Spiritual & Psychic Boutique

This past Saturday I was fortunate enough to be a part of local psychic Harriette Knight's first Spiritual and Psychic Boutique.  What an amazing day!!  This was a unique group of individuals showcasing each one of their own special talents and gifts.  Harriette was selling her Charity Clarity Jewelry, Chakra Power book and doing psychic readings.  Hypnotherapist, Maile Gray was doing handwriting analysis.  Sheri Va was selling her Sheri Baby inspirational t-shirts, Diana Shaw was doing astrology and chart readings, and Alice O'Hare was doing channeling readings.  All very unique and different offerings and yet everything just flowed so well through the day.  There was a constant stream of people in and out of Harriette's house.  Some stayed for just a short time, such as Julie Molinare who came and got a quick massage, said hi to everyone and then had to be off.  Some stayed pretty much all day getting in all the information that they could, enjoying all that was offered.

For me, I was busy all day!  It was so good to help so many people feel relaxed.  As much as I love what I do, sometimes people aren't always willing to get a massage (or to pay for it) and sometimes I'm just not as busy as I'd like when I'm offering chair massage.  However, this day was just tremendous!  I was pretty much busy from the moment I stepped in till way past the time it was going to end.  I was so busy I had asked one person if she minded waiting so I could eat a small bit for lunch.  I even had a new client that I meet through Harriette at her book signing that came that day specifically to see me!  Things like that just make me happy!  I feel very blessed to be a part of that day and to be able to join in and hear all the interesting conversations and readings, meet new people, laugh, and just make people feel great!  Thanks, Harriette for including me!!  And thank you to all of you that came to me for a massage too!!
 
For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Massage Packages: Which One Do You Want?

I am very happy to announce the new creation of massage packages for Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage!  So I'm just going to go right into all the packages without any more pre-information.


Pure Heavenly Healing (Year of Heavenly Wellness)
50 Massage Sessions ~ $2997 Limited Quantity Offer (Save $1003)

Picture this…once a week, you being massaged for a whole year (minus two weeks off for vacations, etc)! This investment into yourself is your own preventative health care routine. This is designed to assist your body’s natural healing ability by increasing your immune system. Massage benefits the body through pain and stress relief, lessens depression, increases your levels of dopamine and serotonin, as well as increasing your natural killer cells which respond and kills cells that are infected when you have a virus and boosts your body to ward off illnesses such as colds, flu’s, cancer, diabetes and more.

Purchase your “Pure Heavenly Healing” package between now and January 31, 2010. I am only offering a limited number of these packages for your year of Pure Heavenly Healing massage wellness. You will have an annual savings of $1003 for the year! Bonus is that you may use your pre-paid massage and convert it to a gift to give to family, friends or clients in place of your massage. Appointments must be made seven days in advance. Package is good for one year from date of purchase.


Healthy Body and Mind Package
24 Massage Session ~ $1597 Limited Quantity Offer (Save $323)

Create your own preventative health care system with the Healthy Body and Mind Package. Twice a month, for twelve months, you receive the health benefits of massage. Maintain a healthy body and mind through massage which increases the circulatory and lymphatic systems and remove toxins from your body, in addition to diminishing the stresses from your mind. Massage has been proven to decrease your stress levels and prevent various sicknesses and with this twice a month package you will improve your health and assist your bodies’ natural abilities to heal its’ self.

Purchase this package between now and January 31, 2010. I am only offering a limited number of these packages. You will have an annual savings of $323 for the year. Plus you may exchange your pre-paid massage to a gift to give to family, friends or clients in your place. Appointments must be made seven days in advance. Package is good for one year from date of purchase.

 
Take the Knot’s Out Package
6 Massage Sessions ~ $419 (Save $61)

There is nothing quite like a massage to get those knots out. With this package you choose when you want to use your massages whether it’s once a week for six weeks or once a month for six months. Whether you’ve just been stressed out or spent the whole weekend playing golf and need to get the body back into a pain-free state. It’s up to you. This package is good for six months from date of purchase.


The Total “Ahhh” Package (Wine and Massage)
3 Massage Sessions with 3 bottles of wine ~  $279

For the wine fan, how much better could it be then to have a bottle of Silkwood Wine hand-delivered to you with each massage? With this package not only will you receive a most amazing massage, you get a hand-delivered bottle of Red Duet to enjoy a glass either before your massage or as a refreshing end to your relaxing session. Plus since I come to you, you will have no worries about drinking and driving as I’ll be the one driving away as you give a toast to the Heavenly feeling you will experience. Appointments must be made seven days in advance. Package must be used within six months of date of purchase.


Body Tune Up Package
3 Massage Sessions ~ $219 (Save $21)

Just like a car, your body needs to get its tune-ups too. This package is designed for you to get your once a month body tune-up. It’ll help you release those pent-up stresses and give you the time to relax the body and mind and feel renewed and refreshed. This package is good for three months from date of purchase.


For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Massage Just for the Wealthy?

Many people look at massage as a luxury, something to treat yourself with once a year for your birthday or anniversary, or even something that only the 'wealthy' do.  I've had many people ask, or even state and assume that my clients must only be wealthy clients.  Their expectation is that only the 'rich' can afford massage.  If that's the case, then why are their so many spas and massage therapists?  There can't be that many 'rich' people keeping these places in business can there?  Ya, I don't think so.

Massage is for most everyone including kids and animals (and yes I've massaged kids and animals).  It doesn't matter what your checking account balance is, it's a whole variety of people that get massages.  For my business I have the range of clients that yes others would consider wealthy.  I also have middle-income as well as the other end of the spectrum of clients that live solely on disability and social security income.  Would they be considered wealthy?  Not in a financial sense, no.  In a healthy, well-being sense?  Absolutely!  And that goes for all my clients, the amount of money they have doesn't factor into the massage I do.  I consider every client I have wealthy in who they are and the type of person they are.  There is a quote I heard a while ago that I think relates to this topic:  First Wealth is Health ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

Massage is something people do for themselves, it is an investment into their own health, something that you do for you to help keep your body and mind in check.  What one person may consider expensive another doesn't.  I may consider paying $60 or more for pants expensive while someone else freely spends their money on $100 pants.  Part of it really comes down to what you want to spend your money on.  Do you want to spend money on you?  Do you think you're worth the cost of massage?  Do you think you're health is worth it?  Well you should think you're worth it, because you are!  What I really think it comes down to is that we are taught not to ever be selfish and we consider massage a selfish act.  Again, it's not and your first wealth is your health and it's an investment into you!  So go ahead, make that investment!

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Chiropractic Care: Hand in Hand with Massage

I've been asked many times by clients my opinion on whether they should see a Chiropractor and what the benefits.  My opinion is that Chiropractic care goes hand in hand with massage.  Chiropractic and massage therapy used in combination, form a powerful healing approach that addresses your pain on many different levels. Whether your pain is the result of traumatic injury, overuse or stress, these two therapies can speed your return to a pain-free and productive life.

Back pain, neck pain and headaches are just a few of the painful and most commonly seen conditions that send most people to a chiropractor.  Misalignment's in your body, called subluxations, can pull on your muscles and disrupt the nerve transmissions, especially in the spine which houses nerves affecting the entire body.  The resulting pain can be at the site of the subluxations as well as places elsewhere in your body, which can also include numbness and tingling in various areas.  Many clients who I see at the chiropractic office I work in will complain of one area of pain and when I massage another area of their body are surprised to feel tension and soreness in other areas.  What they don't realize is when the body is out of alignment this pulls on many of the surrounding muscles as well as causing havoc in the nervous system creating the pain in the body.  Over time these tight, inflamed muscles and fascia (band of fibrous connective tissue enveloping, separating, or binding together muscles, organs, and other soft structures of the body) suffer poor circulation which prevent muscles from lengthening completely.  Sometimes these tight muscles can compress the nerves and cause severe pain.  Plus your tight muscles and shortened fascia can pull your joints right back out of alignment again and this puts you right back to where your started.  In pain!

