Back from Vacation

Hello everyone!

I am back from a 20 day vacation to visit friends and relax with my husband in several cities in Canada. I'll be getting back into the swing of things over the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!

Hope you are well!
Joanna

Back in August

Dear friends,

I will be away from my phone, blog and email on vacation from July 11 - 30, returning to the office on July 31. I look forward to catching up with you in early August!

If you're looking for wellness tips while I'm away, take a look at my archives here, or sign up to receive my bi-weekly wellness ezine.

I've got some great events planned to take place at Union Square Acupuncture in August, and I hope to see some of you there.

• August 5 Reiki training begins. Reiki 1 meets 10:30-12p & Reiki 2 meets 4:30-6p. Registration will be open until August 5th. Send me an email or leave a message if you'd like to sign up. Reiki 1 cost = $75. Reiki 2 cost=$100
• August 5 Reiki community clinic from 1-3pm, 15 minutes of relaxing bliss for $10
• August 12 Reiki share/study group for any Reiki 1 practitioner in the area $10
• August 18 Union Square Farmer's Market Health Fair - come by to see our table!
• August 19 Community Wellness Clinic ~ Reiki 15 min/$10, Massage 20min/$15
• August 26 Reiki share/study group for any Reiki 2 or above practioner in the area $10

Be well! See you in August!
Joanna

Change your environment to energize you

Now that's you've taken a closer look at your environment to understand how it affects you, the next step is to make it work for you. There are some things you can't control, and that's why you can "snack" on energy boosting activities to counteract the draining effects of things you can't change.

What about the things you can change? Here's a list of ideas on how you can tweak your environment so that it has more of a positive impact on your energy levels.

• listen to enjoyable music with headphones, surround sound or just turn on the radio
• put up pictures of soothing vacation destinations, role models that inspire you, or loved ones and pets around you in your office
• tape reminders to your computer moniter to "breathe" or "take a break"
• shut your office door for a couple of minutes, or hours
• add a plant to your desk or working area to provide oxygen and trigger relaxation
• choose soft or comforting fabrics to wear while working
• take the train to work instead of driving, so you can relax on the way to & from by reading, listening to music on your ipod, and people watching
• play nature sounds in the background or set up one of those small water fountains
• burn incense or light a scented candle (or wear aromatherapy perfume if you can't burn anything)
• substitute herbal tea for coffee and enjoy not only the taste but the aromas
• bring a book of jokes to work and take a joke break and share laughs with others
• clean up all the clutter, find everything in your office a home, and throw out the rest
• put a natural incandescent light bulb in a lamp on or near your desk
• set your computer background to something peaceful and soothing
• change your route to work so that it goes through a park or avoids a major intersection or construction site
• use a fan for background white noise
• put your phone on "Do Not Disturb" for periods of time throughout your day so you can focus on projects
• put a "Do Not Disturb" sign up on your office door (especially if you work from home and there is family around who might want to interrupt you)
• find something to appreciate about the person at work who gets under your skin the most

What will soothe and energize you?

Revitalize with energy "snacks"

I posted previously about paying attention to the "food" in your energy diet, asking you to consider how you feel after exposure to different elements in your environment. This is part two of the series. Take a look here if you missed the original post.

You may have discovered that some things you encounter every day actually deplete your energy - maybe it's sirens down the street, construction in your neighborhood, or the guy two cubes over who bangs things around on his desk. It could even been the phone ringing off the hook or the clutter in your office that drains the joy right out of you whenever you think about it too much. Whatever it is that's depleting you - the great news is that you have the power to optimize your energy diet and reverse the flow.

Oh sure, it would be ideal if we could eliminate the things that are draining, but that's not realistic in 21st century urban america. There will always be loud noises, electro-magnetic rays from televisions, microwaves, cell phones, etc..., and people who push our buttons throughout the day. The key to revitalizing (and maintaining) your energy is to make sure you include nourishing energy "snacks" throughout your day, especially after exposure to things that diminish your well-being.

Energy "snacks" help you recharge in only 5 to 15 minutes - and planning for several throughout your day (and keeping an emergency stash on hand for unpredictable situations) will keep your energy and your spirits high. What's revitalizing for you may be different than for someone else - it varies depending on preferences and temperment. Here are some ideas to start you off on brainstorming your own energy booster "snacks" to include in your day.

