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Sleep Supporters – Use Your Yoga Timer

yoga can help you relax and sleep

yoga can help you relax and sleep

Put away your pills and roll out your yoga mat. These yoga poses help relieve insomnia.

When was the last time you had a good night’s rest? According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation is on the rise: As many as 71 percent of Americans get far less than the recommended eight hours.

There are two primary categories of sleeplessness, says Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., P.T., author of Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times. One is physiological (too much coffee or alcohol, hormonal changes, illness, jet lag); the other is psychological (stress, worry, unresolved conflict).

“You may hold your thoughts at bay all day long,” explains Lasater, “but when you sleep, they’re still spinning in your mind.”Yoga helps slow the spin, she says, adding, “It’s not that you go to sleep and then relax—it’s that you get relaxed and then go to sleep.”

Poses that support you completely with props are the key to creating a relaxed body and mind. “When you feel supported, the only response is relaxation,” Lasater notes. This sleep-enhancing set includes Side-Lying Corpse Pose, which teaches “total release, total softening,” she says: “It’s the ultimate form of letting go.The focus is directed inward to shift you from doing to being.”

Do these 3 poses one after the other. If you wake up sleepless in the middle of the night, leave your bed and do any of the 3 you choose.

Supported Reclining Pose

  1. Place a pillow on your mat,along with a folded blanket to support your head. Roll 3 additional blankets.
  2. Sit in front of the pillow with your tailbone at its edge. Bend your knees and place a blanket roll underneath.
  3. Lean back and rest your torso on the pillow and your head on the folded blanket. Let your heels rest on the mat. Place each forearm on a rolled-up blanket, both palms turned up.
  4. Take several long,deep breaths. As you exhale,allow your belly to drop into your pelvis. Feel the tension melt away. Stay here for at least 15 minutes.

Simple Supported Backbend

  1. Stack 2 blankets, one folded around the other,and place them horizontally on the mat.
  2. Sit on the mat with your back to the blankets, your knees bent, and your feet flat. Lean back and place your elbows on the blankets for support and balance.
  3. Slowly roll backward until your lower back is completely supported by the blankets and your head is on the mat. Bring your arms out to your sides, palms turned up. Close your eyes.
  4. Breathe slowly and evenly, allowing your body to soften. Stay here for 1 minute, then gradually increase your time in the pose.

Side-Lying Corpse Pose (Caution: If you are more than 3 months pregnant, lie on your left side only.)

  1. Sit on your mat with your props—2 folded blankets and 2 king-sized pillows—nearby. Lean on one arm, then lower yourself to the mat so you’re lying on your side with your knees bent.
  2. Place one blanket under your head and the other between your knees, shins, and ankles.
  3. Place one pillow lengthwise in front of you and the other behind you so you’re lying between them; hug the front pillow as you relax into both. Close your eyes and take several slow, easy breaths. Relax your jaw and eyes. Stay here for 20 minutes.

Use our unique “Zen Clock” which functions as a Yoga Timer.  It features a long-resonating acoustic chime that brings your meditation or yoga session to a gradual close, preserving the environment of stillness while also acting as an effective time signal. Our Yoga Timer & Clock can be programmed to chime at the end of the meditation or yoga session or periodically throughout the session as a kind of sonic yantra. The beauty and functionality of the Zen Clock/Timer makes it a meditation tool that can actually help you “make time” for meditation in your life. Bring yourself back to balance.

Chime Yoga Timers and Alarm Clock

Chime Yoga Timers and Alarm Clock

    adapted from Natural Health Magazine, by Nora Isaacs

    Natural Wake Up Clock with Chime

    Natural Wake Up Clock with Chime

    Now & Zen – The Yoga Timer Store

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in sleep, Sleep Habits, Well-being, yoga, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen


    Lemon Balm Tea May Ease Insomnia – Timer Your Tea with The Zen Timer with Chime

    tea solutions

    tea solutions

    What it is
    A member of the mint family, lemon balm has a distinct lemony flavor and aroma, which makes it a popular garden herb. Although it’s mild enough to use for treating children’s ailments, lemon balm is a powerful herbal healer for adults as well.

