Acupuncture for pain and stress

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Acupuncture can benefit many types of ailments especially pain and stress!

 

acupuncture for pain

Acupuncture stimulates the body’s built-in healing mechanisms

Acupuncture “focuses body’s attention” to the injured area and in turn it stimulates the body’s ability to spontaneously heal injuries. As the body focuses on the the micro traumas induced by acupuncture, it also heals any surrounding tissue damage left over from old injuries.

 Acupuncture releases natural painkillers

Inserting a needle sends a signal through the nervous system to the brain, where chemicals such as endorphins, norepinephrine and enkephalin are released. Some of these substances are 10-200 times more potent than morphine!

Acupuncture reduces both the intensity and perception of chronic pain

It does this through a process called “descending control normalization”, which involves the serotonergic nervous system.

 Acupuncture relaxes shortened muscles

This in turn releases pressure on joint structures and nerves, and promotes blood flow.

Acupuncture reduces stress

This is perhaps the most important systemic effect of acupuncture.
Recent research suggests that acupuncture stimulates the release of oxytocin, a hormone and signaling substance that regulates the parasympathetic nervous system. You’ve probably heard of the “fight-or-flight” response that is governed by the sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system has been called the “rest-and-digest” or “calm-and-connect” system, and in many ways is the opposite of the sympathetic system. Recent research has implicated impaired parasympathetic function in a wide range of autoimmune diseases, including arthritis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

by Joy Earl, LAc

Acupuncture

Joy Earl, LAc

Choose acupuncture for pain and stress and book your appointment with Joy today and learn about the benefits of acupuncture first hand!

Monthly Community Wellness classes begin this Thursday

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We are now offering monthly wellness classes on the rooftop deck!

This months class is all about learning how acupuncture can ease your pain and it includes a free cupping demonstration

cupping

Why Acupuncture is so great for pain: The rivers of your body

Acupuncture is all over the news lately, everyone is talking about how great it is for pain. Shoulder, knee, back, hip…so long as you have pain, acupuncture is the natural alternative to harsh medications. But why? Have you ever wondered why acupuncture works? How the parasympathetic nervous system is your best friend and your body can, with a little help from acupuncture release the best pain killers around. This is your opportunity to learn how Chinese medicine and your health are mirrored in nature. When you see how the flow of energy or Qi in your body is just like a river, you will soon understand why acupuncture has so much to offer on your path to getting pain free!
Why not join us Thurs June 5th for a fun and interactive talk on Acupuncture and pain free living!!

Join us on Written on the Body’s rooftop deck on  Thursday June 5th from 6:30-7:30pm

Cost: Free!

Please Register HERE now-space is limited

Rooftop Infrared Sauna

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Infrared Sauna

Far Infrared sauna: An infrared sauna uses infrared heaters to emit infrared light experienced as radiant heat which is absorbed by the surface of the skin. Traditional saunas heat the body primary by conduction and convection from the heated air and by radiation of the heated surfaces in the sauna room (Wikipedia).  An infrared sauna detoxifies, improves circulation, promotes healing and so much more!

Here is a great article on infrared sauna benefits from the wellness hour: click here to read

learn what the Mayo clinic has to about infrared sauna sessions here

 

rooftop infrared sauna

Infrared sauna: located on our beautiful rooftop deck!

infrared sauna

refresh after your sauna session with a cool shower on our rooftop deck.

Appointments available beginning Mother’s day (Sunday May 11th)!

  • $25 per half hour for 1-2 people- $20 when added to a massage or acupuncture appointment

  • 5 pack for $100 and 10 pack for $200

Mom’s-take 50% during the month of May *promo code “mom”!

Mom admirer’s take 20% off during the month of May *promo code !

Click here to book
*times are limited but we can accommodate some requests, please email or call if you would like to book a sauna session outside of the online hours or in conjunction with a massage or acupuncture appointment.

Spring

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Pablo Neruda on Spring

How does spring make you feel?

Are you worn down from the long winter or excited by the new life bursting out all around you?

If you are like me you are a mixture of  both, Summer is hands down my favorite time of year but spring is a runner up.  Number one my birthday is in a few days and being a true Aries it is obviously one of my favorite holidays:)  I also love the freshness of spring and it may be the only time of year that I welcome the rain (as long as it goes away when summer comes!).  I enjoy watching the landscape change and grow and the feeling of everything waking up from a long sleepy darkness.  Whichever way you roll there is no denying that Spring is here and it’s time to celebrate the return of color and energy to our great city!  In honor of this lovely season I thought it would be a great time to share some of my favorite quotes and pictures on Spring, renewal and living life to the fullest:

Pablo Neruda on SpringIf you haven’t noticed I love Pablo Neruda:)

Cherry blossom's in Spring

     “To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.”

– William Blake (extract from Auguries of Innocence)

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life-to be happy-it’s all that matters.” -Audrey Hepburn

Portland in the Springwww.portlandneighborhood.com

Portland’s waterfront in the Spring-so pretty!

