Q: I’ve been going to only one massage therapist for some time, but I’d like to try another who uses different techniques. How do I gracefully change therapists?
A: Bodywork ethics expert Nina McIntosh responded to this question, pulling from the wisdom in her book, Heart of Bodywork:
Q: I recently heard someone refer to raindrop therapy. I’d like to know more about this technique.
Q: Does it matter if I go to a male or female practitioner?
A: In a perfect world, a practitioner’s gender would be irrelevant, according to practitioner, instructor and industry expert Charles W. Wiltsie III. “Massage therapy should be gender-neutral, at least from the massage therapist’s point of view. But here are a few tips to help you find the right professional:
“Check around and find out if the massage therapist you are going to use is known to the community. Are there people you know using him?
Now is the time of year when it’s easy to contemplate hibernation — turning to comfort food, seeking solace inside and lying around for days (months) on end. But, unless you want a roly-poly bear physique and a growling personality, you should embrace the cooler weather and welcome the changes.
You don’t have to be a downhill ski enthusiast or a biathlete to get the most out of winter exercise. With the proper clothing and preparation you can walk or snowshoe your way through winter — and enjoy it — until spring’s thaw.
Originally published in Body Sense magazine, Autumn/ Winter 2003.
Copyright 2003. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
Farmer’s markets are closing their doors, your garden is being put to bed for the winter and road-side fruit stands are packing up their wares. Yet, now is not the time to relinquish your desire for fresh fruits to the winter doldrums. Even though you may not be able to pick a fresh strawberry from your own backyard planting or buy a bushel of apples from your local farmer, incorporating fruits into your winter health regimen will lighten dreary days and keep you and your spirits healthy.
The attic of the mind is full of clutter — bits and pieces of to-do lists, fragments of conversations gone wrong, fears of the future and regrets from the past, cherished memories and hopeful dreams. What do you do with all this stuff? Do you store it up and let it accumulate dust like Grandma’s old trunk, or do you take it out, examine it and put it to use?
As the days become shorter and the sun shines less frequently, many of us are temporarily affected by winter’s “blues.” Lumbering around inside a cozy house, exercising less, and eating and sleeping seem more appropriate than in the spring and summer months.
As the leaves fall from the trees and old man winter lies in wait, many people have difficulty giving up the aesthetics of summer. Unfortunately you can’t pocket all those roses and daisies away for the chilly months ahead, but you can easily compensate by bringing a bit of the outdoor spirit you crave inside.
Initially, a stiff neck or an even stiffer schedule may have sent you to a massage therapist. But chances are your repeated returns will be a result of the overall sense of well-being you experience from this healing bodywork.
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