    Why it’s used
    Herbalists today primarily use lemon balm for easing insomnia, anxiety, stress, and digestive upsets. It is also used to ward off insects and heal bug bites. The recent discovery of the herb’s antiviral compounds has made it popular as a topical treatment for oral and genital herpes.

    History and folk remedies
    Lemon balm has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years as a medicinal plant. As early as the tenth century, Arab physicians recommended the flavorful herb for easing nervous tension. In medieval Europe, extracts of lemon balm became a fashionable sedative; the emperor Charlemagne decreed that the herb be grown in every monastery garden in his domain. Throughout the Middle Ages, herbalists prescribed lemon balm for insomnia, headaches, nervous stomach, anxiety, depression, and menstrual cramps. From the time of ancient Greece, lemon balm was also used to help heal minor wounds and to treat bug bites and stings.

    How it works
    Researchers have identified a variety of compounds in lemon balm with mildly sedative properties that relax the nervous system. Other compounds, including fragrant essential oils, help to relieve indigestion. The plant contains polyphenols, compounds that fight infection-causing bacteria; this supports the traditional use of lemon balm for healing wounds. Laboratory studies also show that lemon balm has antiviral properties. Scientists theorize that the herb prevents viruses from attaching to cells.

    Scientific support
    In a German study, lemon balm combined with valerian (Valeriana officinalis) was found to significantly improve sleep quality when compared with a placebo (Fitoterapia, 1999, vol. 70, no. 3). Another study showed that the same herbal formula was as effective as the pharmaceutical tranquilizer Halcion but without the negative side effects typical of sedative drugs (Therapiewoche, 1992, vol. 42).

    lemon balm

    lemon balm

    The botanical name Melissa comes from the Greek word for bee, because bees love this flowering herb. German researchers have also proven the effectiveness of lemon balm as a herpes treatment. In a recent study, 116 people with herpes sores (oral and genital) were given either a cream containing 1 percent lemon balm extract or a placebo. Those using the herb had a significantly better recovery rate than those using the placebo (Phytomedicine, 1994, vol. 1, no. 1). Another study followed 66 individuals just starting to develop a cold sore. On day two, those using the lemon balm cream were healing more quickly, had less discomfort, and exhibited fewer and smaller blisters than those not taking the herb (Phytomedicine, 1999, vol. 6, no. 4).

    Dose
    To make a lemon balm tea, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 teaspoons of dried leaf (or 2 tablespoons of fresh leaves). Set your Zen Timer with Chime for 15 minutes. Cover, steep for 15 minutes, strain, and drink. For insomnia, drink 1 cup 30 minutes before bed. For stress and anxiety, drink up to 3 cups throughout the day. If you prefer using a concentrated liquid extract, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon diluted in a small amount of warm water up to three times a day.

    adapted from Delicious Living, July 2004 by Laurel Vukovic

    “The Zen Alarm Clock & Chime Timer’,  uses soothing acoustic chimes that signal it’s time –  gently and gradually.

    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.

    Digital Zen Timer with Chime, a good timer for lemon balm tea

    Digital Zen Timer with Chime, a good timer for lemon balm tea

    Now & Zen’s Chime Timer Store

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, sleep, Sleep Habits, Well-being, Zen Timers


    Feng Shui Your Bedroom for A Better Rest – Choose a Peaceful Alarm Clock

    Feng Shui your bedroom for a better rest

    Feng Shui your bedroom for a better rest

    Use Feng Shui principles to set up your bed and you could wake up more rested.

    Use Feng Shui principles to set up your bed and you could wake up more rested, according to Ellen Whitehurst, a feng shui consultant and author of the upcoming book Make This Your Lucky Day (Ballantine, 2007). The goal is to balance the energy in your bedroom so you can relax-to do this, start by placing the head of your bed against a wall, which will give you a feeling of stability (a headboard has the same effect). But don’t put your bed in a corner. “Leave space on both sides of your bed so energy can circle freely around you,” says Whitehurst. If possible, move your bed so you can see your door without being directly across from it-or in front of a window. This arrangement, called “the command position,” will subconsciously make you feel more secure by allowing you to see who is coming into your room without being startled.

    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.

