In this short video I am going to share 6, easy to remember acupressure points to help you overcome insomnia. These points are specifically designed to get to the root cause of insomnia: overexcitement, anxiety, and worry. The acupressure points are designed to calm your nervous system and promote deep rejuvenating sleep.  These acupressure points can be easily incorporated into your bedtime routine. They are simple to follow even if you are completely new to acupressure.

In this vlog style video I am finally sharing my story with you about “yoga for weight loss” across my 22 years of yoga teaching, 15 of them on YouTube. It has been quite a journey and I have a lot I haven’t been saying about it over the years. It is time to speak my truth about this. I’m ready!

Unlock the secret that experts like Stephen Porges, Deb Dana, and Stanley Rosenberg prioritize but you might not be! Dive into the intriguing world of polyvagal theory, the polyvagal ladder and the vagus nerve where we explore the wisdom of Deb Dana, Stephen Porges, Stanley Rosenberg and their profound insights into the nervous system. Discover what is most important about vagus nerve regulation. Find out about emotional regulation and safety.

To purchase my Book 🙏👉https://melissawest.com/book/ 💕 Join Our Membership Community 💕http://bit.ly/ywmmembership In this short video, I will share with you the secrets behind the basic exercise. If you are curious what creates a parasympathetic nervous system response in the nervous system reset, I will show you in this video. This video will begin by going step-by-step through the vagus nerve reset or basic exercise. Then we will delve into the science behind the yawn, sigh, and saliva production response initiated by the specific eye movements of the exercise. You can follow along as I demonstrate the exercise and find out how the movements can regulate your nervous system. Here is the link to the full 1 hour Vagus Nerve Reset Yoga Video 🍃 💚 🌿 🍃 💚 🌿 🍃 💚 🌿 🍃 💚 🌿 🍃 💚 🌿 #vagusnerve #vagusnervereset #melissawestvagusnerve

In this video I will demonstrate 2 easy acupressure points on your feet to relieve headaches fast. Great surge: Also known as LIVER-3 or Tai Chong, this point sits in the valley between the big toe and the second toe around 1-2 inches back from the toes. It may help decrease stress, insomnia, and anxiety. Above tears: This is also called GallBladder-41 or Zulinqi, and is located between and slightly back from the fourth and fifth toes. A 2017 studyTrusted Source suggested that acupuncture at GB41 and other points was better for reducing migraine episodes than Botox injections or medication. Hold each point for 3 mins

Struggling with sleepless nights? 🌙✨ In this video I will share with you 3 breathing exercises to guide you into restful sleep. These three breathing techniques are designed to access your parasympathetic nervous system or your “rest and digest.” It will help you unwind, relax, before you go to bed. 🌙 Moon Channel Breathing: Allows you to access the calming energy of the your parasympathetic nervous system and rest and digest. Regulate your nervous system and create calming and soothing energy so you can fall asleep. 🌬️ Alternate Nostril Breathing: Is a breath that is known to create balance in your nervous system and also to calm and clear your mind. 🌬️ 3 Part Breathing: This is one of my favourite breathing techniques for sleep because I find it mimics the rhythm of “falling” asleep. Try all three of these breathing techniques and see which one works best for you to invite deep and restful sleep 😴🌟

Self Massage Constipation Relief in 2 mins 💩 Constipation Course 💩 https://melissawest.com/constipationcourse 💩 Yoga for Constipation 💩 http://bit.ly/youtubeconstipation Self Massage Constipation Relief in 2 mins Abdominal massage is one of the best ways to solve constipation. You can do it right before you go to bed and right after you wake up in the morning. Usually you will feel the need to clear your bowels after doing this abdominal self-massage for constipation. 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor 2. Rub your hands together until they are warm 3. Take your first two fingers (index and middle) and make clockwise circles around your navel 4. Now massage your large intestine. Start from the bottom right hand side, go across the top and then go down the bottom left side. Circline 9-18 times as you move up, across and down. If you find a painful spot or knot, spend more time there. 5. To massage your small intestines, come into the area inside of the large intestines. Now make small circles in this inner circle 3-9 times as you circle back into the navel. 6. If you feel a big lump while you are doing the massage at bedtime, put your palm over it and sleep with it there until morning. This will soften the knot, release pain and allow you to release your bowels more easily the next morning. Purchase Sesame Oil for Your Self Massage for Constipation from: Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3tZFeEu Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/39ktdQv (Amazon are affiliate links where I earn a small percentage if you choose to purchase)

