Old Habits Die Hard...or do they?

I had my first latte when I was 21 years old (we bloomed late in my day) at Diedrich's Coffee in Mission Viejo California. I remember not liking it. I may never know what in the world prompted me to keep trying different offerings from the barrista until I finally found something I liked. I may just write it off as peer pressure. Coffee shops were kind of the in thing to do. I suppose I could have been into worse things, but my coffee habit grew and grew and grew. Last year I spent an estimated $1020 on store bought coffee drinks. That was $85 a month. Last time my husband and I tightened our financial belts I gave up going to the Chiropractor and kept my coffee habit. That's just plain crazy.

I recently gave up a whole bunch of things in the name of healthy living...coffee was one of them. I was dreading it, but it had to be done. I'm going on one month coffee free, and frankly, I'm shocked at how easy it was to give up. I really thought I'd have withdrawals, headaches, or at the very least some really strong cravings. I did not. I realized that the actual coffee wasn't missed, it was the habit of the action of going for coffee. If I arrived too early for an appointment, I'd think, "oh, I have time to grab a coffee!" or when making plans to spend time with a friend it was always, "let's meet for coffee!" I had to find replacements for those times. I have a book in my car now for when I'm out and have a little time to kill, and I make plans to go walking with friends or meet for coffee without having coffee. Yes, I've actually set foot in a Starbucks and not ordered coffee, did you know they GIVE you water...for FREE!?!?

So now I'm thinking, if I can give up coffee that easily...what else can I do? The sky is the limit.

Modality Road Test :: CranioSacral Therapy

Leanne Hardesty, CranioSacral Tharapist

Shortly after the birth of my daughter I realized something was wrong with my hip. It wasn't muscular pain, and typical massage techniques and chiropractic only helped it a little. It felt like a restriction in my ability to move my hip. I couldn't sit cross legged on the ground, and yoga was definitely out. Four years...I lived with it for four years...and then, in 60 minutes it was gone. Not just better, gone, and my PMS, which was turning me into a horrid monster 5 days a month, is now well within normal range.

I met Leanne Hardesty (http://www.fresnocst.com/) in a continuing education class. Instantly likable and easy to talk to, I would frequently ask her to do a quick anchor and stretch on my hip after class. I knew Leanne practiced CranioSacral Therapy (CST) and I had limited knowledge of the technique.

What is CST? In Leanne's words, "CST is a light touch therapy that works to release restrictions in the nervous system. Since the nervous system is the "central computer" to all other body systems, release of nervous system restrictions can produce beneficial results. The bodywork also works to release restrictions in the muscles and connective tissue. It's very relaxing and the results can be profound."

Very light touch. Just 5 ounces of pressure, that's the weight of a nickle. I had my doubts about how effective it could be. When our course was over I asked Leanne if she would want to trade sometime, massage for CST, and we set a date. Leanne also mentioned that maybe, during my session, we could talk about the trauma associated with my hip. Trauma? What trauma? I wasn't in a car accident, I had a healthy baby and an uneventful labor.

A few days later I met with Leanne for our session. She told me I would be fully dressed during the session and explained that she used an air mat on the table so she could move her hands under me. She started by feeling for my craniosacral rhythm, and then began asking me what I thought was wrong with my hip. I explained that I had read about women who have an epidural sometimes have issues with their pelvic bones not moving back into place. I assumed that was the problem. Many more gentle prompts to talk about my daughters birth later...and even some tears on my part...Leanne announced that she felt it release. Huh? My hip? Couldn't be, she was barely touching it. She also worked on my head with the same light touch, and mentioned the my sphenoid was wobbly...which may have accounted for my PMS.

I put my hip to the test. I got down on the floor, and crossed my legs with no pain. None. I was shocked, and still skeptical. I even waited several days to Facebook Leanne and tell her how much better I felt. I was sure the pain would come back. It did not. Two months now and it is still gone. I began to realize how much it had affected me, the way I sat, the way I walked down stairs, even how I slept at night. I had no idea how many parts of my life this pain had its tentacles wrapped around. As an added bonus, my PMS, which had me at my wits end, was vastly improved. I no longer felt wildly out of control and angry for 5 days a month. I still get a little crabby, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to what I had been living with.

