Terror in Boston

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Posted on April 22, 2013 by massagenerd

A few months ago Bon Vital’ and the Massage Therapy Foundation contacted me, to see if I was interested in going to the Boston Marathon to shoot pictures and videos of the three runners that were Running for Research – Kathy Borsuk (Hillborough Massage Therapy), Tom Heidenberger (Bon Vital’) and Les Sweeney (ABMP). I was excited, because I’ve never been to the Boston Marathon before and I thought this was a chance of a lifetime. The MTF was able to get me VIP seating and I could be right at the finish line, so I could record all of the runners crossing the finish line.

The day before the marathon was a great day. The runners were all excited and a little nervous. We did some pre-event video and pictures and I even had them guess who of the three would finish first. We had a great dinner sponsored by Bon Vital’ that night and everyone tried to get a goodnight sleep. Paul Slomski (Development Manager at Massage Therapy Foundation) and I stayed up to meet Allissa Haines, who came into Boston for a visit. *(Kathy and Tom on April 14^th)

I need to give you some personal background here. The start of April 15^th was hard from the start, because 14 years ago, my family buried my sister who was killed by a drunk driver on April 12^th in 1999. She was 17 years old and only 2 months away from graduating high school. The drunk driver was driving in the wrong direction on the highway and a car in front on my sister swerved at the last second and my sister didn’t even have time to react. She was a organ donor and the only things we were able to donate were her corneas (everything else was not usable). The drunk driver served only 4 years and I heard from some friends, that he started drinking right after he got out of jail. April 15 is a tough day for me. *(Beth Ann Hoyme, Killed April 12th, 1999)

Now, back to the race day. Paul and I got up at 6am to wish Tom good-luck. We were a little bummed that we couldn’t be at the start of the race, but with 27,000 runners, the logistics were difficult, so we didn’t complain. Paul worked out that morning and I went to work editing pictures and videos I shot the previous day. Then, around noon both Paul and I headed to the finish line. We grabbed a cab and the driver took us to the finish line, but after we left the cab, we realized it was the wrong side of the street. Luckily, we had some time and after asking 10+ people how to get to the other side and walking about 15 blocks, we managed to get over to the grandstands. We had a couple of hours to wait, before the runners would cross the finish line and we waited in the stands and I wandered around taking pictures. We downloaded the Boston Marathon app and we could tell how close they were (there were 4 different check-points) and the app would tell us when they crossed each one. *(This was the last check-point all three runners passed)

At 2:49pm EST, I tested my video camera and played back the video to make sure it was good. Then, at 2:51pm EST a loud noise right across from us went off and a huge puff of white smoke.

At first I thought it was fireworks. I didn’t know what to expect at the marathon, because I’ve never been to one. I turned on my video camera right after that and noticed people lying on the ground and then I captured the second bomb on video. There was chaos going on in the stands and the security guards were directing us into safety. I tried to videotape as long as I could, before they escorted us off the stands. The security guards and police did an awesome job at controlling the situation after the bombs happened. Paul and I saw bodies lying on the street after the white smoke settled. *(Screenshot of the video I shot of the second bomb)

Right after that, we were taken out of the area and I took some pictures of people being evacuated in wheelchairs and stretchers. One of the people was missing both of his legs and all I could see is a tibia bone (I will not post those pictures).

*(Left – Picture of Krystle Campbell, just minutes before she was killed)
*(Right – Picture of Jeff Bauman, just minutes before he lost his legs)
*(Bottom – Picture I took at 2:43pm EST, of the crowd of people where the first bomb went off)
**Click on any picture to enlarge it.

It was a horrible experience and I can’t even imagine what the victims and family members are going through. I posted on my facebook profile, that there were two bombs that just went off at the Boston Marathon and my neighbor saw my post and contacted me right away through facebook (her husband is a meteorologist in the city where I live in) and asked me if I wanted to share my experience with the local news station. I told her I would do a phone interview in a couple of hours and I told her I would send her the video I shot, once I can get a computer and internet connection.