In general, massage increases circulation to the whole body as well as to the areas of pain. This reduces painful swelling and inflammation and promotes healing by removing waste products and bringing nutrients to your tissues. Like a sponge absorbing water, both fascia and muscles begin to soften and lengthen.  Which in turn helps hold your adjustments in place, decreasing your pain and putting your body back towards a state of health.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Protect Yourself from the H1N1 Flu

Can you protect yourself from the H1N1 flu with massage?  Possibly.  Massage therapy has been proven to enhance your immune system.  Lymphocytes and natural killer cells (NK cells) are part of our innate immune system and reduce the amount of the stress hormones cortisol.  Cortisol has been shown to interfere with the production of NK cells which keep our immune system in check.  A healthy body produces the NK cells to respond and kill cells that are infected when we have a virus and boost your body to ward off illnesses.  Massage also increase the circulatory and lymphatic systems.  Both systems removes toxins.  The circulatory system is also responsible for bringing nutrients to the billions of cells in your body and the lymphatic system captures and destroys invading bacteria and viruses.

While massage therapy has not been specifically proven to fight the H1N1 flu, massage has been proven to decrease your stress levels as well as (again) increase your immune system.  I think we all know when our stress levels go up our immune system goes down.  So while massage may not directly protect you from the H1N1 flu, it will increase your immune system as well as increase your healthy killer cells and help protect you from sicknesses.  However, on the other end of the spectrum if you think you are sick with any type of flu, do not receive a massage.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Men's Wallets: Source of Your Hip Problem?

Most men stick their wallets in their back pockets.  They just put it back there and don't give it a second thought till then need to get something out of it.  Some of these wallets can be quite thick with credit cards, money, pictures, receipts and more.  I've seen some that are probably about 2 inches thick!  However, like the post I wrote about women and their purses, these wallets can cause problems to men without their even knowing what's going on.  And you men probably thought you were getting off easy since you don't carry a heavy purse around. :)

Let me use the example of the 2" thick wallet.  A man places this wallet in his back pocket.  Then he sits down, he gets in and out of his car, he sits back down at his desk and through out the day this process is done multiple, multiple times.  Each time you sit down you are sitting on this extra 2".  Now visualize how this displaces your hips...it will bring one hip up higher then the other every single time you sit down.  This obviously wrecks havoc on your body.  You may not feel it directly in your hip, it could be radiating up through your back without knowing a direct cause.  So now you know what might be causing you some pain.

For you men you have two easy solutions.  One being put your wallet in your front pocket.  The other being to make sure you take your wallet out of your back pocket each time you sit down.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Is Your Purse the Source of Your Pain?

I had a conversation recently with a client who realized how heavy her purse is and how much it is adding pain in her arm and shoulder.  It's a conversation I've had with many women, as well as men with their wallets.  So let me explain more in detail as this simple thing us females do everyday that gets so overlooked and could be the major source of your pain.

For many women, they carry large over-sized or overstuffed purses.  Most of them will carry this on one arm or shoulder without ever changing to the opposite side.  What seems to be an almost mindless daily activity can wreck havoc on your body without you knowing it.  If you think about it, a purse with all it's contents can weight as much as 25 lbs.  So everyday you are picking up a 25 lb weight with the same arm, same shoulder.  Then you might complain every day about that particular arm/shoulder and don't know what you are doing to make it hurt so much.  The thing is, it's we usually look for the *big* issues of what happened?  Did we fall? You can't remember what you did to cause this pain and it doesn't have to be a big thing such as a fall to have your body in pain.  Pain tells us something is wrong.

So a few solutions would be to make sure you switch your purse back and forth between the left and right sides.  Vary the sides every time you pick up your purse and switch back and forth when you are out for long periods of time.  Go through your purse and purge out contents that you really don't need...get rid of the excess weight.  Lastly, use a 'backpack' type purse, a purse that has straps to go over both shoulders for even disbursement.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Reflexology Basics

Reflexology is a method of massaging specific areas of the feet, hands and even ears to relieve nervous tension, promote healing and relieve stress in other parts of the body.  The understanding is that certain areas in these appendages corresponds to every part in the body.  What this means is that areas of the feet, hands and ears reflect other known areas of the rest of your body.  For instance the ends of your toes and fingers are a reflection of your brain and head, the low back is towards your heel.  And each side of the foot, hands and ears corresponds to that side of the body, i.e. right hand, right side.  Reflexology is a form of bodywork that can be very specific in having only the hands/feet (and sometimes ears) worked on and/or included in other various types of massage.

One of the nice things about reflexology is this is something that you can do yourself to help you have an immediate relief in whatever might ail you until you can see either your massage therapist or reflexologist.  The basics are pretty easy.  To stimulate healing in your body through your feet, hands and/or ears find the points that are sore or painful and put pressure there by massaging it.  You can use your hands for the feet and ears or use other things for your feet such as a ball or wooden foot roller.  Use for a few minutes every day.  There is a great interactive reflexology chart for your feet and hands at Dorling Kindersley books website.  Of course for the ears, check out the chart above.


For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Reduce Your Inflammation

Diet is the foundation to reducing inflammation in our body.  We know the things that are unhealthy and contribute to further our bodies aggravation.  Its a choice that we make.  Its just as easy to choose good as it is bad.  And yes, I agree the bad foods can taste oh so good.  Yet eating towards a healthy, anti-inflammatory lifestyle can prolong our life as well as live a life that is enjoyable and without disease.  Most inflammatory diseases build up over time and sometimes without symptoms, or we simply ignore the symptoms.  So before we find out that its too late and we have certain diseases, make better choices.  Its pretty simple, we need to eat less inflammatory foods for less inflammation.  Some of the anti-inflammatory foods are:

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Red and Sweet Potatoes
• Fresh Fish
• Grass-Fed Meat, Chicken and Eggs
• Nuts such as Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Pistachios, and Macadamia Nuts
• Spices such as Ginger, Garlic, Dill, Oregano, Red Chili Pepper, Basil and Rosemary
• Organic Butter, Coconut Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Water, Green Tea
• Red Wine and Stout Beer
  

Sometimes when faced with an 'overhaul' of the thought of a complete diet change can be overwhelming, so try a simple change.  If you're not ready to fully commit, try simple changes.  Change one or two food items a week such as instead of the Snickers bar, have a handful of walnuts or even a piece of dark chocolate for your 'fix.'  Then again do something different the next week and so on.  Then before you know it you have made the changes that you wanted.  Good luck!

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Did You Inflame Your Body Today?

We all seem to suffer from some type of degree of body inflammation issues.  Yet, did you know that certain foods can attribute to inflaming our body?  Some of the diseases and conditions associated with inflammation are : chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, fibromyalgia, sinusitis, allergies, asthma, hypertension, depression, and diabietes.  With everything we eat we can either increase or reduce inflammation.

Some foods we eat, we just know they are not good for us.  However, we probably don't think that they could be attributing the above conditions and that they can affect us that severely.  A few of the pro-inflammatory foods are:

• Soda and Sugar
• Dairy
• Partially Hydrogenated Oils (trans fats) such as deep fried foods and margarine
  
• Corn, Safflower, Sunflower, Peanut, and Soybean Oils
• White Bread, Pasta, Cereal, Pretzels and Crackers

We need to be careful about the things we eat and drink.  I know it's easy to grab the afternoon soda and pretzels.  Replace it with Green Tea (not loaded with sugar) and an apple.  They both have great 'pick-me up' nutrients to give you an afternoon boost.  Replace cow's milk with goats milk, soy milk, or almond milk.  All great alternatives, just a matter of changing your taste buds to help you in the long road to health.  Even a few simple and small changes in what you eat can make a difference to your body. 