• putting on headphones (or surround sound) to listen to music that uplifts you


• and dancing around the room


• tickling a child (or willing adult) and sucumbing to giggles


• sitting quietly with eyes closed


• taking several deep breaths


• running up a flight of stairs


• stretching at your desk


• locking yourself in the restroom for a few minutes of alone time


• doing a somersault or cartwheel


• singing at the top of your lungs or humming quietly


• petting your cat, dog, gerbil, etc...


• contemplating the view out your office window


• doodling on your notepad


• meditating


• doing a quick series of yoga poses or holding one long pose


• calling a good friend for support and encouragement


• hugging someone you care about


• losing yourself in a good novel


• eating something slowly and deliberately, paying attention to every flavor and sensation


• go outside and let yourself feel the sun and breezes on your skin


• tell someone a joke and laugh with them


• watch something ridiculous on youtube that makes you smile or laugh


• give advice, support and encouragement to a friend


• smile sincerely at a stranger, maybe even say hello

The trick is to come up with a list of things that boost your energy, and then pick a couple of things off the list to charge you up throughout the day. You may even want to take a pro-active approach and put them right into your schedule.

How to relax before your vacation even starts!

I am about one week away from a 21 day vacation from work. As a fairly typical American who habitually works too much, it was tough to give myself permission to take this much time off to relax. (I'm not even sure I've taken this much time off as an adult ever.) It's even harder to ignore all the "what ifs...?" running through my mind of all the things that could go wrong while I'm away or worries about losing the momentum that is beginining to propel my business along without quite so much constant hard work.

The days leading up to my trip continue to be challenging as I try to fit in all those last minute meetings with clients, wrap up loose ends, finish my projects scheduled for completion prior to the trip, make reservations, pack for the trip, clean my house, get to the gym, and stay calm, cool and collected. Whew! I think sometimes getting ready for vacation is more work than... work!

I know that R & R is so important for over well-being, which is why I made this trip a priority even though the timing may not feel completely comfortable. Allowing the vacation preparations to cause stress is counterproductive to my goal of R & R, so I have dug into the bottom of my bag of tricks to come up with some tools to get me through the pre-vacation push as peacefully as possible.

My first step was to make daily appointments with myself between now and take-off for all the self-care things which keep me feeling energized and happy. This includes enough time to sleep, a morning meditation, getting to the gym, dates with loved ones, and unplanned down time. Yep, that one probably sounds funny - an appointment for unscheduled time - but it works! I commit to a date with myself where I don't pre-plan what I'd like to do; instead, I tune in to my desires or needs and spend the time spontaneously.

The second step was to take a critical look at my to-do list and decide which items are priority and truly need to be completed before the trip. I found a number of things on that list that I would love to complete before the trip, but they weren't crucial so I set them aside for when I return. Then I delegated some of the tasks by asking for help and handing them over to someone very competent whom I trust with the responsibility of completing them while I'm away.

This exercise resulted in a smaller, more manageable list of tasks, which brings me to the third step. I promptly scheduled all of the tasks as appointments in my PDA so I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting something or when I was going to fit an errand in. Now, everything I need to do and know before my trip is organized at my fingertips.

Of course, life has this way of turning the best made plans topsy turvy, so I put plenty of extra time in between appointments. So as my last step, I decided to view any obstacle or challenge over the next month as an opportunity for adventure.

summer Reiki training

Reiki training quickly provides you with the skills and simple technique for easily attaining a state of deep relaxation which is beneficial for boosting your immune system, reducing stress, alleviating aches and pains, and regulating sleep.

The next Reiki 1 training program meets four Sundays from 4:30-6pm in Somerville starting Sunday August 5th. It's only $75 to learn this valuable tool for increasing and maintaining personal vitality.

Reiki 2 meets four Sundays from 10:30-12pm at Union Square Acupuncture also starting August 5th. Cost: $100

Take a look at the upcoming Reiki schedule with Joanna at Union Square Acupuncture here.

Email joannascaparotti@gmail.com or call 617-429-1793 with your name and phone number to register for any of the upcoming Reiki events.

reiki clinic today

I had quite a turnout at my reiki clinic today - turns out there was a little blurb published in the Boston Globe Sidekick yesterday recommending it!

If the rest of your weekend entertainment efforts fail to relax you, Union Square Acupuncture might be able to help. It's offering a low-cost Reiki clinic for stress reduction and wellness on the first Sunday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m. It's $10 for a 15-minute session of this traditional Japanese therapy, which has something to do with the flow of "life energy." Call for reservations. Union Square Acupuncture, 21 Bow St., Somerville, 617-718-7555.