If your stomach and spleen meridian system is out of balance you might experience worry. One of the best poses to release worry in yin yoga is lunge pose. There are two ways to do it. One is more active and one is more passive and doesn’t require weight bearing on your knees. In yin yoga lunge pose is also known as dragon pose. It pulls and pressurizes the stomach meridian. If we do winged dragon, we can also draw on the transformative power of the spleen to transform worry. We can receive the nurturing, nourishing, receptive energy of the stomach meridian. As we are in the pose we can use the purging breath “Hoo” to release stagnant energy and emotions from your stomach and spleen organ meridian systems. Inhale soft yellow energy, the colour of the stomach and spleen and exhale grey smoke. We can also massage and shake the stomach and spleen to further release stuck and blocked emotions.

4 Vagus Nerve Massage for Stress & Anxiety Purchase my Book 🙏👉https://melissawest.com/book/ 💕 Join Our Membership Community 💕http://bit.ly/ywmmembership Vagus nerve massage, or vagal nerve stimulation is a technique that involves gently massaging the general area where your vagus nerve innervates your body. Your vagus nerve is a major nerve that runs from the brainstem down to the abdomen. Of course you are not directly stimulating this nerve, but you are indirectly soothing the areas that are affected. Your vagus nerve plays a crucial role in regulates stress and anxiety by influencing your heart rate, digestion, and the "rest and digest" response of the parasympathetic nervous system. When we massage anywhere from the brainstem down to the abdomen, the pathway of the vagus nerve, it can have a calming effect on your body. That message gets transmitted up to your mind. Here are the 4 vagus nerve massage techniques I am going to demonstrate in this video: 1. Neck and Throat Massage: Gently massage the sides of your neck with your fingers using circular motions. Apply light pressure to the sides of your throat, moving from your jawline downward. 2. Humming or Gargling Behind the Ear Massage: Use your index and middle fingers to gently massage the area behind your ears in a circular motion. This area includes the mastoid bone, which is located just behind the earlobe. 3. Chest and Heart Area Massage: Gently massage your chest, especially around the heart area, using gentle circular motions. This can help stimulate the vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic response. 4. Abdominal Massage: Lie down in a comfortable position and gently massage your abdomen in a clockwise circular motion using your palms. The vagus nerve connects to various organs in the abdomen, so stimulating this area can help activate the nerve.

Yoga Stretches for People Who Stand All Day | Relieve Pain & Fatigue Stay Up to Date on My Forthcoming Book 🙏👉https://melissawest.com/book/ 💕Join Our Membership Community 💕http://bit.ly/ywmmembership Standing all day can take a toll on your body, causing muscle fatigue, foot pain, joint pain, and back issues. In this short video, I will share my simple, beginner friendly yoga poses to relieve your pain and fatigue.! I will guide you through a series of yoga stretches specifically designed to alleviate the discomfort and fatigue associated with standing for long hours. I will begin by addressing muscle fatigue in your feet, legs, and low back. Take a break and elevate your legs, allowing them to rest on a chair for 10-20 minutes. This nurturing position helps restore energy and reduce swelling in your legs and feet. Next, we move on to stretches for your legs and low back. Knees to chest pose with leg extensions and gentle rocking motion will provide relief to tired muscles. Circle your ankles as you extend your legs, targeting joint pain and swelling in your feet and ankles. If foot pain is an issue, Dead Bug Pose will help you to shake it out. Then, while seated, I’ll guide you through a soothing self-massage for your feet, targeting the heels, balls of the feet, arches, tops of the feet and ankles, and even getting in between your toes. For joint pain in your knees and hips, we'll incorporate the figure four pose with ankle rotations, helping to release tension and improve mobility. Finally, we'll address back pain and spinal issues with Cat Pose variations, including side stretches and rotations, followed by a relaxing Child's Pose to breathing into your low back to release discomfort and stiffness. These targeted yoga poses will support you in releasing the discomfort and fatigue of standing all day. Take care of your body and prioritize self-care. Let's get started on your journey to pain relief and rejuvenation! Remember to like, comment, and subscribe for more videos to support your well-being. People who stand all day https://youtu.be/l1fOlOvZYhI Tips when on your feet all day https://youtu.be/sJ4jYFUmXFU 3 yoga poses when on feet all day https://youtu.be/Lb9aay0U_4Q Foot Pain Relief https://youtu.be/Lb9aay0U_4Q Evening Routine after Standing All Day https://youtu.be/htD6UrV-5VA

