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Late Winter Teaches a Lesson in Working Smart and Healthy

----by Nancy Hausauer

Each of the seasons has a particular wisdom to teach us--even the seemingly drab season of late winter.

It may seem like not a lot is happening in nature during this unremarkable time of year. But if we watch closely, it can help us be immensely more effective.

So what's the lesson?

Patience -- an under-rated quality, in my opinion. Patience is about timing. It helps us do things when the time is right. And, wow, is that important.

Late Winter's Example

For the plants, there's no trophy for getting up and going in to work early! They don't get a raise for getting a jump on their year-long project of growth.

In fact, if they start their growing season too soon, their cycle will be off-kilter for the whole year. They may even die in a late freeze. Nope. They wait till a complex set of cues tells them that the time is right to start growing again.

We'd do well to take that lesson to heart.

The Power of Patience

I'm a good example. I used to write grant proposals for a living. I was hard-working and eager, and it took me a long time to learn that it was fool-hardy to try to get funding for a project before its time was ready.

When I'd try to develop a project prematurely, there would be a relentless stream of dead ends, wrong turns, and brick walls. Everything about the project would be HARD. I'd wear myself out trying to force it into being, while nothing and no one seemed to be cooperating.

But when I'd wait till the time was right, things would seem to fall into place. The whole universe seemed to cooperate, and the project would be relatively easy.

I learned the hard way that patience is my friend.

Patience is your friend, too.

Waiting can be the hardest thing to do. But in the long run, it's a strategy that pays off. Tasks are ten times easier when they're not started prematurely. You'll save wear and tear on your nerves and your body. AND you'll have more energy left for the things you care most about.

So this year, watch closely as Mother Nature unfolds spring with infinite patience. Listen to her message, and be willing to wait.

Copyright 2012 Nancy Hausauer

Progressive Relaxation: Ten Minutes to Stress Relief and Better Health

Learn how to do progressive relaxation, an easy relaxation technique that helps you manage stress and stay well -- and feels great!

Permalink -- click for full blog post "Progressive Relaxation: Ten Minutes to Stress Relief and Better Health"

Using the Power of Suggestion for Healing

----by Nancy Hausauer

Are you in a healing profession, or do you receive massage therapy or other forms of alternative healing?

If so, you'll be interested in this new page on "The Energy Healing Site" that discusses the the power of positive suggestion as a tool for healing.

Massage puts people into a state that is not different significantly, if at all, from hypnosis. Recipients go into a deep state of relaxation. In this condition, as in hypnosis, they are highly impressionable. What is said to them in this vulnerable position can have a huge impact on their energy, mind, emotions, and physical well-being. Providers need to make sure (and clients need to insist) that we use our words and thoughts to support, rather than to undermine, client well-being.

Learn more about how to use the power of suggestion for healing on this new page, "The Power of Positive Suggestion."

Copyright 2012 Nancy Hausauer

Relieving Anxiety with Mind Body Techniques

Click on the image to go to The Energy Healing Site and learn more ways to relieve anxiety and stress.

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Happy Winter Solstice: Take Time to Rest

----by Nancy Hausauer

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice (5:30 AM Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on December 22) is the day with the fewest number of daylight hours. The official beginning of winter, it's the longest night of the year. At the same time, it is also the point when the days start getting longer. (For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the return of the light makes it a holiday truly worth celebrating.)

Winter is nature's time for rest. Often we forget that rest and stillness are also necessary for us, too. It's part of a healthy, balanced life.

As we move into the season of winter, ask yourself:

• During the past year, have I balanced work and play?

• During the past year, have I gotten enough rest?

• During the past year, have I made time for stillness and reflection?

If the answer to any of these questions is "no," ask yourself what stands in the way of creating a humane, balanced life for yourself. Rest and self-care aren't selfish or self-indulgent. As nature teaches us, they're absolutely necessary for health, balance, and growth.

Have a beautiful, restful winter.

Copyright 2011 Nancy Hausauer

What Alternative Medicine Can Do for Your Headache

----by Nancy Hausauer

If you have headaches, you should definitely read a recent on-line article from the NCCAM Clinical Digest, "Headaches and Complementary Health Practices: What the Science Says."

This no-nonsense article reviews the efficacy of various alternative approaches to headache relief, including relaxation, biofeedback, acupuncture, tai chi, cognitive behavioral therapy, massage, spinal manipulation, dietary supplements, and the herbs feverfew and butterbur.