Where to find Leanne:
http://www.fresnocst.com/

More info about CST:
http://upledger.com/content.asp?id=26

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

There are loads of good things about the holidays, unfortunately sometimes those good things are a long way away and our holiday fun is overshadowed by the pains of holiday travel. I have half of my holiday travel done already, I just got back from a combined late turkey day/early Christmas with my far away family. Feeling a little worse for the wear upon my return got me thinking about what I did wrong and what I could have done better. So here we go, a Christmas gift to you, learn from my fail.

No Fail Rule #1 Get plenty of rest before you travel.
It's tempting to stay up late the night before you leave, but contrary to what you think, you will not sleep on the plane...so get your 8 hrs in the night before! Make a list of what you need to pack in the days prior to travel, so you won't lay awake wondering what you have forgotten.

No Fail Rule #2 Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Just drinking bottled water on the plane isn't quite enough to really keep hydrated. Starting out well hydrated is your first step...but bottled water may not be the best choice. I typically drink tap water (shocking I know!) but when I have ignored my hydration levels for a bit and need a boost I will pick up a gallon of distilled water. The more minerals there are in water, the less hydrating it is, for this reason I choose distilled water, which contains no minerals or impurities. Spring water and filtered water contain many minerals. Don't ignore the water in your food, watermelon, celery, cucumbers, and many other fresh fruits and veggies contain plenty of water to help keep you hydrated. Stay away from salty or fatty foods, and refined sugar. Avoid drinking alcohol on the plane, not only will it dehydrate you , but the altitude makes you feel the effects of the alcohol quicker and your tolerance will be lower than normal.

No Fail Rule #3 Sit up and Get up!
On a plane, train or stuck in a car, there are some simple stretches and seated exercises you can do to arrive feeling good. Move any parts you can and move them frequently. Roll your shoulders up to your ears and back, then change direction. Roll your head in circles and tuck your chin down to your chest, stretch your arms over your head, flex your toes and roll your ankles in circles, reverse directions. If you are traveling by plane or train get up and walk, do laps around the plane if you can. Check out these Airplane Yoga poses: http://www.suite101.com/content/airplane-yoga-ancient-secret-to-modern-travel-a60545
If you are in a car, make the most of your pit stops. If your travel partner will let you eat in the car, pack your food or take your food to go so that your pit stop time can be spent on your feet and moving around instead of sitting in a greasy spoon. Stretch, wiggle, bounce, do a little parking lot yoga, go for a quick walk or run, whatever gets your blood moving and warms up your muscles. Pay attention to your posture, avoid sitting slumped down or with your shoulders rolled forward.

No Fail Rule #4 Let it go...
Stress can often come from within. When we dwell on negatives, worry about things that are out of our control, and hold ourselves to unrealistic standards we create stress for ourselves. Self created stress has very real physical repercussions, our body releases chemicals and hormones that make our bodies work harder and deplete our immune system. Stressing about delays and missed connections doesn't change the outcome, only how miserable you are during the delay. Go with the flow and stay clam. Use the time waiting in airports of train stations to move around, do something that refreshes you, take some deep breaths, meditate if you are inclined or pass time by chatting with fellow travelers. If something goes wrong, let it go, describe it as a delay and don't drag out the details.

No Fail Rule # 6 Reward Yourself!
Schedule a massage, pedicure, facial, Yoga class or visit to the Chiropractor on each end of your travels. Not only will this give you something to look forward to, but it will help you feel renewed and refreshed and bring you back to your old self!

I hope these tips help make your travels a little easier all the year through, and that everyone has a great holiday season, near or far!

Massage can improve your love life!

