Thankfulness List

               A Thankfulness List: 

     To celebrate Thanksgiving I figured I'd write up a little list of things I am Thankful for. 

       1. Family and friends - They are group of people with amazing talents. Artists, musicians, scholars, writers, and so on. They are all a little crazy in their own ways. They are people who support me and keep me from driving myself completely insane. They put up with all my little (and not so little) quirks. My husband appreciates my nerdy sense of humor and my growing collection of books. 

       2. My dog. She is essentially my child. There is something about a being that loves you without reserve. Her excitement at seeing me when I've been gone for a few days - it is downright adorable. 

     

        3. Music. Music is a huge part of my life. A favorite thing to do at home, usually before bedtime, was to put on a record and dance around the living room. One of our most favorite albums was Herbie Mann at the Village Gate. (Tried to post a link, but I couldn't get it to work for some reason)

 

        4. Reading. My parents read to us almost every night. I loved diving into different worlds. I fell in love with the Odyssey in second grade (as stated, I have quirks). An author's ability to spin a tale that transforms the way you view things is a mighty ability. Books became indispensable friends. My way to escape the daily grind is to open a book and read. Give me a good book and a cup of tea and I am a happy camper. 

            

        5. Eating delicious food. Kansas City has some mighty tasty places to eat.

Eden Alley, Sama Zama, McCoy's, Spin Pizza, The Mixx... mmm I am making myself hungry thinking about them. Also, I just haven't had breakfast yet so that doesn't help.  

    

          Those are a few things I am grateful for. To me, Thanksgiving is about spending time with the people who matter. It is about being together as a community to share in good food, conversation, and stories. May blessings abound this year. I hope soon, that everyone will have a place at someone's table. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

      

A Little Anatomy

         
           Despite the fact that our bodies are our constant companions for life, how much do we really bother to learn about them? We are fairly demanding to our bodies. They haul us around, putting up with our terrible posture (slouchers unite!) and we hardly thank them for all their hard work. We get used to the little aches and pains and carry on our day. Society almost considers self-care to be akin to an act of self-indulgence that is unnecessary. Let's be honest with ourselves, we are mean to our bodies.

           What does my rambling about self-care have to do with anatomy? To my way of thinking, if we really want to live a healthy, well balanced life, we need a fundamental understanding of these bodies we live in. If we don't understand how they fit together and how they work we are missing a large piece of the puzzle. We also tend to think of the body in separate parts on a flat plane. We think of the body in terms of a flat image. Anatomy shows how everything is connected and how the feet can affect the shoulders or the neck can play havoc on the wrists

           Muscles and bones are usually named for a few reasons: where they are in relation to the trunk (torso) of the body or each other, what actions they perform, their appearance, or their shape.
             When discussing anatomy, the body is always in "Anatomical Position".

           This is anatomical position: Facing forward with palms out. I found this particular picture floating about the internet and thought it quite cute (Yoshis are always cute). From this position the body is cut into different planes.

Sagittal Plane - down the mid-line to split the body into right and left.

Coronal or Frontal Plane - splits the body into front and back.

Transverse Plane - splits the body between top and bottom halves.

           From this point we have more fun terms:

Medial - Towards the mid-line of the body (the bellybutton or spine are great landmarks).

Lateral - Away from the mid-line of the body.

Proximal - Closer to the trunk (torso).

Distal - Farther from the trunk.
         
Posterior - The back side of something, or located on the back of the body.

Anterior - The front side of something, or located on the front of the body.

Superior - Above a structure.

Inferior - Below a structure.

           You might notice that most of these terms are opposites of each other. This is helpful in the sense that it helps you to know where muscles attach and the structures that they effect.

For example: I know that the Subscapularis muscle is on the anterior side of the scapula, posterior to the serratus anterior and ribs, attaches along the subscapular fossa (fossa is a shallow depression) to the proximal anterior lesser tubercal (tubercal is a knobby part of a bone) of the humerus.

