COMFORT REMEDIES
FOR LIFE ON AN UNCOMFORTABLE PLANET
By Gloria Clarke, RN, Comfort Specialist
This Smashwords Edition is published by
The Impress Group
Copyright 2011 Gloria D. Clarke
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Dedication and Preface
“Comfort, Console, Ease, Solace, Soothe, Allay, Alleviate, Calm, Ease, Relax, Palliate, Pleasure, Quiet, Relief, Snug, Secure, Succor, Tranquility”
America, the land of opportunity, has given us endless abilities to access any commodity we desire, literally at any hour of the day or night, but at what price? Apart from the obvious time and money, another aspect has been emerging in the form of chronic pain and discomfort that affects relationships and interactions on many levels. Our fast-paced, hectic multi-tasking lifestyle leaves little room for comforting our loved ones, much less ourselves. This book is especially for all harried souls who don’t even realize how a little preparation and investment can alleviate the discomforts of daily living while providing a sense of well being for all.
To create ultimate comfort for the physical body frees the mind, the intellect, intuition and emotion. The concept of “No Pain, No Gain,” the requirement of the body to experience discomfort as catharsis for healing and strengthening is counterpoint to systems such as yoga or tai chi, which increase endorphins, heal and promote endurance through breathwork and stretching. Not to omit the good, old -fashioned practice of just relaxing, a lost art!
As adults, we have been given subtle and conflicting messages; our acquisitive lifestyle would seem to indicate affording many comfort producing luxuries, but our 16 hour, fast-paced, stress-laden days are a stumbling block to a segue into a soothing wind-down and a peaceful restorative sleep. Even vacations are fraught with stressors and deadlines, and often do not produce healthful relaxation as we squeeze too many events into too short a time.
For some, comfort is equated with security. The LoJack, the home alarm system, combinations on briefcases, lock outs on cell phones, security systems on computers… that’s the fear of loss and the price we pay for living in an avaricious society.
It’s not surprising that, unable to comfort ourselves, it is difficult or impossible to comfort our children, our sick and our elderly, who are often given to paid caregivers in our absence. The unique facet of lifestyle that supports comfort is now gone. No more is the family gathered at the table over a home cooked, nutritious and delicious meal. No time for long, luxurious baths in candlelight. Work runs too late to enjoy idle playtime into a long summer evening, helping the children catch fireflies, smelling the fragrant green grass.
Intimate moments are not just for lovers and are the most comforting of all. A butterfly kiss on the cheek of a giggling grandchild, tucking your mom in for a change, an unexpected touch on the shoulder from an understanding co-worker….Exhale….Most people will remember a comfort association in both the mind and body categories; the requirement is plenty of both.
Reading this book will help you to focus on suggestions that are simple, available to all, and can be combined in unique prescriptions tailored to your individual needs. So, start by picking one suggestion from each sensory category, and become your own Comfort Nurse tonight!
This book is offered with gratitude to all of my relatives, friends and patients who have added their own unique take on comfort.
Olfactory…...Aromatic Pleasures
Tactile……...Touching Pleasures
Chapter Two…Comforting Children
25 Positives…A Comfort Meditation
Chapter One…. Sensory Comforts
“The sounds of my favorite songs make my body move to the rhythm of my own private world”
From the time we are born and drift off to sleep with the sounds of lullabies both sung and recorded, we associate music above all, with comfort and relaxation. Music does have charms to soothe the savage in all of us, and fundamentally, everything we hear, from our own heartbeat to the jackhammer on the street, has its own rhythm, its own music. The recorded world offers sounds in great variety to soothe the most eccentric taste. Think about what appeals to you, and expose yourself often to the sounds that calm and pleasure you.
Recordings: Pick a form of music that is special to you. Plan to use a CD player at bedtime for sleep induction. As the variety of sound available is vast, experiment with chanting, Buddhist temple music, Native American flutes, ambient sound of wind, ocean, rain, chirping and calling birds, thunder and lightning. Classical music of nocturnes and piano concertos are particularly soothing. Lullabies recorded for babies are now available from all cultures, and can be excellent sleep inducement or a pleasant trip down memory lane.
Natural Exposure: This encompasses several senses at once, but being out in nature to experience the sounds of water, a bubbling brook, lapping waves, gentle rain or a thunderstorm in full swing can push aside discomfort in a very effective way.
Silence: In our sound-heavy world, silence is remarkably pleasurable, especially when we are stressed. It is easy to underestimate the negative effect of sound pollution on the human vibration. Try to soundproof your bedroom as much as possible to make it an accessible retreat. Try visiting a sensory deprivation tank filled with hypertonic salt solution to float you, weightless in the dark with only the sound of your breath and pulse to help you shed the external stimuli that surround us constantly.
White noise: It sounds counter-productive, but when there is too much ambient noise to quiet the spirit, a fan or air conditioner’s hum may help soothe and allow transition to a more meditative or sleep state.
Living sounds: Whether it is the sound of children laughing or loons calling across a misty lake, living voices have the capacity to soothe as well as excite. Dig into your memory for the voices that have brought pleasure and comfort in times of stress.
“The smell of lilies in great profusion in church at Easter.”
One of our most highly developed senses is the sense of smell. The nose offers the only direct access to our central nervous system. It transmits stimuli to prepare us for danger, food, sexual pleasure, relaxation and sleep.