 What’s the best investment you can make in your health this month (or week)? Therapeutic Massage with Braille Bodywork! It’s PROVEN to ease back pain, improve sleep, boost your immune system, reduce headaches and much more! Schedule Today, you’ll be glad you did.
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 We usually don’t think about our feet. Until they hurt. We tend to take them for granted, but like other parts of our body they can get tired, overused, sore, and in need of some attention. When they start to hurt it can lead to many other problems. When your feet hurt you don’t want to do much of anything. You just want to stay off of them. Your body likes to move, though. And your brain functions better when you are active. So foot pain can quickly lead to other issues. Foot pain can cause of other pain in your body. If your foot hurts, you change the way you stand, walk, and move. Those changes affect your legs. When your legs hurt, you make more changes in what you do, which affects your hips, then your back, then your neck. Some jobs involve being on your feet most of the day. Often it is on hard floors or rough terrain. You may have a long walk from the parking lot to your job. At home we walk around to take care of our place, our family, and our belongings. We shop, stand chatting with a friend, stand in lines, and walk around doing errands. We cook, do laundry, clean and put things away. You may make multiple trips up and down stairs every day. Yard work and home maintenance keeps us on our feet as well. You may kick things out of the way or stomp your feet to let out some frustration. You may do extra walking for exercise or from an inconvenience, or run to make it somewhere on time. If you enjoy sports you use your feet to run, jump, and kick. Your feet take a real pounding since they support all your body weight along with the extra force from the exertion. For exercise or fun activities you use your feet for yoga and fitness classes, hiking, climbing, kickboxing, and dance - and hauling all of your equipment around.. Your feet have things dropped on them and they get stepped on. You step on unexpected things such as rocks, tools, or toys (Legos!). All of your leg joints are all affected by your feet. Joints are under pressure from muscles and bones pulling and twisting on them. Relieving foot pain allows your muscles and joints to be in their proper positions and with less pressure on them you feel better. We squeeze our feet into uncomfortable shoes or boots. Sometimes it may be for the sake of fashion, such as high heels. Other times work footwear is uncomfortable. Sandals may be more comfortable but they may not provide the support your feet need. Massage provides relief from Plantar Fasciitis, heel pain, and other common foot pain. Most muscles that move your foot start in your calf, so relieving foot pain can also reduce calf pain too. Your feet do a lot for you. Give them some attention with a massage so you can keep doing what you want.  Since February has become commercialized with giant red hearts filled with candy and car advertisements, we are going to take it down a notch and give you some simple tips to show your other half how much you appreciate them and how you can celebrate your relationship.
Tip #1: It doesn’t need to be flashy. Too often showing our appreciation translates to buying something new. It doesn’t have to be that way. Instead of purchasing a big gift like jewelry or a new iPad, opt for ordering in and eating by candlelight. Take a walk. Plan a picnic. Plot a fun scavenger hunt. Tip #2: Make it sentimental. For the romantic types, having a sentimental spin on your celebration is not a bad thing. Is there a special place you met? Or maybe you have a significant moment you can honor in some way together. Spending meaningful, quality time will only make your bond stronger. Tip #3: Create new memories. Maybe looking to the past doesn’t cut it, so instead look to the future. Create new memories. Surprise your loved one with a single flower for every day of the month. Or write each other a letter expressing your appreciation for your lives together. Tip #4: Keep it simple. Let’s face it, we can get bogged down with work, raising a family, housework, and everything else that comes with managing a household. If you’re feeling frisky, offer to do the dishes, laundry or some other mundane task your partner can’t stand. Or go wild and hire someone else to do it for you for a day, a week, or the whole month! Tip #5: Do it together. Find something you can do together. Hire a babysitter or a pet sitter for the day and spend some one-on-one time with your honey. Venture out and try something new. Get a massage together. Schedule Today or go skydiving. (Or go skydiving and then get a massage.) Valentine’s Day has an air of “here’s your gift” but Couple Appreciation Month doesn’t have to be that way. There’s no right or wrong way to celebrate. What’s important is honoring your relationship and spending quality time with your other half. Gripping a steering wheel. Working a trackpad or mouse. Hovering over keyboards. And stoves. And laundry. You get it.
