Practicing in Community: Why Healing Together Matters
Discover the power of practicing in community and how shared healing, movement, and support can deepen your self-care journey.
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Do You Struggle With Self-Care? A Better Way for Massage Therapists
Struggle with self-care as a massage therapist? Learn how to build a routine that supports your body, energy, and long-term practice.
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Loving Kindness Lifestyle: Feel Better Every Day
Discover what a loving kindness lifestyle means and how simple daily practices can help you feel calmer, more connected, and at home in your body.
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How to Create Sacred Space
“Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.”— Joseph Campbell What Does Sacred Mean to You? The word sacred is sometimes associated with religious beliefs, spirituality, or an experience of connecting with the divine, with nature, with one’s essence, soul, or spirit. We acknowledge and honor your relationship with and definition
Self Care Mastery
Self care is not being selfish—rather self care is being self aware. Have you noticed though, that many of the fundamental cues our body communicates are often ignored, discounted, pushed to the side or completely overridden? We invite you to consider your self care practice as an opportunity to listen and respond to your body’s
Hummmm your way to Health
The Miracle Molecule of Nitric Oxide Did you know that every time you inhale through your nose your body creates an amazing chemical reaction that boosts your immune system, reduces inflammation, improves blood flow to all the organs, allows for smooth muscle relaxation, and more!?! This miracle molecule created by inhaling through your nose is
Energetic Sleep Aid
Become masterful at living your best life by sleeping when you are tired. A busy, stressful life is the perfect excuse to rest your body when it’s tired. Napping, and allowing for 6-8+ hours of rest each night has many benefits: clearer thinking, boosted immunity, more productivity, helping maintain a healthy weight, lowering blood pressure,
Self-Cupping
Cupping may be trending now, but it’s nothing new. After all, the modern breast pump was inspired by the same cupping therapy espoused by Hippocrates, approved by the prophet Muhammed, and whose roots tunnel back 3,000 years into the past to ancient China. The enduring use of cupping therapy throughout the ages and across the
Pausing Allowance
As bodyworkers we routinely create purposeful pauses for our clients that encourage them to feel more comfortable, spacious, and at ease in their mind, heart, and body. But how often do you create similar mind, body, and heart re-sets for your self? Much like the tool belt of techniques we rely on in our sessions,
Foot Fitness
Can you feel your heart pulsing in your chest? How about in your fingertips? What happens when you notice your heart beat in your feet…? Consciously directing our attention on a point of intentional focus is essential to growing our intuition and expanding our sensory prowess. Likewise, reversing the polarity of our head-centric culture by
Transforming Pain
One of our guiding principles to self care is inspired by the Taoist proverb to “prevent trouble before it arises”. We live into this ideal by purposely organizing our days around feel-good practices that reinforce stability in areas of weakness and flexibility in areas of tension. And we have learned to mine our personal pain
What’s Your Neck Saying?
