The Importance of Mindfullness

According to the Washington Post, one doesn't need anti-anxiety medication. New research suggests you may not need them. Mindfulness-based interventions (think breathing, stretching, and attention exercises) are as effective as escitalopram, an anti-anxiety pill, according to a study in JAMA Psychiatry that tracked 208 participants for eight weeks.

A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry showed that people who received eight weeks of mindfulness-based interventions experienced a decrease in anxiety that matched those who were prescribed escitalopram, a common anti-anxiety medication that is often prescribed under the brand name Lexapro.

A seven-point scale was used to assess anxiety among 208 participants, with a score of seven representing extreme anxiety and a score of one being normal. In both the medication and the mindfulness groups, the average score after treatment dropped from a moderate level of anxiety to a mild level of anxiety.

Both groups began the study with similar baseline scores (4.44 in the mindfulness group and 4.51 in the medication group.) By the end of the study, anxiety scores in both groups had declined to an average of 3.09 on the anxiety scale, a statistically similar change that showed the treatments to be equally effective.

Mindfulness practices such as breathing exercises have been used to treat anxiety for a long time, but this is the first study showing how effective they can be in comparison with standard treatments for anxiety disorders, said the study’s lead author, Elizabeth Hoge, who is a psychiatrist and director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program at Georgetown University.

Mindfulness treatments used in the study included breath awareness exercises, which involve paying attention to your breath as you allow thoughts to rise, then pass through your mind before letting them go. Importantly, the practice isn’t about trying to change your breath, Hoge said, but about focusing on your breath as a way to ground yourself if any anxious thoughts arise.

Horoscope for the Week of September 16, 2024 - Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Pluto All retrograde

All four outer planets – Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Pluto are retrograde. Events seem to go into slow motion while we strive to remain balanced and focused. Keep your eyes open and mind sharp.

Here is my favorite book on astrology and a "must" for anyone interested in learning more: Secrets from a Stargazer's Notebook: Making Astrology Work for You and here's a guide to the best books available this month. This column is (c) 2024 MADAM LICHTENSTEIN, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Madam Lichtenstein is the author of the best selling astrology book “HerScopes ” now in its 12th printing and available as an eBook.

ARIES   (MARCH 21 - APRIL 20)

Anything involving money, finances and investments have moments of surprise, Aries. That might be because things are churning in the background and your career may take a momentous move. Keep your mind active on the essentials and give yourself time to react. There is opportunity here if you remain flexible.

TAURUS (APRIL 21-MAY 21)

While you may need to postpone any big travel, chalk it up to more things happening with friends closer to home. Taureans feel like they need to make a big social splash but I suggest that you allow the fates to give you time to refocus the social landscape so you can effectively move with the movers and groove with the groovers.

GEMINI   (MAY 22 - JUNE 21)

Is it true love or the professional opportunity of a lifetime? Life plays out in various ways and creates important choices that shift and baffle. Don’t panic as the stress level could rise. Sudden surprises may toss you a little off kilter, Gemini, but you are versatile enough to use any cosmic zetz to your ultimate advantage.

CANCER   (JUNE 22 - JULY 23)

Friends do the unexpected and it can change your entire global outlook, Cancer. Their actions are well intentioned but surprising. Such relationships have a way of transforming, shifting and changing but the fates see these as necessary evolutions. It’s change where change is needed. Now go out and conquer the world.

LEO   (JULY 24 - AUGUST 23)

Long term plans have a way of dramatically changing based on newly gained knowledge, Leo. Your role in this adventure is to focus on the details to see which avenue has the greatest benefit for you. Deep issues will be analyzed and problems uncovered and therefore solved to your benefit. Dig deep and examine carefully.

VIRGO   (AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23)

Travel may have its upsets or surprises, Virgo which can impact certain relationships and spark some creative ideas for making them more interesting. Let’s just say that life will not be boring and your ability to mine your imagination can benefit you in unexpected and dramatic ways. Keep your eye on the prize and add some glitter.

LIBRA   (SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23)

Family events bring on some unexpected deep feelings for you Libra. This catharsis leads you to new revelations. Also, there may be some projects that need your close attention. If so, be prepared to take longer than you expect – instructions may not be as clear as needed or there may be too much to focus on at one time.

SCORPIO   (OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22)

Don’t be surprised if certain relationships unexpectedly shift and change, Scorpio. Your mind is sharp and your ability to imagine new possibilities for yourself enhances your life and leads to new liaisons. While your communication is profound, find more ways to listen without commenting. You learn more that way.

SAGITTARIUS   (NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22)

Is your energy level wonky, Sagittarius? It may be that you need more rest time and less stress time over the next few weeks. There are changes in your home life that can use your expertise and financial acumen. But what seems vitally important now may change as new information becomes apparent. Watch and wait.

CAPRICORN   (DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20)

Surprises occur with any creative project, Capricorn, partly because communication needs some improvement or clarification. Focus on the essentials and see where you make a positive contribution. All goes well and you can make a big splash in any social pool once the details are reviewed and approved.

AQUARIUS   (JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19)

Things may turn out to be a bit more expensive than you first thought, Aquarius, particularly when it comes to family events and home related projects. You are practical and seem to know what you can accomplish within the budget. Perhaps get some advice from friends who see the full landscape and set of needs.

PISCES   (FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20)

You make an interesting first impression Pisces. This not only impacts which social groups you decide to join, it can also change the dynamics of your immediate neighborhood. A lot is riding on your ability to carve out a sensible game plan for your future needs and desires. Think about it now but don’t act until much later.