Translation, (Keep in mind that this is if you are looking at the body face to face). Subscapularis is under the shoulder blade (sub means under), between the shoulder blade, another muscle and ribs. It originates in the shallow part on the front of the scapula and attaches to the front part of the humerus (big arm bone) that is closest to the trunk of the body.

          Confused yet?

         In short, anatomy is about opposites and balance. If there is a superior, there is an inferior, if there is an anterior there is a posterior,  and so on.
         As a therapist I feel that I can better help people by knowing the structures of the body and how they work, what they do, and what problems they can cause when tight or restricted.
Also, learning where muscles begin (origin) and end (insertion) and where they are located helps you see the body as a 3D structure.

       
           Happy Monday!
         
         

Stress: the Good, Bad, and Dangerous

Why is stress such a big deal?

We all have stress. Jobs, family, friends... money. We all have the big stresses and the little stresses. There are even the good and happy stresses. Personality, psychological issues, hormone imbalances, and numerous other factors also play a role in how we become stressed and deal with stress.  

First off, what causes stress?
Stress can be caused by internal or external forces. Internal stressors can be from illness, emotions, worry etc. External are from physical exertion, pain, a bad work environment, etc.
Stress can be acute or chronic. Acute happens in a short burst like being super hungry and not able to eat at that time. Chronic is something that happens over an extended period of time such as family issues, work, or finances.

So what does stress actually DO to the body?
Stress creates a cascade of biological responses in the brain. Most people know of the "fight or flight" response. The brain prepares the body to fight or run away. Hormones that control your blood flow, breathing, memory, emotions, and even your immune system are released.
Increase in blood flow means higher blood pressure. The body also diverts blood to the deeper vessels to provide more oxygen to the deeper muscle tissue and reduce the potential of superficial injury.
Breathing is shallow and rapid to draw in more oxygen.
The immune system reorganizes in order to best combat potential injury and infection. The body increases production of red and white blood cells.
Non-essential body functions (digestion) are reduced.
Saliva production is reduced. Out mouths become dry. Swallowing and talking can become more difficult.
Short and long term memory are affected. Times of high stress and emotion are stored away in long-term memory.
You become more alert, a sort of heightened senses occurs.

Normally once the event is over the body resets. Systems go back to normal functions.
What happens when the system does not reset? This is what happens with chronic stress. The brain keeps reading stimuli as a threat and keeps the body in the fight or flight response.
Eventually the system breaks down. Your body was not meant to maintain that level of awareness and hyper activity.
High blood pressure, stomach and digestive issues, insomnia, heart disease, easily getting sick or slow recovery from illness or infection, these are all possible results of chronic stress.

So what do you do to combat this cycle?
Sometimes the most simple option is to breathe. Focus on breathing deeply and slowly. This can help you calm your heart rate.
Exercise can be very cathartic. It can help people focus on something other than what is stressing them out.
Petting an animal. Seriously. Some studies have shown it helps reduce blood pressure.
Get a massage. Massage can help people reset. It calms the brain, releases tension in the muscle tissue, It helps break the cycle of constant stimuli by changing the kind stimuli the brain is reading. The body can store emotional stress and manifests it as physical pain or restriction. At times by addressing the physical aspect of pain, the emotional side can release as well.

In short, do not just accept stress as something to just live with. Find something you enjoy doing that helps you focus on something good. Stress can have a huge impact on your health. Taking care of yourself mentally and physically is vitally important. We tend to put our own wellness low on the list of "Life's Important Things". It is not selfish to take time for yourself and do something good for you.  

What should I Blog about Today?

             I'm currently sitting at my computer trying to figure out what topic I should choose for today's blog.

I think the problem is I have too many random topics rattling around in the vacuous space of my brain. 

            So I'll just babble a little about things that I enjoy doing. 