“THE LONGEST JOURNEY YOU’LL EVER TAKE IS FROM YOUR HEAD TO YOUR HEART.” —GARY ZUKOV Both physically and metaphysically, the neck may be described as the intermediary between what is above and below it: the head and the heart. It houses the organs, tissues, and bones related to communication and expression. The neck is home
Everyday SelfCare
We are constantly looking for ways that we can include self care into our lives, and ultimately have forged a self care lifestyle. We ask ourselves, How can self care fit into wherever we are, with whomever we are with, and with whatever it is we are doing? Below are some of the regular ways we infuse
3 Ingredients to Mastering Appreciations
One of the most revolutionary acts of self- care and loving kindness is generating appreciations! Learning to give and receive appreciations is an investment in who you are and in the people you surround yourself with. Appreciations require your sensitive awareness and emphasize the unique qualities you and others bring to the moment. Appreciating is
Reset Breath
We take 960 breaths an hour, 23,040 a day, 8,409,600 a year, and approximately half a billion breaths in a lifetime.That means we have over 20,000 opportunities every day to start fresh and presence ourselves. With every inhale, we can choose to invite what we want more of, and with every exhale we can let
The Letting-Go Breath
Though breathing is usually run by our unconscious autopilot, when we assume the driver’s seat and consciously shift our breath, we recalibrate our attention and inspire more energy to get where we want to go. Our breathing responds and adjusts according to the thoughts we are thinking, the feelings and body signals we are sensing,
Embodied Cognition
Embodied cognition is the idea that “the relationship between our mind and body runs both ways, meaning our mind influences the way our body reacts, and the form of our body also triggers our mind.” Embodied cognition redefines the interrelated role of our brain and body. The brain, while important, is not the only resource we have available to us to generate behavior and
Choosing Loving Kindness
Loving kindness is a lifestyle choice. Choosing to be friendly to you and being friendly to others is a choice. Every day, we make hundreds and sometimes thousands of choices that help create a reality we enjoy and/or complain about. Although knowledge and wisdom are related, they are not synonymous. In our living laboratories of
The Integrity Experiment
Lately, Heath and I have been focusing our attention on our own integrity. Specifically we are wondering, what is integrity and what are the skills we can use to put integrity in action? We love the definition of integrity as experiencing our own wholeness. When we embody our wholeness nothing is missing, nothing needs to
Mastering Transformation
As we practice getting more willing to give loving attention to ourselves, we’ve become more adept at mastering commitment. An agreement is something made between one or more people. A commitment is an agreement we make with ourselves. Commitment simply means to gather together and take action. Many people, however, associate commitment with a
Loving Attention
We now experience more aliveness and positivity than at any point in our lives! And we’re excited to share the most effective practices we’ve discovered to consciously move your body, breath and attention to reliably cultivate a practice and life of ease and flow. We experience and define self-care as giving loving attention to ourself. And
Presencing
My relationship to and with myself is changing and evolving into a new way of being. I notice the changes I am experiencing are emerging from the inside out, rather than from the outside in. They are happening “endogenously” (created from inside) rather than “exogenously” (externally created). And, there is a different quality of feeling
Create More of What You Want
After reading and still reading The Lazy Man’s Guide to Enlightenment, I am inspired to play with expansion and contraction. Alternating between contraction and expansion as I dance, as I work, and in my relationships with friends and family. What does it feel like in my body when I’m expanding and when I’m contracting? And
Storytelling: How do You Author Your Life?
It’s my experience that great storytellers are artful, creative and imaginative. My favorite books are filled with masterful expressions of events and resound a magnetic symphony of words. Stories are an essential way we connect, share history and create possibilities. There are a myriad of ways to tell a story. They can begin at the
No Regrets
Have you ever woken up thinking about something you have to do or something about a relationship comes to mind? Or, have you ever tried falling asleep and the last thing on your mind is that event or person? Then, according to the Foundation of Conscious Living, you may have an incompletion.” For me, incompletions
Emotional Genius
Emotional Genius is the ability to change your state by choice. I heard this statement in a workshop I recently attended with Foundation for Conscious Living, And I find this statement to be empowering. Life is a series of choices: Life is happening to me or I’m happening to life. Am I creating from the
Conscious Agreeements
Heath and I are generating new ways to expand our capacity to connect, appreciate and trust each other and ourselves. We are experiencing the beauty and freedom that comes from making conscious agreements. Agreements regarding our relationship, our business, our money and our home. The last time we made conscious agreements with each other was
Wondering Into Presence
Lately curiosity and wonder have been playful parts of my personal practice of “presencing”. Placing a new priority on wonder and curiosity is changing me. It is changing my experience of the world. I notice shifting my attention to wonder questions like “I wonder how” or ‘I wonder what “, shifts me from feeling stuck,
Grow Your Body Intelligence Now!
There is IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient) now there is BQ (body quotient). Body Intelligence includes the ability to becoming increasingly aware of the body and respond to the bodies messages. Our bodies are constantly communicating with us. It has been my experience that most people who get on my table have little
Moving Into Essence
When is the last time you remember experiencing moving at your own natural pace without feeling rushed? What would it feel like to move at the pace of your essence? When do you feel your most natural self? Time urgency is a constant stress that has us moving out of pace with our own essence.
