In our world today, people are often unkind to each other. There is a lot of violence in our world, even in the Western world. Often it is not physical violence, but the energy of fight, of combativeness. Many people come from broken families with deep emotional wounds that have never been healed. Most of us have these wounds even if we grew up with very loving families. Everyone has experienced unkindness, being judged, and many have directly experienced physical violence.
How do we create a world where that no longer has to happen? There will always be conflicts, but I believe that cruelty is unnecessary to solve problems.
The hurts that exist are there, and healing them can only come about by recognizing them and giving them unjudged space to be felt. This quality - compassion - is so important for healing and for creating that better world.
It is what I want to bring to my work and what I want my practice to stand for. To hold each person in compassion, whatever experiences have happened. Wherever you are right now, this is where compassion happens.
To go with this intention in the world, for others, and for ourselves - I think this is the only way to create healing and the only way out of violence, both direct and subtle.
This is the power that holds all things, all emotional movements, all thoughts, stress, wounds and memories. This is the power that allows all things to be without judgement, without trying to change them, just a simple recognition that what is, is.
It requires looking and not looking away. It requires being with.
Healing begins when we see what is, without judgement or explanations.
In massage, this intention is far more powerful than touch itself.
A massage therapist who has unkind thoughts while giving a massage can cause harm instead of helping to heal.
However, when a massage therapist holds the intention of compassion in her touch, this can create more healing - to physically experience that compassion through touch in the body. All trauma is stored in the body, and it can be greatly healing for the intention of compassion to hold old emotions directly through physical touch.
This is the essence of healing and massage.
Monday, 24 October 2011
Monday, 10 October 2011
Econony of Trust, or Why I Have A New Sliding Scale
Massages at HealingTree Massage Therapy are now priced on a sliding scale from $20 - $60 based on what you can afford and/or what you feel the massage is worth.
Why the sliding scale? Why so cheap?
I want to make massage available to everyone. I understand that many people cannot afford a massage at full price and for me, I get a deep satisfaction from my work when I come from a place of wanting to give massage rather than coming from a mindset of wanting only to get something from my business.
I want to come from a mindset of abundance and trust and connection where I can focus my attention more on doing the work I love to do instead of a mindset of fear that there may not be enough.
I believe this mindset is one of the biggest causes of stress in our society - something that my work directly addresses and seeks to relieve. The fear that there will not be enough.
But how to come from a place where there is enough. A place of trust, knowing one's needs will be met and extending that trust to the world in every aspect of life. That is the place I want to work from.
Why the sliding scale? Why so cheap?
I want to make massage available to everyone. I understand that many people cannot afford a massage at full price and for me, I get a deep satisfaction from my work when I come from a place of wanting to give massage rather than coming from a mindset of wanting only to get something from my business.
I want to come from a mindset of abundance and trust and connection where I can focus my attention more on doing the work I love to do instead of a mindset of fear that there may not be enough.
I believe this mindset is one of the biggest causes of stress in our society - something that my work directly addresses and seeks to relieve. The fear that there will not be enough.
But how to come from a place where there is enough. A place of trust, knowing one's needs will be met and extending that trust to the world in every aspect of life. That is the place I want to work from.
Monday, 26 September 2011
Made to Move - Why Movement is Essential for Health
Our bodies are made for movement. As a massage practitioner, I work on soft tissues of the body, namely muscles, ligaments, tendons and the connective tissue that surrounds and interweaves all of this called fascia. These tissues are designed for movement.
Unfortunately, many of us have jobs that place us in immobile positions for long periods of time, often sitting positions, often leaning forward over a desk or computer. When we remain in one position for too long, certain muscles are held tightly static, while others are lax. This can cause postural problems and atrophy of muscle tissue, it can reduce flexibility and diminish metabolism and circulation in muscle tissues.
This is often why we may feel sore after sitting at a desk for hours at a time, or why postural problems and back pain can develop over the long term.
Movement is needed for healthy circulation of the body which brings nutrients and removes waste products from muscles and all other vital tissues in the body. It increases the amount of oxygen going to your cells which can leave you feeling more energetic and vital.
Movement is an essential part of heath. The body needs a variety of movement for muscle tonicity to stay in balance, maintaining healthy posture.
And as we've all heard before, exercise leads to a release of endorphins into the bloodstream which decreases stress, boosts immunity, and makes you feel good.
So what do you do if you have a job where you are sitting in one position for long periods of time?
Move!
Take breaks at least once an hour to walk around, stretch.
