Can we agree on one thing? No matter who we are, what we do, or how enlightened we think ourselves to be, we all have days that rattle us, or maybe even shake us to our cores. If you're like me, perhaps you wake each morning with intentions of gratitude, peace and calm. We know these intentions will guide us throughout our day as we strive to gently and compassionately connect with all whom cross our paths, until...the morning traffic clogs our path...someone's horn blares and their middle finger meets our gaze...hot and beloved coffee ends up on our clean, pressed lap...illness, work troubles, money fears, miscommunications, arguments...you know the list. These common daily stressors build up in our nervous systems and work their way into our physical bodies. They show up as headaches, kinked necks, stiff lower backs, aggravating hip and knee discomfort, or possibly debilitating plantar fasciitis. If neglected, these stressors can turn into incessant anxiety, depression, auto-immune disorders, chronic pain, and that list continues on.
As the stimulation of everyday life grows more overwhelming by the day, people are becoming increasingly curious about, and open to, alternative forms of healing. The list of holistic practices as preventative medicine, or what is now known as complementary medicine, is growing. We are learning the importance of caring for our body, mind, and spirit as a whole. Massage therapy is a very common, popular, diverse and exquisite tool to add to your holistic self care arsenal. Here is a short list of why massage therapy can be a helpful part of your health care regimen.
Increases Mind/Body Awareness When you allow yourself time on the massage table, it enables you to slow down and tune into your body. You become more conscious of the layers of muscles, fascia, tendons and joints that work harmoniously and/or dysfunctionally together. As you enter into the present moment, you begin to understand how the scattered mind, and all of its memories and worries play a part in your body's current reality.
Improves Circulation Whether you're receiving a gentle, relaxing massage, or intense deep tissue bodywork, loosening tight muscles and fascia allow increased blood flow that can help with pain management and eliminating toxins.
Pain Management Regular massage therapy can help alleviate problems like lower back pain and chronic headaches. A professional massage therapist can locate the root of the problem and create a helpful regime.
Helps eliminate toxins Massage therapy activates your lymphatic system which helps remove and eliminate toxins that build up in our bodies. This is why its very important to drink water after you receive a massage, so you can help your body flush them out.
Helps Ease Anxiety And Depression In a recent study in the International Journal Of Neuroscience, researchers found a 31% increase in the level of both serotonin and dopamine after massage therapy, which increase the feelings of happiness, and decrease the feelings of anxiety and depression.
It feels GREAT Being touched feels amazing and allows us to connect with our physicality, mental state and emotions.
As I began working as a massage and Reiki practitioner in 2004, I noticed how the aches, pains and emotional wear from this work affected me. I soon came to realize how important it was to take care of myself, on many levels, as a way of continuing the work that I love. I now enjoy a variety of holistic therapies that include Reiki, meridian massage with energy work, soft tissue release, Thai massage, myofascial unwinding, acupuncture, yoga and meditation... to name a few. These healing modalities are part of my regularly scheduled self care. I truly believe that making self care a regular part of my life has helped me mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and it's a great way to stay abundantly connected to a higher vibration of energy that reminds me that there is ALWAYS enough. This beautiful vibration helps me immensely with my own work as an intuitive healer.
My personal style of healing is a combination of every class I've ever taken, every healing session I've ever had, every spiritual book I've ever read, and every intuitive message that comes to me. I use reiki energy healing combined with light touch and crystal energy healing. To begin each session, I verbally connect with each client prior to the appointment to hear their description and perspective on what's happening in their body, and how that's affecting them both mentally and physically. I then like to have my clients select a word or phrase of intention before we begin the session. Something they want more of in their life. It can be helpful to have a task like this for our brains when we get on a massage table to bring in more mindfulness. When our brain begins to wander and attempt to pull us away from our current place on the massage table, we can insert our word or phrase and focus on the feelings that intention instills in us. Perhaps it's "peace," or "connection," or "release," or "I easily release energy that no longer serves." There are infinite options. Once on the table, I connect with each person's energy field and am guided intuitively to what is happening, and what I need to do to shift these imbalances. This can be very challenging to explain and translate, but is such an incredibly powerful process and healing session.
Life will always serve us a healthy dose of just what we need to grow as we participate in this human experience. Sometimes, it's crucially important to create an occasion for ourselves to slow down, enter into the present moment, and reconnect with our minds and bodies. Please make an appointment for a transformative healing session, or visit me at Vibe to shop for a wide variety of crystals, energy clearing supplies, bath salts, amazing essential oil spritzes that can be used in a variety of ways (currently, I'm loving using mine as a mask spray--who would've thought?) or a 15 minute oracle card reading to put you on the right track.
Call Wendy (530) 591-9063 or email at wendycarter99@yahoo.com or wendy@chicovibe.com
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