Nature is always writing codes that you can align with to experience harmony in your body and life. Through Traditional Chinese Medicine and Five Element theory you can activate the dormant nature codes and frequencies that are traveling along the meridian pathways of your body. Avoid these 9 mistakes in earth element season. 1. Worry - emotional, wasted energy 2. Weak Boundaries 3. Lack of Support 3. Continuing to be Yang 4. Not being nurturing and compassionate toward yourself 5. Not nesting and creating a home you love 6. Not feeling gratitude for the sweetness, harvest of life 7. Neglecting your own self care 8. Overthinking 9. Eating too much refined sugar For a more indepth practice, I highly recommend my book: Five Element Yin Yoga: Practicing and Teaching in Harmony with the Seasons 🙏👉https://melissawest.com/book/ 💕Join Our Membership Community 💕http://bit.ly/ywmmembership

Unlock the soothing benefits of this head, neck and scalp self-massage for headaches and migraines. I know what it is like to suffer from frequent headaches and migraines. I also know how beneficial self-massage can be when I am experiencing headaches and migraines and as a prevention to getting headaches and migraines. In this video I am going to share with you some simple self-massage techniques to help alleviate the tension associated with headaches. I will show you step-by-step how to release your tight muscles, stimulate circulation, and activate pressure points on your head, neck and scalp. Self-massage is one tool you can put into your tool-box to relieve headaches naturally. It also helps to release the tension and stress that accumulates from having headaches and migraines. Self-massage stimulates blood flow which enhances circulation and increases nourishment and oxygen to the muscles and tissues in the area, promoting their relaxation and healing. You can practice self-massage anytime of day, but if you include it as part of your bedtime routine, it could improve your sleep quality by relaxing your body and mind. Overall, this self-massage for headaches should boost your mood and mental clarity providing you with improved focus and mental clarity if you are suffering from a headache.

How & Why of my Barefoot Transition + Foot Exercises 👣 Joomra Minimalist Shoes https://amzn.to/3KgI29r 👣 Join me as I share my beginner journey of transitioning safely and slowly to barefoot shoes and the reasons behind it. I realized that despite practicing yoga and myofascial release for my feet, my traditional shoes were undoing the progress I made. So, I decided to try barefoot shoes as they have minimal cushioning and encourage natural foot movement. I compare Vibram's which are highly recommended but expensive to Joomra's more affordable barefoot shoes. I will demonstrate several different yoga foot exercises that I am using to support the transition. These exercises help strengthen and improve the flexibility of my ankle, feet and toes, which are crucial for stability and support in barefoot shoes. I also share tips on how I am making the transition gradually and listening to my body's feedback. If you have been practicing yoga for a long time and are perhaps frustrated with how shoes undo everything you do on the yoga mat, then maybe you are like me and you're curious about barefoot shoes or looking to make the switch. Join me on my journey as I try out barefoot shoes, also known as minimalist shoes or zero gravity shoes and learn from my experiences! Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more videos on yoga, yoga lifestyle, and wellness. Thank you for watching! 👣 Joomra Minimalist Shoes https://amzn.to/3KgI29r 👣 Some of the links are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Nature is always writing codes that you can align with to experience harmony in your body and life. Through Traditional Chinese Medicine and Five Element theory you can activate the dormant nature codes and frequencies that are traveling along the meridian pathways of your body. In the summer season, fire element is at its peak and influences your body, thoughts, emotions, energy and spirit. This happens in June, July and August in the Northern Hemisphere and December January and February in the Southern Hemisphere. In this video I will share with you 5 mistakes you want to avoid in Fire Element Season according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. For a more in depth practice, I highly recommend my book: Five Element Yin Yoga: Practicing and Teaching in Harmony with the Seasons Some of the issues of fire element season include: restlessness, irritability, insomnia, agitation, anxiety, excessive thirst, mouth sores, red complexion, hot flashes, night sweats, dry mouth, irritability, digestive disturbances and poor memory.

