It's all about Self-Love

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February is all about celebrating LOVE and at Therapeutic Bodywork we are all about promoting self-love all month (and year!) long!

The truth is, all love starts with self-love. Loving ourselves is the prerequisite to receiving and giving the abundant flow of love around us.

But how do we cultivate more self-love? The answer is simple.

You start with a commitment to yourself - every single day. We call it one daily promise.

You see, self-love is both an act and an attitude. It takes practice and patience and builds out of our thoughts and actions. So, the more we prioritize ourselves - we send a signal to our subconscious that we are important, we are worthy of LOVE. Your brain is always watching what you do in order to decide how to feel. If you behave like you love yourself, your brain will follow suit and generate feelings to match your actions.

One simple, daily promise to yourself. It doesn’t have to be fancy or sophisticated, but it has to be an action of being kind to yourself and it has to be intentional and consistent.

A few examples of a daily promise:

-cooking yourself a delicious and nutritious meal

-drinking a little more water/herbal tea every day

-going to bed 15 minutes earlier

-shutting your phone off after dinner

-taking yourself for a walk in nature

-giving yourself 10 minutes to drink your coffee, quietly, in your favorite spot in your home

-taking a bath or having a foot soak

-lotioning your body after a shower

Self-love isn’t about making a decision to love yourself. It’s simply acting like you love yourself - over and over again. Actions speak louder than words and soon you will find that self-love will flow though you.

And that is how you cultivate self-love. What will be your daily promise today?

Year of the Tiger

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Lunar New Year is annually linked to one of 12 zodiac animals – each possessing their own character traits. The animals are assigned based on a 12-year cycle, making 2022 the Year of the Tiger. The Tiger is known to be the king of all beasts, and is seated third in the Chinese zodiac order of animals. You're a Tiger sign if you were born in the following years: 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022.

2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger. Those born this year are said to have great interpersonal relationships, and be very family oriented. The last Water Tiger year was 1962. The elemental year is based on the  5-Element generating cycle in Traditional Chinese Medicine. 

The Tiger is fierce, stealthy, and quick to action. The water element brings out a more emotional, careful side to the usually intense reactive Tiger energy. 

While the energy of this year can help you feel stronger and more resilient than usual, this feeling can change quickly. Check in with yourself regularly and adjust. When feeling energized enjoy activity in moderation. When feeling overwhelmed, embrace the calmer, more restorative energy of water with rest and self care such as acupuncture and massage. A suitable mantra for this year is pause, breathe, proceed. 

Predictions for the Year:

  1. Life can change on a dime. Tiger energy is quick; expect things to move quickly or shift without much notice.

  2. Emotions will run wild. The water element is said to bring out our deeper emotions, which can be both liberating and challenging. Spend time this year learning to understand yourself better and find healthy ways to release pent-up emotions.

  3. Health - the Water element is intimately tied to the Kidney and Bladder meridians. While hydration is always important, during the ever moving year of the Water Tiger maintaining adequate hydration levels is imperative to the flow of Qi (vital energy) in the body

The Science Behind Massage

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The benefits of massage have been touted for thousands of years... (yes, thousands!) Most of our savvy Therapeutic Bodywork clients also "know" only too well how amazing it feels getting a massage, which is perhaps all the evidence we really need :)

However, as a registered nurse, solid research and data is an important element for me, and affords massage the legitimacy it truly deserves. To quote W. Edwards Deming, "In God we trust; all others bring data".

Having said that, it would take too long to take a "deep dive" into all the evidence based research done on this important topic. For that reason, I have made the following "top ten" list:

TOP TEN (RESEARCH BASED) BENEFITS OF MASSAGE
1) It decreases the heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variations.

2) It increases blood oxidation levels.

3) It improves lymphatic drainage and reduces edema.

4) It reduces headaches, back pain and neck pain.

5) It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, causing relaxation.

6) It reduces scar tissue formation.

7) It decreases stress, anxiety and depression.

8) It improves cognitive and memory functioning.

9) It improves the production and absorption of insulin.

10) It promotes feelings of well-being.

The real list of known benefits is very much longer than this one, but I hope that the "take away" for you, is that massage therapy is a completely legitimate and effective tool in staying well - in body, mind and spirit.

I look forward to seeing you soon on my table where you’ll reap these benefits of a healing massage.

Blessings,
Isobel Lindsay RGN, RN, LMT

**For the entire month of February, Isobel is offering a complimentary Hot Stone Add-On to every 75 or 90 minute session you book. Just mention Hot Stone Add-On at your time of booking - or include it in your booking notes if you schedule online.

Isobel is a native of Dundee in Scotland, initially coming to the USA after training as a Registered General Nurse through the Royal College of Nursing and Midwifery. She then became registered in the USA and has practiced nursing for many years on both sides of the “Pond”. It was her work as a nurse educator at the renowned Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA which sparked her desire to become a massage therapist, having seen first hand the power of bodywork on her clients. She believes that while the healing power of touch has been well documented over the centuries, that it is sadly lacking in our modern health care system. Isobel is overjoyed to now be able to offer massage as a healing and wellness modality.

Isobel sees clients on Wednesdays, Fridays + Saturdays