            1. Being a massage therapist. I truly love my work. Granted there are days where I wonder if I've lost my head. I certainly have days where I realize I haven't the slightest clue what I'm doing running my own business. However, once the panic subsides and I calm down I remember just how fortunate I have been. It is a wonderful gift helping people realize that they don't have to just live with the discomfort or pain, helping them understand the physical structures involved, and educating them on ways to improve form and function. There is never a lack of things to learn. I am constantly challenged to improve. 

           2. Reading. Reading to me is probably my most favored form of escape. I can leave my world behind for a while and just plunge into a different world. As a small child my parents read to us every night. This instilled in me and my sister a love of reading, of discovering new worlds and viewpoints. In second grade my favorite book was The Odyssey (I was a slightly odd child). I've been on a mystery kick lately. I just finished Collin Cotterill's The Coroner's Lunch and am currently reading Ben Arronovitch's Midnight Riot.  

            

               3. Cleaning. Yes, I admit I'm a bit of a freak on this one. For some reason I find cleaning to be cathartic. This is either because my jobs growing up always involved a lot of cleaning and keeping things very organized, or I'm just odd. I tend to terrify my dog while cleaning.  She has a love/hate relationship with the vacuum. I should add cooking to this section. It makes me happy when people like what I cook. I'm no gourmet by any stretch, but it's nice to have a good meal and good company.    

              4. Being outside. There is something so peaceful and healing about hearing the breeze through the trees and feeling the sun on your face. It is refreshing to leave the phone at home, disconnect and just be. We as a human race are not very good at that. We have become so hyper-stimulated we have a difficult time decompressing. Life intrudes in the form of phone calls, emails, Facebook notices, etc. Being outside gives your mind other things to enjoy. A bubbling brook, creek, or river (and a book) is an added bonus. 

I hope everyone is having wonderful summer adventures!

        

The Tipping Question

Should you tip a Massage Therapist? If so, why and how much?

So let's be honest. Massage can be pricey. Depending on where you go you can figure to pay anywhere from $50- $100 or more for an hour long massage. Why should you tip on top of that? Also, why is massage so expensive?

The answer is: it depends. Not very helpful I know. But here are a few reasons for the whys and hows of paying and tipping for massage. 

There are three major ways of working as a Massage Therapist. 

1. Self-employed/ sole owner

        100% of the massage price goes to the therapist.

       However, this means that all expenses are the therapist/owners responsibility. Rent, equipment, supplies, continuing education, etc. are all part of what dictates the price charged for the massage. The type of bodywork being done and level of experience of the therapist can also affect the price. 

2. Independent Contractor 

        Therapists are paid on commission. Typical rate is 50% of the massage rate. The therapists responsibilities can vary. Sometimes all equipment and supplies are supplied. Sometimes linens, oils, and marketing are the therapists responsibility. Unless it is a Therapist owned office, or large franchise the therapists are most likely IC.  

3. Franchise/ Employee status

        Therapists are paid an hourly rate for each massage performed. The typical rate is $15 for each hour long massage. If the therapist has a day with no massages they are paid minimum wage (kind of like how wait staff are paid). The therapist does not have to provide any supplies or equipment.

         Massage rates are partially dictated by the type of business in which the therapist works. The larger business can afford to charge less but that means the therapists earn less. The single therapists offices may take home the full 100% but have greater overhead. There is a level of variation in all of these options. There are also some situations, such as Doctor's offices, where tips cannot be accepted. If you are unsure of the tipping policy, just ask.  

          If you decide to tip how much should you leave? The general rule of thumb is to tip 20% of the total cost. (For discounts would tip according to the non-discounted rate.) 

While tipping is not expected, it is lovely and encouraging for the therapist. It lets them know their abilities and time are appreciated and valued.   

Places I love (and would kind of like to be at right now)

The Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis are absolutely lovely. I could spend hours just wandering around or finding a nice quite place to sit and enjoy. 

Next is Ha Ha Tonka. It's a small state park near Lake of the Ozarks. The hiking trails are peaceful and it's a good way to get away for a day. 

