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If you want to avoid getting the cold and/or flu, it all comes down to your lifestyle. There are a variety of things you can do or avoid doing each day that will reduce your risk as much as possible.
Wash Your Hands Regularly This continues to be one of the best ways to prevent the cold, flu, and other viruses you get from human contact. If you wash your hands often enough, even minor contact with others who have the cold or flu won’t affect you. It is typically when you shake hands with someone who has the flu virus, then touch your nose or mouth, when you get the virus yourself. Wash your hands whenever you get the opportunity to do so, and use antibacterial soap each time if it is available to you. Eat a Healthy Diet You also want to keep getting enough nutrients and vitamins into your system to help build a barrier against bacteria and viruses that lead to the cold and flu. You can do this by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. Try to go for fresh, whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. With this making up the bulk of your diet, you will be getting plenty of nutrients to help prevent the cold and flu. Get Moderate Exercise Don’t forget about exercise! This isn’t just good for weight loss and improving your heart health, but can actually boost your immune system. When you have a stronger immune system, you have a better resistance to colds and other similar illnesses. Try to walk a few days a week or get other forms of moderate exercise on a regular basis. Have a Clean Workspace Not only will washing your hands help to prevent the cold and flu, but having a clean workspace also helps tremendously. In the workplace, no matter where you work, there is a risk of germs and bacteria spreading between co-workers. Try to keep antibacterial wipes at your desk, wiping down surfaces as often as needed, from the edge of your desk, to your phone and keyboard. Take Your Vitamins Lastly, if you struggle with your diet, you might not be getting enough nutrients to help prevent the cold and flu viruses from affecting your body. Taking extra vitamins and supplements can ensure you have the proper vitamin E, echinacea, and other nutrients that help you to boost your immune system. My family’s favorite is Juice Plus fruit, vegetable and berry capsules - It’s made with thirty whole food fruits and vegetables that is easily absorbed by your body. I also always have DesBio Immune Support on hand. Reach out if you are interested in adding these to your home prevention kit.
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Have you ever talked out a certain stressful situation, and you continue to come back to the same problem, always talking it out and having the same triggers?
Maybe you temporarily feel better after talking it out but why does it keep coming back with an uneasiness in the gut or heaviness in the chest? As if it's just waiting under the surface, waiting to be triggered again. That's because talking only stays on the mental level of processing, whereas the underlying energetic charge (thoughts, sensations, emotions and feelings) that is perpetuating the trigger is stuck within the body, in our fascia, which creates contraction in the tissue, organs and cells - thus causing pain, tension and if carried long enough - eventually disease. The reason why we always feel triggered is because our soul is searching for the unconditional love that it deserves to have for the trigger to be witnessed and heal from it. So what is Neo Emotional Release? It is an unconditional loving, safe container for you to be who you truly are, with nowhere to go, no one to become, and nothing to do. Most of us live in the future or the past, rather than the present moment, this distracts the mind to prepare for the future, based on the predicted past, creating a dissociation from our bodies and the emotions within. This keeps us trapped in repeating the same cycles of problems over and over again. With this knowledge, we can understand that symptoms in the body are simply a direct expression of an aspect of consciousness that is trapped in the past. This trap is simply a part of us that is a holding pattern of blocked energy. Not only is this blockage of energy buried within the body but it is a direct reflection in our lives and the choices we make. With this profound understanding, we call on Awakened Psychosomatics, connecting the bodymind systems to the soul as a whole system. This includes all holistic healing modalities into one very powerful and profound session of magic of meeting your parts deemed unlovable and unwitnessable into healing. Including: hypnosis, breathwork, containment, catharsis, bodywork, somatic experiencing and conscious awareness. Why does this work? I created this container to welcome yourself to witness everything you ever were and are, so healing can occur. Healing is a result of witnessing reality as it truly is. Our bodies are always striving for healing itself, all the body needs is permission and energy. This is where the therapist comes in to create permission and increase the energy of the nervous system with their presence. When we get presented with a stressful situation that makes us feel anything but calm and connected, our mind takes us into the past as a defense mechanism to survive like we had in the past and when the mind doesn’t have the awareness of the defense mechanism, it does everything it can from allowing ourselves from feeling those heavier emotions connected to the defense mechanism like anger, sadness, unworthiness, shame and guilt. When we are always suppressing and repressing these emotions, a blockage of energy flow in our bodies gets stuck, this is when dis-ease occurs causing even more stress. There is a saying from the founder of Neo Emotional Release “There are no problems, only emotions that you don’t want to feel” - David Manning We can come into these areas of contraction in a safe space with conscious awareness to subtly allow whatever emotion/wound feels most alive in the present moment and needs witnessing. When we lovingly witness all our parts that we had deemed unlovable in the past - this is when the mind can see the emotion for what it really is without judgment, the body is allowed to somatically (cellularly) re-experience the emotions and release it. With guidance into the unmet need behind the wound and reprogram on an energetic level to integrate with the mind. Benefits of Neo Emotional Release This release that can occur in the sessions is giving your body more freed up space to be open and will cause an expansion of your true Self that was previously buried underneath the heaviness. This causes:
Because facilitating this work can not go too long but only can go so deep in one session, it is best for people to have multiple sessions, so it can be unpacked in subtle layers. Sessions with Maiya Gare are now open at the Waconia studio. There is currently an offer of a one month Immersive Container to create profound transformation. This program includes:
If you’re looking for a more short-term option: First assessment and session 2 hours with homework and tools With optional - Follow-up session 1-1.5 hours with homework and tools - Maiya Gare, Student of Neo Emotional Release It’s Summer! We are officially half way through the New Year and for anyone who made resolutions, you are either going strong or those babies got ditched already. Didn’t make resolutions? That’s cool. How are you doing with healthy habits? Are you finding it easy to make good choices or are things a bit of a challenge? New Year’s is not the only time we can resolve to make a change. You can reboot your mindset anytime and shift into healthier habits now.
