Yoga for Lower Back Pain

Lower Back Pain

The anatomy of the lower back includes muscles, ligaments, tendons, vertebrae, discs and bones coming together creating joints. All of these can come into play when we are trying to find out the source of our pain. Muscles can seize up into spasms, vertebrae can shift around compressing discs and nerves, joints can misalign causing friction and inflammation and so on. Often when one of these is affected, it will set a domino effect on its surroundings since everything is connected. Some of the causes are due to bad posture, work position, weak core muscles, stress, pregnancy, lack of flexibility or other structural problems like scoliosis or a shorter leg. Other factors that can give us back pain include kidney and ovarian problems, or tumors located in this area. If this is your case it is best to consult a doctor but if not yoga can be a great way to alleviate the pain and prevent it from coming back.

Yoga for Lower Back Pain

Yoga is a gentle way to work out the body. Practicing this exercise will increase circulation warming up tense muscles and relaxing spasms and knots. The new blood that comes in will bring a fresh supply of nutrients and oxygen allowing the body to repair itself as well as clear out any toxins created by a painful area. Increasing circulation in a specific area will also allow inflammation to reduce and relieve any stiffness that comes with this. The stretches done in yoga allow the muscles to extend and convince them to let go and release. Once this happens, they will tug less on the bones that they are attached to allowing surrounding joints, ligaments and tendons to be in their appropriate location. With yoga, we can increase our range of movement so that we can move around freely with no restrictions. Some of the posture will allow us to work the muscles making them stronger to be able to support a good posture and preventing us from having aches and pains.

Precautions: If you are pregnant, have any disabilities, have severe or chronic medical conditions it is best to check with a physician or yoga instructor before starting to practice yoga. They will be able to assess your case and recommend a proper routine. It is important to feel a good stretch however you should stay within your limitations to avoid injury. This article is for information purposes only.

Yoga for Lower Back Pain

Yoga for Digestion

Indigestion

Indigestion also known as dyspepsia is a term used to group several symptoms of a digestive tract that is not feeling well. These symptoms may include nausea, heartburn, bloating, cramping, flatulence, feeling full and abdominal discomfort. For most people these symptoms are minor and only cause a bit of discomfort while a small percentage will need to see a doctor for help. Indigestion can happen during and after meals and is often influenced by what we ingest. Dairy products, alcohol, coffee and teas can stimulate the production of acid in the stomach while medication, intestinal parasites and organs that are not functioning well will also affect the digestive tract causing indigestion. Another factor that will disturb digestion is our emotions. When we are nervous our stomach can be in knots, feelings of depression can lead us to eat more or less and a stressful lifestyle can lead us to skip meals or eat junk food on the go. Maintaining a healthy stomach can in improve our general well being.

Yoga

Yoga is a great exercise to stimulate the digestive system, maintain its health and treat the unpleasant symptoms that come along with indigestion. The breathing exercises will calm mental tension and reduce feelings of stress which will in turn relax any stomach knots. Taking in deep breaths will also allow the diaphragm to move up and down massaging the intestines and encouraging the flow of digestion. The stretches and trunk twists will create a pressure on the digestive organs stimulating them to discharge digestive juices and encourage peristalsis for proper elimination. Taking a moment to do a bit if yoga can help with indigestion as well as help maintain good health, control weight and detoxify our systems.

Precautions: If you are pregnant, have any disabilities, have severe or chronic medical conditions it is best to check with a physician or yoga instructor before starting to practice yoga. They will be able to assess your case and recommend a proper routine. It is important to feel a good stretch however you should stay within your limitations to avoid injury. This article is for information purposes only.

Yoga Routine for Digestion

Yoga for Insomnia

Yoga for Lower Back Pain

Yoga for Insomnia

Insomnia

Insomnia is the symptom of a variety of other health problems. The source can come from psychological problems like stress and anxiety, physical pain that doesn’t allow us to fall asleep as well as digestive disorders that cause discomforts and hormonal changes that affect our moods and unbalance us. Some of the hormonal changes can be caused by menstruation and menopause causing our hormones to fluctuate up and down affecting our general well being whether physical or mental. Sleepless nights can last from a few days in row to a few weeks in most case but for others it can be an ongoing problem. The hours that we spend awake keep our bodies from taking care and repairing the various health problems that cause the insomnia. Very soon, we can find ourselves in a vicious circle where circle where the causes worsen and sleep is much more difficult.

