Autumn 2013 Newsletter of Sanctuary Massage

Leaves and Massage; I love what I do

Autumn, is my favorite time of year! The only place better than cozying up on a massage table with a buckwheat heat wrap around your neck and the scent of warm herbs after a day of leaf peeping is; to be me! I am the person who gets to mix up those herbs, stir up that massage oil and guide you into an hour or so of deep relaxation. I love sharing that time with you, and I love seeing the benefits of our sessions begin to permeate through our lives in such positive ways. Autumn tends to mark the start of a myriad of activities. From parent teacher conferences to apple picking, & beginning to plan for the holidays, life gets busy just as our bodies are wanting to wind down. As mother nature stirs softly in anticipation for her great winter rest, our bodies seek to do the same. The massage room is the perfect place to allow your body some guilt free time to indulge in that quiet peace you have been longing for. I have been working on some amazing new services that will be available this fall, all designed to give you the very best and unique bodywork services in the area. From sacred herbal compresses to reflection time after your session you are sure to feel stress and pain melt away.

Check out page 3 for more info

Nourish

Herbal Medicine Making Workshop

Oct 2nd, at 7:30 Orenda Yoga & Healing Arts

$10.00 in advance $15.00 at the door

Visit www.orendayoga.net for tickets

FREE Session Features

If you like to be warm and cozy on the massage table don’t forget to ask

about a heat wrap during your session.

New herbal oils are on the way! From comfrey leaf to help with achy joints to mixed evergreen that will soothe

inflamed muscles.

Two great locations:

609 Union Street, Schenectady NY

747 Madison Ave, Albany NY

518-952-1161

www.SanctuaryMassages.com

Stuff You Will LOVE! And hope you will too!

Body

your

“The power of love to

change bodies is

legendary, built into

folklore, common

sense, and everyday

experience. Love

moves the flesh,

it pushes matter around…

Throughout history,

‘tender loving care’ has

uniformly been

recognized as a valuable

element in healing.”

~Larry Dossey

Again, a massage therapist is merely a

facilitator for those changes and our job is to

support you, and your body in this process. One

of the first signs that you are shifting into your

rest and digest system is that tummy growling. In

this response your immune systems gets a

refresh, blood heads to areas of your body like

your stomach, intestines and your reproductive

organs. The cortisol hormone responsible for

stress is lowered and your body and emotional

state can function at its healthiest. Getting

massage and doing things like meditation, yoga,

or other activities that help to activate the

parasympathetic nervous system is great for your

overall health.

When we hear those growling noises it is

a pretty direct sign that we are doing our job, and

that makes us feel awesome! So the next time

your stomach makes crazy noises on the table,

don’t be embarrassed, be amazed that your body

always knows just what you need.

It happens at least once every day, a client tenses up just a

little and apologizes for the rumbling coming from their abdo-

men. With any luck I quietly reassure them it is alright and help

them relax enough to forget about it. For some, it is a passing thought

and for others the embarrassment doesn’t give up as quickly. The

truth is that in the massage room, aside from sighs of relief, snores,

or beautiful music, a rumbling tummy is one of our favorite sounds!

Why? Well our bodies have two nervous system responses.

You may have heard of the terms flight or fight and rest and di-

gest. These are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

responses our bodies have to our surroundings and they have a huge

impact on our health. Unfortunately we spend more time in our sym-

pathetic (fight or flight) response than ever before. Some of the phys-

ical changes that occur to the body while in this state include: Vaso-

dilation of your eyes and the arteries supplying blood to your lungs

and muscles, your heart can go into a bit of overdrive and your

glands will produce a particular formula of hormones all so that you

can have a better chance of outrunning that saber

tooth tiger or survive a physical attack.

While this response is great for our

survival, we are not supposed to spend

elongated periods like this. This stress

overload can wreak havoc on our

bodies.

Tummy Growling? Why you shouldn’t be embarrassed:

New Services: You Can’t Wait To Try!

Herbal Compress: The healing power

of herbs have been used throughout the world for centuries. At sanctuary massage, some of their amazing benefits will now be yours through herbal compresses! A compress made from a custom blend of herbs just for you will be placed where you need it most beneath a warm heat wrap.

Used to sooth your stress, or help with achy muscles enjoy some gentle bodywork while you relax with the compress. Choose this 30 minute session its own, or as an add on to be woven into any other massage service. Reflection Massage: Indulge in a 60

minute Body, Mind, Spirit Massage with the added bonus of 30 Minutes of reflection directly afterwards. Stay in the comfort of the massage room, taking advantage of the sacred space we have created together during your session. Fell free to bring a journal to write in or simply give yourself some much needed time to relax before leaving. Amazing news: The Albany Location is getting a new comfy chair just so that you can indulge in a foot massage complete with a custom scrub. Keep your eyes out for the announcement.

Restorative Massage is a slightly more gentle approach to bodywork with the intention of connecting body, mind, and spirit through massage. It is my belief that it is within this balanced state, that our bodies can begin the deepest of healing changes. From simple relaxation to respite from severe anxiety, trauma, or depression, Restorative massage is an excellent choice to compliment traditional medical treatments. Specializing in gentle restorative massage, deep

muscles are often addressed with the use of slow

repetitive massage techniques and can create similar

outcomes as deep pressure.

GENTLE & RESTORATIVE MASSAGE

Nourish Your Body

Feed Your Soul

518-952-1161

GIFT Certificates

Available

GET A LITTLE SILLY! That’s right! Stretching this season isn’t about technique or form. Instead we take a note from Andrea Fortuin’s Conscience movement yoga

classes at Orenda Yoga and throw all the rules out the window. The truth

is, I can give you all the best stretches in the world, but if you can’t remember how to do them, chances are you never will. I want you to make big changes so you feel great! Big changes often start with little steps, the sillier the better! So breath deep, close your eyes, and move that body! How? It doesn’t matter! Lean to the side, bend forward, shake your hips, flap your arms like a bird, twist, reach, do whatever it is that makes your body get the blood flowing and feel good. Wiggle the toes, blink your eyes, GET SILLY, but most important GET MOVING!

Stretch of the Season

Spotlight Muscle: Pectoralis

Spread across your chest like a fan, Pec Major attaches to your clavicle and sternum inserting on your arm just beneath your shoulder. It is responsible for movements such as picking up your children, typing or working with your hands in front of you, and bringing your arms together like giving yourself a hug or putting your hands together to clap. This often overlooked muscle is one we use everyday, and it is rare that I work with a client who doesn’t have tight or restricting Pec Muscles. Because muscles pull not push, both Pectoralis Major and Pectoralis Minor can have a negative impact on your back pulling your shoulders forward forcing those back muscles to work even harder. I often find that in order to relieve upper back pain, the Pec Muscles must be released first. A simple way to check the tightness of your Pec muscles from home is a glimpse in the mirror. When your Pec muscles are where they are supposed to be you will notice your hands will face palms in to your body at your side. When your Pec muscles are too tight, your palms will be facing behind you and the back of your hand with knuckles out will face the mirror.

Tummy Love Massage: Have your tried it yet?

Gentle Massage using an herbal oil of infused peppermint, ginger & dandelion root mixed with a bit of energy work; this service is perfect for those of you dealing with digestive, weight, & even self esteem issues. Learn to make friends with this very sensitive and special part of your body again!