Tag: Massage

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5 Ways to Relieve Pain Naturally

You may have heard that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued strong warnings about regularly using non-aspirin non-steroidal painkillers, like Aleve, Advil, and Motrin. Apparently, these increase your chance for heart problems or strokes. So, how can you reduce pain naturally?

One: Acupuncture

Acupuncture, which uses tiny needles inserted into your skin to target your body’s trigger points, corrects imbalances in your body’s natural energy flow. Acupuncture has been proven to aid the body’s healing process and reduce both chronic and acute pain.

Two: CBD Products

Cannabidiol (CBD) products such as topical CBD creams are gaining popularity for those seeking safe alternatives for pain relief. Extracted from hemp,  CBD isolate can be added to creams to alleviate aches and pains.

Three: Yoga

 Practicing Yoga offers natural pain relief by maintaining flexibility in muscles, joints, and other soft tissues through regular range-of-motion movements and poses. It’s also an effective stress-reliever!

Four: Meditation

Meditation is an effective way to reduce and relieve chronic pain. Even practicing meditation for only ten minutes a day can decrease stress levels and induce a feeling of calmness in addition to alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Five: Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a great alternative to pain relief medications (are you really surprised by this?). Massage releases the muscle tension that restricts blood flow and causes many headaches, neck pain, and backaches. Massage therapy has been proven to relieve muscle tightness but also reduces pain from many chronic conditions because endorphins and toxins are released through massage.

Schedule Your All-Natural Pain Relief Session Today

Schedule your appointment today and let’s increase the quality of your life!

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Massage and Your Chakras: The Root of it All

Because we’re made up of energy, we’re all connected. Our energy centers, called chakras, are where we spiritually, emotionally, and physically own our energy.

What are Chakras?

In the Indian yogic traditions, chakras are perceived as locations where personalities interface and energetic exchanges occur.

When you experience disease, it’s typically from a blockage or suppression of energy in any given chakra. A blocked energy center reduces your circulation in that physical location, causing a decrease in blood flow. This decrease weakens tissue, priming the affected area for injury or disease. This mechanism translates emotions, thoughts, and beliefs into physical manifestations. Systemic opening and clearing of chakras maintains circulation and renews the blood supply, encouraging a return to health. And (you guessed it) that’s where massage comes in!

Each of the chakras can be positively impacted by massage.

In this series, we’ll explore the chakras one by one.

First Chakra (Root Chakra)

The root chakra is responsible for our physical existence. It’s concerned with survival, keeping us rooted in the present moment, and heightening our awareness of possible threats to our existence. The primary role of the root chakra centers on the protective nature of our sense of smell, as it alerts us to anything noxious or toxic.

  • Color = red
  • Element = earth
  • Sense = smell
  • Body Parts = spinal column, bone, teeth, and nails
  • Glands = adrenal glands
  • Location = pelvis

The root chakra provides energy to your adrenal glands, which controls your fight or flight response. Energy from this chakra is also responsible for maintaining the nervous and circulatory systems.

When your root chakra is balanced, you feel:

  • Grounded
  • Secure
  • Safe
  • Content

Signs that your root chakra is not balanced are you feel:

  • Ungrounded
  • Unclear of Purpose
  • Fearful
  • Insecure
  • Confused

When this chakra is blocked, you may experience:

  • Constipation
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Obesity
  • Sciatica
  • Arthritis
  • Knee trouble
  • Anorexia
  • Suicidal tendencies

Massage loosens muscles in your upper and lower back, gluteus maximus, and hamstrings, releasing blocked energy in the root chakra. Use of essential oils, like cedarwood, frankincense, myrrh, patchouli, and vetiver, increase massage benefits by aligning your root chakra on the wheel of energy.

Schedule your appointment today to unblock your root chakra.

 

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3 Ideas on How To Be Generous With Yourself

Busy people often put their self care last on their list of to-do items. It is something that can be viewed as a luxury, and only completed if all the other items are crossed off of their list. It comes as no surprise that entrepreneurs, business owners, and parents put in long hours, finding little time to care for themselves. Are you one of these people?

Remember, especially during the bustling holiday season, if you don’t take care of yourself properly, you are inviting illness, stress, and fatigue into your home. We’ve come up with three ideas on how to be generous with yourself to ensure you are operating at full capacity through the new year.

