Health Benefits of Peppermint Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil

The benefits of peppermint are many, but the most common reason I offer it to my massage clients is that it relieves muscle soreness at the same time as it reduces inflammation. I frequently see people who have an acute condition, but more often I find overuse of a particular muscle group is the cause of restriction and discomfort. I usually apply 4 to 6 drops along the spine, lightly effleurage the oil with my fingertips and then cover with coconut or apricot kernel oil. Peppermint oil will continue to relax muscles, even after leaving my treatment room for as long as you leave it on your skin. You can further reactivate the effects by applying heat to the area. If you have only one essential oil at home, make it peppermint.

Canine therapy

Early this morning (4/1/2020) my dog Sophie died at the U of M small animal emergency room. We had 7 lovely years of camping on the North Shore, hiking the SHT, walking around Lake Harriet and Pike Island, and relaxing in the sun. Some of you may have gotten to know her as she worked the reception area to greet people before sessions. Some of you allowed her to be present during bodywork sessions. She was patient, kind and fiercely protective. She loved to dance and do tricks for treats. I am so grateful that I had her in my life and had a chance to hold her and tell her how much she meant to me as she died. She was such a generous creature and I hope someday I will be her equal. 
Research suggests that through caring for and interacting with a dog, there can be many benefits, including: 
Decreased stress 
Increased physical activity and healthy play 
Relief from anxiety and depression 
Increased focus and attention through experiential learning 
Improved communication and social skills 
Learning appropriate ways to treat self and others 
Unconditional love, affection, nurturing and empathy 
Increased self-esteem and feelings of empowerment 
Reduced blood pressure 
Elevated mood 
Raised levels of oxytocin 
Reduced loneliness and bigger sense of purpose 
Setting and respecting boundaries 
Motivation to stay in treatment and participate fully in therapy

Dear Kingfield and Blooma Clients,

April brings us closer to the end of our government mandated "shelter-in-place" and provides an opportunity for me to catch up on some writing projects that have neglected. Check out my posts here and here when you have a moment. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
Ian't it a blessing that outdoor opportunities for practicing mindfulness, standing, sitting or walking in stillness is increasing with the warmer weather? Five most important benefits of a mindfulness practice are: decreases the risks or symptoms of heart disease, decreases cognitive decline from aging or Alzheimer’s, reduces cell aging, reduces psychological pain and, most importantly at this period in time, improves your immune response.
Supporting the immune and lymph systems as the risk of contracting covid-19 continues to be a concern for most of us. Research shows that bodywork and massage make a difference. However your options are limited until May 2nd. You can book your next appointment now by scheduling online: schedulicity.com or blooma.com or text me at 612 205-4453. Looking forward to seeing you in May.

Self Care: Walking Meditation

My massage table is patiently waiting for this period of "shelter in place" to come to an end. In the meantime, walking meditation can contribute to your sense of being grounded and at ease in your body. It doesn't need expensive equipment and can be done anywhere your feet happen to be. Focus on your breath, feel the bottoms of your feet connected to the surface they are touching. With your first step, imagine your inhale breath moving up the ball of your foot and the back of your body, over your head and pausing for a moment at your crown. Transfer your weight and slowly exhale, imagining your breath moving down the front of your body and moving into the the earth beneath the soles of your feet. Imagine your lungs filling with light which radiates into your community, and spreads itself across the planet, healing everything in it's path. And repeat.

Self care during shelter in place

Fresh or dried ginger, hot water, steep until the perfect concentration. Sip slowly while watching Frozen 2 with your resident grandchild. Breathe. All will be well. You have got this.

Warm water, epsom salt, pumice stone. Soak for 20 minutes, then gently rub feet with the soapy pumice stone and massage with brush working your way from toes to lower leg. Recruit your partner to assist you if this is difficult on your own. Practice asking people for help so it becomes easy and that you stop debating whether you deserve help.

Grab your foam roller and decide: wall or floor. Position yourself to start at your tailbone and then slowly work your way up your spine.
breathe. I like to do 6 mindful breaths on each area of tension, but you may need more. Or more frequent sessions.

Yoga in the shower is also one of my favorites. Something about the hot water is so soothing and spa-like, I add essential oil to a soapy sponge and have it on the floor with me and it fills my lungs with eucalyptus or peppermint.