Pay attention to your body and be aware, would it feel good to do; neck rolls, shoulder rolls, stretch your back, drink water? Your body will tell you what kind of movement it needs to restore balance.
An exercise you can do almost any time while sitting at a desk or even during a meeting: Sit on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Alternate pushing your feet gently into the floor. You can also do this while standing. Few people will even notice you are doing it.
Experiment. See how you feel after doing this exercise and how you feel when you don't do it.
Even subtle movements can make a big difference.
Because our bodies were made to and love to move!
Unfortunately, many of us have jobs that place us in immobile positions for long periods of time, often sitting positions, often leaning forward over a desk or computer. When we remain in one position for too long, certain muscles are held tightly static, while others are lax. This can cause postural problems and atrophy of muscle tissue, it can reduce flexibility and diminish metabolism and circulation in muscle tissues.
This is often why we may feel sore after sitting at a desk for hours at a time, or why postural problems and back pain can develop over the long term.
Movement is needed for healthy circulation of the body which brings nutrients and removes waste products from muscles and all other vital tissues in the body. It increases the amount of oxygen going to your cells which can leave you feeling more energetic and vital.
Movement is an essential part of heath. The body needs a variety of movement for muscle tonicity to stay in balance, maintaining healthy posture.
And as we've all heard before, exercise leads to a release of endorphins into the bloodstream which decreases stress, boosts immunity, and makes you feel good.
So what do you do if you have a job where you are sitting in one position for long periods of time?
Move!
Take breaks at least once an hour to walk around, stretch.
Pay attention to your body and be aware, would it feel good to do; neck rolls, shoulder rolls, stretch your back, drink water? Your body will tell you what kind of movement it needs to restore balance.
An exercise you can do almost any time while sitting at a desk or even during a meeting: Sit on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Alternate pushing your feet gently into the floor. You can also do this while standing. Few people will even notice you are doing it.
Experiment. See how you feel after doing this exercise and how you feel when you don't do it.
Even subtle movements can make a big difference.
Because our bodies were made to and love to move!
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Why does my head hurt when you work on my neck?
Referred sensation and pain from one area of the body to another is fairly common and it occurs all throughout the body. In fact, this phenomenon is the cause of something called trigger points.
A trigger point is a small, hard nodule of tissue with the characteristic sign that when pressed, refers sensation to another area of the body. Most of the time these referral patterns are predictable, but sometimes they are not.
When a trigger point is active, this means that even when no pressure is applied to an area, it will often be painful itself and will actively refer pain to other areas of the body. Unfortunately, this can also stimulate latent trigger points to become active in those areas, causing further pain.
This means, if you have an active trigger point in a muscle in your neck, this could cause a headache (or a shoulder ache).
Fortunately, treatment for trigger points is usually straightforward. Applying pressure to the trigger point and holding that pressure, though often causing referred pain, will often deactivate a trigger point, reducing or eliminating pain at the site itself and at referred sites.
This is part of why massage can be very effective in reducing aches and pains, it directly addresses trigger points, a major source of muscle pain and discomfort.
While the cause of trigger points is unknown, there are certain conditions which are known to cause active trigger points. These can include exhaustion or overexertion of a muscle, remaining in the same position for too long (say, at a desk), repetitive motion, and of course, stress.
A trigger point is a small, hard nodule of tissue with the characteristic sign that when pressed, refers sensation to another area of the body. Most of the time these referral patterns are predictable, but sometimes they are not.
When a trigger point is active, this means that even when no pressure is applied to an area, it will often be painful itself and will actively refer pain to other areas of the body. Unfortunately, this can also stimulate latent trigger points to become active in those areas, causing further pain.
This means, if you have an active trigger point in a muscle in your neck, this could cause a headache (or a shoulder ache).
Fortunately, treatment for trigger points is usually straightforward. Applying pressure to the trigger point and holding that pressure, though often causing referred pain, will often deactivate a trigger point, reducing or eliminating pain at the site itself and at referred sites.
This is part of why massage can be very effective in reducing aches and pains, it directly addresses trigger points, a major source of muscle pain and discomfort.
While the cause of trigger points is unknown, there are certain conditions which are known to cause active trigger points. These can include exhaustion or overexertion of a muscle, remaining in the same position for too long (say, at a desk), repetitive motion, and of course, stress.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
What are "Knots?"
What are knots? "Knot"s are one of the main reasons you might come in to get a massage. Your back feels tight, and when you reach back there, you feel an area of muscle tissue that feels hard and can be sore or tight.
"Knots" are areas of muscle tissue that have become hypertonic, that have contracted, to a degree, and stay that way, even when you are no longer using the muscle for a specific activity.
