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Hannah's Massage Therapy

Rosemary Essential Oil

3/19/2019

Rosemary is one of the most powerful essential oils on the planet! Rosemary is a small evergreen plant belonging to the mint family. It has an extremely high antioxidant content.
Research has shown that consistent use of rosemary can help prevent hair loss and promote hair growth. So try adding some directly to your shampoo. Rosemary can help improve memory and can be diffused or inhaled while studying. It is being studied for use in the treatment of Alzheimer’s. Rosemary can also reduce cortisol which is the “stress hormone”.
I love adding rosemary to my cleaning products for the kitchen and bathroom as it has lots of anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and add rosemary and lemon essential oil for a powerful daily shower spray to fight mold.

Natural Pain Relief

2/25/2019

Part of being human is experiencing pain. It is an essential function of our nervous system that warns us and keeps us safe. But sometimes pain can be constant and have no apparent purpose. Finding safe and effective ways to treat this pain can feel overwhelming, but there are many natural methods of pain relief easily available to everyone. Here are some ideas for treating muscle and joint pain with natural methods.

Self Massage
Foam rollers are great tools to have on hand for when pain strikes. My favorite roller is the Proper Roller which has a central groove that keeps it from damaging your spine. Foam rolling can increase oxygen and blood flow to your tissues and accelerate soft tissue repair and recovery. Another one of my favorite tools are massage canes that allow you to reach places on your back and can be used on trigger points. You can also place two tennis balls in a long sock and lean up against the wall with them on your back.

Ginger
Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory and can be taken orally to help manage pain. Using ginger topically can have quick results for relieving joint and muscle pain. Freshly grated, or powdered ginger can be made into a paste and applied directly to an area with a warm damp towel on top. This is great for low back pain. Add sliced or powdered ginger to a hot bath, which brings me to my next point...

Baths and Essential Oils
Never underestimate the power of a bath to help relieve pain and stress. Soaking in hot water and Epsom salts can provide temporary relief and help ease sore muscles. Add pain and tension relieving essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, balsam fir, rosemary and eucalyptus. These oils can also be added to a carrier oil or lotion and applied to the area of pain.

Herbs
Most pharmaceuticals owe their origins to plants. Plants have been evolving alongside of us for thousands of years and have adapted to serve many of our needs. There are plant remedies for almost every kind of pain. St John's wort can be used for arthritis and nerve pain. White willow bark is where aspirin comes from and works the same way just slower but without the side effects. Arnica is used for muscle sprains, strains and bruises. Valerian root can be used for muscle spasms and cramps. Turmeric and ginger are used for inflammation. Feverfew is used for migraines and arthritis. Herbs can be used topically or taken orally in tincture, tea or capsule form. Mountain Rose Herbs is a great source for buying herbs. Herbs are powerful medicine so always do your research or speak to a qualified professional before using any plant medicine.

Movement
Sometimes movement can feel like the worst thing to do when you are in pain, but can often be the best thing. Exercise increases blood flow which speeds up healing. Walking, swimming and yoga are some of the very best and least harmful methods of exercise.

Diet
Eating a diet of highly processed and sugary foods is a sure way to increase pain. By eating a whole foods diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, inflammation can be reduced and pain can lessen. Getting enough Vitamin D, Magnesium and Omega 3s can help reduce pain. Keeping a food journal is a great way to see which foods trigger your pain. Add more anti-inflammatory spices to your cooking such as cayenne pepper, turmeric, ginger, rosemary and cinnamon.

Cannabidiol Oil
The body has an endocannabinoid system that regulates pain. The hemp plant has components called cannabinoids which bind to the receptors in our body and trigger our endocannabinoid system to moderate pain and inflammation.
CBD can be taken orally to build up in your system and help with chronic pain. It can also be used topically to help reduce pain on the spot. CBD can also help reduce the anxiety and stress that often accompany pain.

Balsam Fir Essential Oil

2/13/2019

Balsam fir has a fresh, woody and earthy scent that can help reduce stress. Balsam fir is primarily used for sore, fatigued muscles as a natural pain reliever. It can be applied topically mixed with a carrier oil or lotion. Balsam fir is also used to treat respiratory infections, sore throats and arthritis. It can help detoxify the body and improve bone health. When diffused and inhaled balsam fir has a grounding effect on the body allowing you to relax, while also being stimulating to the mind. Balsam fir blends well with cedarwood, lemon, lavender and chamomile.

Tips for Better Sleep

1/25/2019

Difficulty sleeping affects millions of Americans, and on average we sleep 2 hours less per night than we did 100 years ago. If your intention for the new year is to lose weight, be healthier or have less stress then sleep hygiene is the best place to start. Here are some tips for sleeping well so that you can be the best version of yourself that this world needs!

