12.21.2010

Ear Poking and Butt Slapping, Oh My! (Part 2)

(This is Part 2 of my personal and crazy experience of receiving a massage at one of the so, so many cheap foot reflexology businesses)

My fear at first was that this place might not be quite legitimate in actually doing massages and when I first walked in I thought oh no it’s not! There was a man sitting there shirtless and I couldn’t see below his waist at first and I thought my friend is going to kill me for taking her here and also so glad I’m not alone walking into this. Well, I quickly realized after a more steps inside that he was only shirtless.  Thank goodness. So there was the beginning of the weirdness for the next hour of our lives. Unlike a regular massage, you start off by sitting straight up on the ottoman while they massage your neck, back and shoulders. And, yes we are fully dressed. However, they do work under your clothes at times which really did make me feel uncomfortable. When I normally get a massage I am completely undressed and (usually) am very okay and comfortable with the nakedness aspect of massage. Yet, when this man would move my bra straps up and down my arm and shoulder to work around them that’s when I felt uncomfortable. I will preface to say that during the time of the massage with bra moving and the butt slapping I wouldn’t’ say anything ever felt like he crossed a line and it was sexual. So anyways, it was a little strange and I just tried to think everyone works differently and I’ll just let it go of my not so comfortable level with this.  After all, for me this really is research. I did really go in with an open mind with the thought to see what they are doing differently then me and what I might be able to learn from them. I learned laughter is a good thing!

For the most part, the massage on the shoulders felt good. Overall, my guy did have good pressure during the most of the massage. But some of the odd things he did were when he pulled both my arms straight up in a stretch and then started slapping the triceps, not consistently, just a slap here and there. So after the shoulders, slash arm slaps, you lay down on the over sized chair on your back. I forgot to mention that my feet had been soaking in a warm water tub. So then they massage your feet and I thought oh this should be good, after all it is a foot reflexology business. Ya, well he probably spent only 2-3 minutes on my feet with a majority of that time rubbing (and I mean rubbing) just the tip of my big toe. I guess I thought it would be more massaged instead of just rubbed. I did hear my friend say that it was a little too hard on her feet (and she loves her feet massaged). During her whole massage, her guy did not have good pressure, his was mostly painful as I heard her tell him over and over it was too hard. Then simply they work their way up the legs, arms and then face and head. In between the massage part is when they do what is called percussion. I would gather most massage therapists know how to do it, some may use it. Personally, it is something I find rather annoying. And for this massage it was definitely annoying, especially when it just felt like he was slapping my body around. Another one of the other weird things he did was when he massaged my fingers and toes are he popped his fingers off of mine. I don’t mean he popped my fingers, I mean he squeezed the tips of my fingers and somehow made a popping (snapping?) sound with his fingers and it just plain hurt. Again, during the massage I would hear my friend either laugh or tell the guy he was hurting her. Part of her laughter I'm sure was just due to the nervous uncomfortableness she felt. As her guy would slap her around he would giggle. As she said, “he kept giggling at my ass shaking so much”.  Ya, hearing your 'massage therapist' laugh for no apparent reason as you are receiving a massage can make you become really self-conscious!

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

12.15.2010

Ear Poking & Butt Slapping, Oh My! (Part 1)

Recently I decided to get a massage at a competitors place, one of those really cheap $19 “foot reflexology” hole in the wall places. I have seen quite a few people on Facebook post that they are going there and thought it was time to check them out and find out why. I knew it would be a different then my normal full body massage, but didn’t expect it to be so different. It was the craziest massage I’ve ever had and this is my experience with them as well as a bit of inserts of my massage therapist friend who went with me and her experiences. I will say I laughed a lot during the massage at some of the absurdities that happened as well as my friend having to tell the non-English guy speaking over and over that he was hurting her. Again the craziest massage and as I posted on Facebook after the fact: “I have never had my ass slapped so much during a massage!”

