Gua Sha is a widely used healing technique which comes from East Asia and is now used by medical practitioners, acupuncturists, bodyworkers, and individuals across the world. Among its many benefits are increased circulation, improved range of motion, and reduced pain.

“One of the myriad environmental factors that has been associated with the development of RA is stress, and it is widely reported to be a key trigger of flares. Reducing stress can help to decrease pain in the immediate moment, and will also help to decrease the allostatic load on a person’s body over the long-term. Massage and Craniosacral Therapy are fantastic ways to manage stress and reduce the toll it takes on the body.”

I do not believe there is a “right” time or prescribed way to facilitate change in your life. The work it takes to examine your past - recent or distant - and to alchemize this past and its lessons into a transformed you that is more steadily walking the path you’ve chosen is an enormous undertaking. It requires honesty, patience, and a gracious approach to self and others. It does indeed require motivation and diligence. This process cannot simply be switched on with the flip of a calendar page.

Plantar fasciitis is a common condition that can be painful and debilitating. What is it, and how can you use massage therapy and at-home techniques to help?

“Cupping is a therapeutic technique which uses cups to apply suction to the skin, which increases local blood flow and releases restrictions in soft tissue. Research has shown that cupping can decrease pain in areas treated, increase range of motion, and even help with such conditions as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and plantar heel pain.”

“Cupping can increase range of motion where it is restricted (such as in the shoulder or neck), and to relieve pain and stiffness in muscles and other tissues. Cupping in combination with massage is a powerful technique - and my clients love the results!”

Between the full stop of the Winter Equinox and the quickening of Spring, we are suspended. This is a time for introspection, for integration of lessons from the deep work we’ve done during the winter, and for dreaming of what will come next. We are living in the liminal space between dark and light, death and birth, and we are invited to revel and doze in the interface between wisdom and curiosity.

This is a time of a year when, for many of us, we are bombarded by difficult and draining forces. It is darker and colder. We slow down, our energy stores are lower, our bodies are craving warmth and comfort, we sleep more. Add to these seasonal changes the hustle and potential strain of the holiday season, and many people will find themselves emotionally burdened and stressed. 

Depression and other affective disorders may also rear up during this season in destabilizing ways.

Perhaps you’ve wondered if massage is safe for people with cancer, or have heard various claims about it in the past. While research is ongoing and there is much to be learned, there is significant consensus that people with cancer can benefit tremendously from bodywork at any stage of their experience. 

No quoted wisdom, tool, or product will have any effect if it isn’t actionable and relevant to one’s own life as it is.