Oh, and it's the park where we got our dog. She was a little six week old, four pound puppy. We couldn't say no. She is no longer four pounds... but still really cute. 

The Badlands. Pictures cannot capture the full impact. 

The Rockies. Because they are breathtaking and beautiful!

Lake Superior - North Shore of Minnesota. This particular shot it taken from Split Rock Lighthouse. There are many state parks, hiking trails and beauteous areas up there.  

There are many more places I love visiting but that would take way more than just one blog post. Perhaps I'll do a second part soon. 

Safe travels to anyone setting out on summer excursions. Perhaps one of these places will make your list.

Snow Day!

     Over this past weekend I decided to bite the bullet and paint my office. I was putting it off because... well it's kind of a pain. But, I did it and I think my office looks pretty nice. I don't have any pictures from the before. It didn't look "bad" per say, but not exactly nice. My office was used as a storage room for some time before I came in. Basically the walls were a rather bland cream-ish color that I think is universal for rental agencies. There were scuff marks, scratches, and places where the coat underneath (possibly a dark blue) showed through. It just didn't feel very... put together. Saturday I cleaned the walls, taped around the trim, etc. You know, all the fun pre-painting set up. I vainly hoped one coat would do, but no such luck. Monday I painted the second coat and cleaned up. 

       I was supposed to work today (not at my office but another job) but, I got a call around 9 saying they would be closing at noon due to the rather unpleasant weather. Thus, SNOW DAY! So I decided I would go and put my office back together. 

       As with painting it, it took longer than I planned. 

       I walked to my office, which according to googlemaps, is a whopping .8 miles from our home. The neighborhoods looks quite picturesque with all the snow. Note the difference between my walk TO my office and my walk FROM my office. 

         Footprints in freshly fallen snow always seem a little forlorn to me. 

     Here is my office after the paint job, but before being set up. My prep work pretty much meant shoving as much furniture and gear into the closet as would possibly fit. 

     I have to say I'm impressed with myself. I am not known as a tidy painter. So the fact the carpet and trim made in through the process unscathed was a miracle. I can't say the same for my clothes though. 

                                                 

  But here is the (mostly) finished product!

      Now for the walk home. 

                    39th Street was pretty much shut down. 

                          A random little tree. 

  The weather really doesn't stop the mail. He seemed happy enough to be whistling so I guess that's good.

      So that was my snow day. Nothing terribly exciting, but it was nice to get things a bit more finished. I hope you all had a chance to have a safe and warm day!

Remember those who have Less

           Every year I try to set aside a percentage of my income as a "tithe". I have been doing this since before I can remember. Truly, my parents felt very strongly about tithing to the church. Whatever I made, 10% went to the church. There were so many times where I thought of the things I'd rather do with that money. Despite that, I have always tithed. Currently I do not attend a church, but I still tithe. I simply choose a few charities each year to which I donate. I view the tithe as very important. I have a job and income. I have been very blessed in my life and thus should do what I can to help others.
           Here are a few charities that I think are really wonderful.

          The Festival of Sharing takes place the third Saturday of October in Sedalia Missouri. The group I went with worked as a distribution team. Meaning, cars would pull up to the loading docks and give us a list of what kits they were to get. We would collect the kits and load the vehicles. All different denominations of churches and organizations come together to raise money for kits. There are baby bundles, prison kits, school kits, and so forth. These kits are sent to women's shelters, schools, anywhere that needs them. It was always a satisfying but exhausting time. One year it rained the whole time. One time we PACKED this little car to the seams (were weren't sure we'd manage it but we did) with all sorts of kits, right after that this big bus pulled up and got one box of beans. Anyway, it was a really awesome experience.
Find more information at www.umocm.org
 
