Get Healthy in Waconia MN
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Adaptogens! Adaptogens are herbs that help your body adapt and respond to stress. Research has shown that with consistent daily use, adaptogens may help reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue, while increasing attention and endurance. Four adaptogenic herbs to explore:
Ashwagandha: This herb has been used in Ayurvedic Medicine for hundreds of years because of its calming and restorative properties. Taking this root can help the nervous and immune systems by balancing immune function and energy levels, relaxing the nervous system, supporting restful sleep, and balancing mood swings. Add Ashwagandha to your latte, tea or golden milk for a delightful treat. Holy Basil: Also known as Tulsi, this calming herb supports the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. It has an uplifting quality that many say brings a sense of peace and harmony. Typically used as a tea, holy basil has a mild, fresh flavor that can be enjoyed daily. Eleuthero: Eleuthero, also known as Siberian Ginseng, is revered by herbalists. With its light and sweet flavor, Eleuthero supports the endocrine system, lymph, balances energy levels, promotes mental clarity, and can normalizes stress hormones. Eleuthero, like other adaptogens, is not a quick fix. Give this ally some time and you too may find it to be a welcome herbal friend. If you have high blood pressure, this herb may not be right for you. Schisandra: Plump red berries from the Schisandra vine are known to support healthy function of the liver and kidneys and strengthen the cardiovascular, nervous, and respiratory systems. The powdered berries can be steeped to make a tea or rehydrated with warm water and mixed with a dab of honey to make a spread for toast. A Bonus Herb for seasonal support: In Spring, one of the most beneficial herbs known to herbalists is Stinging Nettle. This herb increases energy levels, supports immune, musculoskeletal and lymphatic health, supports the upper respiratory tract (especially as Spring and Summer plants and pollens emerge), promotes kidney health, and creates a feeling of overall well-being and vitality. Nettle can be taken as a supplement or enjoyed fresh as a tea or addition to salads, soups, stews or pesto. Safety Note: always check with your trusted doctor or medical provider to see if herbs are a safe choice for your unique health situation.
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Everyone experiences stress and fatigue at some point. Our bodies are built to handle a certain amount of physical and emotional stress, but sometimes it all just gets to be too much and the body can’t heal itself anymore. Stress comes in various forms. It can come from constant pressure at work or a stressful or traumatic experience or illness. It can easily cloud our minds with negative thoughts, making us feel anxious, frustrated, moody and out of balance.
One of the oldest traditions to heal and restore this balance to our mind, body and soul is the practice of Reiki healing. A Reiki therapist trained in this practice can greatly help clients with physical and emotional ailments, giving the body a chance to restore its own self-regulating healing mechanisms. What is Reiki? Reiki is a two-syllable Japanese word that translates to “cosmic energy”. It’s also referred to as “universal life force energy” and forms an invisible field that surrounds every person. As holistic healing and complementary therapies are becoming more acceptable as healing strategies in the medical world, the medical term “biofield” is used to describe this energy. A Reiki healing therapist will gently lay their hands on various locations on the body to promote relaxation and a sense of calm by transmitting natural healing vibrations. Reiki acts on the physical body as well as the mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. It can greatly reduce stress, anxiety, pain, emotional and negative energy blockages while increasing relaxation and establishing balance. Why does Reiki healing work? Research into the mechanism of vibrational Reiki healing is still ongoing and it’s still a largely unknown field. The results of one study have shown that Reiki is able to lower heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormone levels and increase immunity after a 30 minute session. Reiki healing engages with many of the body’s systems, but it’s believed that it is able to turn down our body’s stress response of “fight-and-flight”, and activate the parasympathetic “rest and restore” state. It also triggers a spiritual healing effect on a sub physical level, using it’s vibrational healing to encourage coherence and reduce discordance in our energy fields, using a Reiki therapist’s hands as a conduit. What are the benefits of a Reiki healing session? Always book a Reiki session with a professional and trained Reiki therapist. This will ensure you receive the best therapy and care. After a Reiki session you will feel energized, recharged with a flow of positive energy bringing relief and relaxation. Here’s the main benefits of Reiki:
Reiki is a powerful, but gentle energy healing practice that is safe for children, adults and even pets. A Reiki therapist will work with you and the cosmic energies surrounding you to help restore balance and harmony to your life. It is a practice increasing in popularity and acceptance and if you attend your session with an open mind, the benefits for your body, mind, and spiritual growth can be wonderful. References: https://reikiinmedicine.org/pdf/alt_therapies_reiki.pdf https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21080-reiki-self-treatment https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-07072014000401032 Let's face it; life is not easy. Quite frankly, it's stressful, and when you add being a modern-day superwoman/man to the mix, life goes from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds. Between climbing the corporate ladder, chauffeuring and raising well-adjusted kids, and being the partner every lifestyle magazine says you should be, life skips over stressful and becomes downright hard.
