If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night scrambling to add to your growing holiday to-do list, you are not alone. Many people find the holiday season to be one of the most stressful times of the year, despite extra vacation time, an over-abundance of delicious treats and ample family time.

Expectations are high during the holidays. Family get-togethers, extra costs and big trips often bring with them lots of additional things to worry about. Follow these tips from Bank of America and AOL to see how a little planning will go a long way.

1. No more backtracking: A lesser-known “route planner” feature on MapQuest helps you save both time and money by mapping out an entire journey – with multiple stops – all in one convenient step. You can add up to 25 destinations along any route, and the tool gives you the fastest route. According to MapQuest, since launching in July, it has saved North Americans more than 3.2 million miles.

2. Walk off your pie: Walk off the holiday meal and recharge your mental batteries. Start a family tradition. Go for a two mile walk and you’ll burn off about 170 calories, equivalent to one slice of pumpkin pie, according to About.com’s Thanksgiving Calorie Calculator.

3. Cover yourself: Make sure you’re protected while tracking down the best deals online. Don’t share personal or account information with anyone. You will have access to funds the next business day in most cases, pending resolution of claim. Consult customer and account agreements for full details.

4. Avoid holiday shipping cost hikes: Make online purchases immediately to avoid rush and expedited shipping charges. Staying one step ahead of shipping deadlines will help ensure your packages reach their destination on time and under your budget. Mark it on your calendar now so you don’t forget.

5. PIN check: If you are traveling internationally, take note that ATMs in many countries do not recognize PIN numbers with more than four digits. Do some double-checking in advance to ensure you can access your funds while abroad.

6. Avoid holiday meal meltdown: Planning and delegating is key to preparing the perfect holiday meal. Assign a dish per guest. The meal will be more delicious, more diverse and more fun for everyone involved. Can’t find a certain ingredient locally? Try a website like penzeys.com, a one-stop-shop for hard to find spices and seasonings.

7. Secure online shopping: Make sure you’re shopping on reputable websites. When checking out online, the beginning part of the address on a secure website should change from “http” to “https.” Before submitting financial information through a site, look for the “lock” icon on the bottom right of the browser’s status bar. It signals that your information is secure during transmission.

8. Bank safely online: Buy software that blocks malicious programs from stealing your ID and passcode and tampering with your online accounts.

Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I look forward to healing with you,

Cheryl Y. Price, Ph.D.

W: www.anewwaytoheal.com

E: Cheryl@anewwaytoheal.com

Do you struggle with feelings of anxiety? If so, it’s good to know that there are ways to relieve your suffering. You can learn strategies to take charge of your nervousness and experience the serenity you deserve. You can learn to control your anxiety with simple deep breathing techniques.

When you breathe deeply and fully, your body stays calm. You may still be a bit tense, but your relaxed breathing can protect you from an anxiety attack. In an anxiety attack, you may have a tendency to hyperventilate, which increases the level of panic you experience. However, deep breathing keeps you in control.

When you hyperventilate, you take short, quick breaths in the top part of your lungs. Your chest expands, but you aren’t getting the full amount of air that you need to remain calm. The quick overload of oxygen you receive from shallow breathing makes your apprehension and panic even worse. It becomes a cycle that can be hard to break without practice.

The Most Beneficial Way To Breathe

Any time you can concentrate on breathing fully – all the way down to your abdomen – you’ll improve your relaxation response to stressful situations. If your chest is rising with each breath, you’re not expanding your lungs to full capacity. Your body lacks the oxygen it needs to thrive under the pressure of the moment.

Place a hand just above your belly button and breathe. If you’re breathing deeply, your hand will rise and fall with each breath.

Practice breathing slowly by taking full, deep breaths. You might feel a bit strange at first because you’re not used to it. You may even feel a bit giddy, but that’s normal. It’ll pass with practice.

You’re getting plenty of air, even if you don’t feel like you are. Your lungs can expand without your upper chest rising. Only your upper belly needs to rise and fall. At first, you probably won’t breathe this way unless you’re thinking about it because you’re so conditioned to breathe from your chest. Keep practicing often, and you’ll soon be breathing properly all the time.