Here is what the article has to say about the research on massage and headaches:

• Only a few studies have rigorously examined the role of massage as a headache treatment.
• A 2008 pilot study involving 16 participants suggested that massage may be beneficial in reducing the frequency of tension type headaches as well as the intensity and duration of pain.
• In another small study, researchers observed that a specific type of massage called craniosacral therapy, which involves light touch and manipulation of the skull and spine to release restrictions in tissues, was more effective than no treatment in relieving pain from a tension-type headache but suggested that larger studies are needed to determine the efficacy of massage as a headache treatment.
• Researchers are also investigating whether massage therapy may help prevent migraines. In a 2006 study, researchers randomly assigned 24 people with migraines to receive six 45-minute massages that focused on the muscles of the back, shoulders, head, and neck while 24 people without migraines acted as a control group. Although there was no change in the average intensity of migraines experienced, the researchers observed a significant reduction in migraine frequency among those who received massages.

It's well worth reading the entire article, though. Here's the link.

NCCAM stands for the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It is part of the federal National Institutes for Health. Their website is full of interesting information to trawl around in.

Relax. It's One of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Health

----by Nancy Hausauer

Stress is one of the greatest health issues of our time. Scientists estimate that 90% of diseases are caused or complicated by stress.

The Effects of Stress

• Heart beats faster and pumps more blood.
• Blood pressure rises.
• You breathe faster and your breath is more shallow.
• Stress hormones are produced.
• Blood sugar level rises.
• Blood supply to digestive organs is decreased, while blood supply to muscles is increased.
• Less growth and sex hormones are produced.
• Immune system is suppressed.
• Mental focus narrows.

Prolonged stress accelerates aging and makes you vulnerable to such diseases and health issues as high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers, autoimmune diseases, cancer, anxiety, insomnia and depression.

Relaxation: A Key to Health

• Slows your heart rate
• Normalizes blood pressure
• Slows your breath rate
• Decreases stress hormones
• Improves immune system function
• Reduces muscle tension
• Helps relieve pain including headaches and back pain
• Helps you deal with anger and frustration
• Boosts energy
• Improves mental clarity, concentration and creativity

Clearly, relaxation is one of the best things you can do for yourself. So -- what have you done to de-stress lately?

Of course, massage is practically guaranteed to pacify the stress-monster. But if you can't book a massage, here are some other some ideas to help you relax.

Copyright 2011 Nancy Hausauer

The Dangers of Just Sitting

----by Nancy Hausauer

I've written before about the perils of sitting motionless for long periods, and I'm forever telling my clients that if they wish to remain pain-free and healthy, they need to get up from their desks and MOVE -- preferably for 1 minute out of every 20, but at least once an hour.

Nearly all muscles work in pairs, doing opposite things. (For example, the quadriceps, at the front of your thigh, straighten your knee, while their partner muscles, the hamstrings, at the back of the thigh, bend your knee.) Prolonged sitting puts some of your muscles into a sustained state of contraction, which automatically, just because of the mechanics of our muscular system, puts their partner muscles into a lengthened state. Eventually, this can lead to chronic imbalances in groups of muscles. And muscle imbalances lead to pain and often to injury.

Furthermore, our bodies are designed for motion. Inactivity--such as sitting at your desk for hours on end--causes sluggishness and stagnation on many levels, from your breathing patterns to your circulation to your cellular metabolism. Things just don't circulate like they're supposed to.

Here's yet another article that touts the dangers of long periods of sitting and the value of MOVEMENT. As this article reports, scientists are now associating physical inactivity with an increased risk of cancer.

Clipped from: vitals.msnbc.msn.com (share this clip)

The Good News
The good news is that breaking up periods of inactivity with 1-2 minute periods of movement and exercise lowers the risk of cancer. Scientists found that these micro-breaks can reduce levels of cancer-related molecules in the body.

Research by Neville Owen, head of behavioral epidemiology at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia. also found that one- to two-minute exercise breaks correlated with smaller waists, less insulin resistance and lower levels of inflammation.

Get Up and MOVE!
The most important take-away from this is: Get up and move!

While you're at your computer or desk, set a timer to go off every 20 minutes. Get up from your desk, stretch, walk to the bathroom, get a drink of water, do a few exercises -- whatever you can think of to introduce some movement.You'll feel better, you'll hurt less, you'll probably think more clearly and be more productive -- and you'll be making an important investment in your long-term health.

This is important. Pass it along.

Copyright 2011 Nancy Hausauer

Happy Thanksgiving!

----by Nancy Hausauer

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's good to give thanks, and it's also good for us. Gratitude helps us to focus on what's going right, and that positive frame of mind has a powerful, positive effect on our bodies as well as our minds and hearts.

So whether your culture celebrates Thanksgiving or not, I highly recommend taking some time -- every day if possible -- for gratitude and appreciation of all that you have, and all that is going well for you.