Aromatherapy. Scents can have a powerful effect on our ability to relax and slow down. Try using a diffuser on your nightstand or making a pillow spray with essential oils and water. My favorite is a blend of lavender, cedarwood, bergamot and frankincense.

Herbs. Herbs can have powerful sedative abilities and can be used as a tea or in pill or tincture form. Herbs that can help relax the body and mind and promote sleep include skullcap, valerian, chamomile, lemon balm and passionflower.

Dim the lights. If you use your phone or watch TV before going to sleep try turning the light down on your screens. If you have an Iphone you can even set it to automatically dim at a set time. The pineal gland needs total darkness to release melatonin which not only regulates your sleep but is also a very important hormone for burning fat.

Food is medicine. Some foods naturally increase seratonin, melatonin and tryptophan which all play important roles in regulating sleep. Calcium and magnesium are important for sleep as well. Some bedtime snack ideas include warm goats milk kefir which is high in calcium and magnesium, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate which are high in magnesium, tart cherry juice which increases melatonin, oatmeal which has anxiety reducing properties with honey and dark cherries, warm milk or nut milk with cinnamon and nutmeg, and banana with almond butter.
Exercise. If you have a small child or a dog you know the best way to wear them out so they can sleep is to get them to run around. Same is true for you! Get up and get moving every day. Start small. Go for a walk on your lunch break, put on some music and dance as hard as you can, jump on a mini trampoline before you get in the shower or do jumping jacks while you wait for your coffee. Adding in a little bit of movement here and there adds up and can make a huge difference in your ability to sleep well.

Massage. Massage therapy can help reduce insomnia and aid in better sleep by allowing your body to relax and by relieving stress. Massage can reduce fatigue and improve the quality of your sleep. Massage can decrease cortisol (stress hormone) and increase serotonin which helps regulate melatonin (sleep hormone). Massage can also help decrease stress and pain which can both be a large cause of insomnia.

Gratitude and Joy

12/3/2018

It can be very difficult to love our bodies. We are constantly sold messages that our bodies are not good enough, and that they need to be fixed or changed in some way. We often feel betrayed by our bodies due to pain or poor health. We can feel like we are at war with our bodies through dieting and restriction. Many of us have painful memories and trauma associated with our bodies that can make it difficult to love the skin we inhabit. But our bodies are resilient and miraculous vessels that are with us our entire lives. Instead of trying to change or critique our bodies, lets use this season of gratitude to appreciate all that our bodies have done for us.

You can give thanks that your body has seen you through many long years of life.
You can give thanks that your body is young and healthy and strong.
You can give thanks that your body has taught you important lessons about pain and the mental and emotional strength you have in bearing it.
You can give thanks that your body has survived the ravages of cancer.
You can give thanks that your body has given rise to new life.
You can give thanks if your body honors your parents with features it received from them.
You can give thanks if your body has the senses to know beauty, the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings of the world around you.
You can give thanks if your body includes a mind that can think, imagine, and dream.
You can give thanks that your body has built, dug, cooked, sewn, planted, and shaped the world around it.
You can give thanks that your body has held and honored and taught the bodies of others around you.
Massage therapists are lucky people. We get to see the wonder in the bodies around us every day. It is an honor that I am perpetually grateful for. Receiving massage therapy has been an important way for me to grow to love my body and show it gratitude and appreciation. Take some time today to show your body some love. This could be as simple as and placing your hand over your heart and taking a long deep breath.If we all took a moment every day to send some love and gratitude to our bodies we could begin to collectively change the body negativity of our culture.

Ayurveda and the Fall

10/16/2018

Last year I took a course on Ayurveda and it has helped a great deal with my own personal health and well being. Ayurveda translates as “knowledge of life”. It is an ancient life science from the Hindu tradition dating back 5,000. It is a way of living to keep the body and mind in balance and health. Ayurveda provides guidelines for daily and seasonal routines involving diet, exercises, cleansing, herbal healing and lifestyle . A person’s individual constitution, known as dosha, is also taken into account for a highly individualized approach to health.

One major aspect of Ayurveda is the change of seasons and the effect it has on our physical and emotional health. By being aware of these changes and using tools from Ayurveda to manage them, the change of season can be an enjoyable and transforming time. It is an opportunity to shift our patterns and ways of thinking and enter into a new rhythm of life guided by nature.
Ayurveda is governed by three doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each person is a combination of these doshas and the goal of Ayurveda is to maintain the balance of one’s natural doshas. Each season has a predominant dosha and can cause a person of that dosha to become out of balance because of the excess of the elements governing that season.

