Inspiration comes in many forms

I was made aware of this video some months ago, and find myself coming back to it from time to time as I find it quite inspiring.  Granted you may not expect such words from a Hollywood actor, but Will Smith really does hit the nail on the head with this video - Will Smith Words of Wisdom - of various interviews he’s given over the years, when talking about his work ethic and thoughts on life.

If you have 10 minutes or so its really worth giving it a view – I challenge you to not find it inspiring!

 

 

 

 

 

Relaxation Tip

Had a hard day at work?

Sore muscles?

Try adding a few drops of Sweet Marjoram essential oil to a warm bath and soak for a while.

Sweet Marjoram is an excellent tonic to the nervous system and can help reduce stress levels, as well as warming the muscles and reducing pain.

3 things I want to say about Affirmations

I have a confession – I’d always been sceptical about the effectiveness of affirmations. I’d heard about them for years, known people who spent hours and hours repeating mantras to themselves and tried to convince me to do the same. I tried half-heartedly many times, often forgetting about them after half an hour, or else worrying that I sounded like a lunatic muttering away to myself.

However. I’m here to publically say, I was wrong. There, I feel better now.

Having come from a very left-brain, analytical, ‘show me proof and I’m with you’ type of place, it took me a long time to really get my head around the idea that my thoughts and mantras – the things I put out into the universe – could really affect my life. I thought it might be nice to share a few points about the art of affirmations that have helped me change my mind-set.

1. Repetition. Affirmations are all about repeating something to yourself. By doing this, you are slowly changing that inner monologue in your head – the one that can often tell us we’re no good, not able to do what we want, or not as good as others. By being conscious of our thoughts, and having a few positive ones at the ready, we can start to shift these patterns from the negative to a more positive place.
One of the mistakes I made early on was making my mantras too long, I also had far too many and couldn’t remember them all clearly. I’ve found it much more effective to have just a couple so that I can repeat them over and over making them much more powerful. I wrote them out on cards and put them up on my wardrobe doors so that I saw them constantly. I know others who recommend laminating them and putting them up in the shower, or having post-it notes on the bathroom mirror. Whatever works for you, do it. Just repeat, repeat, repeat.

2. Be positive & specific. When writing and saying your affirmations, phrase them in a positive light. So go with ‘I feel energised’ rather than ‘I don’t want to feel tired’, or ‘I attract financial abundance’ rather than ‘I don’t want to be poor’. By phrasing things in this way, you show the universe that you desire, and will therefore attract the positive rather than being ambiguous and using negative words– even if you’re saying ‘I don’t want to be poor’, you’re still reinforcing and repeating the word ‘poor’ so get rid of any negative connotations from your affirmation vocabulary.
Also be specific – make your affirmations quantifiable. I learnt this recently again. Rather than ‘I have more clients/friends/love etc’, try ‘I attract x number of new clients/friends/contracts/dollars per week’.

3. Fake it till you make it. This was important for me to learn. My mind was very resistant to affirmations in the beginning, in fact it still is sometimes particularly when I start with something new. I spent years listening to a negative inner monologue, which we all have experience with, and it takes a long time to get over that (in fact, I think it’s a lifelong battle sometimes!). Some affirmations you try will be harder than others at first, but just keep going, persevere. The harder they are to start with, the more powerful – and necessary – I believe they will be in the long run.
Try saying them out loud too as this only strengthens your message to the world. I find that if you feel a little self-conscious doing this at first, try saying – or yelling! – your affirmations in the car. No-one can hear you and it makes it a little easier to get started. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve had someone drive past me on a freeway and give me an odd look as I’ve been shouting out ‘I attract abundance’ or ‘I am confident’ to myself ! And honestly, now, I don’t care. I just give them a smile and carry on!

So what will your affirmation be? What do you need to tell the universe? – or just yourself?

Therapy in Focus: Manual Lymphatic Drainage

How would you like to be able to help your body fight infections, detoxify, and more efficiently transport metabolic waste, excess fluid, toxins and bacteria out of the body, all in a relaxing, calming 90 minute treatment?  Maybe you would like to reward yourself as part of a weight-loss or detox program and give yourself a well-earned treat?  Read on to discover the benefits of Manual Lymphatic Drainage!