As for me, I am appreciating my clients and my readers very much.

Gratefully yours,

Nancy

Copyright 2011 Nancy Hausauer

New Appointment Structure

----by Nancy Hausauer

Although my website's name is "Tacoma Massage Therapy," and I am a licensed massage therapist, I think of myself primarily as an energy healer rather than a massage therapist. Working both with the physical body and the energy body, here are some of the ways I can help you:

• relieving pain
• overcoming chronic stress & anxiety
• increasing vitality
• relaxing deeply
• healing from surgery and injury
• supporting your immune system
• achieving greater clarity, insight, & personal growth
• navigating life transitions & challenges
• nurturing creativity
• staying well, feel great, and live your life to the fullest.

To better serve my clients and reflect the reality of my appointments, which tend to run long, I'm announcing a new appointment structure. I am now offering:

• 60-minute "Express" appointments
  
  I'll get you in and out the door in 60 minutes. This is great for people who are on a tight time schedule, have one well-defined goal or intention, and have little need for discussion of issues.
  
  
• 75-minute "Standard" appointments
  
  This session allows a time for a longer treatment, use of more than one treatment method, teaching of self-care, or discussion of issues.
  
  
• 90-minute appointments
  
  This session allows for longer treatment, more treatment methods, more discussion of issues, and/or more teaching of self-care methods.
  
  
• The time required for lymphatic massage will vary depending on your goals.
  

Offering New Techniques for Upper Back and Shoulder Health

----by Nancy Hausauer

A couple of weeks ago I took a great continuing education class focussed on shoulders, offered by local massage continuing education teacher Shuna Morelli.

For my local clients, I now have some great new skills and techniques to add to my repertoire for frozen shoulder, upper back pain, and shoulder pain.

Thanks, Shuna, for a great class.

(Shuna Morelli, LMP , a registered hypnotherapist as well as licensed massage therapist, offers an elegant blend of massage therapy and hynoptherapy in her Steilacoom, Washington practice.)

Copyright 2011 Nancy Hausauer

11 Deeply Restorative Ways to Celebrate Samhain (Halloween), The Season of Rest

Happy Halloween, or to put it another way, A Blessed Samhain to you.

If, like me, you believe that every season brings particular gifts and lessons, you may want to read this article, posted on my other website, The Energy Healing Site.

Eleven Deeply Restorative Ways to Celebrate Samhain, Halloween's Sacred Ancestor

Namaste, Nancy

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Exercises and Stretches

Massage is usually an effective treatment for thoracic outlet syndrome, but a program of thoracic outlet syndrome exercises at home will help you keep your symptoms at bay.

Permalink -- click for full blog post "Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Exercises and Stretches"

Presence As the Ultimate Medicine

----by Nancy Hausauer

I've just finished a book called At the Speed of Life: A New Approach to Personal Change Through Body-Centered Therapy, by Gay Hendricks and Kathlyn Hendricks. Since I work a lot with the physical body, as well as the energy-body, I'm always interested in learning how others do body-centered therapy.

One of the main therapeutic principles the Hendricks promote in this book is the technique of "presencing": being deeply, mindfully, non-judgmentally present with yourself or another -- "giving a person space to feel whatever or she is feeling." This passage really struck me::

Problems persist to the extent that we fail to be present with them and with the feelings associated with them. When we can simply be with an issue (rather than judging it or trying to change it), the issue has room to transform in the desired direction."

And this:

Being present has a great deal of power in it: the power to alter irrevocably the structures and assumptions by which we live."

I find that that is often true in working with people's physical bodies. Long-standing pain can just melt away when a client and I together shine our attention on it.

Being with WHAT IS: it can take courage. It isn't easy to move toward pain, fear, anger, sadness, or other emotions that we've spent years moving away from.

But our bodies have an innate genius for balancing themselves -- maintaining homeostasis through intricate, constant acts of self-regulation. And when we bring consciousness/awareness to parts of ourselves that are out of balance, and for whatever reason are resisting coming back into balance, that deep, listening awareness can help remove the resistance and ALLOW the body's natural balancing/healing power to reassert itself.

Of course I'm not advocating that you try to heal pneumonia through presence alone. But here's an interesting thought to try on: What if the main healing ability of our medical doctors lies not in their scalpels and their drugs, but in their being present with us? In our being present to ourselves?

Here's a link to a Self-Healing Presence Meditation. (It's on my other website, The Energy Healing Site.

Namaste, Nancy

Copyright 2011 Nancy Hausauer

Home Remedies That Work

Here's a fun article on "8 Home Remedies That Actually Work." Just click on the image.

Enjoy!

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