We are entering fall which is Vata season, and the elements of ether and air are predominant. This can cause a person, especially those with high vata to become ungrounded and have digestive troubles, fatigue, anxiety and depression. There are many Ayurvedic grounding practices such as bathing, oiling the body, slow gentle yoga, doing a mono-diet cleanse (kitchari), using herbs and spices, eating more grounding and cooked foods such as root vegetables and much more.

I have often struggled with the change into fall and have begun to use many of these tools to ease the transition. Simply having the awareness that my body and mind will react differently to the change of season has made it easier. I can not eat, exercise and go, go, go in the fall the way I do in the summer. In our culture we often have to change very little about our lives when the seasons change. This can cause the changes we feel in our bodies and minds to sneak up on us and throw us for a loop. By embracing the changes and allowing our bodies to go through the natural shift we can find a healthier way of being. Below are several resources such as recipes, exercises and activities for aiding your body through this beautiful shift into fall.

Treating yourself to a massage can be a great way to soothe the body and replenish the mind through this transition.

Resource Guide

Banyan Botanicals is an excellent resource for Ayurvedic supplies and articles.

Fall Ayurvedic Recipes

Fall Ayurvedic Cleanse Guide

Learn to Make your own Kombucha

9/13/2018

Have you always wanted to make your own Kombucha but have no idea where to begin? I can help! I have been brewing my own Kombucha for over 2 years and have learned a lot along the way about how to make it a simple and easy process. The thought of fermenting anything can be very overwhelming for many people, but in reality it is a completely safe and natural process. All you have to do is put in a little time and love and you will have a continuous flow of delicious healthy Kombucha.

Kombucha Start-Up Program Includes:

Healthy organically fed SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast)
Starter tea (plain kombucha straight from the tap)
Organic tea
Organic sugar
Brewing container (1.5 gallon glass container with spout)
One home visit to set everything up and get you started (about 1 hour)
Written instructions for making continuous brew Kombucha
Call, email or text me any time with questions and troubleshooting
1 year SCOBY guarantee (if something goes wrong you will receive a free replacement)
Total cost including all supplies and home visit: $100. Invite a friend and save $20 each.

To get started email me at hannahmassagetherapy@gmail.com

Store bought Kombucha is very expensive and making your own Kombucha will not only save you tons of money but it can be a fun and enjoyable process. The SCOBY is a living organism and having it live in the same environment as you allows it to cultivate the right culture for your body. Caring for this living organism that in turn nourishes you, can be a deeply rewarding experience. Your friends will love coming over and having fresh home brew Kombucha, and it is a wonderfully gratifying thing to share with others.

Health Benefits of Kombucha:

Immune Health - Kombucha contains healthy bacteria called probiotics. These bacteria line your gut and are your body's first line of immune defense. They also help absorb nutrients
Reduces Inflammation - Kombucha contains antioxidants that help reduce inflammation.
Supports a Healthy Gut - The healthy bacteria in Kombucha help fight of bad bacteria such as candida overgrowth. Kombucha can help heal stomach ulcers. Kombucha has high levels of beneficial acid, probiotics, enzymes and amino acids that all help promote balance in the gut.
Vitamins in Kombucha: thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin & Niacinmide (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Pyradoxine (B6), Biotin (B7), Folic Acid (B9), B-12, and Vitamin C.
These are just a few of the many health benefits of Kombucha. It is best to drink a small glass of Kombucha every day, therefore making your own is the most efficient and economical option.

Ways to Support Your Gut Microbiome

9/13/2018

Avoid artificial preservatives and sweeteners.
Avoid GMO foods, we simply do not know enough about how they affect our bodies and new research and science is showing the effects to be damaging.
Eat organic when possible to avoid pesticides and GMOs in foods.
Incorporate fermented foods and beverages into your diet (kombucha and sauerkraut are a good start and if you need advice on making your own I am happy to share my experience and resources).
Avoid processed foods, which are bad for your body and your gut.
Avoid pharmaceutical antibiotics when possible. Antibiotics kill indiscriminately and wipe out all the bad and good bacteria. If it becomes necessary to take an antibiotic try supplementing with a probiotic.
Avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides which are harmful to your microbiome.
Avoid the use of conventional cleaning and body products which contain many toxic chemicals.
Eat more prebiotic foods (garlic, bananas, tomatoes, onions, asparagus).
Avoid conventionally farmed meat, dairy and eggs which often contain hormones, antibiotics and are fed GMO foods.
Get a water filter and drink plenty of water. Consuming chlorine in water can kill microbial cells.
Move and meditate. Walking and doing yoga are my personal favorites and they include both at the same time.
Spend time in diverse outdoor environments such as the woods and streams to expose your microbiome to a variety of healthy bacteria found in nature.
Get plenty of good sleep to allow your brain and gut time to rest and restore.

