3 Reasons You Need A Massage

 

Why You need a massage:

1. You have one speed: GO.

   Let’s face it. You will never hear your boss ask you to do your job slower. You will never catch a cab being the slowest person on the curb. You never think “I hope the copier breaks today so I can be extra late to my meeting.” When you get a massage, everything changes. You are literally and figuratively being forced to slow your rapid pace of life and finally cut yourself some slack.

2. You can feel your body rebelling against you.

   That constant pressure between your eyes; the ever-growing stiffness in your joints. Every morning, it seems to take you just a little longer to claw your way out of bed (I prefer the rolling method). Let a professional massage therapist evaluate your current state and work some magic with their hands like they are trained to do. You will get up from that table feeling 30 pounds lighter and at peace with the universe.

3. You feel like you’re losing it.

   Or maybe you don’t even remember what it feels like to have “it.” Business meetings, PTA meetings, soccer games, hockey practice, and doctors’ appointments are all jammed into your calendar in color-coordinated efficiency. Your planner may look like the Type-A dream, but it is taking a toll on your mental well-being. Do you feel like you blink and a week went by? Lose your keys more than once a day when you usually know where everything is at all times? Time to get a massage, let all of it go for that little patch of time when you can let your mind escape to a place of relaxation and bliss.

 

5 Ways to Rejuvenate Yourself

 

5 Ways to Rejuvenate Yourself

1. Meditate

   You don’t have to be in Bali in a kaftan chanting “Om” in order to meditate. All you need is a quiet place to sit down. Try sitting in a comfortable position and envisioning the things that make you happiest in life—your friends, family, pets, job. You can also take ten minutes to envision the life you want—what is your ideal attitude? Imagine yourself as that person.

2. Be Mindfully Grateful

   Gratefulness sometimes eludes us in our busy, hectic lives. You’re rushing from client to client, dodging traffic jams and calls from your mother-in-law. But if you take just a few moments in the day to think about what you’re grateful for, your mood will improve and your mind will literally “think different”. If you want to take it to the next step, you can be grateful aloud. Tell those around you that what they do makes you grateful for them (hint: be specific). Believe us; it will start a beautiful cycle.

3. Stretch

   This should be a no-brainer for those of us who work on the body for a living. And it’s no secret that the places of soreness can speak to us about lifestyle habits. Take some time in the morning and before bed to get back in touch with your body. Stretch it just a bit and prepare it for the day and for rest. Bonus: if you have trouble sleeping, introducing a stretching routine before bedtime can help.

4. Make a To-Do List

   To-do lists can be a stress-inducing thing—thinking about all that needs to get accomplished in a small frame of time. However, jotting down a realistic list of all you need to accomplish in the morning can allow you to get organized early and stay on top of your tasks throughout the day. Plus, it empties your mind and your feelings of forgetfulness so you can focus on your clients.

5. Drink Lots of Water

   What does water have to do with rejuvenation? Just about everything. If you find yourself going for another tea or coffee mid-morning, try chugging more water instead. It’s our energy source and lifeline. It will ease your stiffness or soreness, lubricate your joints and generally make you feel cleaner and happier.

Being mindful to do each of these things every day can make a huge difference in your life and your business. Having a clear mind and happy attitude will not only resonate with clients, but it will give you the energy you need to push forward and improve your practice.

Have other ways to rejuvenate your mind and body every day

 

Massage & Carpal Tunnel

 

Brought on by a pinched nerve in the dominant wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome is a hand and arm condition that causes several symptoms such as tingling and numbness. Individuals who are more susceptible to carpal tunnel include women, adults, diabetes sufferers, and those who perform assembly line work. Here’s how massage therapy can help:

Reduce Pain

Carpal tunnel syndrome is painful, persistent and sharp, but a massage therapist can help you reduce the pain you feel in your hands and wrists. By reducing the tension, getting blood flowing properly and gently working on the most sensitive parts of your hands, your sharp pain should start to dissipate within two or three sessions. Massage therapists use a variety of techniques to alleviate carpal tunnel pain. Typically, this process begins with gentle hand massages, which some sufferers find unbearable at first. It can take several sessions with a trained therapist before you start to feel comfortable having someone massage the most painful part of your body. While carpal tunnel affects your hands and wrists, it’s very common to have alignment problems and soreness in the shoulders, neck, and back. A massage therapist will typically treat these parts of your body as well. If your hands and wrists are too painful at first, your massage therapist will skip to the other parts of your body and attempt to work on your hands in the next session.

Improve Posture

As with many types of chronic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome is felt in one place of the body, but it’s partly caused by something in another. Poor posture will directly affect your symptoms. If you sit at a work desk with your shoulders, back and arms improperly aligned, your wrists will not be aligned either. By working to improve your posture, your massage therapist will help train your body to sit upright, allowing your wrists to stay at the correct angle when working with a mouse and keyboard.

