For the past two weeks I've been driving from Denver to Boulder nearly every day, and yesterday I needed some relief from the standstill at rush hour. This playlist had me dancing in my seat, arriving at my destination feeling cheerful instead of stressed:
"I Got You (I Feel Good)" James Brown "We Found Love" Calvin Harris, Rihanna "Groove is in the Heart" Deee-Lite "Don't Worry Be Happy" Bobby McFerrin "Don't Stop Believin'" Journey "You Can Call Me Al" Paul Simon What do you do to relieve or prevent stress? If you need a little help, set up an appointment for a massage and/or craniosacral session. I feel worlds better after craniosacral therapy - it's always just what I need to balance my nervous system. Whether you're on edge from road rage, stressed during midterms, recovering from an injury, etc, some hands-on help will get you back on track to feeling your best.
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What are you aware of?It seems like every week we're exposed to new Awareness Campaigns. The internet has connected and educated us with ever-increasing speed and depth. Because of awareness campaigns we know more about brain injury, the need for clean water domestically and throughout the world, the importance of net neutrality, and how to support people with cancer. We can take action and be a part of causes that we care about. It can also be overwhelming. It can be tough to choose what causes to support and in that deluge of need, we may choose to support nothing. Or we burn ourselves out supporting everything. Neither of those outcomes is desirable. So how do we balance self-preservation with the desire to be good and helpful in our communities and beyond? I suggest a two-level consideration of awareness, considering your world first, so you can then be more useful to the rest of the world. Be aware of your world.Where you hold tension or feel pain in your body.If you always have a dull headache, or your knee hurts, or you don't sleep well, that's a problem. You cannot be at your best at work, with your family and friends, or in your community. Take a moment to assess how you feel, maybe keep some notes in your calendar for a few days, and see if there are any nagging issues slowing you down.
Be aware of ways to improve how you feel When you isolate an issue, think about how you fix it and who can help you do that. Wellness doesn't have to be an expensive, time-gobbling production. Maybe a few minutes of guided meditation at night will help you sleep better or a massage and some stretching will improve the headaches. When you feel better, you're more able to contribute to bigger causes. Choose your cause in the bigger world What cause moves you? For some, being a Den Mother or Little League coach is really important. For others, giving to a more global cause is key. There is no right or wrong, it's just a personal decision. It's great to be creative here. Your priority may be to help a niece afford college or regularly help your best friend the kindergarten teacher prep for wacky arts and crafts with her 30 students. Or maybe you feel your best contribution comes from being really great at your job and having time just for your friends and family. Causes needn't be big organizations or structured to make a difference. Make your actions match your priorities If you decide that giving to a global clean water initiative or coaching a team is the most important cause to you, your actions should reflect that. This step involves a mental audit of your time and money. Maybe a cheaper gym membership will leave you with enough money to cover your niece's books, or 'catching up' on fewer TV shows each weekend will clear the schedule for time with friends. Full, happy lives come from conscious decisions about where we focus our time and efforts. It's easy to get swept into the overwhelm and find yourself spread too thin, feeling like nothing you do makes an impact. A few minutes of awareness could make big improvements in your everyday life and happiness. Happy holidays! Happy 'getting stressed out, trying to do too many things and please everyone' season. Oh, wait. That's not promising.
This is the year to mix it up and make the holidays a little easier. Forget perfection Sometimes gingerbread men will be missing a limb. The tree may have a bald spot. The kugel may not taste exactly like your grandma’s. Know what? None of it matters. Decide what's truly important to you over the holidays, and focus on that. Enlist help Once you drop the desire for Norman Rockwell levels of perfection, it gets much easier to ask for help and delegate tasks. Kids can sign the names and address holiday cards. Wrap gifts in plain brown paper and kids can stay occupied decorating with crayons and ribbon. Stick to a budget Much of the holiday stress people feel can be attributed to money woes. Make a list and check it twice, making sure the gifts you choose are within your budget reach. If you need a sliding scale for your massage gift cards, please don't hesitate to ask. And when you're tempted to overspend, remember that things are rarely as meaningful as a kind thought or gesture. Shop local Shy away from the average stuff you get at chain stores and Amazon. Visit your local bookstore, bakery and massage office to get gifts and gift certificates that really mean something. Bonus: you’re supporting small business at the same time! Get a massage and drink for good health Taking care of yourself makes you better able to take care of all the people who depend on you! Now the drink I'm talking about is hydrating, nourishing and wholesome, from Wonder Press juice bar. Try a juice cleanse for a day or just stop by for a nutritious drink. Here's to a wonderful holiday low on stress, high on health and filled with fun! As flowers are beginning to sprout, my practice is growing and blooming with new life. I'm excited to announce some new offerings from massage techniques to a money-saving option for you. Prenatal MassageFor moms-to-be, I'm now certified in prenatal massage. With a bundle of pillows, you'll be positioned comfortably so you can relax fully in a peaceful hour just for you. Thai MassageAn ancient healing art, it involves deep stretching, rhythmic compression, soft-tissue manipulation, gentle rocking, energy balancing, and acupressure, performed with the client fully clothed on a floor mat. I took an introductory class with Sunny Klaber through the Intregral Touch Institute and will soon learn more. I currently do not have a mat in the Marine Street office, but some techniques transfer well to table massage. If you would like a full Thai massage, please let me know and I can work with you at Bodywork Bistro. Massage for Rib DysfunctionRib dysfunction can be the source of neck and thoracic pain, painful breathing, reduced range of motion and may resemble heart and lung problems. If you prefer getting a massage over getting cracked from a chiropractor, I learned different techniques last month to help create an ideal environment in your body for the ribs to relax back into place. Referral BenefitYour friends need a massage, too. Receive $15 off a session when you refer a new client to me. Refer four new clients and receive a free 60-minute massage! Your friends will receive 25% off their first session with me: $53 for a 60-minute, or $72 for a 90-minute.
