The bedroom is for two (and only two) things: sleep, and “satisfying” sex. That’s according to Dr. Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a sleep research specialist who spoke at LA Times Magazine’s annual conference on health & wellness. (Who wants un-satisfying sex?)
In my five years as a personal trainer, I’ve listened to many clients talk about their insomnia, struggling with my own at times. My husband and I have tried to integrate most of the items on this list and, oh boy—when done in concert, they make a BIG difference.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Yes, even on weekends. This is the single most important thing you can do for insomnia. Try not to wake your mate if your sleep hours differ.
Remove the clock from the bedroom, or cover it up at night. Cover any other lights (such as LED lights on VCR’s). If you wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, do not look at the clock. This is key.
Don’t drink alcohol before bedtime. You may fall asleep faster, but drinking alcohol will also jolt you awake in the middle of the night.
Don’t eat before bedtime.
Do more cardio. Yoko Ono says, “Walk until your body feels like dancing. Then dance. You will find that you no more have difficulty in sleeping at night.”
Make the room as dark as possible and use thick window coverings; they have the added benefit of keeping noise out.
Keep the bedroom cool. The optimal temperature for sleep is 65-72 degrees.
Use a noise machine or soothing CD. We use Simonette Vaja’s guided meditation for sleep all the time. You won’t be able to make it through the CD without falling out.
Wind down before bedtime. A pre-bedtime ritual like reading or taking a shower or bath will relax you.
Use essential oil of lavender on pillows.
Replace old pillows, but don’t change the linens too often. Slightly slept in sheets are more comfortable to the body.
If you haven’t fallen asleep after 20 minutes leave the bedroom and go do something that’s relaxing and boring. When you feel sufficiently relaxed to enter the bedroom again, try again. Do not lay in bed tense or upset.
Avoid napping during the day.
Do not drink caffeine after lunch. Or better yet, eliminate caffeine altogether.
Find 10-20 minutes per day to worry. Don’t allow worries to come into your bedroom.
Modern evangelist Marianne Williamson was one of the presenters at LA Times Magazine’s “Conversations on Health & Wellness” at Terranea Resort. The conference was a nice break from my mind, which has been mired in thoughts about mom’s cancer. I was glad to see that Marianne was one of the speakers, since her book, A Return to Love, influenced our coming back together. Whether you’re well or ill, her remarks are worth a listen:
Does yoga influence the rest of your experience of Los Angeles?
Rachel: Yoga absolutely influences my L.A. experience. It gives me a sense of humility and grace.
A storefront in old town Pasadena painted the words, “What if Bush Did Yoga?” in their window last fall. If George Bush actually did decide to take up the practice, how do you think it might change him?
I don’t know if that would help. Yoga only helps change you from within if you are welcoming that. I do think it makes people reflect on a worldly union, and how we can unite and inspire and support one another. I think the world would be a wonderful place if more people practiced yoga. It just allows you to come from the heart. We could all be so lucky…
Do you have any goals relating to yoga in 2008?
I just started teaching in a boxing gym in Hollywood (where I take muay thai kickboxing). I also have some professional tennis players as clients. I love working with athletes. I admire their strength and want to balance it with flexibility. In 2008, I would like to work with more athletes. But I am not limited to that… I like working with anyone who wants to learn. Would love to teach a retreat in Mexico… if I can ever find some spare time… My truegoal for 2008 is to stay on my mat every day, to stay focused on my practice, and to continue to learn every single day.
So what’s up for the immediate future?
I’ve just added some yoga classes to my schedule and wanted to extend an invite to all PLL readers to come. Fantastic new studio in Studio City at Ventura and Laurel Canyon. Check the websites below for prices and a map. I’m also teaching a Saturday morning class at Fortune Boxing Gym in Hollywood, a great mixed level class with high energy. Sunday mornings, I teach in Toluca Lake at a Pilates Studio. Class times are listed below. If you’re interested, email me and I’ll keep you on my notification list. Otherwise, please pass along this link to anyone you think would be interested.
PLL: FOR THE UNINITIATED, YOGA CAN SEEM MYSTERIOUS AND DIFFICULT. Some people say they “just don’t get it” or were frustrated that they couldn’t keep pace… What do you say to them?”(more…)
It’s just another form of active visualization, which helps athletes more objectively analyze their performance and correct what’s not right. My client and scientist, Dr. Arshavir Blackwell, is taking that a step further by making sections of his videotaped sessionswith me public on YouTube and his blog.
AT AGE 16, I WAS LAZY—AND FAT.Naturally, then, when I had to choose between “Men’s Powerlifting” and “Body Mind and Spirit” during my junior year of high school, I chose the second.
And it really was PERFECT: I’d read a little from THE TAO, do a little TAI CHI, and of course: meditate, usually with this image of Val Kilmer in Top Gun stuck in my head. Guess what?
A few months later, I was training for admission to West Point.
The importance of visualization and breathing is underrepresented in fitness, but in meditation—it’s paramount. I’ve seen it first hand, training thousands of hours with clients in private sessions. But I’ve experienced it while “butchering” an aria on an audition for the LA Opera, and as an Army cadet: running the muddy fields of Fort Lewis (with a 40-pound ruck on my back)
“It’s not enough to work out and eat right. To make a lasting change, you need to reach inside, connect your mind with your body, and a future vision of who you are becoming.”
This image of Mark Wahlberg is what I chose as “my future self” back in 1997 after moving to L.A. I ‘photoshopped’ my head on Mark’s body, and printed dozens of stickers, putting them everywhere, even on the back of my license.
You don’t have to join the Army, audition for the opera, or pay a trainer to make this connection. You can start with meditation. Be ready to answer this question: what does YOUR “future self” look like?
WE’RE DOING A LOT OF YOGA AND MEDITATION IN BORA BORA. You probably know meditation has so many benefits, but if you’re like me, you face the same nagging question: “Where do I start?”
Like yoga, meditation can be a intimidating to a novice. Luckily there’s Ilona, chief doula of Maternabliss, and my associate at Sam Page Fitness. I asked her to give me some pointers. And if you want a really great, free meditation podcast, try Meditation Oasis.
SAM: How does guided mediation and hypnosis work?
ILONA: Meditation, guided imagery and hypnosis, are each very distinct experiences. Guided visualization can transport you to the lush tropics of Jamaica or a secluded cave in Hawaii in less than a half hour. In a fully relaxed state of mind, you allow yourself to fully imagine the taste, scent, feel, temperature and any other sensation that would “trick” your mind into experiencing the physical sensations of where you would like to be. (more…)
