Self-Care

Where The Healing Begins

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Self-Care

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The Importance of Self-Care

Self-care in today’s hectic world of instant gratification is often delayed or even ignored. Massage is just one of the feel-good things we can do that helps us live more productive, satisfying, happy lives. While simple, the following suggestions create a solid foundation for wellness on many levels

Sleep is our best friend when it comes to living and moving freely through life. Lucky for us, there are many easy pathways to choose from for trouble free slumber. Consider: going to bed one hour earlier and sprinkle some lavender oil on your pillow. Many people drink a warm, caffeine free beverage and read a non-stimulating magazine or book. Watching a pleasant family sitcom is a good choice for winding down too. Of course, a warm bath and/or listening to music you find relaxing is a home run in the sleep department. Put your creative juices to work to find the perfect zzzzzzz symphony for you.

Stretching is our gateway to mobility! When we are proactive in keeping our muscles and fascia moving and fluid, our body is able to breathe and expand. This helps us move through life with ease and comfort, while conserving vital energy to engage and enjoy other things.

Move! Move! Move! Movement brings lubrication to the joints and stiffness lessens. It doesn’t have to be something strenuous, just something that gets your joints moving. When done properly, activities like yoga, tai chi and swimming provide movement without strain. A healthy, flexible body can do whatever we ask of it, so long as we respect its boundaries.

Feed your body! Food is both fuel and medicine. Treat your body like a high-performance machine by giving it the best possible fuel. Your body will say “thank you” in many ways when you give it a variety of healthy, high quality non-processed foods. I will leave any specific diet up to you, however, it would suffice to say that quality food creates a quality body.

Family time! We all know that spending quality time with family and close friends adds value and love to our existence. Taking time to nurture these relationships helps them grow and become more meaningful, opening flood gates to deeper connections to life.

“ME” time is essential to our health so make time to do those things that “recharge your batteries”. Treat yourself to the movies, have a wrestle with your dog or take your pup for a walk. The important thing is that it needs to mean something to you. Sometimes, you just need to say no to something else in order to make this happen. It’s OK!

Take time away from work! Leaving work at work does wonders so make a commitment to yourself to decompress and destress. On occasion you may find that bringing your work home is a “have to” situation. When this happens set aside specific time and stop when that time limit is reached. Give yourself permission to be off duty.

Be your own best friend! This means being kind to yourself. Emotions are intrinsically linked to our Wellbeing and Self-Care. Give yourself a break. Take the time to look inward, assess your own needs and give yourself a pat on the back every once in a while. Your mind, body and spirit will be happy you did.

Feed your mind! Reading and having conversations expands your outlook and vision. Playing games that require thought sharpens concentration and focus.

Meditation combats anxiety and depression as well reduces activity in the Brain’s “Me Center”. Communing with nature is a beautiful way to bring richness into your life. Do whatever you enjoy that you find contemplative and restorative, so long as it brings you joy.

“Feed the mind a positive seed in the morning and harvest the reward all day” – Bob Migliani.

Difficult Questions You Are Too Afraid to Ask!

Massage is a personal experience in which communication plays a larger role than most acknowledge. I’ve found that almost everyone has at least one difficult question that they would like answered. This is true for the newbie to massage, the occasional client and even those weekly receivers of massage. As a licensed massage therapist it is my responsibility to address those uncomfortable questions prior to being asked.

Feeling poorly? Illness may move through the body faster than normal when receiving a massage. Clearly, we want your massage to make you feel better instead of worse. We are putting those around us at risk when illness is in the incubation period. General guidelines regarding health concerns are to stay home and contact your physician if you have a fever, unusual sweating, dizziness or lightheadedness, new and sudden systemic aches or pains, or digestive problems. Remember, your well-being is the primary goal.

Got a rash, wart or another unidentified visitor on your skin? Being that the skin is the largest organ of the body it tells the story of our health. A slight rash may actually be the beginning of something larger such as some type of infection of the skin. Some of these may be quite serious and could also be contagious. It is important to contact your physician to make sure it’s safe to have someone touching your skin.

Bodily Functions and Hygiene: Our bodies are miraculous in how they work and react to the environment around them. Some people get a runny nose when lying face down. Sometimes the skin can get itchy from improved blood flow. Some may have an uncooperative bladder. Some may have a rumbling stomach or gas. It’s all perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about. If I know your needs, I can easily accommodate you.

Feet concerns: We all have feet and we all use and abuse them differently. Sometimes they get dirty from wearing sandals. Feet may have an unpleasant odor after being corralled in a closed leather shoe. Some people have bunions or athlete’s foot. Again, it’s all normal and it’s all OK. You can be provided with a wipe to clean your feet before your massage. Your feet can also be worked in through a sheet or you can keep your socks on during your session.

Unfortunate happenings: Sometimes our body will unintentionally emit fluids such as blood or mucus. This happens more often than you might think. Just know that the sheets and towels are washable and easily replaced, and I am prepared to handle situations like these.

Large or painful breasts: Being uncomfortable while you’re receiving a massage negates the whole experience of relaxing. Taking the pressure off of the breast tissue is easily accomplished with the use of positioning aids. Depending upon the person, we can use bean bags, pillows, towel rolls or other aids. Some women find it more comfortable to receive their massage in the side lying position which is a simple change of position.

Vocalizations: Some people vocalize during their massage. They may moan and groan, sigh, snore, or make a variety of other sounds. This is part of how we release tension from our bodies, and it is perfectly OK. You won’t be judged for any sounds you make.

Under the Influence: Receiving a massage while under the influence of alcohol or other sensory altering drugs is dangerous. Your ability to feel and/or your ability to communicate may be impaired. For your safety, it’s best to not use them at all but if you must, please refrain until after your massage.

Feet concerns: We all have feet and we all use and abuse them differently. Sometimes they get dirty from wearing sandals. Feet may have an unpleasant odor after being corralled in a closed leather shoe. Some people have bunions or athlete’s foot. Again, it’s all normal and it’s all OK. You can be provided with a wipe to clean your feet before your massage. Your feet can also be worked on through a sheet or you can keep your socks on during your session.