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Appreciation and Updates
| Posted on September 20, 2012 at 8:26 PM |
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As I am sitting here looking towards the latter half of September- I am quite in awe of life at this point. I am trying to organize and plan and prepare for at least the near future (6 months). This includes spending quality time with my family over the holidays, seeing 25+ clients per week, added to trips to St. Louis, Missouri, Houston, Texas, and West Palm Beach, Florida. I am very humbled by these opportunities. Ahead are chances to grow, learn, explore and share in more positive stories of change in people's lives. My October schedule has been opened and is more than half full already! I have been fortunate to still be able to take on new clients who need help and maintain my regular clients at the same time. I am gearing up to enjoy and celebrate fall- who doesn't enjoy the beautiful show that the trees display in Michigan this time of year? While I am not a fan of cooler weather, I do love bonfires! The kids are planning our yearly trip to the apple orchard- I am hoping that with the early blooms and late frosts they won't be too disappointed! The experiences of several clients lately have been truly amazing and I have felt honored to be a part of them. Daily incapacitating headaches that disappeared, anxiety that just disappated, stress that felt alleviated. Chronic pain that subsided, No movement that became agile. These are just a tiny few examples. It is safe to assure you that I love what I am able to be a part of, each and everyday! ~Christina :) |
Vacation Notice
| Posted on August 10, 2012 at 1:20 PM |
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Just an update to let you know that I will be on vacation from 8/10-8/14. If you call for an appointment and I do not reply within 24 hours (which I usually try to do) that is the reason why! :) September schedule is put together and filling up fast! :) |
Summer is flying by!
| Posted on July 31, 2012 at 10:16 AM |
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I am having a hard time believing how fast this summer is going by, and I am completely humbled by how busy I have been with clients lately! But there have been several phenomenal experiences as well. I am hoping to update my testimonials page very soon! I will have to adjust my schedule to fit your needs as my clients, and mine as a practitioner- so that you continue to get the experience you have come to expect from your session! :) Beginning in September, I will not be working as many evenings to spend time with my family, and I am in the process of setting up appointments for that month. There is a 3-4 week waiting window currently. You may have your name added to my cancellation list, and you will be called on a first come, first serve basis, should someone need to reschedule/cancel their session. I am so appreciative of your support- I surely couldn't do what I do to help without you! :) ~Christina |
What to Expect?
| Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:28 AM |
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I have been asked several times by clients lately, "How would you describe what you do to someone who hasn't experienced it before?" They seem to be at a loss when trying to tell someone else what I did for them! I have thought about this a great deal, and the time is right to try and explain what you can expect from a session with me. I will be the first one to tell you that from the first moment, your session is not going to be like "a regular massage." I can do those and I do when needed, but a body tends to express where it wants the focus to be at, and I try to accomodate that (as this is what will give you the most relief and relaxation by the end of the session!) By viewing your posture pattern, the way you step, and pain induced holding- the first minutes are valuable to me. They set a plan in motion. That plan can include using one modality (see "Modalities" for an explanation of what I offer) and sometimes it is incorporating several techniques from several different ones. Each session is truly unique to the individual on the table, and one session is never the same as the next! I think this is why I love what I do so much- it's a constant puzzle to solve! (And helping others feel better is a wonderful reward!) The body almost always has an underlying emotional holding pattern with your physical pain (though not always, as in repetitive motion injury from a job or hobby) As we allow your body to release these held onto emotions, the physical pain will usually dissipate with it as well. So, here are the basics. During your session you may experience some or all of the following: (or not, it just depends on what your body and mind want to do!) * Physical pain relief * Emotional Release & Relief * Past Memory Replay & Resolution * Awareness of holding patterns and why they exist * Steps to alleviate chronic symptoms * Stretch and Strengthening Excercises The tools I use to facilitate this process with a client is going to be left for another blog post- but suffice it to say, it's very effective! |
Working hard...have you missed me?
| Posted on November 15, 2011 at 7:08 PM |
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I will be adding a few things to this webpage which will hopefully make it easier for you all to keep track of me! I will be adding a schedule- week by week (or month by month, depending on which turns out to be easier) so you know what location I will be at, and the times I have available for appointments. I have been hard at work making both spaces (Pewamo and Ann Arbor) I practice in feel inviting and cozy, not just for you, but for me as well! The holiday season is fast approaching- (I will be the first to declare that I cannot believe how fast this year has literally flown by for me!) and we are in "what do I get so-and-so this year?" mode. A massage is a great gift- and a great way to invite someone who might not otherwise get one to experience the benefits that a relaxing or therapuetic massage can provide in their lives! I offer gift certificates for my Ann Arbor space, travel massage sessions, or you can get a gift card through The Next Level in Pewamo as well! :) |
What has got you down?
