New beginnings are beautiful and sweet, but they have to come from an end of something else. Well, we all know this, but when it happens in our lives it is just a reminder of the sweetness of spring time and the process that God shows us in nature. 🙂
Just this month, I have moved into a new massage studio that I love! It is so inviting, sweet and peaceful. These are three words that a person loves to hear and feel when they enter a massage room! But I did want to take a moment to thank my previous location within AWP Esthetics & Spa for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of their business for these last three years!
I have loved working with Nina and all the ladies in the spa and will remain close to all of them! You have been a blessing in my life and business and I am grateful for the time that I have had to learn and be a peice of the AWP team! Thank you for being so supportive and just wonderful over the years and in this transition! You are treasures!
So as this new season unfolds with its beauty and surprises, as springtime does, I will look forward to what lies ahead and the adventures that are in store for Heidi’s Healing Hands. 🙂
We eat much more than we actually need and much less of the things that actually feed us. This is what I’ve been discovering over these last months of pursuing an overall healthier lifestyle. We, as a culture, are filling our bodies with “food” that not only does not feed us but also actually makes it harder for our bodies to function the way it is made to!
A couple of weeks ago, I began to feel anxious, was having trouble sleeping, got a migraine headache, and was excessively thirsty with no apparent triggering event. After about a week I began to wonder if my body was just out of whack. So I started with checking into my electrolyte levels. I began to research what symptoms of low sodium or potassium levels looked like and, low and behold, I had about 10 of the 13 symptoms of low potassium! Now I should preface this with telling you that I eat almost extremely healthy these days. (Oh I’ve had my burgers, fries, pizza, fried chicken and Mountain Dew days in the past!) I consume almost no sugar and pretty much only lean meat and tons of veggies and fresh fruits. Since this major change in my intake I feel so much better, but even with the amount of fresh food I’m consuming I still dropped way low on potassium. So I ran out and grabbed a good potassium supplement from a local health food store.
In my research I found that the amount of milligrams of potassium that the average person is supposed to consume is 4700 per day! Now, to put that in perspective one banana has a little over 500mg! That’s 9 ½ bananas per day to get all you need! The average American consumes a little less than half that per day. And things like stress and caffeine and excessive sugar intake can inhibit your body’s ability to absorb potassium. You may be asking what’s the big deal? Well, Potassium helps regulate your heart beat and they have found that increased intake of potassium can lower risk of stroke, help to regulate blood pressure, and even help to prevent osteoporosis just to start. It is recommended to consume the same amount of potassium as sodium per day to keep your body in balance and prevent the damages of high sodium levels in your blood stream. So it’s time to increase the fruit and veggies just like your mama told you!
You can find high amounts of potassium in fruits and vegetables, particularly potatoes, plums, prunes, raisins, bananas, tomatoes and tomato juice, orange juice, artichokes, lima beans, acorn squash, spinach, nuts and seeds, apricots, avocado and garlic. Other foods with substantial amounts of potassium are fish, meat, poultry, whole grains, and yogurt.
How does this relate to massage? Well, I’m all about overall health and well being, so if a little diet change can help reduce anxiety, depression, headaches, cramps and help you sleep better, it’ll make my job easier… 😉 and you’ll feel better and be healthier, I’m all for that!
After a long hiatus from the blog I am back at the blogging and working out! This is the time of year that we are all trying to get into better shape. So naturally we’re pushing our bodies a little harder than they’re used to and that’s a good thing! But on the flip side we need to see the world through our muscles eyes.
Just like anything that gets used a lot our muscles need a break, but not just that, they need a tune up. We naturally think our body should be able to sustain all that we want it to do for us. But just like a vehicle that doesn’t get regular oil changes, tune ups and maintenance, it will quit on us! Kink’s in the neck, back spasms, decreased range of motion in your shoulders and or arms, loss of strength and the list goes on. As I’m sure we’ve all experienced to some extent at one point or another.
Now, the key is not stop working out or doing what you love, it is to be good to those muscles that are working so hard for you. After doing the same motion over and over they get “stuck” thinking that’s they way they’re supposed to stay. And that can be as simple as siting at a desk and slightly shrugging your shoulders all day, working on a roof from sun up to sundown or training for a marathon or triathlon. So what I do in my sessions is get those muscles to “let go” restoring them to how they are supposed to react and function correctly for you. I do this in a way that is comfortable and peaceful for you as well. So you can get back to work, doing what you love, or your intense workouts knowing that your muscles are less prone to injury, more flexible and just plain happier!
Are you fearful that massages will hurt? Maybe you’ve had a bad experience with a massage therapist who you felt made you “suck it up” while they sort of beat on you. Well, that is one of my major pet peeves as a therapist. I believe that the client should feel safe and empowered to ask for what they want. I want every one of my clients to feel heard. I hope that they all feel they are getting exactly the massage that they want!
If you or someone you know is hesitant about getting a massage because of this, (come see me first of all!) they may feel more comfortable requesting a Swedish style massage. Swedish massage is one of the most relaxing modalities I utilize. It is the foundation piece that I incorporate in almost all of my massages. It involves the long, flowing movements that are some of the most calming to experience. It is typically light to medium pressure with very unbroken, steady movements.
Even in my deep tissue sessions I like to break it up with some Swedish techniques to help the muscles let go and accept the deeper work and to help maintain the client’s peaceful state of being. And sometimes, less really is more! So, come in and see me. I will put you at ease and I won’t subject you to my own agenda. I always want my clients to feel that I work for them and their needs!
Headaches. Even the word hurts to read. If you find that you get headaches or migraines on a regular or even semi-regular basis. You may have some key tight or knotted up muscles that are causing those issues. I understand that stress or tension headaches are the WORST! I used to get those “aura” migraines. Those are the kind that you see a weird light in your eye before the splitting head happens. As soon as I saw it I would run for the Excedrin and hope for the best!
Well, now I know where those stinkers were coming from. When we are stressed out we typically raise our shoulders up, that causes our upper trapezius muscle to contract which, in turn, causes those little muscles on the back of our heads called the occiuputal muscles to contract as well. That restricts blood flow to our brain and then, you guessed it, you got a headache.
That’s where I come in. I am able to get the neck and all of those little troublemaking muscles that like to cause headaches and migraines to give up and let go. I utilize my techniques in trigger point and Swedish massage to help them to loosen up and work with me-not against you anymore. Your muscles and your noggin will thank me!
