Don’t Leave Your Health to Luck

If you consider yourself healthy, chances are you work for it. 

No matter how much “luck o’ the Irish” you’ve got running through your veins, good health doesn’t simply just happen. It’s not something you’re born with like curly hair or long toes. Good health is about daily, intentional choices that you make. However, even the healthiest among us can get in a rut or lose sight of our health intentions.  With March being National Nutrition Month, we thought it fitting to talk about good nutrition. Not just eating plenty of veggies (although that is a great idea) but developing and maintaining good “nutrition” for all aspects of your life.

“Nutrition” for your mind

• Maintaining Relationships: Having healthy and close relationships with one’s family, friends or community can help you feel happier, safer and more motivated to reach goals and live a positive life.
• Taking up a new hobby or interest: Find something you love you to or are passionate about that you can enjoy alone and find peace in doing. Having hobbies can improve your sense of usefulness and well-being.
• Cleanout excess STUFF: Yank those ill-fitting clothes from your closet or clear out the junk from your garage.  An open and clean home can lead to a clearer mind.

“Nutrition” for your soul

• Volunteer:  Talk about a win-win.  Not only does volunteering help to address a societal need, but there are huge benefits for you as well.  Volunteering can help you reduce stress, keep depression at bay, and keep you mentally stimulated.  And the more you do it, the more you reap the positive rewards.
• Get out:  Drive to a nearby hiking trail, scamper down the path a bit, and just breathe.  The vastness and beauty of nature can help put your issues in perspective. 
• Seek out therapy:  Massage therapy, that is.  From the feel-good hormones released through massage, you’ve got a “therapy” session that can’t be beat.  And this kind of therapy comes complete with a little “me time,” immunity-boosting, and sleep-promoting benefits, too.

Nutrition for your body

• Exercise:  This one is a bit of an obvious answer, because exercise actually stimulates your brain, lifts your mood, and is great for all parts of your body.  Get your 30-45 minutes in, 3-5 times per week for maximum results.  You’ll also notice a difference in your energy, your skin, and your muscle tone.
• Give yourself quality food: Focus on the quality of your food, versus the quantity.  Less white, processed food, more rich whole grains.  Protein, fiber, lots of colorful produce, and plenty of omega-3’s will keep you feeling satisfied, energized, and fuller for longer.  And after eating well for a few weeks, you’ll notice that what you offer to others around you will be of higher quality, too.

Follow these few simple steps and tips, and you’ll feel nourished and lucky all year long.

Woman Power: Be a Healthy, Happy, Fit Female

March is Women’s History Month – so it’s all about the ladies! This month take some time to dedicate time and energy to becoming happier, healthier and more fit. We’ve pulled together 3 tips to help you get started on living a life of overall health and wellness. 

1. Be the Woman You Want to Be

There are a lot of stereotypes and opinions in society around how women should look, act and feel. But, when you get sucked into living up to society’s unrealistic expectations, you may soon find yourself in an unhealthy state both physically and mentally. To find true happiness, it’s important to ignore societal noise and instead focus on what you’re really passionate about. Take some time to uncover what speaks to your soul and follow that lead to become the strong woman you want to be.

2. Value Your Health and Well-Being

There is nothing wrong with putting yourself first. In fact, it’s healthy when you focus on and put value in living a healthy lifestyle and engaging in healthy life practices. Adopting healthy habits like regular massage therapy sessions, working out regularly and taking some quiet time through meditation or concentrated breathing can help to not only relieve daily tensions, but also rejuvenate your mind and spirit.

3. Make Healthy Choices for You and Your Family

Women have a powerful influence on their families, co-workers and friends. So, if you still feel guilty about making healthy choices for yourself, then think about how your healthy habits will have a positive influence on the most important people in your life. Living a happy, healthy and fit lifestyle can make a world of difference for you, your spouse and your kids. Lead by example and see the changes that will transform in your health and your family’s.

Today is a great time to start taking control of your health and well-being. 

Got Neck Pain? Types of Massages That Can Help

Usually caused by something simple, like hunching over your computer, neck pain is a common problem in the United States. In fact, neck pain is one of the most common chronic muscular disorders adults deal with in the U.S, according to the National Institute of Health.

