Posture & Breathing Break – November 23, 2009

Set your desktop computer, cell phone or digital watch to chime every hour  to remind you to take a healthy posture and breathing break. When you hear the chime, do a quick physical inventory.

Are your shoulders down and back? Are you sitting comfortably erect, with an inward curve in your lower spine? Are both of your feet flat on the floor? After you’ve checked and adjusted your posture, close your eyes and take three deep, slow belly-breaths.

That’s all there is to it! You’ll go back to what you were doing with a calmer spirit and a more comfortable body.

Two-Way Street
Communicating with Your Massage Therapist

By Sharon Leonard

People get massages for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you’re seeking stress relief from the weekly work commute or your wanting to cleanse your body of toxins. Or maybe massage is helping you recover from a sports injury or surgery. Whatever your reasons, it’s absolutely important that you explicitly communicate to your therapist the reason you made the appointment. Otherwise you run the risk of not getting what you want.In addition to explaining any wellness requirement, you also need to clarify your comfort needs during the session so that you feel completely at ease. Most practitioners work to create an appropriate environment with elements such as the temperature, music, aromatherapy, and table setting. But if anything makes you uncomfortable, feel free — or rather, feel responsible — to say as much. Your therapist is as interested as you are in making sure you get what you want from the massage, and building a communicative partnership is key. Remember, communication is a two-way street.

Sandy Anderson, owner of Relaxing Moments Massage in Reno, Nevada, asks at the beginning of each appointment, “What is the focus of our session today?” — whether it’s the client’s first or 21st appointment with her. The therapist needs to know your wellness context. Even if she has your health history, circumstances — and bodies — are always changing. Perhaps you were traveling for the last two months spending significant time in cramped seats on airplanes. Maybe you’re training for a marathon race, logging numerous miles each week. Or, a more likely scenario, you’re stressed and feeling emotionally tapped out.Furthermore, it’s important she or he knows about your massage preferences that just make your massage more pleasurable, such as getting extra work on your feet or ending the session with a face massage. Perhaps it’s important to you to have the therapist “stay connected” by keeping her hands on you rather than, for example, going from your feet to your shoulders. By simply letting her or him know of any such information can vastly improve your session.

The Setting

 

 

 

“I have designed my treatment room to offer a basic comfort level based on my professional experience,” Anderson says. “But I need the client to tell me if something is not to her liking. For example, I have provided a small fountain that I thought provided soothing background sounds, but two of my clients have requested that it be turned off because it made them feel as though they needed to run to the restroom.”One important amenity issue that should be discussed by the client and the therapist is massage-table comfort. “I use a heated table covered with a sheet and a blanket because as the active therapist I need the room temperature lower than what is comfortable for the client,” Anderson says. “Then I ask the client what adjustments she might want me to make.” Even if your therapist doesn’t specifically ask about the temperature, background sounds, aromas or whatever other subtle amenities in the room, if there’s something that’s making your massage less than great, be sure to discuss it with your practitioner.

Conversation can sometimes be a point of contention. Because some clients like to talk during a session while others prefer silence, Anderson believes it’s up to the client to dictate this aspect. She does not inhibit talking nor does she initiate conversation if the client is silent. If you want to tactfully make certain your therapist is not overly conversational, it is appropriate to say something like, “You will find that I am not very talkative. I just like to totally relax during this time.” While your practitioner may communicate aspects of the massage, don’t necessarily take this for her trying to make conversation.Angie Parris-Raney, owner of Good Health Massage Therapy in Littleton, Colo., believes it’s very important for the therapist to explain her actions so the client is not surprised. “Whether I’m easing a first time massage client’s apprehension by explaining I will only be uncovering one part of the body at a time or I’m doing a rehabilitation treatment for injury, illness or surgery, I have learned from experience the client wants detailed information on what is going to happen,” Parris-Raney says. “It is also helpful if she tells me how she feels about what I am doing. Is the stroke too deep or too light? Does she want me to use a slower or faster pace?” If you are unclear about an expectation or a procedure, even if it is something as simple as, “Where is the safest place to put my jewelry?” feel free to ask.