          Heifer, as the name implies, is an international organization that helps poor communities to gain a means of income. They also help provide schooling, women's empowerment, clean water, and so much more. They don't just give money. You can buy an animal (seriously, how cool is it you say you bought a water buffalo?), that animal is then sent to a particular community and they are taught how to care for that animal and how to use it to create income. They can sell milk, or use the wool for weaving, honey from the bees, and so on. It's great because they don't just give handouts. They are really trying to get these people to be self-sufficient and create businesses.
Visit their website at www.heifer.org

          Rainbow House is a crisis shelter for children and teens. That pretty much says it all. I believe there are some that might be closer, but I give to the one in Columbia, MO.
www.rainbowhousecolumbia.org

          I also like to support local food banks. The Mid-Missouri Food Bank and now that I'm in KC, Harvesters. These groups are always struggling and need as much support as they can get. No one deserves to go hungry. Other groups I like to support are local animal shelters. We always had strays or shelter pets. Jesse and I got our dog from a state park. She is a wonderful creature. I just can't understand people who can throw them away.

          So those are some of the organizations I support. I feel it's important to help local and if you can, those in other countries. We tend to get so wrapped up in Christmas and finding the "perfect" gift. Helping those who have less and are in need is a wonderful gift.

Just a Short Little Ramble

It is so hard to believe that Christmas is only two days away! I am looking forward to spending time with family. We might actually have a white Christmas this year. I can't say I'm a huge fan of driving in snow, but it sure is pretty! 

This first picture is from Thanksgiving at my parent's house. It was a wonderfully relaxed day. My father made gumbo. He makes REALLY tasty gumbo! The only ones who were not having a good time were Ramses and Abby. You can't see it in the picture, but my parent's cats were very displeased by the presence of my dog. They are lurking on the edges of the room in turns glaring and hissing at Ebony. She on the other hand just wanted to make friends and play. 

So now it is officially winter, here are a few pictures of the first real snow. We've had a dusting, but that doesn't really count. It looks so pretty at night with the soft glow of the street lights. 

Well everyone I wish you a very Happy Christmas and all other holidays you might celebrate. Stay safe and enjoy the time with family and friends.Stay safe, be well, and may blessings abound!

Stress: Nemesis or Slight Annoyance?

           I was reading through my latest issue of AMTA Massage Therapy Journal. There was an article about stress and massage. This got me thinking about how pervasive stress is in our lives. We all expect to be stressed out. It has become such an integral part of our lives we almost don't even realize it's there. Have you ever really asked what IS stress? What does it do? "Stress" even the word makes you feel tense. A comprehensive definition of stress is this: "Stress is simply a reaction to a stimulus that disturbs our physical or mental equilibrium. In other words, as we know, it's just part of our life." (67) So basically, stress is anything that throws our lives off kilter.
          Stress is not always from unpleasant circumstances. Stress can also be caused by fun and exciting events. There are two types of stress: acute and chronic. Acute is a short-term reaction to a stressor (i.e. a loud noise that scares you). Chronic is something long-term (i.e. dealing with a long term illness, or continual work stress). In both cases the body reacts to stress in similar ways. Most people are familiar with the good old "fight-or-flight" response. This is where the body is prepared to fight or run away. The brain releases hormones that increase heart rate, blood pressure, increases repair substances (platelets), slows down non-essential systems (digestive etc.), and the amount of blood sugar used by the brain also increases. These hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, basically allow the body to use it's energy more efficiently in order to protect you.
         In cases of acute stress the fight-or-flight response eventually shuts off and allows the body to rest and recover. However, with chronic stress the body is stuck in a continual loop of fight-or-flight. The body is not allowed to fully rest and restore its reserves. The flooding of adrenaline and cortisol cause a whole host of issues. The body's reserves are depleted. The American Institute of Stress (just think about that for a second - stress is such a big deal it has an institute to address it) has a list of over 50 symptoms of stress.
           Long term stress can have a severe impact on the body. Not only can it cause symptoms, it can worsen pre-existing conditions. Chronic stress can decrease immune response, opening the body to illness and lessening it's ability to heal. It can cause cardiac issues such as arrhythmia, an increased chance of stroke, or pulmonary embolism.
           "Stress isn't going to physically manifest in the same way for every individual... stress is capable of significantly impacting a person's health and well being across a large number of systems in the body." (69)
           In short, stress can be a very serious problem. So what do you do? There are a lot of options for stress management. It's great that there are so many options. However, sometimes it's presented in such a way that it can cause stress of it's own. In the article it is suggested to eat healthier (always a good thing), an hour a day of brisk activity, an hour of meditation or yoga, and making an effort to be more connected with people around you. Don't get me wrong, these are all good things. But I don't know anyone who has time to commit a minimum of two hours a day to stress management.
          My personal view is this: find what works for you. Do not compare your progress with anyone else's. If you only have time to take a 10 minute walk or 10 minutes to spend in a quiet place, that's better than not doing anything. Parking farther away from the entrance of work, or if shopping, is a good way to get a little extra exercise. If you can take a yoga class once or twice a week that's great too. Breathing exercises are an easy way to take a few minutes for yourself.
Here is one I like: When breathing in count to 6 and when breathing out count to 8.
1. Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose three times.
2. Breathe in through your mouth and out through mouth three times.
3. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth three times.
4. Breath in through your mouth and our through your mouth three times.
             Of course I'm always a proponent of massage therapy. Not only is it a great way to relax it is also a very powerful tool in any wellness plan. The important part is to realize that stress is not something you have to just accept. Finding a way to reduce the stress in your life can improve not just your physical health but also mental health.