While there are many ways to ease neck pain, massage therapy is one of the most reliable methods to reduce tension and prevent it from coming back.

Whether it's chronic or acute, here are three types of massages that can alleviate neck pain.

Trigger Point

Trigger point therapy, , can be beneficial to treat neck pain.

Trigger point therapy taps into the body’s internal web of muscles and tissues to unlock chronic and injury-related pains caused by tension and stress. Since continuous movement, such as looking down at a computer daily, can create irritated tissue in the neck. When the muscles stay in a contracted state for an extended period, they can harden and form small nodules that massage therapists can feel during trigger point therapy. The trigger point therapy can ease pain and tension while increasing range of motion of the neck.

Integrative Reflexology

Reflexology applies pressure to specific points of the feet, hands and ears with specific techniques using the thumb and fingers. Integrative Reflexology® blends methods of reflexology with massage techniques for a more enjoyable experience.

Since certain sections of the feet may correlate with the neck, your massage therapist can work with your feet to release pain and tension before moving to the neck for more traditional massage techniques. A certified Integrative Reflexology® massage therapist can properly stimulate the proprioceptors on the bottom of the feet to help increase stimulation of nerve endings, helping to calm the body.

Deep Tissue Massage

Traditionally designed to apply pressure to layers of muscle, tendons and other tissues deep under the skin, deep tissue massage can be beneficial in relieving problem areas and is highly therapeutic. Deep tissue massage is generally a modality to consider for athletes as well as the 9-to-5 desk job. Muscles easily become tense and deep tissue massage can relieve some chronic patterns of pain and tension, specifically in the back, shoulder and neck areas.

Along with relieving neck pain, receiving regular monthly massages can help keep your joints limber and relaxed. It also improves your posture, flexibility and range of motion, which can help prevent any future neck issues.

How to Take a Break from Technology

Several things get in the way of maintaining that feeling of inner peace all day long — and one of the biggest culprits is technology.

Distractions are abundant in our world — and our laptops, tablets, and smartphones are significant contributors to those distractions. When we hear a ring, or feel our phones vibrate, we immediately reach over and grab our smartphones. Or, when feeling bored, we tend to hop on our phones to mindlessly search the web, play games or cruise through social media feeds.

This counters productivity if we’re trying to get work done that requires real thinking; it can also disrupt moments of connecting with our family, friends, and authentic selves.

While technology is an excellent tool to help us with work and stay in touch with loved ones far from home, it can also cause a significant distraction. Taking a break from technology may seem easy, but it can be a challenging task. Give these five ways to take a break from technology a try to minimize distraction and stay more present and focused.

Schedule a Break

Designate device-free times to stay in the moment. Here are some ideas:

• Take a walk every day without your phone
• Choose one day a week to turn off all technology (or try a timeframe like 2 pm to 8 pm.)
• Schedule the “Do Not Disturb” feature every evening from 8pm to 7am.
• Turn on airplane mode for a couple hours a day.

Turn Off Your Phone

Our phones are our cameras, music players, calculators, task reminders. We rely on it more than we may think. Give this a go for a couple hours a day, just turn off your phone.

Nix the Notifications

The constant buzzing with a notification is an instant draw to your phone. Turn off all notifications, so there’s no distraction if someone texts you, comments on a photo from social media, or update on the game that evening.

Set-up a Device-Free Zone

Designate one or two areas in your home that devices are not allowed and stick to the rule. Once you’re used to it, you’ll find yourself enjoying those places most in your home. Good trial zones could be the bedroom, backyard, living room, or kitchen table.

At first, it may feel weird taking a break from technology. But as you continue one or all of these hacks, you’ll start to notice that you rely less on technology and are more present in your daily life.

The Power of Seeing Things Differently

Conflict is part of human interaction. Whether at work or in a relationship, conflict can arise and understand how others view an issue can be beneficial to you and the dilemma.

We can probably recall a time of conflict with a boss we respect, a colleague we like, a close friend we confide in, a family member we love, or even our significant other. It can be draining and many times leave us thinking about the disagreement for some time afterward. The constant wondering and thought can leave our bodies tense with aches, stomach discomfort, brain fog, and unproductiveness.