1. Soak in a Himalayan Salt Bath
Salt baths are excellent for helping to detox your body by reducing inflammation, stimulating oxygen and blood flow, and aiding in weight loss. Himalayan salt is known to help balance hormones, boost immunity, and regulate blood pressure.

Short on time? No problem, you don’t need to cram an appointment at the spa into your already packed schedule. You can experience all the benefits of a luxurious bath in the comforts of your own home. After you put the kids in bed, respond to emails, wrap presents, or prep for your morning meeting, draw yourself a bath and add Himalayan salt to it. Make sure to keep the water at body temperature to fully experience the work of the salts.

2. Mix it Up with Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy uses concentrated essential oils in a variety of ways to harmonize the mind, body, and spirit while promoting health and providing balance. By knowing which essential oils to use and how to properly blend them, you can experience their healing properties to the fullest.

When putting the oils in a diffuser, you take in the aromas that send messages to your nervous system and the part of your brain that controls emotions. When mixing the concentrated essential oils with a base oil, you can apply them topically, allowing your skin to absorb them.

3. Experience a Massage
Whether you go to Miracles Massage to experience one of our custom designed massages, or have your partner give you a gentle rub down at home, treat yourself to the benefits of massage.

Need a little reminder on some of those incredible benefits? Massage is known to:

  • relieve pain and stress,
  • aid depression and anxiety,
  • boost immunity,
  • soothe migraines,
  • ease menstrual cramping and PMS, and
  • improve sleep.

It is very common, especially around the holidays, for people to focus on everyone and everything around them except for themselves. We are in a perpetual giving mode, yet we forget to give a little generosity, warmth, and kindness to ourselves. Don’t forget to give yourself the gift of relaxation and tranquility.    

For more ways on how to be generous with yourself or suggestions for aromatherapy that might be right for you, contact us today!

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25 Ways to Express Gratitude Anytime

November sparks the feelings of gratitude and appreciation for the people and things in our lives, more so than any other time of year. While this season of giving reminds us to be thankful, we don’t have to limit ourselves to sharing our feelings once a year. It is something that should be a part of our everyday life. Showing your appreciation for someone doesn’t need to be a big production. It can be as simple as saying ‘thank you’.

Not sure where to start? Here are 25 thoughtful ways to express your gratitude through simple kindness any time.

1. Email or text your significant other telling them why they’re so dreamy.
2. Tell someone who deserves it all the reasons you value them.
3. Send a note through the postal mail, just because.
4. Give a busy friend a night off and make them a meal.
5. Take a bottle of wine to your bestie’s house and have an impromptu laughfest.
6. Give genuine compliments.
7. Be a generous tipper next time you go out to eat.
8. Send flowers to someone who needs a little pick-me-up.
9. Give your sick buddy a basket filled with supplies like chicken noodle soup, orange juice, kleenex, and cough medicine.
10. Leave an assortment of essential oils on the desk of a stressed-out coworker (ask us for suggestions!)
11. Give to your favorite charity in honor of someone you love.
12. Pay it forward for the teenage boy at the gas pump searching for loose change in his car.
13. Offer to take a picture for a group of friends.
14. Encourage someone who feels like they are failing.
15. Play yet another round in a game with a small child even when you tire of it.
16. Thank a teammate for their part in a project.
17. Kiss your partner like you mean it.
18. Rake your neighbor’s leaves.
19. Invite a someone who recently lost a spouse over for dinner.
20. Help an older person with their groceries.
21. Slip your child’s teacher a $5 gift card.
22. Write a thank you note to your local police and fire stations. (Where would we be without them?)
23. Give encouraging words to the weary-looking mother of multiple children trying to get through the grocery store or Target.
24. Compliment you HOA representatives for caring so much about your community.
25. Give the gift of massage to someone who could use a little relaxation time.

After reading this list, have you noticed it is hard to separate being grateful and sharing kindness with others? Us too. When you stop to think about all the love and joy in your own life, it’s hard not to want to share that with others, making them feel a similar kind of happiness. So don’t save your cheer for the holidays, spread it every day.

For more ideas on how to express gratitude, contact us today!

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The #1 Key Ingredient After Massage

Source: Adobe Stock

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Thanks, got it.

But do you really?