Train Your Body

When you visit a massage therapist to treat an ailment like carpal tunnel, he or she will draft up a plan for not only what will be covered in your weekly massage sessions, but also, what you should be doing between sessions. Exercise is a key element to retraining your body. Your massage therapist may recommend a holistic approach to reduce the pain, which may include different types of massage, exercises, and yoga. These exercises will also encourage your body to maintain a healthy posture. Your massage therapist will also look at the behavior that led to carpal tunnel syndrome. Computer keyboards are one of the common causes of carpal tunnel injuries, but they are not the only problem. Musicians often find that they are holding their instruments incorrectly, and have to relearn to play a slightly different way. Cashiers at retail stores perform the same hand movements for each customer, hundreds of times a day. Gardeners who spend all day doting over their plants often find that they are using their tools incorrectly. Workers on assembly lines are especially vulnerable to carpal tunnel syndrome, as they perform the same tasks every day for months at a time. It could also be a combination of behaviors. Your massage therapist will help you look at all the activities that might be causing carpal tunnel pain, and will recommend ways to change them.

Expands your blood vessels

Massage therapists often use a technique called hot stone massage to treat carpal tunnel. In a hot stone massage, smooth, heated stones are placed on the affected parts of the body and used along with traditional massage. The hot stones help to expand blood vessels under your skin, which helps increase blood flow. When used on the hands and wrists of a carpal tunnel syndrome sufferer, hot stone massage can dramatically reduce the pain and keep carpal tunnel symptoms from returning.

Eliminates/reduces medication amounts

A traditional doctor will typically prescribe painkillers, such as high-dose Ibuprofen as well as muscle relaxers like Flexeril. These drugs will temporarily reduce inflammation and pain, but do not address the core problems causing carpal tunnel syndrome. Additionally, it is not safe to drive a car, ride a bike, carry a child, or do many other activities while taking muscle relaxers. Both types of drugs can cause additional symptoms such as constipation, heart problems, nausea, and more. By using massage therapy to address the cause of your carpal tunnel syndrome problem, you may remove the need to take potentially harmful medications on a daily basis. Any change in medication should always be done under the close supervision of your primary caregiver.

 

Zen Practices

 

 

 

Zen Practices:

1.  Develop rituals

Creating a habit through rituals – it can be a wonderful way to achieve mindfulness. If you don’t already have a morning or evening ritual to prepare your body for alert time or sleep time, start by creating one now. If you like to drink tea or coffee in the morning, get up a bit earlier and sip your beverage while on your porch or on a yoga mat. Think about yourself conquering the day and getting things done in a positive energy state. At night, unwind with a book or a bath and use soothing essential oils to signal to your body that it’s time to relax. Healthy rituals create consciousness and awareness from within.

2. Create space between things

There is nothing more distracting than clutter. Take your home or office room-by-room and create more space to move around. This will force you to streamline, or recycle things you no longer need, opening up space for creativity and focus. Visualize the entryway into your home right now. Walking into a cluttered entrance causes stress signals in your brain. By creating more space to flow into your home (or office), you will feel more centered.

3. Smile often

This one seems simple, but many of us spend our days pursing our lips tightly. If you’re feeling stressed or worried or simply run down, try smiling for 20 seconds. You may feel silly at first, driving alone in your car and grinning like a clown, but it will work. You will start to feel better, lighter. This simple meditation-like technique can quickly turn your mood around.

4. Meditate on the mundane

At times we all feel buried by mundane tasks like organize emails and cleaning. Instead of dreading these projects, try implementing meditation techniques into the tasks. Breathing deeply while doing the dishes (or even right now), for example, and spending an extra minute rubbing your hands under the warm water can make you feel more centered and peaceful. While folding the laundry, take time between shirts to stretch your hamstrings or do simple standing yoga poses.

5. Stop multitasking

For many of us, multitasking can mean that tasks do not get done to their full potential. Consciously try to do one thing at a time and avoid the urge to be distracted by your phone, email, or the countless other things vying for your attention. Focusing with intent will allow you to get more done and make you feel more accomplished and grounded at the completion of the task.

There are many ways to find moments of peace and to center yourself throughout the day.  We encourage you to be creative in finding your own ways to create moments of peace and calm within the daily storm of activities, obligations and distractions each of us lives through.

If all else fails, just remember to breath deeply, hold your breathe in for a few seconds, and let it out slowly.  Feels better already, doesn’t it?

Know anyone who can benefits from these tips? Spread the good vibes by sharing this article.

Business Relocating February 1st

 

McShane Massage is Relocating 

This weekend truly starts the process of relocating. I will be moving out of Insparation Salon January 30-31 and into Optimistic Living Counseling Center of Albertville. 

This is an opportunity to truly take everything I've learned over 20 years and multiple different locations, and create something wonderful. I think all of the other places were ok. BUT they were created by other people. While having my own wellness center back in 2007, Orion, gave me this opportunity, I was so overwhelmed with attempting to fill the place with alternative health care workers and supporting their needs that my own came last with a great price that took far to long to recover from.  

