Kneadful News by JackieJanuary 2014

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Breathe Into Your MassageMindful Breathing Enhances Bodywork BenefitsCathy Ulrich

Mindful breathing brings an individual back into their body, facilitating presence and relaxation.

Everything youdo can be donebetter from aplace ofrelaxation.-Stephen C. Paul

Office Hours and Contact

Jackie PoeLicensed Massage Therapist501 S. Thornton Ave, Dalton, GAfacebook.com/jackiepoemassagetherapy706-217-5493www.jackiepoe.massagetherapy.com

In this Issue

Breathe Into Your MassageAfternoon Essential OilsShea Butter

During her massage, Elaine was havingtrouble relaxing, continually talkingabout all of the stressors in her life. Itook a deep breath and asked her to dothe same. Suddenly, her body relaxedand I finally felt her respond to the workI was doing. So, what shifted with thatsimple suggestion?

In The MomentElaine was thinking about the stresses inher life instead of where she was at themoment. She was in a safe space,receiving gentle, supportive bodywork.And yet she couldn't relax. By simplyasking her to be mindful of her breath,she immediately felt her body andbecame present with me in that space.

Many meditation traditions use thebreath to quiet the mind. With mindfulbreathing, we're suddenly thrust into anawareness of our inner spaces and afeeling that we actually do live in a body.

Reduce PainOne of the first things expectantmothers learn in natural childbirthclasses is breathing techniques to help

control labor pain. By consciouslybreathing during contractions, theylearn to shift the feeling of pain to justsensation.

Elaine came to see me because she hadchronic pain in her foot, knee, and hip.Often chronic pain sets up as a viciouscycle of muscle tightness, impairedblood flow, and more pain, even inareas distant from the original problem.When I asked Elaine to send her breathto the foot, she changed her feeling ofpain to simply sensation and this openeda door that allowed me to change theholding pattern in her tissue.

Of course she couldn't physicallybreathe into her foot, but the imagery of

sending warm, healing breath into herfoot from the inside while I worked on itfrom the outside changed herrelationship to the pain.

Try this simple technique yourself. Asyou tune into your breath, notice yourbody. Is there discomfort or pain?

Being actively aware of your breath during a massage enhances the benefits of your session.

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Breathe in, and think of filling yourlungs with healing oxygen. Now breatheout, and imagine sending this warm,healing oxygen directly to the place thathurts. Continue gently breathing intothe area for a few minutes. What does itfeel like now?

Relieve StressWhen I worked with Elaine, I noticedthat the more she talked about herstressful life, the shallower her breathbecame. She was breathing high in herchest in short, rapid breaths. Her mindhad transported her back to her stressfullife, even though she was in a placewhere she was supported andencouraged to take a break from thatstress, putting her body into afight-or-flight response.

One clear manifestation of this is rapid,shallow breathing. While stress canproduce this breathing pattern, thegood news is that we can consciouslychange the breathing pattern and reducethe stress. It works both ways.

As I asked Elaine to slow her breathingand take deeper breaths, the tension inher face softened. Her body relaxed onthe table as if she were sinking into thepadding. Her feet became warmer, asure sign that her circulation hadchanged and that her nervous system hadswitched from fight or flight to thecalming mode of rest and digest.

Try this for yourself. The next timeyou're feeling stressed, stop for amoment and notice how you'rebreathing. Is your breath high in yourchest? Is it fast and shallow? Now, gentlyinvite your breath to slow down. Start topull breath into your lungs by lettingyour belly relax and expand as youinhale. Spend a few moments withyourself and your breath and look at thestressful situation again. Does it seem sobad now?

Your MassageReceiving a massage does involveparticipation on the client's part. Whilethe practitioner is the expert on thebodywork, the clients are the experts ontheir bodies. In our culture, theclient/therapist relationship is often acheck-your-body-at-the-door affair.But so much more can happen when theclient works with the therapist.

The next time you go for a massage, trythese suggestions to achieve mindfulbreathing and enhance the benefits ofyour session:

- As you settle onto the table, feel theweight of your body on the table andbegin to notice your breath.

- Feel your breath moving of its ownaccord. Where is it most noticeable?Bring into the spaces that feel less full(without effort--just invite).

- When your therapist starts working,notice the pressure and rhythm. Whenyour practitioner lets up on thepressure, breathe in. When she/heapplies pressure, breathe out.

- If your practitioner comes to atender area, pay special attention toyour breath. Work with the tendernesson the exhale, imagining that you're

breathing out the pain.

- As your therapist works on differentareas, imagine your breath moving thereto meet her. Send your breath wherevershe is working. Let her work on theoutside, you work on the inside.