We put our hands and forearms through an awful lot of stress every day. Squeezing and clenching and buckling and writing. All of it. And yet, when I start to massage a hand and forearm, I often hear, “Oh! I had no idea my arms were so sore!” It’s a common surprise, but not really a surprise. They get sore. And when they get really overworked, we end up with carpal tunnel, tendonitis, trigger finger and a whole host of other issues. The upside here: it’s pretty easy to massage your own hands and forearms. Here’s how: Start at the top. Using the opposite hand, gently squeeze the meaty, fleshy areas just below your elbow. Squeeze on the inside of your arm then on the outside. Gently is the key here, don’t be jamming your thumb in there hard and causing pain. It should feel good, and if it doesn’t, back off a bit. If you want to get fancy, roll the wrist around and wiggle the fingers as you squeeze. Do that light squeezing all the way down to the wrist, and do this a few times, up and down the forearm to cover all the territory there. Then move to the hand, using a light pincer grip, squeeze that meaty area at the base of your thumb. Lightly squeeze up and down all those finger bones through the palm, and up each finger. When you find a good spot, stick around it for an extra minute. Whatever feels good to you is just fine. Then, switch hands and do it again on the other arm! Better yet, find a buddy and massage each other’s arms and hands. If you’ve got carpal tunnel or tendonitis, or just achiness and pain that you can’t figure out, you may need even more attention to keep those issues at bay. For this, I suggest you see a massage therapist. Yup. That’s me. I can work on those issues, and teach you some self care techniques to practice at home, too.  In many ways “procrastination” is a naughty word. To some it implies laziness, being unmotivated, distracted, unfocused and countless other trigger words. It means that we aren’t getting the things done and we are failing as contributing adults.
Now maybe that’s an exaggeration, but maybe it’s not. The point is we heap a bunch of responsibilities and pressure on ourselves. There is always a deadline and there is always the next thing to complete. But where is the real procrastination? More often than not we are procrastinating on our self-care and the things that really matter. This National Procrastination Week (March 5-11) we are all about the holiday that is devoted to putting things off and delaying those oh-so-important tasks. The focus for this holiday isn’t inactivity, but in being active in getting a mental and emotional break which will lead to decreased stress and anxiety. And as massage therapists, we are all about that. Here are a few ways you can indulge in procrastination. (Don’t worry, all that other stuff will still be there when you’re done.) Read Ahhh, a good book - there’s nothing like it. No matter the genre, reading is the quickest escape route into another land. Once you pass through that portal there’s no turning back. And if business or finance books are more your speed, there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes the escape is in learning something new. Grab your library card or pay your local athenaeum a visit. Many great reads await you. Create Is there a hobby or enjoyable activity you’ve been putting off? Now is a good time to pick it up. Bake your favorite cookies. Cook a meal that reminds you of someone special. Knit a scarf. Write in a journal. Paint a canvas, an end table, or a masterpiece. Whatever your “thing” is lose yourself in it. Clean Raise your hand if you procrastinate on doing dishes and laundry. (*raises hand*) While some find household chores relaxing, others can’t stand them or just never seem to have the time for them. Cleaning has become a “hurry up and get it over with” activity. Slow down a little and do the dishes by hand. Even if you don’t find it relaxing, you’ll walk away with a little more gratitude for the modern-day luxuries. Exercise In some instances, exercise has become another chore. We do it because we know we need to and it will keep us fit and healthy. Sometimes we don’t see the benefit until it’s over and working out becomes another task we must complete. Try approaching exercise in a new way. Find something you enjoy doing. Something you can look forward to. Try yoga or meditation (for those with busy minds, keep a notebook nearby to jot down fleeting thoughts) or go for a walk on a new trail or in a different neighborhood. Just get out there and move. Drink Drink coffee. Drink tea. Drink margaritas. Get dressed up for a night on the town or dress down for a night in. Fly solo or invite a friend. For some, socializing recharges their batteries while others find energy in solitude. Do what suits you and I promise you’ll feel refreshed. Nap Find the nearest hammock, couch or shade. Sleep is essential and we don’t get nearly enough. The benefits of sleep range from improved memory, sparked creativity, improved athletic performance and weight loss to lower anxiety and depression levels. Granted getting a good night’s sleep won’t prevent you from all disease, but quality sleep is a key factor in a healthy lifestyle. Massage It’s no surprise that our favorite way to indulge in procrastination is through massage. We would start and finish our day with a massage if we could. The mental and physical break in a treatment room cannot be beat. And if you’re still feeling the need to be productive, multitask by scheduling a massage and nap while you are there! In case you didn’t pick up on it, procrastination week is also about changing habits. It’s about incorporating enjoyable activities in our busy, stressed out lives. It’s about finding some peace while being productive and keeping things in balance. Being riddled with daily stress and anxiety serves no one. Especially you.  We usually don’t think about our feet. Until they hurt. We tend to take them for granted, but like other parts of our body they can get tired, overused, sore, and in need of some attention.