While differences are healthy and occur with our significant other or those we work closely with, it doesn’t have to ruin our day. The power to see things differently will not only help move the disagreement to resolution, but it will also help prevent conflict, body pains, and mental fatigue.

It doesn’t happen overnight, but if you make a conscious effort to change your thinking patterns with these few tricks, it will help you evolve to see things differently.

Opinion vs. Fact

Philosopher Marcus Aurelius said, “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”

When situations begin to get heated, or you begin to get frustrated with someone or an event, take a pause and remember that what people say about us is an opinion, not a fact. You may not like or agree with what they say, but just like you, they are entitled to their opinion. So, going into a discussion, heated or not, with the idea that the other person has a view—not I'm right/they’re wrong mentality—and what they say is not factual can help keep you calm. It’s their perspective, just like your opinion is your perspective.

Keeping this in mind can hold a conversation at just that, a conversation. And this can help you understand their point of view and why they are saying what they say.

Perspective: Glass Half Full or Empty

Stuck in traffic, late to a meeting, in an argument, didn’t get the promotion. Some might think these scenarios are terrible. While they are not the most chipper events, if you look at it with a positive attitude (easier said than done) can help you see the silver lining.

Example, you didn’t get the promotion. A month later a recruiter reaches out asking you to interview for a role at a new company. Because you didn’t get the promotion, you do so and land the job. It ends up with a pay increase and new title. If you did get that promotion, you might have not taken the risk to interview at the other company. You ended up getting a promotion, just not at the exact moment you were hoping.

So, if something happens that is not the outcome you wish for, try to look at it as there is something else that may come of it.

Welcome an argument because you may learn something new. Appreciate the traffic because you may avoid a collision. Plus, if you think, negatively it can impact how you feel the rest of the day. Who wants to be negative all day long?

Failure vs. Learning Lesson

So, your presentation didn’t go as well as you’d hope. Does that mean you’ve failed? No. It just says it didn’t go as well as you’d expect. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. If we change our minds from thinking, “I failed” to “What can I learn from this?” can help you see experiences differently and help you to grow. Maybe you needed to practice your presentation more, use different stats, or whatever the reason you were not happy with it. Athletes experience the same thing. They may not win the championships, but they are not failures. They can practice their skill and different plays to improve for the next season. And if you don’t make a mistake, how are you to ever learn?

Practicing how you view situations, listening, and speaking can help you see things differently and help you resolve disagreements quicker and avoid body aches or pains.

Don’t Fear Change: Embrace It!

As we wind down another year, it’s always a good time to think about what you want to accomplish or change in the new year. We challenge you this year to take a “growth mindset” approach.

In its simplest form – taking a growth mindset helps you look for ways to grow and develop yourself. Hopefully, we don’t look back over the last few years and realize we are in the same place, physically, emotionally or any other aspect. It’s always good to keep growing and improving.

Let’s take a look at three things to consider when embracing growth and change.

Like getting ready to climb a mountain, we need to know where we’re heading and how we’re going to get there. As we’re getting ready to enter a new year – this is the perfect time of the year to set this intention.

• Evaluate Where You Are Today  
  Looking back over the year, where are you today and what has changed. Did you learn new techniques for taking care of yourself? Did you learn new skills that help you in your personal and professional life?  Also consider what you feel didn’t work. Looking at the projects or experiences that didn’t turn out as you had expected is just as important as looking at the projects or experiences that had a positive outcome. 
    
• What would you like to achieve in 2019?  
  Now let’s look at the new year. Where would you like to be this time next year? Not just in your physical health, but your financial, professional, spiritual health as well. Be realistic, but also stretch yourself beyond where you are comfortable today. After all, the goal is change! 

• Charting your path for success  
  Write out specific activities you will incorporate into your daily, weekly, and monthly calendar to help you achieve your goals. Don’t worry if things come up and your path takes an unexpected turn. Change often takes us to new places with even more opportunities to learn and grow.  

Why Am I Sore After A Massage?