These daily, external assaults drain you physically and mentally, creating fissures for emotional and chronic pain to set up shop and wreak havoc on your entire being. Chronic Pain Manifestation is any discomfort lasting for greater than six months. More specifically, it is a physiological response to something abnormal in the body. Unlike acute pain, which will usually dissipate, allowing for a reasonable quality of life, chronic pain lingers and can continue long after injury or illness has been remedied (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). Chronic pain conditions range from headaches associated with migraines and stress to neuropathy, fibromyalgia, cancer, and back pain, to name a few. These conditions are painful. They can also be expensive to manage. Many of those with chronic pain employ prescription and over the counter medications, while never really experiencing sustained relief. Implications of chronic pain over time can lead to secondary conditions creating a burden for individuals suffering its impacts. If not addressed, chronic pain can be insidious. Eventually, it will find its way into your emotional state and quality of life, potentially resulting in depression, anxiety, sleep disruptions, dietary changes, low energy and widespread pain beyond the primary points of the chronic pain (Dahan, Velzen, & Niesters, 2014). As a result, you may find yourself operating on a thread, with only enough energy to ensure your family has some semblance of normalcy. At the same time, you may also inadvertently pull away from your family and social circle. Or, perhaps, find yourself even underperforming at work. Countering the toll of chronic pain, up to 85% of patients with chronic pain are affected by severe depression (Bair, Robinson, Katon, & Kroenke, 2003). Studies also demonstrate investing in self-care can limit the negative emotional and mental impact chronic pain can have (Sheng, Liu, Wang, Cui, & Zhang, 2017). By incorporating the following three self-care principles, you can create a personalized plan to manage your stress and protect your emotional and mental well-being. Safeguard Your Mental Health: Take note of triggers that bring about stressors in your life and meet them head-on. Tense muscles, usually in the upper and lower back and neck, nervous bowel (diarrhea caused by stress) and lack of sleep are only a few signs that stress is creeping in. Incorporating relaxation techniques such as intentional diaphragmatic breathing, massage, and meditation can support you in managing your mental state. Own Your Physical Being: Your physical body plays a vital role in overall health, and managing this aspect of self-care is critical to protecting your well-being. Ensuring a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate activity at least 3- 5 days per week, getting enough sleep, eating a well-balanced diet and drinking plenty of water are all steps toward an improved mental and emotional state. Lead with Positive Intent: Positive intent means not buying into your negative self-talk or negative feelings and talk placed on you by others. Each day, start and end with positive affirmations, such as "I have pain but pain does not have me" or "I managed my stress and made a difference at work today." You can do this with sticky notes on the fridge, a lip liner or dry erase marker message to yourself on the bathroom mirror or by writing a message to yourself as you leave, so you see it upon your return. If that's a bit much, try making yourself a gratitude jar. Write something down each day that you're grateful for, and at the end of the week, during your "me" time, read the messages. Gratitude, though underrated, offers tremendous emotional and mental benefits to those who practice it, including improving happiness and overall health (Harvard Health Publishing, n.d.). By taking the time to recharge and invest in you, you set yourself up to be the best version of yourself today and for years to come. References: Bair, M. J., Robinson, R. L., Katon, W., & Kroenke, K. (2003). Depression and Pain Comorbidity. Archives of Internal Medicine, 163(20), 2433. doi:10.1001/archinte.163.20.2433 Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Acute Pain vs. Chronic Pain: What it is & Differences. Retrieved July 06, 2020, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12051-acute-vs-chronic-pain Dahan, A., Velzen, M. V., & Niesters, M. (2014). Comorbidities and the Complexities of Chronic Pain. Anesthesiology, 121(4), 675- 677. doi:10.1097/aln.0000000000000402 Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). Giving thanks can make you happier. Retrieved July 07, 2020, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can- make-you-happier Improving Chronic Illness Care. (n.d.). The Chronic Care Model. Retrieved July 06, 2020, from http://www.improvingchroniccare.org/index.php?p=Self-Management_Support Sheng, J., Liu, S., Wang, Y., Cui, R., & Zhang, X. (2017). The Link between Depression and Chronic Pain: Neural Mechanisms in the Brain. Neural Plasticity, 2017, 1-10. doi:10.1155/2017/9724371 Massage cupping, or just ‘cupping’ crops up in the news and celebrity pages every now and again, as there are some well-known fans of this treatment, which is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques. It’s a massage technique that’s becoming popular in spas and clinics over the country, and it’s one that can be really great for your overall health.