The Gut Microbiome and Massage

9/13/2018

     The human body is a complex organism and one of its major components is the microbiome. A microbiome is a community of organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses that inhabit a particular environment. 90% of the cells in the body are microbial cells and most of these are found in the gut. The microbiome in the gut plays an important role in the body because it is where the body interacts the most with the outside word. The gut microbiome plays a large role in regulating the immune system and is your immune system's first line of defense.

     The gut microbiome is a direct line of communication for the central nervous system and messages are constantly being sent between your brain and gut. This is called the gut brain axis. The gut is the site of mood regulating hormones such as serotonin and dopamine. A healthy gut plays a huge role in your mental health.

     Stress affects your gut microbiome because of the role it plays in the bodies immune response. Your immune system is unable to distinguish between mental and physical stress, therefore the inflammatory response is activated, flooding your system with inflammatory cytokines which act as messengers. Chronic stress constantly activates this inflammatory response leading to chronic inflammation and disease. Having an imbalance of bad bacteria in the gut can contribute to the release of inflammatory cytokines, leading to more inflammation. Good bacteria in the gut can have the opposite effect, interacting with the immune system in a way that can reduce the stress response.

     Massage therapy can play a role in your gut health by allowing your body to enter the parasympathetic nervous system. This is your bodies rest and digest mode and allows for the reactivation of the digestive system, which slows down during the stress response. This allows for restoration to occur in your gut microbiome and reduce the body's inflammatory immune response to stress. Massage can also help manage pain caused by chronic inflammation. Abdominal massage can assist digestion through the relaxation of sphincter muscles in the intestinal tract, increasing intestinal activity which in turn improves gut health.

Sources:https://www.bewell.com/blog/17-ways-to-protect-your-microbiome/
https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/what-is-the-microbiome/
https://medium.com/thrive-global/the-link-between-gut-health-and-stress-682aafa355c7
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201404/the-gut-brain-connection-mental-illness-and-disease

Super Laundry Sauce

7/12/2018

You may be wondering what laundry detergent has to do with massage or wellness. As a massage therapist I do a LOT of laundry. Two years ago my friend gave me a jar of homemade laundry detergent called “super laundry sauce” and I have been making and using it for all my laundry ever since. Not only does it work great and remove oil, dirt and stains, but it is non-toxic and environmentally friendly.

Most commercial laundry detergents are filled with toxic ingredients that are harmful to your health and the environment.Your skin is the largest organ in your body and laundry detergent residues that remain on your clothes are absorbed through your skin.

Super laundry sauce uses only four simple ingredients: washing soda, borax, castile soap and essential oils. It is non toxic and is not harmful to the environment. It is made in reusable glass mason jars so there is no wasted plastic.
If you would like to learn how to make laundry sauce see the recipe below. If you would like to use laundry sauce but are way too busy to make it, I've got you covered. I will be selling laundry sauce at my office for $10 for 1 quart jar. Every time you return an empty mason jar you will get $1.50 towards your next jar.

Super Laundry Sauce Recipe

Ingredients
4 cups water
1 bar castile soap
1 cup Borax
1 cup washing soda
10 drops of essential oils
2 quart mason jars

Directions
1. Add water to a saucepan and turn on medium heat.
2. Cut up bar soap into chunks and grind in food processor, or use a knife to thinly slice, or grate with a cheese grater.
3. When water is heated but not boiling add grated soap and stir continuously until dissolved about 5 minutes. Reduce heat if boiling begins.
4. Once soap is dissolved remove from heat and add borax and washing soda. Stir for several minutes until dissolved.
5. Add essential oils. (lemon is great because of its antimicrobial properties)

6. Divide liquid into 2 mason jars. Add water to fill to the shoulder of the jar leaving about 1.5 inches of space at the top.
Tightly secure lids and turn the jars upside down.
7. Allow to sit for 4-5 hours. Any longer and you could end up with a grainy texture.
8. Now blend the contents by using an immersion blender, mason jar blender attachment or in a blender or food processor. (this last method makes more of a mess)
9. The mixture will be a whipped consistency and will be slightly wet at first but will thicken in a few days.
10. Use 1 tablespoon per load (really that it!). For tough stains soak overnight in warm water with washing soda.

This recipe makes 2 jars which is up to 100 loads each. So make one for yourself and give one to a friend and share the recipe!