It’s the day after your massage, and when you roll out of bed you wonder to yourself, “Did I work out yesterday? Did I lift weights in my sleep?” Your muscles feel a little sore, and some seem a bit swollen, almost like they’re bruised. You think that surely something must be wrong. This soreness couldn’t possibly be a result from your massage . . . could it? Didn’t you schedule your massage with the hope that your tight and tender spots would feel some relief afterwards?

Before you reach for the phone to give your massage therapist an early morning, “What did you do to me?”  know that it is perfectly normal for your body to feel a little sore and out-of-whack the day after a massage, as counter-intuitive as it seems. For your muscles, getting a deep-tissue massage is similar to experiencing a tough workout. They got stretched and manipulated during the session, and the massage increased blood circulation to your tight spots. The lining of our muscles is supposed to be smooth and work fluidly. When a certain group of muscles gets tight, strained or kinked, it becomes more rigid, and will rely on surrounding muscle areas to pitch in and help.

During a massage, the therapist works to stretch, lengthen, and break up groups of muscles (what you might refer to as knots). This process may cause post-massage soreness from waste metabolites and by-products of tiny micro tears in the muscle along the way. This is a normal function of massage, and while it leads to more blood flow and healing to that area, it can also lead to that day-after tenderness.  Also, depending on the overall hydration of your body’s tissue, your muscle tissue may l not be as pliable, and you may potentially l feel more soreness afterwards.

If your muscles actually hurt more than they did before, and are not just tender to the touch, be sure to communicate this to your massage therapist before your next appointment. Perhaps the pressure was applied too quickly and/or past your pressure tolerance.

After your massage that same day, there are some easy, pleasant things you can do to help prevent some of the next-day soreness:

• Be purposeful about spending some down time after a massage so your nervous system can integrate. In addition, staying hydrated is never a bad idea, and after before or after a massage session is no different.
• Do some gentle stretching that evening, paying special attention to your trouble spots that received the most attention during your massage.
• You may find comfort in taking a hot bath to further enhance feelings of relaxation and rest.

While having tender muscles is not exactly enjoyable, it is a natural, normal part of the journey of health and well-being that comes with taking care of yourself by receiving massages. As your body becomes accustomed to regular massages, you’ll experience the next-day soreness less frequently, making the experience that much more pleasurable. 

How Massage Helps You Have Your Best Golf Game

The saying goes that the worst day of golf beats the best day of work.  This is a presumably popular sentiment, as golf continues to capture the hearts, minds, and free time of people of all ages, with all skill levels, from hundreds of countries around the world.  For many, there is no better way to enjoy a sunny morning than on the manicured greens club in hand, traversing the 18 holes of a golf course.  Coming off an incredible Master’s win from Tiger Woods, we thought we thought we’d take this opportunity to discuss why golf really is good for you, and how to make sure your body allows you to have the best golf game you can.  

• The Good

If your sore muscles the day after a round are any inclination, golf can be a pretty good form of exercise. Throughout the round you’re giving your core muscles (abdominals, glutes, back, and hips) a workout, as well as strengthening your upper body by swinging your clubs and in some cases carrying them yourself.  Your chest and forearms get taxed, as well.  And, if you’re the hard-core type and decide to walk the 18 holes?  You’re logging about 5 miles per round.  Nice work.

• What to Watch

If you’re going into your round with rigid muscles, or if you’re not properly conditioned, you can fall victim to some common golf-related injuries.  From straining the lower back, to shoulder injuries, to neck strain, golf can either exacerbate existing sore areas, or create new ones.  If your stance is off, you could develop strained tendons in your ankle or foot.  The dreaded “golfer’s elbow” is a painful swelling or irritation of the outer or inner tendons of the elbow.  

• What to Do

Because much of golf involves a lot of repetitive motion, metabolic waste can build up around those muscles that are repeatedly taxed.  This can cause pain and poor flexibility in those muscles, which are two things you definitely do not want as part of your golf game.  Also, many injuries occur during a round of golf because of already-tight muscles that are flexed and strained during the swing.  To keep muscles loose, healthy and fluid, regular massage therapy is a great way to practice preventative care during golf season.  Your massage therapist can concentrate on the muscles in your neck, back, arms, hips, and glutes to help ensure that your muscles are loosened, more flexible, and lengthened.  He or she can also pay special attention to the muscles that help support good posture, which is an important part of your golf stance.