It’s a Brand New Day – November 16, 2009

If troubling thoughts are keeping you from sleeping, write them down outside of bed, then resign yourself to the fact that you have done all you can for the moment and commit to re-examining them in the morning. Fears, which seem exaggerated at night when we are surrounded by darkness and lack of resources, are often more manageable in the light of day.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a unique method of using the thumb and fingers to stimulate more that 7,200 nerve endings in each foot.  These nerve endings correspond to all parts of the body, including organs and glands.

Origins of Reflexology

Reflexology is no new age trend.  Dr. William Fitzgerald, in his book Zone Therapy, states that “a form of treatment by means of pressure points was known in India and China 5,000 years ago.”  There also appears to be evidence of reflexology being used in Egyptian art around 2330 BC.

What are the Benefits of Reflexology?

Reflexology can relieve stress and tension within the body.  It improves circulation and lymphatic flow, and works to unblock nerve impulse pathways.  These benefits all work toward helping the body to heal itself by restoring balance to the vital energies.

According to Shelly Hess, author of The Professional’s Reflexology Handbook, “Reflexology works to discover how the soft tissue organs and the entire skeletal system are functioning.  Through trained fingers, the Reflexologist can detect early warning signs that the body is struggling and can then help restore the internal system to better balance.”

 What Are Some Specific Conditions Where Reflexology Might Be Helpful?

-Headaches, including migraines
- Arthritis
- High blood pressure
- Backache and sciatica
- Stress
- Allergies and sinus problems
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Constipation
- Insomnia
- Pre-menstrual syndrome
- Menstrual cramps

Who Can Benefit from Reflexology?

People of all ages can benefit from reflexology treatments.  We all suffer from stress at one time or another, and aches and pains are a part of daily life.  Reflexology has a long history of promoting relaxation and healing. Reflexology can be a great treatment by itself or combined with another treatment. Schedule a Soothing a Soothing Foot Massage for 30 or 60 minutes today! 

If you like it, do it! - November 9, 2009

Getting in shape just because “it’s good for you” can be a potentially boring proposition.On the other hand, embarking on an exercise program with a concrete, enjoyable goal is an entirely different matter. Hike a canyon or a mountain trail; book a raft trip or a biking tour; take the family snorkeling or to a beach where volleyball is a big draw. Do the active things you love and the fitness will come naturally.

Pain is a Sign - Your Body is Telling you Something!

Let’s face it, we live in a high stress culture that has constant demands.  Pursuing a career, family life, house chores, holidays, vacation planning the list can go on forever.  Eventually we start to experience headaches, tension and pains throughout our body.  The pain is an indicator or “sign” that something is wrong and the problem wont go away until we take direct action to resolve it.  The pain could leave for a few days or weeks but eventually it returns and keeps nagging us to get help.

Here are a couple of interesting statistics that even surprised us when we researched the numbers.

- 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints.

- Over 50% of lost workdays are stress related which keeps about 1 million people per day from attending work.

- Health care expenditures are nearly 50% greater for workers who report high levels of stress.

Reducing your stress will improve your health.  A balanced lifestyle is important to creating and maintaining your health. Are you ignoring your aches and pains hoping they will go away?  Have you taken some time for yourself to quiet the mind and relax the soul?  Listen to your body and get help reducing your stress today.

Smooth Start – November 2, 2009

Take time to eat a good, well-rounded breakfast. A meal that includes carbs, some protein and a little fat will keep your blood sugar stable and your appetite from running away with you at lunch. Make a smoothie using fresh or frozen fruits and juices, a half-cup of plain low-fat yogurt and a scoop of plain protein powder. Add a piece of whole-grain toast lightly covered with your favorite nut butter and you’ll be ready to face the world!