I am truly starting with a clean slate. I am painting walls this weekend. I have spent the last week or so purchasing furniture and office items. So much fun😁 and so much to pick from! 

I'll share here that I took a huge leap of faith. I was guided to not rent one but two rooms. So I rented two rooms right next to each other. There will be a Massage Room and a Healing Room. Each will vary a bit because the work in these rooms are different. You will find this information on your appointment reminder directing you to which room you are in for your session. You will be able to go directly to your room without having to wait in the lounge area. In each room, there will be water and snacks for you. Perhaps my favorite part is that we will finally be able to sit comfortably and talk and share before and after a session. YAY!

 My focus have been privacy, quiet, and comfort. ✔

I'm excited and scared all at the same time. 

Wishing you the very best. ☕

Nancy McShane

McShane Massage

Last Day at InspaRation Salon

 

The Last Day at InspaRation Salon

Well here we are Friday January 29th. My last day of work and move out date.  It's been a crazy busy and emotional week. I have been at this salon for just shy of 7 years and I have loved every day of it and it's team.

Earlier this week the owner announced that my space had been filled. I was shocked and saddened at the same time. I was flooded with self doubt. Maybe I just didn't make a good enough of an effort to deal with the one HUGE problem about the whole room. 

The Massage Room Window

The window is a furnace about 2pm every day. The lack of ventilation is the other problem. The noise coming from the pizza place, facial room and parking lot all added to the relaxing atmosphere of this room. As my mind dealt with all of these self doubts, mother nature provided the validation that I will be ok. See while it was only around 15 degrees outside, It was also sunny! So as soon as the sun came around the building and was directly on the window, the room was a nice 90 degrees. It was too hot to work in this week. Luckily I had clients in the early morning and late evening. That self doubt eventually went away after several days of extreme heat.
 
You maybe be thinking to yourself BUT Nancy I always hear this sound like air moving in a vent when I'm on the table. That's white noise from the speaker above your head not air. I've had clients think they are cold because of this white noise. It's interesting how our brains work. 

I finished up work today and packed my room. We are off and moving to our next adventure and some much deserved ventilation. LOL!! I wish the next massage therapist of that great room all the best. 

Happy Friday 

Nancy

Massage and Immunity

Massage and Immunity - How does it work?

No one can deny the restorative healing power of massage. Reducing pain, depression, anxiety and stress, along with boosting our immunity. All of which have an effect on our mental and physical well-being. Pain effects our lives and our quality of life.  Massage is known to help reduce pain by increasing blood flow, easing inflammation and reducing muscle tightness.

It’s a well-known fact that individuals who have a high level of stress are more prone to injury and illness. Reduction of stress, is another benefit of massage. Stress is known to elevate your heart rate, cause elevation of the stress hormone cortisol, which inhibits weight gain, elevate blood pressure, cause headaches, digestive problems, sleep problems, heart disease, memory and concentration issues just to name a few. These all effect our immune system and make us physically ill. You may not be able to remove all the stress in your life, but you can take stress reducing measures which are healthy choices.

Research has shown that receiving regular massage therapy helps boost our immune system and flush toxins, increasing blood flow throughout the body. Massage increases the activity of white blood cells that help our body fight diseases and may help with reduction of cortisol.

Remember to receive massage when feeling healthy, as a regular routine. Massage in combination with other complimentary and conventional treatments can help you look and feel your best. When your look and feel your best you are at the top of your game and you become more productive at home, work, sports and in your everyday life.

Massage therapy is an excellent choice as a complementary therapy to conventional health care. Be open and honest with your massage therapist, if you are under the care of a physician for a specific aliment, check with them about massage. It may be an option for you. It’s not meant to take place of nor postpone seeing your health care provider for any medical or mental issues. If you have a health condition and are unsure if massage would be right for you, please discuss any concerns with your health care provider. 

Here are a few tips for reducing stress and boosting your immune system.

• Get a regular massage which will help lower your stress level and increase your immune system.
• Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
• Try to keep a positive attitude or at least work on it.
• Try to halt stress in its tracks, yes it’s hard when you can’t control it
• Manage your time. Give yourself time to get things done; don’t overwhelm yourself, you know your limits.
• Do things you enjoy, like cooking, reading or gardening.
• Take 15 to 20 minutes every day to sit quietly and reflect. Learn and practice relaxation techniques like yoga or deep breathing.
• Exercise regularly.
• Avoid alcohol, recreational drugs and don't smoke
• Eat healthy, well-balanced meals
• Get enough rest and sleep, your body needs to recover and repair itself
• Seek out social support
• See your health care provider as needed, especially if things feel beyond your control.

May you be blessed with harmony in your heart, peace of mind, and an abundance of joy and love to surround you always.

I look forward to seeing you

Nancy McShane