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Post-Op Massage Rx

According to the Archives of Surgery, they have concluded that "Massage is an effective and safe adjuvant therapy for the relief of acute and postoperative pain in patients undergoing major operations."   The controlled study showed that patients in the massage group experienced a faster rate of decrease in pain intensity.  They also found that massage therapy improves postoperative anxiety and pain management.  After surgery a patients muscles become very tight and sore for a variety of reasons.  The main reason, of course, being the surgery itself.  Rather graphically, the body is cut into and things are spread out and moved in ways most of us don't want to think about.  This puts a lot of pressure on the whole body, not just the area that is having the surgery.  There is also the recovery of laying around being dormant in a hospital bed that can play havoc on your body.  The muscles can start becoming atrophied, even in small ways that will make you sore.

So the next time you know someone getting ready, or who has had recent surgery, consider getting them a massage instead of the get-well cards, balloons and flowers.  

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Relax, It's Just Another Day

Finding it hard to find a moment to relax in your daily life?  Our very fast paced lives seem to put us to where we go, go, go.  We get up, get the kids, drop them off at school, go to a meeting or two or three, return phone calls, emails, do reports, deadlines, deal with employees, more meetings, paperwork and the list goes on and on.  And every day you end up exhausted at the end of the evening.  Have you ever thought of taking a daily break during your day?  Most people would say no way to that question.  There's always too much to do.

Just like anything that you have scheduled through your day, you need to schedule a break.  Taking a break during your busy day can actually make you more productive. When we get overwhelmed and stressed with too much to do, we can actually become very counterproductive and do even less when trying to do more.  We can get unfocused and unproductive which puts us even further behind, which stresses us out more and the cycle continues.  So stop the cycle and take a break.  Even a five-minute break can decompress your mind and help you refocus.  Here's five easy break ideas:

1)  Talk a walk outside.  Step away from the desk/computer and enjoy the sunlight.

2)  Watch a meditation video.  Soothing Meditation by Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage
3)  Close your door and dance to your most favorite song and release that pent up energy.

4)  Do a few Yoga poses  OfficeBreakYoga.com
5)  Laugh!  Find something that makes you laugh outloud.  Evolution of Dance

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

What Size Are You? It doesn't matter!

We all have our own body issues, things that we don't like about ourselves that we see differently then everyone else sees.  And when it comes to massage and having to expose those areas that we don't like to our massage therapist can be very hard for some people.

As a massage therapist, I look at and treat the body differently then you do.  I do not notice that you might be overweight or that you have cellulite in various areas or that you think your legs or butt are to big.  All complaints I've heard from clients who don't like their various parts.  For me, I look at the body and how I can help heal it.  I really don't notice cellulite if I'm working on your legs, or if you have cankles, or if you think you're too thin or too heavy.  These are all things we criticize enough about ourselves.  My focus is your whole body!  What can I do to make you feel wonderful and comfortable and help you relieve any pains that you might be having!  Though this might sound a bit weird, I visualize the muscles under the skin and whether I can 'get rid of' the knots that you have or how your body is reacting to the massage and the pressure I am doing.  Again, I do not care what body issues you have or what size you are.  I care about you the person, your body and how I can help heal it and make you feel that your body is perfect just the way it is.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Natural Relief for Constipation

Getting our stomach massaged is not something we usually think of when we think of massage. Even for my own style of massage, I don't usually include the stomach unless asked. There are some clients who regularly want their abs massaged and some who have asked about it yet never want their stomach touched. Despite the lack of clients who do want abdominal massage, it can have a significant affect on your body. Abdominal massage does help increase bowel movements, especially when constipated, as well as helps decrease gastrointestinal symptoms.

With all the ads for laxatives, it seems we have a problem with this not so much talked about syndrome. Yet, obviously there are many people who have constipation. Constipation usually means you've been depriving your body of essential things such as water, fiber and adequate exercise. A long-term remedy to constipation can be as simple as a daily walk and a few dietary changes. However a short term remedy could be your own hands. You can self massage your stomach for a bit of relief (as well as asking your massage therapist to include your abdominals as part of your next massage).

To massage your stomach make sure to use some type of lotion or oil. Very little is needed. Lie on your back and use your palms or fingertips. Press in lightly and stroke down the left side of your abdomen towards the feet, continue around to the right side and stroke up towards you head. Basically you will start in a large clockwise circle and continue this path into smaller and smaller circles. Do this for about five to ten minutes. If you have an ulcer, hernia, or high blood pressure it is best to not do this.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Touch: Our Basic Need

I think we all know that we have five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, smell. Sometimes all these senses come into play for things such as eating. Sometimes we only use a few of these at a time like when we drive. We know that people can live their lives without sight, without sound, or a sense of smell. However, touch is a essential part of our human existence, our human need that we require to help sustain our lives.

Touch is a an often an unappreciated sense that can be excluded from our daily life. There is a quote I saw from Margaret Atwood's book The Blind Assassin: "Touch comes before sight, before speech. It's the first language and the last, and it always tells the truth." If you think about it touch is the first thing that happens when we are born and it's the first thing that new parents want to do: touch and hold their beautiful newborn. It has been proven that with premature and underweight babies that touch will help them grow and sustain life at alarming rates. And as parents, when our children are hurting through either physical or emotional pain, again what do we want to do? Touch and hold them and make it all go away.

Many people do go without touch on a daily basis which to me is a sad thing. I used to have a client that would get massaged just to be touched. For whatever reasons this need was not met in her life so she found the way to get it met. It really did sadden me that she didn't have this basic need met enough in her daily life. I know for me, I'm what would be called a touchy-feely person. Besides what I do for a living of massaging and touching people, I am always touching my friends when I talk or when I see or leave them through hugs and kisses. Personally this is my biggest sense that I like to have full-filled and that's probably why I am so touchy-feely. Touch evokes emotions. It evokes feelings and communication through pleasure, through pain, through sensuality. It is a basic form of human interaction no matter what race, nationality or language that you are. Touch brings us all together.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Will it Hurt?

There are the rumors I'm sure you've heard of people feeling sore, bruised or even hurt after a massage and you don't want to be one of those people. Can all of this happen with a massage? Yes, you can be bruised. Yes, you can be sore. Yet, no is the answer for most massages. There are many factors into answering that question.

Some styles of massage work deep into the muscles, sometimes stretching is involved and even body re-posturing which can make you hurt both during and after a massage. This is not to say one of those styles may not work for you and your body, they just work differently. Sometimes even a relaxing massage may make you sore. My last massage, which is usually not a deep tissue as it's not what I like, did hurt. However, I asked for it. I needed a certain area of my body to be worked on with deep pressure and it did hurt! Yet mostly this is not the style I choose for me. It's up to you what style you choose for you.

Can you bruise from a massage? Yes. Some people bruise easily, like myself. Some people may have bruises prior to a massage forgetting that it's there and blame it on the massage. Also, some bruises may be brought up to the skin surface from the massage and weren't noticeable prior. And yes, sometimes the therapists do go very deep and will bruise you whether a purposeful deep tissue or by not knowing what they are doing. If for any reason you are hurting and you know the massage isn't the style to hurt please, please speak up. Like any industry, there are those that do not know what they are doing and they can and will hurt you. They may have taken the classes yet they don't understand the body as well as the clues it will give you when you are hurting someone.

There is a key thing to do after a massage that can help avoid some of the after-pain and that is to drink water. Water will help flush out the toxins that have been pushed around from a massage. When the toxins haven't been flushed out they have a tendency to accumulate back throughout the body and you may experience soreness as well from not doing this simple thing. For some people they can get headaches after a massage. So please with any type of massage make sure you drink more then your normal daily amount of water to help flush out the toxins and the pains.