Gentle Massage with Diaphragmatic breathing can indirectly stimulate your vagus nerve and help to relieve anxiety. Your vagus nerve is part of your parasympathetic nervous system, also known as “rest and digest” and can help you to feel more calm and relaxed if you are experiencing stress. Your vagus nerve innervates several organs of your body, including your heart, lungs, diaphragm and digestive system. When you stimulate your vagus nerve, it can help to activate a relaxation response, slow down your heart rate, lower blood pressure and leave you feeling more calm. When we take slow, deep gentle breaths, and offer our heart a soft and soothing massage, this can help to stimulate your vagus nerve indirectly and activate your body’s relaxation response. Activating your vagus nerve and stimulating your parasympathetic response counteracts the sympathetic nervous system stress response, promotes relaxation and a more peaceful state, and regulates your emotions.

Abdominal Massage & Yoga Pose for Constipation Relief 💩 Constipation Relief Under 10 Days 💩 https://melissawest.com/constipated/ 💩 Constipation Course 💩 https://melissawest.com/constipationcourse Constipation is uncomfortable. You might have pain in your abdomen or low back. You might experience infrequent bowel movements. Maybe you strain to have a bowel movement. Maybe your stool is hard and dry, difficult to pass. Perhaps even once you’ve had a bowel movement you don’t feel like you have fully released your bowels. Today we are going to combine a simple yoga pose with a self-massage to relieve constipation. You will need a yoga block or a small stool like a squatty potty. This yoga pose and massage works by supporting the position of your pelvis, activating peristalsis, relaxing your pelvic floor, increasing circulation and alleviating gas. The self-massage to relieve constipation will engage your vagus nerve which will support your rest and digest. The yoga pose we are going to take is called Garland Pose. It can relieve constipation and promote healthy bowel movements. #1. Positioning of your pelvis. Garland pose places your pelvis in the natural position for elimination which will support the elimination of stool. Let’s start our Self Massage. Rub your hands together to create some healing energy. Place your hands on your abdomen just below your navel. Allow yourself to receive the warming and relaxing energy from your hands. While we’re doing this let’s look at the second reason that Garland pose supports you in relieving constipation. #2. Activates Peristalsis. When you are in garland pose, your thighs press on your abdomen and provide a gentle massage to your digestive organs including your intestines. This stimulation helps to activate peristalsis which is the wave-like muscular contractions that will move food through your digestive system. Before I continue with your abdominal massage, showing you the specific technique, I want to let you know about a couple of links in the show notes below the video: The first is my constipation relief in under 10 days that I will send right to your inbox The second is my comprehensive constipation course including yoga, MFR, recipes, journaling, massage, tips, teas for constipation. Apply gentle pressure: Using the flats of your hands, apply gentle and circular pressure on your abdomen in a clockwise direction. Start from the lower right side of your abdomen, move upward toward the ribs, across to the left side, and then down towards the lower left side of your abdomen. This follows the path of the large intestine. The third reason why Garland pose relieves constipation is because: #3 Relaxes your Pelvic Floor. Garland pose relaxes your pelvic floor allowing for easier bowel movements. Returning our Focus to our Abdominal Massage we can focus on our breathing. As you massage your abdomen, breathe in through your nose, let your belly be soft and allow it to expand, breathe out slowly through your mouth and allow your abdomen to soften and relax. You can imagine your diaphragm moving down towards your feet as you inhale, and softening up towards your heart as you exhale. This will engage your vagus nerve which will support your rest and “digest” Garland pose is also supportive because it will: #4 . Garland pose can improve blood flow to your abdomen including your digestive organs. Enhanced circulation promotes digestive function and aids in the overall process of elimination. We can enhance the circulation and blood flow by adding a twist. In the past I have shown you this massage lying down. Doing this massage sitting up will improve its effectiveness by aligning with the downward flow of gravity. Garland pose is supportive because it: #5 Alleviates bloating and gas: By compressing your abdomen you will help release trapped gas and reduce bloating, which are some of the common symptoms you may experience b...