The body will naturally splint an injury that would otherwise be further hurt by tensing the muscles around it, to make that area immobile. However, even when the injury itself is fully healed, muscles often will remain tensed, or hypertonic.
When muscles remain in this state of hypertonicity, circulation to the tissues in that area is inhibited, or limited. This prevents optimum levels of nutrients and oxygen from reaching cells in that area, which can leave you feeling crummy. On top of that, metabolism for tissues in that area and the removal of waste products from the area is also compromised. So several things are going on at once in a "knot." A lack of circulation, lack of nutrients and oxygen, less than optimal metabolism and a buildup of waste products.
The longer the hypertonicity remains, the longer this situation persists. Muscles can become fibrotic and painful. They are not working at their optimal performance. In addition, the nervous system can begin to read the neurons firing to tell the muscle to remain in that position, as pain. In response to pain, the area becomes even more hypertonic.
A buildup of waste products that remain in the muscles can be felt as "crunchy" when you are receiving a massage.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to help these areas relax and let go of their tension. This will help return circulation to the area, bringing in nutrients and oxygen, removing waste products, increasing metabolism, bringing your muscles back to optimal function and removing or reducing pain.
Massage helps to relax these areas in several ways. Touching an area of hypertonic muscle often informs the body that this area is holding more tension than it needs to, allowing this muscle to relax. Massage also puts you and your sympathetic nervous system into "rest and digest," rather than "fight or flight." Muscles are extremely responsive to the sympathetic nervous system. Simply getting a person to relax, by massaging her scalp or ears, can cause her whole system to relax - which in turn can help reduce the tension in her low back.
Anything you can do to get yourself in a relaxed state will help to reduce tension in specific areas of your body.
You can:
- Get a massage
- Take a hot bath
- Go for a walk
- Meditate
- Take a nap
- Take a deep breath
When sometimes these methods don't work, massage, manually working on areas of tension and addressing other reasons why a muscle might be in this state can work out sore, painful areas.
I also recommend to a lot of clients stretching and yoga. This also brings circulation into areas that have been tight and can help to release tension and remove waste products.
Besides, movement is (almost) always good for your health!
Amanda Killen, LMP
www.healingtreemassagetherapy.com
"Knots" are areas of muscle tissue that have become hypertonic, that have contracted, to a degree, and stay that way, even when you are no longer using the muscle for a specific activity.
The body will naturally splint an injury that would otherwise be further hurt by tensing the muscles around it, to make that area immobile. However, even when the injury itself is fully healed, muscles often will remain tensed, or hypertonic.
When muscles remain in this state of hypertonicity, circulation to the tissues in that area is inhibited, or limited. This prevents optimum levels of nutrients and oxygen from reaching cells in that area, which can leave you feeling crummy. On top of that, metabolism for tissues in that area and the removal of waste products from the area is also compromised. So several things are going on at once in a "knot." A lack of circulation, lack of nutrients and oxygen, less than optimal metabolism and a buildup of waste products.
The longer the hypertonicity remains, the longer this situation persists. Muscles can become fibrotic and painful. They are not working at their optimal performance. In addition, the nervous system can begin to read the neurons firing to tell the muscle to remain in that position, as pain. In response to pain, the area becomes even more hypertonic.
A buildup of waste products that remain in the muscles can be felt as "crunchy" when you are receiving a massage.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to help these areas relax and let go of their tension. This will help return circulation to the area, bringing in nutrients and oxygen, removing waste products, increasing metabolism, bringing your muscles back to optimal function and removing or reducing pain.
Massage helps to relax these areas in several ways. Touching an area of hypertonic muscle often informs the body that this area is holding more tension than it needs to, allowing this muscle to relax. Massage also puts you and your sympathetic nervous system into "rest and digest," rather than "fight or flight." Muscles are extremely responsive to the sympathetic nervous system. Simply getting a person to relax, by massaging her scalp or ears, can cause her whole system to relax - which in turn can help reduce the tension in her low back.
Anything you can do to get yourself in a relaxed state will help to reduce tension in specific areas of your body.
You can:
- Get a massage
- Take a hot bath
- Go for a walk
- Meditate
- Take a nap
- Take a deep breath
When sometimes these methods don't work, massage, manually working on areas of tension and addressing other reasons why a muscle might be in this state can work out sore, painful areas.
I also recommend to a lot of clients stretching and yoga. This also brings circulation into areas that have been tight and can help to release tension and remove waste products.
