Cold, cold… Go Away! How do you keep healthy during cold season?

Yes, it is true. I am fighting a cold again. About three weeks ago, I was hit hard and combated it really well with liquids, homeopathic remedies, herbs, teas, and rest. Well, just a couple days ago, I have been chosen again for a runny nose and congestion. Lucky for me, it is very minor compared to the previous cold.

This time of year, it is really important to continue a well hydrated diet, eat healthy, get plenty of rest, and practice good hygiene  In the colder months we tend to consume less water. However, our bodies still need to be hydrated, to keep our skin healthy and moisturized, and to maintain internal health. Most importantly, is to make sure we are washing our hands and not passing on the bug or picking one up from someone else!

Massage can also be a great way to combat a cold; if it is only a cold or a sinus infection. Receiving massage may initially intensify the symptoms, but the duration will be shorter. Why? The body holds on to toxins, defined as metabolic waste and chemicals consumed from what we eat, drink, and breathe. Massage releases those toxins from the muscle fibers into the extra cellular matrix comprised mostly of water. Reference my first point, drink more water… flush all this out!

According to Body Sense by the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), prevention is key! Check out this information and much more by clicking on the image below.

Body Sense Winter 2012

Body Sense provides valuable information about how to make massage and bodywork a healthy part of your lifestyle. Inside, you’ll learn nine tips for living authentically in the New Year; get the inside scoop on how massage therapy works; discover how to say “no” to sick days; and find the pathway to your healthiest skin yet.

I am excited to discuss any of the information you find inside, and happy to schedule your next appointment.

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1st Post of the Year

So, I have never blogged before, and I thought it would be a good way for me to be introspective, share research and important topics of the day. I can’t promise that I am going to blog every day, but I will give it a good try.

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to put more attention to my business and less on the other things that do not support me. I am a healer, and a common thread with healers, is they give, give, give and rarely give time to themselves. So, this year I am doing more of that. I began by focusing on my career. First step, is what you are seeing, new website, blogging, and consolidating my practice. Next steps, more education, research, more connection with clients, community, friends, and family.

One thing that came to mind when I was thinking about the whole concept of New Year’s resolutions was how “we” have such a hard time implementing new routines or patterns into our life. There is a great book that I have been reading, (well started reading… another resolution to finish things I start) called, The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. She spent twelve months test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. The important thing I want to share is that she tackled ONE, yes ONE, thing a month. For instance, January was about Boosting Energy. This included the following actions:

  • Go to sleep earlier
  • Exercise better
  • Toss, restore, organize
  • Tackle a nagging task
  • Act more energetic

Next month was, Remember Love, that included the following actions:

  • Quit nagging
  • Don’t expect praise or appreciation
  • Fight right
  • No dumping
  • Give proofs of love

It is a great reminder that Rome was not built in a day, right? So, why do we decide right after the holidays to change so many aspects of ourself. Let’s slow down and do one at a time. They say it takes 21 days to make something a new habit. I find it sometimes takes me longer that 21 days. I highly recommend checking out her information, the book has been a fun and easy read, plus it is full of tips, even the smallest of changes can make the biggest of difference.

So what been the theme of January for me? It has been to love and appreciate more. Last year had its challenges, and I really forgot how to love and appreciate, especially towards myself. So, in January, my fiancé and I have been participating in an appreciation journal project. We both have a journal, and when the mood hits us, we jot down an appreciation we have of the other in their journal. This not only has helped us be more appreciative in writing, I feel it has helped us be more appreciative in general. What do you appreciate today?

Today, I appreciate my career. It allows me to give in such a supportive and connected way. The feedback and praise I receive at the end of a session warms my heart and gives me the energy to keep supporting clients. It allows me to be more flexible, allowing time for connection with community, friends and family. One client I saw last week, whom I was concerned in telling about the closing of my practice in Redwood City told me, “It’s going to be hard to find someone as good as you. I have had multiple massage therapists in my life, and you are the first that can get to the root of the problem, quickly, and in a way that allows me to drop into my body — even if we are only working for 15 minutes.” Such acknowledgement is what makes this career so rewarding!

Thank you to all my “teachers,” I am grateful and ready for more.