It’s A Wrap
I am wrapping things up…literally, physically, mentally and emotionally. Not only am I wrapping gifts to share with friends and family. I am also freeing up some bound up energy by wrapping up some old business. I am creating completions and it feels really, really good! According to the online dictionary, “to complete” something is
The Manifesting Game
Heath and I are having fun playing a new manifesting game And it’s super easy. Playing this new game inspired by the Foundation for Conscious Living has helped us get even more clear about what we want, why we want it and how it would feel if we had it. Perhaps you and a
Appreciation Project
Did you know one major component of a healthy, happy and thriving relationship is appreciation? Recent research by John Gottman has shown that “couples, while discussing problems, who make at least five times as many positive statements to and about each other and their relationship as negative ones are happier.” Heath and I are putting
Body Awareness
As bodyworkers we are constantly listening to how our clients are responding to our touch. We feel for tension, resistance, and freedom. We then make adjustments to our session to meet their needs, but how often do we extend that same kind of attention to ourselves. How often do we tune into our own body
Looping Your Awareness
Recently we were introduced to the practice of “looping”, and if you have been in a class with us lately you may have heard us talk about it and how to do it. It’s a practice based on the Hendricks Leadership and Transformation Program, which Heath and I are now apart of. This practice helps
Pattern Interrupt
“Movement is the physical acceptance of change.” –Dr. Ida Rolf Everything is moving! From the cosmic whirling of galaxies to the microscopic shape-shifting of electrons transforming from waves to particles: our world is in flux! Even if we hold our breath and appear to be motionless, our heart continues to beat, our cells are endlessly
Drain the Pain Acupressure Points
Acupressure is a safe and effective way to enhance yours and your clients sense of wellbeing. It’s an ancient art practiced for centuries that has been used to to stimulate an individuals ability to heal and find balance. Acupressure can be done anywhere, at anytime, and repeated multiple times a day. In fact, the benefits
Recipe for Spring Cleaning
A once-a-week liquid cleanse gives your metabolism a break and allows the liver (the chemical factory of your body) and other organs to focus on metabolism, healing, and restoring balance to the body. The idea is simple: for one day of the week, eat/drink only smoothies, juices, water and soups throughout the day, and eliminate
Shift into Alignment
What are the body cues that keep us from feeling at our best, passionate, alive, connected. Often it’s our bodies that are telling us something is out of alignment, literally expressed through subluxations in the spine or as simply as feeling tired. We can see these symptoms as signals for change. Feeling less positive and
Practical Body Wisdom
Our bodies are constantly providing us feedback about the choices we make. Usually, we hear don’t hear that feedback until after the choice has already been made…in general we either feel good or not so good about what just happened. Are you curious to learn what some of your body cues are when you are
Casual Disicpline
Have you ever heard the expression, “Casual Discipline”? This year, I have been invited to treat myself with casual discipline. Up to this point, I had never heard of such a notion. I was immediately intrigued and like a fish, I took a nibble. Now I am in: hook, line and sinker. Though, initially I
Affirmations
Remember the greatness that you are! New research provides evidence that self affirmation can protect against the damaging effects of stress especially when faced with a problem, improves our willpower, and increases our self control. More research shows that affirmations contribute to the rise and circulation of feel good hormones and helps our brains push to
No Mind
Mai Pen Lai is the Thai expression for, “don’t worry about it.” Mai Pen Lai (my-pen-lie) literally translates as “no mind”, and is similar to saying never mind, or don’t think about it. For us, going to Thailand is an opportunity to let go of too much thinking, to let go of expectation, and instead
Thai Yoga Massage Techniques You Can Use Now!