Massage therapists encourage their clients to drink plenty of water after a massage to rehydrate themselves. Ever wonder why? Is it just to prevent sore muscles? Because it’s a holistic approach to physical well-being? No, and yes.

We recommend drinking water after a massage because tight muscles (a common reason people see a massage therapist) constrict circulation, blocking metabolic waste. As muscles are kneaded and relaxed, fluid is able to flow through the circulatory system, traveling to your kidneys, awaiting release. (*hint: This is why you feel the sensation to urinate after a massage.)

Water makes up about 60% of your body weight. Knowing how much fluid to drink can be tricky as it varies per person. You know your body best. However, pay attention to the warning signs your body sends when it becomes dehydrated.

Signs of dehydration include:

  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Dry mouth
  • Dark colored urine

Also, make a note that while caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee do count toward your daily fluid intake, you must use caution because they are a mild diuretic. You may want to check out a health hydration guide for yourself. Also, be aware that because massage increases circulation, drinking alcohol soon after a session will have a stronger effect on your body.

Drinking water after a massage helps to flush waste products out of your body. If you don’t rehydrate yourself and the metabolic waste is not released properly, your muscles will likely stiffen and become sore.

We’ve heard a lot of people complain that they don’t drink water because it is tasteless. Boring. Bland. Well, put those thinking caps on, people. Open up your fridge and concoct a taste treat for yourself using your favorite flavors.

We’ll start you off with an easy recipe. Pinterest is loaded with suggestions for fruit-infused water combinations to help aid weight loss and immune support; you name it, it’s there awaiting your search.

Hydrate Me, Baby

Lemon, Cucumber, and Mint Infused Water
Ingredients: lemon, cucumber, a sprig of fresh mint, water

Process:
1. Slice fruit
2. Gently muddle ingredients together in the bottom of your container to release their juices
3. Add water to fill the container

That’s it! Drink up. For best results, let the water sit for a few hours so the ingredients can fully blend together.

Each session at Miracles Massage is adapted to meet your specific needs. Schedule your session today, and remember to drink lots of water this summer!

 

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7 Essential Oils to Try

Incorporating aromatherapy and corresponding essential oils into your daily life is a game changer for many people. These elements are known to speed up the healing process, boost cognitive performance, strengthen the immune system, increase circulation, and improve moods. Who wouldn’t want to experience these amazing benefits?

Aromatherapy, for many who use it, is a mix of science and art. It can be fun to blend oils together, creating combinations that work best for you. However, you must be informed before you grab random oils and start mixing to avoid negative side effects. Some of the most popular essential oils can easily be found at your local pharmacy or health food store.

Source: AdobeStock

Blending oils create synergy. For example, lavender oil on its own is wonderfully relaxing. When you add to it tangerine, bergamot, geranium, cypress, frankincense, and chamomile oils, you’ve just whipped up a soothing combination for an insomniac. Pair that together with the benefits of massage and you just may send them to sleepy town.

For regular use, it is important to know which oils may trigger allergies by paying close attention to your own body’s reaction. It is also extremely important to properly dilute the oils with a base oil, lotion, or water.

If you are brand new to aromatherapy, choosing essential oils may be overwhelming. Luckily, many brands have already paired oils together with handy labels explaining their specially designed outcome. We’ve also put together a list of seven popular reasons people turn to aromatherapy and some of the essential oils you may want to try. (Please note, the oils listed here are individual, not suggested blends.)

7 Common Reasons to Use Aromatherapy and Essential Oils to Try

  1. Relieve stress
    Oils to try: frankincense, rose, lavender, bergamot, Roman chamomile
  2. Decrease joint pain and sore muscle
    Oils to try: frankincense, geranium, ginger, peppermint, lavender
  3. Boost energy
    Oils to try: lemon, peppermint
  4. Aid congestion
    Oils to try: eucalyptus, peppermint
  5. Combat sleep problems
    Oils to try: lavender, roman chamomile
  6. Ease menstrual cramping
    Oils to try: Roman chamomile, clary sage, geranium, neroli
    *Try fennel for menstrual irregularities
  7. Reduce stomach discomfort
    Oils to try: fennel, ginger, bergamot

Anyone can benefit from aromatherapy. Our goal is to best serve the individual needs of our clients. If you are an overworked mom in need of stress relief, or a weekend warrior recovering from an injury, we will find the right essential oils for you. Contact us today to schedule your next session.