| Posted on October 16, 2011 at 10:03 PM |
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Do you suffer from anxiety or depression from too much stress that you can't seem to handle on your own? Do you want to avoid the option of taking medicine daily to "control" the symptoms? This may be a great alternative for you! An integrated massage therapy session with me and my ability to see around an issue can help you manage these and many other feelings that can trap and overwhelm you! After a session, you will feel more balanced, more in control of your own perspective, and possibly find energy you probably haven't felt in a while! Many of my clients comment on how coming to a massage therapist is a source of anxiety on it's own. A bad past experience, conflicting feelings on taking care of themselves, and not being sure of what to expect are a few of these reasons. Let me introduce you to my view: My simple approach to massage therapy is that it should not hurt. Especially if you are already in chronic pain, I do not want to make you want to crawl off the table, or worse, be in pain for endless days after a session. Helping people is a passion of mine- I always come at a problem with the utmost care and concern. And you feeling positive results from our session is my priority and goal! |
Realistic Expectations
| Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:26 PM |
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True healing rarely comes in one form alone and it is a cumulative process to achieve. Many of my clients do not like taking daily pills, so they choose massage therapy, natural doctors, and chiropracters to help them avoid this. But it is Medicine vs. Massage? No- it is just not so simple. If you get a prescription, the doctor tells you to take "x" number of pills and take them until they are gone. This is to achieve that cumulative effect. But other IMPORTANT factors include: diet, sleep, water intake, exercise, and emotional health. These all weigh into how well a prospective "cure" can be effective for someone. If you have a chronic problem that you are addressing with massage therapy- say nagging headaches or severe low back pain for example, a one hour massage session is not going to cure the problem. Just as you wouldn't expect one medical pill to completely eliminate your pain or problem permanently. It is just not a realistic expectation. The best effects are found after cumulative actions are taken. Rest, increased water comsuption, eating balanced meals, excercising regularly and taking responsibility for yourself and your emotions make this change work more quickly in your favor. For a chronic pain condition, a series of 4-6 sessions is a reasonable time table for corrective change to become a more permanent reality. And sometimes, it can take longer. The fact is that your muscles spent weeks or months seizing up before the "pain wall" broke and you started to feel this chronic pain all the time. You probably even noticed pain from time to time for weeks before that. And those muscles were tightening down even before you felt anything. So expect that it can take more than a one time session to "cure" any chronic pain you are experiencing! |
CranioSacral Therapy
| Posted on September 27, 2011 at 9:54 PM |
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Many people have never heard of Craniosacral Therapy, but those who have may say it's good but aren't sure why. Those who have experienced a CST session though, swear by this therapy! And for good reason. The general premise behind craniosacral work is to free up restrictions found in the lining of the cerebrospinal fluid (the liquid that surrounds our brain and spinal cord). Why is this so important? No one questions the fact that a head injury can change a person's behavior pattern. The same thing fits here, but in more minute detail. When pressure due to restriction in this lining is pressing on one part of the brain, it chemically changes the way the central nervous system functions, which causes various "symptoms" throughout the body. Depending on where these restrictions are found- it can point to certain dysfunctions that occur. (This has been studied and researched and documented for over 20 years) This work is phenomenal with infants and children. ADD & ADHD, Acid reflux, being "tongue-tied" and sleeping issues can be reduced with this gentle technique. Here are just a few other issues that CST can help address and alleviate:
While it is difficult to explain the whole process in a blog post, hopefully you understand a little more about CST and it's advantages. Of course, the best way to understand it is to experience a session for yourself! |
Therapeutic Massage Uses
| Posted on September 20, 2011 at 10:43 AM |
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Therapeutic Massage- sometimes referred to as deep tissue massage (and no, it is NOT just swedish relaxation massage with more pressure) has many different uses. If you suffer from chronic (recurring often or never ending) back, neck, or shoulder pain or chronic headaches- your core muscles are at least a part, if not completely, the cause of it. And YES, you can find relief. The most common phrase I hear (especially with low back pain) from clients is, "I guess I just have to live with it." Quite simply- No, you don't. And they are amazed and bewildered when that pain they have had for weeks, months and sometimes years- disappears during a session! Myofascial Release are techniques used to release fascia held tension (fascia- the connective tissue found throughout your body that holds your skin, cells, muscles and bones together) Tension held in this tissue can cause pain anywhere throughout your body. When released, pain, tightness and inflammation can go away! NeuroMuscular Therapy are techniques that release tension in a very specific muscle, and usually a group of them, that are holding a pain inducing pattern. Trigger points, muscles tension and immense pain are often associated with these patterns, and sometimes you won't find relief even if you stand, move, or sit. Tylenol and ibuprofen are usually used at this point to dull the sensation, but often that is not enough to irradicate the issue. It is more like a bandaid to mask the symptom of pain and inflammation. But there is help! :) These modalities are also helpful for posture related pain. By releasing the two opposing muscles and allowing them to balance (if you think of a pully system- there are always two muscles that work against each other) and stretching and strengthening them, postures such as rounded shoulders, hunched backs, lumbar curves (low back arch), and forward head posture can be aligned more optimally, which will minimize and alleviate the chronic pain associated with them. |
Why Get Massage?
| Posted on September 13, 2011 at 9:01 PM |
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When most people think of getting a massage, it is usually to relax. While this is definitely a suitable expectation, massage therapy can offer the body so many more benefits than that! Along with a feeling of relaxation, massage also: *activates the Parasympathetic nervous system (the opposite of the "flight or fight" sympathetic nervous system) *increases blood circulation *promotes metabolic waste elimination *improves the flow of nutrients & oxygen to cells *decreases inflammation *relieves soreness, tension and stiffness in muscles *reduces and frees up scar tissue adhesions that restrict motion *lowers blood pressure Of course, this is just a small list of the physical benefits of massage. There are also emotional and psychological benefits as well. When you commit to give yourself the gift of massage regularly, you are taking a step toward creating wellness in your everyday life. Frequent headaches can be alleviated with massage therapy. Chronic pain disappears, range of motion increases, and you are able to do activities that you may have stopped doing because of pain or discomfort. I have personally walked several of my clients through this journey. Many of them were ready to give up hope and just accept this pain as a way of life. They came to me as a last resort. I am sure they are glad they did! Today, none of them suffer from the pains that they came to me with. They have all resumed the daily activities that their pain had previously stopped them from doing. And I am so glad they allowed me to make such a positive impact! :) |