    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.”

    adapted from Natural Health Magazine

    Chime Alarm Clock, the original progression wake up clock with soothing Feng Shui Chime to awaken you gently

    Chime Alarm Clock, the original progression wake up clock with soothing Feng Shui Chime to awaken you gently

    Now & Zen – The Peaceful Alarm Clock Store

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Feng Shui, sleep, Sleep Habits, Well-being


    Sleep On It – Snooze News From The Zen Alarm Clock Store

    Benefits of Sleep

    Benefits of Sleep

    Wake up! New research reported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science shows that sleep is one of the brain’s most powerful tools for learning and remembering. University of Chicago researcher Daniel Margoliash found evidence that young birds practice singing while they sleep: Brain cells active during waking hours showed similar firing when the baby birds napped. “Birds dream of singing,” Margoliash says. And after navigating a spiral maze all day, rats apparently dream of running. Matthew Wilson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that the sleeping rodents’ brains replayed electrical signals characteristic of running. In human laboratory experiments, students who were tested and then allowed to sleep before retesting showed consistent improvement.

    In fact, Robert Stickgold of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that a period of sleep between tests resulted in a 20% boost in performance without additional training, and “the more sleep the students got, the more they improved.” Says Stickgold, “Modern life’s erosion of sleep time could be seriously short-changing our education potential.” He says that “cramming all night may help you pass a test, but if you want to remember any of it after college, you need to sleep on it.”

    adapted from Natural Solutions, Aug, 2002

    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.

    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.”

    Chime Wake Up Clock by Now & Zen

    Chime Wake Up Clock by Now & Zen

    Now & Zen’s Chime

    Alarm Clock Store

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO 80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, intention, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Sleep Habits, Well-being


    How to Become a Morning Person – Use Your Gentle, Chime Alarm Clock to Wake-Up

    Morning

    Morning

    You don’t have to be a naturally early riser to enjoy all that the morning has to offer. With the right perspective and a few small adjustments, you can turn your morning into one of the most relaxing and energizing parts of your day.

    “The morning has incredible potential,” says Alison Novie, senior yoga instructor at Kula Yoga in Manhattan. “I think of the new day as a new year — a whole new life. If you could modify just a few things about your morning, it would change the way you see your day.”

    To some degree, you don’t have much choice about how you feel when the sun comes up. Not everyone is born a morning person. But that doesn’t mean your mornings can’t change for the better. It’s worth tinkering with your natural inclinations to reap the rich rewards.

    Quiet, full of expectation, yet uncluttered by conversation and untouched by the demands of the day, the morning presents an opportunity for you to find joy, peace, and strength — or at the very least, the chance to ease into the flow so that you aren’t thrown into your day headlong and half awake. We’ve spoken with a renowned sleep expert, a yoga instructor, and a Reiki healer for their insights on everything from getting a good night’s sleep to practicing mind/body awareness to incorporating a sense of play early in the day. Their strategies work well together or individually. Find the ones that work for you, and enjoy them in and around your current morning chaos, whether you live alone, with two dogs, or with five kids. By taking the time to stimulate your senses and relax your body and mind, you’ll start out calmer, more energized, and better prepared for whatever lies ahead.

    Reset Your Natural Alarm
    First things first: You’ll never enjoy the morning if you don’t get a good night’s sleep. For some people, that means a solid nine hours of uninterrupted slumber; for others, seven hours of shut-eye will do. Sleep expert James B. Maas, Ph.D., author of Power Sleep, notes that eight hours of sleep is the average — but only an average, not a rigid goal. When you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re the first to know. Shifting your sleep schedule is possible, says Maas, but it requires commitment. “If you’re a night person, and you want or need to become a day person, you can do it, but you have to be serious about it. You can’t flip-flop,” he advises. Here’s how to alter your habits in favor of an earlier (and happier) morning.

    Make a gradual shift. If you find it hard to fall asleep at night, take things slowly when it comes to establishing a new time for bed. Try hitting the hay five minutes earlier each night, and in less than two weeks you will have shifted your bedtime by one hour.

