The Relaxation Response

Deep-breathing techniques such as "circle breathing" and "counting" can help you deal with stressful situations in positive, healthy ways. Kari Smith, University of Michigan exercise physiologist, demonstrates how the right techniques can help you begin to melt your stress away in a matter of minutes.

Photos: Watch Spring Bloom Before Your Eyes | National Geographic

Photographer Jim Brandenburg takes a photograph a day as spring arrives in his home state of Minnesota. The project began on the 2014 vernal equinox and ended on the day before summer solstice.

How to Relax Your Mind | Stress Management

One of the ways to know that you are stressed is when your mind is not focused when your mind is stuck in a negative feedback loop of trying to figure out the same problem over and over again without coming to any resolution. One of the first things to do when you become unfocused like that is to stop focusing, stop what you're doing, walk away, leave your task.

Recipe: Dump-and-Bake Spring Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup diced cooked chicken (optional)
1 14 ounce can quartered artichokes, drained
1 cup diced fresh asparagus about 10 spears
½ cup grated carrots I used a bag of “matchstick carrots” from the produce section as a shortcut
1 ½ cups uncooked penne pasta
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth for a vegetarian option
½ cup loosely-packed chopped fresh chives or green onions divided
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220C). Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In the prepared dish (or in a separate bowl), stir together cooked chicken, artichoke hearts, asparagus, carrots, uncooked pasta, chicken broth, about half of the chives, half of the parsley, minced garlic, and salt, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. 
3. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
4. Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
5. Stir in the frozen peas and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the top. Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes (or until pasta is tender).
6. Garnish with remaining chives and parsley just before serving.

Recipe source

A Message About Coronavirus

Dear 36 Oaks Friends,

For 16 years, 36 Oaks has been a place for pampering, healing, reconnecting with Nature and so much more. We are concerned for your health and well-being as well as for our staff. With the impacts of COVID-19, we hope you are taking care of yourselves and loved ones.

Due to the public health concerns regarding the spread of the virus, we have made a difficult decision to close 36 Oaks until we are confident it is safe to reopen. We will keep you posted with our opening date as soon as we can.

I am still taking phone calls, making future appointments for you and selling Gift Certificates on-line. The purchases you make today will help support 36 Oaks and our dedicated staff during this challenging time. Gift certificates have no expiration date and can be purchased HERE.

Please take care of yourself and stay in touch. We are looking forward to your visit as soon as possible. The gardens are blooming and lovely and will be ready for you.

For more information about COVID-19 and what you can do to keep healthy and safe, visit the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov or your local health department's website.

Take care,

Linda
36 Oaks Country Retreat

Lacey Hooded Tee Offer!

Go ahead, spoil yourself. You deserve it. No guilt - this is a health modality. Treat yourself and a few friends to a relaxing day guaranteed to enrich the lives of everyone involved. 

Let 36 Oaks be your next destination for your pending girls' getaway.

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Ten Reasons Why We Need More Contact with Nature

 Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Photograph: Graeme Robertson

By:Richard Louv 

It improves your memory, helps you recuperate and even makes your sense of smell more acute. So turn off your computer and get outside

• The more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need

We have a human right to a meaningful connection to nature, and we have the responsibilities that come with that right. Many people today support the notion that every person, especially every young person, has a right to access the internet. How much more should every person have a right to access the natural world, because that connection is part of our humanity?

• Humans are hard-wired to love – and need – exposure to the natural world

Researchers have found that regardless of culture people gravitate to images of nature, especially the savannah. Our inborn affiliation for nature may explain why we prefer to live in houses with particular views of the natural world.

• We suffer when we withdraw from nature

Australian professor Glenn Albrecht, director of the Institute of Sustainability and Technology Policy at Murdoch University, has coined the term solastalgia. He combined the Latin word solacium (comfort — as in solace) and the Greek root – algia (pain) to form solastalgia, which he defines as “the pain experienced when there is recognition that the place where one resides and that one loves is under immediate assault.”

• Nature brings our senses alive

Scientists recently found that humans have the ability to track by scent alone. Some humans rival bats in echolocation or biosonar abilities. Military studies show that some soldiers in war zones see nuances others miss, and can spot hidden bombs; by and large, these individuals tend to be rural or inner city soldiers, who grew up more conscious of their surroundings.

• Individuals and businesses can become nature smart

Spending more time outdoors nurtures our “nature neurons” and our natural creativity. For example, at the University of Michigan, researchers demonstrated that, after just an hour interacting with nature, memory performance and attention spans improved by 20%. In workplaces designed with nature in mind, employees are more productive and take less sick time.

• Nature Heals

Pennsylvania researchers found that patients in rooms with tree views had shorter hospitalizations, less need for pain medications and fewer negative comments in the nurses’ notes, compared to patients with views of brick.

• Nature can reduce depression and improve psychological wellbeing

Researchers in Sweden have found joggers who exercise in a natural green setting feel more restored and less anxious, angry, or depressed than people who burn the same amount of calories jogging in a built urban setting.

• Nature builds community bonds

Levels of neurochemicals and hormones associated with social bonding are elevated during animal-human interactions. Researchers at the University of Rochester report that exposure to the natural environment leads people to nurture close relationships with fellow human beings, value community, and to be more generous with money.

• Nature bonds families and friends

New ways are emerging to make that bond, such as family nature clubs, through which multiple families go hiking, gardening or engage in other outdoor activities together. In the UK, families are forming “green gyms” to bring people of all ages together to do green exercise.

• The future is at stake

The natural world’s benefits to our cognition and health will be irrelevant if we continue to destroy the nature around us, but that destruction is assured without a human reconnection to nature.

Article Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/13/10-reasons-why-we-need-more-contact-with-nature

Mayo Clinic Minute: Living Near Nature Linked to Better Health

A new study says living near green space can help women live longer and improve their mental health.

"This was a large survey of nurses who were asked about where they live and how much green space nearby," explains Dr. Vandana Bhide, a Mayo Clinic internal medicine specialist, who was not part of the research. "Results suggest people who live in the greenest areas actually had a lower death rate."

Study authors believe the findings would be similar in men.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Bhide highlights more of the study's results and explains how they can inspire a healthier life. Jeff Olsen reports.

Lack of Sunlight Exposure Linked to Depression and Poor Sleep

Aside from getting your daily dose of Vitamin D, there is now another reason why you need to have yourself exposed to sunlight, our natural light. A new study published by Chronobiology International reveals that the lack of natural light exposure increases the risk of developing depression and having a poor quality of sleep.

Exclusive March Birthday Offers!

March, 2020 Birthdays

Wishing you health, well being and happiness.

Take some time for some birthday pampering - relax - unwind and rejuvenate. We look forward to seeing you soon!

$15.00 off any package

OR

$10.00 off an hour massage

PLUS

25% off an additional service

*Valid the whole month of your birthday in 2020.

(Special prices above not good with any other offers)