricate stitching had kept her mind

calm, as it tended to. She often thought that

being productive-and creative with it, if she

could brag a bit-held a firm rein on her mind 

and refused to allow it to wander into those

places where panic waited. It was good work, she could think that, 

and the bride who

received it as a wedding gift would have 

something unique and special, something that

could be passed on for generations. 

She arranged the dark silver tissue. 

Even that, the

fussing with the finished product, 

the meticulous packaging of it,

 helped keep her hands

busy and her mind steady.

High Noon

__________________

By flora - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1475589

I am a nurse and lifelong knitter with a calling to bring my best self in service to others.

My background in neuro-developmental pediatrics and experience working with children and adults with brain injury, spinal cord injury, strokes, and neurological disorders, led to a fascination with neuroplasticity and the ability of the brain to “rewire” itself.

Because the practice of knitting/crochet is so helpful in dealing with anxiety, the ARC was the first organization I approached, and they, and you, were interested! I’m very excited for this opportunity to teach these skills as a tool to quiet the mind, mend the brain, and soothe the soul.

ARC

ANXIETY RESOURCE CENTER

__________________

“Who thought of bringing her mother ’s crocheting in?”

“Bo did.”

“Well, it’s excellent therapy for both of them. 

Cora’s teaching Alice to crochet, and they’re

spending time quietly that way. It’s good for both of them. 

It’s going to take time, Maureen. I wish I could tell you how much time.”

Come Sundown

Life After Sexual Assault

"So I didn't say anything, because there was nothing to say and no one to say it to. He raped me twice more over the next month, before I got the nerve to run away again. Of course, they caught me. Maybe I'd wanted them to that time. I stayed in the home until I was eighteen. And when I got out, I knew no one was ever going to have that kind of control over me again. No one was ever going to make me feel like I was nothing ever again."

Unsure what to do, Colt reached up tentatively to brush a tear from her cheek. "You made your life into something, Althea."

"I made it into mine." She let out a breath, then briskly rubbed the tears from her cheeks. "I don't like to dwell on before, Colt."

"But it's there."

"It's there," she agreed. "Trying to make it go away only brings it closer to the surface. I learned that, too. Once you accept it's simply a part of what makes you what you are, it doesn't become as vital. It didn't make me hate men, it didn't make me hate myself. It did make me understand what it is to be a victim."

Nightshade 

_________________

By Jason clendenen - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76284275

What It's Like to Reclaim Your Sex Life After Sexual Assault

That focus on a better future, many survivors say, is part of what helps them form bonds with potential partners with whom they can have healthy relationships—and repair their relationships with themselves. “There is hope,” says Lindsay. “The physical pain, the emotional pain—all that stuff is passing clouds. Joy is the sky. It’s always there.”

YAHOO!

_________________

He plunged his hand into her hair, got a good grip to jerk her face up to his. “Pay up,” he

demanded, then closed his mouth over hers.

There it was, she thought, outrageously grateful. There was the instant thrill, the response, 

the need. It had taken nothing from her. His body moved wet and hard 

against hers, his mouth took from hers, and there was nothing, nothing but pleasure.

“Touch me.” She demanded it, using her teeth, her nails. Nothing fragile here, 

nothing damaged or in need of tending. Touch me, she thought, take me. 

Make me feel utterly, utterly human.

The Pagan Stone

The First Warning Sign

“He could walk to the corner for a quart of milk and forget how to get home. 

He could forget who he is, and if they can’t stop it, 

one day he could just go away inside his mind 

where none of us could reach.”

Honest Illusions

______________________

By José Moutinho from Leça da Palmeira, Portugal - 

Walking aloneUploaded by JotaCartas, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25204383

The First Warning Sign of Alzheimer's May Surprise You

Problems navigating new surroundings crop up before memory loss, 

and long before any clinical diagnosis of the disease, 

according to a recent study published in the Journal of 

Alzheimer's Disease.

MSN

______________________

"I think when he started to forget stuff, it helped him to

blame it on the whiskey instead of—you know."

"Alzheimer's. Yeah."

Falling for Rachel

Benefits of walking

"Do you know what I like to do when I'm restless?"

Her voice had lowered, and it seemed liquid enough now to slide over his skin

like mulled wine. He turned to see those vivid blue eyes glowing with

moonlight. And his hands were already reaching for her. "What?"

She eased away, slipping from his hands like a ghost. After opening her door,

she walked slowly around to his side, leaned down until their lips nearly

touched. "I take a walk."

