Three nights a week I work as a nurse in a Neonatal intensive Care Unit (NICU) outside Denver Colorado. If you’ve ever been in a NICU you know there are lots of beeps and alarms. IV pumps, syringe pumps, isolette warmers, milk warmers, CPAP machines, ventilator machines, cardiac monitors, doors, etc. Each make a unique and different noise and your nurse knows exactly what each means. It can be overstimulating. Last week I worked several nights in a row, and had one night that was especially stressful as we resuscitated and stabilized a very sick baby, along with all the regular work and the NICU beeps and alarms. After this particular night I was off for the rest of the week. I came home, slept for 3-4 hours before my biological clock, daytime noise, and sunlight woke me. Working night shift I often struggle to get adequate and quality sleep during the day. I was drained and overstimulated physically, emotionally, and mentally. I was snappy with my husband and cranky with my kids. I was overwhelmed with all the things I “needed” to do. Not only do I work full-time as a nurse, but I am a mom, wife, and small business owner. My to-do list is never ending and rarely complete. My situation is not unique. Don’t all of us have life responsibilities that sometimes seem overwhelming? This particular day I decided I was not going to do anything else. I closed myself in the bathroom, put my phone in another room, drew a bath, put on a face mask, lit some candles and then took the time to breathe. Meditation has been a beautiful way for me to remove myself from life’s chaos. I love the breath work, body scanning, and ability it gives me to remove the past and the future and allow me to be in the moment. For just a little while I let everything else go. Worries about kids, the world, work, relationships. I let them go. It isn’t easy for me and I have a very active mind, but when my brain begins to race I gently remind myself, “I will worry about all those things in 15 minutes, right now I am breathing and feeling my body”. After my bath I gave myself permission to relax for the rest of the day with a promise to tackle my lists tomorrow. When I was done I felt if not fully rested, calmer and more settled. This month the message is “Breathe in, Breathe out”. The only way for us to be our best, make a difference, and change the world is to be the healthiest we can be mentally, emotionally, and physically. Give yourself permission to take a time out and breathe. Breathe in…. Breathe out.
The March candle is the perfect way to add to your meditation routine. It is poured in a 100% recycled glass sea foam colored glass with Sea Minerals fragrance. With notes of linen, sea salt, eucalyptus, moss, and ozone it is clean, refreshing, and a perfect way to create your own home spa.