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.