So, what exactly is massage cupping? It’s a healing therapy which was developed thousands of years ago, and involves placing glass, bamboo or plastic jars onto your skin, creating a vacuum which sucks the tissue underneath into the jar. The suction is designed to help boost circulation, relieve pain, and help to stimulate removal of toxins. Despite having the word ‘massage’ in its name, it’s actually the opposite of normal massage. In traditional massage, a therapist will apply different types of pressure to your muscles and connective tissues. With cupping, the therapist uses suction instead, which pulls skin, muscles and tissues upwards. What happens during a massage cupping treatment? Cupping works well on fleshier areas of the body so it’s common for a treatment to involve the back. It’s supposed to be pleasant and relaxing so you shouldn’t feel any discomfort. As the cup is placed on your body, you may feel a tightening sensation, but if you do start to feel any discomfort at all, your therapist will move the cups around elsewhere. Depending on the reason for your treatment, the cups are left in place for varying amounts of time. A cupping treatment is unique to your needs on the day you have it, so your ‘routine’ may well change as different health needs arise. After a cupping session, your skin may turn red, purple or blue – this is more likely if you have any kind of energy blockage in that area. It usually only lasts a few days but it can last longer, even up to a few weeks if there’s an injury, but it shouldn’t hurt. Once the marks have disappeared, you can have another session, until the health issue you’ve been treating is resolved. Are there different types of massage cupping? Yes, there are a few different methods, but the two you’ll be most likely to come across are fixed cupping and moving cupping. In fixed cupping, the cups are placed on one area of your body and not moved once they are in place. Moving cupping has more of a massage element as the therapist will use massage oil or cream along with the cups, placing the cups over the areas to be treated and then sliding them around – this type of session is often used for a back treatment. What is cupping good for? Cupping is a good all-round spa therapy and is great if you suffer from:
Are you the type of person who puts off getting a massage? Do you think that if nothing actually hurts, you don’t need to worry about it? Many people think the same way and then end up at the massage clinic in pain.
Massage is wonderful if you do have an injury or are already in pain, but why wait until there’s something wrong before you take action? Massage can be part of your preventative therapy, a way to stop aches and pains from developing into anything more serious. Keep on keeping on If you, like most of us, have to work for a living, looking after your back and your musculoskeletal system will save you and your employer a lot of stress and money in the future. It’s frightening, but did you know that according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010, a staggering thirty-one million Americans say that they are dealing with the symptoms of low back pain at any one time, costing over $50 million dollars in conventional medical treatments, worker’s compensation, and absence from work? Why risk it when a study that was carried out in 2011 proved that having regular lower back massages helped to relieve the pain before it got to the stage where it needed medication or taking time off from work? Stress busting massage Another cause of time off work is stress and/or anxiety, so you’ll be pleased to hear that a regular massage session can help you beat the build-up of stress and keep you calmer for longer. It’s well known that many conditions are brought on or made worse by stress. Scheduling time for regular massage therapy helps to lower your body’s cortisol levels and increase happy hormones serotonin and dopamine, which puts you in a better mood. On top of this, it’s also thought that because massage helps to get your lymph fluid moving, it can help boost your immunity. This means less coughs, colds and illnesses, which is all good. Beat the pain of inactivity I know, most of us can’t help it, but the average American sits still for eight or nine hours every single day. If your job means that you have no choice but to sit at a wheel or desk, it will pull your shoulders forward and cause them to become rounded. This has the effect of weakening your upper and lower back muscles, which is why you’ll be feeling that pain in your upper body. If you can manage to get up regularly to do some exercise and team this with a regular massage, your posture will thank you and you should reduce any pain you feel from sitting still for so long during working hours. Have we convinced you to make a massage part of your regular routine? Of course, it’s not all about preventing illness or relieving pain, having a massage is a comforting and beneficial therapy in itself. Many people book regular massage therapy sessions just because they know they will leave the clinic with a smile on their face, feeling amazing. It sounds like a joke, doesn’t it? You rarely hear the words ‘mood boosting’ and ‘sofa’ together, but after a long hard day, too many of us collapse onto our sofas, exhausted or in a bad mood from whatever stresses our busy day has handed us.
