Come in to check out my new space and get a great massage at New Seattle Massage in Seattle’s University District!
Starting this month I will be consolidating my practice from Bothell and Seattle to one central location, with more availability for your schedule at New Seattle Massage.
To enhance your healing experience, this tranquil and beautiful environment offers
warm spacious massage rooms with heat lamps and soothing music,
a sauna,
a steam room,
a spacious class room and
showers for after your massage session!
To schedule an appointment with me at New Seattle Massage,
call (206) 632-5074.
P.S.: If you have a massage package or gift certificate that hasn’t been completed or redeemed yet, please schedule with me at either my Wallingford or Bothell office before they expire at the end of October ~ you can forward the credit to a friend or family member as well ~ email or call me if you have any questions!
The Wondrous Benefits of Massage Therapy & Epsom Salt
Wonder why I recommend an Epsom Salt bath after massage therapy? Well, let me break it down for you!
During your massage therapy sessions, I release metabolic waste from your muscles. Drinking extra water helps flush some toxins, but you might be sore for a couple days after the massage. Just add 2 cups of Epsom Salt to your warm bathwater, to enhance the toxin-flush by increasing perspiration and draw wastes (like uric acid) through your skin.Caution: stand up slowly after the bath, and drink plenty of water, as Epsom Salt will dehydrate and could make you feel more light-headed than a regular hot bath. Seek the advice of your physician before you take an Epsom Salt bath if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or a heart or kidney condition, or before you start any new treatment plan.
What is Epsom Salt? Magnesium Sulfate is a natural mineral, named after the town of Epsom, England, where the salt was produced from a saline spring. Used as a natural remedy for numerous ailments for hundreds of years, Magnesium plays an important role in several bodily functions:
helps produce serotonin, which improves sleep and creates feelings of calm and relaxation,
increases energy & stamina by encouraging production of ATP (cellular energy), and
reduces irritability by lowering adrenaline effects.
Epsom Salt is therefore a natural stress reliever: stress drains the body of magnesium — when Magnesium Sulfate dissolves in warm water it is absorbed through the skin, replenishing your body’s magnesium. The salt draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, relieves inflammation & joint pain, making it beneficial in treatment of
sore muscles,
bruises, abrasions and cuts,
sprain/strain injuries,
bronchial asthma, and
migraines.
Furthermore, soaking in an Epsom Salt bath
improves neuromuscular function by regulating electrolytes that govern muscular & nervous systems,
therefore relieves muscle cramps;
removes odor and softens skin,
relieves colds and congestion,
reduces soreness from childbirth,
prevents heart disease and strokes by lowering blood pressure, preventing hardening of arteries and blood clots to reduce risk of heart attacks,
as well as increase insulin effectiveness, helping to lower the risk or severity of diabetes.
I’ve designed this Neck & Shoulders Vitality Package to help you reach your optimum health, for Stress RELIEF and Injury RECOVERY, so you can enjoy your work, play without care, and live your life without limitation!
In my previous article, I introduced two crucial deep breathing methods to reduce pain and increase your energy. Now, I’ll be taking you to the next level, to help you eliminate pain, get grounded, more connected and discover your inner-power!
“Inner-Power“, you ask?
Yep!
In Chinese, it’s called Qi (pronounced “chee“), and means “breath” and “energy”, interchangeably. Have you seen the Star Wars movies? “The Force” is the same ancient concept of connection and Vitality.
Using the Reverse Breathing method I shared in my previous article is a key to tap your inner-power, combining focus and imagination in this transformative healing aspect of Qi-Gong (“Breath/Energy Cultivation“), called “Microcosmic Orbit“.
Microcosmic Orbit
This practice connects the 2 main center-line Acupuncture Meridians*
in your body in a continuous loop.
These meridians flow naturally — as long as we’re alive. By practicing Microcosmic Orbit, you consciously open and “charge” this circuit for increased healing energy, circulation and awareness.
The key elements to practicing Microcosmic Orbit are:
As you start, focus on your body’s center of gravity, in the Lower Abdomen at your body’s core, for at least 4 full breaths. This grounds & centers you.
press the tip of your tongue up, as if through the roof of the mouth (like switch, or circuit breaker between the 2 Meridians),
imagine your body is standing like a tree. Extend feeling through your feet deep into the Earth, like the roots of a great tree. Extend your head upward (as described in the first article “A Simple Secret to Pain Relief“), like the branches and leaves of a tall, powerful oak.
As you inhale, grip the ground with your toes and heel, arch the bottom of your feet to create a pumping/suction feeling, and imagine drawing your breath & energy up through your feet, as if through a straw, up your legs, through your spine, to the crown of your head — like a tree drawing sap, rich in nutrients up from the roots through the whole tree.
As you exhale, press your feet flat into the ground and allow your breath and energy to sink with your weight, as if it were sunlight and fresh rain, washing through and nourishing the limbs, trunk and roots of your body, from head to feet.
when you conclude, focus again on your body’s center of gravity, in the Lower Abdomen at your body’s core, for at least 4 full breaths. This grounds & centers you, allowing your energy to safely, naturally “digest” throughout your body.