Reconnecting with Creativity

It has been quite a while since I've done any work with paints. We had this old, slightly unattractive white dresser we were using to store Wii and Gamecube controllers. It's not very big and I decided I wanted to decorate it in some fashion. At first I thought I might do something with origami paper but I couldn't figure out a design that I liked enough. Then I thought maybe I could do something with cranes or flowers. Again I decided against those as I'm not super talented with figures. So I just painted it white figuring it needed a base coat. Then my husband was wasting time on imgur and found a post where someone had painted an old table like a nebula. I figured I could try that out. I found some wonderful water soluble oil paints. They still blend really well and take a while to dry but are so much easier to clean up (just a little dab of dish soap!). 

This is what I wound up with. 

I rather like it.

It felt really good to get back into something I used to love doing. I really like pastels but those don't really mix with having a white-ish carpet. I am not a tidy artist. During the process of painting the dresser I painted myself almost as much! So pastel use might have to wait till warmer weather when I can just go outside :-).

Rainy Day Musings

   I finally succumbed to the temptation of Pandora. I'm not sure what took me so long. But I am currently watching the raindrops fall into puddles and listening to The Civil Wars. There is something about rainy days that causes a combination of general sleepiness, introspection, and an odd mix of melancholy and happiness. I love rainy days. I guess that, despite knowing the scientific explanation, I see rain as somewhat miraculous. It can go from a gentle drizzle to a bruising downpour in seconds. Nature is still a mysterious and wonderful creature. I love how there is so much we do know, but such an incredible amount that we don't know. It is sad when we loose our sense of wonder. I love understanding the how's and why's. But it's hard to not feel wonder when you see tress turn from green to golds, reds, and oranges. Or you look at snow capped mountains. I hope I never loose my ability to be amazed and awestruck.

A New Start

        It's been over a year since my last post. I freely admit that I am not the most tech savvy person. I will be really good about it for a month, then... kind of forget about it. 

        The past year has been for the most part mundane. The big news is that I have relocated from Columbia, Missouri to Kansas City. I never really thought of myself as a country girl. I'm not really, but small town? Oh yes. So getting used to life in a big city has been interesting. I was a little worried our dog would have a hard time. Pah! She loves it! She gets so excited every time we go on walks. She gets to meet so many people and other dogs. One of our neighbors has a dog about Ebony's size and they really enjoy playing when they meet up. There are things that I really like about our move. I love the fact that I can actually walk to my office, restaurants, shops, and museums. (Keep in mind I used to live in an area that I couldn't really walk anywhere). I've become very fond of our apartment. I am happy to be closer to so many dear friends. I do miss being able to open the back door and let our dog run around the pasture. I miss be able to see a multitude of stars. 