Though part of this place’s business name is “Foot Reflexology” it really is anything but that. The premise of these places is that you receive a full-body massage fully clothed, even though they are called foot reflexology. I don’t understand why, I walked into a multi-purpose room that has about 16 chairs and ottomans that everyone is in, not like a spa with a private room. These are not the funky massage chairs you usually sit face forward in, rather more like over-sized lazy boy chairs that can lay completely flat and actually are comfortable. It was similar to walking into a Mani-Pedi business with large chairs and everyone is out in the open.



For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

12.06.2010

Holiday Massage Gift Certificate - Santa Clarita Valley

Every one is always looking for that 'perfect' gift to give.  Massage therapy can be the perfect gift.  You give the gift of relaxation, the gift of health and health care, the gift of de-stressing as well as giving someone some precious time for themselves.  Plus you can save time by just picking up the phone and ordering your custom made candle gift certificates now!



For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, 'Like' my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter.

7.14.2010

Get Natural Pain Relief for Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

Though most of know that massage helps with many, many ailments, new research shows that massage reduces pain related to hand arthritis and osteoarthritis of the knee.  According to a study published by researchers from the Mayo Clinic, "Massage, done properly, the method can relax your muscles, help you let go of tensions and provide some arthritis pain relief."  So go the natural way and book your massage appointment now!

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

6.17.2010

8 Risk Factors of Low Back Pain

Low back pain is an extremely common problem suffered by 70% of people at some point in time. This common problem can be extremely debilitating and is the second most common reason to seek medical attention. Although low back pain can strike anyone at any time, there are some things that increase your risk of developing the condition. Risk factors include:

~ Being overweight
~ Poor body posture
~ Occupations with lots of lifting or prolonged sitting
~ Smoking
~ Increased age
~ Poor fitness
~ History of low back pain
~ Pregnancy


For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

6.11.2010

Could Your Posture Help You Relax?

Did you know that better posture can help you relax? According to two University of Wisconsin-Stout psychology students, they have found evidence that this is true. The students conducted a research project and found that "anxiety levels dropped 10-15 points after a massage." Well, duh, lol. But the cooler thing is the test subjects got taller. According to the survey, "the subjects stood from about four-tenths to half-inch taller after each treatment." Of course there has been a lot of studies that massage reduces anxiety, but none that connected posture with the reduced anxiety. For the full article, please read it at https://www2.uwstout.edu/news/index.asp?event=news.get&ID=2007
For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

6.09.2010

Complimentary Therapies Are on the Rise

Back pain is common in the U.S., affecting 8 out of 10 people at some point in their lives, according to Medline Plus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, with research proving that massage therapy has been shown to improve back pain. In new research, investigators from the Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School Osher Research Center set out to examine the associations between the perceived helpfulness of various complementary and alternative therapies (CAM), of which massage is one, for back pain. Other CAM therapies include chiropractic, herbs, tai chi, yoga and meditation. The investigators used data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, according to a press release published on www.pubmed.gov. Among the results:

• Approximately 6 percent of the U.S. population used CAM to treat their back pain in 2002. Sixty percent of respondents who used CAM for back pain perceived a "great deal" of benefit.

• The factor associated with perceived benefit from CAM modalities was reporting that a reason for using CAM was that "conventional medical treatment would not help."

• The two factors associated with less perceived benefit from CAM modalities were fair-to-poor self-reported health status and referral by a conventional medical practitioner for CAM. "The majority of respondents who used CAM for back pain perceived benefit," the investigators noted. "Specific factors and therapies associated with perceived benefit warrant further investigation." The article ran in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

6.02.2010

Natural Relief for Headaches

Many structures in and around the head are capable of producing headaches.  Headaches are a very common problem and are experienced by nine out of ten people.  Headaches are categorized into many different types such as migraines, stress, tension and cluster, which are based primarily on the symptoms they produce.  Because many headaches are caused by tension and dysfunction of the muscles and joints around the head, massage is an effective source of relief for many headache sufferers. They are also one of the many reasons people seek out regular massage.  Massage treatment of headaches uses gentle and natural methods as opposed to medication. 