Four ways to celebrate Valentine's Day
It's February! We made it through the holidays just to get inundated with notions of chocolate, flowers, bling, and extravagant weekends in wine country to 'reconnect with the one you love'. But what if we pass on the chocolate and Ziggy cards and approach the day (or the whole month!) with a focus on connecting with the people we care about. Not just your significant other, but your best friend that you never have a chance to talk to for more than 4 minutes before a baby demands attention. Or maybe your favorite uncle who was always quick with a lousy joke and equally fast in sneaking you a cookie when your mom wasn't looking. Share some time with someone. Make a pedicure date with your best friend. If you can each bring along your favorite mom, aunt, extremely sweet older neighbor who watches out for your kids, even better. If you can't set aside that much time with everyone's busy schedules, drop off a piece of cake from your favorite bakery. Or keep it crazy cost effective and have your kid finger-paint a very special valentine for their teacher. Appreciate someone. Look your favorite dry cleaner/butcher/school bus driver right in the eye and say, "Thank you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you do for me. You make my life easier." Drop an email to your kid's basketball coach and say, "Thank you. My kid loves playing basketball, and I really appreciate that you give your time to make that possible." Massage someone. I know, this sounds weird, huh? I'm a massage therapist and I'm telling you to Do It Yourself. But massage doesn't have to be an hour long ordeal with fancy oils and a complicated routine. Watch a video and treat your partner to a hand or foot massage. Grab this amazing book, A Modern Day Guide to Massage for Children, and learn how to massage your favorite little buddy. Give the gift of massage. You can pick up a gift certificate right here. Bonus: Connect with YOU. Not everyone schedules regular massage, and that's okay. But if it's been awhile, maybe it's time to practice a little self-care and get yourself a massage, too. The best gift you can give the people you love is a happy, healthy you. Bringing relaxation and looser shoulders to your workplace, home or event with chair massage. Sessions can be 10-30 minutes for $1/minute, making chair massage accessible to anyone for a quick pick-me-up in a busy day. I was trained in chair massage at Boulder College of Massage Therapy and have picked up extra skills in the past year working at Bodywork Bistro. Events and venues I've worked include health fairs, a yoga festival, a flood relief party, a hotel's promotional event, a nursing home for the elderly and a shelter for the disabled. Would you like to offer chair massage at your event or workplace? Call me for more information: 970-396-0102. An estimated 1 in 10 adults in the United States suffers from depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That’s around the same percentage of American adults who are left-handed, and yet while handedness is seen today as a quirky curiosity or occasional advantage, there is still stigma and silence surrounding depression as an illness. So let’s talk: what is depression? Why is it problematic? What can help? What is depression?Let’s start with what depression isn’t: a bad day, a brief period of mourning after a loss, or a pessimistic outlook on life. Depression is a period of more than two weeks of a bad mood, decreased interest in things that one normally finds enjoyable, and may also include fatigue, changes in weight, difficulty concentrating, inappropriate guilt, and suicidal thoughts. While two weeks is the minimum length for defining depression, it may continue for months or years. Are there different kinds of depression?Yes. Major depression is an episode of depression two weeks or longer that messes with your ability to function throughout the day. People can have multiple episodes of major depression throughout their lives. Postpartum depression is a depressive episode that occurs after a woman has given birth. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression during the winter months, when there is less sunlight. Manic Depression, or bipolar disorder, involves cycles of depressive lows and manic highs. There are also mild forms of depression that do not meet all the requirements of major depression. What are the consequences of depression?Aside from feeling miserable on an emotional level (bad enough on its own), depression can also have other serious effects on a person’s health. People who suffer from depression are more likely to engage in harmful habits such as smoking and excessive drinking. They are less likely to get sufficient exercise, and more likely to stop the physical activities they used to participate in. Depression can disturb sleep schedules and negatively affect one’s professional and personal relationships, resulting in more stress, which leads to its own host of health issues. It’s a vicious cycle. Mental illness has always been something of a taboo subject. Those with severe problems are seen as crazy and unstable, while those with more mild issues can be accused of making it up for attention, or using the term as an excuse for ordinary laziness. Is there anything that helps with depression?Absolutely, and the first step is diagnosis. (Sorry, looking up your symptoms on Google doesn’t count.) A physician is best to prescribe different options like therapy, medication, and other treatments and lifestyle changes. Oh, and you might also want to get a massage. Massage for depression? Really?Absolutely. Massage has been found to reduce depression and improve mood in people of all stripes, from children with HIV, to adolescents with psychiatric disorders, to hospice patients. In my clinical massage class at BCMT, one of my classmates did a case study working with someone who was depressed and had been unaffected by medication and other treatments. She showed significant improvement with energy healing. A guest speaker in another BCMT class who suffered from anxiety benefited tremendously from receiving weekly massage - improving her mood overall and reducing the tension built up in her body from all that anxiety, which in turn made her feel more confident. Nurturing touch has a positive effect on mood, whether it’s from a loved one, a massage therapist, or a favorite pet.