Besides, movement is (almost) always good for your health!
Amanda Killen, LMP
www.healingtreemassagetherapy.com
Friday, 9 September 2011
Whole Being Health - Beyond the Body
We often think of health in terms of fitness, in terms of ideal weight, diet and exercise. While these are essential parts of what can make up a healthy lifestyle, I don't see health as being limited to the body. Neither is it a cutout ideal to judge ourselves against. Often times we think of health as measuring up to ideals of beauty, or ideals in general of how we should be, how our bodies should be. And often times, seeking only physical health can be a way to avoid other areas of our lives that we don't know how to deal with.
To look at health in a whole way, we have to look at the context of a person's life, or the context of our own life. Health applies to every aspect of our lives.
Are our bodies healthy? is one question of many. Are our relationships healthy? Is our work environment healthy? Is the work that we do satisfying to us? Are we honest with ourselves? Are we around people who care about us, who are honest and kind? Do we have a healthy spirituality? Or do we have no spirituality and feel fine with that? Is our home environment healthy?
I don't think these questions should be used to judge ourselves, or to hold up an image about what we think we should be and feel bad about where we are, but rather to ask ourselves "How do I feel about this?"
"How do I feel?" I think is a fantastic question to finding out about our own health. The answers are rarely simple, but can be a lot of fun to find out.
How does my body feel? How do I feel when I work? How do I feel about my relationships? How do I feel about the place I am in? Do I feel good in my body?
The answer will come through the body but will inform us about everything else in our lives.
Health can be a goal and yet there is also the healthiest thing to do in this moment within the context of what is actually going on in our lives.
I think the best way to judge overall health, is to ask ourselves, "How do I feel?"
I have a friend who is a smoker. She would like to be a nonsmoker and since I've known her, she has attempted to quit smoking several times. The first time she tried, she and her husband were in the process of moving into a new house. She bundled up all her packs of tobacco, her filters, lighters and threw them in the trash.
It didn't go so well.
The withdrawal of quitting, and all of the emotions that had been numbed through smoking came up at once, along with the normal stress of moving (which is listed as one of the most stressful events to occur in life). After about four days, I, who assisted in the moving, her husband, and her housemate, were all relieved when she retrieved the bundle from the trash which thankfully was wrapped securely in plastic, and decided that quitting smoking would have to wait until another time.
While overall, quitting would probably be better for her health, she had to consider what was healthier in the moment, rather than forcing herself to deal with too much at once. She decided to find a time when she would have a surrounding that would be more supportive to dealing with the withdrawal and the emotions that would come up from quitting smoking.
What is health if we have a terminal illness? What is health if we have permanently lost the functioning of a limb? What is healthy for us now if we are recovering from addiction and substance abuse?
Health is not a one-size-fits-all ideal to strive for. It can't be because it is something that applies to real people and real people's lives. And health is certainly not beating yourself up for not measuring up to where you think you should be.
So what is healthiest to do right now?
To go for a run? To sleep in? To call a friend? To stop what you're doing and take a few deep breathes and just feel what it feels like to be in your body? To drink beer all night and go dancing? Maybe. Sometimes that can be healthy.
Health is what creates balance within the given context of your life.
To look at health in a whole way, we have to look at the context of a person's life, or the context of our own life. Health applies to every aspect of our lives.
Are our bodies healthy? is one question of many. Are our relationships healthy? Is our work environment healthy? Is the work that we do satisfying to us? Are we honest with ourselves? Are we around people who care about us, who are honest and kind? Do we have a healthy spirituality? Or do we have no spirituality and feel fine with that? Is our home environment healthy?
I don't think these questions should be used to judge ourselves, or to hold up an image about what we think we should be and feel bad about where we are, but rather to ask ourselves "How do I feel about this?"
"How do I feel?" I think is a fantastic question to finding out about our own health. The answers are rarely simple, but can be a lot of fun to find out.
How does my body feel? How do I feel when I work? How do I feel about my relationships? How do I feel about the place I am in? Do I feel good in my body?
The answer will come through the body but will inform us about everything else in our lives.
Health can be a goal and yet there is also the healthiest thing to do in this moment within the context of what is actually going on in our lives.
I think the best way to judge overall health, is to ask ourselves, "How do I feel?"
I have a friend who is a smoker. She would like to be a nonsmoker and since I've known her, she has attempted to quit smoking several times. The first time she tried, she and her husband were in the process of moving into a new house. She bundled up all her packs of tobacco, her filters, lighters and threw them in the trash.
It didn't go so well.