         It has been exciting but scary to start my business all over again. I took a leap and am still unsure if that was the right choice or not. All I can do is hope things smooth out. I have an office space and am still in the process of setting up all the licensing. It is really amazing how much paperwork these things involve. 

So this was a rambling post, but hey! it's a start right? 

Peace and Good things to all!

Joy and sometimes frustration in the little things

There are times where it seems an uphill battle not to cave under the pressure of ever day life. Sometimes the little things just feel like too much. You find yourself becoming frustrated by small setbacks or the little idiosyncrasies of your family. The daily search (at least in my case) for your car keys is almost as insurmountable as solving a problem in quantum physics. There are days where you just feel like you have no energy.
So what do you do?
Well for me, this last two days has been such a time. I have been discovering the joys of setting up a website. Thankfully I have friends and a husband that can help me. But sometimes the only option is to just step away and do something else. Go outside, read, or even just lean back and close your eyes. Allow your mind to dwell on something else for a bit.
It may not always help you solve the problem, but I find I usually handle it better than if I allow the frustration to mount.
So that is what I'm doing right now. I'm taking a break from the website to rant a little and then I'm going to make some tea or something. So my words of wisdom (which aren't really mine but anyone's with common sense) are: If you feel frustrated, step back, do something you enjoy and then deal with the less pleasant part of things.

A Lovely Day

                Today I woke up in my normal groggy fashion. It seems that I am no longer quite the morning person. I ate some breakfast, cleaned the house a bit, and stepped outside to enjoy the perfect weather. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day. I gave a couple massages in the afternoon. I got to eat my lunch outside on a patio while reading. You can't beat reading outside on a nice day. It made me long for a hammock and a big shade tree. 

              I was also able to pamper my mother a little today. I treated her and myself to pedicures and manicures (I must sadly report I've already chipped my nail polish). My mom is an awesome person who does far too little for herself. We had a great time chatting and enjoying time with each other. 

             So nothing brilliant or earth shattering to post, but I guess I just want to say today was beautiful and I have a great mom.

 

Unplugged

          So it is quite obvious that I don't often post here. One reason being is that I don't feel like I have much to say. The other is that I tend to forget I even have a blog... ahem. So I would like to focus a little on how good it can be to unplug once in a while.
          A trait that has become more and more prevalent in our society is that of always being connected. We are constantly being bombarded with emails, texts, videos, facebook, and so on. I don't consider it a bad thing to be able to stay in contact with friends, or have information easily accessible. However, I think there is a certain amount of damage this influx of stimulus has caused. We have become creatures of instant gratification. We want everything now, right this second as I'm asking for it. We become frustrated when our internet connection is slow, or feel as if the world will end if the network crashes. I admit to feeling this way. However, there was a day a few weeks ago where I forgot my phone at home. At first I kinda freaked. But I just realized the worst that would happen is I'd miss a call and have to call someone back. It really felt nice to not being so easily reached. I felt like I could actually relax a little.
           I'm no doctor or someone with a PhD who can tell you how this constant flow of info affects people's brain waves. But I do know how frustrating it is when a person's cell goes off during a session and they want to answer it. I actually gave a chair massage to someone who spent the whole time texting. I just don't see how it can be good for us to be so bound up in technology. Another side effect I've seen is how people are forgetting how to interact with others. I've seen couples at dinner sitting across the table from each other totally ignoring each other because they are on their phones.
            I'm not anti-technology, not even close. I'm not saying everyone is plugged in 24-7. I actually have several friends who really dislike cellphones or laptops. But I am saying that in general, we can't seem to function without some device or other strapped to our ear. So to anyone who reads this I offer a challenge. Pick ONE day in the next week. Or if that's just not possible (I know job requirements and needing to be able to be reached by family etc), start with one hour. No phone and no computer. Find something else to do with your time. You might just find you enjoy time without updates and tweets.
There is a really beautiful world out there. We should enjoy it a little more.