    Resist the urge to snooze. Hitting the snooze bar is an exercise in futility — and torture. You’ll get at best 5 or 10 minutes of fragmented sleep, notes Maas, and may arise feeling groggier than when your alarm first went off. Instead of sneaking in 10 more minutes of sleep, try going to bed 10 minutes earlier instead.

    Expose yourself to bright daylight. This is one of the best and most effective things you can do to wake yourself up, says Maas. By opening the curtains and the windows or getting outside, you cue your brain to repress the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. Natural daylight works best, but if you get up before sunrise or simply can’t get enough natural light, consider using a sun-mimicking device as an alternative.

    Don’t lose sleep over exercise. While you may choose to exercise in the morning, Maas recommends against sacrificing sleep for it. “Never truncate your sleep in order to work out. This puts you at a greater risk of injury,” he advises. Only when you have had enough uninterrupted hours of sleep should you think about getting up to exercise.

    Chime Alarm Clocks and Meditation Timers - Mother and daughter Harunobu

    Chime Alarm Clocks and Meditation Timers - Mother and daughter Harunobu

    Be consistent. “You don’t get two biological clocks — one for weekdays and one for weekends,” says Maas. “That means you have to stick by one.” Sleeping late on the weekends to compensate for lack of sleep during the week will throw you off, making Monday mornings even worse than they need to be. While keeping a consistent sleep schedule is ideal, it’s not always reasonable or practical. Your best bet is to try to keep your schedule fairly regular (that is, getting up and going to bed within an hour or so of your weekday schedule).

    Plan your evenings. How you wind down the day may affect the quality of your sleep — and therefore the quality of the following morning. For some, eating a chocolate bar, watching a dramatic movie, or arguing right before bed will be enough to derail sleep. Be aware of your particular sensitivities; avoid those things you know will keep you up.

    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.

    adapted from Body +Soul Magazine, March 2006

    Now & Zen’s Chime Alarm Clock Store

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Chime Alarm Clocks - The Digital Zen Alarm Clock

    Chime Alarm Clocks - The Digital Zen Alarm Clock

    Posted in Chime Alarm Clocks, Natural Awakening, sleep, Sleep Habits, wake up alarm clock, Well-being


    Streamline Your Bedroom Space: Decluttering and Organizing Tips – Choose The Zen Alarm Clock

    Decluttering a bedroom, Digital Zen Alarm Clock

    Decluttering a bedroom space, Digital Zen Alarm Clock

    What’s the first space in your home that experts recommend tackling when you declutter? If you said the living room, kitchen or foyer, guess again. It’s the bedroom.
    “I always start with the bedroom,” says feng shui consultant Andrea Gerasimo of Menomonie, Wisconsin. “It’s your sanctuary.” Gerasimo cites studies showing that what you’re thinking when you nod off affects how you sleep and your mood when you wake up. So if your last mental image is of chaos and clutter, you’re not setting the right stage for quality sleep.
    In your bedroom space, do you trip over piles of clothing, boxes, shoes and assorted tchotchkes? Are stacks of DVDs careening from your bedroom entertainment center? Or, perhaps you’ve placed your home office—with its tangle of computer and phone lines, file folders, sticky notes and miscellaneous office supplies—in your sleep space.
    The good news is that you don’t have to remodel to streamline your bedroom.
    Rearranging furniture (even better, removing a few items), decluttering and adopting a resolute mindset to keep your bedroom space harmonious and clutter-free are simple steps that can make a big difference.
    Transform your bedroom from cluttered chaos to serene retreat with these easy tips.

    1.Furniture: Less is More

    Having too many dressers, tables and chairs jammed into a space—no matter how large—makes it feel smaller. And stuff attracts more stuff. As we add more pieces, we tend to fill them, inside and out.

    Solutions:
    ■ Invite a friend with a fresh set of eyes over for a streamlining session. Move everything out, then open your mind to new arrangements. Bring in the pieces you love most until the room seems adequately furnished but not overly stuffed; the remaining furniture is probably unnecessary.  Choose a Zen Alarm Clock for the space next to you bed on your table.  Pick the Digital Zen Alarm Clock that has a lid that can be closed to further declutter your bedroom space.