I would love to hear from you! What are your favorite things about the season?

Seasonal allergies and essential oils

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Seasonal allergies can really put a damper on the beauty of spring.  Runny nose, red eyes, painful sinuses the list goes on and on…

Have you ever wondered if essential oils can aide in  allergy relief?  Check out this great information to see if this treatment is right for you:

essential oils for seasonal allergiesLavender, Lemon and Peppermint oils can be a great way to fight seasonal allergies!  You can use your favorite brand of oils, just make sure they are high quality!

essential oils for seasonal allergiesYou can also always try out our favorite:  Umay’s Take Me to the River blend:

Take me to the river essential oil blend for seasonal allergies

Take Me to the River ~
“Take me to the river and dunk me in the water.” Experience a “Calgon-take-me-away” moment with this synergistic clearing blend of emotionally and physically cleansing essential oils of juniper, ho wood, cedar, lemon, cinnamon, and eucalyptus. Perfect for flu and cold season or whenever you just need to shake off the day.

Whatever you decide about essential oils and seasonal allergies we hope that you find relief and are able to enjoy the loveliness of the trees and flowers in bloom!

Avoid daylight savings induced zombification

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Saturday night I had the pleasure of hosting an incredibly fun 16 year old’s birthday party that included a super cool game called “essence” where one person internally chooses another person in the room and everyone else has to ask questions about the mystery persons essence to find out who it is ie. “If this person were a flower what type of flower would they be?”.  After several rounds of essence, snacks, two delicious types of cake and much fun and laughter we had a fabulous time beating the crap out of a homemade piñata!

piñataHow is it that teen parties can be so much more fun than many adult birthday parties?

This party would have normally ended at the reasonable hour of midnight but of course with daylight savings robbing us of our precious hour we were still cleaning up around 1am.  Needless to say I was shocked when I finally met the pillow a little after two and didn’t wake up until almost noon the next day!  I never sleep that late! I don’t know about you but the week after we spring forward is one of the most difficult weeks of the year for me.   I tend to spend the week in various stages of sleep deprived zombification, so if you interact with me this week please know that my brain is only half alive.

With that said my intention was to write a few tips and tricks on how to survive the insanity of regaining our evening sunlight, however, someone beat me to it.  Massage Book wrote an excellent blog post with great tips on a few ways you can avoid becoming one of The Walking Dead.  Instead of re-writing what has already been done very well I thought I would share:

Don’t let Daylight Savings take away your sleep!

-excerpt of blog post by Massage Book original post 3/5/14

 

Nap the right way

Taking a nap during the day can be great for productivity and fabulous for health, but you’ve got to do it right. Aim to nap for 20 to 25 minutes; any longer than that and you’ll feel groggy when you wake up and you risk not being able to fall asleep when it’s bedtime. (If you really want to get good at power naps, there’s a whole kit to help you get it right.)

Be mindful of the temperature.

Take a warm (not hot) shower or bath about an hour before bedtime, and keep your room cool at night. The drop in body temperature signals your body to calm so you’ll fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.

Turn off the electronics.

OK, so you’ve heard this one. But it’s the most important and the least followed piece of advice.

Get an old-fashioned alarm clock, so you don’t need to use your phone. Turn your phone, iPad, Kindle, or whatever you’ve got off, and put the devices in another room. Yes, a completely different room.

You may think a phone on silent, hanging out on your nightstand, won’t disturb your rest, but it will. Just knowing it’s there puts your body on alert. It’s far too tempting to reach over and “just check a few emails” if you do wake up in the middle of the night. Save yourself. Break this habit.

Get a massage

Yup. Massage can help with sleep issues. There have been several studies demonstrating the efficacy of massage in people with sleep problems, especially when treating secondary issues that may impair sleep, like back pain, pregnancy and migraines.

For more tips check out Massage Book’s full original article here:  http://blog.2book.com/2014/03/dont-let-daylight-savings-take-away-your-sleep/

Sleep like a baby

It’s time to get some sleep

Reduce pain and stress with our monthly massage membership

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Have you heard about our monthly massage membership program?

Regardless of your particular situation regular massage treatments will make a major difference in reducing your overall stress and pain levels.  We are learning that stress and chronic pain can lead to all sorts of long term health issues. While at the same time preventative medicine such as regular check ups, wellness treatments and general improvement of diet and exercise can keep you healthy.  Not sure how to get started on monthly massage appointments?  We can help!

VIP Monthly massage memberships at Written on the Body

We have many options in our VIP monthly membership program and this month we are waiving the sign-up fee!