Yoga

Yoga can be very beneficial for treating the causes of insomnia and conquering sleeping problems. The meditation and breathing exercises will allow us to calm our restless minds reducing stress and feelings of anxiety making our troubles a thing of the past. The stretching techniques will rid the muscles of tension releasing joint discomforts and reducing physical pain. When we are alleviated from pain, it is also much easier to relax. Some of the stretches are able to stimulate the digestive system while the breathing techniques will allow the diaphragm to massage the intestines assuring their proper function. When the mind is relaxed and not filled with stressful thoughts, it has more time to handle its normal tasks. This includes proper distribution of hormones and giving signals for the body to repair itself. Once this happens, physical pain is once again taking care of and problems like P.M.S and hot flashes are relived.

Taking a moment to do a few yoga stretches, meditation and breathing exercises during our bed time routine can help with the various health problems that cause insomnia. Restful nights will also give you more energy to deal with everyday stresses and the repairing benefits will fix the problems causing pain.

Precautions: If you are pregnant, have any disabilities, have severe or chronic medical conditions it is best to check with a physician or yoga instructor before starting to practice yoga. They will be able to assess your case and recommend a proper routine. It is important to feel a good stretch however you should stay within your limitations to avoid injury. This article is for information purposes only.

Yoga Routine for Insomnia

Massage Therapy for Insomnia
Yoga for Digestion

Yoga for Lower Back Pain

Sea Shell Massage

Throughout history sea shells have had importance in many cultures. They once have been used as currency in the Indian and Pacific oceans as well as America, Africa and the Caribbean. Because of their shape, they made great tools used as scrapers, blades and shovels. They are also believed to have very good healing energy and are a strong symbolism in many religions of the world. Today, you can go to a massage therapist who will use a variety of shells as tools to work out your tension and hopefully you will benefit from its healing powers.

What to expect during the treatment:

This treatment consists of a Swedish massage where the therapist will use cone scallops and fan shaped shells with all their different texture as a tool to work your knots and tension. The different contours can be used in a variety of different ways to offer a deep penetrating massage. The massage therapist could use the shells cool or warmed up in hot water. The hot shells could be placed in different areas on the body for concentrated heat or passed along the members, back and neck to increase circulation on an entire area. They might also pour a few drops of essential oils onto the hot shells that have been placed on the body to bring in the added benefits of aromatherapy.

The Benefits to this treatment:

This massage can have therapeutic effect on the muscles. The shells can be used to penetrate deeper and if they are warmed up, they can relax tight, achy muscles and offer pain relief. Using the shells hot will also increase blood circulation which will have a ripple effect on the lymphatic system ridding the body of toxins like lactic acid and helping with circulatory problems. This treatment can also be very relaxing, therefore reducing stress, anxiety and even helping with insomnia. Also, the texture of certain shells can offer a slight exfoliation that will take care of dead skin cells.

With all these benefits how could you not enjoy the healing powers of the shells?

Bamboo Massage
Esalen Massage
Shiatsu Massage
Thermal Palms Massage

Massage Therapy for Insomnia

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia is a symptom that comes along with several health problem. A person may have difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep even though the opportunity to do so is present. Since it is a symptom, it is important to determine the origin of it’s cause. For some, it can be due to stress and anxiety. When trying to fall asleep, they are unable to switch off the brains and feel troubled by worries. They can start to panic, get heart palpitation and have a hard time taking deep full breaths with ease. Pretty hard to fall asleep when you feel like this. For others, it can be due to physical pain. Their aching body may not allow them to stay in one comfortable position long enough for them to fall asleep causing them to toss and turn throughout the entire night. Another source for insomnia can originate from indigestion. It has been noted that a lot of people with irritable bowl syndrome often have insomnia. More common problems like heartburn could also keep them from catching some z’s since it can cause a lot of discomfort. When we look at the person as a whole, we can often find all these linking together. Head stresses can cause stomach problems and tired achy muscles, physical pain can stress us out affecting our stomachs, indigestion can tire our minds taking away energy to deal with physical pain and so on and so forth. We can get stuck in a viscous circle where this keeps us from sleeping at a moment where we need the rest and repair benefits the most.

How Massage can Help

If you choose to go for a massage to help with your insomnia it is very important to discuss with the therapist the source of your insomnia. This will be done at the beginning of the treatment when opening the file. If you have determined that the cause is stress, then the therapist will be able to proceed with a relaxation massage calming your mind, slowing down your breathing and heart rate. If the reason is physical pain then they can give a more therapeutic massage to alleviate the discomforts. In this case, the massage will rid the muscles of tension, reduce inflammation, ease joint pain while increasing blood and lymph so that nutrients are brought to the cells and tissue damage can be repaired. For most digestive problems a stomach massage can be added to the treatment to relax indigestion and the calming effects will also soothe many stomach ailments. The general well being effects massage has to offers can help with a variety of problems and once we take care of these our sleep patterns are improved giving us more energy to stay healthy and avoid that these problems come back.