Here are some tips to RESET YOUR MINDSET: #1. Give yourself some grace and some space Life happens. Like, real life, real stress, real complex shizz. And no matter how focused you are, real life makes you make choices that are not always aligned with your holistic health goals. But here’s the thing about goals – they are just a guidepost that you are looking forward to reaching. Nothing else. Goals are a way to anchor your progress and motivate you to take action. If you made goals in January and are struggling to get in gear to reach them, cut yourself some slack and see how it feels to look at things in smaller pieces. By chunking a big goal down into smaller steps, you may find that you can breathe easier and have less stress about it. #2. Gratitude Check-In Even on the worst days, I bet you can find one thing that is a blessing in your life. In fact, when you start to REALLY think about how things are going, you may find that your list is longer than you expected. Doing a Gratitude Check-In can help you get grounded in the good things that are part of your life. Did you get out in the fresh air this week? Is your coffee cup awesome? Do your yoga pants fit just right? Are your fuzzy socks keeping your feet cozy? Do you have a phone a friend option? Gratitude lists do not have to be about BIG things. In fact, it’s often the little things that help us get through the day. Gratitude has studied health benefits. A gratitude/mindfulness practice can ease stress perception, lower cortisol (a stress hormone), improve sleep and ease digestive upset. #3. Get Rid of Mental Clutter Ditch the stinking thinking. It creates monkey mind and easily pulls people off track. This can happen if you are trying to do too much at one time or if the things on your list are not reasonable. In the same way that physical clutter can make a space feel chaotic, mental clutter can create a sense of anxiety, panic or unrest. Using mindfulness exercises to stay present, or setting aside a little time for daily stillness and meditation can help you brush out the cobwebs and dust bunnies and organize the files in your mind. #4. Stop looking at Social You are a unicorn. You are a completely amazingly unique being who is beyond compare. Stop seeking validation from social media if you find yourself there. No amount of likes, follows and shares will equal an ounce of your innate self-worth. By comparing yourself to others on social and/or seeking validation there, you can actually stress yourself out and trigger a cascade of physical and mental harm. Social stress is a leading cause of anxiety and depression in teens and young adults. In business, if you are an entrepreneur, you likely feel the same. To reset your mindset here, detach the worth of yourself or your business or project from the social interaction or response. You are ALWAYS of value. Your business offerings or ventures may be incredible too, but the audience on social may not be reflecting the truth. Sometimes it can help to log off or limit social media time so you have less exposure to distractions that can discourage, de-motivate or make you feel off course. #5. Reframe Your Game Some people will tell you to “just think positive” and while that can help to shift you out of a funk, it is not always realistic. Instead, see how it feels to flip the script. The next time you are ruminating about missing a target or flubbing up, reframe the issue so you can flip the script. For example, if you are trying to lose weight and have been dialing in your nutrition, but you ate pizza last night and the scale did not budge, you might be saying mean things to yourself. Instead, say something like, “I am so fortunate that I can respond to my needs and nourish my body with flexibility and understanding.” When you flip or reframe negative responses, you empower your mind with a positive alternative that does not trigger the release of cortisol and add to your stress. You also flex your resilience “muscle” and over time, you will appreciate your ability to shift effortlessly as your needs change. What tips and strategies do you use for mindset? Share in the comments below and let’s collaborate to make mindset and healthy habits easier all around! 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. 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! |
Julie Stevens
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