Allissa Haines saw my post and was making sure everyone was accounted for and she flooded facebook to let people know we were all right, once everyone was accounted for. *(I did a screenshot of this, but it shows CST, so it was actually 2:52pm EST)

Paul and I started looking for a cab right after that, and we couldn’t find one anywhere (he carried my bag most of the way, because I was trying to take pictures and messaging/calling my friends and relatives). The phone service wasn’t that good and only a few text messages went through and I finally got a hold of my wife to let her know I was ok. She was on another line and told me that she would call me right back, but then I told her about the bombings and she immediately turned on the t.v. and was just thankful I wasn’t harmed. So, we started walking many blocks and finally found a place we could stay for a while.

Flann O’Briens was a bar we stopped at (all the other places were at full capacity) and they went above and beyond helping us. They found out that I shot some video of the tragedy and they even gave me their computer to upload my footage. They must have known somebody at the BBC, because they had me do a phone interview with them. I then uploaded the video to my facebook page (5:45pm EST), and soon after that to my YouTube channel.
*(Here is the video I shot)

After that, I kept getting emails from news stations from all over the US and the world, for permission to use my footage I shot. I didn’t even think about it for a second and gave everyone permission to use it (it was viewed on CNN, MSNBC, ESPN and all the other major networks). Some people afterwards told me, why don’t you sell your footage to the news stations, but I could never do that. I uploaded the video to my dropbox and sent some of the news stations a link (I didn’t have my computer, so I couldn’t upload it to my server). After a few hours I got a message that my dropbox was suspended, because there was too much public traffic to the video that I uploaded.

I then got emails and calls from all over, asking if I could do phone interviews. The BBC interviewed me 3 times; Ireland, Australia, Canada and others I can’t remember interviewed me. I was functioning on total adrenalin and nothing really sank in at this point. I also got an email from the Katie Couric Show and they wanted me to do a Skype interview, but I told them I had my flight scheduled for early the next morning on the 16^th. Then told me they would fly me to her studio and then back home.

I contacted the local police that night, to let them know I had videos and pictures throughout the day of the first bombing site. They called the FBI and Homeland Security and I met with them soon afterwards and gave them copies of everything I shot.

April 15th, I was only able to get an hour of sleep, because news agencies kept calling and I was still running on adrenalin, so I did all the interviews (over 25 of them). Then I got up at 4am on the 16^th, to catch a flight to the Katie Couric Show. Her staff went above and beyond in helping me feel comfortable and they even ordered two meals for me (one by mistake). There was a lot of action before they went live and I was scheduled to go on at 12:30pm EST. They said the show is usually recorded and a week later they release it, but since they wanted to get the show out right away, they recorded it and aired it two hours later. I was too exhausted to be nervous about being on the show, but after the taping it all hit me and I started feeling guilty for having these sad thoughts about the ordeal.
*(On the Katie Couric Show April 16th)

I got on a plane back to Minnesota and I couldn’t sleep, because of all the thoughts running through my head. When I got back to Minnesota, my family was at the airport to pick me up. We went to Cherry Berry (Yogurt Bar) to celebrate my return and I was too wiped out to feel any enjoyment.

I realized on Wednesday that I made a whole bunch of international calls. I called AT&T and told them my situation and they waived all my fees (they said they usually don’t do that, but this was a special circumstance). I’ve hated AT&T up until this moment and they really stepped up to the plate.

I slept most of the night on my first night back, but I got up a couple of times breaking out in sweats (I’m still getting them). I’ve been feeling like crap, so I made an appointment with a psychologist (earliest time I could get is in a few weeks). I was totally overwhelmed with all the support on my facebook profile, twitter and my facebook page. I want to thank everyone for everything you have done to support me and the other people affected by this, and even though I haven’t met most of you in person, I really feel a connection with all of you. On April 17^th I had to disconnect from facebook for a while, because I just needed time with my family.