    Bamboo Digital Chime Clock, closing the lid to the clock helps declutter your bedroom

    Bamboo Digital Chime Clock, closing the lid to the clock helps declutter your bedroom space

    ■ Think about what you can donate, use elsewhere or sell. Candidates for the chopping block may include exercise equipment, a dresser, even your television. Family manager coach Beth Dargis of Holland, Michigan, singles out dressers as occupying too much space in a room. (What’s more, their long, low surfaces invite clutter, she says.) Whenever possible, Dargis recommends replacing a dresser with a highboy, which holds roughly the same number of items but with a smaller footprint.

    ■ While everything is out of the room, consider spiffing up your walls with a fresh coat of no- or low-VOC paint (VOCs are volatile organic compounds that outgas into the air). If you want to change your window treatments to hemp or organic cotton, this is an ideal time. At the very least, give your bedroom a good, thorough cleaning before moving furniture back in.

    2.Clothing: The Hidden Culprit

    Anytime you declutter a bedroom, you invariably run into a surfeit of clothing, shoes and accessories. This accumulation is the root cause of a number of ills. “People cram in another piece of furniture instead of going through their wardrobes and getting rid of what no longer fits,” says New York interior designer John Loecke, author of the Organizing Idea Book (Taunton, 2006). Many times, Loecke has seen couples introduce substantial armoires to their bedroom space to accommodate one person’s wardrobe because the other’s has overtaken the closet.

    zen-like bedroom

    zen-like bedroom

    Solutions:

    ■ First, simply pare down. Set aside half a day (with a decluttering buddy, if you can find one) and go through your wardrobe ruthlessly, donating what no longer fits, what you haven’t worn in a year or two, and what’s outdated. Take everything out of the closet and put it in piles to donate or consign, trying on only the items you aren’t sure about. (In the process, I guarantee you’ll discover at least one “treasure” that you’ll want to reclaim!)
    ■ Once you’ve whittled down your wardrobe, adopt a practice I’ve been following for years. Put two containers in your closet: one for donation, one for consignment. As soon as I wear an item and decide it’s no longer for me, I place it directly into one of the boxes. As soon as one fills, I pop it in my car and drop it off at my charity or resale shop.
    ■ Once you’ve reduced your holdings, you’ll be surprised at the amount of space you’ve freed up. Before you begin to reload, take this moment to sort everything by category—separate all shirts, dresses, pantsuits and tops into categories. Organize shirts and blouses according to color, from light to dark, or by use, such as dress shirts and T-shirts. This system helps you see what you have. (If you still have more than your closet will bear, and if you have a climate-controlled attic or basement space, you can rotate out-of-season items.)
    ■ To further streamline, remove as much as possible from the closet floor. A hanging shoe rack helps get shoes up and in sight. The same goes for ties, belts, scarves and hats. As you organize your wardrobe, it’ll be easier—and obvious—to see what you have and which items to chuck.

    3. Streamline Bedding

    Sometimes the bed itself—including all the attendant bedding and pillows—can create visual clutter.

    how to declutter your bedroom

    how to declutter your bedroom space


    Solutions:

    ■ Bed size—like just about everything else in America these days—has become supersized. But do you really need a king-size bed? When you’re shopping for your next bed, consider scaling back and opting for a smaller model—if not a full, then try a queen.
    ■ Also consider streamlining your bedding, says Lisa Quinn, San Francisco-based
    interior designer and author of $500 Room Makeovers (Clarkson Potter, 2006). Instead of feathering your nest with brightly colored, matched bedding sets, why not go for basic whites or plain pieces in a limited color palette? If you spill red wine on your butterflies-in-flight pillowcases—or if your zebra-print bottom sheet fades more quickly than the flat—you’ll probably have to discard the entire set to achieve harmony. Plain pieces are interchangeable; you can simply make up any loss with a generic replacement. You also can pick up spare linens at thrift shops and consignment stores. “If your bedding is all white,” Quinn says, “it can take so much off your plate!”
    ■ Instead of piling on the pillows, pare down to only those you actually use. It makes for a Zen-like bed, and you don’t have to juggle all the extra “show” pillows when you get into bed at night.