Massage is simply a good resource for us to get back on track with good sleep and to improve our health and well being. If you suffer from restless nights, it should be considered.

Massage for Anxiety
Massage for Fibromyalgia
Yoga for Insomnia

Chocolate Body Wraps

This very delicious treat does wonders on our health. Chocolate is made from cacao beans which are enriched with anti-oxidant that maintain good cell health as well as citric acid and magnesium oxide. Because it insures good cell health it does wonders on skin, toning it and giving it a healthier glow and softer touch. The very smell of chocolate will trigger our brain to release endorphins uplifting our mood, making us feel generally better therefor reducing feelings of stress, anxiety and emotional P.M.S symptoms. It is also known for it’s stimulating effects on our metabolism, encouraging blood and lymph flow which will in turn remove excess fluid, detoxify and help for losing weight and reducing cellulite.

Chocolate Body Wraps:

Body wraps are a wonderful way to soak up the benefits of chocolate via the skin. The treatment will start with an exfoliation in order to rid the epidermis of dead skin cells which will allow the product to go work directly on a newer layer of skin. This process will also open the pores and activate the blood circulation so that absorption of the nutrients is facilitated. Many different types of exfoliations can be used but if we want to keep the themes one made with cocoa beans is defiantly recommended. Once the skin is prepared a layer of cocoa powder that has been mixed with water is smoothed onto the body. Once an area is covered, the therapist proceeds to wrapping with a plastic layer and a blanket until the entire body has been covered. The face can be included without being wrapped.Bundling up the client will keep them warm ad they perspire the detoxification process begins while the the skin feed itself of the richness of the chocolate. The clients will stay relaxing for about 20 minutes before being unwrapped and heading to clean off the product. This can be done by taking a shower and flushing it down the drain or by asking in a nice hot bath to continue enjoying the benefits. A nice way to end this treatment is to compliment it with a massage of simply apply a cocoa butter based cream all over the body.

Do It Yourself:

Although it is nice to treat ourselves at the spa it is not necessary to spend the big bucks to enjoy this treatment. Like many spa treatments, the ingredients can be found at the super market and with a few materials this can be done in the comfort of our own home. For the mixture, you will need 200 grams of cocoa powder with no less then 50% cocoa beans. You can mix this to 1/2 a liter of water and stir until everything is well blended. Start by giving your skin a quick exfoliation and proceed to apply the chocolate mixture. Once you have it all over you can wrap yourself in a large piece of plastic and blanket. Stay like this for a good 20 minutes then proceed to either a bath or shower. Finish by applying cream all over.

Simply another way to enjoy chocolate while taking care of yourself. Hope you enjoy this treat.

Precaution: This treatment is not recommended for people with diabetes and people with high or low blood pressure, heart disease or pregnant should check with their doctor first.  Claustrophobic people could feel uncomfortable all wrapped up.

Mud Baths
Clay Body Wraps

Weird Spa Treatments

With spa treatments becoming more popular, the search to find new treatments to offer either inspired by the past or by modern research is on the rise. When a spa finds a new treatment they are often pioneers and the only ones to offer a unique service. Sometimes, more than often, being original can also mean being weird. I now present to you the strangest of the strange.

Spermine Facials: If you are good at breaking down words then you probably noticed the sperm in spermine. You guessed right, your esthetician will be using human synthesized sperm to treat your face. There’s a lot of jokes to made here but I will leave that up to you. This substance has anti-oxidant properties that can smooth the skin and diminish wrinkles. Once the product is layered on the skin, ultrasound and infrared light will be used to allow the product to penetrate and work out fine lines.

Fish Reflexology:This treatment, mostly popular in Asia, uses Turkish spa  fish to give the treatment. The clients puts their feet in a pool of water while the fish work away at nibbling dead skin. After about 1o minutes the client moves on to another pool with larger aggressive African fish. In this case aggressive simply means that it tickles more while they swim around your feet. Once these steps are done, a softer skin is revealed and it’s time to complete with a reflexology session. This treatment can be very beneficial for helping people with psoriasis while the extremely ticklish may find it hard to relax.

Geisha Bird Poop Masks: This facial was commonly used in Japan by the Geishas to keep their skin clear. The main ingredient is droppings from the nightingale bird which is known to have powerful cleansing properties. Today in spas, the aesthetician will apply an odorless layer of the mask on the face so that client can enjoy the calming effects. They may also choose to enhance the treatment with a rice rub for an exfoliating effect.

