Got The Sequester Blues?

I can't make the government open up again but I can help you deal with the aggravation.

 

Not only can I provide massage therapy to soothe your nerves and quiet your mind, Pay What You Can is an established and enduring part of my practice. If you've got the time, I've got the table.

 

Go to Schedulicity and book yourself an appointment. It's a smart thing to do with some unexpected free time. 

Want to learn to massage your friends or family?

Every now and then a client will ask me how they could learn to do massage on a friend or family member. My alma mater, Potomac Massage Training Institute, teaches a few courses specifically for the general public. I interned with one of these classes when I was student. I can comfortably recommend these classes for anyone.

TOUCH of MASSAGE (10 am-5pm for individuals)
Learn to share the gift of Touch on September 8!

COUPLES MASSAGE (1 to 4pm)

Bring your Sweetie on September 8!

HEART of TOUCH (6 evening classes)

A more in-depth taste of PMTI's training methods, begins Wednesdays starting October 9th!

Also, Save a Life with...
CPR and First Aid Training
September 15th and November 10th

How Much Water For Exercise?

From: The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer by Gretchen Reynolds

"So how much and what should you drink if you regularly exercise? 'That's what we'd all like to know,' Dr. Coyle says....

"The most widely accepted DIY method of deciding if you're drinking properly is 'to weigh yourself before and after a workout or race,' Dr. Coyle says.

"So weigh yourself before your next hour-long run, bike ride, or other exercise session, preferably without your shoes or shirt on. Drink as you normally do. Weigh yourself again at its conclusion. 'If you're not losing more than two pounds of body weight in the course of an hour due to sweating,' Dr. Coyle says, 'you're fine. Don't change anything. If you are losing more than two pounds in the course of an hour, you may need to drink more.' And if, as happens rarely, you actually gain weight, cut back dramatically on how much drink in subsequent sessions. Weight gain during exercise is the primary symptom of hyponatremia (which, perhaps thankfully, is very uncommon in exercise lasting less than three or four hours and conducted at a slow pace)."

Note:

Dr. Edward Coyle  Ph.D., is an exercise physiologist at the University of Texas at Austin who's studied this topic for decades and served for many years as a consultant to cyclist Lance Armstrong

Water, Water Everywhere

"...about 55 to 60 percent of the human body is composed of water. Lean muscle tissue is nearly three-quarters water, and even solid-seeming bone contains more than 20 percent liquid. The stuff is essential for movement...Without water stores, the body can't produce the energy needed to propel it to a drinking fountain...

"'Plenty of people still believe that eight-glasses-a-day nonsense,' Dr. Noakes says, although a comprehensive 2005 report from the Institute of Medicine, based on years of study and scientific review, concluded that there was no credible evidence for the widespread belief that we need to drink eight glasses of water a day, especially since a large portion of a person's daily fluid needs can be met through food. Meat and vegetables contain water. So does milk. Even coffee counts toward your hydration intake, since, although it is a diuretic (meaning it promotes urination), you retain more of a latte's fluids than you lose. Drinking an additional eight full cups of water and other fluids 'is likely to be more than most people need,' Dr. Coyle says, 'even if they are quite active.'"

The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer by Gretchen Reynolds

I had heard that the "8 glasses a day" was de-bunked but now I've got the data to back it up.

Note:

Dr. Timothy Noakes, Ph.D. is a professor of exercise and sports science at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and a seminal if divisive figure in hydration science

Dr. Edward Coyle  Ph.D., is an exercise physiologist at the University of Texas at Austin who's studied the topic for decades and served for many years as a consultant to cyclist Lance Armstrong

I'm back!

I am back from a lovely vacation in California. Beautiful weather, good food, dear friends, massages.....

I will be gone one more week in September -- 23rd - 27th -- for a professional conference. Otherwise, I'm mostly here and open till Christmas.

My schedule is full this week but next week has some nice openings if you've missed me.

A Little Massage for the Massage Therapist

I leave on Saturday for 2 weeks in the San Francisco Bay area. I just booked a massage for myself and my husband for Sunday afternoon at a place highly recommended by a fellow MT.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what makes this place so well-respected by my friend. I enjoy checking out other massage practices to experience how the approach the work and to see how they run their business. There's always something new to learn.

Plus, I get a massage!  :)

A Little Rest for the Weary

Do you know the difference between rest and sleep?

I talked to someone last week who is working a full-on schedule during the week and spending every weekend travelling back and forth to visit a significant other who lives out of state. This person has absolutely no free time, no time for anything but work + relationship. No time to put feet up and watch bad TV, to read a book, to stare blankly out the window.

Despite getting enough sleep, this person is exhausted and ready to drop. What this person is missing is rest.

Rest is different from sleep. Rest happens when you are awake. It's the moments (hopefully more than just a few) when you don't have to think. You can let your mind idle. You can let go of forward movement, of meeting deadlines and crossing things off a to-do list.

Just as your body needs sleep, your mind needs rest. Your body does a lot of repair and integration while you sleep. Your mind is free to wander, discover, connect, and integrate when you rest.

Want to tap into your imagination? Your mind needs to rest.
Want to discern the solution to a problem? Your mind needs rest.
Want to feel refreshed? Your mind needs rest.
Want to be able to listen to your heart and soul? Your mind needs rest.

Without rest, your mind -- like your body without sleep -- begins to work less and less effectively. It begins to wear down, slow down, grind down. It's a car with dirty oil and not enough fuel.

How do you get rest? Here are some ways that work for me.

Meditation and prayer
A quiet worship service
Singing
Watching easy TV (I'm especially fond of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and The Big Bang Theory)
Going for a walk, run, swim, paddle
Read fiction
Experiencing comedy or humor
Laughing, especially with friends
A good meal eaten slowly, especially if I prepared it

Think about the last few days. How much rest was there in your life? What brings rest to your mind?