    4. No Place for Your (Home) Office

    Your bedroom should be a pleasure palace or at least a haven for sleep and retreat—not a place where you pay bills, haggle and hassle.


    Solutions:

    ■ If you’ve placed your home office in your bedroom space, try to issue an eviction notice. Any place in the house—including the kitchen, dining room or guest room—is better than your bedroom. A friend in Los Angeles converted a garden shed into a home office, giving her physical separation from her house and a discreet space to do her work as a freelance writer. Another enterprising Los Angeles friend (also a writer) bartered five hours a month of her writing and public relations services in exchange for free space in a lawyers’ office. They even threw in use of their copier.
    ■ If you see no other solution than putting your office in the bedroom, choose a place where you can shut the doors, such as a closet or computer armoire. Being able to physically close off your home office will help promote peace of mind and better sleep, which, in turn, will make you more productive when you work.

    Daily Rituals

    These rituals will improve your bedroom’s serenity quotient.
    1. Make your bed every day—preferably when you get up in the morning and before you do anything else.
    2. Open your draperies or blinds to let the sun shine in.
    3. When you come home at the end of the day, hang your clothes or place them in the laundry basket. Avoid the temptation to drape them on a chair.
    4. To avoid bedside clutter, keep just one of everything out: the book you’re reading; one bottle of lotion; one pair of slippers.
    5. Finally, scrutinize every new item that you introduce into your bedroom. You can avoid the problem of accumulated clutter by making conscious choices in the first place.
    Bamboo Zen Clocks, progressive chime clock and timer

    Bamboo Zen Clocks, progressive chime clock and timer

    adapted from Natural Home Magazine, November/December 2009 by Wanda Urbanska

    Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock Store

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Sleep Habits, Well-being


    Connect with Nature in the Morning – Choose a Soothing, Chime Alarm Clock

    connect with nature in the morning

    connect with nature in the morning

    Mornings are sacrosanct for Reiki master and energy healer E. Barrie Kavasch, a descendent of the Cherokee and Creek tribes and author of more than 15 books on Native American culture, including The Medicine Wheel Garden. “Our own internal wisdom knows this,” Kavasch explains. “We come from origins that tell us we should be up and about.” Growing up on a family farm in Tennessee, Kavasch and her siblings would wake up before dawn to milk the cows. “Our days would be filled with energy and enthusiasm. We would have done so much by 8:30 a.m.,” she says. “I can’t imagine a morning without being in close touch with nature.” Even those not living on a farm can gain from the enlivening benefits nature will bring to the tired human body.

    Step outside. In many ways, getting outdoors provides the best way to get your mind and body in sync with the morning. “The first thing I do each morning is get up and go out for a walk. I fill my lungs with the morning air,” says Kavasch. Even if you don’t have time for a walk, simply stand out in the morning light to get connected with the world around you.

    Open a window. If you can’t get out, bring the fresh air in. Pull open the blinds and open a window to let in the light, smells, and sounds of a new day.

    See blue. Among the Pueblo and Navajo people, says Kavasch, seeing turquoise first thing in the morning is considered a blessing. This helps explain why they’ll often paint a portion of their windowsills or door frames in this brilliant color. “Turquoise is considered a sky stone, reminding us of when the sky is at its brightest and sunniest,” says Kavasch. “To see it upon first opening your eyes is a blessing for the hours that follow.” To set the stage for a better morning, try keeping a turquoise stone, bracelet, necklace, or colored item by your bedside or in your window so you see it first thing in the morning.

    Water your plants. Invite nature into your home by placing houseplants throughout; then take time each morning to water and care for them. Just touching and focusing on this element of nature can gently draw you into the new day.

    Enjoy a taste of nature. A bite of fresh fruit or a sip of juice can recall a vital connection to the natural world and help gently awaken your senses. Think of that taste as more than food; it represents nature’s bounty.

