To Improve Your Memory, Concentration & More
Julie Lusk, M.Ed., E-RYT-500
Wholesome Resources for Mind-Body Mastery through Yoga, Meditation, Guided Imagery, Stress Relief, Wellness
by Julie Lusk
by Julie Lusk
Solving Holiday Stress
Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Nicholas, Kwanza, Winter Solstice, Navidades, Hanukkah, St. Lucia Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s, the holidays are inherently stressful.
Decide now whether this year will be full of the season’s stressful traps or fulfilling with plenty of treasures to be thankful for. Now is the time to set priorities and make the necessary changes so the holidays are inspiring and energizing instead of a drain. It’s especially important to pay attention to what your needs and wishes are for your body, mind, and heart while finding the balance with sharing with others.
Operating on automatic can add even more stress causing unhappiness, sickness, poor relationships and lack of energy. Why not improve your ability to handle stress by practicing the following effective ways to cope with stress. I DARE you to Relax! Please check out the CD’s down below too. Each provide helpful tools and techniques for renewal. They make excellent gifts too.
DARE to Relax includes: D = Diet; A = Attitude and Awareness; R = Rest, Relaxation and Relationships; E = Exercise.
DIET: Don’t deprive yourself of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can help you reduce the effects of daily stress. Stress uses up your supply of vitamins A, B and C which can lead to feeling irritable and tired. Calcium is essential for your central nervous system to function normally. Without enough, your nerves become frayed. If you consistently eat well-balanced meals, you can fortify your system giving you the nourishment to guard against the harmful effects of stress.
Eat a nutritious breakfast
Choose fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains
Choose baked or broiled food instead of fried
Cut down on too much fat, salt, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, additives and preservatives
Maintain a healthy weight
Choose holiday foods with care. Eat the special things that are delicious and bring you in touch with warm memories. You really don’t have to eat everything to get the taste of the holidays.
ATTITUDE AND AWARENESS: Research shows that as much as 75% of illnesses are the result of experiencing too much stress. Not being able to handle stress properly can decrease the effectiveness of your immune system. Become more aware of how you respond to tension and stress in your life and begin to make adjustments. Are you responding appropriately? Could you be over-reacting? Is it possible to avoid or change a situation that causes you anxiety? By improving your awareness and improving how you react to stress, it might be possible to avoid some of your headaches, stomachaches and other problems. Try laughing. Laughter is like internal jogging. It aids digestion and improves alertness and productivity by sending blood and oxygen to your brain and increases the production of the body’s catecholamines.
Learn to accept situations you can’t change; give in once in a while
Learn to communicate with others; talk your worries out
Take one thing at a time; don’t take on too many changes at once
Manage your time more effectively; don’t procrastinate
Be positive and realistic
Express your feelings in healthy ways
Create variety in your work; do old things new ways
REST AND RELAXATION: It is much easier to handle stress if you are rested and know how to remain calm. Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night is essential. Although recreation and being diverted from stress is helpful (playing a sport, watching a movie) true relaxation is different. It involves giving yourself an honest break from activity and excess stimulation. Breathing deeply, smoothly, slowly and from the diaphragm is relaxing since it too sends a fresh supply of blood to the brain and throughout the body. It oxygenates your system and even slows down the heartbeat.
Plan leisure time; take breaks
Spend time on a hobby; seek new interests
Schedule some quiet time alone every day; meditate; pray
Have fun, play and laugh
Cut down on noise levels at home and work; turn the radio or TV off
Replenish yourself with therapeutic relaxation, guided imagery and affirmations. See the suggestions for CD’s below to feel rejuvenated improve your outlook and help your health.
EXERCISE: When under stress, there is an increase of adrenalin in the system as part of the flight or fight response, which can drain you of energy if not effectively released. Exercise regularly to work stresses off positively. This can improve your productivity and increase your energy. Be sure to choose physical activity that you enjoy.
This may be the year to tamper with holiday traditions so the spirit and meaning of the holidays are once again filled with tidings of comfort and joy.
Help for the holidays. These CD’s will replenish your energy and renew your outlook. They make great gifts too!
Its many benefits include:
Digital downloads are available.
CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...Yoga Links
The Yoga Alliance is an organization that registers yoga teachers. Registration can take place on at the 200 and 500 hour levels. Finding a teacher who is registered assures you that they have studied everything from philosophy, anatomy and physiology, asanas, teaching methodology, ethics, and techniques. Julie Lusk has obtained registration at the highest level possible. Julie is qualified to offer CEU’s from Yoga Alliance as a YACEP,
The Yoga Journal online is brimming with a wide range of yoga information.
Integral Yoga whose founder is Swami Satchidananda.
Himalayan Institute and the home of Yoga International Magazine
Iyengar Yoga A classic and always inspirational.
The International Association of Yoga Therapists has a wonderful collection of information.
Visit an excellent yoga pose (asana) library at beYogi
Yoga Nidra
Learn more about the history of yoga nidra here.
Yoga Nidra Network offers tons of resources on yoga nidra including free audios in multiple languages, a listing of yoga nidra teachers worldwide, info on trainings, and much more.
