Massage Nutrition

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March is National Nutrition Month, so to celebrate I dedicate this post to “Massage Nutrition”.  Let me start by saying that I am NOT a nutritionist or a dietician. And as far as I know, there is not a specific field of study on nutrition as it relates to massage.  So what do I mean by “Massage Nutrition?” … Read more »

It’s An Adventure!

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ADVENTURE is defined as: 1 an undertaking involving danger and unknown risks, 2 an exciting or remarkable experience. Last month I posted about the 3 words I chose to guide my quest for growth/improvement in the New Year. One of my words is ADVENTURE. If you ask my octogenarian mother her keys to staying young,… Read more »

New Year’s Themes

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I just read an interesting article about a different approach to New Year’s Resolutions. The article identified a high rate of resolution “failure” as a major reason many people don’t make resolutions.  Apparently only 40% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions. And only 8-10% of those report success in keeping them.  The author suggests that rather than making a specific… Read more »

Donating Massage Services, the Benefits Are Many

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At this time of Thanksgiving, many of us like to express gratitude by giving back to others. Some may volunteer at a shelter or donate canned goods to a food bank. Some people write checks to their favorite charity.  As a Massage Therapist, I like to donate massage gift certificates. There are a few charities that Connective… Read more »

Surrounding The Pain Dragon

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In massage school, I took a class called Commonly Encountered Conditions. As the name suggests, we learned about common issues that we would likely come across in our massage practices. We then learned strategies for dealing with the conditions. The instructor would frequently use the phrase, “Surround the Dragon” to describe his approach to pain… Read more »

Massage: When Less Is More

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I am a big fan of long, luxurious massages. I love to give them, and I certainly love to receive them. But sometimes with massage, less is more effective. Often a client has booked a 90 or even 120 minute massage and said, “I only want you to work on my upper back and shoulders. I have… Read more »

Freedom to Fail

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Every year as I prepare to write my July post, I am naturally drawn to the topic of “Freedom.” This year I decided to write about a type of Freedom that I have had to learn to allow myself to enjoy, the Freedom to Fail. While it seems counterintuitive, without the freedom to fail one can… Read more »

Massage for Mothers-to-Be

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Upon graduating from massage school I enrolled in a course to study prenatal massage. In my previous career I had worked with women who were on forced bed rest due to complications with their pregnancies. The stress and uncertainty was so hard on the women and their partners. If there was a way that I… Read more »

New Job, New Town…New Massage Therapist

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Moving to a different town, especially if it is for a career opportunity can be a very exciting time of transition. Anyone who has ever moved knows that the first few weeks are full of so many new things. You’ve got to set up utilities for your new dwelling and fill out countless Change of Address… Read more »

Self Care for Seasonal Sinus Pain

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Spring in Northern Virginia is gorgeous, but seasonal allergies can be a real pain in the sinuses. Itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and a runny nose can wreck havoc on your sinuses and leave you feeling like your head is in a vice. So here are some of my favorite self care tips to help avoid seasonal sinus… Read more »