Some of the “what ifs” running through my head:
·      If we didn’t arrive early to the finish line, Paul and I would be right in the area where the first bomb went off.
·      There were reports of other bombs and one report said; that there was a bomb under our grandstand…luckily it wasn’t true.
·      Just ten minutes before the first bomb went off, I was taking pictures in other areas.

I know and understand the lasting trauma of an experience like this, that’s why I’m getting some help. I wanted to tell you my story here, partly because it’s healing to me, also because it’s tough to have to repeat it over and over to people. I hope you understand when I ask that you let me get through this, and don’t approach me with questions about the experience for a while. I honestly would love to respond to each and everyone one of you, but at this time, I’m going through too much and I need to take care of myself.

If there was any positives out of this day, is that the Massage Therapy Foundation raised over $50,000 and all of us were unharmed. So many people have said that my sister was my guardian angel and she was watching over me that day.

I’ve been having a lot of mixed emotions after they caught the 2nd suspect. From joy, to anger and everything in between. I’m not looking forward to the trial, because after my sister was killed, the trial lasted about a year and I had to keep reliving it.

I never realized what people who have witnessed these traumatic events felt, until it happened to me. Luckily, I’m scheduled to get help soon and I don’t want it to affect my work and home life.

Sincerely,
Ryan Hoyme

P.S. Thank you, Allissa Haines for editing this post…I was in no shape to edit it.
P.S.S. I’m so relieved that none of the other people I know where injured, that were there (Leslie Young, Cliff Korn, Drew Freeman, Mary White and all the others).

Addressing priorities

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Jamie Schab

Just this prior month, within a holistic group I am a member of, (one of the many memberships I am involved in) it was decided to remove the forums that were a part of the group resources. This being due to the decreased activity of each member, myself included. It was also brought up within this last week, why we each have had such little activity and if the eWorld be interested in re-introducing them again in the near future. Most all of the members, including myself, answered that the main reason being we have been on the computer less, and when we are we accomplish the task- then log off. Also, unanimously we decided to not reintroduce the forums.

I realize I did not post in this blog for April. I really apologize for not communicating at all, and just being silent. This is a group of professionals. I do appreciate each one of your efforts in creating the Young Thumbs, and your work each month to keep it going. As a professional, I admit, I do have some polishing of my Monthly goal setting skills.

In business especially when a sole-proprioter, does take a lot of work and energy, and hours. So at the complete of a busy day, or week, the last thing I feel to do is sit down at my computer…again. I say this because I need to address what is happening in my personal life, business life and really look at the priorities for me at this moment.

When there are too many attentions, the focus is distributed to each attention, thus giving only some and not the full amount to say if there were just one or two attentions. As the last few months have demonstrated for me, I have had too many attentions. And this has reflected even in my not posting in the other blog, the one for my site at all the last month as well. Shifting my perception just to see this is big. It is important I am present for myself, my business and those who come to see me for help and to feel better.

I have decided I am going to put on pause any further postings to this blog, if this will be acceptable to the ‘founders.’ I still am very interested in keeping informed what each writer/therapist is doing, and community involvements and news. This blog is great as are each one of you and I appreciate you very much.

As for now, I am building an additional site about Batik art and integrating more and more art into my life and career. There will still be postings on my other blog, mostly articles about massage therapy, health news etc. cited from other locations. To view the blog visit www.lvhealer.com. Other than that, my computer use will be very minimal. Personal attentions to increase in mental immunity and increase in health are also where I am at, I hope you all understand.

Thank you!!

Are You An Artist?

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Andrea Lipomi

Countless tenants asked me this question during the 2+ months it took to finish renovating my little day spa inside Emergency Arts, and curious visitors who wander by my open door continue to inquire on an almost daily basis. It got me thinking: What is art? Are we artists? Aren’t we? And who gets to decide? Hmmm?

(By the way: Nothing would make me happier than to see you save, share, and repost the *art* that so lovingly forms the bulk of this post. Please have at it, and spread that artistic inclusivity like Nutella on a hot baguette.)