How Breathing Affects Anxiety

Anxiety may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It may simply be the product of over-active nerves that react too strongly to stimuli. However, regardless of what causes you to feel anxious, the most important thing is to alleviate it and reduce the degree to which it affects your life. Anxiety doesn’t have to stop you from living the life you deserve.

By lowering your anxiety, you may be able to:

• Change careers or get promoted
• Speak in front of others without fear
• Travel to places you’ve always wanted to see
• Embark on a new relationship or business venture
• Reduce your dependency on medication or therapy

If you’re contemplating reducing any medication or therapy you’re currently using, consult your physician before making any changes to your established regimen. But you can still start deep breathing right away. There are no side effects, as this type of breathing is natural and healthy. And it’s something that everyone can learn and benefit from.

If you struggle with worry, you can feel more relaxed and in control by simply controlling your breathing. Begin practicing deep breathing strategies today and experience peace in the midst of the storms of your life!

Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I look forward to healing with you,

Cheryl Y. Price, Ph.D.

W: www.anewwaytoheal.com

E: holisticspeaker@gmail.com

Massages run the gamut from soothing and gentle to rigorous and more intense. If you tend towards the former, a Thai massage might be the next type of massage therapy you try. It is easy on the body with amazing results.

The ancient basis of massages was for total body wellness. People visited doctors to have a massage performed for all types of illnesses. Some massages have their own individual techniques and others are a mixture of techniques to create a new massage style. Thai massage uses elements of yoga, shiatsu and acupressure to create this soothing therapy.

A Thai massage will provide not only pain relief but also mind relief. Like Ayurveda, the Thai method is a holistic system that includes the mind in with the body. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind and vice versa. A regular Thai massage promotes good health, improved circulation and flexibility as well as relief of neck, back and joint pain. the main purpose is to reopen energy paths in the body called meridians that may have been closed due to illness.

The Thai massage is not performed on a traditional massage bed like you may be used to but on the floor. Yes, we said the floor. You will be on a mat or maybe a mattress. If you have physical problems that will make the floor unwise let your massage therapist know. If it is pain in joints or the back, the massage itself could solve it for you.

You will remain fully clothed for this massage. And, there is no oil applied with a Thai massage so your clothes won’t get messed up. Loose fitting clothing that you don’t mind getting wrinkled or full of foot and handprints (more on that in a moment) are worn. You can always change afterwards if you have somewhere to go. The massage is performed in silence most times for total concentration and relaxation.

A massage of this type takes a couple of hours. The massage therapist will begin with your feet and work their way up towards your head to detoxify and boost your body’s energy. This massage is gentle so the moves will be easy on you. It employs elements of yoga but you don’t have to be a yoga buff to participate. The Thai massage therapist uses hands, feet, elbows, arms and knees to apply pressure all over your body.

Another technique is used that many find invigorating. It is called Trigger Point Therapy. Pressure is held on a certain point for as long as 30 seconds and released. The release of pressure sends sudden warmth into the extremities that also brings with it increased blood flow, oxygen and energy.

If you want the Thai experience, visit a licensed Thai massage therapist and experience a massage with benefits that will last for hours.

Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I look forward to healing with you,

Cheryl Y. Price, Ph.D.

W: www.anewwaytoheal.com

E: cheryl@cherylyprice.com

Hot Stone Massage is the newest thing in massage therapy. It has been around for a while but people are just discovering how therapeutic it can actually be. These are no ordinary stones and this is no ordinary massage. Try a hot stone massage and see if you like the feeling.

It seems that by the time we fall into bed at night, our bodies are screaming for relief. Pain can put a halt to a good night’s sleep though. you change your mattress and/or your pillows to solve the problem. Those muscles just won’t cooperate with you. Now, it’s time for a massage.

Hot stone massage therapy makes use of basalt stones. They remind you of the smooth ones you used to skip or step on as you crossed a stream. These stones are known to hold heat for long periods of time which works perfectly for an effective massage.

If you are worried about sanitation, don’t be. The stones are cleaned and they are kept in a heated water device where the temperature stays around 135 degrees when they are not in use.

