Lifestyle

Best hack for sleep

Dr. Brent Garcia, DACM, L.Ac., LMT • January 22, 2021 • Last updated: March 15, 2024

Brother Strikes Again

I was turned on to mouth taping by my brother, and separately by a mentor, both of whom had been taping their mouth shut for years while sleeping.

My brother told me about James Nestor’s book “Breath.”

I am a pretty avid reader, but I still haven’t read the actual book.

However, I have listened to podcasts where Nestor has been interviewed.

The index card summary is: we are supposed to breath through our nose, not our mouth. And, many modern day health problems can be attributed to mouth breathing.

Turns out Eleven in “Stranger Things” was right.

We should breath as much as possible through our noses – like all animals on earth do.

This includes while we sleep.

Hence, mouth taping.

How To

I use blue painter’s tape. I started with a postage-sized piece on the front of my mouth at first.

I now tape my entire mouth shut, and it’s a game-changer.

Benefits

Here’s what I’ve noticed after years of consistent mouth-taping:

I sleep more deeply through the night
I dream more and recall dreams better
I, paradoxically, experience less congestion in the morning, even though I am breathing through my nose
I wake up way more rested
I do not wake up with a dry, sore throat

Consistently the best sleep I’ve had in years.

Do you have something that makes a huge difference for you regarding sleep?

4-7-8 Breathing Revisited

Dr. Brent Garcia, DACM, L.Ac., LMT • November 4, 2023 • Last updated: March 2, 2024

A patient just told me something profound.

I had recommended 4-7-8 breathing to him a few months ago. I was not even sure he heard me, or if he had any intention of actually doing the technique.

Turns out he had.

And he next brought it up, he surprised me.

First, a review…

What is the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique?

Dr. Andrew Weil (https://www.drweil.com/) is an integrative medicine physician and author who is known for his advocacy of natural and holistic approaches to health and well-being.

One of his most popular breathing techniques is the 4-7-8 breathing technique, which is a simple yet effective way to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and promote overall relaxation.

The 4-7-8 breathing involves inhaling for a count of four, holding the breath for a count of seven, and exhaling for a count of eight.

This breathing pattern is thought to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” response.

How to Practice the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down
Place the tip of your tongue on the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whooshing sound
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for a count of four
Hold your breath for a count of seven
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whooshing sound for a count of eight
Repeat steps 4-6 for three more cycles
You can practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique at any time of day, but it is especially helpful to practice when you are feeling stressed or anxious

Improvements

Which brings us back to my patient. He told me that after practicing this for a few months, he now can just do one cycle.

He notices that his body and mind has been conditioned so that he can easily fall into a relaxive state in about 19 seconds.

Just like anything else, a practice can become easier and more effective over time.

Need supplements? Fullscript soon to be online

Here’s why I made the move:

I’m excited to let you know that Wellevate is now part of Fullscript, and I’ve made the switch.

Similar to Wellevate, Fullscript offers you quick, easy access to my recommendations, even more of healthcare’s best supplements, and helpful wellness resources.

Stay connected to my practice and make the move with me. It’s simple to connect your Wellevate account to Fullscript. Here’s what you need to know:

Initiate the process through your Wellevate account or emails you receive from Wellevate
Fullscript will move all your information over. After that, you can order supplements and other wellness products from my dispensary and have them shipped directly to your door
Have Auto-Refill orders? No problem. They’ll still arrive, but you’ll need to set up future orders through Fullscript’s Autoship program
There’s no rush. You have until September 7th at which point your Wellevate account will become read-only.

If you have questions, check out these resources to help you with the migration. If you have further questions don’t hesitate to reach out to me or Fullscript’s patient support center.

Lacrosse Ball Self-Care Benefits

Dr. Brent Garcia, DACM, L.Ac., LMT • March 12, 2020 • Last updated: March 6, 2024

Let’s face it. Most of us are not going to get acupuncture or massage treatments seven days a week.

But pain can happen at any time — just sleeping in a crooked position on your pillow or sitting too long at your computer can create aches and tension that seem intolerable.

The good news is that there are tons of self-care techniques you can use to ease pain right in your own living room. Not only that, but the care you give yourself between treatments actually increases the efficacy of the work done by your practitioner.

Self-care is the greatest thing you can do to bring about long-term healing. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s a requirement. It can be the deciding factor in whether you get better or not.

Mechanic Analogy

Getting a treatment is akin to going to the mechanic to have your tires rotated or your engine checked. It’s necessary to see an expert from time to time.

Meanwhile, self-care is like checking your tire pressure or getting an oil change.

It has to be done on a regular basis if you want to keep the car running efficiently and ensure that the work done by the mechanic has the maximum possible effect.

It’s the same with your body: you’ve gotta take care of it. Which is why I recommend making self-care a habit starting today.

Enter the Lacrosse Ball

The piece of equipment I most recommend for self-care — and the one I use most often myself — is a lacrosse ball.

It’s just the right size and density for treating most types of muscle dysfunction.

How to use a lacrosse ball for self-care

Place the ball between your body and a wall, or underneath your body when lying on the floor
Rolling gently back and forth until you find the most painful spots
Then, STOP ROLLING, and switch to compression
by experimenting with how much compression you apply
Try to keep the discomfort to a 5 out of 10 on your pain scale at a maximum
You may be pleasantly surprised by how much relief this technique can provide. If you’re having a hard time picturing this, check out my YouTube channel for some representative videos
Put the ball in a sock, so you don’t have to keep chasing the ball. Easier to control

Added Benefits

As far as self-care tools go, the lacrosse ball is one of the best. It even has benefits beyond helping you treat the source of your pain.

It’s compact and portable, which makes it great for travel
It has the correct hardness — roughly between a tennis ball and a golf ball.
Best for most applications
Cheap. Lacrosse balls run about five dollars or less at most sporting goods stores

Give it a Shot

The simple combination of lacrosse ball and wall offers an easy way to treat practically any part of your body any time you experience pain. Plus, you’ll be providing yourself with the routine maintenance needed to sustain the effects of your most recent professional treatment.

Upgrade your baths to B.E.P. baths

Dr. Brent Garcia, DACM, L.Ac., LMT • September 7, 2021 • Last updated: March 2, 2024

For years now, I have recommended Epson salt baths as a fantastic way to help wind down the nervous system, relax the mind, and decrease muscle pain and soreness.

Then I learned about B.E.P. baths: Baking soda, Epsom salt, and hydrogen Peroxide.

Use a ratio is 1 cup baking soda to 4 cup of Epsom salts to 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide.

I’ve taken a few of these baths now, and I like them it better. I’ve changed my recommendation to B.E.P. baths for patients.

I like them better because of the added benefit of its skin detoxifying and clarifying properties.

Now, like a lot of things in life, the research is a little vague on the “scientific” benefits of these.
Here’s an article to help with your own due diligence and suitability…

…however, from the direct experience of my patients, my colleagues, my friends, and myself, I can say without hesitation that these make people feel better.

Sometimes, I don’t need proof to tell me if something feels good and is a benefit to me or not.

This is one of those cases.

My Massage & Acupuncture Clinic

Hometown, USA