***

Andrea Lipomi is a licensed massage therapist and esthetician who lives and works in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also peddles massage therapy ebooks and NCBTMB-approved continuing education courses at ConfidentMassage.com, will travel hundreds of miles for a fantastic spa experience, and craves dark chocolate and Depeche Mode’s upcoming tour dates on an almost daily basis.

If it doesn’t get me paid or laid.

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Allissa Haines

I usually love May. I look forward to the weather, the bright yellow forsythia, the sundresses and open windows.

But oh dear god this spring is kicking my arse. I’m whiny. I’m struggling. There are brilliant, massively bright shining points of awesomeness, fabulous events, wonderful friends, and I have nothing to complain about. Everything on my schedule is something I PUT THERE. On purpose. Good stuff, fun stuff. But still. It’s been packed, it’s not over yet and I’m grumpy. (You know those people who advertise every little thing they do, broadcast their ‘busyness’, so as to publicly validate their self-worth? C’mon, we all have that friend.* Well, that’s not what’s happening here. Stick with me, there’s a moral to this story, I promise.)

I’ve got 2 friends with seriously ailing parents, I’ll be at a funeral on Saturday for a friend’s dad. Another friend is saying goodbye to two loved ones this weekend. While the initial shock is gone, there’s certainly a lingering sadness, a weird cloud from the marathon situation, and I’m sad for many friends who are dealing with resulting trauma. It’s all just so…heavy. And an excellent reminder that life is short.

But in the midst of all my whininess, I can see the light at the end of this tunnel. I know exactly when the “spreading myself too thin” situation will end, and I’ll be back to my happy little massage practice and a handful of regular projects I adore. Sunday mornings, and some Saturdays, too, will begin lazily on the back porch. I’ll get friendly with my walking route again. I’ll read a book.

How did this happen? Several months ago I saw myself getting grumpy, in pre-burnout stage. I saw that it was a struggle to fit in social time, for friends and dating. I saw myself getting stagnant. And I adopted the following mantra.

If it doesn’t get me paid or laid, I’m not doing it.

Crass, I know. But easy to remember and easy to explain. People get it. They understand my priorities.

I’ll never be wealthy, and I don’t care about owning ‘stuff’. I want to be paid fairly for the work I do well, within my comfortable workweek of 50-ish hours, I want to make enough to live and save for the things that are important to me. That’s all.

I want a social life, with time to play with my crazy awesome friends. I want a romantic life, because flirting and love and partnership and sex are fun, dammit. You know this already, you don’t need me to tell you.

It’s really, really hard to say ‘no’ to new projects. Especially the ones that sound so fun and exciting. That’s when I call in my mantra, remind myself of the priorities, and make a decision. I’m working on being vigilant about my schedule, being as productive as possible during my working hours, and letting go of stuff I simply can’t accomplish on any given day. I’m getting better about setting realistic deadlines, and hustling to make them happen. (I adjust the mantra slightly when considering paid gigs. If I don’t get paid (enough), I’m not doing it.)

I love being a volunteer. LOVE IT. I would not be where I am today, personally or professionally had I not volunteered, on a few levels, with a few different groups. If you’ve never volunteered, hop on that, it’ll change your world. I have not given up all my volunteer gigs, and I probably won’t. I just consider my time and energy more carefully nowadays.

Now let’s bring this back around, shall we?

These changes don’t happen overnight. I started this effort months ago, and only now can I see the effects. It’s taken me awhile to get out from under the pile of work. I’ve made a few exceptions, and taken on some new projects that don’t quite fit the criteria. That’s okay. I’ve still said ‘no’ more than I’ve said ‘yes’. It’s working. I already feel better.

So, how do you manage the pressure of a zillion activities swirling everywhere? How do you say ‘no’ to stuff? And if you’re struggling, what help do you need to get it under control? I want your comments!

