Bringing the outdoors in

New items added to my Stylehive today, all with continuing the Spring theme in mind! Bring the outdoors in with herbal wreaths, flower growing kits, and kitchen herb gardens!


Sunflower growing kit, Stylehive Bookmark #:120017


Edible flower garden, Stylehive Bookmark #:120013


Italian herb garden, Stylehive Bookmark #:119997


Lavender Plant, Stylehive Bookmark #:119992


Chile herb wreath, Stylehive Bookmark #:120015


French herb wreath, Stylehive Bookmark #:120009


My thumb is not so green, so I don't have much success with growing my own herbs. I'm going to try again this year though...I love having fresh herbs to cook with. I'm also going to go with a dried wreath and enjoy the beauty and the aroma without the effort.

By the way, have you signed up for the Mailing List yet?

I'm off to enjoy some of this day...

First Day of Spring

There's still a lot of snow on the ground here in the Hudson River Valley, but today is the official First Day of Spring! It's a fantastic time to think about renewal, to focus on your body, and turn over new leaves of nutrition and self-care.

Personally, I've been feeling congested internally...physically and emotionally. I tend to pull into myself during the winter months, craving heavy and warm foods and my down comforter, not getting enough sunshine. As soon as we hit the time change and start getting that extra hour of light at the end of the day, I start to feel a shift. The birds are chirping in the morning and the smells change. By the time the trees start blooming, I feel like a whole new person.

A book that made a profound impact on me is Staying Healthy with the Seasons by Dr. Elson Haas. It explains the connection and impact of the cycle of nature and external climates with our internal health and mental well-being, and is filled with seasonal nutrition, herbology, and exercise practices to follow that cycle. My favorite part of the book is definitely the chapter on Spring Renewal.


Here are the Ten Tips on Staying Healthy in Spring from Dr. Elson. Click here to read the full explanations of each of these tips:

1. Feel the new energy of Spring.
This is the season of re-birth. Take a deep look at where you are and feel what you no longer need in your life, what no longer serves who you want to be. This is the season to plan your new year, for the new YOU.

2. Commit to cleansing your life and your home.
Think Purification. Avoid drugs and excesses. Protect your liver. Take a break from alcohol and avoid chemical exposures wherever possible. What type of Spring Cleansing is right for you—a juice cleanse, a detox diet, two weeks off sugar and caffeine, conquering your nicotine habit?

3. Update or begin an exercise program.
First, stretch out; awaken your body. Yoga stretching and Chi-gung are great for maintaining your youthfulness and flexibility. Then, tone up with some weights, and do some aerobic activity for heart strength and for building endurance. The entire program helps to relax and revitalize you, as well as providing a rush of those feel good brain endorphins.

4. Enjoy nature's bounty—fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables at their organic best.

5. Spring is the season of the liver and gall bladder.
If you have any weakness in these organs, they may be stressed in this season.

6. Eat Sprouts!
Sprouts are likely the highest quality and most vital foods we can eat in that they contain high amounts of many vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

7. Nutritional Supplements can support you with a greater amount of physical energy, enhancing your spring and summer activities.

8. Many herbs are useful during the spring season because they aid detoxification.
Bowel cleansing herbs include senna leaf, cascara sagrada, and slippery elm bark. Dandelion and milk thistle leaves strengthen and protect the liver and help its healing. Licorice root will help energy balance and digestion, as well as support the adrenals for stress.

9. Use the spring months to clarify your plans and deepen the potential spiritual awakening or progress.
Keep a journal to create the reflection and clarity that will serve your spring enlightenment. Where and how are you now? Where do you wish to be in a couple months? What will it take for you to move in that direction?

10. Above all, give yourself the time to truly experience Nature.
Get outside!!!


This really is the game plan I'm going to try to enlist and follow in the next couple of months. And I'm going to get a lot of bodywork!

Stress Stress Stress

Whenever someone comes into my studio, the first thing I ask is how they're feeling. 9 times out of 10, the answer is "Stressed."

Job stress, money stress, relationship stress...even something seemingly minor like traffic stress, all have impacts on our health.



We've grown to think that stress is just something we have to deal with in life, and to some degree that's true. There's no way to stop having to be concerned about money, relationships and children are work, and traffic is out of our control. But what we can do is focus on how we cope with the stresses of life, and how much of an impact stress has on our health, in both the short and longterm.


How stressed are you?

A list of 50 common signs and symptoms of stress can be found on the American Institute of Stress website. You might be surprised at how many symptoms you have, such as jaw-clenching, frequent colds, forgetfulness, weight loss or gain, fatigue.

How much of an impact is stress having on longterm health? Medical research is discovering more and more connections to the most life-threatening diseases and issues we face such as cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, high blood pressure, obesity, and depression. Stress has become known as The Silent Killer.

So what do we do with our stress? There are many things we can do to cope with stress and reduce its impact.

Meditation and deep breathing
Exercise
Aromatherapy
Yoga
Healthy eating
Social support
Counseling

and, of course, MASSAGE THERAPY!


In session work, I talk a lot about stress and how to manage it, and work with clients to develop a plan of attack. Self-care is a very important part in getting the most from regular massage therapy, and I always try to send clients away with some suggestions on how to care for themselves between sessions.

So...are you stressed? How many of those 50 signs and symptoms did you find yourself recognizing? Let's start developing your plan of attack today!