This winter, if you become ill, the first step is to find out what you have. The common cold, which can be caused by any of 200 or more different viruses, generally starts with a sore throat and that I-think-I-am-getting-sick feeling.
You might be surprised at what can speed up your skin’s aging process. Following are several ways to ensure you continue to put your best face forward.
Avoid drinking
through straws
I’m sure many of you drink dark sodas, tea, and coffee through a straw to prevent staining your pearly whites or avoid putting your mouth on a can or bottle, right? It’s causing fine lines around your mouth, a sign of premature aging.
Crafting the perfect massage or bodywork session requires transparency between you and your therapist. Of top priority: communication. Without some back and forth conversation between you and your therapist, you may not get what you’re looking for, you or may be unsatisfied with the direction your practitioner takes.
Following is a checklist to help ensure you maximize your experience.
Arrive on time
Being there 10–15 minutes before the session keeps you from feeling rushed.
We benefit from massage and bodywork in so many ways. We may seek the help of massage to address pain and discomfort, or to relax from the stress of daily life. But bodywork can be just as effective in addressing traumatic stress, whether recent or long past.
Herbs and plants are known to enhance mood, improve health, and provide a valuable connection with nature. Here are some of my favorite herbs or plants to grow; they are either valuable for their health benefits, easy to grow, or both, and can be used in teas and added to your favorite recipes. Hopefully you'll see a familiar friend on this list, or be intrigued by a new potential favorite.
Here’s a chance to use the body-mind connection to your advantage when trying to shed a few pounds in time for summer. Using insight gained from recent research, these small shifts in behavior can help you cut calories without even knowing it!
Stay Straight, Get Narrow
According to researchers at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, people drinking from a curved glass consumed 60 percent more beer and soda than if they drank from a straight glass.
When you walk out of your massage therapist’s office, what do you take with you besides postmassage bliss? You may not think of it, but you also walk out with a luxurious coating of lotions and oils that will condition and moisturize your skin long after you’ve left your session.
While your instinct might be to rush home and wash away all the products your therapist just spent an hour applying to your body, most therapists will tell you to avoid the shower until morning, and instead let your skin indulge in these topical treats—consider it a free postmassage treatment.
It’s one of those mornings. Your alarm didn’t go off and you have a massage appointment in an hour. You quickly shower, get dressed, grab a protein bar, and dash to your car, only to realize your gas tank is nearly empty. Even so, you think you can make it to your appointment. On the way, you hit every red light and someone cuts you off just as you’re trying to change lanes. Finally, you pull into a parking spot, tense and frustrated—clearly not in the right mind-set for your bodywork session.
Whether it is an aching back, recovery from an injury, a case of carpal tunnel syndrome, or a host of other debilitating physiological conditions, there’s no doubt massage and bodywork works to relieve pain. But once your therapist has helped you tackle your pain, do you quit calling? When the pain is gone, are you gone, too?
Do you have tension headaches or chronic tension in your upper body? How about neck and shoulder stiffness? Maybe you experience strain in the temples, forehead, neck, shoulders, or back, especially after a long period of working at a computer or reading a book? If so, your tension could be related to how you look at the world.
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