*Today I taught my twins sign language before their organic fresh fruit breakfast with non GMO slow cooked oats, then went for a nine mile run! Then off to work where I handled two new multi-million accounts, power-lunched with Madeleine Albright, (and got her oatmeal cookie recipe!) then I tipped by the PTO meeting to run their fundraising raffle! Then I went home, fed the kids, put them to bed early and sexxed up my husband like we were on our honeymoon! Whew! What a day! Gotta get up at 5am to finish my new book! Night! (Suck it, lady, I know you’re eating Cheetos in your dirty yoga pants watching last night’s The Mindy Project just like me.)

Image courtesy of Tom Curtis /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Cool/Uncool

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Andrea Lipomi

I’ve never consumed an alcoholic beverage in my entire life. I’ve never smoked a cigarette, joint, pipe, hookah, or taken a hit off a bong. Second hand smoke? Probably. First hand experimentation of the chemical variety? Nope!

We can get into the whys and what fors if you’d like: I didn’t grow up in much of a drinking, smoking household, and it was pretty strict. I had taken Prozac for a couple of months to try to alleviate my teenage OCD, but quit when I realized I could become dependent on it. Cigarettes smell like death, and lots o’ (drunk) people annoy me.

Maybe I have control issues. Maybe I feel the need to go against the status quo. Maybe I’d rather spend my money on clothes and breakfast. Maybe I’m just the most uncool person you’ll ever meet.

It’s OK, you can tell me I’m uptight — I’ve heard it before. Go ahead, become the millionth person who’d “love to see [me] get drunk for the first time”. Gaze into my eyes with bewilderment when, instead of hitting you with a heavy tale of rehab and broken dreams, I relay the history of a life devoid of cool.

I’ve lost so-called friendships over my choice to live the non-alcoholic life. The time these “friends” wanted to spend in my sober company decreased in proportion to the growing quantities of alcohol they were consuming on a now daily basis. In retrospect, these individuals did me a favor, but at the time it hurt. Alas, the only thing I had to drown my sorrows in after each parting of ways was a carton of unsweetened almond milk.

***

Even more pressing than the question “Why doesn’t Andrea drink?” is the question “Why is Andrea discussing this on The Young Thumbs?”

***

I opened my own little one-person day spa in February, and I am working hard to make it successful. I’m tickled to report that Feetish Spa Parlor is the center of my existence, is truly my happy place, and that cash money is slowly — but steadily — flowing into my bank account.

Obviously, marketing is on my mind every day. Spotting opportunities to meet new people, injecting myself into new social settings, taking advantage of the countless free events that take place in my community; you’ll see me out and about more now than ever before. And I enjoy it! It’s new, unfamiliar, and actually really fun! I have made some interesting new friends, and I don’t give a shit if they fall asleep each night spooning a six pack (of Coors Light).

But there are certain events that revolve around the availability of free alcohol that I just haven’t been able to bring myself to attend. And I feel like maybe I’m missing out on something by ignoring the siren’s promise of free whiskey on the rocks: Not to drink, but to surround myself with normal social behavior, an uncool anchor in a sea of libidinous lubricated linguists.

I watched “Blood Into Wine” on Netflix with an appreciation for Maynard James Keenan’s drive to get grapes to grow on the side of a mountain in Arizona, however I have no interest whatsoever in going on a Napa Valley wine tour. But what if I knew the tour bus would be full of wealthy wine snobs looking for a new spa experience in Downtown Las Vegas? Would I stuff my pockets with business cards and board the drunk bus to Napa?

You’re über cool, but let’s pretend you’re me.

What would you do?

***

I am not an island

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Allissa Haines

Like many of you, I am my massage business. I am the owner and sole massage therapist. It’s all me, all the time. I’ve got some support in the form of a part time office assistant and two great therapists with whom I share space, but mostly, it’s the Allissa Show 24/7.

When I started, I thought I was a rock, an island. I felt compelled to research the answer to every question asked. I wanted to investigate and master every technique a client mentioned in passing. I wanted to be the bestest massage therapist in the region with the biggest brain and answers on the tip of my tongue.

