HANDS
They can reveal a lot - age, occupation, habits, personal style and more.
Today my hands reminded me that I was stressed. Raynaud's syndrome flairs up in me when I’m stressed more than they do when I’m feeling cold. My hands, nose and toes are very cold and uncomfortably tingly this morning, which is making all tasks harder to accomplish but mostly it’s reminding me that I can’t neglect what my body is telling me - to do something about this stress!
My solution was to take a few moments with my favorite spicy, essential oil body care recipes warming body oil blend, Take A Load Off. This blend has rosemary, ginger and clove essential oils to warm the skin and was originally designed to provide pain relief. Since all essential oils are mood lifters, after massaging some of this herbal oil into my cold, yellow fingers, I lifted my now warmer hands up to my nose and savored a few deep breaths. This may have been the proverbial straw that broke the proverbial camels back. I immediately felt a tinge of ease sweep across me. My mind was at a full pause - RARE - and very much appreciated. This 3 minute event even helped me smile for a few moments during a very busy day.
Tips to help relieve Raynaud's symptoms:
Warm your body however possible (notice my hoodie over a long sleeve T, plus a tank top underneath it all and thick pants and socks that you can’t see in these photos)
Keep hands warm by rubbing them together - adding a warming oil is added bonus
Place warm hands in front of your nose and take several long breaths, allowing your exhale to bounce off of your hands and back to your nose/face - definitely want to try this technique with an aromatherapy oil on your hands!
Hope you are able to manage all of the stress and emotions that life presents. I consistently remind myself that my reactions are the only thing I have true control over - which helps me control my reactions better (most of the time :-) and also helps me manage my internal stress levels.
Hugs, Christine