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Aromatherapy 101: What Is It and How to Use Essential Oils

Source: AdobeStock

Many people are unclear on what exactly aromatherapy is and the healing powers it offers. Are you one of them? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Buckle up as we give you a quick overview of the benefits of aromatherapy and how to use essential oils.

Looking in the Rearview

Aromatherapy has been around for centuries. It was used for medicinal and religious practices among Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman people, among others. Essential oils were also used to treat American soldiers for wounds and burns during WWI. However, sometime in the 1980s aromatherapy became more widespread and popular in American society. Aromatherapy is linked with Aristotle’s belief that matter is made up of four elements: fire, earth, air, and water.

True essential oils are extracted from various parts of plants like leaves, flowers, stems, bark, seeds, and roots, and then distilled. These concentrated oils are used in a variety of ways to promote health, provide balance, and harmonize the mind, body, and spirit.

How Aromatherapy Works

Our sense of smell is powerful. It can trigger emotions and memories transporting us to another time or even reminding us of a special someone. As we inhale through our nose, we take in aromas that send messages to our nervous system and the part of our brains that control emotions. Knowing which essential oils to use, how to blend them, and how to use them properly is important so you can obtain the oil’s healing properties to the fullest.

Now that you know the history of aromatherapy and how it works, let’s chat about how to use the oils so you can stimulate the different parts of your body (physically, emotionally, and mentally) to improve your experience.

How to Use Essential Oils

  1. Mix with base oils and lotions. Once extracted, the oils are highly concentrated. You only need a few drops of essential oil to be mixed in with base oils, or an unscented lotion, before massaging into your skin. Applying the concentrated oils directly to the skin could cause skin irritation or reactions.
  2. Breathe in the oils. By adding a few drops in a diffuser or an oil warmer you can spread the scent of the oils around your home or office gently. You may also try dropping a little oil into the melted wax of an unscented candle for a similar outcome.
  3. Soak in a bath. Create a spa experience at home. Add a couple of oil drops to your bath water and be prepared to find yourself in a little oasis. When adding essential oil to your bath water, not only are you able to breathe in the fragrance, your body also absorbs the oil.

When pairing massage with aromatherapy, you can receive the therapeutic effects of the oils as well as the incredible benefits of the massage itself. It’s a magical combination that you will thank yourself for after each session.

Whether you massage your partner at home or schedule your appointment with us today, you absolutely must try it!

To learn more about essential oils, and the benefits of aromatherapy in massage, contact us!

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It’s Time to Celebrate

It’s our anniversary and it’s time to celebrate! The doors of Miracles Massage opened six short months ago. Time truly flies when you treat so many fantastic clients. It’s been our pleasure to help an incredible collection of people find relaxation, comfort, and peace as we, together, work through sore muscles, kinks, pains, and frustrations.

We believe that massage is therapeutic and an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, especially when partnered with essential oils. We value taking the time to know each client personally so we are better able to customize each massage session to fit individual needs.

Thank you for your friendship, loyalty, and encouragement during this time!

No matter the culture or tradition, people have the same universal experiences of love, joy, success, sacrifice, pain, overwhelm, and determination. For this reason, we all celebrate the good in our lives in similar ways. Miracles Massage is thrilled to celebrate our six month anniversary.

Did you know it is important to acknowledge and honor the significant moments in our lives because it helps to keep you motivated toward your goals? It’s true so we encourage you to celebrate your milestones, too.

People celebrate for all kinds of reasons, primarily for happy occasions like marriages, the birth of a child, professional or personal victories and milestones. Why? Because it helps to provide us with

(1) a sense of community,
(2) a sense meaning,
(3) fond memories, and
(4) fun and excitement in our lives.

Celebrating helps to bond with family, friends, and coworkers enabling us to connect on a deeper level. It’s a time when people can let their hair down, cut loose, and let go of the demands of everyday life.

Whatever the occasion, come celebrate with us. You deserve it. We will help you to feel your best so schedule your customized massage today!

It is incredible to think of the many wonderful and inspirational people who have come into our lives. We are grateful for each of you. Here’s looking forward to at least the next six months with you!

Namaste.

