 As World Environment Day approaches (June 5th) I find myself once again taking stock of where else my business can take steps to reduce it's impact upon the environment.
Let's face it, in my line of work I do A LOT of laundry! And the hot water washes, lots of rinsing and the energy of drying are not environmentally friendly. I use to have a clothes line outside and loved the smell of the freshly hung sheets as they were unfolded onto the Massage table. Unfortunately I don't have that clothes line any longer.
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~ even if you haven't had Covid-19.  I have noticed that the pandemic we are in, and have been for three years, has shown visible symptoms in every client that I've seen through that time. Regardless of occupation, age, beliefs, etc. many are exhibiting the symptoms of PTSD and Chronic Stress. Yes, it is more intense with those clients in Healthcare and the Teaching professions, however it has been obvious in everyone.
 It always makes me smile a little when I'm a few movements into a Massage Therapy session and I hear "You can go deeper" from the client, face down on the table. Yes, I can go deeper, but are your muscles at a point where they are ready for that? Is your Fascia ready?
We've been walking on some icy surfaces in Calgary for a couple of weeks at least, and I can feel it in the muscles of your legs and hips! Apparently there is more to come through the weeks ahead...ugh. What are your muscles telling me? To avoid falling or slipping we tend to walk differently on icy surfaces. The shoes we wear hopefully have a better grip, but they also tend to be heavier and clumsier than our usual footwear.
Our stance, or centre of gravity should change to feet wider apart and slightly bending forward over our feet to shift body weight where we need it to maintain balance. Hands out of pockets to balance and holding handrails to catch our fall if we go down, shifts our balance as well. We may hit an icy step and jerk or twist our body to keep from falling. Your muscles tell me all about it. Nature spirals in and out through the seasons … so do we. Have you noticed the whorls and circles in the trunk of a cut tree, how a cat will curl up and around itself to sleep within a tucked up ball, the spirals of sea shells, plant leaves, wave patterns in the sand left by the ocean’s waves…  For many it feels like forever since we've seen our friends, family, clients and colleagues, but with staying home and keeping everyone safe, we're now seeing a light at the end of this tunnel.
The idea of businesses re-opening can be both exciting and scary. With regards to Booking your Massage Therapy or Holistic Sessions, I want to put your mind at ease.  A holistic approach means taking care of something in all aspects. When we talk about holistic living, it means a complete and whole approach to the well-being of our body, mind and spirit. We are not just our bodies nor just our minds or spirit, if one is off balance the others are likely affected … and both should be addressed as we journey towards maintaining wellness.
 I invite you to join me on a holistic journey. Through no fault of our own, life turned upside down on us the past few weeks. Our daily norms, for the most part, have had to adjust drastically and while change is a constant in life, as humans we tend to struggle with it. "We're all in this together" is a beautiful sentiment, and though true, it does little to alleviate personal feelings of worry, uncertainty, fear, anger... Broad statements such as this can actually cause us more stress, especially if we're feeling isolated and can't relate to it.
 The Hips allow for a lot of range of motion for our legs The Hips are amazing ball joints created through the union of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia of the upper leg and pelvis. A major weight bearing joint for the body, the Hip allows for great range of motion for our legs, when we look after it.  Extended periods of sitting can lead to tight hip flexors and gluteal muscles Probably the hip issues that I find clients dealing with the most are a result of not enough stretching of thigh, gluteal and low back muscles. Sitting at a desk day after day, standing for long periods, driving... can all contribute to contraction and tightness of the muscles surrounding the Hips. Massage Therapy and stretching can help to loosen and maintain flexiblity through the Hips and allow for easy, painless, movement. An important tip to remember: Bones don’t move the body, Muscles move the bones that move the body. This is particularly noticeable in Hip movements.  The muscles around the hip need to be stretched before and after work outs When a muscle is overworked, tight and restricted without being given adequate rest, stretching and nutrition, or is injured, it will begin to limit the movements of our joints or cause pain in those movements. Swelling, inflammation, spasm, fatigue, injury… all can lead to muscles that just will not work without pain or only work within a limited range of motion. As the condition becomes worse so does the pain, while range of motion becomes more and more limited. While true for all joints, as a Massage Therapist I see this happen more commonly in the shoulder and the Hip. The Hips Cradle Emotion Are the Hips holding emotions? Our Hips are also said to cradle and hold emotions. Some yoga instructors refer to the pelvis and hips as the "junk drawer of emotions" for the body. When stressed or feeling threatened our "fight or flight" response may have us jumping into action. Or if receiving bad news we curl forward towards the fetal position. Our body has an instinctual reflex to clench the deep muscles and sometimes doesn't let go even after trauma or emotional experiences are over.  Massage Therapy helps to loosen muscles & release emotions You may have noticed when you perform deep stretches or when having your Hips massaged that emotions well up unexpectedly. This is normal. On the otherside, when the muscles have loosened, you will often feel lighter and more relaxed. Stretching and Massage Therapy are really great ways to ensure your Hips stay healthy, flexible, relaxed, and move easily and without pain. Follow along on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for Hip care tips throughout the month of March!
 After 25 years I've discovered there is an area of my practice where I haven't communicated with clients clearly enough and lately it has caused some confusion. The thing about being in practice for so long is I think I assume some things that I shouldn't and it takes a few miscommunications for me to realize...ahhh, it's really clear...but only in my head...lol |
Teresa Graham,
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