Captivated

________________

By Belinda Hankins Miller from U.S.A. - surefooted, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4787159

It's good for your body and your mind and you can do it just about anywhere with no fancy equipment.

From strengthening bones to shedding pounds, researchers keep finding more and more health benefits from this simple activity. Need a reason to hit the trail or wander the pavement? Here are just a few impressive benefits of walking.

mother nature network 

Think... Coffee ☕

As he wound his way through, 
the seductive scent of coffee 

reached out and 

hooked him.

Ian MacGregor 

@

MacGregor Grooms 

______________________

User:Salimfadhley [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]

Simply Thinking About Coffee Gives Your Brain A Boost, Study Suggests

For millions of us, the day begins with at least one cup of coffee to jump-start our brains into productivity. We think clearer, move faster, and interact with coworkers (also drinking coffee) like we’re meant to work together – at least for a little while.

What if we could benefit from some of those effects by simply experiencing cues that make us think of coffee?  That’s the topic of a new study, the latest in the ongoing scientific fascination with our favorite legal drug.

FORBES

______________________

Smiling sweetly, Whitney set the pot to heat and 
drew in the scent of coffee. 

The cave, full of dung and damp, 

was immediately civilized.

Hot Ice

Happy in marriage?

“I’m telling you this so you understand my basic genetic makeup. My mother,

while satisfied with me on the whole, never loved me or wished to. She never

accepted I might have my own goals or desires or plans. Hers, for me, were

again very specific and detailed. For a very long time I thought she didn’t love

me because I was lacking in some area, but I came to understand she simply

didn’t love. She has no capacity or aptitude for love, and no skills at displaying

affection. Factoring genetics and environment, I also lack the capacity. I may not

have the skills for relationships, but I understand emotions and affection are

primary needs in developing and maintaining them.”

Brooks thought, What a load of crap. But he structured his response more

carefully. “Let me get this straight. Because your mother’s cold, selfish and

appears to have all the finer feelings of a sand flea, you’re genetically

predestined to be the same.”

The Witness

_________________

PEAK99 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

People fall in love for many reasons — similar interests, physical attraction, and shared values among them. But if they marry and stay together, their long-term happiness may depend on their individual genes or those of their spouse, says a new study led by Yale School of Public Health researchers. 

YaleNews

_________________

“Is he still married?”

“Yes.”

“So he can develop and maintain a relationship. You’ve got his genes, too.”

For a moment, a long moment, she watched the flight of the hummingbird—

that sapphire blur—until it whizzed out of sight.

“Why would you want to be with someone whose skills and aptitude for

personal connections are stunted?”

“Maybe I like the idea of watching them grow, and being part of it.”

The Witness

quit smoking

Pandora only shrugged as she started across the lawn. 

"Michael, have I mentioned that you've been more crabby than usual?"

He pulled a piece of hard candy out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth. 

"Quit smoking."

The candy was lemon. She caught just a whiff. "So I noticed. How long?"

He scowled at some leaves that skimmed across the lawn. They were brown and dry and

seemed to have a life of their own. "Couple weeks. I'm going crazy."

She laughed sympathetically before she tucked her arm into his. "You'll live, darling. The first month's the toughest."

Now he scowled at her. "How would you know? You never smoked."

"The first month of anything's the toughest. You just have to keep your mind occupied.

Exercise. We'll jog after lunch."

A Will and a Way

_____________

By Lindsay Fox from Newport beach, United States - Cigarette, CC BY 2.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47846970

Real stories: ‘How I quit smoking’

There are many methods you can use use to quit smoking – it is, however, important to remember that what works for one person might not work for another.

Health24

Bring the Spa Home

“It’s good to be home. You know, one of the things I have in those shopping bags

 is this incredible honey almond scrub they use at the spa. 

After dinner, and after I give the dogs some more play and attention, 

we could take a shower. I’ll exfoliate you.”

“Is that code?”

She laughed. “You’ll have to find out.”

The Search

_______________

Those minutes spent soaking in a bath or luxuriating under the shower can transform your hair, skin, and mood. Maximize the benefit of every drop.

Better Homes & Gardens

_______________

She began to rub it over his back in slow, steady circles. 

“The texture, the flesh-to-flesh contact, the aroma—all add to the experience. 

Your skin wakes up and feels more—Uh-uh,” she said again, when he reached back. 

“I do the touching till we’re done. Hands on the wall, Doyle.”

“Did you get naked in the shower at the spa for this?”

“No. I’m adjusting it for home use. You smell wonderful already, 

and mmmm, smooth.”

The Search