"In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect.  Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful." - Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple

I've had more than a fair share of people come into our wellness center for a massage and state, "I'm broken" or "I'm a mess" or "I'm hopeless, aren't I?"  

I wonder who told them that.  

I know that it's spoken out of frustration, discomfort, or even habit.   I get that.  We all need a measure of understanding and compassion, even the luxury of a little pity party sometimes. However, like any good therapist, I won't let you wallow in brokenness for too long.  

Our jobs as therapists…

We all breathe. From the moment we enter the world until the day we exit, we breathe. While it seems like the most natural thing in the world, throughout our lives, we face challenges that impact our breathing and can create dysfunctional breathing patterns that can last a lifetime: trauma, childhood asthma, a stressful job, injury or surgeries that affect our breathing, unresolved grief, and so much more. Breathwork becomes a necessary transformative practice that can harness the power of our breathing to unlock these patterns and bring profound changes to our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Whether you're seeking stress relief, emotional healing, or simply a deeper connection to yourself, breathwork offers a pathway to a more centered and intentional life. Here’s guide to understanding what breathwork is, who it’s for, and why you might want to consider incorporating it into your routine.

A Gallup poll in 2017 showed that 4.5% of the U.S. population identified as LGBT. That’s nearly 14.9 million people nationwide. People in the LGBTQ+ community are three times more likely to deal with mental health struggles like anxiety and depression, and experience more health inequities, discrimination, and poorer outcomes in healthcare.2,3,4 Further, there are differences in experiences within the LGBTQ+ community depending on identification as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender. And, if people additionally identify with other marginalized communities such as neurodiverse or BIPOC, the challenges and effects on wellbeing become even greater. It is, therefore, important for health and wellness providers to remain sensitive and aware of the needs and unique struggles of people who identify as LGBTQ+.

How can health and wellness providers be more supportive of the LGBTQ+ community?

Rotor Cup, Rotary Cuff, Rotator Cup….we’ve heard them all - the string of names people use to refer to the main structure of the shoulder. The real term, just to clear things up, is rotator cuff. Often, when people come in with a diagnosed rotator cuff injury, we will ask them which muscle. The response is usually a blank stare followed by “well…..the rotator cuff….like I told you”. So, in the interest of further clarification, let’s talk about the different parts of the rotator cuff and what they do. Rotator cuff is a term referring to a group of four muscles that cross the shoulder joint and provide varying actions for the arm. These muscles are

Sound baths have become increasingly popular as a holistic approach to relaxation and well-being. The soothing sounds of various instruments, such as singing bowls and gongs, are believed to have therapeutic effects on the mind and body. People can experience a sound bath in a group setting or opt for a more personalized, one-on-one session. So how do you know which type of experience you need? Read on to learn the differences.

As we enter each new year, many of us find ourselves contemplating the tradition of setting New Year's resolutions. Yet, for those who have grown weary of the cycle of enthusiastic starts and gradual fades, and for those who resist the pressure of unrealistic expectations, there's an alternative approach worth exploring. Instead of making resolutions, consider posing the following 12 reflective questions/statements that invite a thoughtful examination of the past year and pave the way for intentional living in the coming year.

This month brings breast cancer awareness to the forefront. It's crucial to understand what breast cancer is and how we can support individuals grappling with this diagnosis. While many are familiar with complementary and holistic therapies that are offered as adjuncts to medical treatments, it is less common knowledge why these therapies are effective. In this article, we will explore some well-known holistic therapies like massage therapy, Reiki, mindfulness and sound healing, and their clinical reasons for effectiveness.

Drumming is a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries, connecting people through the rhythmic vibrations of sound. Beyond its auditory allure, drumming also presents a fascinating interplay between the brain and the body. The act of drumming has a profound impact on both cognitive processes and physiological health.

Learn more about the cognitive and physiological benefits of therapeutic drumming.

As a massage therapist who works with people who have pain, I have noticed that many of us have a tendency to push what we call negative feelings (anger, sadness, jealousy, fear, etc.) into our bodies and resist dealing with them outright. The body does us a great favor in storing these feelings for future processing when we are unable to deal with them in the current moment. These unexpressed, unacknowledged emotions create tension and stress in the body and then can manifest as chronic pain, illness, immune disorders, and so forth. We then curse our bodies: “my stupid back is acting up,” “that’s my bad shoulder,” “damn foot,” and yet, our bodies are simply speaking up to remind us that we still need to work through these unrecognized emotions. Pain acts as the voice of the body and can get louder and louder the longer we ignore it.

To change our suffering….

