well-being

Massage Clients Help

Massage Clients Help

 

 

Massage therapists are in a position of being of help to their clients. The purpose of this post is not to go into the benefits of massage – but to consider, or at least be open to, how your massage clients help you.  Massage clients help me in many ways: 1) by being clients upon whom I can practice my skills, 2) by allowing me to  practice my art on them, 3) – and of course they’re the source of income for Massage Professionals of Jackson Hole which is why, really, we’re all doing this in the first place.

But most of all massage clients help me by helping me tune into the body of another – which takes full concentration and focus. To massage another person is to perform a type of meditation. Some people (like me) find it hard to find time to simply meditate for even a short session at home – therefore if I can find it while I’m at work, then that’s a great bonus for me, it helps me help my massage clients – and it’s how my massage clients help me.

massage clients help 2

So, if after skiing those wonderful ski slopes at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, you feel like having a nice deep relaxation massage – come on in and get some help – and while you’re at it, you can help me. Come to think of it – it’s a symbiotic relationship – and why not? – that’s the way a business relationship should be, especially in the world of body and mind work. A massage can be especially beneficial if both client and therapist get into the meditation zone together.

Be well,

Hamish and Rochelle.

in Blog / General / Jackson Hole / Massage / Uncategorized / Wellness  by 14 Jan 2015 0 comments

Fitness and Wellness

Fitness and Wellness

Let’s face it – the ultimate key to happiness is your level of fitness and wellness. Fitness is the essence of life, wellness allows you to get on with things.  There’s absolutely no point in having a lot of ‘stuff’ if you don’t have fitness and wellness. Money won’t buy you those things. Fit and well are kind of the same thing. You can’t really be one without the other.

 

Here are my thoughts on 3 Keys to Fitness and Wellness.  I consider myself to be fit and well – and always have. The three key areas to fitness are: 1) Aerobic exercise, 2) Careful, nutritious diet,  3) A mental vision of your fit and well self. My inspiration to write this post is that I have been unwell for a few weeks now – and it is highly unusual for me to be sick – ever. So there’s one other key I would add to the above – personal hygiene and cautions around others who are unwell. Oh – and living

 

schedule massage

Schedule Massage

Schedule a massage

in a place like Jackson Hole – or any other Rocky Mountain resort town goes a long way to fitness and wellness.  But, without being a Nazi about it (some fitness fanatics can be rather boring with their relentless fitness discipline and I believe it’s OK to not take yourself too seriously), if you get regular exercise (a good workout routine in a gymnasium is good or at least a long walk), it starts to become part of your expectations as an every-day event. Exercising regularly feels so good that you begin to crave it – and that’s a good thing – fitness is addictive. Similarly, eating well begins to feel so good that other foods lacking in nutritional quality really lose their appeal. I start to notice in a day or two if I haven’t had a good, fresh salad recently – and boy does it feel satisfying to munch into a good, fresh salad with crispy lettuce leaves and veggies. I feel ‘lucky’ to crave the habits of well-being and fitness – but luck has nothing to do with it – this is the way I have planned my life and as I get older I have less and less tolerance for poor diet and exercise. Oh – and did I mention chocolate? And cookies? And wine? Like I mentioned above – there’s no need to be a Nazi about it – I enjoy wine with dinner almost every evening and a piece of chocolate or two for dessert. And sometimes – just sometimes – it feels good to have a day of rest – especially if you’ve been ramping-up your exercise routines. Oh – and did I mention massage? Visit your friendly massage professional on a regular basis – and, heck, just becoming a massage

Holistic Health for Jackson Hole

therapist in Jackson Hole has completed the fitness and wellness circle for me even more.  The mental part of it follows naturally. You begin to feel GREAT!  Then you become that and it feels even better – and a cycle starts…you feel better because you eat well and keep up your fitness – so you do those things more – so your mental state gets better – and everything feeds everything else. It can be hard to get started. I’m not a nutritionist, but generally lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, uncooked and unprocessed foods are best. Low fat is crucial (but not ‘no’ fat) and I prefer not to eat meat for reasons that go beyond diet and involve factory farming.

