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Wednesday, January 8, 2020

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.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

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.

Monday, January 6, 2020

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




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




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.comblooma.com, or text me at 612-205-4453 to schedule your next session.