Research on yoga nidra, under the direction of Kamakhya Kumar, PhD
Jennifer Reis’s yoga nidra CDs, Mp3’s, trainings and workshops
The Integrative Restoration Institute (IRI), under the direction of Richard Miller, PhD, provides materials, programs and teacher trainings based on yoga nidra. See current, upcoming and planned IRest yoga nidra research
Guided Imagery
Health Journeys, by Belleruth Naparstek is the very best place to go for information and products, especially for medically-related guided imagery. Click here for a collection of research on guided imagery and similar mind-body techniques.
CardPlusCD produces Julie Lusk’s guided imagery CDs. Relaxation music by Tom Laskey is also offered.
Meditation
Loose Leaf Hollow is a wonderful retreat center in Bardstown, KY under the capable leadership of Joe Zarantonello. Joe is an exceptional teacher, poet and the creator of the Integral Journal. Check it out – it is truly a ‘space for grace’.
The Jesuit Spiritual Center at Milford is in the greater Cincinnati area. It provides programs, facilities and an environment which helps people find God in all things and live a life of compassionate service. Julie Lusk teaches classes and offers retreats there and is on their Board of Trustees.
Click here for Meditations to listen to on-line from Thich Nhat Hanh, Sharon Salsburg and others.
Holistic Health
SelfHelpMagazine is a wonderful resource. Please check it out.
The Continuum Center for Health and Healing is located at Beth Israel in NY. Their site has a great resource library on complementary therapies as well as on health conditions.
Wellness Resources
Whole Person Associates makes available the finest books, materials, audio and video tapes on stress management and wellness. They publish and sell Julie Lusk’s Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices, 30 Scripts for Relaxation, Imagery and Inner Healing, Volumes One and Two and Wholesome Relaxation CD, Wholesome Energizers CD, and Refreshing Journeys audio tape and CD.
New Harbinger Publications is publishing my next new book, Yoga Nidra for Stress Relief. They offer self-help resources that are concise, practical, and factual. Topics include anxiety, depression, anger, relationships, and health and feature the newest research available.
7 Arts Studio is the brainchild of Noreen Wessling. She will inspire you to drum, draw, dream and let your spirit soar. Mostly, you will have fun discovering hidden talents you never knew you had. Cincinnati based.
Jakk’s Magic Beans Workshop: Julie Keefe (a/k/a Jakk) offers Reiki and Feng Shui services, as well as one-of-a-kind creations to encourage, support and enhance your connection to well-being. Visit her website to learn more and to feast your eyes on her wire-wrapped pendants! Cincinnati based.
Mandala Monday is a new feature being offered by Julie Keefe (more about her above). A mandala is a symbolic circle for healing. It feels peaceful to look at and helps you focus too. Even better, she posts a new mandala each Monday for you to color and submit for prizes.
Written and narrated by Julie Lusk.
Original instrumental music by Tom Laskey
Listen to Wholesome Relaxation to experience deep relaxation, inspiring imagery and affirmations to enhance your personal health, increase strength, and improve your overall well-being. It will help you reduce worry, help you sleep soundly, relieve stress, improve your outlook and more.

Contact Julie Lusk by email for details and scheduling to book her for your Employee Training, Conference, Workshop, and Lunch and Learn sessions.

Simple chair exercises can help prevent chronic problems such as lower back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other repetitive stress injuries.
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that yoga-based chair exercise and stretches are more effective in reducing carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms than using wrist splints or no treatment (Nov. 11, 1998). Desktop Yoga ™ can also improve morale, productivity, attitudes and attendance.
As the creator and author of Desktop Yoga ™ (Penguin Group, 1998), Julie Lusk has designed ‘do it now ‘ exercises that can be done right at the workstation that are effective, portable and easy.
The Business Courier featured the value of Desktop Yoga in the article “Training the Body to Coast can help with Relaxation.” (pdf)
One of the most effective ways of letting go of work stress before you get home is by taking care of it as it arises, said Julie Lusk, author of “Desktop Yoga ®.” Lusk, president of Wholesome Resources, a stress-management company in Milford, teaches people how to do stretches, breathing and relaxation techniques right at their desks to relieve tension and get on with the day. See this article.
Don Kemper
President, Healthwise, Inc
“Julie Lusk has a unique style of presentation that seems to peer inside each member of her audience. Her wellness workshops in yoga, relaxation, and stress management include an extra dimension that leaves an imprint of peace and mindfulness on each participant.
MedcoHealth
Fidelity Investments
95% rated the content as excellent or above average
97% rated the speaker as excellent or above average
97% rated the program as excellent or above average.
Ethicon Endo Surgery (Johnson and Johnson)
100% rated the content as excellent or above average
100% rated the speaker as excellent or above average
100% rated the program as excellent or above average.
Lenscrafters
98% rated the content as excellent or above average
100% rated the speaker as excellent or above average
98% rated the program as excellent or above average
Julie travels from Cincinnati, OH
Julie T. Lusk, M.Ed.
Wholesome Resources
Milford, OH 45150
Greater Cincinnati Area