Our Thai Yoga Massage practice is inspired by our studies in Thailand and our experience in Yoga Therapy. For decades Traditional Thai Massage and Yoga have demonstrated to us that the more we move the better we feel! Ida Rolf said, “Movement is the physical acceptance of change” and Thai Yoga Massage explores and enhances
Letting Go Breath
Fall is fast approaching and soon we will experience a shift and change of season. The Autumn Equinox brings a time of balance, when there are equal hours of darkness and light. It is a time of harvest: an opportunity to reap the benefits of our efforts and a time to be thankful and grateful
Happiness Interval Training
How would you feel if you treated yourself as good as you treat your clients? I recently came across an article that shared some reasons why Massage Therapists love their job…the resounding answer: the feeling gained from helping others. Why does it feel so good to give? A cornucopia of research has been done related
Say Yes to the Breath
Did you know that when we are at rest, we average about 16 breaths per minute. This means we breathe about 960 breaths an hour, 23,040 breaths a day, 8,409,600 a year. Also, do you know we eliminate MOST of our body’s wastes not through our large intestine, but through our lungs. A hefty 70%
Doing Presence
We recently attended a Conscious Loving + Living workshop with Kathlyn Hendricks in California and it is wonder-full to be a student! In this very experiential workshop we got to move, breathe and love in new ways. I am still processing all that we experienced and shared, but there’s one word and feeling that has
Ahhh-preciate
Summer is the season of the heart, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. This time of year, the air is warm, the blood is readily circulating, and our feelings become more palpable as things heat up and intensify! When we align with the season of Summer, our intuition is strong and our hearts project feelings of
Computer Hunch
The Computer Hunch Americans spend six to nine hours a day in front of a digital device. It is becoming increasing clear that more time spent working, communicating, playing, and interfacing with computers and phones has its consequences. Prolonged sitting (at a computer, at home, in a car, etc) increases the likelihood of developing painful
A Thought Experiment
We create through the power of our focus. This is not a new idea, though, putting this principle into regular practice supercharges our ability to create our own reality! What you focus on grows…And, what you focus on with feeling becomes real! When we utilize our emotional wisdom and add feeling into any recipe of
Your Heart
“There is no feeling in a human heart which exists in that heart alone–which is not, in some form or degree, in every heart.” ~ George McDonald When we become more aware of our heart we connect not only with the mechanics of it, we also connect with its electromagnetic field, and its emotional energy.
Eye Palming
In Traditional Chinese Medicine the “Wood” Element exerts its power influence over the Spring season. The Wood Phase is embodied by the movement of all things living, growing, and building momentum. Think expansion from the inside out and the outside in, like a tree developing a deeper and wider root foundation and simultaneously reaching its
Chicken Soup for Your Nose
Spring is in the air, the sun is shining, flowers are blooming and my sinuses are clogged! I love Spring but it takes some helping from the foods I eat to help me maintain a sunny disposition 🙂 For me this season, an old friend has helped me keep congestion at a minimum. That old
Successful Habits of a Massage Therapist
Recently we taught a deep tissue class in which we shared some frequently recurring themes that we have found to be the foundation of our success as therapists while working at the table. We thought we would share some of those themes and practices not only with them but with everyone! We like the idea
Can You Say It Better?
As I sit in traffic, running late for an appointment I find myself starting to get tense. I hear myself saying things like “I’m never going to make it on time, why is everybody going so slow, I should have left earlier, I hate traffic!” I feel frustrated, impatient, and stressed. After remembering the idea
Clean Slate
It is the year of the Horse according to the Chinese calendar. This is a year of resilience, strength and hard work. It will also be a year to cultivate and practice patience. This is a year of resilience, strength and hard work. It will also be a year to cultivate and practice patience. As this
Source of Happiness
Have you heard of the “Hugging Saint”? She is for real and she travels the world simply taking time to hug everyone she meets. Her name is Mata Amritanandamayi, she goes by Amma, which in her native language means “mother”. When she travels the world auditoriums, and banquet halls fill with the expectation of a
Just One Question