If you’re like me, once you’re down, the chances of you getting up are slim. So let’s take a look at some easy and quick things we can do to revive ourselves.
Massage and stretching are both recommended for muscle recovery. But how do they relate to one another? Which one works best and when?
Massage: Massage therapy is the manipulation of muscles, ligaments and connective tissue. · Promotes faster healing of strained muscles · Reduces swelling and the formation of scar tissue · Relieves stiffness and tension of muscles · Helps rehabilitate injuries · Reduces stress, anxiety and fatigue Stretching: Stretching works to counteract tightness and tension built up in muscles that have been working. Stretching while moving or holding a stretch increases blood flow and range of motion, which helps joints stay aligned and muscles to move more effectively. Stretching and massage work together to keep your muscles flexible and feeling great, this is especially true as we age! Daily stretching to the point of feeling a slight strain will increase your flexibility in just a few weeks. Regular massage helps to keep your body relaxed and flexible. Massage can also release trigger points and muscles in spasm, making your stretching routine even more effective. --bye for now! Many people get a massage to relax and reduce their stress caused by daily life, but massages aren’t just great for relaxation. They also help to relieve the symptoms of many medical and lifestyle conditions. Here are just a few ways massage can help you and improve your health!
Massage therapy helps people with a variety of physical problems. By relieving muscle tension, nerve compression and increasing joint space people generally report reduced pain and increased range of motion. Massage also increases circulation! Your entire body needs oxygen and nutrients but it’s important that the oxygen can get to your muscles. If enough oxygen doesn’t get to your muscles, you’ll start to experience some muscle pain, tightness and cramps. The circulatory effects of getting a massage may also even help inflammation problems you may have, such as arthritis or edema. Massage is a wonderfully relaxing experience. While providing relaxation, it can also lower the heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. Not only that, but it boosts the immune system, and decreases the physical and even the mental toll of ongoing stress. It is important that you know what type of massage you should get for a health issue. Be sure to tell your therapist about your health goals to get the best type of massage and a treatment plan specific to your needs! -bye for now! Having a good stretch once or twice a day feels good and can help prevent injuries (flexible muscles can do more), improve your posture (and as a result help with back pain), increase blood and nutrients to your muscles, and help you to feel less stressed.
Here's what I do:
Other Quick Stretches (you can do these at your desk)
I bet you are feeling better already! Also check out You Tube for some quick stretching routines:
-bye for now If you are not extremely busy in today’s society, you are the exception and not the rule. We are all in high gear; we overextend, overachieve, and over-stress ourselves to the point of breaking. This can have lasting negative effects on our health! Here are a few ways to break the cycle:
Gratitude It is so easy to be upset when things do not go our way. From the moment we spill our coffee, lock our keys in the car, and forget our lunch, a spiral of circumstances can set us off into a tailspin of negativity. We can choose to stay in a state of discontent and let that dictate our day, or we can be grateful for the other things in our lives even if they are not present in front of us right now. Did you ever notice that when something nice happens, we tend to smile for a moment and then move on? However, when something goes wrong, we feel the need to tell everyone and anyone that will listen. It is in those exact moments that we need to focus on what we are grateful for, and that is how we can instantly change our perspective and attitude. Choose to do something nice for someone else and see how this changes how you feel. Keeping the focus on gratitude offers your mind something to smile about, regardless of outside circumstances. Focusing on people, places, and even things that make you grateful, gives your mind a break from stress! Stillness Everyone has a busy schedule; that is a fact. We all tend to create schedules that are overflowing and then complain that we do not have time for ourselves! Take a good hard look at your schedule and see what you can delete and what you can delegate. If you are going to have a healthy mind, you need to take care of it just as you would your body, and that means giving it some rest. One tip for quieting your mind is to put it on your schedule. Put it in big red pen on your calendar, text yourself a reminder, and place it on your list of things to do this week. For some it might be getting a massage, trying a new meditation class or just going for a walk by yourself and being in nature. Whatever feels best for you, Do That. Take time for you. Stay in the Moment Being in the moment has become a cliché; however, if you really take the time to focus on what it means, you can start to practice quietening your mind. Focus on what you are doing at the exact moment you are doing it. If you are washing a dish focus on the water, the soap bubbles and the dish in your hand. For others it may be breathing techniques, meditation or prayer time. When you take time to do this, you will be in the moment and not two days from now when something big is scheduled. To schedule an appointment and take some time for you, call the office 952-443-3710 or click here to request your next massage session http://www.berelaxedmn.com/schedule-here.html -bye for now |
Julie Stevens
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