(c) 2024 MADAM LICHTENSTEIN, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. @thestarryeye Find astrology readings on tinyurl.com/TheStarryEye and a great sun sign book at tinyurl.com/Herscopes

Lucky Numbers for the Week of September 13, 2024, 2024

Lottery ads tell us you only need a dollar and a dream. But it is also helpful to have a list of lucky numbers to help spur the good fortune ... or fortunes. So with that in mind, here are some lucky numbers that can be used in any helpful way. I gazed into a pool of water, Nostradamus-like, and contemplated the cosmos. Then I mixed the tarot cards and allowed the spirits to guide me to the cards that represent the lucky numbers for this week. Nothing is guaranteed but who knows ....?

Here are the lucky numbers for the week of September 13-19, 2024:

I choose eight numbers because 8 is the number of of wealth.

1, 3, 20, 27, 38, 48, 53, 78

There are many ways to delve into your own consciousness to find luck and intuition. Try reading Dream Power/Improve Your Luck (Super Strength Series) and see if your dreams give you any clues and premonitions. Here's a guide to the best books available this month

Merchants House Spooky Friday the 13th Event

If you like the paranormal as I do,  you may be tempted to attend the Merchant's House Friday the 13th Event. It is virtual so you can attend wherever you are!

Friday, September 13, 6:30 p.m. In the Spirit of Science Virtual Program: Live Walk-Through! Dan, Lee, and Matilda return to the ghostly world of the Merchant’s House with a live walk-through and discussion of phenomena experienced in each room. They'll touch on the paranormal experiments undertaken in various rooms in the house, as well as staff encounters with paranormal beings. This one hour will whet your appetite for our wildly popular October Candlelight Ghost Tours (celebrating 20 years!) Tickets are on sale now! Don’t delay … they fill up fast! Free (suggested donation $10).   Register Here.

 

Why a Full Moon Might Mess With Your Sleep, According to Science

This article from Self.com is an illuminating take on the effects of the full moon on sleep. Here is an excerpt:

One of the first studies to draw the full moon–sleep connection was a retrospective analysis published in 2013. Meaning, the scientists didn’t set out to study the moon, but decided to comb through existing sleep data and look for relationships with the lunar phases. The results were a surprise, according to lead study author Christian Cajochen, PhD, head of the Centre for Chronobiology at the University of Basel in Switzerland: Around the full moon, people took five minutes longer to fall asleep, had 30% less deep sleep, and slept 20 minutes less overall. Another small retrospective study published in 2014 mirrored those findings: Participants got, on average, 25 minutes less sleep when the moon was full.

You might think that a full moon could interfere with your rest because it’s the brightest phase—and it’s true that exposure to light and sleep don’t mix. But we all have access to plenty of artificial light before bed these days. What’s more, the people in the studies above were in sleep labs, without much access to the outside world (“Kind of a bunker or basement,” Dr. Cajochen tells SELF of his study). In a 2021 study, to better understand the sleep-moon connection in real-life settings, researchers analyzed sleep markers in people who had varying levels of access to electricity. Unexpectedly, they found a similar pattern across all the groups: Remote communities in Argentina and students in Seattle all went to bed later and got less sleep around full moons (in this case, mostly in the days just prior).

Of course, not all research on the topic confirms that a full moon equals worse sleep; certain studies haven’t found significant evidence of a connection. But the potential role of the moon in the scenarios above still begs the question of how this celestial body might steal your snooze. Here’s why experts think a full moon could impact your sleep and what to do if you find yourself restless during this lunar phase (beyond cursing the cosmos).

Why might a full moon mess with your sleep?

While it’s unlikely that the light of a full moon alone would keep you awake or reduce your sleep quality today, it might have led our ancestors (who lacked artificial light) to stay up later—and perhaps that tendency became ingrained in us, lead author of the 2021 study Horacio de la Iglesia, PhD, a professor in the department of biology at the University of Washington, tells SELF. As noted above, this study found that people usually had the shortest amount of sleep on the nights just before a full moon—which is also when moonlight is most visible in the early evening.

“What we think is that when our ancestors were hunting and gathering, it was highly adaptive to extend the end of the day,” Dr. de la Iglesia says. The extra light of a nearly full moon at dusk would grant them more time to find food before darkness fell—so, as Dr. de la Iglesia posits, why wouldn’t they evolve to stay up later on those nights? Even though we may not be as reliant on natural light now, he notes that our bodies may still be primed, evolutionarily speaking, to delay sleep before a full moon.

It’s also possible that, over time, a bunch of biological and evolutionary ties to the moon have led us to develop a circalunar rhythm—similar to a circadian rhythm, but oriented around the roughly month-long moon cycle, versus a single day. So just like you get sleepy at night and feel more awake as the morning progresses thanks to your internal 24-hour clock, experts theorize that your body might also become more active at night (or less naturally prone to sleep) around a full moon as compared to other phases throughout the month, Dr. Cajochen says.

What to do if you struggle to sleep well around a full moon

The moon’s going to keep moon-ing, but that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to restless nights whenever it’s approaching full status. If you find yourself getting in bed only to toss and turn for a while on those days, Dr. Peters actually suggests delaying your bedtime temporarily by, say, 30 or 45 minutes (while keeping your wakeup time consistent). “By reducing your overall time in bed, you’ll build a stronger sleep drive, which will help you fall asleep more easily,” he says. Also, aim to get 15 to 30 minutes of sunlight after waking up each day, he adds, to keep your circadian rhythm bopping along as usual.