As you can see this is not a question that has a definitive yes or no answer. If you are worried about some of these issues, talk with your therapist. If they don't listen find someone who will. After all it is your body.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

What to Wear Or Not to Wear

What do I wear or not wear for my massage? Do I completely undress? A question that is asked over and over, especially for first-time massage clients. As the previous blog said most people are nervous the first time they receive a massage and this question is one of the many normal questions that you should ask or be told what to do by your therapist.

Usually the fear of vulnerability by being naked is the biggest factor to the question. For some it's even what will the therapist think if I do undress completely. Most people will undress completely. However, you do not have to! Understand that you will be covered by sheets in those uncomfortable to expose areas at all times. What I tell my first-time clients is that it is up to them whether or not they want to take their underwear off. If they do go completely nude, I tell them that I massage the hips and gluts (butt) as part of the massage. If for whatever reason(s) they are uncomfortable and do not want to be completely naked I avoid those areas as the butt and hips can be an area that they are not used to having someone touch. Everyone has their own comfort zones of what to wear or not wear and my main concern is for my client to be comfortable in their space. I have the whole range of clients from the people who undress in front of me to the underwear/boxer shorts that almost reach their knees. Again, your comfort level is the most important thing (along with communication to your therapist) and you make the decision of what to wear or not to wear. And if you do choose to not wear anything your therapist isn't going to think any differently of you. :)

I hope this has helped you make the decision to get a massage and get passed those fears, questions and concerns. Now the big thing is....when will you make your first appointment?

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Your First Time (At least for Massage)

Never had a massage before? Feel a little nervous? Should you do anything to prepare for a massage? What should you expect? These are a few of the common questions and/or fears for the first-time massage client. Most people are nervous the first time they get a massage. This is actually very normal even though it seems like a contradiction. There is the fear of the unknown as well as feeling vulnerable to putting your body and trust into someone you've never met before. Once you start getting massaged and feel comfortable with the massage therapist those fears usually subside and you will relax.

You will not really need to 'prepare' for a massage because your job will be to just lay there and let the therapist do all the work. Though you may want to drink a small bit of water and/or maybe take a shower prior. That's it. Simple. What you should expect is to get what you pay for. If you want a relaxing massage, you should be relaxed. If you need those knots and pains to be worked on or a sports massage then that's what you should expect. The main thing you will need to do is communicate prior to the massage of what you want as well as during the massage. If your therapist's pressure is too light or too deep for you, please speak up.

I hope this has helped you make the decision to get a massage and get passed those fears, questions and concerns. Now the big thing is....when will you make your first appointment?

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Complimentary verses Altenative

On my last post, there was comment made from John. I have tried various times to comment back yet for whatever reason it is not posting. So I thought I'd (finally) make a small blog to respond. John is right in regards to the terms of alternative verses complementary. Alternative is a term that is used as way to describe something that is not mainstream and alternate to 'standard' types of practice. I stand corrected in misuse of the word. The wording of complimentary is definitely the choice word to use, especially for the many modalities such as Reiki, acupuncture, yoga, and massage to be used in conjunction with 'standard' or Western types of health care. As the word states, it is a compliment to go with whatever types of health care that you choose to use. Thanks John for helping clarify that.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Myth of Cancer Massage

There is a myth out there that a person who has cancer should not be massage. And I said this is a myth. Many massage schools teach their students that massage promotes the spread of cancer by increasing circulation. This included the school that I attended just a few short seven years ago. This myth of course is carried over into the mainstream with doctors, patients and other health-care providers to believe this is true. If this were true then health-care providers would also discourage exercise and other activity for people with cancer as this increases circulation also.

Since my initial classes, I have found through medically funded research that this myth was based on old understandings of how cancer spreads. Thankfully, for cancer clients newer and new research has shown the benefits of massage. Per research done at the Sahlgrenska Academy at Goteborg University in Goteborg, Sweden, they showed that massage relieves nausea in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Many major hospitals have formed an Integrative or Alternative Medicine department such as Beaumont Hospital in Michigan.

Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy have strong effects on the body such as severe pain, nausea, fatigue and depression. Massage can help lessen those effects and give a client some much needed pain relief and anxiety relief. We all know how devastating chemotherapy is to the body as well as to the soul. If a client can gain benefits from massage such as pain relief, stress relief, lessened depression, as well as increase levels of dopamine, serotonin, natural killer cells and lymphocytes then that is an amazing thing. Plus massage is natural. And for many clients even just the simple act of touch is an uplifting thing.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Pillows for Great Body Health

Do you wake up day after day with aches and pains in your neck, back or shoulders? Have you ever considered the possibility that it could be your pillows causing this problem, or even the way your sleeping. Every day many people wake up feeling like this and don't understand why. There are ways you can help improve you bodies health during your sleeping time... use a good pillow that works for your body and your sleeping position. The spine has three natural curves to it. When you sleep you want to work with these natural curves, not against them. When you position your body against these curves that is when you get those morning aches and pains and kinks in your neck.

The best sleeping position for your body is the side. You want to use a pillow that supports your neck and head and does not position your neck towards either shoulder by being too high up or too low down. If the pillow has positioned your neck too close to either shoulder this will cause the kink or pain in your neck. Also another thing you can do for side sleeping is position a smaller pillow between your legs as this will help prevent your hips from twisting. The second best position for sleeping is your back. Again, the pillow for the back sleepers should keep your neck in-line with the spine and back and not push your head forwards towards your chest. So find a smaller pillow to support this style of sleeping then if you were the side sleeper. Another idea for back sleepers to help their bodies is to use a small towel under your hips to help the natural curve in your back, or a pillow under the knees to relieve the pressure in your lower back. The absolute worst position to sleep in is on your stomach. This position places too much pressure on your neck and the upper and lower back areas as it presses the neck into an unnatural position towards your back and undue pressure on the curve of the lower back. This can be a major cause of neck pain. So if you wake every day with these pains, maybe it's time to reposition your body and buy a new pillow.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Rockstar Seminar; Rocking Your Mind

I just spent the weekend at Craig Duswalt's Rockstar Marketing System for Success seminar. It was so packed full of information and guest speakers and ideas I'm on overload. I'm sure it'll take me a few days, or weeks, to digest it all. A brief thing on Craig, he is the former personal manager for Axl Rose of Gun's and Roses and prior to that he worked with Air Supply and Russell Hitchcock. Thus the Rockstar title. Craig's seminar's are very warm, inviting, fun and interactive and for this touchy-feely girl it's just the right way for me to learn. During the weekend I was fortunate enough to gain great exposure for my business. Craig offered a table to me and I did chair massage to the other attendees and made a few extra dollars. Yet, the bigger scheme of things was the people and connections I met which were mostly from my area too, that should become really great contacts and/or clients. As well as a few people from a different seminar. Plus I got to reconnect with some friends and acquaintances that just made the time there that much more fun! Some of the highlights from the seminar were:


• Craig himself. He is personable, fun, has great stories, smart, charming, approachable and just overall really glad he's decided to take this direction in his life for the rest of us to benefit from what he does! And the rockstar stories he can tell are great, which have surprisingly all been clean so far.

• Listening to Glenn Morshower of "24" and "Transformer" fame speak. I was lucky to spend some one-on-one time with him talking even more. He is a passionate, inspirational man and I loved his "whispers" and need to listen to those much more often. There is also the fun side of this man as he told us about syrup in his shoes, bologna in his underwear.

• Being inspired by the 80-yr-old woman who started her new Hypnotherapy career at age 57

• Knowing someone personally who's used Craig's book writing training and created an amazing product. Harriette Knight wrote the book Chakra Power and it is now available at Barnes and Noble. How cool is that?

