The importance of castor oil improving the lymph system
1. Poor lymphatic drainage can be settle. Most people don't notice any issues with their lymph drainage and most doctors don't take notice until it is a sever problem seen as edema ( swelling)
2. When cells are pushed away from blood vessels and the chance to receive nutrients and oxygen from the blood they become unhealthy,
3. If the lymph is not moving, then cells are slow at dumping their waste and toxins outside of their shells. Not only does this happen with individual cells but it happens with organs.
4. Increase of fluid outside of cells in the spaces between tissues cause the skin to stretch which puts pressure on the surrounding structures. This leads to stagnation/blockage and pain.
5. So far I do not know of a drug that helps improve the flow of lymphatic system. If there were MDs would be using it as a cure for lymphedema. To date the MDs say there is no cure for lymphedema
What happens when castor oil is absorbed through the skin
1. The # of lymphocytes in the blood increases. This improves the immune system.
2. The lymph begins to move , which in turn moves cellular waste and toxins. Which improves muscle nutrition and function.
3. The lymph in the intestinal lining is better able to absorb fat molecules and help the body which allows the cell the chance for growth and repair
4. The area is stimulated to self lubricate better.
This is just a short example of how castor oil interacts with the lymphatic system. For more information contact me via email and I can send the next installment.
Colette-Eclectic Healing Guide is connected to: www.colette.massagetherapy.com FaceBook @Eclectichealingguide and Instagram @eclectichealingguide. All information in this Blog is for Educational purposes only! Please Consult your Health Care Provider concerning any disease or injury. The author is Not recommending that you self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Please discuss with your Health Care Provider before introducing anything new to your wellness routine.
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Curious about Reiki
Reiki
is a purely energetic bodywork technique. This session is mainly used for relaxation and chakra balancing. For those more familiar with Reiki the session will be customized to your physical, mental, emotional or spiritual needs. A full session utilizes hand positions on both the front and back of the body. Energy travels from the chakras in the practitioners hands to the client’s chakras. This is experienced differently by different people. The sensations have been described as heat, cold, tingling or a variety of other sensations. Clients often fall asleep. There is no manipulation of muscles or skeletal structure. The client wears loose, comfortable clothing and remains clothed throughout the session.
is a purely energetic bodywork technique. This session is mainly used for relaxation and chakra balancing. For those more familiar with Reiki the session will be customized to your physical, mental, emotional or spiritual needs. A full session utilizes hand positions on both the front and back of the body. Energy travels from the chakras in the practitioners hands to the client’s chakras. This is experienced differently by different people. The sensations have been described as heat, cold, tingling or a variety of other sensations. Clients often fall asleep. There is no manipulation of muscles or skeletal structure. The client wears loose, comfortable clothing and remains clothed throughout the session.
The end of Reiki Principles Explored
We made it through the end of 2016 and worked through 4 of the Reiki principles to give us a good foundation for 2017. Exploring anger and worry allowed us to open our hearts and truly find gratitude. We found new understanding of being honest in our work, which took us through our first month of 2017. How appropriate we come to " Just for Today, I will be kind to Every Living Thing" during the month of Love-February.
It really makes sense to end with kindness. For how can you be kind when you are filled with anger? How can you be kind when you are overcome with worry? If you can't be grateful for all that comes into your life, how can you be kind? If you can't be honest with yourself and how you work, how can you be kind?
When we are grounded and free of vulnerability we can truly work from our accessory tanks and interact with others and all life forms with generosity, consideration, compassion and general kindness. Our light amplifies the light in others.
Remember one reason I started this exploration was to do a cleanse of sorts. I wanted to clear out my emotional, mental and spiritual bodies before I did my physical cleanse. The more I began to understand cellular memory, the more I was moved to understand the need to clear the energy field before the physical. Energetic teachers have long expressed the concept that illness and dis-ease comes to us well before it reaches our physical body. We can't clean our energy field via eating or not eating. One way to move toward more complete healing is to find the appropriate tool to work with each body (emotional, mental, spiritual and physical). In the current world we lean heavily toward tools that care for the physical body. We have not been effectively taught how to use emotional, mental or spiritual tools. Yes, we have those tools but often we will use a mental tool to address an emotional tool and on and on. We can equate this to using scissors to hammer a nail. It's possible to get results but at what expense.
I wanted to take this last exploration to invite you to create your own list of words to explore. You don't have to be a Reiki practitioner or be drawn to Reiki to create this kind of exploration. Words have a vibration and when we explore or mediate on them we move their vibration through us and we can learn. We can learn about ourselves and then our surroundings. What are the first 5 words that come to mind? What 5 words cause a visceral response? These will be your guides and teachers. I'd love to hear where your exploration takes you.
For those of you who have done physical body cleanse before, I invite you to try doing either this Reiki exploration or your own word exploration prior to doing your next juice cleanse or elimination diet and let me know how it changes the outcome of your traditional cleanse/detox. If you have never done a physical body cleanse or detox before, maybe now you will be intrigued to try this energetic cleanse first.
I really hope this exploration of the 5 Reiki Principles brought you insight and joy. Would you like to learn more about Reiki? When was your last Reiki session? How often do you do Self Reiki?
Feel free to contact me at 2dolpincolette@comcast.net if I can be of help or guidance.
It really makes sense to end with kindness. For how can you be kind when you are filled with anger? How can you be kind when you are overcome with worry? If you can't be grateful for all that comes into your life, how can you be kind? If you can't be honest with yourself and how you work, how can you be kind?
When we are grounded and free of vulnerability we can truly work from our accessory tanks and interact with others and all life forms with generosity, consideration, compassion and general kindness. Our light amplifies the light in others.
Remember one reason I started this exploration was to do a cleanse of sorts. I wanted to clear out my emotional, mental and spiritual bodies before I did my physical cleanse. The more I began to understand cellular memory, the more I was moved to understand the need to clear the energy field before the physical. Energetic teachers have long expressed the concept that illness and dis-ease comes to us well before it reaches our physical body. We can't clean our energy field via eating or not eating. One way to move toward more complete healing is to find the appropriate tool to work with each body (emotional, mental, spiritual and physical). In the current world we lean heavily toward tools that care for the physical body. We have not been effectively taught how to use emotional, mental or spiritual tools. Yes, we have those tools but often we will use a mental tool to address an emotional tool and on and on. We can equate this to using scissors to hammer a nail. It's possible to get results but at what expense.
I wanted to take this last exploration to invite you to create your own list of words to explore. You don't have to be a Reiki practitioner or be drawn to Reiki to create this kind of exploration. Words have a vibration and when we explore or mediate on them we move their vibration through us and we can learn. We can learn about ourselves and then our surroundings. What are the first 5 words that come to mind? What 5 words cause a visceral response? These will be your guides and teachers. I'd love to hear where your exploration takes you.
For those of you who have done physical body cleanse before, I invite you to try doing either this Reiki exploration or your own word exploration prior to doing your next juice cleanse or elimination diet and let me know how it changes the outcome of your traditional cleanse/detox. If you have never done a physical body cleanse or detox before, maybe now you will be intrigued to try this energetic cleanse first.
I really hope this exploration of the 5 Reiki Principles brought you insight and joy. Would you like to learn more about Reiki? When was your last Reiki session? How often do you do Self Reiki?
Feel free to contact me at 2dolpincolette@comcast.net if I can be of help or guidance.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Working Honestly Reiki Principle4
We have come to terms and moved through anger and worry. With these cleared we were able to come from our hearts and truly find and experience gratitude all around us both in the positive and the challenges.
Now we turn to the 4th Reiki principle," Just for Today, I will do my work Honestly."
In the past I would think of this mainly as being ethical in my work. This mediation took me back to self again. When I sat and explored : "how will I do my work honestly today," I was brought again and again to start with being honest with yourself.
What does this mean, being honest with yourself to do your work honestly? To me it means asking yourself who you really are as a being. If we can't be honest with ourselves, how can we be honest with anyone else?
As you sit and explore the vibration surrounding "Just for Today, I will do my work Honestly," begin to ask yourself the easy and hard questions. Who do you think you are? Does this image match what others see? Are you living the life you want to live or the life others think you should? Are you using your gifts to serve your highest purpose and those around you? Are you working just to make ends meat, working to survive, rather than thrive?
When you get up in the morning do you dread going to work? If so how can you do your work honestly? Once at work do you keep your head down and just try to get through the day as fast as possible? In this state are you doing your work honestly? If you have to go to work and dress a certain way but it makes you feel restricted or just not yourself, can you do your work honestly?
As an adjective honest is defined as being free of deceit and untruthfulness or being sincere, while as an adverb it is used to persuade someone of the truth of something. Have you been doing your work from the stand point of an adverb? Meaning have you been trying to convince yourself that you love your job and the how and why of it? With all things connected to Reiki we are asked to start centered in our heart and move from a place of truth. Reiki's energy does not want us to pretend if we haven't yet reached the energy. We are asked to understand why we haven't reached the energy and see how we benefit from our current situation.
This exploration brought me to the understanding this principle isn't speaking about working ethically. We are not asked to judge if we are doing our work from a good/bad or right/wrong way. It is not asking us to weigh ourselves down in duty and obligation. My understanding is when we can come to a place of acting from inner truth we are aligned with a power greater than self. When we are in alignment and harmonizing with this greater power then we will be acting for the highest good of all and there is no question of right/wrong or good/bad.
Think about those people who are truly using their gifts and how easy it is for them to flow through life and how easy it is for them to interact with others. When they work from their gifts they don't need to manipulate others to come to their way of being and because of this they are seen as sincere.
Using ones gifts doesn't have to be grand it just has to be what makes you unique and what moves you to do the best job possible. I know a person whose gift is cleaning other peoples homes. She loves being detailed as she cleans every aspect of a person's home. She wants the toilets to shine and all the dust bunnies out of the corners. When she works, she does it with a smile. She leaves with a sense of satisfactions. Then she goes home and continues making sure her own home is shiny and clean. Now, I, on the other hand, strongly dislike cleaning my own home and would not want to do it for others. My friends laugh at me because I take care to keep my office clean but my home is low on the priority list because of how much time I put into the office. Cleaning is not one of my great gifts, so when I clean I can't honestly say I'm enjoying it. It is a means to an end. Now when it comes to massaging, I can work long hours and not feel depleted because I honestly love me work. Clients always say you must be really tired at the end of the day. My answer is always no, not from massaging. I thank my clients because working with them uplifts me and it allows me to exercise. I joke with them saying they are the reason I don't have to go to the gym weekly (in reality this isn't a joke).
My office is in Portland, Oregon. We recently had a snow storm which slowed our normal functioning. On one occasion a snow day gave me the ability to reorganize and rearrange my office. One of the things I changed was placing my alter which honors my massage teachers, reiki and my clients in my massage room in a more visible location. I had been hesitant to put it in such a visible place as I didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. The first week back to business after the snow storm clients looked at the alter and questioned had they missed seeing it before. I replied by saying it has always been in the office just not in that visible spot. One person said she was glad I had changed the location because it really had a pleasant feeling. I thanked her and told her of my past hesitation and she said well, "it is part of you so I can't imagine anyone would feel uncomfortable." This conversation occurred while I was exploring this principle and I understood it was the Reiki energy explaining what it meant to work honestly. My alter is similar to the alters you have probably noticed in Thai and Pho restaurants. They are visible and don't inhibit or distract from the eating experience in those restaurants because it is a natural and honest thing for them to do. I now understand it is also a natural and honest thing for me as well.
Doing my work honestly, also brings to mind one of my favorite self care metaphors, we must put our oxygen masks on before helping those around us. We all understand, if we don't put our mask on first and we pass out, we are of no help to our loved ones and others, rather we become a burden. Anytime, I get caught up feeling selfish for taking care of myself first, I try to remind myself of this metaphor. This metaphor is true for the understanding of this 4th Reiki principle; before we can be honest in our work we must first and foremost be honest with ourselves.