March 26, 2020

Scheduling Update I hope you are staying healthy, and staying home, during this challenging time. Today, Wednesday, March 25, Governor Walz ordered an extension on the executive order closing businesses which include therapeutic massage services until Friday, May 1 at 5pm. Bodywork sessions will be available on Saturday, May 2nd and I cannot wait to see you! If you have an appointment with me between now and then, it is cancelled, effective immediately. The most efficient way to get your appointment rebooked is to use online booking at Blooma.com or schedulicity.com. Please also feel free to text me to reschedule if you experience any issues booking online. Looking forward to seeing you in May, Julie Mueller ©2020 Mueller Orthopedic and Medical Massage | 3921 Garfield Ave S  Web Version  Preferences  Forward  Unsubscribe   Powered by Mad Mimi®A GoDaddy® company

Floating Lights

The water is artificially colored black perhaps simply to hide the plumbing structures. The treatment turns the surface into a mirror, doubling the amount of flowers and floating candles in the sunken garden.The reflection of light is breathtaking. The palate of the curent flower display varies shades of and intensities of purple. The main species for me is a stunning lavendar hibiscus with a mottled design of spotches and ripples of a deep plum.
Grandma Joyce loved hibiscus and replaced them as they faded. I bought one to adorn her hospice room, hoping to distract her from her disgust at ending upon a locked, long term care, nursing unit. She was heavily drugged, and unconscious most of the time. I hope that when she surfaced between doses, she was able to see the bright yellow blossoms on ther nightstand.
Not only was she grandmother of 13, but she had the honor and priviledge of achieving status as a great-grandmother 6 times. Her grandparenting style differed significantly from baby to baby determined by proximity and the relationship between herself and each adult child. For my older brother she was vigilant and invasive. When he was arrested for selling weed, child protection called her to assume temporary custody of his boys. She did not hesitate for a moment before jumping in her car and zooming to their rescue.
On the other extreme, she made it quite clear to me, as she held my firstborn, that I could not expect her to support my parenting efforts. After all, she had struggled to raise 6 babies of her own and had no interest in revisiting that nightmare.
It is not uncommon for women of her generation to take on that attitude. And the emotional impact of mistakes and regrets can open unhealed wounds with painful results. Rather than bringing awareness to the unrealistic expectations we harbor when we work our original parenting plan, some of us hide and pretend that it is the childs fault. We project our own misconceptions and fears on this empty page of new life and trick ourselves into continuing the neurotic approaches generation after generation. Yet, if we can find a tiny sense of detachment, as the drama unfolds, to allow the fears and anger surface, opportunity arises. We have a chance to change the course of the interaction. And even if we cannot stop ourselves in the moment, we can return to the event and heal the emotional wound.

Como Conservatory

Self-care Wednesday suggestion: visit Como Conservatory. Breath the oxygen rich air and the fragrance of the fern room. Check out the orchids blooming in surprising places. Take a book and a thermos of your favorite beverage. Browse the gift shop for cute notebooks and write down your thoughts as you wander though the greenhouses. When I spend time here I am reminded of my last trip to Paris: I set aside a whole day for exploring the Jardin des serres d’Auteuil.  I imagine I am sitting on one of the little tables scribbling in my notebook, sipping hot tea, watching the finches and parakeets in their fancy cage. Early May and unseasonably warm, I walked up to 10 miles a day through those uneven Parisian Streets. And when my feet complained I stopped for Berthillon ice cream and a glass of wine or hot chocolate.

scheduling tips

1. The fastest method is to book online at Blooma.com or schedulicity.com.
2. My schedule has some flexibility so text me with your requests for a time that isn't available online.
3. Book ahead a few weeks or months. You can reschedule or cancel up to 24 hours before your appointment time. 

2020 is here, and will fly away before you can blink, so please schedule soon.

January Truffle Flavor: Peppermint/Dark Chocolate

The featured chocolate truffle flavor this month made by our favorite local, artisan chocolatier Tour de Chocolatis peppermint.  Dark chocolate is a "superfood" protecting us from disease causing free radicals and improving heart health. 

Benefits of Therapeutic Grade White Fir Oil

Keep the holiday spirit alive and well throughout the winter months with White Fir essential oil. Energizing to the mind, yet relaxing to the body, white fir is emotionally grounding like other tree-derived oils (Western Red Cedar, Palo Santo, Cedarwood, Frankincense, etc). White fir also promotes generational healing by assisting individuals in unearthing negative patterns from the hidden recesses of the body and soul.

You can diffuse the oil to help reduce stress, massage into sore muscles and joints for soothing comfort, and apply topically to the chest to promote healthy respiratory and bronchial function. Read about more uses and benefits of white fir essential oil here.