Massage therapy is great for helping to facilitate mental focus and decreasing stress and anxiety as well.  Because going into a round of golf already stressed can lead to a very long and unpleasant 18 holes, especially after a couple of your favorite golf balls end up in the lake.

As the weather warms up and the days get longer, don’t let your body be an excuse not to hit the greens a few times.

Creating a Drama Free Life

Mention the word "drama" and most people immediately relate. We all have people, places and things in our personal and professional lives which drain our time, money and energy.

We spent time recently with Eric Stephenson, our Chief Wellness Officer at Elements Massage, and asked him for his top three tips on how to live a drama free life. With over 20-years of experience in massage, Eric is an expert in relaxation and is focused on creating balance in all aspects of life.

Eric pointed out that creating a drama free life begins with the realization that all of the drama in your life begins and ends with you. A difficult reality for many of us to accept! But until that statement becomes an absolute truth, drama will continue to follow you, tempting you to blame it on external people, events and circumstances.

Here are Eric’s three tips for living a drama free life:

1. Practice “Unconditional Positive Regard for yourself and others”

Psychologist Carl Rogers coined this term as a way of relating to the self and others. All too often, our judgments and stereotypes limit our ability to accept other human beings and treat them with respect. Unconditional Positive Regard is an overall acceptance of another human being, regardless of their political views, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or any other factor that may lead us to prejudice. This general outlook of acceptance is communicated through our thoughts, feelings, words and most importantly, our non-verbal communication.

2. Learn to recognize what hooks you into drama

Each of us has certain buttons that get pushed by family members, coworkers, even complete strangers. Once these are pressed, it often sends us into a reactive state that finds us entering the "fight or flight" part of the nervous system. If we are constantly in a reactive state to the events around us that cause drama, our body's response and our thoughts, words and actions can quickly trigger the fight or flight response. We become on the one hand- aggressive, combative or on the other hand- evasive or unable to effectively address conflict.

There's good news though, we can learn to watch our reaction and choose how we will respond to our triggers. Simply by taking a few deep breaths, you send a different signal to your nervous system, hopefully allowing you to choose the most appropriate response.

3. Practice non reactivity

There are countless opportunities to react to events, opinions, and activities that those around you engage in. Simply scroll down on any on-line discussion forum or controversial Facebook feed to see how quickly humans can disagree with each other and the short distance to truly harmful language pointed towards those that disagree with our views. However, maybe the Facebook status that disagrees with my view on immigration policy doesn't need my input- especially when it involves family or friends. Learn to sit a few out and avoid the drama.

So, we challenge you to write these three tips on a sticky-note, put them somewhere you can see them and then put them into action! Here’s to drama-free living!

Daily Approaches to Making the Most of Your Life

We’ve all been told at some point in life to “make the most of your life.”  However, do you really know how to make the most of it? Here are a few things you can do each day to help you live a happier, more fulfilling life.

Hold on a Minute

One of the many things you can do each day is to take a minute and put life on pause. Take just a couple of minutes for a break and concentrate on living in the “now.” It can act has a bit of a reset button for each day. Check yourself to make sure you are focused on that moment.

Get Better Sleep

We’ve all heard about how important sleep can be. Well, there’s a reason everyone says that: an excellent night’s sleep directly affects our mood and our body. Without sleep, you’ll be irritable, less productive and could have a difficult time remembering things.

Get Physical

It’s amazing how a good workout benefits both your body and mind. You need to do something physically active every day. Even if it is just a quick walk, you’ll feel better about yourself.

Set Daily Goals

Each day wake up and think about a goal that you would like to accomplish for the day. Make it something attainable. If your goals are too lofty and at the end of the day you don’t achieve them, you’ll get down on yourself.

Control What You Can

If you can’t control it, don’t stress it. If there’s a situation that you can’t control, you shouldn’t spend time stressing. Put your time and energy that you can directly affect the results. You'll be happier.

A key component of making the most of your life and leading a quality life is eliminating stress. 