When you keep fit, your body will crave certain nutrients – listen to your body and it will come to you what will be the ‘right’ thing to eat to make up those nutrients. Another thing…don’t overeat! Enough is enough. If you are satiated – don’t eat any more just because it tastes good or is on your plate. Eat what you need. It’s best to ‘graze’ slowly through the day than eat large meals. For breakfast, try a healthy multi-grain toast with natural peanut butter (contents: 100% peanuts) and slices of banana – with tea. Lunch is a great time to eat salad with lettuce, spinach, sliced, pickled beets, garbanzo beans (for protein), Sunflower seeds, raisins, broccoli florets, red pepper, avocado and sprinkled with goat cheese. A great dinner to finish off the day would be grilled salmon with lemon juice, lemon-pepper seasoning and butter. Accompany that with a baked sweet potato and some scalded asparagus spears….yum!

Be well, Hamish and Rochelle.

in Blog / Fitness / Inspiration / Massage / Wellness  by 25 Apr 2014 0 comments

Walking for Health

Walking for Health

Walking is the most beneficial, easily-achieved, low-impact activity you can do to improve and maintain your health. Being massage professionals in Jackson Hole, it is part of my goal as a blog-writer to give my opinions on health-related matters.

 

Walking at 89

I was speaking with my father recently – he’s 89 and still doing very well indeed – both mentally and physically. He attributes the physical part of it to walking on a daily basis – and we’re talking about three to four miles. Although he was both a boxer and a rugby player for Scotland’s University of Glasgow – he gave those sports up in his 30’s – and took to walking ever since. Having an active Labrador dog (her name was ‘Eilidh of Stuarton’ – Nell for short) was good reason to go walking every day. Even after the dog passed-away, my mother and father found themselves addicted to walking and have kept it up into their very old age.

 

And that has passed on down to me – and I take credit for passing it on to Rochelle. If I don’t get my work-out in the gym every day, or go skiing or cycling – I go for a walk. In fact, you’ll often find me walking after a good day of skiing just to unwind and relax my muscles. Besides, walking is a great way to catch up with your significant other, get some fresh air and aerobic activity together while you chat about things – or just keep quiet and enjoy the scenery.

 

The beauties of walking for health are: 1) It’s free – well – maybe it wears your shoes out -,  2) It requires no special skills – anyone can do it,  3) Initially, walking requires no pre-determined level of fitness – start out slow and short distances – and build on that,  4) It is easy on the body – unlike the jarring to the knees, hips and spine of, say, running, 5) It is sociable – chat while you walk along, 6) It gets you fresh air in your lungs, 7) It requires no special gear or equipment or specific place (like a golf course or a ski hill).

 

Often, the best time to get a massage, is after a walk – when, bodily and mentally, you are relaxed and your muscles easily receive the massage therapist’s work.

Be well,

 

Hamish and Rochelle

 

 

in Blog / Fitness / Uncategorized / Wellness  by 23 Apr 2014 0 comments

Start a Great Massage Habit with your Valentine ‘s Day Gift.

Start a Great Massage Habit with your Valentine ‘s Day Gift

 

It’s the season for love and, like flowers, massage is one of the ‘go-to’ gifts to give. But why stop at that? Why not give yourself a gift as well and book a couples massage for extra romance. And then, while you’re enjoying that massage, consider the health benefits – for you and your partner – of regular massage. Read on – and you’ll see that if it’s good for your body – then it’s good for your partner. Better still, if you can get couples massages as often as possible, it’s good for both of you…together.

Massage Therapy for Health and Fitness

 

It may simply look like a lot of pressing and kneading on skin, but massage is actually a scientific process. The reason you feel different after a massage is because it is healing and invigorating tired, aching or injured muscles. Massage increases blood and lymph circulation. Lymph is a fluid that rids body tissues of waste, is dependent on the squeezing effect of muscles. An active person has better lymph flow than an inactive person. However, stimulation from vigorous activity can lead to increased waste, which can negate the benefit. This is where massage has a huge advantage. Massage can dramatically aid lymph movement, which together with blood, supplies nutrients and oxygen and rids wastes and toxins. It is easy to understand why good circulation is so important to our health and why massage can be so beneficial just for this purpose.

Massage and Sport

 

Massage plays a part in every form of sport or exercise. Unfortunately, many people believe aches and pains are an inevitable consequence to activity. But massage can actually reduce or eliminate what may appear to be exercise-induced pain.