Ummm, yeah. That got old really fast. And exhausting. And humbling. I quickly learned that wasn’t going to be possible, especially if I wanted time to sleep, eat and maybe catch a movie on occasion. But I still recognized the value (and fun) of being known in my community as the go-to person when a client, or friend of a client, or colleague had a question. I didn’t have a clear plan of attack back then, but looking back, I’ve been able to see the patterns and actions that made me a leader in my local massage community. Now I apply these steps and ideas whenever I take on a new project, and well, it works for me.

Identify your strengths

I’m a really good massage therapist. I’m good at helping people with extreme stress, anxious, and/or depression let it all go and experience an hour of peace. I’m great at connecting with kids on the spectrum and figuring out their levels of touch happiness and helping them chill. I’m good at understanding medications, related health issues and adjusting my massage to be safe and still effective for clients. Got complex cardiac stuff or a high risk pregnancy? I’m all over that. Awesome. Clearly I’ve got a healthy sense of self esteem. But still…

Identify your weaknesses

I stink at working on acute injuries, I hate the maintenance involved with hot stone massage, and I think chair massage will forever be my nemesis. So there’s that. But I stopped beating myself up for my weaknesses, trying to learn stuff I didn’t enjoy, and instead I focused on being a resource.

Example: When a new client calls with a hamstring pull, I send them to a colleague who can actually remember all the attachments without looking them up. When a current client calls and asks about my availability for a chair massage gig, I weigh the pros and cons, and consider my options. I don’t love chair work, but will the pay and potential relationship building make it worth my time and help me to feel excited about it? Then I make my decision accordingly.

But, how do you figure out those strengths and weaknesses, short of forging along for several years and screwing up all the time?

First, think about what you like to do. What lights you up? Which types of clients get you excited? For me, it’s reading about Sensory Integration Disorder, and applying what I learn to my work with kids on the Spectrum.

Second, think about what you don’t enjoy, (aka: what you dread). In my world, that’s having to get to work early to get the stones warm and staying late to clean them.

Third, use some tools. For most aspects of your business (and personal life), my favorite tool is a book called Strengthsfinder 2.0. It does exactly that. You take an in-depth quiz and it identifies your top 5 strengths. Then the book lays out how to play to those strengths, and compensate for those weaknesses. (The book also teaches how to interact with people of all skill sets, that advice was invaluable when I was chairing the NERC Planning Committee.)

Lastly, ask people who know you and your work. Ask your friends what they feel you’re good at. Take note of the requests made of you and your role in peer groups. Are you always the one making dinner plans, handling reservations and getting people together? Then you’ll probably be good at hosting an educational workshop in your office.

Ask your good clients, “What’s your favorite part of the massage?” More often than not, their answer will match your favorite part of giving a massage, and what you feel you’re best at.

Once you’ve got your strengths and weaknesses isolated and you’ve figured out what you love and don’t, create a list of resources and referrals to cover the jobs and tasks you don’t want to handle. (Hint: this is a great way to make friends with other MTs) I know the massage therapists in my area who love chair gigs and hot stone massage, and I refer to them often. I will never, ever keep my file cabinet organized, but I have a friend who handles that monthly and I take her to lunch.

It’s not so hard to turn down a chair massage job when I know I’ll dread it and I’ve got a list of colleagues who would love the opportunity and do a great job. And it’s much easier to get out of bed for an early morning Saturday client when I know it’s exactly the type of massage I love to give.

So that’s how I do it, but what about you? What are your strengths and how do you play to them? How do you compensate for your weaknesses? Share in the comments!

Island in Lhaviyani Atoll, Image credit: Edgar Barany, via Flickr

The worst massage ever…but I loved it!

Posted on April 6, 2013 by massagenerd

The more bodywork you receive; the better change of you receiving a less than adequate one. There’s a positive side to this, and I’ll explain it now…

Just think of how much you can learn of what NOT to do in your own treatments, when you receive a bad massage. Really pay attention to how you can improve your own treatments and here’s some things to look for:

Flow of the massage.
Contact during the massage.
Breathing patterns of the therapist.
If they listen to you in the initial consultation about what you wanted concentration on during the massage.
If they checked-in with you about the pressure.
If the temperature was comfortable during your treatment.
If you smelled any body odor or bad breathe.
If they talked too much?
If they gave you the full amount of time.
If they were knowledgeable about anatomy and physiology.