If you have been following this Reiki exploration from the beginning you know one of my motivations for starting it was to cleanse my energetic being before starting a physical cleanse. Have you gotten a sense how working through your emotions and how you work in the world can help you clean out your energetic field? Are you gaining an appreciation for incorporating an energetic cleanse before a physical one?
Reading to this point are you thinking about how you will do your work honestly from a different mind set? Will you change the way you work tomorrow?
I invite you to take time to explore for yourself " Just for Today, I will do my work Honestly."
Please feel free to share your insights in the comments below. If you would like to share privately, feel free to email me at 2dolphincolette@comcast.net
Now we turn to the 4th Reiki principle," Just for Today, I will do my work Honestly."
In the past I would think of this mainly as being ethical in my work. This mediation took me back to self again. When I sat and explored : "how will I do my work honestly today," I was brought again and again to start with being honest with yourself.
What does this mean, being honest with yourself to do your work honestly? To me it means asking yourself who you really are as a being. If we can't be honest with ourselves, how can we be honest with anyone else?
As you sit and explore the vibration surrounding "Just for Today, I will do my work Honestly," begin to ask yourself the easy and hard questions. Who do you think you are? Does this image match what others see? Are you living the life you want to live or the life others think you should? Are you using your gifts to serve your highest purpose and those around you? Are you working just to make ends meat, working to survive, rather than thrive?
When you get up in the morning do you dread going to work? If so how can you do your work honestly? Once at work do you keep your head down and just try to get through the day as fast as possible? In this state are you doing your work honestly? If you have to go to work and dress a certain way but it makes you feel restricted or just not yourself, can you do your work honestly?
As an adjective honest is defined as being free of deceit and untruthfulness or being sincere, while as an adverb it is used to persuade someone of the truth of something. Have you been doing your work from the stand point of an adverb? Meaning have you been trying to convince yourself that you love your job and the how and why of it? With all things connected to Reiki we are asked to start centered in our heart and move from a place of truth. Reiki's energy does not want us to pretend if we haven't yet reached the energy. We are asked to understand why we haven't reached the energy and see how we benefit from our current situation.
This exploration brought me to the understanding this principle isn't speaking about working ethically. We are not asked to judge if we are doing our work from a good/bad or right/wrong way. It is not asking us to weigh ourselves down in duty and obligation. My understanding is when we can come to a place of acting from inner truth we are aligned with a power greater than self. When we are in alignment and harmonizing with this greater power then we will be acting for the highest good of all and there is no question of right/wrong or good/bad.
Think about those people who are truly using their gifts and how easy it is for them to flow through life and how easy it is for them to interact with others. When they work from their gifts they don't need to manipulate others to come to their way of being and because of this they are seen as sincere.
Using ones gifts doesn't have to be grand it just has to be what makes you unique and what moves you to do the best job possible. I know a person whose gift is cleaning other peoples homes. She loves being detailed as she cleans every aspect of a person's home. She wants the toilets to shine and all the dust bunnies out of the corners. When she works, she does it with a smile. She leaves with a sense of satisfactions. Then she goes home and continues making sure her own home is shiny and clean. Now, I, on the other hand, strongly dislike cleaning my own home and would not want to do it for others. My friends laugh at me because I take care to keep my office clean but my home is low on the priority list because of how much time I put into the office. Cleaning is not one of my great gifts, so when I clean I can't honestly say I'm enjoying it. It is a means to an end. Now when it comes to massaging, I can work long hours and not feel depleted because I honestly love me work. Clients always say you must be really tired at the end of the day. My answer is always no, not from massaging. I thank my clients because working with them uplifts me and it allows me to exercise. I joke with them saying they are the reason I don't have to go to the gym weekly (in reality this isn't a joke).
My office is in Portland, Oregon. We recently had a snow storm which slowed our normal functioning. On one occasion a snow day gave me the ability to reorganize and rearrange my office. One of the things I changed was placing my alter which honors my massage teachers, reiki and my clients in my massage room in a more visible location. I had been hesitant to put it in such a visible place as I didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. The first week back to business after the snow storm clients looked at the alter and questioned had they missed seeing it before. I replied by saying it has always been in the office just not in that visible spot. One person said she was glad I had changed the location because it really had a pleasant feeling. I thanked her and told her of my past hesitation and she said well, "it is part of you so I can't imagine anyone would feel uncomfortable." This conversation occurred while I was exploring this principle and I understood it was the Reiki energy explaining what it meant to work honestly. My alter is similar to the alters you have probably noticed in Thai and Pho restaurants. They are visible and don't inhibit or distract from the eating experience in those restaurants because it is a natural and honest thing for them to do. I now understand it is also a natural and honest thing for me as well.
Doing my work honestly, also brings to mind one of my favorite self care metaphors, we must put our oxygen masks on before helping those around us. We all understand, if we don't put our mask on first and we pass out, we are of no help to our loved ones and others, rather we become a burden. Anytime, I get caught up feeling selfish for taking care of myself first, I try to remind myself of this metaphor. This metaphor is true for the understanding of this 4th Reiki principle; before we can be honest in our work we must first and foremost be honest with ourselves.
If you have been following this Reiki exploration from the beginning you know one of my motivations for starting it was to cleanse my energetic being before starting a physical cleanse. Have you gotten a sense how working through your emotions and how you work in the world can help you clean out your energetic field? Are you gaining an appreciation for incorporating an energetic cleanse before a physical one?
Reading to this point are you thinking about how you will do your work honestly from a different mind set? Will you change the way you work tomorrow?
I invite you to take time to explore for yourself " Just for Today, I will do my work Honestly."
Please feel free to share your insights in the comments below. If you would like to share privately, feel free to email me at 2dolphincolette@comcast.net
Monday, January 16, 2017
Reiki Principle 3
Hi all. I was hoping to get this extended exploration out a bit sooner. It really turned into an extended exploration.
When we in Reiki circles speak about the third principle " Just for today, I will be grateful", we discuss being grateful from the heart. I take this to mean trying to really feel the gratitude, rather than doing the; fake it till you make it, practice.
The weeks previous had been going so well. I mediated on not being anger and not worrying and it felt really good. I was so proud of myself. When it came to the gratitude day I thought " this is going to be a piece of cake". That day was a trying day. I felt pulled in all sorts of directions. I felt I was running on my primary tank rather than my auxiliary tank (for clarification, my auxiliary tank is my over flow tank. drawing energy from this tank keeps my primary tank full and me from getting depleted). Then at the end of my work day I got bad news. You got it, I was back to exploring not being anger and not worrying. In the moment I couldn't find gratitude and couldn't sit down to write all of you from a false heart. I went deeper.
Next my part of the world was hit by a snow storm. I thought, how perfect that when I decided to go deeper with my thoughts, Nature gave me the space. Then I caught a cold (for the first time in over a year),which meant I was going to stay inside and really have time to reflect.
Part of my anger was coming from my difficulty having the means at this time to speak my truth. This is a Throat Chakra imbalance. Remember when I spoke about holding onto anger we can develop blockages. My difficulty speaking my truth is coming from a timing issue. It just isn't the right time to express what I need to, to the correct individual. My issue is dependent on several people making it complicated for me to create an action plan of my own and move forward at my own pace. Though I started to verbally set boundaries in other areas of my life, I wasn't moving the source energy. Consequently, I lost my physical voice.
My cold symptoms were also no surprise as they were a representation of both my anger and my worry. I had mucous, cold feet and hands (Worry) and flushing of heat from the anger.
Once I reflected on how beautiful the process was, the gratitude started to emerge from my heart. I truly was coming to a place of being Thankful. I thought how great the snow storm hit and allowed me to go within, to be silent without having the obligations of work. Being sick was another blessing for it allowed my to remain still rather than trying to do a bunch of household work. This allowed for more mediation. I was able to work through feeling like I had no control over my situation to feeling like it was giving me the opportunity to explore boundaries and set up new organizational systems in the future. I was grateful I had the privilege to put my own oxygen mask on before helping others. The other point to this principle is being able to have internal gratitude. The question being can you be grateful for being you and your circumstances? Once you can do this it is easier to find areas outside of self to be grateful.
The concept of internal gratitude reminds me of a Thai abdominal massage technique called the inner smile. We direct our self or the client to imagine the smile we get when looking at a baby. Then we direct that smile to ourselves. Take a moment find a place in your body that feels a bit out of balance or raw. Find that smile you give to adorable babies and directed to the out of sorts body area. Take a breath in, pause for a moment and now exhale. How do you feel? Did you feel that smile working it's magic?
One lesson this exploration offered me was; sometimes to move forward we must first step back.
I hope you will have a meaningful exploration and mediation on this third principle. May your inner smile bring you warmth and joy. May you shine this light into the world to help others see their own light.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Reiki Principles 2 Worry
How did your exploration of the first Reiki Principle Just for Today, I will not Be Angry, go for you?
With anger out of the way, we can now move onto worry. As I write this I actually have a smile on my face and I almost laughed out loud. The thought of being ready to move onto worry is funny. In reality though this is what often happens. We stop being angry about something and worry about someone judging us for our anger. In the last post I said anger takes us all over the place, our past, our present and our future. Worry, I find mostly takes the majority of us into the future but can also reach back to the past. When we leave the present to travel to this unknown realm of worry, we use up needed present day energy.
Some say worry is not always a negative occurrence. I'm not sure about that idea. What do you think, can worry be a positive occurrence?
By definition worry as a noun is " a state of anxiety or uncertainty over actual or potential problems" or as a verb is " giving way to anxiety or unease; allowing one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles". From the dictionary.com
If we have anxiety or unease for a short period of time and then come up with a solution for the problem, difficulty or trouble we move worry quickly through our body with little prolonged effects. However, if we repeated visit the realm of worry or stay there for an extended period, we create blockages in our energy field and eventually our physical body.
Let's explore the second Reiki Principle:
With anger out of the way, we can now move onto worry. As I write this I actually have a smile on my face and I almost laughed out loud. The thought of being ready to move onto worry is funny. In reality though this is what often happens. We stop being angry about something and worry about someone judging us for our anger. In the last post I said anger takes us all over the place, our past, our present and our future. Worry, I find mostly takes the majority of us into the future but can also reach back to the past. When we leave the present to travel to this unknown realm of worry, we use up needed present day energy.
Some say worry is not always a negative occurrence. I'm not sure about that idea. What do you think, can worry be a positive occurrence?
By definition worry as a noun is " a state of anxiety or uncertainty over actual or potential problems" or as a verb is " giving way to anxiety or unease; allowing one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles". From the dictionary.com
If we have anxiety or unease for a short period of time and then come up with a solution for the problem, difficulty or trouble we move worry quickly through our body with little prolonged effects. However, if we repeated visit the realm of worry or stay there for an extended period, we create blockages in our energy field and eventually our physical body.
Let's explore the second Reiki Principle:
Just for Today, I will NOT WORRY
Thai massage teaches that Worry is held in the Spleen. The spleen is said to be connected to thinking, studying and memory. This is where I believe people find the positive in the emotion of worry. Many people value those you study hard, are big thinkers and have great memories. We move into problems when we take thinking and studying into over time and get nothing accomplished because we get hyper-focused on one thing to the point of exhaustion.
An imbalanced spleen trapped by worry can be expressed with problems of digestion, mucous, loose stool, bleeding disorders, weak muscles, cold feet and hands and bruising easily .
What can we do to help the spleen? Have you ever wondered why I try my best to give you room temperature or warm water to drink after your massage? One reason is because cold water will cause your muscles to contract in an attempt to warm the water up. When this happens too rapidly then we can get muscle cramping or spasms and we have defeated our massage. I also do it because most people have some kind of spleen deficiency (remember I'm using the Thai/Chinese medicine term not the western organ idea of spleen) and cold water further taxes it. If you tend to be a worrier or have the signs of worry mentioned above try drinking warmer water in general and at least one hour before meals.