A few ways to prevent headaches are:
   -   Drink water regularly as dehydration can cause headaches.
   -   Avoid foods that may trigger headaches such as caffeine, alcohol or chocolate and/or your own food allergies that you know can cause your headaches.
   -   Maintain good posture while sitting, standing and even sleeping.
   -   Avoid prolonged postures by taking a break or stretching.
   -   Exercise regularly to reduce stress and maintain overall wellness.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

5.28.2010

How to Get Pain Free in Half the Time

You have pain, do you wait and see if it gets better on it's own?  The simple answer is no!  Although pain may subside without any type of treatment, that does not mean that the damaged tissues has returned to optimum health.  If left untreated damaged tissues remain in a weakened state which leaves it vulnerable to re-injury and degeneration.  Don't wait weeks or months hoping that the pain will just magically go away cause it doesn't.  The secret to pain relief is nipping it in the bud when you have the pain, to take care of it right away because the actuality is that your problems will fester and become potentially more and more serious until you are in severe pain.  Or until you re-injure the affected area and don't understand why it is so much worse.  When you wait, the problems will take that much longer for you to heal.  Massage is there to help you relieve the pain as well as to help you heal your body to optimum health.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

5.25.2010

The Secret to Preemies Gaining Weight

I write a lot about touch and how effective this simple thing can be to all of us. Research has shown that babies born prematurely will grow and gain weight at faster rates while being touched and held then premature babies who are not touched and held. According to Massage Magazine, "New research shows tactile and kinesthetic stimulation contributes toward adjustment and self-regulation of behavior among preemies." Even now research is being done on what I think is a "given" that we all need to be touched by massage.
For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

5.13.2010

Loving Touch is the Key to a Great Massage Therapist

There are many things that play into becoming a massage therapist. Of course, there is the attendance of a massage school. At school the therapist will learn about the anatomy of the body and massage techniques. We learn about the muscles, the skeletal system, the nervous system as well as all the other bodily systems. Depending on the school, a therapist might learn other things such as aromatherapy or different types of massages such as hot stone or pregnancy. However the main thing that not one school can teach is touch, especially a giving and loving touch. Now granted the training does help, yet training can not help give a true therapist the skill of touch and connecting with their clients. What makes one therapist better then another is that desire to help people, that love of what they do as well as knowing they are great at being a massage therapist. Overall, the loving intent and touch is what will make one therapist great over another therapist who just wants to get through their workday.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

5.11.2010

Take A Moment and Breathe

Last year I made a meditation video.  It was quite an experience putting something together that I'd never done before.  It was both fun and a little frustrating.  However, when I was done with my little project, I was proud of myself for learning a new program as well as making my idea into reality.  I really like it, mainly because I created it. :)  I posted it on YouTube.com and my old blog back then and I was just thinking about it again and thought I'd re-post it remind everyone to take a moment and breathe.  Let me know what you think?  Enjoy!!



For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

4.28.2010

How to Drink More Water Daily

Most of us have been told to drink extra water after a massage to help flush out the toxins that have been moved around. Plus we know that we should drink the recommended eight glasses of water per day. Well, you can get your water in more ways then one. Besides just drinking straight plain water you can add lemon, lime or even cucumber slices to add a bit of flavor to it. Another way to get water in is tea. The bonus with most teas such as green tea, is you will get the extra health benefits of antioxidants. Experts believe flavonoids (antioxidants that prevent cell damage) are the key ingredient responsible for tea's link to good health. Tea can also protect you from certain cancers or heart disease. So, try a new added flavor to your water or a new 'exotic' tea. 