 

 

 

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The #1 Reason Relaxation Needs to be a Priority for Parents

Source: Adobe

The jury is in. Research proves that moms aren’t the only ones having a hard time striking the perfect work-life balance. Modern dads are increasingly skipping Z’s at night, regular exercise, healthy eating habits, and much-needed relaxation time. As a result, both parents are feeling stressed and burned out.

A recent Stress in America survey showed the biggest stress triggers for adults are money, work, the economy, family responsibilities, and health. With the increase of both parents working outside of the home, both mom and dad are likely to feel the negative impact of stress on their bodies like:

  • being distracted rather than mentally present in conversations;
  • irritable or angry;
  • depressed;
  • having a lack of interest and motivation;
  • fatigue;
  • and insomnia.

Furthermore, people who experience chronic stress are at risk for long-term repercussions.

Many parents today fall into the trap of thinking that they can’t afford to take time for themselves or they feel guilty if they do. It is difficult to excel in work and at home when you’re overworked. Moms and dads alike put everyone else first. Rather than allowing stress to take control, it’s time for parents to take back their health.

Strategies to prevent burnout include:

  1. Preventing mental overload by scheduling regular “me time”. This looks different for everyone. Maybe it is booking a massage, getting up early to exercise, settling down with a good book before bed, or taking a few minutes to do a 3 o’clock stretch. Whatever it takes!
  2. Replace anxiety with plausible solutions. Rather than lying awake at night thinking about all the things you want to accomplish, make a to-do list and tackle items one-by-one. (Don’t forget to be realistic about the items on your list and be gentle with yourself if you can’t accomplish them all.)
  3. Establish a regular routine to improve your health. If it is once a day, once a week, or once a month, find time to treat your body well. Figure out what works for you and make your health a priority.

We live in a society that demands us to give 100% of ourselves to everything and everyone. It’s simply not realistic and certainly not healthy. If parents don’t make time for themselves to unwind after a stressful day, they will surely experience burnout.

Don’t rely on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day for a reason to pamper yourself. Moms and Dads work hard every day, not just one day out of a year. Make yourself a priority so you can easily handle life’s many hiccups without feeling overwhelmed.

Contact us today and we’ll find a massage routine that works for you so you can’t get back to being the relaxed parents, spouses, and employees you wish to be!

 

 

 

 

 

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4 Peeps Who Will Benefit From Touch in Massage

Massage has many benefits to the human body. People book a massage for a variety of reasons whether they need a day of rest and relaxation or because they are experiencing pain and want a healing touch to help their recovery. This month we celebrated Mother’s Day, but the observance doesn’t need to end with the day. In fact, we can look around at the fabulous women in our lives who would greatly benefit from a little TLC and the power of touch through massage.

Here are four women in your life who would be thrilled by an expression of your appreciation:

1. Your Bestie
Your BFF has been with you through it all. You’ve laughed until your stomachs ached, cried together when one of you was hurt, and swapped meals and kids when one of you was ill. Why not help your powerhouse friend get her pampering on by unleashing her inner beautiful self with the outer secret beauty benefits of massage?

2. New Moms
Your favorite niece just had her first baby. Hooray! Mom and baby are both seemingly well. But did you know that mothers who receive postpartum massages are said to have a quicker recovery? Childbirth strains a woman’s entire body, but particularly her abdomen, lower back, and hips. C-sections can also take a toll on the body, as it is major surgery. Massage is known for helping to alleviate symptoms associated with the baby blues and depression, especially when paired with essential oils.

3. Teachers
Teachers have an incredibly difficult job that often leaves them exhausted, sore, and feeling unappreciated. They spend long hours on their feet, leaning over student desks in odd positions, unnaturally bending to hear questions, and squatting next to a child who is having difficulty. As a result, their bodies ache from head to foot. As you thank your child’s teacher for a job well done, take the usual year-end gift a little further by giving her a massage that will ease the tension in her shoulders and neck. You may consider asking a few parents to contribute to the gift as you send your child’s teacher into a blissfully relaxing summer break.

4. A Friend in Need
Spread a little sunshine to a friend in need. One of your gal pals may be going through a divorce, can’t find peace with a troubled child, or was recently diagnosed with an illness. Perhaps she recently lost a parent, made a poor career move, or is overwhelmed with motherhood. Whatever the case, your friend could use a little all-expense paid retreat.

All massages are customized to our clients’ specific needs. For more information, contact us today!