In Thailand multitasking was not big. They were all about being intentional. The family would have meals where everyone joins to eat. There is no eating and watching TV or study. Every task has its own time. When you think about it (hahaha but don't over think this) performing or placing your attention on one task at a time allows you to be intentional and the mind to work at ease. This in turn takes pressure off the spleen.
Chi Nei Tsang which is the form of Thai abdominal massage I perform teaches us the 6 healing sounds to care for the internal organs. The sound for the spleen is " Who". We take a breath in and on the exhale we release the sound Who and repeat it two more times. When you get more connected to this sound and the spleen you will notice the sound originating on your left side at the base of your ribs over the spleen area. Go ahead put your hands on either side of your ribs and sound out Who and see which side vibrates more.
Maybe now before you sit down to tackle a large work project or a study session you'll try sounding out Who and support your spleen to ward off worry.
If you are already dealing with spleen issues from over worry try looking at your diet. Are you eating too many raw foods (this is know as cold foods), cold drinks, gluten, carbs, sugar, dairy, coffee or alcohol? Think about reducing or eliminating some of these for a while.
What have I been working on from my exploration of Worry? I've been asking myself: is there anything I can do right now to address this issue, if my answer is no, I look for something I can work on that has a positive outcome. Later I'll revisit the other issue and ask where can I search to find an answer or solution and try something new. If it works then I'm set; if it doesn't, I try to move one. For me if I try to just think about a problem I get stuck and become stagnate. Then I find myself getting discouraged and depressed and the issue goes on much longer. With my new attempts, though the issue may take a while to find a solution, at least I'm no longer dealing with it day end and day out. This seems to help give me mental breaks and decrease worry.
I invite you to explore :
Just for Today, l will Not Worry
I would love to hear any sights this exploration brings. Specially if it helps you develop new habits.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Meditating on the 5 Reiki Principles for the New Year
For the New Year I decided to review and mediate on the 5 Reiki Principles.
Before New Year's Eve I started with the first principle.
Before New Year's Eve I started with the first principle.
Just for Today, I will not be Angry
I wanted to go into the New Year by cleaning up all my bodies (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual). I didn't want to take any energy that was no longer serving my highest good into the new year. This first principle was a great place to start. Understanding and working through Anger sets the stage to freeing blocks on many levels.
From my meditations on this saying I have come to understand It to mean Free yourself from becoming anger.
Anger is a valid emotion, how we work with and through it is important. If we select to understand where the anger comes from and what it has to teach and then let it leave our body/being we are free.
Denying anger, holding onto it in our bodies, or directing it at others can create blockages within our body/being and we become anger and invite disease/illness and pain.
Anger can come to us from disappointment, dissatisfaction over issues connected to our past, present or future or a multitude of other reasons. When we get stuck or fixated on the Dis-appointment or Dis-satisfaction of an issue or situation we bring the energy into your physical body and create Dis-ease.
Anger in its positive form motivates us to create change in the world. When we listen to anger and seek a positive action we create movement of energy away from our physical body and transmute energy into a more productive form. If we can't find a solution to our "Dis" of our situation then doing something that creates movement away from the body helps free us from fixation and buys us time to develop an action plan. Dancing, martial arts, vocalizing (singing, toning, yelling), punching a pillow or punching bag are great ways to direct anger away from self and others.
Energetic body work techniques teach the practitioner that the blockages in the physical body often start in the non-physical. Many come from emotions one being anger. The longer the non-physical body goes without attention the more the energy is drawn into the cells of the physical body. We fine many emotions trapped in the organs. Some organs are more prone to attract certain emotions over others. Thai massage (based on Chinese medicine) has taught me the Liver tends to hold anger. Along with the liver you can find the Gallbladder housing anger.
When you have experienced anger where have you noticed it in your body or have you? Have you noticed more issues with gall stones, trouble eliminating toxins, issues of the bile, high blood pressure, pain in the right side of your mid- body, a reddening of the face or chest or migraines.
Also if you find yourself having a hard time overcoming a cold/flu asses your liver and any possible stored anger. The liver is connected to your immune system. If anger is causing stagnation of the liver your immune system can become weakened and colds can persist.
Watching young children (usually before they turn 5) can teach us a lot about the tools to work with emotions. What I have noticed from children is the emotional body works best when we stay in the present moment and we allow the emotions to be felt and move through us as quickly as possible. Young kids will yell and stomp their feet expressing their anger; promoting action and movement. When you ask them about it later they are not attached ,they often can't even remember the moment. Once they release one emotion they move on to the next. It is easy for them to move from anger to laughter/joy seamlessly. As we become adults we start to move away from feeling our emotions to analyzing them. Frequently, this keeps us stuck in the past looping back to a situation over and over again, which begins to trap the emotion in our cells. Now any movement, smell, or experience that resembles the original occurrence will trigger the cells to respond as though we are back in the original point of emotional disturbance.
In ideal situations we express emotions before they get lodged into our cells and require physical release from the body. I mentioned a few options above to moving the anger through your body. Another technique Thai massage taught me is the 6 healing sounds connected to the internal organs. The sound for the liver is "Sh" like you are telling someone in the library to be silent. How we use it is to take a breath in and on the exhale we release the sound "Sh" and repeat 2 more times. You will notice the more you perform this technique the sound does not have to be very loud and can at times be more of an internal process. I hope some of these techniques can help you find ease of expression of your anger.
I invite you to explore this Reiki saying for yourself and see how it helps you enter the New Year. I hope this saying helps you become more connected to your body and more empowered to healing yourself.
I invite you to share, if you feel moved , your insights from exploring :
Please remember any and all information shared is from my own personal experience and learning and is not meant to serve as health advise. You should always consult your MD or other health care practitioner if you have any illness or disease.
Friday, July 29, 2016
No Pain, No Gain, Really?
When you are a massage therapist you deal with attempting to define and manage pain. My trip to Thailand gave me pause for thought regarding pain. Massage there is not just something you do, it is a way of life. A big part of life and massage for the Thai people is visiting the Monks. As I set listening to the Monks talk about mediation and the goal not being to avoid pain but to acknowledge the areas of pain, I realized my mediation practice was faulty. They would tell us, rather than pretending there is no pain and trying to go to your zen place, say my knee hurts, if your knee hurts. They said repeat it over and over " my knee hurts, my knee hurts". The Monks explained it was the act of finding, acknowledging and speaking to the pain that allowed the pain to leave and for the mind to be freed.
For most of us in my Thai study group our first couple of massages in Thailand were extremely painful. We didn't speak the language and many of the therapist we sought treatment from outside of class had limited English skills. Often when we asked for a lighter touch they would smile and keep going. Over the three weeks our bodies changed or maybe our minds changed because we stopped complaining of pain. I wonder to this day, if part of the Thai therapist method came from their Buddhist understanding of pain. After sitting with the Monks I thought maybe the therapist were trying to help us meet our pain to facilitate its release.
My Thai massage pain adventure also speaks to the fact that pain is subjective. Pain varies from culture, person, place and time. You know if you are in a hurry you can hit something, experience pain and keep going. In the moment you forget about the pain, only days later to see a bruise and wonder how you got it. You could be having the worst, most stressful week at work and feel every thing causes you pain in every part of your body. If pain was simple it would be the same for all people and would occur exactly the same for each instance it occurred to you. However, pain is far from simple.
One of my mentors Tom Meyers was interviewed and his clip regarding pain is on YouTube. Here's the link
"Why Does Massage Hurt"
I like how he laid out three types of pain. The pain we put into a body, the pain we store and the pain we release. I try, as best I can, not to put new pain into a body while I massage. My hope is to help a person release their stored pain. When one experiences a lessening of pain with each stroke, I believe it's the body releasing stored pain with each stroke.
If you are seeking to re-align your body and wait to have massage until you feel pain then we can't start the re-alignment until we get you out of pain. The real work of massage occurs once the pain is gone. When the mind stops trying to remove the body from feeling pain we can then find the source of the body's dysfunction, misalignment and begin to create change.
Pain is a complicated experience and it is something that is bigger than just a physical body issue. However, I won't go all woowoo on you in this post :)
I will say, I would like to start a revolution, in which people seek massage before they are in pain so we can create change in a gentler environment. I'm so proud of all my regular clients because they stay ahead of their pain. They use their massage time to try and stay out of pain. Yes, there are sessions in which we still hit stored areas of pain and they experience moments of pain release put it happens more as those "pain feels so good " moments, than the "I'm going to jump off the table" moments. With each massage that occurs on my table I seek to help my clients connect deeper and deeper with their body. We work as a team to learn the silent language their body speaks, in hopes that we don't have to hear it scream at us in the universal language of pain.
Pain is our body's way of making us slow down or stop. It serves as a pointer to areas in need of help.
When it comes to the medical world pain is put into classifications. Most of us are familiar with attempting to discuss acute vs. chronic pain. For the most part we can attribute acute pain to an injury, illness, trauma or damage we can immediately identify and associate. Chronic pain we attribute to issues we can no longer identify where its coming from and it is something we deal with on a regular and lasting basis.
The medical world also classifies pain on three other levels:
Say you burn yourself, cut yourself you have caused tissue damage and it can for the most part be repaired. This is referred to as nociceptive pain.
Now you cut deep into your hand and sever a nerve and the feeling in your hand changes. This will be known as neuropathic pain.
If the doctors can not identify the source of your pain as either coming from tissue or nerve damage, well then, they will say you have psychogenic pain. The pain is coming from fear, depression or another mood.
Over the years I have found many pain sensations that are linked to chronic issues are largely coming from fascial sources. If someone tells me they are feeling a burning sensation, a weird itching sensation or an annoying stabling sensation, I'm going to work to warm, soften and redirect the fascia. When the fascia is hydrated and able to move in its fluid state that's when we achieve a pain release that seems immediate and the client says things like "it's a miracle" or "you have magic hands". Once the fascia is taken care of, often the muscles go along for the ride and the area no longer has an issue. Then the next step is to investigate what dehydrated the fascia in the first place. Now we identify posture and behavior that is contributing to dysfunctional movement.
Another complicated experience to convey is the increase in pain as we re-align areas of the body. When we are seeking structural re-alignment, muscle balancing, postural correction and the alteration of dysfunctional patterning we can create a short term increase in pain. The reason being, we are asking areas/muscles which have not been working properly, which are weak and often over stretched to now work. We are loosen over contracted/tight muscles and can't tone the week muscles fast enough and the body then has no support at all and muscles spasm as they are asked to quickly stabilize an unsupported joint. During the massage we stimulate nerves which is a way of toning muscles. However, once the client leaves the table they are not consist or misunderstand how to tone the muscles on their own and the body begins to slip back into a default mode, some areas remain unstable, others have a tug a war between the old and new states of being. All of this can create pain.
Massaging muscles, specially when a therapeutic massage session is requested, can produce a similar response to high intensity exercise in which the muscle fibers are broken down and have to go through an inflammatory stage of healing.This is typically experienced 24 to 48 hours following the massage. Then the third day the body feels better than it has in months.
The body is largely an electrical conductor. Electricity is conducted more efficiently in water. To improve the electrical communication in your body it is important to hydrate your fascia. When the fascia lacks proper fluid flow then areas stagnate and the nerve impulses in the area begin to slow down. If left long enough the area begins to have a tingling sensation then a numbing sensation and if left too long there can be irreversible nerve damage. As we begin to hydrate an area of fascia we reopen the body's ability to send nerve impulse in and out of the area. Due to cellular memory some times the re-awakened area fire out the old stored pain. But as one has forgotten about the original incident, it is believed the massage must have created new pain. The massage in a sense creates the pain by pulling it to the surface and activating the nerves in the area to send pain signals to the brain. This is more a release of pain that introducing new pain.