What Is Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)?

Manual lymphatic drainage is a very specific massage technique which helps to ensure our body’s ability to rejuvenate and establish resistance to all types of stress placed on it, encouraging the natural circulation of lymph through the body.  About 1.5-2 litres of lymph per day circulate throughout the whole body.  Efficient activation of the lymphatic circulation can increase this figure to 15-30 litres per day!

MLD is not a muscular massage but a harmonious manual treatment using gentle techniques to facilitate decongestion of lymph ducts. This allows regenerative fluid to flow and improves circulation and toxin removal as well as carrying vital immune-competent cells to areas where it is needed, thus hastening healing times.

Why do I need MLD?

The lymphatic system is the body’s waste disposal unit, acting as a giant detox plant, mopping up daily toxins.  It picks up excess fluid and protein thus preventing toxic shock.  It is also involved with the immune system, helping to transport immuno competent cells around the body to fight infection.  Given these important roles it plays in the body, obviously we want our lymph fluids to be flowing optimally at all times.

Lymph stagnation in the body can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- fatigue
- stress
- emotional shock
- being overweight
- chemical overloading
- food additives
- toxin accumulation
- sedentary lifestyle

The benefits of MLD treatments throughout the body are many and varied.

Nervous system: MLD stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system reducing pain by sedating sensory nerve endings. It also has an analgesic/anti inflammatory effect.

Immune system: the passage of lymph in the lymph nodes stimulates the immune system. According to research, the body produces 30% more immuno competent cells post MLD.

Fluid circulation, elimination & detox : by activating lymph function and circulation there is a reduction of fluid and greater elimination of fluid from the interstitial tissues.

What specific conditions is MLD used for?
Most people can enjoy the benefits of MLD treatments, but there are some conditions in particular that really benefit:

- fluid retention
- lymphoedema
- sinusitis/hay fever
- liposculpture
- breast surgery (segmental, simple & total mastectomy)
- neurology – migraines
- for pain relief & to reduce inflammation
- as part of a body detoxification program
- constipation and digestive disorders
- pre and post surgery
- post sporting
- cfs (chronic fatigue syndrome/myelgic encephelomyelitis)
- fibromyalgia
- bruising
- oedema during pregnancy

*There are also some conditions that are contra-indicated for MLD work, so always make sure you let your therapist know about any current/past medical circumstances when booking an appointment so they can ensure you receive the best possible care.

 

Computer Work – a Pain in the Neck?..and the Back?..and…

Do you know most people I see as a Remedial Massage Therapist aren’t recovering from an injury, they aren’t elite athletes and they generally aren’t suffering from major muscle trauma or illness.  Most people simply spend around 8 hours a day in an office, sitting in front of a computer and often wouldn’t dream that this can be their underlying cause for muscle stiffness and pain.  Sitting in one position for any length of time, particularly over a period of many years can cause a build-up of muscle tension and stiffness, which can lead to trigger points or ‘knots’ in the muscles, reduced range of motion and pain.

Now everyone feels some tension in their neck and shoulders from time to time, but sitting for long periods can effect muscles all over your body – from your neck and shoulders, down through your back to your gluteals and even hamstrings.  And this muscle tension can have knock on effects too – for example, tightness in your neck or shoulder muscles can result in tension headaches, and trigger points in your gluteals can cause referred pain either into your back or down your legs.

But there are a few easy things you can do to help your body get through the long working day if you do have to spend it staring at the screen:

