The Importance of Sleep

Here are 3 very important questions you need to ask yourself:

How has the quality of your sleep been?

When you wake up, are you groggy?

Do you need caffeine at the start of your day?

If you answered yes to and of these questions, then you’re suffering from low-quality sleep — a problem many people face in our go go go society.

People I’ve Met Along The Way

Over the years, I’ve treated a lot of people. Lately, one type of person has stuck out: the kind of person who is very passionate about what they do and highly motivated about doing it. This person is always putting in extra time at work, but forgets to eat; they’ll pick up a book, and then stay up at night an extra hour or two to finish that chapter; they’ll go to bed late, only to wake up early to make up for lost time.

Now, being able to push yourself like that is something to be proud of — not everyone’s able to to it — but if your passion and motivation are regularly getting in the way of quality sleep, you’re slowly burning yourself out.

The problem is that this becomes a cycle: you go go go until you crash, and then spend the next day feeling sluggish. The problem is, is that as a highly motivated and passionate person, you push yourself through that sluggishness — over and over and over again.

Become Passionate About Sleep

Your body isn’t in full recovery mode until you’re sleeping deeply. You intuitively know this is true, because after you do finally get the rest that you need, you’re able to plough through your day without any resistance. This is because your body can only truly begin healing and restoring itself when you’re mind is fast asleep.

Sleep isn’t just about the body

Look at it like this: You spend your entire day thinking about … everything, with each thought co-occurring or leading you towards your one out of a thousand experiences and conversations you’re having with friends, family and coworkers throughout the day. Your mind needs to recharge as well.

Becoming passionate and motivated about your sleep will change you. Put as much energy into the quality of your sleep as you do to the rest of your life and you’ll have the energy and drive you need to live the life you dream about.

How To Improve Your Quality Of Sleep

Here are some steps you can take tonight:

Make sure your bedroom is just a bedroom: leave your phone, laptop and tablet in the other room. Charge those in the kitchen, living room or office.

Tidy up the boudoir: a cluttered room can lead to a restless mind. A really good habit to cultivate is having your bedroom tidy at all times — this way, when you walk into your bedroom, there’s nothing to do other than relax.

Journal: clear your mind by clearing the chatter before you lay down. Journaling really helps relieve mental tension. Think of it like this: after an intensive workout you cool down with a slow walk. Journalling is the same: after a day of go go go you can cool down your mind with a hand-written journal.

Stop and breathe: cultivate a night ritual that works for you. Some people prefer to meditate for 15 mins at night before bed. Others like to do some yoga postures that are specifically designed to help you sleep better.

Catch some Zzz’s

If you create space to sleep, you’ll find that you’ll have the energy to live a much fuller, happier life. If you’ve already tried some of this and need some help, or are suffering from any kind of sleep disorder, book an acu-therapy appointment with me at Amatsu Clinic, and I’ll give you a net that you can catch some Zzz’s with.

Digestive Problems: More Than a Belly Ache

Seasonal Cleanses

Holistic approaches to medicine, such as those practiced at Amatsu Therapy, provide a variety of methods to keep your body optimized and invigorated all year around. One of these methods is the seasonal cleanse. This short article will briefly explain what a seasonal cleanse is and how a simple detox can benefit you.

Fun in the sun

The summer season is associated with abundance. The days are longer and the sun shines brighter. During this time, your yang energy is at its peak, meaning your living life at its fullest. You probably found that you were much more creative over the summer and that your energy levels were off the charts. But summer can’t last forever, and as we creep into the fall our bodies respond in like: our yang energy tapers down and we can begin the process of recovery.

An Autumn Cleanse

Autumn is about preparation. The trees prepare themselves by letting of go their leaves, conserving energy for the upcoming winter. As the season shifts, we move away from the summer’s abundance towards a more introspective time. Our lungs are the dominant organ this time of year, and Lung energy is about letting go or breathing it out.
I like to sync my body and mind up with this season, using this shift in energy as an opportunity to become more mindful, reflective and healthy. To cleanse my mind I begin looking within, letting go of anything unnecessary that I’m mentally clinging to. This allows me to make room for new experiences that will help me learn and grow. For my body, I begin my cleanse.

What You Can do

Begin by limiting your sugars, flours, dairy and alcohol consumption. This helps clean out any mucus build up in your lungs and stomach lining. You can include more spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Aside from sprucing up your food, they support your intestinal and respiratory health.

If you’re suffering from any skin or breathing problems, like asthma, eczema, rashes or dry skin, this is the perfect time to begin alleviating those health concerns. An autumn cleanse will also help stave off seasonal colds, keep your immune system healthy, and prepare your organs for the colder months ahead. Best of all, an autumn cleanse doesn’t require a full-on fast!

8 meal tips to go with your Autumn cleanse

You don’t need to fast in order to cleanse. You can enjoy a lightly prepared seasonal meal that support your organs’ optimal functions. For your autumn cleanse, you could enjoy lightly cooked whole grains, seasonal squashes and cooked root vegetables.  Slow cookers or crockpots are fantastic for nutrient dense meals during the cleanse and into the cold months. Even if you’re a meat-eater, now is the time to begin ridding your body of excess proteins and fats. Just ease up a bit on animal products and stick to plant foods — that’s all it’ll take to benefit from this seasons cleanse. And don’t forget to add those warming spices to your meals.

Take the guesswork out

Safely release built up toxins in your lymphatic, respiratory and digestive system with 3 Amatsu Detox Therapy Sessions. This is a safe and easy way to work with your body, clearing any congestion and inflammation within it. Together we can restore your body to its optimal state of health and well-being and prepare it for the long winter months through this corrective natural approach. No guess work required because I’ll be there to guide and support you through the entire cleanse.

Book your Amatsu Autumn Cleanse today.

Not Getting The Performance You Want?

Share The Same Basic Needs

Scheduled Maintenance

Like every vehicle, your body has some basic requirements that need to be met so that it can remain healthy. For example, you need to make sure that your fluids are topped up, that your moving parts need are lubricated and that you perform regular check ups as the milage racks up. Without a proper scheduled maintenance plan, you risk early wear and tear, which could end up costing you a lot more than money.

2 Ways To Maintain Your Vehicle:

Reactive vs Preventative Maintenance

Reactive maintenance begins when something in your vehicle abruptly breaks, like when your engine overheats on the way to the grocery store or you find yourself winded when you walk up and down the stairs a few times. Stuff like this often costs a fair amount to fix, and when something does finally break, a lot of other systems are taken out with it because all the parts rely on each other to function properly.
Preventive maintenance involves seeing your doctor-mechanic regularly for check-ups in order to make sure your vehicle’s running optimally. They can make sure your fluids and joints are working just right, and can evaluate your systems for early signs of wear-and-tear.

… An Ounce Of Prevention

It’s ultimately your choice on how you want to maintain your vehicle. There will always be people who’ll wait till there’s oil on their driveway floor before they see a mechanic. Others only book an appointment when their engine light is flashing. And then there are the people follow their car’s owner’s manual because performance and efficiency make the journey allot more enjoyable.

So what kind of "vehicle/body owner" are you?

Which one of these would you buy a car from?

If it’s been 4 months since your last check-up, you’re "vehicle/Body" is long overdue for a tune-up or just basic maintenance.

Book your maintenance appointment today at Amatsu Clinic with Dr. Perez, because the best repair is the one you never have to make.