ARE YOU STRESSED?

PHYSICAL SIGNS:FACE, BODY and HAIR tell the signs:

about FACE:
1. You’re getting blemishes that stick around for weeks
2. You’ve developed under eye circles and puffiness even though you are not sleeping any more or less
3. Forehead and cheeks have a rough uneven texture

the BODY:
1. legs, arms and neck are itchy even after you apply a moisturizer
2. aches and soreness in shoulders and low back

examine your HAIR
1. the condition of your hair has changed, suddenly oiler, frizzier or both
2. damages more easily
3. if you dye your hair, color fades more quickly

EMOTIONAL SIGNS
Irritability Impatience Hostility
Reduction of personal involvement with others
Angry outbursts Insomnia
Depression Jealously Restlessness
Withdrawal Anxiousness Diminished initiative
Lack of interest Tendency to cry
Being critical of others Self-deprecation
Nightmares Decreased perception of positive
Narrowed focus Obsessive rumination
Reduced self-esteem
Changes in eating habits and
Weakened positive emotional response reflexes.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
Stress is the number one silent killer.
Chances are if you are experiencing physical and emotional signs of stress it’s time to help yourself out.
There are 3 main things you can do about conquering stress:
Change your thinking
Change your behavior
Change your lifestyle

I will focus on CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE…usually this is the easiest and quickest ways to make improvements in your life:
GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Between 8 and 9 hours of sleep will allow growth hormomes in your body to stimulate tissue repair and allow you to receover from physical stresses

EMPLOY THE POWER OF TOUCH
This is where MASSAGE comes in.
Massage is highly effective in providing INSTANT and LONG TERM relief.
Massage lowers pain by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to muscles and soft tissues. The repetitive nature of massage strokes override stress signals from reaching the brain.

FUEL THE BODY WITH THE RIGHT STUFF
A healthy dose of Vitamin B and eat a handful of cherries!

COMMIT (!!) TO EXERCISE
Do I really have to go into this one? The worst thing to do wold be to stress yourself out about starting an exercise regime. It doesn’t have to be difficult or strenuous. as little as 10minutes a day to start can start you in the right direction.

CLIENT INTENTIONS SHARED FOR 2009:
* Be a better listener.
* Write something that inspires others.
* Allow others to inspire me!
* Leave the past where it belongs — THE PAST
* Be present for my son.
* Be a supportive partner to my husband.
* Be a good friend to all my peeps!
* Be a contributing member to my extended family.
* Practice the art of active listening.
* Fit into the brown pants I wore to my bachlorette party!
* Embrace change

GREY’S ANATOMY & the HUG THERAPY CONNECTION
For years my sister and I have joked about “hug therapy” that we need hugs..and lots of them…to get through our days. To feel connected to self and to others. Beyond hugs we “developed” what we call “on-tops” — laying down full body hugs! The more overall pressure the better! Same applies with Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy. When asked to describe how AOBT feels I tell clients this story of my sister and our deep hugs. I also tell the story of how when my sister worked with children with special needs such as Autism and Aspergers she told me about a “hug or squeeze machine”. She told me how this machine was originally used to tame wild horses and was then developed for human application to help calm individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Last week on Grey’s Anatomy the character of Dr: Dixon, an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, experiences a seemingly severe reaction to body contact when a patient’s mother attempts to give her a hug for help with a successful operation. A shaken Dr. Dixon flees from the room and the following scene unfolds. Instead of wild horses, livestock is referenced. The effects described in the scene are the EXACT effects our Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy massage has on an individual.

When Dr. Dixon is found by another colleague says to her:
“I need pressure. I need my nervous system suppressed I need constant deep tight pressure across large areas of my body. I need you to hold me, tight, tightly, tighter! You’re a very tiny person I need a bigger person I need more.

Another character enters and she too is instructed to put her arms around Dr. Dixon
Dr Dixon continues to say:

“Cows are squeezed tightly in a shoe before they are slaughtered. The shoe applies intense pressure resulting in decreased pulse rate metabolic rate and muscle tone.
It calms them down. The same principle applies to people like me. A hugging machine is used to relax the sympathetic nervous system. It slows the heart.
This is good it’s working.”
Dr. Dixon is relieved and the scene ends.

