Exercise to sleep better

Exercise. If you have a sedentary job, a lack of physical exertion may be reducing the quality of your sleep. The human body uses sleep to repair and recover. If there isn’t much from which to recover, your body’s sleep cycle could be disrupted. A day of physical exertion (such as taking a run or a swim) or, better yet, regular exercise can make for deeper and more restful sleep. Don’t exercise right before bed to help you get to sleep; it tires out your muscles, boosts your heart rate, and makes you even wider awake.

exercise contributes to better sleep

Be sure to choose the best ‘Natural Awakening’ Alarm Clock made by Now & Zen, Inc.  The Zen Clock features an alloy chime bar similar to a wind chime.

When the clock’s alarm is triggered, its chime produces a long-resonating, beautiful acoustic tone reminiscent of a temple gong.  Then, as the ring tone gradually fades away, the clock remains silent until it automatically strikes again three minutes later.  The frequency of the chime strikes gradually increase over ten-minutes, eventually striking every five seconds, so they are guaranteed to wake up even the heaviest sleeper.  This gentle, ten-minute “progressive awakening” leaves users feeling less groggy, and even helps with dream recall.

Natural Wake Up Alarm Clock

Now & Zen’s Chime Alarm Clock Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Waking up in the morning should be as pleasant as falling asleep at night. The Zen Alarm Clock's gradual, gentle awakening is transformative. Ukiyo-e Toshi Yoshida Sanbu Zaki Cherry Blossoms

Sleeping too little or too much can have adverse effects, study finds

People who get six to nine hours of sleep each night rate their quality of life higher and are less likely to feel depressed than those who sleep less, according to a new study.

But, sleeping more than nine hours each night is ill-advised, the researchers found.

The study examined the records of 10,654 patients, who were about age 52 on average, over a two-year period. After accounting for differences in the participants’ age, gender, race and marital status, researchers gathered information on their quality of life, feelings of depression and sleep duration.

Among the findings, slated for presentation Tuesday at a meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Minneapolis, those with a “normal” night’s sleep of six to nine hours reported high scores for quality of life and lower scores for depression severity, compared to short sleepers (fewer than six hours of sleep) and long sleepers (more than nine hours of sleep).

“These results are important because they provide more information about the importance of getting enough sleep, which is usually six to nine hours per night,” the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Charles Bae, neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center in Ohio, said in a news release from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

“People may already expect that their quality of life could be decreased when they do not get enough sleep, but they may not realize that sleeping too much can also have a negative impact,” Bae said.

Although sleep needs vary from person to person, most people require seven to eight hours of sleep each night to feel alert and well-rested during the day, according to the news release.

Because the study is to be presented in a meeting, the findings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Wake up with gradual, beautiful acoustic chimes. The Zen Alarm Clock transforms your mornings and gets you started right, with a progressive awakening

More information

The National Sleep Foundation provides more on sleep and depression.

— Mary Elizabeth Dallas

SOURCE: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, news release, June 14, 2011

The Zen Alarm Clock transforms mornings, awakening you gradually with a series of gentle acoustic chimes Once you use a Zen Clock nothing else will do

Now & Zen

The Acoustic Alarm Clock Store on Pearl Street Mall

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

orders@now-zen.com

Singing Bowl Alarm Clock with Gentle Chime

Google Ad-Words Phrase “Buddhist Alarm Clock” Causes Confusion

If you have been browsing on-line you may have seen a Google Ad-words for the search term “Buddhist alarm clock” that leads to our website www.Now–Zen.com.

“Buddhist Alarm Clock” is not a product name or search term we created, but instead one that people have been using on their own.  We are the makers of the world famous “Zen Alarm Clock” and although we are using the word “Zen” as part of our trademark, we are not trying to associate directly with Buddhism or any other organized religion. We have no control over “Buddhist Alarm Clock” being used by Google

The founders of our company have great respect for the spiritual teachings and the aesthetic achievements of Buddhism, but we also respect and appreciate a wide variety of other spiritual paths as well. Zen is the name of an ancient form of Japanese Buddhism, but ever since Robert Pirsig’s famous book, Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, was published in 1974, the word “Zen” has come to have a larger meaning within American popular culture. Zen also connotes a sort of nondenominational metaphysical quality that transcends any particular spiritual forms or teachings. The word evokes the image of a beautiful rock garden or a weather beaten pine tree on a windswept mountainside.