    Waking up in the morning should be as pleasant as falling asleep at night. The Zen Alarm Clock’s gradual, gentle awakening is transformative.
    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.

    adapted from Body + Soul, March 2006

    Singing Bowl and Chime Alarm Clocks and Timers

    Singing Bowl and Chime Alarm Clocks and Timers

    Now & Zen’s Soothing Chime Alarm Clock

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Chime Alarm Clocks, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Progressive Awakening, sleep, Sleep Habits


    How to Increase Sleepiness – Snooze News From The Zen Alarm Clock Store

    how to increase sleepiness

    how to increase sleepiness

    Your body needs to sleep in near-total darkness for optimum health. Darkness prompts the pineal gland to produce melatonin, a hormone that increases both sleepiness and length and quality of sleep. Too much light can compromise melatonin production, interfering with slumber. Some studies have suggested that low melatonin levels may be linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, although the more common result of a too-bright room will be a poor night’s sleep. Use an eye mask or install light-blocking shades over your windows to prevent street lamps — even a full moon — from disrupting your sleep. Products to try: Gaiam’s silk sleep mask (gaiam.com).  Be sure to wake naturally in the morning with a Chime Alarm Clock by Now & Zen.

    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.

    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.”

    adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, February 2006
    Chime Alarm Clock for a Progressive Awakening

    Chime Alarm Clock for a Progressive Awakening

    Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock Shop

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Natural Awakening, Progressive Awakening, sleep, Sleep Habits, wake up alarm clock, Well-being


    Nap Your Way to Creativity – Set Your Zen Alarm Clock for a Nap Each Day

    Shinsui Itō, Before a Mirror (1916) Ukiyo-e

    Shinsui Itō, Before a Mirror (1916) Ukiyo-e

    People in need of a creative boost should take a long nap, according to new research highlighted by ScienCentral. The researchers found that naps increase people’s ability to solve problems creatively, but only if the nap includes REM, the deep sleep when dreams occur. REM sleep happens only after about an hour of sleeping, so a long nap is recommended. According to researcher Sara Mednick, “if you take a nap with REM sleep, you’re actually going to be boosting your ability to make these new associations in creative ways.” Mednick has tried to put her findings to good use by taking a nap at least three times each week.  A good way to peacefully end your nap is to use your Zen Alarm Clock with progressive chimes.

    adapted from Utne.com by Bennett Gordon, September 2009

    Zen Alarm Clock in Maple Finish with Maple Leaves Dial Face and Chime

    Zen Alarm Clock in Maple Finish with Maple Leaves Dial Face and Chime

    Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock Store

    Set Your Gentle, Chime Alarm Clock -- The Zen Alarm Clock Shop

    Set Your Gentle, Chime Alarm Clock -- The Zen Alarm Clock Shop

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, mindfulness practice, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Progressive Awakening, Sleep Habits, Ukiyo-e, Well-being


    To Dream, Perchance to Remember – Set Your Chime Alarm Clock to Help with Dream Recall

    Choki Eishosai, Sunrise at New Year

    Choki Eishosai, Sunrise at New Year

    It’s hard to learn from your dreams if you can’t remember them. But even if you draw a blank every morning, don’t fret. Follow these steps, recommended by Deirdre Barrett, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, and Andrew Holecek, a dream workshop teacher at Colorado’s Shambhala Mountain Center, to enhance your dream recall.

    • Get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. The more you sleep, the more dreams you will have, increasing the likelihood you’ll remember one of them.
    • Throughout the day and right before you fall asleep, remind yourself of your intention to remember your dreams.
    • Keep a pen and paper by your bed. A dream journal can encourage recall and, at the very least, help you document any fragment you do remember upon waking.
    • When you first wake up, don’t move. Lie quietly and reflect on any image that comes to mind. Sometimes a whole dream scenario will come back to you.
    • Be mindful during the day, not just about dreams but about everything going on around you. The lucidity you cultivate in waking life will translate to your dream life.
    • Set the Zen Alarm Clock to wake you every two hours throughout the night. When the chimming alarm sounds, write down as much as you can remember about the dream you were just having.

    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.

    Now & Zen’s Chime Alarm Clock Store

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Zen Timepiece, an alarm clock to wake you from napping with Tibetan bowl/gong

    Zen Timepiece, an alarm clock to wake you from napping with Tibetan bowl/gong

    Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, mindfulness practice, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Progressive Awakening, Sleep Habits, Ukiyo-e, Well-being, Zen Clocks and Dream Recall


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