Now if we massage too fast, too deep or beyond the tolerance of the brain then yes massage can introduce new pain. This is why it is best to go slow and allow the body to invite the therapist's hand into deeper layers of tissue gradually and back off if the brain is feeling it as too much. Like Tom Meyers said the "no pain, no gain" attitude is not a go to method on the massage table because if at all possible one does not want to introduce new pain pathways the body now has to draw away from.
For those of you who know me and work with me regularly, you guys know what my take home message will be right? To decrease the experience of pain address your fascia. Drink water consistently through out your day. Get that water into your tissue by Dry Brushing and/or Melting first on a weekly basis and then as needed. Create practices which allow you to enter and maintain a state of parasympathetic being more often then remaining in a high constant state of sympathetic nervous system chaos. Working to ensure your diaphragm is working as the primary respiratory muscle it was born to be rather than a major stabilizer is one way to create a better state of parasympathetic being. Finding time to include rest not only for your body but for your mind will greatly enhance tissue and muscle health. Developing a means to address and maneuver between all four of your bodies; physical, emotional, mental and spiritual will help you understand how to achieve homeostasis; which I believe is a truer state of well-being than seeking to maintain balance.
If you have any questions regarding this post or you would like me to write in more detail about any aspect of this post, please feel free to comment in the comment section or email me (2dolphincolette@comcast.net)
As always thank you so much for taking the time to read my posts.
For most of us in my Thai study group our first couple of massages in Thailand were extremely painful. We didn't speak the language and many of the therapist we sought treatment from outside of class had limited English skills. Often when we asked for a lighter touch they would smile and keep going. Over the three weeks our bodies changed or maybe our minds changed because we stopped complaining of pain. I wonder to this day, if part of the Thai therapist method came from their Buddhist understanding of pain. After sitting with the Monks I thought maybe the therapist were trying to help us meet our pain to facilitate its release.
My Thai massage pain adventure also speaks to the fact that pain is subjective. Pain varies from culture, person, place and time. You know if you are in a hurry you can hit something, experience pain and keep going. In the moment you forget about the pain, only days later to see a bruise and wonder how you got it. You could be having the worst, most stressful week at work and feel every thing causes you pain in every part of your body. If pain was simple it would be the same for all people and would occur exactly the same for each instance it occurred to you. However, pain is far from simple.
One of my mentors Tom Meyers was interviewed and his clip regarding pain is on YouTube. Here's the link
"Why Does Massage Hurt"
I like how he laid out three types of pain. The pain we put into a body, the pain we store and the pain we release. I try, as best I can, not to put new pain into a body while I massage. My hope is to help a person release their stored pain. When one experiences a lessening of pain with each stroke, I believe it's the body releasing stored pain with each stroke.
If you are seeking to re-align your body and wait to have massage until you feel pain then we can't start the re-alignment until we get you out of pain. The real work of massage occurs once the pain is gone. When the mind stops trying to remove the body from feeling pain we can then find the source of the body's dysfunction, misalignment and begin to create change.
Pain is a complicated experience and it is something that is bigger than just a physical body issue. However, I won't go all woowoo on you in this post :)
I will say, I would like to start a revolution, in which people seek massage before they are in pain so we can create change in a gentler environment. I'm so proud of all my regular clients because they stay ahead of their pain. They use their massage time to try and stay out of pain. Yes, there are sessions in which we still hit stored areas of pain and they experience moments of pain release put it happens more as those "pain feels so good " moments, than the "I'm going to jump off the table" moments. With each massage that occurs on my table I seek to help my clients connect deeper and deeper with their body. We work as a team to learn the silent language their body speaks, in hopes that we don't have to hear it scream at us in the universal language of pain.
Pain is our body's way of making us slow down or stop. It serves as a pointer to areas in need of help.
When it comes to the medical world pain is put into classifications. Most of us are familiar with attempting to discuss acute vs. chronic pain. For the most part we can attribute acute pain to an injury, illness, trauma or damage we can immediately identify and associate. Chronic pain we attribute to issues we can no longer identify where its coming from and it is something we deal with on a regular and lasting basis.
The medical world also classifies pain on three other levels:
Say you burn yourself, cut yourself you have caused tissue damage and it can for the most part be repaired. This is referred to as nociceptive pain.
Now you cut deep into your hand and sever a nerve and the feeling in your hand changes. This will be known as neuropathic pain.
If the doctors can not identify the source of your pain as either coming from tissue or nerve damage, well then, they will say you have psychogenic pain. The pain is coming from fear, depression or another mood.
Over the years I have found many pain sensations that are linked to chronic issues are largely coming from fascial sources. If someone tells me they are feeling a burning sensation, a weird itching sensation or an annoying stabling sensation, I'm going to work to warm, soften and redirect the fascia. When the fascia is hydrated and able to move in its fluid state that's when we achieve a pain release that seems immediate and the client says things like "it's a miracle" or "you have magic hands". Once the fascia is taken care of, often the muscles go along for the ride and the area no longer has an issue. Then the next step is to investigate what dehydrated the fascia in the first place. Now we identify posture and behavior that is contributing to dysfunctional movement.
Another complicated experience to convey is the increase in pain as we re-align areas of the body. When we are seeking structural re-alignment, muscle balancing, postural correction and the alteration of dysfunctional patterning we can create a short term increase in pain. The reason being, we are asking areas/muscles which have not been working properly, which are weak and often over stretched to now work. We are loosen over contracted/tight muscles and can't tone the week muscles fast enough and the body then has no support at all and muscles spasm as they are asked to quickly stabilize an unsupported joint. During the massage we stimulate nerves which is a way of toning muscles. However, once the client leaves the table they are not consist or misunderstand how to tone the muscles on their own and the body begins to slip back into a default mode, some areas remain unstable, others have a tug a war between the old and new states of being. All of this can create pain.
Massaging muscles, specially when a therapeutic massage session is requested, can produce a similar response to high intensity exercise in which the muscle fibers are broken down and have to go through an inflammatory stage of healing.This is typically experienced 24 to 48 hours following the massage. Then the third day the body feels better than it has in months.
The body is largely an electrical conductor. Electricity is conducted more efficiently in water. To improve the electrical communication in your body it is important to hydrate your fascia. When the fascia lacks proper fluid flow then areas stagnate and the nerve impulses in the area begin to slow down. If left long enough the area begins to have a tingling sensation then a numbing sensation and if left too long there can be irreversible nerve damage. As we begin to hydrate an area of fascia we reopen the body's ability to send nerve impulse in and out of the area. Due to cellular memory some times the re-awakened area fire out the old stored pain. But as one has forgotten about the original incident, it is believed the massage must have created new pain. The massage in a sense creates the pain by pulling it to the surface and activating the nerves in the area to send pain signals to the brain. This is more a release of pain that introducing new pain.
Now if we massage too fast, too deep or beyond the tolerance of the brain then yes massage can introduce new pain. This is why it is best to go slow and allow the body to invite the therapist's hand into deeper layers of tissue gradually and back off if the brain is feeling it as too much. Like Tom Meyers said the "no pain, no gain" attitude is not a go to method on the massage table because if at all possible one does not want to introduce new pain pathways the body now has to draw away from.
For those of you who know me and work with me regularly, you guys know what my take home message will be right? To decrease the experience of pain address your fascia. Drink water consistently through out your day. Get that water into your tissue by Dry Brushing and/or Melting first on a weekly basis and then as needed. Create practices which allow you to enter and maintain a state of parasympathetic being more often then remaining in a high constant state of sympathetic nervous system chaos. Working to ensure your diaphragm is working as the primary respiratory muscle it was born to be rather than a major stabilizer is one way to create a better state of parasympathetic being. Finding time to include rest not only for your body but for your mind will greatly enhance tissue and muscle health. Developing a means to address and maneuver between all four of your bodies; physical, emotional, mental and spiritual will help you understand how to achieve homeostasis; which I believe is a truer state of well-being than seeking to maintain balance.
If you have any questions regarding this post or you would like me to write in more detail about any aspect of this post, please feel free to comment in the comment section or email me (2dolphincolette@comcast.net)
As always thank you so much for taking the time to read my posts.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Can you benefit from Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral Massage
is a subtle form of bodywork in which the therapist works with the subtle third rhythm of the body that falls beneath the breath and the heartbeat. The therapist uses gentle holding, compression like hand positions to stimulate the client’s natural internal healing abilities. As the cerebral spinal fluid rhythm re-balances the skull bones are allowed to re-align, connective tissue unwinds and re-alignment within the connection of the cranium, spine and sacrum occur. Clients wear loose comfortable clothing and remain fully clothed throughout the session. Clients are on their back for the entire session. Hugely relaxing with clients often falling to sleep, this form of bodywork has been helpful reducing symptoms related to ADHD, migraines, TMJ and Chronic pain. It is also helpful when preparing to become pregnant and following child birth.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Little insight into Thai Massage
Thai Massage
can be thought of as passive yoga for the client and active yoga for the therapist. It is an Eastern form of bodywork incorporating meridian stimulation (known as Sen lines), compression, abdominal massage, tapotement and emphasizing stretching. For the most benefit the therapist structures a routine to fit the client's needs and the balance between the client and practitioner. The client wears loose, comfortable clothing and remains clothed throughout the session. This massage takes place on a mat on the floor. Working on the floor allows the therapist to maximize leverage and increases the stretching benefits. Thai massage improves the flow of energy throughout the body, increasing vitality, flexibility and muscle tone. A traditional Thai massage has a minimal duration of one and one half hours.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Lavender Fields Forever
Well it's harvest time in the world of Lavender.
I tried out the Clackamas County Lavender Festival last Sunday June 26. This one is put on by the Oregon Lavender Farm. It is a moderate sized event with free parking. There was a great water feature for the kids to play in and enjoy. I had some tasty lavender lemonade and lavender chicken over rice. There was a vendor selling Microwave essential oil distillers. Though I would love an easy way to distill oils at home I don't think a microwave is the way to go. In general we should all be moving away from microwaves as they denature our food. The use of essential oils is to enhance our well being. I think microwaving an plant to distill it would change the chemistry and lower the medicinal value of the oil. I haven't done a lot of research on this microwave process so I'd recommend you do so on your own. Please share what you learn here in the blog comments. Meeting this vendor did peak my interest and I will be doing more research on easy, healthy ways to distill at home.
This coming weekend I will be doing Chair Massage at the Helvetia Lavender Festival. Come find me Friday- Sunday: July 8-10 from 10 - 5 PM. The admission is Free to the public. Part of my proceeds will be donated to the festival in support of widows in the Ukraine. The Miller family who own and operate the farm sends the donations through the Samaritan Ministries. For more information visit www.gsmukraine.com. I can't speak to the lavender scones personally but my colleague said they were tasty last year and were heaping with fresh berries. I'm sure she's going to treat herself again during her break this year. I tried the lavender tea and had to go back for seconds and thirds it was so good. Again this year there will be a fun fishing pond for the kids so bring them along. From live music to scrolling peacefully through the fields there will be something for everyone. I love providing massage surrounded by the relaxing aroma of lavender and I'm sure you will enjoy receiving this way.
You are now ready to come on out to the farm right? Here is where you can find us: http://www.helvetialavenderfarm.com/ I will be listed under Mama Needs Massage.
Make sure you are signed up for my newsletter. With all these lavender festivals I'll be trying out the new recipes and including them in one of the upcoming newsletters. Remember with Young living essential oils you can consume them. So if you can't get out to one of the festivals, or grow your own then a bottle of pure supplemental grade oil is the way to go.