The withdrawal of quitting, and all of the emotions that had been numbed through smoking came up at once, along with the normal stress of moving (which is listed as one of the most stressful events to occur in life). After about four days, I, who assisted in the moving, her husband, and her housemate, were all relieved when she retrieved the bundle from the trash which thankfully was wrapped securely in plastic, and decided that quitting smoking would have to wait until another time.
While overall, quitting would probably be better for her health, she had to consider what was healthier in the moment, rather than forcing herself to deal with too much at once. She decided to find a time when she would have a surrounding that would be more supportive to dealing with the withdrawal and the emotions that would come up from quitting smoking.
What is health if we have a terminal illness? What is health if we have permanently lost the functioning of a limb? What is healthy for us now if we are recovering from addiction and substance abuse?
Health is not a one-size-fits-all ideal to strive for. It can't be because it is something that applies to real people and real people's lives. And health is certainly not beating yourself up for not measuring up to where you think you should be.
So what is healthiest to do right now?
To go for a run? To sleep in? To call a friend? To stop what you're doing and take a few deep breathes and just feel what it feels like to be in your body? To drink beer all night and go dancing? Maybe. Sometimes that can be healthy.
Health is what creates balance within the given context of your life.
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Healing Occurs Automatically
In our modern culture, with modern medicine, healing is often considered something someone or something does to you. You get sick and you take medicine: It heals you. You go to a doctor, you get surgery: It fixes the problem. You have sore muscles and go get a massage: It takes the soreness away.
As a massage practitioner, I am interested in healing. But I do not make healing happen. I let healing happen. I don't fix problems, I let the body fix itself.
If there is tension in a certain part of the body, often by simply placing my hand there, the body becomes aware that that muscle is holding more tension than necessary. Simply the act of touch helps the body become self aware, gives it the information it needs to return to a state of balance. It lets the body know it can let go of that tension.
Touch simply gives the body information that allows it to act on its own. But it was the body, your body that had the intelligence to do the healing.
For someone who has suffered physcological trauma, healing occurs with the experience of trust and safety. The person experiences new situations that are safe. Touch, with the intention of care and healing, informs that person and the body that this situation is safe. Healing can occur.
In every situation, the information needed for healing to take place is different. In massage, it is my job to find out what information the body needs. In some cases, when I sense someone has been through an emotionally difficult experience, I pick up that more important than focusing on a specific area, this person needs to feel cared about, and I try to bring that through in my massage. If someone has limited range of motion because of an old injury, I may manually work to break down scar tissue, letting the body know that this scar tissue is not necessary anymore.
If there is pain between the shoulder blades because of muscles that are too tight, and a buildup of toxins in that area, through touch, letting the muscles know they can relax, allows the toxins to be released.
If muscles are holding a joint improperly, manual range of motion of that joint can inform it to hold correctly.
The body is its own intelligent system that when given the right information, will automatically act to find balance, wholeness and recovery.
As a massage practitioner, it is my job to find out what that information is and if I can give it.
But it is your body that does orchestrates its own healing.
As a massage practitioner, I am interested in healing. But I do not make healing happen. I let healing happen. I don't fix problems, I let the body fix itself.
If there is tension in a certain part of the body, often by simply placing my hand there, the body becomes aware that that muscle is holding more tension than necessary. Simply the act of touch helps the body become self aware, gives it the information it needs to return to a state of balance. It lets the body know it can let go of that tension.
Touch simply gives the body information that allows it to act on its own. But it was the body, your body that had the intelligence to do the healing.
For someone who has suffered physcological trauma, healing occurs with the experience of trust and safety. The person experiences new situations that are safe. Touch, with the intention of care and healing, informs that person and the body that this situation is safe. Healing can occur.
In every situation, the information needed for healing to take place is different. In massage, it is my job to find out what information the body needs. In some cases, when I sense someone has been through an emotionally difficult experience, I pick up that more important than focusing on a specific area, this person needs to feel cared about, and I try to bring that through in my massage. If someone has limited range of motion because of an old injury, I may manually work to break down scar tissue, letting the body know that this scar tissue is not necessary anymore.
If there is pain between the shoulder blades because of muscles that are too tight, and a buildup of toxins in that area, through touch, letting the muscles know they can relax, allows the toxins to be released.
If muscles are holding a joint improperly, manual range of motion of that joint can inform it to hold correctly.
The body is its own intelligent system that when given the right information, will automatically act to find balance, wholeness and recovery.
As a massage practitioner, it is my job to find out what that information is and if I can give it.
But it is your body that does orchestrates its own healing.
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