Centering Meditation Exercises For Stress Management

Everyone knows life can get hard at times, and for some, those times can turn into years.

Our mental health can be fragile if not tended to, and different degrees of depression makes it hard to realize when there’s a problem.

Massage therapists, no doubt, have had an introduction to finding your center somewhere in their training. Massage work is best delivered when the massage therapist is centered on the client.

These centering techniques can be used in various life circumstances, from workplace stress to dealing with some of life’s biggest struggles.

Here are simple, applicable strategies to help feel centered and can also be used for centering meditation. These centering exercises can calm down, lessen anxiety, ease worry, and reduce stress.

The Three-Count Breath

One way to help the body relax and reduce stress is to steady your breath.

Begin here: Inhale for three counts. Hold for three counts. Exhale for three...

A How-To Guide For Goal Setting And Why You Need Goals As A Massage Therapist

Happy new year to you, Massage Therapists and Holistic Health Practitioners! With a new year usually comes setting new goals for your business and yourself, including your fitness, health, nutrition and personal goals.

I’m doing it and while this year it’s taken more focus than normal because things are up in the air with COVID-19, a new year wouldn’t be complete without talking about goal setting.

Goals, if you aren’t used to setting them will change your life! Write your goals down and watch them become reality. Take a look at how easy it is and how it will bring you a renewed focus for your business.

Setting your goals

Determine what you want to accomplish as the basis for setting your goals. What are those dreams or wishes you have always thought about? Find those things where you say to yourself, ‘If only I could…”

When you figure out what you want, you can...

Self care is something that is talked about a lot in wellness and most people will say they take care of themselves, when in reality they struggle with self care.  Women tend to think they do a good job taking care of themselves but often, put themselves last.  Everyone has circumstances that may cause less time spent on oneself but it's what is done MOST of the time that matters.  Before a conscious effort can be made to improve the level of care you give yourself, you need to realize the areas where you are deficient. Self-care may be eluding you if you find yourself doing any of the following things.  

Being selfless to a fault

If you find yourself putting the needs of every single person ahead of your own, you are exhibiting a classic sign of self-neglect. By prioritizing the needs of everybody except your own, you find yourself being burnt out or resenting doing things altogether.

Let’s be realistic, you have to put yourself first sometimes. You...

There are times in life when we want more energy.  More energy to play with the kids, pets or just get through the workday.  Likely after trying many quick fix energy boosters you are wondering why you aren't shaking the tired-every-day feeling.  Boosting energy naturally is the way to a healthier, more energetic body.  Here are some healthy ways to increase energy levels and have your body feeling great. 

1. Energy increasing foods

What foods you put into your body directly relates to your energy level.  When as well as how often you eat can have an effect on your energy.  The days when you skip a meal are probably lower energy days.  Eating small frequent meals can keep energy high as blood sugar levels stay more steady. 

All foods give you energy but some foods contain nutrients that may increase energy naturally and help you maintain alertness and focus throughout the day.  It is a good idea to know which foods pack the biggest...

It would be nice if we could do that one magic thing to ensure we don't get sick.  The immune system is, as it's name suggests, a whole system which makes it hard to definitively conclude that we can do things do improve it.  While we can't completely avoid coming down with a sickness, studies show living a healthy lifestyle goes a long way in keeping the balance and harmony of our immune system.  Let's look at some immune system boosting options for this holiday season.      

Exercise to boost immune system

Physical activity is always beneficial to the body.  It's part of remaining a healthy human being.  Our bodies are made to move and that alone is reason to use them.  When looking at exercise as an immune system booster, getting the positive effects from it may not require as much as you think.  Exercising with a moderate level of exertion 3 times a week can give your immune system the boost it needs to fight off infections...

The holidays are a wonderful time of the year.  With the fun and excitement comes more to do, more places to be and more asked of our time.  Since we only have so much time in the day it's important to prioritize to avoid becoming run-down or getting sick.  Here are ways to prioritize through the holidays to feel healthy and happy.

Identify core values

Identifying what matters to you the most is a helpful start in identifying your core values.  These may be beliefs or values which guide the way you live your life.  What's most important to you?  Family, work, exercise, religion, health?

Which qualities do you admire?  Honesty, reliability, loyalty, integrity, candor, intelligence?  

When do you feel like yourself?  Make a list of your values.  Narrow them down to 3-5 values which are the most important for you.  These will be the values you prioritize your life by.  As you continue through the holidays, revisit your...

Before the pandemic, cold and flu season was a time many massage therapists took extra precautions around the office to stay healthy.  Today it's imperative massage therapists put strict sanitizing practices in place to keep clients and themselves healthy and safe.  Let's cover some ways to make your massage room the healthiest environment possible during COVID-19 and cold and flu season.  

Before the session

Take a look at your waiting area and massage room with new eyes.  Every piece of furniture, décor, and tools should have a purpose and be able to be sanitized frequently.  Remove any piece that collects dust or is hard to clean.  This may mean removing decorations which make the room feel more inviting but now is the time to get rid of them and only have bare essentials. 

Put signs reminding people to sanitize their hands around the massage room and waiting area.  Place hand sanitizer nearby. 

Due to COVID-19 some new...

The foam roller is a handy tool to have at home for self massage.  The more often you roll, the more awake your body feels and the more tension is relieved.  Bringing fresh blood flow to the muscles gives the same feeling of having a massage but allows your own mini sessions whenever you want.  Grab your roller or order one on amazon and let's get rolling.  

How to foam roll

When rolling or working on tight/sore muscles you will experience discomfort or pain. Think of it like the pain you get while stretching. It should be mild to moderately uncomfortable, but not unbearable, and when you are done it should feel better. Similar to while receiving a massage the pain scale 1-10 is used while foam rolling. With 1 being very little to no pain or discomfort and 10 being the worst pain you’ve ever experienced, you want to work within the 4-7 zone while foam rolling. Spend time on the areas that are sore. These are the areas that need work. Err on the side of...

During the COVID-19 pandemic massage therapy may or may not be available  depending where you live.  When services like massage are shut down we can think of alternatives and do the next best thing from our homes.  Foam rollers are easy to come by and many people already have one stuck in a closet somewhere.  Now is the time to find that foam roller and put it to use. 

Why foam roll

Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release, or self-massage, that rids the muscles of adhesions and makes connective tissue more pliable.  By foam rolling any given muscle, blood flow increases to that area which allows better mobility.  Muscles that have been worked, say from hiking, may feel some soreness the next day so foam rolling helps with recovery of those taxed muscles and may have them ready to use again sooner than if the muscle wasn't rolled. 

Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue covering every muscle. Adhesions may be present and can...

Why give homework

Give homework to keep people coming back.  Here's the thing.  After a client found you and made an appointment now it's your job to keep them booking time and time again.  Giving them a great massage is only part of what will keep them coming back.  By assigning homework you create a partnership with the client.  You are no longer having to "fix" them during an hour session every two weeks but now some accountability has shifted to them.  They are responsible for holding up their end of the partnership until it's time for their next appointment.  By assigning homework it shows you care what they are doing outside of the treatment room.  It shows that you are invested in their success and clients appreciate that!  You can even share your goals with them and that has them looking forward to the upcoming months with you.  Giving homework is an easy way to keep clients rebooking and get referrals for your massage...