When they start to hurt it can lead to many other problems. When your feet hurt you don’t want to do much of anything. You just want to stay off of them. Your body likes to move, though. And your brain functions better when you are active. So foot pain can quickly lead to other issues. Foot pain can cause of other pain in your body. If your foot hurts, you change the way you stand, walk, and move. Those changes affect your legs. When your legs hurt, you make more changes in what you do, which affects your hips, then your back, then your neck. Some jobs involve being on your feet most of the day. Often it is on hard floors or rough terrain. You may have a long walk from the parking lot to your job. At home we walk around to take care of our place, our family, and our belongings. We shop, stand chatting with a friend, stand in lines, and walk around doing errands. We cook, do laundry, clean and put things away. You may make multiple trips up and down stairs every day. Yard work and home maintenance keeps us on our feet as well. You may kick things out of the way or stomp your feet to let out some frustration. You may do extra walking for exercise or from an inconvenience, or run to make it somewhere on time. If you enjoy sports you use your feet to run, jump, and kick. Your feet take a real pounding since they support all your body weight along with the extra force from the exertion. For exercise or fun activities you use your feet for yoga and fitness classes, hiking, climbing, kickboxing, and dance - and hauling all of your equipment around.. Your feet have things dropped on them and they get stepped on. You step on unexpected things such as rocks, tools, or toys (Legos!). All of your leg joints are all affected by your feet. Joints are under pressure from muscles and bones pulling and twisting on them. Relieving foot pain allows your muscles and joints to be in their proper positions and with less pressure on them you feel better. We squeeze our feet into uncomfortable shoes or boots. Sometimes it may be for the sake of fashion, such as high heels. Other times work footwear is uncomfortable. Sandals may be more comfortable but they may not provide the support your feet need. Massage provides relief from Plantar Fasciitis, heel pain, and other common foot pain. Most muscles that move your foot start in your calf, so relieving foot pain can also reduce calf pain too. Your feet do a lot for you. Give them some attention with a massage so you can keep doing what you want. Cupcakes. Who doesn’t love cupcakes? November 10th is National Vanilla Cupcake Day and we’re here to celebrate. We’ve covered some heavier topics in previous posts, so this month we are going to lighten the mood with cake.
Share with friends. We know it’s hard to share any dessert, but cupcakes are the perfect addition to any coffee date. Catch up with a friend, drink some coffee, tea or cocoa, and savor the moments. Get creative. If you like to bake, step out of your comfort zone and attempt to create a cupcake with unique ingredients. Try a savory cupcake. Or attempt a new decorating style. Enjoy downtime. Trying to cut back on the sweets? Tune in to Cupcake Wars on Food Network and watch all the yummy goodness without the calories. Bake together. What better way to bond with a special person in your life. It may be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew, anything goes here. It goes beyond the treat and makes the quality time spent together that much sweeter. Give a gift. Cupcakes make a perfectly sweet gift. Couple that with a massage gift certificate http://www.braillebodywork.com and you’ll knock gift-giving out of the park. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this holiday celebrates the cupcake as much as the people and relationships around it. Take a time out, bring some cupcakes to an elderly neighbor, or simply slow down and enjoy life. Cupcakes and all. |
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