A question worth answering: Am I able to feel good and have my life go well all the time? When I answered this question for the first time I thought, “Impossible!” After contemplating the idea for some time, I thought, let’s put it to the test. First, what does it mean to feel good? Gay
Inner Smile Organ Meditation
This meditation provides us with the opportunity to cleanse, rebalance, and recharge the energy of five major internal organs. Just as we take steps to clean our bodies and brush our teeth, this exercise gives us an opportunity to wash away any residual stress, tension or emotions we may be holding on to. Espoused by
Winter Soup
Time for soup!?! This year Heath and I have been enjoying the wonderful array of lentils available in the dried bin section of our Sprouts supermarket. After exploring the many varieties, I offer you a quick summary of your choices and which one we recommend for our favorite lentil soup. Compared to other types of
Strike a Pose of Balance
The kidneys, the organ related to winter in Traditional Chinese Medicine, when in balance help us express and emanate a sense of calm, clarity and peace. I am calm, I am peaceful and I am clear sings like a mantra in my brain, vibrating all the cells of my body until I can feel my
Got Your Back
Low back pain is estimated to affect 90% of the population at some point in their lives. Low back pain has different causes, which leads to different experiences of pain. Some causes of low back pain derive from pregnancy, falling, a direct blow, pulling, coughing, sneezing, or having a short leg. Two common types of
Skin Breathing
Our skin is our largest organ and can be considered our third lung. Our skin breathes. It is alive and it has a rhythm, an inhalation and an exhalation. It absorbs (inhales) oxygen, nutrients, senses light, and regulates heat and cold. It releases (exhales) carbon dioxide, sheds dead skin cells and completely regenerates itself every
Build Your Wei- Qi
As nights grow longer and days grow colder now is the time to strengthen your Qi in order to build your immune system. The lungs are the internal organs related to fall. They are considered by Traditional Chinese Medicine to be the “tender organ.” This is because the lungs are the uppermost organ in the
Choose your Space September 18, 2013
Heath and I are in the process of moving to our new home. As we look around our empty new house we realize this is a clean slate for us, a new energy and a new beginning. We are excited to begin again and want to do so by putting our best feet forward…by consciously
Everything is Moving!
From the cosmic whirling of galaxies to the microscopic shape-shifting of electrons transforming from waves to particles: our world is in flux! Even if we hold our breath and appear to be motionless, our heart beats, our cells are endlessly dying and being reborn in infinite chemical exchanges, and let’s face it: every second we’re
The Heart of the Work
Story of the Greatest Master There were three brothers who were each studying with a different master. One day they were sharing stories about how great their masters were. One brother bragged that his master was so great that he could walk across the mighty Ganges River from bank to bank without a drop of
Osteoarthritis & Massage
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints. There are over 100 different forms of arthritis. By far the most common type of arthritis in the world is Osteoarthritis or “OA”, also known as “degenerative joint dysfunction”. In Ruth Werner’s book A Massage Therapists Guide to Pathology (
Smiling Small Intestine
The Small Intestines, one of the organ pairs related to the season of summer that could use some care right about now according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Together with the large intestine and the stomach it forms the gastrointestinal tract. In living humans, the small intestine alone measures around 23 feet. The proper functioning of
The Super Seed: Chia
Have you tried Chia Seeds yet?? People are adding them to their salads, shakes, yogurt and even ice cream…all of which are great options but our newest favorite is making it into a breakfast or desert pudding. However, first you may be wondering what is a chia seed and why would I want to eat
Clear, Calm & Energizing
Today we bring to you an oldie but a goodie…a mantra meditation that has recently recycled its way back to the surface of our consciousness. It’s a powerful meditation in that every syllable you make consists of the 4 primal sounds and describes the eternal cycle of life: birth, life, death, rebirth. In Kundalini Yoga
Cultivate Self Love
Self-love is both an attitude and an act. It’s how you view yourself, and how you live your life. Self-love is about tuning into your needs, honoring your body and boundaries and taking care of yourself mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Self-love is a daily practice – not a destination. It is through a practice
It’s a Spring Revival: Practices to Realign with the Changing Season