If you suffer from digestive issues such as IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), Crohn's, or ulcerative colitis, characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, this video is for you! In this video, I will guide you through a soothing yoga pose (with a block) that gently stretches your abdomen, calms your nervous system, stimulate your vagus nerve, and promote relaxation, all while supporting digestion. The vagus nerve, also known as the "wandering nerve," is a crucial component of the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for rest and “digest.” By coming into a pose that supports the parasympathetic nervous system, you can experience inner calm, reset your nervous system, lower brain activity, and relax your muscles, all of which support digestion. But that's not all! I will also share with you a way to augment the effectiveness of the pose by stimulating the vagus nerve, regulating heart rate variability (HRV), and reducing inflammation through the release of anti-inflammatory neurotransmitters. Join me in accessing the healing and recharging parts of your nervous system, toning down the overactive part (sympathetic nervous system), and supporting your digestion through this powerful combination of yoga and special bonus. Don't forget to like this video, subscribe to my Yoga Lifestyle channel for more videos like this, and let me know in the comments if you accessed your rest and digest mode!

Join me for this short daily face yoga where we will begin by applying moisturizing skin cream in a way that is beneficial for your skin. The way you apply your skin care can support you in calming and clearing your mind. It can boost circulation in your face, encourage lymph flow, release tightness and tension and wake up your skin. Throughout this follow along self massage facial video I will share with you acupressure points and meridians for your liver and gallbladder that will release stress, anger, frustration, irritation and resentment. This yoga self massage for your face will focus on your neck, forehead, eyes, ears and lymphatic drainage. You will release puffiness and dark circles around your eyes, relieve jaw tension and encourage lymphatic drainage to release toxins. If you love face yoga and would like more, I highly recommend: Danielle Collins, Face Yoga Expert on YouTube. For this video I am using (#gifted) IGame Skin Repair Cream Peptide and Ceramides to improve skin texture, smoothness, and hydration Hyaluronic Acid makes skin flexible, reduces wrinkles Hydrating Chamomile calming Vacuum Pump bottle to avoid contamination Non-comedogenic (will not block pores) Paraben free (good because research has shown is disrupts endocrine capacity for women) Fragrance free means it is more suitable for sensitive skin To purchase the IGame Cream on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZA1Quf Please note I sometimes receive a commission from Amazon if you decide to purchase an item at no additional cost to you.

This follow-along video shows you how relieve neck and shoulder pain with self massage and other tools. When we experience an injury or an illness that continuously saturates our brain with pain or other unpleasant sensations, those pathways will strengthen. Neuroplasticity tells us, neurons that fire together, wire together. Pain, means more pain. The good news is that we can offer our brain a counter-stimulus. We can literally give our brain something to process other than pain. It could be self massage, the sensations we feel in our body when we do a yoga pose, visualization or a tool like the olynvolt pocket. It is called: “competitive plasticity” when we consciously tell the pain-producing parts of the brain to disengage using a counter stimulus. But, we can rewire our brain, consistently and slowly over time to turn off pain if we offer it a counter stimulus. 1. Sit in a chair, find a neutral posture, breathe into lower belly, 2. Place your fingers on your head, your thumbs on your occipital ridge, press and release as you move along your hairline, pressing and releasing until your reach your ears. 3. Place all 4 fingers on either side of your vertebra of neck, press and release working down neck, do little circles, pull skin gently away from neck. Work from base of skull down to shoulders Today I’m going to show you a tool called the olynvolt pocket that I like to use to provide some competitive plasticity when I am in pain. I get neck pain that causes migraines. And if I can provide a counter stimulus then I can slowly and consistently over time rewire my brain and turn off those pain signals. So olynvolt gifted me this small travel size tens machine and what I love about it is the size and the design. I can stick it in my purse and have it with me for when I am traveling on trips in the car and if I’m experiencing pain I can provide some competitive plasticity and counter stimulus. There are 16 levels, so you can gradually add a little stimulus and be gentle with your nervous system. There are 5 modes: 1. Pounding mode 2. Kneading mode 3. Intelligent mode 4 soothing mode 5. Scraping mode 6. Press mode So there are lots of variations on counter stimulus to offer competitive plasticity to my brain. Shoulder Self-Massage 1. Hold onto opposite elbow, place palm on opposite shoulder, massage from neck to shoulder breathing long slow deep breaths 2. Armpits - squeeze and release, lymphatic drainage and shoulder tension To Purchase a Olynvolt Unit click here: https://amzn.to/46cmtPt Please note I sometimes receive a commission from Amazon if you decide to purchase an item at no additional cost to you.

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