Prenatal Four Hands Massage

Please consider the multiple benefits of your soon-to-be birth partner attending one of your prenatal massage sessions. Said birth partner can learn how to effectively alleviate any sciatica symptoms, as well as general aches and pains you may suffer throughout your pregnancy. As the therapist, I will work with you and your partner to help determine which techniques work (i.e. reflexology, or smooth, flowing strokes) and which do not. Additionally, massaging the mom-to-be once a day for 10-15 minutes can help the birth partner bond with baby, and help the woman sleep better. If the birth partner learns these techniques early, chances are greater that communication skills will be healthy, so the partner knows not to massage too hard or too fast. This will also clarify reflexology and acupressure points, to ensure the birth partner is not scared or in danger of inducing a miscarriage. Also, just think of the luxury of having four hands massage you at once!

Think your partner still needs convincing? Direct them here so they can learn 10 ways to be the perfect birth partner.

Full Wolf Moon Celebration

Please remember the Full Wolf Moon on Friday, January 10th. So, light a candle. Then, as you sip a hot drink, write down a few of your top accomplishments over the last month and a few things you would like to do better. 

The Full Wolf Moon was named by Native American tribes to mark the time of year when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages.
Traditionally, the January Moon is also known as the Old Moon. Some tribes called this the Snow Moon as well, but most applied that name to the next February full moon. 

Keep in mind that the whole two week period that follows the full moon is a prime time to shed unwanted things, habits, or patterns from one's life. The two weeks prior to the full moon is the best time to invite or adopt things, habits, etc. into one's life. 

Bodywork for Hockey and Figure Skating

Both hockey and figure skating are very tough on the body and necessitate regular massage in order to help prevent sport-related injuries, promote flexibility, and increase one's range of motion. Of course, repetition is crucial for figure skaters to be able to master their moves. Yet, this repetition can lead to over-development of certain muscle groups and increased risk of injury. Proper stretching, exercising and massage are all essential for a figure skater to be at the top of their performance. 

Similarly, hockey players tend to develop injuries that are a result of shortened muscles in the core area, specifically injuries to the groin, low back, and abdominal muscles. Of equal importance in skating for hockey players are the hip flexors and extendors, as the primary motions in skating are hip flexion (bringing the knee towards the chest) and hip extension (extending the leg behind
you) as well as external rotation through the low back and core. The iliopsoas and quadriceps muscles perform hip flexion and rotation, the gluteus maximus and hamstrings perform hip extension, and your abdominal muscles both stabilize and create the rotary movements. If your hip flexors or hip extensors are tight, you won’t get full extension
(or leg lift), which will then affect your skating stride, length and power. Massage will help to loosen these muscles in order to boost your hockey prowess.

CST for Labor and Childbirth

CranioSacral Therapy for Labor and Childbirth

Massage is wonderful for individuals expecting a baby and for those who have just delivered a baby. Massage is therapeutic, relaxing, and restorative as we all know. CranioSacral Therapy (CST), is another bodywork modality that is indispensable when it comes to labor and childbirth. 

One way CST can be helpful is during labor when many women experience the dreaded epidural-related headache. CST will help to relieve the stress of giving birth, alleviate a headache, and can also help to shorten the length of time in labor. After you give birth, CST can assist with latching issues when the baby is first nursing. CST is also safe enough for babies, so you may get CST for yourself and your newborn baby in order to help promote relaxation, sleep, and healing any trauma or stress associated with the birth. Read more benefits of neonatal CST here. Lastly, don't forget that I am a certified doula, available for in-hospital services as well as sessions before and after a birth. 

Self Care 2020

Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking massage therapy is a treat or an indulgence. But no one thinks of an oil change as a treat for our vehicles. Or car wash as an indulgence. Some of us treat a our cars (or bicycles or shoes) better than we treat our own bodies. Regular maintenence for our vehicles, rotating the tires on a regular schedule just seems to make sense to protect out investment. Yet how much more would it cost to replace parts of our bodies? Kidney transplant, joint replacement, all cost far more than regular massage therapy or acupuncture.

Are we pennywise and pound foolish? Do we tend to wait until we are injuried, and in excruciating pain before booking a session?
what would it take to convince ourselves to just get it on the calender and then switch it around or adjust the schedule if necessary? 

I recently found myself with a nasty cold, wondering how long I would stall before I took a sick day and spent a day in bed with a pot of ginger tea. It took a text message from a sick colleague, asking me to cover her clients, to shake me into this realization: I needed to reschedule clients for everyone's health, but especially mine. 

Don't wait to find yourself in the same position: practice self care on a regular schedule. Looking forward to seeing you in 2020. Book online at schedulicity.com, blooma.com, or text me at 612-205-4453 to schedule your next session.