VIP Membership:  find your peace membership $55 per month

Purchase a VIP membership to give yourself a discount on some of our favored treatments!  First payment is $65 and gets you a 60 minute Hot Stone Massage
Monthly payment is $55 and it includes one 60 minute relaxation massage (billed monthly via credit card with a 6 or 12 month contract).
Unused massages roll over but must be used by expiration of 6 month contract.  You will be added to the “happy hour list” to receive the benefit of our weekly discount offers.  To add additional massages per month it will only be $60 per 60 minute relaxation massage.
*Early termination fee is $100

Or Upgrade with your favorite massage modality:

Deep Tissue: + $20 /mo
Hot Stones or Bamboo Fusion: + $10 /mo
Aromatherapy: + $10 /mo

Don’t have a lot of extra time?  Sign up for our monthly 30 minute Focus! massage membership for only $25 a month!

We also have several types of buy 3 get 1 free massage packages that make it even more affordable to get regular massage treatments.  Check those out here:  http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=158494&stype=40

 

Self-Care for Survival

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Self-Care for Survival

I was walking down the street today drinking water, thinking about my to-do list and returning an email on my phone when I happened to almost run into someone who was, I assume from the phone in their hand, doing the same thing.  At this moment I looked around and realized that more than half of the people around me were multitasking in their brains, on their phones and with their bodies.  It occurred to me that this is our world right now; busy, rushed, bursting with activity, layered with tasks and not enough time.  Not enough time especially for ourselves, being a massage therapist has placed the concept of self-care directly in the forefront of my world.  I notice every time I work on someone just how important caring for yourself is and just how low on our priority list it has become.

How many people do you know that are affected by chronic stress, pain or just a general feeling of discomfort?  Perhaps you can relate to some of these feelings?  Lack of self-care in one’s life can lead to stress and pain, stress and pain can lead to disease, depression and an inability to fully function in one’s day to day life.  You may be asking yourself how the heck you are suppose to work self-care into your already overly demanding schedule?  My question is: How are you suppose to keep up with such a high intensity schedule without taking care of yourself?

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What in your life is more important than you, your health and your well-being?
  • What are you putting before your own health and well-being, where are you on your “to-do” list?
  • Is the way that you are living your life right now sustainable from the age you are now until retirement?  Do you already have aches and pains, imagine how those might become worse in 5/10/20 years.
  • What will your body/mind/spirit look and feel like long term if you don’t make yourself a priority?
  • Do you want to function at an optimal level in your life? Have more energy now and in the future? Live happy and healthy for many years to come?

Common excuses that might arise at this point are:  lack of funds, no time, family/work comes first-or by giving to work and family I am giving to myself, I can rest when I retire

I challenge you to re-think these excuses and make yourself a priority now by realizing that you are as or more important than anyone or anything else in your life.  The only way for you to be happily successful, functioning at an optimal level and to be healthy and full of energy for many years to come is to treat your body, mind and spirit with care and consideration beginning right now-no matter how young you may be.

Here are a few suggestions on how to treat  yourself with the care that you deserve so that you can stay in the best condition possible for as long as possible:

  • Do what you love and love what you doThis can be a difficult task because it is not always completely easy to accomplish or 100% within our control.  My advise is if you do have the option to make a change into a profession or situation that is fulfilling DO IT even if you will be taking a risk.  If you don’t have this option keep your eyes open for opportunities and make the best of your situation.  Positivity attracts positivity and changing your perspective could change everything!
  • Take time for yourself every single dayEven if you can only set aside ten minutes a day, make those ten minutes only about you. This means putting away the internet and distractions, getting quiet or loud, giving yourself space to breathe, grow and hear what your own internal self is saying.
  • Take mini vacationsIf you find yourself with a busy schedule that doesn’t allow time or resources for regular vacations, take mini breaks instead.  You need space from the demands of life to renew your commitment to your responsibilities and to regain energy for your life.  Don’t underestimate the power of a weekend getaway or day trip-just remember to leave work and the to-do list at home.
  • Laugh, dance, play Finding joy in the small things can make a big difference in your day.  Notice the sound of the rain, the way someone smiled when you gave them a compliment or the sweetness of your pet when you first arrive home.  Life is made of moments, don’t allow them to be wasted.
  • Take care of your healthExercise regularly by finding something you enjoy such as dance classes, martial arts, gardening, boot camp, acrobatics, basketball, weight lifting etc… Get a friend to go, get in a routine, just do whatever it takes to get yourself in shape.   Stretching is one of the most overlooked things that we should be doing for ourselves.  Our muscles should be balanced and working together, this means strong AND flexible.  Get massage and/or other forms of bodywork at least once per month and more if possible (I may be biased). I can assure you that adding massage into your health care routine will improve your quality of life, the quality of your skin and muscles and I am certain it will not be a decision that you soon regret.  Eat Healthy, you will never hear me say that you should never eat anything sugary again, I love junk food and food in general, so my philosophy is everything in moderation.  With that said, the majority of your meals should be healthy and well balanced.  View the American Diabetes Association food guide here for more information.

Remember:

Self-Care is Health Care

*For an affordable way to get regular monthly massage sessions check out Written on the Body’s $50 VIP Monthly Membership here!