January 10th, 2012 • Posted by Valerie Walton • Permalink
1. Be as receptive and open to the massage process as possible.
2. Don’t eat just before a massage session. Let your body digest your meal first.
3. Be on time. If you arrive in a frenzied, rushed state, it may take longer to relax.
4. Take off only as much clothing as you are comfortable removing. If you don’t want to remove your clothing, wear clothing that will be comfortable during the massage and will allow the massage therapist to touch and move the areas of your body you expect will need to be massaged.
Privacy - The therapist will either leave the room or otherwise provide privacy while you undress. A sheet or towel is provided for draping during the massage and the therapist will uncover only the part of your body being massaged, ensuring that modesty is respected at all times. After the massage is finished, you will be provided with privacy while dressing.
5. Communicate with your massage therapist
*Before the session, give accurate health information and let the massage therapist know your expectations and reasons for the massage.
*Allergies to Oils, Lotions, Powders – The therapist may use oil, lotion or powders to reduce friction on your skin. If you are allergic to any oils, lotions or powders, tell your massage therapist, who can choose a substitute.
*Some massage therapists play recorded music during the massage session. Others find music distracting. If it’s provided, let your massage therapist know if you have any music preferences or if you would prefer they turn off the music.
*Some people like to talk during a massage, while others remain silent. Tell your massage therapist what you prefer.
*During the massage session, report any discomfort, whether it’s from the massage or due to any problems or distractions related to the environment, e.g., room temperature, music volume, lighting, etc.
*Give feedback to the massage therapist during the massage on the amount of pressure, speed of hand movement, etc.
*Don’t be afraid to discuss any apprehensions or concerns. It’s important that you be as comfortable as possible during your massage. Your massage therapist is a professional dedicated to do his or her best to help you feel at ease.
6. Remember to breathe normally. Breathing helps facilitate relaxation. People often stop or limit their breathing when they feel anxious or a sensitive area is massaged.
7. Relax your muscles and your mind. Tightening up by contracting or hardening your muscles during the massage is counterproductive. Let your massage therapist know this is happening. They may need to adjust the massage technique they use and may also be able to help you relax the affected area. If you find your thoughts are racing during the massage, one way to be more body-centered and to quiet your mind is to follow the hands of the massage therapist and focus on how the touch feels.
8. Drink extra water after your massage.
9. Don’t get up too quickly and do allow for some open, quiet time after your massage session. If you’re dizzy or light headed after the massage, do not get off the table too fast. It also may take a little time to integrate or absorb the results of the massage session.
10. Be prepared to schedule several massage sessions. Massage has its greatest benefits over time. The therapeutic effects of massage are cumulative, so the more often you get a massage, the better you will feel and the more quickly your body will respond. From one session to the next, relaxation deepens as the chronic patterns of stress in the body are affected and released. If you’re getting massage to address chronic muscular tension or recovery from a soft tissue injury, more than one session is usually needed.
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December 2nd, 2011 • Posted by Valerie Walton • Permalink
This year, over 1.4 million Americans will hear the words "You have cancer". At Urban Escape Massage, we know too many people who are touched by cancer, and that is why we have joined the American Cancer Society on a mission to save lives and create a world with more birthdays by participating in the Relay For Life in my community.
At Relay For Life we celebrate loved ones who have won their battle against cancer, remember those who are no longer with us, and fight back against this disease that touches so many. We are determined to make a difference, and we hope you will join us. We will be walking on July 13, 2012, at Cleveland High School.
Please, support us in our efforts by using the link below to visit our web page and make a donation, or join our team. Every dollar raised brings us one dollar closer to a cure, and to a time when the number of people who have to hear the words "you have cancer" is zero.
Thank you so much for your support. Together, we ARE saving lives and creating a world with more birthdays!
www.relayforlife.org/rioranchonm
Team Urban Escape Massage & Bodywork
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November 20th, 2011 • Posted by Valerie Walton • Permalink
A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water while leading and explaining stress management to an audience; everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?’
.... she fooled them all... "How heavy is this glass of water?", she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
She continued, "And that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced.”
And so it is with stress; the longer you hold onto it, the heavier it becomes. Do you take time regularly to let go of your stress, let your body rest? If not, sooner or later the burden of stress takes its toll in the form of illness, disease, accident, or some other form of trauma to your body.
Stress can trigger the body’s response to perceived threat or danger, the Fight-or-Flight response. During this reaction, certain hormones like adrenalin and cortisol are released, speeding the heart rate, slowing digestion, shunting blood flow to major muscle groups, and changing various other autonomic nervous functions, giving the body a burst of energy and strength. Originally named for its ability to enable us to physically fight or run away when faced with danger, it’s now activated in situations where neither response is appropriate, like in traffic or during a stressful day at work. When the perceived threat is gone, systems are designed to return to normal function via the relaxation response, but in our times of chronic stress, this often doesn’t happen enough, causing damage to the body.