How to Know if Deep Tissue Massage is Right for You

Have you ever gone to make an appointment for a massage, and found yourself a little perplexed at the different options available? Himalayan Salt Stone? Swedish?  What in the world??  We get it.  It can be hard to decipher the difference between massage types and figure out which is the best one for your body.  Today we’d like to lift the shadow of confusion from one of our best-loved and most often requested massage options: deep tissue.  What exactly is deep tissue massage?   Is deep tissue massage the right choice for you?

The belief of long-term pain-relief as the benefit of short-term agony from massage therapy is a common mistake many make. We think relief will come from a massage therapist digging and crushing our muscles for an entire massage session of an hour or longer. Fortunately, at Elements Massage® studios, your massage session is customized to exactly what you want, proper pressure in the desired area, to ensure your massage provides the relief you are seeking. Your massage therapist can fine-tune their focus on these important elements:

• Your connective tissue (fascia).  In case you don’t know, fascia is the membrane of mostly collagen tissue that covers, separates, and encloses your muscles.  Healthy fascia is flexible and moves freely.  However, when this tissue experiences strains, trauma, or becomes inflamed, it can become rigid and tight, putting extra strain on your body.  This presents itself as anything from headaches to muscle pain.  During a deep tissue massage, your therapist will work on addressing your fascia to ensure it is properly smoothed and lengthened, maintaining your body’s fluid flexibility.
• Your scars.  No, not the mark on your leg from your brother’s unfortunate archery attempt when you were four, but rather residual scar tissue from surgeries, injuries, or sprains.  When a muscle tears, the body repairs it by building scar tissue.  Scar tissue isn’t as strong as the regular muscle, making it pretty easy to re-injure that same area.  Deep tissue massage can assist in realigning scar tissue, strengthening and healing the scarred area.
• Your tension.  Chronic tension is often a miserable cycle of stress and pain – your stress leads to tension, which leads to pain in your muscles, which leads to more stress and tension . . . you get the picture.  Deep tissue massage tackles the cause e of your tension-related pain.  By releasing the bunched-up muscles in your shoulders, neck, and back, it helps break the pain cycle.  With the knots and pain relieved, you might even find that you’re able to face your stressors with renewed energy.​​​​​

Traditionally designed to apply pressure to specific layers of muscle, tendons and other tissues deep under the skin, deep tissue massage can be very effective in relieving problem areas and is highly therapeutic. Deep tissue massage is a client favorite for good reason.  Whether you consider it preventative medicine, health insurance, or just a much-needed dose of healing, its benefits are undeniable.  Whatever your reason for seeking out deep tissue massage, it can serve as an effective, all-natural step on your path to wellness and health.

Calming the Mental Madness this March

There’s no question there’s a lot more stress in life these days. Whether it be from work, money, relationships or family. It all adds up and can be detrimental to your health. As the weather begins to warm up, and the new year is in full swing, remember to take a moment for yourself each day.

Here are five daily tips to help clear your mind:

Take Five Minutes to Meditate

You can meditate anywhere. Simply take five minutes, sit up straight with your feet on your floor, close your eyes, and focus on a positive mantra. Take deep breaths while holding your stomach. Focusing on a positive statement will help relieve any anxiety.

Breathe Deeply

It’s amazing what a good deep breath will do for you. If you have just a couple of minutes, rather than check emails or social media, take a few minutes for a couple of good deep breaths. This will help slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.

Be in The Moment

Have you ever heard the term, “be in the moment?” It's simple - all you have to do is slow down. In a world with so many devices and screens open simultaneously, this one is crucial. Take a minute to reset and focus on the moment. Feel the air across your face, savor every bite when you’re eating. This will help relieve tension from your body.

Get Moving

Make sure you get some exercise in your day. This doesn’t mean you have to go for a big run – it can be simple, take a short walk or take a yoga class. Moving releases feel-good chemicals and helps you deal with stress and anxiety.

Decompress

One of the best ways to de-stress is to take time and de-compress. Everyone deserves a few minutes to take time for themselves. Use a warm towel and place it around your neck for 10-minutes. Close your eyes and relax your body. This will feel amazing.