To sign up for my monthly newsletter visit my website the home page has the sign up you can submit.
www.colette.massagetherapy.com
I tried out the Clackamas County Lavender Festival last Sunday June 26. This one is put on by the Oregon Lavender Farm. It is a moderate sized event with free parking. There was a great water feature for the kids to play in and enjoy. I had some tasty lavender lemonade and lavender chicken over rice. There was a vendor selling Microwave essential oil distillers. Though I would love an easy way to distill oils at home I don't think a microwave is the way to go. In general we should all be moving away from microwaves as they denature our food. The use of essential oils is to enhance our well being. I think microwaving an plant to distill it would change the chemistry and lower the medicinal value of the oil. I haven't done a lot of research on this microwave process so I'd recommend you do so on your own. Please share what you learn here in the blog comments. Meeting this vendor did peak my interest and I will be doing more research on easy, healthy ways to distill at home.
This coming weekend I will be doing Chair Massage at the Helvetia Lavender Festival. Come find me Friday- Sunday: July 8-10 from 10 - 5 PM. The admission is Free to the public. Part of my proceeds will be donated to the festival in support of widows in the Ukraine. The Miller family who own and operate the farm sends the donations through the Samaritan Ministries. For more information visit www.gsmukraine.com. I can't speak to the lavender scones personally but my colleague said they were tasty last year and were heaping with fresh berries. I'm sure she's going to treat herself again during her break this year. I tried the lavender tea and had to go back for seconds and thirds it was so good. Again this year there will be a fun fishing pond for the kids so bring them along. From live music to scrolling peacefully through the fields there will be something for everyone. I love providing massage surrounded by the relaxing aroma of lavender and I'm sure you will enjoy receiving this way.
You are now ready to come on out to the farm right? Here is where you can find us: http://www.helvetialavenderfarm.com/ I will be listed under Mama Needs Massage.
Make sure you are signed up for my newsletter. With all these lavender festivals I'll be trying out the new recipes and including them in one of the upcoming newsletters. Remember with Young living essential oils you can consume them. So if you can't get out to one of the festivals, or grow your own then a bottle of pure supplemental grade oil is the way to go.
To sign up for my monthly newsletter visit my website the home page has the sign up you can submit.
www.colette.massagetherapy.com
Monday, June 6, 2016
Ice vs Heat Dilemma
People always ask which is better when it comes to sore muscles and soft tissue injuries, Ice or Heat.
Before a good answer can be given we must first understand what inflammation is and how it works with the body.
A basic definition of inflammation is the appearance of Heat, Redness, Swelling and Pain in and around an area of the body.
Inflammation is our body's response to disease, illness, infection or trauma. It is part of the body's immune system's first line of defense. When the body detects a foreign invader/substance or trauma it begins a chemical reaction. The resulting substances from the White Blood Cells are rushed to the site through an increase in blood flow. This increase in blood flow is seen and felt as heat and redness. Due to the rapid increase of the volume of immune substances in one area fluid can leak into the surrounding spaces which is then noted as swelling. The expansion of tissue and the response to this tension on the surrounding tissue can activate local nerves to transmit a pain response. As long as this event is short term/acute the process is reparative. In the short term inflammation helps an injured area by increasing oxygen, proteins and other nutrients, destroying pathogens and toxins, and delivering repair materials and molecules.
In general there are 3 phases of healing. Inflammation which can take between 1-3 days. Then Proliferation occurs which is the process of repair and requires a sufficient and proper supply of oxygen, nutrients and fibroblast. Finally is the Maturation phase which happens once the surface of the wound is closed.
The immediate response in the inflammatory phase is a contraction of the damaged area's blood vessels to prevent an excessive amount of blood loss. When the area switches to active inflammation the blood vessels dilate. Vessel dilation helps to increase the flow of blood and increase the level of oxygen and nutrients.
However, if inflammation goes on past 3 days it then is considered chronic and could then become damaging to the process of healing. The key factors in an area remaining in a state of healthy repair vs unhealthy is the degree and duration of blood vessel dilation, degree of permeability of blood vessels to properly regulate the amount and type of fluid, proteins, leukocytes into the healing area. For a healthy repair response blood vessel dilation should begin within 30 mins after the initial constriction of the blood vessels and the closure of the wound.
The main factor when determining when to use ice vs heat comes from the timing of the area requiring the blood vessels to be in a state of constriction vs dilation. If the blood vessels remain constricted for too long then the delivery of oxygen, nutrients and fibroblast is delayed and healing is thus delayed. However, blood vessels constriction does reduce or eliminate the experience of pain by inhibiting the communication of nerve impulses in the affected area. Sometimes it is necessary to initially inhibit the transmission of pain in order for the brain to allow the person to begin to calm down and thus direct the energy toward repair rather than defense.
For many years the Gold Standard was set by Dr. Gabe Mirkin who developed the concept of RICE= Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Due to the surfacing of new research Dr.Mirkin has now begun to alter his stance on ice. The key factor in the change came with the discovery that the macrophases (part of the immune cascade) produce as substance called Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) which is the determining hormone for healing. The presence of this factor is required for both wound healing and muscle/soft tissue damage.
When discussing soft tissue or muscle issues/damage, I believe we must now be considering whether the area is experiencing fascial dehydration rather than blood vessel damage or fiber damage. We would start by learning if there was a direct incident of trauma i.e. cut, hit or fall that could have resulted in broken bones or damaged tissue. With a lack of contact trauma we then ask for an indication of tissue damage such as sign of broken blood vessels, bruising, redness, swelling or heat. If none of those signs and symptoms are reported but rather the person speaks of being unable to pin point the pain, there being a sensation of burning or pulling or a sharp stabbing pain that comes and goes and if these symptoms come following a minor task such as bending over to pick up a towel, repetitive motion tasks or after extreme exercise then we more then likely are dealing with a circumstance of fascial dehydration.
Ice is a tricky substance to use when treating the body because just like inflammation or any other beneficial thing too much of a good thing can lead to trouble. Ice is also tricky when used on an area which has signs of inflammation because the indications ice has been left on an area too long is redness, swelling, tingling and pain. See the problem? We usually know the negative affects of prolonged cold as an area turning blue, purple or black. These are extreme signs and if you see these it is too late. The other more settle sign is a white appears with a surface hardness. Again you don't want to get to this stage because that means you will lose the surface tissue due to cell death.
Alrighty, so you are now probably saying OK Colette get with it and tells us when and how we should use ice.
In general, if you are experiencing pain and you feel called to use ice, I would recommend using an ice cube and gentle rubbing it over the painful area. As the ice begins to melt stop and pat the area dry. This gives you a chance to determine if the pain is beginning to decrease. I would not do more that three passes and no longer than 10 mins total of ice in one area. If the area is too big or you are not able to reach it to move the ice cube then use an ice pack, bag or strap but only allowing it to remain in any one area for no longer than 10 mins and staying closer to 5 mins or less is ideal. By doing this you will be able to reduce pain, start taking the nervous system into a parasympathetic state which will calm the body and remain within the optimal time frame for the initiation of vessel dilation and the production of IGF-1.
If there is no pain then it is best to avoid ice!
New research involving the recovery time and performance of athletes now also offers more reasons to avoid ice. These studies show ice can reduce an athlete's strengthen, speed, coordination and endurance. In my opinion we must again consider fascia. When we understand fascia is in every cell of the body, it runs through muscles fibers and it has 10 times more nerve ending in it than muscles carry; it makes sense that if the vessels flowing through it are constricted, then it will become dehydrated and without fluid there is less nerve communication. Less nerve communication means there will be a decrease in the sensation of strengthen, there will be a delay in motor response leading to a decrease in speed, there will be miscommunication from one area to another resulting in poor coordination and finally with nerve inhibition there will be muscle fatigue which means a decrease in stamina or endurance.
Ligaments and tendons are a form of fascial tissue and they have less blood vessels than muscles. The limited number of blood vessels makes these tissues prone to delayed healing when compared to muscles and other soft tissue injuries. From what you now know about ice you see that icing these tissue will only decrease an already compromised state of wound repair.
When looking at duration of ice application we must bring our attention to research as far back as the 1980s that revealed the body will remain cold for several hours following stagnate ice of only 20 mins. When the body remains cold for this long the nerves again will decrease in conduction and can lead to permanent damage with the appearance of nerve palsies. However, if after icing, the area is rewarmed soon enough the risk of damage is greatly reduced, if not eliminated all together. This then speaks to the benefit of contrast thermal therapy. One can either accomplish this through a contrast shower or topical application in which one alternates cold, hot, cold, hot. If there were pain one would start with hot, cold, hot, end hot. If there was swelling one would start with cold, hot, cold, end on cold. In either case you would only apply the cold for no more than 10 mins.
Now for heat. You want to avoid heat where you see acute inflammation. If there is already an increase in blood flow, redness, and swelling you do not need heat. Heat will only further dilate blood vessels and increase the inflammatory response.
Warm moist heat is the best when it comes to tissue repair. Using a hot water bottle, whirl pool or hot tub are the best options to providing a soothing environment to stimulate the rehydration of fascia and the relaxation of contracted muscles. Water conducts heat better than air, with better conduction the heat is retained longer and can penetrate deeper into the muscle layers. The heat then is mimicking the inflammatory process of dilating blood vessels which increases blood flow and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients which allow the muscle to recover faster. Dry heat such as from an electric heating pad can actually dry out the skin. Dry skin leads to dehydrated fascia, dehydrated fascia leads to pain. The best results are to apply the moist heat for no longer than 30 mins at any given time.
In conclusion, when trying to decide between ice and heat your choice will depend on how much you can tolerate pain and if there is swelling present. To achieve the best and longest lasting healing results and performance when it comes to sports, avoid ice unless there is pain or swelling. In those cases do not use ice for longer than 10 mins and if possible alternate ice with moist heat. Moist heat is your best options when it comes to general, chronic muscle tension.
I hope you were introduced to new information and you find this information helpful.
Remember, I always advise you see a doctor if you suspect you have injured yourself so we know for sure if there is any bone damage or other serve tissue damage.
www.colette.massagetherapy.com
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Drinking Water But Still Dehydrated?
You may be saying, " I'm good, I drink water all day." Or you may be saying, "I drink water all day and I still feel thirsty." Maybe you are the person who drinks water all day and also has to go to the bathroom 20 times a day because of it. Just because you are drinking all of this water does it mean you are hydrating your cells efficiently? The answer is no.
Even with all the water drinking most people's body is still actually dehydrated.
What are some signs and symptoms of cellular dehydration and fascial dehydration?
1. Thirst
2. Bad breath
3. Headache and migraines
4. Constipation
5. Dry skin
6. Difficulty falling asleep
7. Waking in the night to urinate
8. Brian fog, short attention span
9. Joint stiffness and pain
10. Soft tissue pain that doesn't go away with stretching or exercise
11. Muscle pain, chronic knee, hip, low back or neck pain
12. Craving sugar or carbohydrates
13. Wrinkles of the skin
14. Hot flashes for women
What does it mean to be dehydrated? Basically, anytime a person uses or loses more water than it takes in and absorbs that person's body will be in a dehydrated state. There are degrees of dehydration from mild to the extreme which can result in death. The body can tolerate a 3-4% loss of body water. We begin to notice some or all of the above symptoms when the % moves to 5-8%. Besides degrees of dehydration there are 3 types of dehydration: losing equal amounts of water and sodium at the same time, losing more sodium than water or losing more water than sodium. If you lose more water than sodium your cells and possibly your brain will shrink. On the other hand if you lose more sodium than water your cells and possibly your brain will swell. If cells swell too much they will burst and thus you have cell death.