Single or Married, who doesn't want to be more attractive? Getting regular massage can make you more attractive and more desirable. I'm sure most of you have seen the list of massage benefits, but lest put it in layman's terms and you will see what I mean:

* Improves Posture
Standing up straight is the best way to exude confidence and self assuredness.
* Improves Circulation
This is that healthy glow all those cosmetic companies tell you their product will give you.
* Relieves Stress
No one likes a stress ball!
* Encourages Relaxation
Especially good for those first dates, no more nervous chatter! You will be calm cool and collected!
* Lowers Blood Pressure
Again, keeping that suave attitude!
* Helps Manage Pain
When you are not in pain you smile more and are able to focus your interest on your partner.
* Improves Flexibility and Range of Motion
Do I really need to elaborate on this one?
* Relieves Tension-Related Headaches
No more "not tonight honey..."
* Strengthens The Immune System
Healthy strong and vital!
Feeling and looking more attractive, being your best and living life to the fullest, getting regular massage is progress towards a healthy, happy you.

I surrender!

That's right, I'm throwing in the towel, I'm waving the white flag, I'm dropping my weapon and coming out with my hands up! Figuratively speaking of coarse. I recently read a quote which lead to all this flag waving I've been doing. Here's the quote:

"This ability to work without strain utilizes an unspoken contract between you and your client which I call surrender. Both of you must let go of, or surrender your will in a compromise built on trust. Surrender is not a defeat or loss of power. As the therapist, you must let go of any agendas about forcing muscles to relax. You can only facilitate an opening and relaxation by letting it happen, not by making it happen. It involves letting go of attempting to control the outcome. Without this, the massage can become a power struggle between you and your client. If your client can sense your compassion and flexibility, they can surrender their resistance to change without a feeling of defeat or surrendering their power."
~Art Riggs, Certified Advanced Rolfer

Suddenly this quote applied to all sorts of aspects of my life. It seemed to me that many of my daily struggles could be handled this way too. Instead of pushing a hot topic with my husband, I found that making suggestions or even just bringing things up conversationally instead of being confrontational helped him be much more open to the idea and compromise was achieved in record time! Same with my day to day dealings with the soon-to-be four year old I live with. I find myself having a new outlook on all kinds of things, career choices, challenging relationships, even vacation plans!
So I challenge you with this, where in your life could a little surrendering do a lot of good?

Top 3

I was working on a whole list of things you should ask your MT, but it really comes down to a handful of things:
1. Are they certified?
2. Are they permitted?
3. Are they insured?
Certification happens from their school and comes after completing both hours in practical learning and academic learning.
Permitting happens at the city, state and national levels. California has just started permitting Massage Therapists and so far they do not require a written exam, but do require a background check and finger printing. The National has a written exam as well as finger printing and background check. City requirements change city-to-city. Clovis, where I work, requires a background check, finger printing and a written test.
Insurance seems obvious, but many practitioners don't carry it. Some think they are covered by the location they are working out of, some may be, but it is always a good thing to clarify before you get started with someone new.
Those are the key points to hit on before you start a working relationship with a MT, other questions you may want to ask:
What type of products do they use? This is important because not everything is hypo-allergenic or Paraben free. This is especially important if you have any allergies or are sensitive to smells.
What modalities do they practice? If you aren't familiar with the modality they practice, google it. You might be disappointed if you were hoping to really dig into some of those tight spots, and your massage therapist practices Raki, like wise, if you just want to relax and you end up with a deep tissue massage, you may be disappointed.
Just remember, it is your massage, keep communicating with your MT to get the massage you want.

Back to School Madness!!!

This is my first time dealing with back to school madness...ok, so maybe sending a preschooler to school for the first time doesn't really compare to getting a teen or tween ready for another hectic school year, but it has made me appreciate all the stuff mom's and dad's do for the school set. I'm not looking forward to battling with my sweet little girl on whatever the latest fashion trend is, or having to help with homework and mission projects (ok, maybe I'm looking forward to building a mission, a little). So I've decided to help you start the year out right with an awesome BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL!! (drum roll please...)

Now through the end of September, ask for the Back to School Special when you book your massage and get an extra 15 min FREE on ANY massage!

Here's to a getting a great start on another school year!
Cheers!
Tracy
www.tidemassage.com