Daily Approaches to Making the Most of Your Life

We’ve all been told at some point in life to “make the most of your life.”  However, do you really know how to make the most of it? Here are a few things you can do each day to help you live a happier, more fulfilling life.

Hold on a Minute

One of the many things you can do each day is to take a minute and put life on pause. Take just a couple of minutes for a break and concentrate on living in the “now.” It can act has a bit of a reset button for each day. Check yourself to make sure you are focused on that moment.

Get Better Sleep

We’ve all heard about how important sleep can be. Well, there’s a reason everyone says that: an excellent night’s sleep directly affects our mood and our body. Without sleep, you’ll be irritable, less productive and could have a difficult time remembering things.

Get Physical

It’s amazing how a good workout benefits both your body and mind. You need to do something physically active every day. Even if it is just a quick walk, you’ll feel better about yourself.

Set Daily Goals

Each day wake up and think about a goal that you would like to accomplish for the day. Make it something attainable. If your goals are too lofty and at the end of the day you don’t achieve them, you’ll get down on yourself.

Control What You Can

If you can’t control it, don’t stress it. If there’s a situation that you can’t control, you shouldn’t spend time stressing. Put your time and energy that you can directly affect the results. You'll be happier.

How Therapeutic Massage Can Help Reduce Chronic Headaches

Countless Americans are over-worked and stressed-out, resulting in an increase in head tension

According to the Migraine Research Foundation, over 39 million Americans experience migraine-like symptoms. That’s nearly 10 percent of the population. So, what’s causing this stress epidemic? One of the biggest culprits is the stress and strain of everyday life. Add to this the ubiquitous nature of electronic devices and the amount of time we spend in front of screens on a daily basis. This combination of factors causes our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) to go into over-drive, and one by-product might be the pulse-pounding headaches we know all too well. 

So, instead of usual interventions like over the counter pain relievers, how can introducing massage therapy improve these symptoms? We sat down with our Chief Wellness Officer, Eric Stephenson to find out.

What is the first step?

As a massage therapist, the first step we take is to engage with our clients so we can understand what is ailing you in as much detail as possible. In many cases, clients may be experiencing hidden pain, but they are not acutely aware of where the pain might be originating. Probing for more details is especially important so we can identify the musculature involved, intensity and duration of the headaches and potential stress triggers.  Then, it’s about finding the right massage techniques for you that will help generate the most short- and long-term relief.

How can massage help?

The massage therapist will engage with you to further understand what type of pain you are experiencing. From there, they  will find the right massage techniques that will help generate the most short- and long-term relief. Trigger point therapy taps into the body’s internal web of muscles and tissues to relieve chronic and injury-related pain. This type of massage is an especially effective way to treat underlying headache issues.  

For example, the suboccipital group is a small, but powerful, group of muscles in the back of the skull that work overtime to keep the head balanced on top of the spine. Muscle studies have shown that the jaw muscles function and dysfunction together with the suboccipital muscles in a push-pull relationship. Both muscle groups routinely harbor trigger points that cause headaches and together, they are the source of many tension headaches and migraines. Massage applied to these muscle groups can greatly help alleviate the severe pain you might be experiencing.

What about tension headaches?

For tension headaches, the use of heat utilized as part of a hot stone massage is one recommended service for clients due to the positive benefits on the nervous system. However, if your client struggles with severe migraines, it’s best to avoid direct heat to the head and instead, seek to draw blood out toward the periphery, including the hands and feet.  For clients with ongoing migraines there has been research done to suggest essential oil used as part of an aromatherapy treatment, such as lavender, may be a better option. The scents have a direct pathway to the limbic system which can help trigger a parasympathetic response.  

While hard research on the efficacy of massage for treating migraines and headaches is limited, anecdotal evidence suggests those who utilize massage therapy, coupled with other healthy lifestyle habits, relaxation and self-care activities, find it extremely beneficial for their improved well-being.

10 Things You Can Do For Your Mental Health

Your mental health is how you feel, think and behave in daily life. It’s important to take care of yourself and there are many ways you can improve your mental health on your own. In honor of World Mental Health Day, we’re sharing with you 10 ways to look after your mental health.