• Being surrounded by wonderful women that I could learn from as well as bounce off my ideas, and issues that I face. Thank you Linda Fleischmann and Tera McHugh...you really made it that much better for me!

All in in all it was an incredible weekend and am so thankful and glad that I was able to be a part of it!


For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Simple Self-Massage

Ever have that nagging pain in your shoulder that you just can't quite reach? There is an easy way to do a bit of self-massage to get into some of those areas that you just can't quite reach. What you need is either a tennis ball cut in half or a kitchen towel with a knot in it. Once you have one of these items (1/2 the tennis ball), place it on the floor. You will need to do this on the floor instead of a couch or bed as that is too soft. Lay down slowly on the ball or towel. Do not rush this as it may place too much pressure as well as it will probably hurt. When you have laid down on the ball, slowly roll your body around it. This rolling gives your body the (self) massage. Do this for one to three minutes max. Any longer then that and it will counteract the pain and will make your knot even more sore. Slowly lift your body of the ball or towel and your done. That's it. Simple self massage. :)

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Chair Massage for your Company's Bottom Line

As stated in the previous post, 40% of job turnover is due to stress. These high turn-overs can continually cost your company money and lost time as spend time to search for a new employee in addition to the cost and time it takes to train this new person. Companies all over are looking for answers to reduce costly stress-related absenteeism, low morale, reduced productivity as well as the stated employee turnover. Supporting, encouraging and being proactive in your staffs' individual health is a wise investment in your company's bottom line. Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage encourages you to consider an easy, efficient, natural and cost-effective on-site chair massage program for your organization. I work to relieve the tension and pressure accumulated in the back, shoulders, wrists, and neck of your most valuable asset - your staff. Plus the results of chair massage are immediate. Take this into account:

• Chair massage increases staff loyalty, employee retention and increased productivity
• Massage reduces anxiety, stress, tension and muscle aches leaving the mind and body rejuvenated
• Chair massage can be scheduled for the same amount of time as an employee break
• A chair massage program shows the employer's proactive commitment to the health and well-being of their employees

Little space is required for chair massage and can be set up in an office, break room, or conference room. Chair massage is worked through the clothing utilizing a mixture of massage and acupressure techniques. With a chair massage program not only will your employees promote your company telling people about what a great perk they receive at such a terrific company, in addition your company's productivity and bottom will be improved as well.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Does Stress Cost Your Company Money?

Yes, stress does cost your company money and time and the numbers are really staggering. Per the American Institute of stress website, consider these statistics:

• 40% of job turnover is due to stress
• Repetitive musculoskeletal injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome have become the nations leading workplace health cost and account for almost a third of all Worker's Compensation award
• In California, the number of Workers Comp claims for mental stress increased almost 700% over eight years and 90% were successful with an average award of $15,000 compared to a national average of $3,420

Companies all over are looking for answers to reduce costly stress related absenteeism, low morale, reduced productivity and employee turnover. Supporting and encouraging individual health is a wise investment in your companies bottom line.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website

The Self-Indulgence of Massage

Do you feeling guilty about getting a massage? Does it seem self-indulgent and selfish? Massage actually has many important benefits to your physical and mental health. It can help you maintain your emotional, mental and physical well-being, especially when it is part of your health plan. It addresses a variety of health conditions, with stress-related tension being the most common. Massage therapy offers a natural, non-invasive, drug-free and humanistic approach based on the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Benefits of Massage

• Relaxing: Massage calms the nervous system and promotes a sense of peace.
• Soothing: Massage eases tension and anxiety.
• Healing: Massage stimulates the lymphatic system, which carries away the body’s waste products.
• Improves breathing: Massage calms the body as a whole, which in turn quiets the lungs into its more natural state of breathing.
• Improves circulation: Massage improves blood circulation which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells.
• Eases tension, stiffness and pain: Massage prevents and relieves muscle cramps and spasms.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website

Prescription for Stress Relief

We know how much stress affects our body and our health. Serious health issues including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and even certain cancers, according to doctors, have been linked to chronic stress. It can also contribute to difficulty sleeping, headaches, digestive problems and back pain.

When you receive a massage, it activates the nervous system and sends the mind and body into a state of rest and recovery, as well as giving you the much needed stress relief. And relieving your stress can and will be beneficial for your long-term health without the unhealthful side effects that modern medicine treatments can have. Maybe your next prescription should be a massage.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website

Are you Drinking Enough?

How do you know if you are drinking enough water? "A good test is to look at your urine," points out Cleveland Clinic nutritionist Andrea Dunn. "If it’s clear or pale yellow, you’re doing a good job of staying hydrated. But if it’s intense yellow or gold, you probably need to drink more water."

But not everyone likes water. Many people prefer soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, coffee and other drinks. All these drinks can help quench your body’s thirst for fluids, but they typically contain 100 calories or more per serving. "The best alternatives to water are diluted fruit juices, and non-fat or skim milk" explains Ms. Dunn. "But these drinks shouldn't supplant water. Take note of how much sugar is in these alternatives. Sugar slows down the rate at which fluid is absorbed into the body. If you have trouble drinking water because you don’t like the taste, try adding a twist of lemon or lime or a splash of fruit juice. And cold water tastes better."

Ms. Dunn notes that while bottled waters are very popular, tap water works just as well and is more economical. It's also safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water and requires that it be analyzed for chemicals and bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water, doesn't require that it be analyzed for these substances. In addition to water and other drinks, many foods are also good sources of water. Juicy fruits like oranges, grapefruit, grapes, watermelon and apples can help keep you healthy and hydrated. Carrots, tomatoes, tuna, yogurt, cottage cheese, soups, rice and pasta also contain plenty of water.

"The key is to think and drink small amounts," suggests Dunn. "The easiest way to stay hydrated is to drink a half-a-cup of water (four ounces) each hour you’re awake. When you get in the car, take along something to drink. When you sit down to watch TV, have something to drink. When you go to a meeting, take along something to drink." All the little sips will add up at the end of the day.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

Are you Dehydrated?

Is water really necessary? Almost everyone knows that you should drink eight glasses of water a day. Cleveland Clinic nutritionist Andrea Dunn says, "Absolutely. Almost every cell in your body needs water to function properly. Many of the patients I see don’t drink enough water. They aren't dehydrated, but they aren't drinking as much water as they should -- especially considering how much your body needs."

The human body, which is made up of between 55 and 75 percent water (lean people have more water in their bodies because muscle holds more water than fat), is in need of constant water replenishment. Consider this: Your lungs expel between two and four cups of water each day through normal breathing - even more on a cold day. If your feet sweat, there goes another cup of water. If you make half a dozen trips to the bathroom during the day, that's six cups of water. If you perspire, you expel about two cups of water (which doesn't include exercise-induced perspiration).

Ms. Dunn points out that a person would have to lose 10 percent of her body weight in fluids to be considered dehydrated, but as little as two percent can affect athletic performance, cause tiredness and dull critical thinking abilities. Adequate water consumption can help lessen the chance of kidney stones, keep joints lubricated, prevent and lessen the severity of colds and flu and help prevent constipation. "I encourage patients to drink eight to 10 cups of water each day. Those who do report that they generally feel better," notes Ms. Dunn.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

Shoulder Care Checklist (Part 4)

This is the final part of the four part series on the guide and care of your shoulders. I hope you have learned something great about taking care of your body!