It has been quite a while since I last posted. Sadly, Christmas is now over. My husband and I had a great time playing games with family and friends. Part of me wishes it had been a white Christmas. There is just something about snow that makes Christmas more magical. The more practical part of my brain was glad it didn't snow. I'm not fond of driving in snow. My dog however LOVES snow. This was her last year after we got a good foot of snow.

So I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Have a safe and wonderful New Years!

Take a deep, slow breath

I continue to find it amazing how underestimated breathing is. It has an incredible impact on one's body, mind, and dare I say spirit. Sometimes all it takes to release stress it taking a few deep breaths. Just breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. Actually focus on the feeling of the air entering your body. Feel it fill up your lungs and, if it helps, imagine the yucky stuff of the day, the stress, exiting the body when you blow the air out. People might find this a little too new age or whatever. But what it comes down to is this: breathing is a necessary action for your body. We all know this, but do we really think about it? It's an action that happens without thought. When you are stressed it affects how you breath and thus, intake oxygen. Taking the time to reset your breathing can help the body to release some tension and let you breath more naturally. It also helps to just not think about whatever is stressing you out. Taking a step back and breathing can be the best thing to do at times. It's helpful even when not stressed. It's a good way to just... be.

A Weekend of Blues and Bikes

       This weekend was both the Roots n' Blues and BBQ Festival and also the MS150. So Friday night I got to spend time with my husband listening to fantastic music and eat really good food at Bleu. Railroad Earth was probably my favorite band. We just lounged in Peace Park and enjoyed the night. Saturday Susan (a business partner) and I worked the VIP tent at Roots doing chair massage. Since the VIP tent was right next to one of the stages we were entertained by more great music. The weather was lovely. It rained a few times but never very hard or for very long. I tried really hard to stick around and listen to more wonderful music but by six o'clock I was so worn out. So I was a wuss and went home and vegetated.
        The MS150 was both Saturday and Sunday, but I only worked it today. It is such a fun event to work. People come from all over to bike and raise money to help fight MS. It was pretty slow, which was fine. I got to sit and enjoy the company of therapists I don't see often. Again, the weather was balmy with a nice breeze. So it was a busy but good weekend. I was really looking forward to taking pictures at Roots, but alas I left my SD card at home so my camera was useless... oh well. Maybe next year.

Tensi... what?

           I have begun reading Thomas Myers' articles entitled the Body 3 (or the Body Cubed). It's a facinating look at the structure of the human body. You soon realize that we take so much for granted. He stesses something called "tensegrity".
So what is tenesgrity?

To quote Richard Buckminster Fuller (exerpt from Synergetics, p. 372)
          "The word 'tensegrity' is an invention: a contraction of 'tensional integrity.' Tensegrity describes a structural-relationship principal in which structural shape is guarenteed by the finitely closed, comprehensively continuous, tensional behaviors of the system and not by the discontinuous and exclusively local compressional member behaviors. Tensegrity provides the ability to yield increasingly without ultimately breaking or coming asunder." 

          Again I ask, what does that mean? Think of the structures like the Arch in St. Louis, it is held together souly by the compression of all it's parts. However, it is a moving object. There is the ability to absorb shock- thus preventing it from breaking apart. Now apply that principle to the human structure. We are made up of bones, muscles, and connective tissues. We are able to absorb massive amounts of stress and gravity. Bascially what I'm attempting to say, and how Myers looks at the body is that you cannot separate out the parts. Each part is dependent on the other. If there is undue strain or injury in one area it stands to reason it would affect others.

            We take our bodies for granted. We have forgotten to look at it as a whole structure. Look at the body as more of an arcitectural creation. It makes you appreciate the fact that we can stand up, let alone function.