Massage is a necessity disguised as a luxury

February 9 starts International Random Acts of Kindness Week . Their website is packed with great ideas on how to celebrate, and I especially love the approach of committing a random act of kindness for three different people: ●      Someone you don't know ●      Someone you know ●      Yourself Someone you don't know This are pretty simple and can quickly become a habit. (That's a good thing!) Smile. When you're in a depressingly long line at the bank, watching a parent deal with their toddler's public meltdown, or sitting next to another car in traffic. A kind grin goes a long way when you're feeling a bit hopeless about the daily hassles in life. Someone you know Take a moment to think about who in your life may be a little touch-deficient. Maybe you know someone who is recently widowed, a single parent with older children, or a new empty-nester. Maybe even a young teenager in an ...

The short answer is “No. Absolutely not.” But the long answer is, well, much longer. This is one of the most frequently asked questions about massage and deserves some discussion. In massage school it was suggested we say to clients, “Undress to your level of comfort.” I found that’s way too vague, and doesn’t really answer the questions. Heck, I’m not even sure what that means.   First, no matter what, you’ll always be covered (draped) with a sheet and a blanket. You’ll never be left feeling exposed or chilly. When I work on an arm, I fold the sheet back and tuck it under your arm so it’s secure. (No drafts, my friends.) I follow the same protocol for the leg. When I work on the full back, I fold the drape down at the hips. If you’re wearing underwear I’ll gently tuck the sheet around the waistband, to protect your clothes from massage oil. If you’re wearing a bra, I’ll work around it. If you’re wearing a t-shirt or tank top or space suit, I’ll work ...

Happy holidays! Happy 'getting stressed out, trying to do too many things and please everyone' season. Oh, wait. That's not promising. Maybe this is the year to mix it up a little and make the holidays a little easier. Forget perfection Sometimes gingerbread men will be missing a limb. The tree may have a bald spot. The kugel may not taste exactly like your grandma’s. Know what? None of it matters. Decide what's truly important to you over the holidays, and focus on that. Enlist help Once you drop the desire for Norman Rockwell levels of perfection, it gets much easier to ask for help and delegate tasks. Kids can sign the names and address holiday cards. Wrap gifts in plain brown paper and kids can stay occupied decorating with crayons and ribbon. Stick to a budget Much of the holiday stress people feel can be attributed to money woes. Make a list and check it twice, making sure the gifts you choose are wi...

Imagine a normal day. You wake up, grumble about not having enough sleep, and reluctantly get out of bed. Today your day is routinely filled with work, errands, and other ordinary tasks. It’s nothing you would consider special. Between grocery shopping and getting the oil changed in your car, you have a laundry list of things to accomplish and Junior has a soccer game tonight. And that’s all before you have a chance to get dinner on the table. A typical day for us is filled with seemingly mundane tasks that really are quite amazing when you compare to what other families - across the country, across town, across the street - are going through. I’m talking about military families. I’m talking about the families that live through all those mundane tasks but have much higher hurdles to clear. Each situation is different but they all hold a common thread; a spouse in the military. When a serviceman or woman is deployed their spouse has...

Anxiety Disorders affect about 40 million American adults in a given year. Anxiety is described as a feeling of dread, fear, or apprehension often with no clear justification. Most people experience symptoms of anxiety at one time or another, but for those with a disorder, normal daily life is often interrupted and limited. A few common anxiety disorders are panic disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), social phobia (Social Anxiety), and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. While there are varying symptoms with each, many physiological responses overlap with the different disorders. Many people are able to function with symptoms while others are unable cope with them. Some disorders manifest with physical symptoms like sleeping problems, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, nausea, sweating or dry mouth. Others are purely emotional, denoted by   excessive, unrealistic worry, feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness. Usually, there’s a combination of physic...