The Shoulder Care Checklist
To prevent shoulder problems from occurring, always practice healthy shoulder habits with these helpful
ideas:

• Maintain good posture - stand with shoulders back and keep shoulders back when on the computer
• Avoid excessive and repetitive use of your shoulders
• If you sit at work, take frequent breaks and stretch
• Don’t put undue stress on the shoulders with heavy backpacks or purses
• Warm up your arms before exercising
• Consult your chiropractor, massage therapist or doctor if you injure or develop pain in your shoulder, even if it seems minor
• Do any maintenance exercises that is given to you
• Stretch shoulders frequently
• Strengthen shoulder muscles

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

Shoulder Issues...Massage will help! (Part 3)

This is part three of a four part series on the guide and care of your shoulders.


Massage Therapy Can Help
Massage therapists can help when shoulder problems occur. More importantly, they can help prevent these kinds of problems from happening in the first place. Massage therapists can evaluate your shoulder through range of motion tests and other assessment procedures. They can then give you recommendations on the best course of treatment.

Their first priority is to make you feel more comfortable by getting rid of your pain. They can do this with specialized massage techniques. They may also use heat or hydrotherapy. To help the process along and to help prevent further problems your massage therapist can also give you exercises to help strengthen your shoulder and help maintain your mobility as well as refer you to a chiropractor for further treatment as needed. And again as the previous post, do NOT ignore your shoulder pain! The pain does not 'go away' it's more that you just get used to the pain until it gets so bad that you finally decide to get treatment.


For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

Shoulder Issues and Problems (Part 2)

This is part two of a four part series on the guide and care of your shoulders.

Shoulder Problems
The shoulder is prone to a variety of problems that can give you pain and limit your range of motion. Many of these are simply caused by wear and tear. For example, a common injury is tendinitis of one of the rotator cuff muscles called the supraspinatus. Through poor posture or overuse, the tendon becomes inflamed and painful. When the bursa becomes inflamed you develop what is known as bursitis. This can be extremely painful.

Trigger points, small knots in the muscles, are very common around the shoulder and can refer pain and tenderness into the muscles or joints. The referred pain can mimic other shoulder problems like tendinitis and frozen shoulder. Other issues such as sprains and dislocations typically result from falls. It’s a natural reaction to reach your arm out to catch yourself when falling, but the impact can strain or tear the shoulder ligaments. If the impact is severe enough, the humerus may be knocked right out of the socket and the shoulder becomes dislocated.

With a severe trauma, the bones may actually fracture or break. The collarbone is most likely to break although the humerus can sometimes break as well. When this happens the arm needs to be immobilized. Fractures can take up to three months to heal.

Whenever you have a shoulder problem, you tend to limit your movement to minimize the pain. This can lead to frozen shoulder. Your shoulder becomes stiff and you quickly lose mobility. It can soon become extremely painful to lift your arm. If you develop a frozen shoulder, it will take a long time and lots of therapy to regain your normal movement. Sometimes the only option is surgery. The best medicine in this case is prevention. As soon as you develop any pain or discomfort in your shoulder, see your chiropractor or massage therapist as soon as possible for treatment. Pretending like it doesn't hurt that much, or that the pain will go away will not make the problem better. Actually, ignoring the pain will make the problem worse. Don’t risk getting a serious and debilitating shoulder condition.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

The Anatomy of the Shoulder (Part 1)

This is the first of a four part series on the guide and care of your shoulders.

Shoulder Guide
Your shoulders are incredibly flexible joints that allow your arms to move through a large range of motion. They are used in almost every activity and they take a lot of punishment on a daily basis. As a result, they are prone to a wide range of injuries. It’s important to take good care of your shoulders because even small problems can quickly become debilitating if not taken care of immediately.

The Anatomy Lesson
The shoulder is made up of three bones. The humerus is the big bone in your upper arm. The clavicle (collar bone) attaches to your rib cage at one end and helps keep your shoulder out to the side of your body. The scapula (shoulder blade) is the third bone. Part of the scapula, the acromion, juts out and forms a roof over the top of the joint. Another part of the scapula forms a socket into which the round head of the humerus fits.

The upper arm is held in its socket by loose ligaments and four small rotator cuff muscles that cover the joint like a sleeve. Other back, chest and upper arm muscles help support and move the shoulder.

There is also a fluid filled sac in the shoulder called a bursa. This bursa is like a cushion that helps prevent the tendons from rubbing against the bones.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

Stimulating Your Energy Through Breath

Recently I came across an article on Dr. Andrew Weil's website about breathing techniques. His article lists three different types of breathing exercises for either relaxing or energizing your body. I personally have tried various kinds of breathing for meditation, relaxation, or even to increase the oxygen in my body and energize my body in place of reaching for my favorite caffeine fix. Now don't get me wrong, if I can have a great cup of Newhall Coffee, I will. However like most people I do realize that most of the time I can't drink coffee late in the day or my already erratic sleep habits get even worse.

The main breathing exercise I want to write about is the Stimulating Breath. This technique is specifically aimed at raising your energy as well as your alertness and it really is very simple. If it is done correctly you should feel invigorated. I have done this in the past and will admit you look a little silly doing it, so it is not something you want to be walking your office halls trying to do. However, it does work. Here are his steps:

- Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise.

- Try for three in-and-out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellows. Breathe normally after each cycle.

- Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try. Each time you practice the Stimulating Breath, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute.

Soothing Meditation

I decided that I wanted to create a guided meditation and put it on YouTube and Facebook. This was just because it seems to go along with massage...quieting the mind. The idea was to take a few minutes during your busy day and refocus, relax and quite the mind. And then whenever you needed a quick break to de-stress you could watch it over and over.

I had the idea of how I wanted it the meditation to look and I had a simple program on my computer that I had never used before. Luckily, I'm pretty computer savvy and was able to figure out the program quickly, it just took some time to piece it together and to get the timing in shape. So after playing around with it and figuring out the pictures, the written content and the timing it's completed. I had fun creating it and will probably do more things in the future. Most of the pictures in the video are ones I took, with a few taken by a friend on a vacation we took to Turkey. I hope you enjoy it and please pass it on to all your friends. :)

No Arms, No Legs, No Worries Part 3

Last of the three part series. I hope you have enjoyed Nick's video's and have learned something as I just wanted to share. If anything it should remind us to keep moving and even though we may look different that we all still have a lot of the same 'issues' and how other people or even ourselves stop us from moving forward.

No Arms, No Legs, No Worries Part 2

As I posted in my last blog, I am going to post the three part series of Nick Vujicic and this is part two. I know this isn't quite the usual massage related article, yet I had to share something I thought was great. This part gets more serious. He talks a bit about his life and what he has overcome with so many people telling him that his life would be nothing. He doesn't hold back and tells it like it is. He talks about the things you don't have and how your mind stops ourselves and I know I can be guilty of that. However, I think he reminds us to live past our own self-imposed disabilities and you don't have to believe other peoples opinions. Again, I hope you enjoy and learn something.

No Arms, No Legs, No Worries

Today I came across a video of an amazing man named Nick Vujicic, a man born without arms and legs yet as he puts it also without limits. This first part of a three-part series is rather funny and I plan on sharing each series separately with little input from me on the blog. I think his video and his words can convey much more then I can.
As I said part one is rather humorous and I think the message is to not take ourselves so seriously and enjoy who and what we are. I hope you enjoy the video as I much as I have! Feel free to post any comments, too.

Employee Overtime = Employee Overstressed

In the June 2008 'Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine' (a publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine), a study concluded that employees who worked overtime were at an increased risk of anxiety and depression. This study on anxiety and depression was concluded on 1,350 employees who worked 41-100 hours per week and approximately 9,000 people who worked 40 hours or less per week.