Practice this cycle for several breaths for the full effect. You may feel warmth, tingling, magnetic pressure, a rush of awareness, as well as physical healing and emotional clearing. You can practice while sitting, standing, and eventually even while walking!
Practicing Microcosmic Orbit will help correct your posture, boost and ground your energy, while helping you feel more open and connected at the same time!
If you liked this article, and want more, I’m creating
free weekly articles (with video)
with practical tips & ancient techniques for vitality and getting grounded & centered
Classes are once a week, in progressive 8 week sessions, starting in Seattle on Tuesday August 20th or Saturday, August 24th, and in Bothell on Thursday, August 22nd. Register for the 8 week session now!
* the 2 main center-line Acupuncture Meridians in your body are:
Governing Vessel rises through the spine to the top of the head, then descends to the roof of the mouth,
Conception Vessel descends from the tongue through the throat, down the chest and abdomen to the perineum.
In my last post, I shared one of the most effective secrets to correct posture and reduce pain — deep breathing.
What results have you noticed from using the posture & deep breathing methods in my previous article?
To enhance the health benefits, here are 2 deep breathing methods that will help you feel more centered, grounded, and energized!
The key to both methods is to imagine drawing your breath deep into your belly, to your body’s center of gravity (below your navel 1-2 inches, at your body’s core).
Abdominal Breathing
Abdominal breathing is the relaxed breathing we naturally use when sleeping. This form of breathing soothes tension and anxiety, clears the mind and calms emotions.
In abdominal breathing, your abdomen naturally expands when you inhale, and contracts as you exhale.
Reverse Breathing
Reverse breathing is the breathing we naturally use when exerting to lift, pull or press something heavy. Referred to as “prenatal breathing” by Taoist Masters, as it is the “breath” used by infants still in the womb. For thousands of years, Qi-Gong (“breath/energy-work”) Masters have regarded this breathing method as a secret to vitality and longevity.
In Reverse Breathing, your abdomen contracts as you inhale, then your abdomen compresses and your lower back (around your kidneys) expands as you exhale. This creates a subtle, yet powerful internal pump that stimulates the endocrine system and energy flow throughout your body.
So, if you are feeling anxious or stressed, practice Abdominal Breathing to calm your mind and soothe tension, and to help wind down at the end of your day.
If you are feeling exhausted or scattered, practice Reverse Breathing to revive and get focused, or to start your day when you wake up — who needs coffee, right? 😉
More details on Reverse Breathing coming in my next article!
Stay tuned for my next article ~
I will share more to clarify and enhance the efficacy of the Reverse Breathing method…
If you liked this article, and want more, I’m creating
free weekly articles (with video)
with practical tips and ancient techniques for vitality and getting grounded & centered
P.S.: If you’d like to learn more about these powerful healing methods hands on, come check out my classes ~ Announcing my first 8 week session of Moving Mediation – Bagua: The Circular Art of Transformation!
In these classes, you will learn how to
increase energy,
become more rooted/grounded,
increase intuition and connection,
and build self-confidence
through the spiral movements and coiling power of Bagua Zhang.
Classes are once a week, in 8 week sessions, starting in Seattle on Tuesday August 20th or Saturday, August 24th, and in Bothell on Thursday, August 22nd. Register for the 8 week session now!
Do you know a major cause of headaches, neck and back ache, and even numbness in the hands and feet?
I see it every day: poor posture.
The good news: one of the best solutions to correct posture is free!
If used correctly, this secret could save you hundreds — even thousands — of dollars in medical care…
The secret is actually deep breathing.
Try to take as deep a breath as you can with your back hunched, shoulders rotated inward and your head hanging forward… Does your breathing feel restricted?
Similarly, remember a time when you were injured or stressed out? Just thinking about it probably makes your breath shallow. Deep breathing not only helps correct your posture, it also reduces stress and pain. Click here to watch the video:
The keys to effective deep breathing are:
Lift your head as if it’s being hoisted up from the crown, and
push your head up, as if pushing your head through a tight turtle-neck shirt,
draw your chin in (not tilted back),
keep your hips slightly forward & tailbone tucked under, so the spine is “telescoping” straight (stretching from the top and bottom) without any hunching or swayback.
This will make your spine feel as if it is suspended, with all your bones stacked in alignment, and your entire body will feel lighter, almost weightless.
Extend spine upward and downward, and draw breath to your lower abdomen.
How long is a deep breath?
It’s relative. The idea is to gradually increase the depth and duration of your breath with practice. The best way, is to count your heartbeats — this allows you to listen to your body and get in touch instead of forcing it.
Start with 5 to 10 heartbeats per inhale, and just as long an exhale, at least 5 full breaths.
Practice everyday when you feel tense, in the morning when you wake up, and at night before you sleep. After a week, increase the depth of your breath by a few more heartbeats, to a point when you feel a stretch, but not so deep that you feel forced or more tense.
Gradual growth is the key ~ you’ll be amazed with the results!
If you liked this article and want to receive more, I’m creating something new for you:
free weekly articles (with video)
with practical tips & ancient techniques for getting grounded & connected
and occasional out-takes
Oh, and this will be the only way to find out about my discounts & special offers, so sign up here!
