Knots in muscles, knots in chains. Same thing.

 I often compare my approach on tight muscles to loosening up a knot in a chain. If you try to yank and pull vigorously on a chain to get a knot out, that could cause damage to the chain and even break it. When a massage therapist jumps right in and starts working without taking the time to feel the restrictions (knots) in their client's muscles, they can potentially tear and damage the muscle even further. I use finesse and concentration to find restrictions whenever I come across a tight muscle. I place my hands on the restriction and slowly add a little bit of pressure until I find the source of it. When I find it I hold it still for a while and ask my client to describe any feelings coming up -physical, emotional, or otherwise (when an injury occurs there's often an emotion that can go along with it, but more on that later)- then I entrain my hands to the rhythm of their body. As I meld my hands, their rhythm changes and loosens the deepest part of the knot enough for me to find a starting point for my massage. Once I have a clear idea of how the muscle is knotted I use the bigger, broader massage techniques to release it. Prepare yourself for some stillness!

Aiming for quality, not quantity.

When I plan my day at Moon Valley Massage, I allow time between treatments to get the room ready for my next client and re-center myself. It helps me maintain an easygoing attitude and communicates to my clients that I'm respectful of their time. If I say 3:00, I intend to have you in the room relaxing at 3:00. Not ending my last massage and rushing around. I've also learned that there's a limit to the number of people I see each day. If I go over that limit, I'm physically and psychically wiped out by the time my last client comes through the door. And that's not fair to either one of us! So, in order to stay strong and focused for each of my clients, I try to be discerning of my day-to-day schedule. If you call and I can see you on the same day, consider yourself very lucky!
 

Five Supplements I always keep in my Health Cabinet

Confession: There was a time when I was uninsured (gasp!).
In my twenties, I didn't feel like it was a big priority so I fore-went the insurance. I was fortunate enough to work at Clovers Natural Market, a health food store that promotes a healthy lifestyle and encourages all of their employees to learn about supplements and complimentary medicine. The people working at Clovers don't just work there, they practice what they recommend to their clients. Since then I've become insured, but I'm still surprised at how easy it is to get prescription medicine for (virtually) free! It costs money to take care of yourself. But if you can, isn't it worth it to strengthen your body before you end up at the doctor's office? Over the years I've tried many things, but these five are always in my health cabinet.  

Zinc  

Vitamin C

Probiotic 

Omega-3 (everyday)

Multi w/ Folic Acid (everyday)

Zinc: A great immune booster. I take it when I start to feel sick, or if I'm entering a situation where I know there are sick people around.

Vitamin C: Another immune booster. I'm always giving it to my son to help him stave off illnesses at his daycare. Taken daily, it's a good way to manage seasonal allergies.

Probiotic: I feel good about drinking a komboucha once or twice a week to help balance the flora in my gut. I kick it up with a daily probiotic if I have to take an antibiotic. Antibiotics kill all the bad stuff lurking around, but they also kill all the good stuff meant to defend your body against infection and viruses.  

Omega-3:  I take Omega-3 every day to control inflammation in my joints, it can also help with allergies. In addition to controlling inflammation, it's also good for cardiovascular function. Cardiovascular disease runs in my family and I figured its not a bad idea. 

Multi-Vitamin w/ Folic Acid:  Folic acid is a member of the B vitamin family. It helps to manage stress, maintain efficient brain function, and help to prevent certain types of cancer. Some medications actually lower the amount of folic acid in the body; so when I'm looking for a multi, it only makes sense to find one that contains folic acid. To find out more about Folic Acid, check out this link: Food Nutrition/Folic Acid

So, that's why I keep these supplements in my health cabinet.
Find what resonates with you, and take care!

Word of the day: Biotic

biotic- having to do with life or living organisms.

So, by now, everyone knows that there's healthy bacteria living inside of us, right?  They're called biotics, and they can help us stay healthy. Have you had to take ANTI-biotics recently?
Antibiotics kill everything, even the good bacteria in your system, which can really upset the balance of your organs.  If you've been sick, consider taking a PRO-biotic supplement to help restore your body back to normal.  Also, fermented whole foods such as miso soup, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha tea are all great ways to introduce healthy biotics back into your system. Dairy products such as keifer and plain yogurt are also good, but if you've had a lot of mucus building up in your system I would stay away from dairy.
To help restore your team of healthy bacteria, increase your probiotic consumption, this will help you feel normal again quickly!

Chin muscles and a tight neck.

Recently, I've treated several people with neck and shoulder pain.  When I massage a client with these types of complaints I often notice that they hold tightness in  their chin and lower lip.  Out of curiosity I've mimicked this action and discovered that my neck  gets tight as a reaction.  That's only natural considering how many muscles are in the chin.  

When I'm treating someone's neck, and I see them holding their chin,  I find their hyoid bone and gently move it back and forth.  Since so many of these muscles attach and originate on the hyoid bone, with my client's permission, I gently place my fingers on either side and move it back and forth to create softness in these muscles.  Usually by the end if the session, people are relaxing their chins and even smiling.  I believe that after these 60 minute neck and shoulder sessions, many of my clients are more aware of tightness they hold in their chins and can soften it with ease.

Maple sugaring!

This time of the year is quickly turning into one of my favorites. As the days get a little warmer, but the nights are still below freezing, the sap in the trees start to flow. We've got some decent sized maples on our land and we tap them to collect the sap. Every afternoon is like Christmas when we go out to see how much sap the buckets have collected. It's been fun to make the rounds with Barry. We visit each tree, say thank you, and pat it on the trunk. This weekend, we will boil down the sap until it thickens and becomes syrup.

Subtle changes

It's been a fun autumn here in Moon Valley, there's a grove of maple trees behind our house and the fall colors are incredible. The light reflecting off the leaves into our house beckons me to come outside and enjoy the weather! The changes day to day are so subtle, but if I pay attention, I notice that the forest is a little more orange each day and there's more light coming through the canopy.  This is also how I approach my clients on the massage table.  The changes in a tense muscle can be so quiet, if I'm not paying attention, it's easy to miss. Recently, I was working hard on a client who just couldn't relax. Intuitively, I lightened up, and felt for the subtle movement of the muscle I was working on. Then I gradually applied a little bit of pressure, followed the movement and held the light pressure while the client took a few deep breaths, and the muscle released. You can't force the muscles to relax any more than you can force a green leaf to turn orange overnight. Now, I've got some fall foliage to admire!