February 2019 -

February 23, 2019February 17, 2019

Massage or MFR?

You may have heard talk about a practice called Myofascial Release, which is a complementary, holistic practice to massage. But what is fascia anyway?

Fascia is the strong, fibrous, connective tissue the envelops and isolates muscles, providing the body what a structural support system. Picture a web of thin, yet strong, fibers running throughout your body. Fascia has three layers starting with superficial fascia just under your skin. The last layer is called subserous fascia, and it’s located deep within your body.

If you’ve ever deskinned a chicken breast, you’ve encountered fascia–it’s the fibrous connective tissue just beneath the skin.

What is MFR?

MFR usually begins with a gentle massage designed to warm and loosen muscles. As an MFR therapist works, she identifies areas of tension which call out for additional attention. Sometimes MFR can be intense, unlocking log buried emotions and associated wounds. Once any stiffness or soreness subsides, the client feels a deeper sense of well-being.

Myofascial Release, or MFR, is a type of soft tissue massage that incorporates stretching muscles and connective tissue. Just like I had to receive training and certification to perform massage, MFR practitioners must log hours in the classroom and in practice before receiving their certification.

Is MFR a Kind of Massage?

Although MFR uses gentle massage to begin a session and operates on similar principles that people hole stress in their muscles, MFR is different than a massage. MFR focuses on areas of blockage and tension, to release the fascia, which then frees up the muscle.

MFR tends to hone in on one or two specific areas. The MFR therapist may only stretch a muscle lightly in order to gain access to the fascia. The MFR process is quite slow and deliberate. MFR clients describe the feeling of fascia loosening as though they were melting and going deeper.

Massage + MFR

Because massage and MFR are complementary practices, you could include both in your wellness practice. If you’re working with an MFR therapist, let me know so we can support you together, providing optimal benefits. To book your massage with me, click here!

February 16, 2019February 17, 2019

Gas, Bloating, and IBS, Oh My!

We’re guessing that most of you schedule an appointment with me to address tight muscles, aching back, excessive stress, or to enjoy a little pampering. These are awesome reasons to schedule regular massage sessions. But what about other benefits, like to your digestive system?

Upset tummies can be helped with massage.

A brief anatomy lesson

Are you ready for a short anatomy lesson? Don’t worry—there’s no exam! As food passes through your digestive tract, your intestine muscles involuntarily contract. This process is called peristalsis, and it can be thrown off by a whole host of issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, mineral deficiencies, and others. What happens next, you ask? Well, all sorts of unpleasantness unfold such as diarrhea, colitis, gas, bloating, and other bowel-related dis-ease.

Digestive benefits of massage

Here’s where the unsung benefits of massage to your digestive system come into play. A full body massage works to prevent digestive issues by stimulating the involuntary contractions of the intestine, moving things along. A massage also rids the body of toxins—that’s why it’s imperative to drink lots of water after a massage—and increases the release of certain enzymes, both of which have a positive impact on your digestive system.

Let’s see if we can help

If you’ve worked with a medical professional to ensure that there are no serious underlying medical issues, consider how a massage might resolve digestion challenges in a holistic, natural way. Book time with us to see if we can make you a whole lot more comfortable!

February 7, 2019February 7, 2019

Does Your Liver Need a Good Cleaning?

Ah, the liver—an unsung hero of your lymphatic system. Did you know the liver is the largest digestive-exocrine gland in the body? It has over 500 functions! That means it has a tremendous amount of influence over your body. When your liver is out of balance and in need of a good cleaning, you might feel a lack of stamina or have out-of-whack hormones. You might crave sugar, have joint pain, be overweight, have bloating and gas, feel stressed or anxious, and have bad breath.

Ways to support your liver

There are ways to naturally detox your liver and mbg health has several ideas.

Alcohol, food intolerance (to dairy, gluten, sugar, and more), allergies, medications, and infections all lead to “dirty” livers. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it’s easy to keep your liver clean by doing the following:

Drink lots of water (a good rule of thumb for how much water to drink daily is to take your body weight and divide by two, leaving you with the number of ounces to drink every day). Hot water with lemon goes a step further to support your lymphatic system.
Take supplements like Milk Thistle and Turmeric.
Enjoy an Epson salt bath.
Eat liver-friendly foods, like salmon, leafy greens, lentils, fermented foods, beets, blueberries, artichokes. Green tea also promotes liver health.
Get regular deep tissue massages, which support lymphatic drainage, removing toxins built up in your body.

Schedule your massage appointment today!

If you’d like to learn more about how to cleanse your liver through massage, schedule an appointment today!