The body is composed approximately of 50-65% water. This varies depending on gender, fat composition, age and other factors. The most important thing you can do for your health is maintain optimal levels of water in your body. When we discuss how an individual should hydrate the first thing we speak about is water intake. There are some who say everyone should drink at least 2 liters a day. In my opinion I think it is more important to look at individuals and go with the baseline recommendation of 1/2 a person's body weight in ounces over a 24 hour period. This ensures there is a safe and proper balance between the fluid inside and outside a person's cells. As always too much of a good thing can be bad. Too much water can burst cells. In the extreme, too much water, consumed too quickly can cause death. We have all heard of this related to college hazing where students drink an entire Sparkletts bottle of water in less than an hour and end up dead.
Ideally we want to be consistent with our water intake. Which means its better to sip from a 32 ounce bottle of water throughout the day than to down the whole 32 ounces in a couple of hours.
Besides the speed at which we drink water, what is the main center regulating how we absorb the water we put into your mouth? The small intestine is where we will get most of our water absorption. Making sure you drink water at least an hour before meals is another good way to help increase your ability to effectively hydrate. If we eat while drinking water then the water has to wait in the stomach as the stomach breaks down the food. Some of the water will bind to the food and actually be passed out the bowel instead of being absorbed into the blood stream or cells.
Now many of you know I'm big on coconut water after a massage or some kind of electrolyte water. The reason is due to the need to hydrate effectively after a massage. Water by itself is not enough to get it into the cells to be absorbed, it must have a companion. Coconut water is filled with minerals that serve as companions to water. The biggest water carrier is sodium. Sodium in turn requires glucose and amino acids for its transport across a cell. Again all of these can be found in coconut water. Basically, to achieve the proper balance between the inside and outside of a cell you need the proper balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium etc), the proper amount of glucose, the correct amino acids and clean water. After a large majority of the water is absorbed in the small intestine, the next up take will be in the large intestine and then finally in the colon. Therefore, it is the utmost importance to have a highly functioning digestive system. Hence, the reason for periodic cleanses to increase the changes of effective absorption of water and other essential nutrients.
When there is too much water outside of the cell the body will eliminate it through the bowels and the urine. Mostly, we see excess water leaving via the urine. So when you are drinking your 20 glasses of water and going to the bathroom every 5 minutes you know you have more water outside your cells and you have not been absorbing it into your blood stream where its going to do the most good.
In speaking about intracellular hydration you can also get water from certain foods to help with your, 1/2 your body weight baseline. Consuming pears, celery, cucumber, watermelon and spinach (to name a few) will help increase your water intake (as all of these have a high water content), if you just can't get all the water you need in a glass.
Now when factoring in consuming the proper amount of water you also have to take into account your activity level. The more active you are the more water you will need. You will also need to factor in your environment and the temperature of that environment. Water helps regulate body temperature. The hotter it is outside your body the more water your body will need inside. For women, when you lack a water reserve and your hormones are out of balance if the room temperature is warm your there won't be enough water to cool you down. In the face of inadequate internal water the body's alternative means of cool the body down is to sweat. Thus during menopause if you are dehydrated you will experience more hot flashes. Going along with this women, at night your body produces less water. If you already have a low reserve in general then your body will sweat at night to help keep you cool, leading to one reason for your night sweats during menopause. So ladies entering or in menopause, consider drinking coconut water or electrolyte water of some kind an hour prior to going to sleep.
Moving away from the fluid inside cells we come to extracellular fluid. The Extracellular Fluid (ECF) serves as a bridge between cells and organs, while also influencing the volume and strength of the intracellular fluid (ICF). When speaking of ECF we are also discussing the plasma and interstitial fluids as well as fluids such as cerebrospinal, intraocular and synovial fluids. Research is not showing these fluids are the world of fascia. Therefore, the desire to hydrate the fascia is a need to bring the proper water content to the ECF regions of the body.
Through journals such as the Journal of Canadian Chiropractic Association, we are being introduced to the new and current research on Fascia and the make up of ECF. Because fascia and the ECF come in so many forms it can be considered a colloidal substance changing between a free flowing water state to a more gel state. In it's most unhealthy state is acts like rawhide and does not move at all. From the new research we learn about the histology of fascia being a type of cell called a fibroblast. It is these fibroblast we are attempting to affect when we seek to hydrate fascia and thus the ECF matrix. A dehydrated fibroblast becomes like rawhide and becomes difficult to re-hydrate. You can think of this journey to a rawhide state similar to leaving a soft contact lens out of water for too long. If you realize soon enough that you missed putting the lens into its container and find it on the counter you can soak and gently rub it in contact solution and it will re-hydrate and you can wear it without issue. Now miss your container and go to bed. Well, when you wake up in the morning and find that lens on the counter, it is now rolled in on itself and is hard and brittle. You will not be able to re-hydrate it and definitely will not be able to wear it. Ideally, you want to catch your fascia before it becomes like a contact lens left out over night. Getting to your fascia soon enough to hydrate it properly can be related more to the action of putting water into a sponge. You want to add water to the sponge, then apply a force ( a squeeze) to extend the water through all parts of the sponge and allow excess to leave. Now you are ready to use the sponge most effectively. This is true of your fascia and how massage (manual manipulation) helps to hydrate your tissues.
If we think of the sponge again, let's put that sponge in a bucket of water. Take it out but don't squeeze it and now try to use it. What happens, the sponge won't absorb more fluid and it is a dripping mess. This is another answer to why after drinking your 20 glasses of water you go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. The water is just accumulating in the spaces but isn't being taken into the fibroblast (there was no squeeze to take in it) to be utilized. We need a homeostasis between the water the fibroblast squeezes into the extracellular matrix as fluid and the water the fibroblast moves around as the gel like substance. The pressure between these two states is what keeps our joints cushioned and is our general means of stability. Therefore, when your massage therapist applies a gentle, slow and steady compression lasting for a short period of time, applies a short, slow stretch, or a gentle knead or twist to your tissue they are hydrating your fascia.
What can you do at home to complete the hydration process after you drink your water and lower the risk of the unfavorable signs and symptoms of dehydration? You can apply a pumping action to your arms and legs, you can do a gentle little twist to your tissues or you can learn to Melt. By doing these techniques and tips I provided above, you will truly be hydrating and improving your overall well-being.
For more information on how to begin to learn the Melt Method visit my website: www.colette.massagetherapy.com
If you have any question feel free to email me at: 2dolphincolette@comcast.net
Even with all the water drinking most people's body is still actually dehydrated.
What are some signs and symptoms of cellular dehydration and fascial dehydration?
1. Thirst
2. Bad breath
3. Headache and migraines
4. Constipation
5. Dry skin
6. Difficulty falling asleep
7. Waking in the night to urinate
8. Brian fog, short attention span
9. Joint stiffness and pain
10. Soft tissue pain that doesn't go away with stretching or exercise
11. Muscle pain, chronic knee, hip, low back or neck pain
12. Craving sugar or carbohydrates
13. Wrinkles of the skin
14. Hot flashes for women
What does it mean to be dehydrated? Basically, anytime a person uses or loses more water than it takes in and absorbs that person's body will be in a dehydrated state. There are degrees of dehydration from mild to the extreme which can result in death. The body can tolerate a 3-4% loss of body water. We begin to notice some or all of the above symptoms when the % moves to 5-8%. Besides degrees of dehydration there are 3 types of dehydration: losing equal amounts of water and sodium at the same time, losing more sodium than water or losing more water than sodium. If you lose more water than sodium your cells and possibly your brain will shrink. On the other hand if you lose more sodium than water your cells and possibly your brain will swell. If cells swell too much they will burst and thus you have cell death.
The body is composed approximately of 50-65% water. This varies depending on gender, fat composition, age and other factors. The most important thing you can do for your health is maintain optimal levels of water in your body. When we discuss how an individual should hydrate the first thing we speak about is water intake. There are some who say everyone should drink at least 2 liters a day. In my opinion I think it is more important to look at individuals and go with the baseline recommendation of 1/2 a person's body weight in ounces over a 24 hour period. This ensures there is a safe and proper balance between the fluid inside and outside a person's cells. As always too much of a good thing can be bad. Too much water can burst cells. In the extreme, too much water, consumed too quickly can cause death. We have all heard of this related to college hazing where students drink an entire Sparkletts bottle of water in less than an hour and end up dead.
Ideally we want to be consistent with our water intake. Which means its better to sip from a 32 ounce bottle of water throughout the day than to down the whole 32 ounces in a couple of hours.
Besides the speed at which we drink water, what is the main center regulating how we absorb the water we put into your mouth? The small intestine is where we will get most of our water absorption. Making sure you drink water at least an hour before meals is another good way to help increase your ability to effectively hydrate. If we eat while drinking water then the water has to wait in the stomach as the stomach breaks down the food. Some of the water will bind to the food and actually be passed out the bowel instead of being absorbed into the blood stream or cells.
Now many of you know I'm big on coconut water after a massage or some kind of electrolyte water. The reason is due to the need to hydrate effectively after a massage. Water by itself is not enough to get it into the cells to be absorbed, it must have a companion. Coconut water is filled with minerals that serve as companions to water. The biggest water carrier is sodium. Sodium in turn requires glucose and amino acids for its transport across a cell. Again all of these can be found in coconut water. Basically, to achieve the proper balance between the inside and outside of a cell you need the proper balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium etc), the proper amount of glucose, the correct amino acids and clean water. After a large majority of the water is absorbed in the small intestine, the next up take will be in the large intestine and then finally in the colon. Therefore, it is the utmost importance to have a highly functioning digestive system. Hence, the reason for periodic cleanses to increase the changes of effective absorption of water and other essential nutrients.
When there is too much water outside of the cell the body will eliminate it through the bowels and the urine. Mostly, we see excess water leaving via the urine. So when you are drinking your 20 glasses of water and going to the bathroom every 5 minutes you know you have more water outside your cells and you have not been absorbing it into your blood stream where its going to do the most good.
In speaking about intracellular hydration you can also get water from certain foods to help with your, 1/2 your body weight baseline. Consuming pears, celery, cucumber, watermelon and spinach (to name a few) will help increase your water intake (as all of these have a high water content), if you just can't get all the water you need in a glass.
Now when factoring in consuming the proper amount of water you also have to take into account your activity level. The more active you are the more water you will need. You will also need to factor in your environment and the temperature of that environment. Water helps regulate body temperature. The hotter it is outside your body the more water your body will need inside. For women, when you lack a water reserve and your hormones are out of balance if the room temperature is warm your there won't be enough water to cool you down. In the face of inadequate internal water the body's alternative means of cool the body down is to sweat. Thus during menopause if you are dehydrated you will experience more hot flashes. Going along with this women, at night your body produces less water. If you already have a low reserve in general then your body will sweat at night to help keep you cool, leading to one reason for your night sweats during menopause. So ladies entering or in menopause, consider drinking coconut water or electrolyte water of some kind an hour prior to going to sleep.
Moving away from the fluid inside cells we come to extracellular fluid. The Extracellular Fluid (ECF) serves as a bridge between cells and organs, while also influencing the volume and strength of the intracellular fluid (ICF). When speaking of ECF we are also discussing the plasma and interstitial fluids as well as fluids such as cerebrospinal, intraocular and synovial fluids. Research is not showing these fluids are the world of fascia. Therefore, the desire to hydrate the fascia is a need to bring the proper water content to the ECF regions of the body.