Hot stones are used in various sizes depending on the area to be massaged. Smaller stones are used in smaller areas and larger ones in larger areas of the body. The stones are usually centered over specific points on the body for maximum heat dissipation. This means that the heat will be released from the stones and absorbed by your body to relax the muscles before the touch massage begins. The stones can be placed directly on your skin or on a towel that is covering your skin.

Once the hot stones have had time to share their warmth, the massage therapist uses essential oils to help the stones glide across your skin as they knead the muscles. The direction of their kneading and gentle pressure moves toxins out of the organs and tissues. They also use their hands as well to complete the massage. Circulation is greatly increased throughout the body as well.

Hot stone massage therapy alleviates several conditions in the body. As you might have guessed, it helps arthritis sufferers and those who are being burdened by stress in their body. Did you know that it also works for people suffering from Fibromyalgia, back pain and depression?

A hot stone massage is not a rushed affair. You get to enjoy 90 minutes of warm relaxing heat therapy all over your body (they may even put small stones between your toes!). Make sure you can devote the time to such a luxury because you won’t want to be interrupted.

Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I look forward to healing with you,

Cheryl Y. Price, Ph.D.

W: www.anewwaytoheal.com

E: cheryl@cherylyprice.com

The fast-paced, hectic world we live in is fraught with situations that can cause us to feel an unhealthy amount of stress. This stress sometimes develops into, or manifests itself as, worries and fears, leading to feelings of anxiety. Have you fallen into this frustrating path?

If so, it’s comforting to know that you can ease feelings of anxiety by understanding your worries and fears and taking action to get to the root of them. One of the prime natural methods to easing anxiety is the use of meditation.

Meditation is a basic self-help technique that can get you in better touch with yourself. It also relieves stress, relaxes your body, and calms your mind.

Getting to the Root of Your Anxiety

Anxiety is a scary thing because it’s your body’s reaction to a fearful situation, except anxiety can form when there’s no perceived threat. You may even fall into a pattern where you’re afraid of the fear itself, so you avoid situations that have brought out anxiety in the past.

However, you’ll soon find that avoiding life does nothing to help you solve your challenges. You can enjoy much better results by figuring out the real causes of your feelings of anxiety. Participating in counseling or group therapy situations may help you understand these feelings. Another way to get to the root of your feelings is by practicing meditation.

Starting Out With Meditation

There are different ways you can approach a meditative practice. You can start by just picking a time everyday when you can calmly be alone without distractions. Begin your meditation by taking deep breaths and focusing only on each breath as it goes in and out.

On a particularly stressful day, you might have more difficulty focusing on your breath. The thoughts of whatever is stressing you may keep getting in the way. When this happens, acknowledge the thought and then go back to concentrating on your breath. Eventually, you’ll feel your mind grow calm.

As you calm your mind, begin purposefully taking notice of your thoughts. All you must do is notice them, and then return your attention to your breath again. If any thoughts make you uncomfortable or tense, relax your muscles and then focus on your breath again.

Try not to stress yourself out further by getting frustrated with the meditation process. As you continue to practice, it will get easier, and you’ll look forward to your relaxation sessions.

Maintaining Your Practice

Meditating will help you become fully aware of the present moment. Remind yourself to spend a portion of every day in the present so you’re not burdened by past and future stress. With regular practice, you’ll be able to expand the amounts of time that you stay in the present.

By continuing to meditate on a consistent basis, you’ll begin to notice your true self. You can discover a lot about your life by maintaining awareness of the present moment. You’ll also notice the way your body reacts to stress and anxiety and can take measures to counteract it.

When Meditation Isn’t Enough

Although meditating can go a long way toward easing your feelings of anxiety, sometimes meditation practice alone may not be your complete solution. In these situations, don’t hesitate to ask for help. There are many treatment options that include other natural methods, counseling services, and even medications.

With meditation and other methods, if necessary, you can make your feelings of anxiety become a faint memory of the past. Be proactive about creating a life free from fears or worries, and start meditating today so you can look forward to a bright future!

Please leave a comment.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I look forward to healing with you,

Cheryl Y. Price, Ph.D.

W: www.anewwaytoheal.com

E: holisticspeaker@gmail.com