1. Ensure your workstation is ergonomically sound.  More and more companies, through their OH&S programs are arranging for employee’s desks and chairs to be assessed to ensure they are the right height and style for the employee to provide the best support.  Also try to have your phone and mouse on opposite sides of your desk so you’re not using one hand/arm for both.  This is in both the employee’s interests obviously, but also the company’s as by doing this they reduce the risk of absenteeism and potential Work Cover claims.
2. Try to get up and walk around at least every 30 minutes to stretch your muscles out and get blood flow increased.   Grab yourself a glass of water or go and talk to someone on the other side of the office instead of calling or emailing.  Anything to get you out of your chair.
3. Be conscious of your posture throughout the day.  If you feel yourself hunching over the keyboard or tensing your shoulders till they’re up around your ears, catch yourself and take a few deep breaths, or have a quick walk to stretch your legs before getting back to work.
4. At lunchtime try and get outside for a walk in the fresh air – this not only helps stretch your muscles but the fresh air will also refresh you and help you concentrate in the afternoon.
5. Try some simple stretches – such as tipping your head to the side to bring your ear to your shoulder to feel a stretch down the opposite side of the neck, or tucking the chin into the chest to lengthen the muscles down the back of the neck and between the shoulder blades.   Or how about upper body twists to release the muscles through the middle of your back and stop those afternoon aches.  Or perhaps just flexing and extending your fingers and wrist – after all they do a lot of work on that keyboard all day!
6. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.  This is as important for your muscles and their flexibility as it is for the rest of your body.  Water helps flush toxins from your system too, including the muscles so try to drink 2 litres a day if you can.
7. Of course, try to have a massage or other relaxation treatment (e.g. aromatherapy session, kinesiology balance, yoga class etc) when you can to help keep your body in tip top shape!

 

Resolutions – for life?

Given that it’s February now and most of us are getting back into our normal routines of work, family, more work etc, I thought I’d see how everyone’s New Year’s Resolutions are going?  I find its all fine and dandy for the first few days – you’re motivated, you get to the gym daily, eat well, meditate, spend more time with the kids, or generally set about accomplishing with (at least some) ease, whatever it is you had grandly planned for yourself.  But as the weeks go by, it can be harder and harder to keep up that momentum and you slowly slip into your old ways.  A friend and colleague told me her plan to help keep her resolutions this year – she was going to write them down and keep them with her so she could glance at them from time to time, remember why they had been important enough for her to commit too, and hopefully maintain that motivation throughout the year.  I like that idea – it somehow makes you feel more accountable to the universe, or even just yourself to really keep going.

In a similar vein, while I was still pondering this idea (having duly made and written down a list of a few resolutions for myself for 2011) a couple of weeks ago, a good friend of mine said she’d seen a great blog whereby the writer had put together a list of 100 things she wanted to achieve before she died.  I was instantly intrigued as it seemed to coincide with my thoughts on resolutions for the new year – just carrying the theme on to your life in general.  (In fairness, let me give credit where its due – the blog my friend saw was http://summerpierre.wordpress.com and my friend’s blog, which also has a similar list is http://theworldaccordingtowooly.wordpress.com).

I thought I’d easily make 100 and then some.  Hmm.  It’s harder than you think.  I spent most of an afternoon making my list, refining it (after some rules from my friend!) and re-writing.  I got to 53…so far.  Some, such as ‘complete a 10 day Vapassana yoga retreat’, ‘keep a photo-a-day diary for a year’ or ‘go snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef’ I’m fairly sure I can accomplish no problem.  Others such as ‘own 3 homes around the world’ and ‘write a novel’ will take a little longer, but they’re still on the list! I figure it can be a work in progress, as long as it does actually progress (and things get crossed off along the way too!).

The thing about this is, it gets you thinking differently.  Instead of worrying about the day to day, the things that might not be going to plan quite yet, it makes you focus more on the possibilities in life, the potential you have and how you can go about achieving these things, that let’s face it, are on this list in the first place because you really want to do them!  Seems like a simple, enjoyable and productive way to shift the way you think doesn’t it?

In the interests of further boosting the benefits to your thought patterns and positivity, the other side to this is creating a list of things you’ve already accomplished.  Now this really does get you feeling good about yourself as you mentally go back over your life and remember all the wonderful things you’ve achieved so far – maybe completing your education, marrying the person of your dreams or travelling to your ideal destination.  They don’t have to be big things either though – some of mine include ‘performed in a stage musical’, ‘ate a smoked salmon & cream cheese bagel in a park in NYC’ (admittedly not one for the gluten/lactose intolerant among us!), and ‘auditioned for a TV show (which I clearly didn’t end up starring in!)’.   They can be as big or small as you like, as long as they are important and hold some significance to you.

So how about it?  What’s on your lists?  What have you got to lose?

Beating Stress. Naturally.