Of course, if you’re a regular recipient of massage, you can judge for yourself: is your mood improved after a massage? And if you haven’t received a massage lately (or ever!), this is a great opportunity. Do it for science! Or, do it for yourself. Because everyone deserves to feel better. Feeling awkward about your first massage? Why? Have you heard stories of therapists digging their elbows in deep, leaving clients too sore to move? Some who think they know what's best but don't actually listen or pay close attention to how your body responds? One client who has chronic migraines told me before a massage, "I'll kill you if you give me a headache." It was the slowest and most cautious massage I've given, and the client loved it! If you're considering your first massage, consider these tips. Take a look at the policies page to learn more. Clear communicationTruthfully tell the massage therapist when something feels uncomfortable - pressure, massage techniques, temperature, face cradle, etc. Though I tend to be intuitive, I can't read minds. It's better to ask for something different rather than lie there in discomfort. Don't want to use the face cradle at all? We can work around that.
I practice active listening, without judgment, to better understand you and your needs and to create a strong therapeutic relationship. On the topic of judgment, I don't care if you haven't shaved today, if you're overweight or your feet smell (if you'd like, I can start with a warm towel peppermint foot wrap). If you have a communicable disease, I do expect you to tell me. This weekend I celebrate my certification in sports and orthopedic massage and mourn the closing of my phenomenal school, Boulder College of Massage Therapy. In one week I will be in the last graduating class of the college as we know it. As my teacher and mentor Nate Butryn points out, sometimes you have tear it down to build a stronger foundation, and we're confident that it'll return soon in a new iteration. The school is full of wonderful, strong-willed and brilliant teachers, with optimistic spirits, big dreams and the support from community to achieve them. While my heart goes out to those who are losing their jobs and the students who are struggling in the transition, my spirit is hopeful and looking forward to what's next. For more information on BCMT's closing: 9 News story Daily Camera article Letter from Mary Rose: Mourning the loss of BCMT Update 6/27/2013The latest update from Dirk McCuistion, president of BCMT:
"We are trying to ensure when we re-open that we have 100% surety that the school is financially stable. The damage done by the DPOS directive to shut the school down is has been significant. We need to raise more capital (we have raised almost $1million to date) to guarantee we will win this fight and be viable. As difficult as it is please be patient, we all want to see the school come back. I will attempt to update you all daily. Please post and pin this to other official and unofficial BCMT sites. We need your support.... and your fundraising connections if you have any. I expect to have news in 24 to 48 hours." Click here to stay updated on FB Do you have carpal tunnel syndrome? I was recently contacted by someone who might have it who is experiencing a lot of pain in her hands. It's a nerve compression syndrome that can often be easily remedied with massage. The tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel can become inflamed from overuse, compressing the median nerve which they surround and often causing numbness in the thumb and first 2-3 fingers. If you have numbness only in the pinky & pinky side of the ring finger, it's a symptom of thoracic outlet syndrome, which is a different nerve compression. Call me to set up an appointment - 970-396-0102 - and try these self-care techniques in the meantime. Self-care treatmentHydrotherapy is used to get the blood flowing and decrease inflammation. It can either be done using clothing or a sheet - soak a thin long-sleeve shirt, gloves, or bed sheet in icy cold water. Wring it out, put on the clothing or wrap yourself in the sheet, then immediately cover yourself with something toasty warm - a heavy sweatshirt, gloves or blanket. Lay down, breathe deeply and relax. The initial icy cold can be a shock, but soon you start sweating & feel very relaxed. Compared to the ice-heat-ice method of decreasing inflammation, this is a more gentle way to do a vascular flush - pushing blood to your core then drawing it back as you warm up after it's been filtered through your body.
The most basic self-care you can do is drink plenty of water - dehydrated tissues are stiff & don't get the necessary nutrients to them; breathe deeply and imagine sending your breath to those areas of tension and pain; and take frequent short breaks to shake out your hands & arms and gently stretch. Click here for some stretches to help relieve carpal tunnel tension. |
AuthorIntuitive energy healer, massage therapist and somatic coach in Asheville, NC, bringing you insight and inspiration on healing and conscious living. Formerly in Boulder, CO. Archives
June 2022
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