In today's fast-paced world, we often find ourselves detached from the very essence that nurtures our well-being - namely, Nature. The practice of Forest Bathing takes its inspiration from Shinrin-yoku, a practice in Japan that translates to “Forest Bath”, and offers a magical opportunity to reconnect with the natural world, leading to a host of remarkable health benefits. More than a mere walk in nature, Forest Bathing, combines the practice of mindfulness and a series of invitations that immerse the experiencer more deeply into the natural world and their own deeper self. This practice has a wealth of scientific evidence that points to physical, mental and emotional health benefits…

Our ribcages are meant to go through several actions as we breathe: lifting, widening and opening towards the front. Anything that stops these actions on a regular basis can lock us into habitual improper breathing, and impact our health. Chronic improper breath patterns can negatively impact our bodies over time. Reduced oxygen intake leads to fatigue, poor concentration and decreased physical performance. Chronic shallow breathing can trigger the body’s stress response and the release of hormones like cortisol which can increase heart rate and blood pressure, disrupt sleep, decrease immune function and impair digestion. Chronic misuse of certain muscles to help us breathe can lead to pain and tension especially in the neck, shoulders and upper back.

Breath-holding patterns can give rise to ribcages being “stuck open” or “stuck closed” and, over time, give people the feeling that….

Take a deep breath through your nose. What scents are you picking up right now? How are those smells affecting you? As I write this, I inhale the scent of my coffee sitting next to me, and sweet orange from the diffuser across the room. These smells combine to make me feel cozy, happy, and safe. Our nose and brain are very closely connected, as evidenced by specific smells that evoke particular memories. The smell of basil immediately transports me into my grandmother’s kitchen and the memory of chopping away at the bright green leaves as I helped to make her incredible pesto. Just like basil, there is an endless list of plants whose essences can be extracted into fragrant, healing oils.

The simple, yet complicated answer is - it depends. Manual Lymph Drainage is beneficial for a range of conditions, but it depends on what you specifically need to address and what your goals are. Your daily habits and everyday lifestyle also factor into how quickly your body will respond to this technique. More active people typically require fewer sessions to detoxify and boost their immune systems. People with a more sedentary lifestyle may require more frequent sessions. If lymphedema or edema is present, and depending on the severity, it will typically take more than one session for the swelling to minimize to a satisfactory level. The more often you address it in a shorter period of time, the faster the fluid will move and diminish.

It is typical to notice positive effects within…

Einstein taught us that “everything is energy” and because everything is made up of energy, every person, place, and thing vibrates at a unique frequency.

Your emotions and how you deal with them will determine at what frequency your energy is vibrating. When you are able to recognize you’re in a low vibration emotion (like jealousy or grief) then you can intentionally shift yourself into a high-vibration emotional state (such as joy, gratitude, or peacefulness). Read more for tips on raising your vibration and incorporating self-care into your routine…

Ever wonder what your massage therapist is noticing about you during your massage? It’s likely not what you think. Many people worry that their massage therapist is noticing the extra weight they put on after the holiday or their unshaven legs or their cracked heels and dry skin. Most therapists are looking far deeper than that at muscles and postural patterns. Here are a few more unusual things they might be noticing…

One of the most iconic and most often requested essential oils in our massage therapy sessions is Lavender (lavandula angustifolia).  It is obtained through steam-distillation of the flowers of the Lavender plant.  Clients who are in need of relaxation often request it as their go-to oil for massage sessions.  Certainly, Lavender is best-known for its relaxing properties, but there are many other uses for this classic oil.  Here are seven of the myriad of benefits of Lavender oil:

Lymphatic massage, also known as Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD), is a gentle, rhythmic massage technique that stimulates the lymphatic system and assists the body’s natural detoxification process by circulating immune cells through the body to help flush toxins from the tissues. It reroutes fluid around blocked areas into healthy lymphatic regions and lymph nodes, and facilitates the movement of lymph fluid from edematous (swollen) areas to non-edematous areas, which then filters back into the venous system.

This type of massage is performed using very light pressure to stretch the skin, along with …

If you have eaten, laughed, yawned, or talked, then you have used your temporomandibular joint. Many people are affected by pain or discomfort in this joint, a condition known as TMJ disorder (TMJD) which can manifest in the following ways:

• Pain in the face, jaw, or teeth
• Headaches
• Earaches
• Noises such as clicking or grating in the joint
• Decreased range of motion when opening the mouth

So, what can help this condition?

These days we are becoming increasingly aware of the ways that being in nature positively affects our health, like how the practice of forest bathing can increase relaxation by lowering blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels. But there are days we can’t get outside because of inclement weather or a too hot or cold climate. Additionally, some of us live in urban settings without ready access to nature. So, how do we reap the benefits of nature when we don’t have access?

In a typical Reiki session, the client is fully clothed and is seated in a chair or reclined on a treatment table. A Reiki practitioner first assesses what areas in the energy field are imbalanced. Then, using a technique called palm healing they transfer "universal energy" through their hands to the patient through the light laying of hands or hovering of hands above the body. The recipient of the energy simply rests and receives the energy Recipients of Reiki often report feeling…