Is Massage Part of Your Fitness and Health Goals?

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website. Learn something new daily, "Like" Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage on Facebook.

Is massage part of your fitness and health goals?  Massage is well-known to relieve every day stress, yet have you considered implementing it in your other health and fitness goals?   With the new year gaining quickly, everyone re-evaluates their fitness goals and massage can work hand-in-hand with those goals from relieving the pain of overworked and sore muscles, joints and tendons to helping elevate your immunity to keep the usual cold weather sicknesses at bay.

Scientific studies have shown that massage:

• REDUCES INFLAMMATION:  a study published in the Science Translational Medicine found that massage eases sore muscles after a tough workout.  Just 10 minutes can reduce inflammation which helps your body recover.

• REDUCES PAIN: Eight out of 10 people will experience debilitating back pain according to Time.  According to a low back pain study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, after receive one massage a week for 10 weeks, 1 out of 3 patients improved and were pain free, compared to 1 in 25 given the "usual care".

• BOOSTS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM:  Multiple studies have linked the stress-busting massage to better functioning of the immune system.  In one 2010 study, researchers found massage increased a person's disease-fighting white blood cells.

Is Massage Is Important To You?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage

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.