MEDITATION NOT WORKING FOR YOU? Try a Sound Bath
As is the case with many self-care trends like yoga and meditation, what’s old is new again. The latest relaxation practice with ancient roots to make waves in modern times is sound baths. Celebs from Charlize Theron to Laurence Fishburne say they help promote relaxation and reduce stress. Kendall Jenner, who’s been public about her struggles with anxiety and sleep paralysis, also swears by the practice’s healing powers and has even started creating her own sound baths and sharing them on Instagram. While you can create a sound bath experience at home, most practitioners “bathe” at in-person sessions with “sounders” — those who create the soundscape. These sessions typically last 45–60 minutes. The idea behind the sonic experience is that bathers sit or lay in a relaxing position while gently focusing on the sounds they are immersed in. Sounders commonly use singing bowls, chimes, gongs, and other instruments to create a meditative and relaxing vibe.
In fact, sounders say the vibrations of some instruments facilitate relaxation by literally changing the brainwaves. Health practitioners put it differently, saying that the practice promotes a parasympathetic autonomic nervous system response, aka a stress reduction response. Either way, the practice is a nice alternative to standard sitting meditation, which often focuses on the breath and can be difficult, especially for new practitioners. While there hasn’t been a lot of medical research done to test the efficacy of the practice, it is becoming a more widely used supplemental treatment for stress, anxiety, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. If you get the chance to experience one yourself, try to approach it with an open mind and open ears. You just might be surprised.
REVENGE RESTRAINING ORDERS
H ow to P revent T hem F rom H urting Y ou
When used as intended, restraining orders can be an effective tool to protect someone, and potentially their children, from an abusive, dangerous ex-partner. However, this tool can have a dark side. At our firm, we call it the “revenge restraining order,” and instead of being created to protect someone from further harm or abuse, an abusive person creates one to shame, disparage, or otherwise discredit their partner. Revenge restraining orders can lead to devastating consequences for whoever the order was issued against. You might be tempted to think, “Well, if they’re really innocent, then someone filing a restraining order against them shouldn’t harm them.” Unfortunately, this is rarely true. At the very least, it will damage a person’s reputation without cause. When someone files a restraining order against you, people may rush to judgment, believing you must have done something horrible to whomever
issued the order. If the restraining order was made as an act of revenge, that simply isn’t true — but it won’t matter for your reputation. At the same time, an abusive ex could make up all sorts of stories about why they had a restraining order filed against you, further muddying the truth as they paint themselves as a victim. It only gets worse from there, however. A narcissistic or psychopathic ex could stalk you or follow you, then call the cops and say you were in violation of your order, which could land you in jail. These possibilities are no doubt frightening, but don’t worry — you do have the power to prevent it from happening. The best thing you can do is document every correspondence and relevant piece of information that will indicate the truth to the courts. Then, you can get in touch with the experienced divorce and family law attorneys at The Bledsoe Firm. Call today at 949.363.5551.
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