Through journals such as the Journal of Canadian Chiropractic Association, we are being introduced to the new and current research on Fascia and the make up of ECF. Because fascia and the ECF come in so many forms it can be considered a colloidal substance changing between a free flowing water state to a more gel state. In it's most unhealthy state is acts like rawhide and does not move at all. From the new research we learn about the histology of fascia being a type of cell called a fibroblast. It is these fibroblast we are attempting to affect when we seek to hydrate fascia and thus the ECF matrix. A dehydrated fibroblast becomes like rawhide and becomes difficult to re-hydrate. You can think of this journey to a rawhide state similar to leaving a soft contact lens out of water for too long. If you realize soon enough that you missed putting the lens into its container and find it on the counter you can soak and gently rub it in contact solution and it will re-hydrate and you can wear it without issue. Now miss your container and go to bed. Well, when you wake up in the morning and find that lens on the counter, it is now rolled in on itself and is hard and brittle. You will not be able to re-hydrate it and definitely will not be able to wear it. Ideally, you want to catch your fascia before it becomes like a contact lens left out over night. Getting to your fascia soon enough to hydrate it properly can be related more to the action of putting water into a sponge. You want to add water to the sponge, then apply a force ( a squeeze) to extend the water through all parts of the sponge and allow excess to leave. Now you are ready to use the sponge most effectively. This is true of your fascia and how massage (manual manipulation) helps to hydrate your tissues.
If we think of the sponge again, let's put that sponge in a bucket of water. Take it out but don't squeeze it and now try to use it. What happens, the sponge won't absorb more fluid and it is a dripping mess. This is another answer to why after drinking your 20 glasses of water you go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. The water is just accumulating in the spaces but isn't being taken into the fibroblast (there was no squeeze to take in it) to be utilized. We need a homeostasis between the water the fibroblast squeezes into the extracellular matrix as fluid and the water the fibroblast moves around as the gel like substance. The pressure between these two states is what keeps our joints cushioned and is our general means of stability. Therefore, when your massage therapist applies a gentle, slow and steady compression lasting for a short period of time, applies a short, slow stretch, or a gentle knead or twist to your tissue they are hydrating your fascia.
What can you do at home to complete the hydration process after you drink your water and lower the risk of the unfavorable signs and symptoms of dehydration? You can apply a pumping action to your arms and legs, you can do a gentle little twist to your tissues or you can learn to Melt. By doing these techniques and tips I provided above, you will truly be hydrating and improving your overall well-being.
For more information on how to begin to learn the Melt Method visit my website: www.colette.massagetherapy.com
If you have any question feel free to email me at: 2dolphincolette@comcast.net
Monday, May 9, 2016
A Peek Behind the Logo- The Lotus
Ever wonder about the meaning behind a business' logo?
I thought I would periodically tell you a little about the aspects of my logo.
My logo is about what I want to bring to the people I serve in massage. It is also about how I relate to the world at large. While also speaking to the ideals I hope to create for myself and my clients.
Let's start with the Purple Lotus.
From the start of my massage career my friends and clients have told me my massage is unlike most other massages they have received in the past. The purple lotus is unique in the flower world, and spoken of as unlike most other lotus flowers.
The human body is born in water and birthed from water going through an amazing journey to take it's first breath, so too does the purple lotus.
My most common saying is my massage space is where science embraces intuition. A pillar of my practice is my ability to work with the energy of the body. In doing this there is a spiritual connection involved in each technique at some level. The purple lotus has long been associated with the spiritual realms. It represents spiritual kindness.
A large part of my massage practice is helping people reconnect to the sacredness within them, the origin of the purple lotus provides an example of being able to overcome any obstacle in life. This lotus grows from the muddy muck at the bottom of the pond, yet it emerges regal and beautiful. From this it is held as a sacred flower in Buddhism and Hinduism. Each person who comes to my office comes with their own unique story and journey. Like the lotus each of my clients is a beautiful blossoming flower.
This flower can not be grown in just any environment, it needs special care and patience. As is true of caring for the grow of a person who is trying to over come pain, injury or just daily life stress.
Through the purple lotus I fill my space with gentleness, peace, kindness and the sacred aspects of nature. I hope after experiencing massage with me you too fill these aspects of the purple lotus.
I thought I would periodically tell you a little about the aspects of my logo.
My logo is about what I want to bring to the people I serve in massage. It is also about how I relate to the world at large. While also speaking to the ideals I hope to create for myself and my clients.
Let's start with the Purple Lotus.
From the start of my massage career my friends and clients have told me my massage is unlike most other massages they have received in the past. The purple lotus is unique in the flower world, and spoken of as unlike most other lotus flowers.
The human body is born in water and birthed from water going through an amazing journey to take it's first breath, so too does the purple lotus.
My most common saying is my massage space is where science embraces intuition. A pillar of my practice is my ability to work with the energy of the body. In doing this there is a spiritual connection involved in each technique at some level. The purple lotus has long been associated with the spiritual realms. It represents spiritual kindness.
A large part of my massage practice is helping people reconnect to the sacredness within them, the origin of the purple lotus provides an example of being able to overcome any obstacle in life. This lotus grows from the muddy muck at the bottom of the pond, yet it emerges regal and beautiful. From this it is held as a sacred flower in Buddhism and Hinduism. Each person who comes to my office comes with their own unique story and journey. Like the lotus each of my clients is a beautiful blossoming flower.
This flower can not be grown in just any environment, it needs special care and patience. As is true of caring for the grow of a person who is trying to over come pain, injury or just daily life stress.
Through the purple lotus I fill my space with gentleness, peace, kindness and the sacred aspects of nature. I hope after experiencing massage with me you too fill these aspects of the purple lotus.
Photo taken by me in Thailand
Thursday, February 4, 2016
February Special Packages for Valentines Month
Need some great ideas to gift to your loved one?
I think you will find just the right gift within these packages.
. Duet Foot Soak and Low Leg Massage
Price: $80
Come in with your favorite person. While one of you soaks for 30 mins the other will enjoy a low leg and foot massage and then we'll switch. The total time we will spend together is 1 hour. What a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day/Month.
. Flowers Massage for your Love
Price: $100.00
Package includes
1. 1 hour fabulous massage
2. a bouquet of beautiful flowers
. Chocolate Bliss
Price: $145.00
Package includes
1. 1/2 hour blissful foot soak while drinking
Moonsruck drinking Chocolate
2. 1 hour Custom aromatherapy massage
. Sweets for your Sweet
Price: $150.00
Package includes
1 Chocolate Love Truffles
2. Bottle of Non- Alcoholic Apple Cider
3. 11/2 hour fabulous massage
. Going Big Love
Price: $185.00
package includes
1. 11/2 hour massage
2. 1`/2 foot soak with 3 essential oil salt scrub
3. Pot o Drinking Tea
4. Love Truffles
Purchase Now
BOOK NOW
Monday, November 9, 2015
Are You Missing Your Core
All you have to do is ask google what your core is and the images you will see will be something like this
(Picture from Anatomy Altas)
Heavy on the Abdominal muscles. You'll see a lot of photos of bulging 6 packs. You will be given exercises focused on getting every muscle in your abdominal cavity rock hard. If your core is made up of all these "stomach" muscles then why are we still so unstable? What are we missing when it comes to strengtheing our core?
What we and most trainers are overlooking is the Diaphragm!
By definition a Core is the central, most important part of something.
Researchers in recent years are putting out more and more information showing how the diaphragm is linked to just about every major system that keeps us alive. One of the biggest systems supported by the diaphragm is the body's Respiratory functions. As a person would die without being able to breath why have we ignored the diaphragm for so long? Maybe because it isn't out in front showing off like the Rectus Abdominis (pictured above) better known as the stomach's 6 pack.
When asked what is the primary muscle of respiration, I bet you wouldn't say the diaphragm. After reading to the end I'm sure you will now.
The diaphragm is so much more than just the primary muscle of respiration. It is one of our most complex muscles.
However, here I'm going to try not to get us lost in the complexity but rather try to reveal it's importance and wide reaching connection to other parts of the body.
In simple terms we can say the diaphragm is composed of muscle, tendentious and fascial material. It is connected to the lower 6 ribs, the sternum, the spinal vertebrae, the Transersus Abdominis muscle and the Psoas muscle. It is part of the information super highway with various important nerves passing through it. Via its neuronal connections it is associated with the functioning of the TMJ, floor of the mouth and the pelvic floor. Its contraction and connection to the thoracic duct makes it the main facilitator of the lymph fluid being delivered to its final destination within the heart. It helps regulate oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. Finally it helps to regulate stress. Are we starting to understand why it is truly the body's core?
Since the diaphragm has be hidden and misunderstood for so long many of us are walking around with a dysfunctional core. You might be amazed how many of your aches and pains are probably due to this dysfunction.
What are some signs your diaphragm is offline and not functioning properly?
Ways to help get your diaphragm back online, enhance your posture and improve your breathing
Now let's play around with some techniques to help activate your diaphragm and enhance your breathing.
1. Extending your exhale:
into your hands, exhale through your mouth and feel your ribs drop toward your hips and make less contact with your hands. Repeat three times
3. Modified circular breathin
* Place your tongue to the roof of your mouth, inhale through your nose, pause, release your tongue, slowly drop open your jaw while exhaling through the mouth
One of the cutting edge information providers is the Postural Restoration Institute. From their site I have learned of the benefits of balloon breathing and the 90-90 hip lift balloon breath. The later is a pretty advanced technique, therefore I recommend you start with everything above building up to the full 90-90. You may also want to come in for help to make sure you are using proper form.
Variation one:
1. Hold a balloon to your mouth with your left hand
put your tongue to the roof of your mouth
inhale through your nose
pause and release your tongue
exhale into the balloon for a count of 4
clamp the balloon closed with your left fingers,
pause for a count of 4
repeat : starting with the inhale through the nose
You'll do 4 breaths in through the nose and
3 breaths exhaled into the balloon with the 4th out
breath without the balloon
Variation Two:
Variation Three:
3. Combine 1 and 2
Arm variations for #3
a. Do 3 with arm variation of right arm extended flat on surface next to the ear with straight elbow
b. Do 3 with arm variation of right arm extended next to ear and raised into the air
Now that you have looked at the signs you have not been using your diaphragm properly and you have an idea of how to start addressing and changing your diaphragm's functioning you might be interested in more details.
Let's really get to know the diaphragm. It looks similar to a parachute. It is dome shaped with the exterior being skeletal muscle and the interior being fascia (connective tissue). It is higher, thicker and stronger on the right side of the body than the left . The higher position on the right is due to the internal organs making space for the big shot, the Heart, on the left side of the body. It separates the upper part of the body (or thoracic cavity) holding up the heart and lungs from the lower part of the body (or abdominal cavity) surrounding the liver, gall bladder, spleen and stomach. It has fascia (connective tissue) that attaches to the back side of the sternum on both the right and left at the Xiphod process. 6 of its fascial threads attach to the lower 6 ribs (ribs 7-12) on both the right and left sides. Remembering there is an inner and outer component to the diaphragm therefore there is also fascial threads extending to the upper right border of the 5th rib and the lower left border of the 5th rib. At the back of the body it has threads attaching on the right side to the first three lumbar vertebrae and their intervertebral discs and on the left side to the first two lumbar vertebrae. Coming from the sides of the body going down toward the feet its fascia thickens and joins with the front portion of the psoas muscle and joins with the upper portion of the back muscle the quadratus lumborum. There is also a fascial connection into the transverse abdominal muscles. The diaphragm also has three major and several minor opening to allow the esophagus, vena cava, aorta and nerves and blood vessels to pass from the chest cavity to the abdominal cavity and vice versa.
The shape of the diaphragm changes as it works and depends on what and how the rib muscles are working. The ideal method of breathing requires us to work the respiratory system in 3 dimensions. With need to be able to move vertically (from the hips to the clavicle and back down) , horizontally (moving the rib cage out to the arms and back in) and front to back (to the spine and away from it). How does this ideally happen? When you inhale the diaphragm is contracted, its central fascia is pulled down toward the feet which increases the vertical diameter of the chest allowing the lungs to expand and air to enter. At the same time the accessory breathing muscles, the muscles between the ribs pull the ribs up and out. As you exhale the diaphragm relaxes and folds in on itself pushing up on the lungs and the rib muscles pull the ribs in and down which pushes air out of the lungs. Due to the diaphragm's attachment into the spine the chest cavity also pulls away from the spine and in toward the spine to push air in and out.