When faced with chronic stress and an over activated autonomic nervous system, people begin to see physical symptoms. The first symptoms are relatively mild, like chronic headaches and increased susceptibility to colds. With more exposure to chronic stress, however, more serious health problems may develop.
These stress-influenced conditions include, but are not limited to:
• depression
• diabetes
• hair loss
• heart disease
• hyperthyroidism
• obesity
• obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder
• sexual dysfunction
• tooth and gum disease
• ulcers
• cancer
In fact, it’s been estimated that as many as 90% of doctor’s visits are for symptoms that are at least partially stress-related!
Stress management is as important to your overall wellness as getting plenty of rest or eating a healthy diet. Massage is a wonderful stress-reliever due to its ability to affect every system in the body. Just a few of its affects on the body are:
Skeletal System
Massage and joint movement increases blood supply to bones, this aids the flow of nutrition, giving growth and repair to bone.
Promotes elimination of waste matter.
Maintains better posture, giving good body balance.
Muscular System
Increases the supply of blood and nutrients to muscles, restores tone and strength to muscles, partially compensating for lack of exercise or inactivity.
Prevents or eliminates muscle adhesions due to illness or injury.
Increases flexibility and strength in joints.
Circulatory System
Improves blood circulation, relieves congestion of lymph.
Strengthens heart muscles, through allowing blood return to vital organs, especially through inactivity or illness.
Movement of massage manipulation pushes lymph throughout the body, there by strengthening the immune system and eliminating toxic waste.
Lymph lubricates muscles, aids nourishment to blood, which carries this throughout the body.
Massage reduces strain on the heart, through the uniform flow of arterial and venous blood, which aids complete emptying of the chambers on each contraction.
Nervous System
Massage directly sedates or stimulates the nerves, there by increasing or depressing, nutritional and functional activity of your entire anatomy.
Balances nerves.
Respiratory System
Improves breathing patterns.
Deeper and quickened breath work, eliminates carbon dioxide, allowing increased oxygen to all body tissues.
Aids in relief of many, long-term respiratory disease, such as asthma and bronchitis.
Digestive System
Improves function of liver.
Stimulates the abdominal nerves resulting in increased secretion of digestive enzymes and juices by the organs.
Peristalsis is stimulated and the muscular walls of the intestines are strengthened.
Relieves spastic colon.
Urinary System
Massaging the kidneys can cleanse the blood and strengthens the urinary system.
Accelerates waste produces through the lungs, skin, blood and bowels.
Why not make today the day you commit to your own well-being by making massage a part of your wellness program? Urban Escape offers many discounts and incentives to make it easier on your budget to get regular massage, and we offer appointments from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, Monday through Sunday, for your convenience. Call us for more information or to schedule a massage today. Also, sign up for our e-mail newsletter and you’ll receive notices whenever we’re offering specials and discounts.
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October 3rd, 2011 • Posted by Valerie Walton • Permalink
Most of us, by now, unfortunately know someone who has, or had, breast cancer; some of us have even experienced it ourselves.
In my own experience with breast cancer, I had some of the signs and symptoms, even went to the doctor because of them; however no tumor showed up on my mammogram, so they just sent me home and told me there was nothing to worry about, but that I should "probably start having annual mammograms" even though I had not yet reached the age that they normally want you to have mammograms. They did not tell me at that time that my symptoms were signs of breast cancer and that I should be diligent in having the regular mammograms as well as performing my monthly breast self-exam that my doctors always told me to do. My cancer was slow growing, and wasn't detected until approximately 12 years later when I felt a lump.
While personal and family histories of breast cancer and lifestyle habits (including diet, exercise and how you handle stress) can all affect breast-cancer risk, learning to recognize the signs of breast cancer may save your life - early diagnosis is key to treatment and recovery. Performing a monthly self-examination is still recommended by health professionals, as is having a yearly exam performed by your doctor.
In addition, the National Cancer Institute suggests keeping an eye out for the following signs:
1. A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area
2. A change in the size or shape of the breast
3. Nipple discharge or tenderness
4. An inverted nipple
5. Ridges or pitting on the breast (resembling an orange peel)
6. A change in the look or feel of the breast, areola or nipple (such as warmth, swelling, redness or a scaly feel)
Please help share the attached "Facts for Life" handout, from the Susan G. Koman organization, regarding the Signs of Breast Cancer.
Facts for Life
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