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

4.27.2010

Use Essential Oils for Your Health

Essential oils actually have many purposes besides just smelling good. An example is Tea Tree oil, promoted heavily by Dr. Oz, it can be used for so many things from cold sores, acne, and dandruff to minor cuts and burns. Essential oils may also be used as an alternative to antibiotics, which is both a cheaper and healthier alternative. Per Massagemag.com they could also be used to combat drug-resistant hospital superbugs according to research presented in Scotland recently, even though essential oils have been used for hundreds of years.  According to the article "Use Essential Oils to Fight Superbugs,"  "the essential oils of thyme and cinnamon were found to be particularly efficient antibacterial agents against a range of Staphylococcus species. Strains of these bacteria are common inhabitants of the skin and some may cause infection in immunocompromised individuals. Drug-resistant strains, such as meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA) are extremely difficult to treat."  Makes you want to go out and purchase some essential oils, huh?

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.



4.21.2010

Epsom Salts For Health?

Espom Bath

Epsom salts for health? Who knew.  I came a cross across this article, Health Benefits of Epsom Salts, by Melissa Breyer, I was surprised.  I never thought of Epsom thoughts to be used for health purposes.  I only remember it being used to help various types of itching, lol.  Yet according to the this article it has many health benefits.  Of course some relate to massage such as easing muscle pain.  It also gives the correlation between magnesium and calcium and how calcium functions best when enough magnesium is present.  It's a good, informative and educational read.  Now go take an Epsom bath. :)

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

4.20.2010

What is Reiki?

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is a type of energy bodywork that relies on the ancient belief in the unseen life force energy, referred to as Chi, that flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. This life force, Chi, runs throughout pathways in the body called meridians, nourishing organs and cells and supporting vital functions. When this life force energy is disrupted by negative thoughts, feelings or actions, illness and disease result. A Reiki practitioner's hands hover just above a person's body usually never touching the body but sensing the ill affected areas and infusing them with positive flow. This raises the energetic vibration and breaks up the negative energy to help heal, clear and restore the bodies natural flow of its' life force.
The Reiki practitioner places their hands on or just above the client's body and uses a passive touch that some clients experience with warmth or tingling. Thought to be Tibetan Buddhist in origin, the practice of Reiki is comprised of three levels of training. Through this training the practitioner learns how to access energy flow through the hands to heal. Completion of the third and highest level of training results in the title of Reiki Master. Reiki is used to accelerate healing, assist the body in cleansing toxins, balance the flow of subtle energy by releasing blockages and help the client contact the healer within.  According to www.reiki.org, Reiki is beginning to gain acceptance as a meaningful and cost-effective way to improve patient care in hospitals and clinics across America. In an interview on the website, Dr. David Guillion, an oncologist at Marin General Hospital in California, says, "I feel we need to do whatever is in our power to help the patient. We provide state of the art medicine in our office, but healing is a multidimensional process. I endorse the idea that there is a potential healing that can take place utilizing energy." As a complimentary healing, I'm very happy to see things like this being said from a conventional doctor!
I personally have had many different types of energy work and energy healing done and it's a great additional tool to one's health care. I have also been fortunate enough to be able to do energy work on my son and various clients. It's an amazing and cool healing whether you are receiving or giving the energy healing. And it is truly a type of healing. If you have any questions or are looking for an energy healer I may be able to help you, just contact me and let me know.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

4.16.2010

Are You Getting What You Paid For?

Alice In Wonderland White Rabbit

When I went to school for massage, they taught a 50-minute routine massage.  Why?  Because this is what spa's do.  Though most spas advertise a 60 minute or 1 hour massage, it really isn't.  It is usually a 45-50 minute massage that you will receive.  Did you even know this?  Would this be considered false advertising?  You think you're are getting a full 60 minutes cause this is what you paid for and it is what you are thinking you are getting when you are not.  Wonder why?  This is because most spas book their therapists back-to-back-to back.  And most of these therapists are doing 5,6,7, 8 massages in a row in one day! (that's a whole other blog)

When I first started doing massage, I worked at a variety of spa's in town.  Out of the places I worked at, all but one would book a massage every hour on the top of the hour.  So I had one hour to greet a client, have them get undressed and on the table, massage them, get them off the table, take the dirty sheets off, put clean sheets on and then off to do it again and again.  Plus if I was doing a hot stone, mud wrap or Vichy shower treatment that was even more cleanup, yet not more time.  If a client was late, they would get an even shorter massage!  Not quite right, is it?  The one spa that I worked at that did not book back-to-back, had a minimum of 20 minutes in-between massages.  That time made a big difference in clean-up, as well as my own sanity of not feeling so rushed.