There are so many other things that you can be aware of and my advice is to take as many mental notes about the treatment as you can. Just think, you can actually learn some cool moves and things that you should be doing different in your practice. So no matter if you think it was your worst massage you ever received, you will always get some benefit out of it.

Therapeutic Tart and Tangy: The Incredible Lemon

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Jamie Schab

The simple, garden variety lemon is very much understated. Lemons are very common and we see them all over. We use them to make lemonade, mix them into our drinks to add a little zing, they remove hard water stains, are an all-around deodorizer and air freshener and we use them in our cooking as both an ingredient and garnish. Maybe we should stop and take another look at this yellow wonder because it may change what you think of it. When the world gives you lemons , there’s a whole lot more you can make with them than just lemonade.

In traditional medicine, the lemon is widely known for its healing powers and is used in many different ways. In fact, the lemon is so powerful that it was used by the Romans as their cure for all types of poison.

Although the lemon is often thought of as acidic, it is very effective in curing many digestion problems when mixed with hot water, including nausea, heartburn, disorders of the lower intestines like constipation and it is even known to relieve hiccups. Water plus a few lemons becomes lemon juice. Lemon juice, when taken regularly in the morning, acts as a tonic to the liver and stimulates it to produce bile making it ready to digest the day’s food. It also thought to help dissolve gallstones. Because of its high vitamin C content, it is thought to help prevent and treat many infections, hasten wound healing and temper down high fever. Lemon juice also relieves symptoms of asthma, tonsillitis and sore throat.

Lemon is also a diuretic. This means it is good for people with urinary tract infections and high uric acid problems, such as those with arthritis or rheumatism because it helps flush out all the toxins and bad bacteria. When lemon is mixed with coffee it is thought to help treat malaria. This concoction is also effective for headaches.

When externally applied, lemon juice that is poured onto a small piece of cotton wool and gently applied to the nostrils could stop nose bleeds, although this may sting a bit. When massaged gently onto the gums, lemon juice may also stop gum bleeding. Lemon juice with glycerin is effective when used for the lips to treat chapping. This may be a little strange, but lemon juice applied on your skin can also help prevent sunburn.

Lemons are also used as balms in highly concentrated forms. May know them as cure-all’s. Lemon balms are known for their ability to break fevers by encouraging the patients body to perspire. because of this, lemon balms are recommended for all fevers, no matter what the cause. Menstrual cramps are relieved by lemon balms, as are dizziness, headaches and high blood pressure.

Psychologically, lemon balm is used to lift people’s spirits, because it will calm anxieties, clear the mind, and help center focus. It also supposedly improves memory storage and recall.

Letting The Good Times Roll

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Megan Spence

I got into massage therapy for a number of reasons, the most glaring of which, when I started school, was that I was working a desk job, getting all stressed out and thinking about work in the off hours, getting more into my head and less into my body every day for years. It hurt my upper back and neck, and sometimes it all felt a little dizzying — the crush of the subway every morning, the hyperfocus of looking at data, the constant care in choosing my words (working with board members can be a tricky business indeed), the anxiety of never getting on top of my workload. The sitting. And sitting. And sitting. I was a fundraiser, and I worked for an organization that was doing great work. But I wanted to help people in a more hands on way, and I wanted to stand up, and I wanted to move. I wanted more flow in my life, less neurosis.

So I took a leap and enrolled in school. I think New York is a pretty technical place to learn massage. Sure, we had a brief unit on Polarity Therapy, and we are required to learn Shiatsu, so there’s a little bit of energy work, a little woo factor working, but my education felt pretty clinical to me. Or maybe that was just me bringing my own old hyperfocus to massage. Establishing a firm technical understanding was my default priority, so specificity in muscle stripping and friction, for instance, were more of a focus for me than flowy, gooey, relaxing strokes. I learned a lot, but I still wasn’t much of a go with the flow kind of girl.