For both men and women, working overtime was associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. The rate scores of these two types of mental distress for men was 9% who worked a normal work week compared to a 12.5% rate of depression for men working over 40 hours per week. For women this rate was 7% for a normal work week compared to 11% depression and anxiety rate for overtime hours. And men who worked more then 48 hours per week were at the highest risk, though even moderate overtime hours seem to increase the risk of mental distress for both men and women.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

Employee Work-Life Balance

According to the world's largest human-resource-management association, 14% of employers worldwide offered massage therapy to employees, per a study conducted in 2006. To quote "Massage therapy is a great health-maintenance tool that aids in stress reduction. This is especially beneficial for employees who work in a very stressful work environment." said a report done by The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). This information about massage ran in the reported section titled "Work-Life Balance Benefits", which also included other benefits such as postal and dry-cleaning services, meal preparation, legal assistance and travel planning services.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

Heart Health through Napping

Want to increase your lifespan? Want to do something good for your heart? Take a nap! Researchers found that midday napping reduced coronary mortality by about one-third, according to a study done in 2007. Naps are common in several Latin American countries as well as the Mediterranean regions and these countries seem to tend to have low mortality rates of coronary heart disease. 23,681 study participants were followed for an average of 6.3 years by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and Greece's University of Athens Medical School. These participants had no history of coronary heart disease, stroke or cancer. Participants took an average of a 30 minute nap, three times per week had a 37% lower coronary mortality rate than those not taking naps. A 12% reduction of coronary mortality was shown in occasional nappers. So go ahead, take a nap. Improve your heart, increase your life...get a quick snooze.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

De-Stress through Breathe

Every moment of the day we breathe without a thought to it even happening, mostly taking this life-sustaining process for granted. We breathe roughly 23,000 times a day and take in about 4,500 gallons of air - 25 times that amount when we exercise. That's a lot of air! There are three types of ways that we breath: nasal, chest and belly breathers. Nasal breathers breathe in through the nasal and do not use the diaphragm to breathe. Chest breathers breathe only into their chest using a slight portion of the diaphragm to breathe. And belly breathers breathe into their bellies and use the full diaphragm to breathe. The diaphragm is important in getting oxygen into your body to feed the whole body with this vital life-sustaining ingredient. Take a few breaths and figure out which one you are? The best type of breather is the belly breather as it allows you to have a balanced breathing rhythm at a slow, smooth pace and helps keep you calm and peaceful. Breathing can help you calm down after an emotional, stressful or traumatic event. Notice how your breathing changes during these times, especially in anger...the breathe gets very rapid. When you change your breathing rhythms and habits your state of mind and emotions can change and become stabilized. This allows a more relaxed and at-ease body and mind. An easy simple exercise you can do to help de-stress at any time of the day is to put your hand on your belly. Take a deep breathe in through your nose, making sure that the belly expands. Bring in all the oxygen you can and slowly exhale through the nose. This simple breathing technique can bring you into balance at any time.

Communicating with your Massage Therapist

We all know that communication is the key for everything. From communicating with your loved ones to communicating with people you may only encounter once in your life. Everyday we communicate, though some days may be better then others on our communication skills. Now I'm sure you're wondering what this has to do with massage. It actually has a lot to do with massage, actually more to do between you and the massage therapist then the actual massage. Just like any other area of your life, communication needs to be present between you and the therapist doing the bodywork. The first piece of communication would be relaying any pertinent information such as particular body parts that you might want more work on then others, any large bruises or sprains that we should be aware of, as well as any type of pain medications that you might be taking. In regards to the pain meds, the reason you would want to relay this information is because with certain strong pain meds such as doctor prescribed, they work so well that you may not feel how deep a massage you might be getting which would not be a benefit for you body and could be counterproductive. Another key time to communicate with your therapist is during the massage. This would be to let the massage therapist know if the pressure is too soft or too hard. Most of my clients are happy with my 'regular' pressure and style of massage. However, we are not all built the same. I have had clients that like a very soft massage as well as ones that have wanted the massage so deep that if it was me, I'd be screaming. Yet, this is what the client wants, not me. Mainly, if your not happy with the pressure, say something! When I massage a client I try to watch the body language to see if it's telling me if the pressure might be too hard. Most of the time the body will speak in ways that the client won't and I try to keep my eye out for it. However, if the body isn't giving me signs, I would not know. I try to always tell my clients to please let me know if the pressure is too hard or too soft. My philosophy is that they are paying me to make them feel wonderful and fantastic, not to feel all right and dissatisfied with there massage. Plus the fact that I just want them to feel wonderful and fantastic! So to reiterate all of this, please talk with your therapist about your massage. Let them know what pressure you like, whether it might be too hard or too soft. And if for some reason you are not feeling comfortable about communicating this during the massage, send them an email or maybe even a text to let them know. I know I won't please every single client, yet I would like to know what they did not like that I might be able to improve for the next time I massage them (hopefully there will be a next time) or for the next client.

Posture for your Health

Most of the time we go through our days not thinking about our posture in how we stand, walk or sit. I know I don't usually think about it and of all people I should be aware of my posture at all times. However, when I massage people I am fully aware of how my posture is and making sure I stand and lean in the ways that is best for my body and to make sure I can massage for a long time to come. Keeping good posture can make a considerable difference to the long term health of your spine, muscles and overall body health. Once degenerative changes have taken place it is very difficult and often impossible to restore the spine back to full health. Think about your posture on a daily basis and try to always make an effort to maintain good posture. After all it's for your health.

Some posture tips to keep in mind:

Keep the ears directly above your shoulders. When your ears are aligned over the shoulders your head is balanced above your body and causes minimal stress on your spine. If your head is forward it can put excessive stress on the joints in the lower neck which can lead to long term degenerative changes.

Keep shoulders back. Slouching draws the head forward and again can lead to increased stress on the lower neck.

The hips should be over the top of the ankles. The lower back is naturally the area of highest stress in the spine and most prone to problems. Poor posture increases the stress on this already vulnerable area.

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Maternity Massage

Maternity massage is a soothing, full body massage specifically for the soon-to-be mother. While a pregnant woman’s belly expands and her body changes, this massage aids in those discomforts that come with pregnancy. Your massage can be utilized on the special pregnancy ‘pillow’ that allow you and your belly to be in a face down position. Maternity Massage aims to relax, improve circulation and provide comfort during this time of change.


Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage

The Sound of Music

Music is played by most massage therapists during a session as it can help evoke relaxation. I personally bring my Ipod with over 150 massage 'style' songs. However, I have had clients that will turn on their own music and it has been anything from classic rock to country (though country is not a favorite of mine, it is a nice change of pace for me). We all know that music evokes emotions. Whether it's heavy metal that brings out our inner tyrant, the love songs that may evoke tears as the memories of loves gone bad flood our mind, or even the 70's, 80's, or 90's music that brings us back to our teen years of high school and the quick escape into that time period in our lives.

Listening to healing music can lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, relieve depression, enhance creativity as well as help manage pain. Studies have been done on the effects of music and your body and one study has shown that listening to music strongly effects healing, releases dopamine and simply put makes us happy. Funny how an official study gave us something I think most of us already knew. Researchers have also found emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on our cardiovascular system, causing blood vessels to dilate and increase blood flow. What a great effect on the physical body as the emotional body feels happy and relaxed. The right music can help create deep relaxation and induce peaceful sleep. Which makes it perfect to go hand in hand with massage.

Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage

Corporate Chair Massage

Chair massage is a way to receive a quick and easy massage. It is done in one of those funky looking things that you sit face forward in and get a 10 or 15 minute massage to your back and neck and can be done pretty much any where from grocery stores to malls to the office conference room. My Corporate Chair Massage description goes like this:

Create a Heavenly Healing retreat in the midst of your busy office environment. Studies have shown that the brain begins to recharge in just a few minutes. In 10, 15, or 20 minutes the brain and body can be re-energized to improve your employee’s moods and productivity. Corporate Chair Massage can be scheduled for weekly, bi-weekly or monthly visits to your place of business - visits guaranteed to keep your employees productive, energetic and feeling good about themselves and their careers. This in turn benefits your company to happy, productive employees.

Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage

Does Stress Have a Consequence?

Stress. A part of everyones' lives, whether it be a large part of your life or small part, we all have it. Experts estimate that 80-90% of disease is stress-related, and 40-80% of doctor visits are stress-related. So you can see that stress can and will have a negative effect on your body. Stress can bring on anxiety and anxiety attacks, high blood pressure, headaches and migraines, heart disease, depression, chronic fatigue, insomnia, ulcers, colds and other serious problems such as eating disorders, drug addiction and alcoholism.

How can massage help avoid some of these issues? First off, it's a natural treatment. Massage helps us remember to relax and bring about positive changes mentally and physically. It can help decrease anxiety attacks, headaches, migraines and improve your immune system and circulation. It can help you sleep better and relieving insomnia which just that in itself can be stressful for many people. It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle stressful situations.

Massage is medicine, it's a natural medicine. The 'father of medicine' Hippocrates, used massage techniques to treat many medical conditions. He stated that "anyone wishing to study medicine must master the art of massage." It's just too bad that his philosophy is not widely used. If we all received massage on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis our world would be a much happier place.

Massage is not just a Luxury!

Most people think massage is a luxury or pampering. They might think that it's something that only 'rich' people do or it's something to treat yourself to once a year or even less. Yet, most people are looking for ways to live a balanced life, to relax and reduce stress and that is exactly what a massage is about. Massage is a fantastic tool to include in your life to help you live in balance.

A massage is not about luxury... it's about re-charging your life, letting go, re-newing your body and mind into a peaceful place and learning how to take care of yourself. Massage is about your health: both your physical and your mental health. A massage doesn't just 'feel good' it helps your body recover from injuries, illnesses and of course stress. Massage has been proven by scientific research to be beneficial for many chronic conditions including:

• Low Back Pain
• Fatigue
• Headaches/Migraines
  
• High Blood Pressure
• Depression and Anxiety
  
• Strengthens the Immune System
• Relieve Stress

It also helps reduce recovery time for many medical conditions such as:

• Arthritis
  
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Asthma and Bronchitis
• Insomnia
• TMJ

When you think of massage in this way, it helps eliminate the thought that it's a luxury or a pampering moment. Now you can see that benefits of massage and the medical benefits that it can and will have for both your mind and body. Again, massage is a fantastic tool to include in your life to help you live in balance.

The Golfer's Massage

Have you not heard of a Golfer's Massage? Go to any golf resort and I'm sure you'll find it there. And since Santa Clarita Valley has so many courses and golfers, I am specializing in this great massage. And the best thing is you don't have to go anywhere... I come to you in your home or office.

This massage targets golf-specific muscle groups such as shoulders, elbows, lower back, hips, legs and the forearms. It incorporates both Swedish and deep tissue massage techniques in what can be a full-body massage or just those specific golf-tender areas. You will feel the tension and soreness dissipate. The Golfer’s Massage can be valuable to your body for either pre-game conditioning or to manage post-game soreness.

Could the Computer Be Hurting You?

In today's world we are hooked on computers, myself included. Most people spend their whole work day on the computer and then come home and play on it more for personal fun and social networking sites like on of my favorites, Facebook. The downfall of all this time on the computer is that we do not take the time to be aware of our posture using the computer, nor do we take a moment to step away and give our body and minds a much needed break, even if it is just for 5 minutes. With this, most of us find ourselves in a bit of pain from the all day use of the keyboard and the mouse. This pain could be in your upper shoulders, your forearms, wrists and for some in the fingers (ever feel that numbing sensation?). Sometimes these muscle issues start showing up right away. Sometimes they may not be for years.


I'm sure if you take a good look at your computer set-up and your posture, you'll quickly realize that things are not ergonomically correct. Yet there are some ways to help yourself have better posture and be more ergonomically correct. These simple measures can help deter you from compromising your body.


1) Receive regular massages :)

2) Acquire ergonomically correct products to support your wrists, arms, lower back and even for your legs.

3) Take breaks away from the computer. Even a quick 1 to 2 minute walk down the hall will refresh your body, get the blood flowing and even refresh your mind.

4) Bring the mouse and keyboard closer to your body so that your not reaching for either.

5) Take a few moments to stretch. Here are a few suggestions:
a) Doorway Stretch: Place your forearm against the frame of a doorway with elbow up. Step forward with the same leg that matches the forearm and lunge. Hold and gently come back. Switch sides.

b) Deltoid Stretch: Pull the right arm across the front of the body using the left arm. Make sure you stretched arm has the thumb facing down. Hold and then switch arms.

c) Tricep and Lat Stretch: Point your right elbow toward the ceiling, then lean the upper torso to the left. You may grab the elbow with the left hand for a further stretch. Hold and switch arms.

d) Wrist Stretch: Hold arm straight out with hand upside down. Gently pull down on the fingers to stretch. Switch hands.


I'm sure one of your first thoughts is how could I fit this into my day? Or I can't do these, what if the boss sees me and thinks I'm being unproductive? Please realize that these simple things don't take up much time and will help you be more productive. If your body is not in pain you will not be spending the time complaining about it, you will get more done and you'll feel better. In the end it is your body and you only have one chance to take care of it.

The Heavenly Healing Massage

Wondering what a Heavenly Healing Massage is like? Well now you can find out.

Indulge your senses with the Heavenly Healing Massage. This full-body style of massage blends long, sweeping strokes mixed with deeper strokes into the aching muscles of the body that my intuition guides me to help release the pain and stress. This exceptional style is adapted to your particular body needs and your choice of pressure. Let your mind, body and spirit escape reality with the fantastic Heavenly Healing Massage!

Another benefit of Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage is that I come to you in your home or office. I bring everything that is needed for your massage: massage table, sheets, lotions and even music to help you unwind, all in the comforts of your own home. This convenience means that you do not have to have any worries about driving, or your next errand, or whatever other mind-chatter you have going on. You just get to slow down and breathe and maybe even enjoy a glass of your favorite wine after your massage.

Water: The Elixir of Life

Water is used throughout the world for its physical and spiritual healing properties both inside and outside the body. So many of us know how good it feels to take a warm bath or hot shower after the end of a long day. Or if we've been in the heat for a long time, how wonderful that glass of water tastes. Water is used in religious ceremonies. And there are even massages that are performed in water. It is the elixir of life.

The organs associated with water are the kidneys and bladder. Yet water affects our whole body. The amount of water a person should drink varies according to size, physical activity and other factors. Not getting enough water can develop into bladder and kidney disorders, due to problems associated with dehydration. Waiting to drink until the sensation of thirst appears is not a good indication of proper hydration. Thirst is actually a symptom of mild dehydration. People who are well hydrated are rarely thirsty and have urine that is colorless or only slightly yellow.

Water can be as healing when used on the outside of the body as it is when taken internally. Water is still among the most-popular mediums for promoting overall health and healing. When used on the outside of the body, water has an analgesic effect, creating a sense of relaxation and well-being. Water temperatures higher then normal body temperature can help manipulate blood flow and shift fluids from one part of the body to another. Water in the form of ice or heat is used by every major healing modality to ease stiff, tense muscles and promote healing from all types of injuries.

There are many ways that you can increase your fluid intake. You can start by drinking water with at least least one meal per day and increase to each meal. You can add a lemon, lime, or cucumber slice to your water to give it a bit of flavor. If you carry a bottle of water with you you're more likely to drink more water and not grab a soda. Cut back or cut-out on carbonated beverages such as soda as this may cause bloating or a feeling of fullness and prevent adequate consumption of fluids. Avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages as they can help dehydrate the body. And lastly, eat water-rich fruits and vegetables.

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