One of the differences I have with my business compared to spas is that your massage is the full time schedule. If you book an hour you get minimum of 60 minutes and with an an hour and half it's a full 90 minutes.  With both of these time frames you usually end up getting even a bit more then that.  The time I spend on your body is not taken away because I have to set up my table and take it down.  I schedule my appointments so that I have the full time with you and plenty of time to setup everything and get to my next appointment.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, become a fan on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

4.15.2010

Super Strange Spa Treatments

I"m not sure why, yet I keep coming across sites with odd or very expensive styles of massages.  One site I just saw has a diamond massage where you are massage with diamonds just as you would hot stones.  Interesting one except my first thought was "diamonds supposedly cut glass, how much would they be cutting the skin?"  Plus, I wanted to know how much they were charging for that? Couldn't find a cost on it though.  Anyways, here's a link to a site with ten super strange massages ranging from caviar, to gold to Hershey's chocolate and even to snakes (yes so many jokes to be made about the snakes).

Super Strange Spa Treatments
Care2.com


For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily. Become a fan on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

4.14.2010

To Ice or Not to Ice? That is the Question

When I was in high school, the school's athletic trainer's famous words were "Ice it."  Not matter what they injury was, he just always told everyone to ice it.  It actually became a standing joke.  Fast forward 25+ years (damn!) and things have changed and more has been learned.  Here is a great article on when to ice, how to ice and how long to ice an injury.  Did you know you can get frostbite from icing an injury?  Read and learn :)

Chiropractic Sports Injury Clinic - How Long Should You Ice?
Dr. Ron Spallone, D.C.


For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, become a fan on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

4.06.2010

Work the Pecs

One of the many areas of pain in people is the pectoral muscle (the pecs).  Many people spend their day in front of the computer hunched over, which causes the muscles to tighten and shorten.  I came across this video by Jeff Bomberger of Bomberger PT on corrective exercises to help with these issues and help you keep these muscles in the shape they should be :)

"Workout Face Pull Today's Wake Up Workout featured a great rehab/corrective exervise and an alternate variation to fix postural deviations that occur from sitting down and hovering over a desk. Front deltoid and pectoral muscles tighten and shorten while the trapezius muscle, rear delts and upper back muscles elongate and become weakened when our body is hunched over for long periods of time. Here's how you can fix this issue!"


For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily. Become a fan on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

4.02.2010

Can Asthma Be Caused By Stress During Pregnancy?

Recently the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases conducted research on whether stress levels might have an impact on their children having asthma. Quite an interesting concept. Could stress lower the immune system so much to cause possible life-long issues in their children? Hmmm, maybe. I do know that stress causes so many health issues that can range from a simple cold to high blood pressure to life-threatening heart attacks. Could the possibility be that a stressed and pregnant woman bring that stress and health issues to their unborn baby. Time will tell as they follow the children and get more and more information.  For the complete article on this http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=8845

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily. Become a fan on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

3.29.2010

Muscle Fatigue: Finally An Answer

I just came across an article that was written over two years ago. It goes into detail and answers the questioning of why muscles get tired. Due to my interest in the human body and how it works, I found it quite interesting. For many athletes, I'm sure you will find it interesting. Though the article goes into a bit of a drug they are working on to help muscle fatigue in regards to heart patients and how it may or may not help them, I do hope that this drug they are researching is used only for good (ha) and doesn't become another 'steroid' product for serious athletes. Either way, now you will now why you're muscles fatigue and not for the reasons that we all had previously thought.

Written by: Gina Kolata

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