The timeless aesthetics of Zen Buddhism did provide inspiration for our Zen Alarm Clock, but the design also arose from other influences, such as the sublime patterns of sacred geometry.  We thus use the word “Zen” in the name of our product as a kind of lighthearted tribute to progressive spiritual culture.  But, as we have been careful to explain over the 15 years we have

been in business, we make products for both spiritual and non-spiritual people and we are not directly associated with Buddhism or any other specific form of spirituality.

Our motto is “quality of thought, stillness of being” and we hope that this is the kind of spiritual message that everyone can appreciate.

We apologize any confusion that the Ad-words search term “Buddhist Alarm Clock” may have caused. If you continue to have any questions at all, please contact us or visit www.now–zen.com for more information.

Zen Clock Headquarter Store

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

reduce stress

A technique known as “thought-stopping” can help you halt negative, obsessive thoughts, says Dr. Kenneth Ruggiero, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

The first step is to literally call a halt to this train of thought. If you’re alone, say the word “Stop!” out loud. If you’re around others, think it to yourself. Some people even find it useful to pinch themselves to disrupt those stressful thoughts, says Ruggiero.

Next, choose a positive thought on which you’ll focus instead, such as “I’ve given presentations before, and they went well” or “I know this material better than anyone in the audience.” In doing so, says Ruggiero, you swap a negative, stress-inducing thought for a positive one. Repeat this affirmation using your Zen Timepiece signaling  you to repeat this thought every 30 seconds.

singing-bowl alarm clocks and timers for meditation and yoga

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Woodblock print by Toyohara Chikanobu (1838-1912), dated 1896;Once you experience the Zen Timepiece's progressive tones, you'll never want to meditate any other way.

Meditation offers a number of benefits, but did you know it can also improve ALL, yes ALL of your relationships, whether romantic or purely business? Try this meditation tip to reduce relationship stress.

The below is reprinted with permission from The Best Meditations on the Planet by Martin Hart (Fair Winds Press, 2012)

Disputes with the people we know often arise from the judgments we’ve made about them. When we point fingers and judge other people to be wrong, we experience frustration, disappointment, anger, anxiety, or other unpleasant emotions We also set up an “us vs. them” situation. Our reactions generate stress and unhappiness in our relationships.

The following practice helps you become aware of the judgments you make every day. By paying attention to how you judge others, you can reduce the stress you experience when relating to other people and ease tensions with family members, partners, and coworkers.

• Notice each time you make a verbal or mental judgment about someone else. That idiot pulled right out in front of me! That woman is so fat, how can she let herself get that way? He’s stupid to believe that crazy idea…
• Notice each time you use these words: should, must, ought to, got to, have to, need to.
• Just observe what you say and think. Each time you catch yourself judging or criticizing someone, simple acknowledge it by mentally saying “judgment”.
• Don’t judge or blame yourself for having judgmental thoughts.
• In time, you’ll discover that you aren’t as quick to find fault with others. Your desire to change them lessens You can observe the people in your life without criticizing them or judging them to be wrong.
• You’ll also find that your own stress level diminishes, as does the tension between you and other people.
• Make this practice a part of your everyday life.

adapted from healinglifestyles.com

It's exquisite sounds summon your consciousness out of your meditative state with a series of subtle gongs. It serves as the perfect meditation timer.

Now & Zen – The Singing Bowl Meditation Timer Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

orders@now-zen.com

Do I Really Need a Timer?

Time is such a drag, especially when you have entered that timeless state of bliss that sometimes arises when you meditate or practice yoga. Ideally, once you achieve samadhi through such practices, you can just go on and on with no concern for such petty worldly concerns such as what time it is. However, unless you’re a monk or nun, endless bliss can have a way of interfering with your life’s other commitments.  This is why using a timer as an accoutrement to your spiritual practice can be both handy for you and a way of being considerate to others.