Snake Massage:No need for a massage therapist here, the snakes get to work on your body. The client lays on the table while a variety of these reptiles slither all over the body. This sensation has been noted to be very relaxing for many but I’m not sure I could sit still and let go. The only thing that could comfort me is that none of the snakes are venomous.

If you are interested in really alternative treatment and trying new experiences then I hope this list has inspired you.

Clay Body Wraps

Mud Baths
Spa Treatment for Arthritis

Spring time marketing for massage therapist

Marketing with the season is a good way to get more work in a certain time a year. Your publicity should target a need that comes with spring. It should suggest to your clients something that could benefit them and be practical for them. Example, making publicity for a hot stone massage when the days are warming up makes no sense while offering them treatments that prepare them for warmer weather does. Also, every season has special events which are always a good opportunity for boosting gift certificate sales. This is a good thing to consider especially if your business slows down in the summer months.

Marketing Ideas

Exfoliation:

With the warm weather the layers of clothes come off possibly exposing dry winter skin. A new season is a good time for new skin. You can easily offer a full body exfoliation to your clients that are coming in for a massage.
Spring clean your body with a detoxifying wrap: In the spring, people like to do a little maintenance to their body with bathing suit season around the corner. Body wraps are very good for detoxifying and slimming down. This treatment can be added to a simple massage or if they want to go all out they can do the exfoliation too.

Mother’s day gift certificates:

Mother’s day is celebrated in the spring time and a massage is a good gift to give her to show that you care and that you want her to take care. People will be looking for ideas for gifts to give their mother and suggesting this can boost gift certificate sales. With father’s day not too far away you could also do a promotion that gives them a discount if they buy two.

Foot pampering:

Time for sandals and showing off the feet. I like to add a little bit of foot pampering to my reflexology sessions but this can be added to a massage too. I will do this by adding an extra half hour to the massage where my clients will soak their feet in an aromatherapy foot bath, get a sea salt foot exfoliation followed by a mask. This is very popular because a lot of my clients feel this need at this time of year and it allows me to get more hours.

Cellulite treatments:

Again, with a season for showing off more skin, some people might want to take care of their cellulite. This involves getting them to come in for a series of treatments with the possibility of selling products to aid them in this treatment. When you find a client that is willing to invest time and money in this treatment you get regular bookings and a steady income.

Weddings and anniversaries:

It’s the season of love accompanied by showers, bachelorette parties and wedding anniversaries. A couple’s spa treatment package could be a great thing to offer to those celebrating their wedding anniversaries. You could easily book up full days for every week-end in the spring and summer. When offering this in the spring it’s a good thing to specify that they need to reserve early because availabilities go fast. For those about to tie the knot it’s a time for celebrating with parties and loved one’s. You could offer your services at these events as an activity for them to do. Spa-rties can be a lot of fun and a good way to change the routine.

With these promotions and targeted publicity you should be able to fill up your schedule until fall which will be another season to profit from.

Work less and make more with massage
Tips for finding day clients

6 Tips for helping body workers in finding a day time clientele

When we work in clientele service environment we often need to be available on an opposite schedule then those around us with 9 to 5 jobs. We often start work when people finish and vice versa. This can cause complications when we want to spend time with those around us, when the day care closes at 5 or when people we know plan events when everybody is available but us. This list could go on and on. We could take the decision to not work evenings and week-ends but this could come with a pay cut. The solution would be to find the day time clientele so that we can earn money and be with our families.

How to do this

1. Seniors early bird discount: I often get retired people that walk into my work place asking if we offer a senior discount. Even if it’s not much, they are happy to get some kind of a deal. I give them a rebate on the condition that they come before noon on week days. This works for both of us plus this is the quietest time during the day for me so they are not taking the spot of a full paying customer.

2. Others that work in clientele service: This could be anyone that works in a grocery store, pharmacy etc. Sometimes these people even have insurance coverage. You could also approach hair dressers, aestheticians….. Because these people work odd hours they often have a random day during the week off.

3. People that work around the clock: This could be anybody that works in a hospital, firemen, policeman and security guards. Because they need to be available all the time for us they also have odd schedules. These people can have random days off or work through the night. If they come after a shift it could be an early morning client for you.

4. Business owners: They are their own boss which means they work late in the office but can also step at 2 in the afternoon for a massage if they really want it. You can send a special to all the business in your town or join a small/medium business group and get to know them.