“Hugging is a wonderful tonic. It makes you feel energised and gives you an emotional boost…especially at this busy time of year when many people are feeling the pressure. In fact, the medical evidence is that a hug even makes your body produce more Oxytocin, which is the ‘feel good’ hormone. Research in America found that one 20-second hug a day makes a big difference between how happy and relaxed we are.” says Peter Spalton, a leading body language expert comments how there is more to a hug than just giving you a fuzzy feeling inside.

Research shows that the female brain naturally releases oxytocin after a 20-second hug. The embrace bonds the huggers and triggers the brain’s trust circuits
And while it works for both sexes, women seem to be the greater benefactors. This was exhibited by the second phase of the study. The researchers discovered that in addition to increased oxytocin levels, women in the study had reduced levels of cortisol following a stipulated 20-second hug after other procedure. Cortisol is another hormone produced by the adrenal glands as part of the body’s response to stress. The fact that the women participants’ cortisol levels were significantly lower than the men; means that females are especially responsive to the calming effects of a hugs proving that a hug a day can go a long way to keeping a woman you love heart healthy.

The last paragraph was extracted from this full article

I recently sent our a TaoMassage newsletter with a short list of my 2009 intentions.
Here I will elaborate a bit.

1) Leave 2008 in 2008!
It has been a trying turbulent year for EVERYBODY! We are all in this together! But the New Year is a perfect excuse to start anew. Spring will be here before you know it and we can leave 2008 and move “onward and upward” in 2009. The past is “the past” for a reason. LIVE IN THE NOW!

2) Set more “realistic” goals for myself
It’s the little things like, do not rush, yet work on being/arriving late, yet be sensitive to others who may be waiting for me!
Accept more gratitude in my life and say “please & thank you” from the heart!

3) Spend more money on MYSELF; for mental, physical and spiritual well being!
How long has it been since your last massage?
Gone on a vacation? I anticipate 4 trips in 2009! Maybe vacation, maybe travel, IF NOT NOW…THEN WHEN?!?!?!
Did something that made you feel great?
Enjoyed your cup of tea in silence?
Called an old friend?
Sweat it out at the gym or in the Shake Your Soul class?
Laughed until your pants split?!

4) Challenge myself to creativity offer my clients opportunities to utilize TaoMassage more often!
This one has been in the making, and I hope some of you will take me up on the offer! Details where in the email…and if you are not on the TaoMassage email list…sign up by emailing us today!

THEY REALLY
WANT A MASSAGE!

SO GIVE THEM A MASSAGE GIFT CARD!

THIS SATURDAY ONLY—EVERY $100 PURCHASED
RECEIVE A BONU$ MASSAGE GIFT CARD

So put us on your list —December 20th 8-4pm
receive $50 bonus massage gift cards between 8am-10am & 75% off retail!
10-12pm - $35 gift cards free with $100 purchase, 50% off retail
12-3pm - $25 gift cards free with $100 purchase, 30% off retail
3-4pm - $15 gift cards free with $100 purchase, 20% off retail

Can’t make the sale but still need a gift? Call 732 775 1550 to pick up your gifts or buy online anytime at taomassage.com/gifts and have your gift shipped in time for the holidays! Look forward to seeing you (or a family member!) this Saturday!

Wishing you a wonderful healthy holiday and thank you for taking charge of your health thereby supporting TaoMassage this past year! —The TaoMassage Team

NOTE: All 2004 & 2005 gift certificates have now expired.
All gift certificates issued in 2006 will expire December 31, 2008.

Join us for an hour+ of dance, movement, meditation, silliness every Monday & Thursday at the YogaBliss studio < --use a class card! And select Mondays and Saturdays at the Middletown Arts Center. See below for dates.

A "Shake Your Soul" workout, dance fitness class, moves you to fantastic music and with others who enjoy moving through space - just like you!

Combine your desire to do yoga, creative dance and meditation all in one fell swoop! Start with gentle yoga postures or rhythmic movements that flow into an energetic dance that is in tune with your body’s fluids and chakra energy + a little meditation movement thrown in, you will feel thoroughly energized and alive at the end of 75 minutes!

Dress comfortable and get ready to sweat!
No experience necessary! Except for the desire to dance…and you will laugh and have fun!

Yoga BLiss - Check studio website for pricing or use your class card
Thursdays 10:30-11:30am