Do You Need a Meditation Timer?

Timer Store - Boulder, CO

Now & Zen’s Timer Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Kitagawa Utamaro, Komuraski of the Tamaya, House After a Bath, 1795

Perfect alarm clock gift makes waking up a calming  and relaxing experience

Replace Your Loved Ones Alarm Clock, so that you don’t have to be awakened by their Frightening, Beeping Alarm Clock…

Are you tired of your wife’s alarm clock?

What makes this gentle awakening experience so exquisite is the sound of the natural acoustic chime, which has been tuned to produce the same tones as the tuning forks used by musical therapists. According to the product’s inventor, Steve McIntosh, “once you experience this way of being gradually awakened with beautiful acoustic tones, no other alarm clock will ever do.”

Boulder, Colorado—an innovative company has taken one of life’s most unpleasant experiences (being startled awake by your alarm clock early Monday morning), and transformed it into something to actually look forward to. “The Zen Alarm Clock,” uses soothing acoustic chimes that awaken users gently and gradually, making waking up a real pleasure.  Rather than an artificial recorded sound played through a speaker, the Zen Clock features an alloy chime bar similar to a wind chime.  When the clock’s alarm is triggered, its chime produces a long-resonating, beautiful acoustic tone reminiscent of a temple gong.  Then, as the ring tone gradually fades away, the clock remains silent until it automatically strikes again three minutes later.  The frequency of the chime strikes gradually increase over ten-minutes, eventually striking every five seconds, so they are guaranteed to wake up even the heaviest sleeper.  This gentle, ten-minute “progressive awakening” leaves users feeling less groggy, and even helps with dream recall.

Replace your husband's alarm clock, choose The Zen Alarm Clock

Now & Zen’s Gentle Chime Alarm Clock Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Spiced Hot Dark Chocolate

According to Ayurvedic medicine, warming spices such as cinnamon and cardamom can help boost energy. And by swapping soy milk for regular, you ensure that dark chocolate’s antioxidants will be more fully absorbed.

how to meditate

Just as a musician prepares by playing scales, a meditator begins with familiar rituals. Find a quiet place, loosen constricting clothes, and…

Sitting on a chair or in a comfortable, cross-legged meditation pose, with your head, neck, and trunk in alignment, close your eyes.

Turn your attention to the touch of the breath in the nostrils, observing it for several minutes. Feel the cool touch of the inhalation, and the warm touch of the exhalation.

As the breath changes direction, keep your focus—this is a time when it is easy for the mind to wander. Relax and follow the breath, sensing each inhalation and each exhalation as well as each transition between breaths.

Let the feeling of the breath become a resting place for your attention, and gently relax your mind.

Now silently recite the soham mantra in coordination with your breath. Inhaling, think the sound so…. Exhaling, think the sound hum…. Let each sound flow smoothly into the next.

Other thoughts will come and go, but they are not the focus of your attention. Simply continue to follow the flow of the breath at the nostrils, letting the sound soham flow in your mind.

When your mind is refreshed, slowly open your eyes into your palms and draw your awareness outward once again.

adapted from Yoga International by Rolf Solvik May/June 2007

meditation tools and timers with chimes

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

establish a sleep schedule to cure depression

Sleep problems go hand-in-hand with depression. Some people who have depression want to sleep constantly, while others suffer from insomnia. While the relationship between sleep and depression is still being explored, studies have shown that sleep problems often precede depression, and scientists believe that sleep deprivation can also worsen depression.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends getting an average of 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night—a number that most Americans fall short of. Too often sleep is seen as a luxury instead of a necessity in our culture. Whether we’re working late, staying out with friends or just catching a late night TV show, most of us don’t get enough rest each night. And as sleep affects more than just our mental health—sleep deprivation has been linked to greater risk for cancer, diabetes and heart disease—it would be wise to give up the slogan “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” and change those habits now.

adapted from Natural Home Magazine, December 2010 by Susan Melgren

Natural Awakening Alarm Clock with Chime

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383