It's the diaphragm's relationship to the ribs and pelvic floor ( via the fascial connections to the psoas, quadratus lumborum and transverse abdominals) or the amount of contact between them which creates the true body core. The technical term for this contact is the Zone of Apposition (ZOA). The core stability comes from your diaphragm being able to achieve a balance of pressure within the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity.When we have a balance of thoracic and abdominal pressure we stabilize our spine due to the diaphragm's fascial connections to the spine. This ideal is rarely achieved by most people. Most people are heavily relaying on their accessory rib muscles, the neck muscles connecting to the ribs (scalenes) and the pectoral muscles (chest muscles). The utilization of these muscles create what is known as a chest breather. The longer we chest breathe the more slack we place on the diaphragm. This slack in turn translates to a laxity of the abdominal contents the small intestines begin to slump down and forward. In an attempt to compensate the pelvis begins to tilt either too far forward or backward.
How does this loss of diaphragm power and chest breathing create more problems for the over all functioning of the body? As the intercostal muscles (rib cage muscles) and the chest muscles take over the lungs begin to get less and less space. This also happens when the body is placed in a dangerous situation. When we are in danger our fight or flight response kicks in and we recruit muscles which use less energy. In this situation our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. The unfortunate thing for our health is the brain doesn't know the difference between chest breathing due to poor posture verses our body being in danger and consequently the brain signals stress hormones for both situations. Therefore, continual chest breathing equals continual low grade stress response. Now we are in a vicious cycle of dysfunctional breathing causing a stress response and the stress response causing tension on the muscles.To break this cycle practice the 11 tips above to retrain your brain and get your diaphragm back online.
This final picture shows a very simplified take on how we breath. It also shows that if we are heavily focusing on the abdominal muscles we are primarily utilizing one directional breaths.
We want to keep remembering 3 dimensional breathing. Our goal is not to replace chest breathing with abdominal breathing but rather to lead with diaphragmatic breathing that incorporates all the respiratory muscles as well as establishing proper functional thoracic and abdominal pressure.
Want a little jump start to your diaphragm rehabilitation program?
Come on in for a massage. We can use manual manipulation of the rib cage to loosen the intercostal muscles; abdominal massage to help soften the fascia of the stomach which will help to release the diaphragm. Massaging the psoas and quadratus muscle to address the imbalance of the pelvic girdle and improve the abdominal tension. Addressing any held tension in the jaw muscles to help break the stress hormone cycle. If this all sounds good, don't wait to put your self care first, Book Your Massage Now.
Click here:
http://eclectichealingguide.fullslate.com/
Heavy on the Abdominal muscles. You'll see a lot of photos of bulging 6 packs. You will be given exercises focused on getting every muscle in your abdominal cavity rock hard. If your core is made up of all these "stomach" muscles then why are we still so unstable? What are we missing when it comes to strengtheing our core?
What we and most trainers are overlooking is the Diaphragm!
By definition a Core is the central, most important part of something.
Researchers in recent years are putting out more and more information showing how the diaphragm is linked to just about every major system that keeps us alive. One of the biggest systems supported by the diaphragm is the body's Respiratory functions. As a person would die without being able to breath why have we ignored the diaphragm for so long? Maybe because it isn't out in front showing off like the Rectus Abdominis (pictured above) better known as the stomach's 6 pack.
When asked what is the primary muscle of respiration, I bet you wouldn't say the diaphragm. After reading to the end I'm sure you will now.
The diaphragm is so much more than just the primary muscle of respiration. It is one of our most complex muscles.
However, here I'm going to try not to get us lost in the complexity but rather try to reveal it's importance and wide reaching connection to other parts of the body.
In simple terms we can say the diaphragm is composed of muscle, tendentious and fascial material. It is connected to the lower 6 ribs, the sternum, the spinal vertebrae, the Transersus Abdominis muscle and the Psoas muscle. It is part of the information super highway with various important nerves passing through it. Via its neuronal connections it is associated with the functioning of the TMJ, floor of the mouth and the pelvic floor. Its contraction and connection to the thoracic duct makes it the main facilitator of the lymph fluid being delivered to its final destination within the heart. It helps regulate oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. Finally it helps to regulate stress. Are we starting to understand why it is truly the body's core?
Since the diaphragm has be hidden and misunderstood for so long many of us are walking around with a dysfunctional core. You might be amazed how many of your aches and pains are probably due to this dysfunction.
What are some signs your diaphragm is offline and not functioning properly?
- Your lower stomach extends down and past your hip bones while your low back sways/curves
- Your upper stomach appears sunken under your lower ribs and your chest appears puffed out
- When you raise your arms to your ears your elbows bend outward
- Your head tilts excessively forward
- You suck your stomach in when you inhale a breath
- You raise your shoulders as you inhale
- You push your upper chest forward as you inhale
- You have chronic rib pain and/or need regular rib adjustments
- You have chronic horizontal mid back pain
- You breath through your mouth when resting
- You have to take frequent deep breaths with a sigh and/or yawn
- You have or had a hiatal and/or inguinal hernia
Ways to help get your diaphragm back online, enhance your posture and improve your breathing
- Soften and stretch the fascia of your abdomen
- Stop trying to create rock hard abdominal muscles
- Stretch your quadratus muscles
- Strengthen your hamstrings and lower glutes
- Stretch the pectoral muscles
- Stretch the psoas muscles
- Begin to do more with your left hand
- Intentionally walk making sure to move opposing limbs i.e. take your first step with your left foot while swinging your right arm forward and then your right foot with your left arm.
- Go back to crawling like a baby at least once a week. Here again use an opposing limb movement.
- Stretch and soften your jaw muscles
- Practice extending your exhale
Now let's play around with some techniques to help activate your diaphragm and enhance your breathing.
1. Extending your exhale:
- Either start by laying on your back or standing ( you want to make sure there is no bending around the bottom ribs if possible) now inhale for a count of 1, hold for 1 and exhale for your goal is to reach an 8 count
- Try exhaling with a candle : sit in front of a candle, create a circle with your lips (like you are going to breath through a straw), now breath slowing and gentle into the candle trying to make it flicker but not extinguishing the flame.
2. Connecting with the sides of your body. Lateral rib expansion:
* Place your hands on the sides of your ribs, inhale through your nose while expanding your ribsinto your hands, exhale through your mouth and feel your ribs drop toward your hips and make less contact with your hands. Repeat three times
3. Modified circular breathin
* Place your tongue to the roof of your mouth, inhale through your nose, pause, release your tongue, slowly drop open your jaw while exhaling through the mouth
One of the cutting edge information providers is the Postural Restoration Institute. From their site I have learned of the benefits of balloon breathing and the 90-90 hip lift balloon breath. The later is a pretty advanced technique, therefore I recommend you start with everything above building up to the full 90-90. You may also want to come in for help to make sure you are using proper form.
Variation one:
1. Hold a balloon to your mouth with your left hand
put your tongue to the roof of your mouth
inhale through your nose
pause and release your tongue
exhale into the balloon for a count of 4
clamp the balloon closed with your left fingers,
pause for a count of 4
repeat : starting with the inhale through the nose
You'll do 4 breaths in through the nose and
3 breaths exhaled into the balloon with the 4th out
breath without the balloon
Variation Two:
2. Lay on your back with your feet flat, shoulder width apart and touching a wall
(don't push into the wall)
put a ball or something between your knees
keep your stomach soft throughout
using your hamstrings lift your pelvis off the ground
while keeping your back flat on the ground
make sure not to press your feet into the wall
repeat 4 times
3. Combine 1 and 2
Lay on your back with feet flat, shoulder width apart and touching a wall
put a ball or something between your knees
keep stomach soft
lift the pelvis with your hamstrings
hold a balloon to your mouth with left hand
put your tongue to the roof of your mouth inhale through your nose
release the tongue and exhale into the balloon
clamp off the balloon with the fingers and count to 4
keep the pelvis lifted
repeat the breaths with a total of 4 inhales, 3 exhales into balloon
and 1 exhale out of mouth without the balloon
through out the right arm is by your side with hand palm up
a. Do 3 with arm variation of right arm extended flat on surface next to the ear with straight elbow
b. Do 3 with arm variation of right arm extended next to ear and raised into the air
Now that you have looked at the signs you have not been using your diaphragm properly and you have an idea of how to start addressing and changing your diaphragm's functioning you might be interested in more details.
The shape of the diaphragm changes as it works and depends on what and how the rib muscles are working. The ideal method of breathing requires us to work the respiratory system in 3 dimensions. With need to be able to move vertically (from the hips to the clavicle and back down) , horizontally (moving the rib cage out to the arms and back in) and front to back (to the spine and away from it). How does this ideally happen? When you inhale the diaphragm is contracted, its central fascia is pulled down toward the feet which increases the vertical diameter of the chest allowing the lungs to expand and air to enter. At the same time the accessory breathing muscles, the muscles between the ribs pull the ribs up and out. As you exhale the diaphragm relaxes and folds in on itself pushing up on the lungs and the rib muscles pull the ribs in and down which pushes air out of the lungs. Due to the diaphragm's attachment into the spine the chest cavity also pulls away from the spine and in toward the spine to push air in and out.
It's the diaphragm's relationship to the ribs and pelvic floor ( via the fascial connections to the psoas, quadratus lumborum and transverse abdominals) or the amount of contact between them which creates the true body core. The technical term for this contact is the Zone of Apposition (ZOA). The core stability comes from your diaphragm being able to achieve a balance of pressure within the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity.When we have a balance of thoracic and abdominal pressure we stabilize our spine due to the diaphragm's fascial connections to the spine. This ideal is rarely achieved by most people. Most people are heavily relaying on their accessory rib muscles, the neck muscles connecting to the ribs (scalenes) and the pectoral muscles (chest muscles). The utilization of these muscles create what is known as a chest breather. The longer we chest breathe the more slack we place on the diaphragm. This slack in turn translates to a laxity of the abdominal contents the small intestines begin to slump down and forward. In an attempt to compensate the pelvis begins to tilt either too far forward or backward.
How does this loss of diaphragm power and chest breathing create more problems for the over all functioning of the body? As the intercostal muscles (rib cage muscles) and the chest muscles take over the lungs begin to get less and less space. This also happens when the body is placed in a dangerous situation. When we are in danger our fight or flight response kicks in and we recruit muscles which use less energy. In this situation our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. The unfortunate thing for our health is the brain doesn't know the difference between chest breathing due to poor posture verses our body being in danger and consequently the brain signals stress hormones for both situations. Therefore, continual chest breathing equals continual low grade stress response. Now we are in a vicious cycle of dysfunctional breathing causing a stress response and the stress response causing tension on the muscles.To break this cycle practice the 11 tips above to retrain your brain and get your diaphragm back online.
This final picture shows a very simplified take on how we breath. It also shows that if we are heavily focusing on the abdominal muscles we are primarily utilizing one directional breaths.
We want to keep remembering 3 dimensional breathing. Our goal is not to replace chest breathing with abdominal breathing but rather to lead with diaphragmatic breathing that incorporates all the respiratory muscles as well as establishing proper functional thoracic and abdominal pressure.
Want a little jump start to your diaphragm rehabilitation program?
Come on in for a massage. We can use manual manipulation of the rib cage to loosen the intercostal muscles; abdominal massage to help soften the fascia of the stomach which will help to release the diaphragm. Massaging the psoas and quadratus muscle to address the imbalance of the pelvic girdle and improve the abdominal tension. Addressing any held tension in the jaw muscles to help break the stress hormone cycle. If this all sounds good, don't wait to put your self care first, Book Your Massage Now.
http://eclectichealingguide.fullslate.com/
Thank you for reading.All pictures from the Anatomy Atlas. Except for my personal photo :)
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