Stress.  We hear the word every day, but what does it really mean?  Its thrown around with abandon now, to the point that its perceived significance in causing dis-ease and illness is ever diminishing, when in fact this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Technically, stress is defined as the body’s normal response mechanisms to daily events that may be seen as threatening or upsetting to its usual balance.  This ‘stress response’ happens without us even being conscious of it, and is called the ‘fight or flight’ response, set in place by the autonomic nervous system.  However, when we are living in this constant state of ‘stress response’,  our bodies are not able to work at their optimum level, and we experience the symptoms we typically now describe as ‘feeling stressed’, including increased anxiety levels, sleep disruption, feeling of constant worry, loss of appetite, jittery ‘butterflies in the stomach’ feeling, pain, exhaustion and mental anguish.

What Conditions Are Affected by Stress?
Stress not only makes some conditions worse, it can actually be the root cause in a lot of cases.  It is a factor in many conditions, including:

• Heart and cardio-vascular issues
• Anxiety and depression
• Musculoskeletal pain conditions such as inflammation seen in arthritis, general joint restrictions, muscle tension and spasm
• Tension headaches and migraines
• Pain conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
• Respiratory illness including asthma or general shortness of breath
• Insomnia
• Digestive issues including obesity or rapid weight loss, bloating, constipation/diarrhea

Areas of the body that are affected by stress

• Physical body: Perhaps most obviously, this is where we tend to notice our stress on a daily basis.  The muscle aches and pains, the headaches, tiredness and lethargy, jittery feelings in the stomach and/or loss of appetite
• Emotional body: Stress indicators in the emotional body cover things such as feelings of anxiety, mental anguish and even depression.   Our sleep can be interrupted which increases our feelings of tiredness, and exacerbates our worries.
• Energetic body: This may be the part most of us are less aware of.   All (natural) systems of health in the world have some basis in energy flow throughout the body – from Qi in the ancient Chinese medicine traditions, to the 3 humours (vata, pitta & kapha) of Ayurvedic medicine from India.  When this energy flow is interrupted or blocked, it can lead to dis-ease, pain and you guessed it, stress (likewise, stress can also be an underlying cause in the energy blockage too)!

What Causes Stress in the Body?
Stress affects almost all of us at some point in our lives, and can be caused by a variety of factors:

• Trauma – emotional, physical, real or perceived will all cause some kind of stress response in the body
• Overwork – ‘not enough hours in the day’.  Sound familiar? Trying to do too much each day (generally over a prolonged period) is a common cause of stress in daily life
• Self-generated stressors – including things like financial worries, moving house, relationship difficulties
• Pain – from injury or disease
• Pathology – as a result of illness or dis-ease in the body

So what can you do to relieve stress in your life as part of your regular well-being regime?

Massage and Stress
Regular massage treatments are an excellent way to relieve stress in the body and mind, and can get you on your way to feeling more calm and relaxed.  The positive effects of massage are numerous:

• Relieving muscular aches and pains
• Increasing range of movement in joints that have been held in tension for extended periods
• Increasing awareness of painful and tense areas in the body, allowing for postural changes
• Calming the breathing to aid relaxation.  Correct breathing techniques also help break the pain cycle
• Facilitating immune system function, allowing the body to better fight  infections – particularly those ones we seem to pick up when we’re ‘run down’
• Decreasing (sympathetic) nervous system firing, thereby limiting the ‘fight or flight’ stress response

Massage can therefore provide not only physical pain relief, but also helps to quiet the mind and emotions.

Kinesiology and Stress
Kinesiology tends to focus more on the energetic body directly, and this often has a ‘knock-on’ effect to the whole being.  By identifying and then shifting energetic blockages and imbalances in the body relating to certain issues or stresses, we can help ourselves to move past these limitations.

Everyone has felt at one time or another, the tight muscles, aches and pains that seem to crop up when stress levels are high, right?  Well have you ever stopped to wonder why they do that, often in the same place, each time our tension is on the rise again?  While massage and other manual therapies will certainly provide relief, kinesiology will complement this by looking to shift the energetic and emotional basis for these pains, working to balance and correct these underlying issues to keep the pains at bay.  By working in this way, all the symptoms listed above that are assisted by massage, will also benefit from kinesiology balancing techniques – what a great combination!