1. Get plenty of sleep. Sleep helps regulate chemicals in our brains. Sometimes, if we don’t get enough sleep, we can start to feel anxious or stressed. Try getting into bed around the same time every day, which can help regulate your sleep patterns.
2. Surround yourself with good people. Surround yourself with people who make you happy and who make you feel better! Making connections helps you to build a support system. If you don’t have friends or family nearby, try joining activities or groups where you can meet like-minded people.
3. Tell yourself something positive. How you think about yourself can have a positive impact on how you feel. If you are thinking negative thoughts, this can put you in a bad mood. Use words that empower yourself and write down your positive thoughts in a gratitude journal.
4. Exercise. Exercise can be a powerful antidote do stress and anxiety. Incorporate small activities into your day-to-day. Park a little further away from the grocery store, take the stairs instead of the elevator,  take a walk during your lunch break or stand up every 30 minutes at your desk.
5. Eat a good meal. What you eat nourishes your body and mind. Eat nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables to give you happy vibes.
6. Do something for someone else. Helping others not only benefits the people you help, but it also helps you too. It can help boost your self-esteem and make you feel a sense of purpose. 
7. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Recognize when you aren’t feeling well and speak up. Talk to your friends and family during these times.
8. Get plenty of sunlight and fresh air. Sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D, which is great for your body! Try to get outside for 30 minutes a day.
9. Take a break. Sometimes, stress can get the best of us. When it seems like there’s too much going on, take a break and step away from it all. Try a simple breathing exercise or even meditate.
10. Do something for yourself. Indulge in self-care and spend a day focusing on your health.

What To Expect Before Your First Massage

Today is the day! You’re ready for your massage.. But it's your first time and you aren’t sure what to expect. What do you wear? Do you have to talk? How do you prepare? What should you expect? In order to get the best, most relaxing experience, we’re answering all your questions. Here’s how the experience will go down:

Get Personal! Your massage therapist will ask questions to determine any pain points or areas of focus. During your massage, he/she will focus on those specific areas.

Comfort is key. Wear comfortable clothing when you come in for your massage. Before your massage, you will be asked to undress to your level of comfort. Lie down on your stomach underneath the sheets. You will remain covered throughout the massage, except for the places that are being massaged.

You Get What You Ask For. Your massage therapist will check on pressure throughout your massage, but don’t be afraid to speak up. Let your massage therapist know if you are uncomfortable at any time during your massage.

Breathe In. Breathe Out. Remember to breathe normally throughout your massage. Not only does it enhance your massage, but it also helps you to relax, enhancing that sense of calm.

Time Flies When You’re Relaxing. After your massage, your massage therapist will discuss any conclusions they drew from the service. He/she will recommend how often you should get a massage, the long-term benefits you can expect and any self-care in between sessions.

Soreness is Common. It’s perfectly normal to feel a little sore after a massage. For your muscles, a massage is similar to experiencing a tough workout.

Wellness Tips for a Busy Lifestyle

Sometimes we have days that are so busy, it feels like we don’t even have time to think. Everyone wants to feel better and be healthier, but it’s hard when you’re running around all day. You’re never too busy to put your health and wellness first. Here are a few tips you can incorporate into your hectic schedule to maintain wellness:

Drink more water. When you’re on the go, it can be hard to get in your daily water goals. Try investing in a water bottle that you can refill along the way. Drinking water can help with energy, focus and more!

Walk as much as possible. Try parking your car farther away from the entrance. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Try to do a few little things that can add up to your daily step goals. 

Try meditation. If you can find time to brush your teeth, you can find time to meditate. The busier you are, the more meditation you need. While you’re waiting at the doctor’s office or in between meetings, give yourself a few minutes to get into the zone. Meditation can be as simple as taking a few minutes to focus on your breathing and find balance in your day. For more guided meditation techniques, consider downloading an app.

Think about what you eat. Take a little time on the weekend to prep your meals for the entire week. Make sure you don’t skip breakfast. Always start your day with a protein-packed meal and pack snacks to eat throughout the day.

Learn to say “no”. Stop constantly adding items to your to-do list. It’s time to be selfish and take care of yourself. Take time to refill your tank so you have something to give. Focus on prioritizing what is most important and just say no if you really don’t have time.