Spring is here! It’s the greening season. Seeds begin to sprout, trees bud, and Nature awakens in all her flowering beauty. This is a time of creation and development. We and nature will flourish this season. It’s time to make a new plan, be filled with inspiration, and let our dreams bloom. To make this
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Acoustic Music for Massage
By popular request we are sharing more our favorite music for relaxation and massage. Last month’s playlist consisted of groovy tunes for more of an upbeat, rhythmic session. This month we put together a soothing acoustic guitar playlist for the times when you’re seeking to create a mellow mood. We hope you enjoy. Help
A Chillout Playlist
In recent workshops we play music that isn’t necessarily ‘massage music’ but still creates musical environments that feel relaxing and fluid without being too intrusive. I have compiled a requested playlist of songs that are rhythmic, super chill down tempo beats. You may want to include some of these songs to create your own groovy
Medical Massage for Low Back, Hip, & Sciatic Pain 7/28
We review the anatomy and contributing factors of Low Back and Hip Pain, Disc and Facet Joint Injuries, and True and Pseudo-Sciatica. We then learn highly effective techniques integrated from various modalities (such as Neuromuscular Therapy, Structural Integration, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and more) to relieve these conditions. Also, movement and repatterning exercises are offered for
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Medical Massage for Shoulder, Arm, & Wrist Pain 7/29
Chandler, AZ 8.5CEs We review the anatomy and contributing factors of Low Back and Hip Pain, Disc & Facet Joint Injuries, and True & Pseudo-Sciatica. We then learn highly effective techniques integrated from various modalities (such as Neuromuscular Therapy, Structural Integration, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and more) to relieve these conditions. Also, movement and repatterning exercises
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Medical Massage for Neck, Jaw, & Migraine Pain 7/30
Chandler, AZ 8.5CEs We review the anatomy and contributing factors of Neck and jaw pain and stiffness, tension and migraine headaches, teeth grinding, tinnitus, and TMJD. We then learn highly effective techniques integrated from various modalities (such as Neuromuscular Therapy, Structural Integration, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and more) to relieve these conditions. Also, movement and repatterning
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Medical Massage for Neck, Jaw, & Migraine Pain 8/4
Las Vegas, NV 8.5CEs We review the anatomy and contributing factors of Neck and jaw pain and stiffness, tension and migraine headaches, teeth grinding, tinnitus, and TMJD. We then learn highly effective techniques integrated from various modalities (such as Neuromuscular Therapy, Structural Integration, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and more) to relieve these conditions. Also, movement and
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Medical Massage for Shoulder, Arm, & Wrist Pain 8/5
Las Vegas, NV 8.5CEs We review the anatomy and contributing factors of Shoulder Bursitis, Rotator Cuff & Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Golfers/Tennis Elbow, and Carpel Tunnel. We then learn highly effective techniques integrated from various modalities (such as Trigger Point, Neuromuscular Therapy, Structural Integration, Muscle Release Technique, and more) to relieve these conditions. August 5, 2012
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Medical Massage for Low Back, Hip, & Sciatica Pain 8/6
Las Vegas, NV 8.5 CEs We review the anatomy and contributing factors of Low Back and Hip Pain, Disc & Facet Joint Injuries, and True & Pseudo-Sciatica. We then learn highly effective techniques integrated from various modalities (such as Neuromuscular Therapy, Structural Integration, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and more) to relieve these conditions. Also, movement and
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Table Thai Yoga Massage 9/15-9/17
Chandler, AZ 25 CEs Learn over 3 hours of facilitated stretching using diverse tools like elbows and feet. You will be able to perform a full body Thai Yoga Massage on the table or be able to integrate these stretches into any massage session. August 4-6, 2012 – 9am-6pm at Windmill Suites, Chandler, AZ $360
Table Thai Yoga Massage 10/27-10/29
Las Vegas, NV 25 CEs Learn over 3 hours of facilitated stretching using diverse tools like elbows and feet. You will be able to perform a full body Thai Yoga Massage on the table or be able to integrate these stretches into any massage session. October 27-29, 2012 – 9am-6pm at Northwest Health Careers, Las
Table Thai Yoga Massage 11/3-11/5
Chicago, IL 25 CEs Learn over 3 hours of facilitated stretching using diverse tools like elbows and feet. You will be able to perform a full body Thai Yoga Massage on the table or be able to integrate these stretches into any massage session. November 3-5, 2012 – 9am-6pm at Comfort Suites in Chicago area