5. Pregnant woman/moms at home: Pregnant woman are or will be soon on maternity leave. Once they have their baby, I get them to book a massage when it’s their babies nap time. They come in with baby asleep and receive a massage. Most of the time we get through but if we don’t, I charge them only for the time I was able to give them. This is not possible with every baby but for some it works.

6.Offer free chair massage on week days: You can go to a gym and offer free chair massage to the clients a few hours during the day. If these people are available to go to the gym during the day then they will probably be available for a massage too. Also, you are targeting people that like to take care of their bodies so body work sessions could be of interest to them.

Hope this helps and good luck!!!

Tip for massage therapists to work less and make more
Spring time marketing for massage

Tips for massage therapists to work less and make more money

If you are a massage therapist, then you know that when you give an hour session it can be very demanding. No time for taking a break, you need to devote yourself fully to the client if you want to impress them and keep them coming back. Not only can it be physically demanding but we need to be caring, understanding and attentive to what our clients are feeling. For this we need a lot of passion for helping people but we also have our limits. In this business, if we want to give personalized care we can’t over book our schedules and treat people like a number. Because we are limited on the amount of people we can take this can affect our salary. However, there are other things we can do in this business to make up for it. Here are a few suggestions.

Sell Products:

During a massage session you will be using a variety of products on your client. It could be the simple massage oil, a face cream, some aromatherapy or a muscle balm. Your client will be very attentive to the odors from the essential oils, the rehydrating effects of the oils and creams and the relieving effects of the balm on their muscles. As a massage therapist, you have access to these products straight from the suppliers. These suppliers offer you a discounted rate and usually the more you buy the more of a discount you get. With your reduced rate as a professional you can repackage and resell these products for about 40 to 50% more. Having a little store could bring in some extra income throughout the course of the year.

Hire an employee:

Business hours for a massage therapist could be from 9 to 9 five days a week and 9 to 5 on the sixth day. This is definitely too much for one person. If you have a room for treatments you could hire another person to allow you to make money when you are not there. If you work in the beginning of the day, they get the end of the day and vice versa. They work on your Saturday off and you, on theirs. Your employee can make anything between 40% to 50 % depending on experience and education. All it takes for this is a little initiative like taking the time to find an employee. If you are already getting calls for appointments that you can’t accommodate because you don’t want to be at work early morning and late evening these clients can now get treatments with your employee. This way you still get their business without working instead of losing them to your competition.

Get contract workers:

This is another one that takes a little initiative but once you find the contract workers and the contracts it’s just a question of maintenance. Chair massage contracts can be found in different offices, events and parties. You can put a little poster in your work place to show your clients that you offer this service. The clients that walk into your clinic could be in a position at their work where they could arrange for you to come in for a chair massage contract or they could also be in charge of an event or be hosting a party. Once the word is out, the calls should come in to get you to come back on a regular basis. It is good in this case to have a list of reliable contract workers that you can send out to the jobs. Not everybody likes to put the effort for searching for these possibilities and simply are happy when somebody hands over a job and each person gets a percentage. Some contract can be once a year in the case of a festival while others can be weekly or bi-monthly. Just think, if you were able to find one that is frequent and just had to make sure your contract workers shows up, how little work you would have to do for an increased salary at the end of the year.

Gift certificates:

Selling gift certificates during holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and so on, is great way to make a decent amount in only a few days. Basically you are selling a card that costs around a few dollars with a value number of anywhere between 60$ to 500$ depending on the treatment. All though you need to give people this value back only a small percentage actually take advantage of it and you have a few years of them coming in here and there to claim it. But as time goes by, other holidays come with the opportunity to this once again. Each year this could boost your income by a reasonable amount and the extra cash all at once can be used to invest in your store, take other class to widen your services or used for publicity and all these are tax deductible.

Teach massage classes:

A few times a year you can give basic classes on the subjects you know. For example, I get a few clients that want to learn a few techniques just to be able to massage their loved ones. They are not looking to be professional; all they want is a few maneuvers. All though I am working, it is a lot less strenuous than a massage and it allows me to work more hours in a row. A 3 hour class takes 3 hours and we all know that tree 1 hour massages takes longer. In this situation you need to take into consideration the costs of renting a room, your hourly salary and come up with a minimum amount of signs up for the class to be a go. If you get more, all the better. The other possibility is to give the job to your employee or contract worker. They will be happy because you create work for them more frequently and this means no work for you with a little less profit after you pay them.

Massage therapist can make a good hourly salary but they are limited in the amount of hours they can do in a day which can bring their salary down. These recommendations will take a little extra work at first but once everything is set up, it’s just a matter of keeping the ball rolling.

Tips for finding day clients
Spring time marketing for massage