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.