It was only when I got out of school and into the world and working that I noticed a softening of hands, an ability to work more intuitively, less with the thinky-ness, more with the flow. My massage becomes more comfortable, more natural, more meltingly soothing as I go.

I was thinking the other day about the things that fall away over time. I still love anatomy and specific work. As I get further from my schooling and lose some of the muscle names and attachment sites I crammed into my brain at that time, I make sure to brush up, because those things are important to me. (I took a class just yesterday where we got all up in the iliacus in a way that was new to me, and I kept my cool, but on the inside, the whole time I was practicing, I was yelling “this $#!%* is crazy!” because the places we can reach, and the effects that specific work can have, never stop blowing my mind.) That whole getting into your head and thinking thing is totally worthwhile sometimes.

But other things matter less. Watching what I say as much as I did in my previous career, making sure people say massage therapist instead of masseuse (took me a while to realize I really have no dog in that fight), I’ve dropped those habits, and it is liberating.

Some things take a little longer to release. I write passionately on my own blog about the studio where my practice is located, how much I’ve grown from yoga and movement classes there, but I’ve had some moments of mixed emotions with regards to moving my massage practice there. One of the things I love most about the studio is that it can be raucous and — dare I say — a little bawdy at times. Before the studio was open, I read a blog post about how it was going to be a little bit inappropriate, and I fell in love before the doors even opened. But some of the things that made me fall in love with the studio as a taker of classes felt a little weird to me as a massage therapist using the space, most notably the fact that people don’t feel a need to use their indoor voices when they’re there. There’s something about the whooping, the laughter, the shrieking of children during kids’ classes, the growling, shouts, and singing along to music in classes for grown-ups that feels free and cathartic, vibrant and open. But I moved my massage practice there a year ago, and I’ve been trying, that whole time, to make it a quiet little sanctuary, because that’s what I thought massage should be.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to announce my most recent shift in perspective, the latest falling away. Last week, I gave a massage during a particularly busy evening. There was music, there was child’s laughter. There were occasional bumps and thumps. Somewhere along the way, I realized that I was hearing the sounds more because I was tuning in, driven by my own sense of propriety, craving silence. I apologized to my client, who was zoned out enough that she hadn’t registered the noises. It seemed that the “noise issue” was mostly an issue because of my focus, a friction that only I felt. I could feel my grip on the fantasy of a soundproof room releasing.

Later that night, I saw this video on Facebook. This is what was happening outside the massage room that very evening.

That’s right. It’s an impromptu ukulele and tiny bongo concert, and it is wonderful. Why fight it? My massage room is not silent. It is effervescent and boisterous, and it fits just right. Sometimes I forget the names of muscles that I really ought to know or why PNF techniques work, but all of that space in my brain has been taken over by joy in my work and the pursuit of grace.

Sometimes practice makes perfect. Practicing massage has given me chance after chance to glory in imperfection. I’m going with it, learning to take those chances.

Plus, the white noise machine is in the mail.

Megan Spence is a Licensed Massage Therapist in Brooklyn, NY. Her massage practice is located in the most brazenly vibrant studio in town. You can read more about Megan’s adventures in massage and other things body-related at Bodywork Brooklyn.

Massaging Reality

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Andrea Lipomi

I hope you’ll read this

with an open mind

because love for the skeptic

can be hard to find

It’s exceedingly common

to be met with suspicion

when you question “are bodyworkers

really mutant magicians?”

Upending secret blockages

releasing them in turn

trumpeting mystical special powers

only initiates can learn

Bought skills in aural palpation

in tweaking magnetic fields

full-body cosmic detoxification

and increased psychic yields

An ego tripper’s tour bus

on untransmutable lead wheels

a sucker born every minute

breeds bandits poised to steal

Past SOAP note notoriety

or “this muscle tissue’s tense”

it’s real world paper dollars

for imaginary sense

**************