It can increase endurance, control fatigue and help people feel better when used as part of a regular health program. Massage can also speed muscle recovery rates as it eliminates irritation from waste. By helping reduce fatigue and aid recovery, massage enables more productive training, with longer, more effective workouts. The ultimate spin-offs are better performance with fewer injuries. Exercise changes the way our muscles work. Blood vessels become more intricate as the body demands more oxygen and nutrients and increases waste elimination. This takes time. While the muscles are getting into shape, they can struggle to get enough oxygen and nutrients, so waste collects.

Some Other Benefits of Massage

 

  • Increase the blood’s oxygen capacity by 10-15%
  • Help loosen contracted, shortened muscles and stimulate weak, flaccid muscles. This muscle “balancing” can even help posture and promote more efficient movement;
  • Speed recovery from exercise-induced fatigue;
  • Increase production of gastric juices, saliva and urine;
  • Increase excretion of nitrogen, inorganic phosphorus, and sodium chloride (salt). This suggests that the metabolic rate increases;
  • Balance the nervous system by soothing or stimulating it, depending on which effect is needed;
  • Improves function of the oil and sweat glands that lubricate, clean and cool the skin. Though, inflexible skin can become softer and more supple;
  • Indirectly or directly stimulating nerves the supply internal organs can dilate the organs’ blood vessels, improving blood supply.

For much of this content – Special Thanks to Allissa Haines and ‘Writing a Blue Streak‘, and to Butlers Body in Balance

Be Well,

Hamish and Rochelle

 

 

 

 

in Blog / Massage / Uncategorized  by 04 Feb 2014 0 comments

Inspiring Well-Being Quotes

Inspiring Quotes

From a sense of well-being, massage is certainly inter-connected with yoga. To that end, I submit this yoga-related post on our massage blog.

These quotes are a knock-out. They really struck a chord with me and I thank Mandy Burstein for putting these together. And Mandy’s list (among many other useful and interesting topics was circulated by Alissa Haines of ‘Writing a Blue Streak‘

 

1. “True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming. Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose, and for it to be truly called yoga, its essence must be embodied.” — Aadil Palkhivala

2. “Change is not only inevitable, but always happening. When you truly embrace this concept of change being constant, the only thing left to do is grow, detach, venture inwards, touch the spirit and find your source — the one responsible for keeping you grounded through the ever-changing seasons of life.” — Julie Weiland

3. “Don’t move the way fear makes you move. Move the way love makes you move. Move the way joy makes you move.” — Osho

4. “Yoga is not a work-out, it is a work-in. And this is the point of spiritual practice; to make us teachable; to open up our hearts and focus our awareness so that we can know what we already know and be who we already are.” — Rolf Gates

5. “If you choose to see everything as a miracle, then where you are right now is perfect. There is nowhere to run to; there is nothing else to do except be in this moment and allow what is to be. From that place of radical acceptance, major change can happen. The first step in any transformational experience is acceptance and surrender to the present moment, the way that it is. From that place we have the awareness, humility and power to change what is.” — Mastin Kipp

6. “In meditation and in our daily lives there are three qualities that we can nurture, cultivate, and bring out. We already possess these, but they can be ripened: precision, gentleness, and the ability to let go.” — Pema Chodron

7. “The chakras are very intelligent – they are like the software of the whole computer body.” — Dharma Mittra

8. “Follow your nature. The practice is really about uncovering your own pose; we have great respect for our teachers, but unless we can uncover our own pose in the moment, it’s not practice — it’s mimicry. Rest deeply in Savasana every day. Always enter that pratyahara (withdrawn state) every day. And just enjoy yourself. For many years I mistook discipline as ambition. Now I believe it to be more about consistency. Do get on the mat. Practice and life are not that different.” — Judith Hanson Lasater

9. “When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.” — B.K.S. Iyengar

10. “There will always be people who can do it better than you, but that’s a good thing! Start to see competition as inspiration — without envy.” — Kathryn Budig

*Bonus: Namaste. — Possibly the most beautiful word ever said in yoga. There are many interpretations, my favorite being: “The divine light in me bows to the divine light in you.”

Be well,

Hamish and Rochelle.

 

in Blog / Inspiration / Yoga  by 26 Jan 2014 0 comments