- Notice the changes as the massageprogresses. Notice your thoughtpatterns. Notice your comfort level.Notice your stress (and how it melts) asyou send breath to the various areas ofyour body.

- When your session is complete andyou sit up, notice how your breath feels.What do you notice about your body, theroom, the light?

Why not use the lifegiving force ofbreath to make your next massage aneven more beneficial experience. Justbreathe.

Find out which essential oil works best for you.

Afternoon Essential OilsJeanne Rose

Shea ButterFor Your Complexion and MoreShelley Burns, N.D.

It's easy to enjoy the benefits ofaromatherapy, even when you're not inthe therapy room. Here are some ways toincorporate facets of aromatherapy intoyour daily routine, and even into yourlunchtime!

Consider having a protein-filled lunchof 4 ounces of chicken breast mixed withsalad. Make sure your salad includes atleast six red and green items combined,such as cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes,carrots, bell peppers, and radishes. Addchopped basil, sage, or sweet marjoram.Make a simple dressing of olive oil andlemon juice. Add culinary essential oilssuch as dill weed and black pepper. Havea glass of aromatic iced herbal tea, andadd to it 1 teaspoon of melissa hydrosol.This is tasty and encourages deepthinking and relaxation. If, however,you need to continue your workday,then add 1 teaspoon of rosemaryhydrosol to your lunchtime iced tea.

Why not take a five-minute scentedbreather for an afternoon break. The

aromatic properties of plants areeffective tonics and energizers. Dabbingthe temples with essential oils orspraying the nape of the neck withhydrosols of rosemary or peppermint isa wonderful way to implement thepotent effects of these distilled plantmaterials. You can also use a mixture ofdistilled water with essential oils ofpeppermint, sage, and basil dissolved inalcohol (10 drops essential oil, 20 dropsalcohol, and a half-ounce of water).Basil and peppermint herb, and theiressential oils, have been used forcenturies as a mental stimulant.

Complete your afternoon break by lyingdown for 3-5 minutes with a couple ofslices of fresh cucumber on the eyes.Cucumber contains enzymes that helpsoften the skin. If the day's work hasbrought on a headache, a drop ofrosemary oil to the temples or aroundthe ears works wonders.

Jeanne Rose has been teaching and researchingnatural remedies for 30 years, beginning with her

first book, Herbs & Things.

Shea butter comes from the nut of theshea tree (pronounced shay) found inthe tropics of Africa, primarily WestAfrica. It offers many benefits as atopical moisturizer for skin and hair,and improves other skin problems andappearance.

As well as providing relief from minordermatological conditions like eczema,lesser burns, and acne, shea butter canbe used as a natural sunscreen and forstretch-mark prevention duringpregnancy. Other benefits include theevening out of skin tone, reducingblemishes, and restoring skin elasticity.

Shea butter easily penetrates the skin,allowing skin to breathe withoutclogging pores. It contains highconcentrations of linoleic acid, whichprovide skin protection at a cellular

level, as well as vitamins A, E, and F,which protect against prematurewrinkles. Vitamin F in shea butter alsosoothes rough, dry, or chapped skin.

Healing though it may be, shea butterundergoes a rigorous path in its journeyfrom overseas to the faces and bodies ofyour clients. The fruit from the sheatree is cultivated, cracked, grilled,pounded, and boiled. The shea butter isthen scooped out of the nut and left tocool.

Properties of shea butter includeunsaponifiables--substances that cannotdecompose into acids, salts, or alcohol.For that reason, shea butter is extremelyabsorbable, even more so than soybeanand avocado oils.

There are three types of shea butter

extraction and just two of the three endproducts of these extractions should beused. Unrefined shea butter in its pureform is yellow. Refined shea butter isprocessed but still contains many of itsnatural components. Either is fine touse. Highly refined shea butter may wellhave lost its healing properties and caninclude such solvents as hexane, whichmay cause nerve damage. It is pure whiteand should be avoided. Another note ofcaution: shea butter is notrecommended for people with nut andlatex allergies, and some experts alsodiscourage its use by people withchocolate allergies.

Those who bringsunshine into thelives of others,cannot keep itfrom themselves.-James M. Barrie

JANUARY SPECIAL

3 SWEDISH MASSAGE PACKAGE $180 (REGULAR PRICE $210)

5 SWEDISH MASSAGE PACKAGE $275 (REGULAR PRICE $350)

Jackie Poe, Licensed Massage Therapist

Location: The Facial Studio at Chelsea's501 S Thornton Ave, Dalton, GA

www.facebook.com/jackiepoemassagetherapy

Jackie Poe, Licensed Massage Therapist

501 S Thornton AveDalton, GA 30720