A Few Changes & Summer Greetings
If unresolved trauma can store itself in your muscles, fascia, organs, cells, and the rest of your physical body, so can joy, gratitude, abundance, love, and peace.
~anonymous
|GREETINGS|
Hello and happy summer to you! I don’t know about you, but it sure feels like a high energy season for me, even when I am just taking it easy and hiding from the hot sun. But then there are also all of those fleeting summer experiences to scoop up before they disappear. For me that includes tending my garden (which has presently gone off the rails in terms of weeds and production), swimming in natural places, biking, and hiking.
I recently returned from two weeks as camp nurse at a girls residential camp in Vermont. It was excellent living in a beautiful and rustic environment, exploring the green mountains, and living in community with some stellar folks. That being said, I am very happy to land back home.
I hope that you all are finding your satisfying summer feelings!
|IMPROVEMENTS|
Thanks to a gentle nudge from the Efficiency Maine incentives and federal tax credits, there will be no more suffering through hot and humid massage sessions as I now have a glorious heat pump! It is a game changer for me and I know that you all will benefit as it regulates the temperature through warmer and colder times.
|BIZ|
With the fine balance between affordable healthcare and a living wage top of mind, it is with a great deal of consideration that I have decided to increase my rates. Some of you have been expecting this on some level and so I hope that it doesn’t come as a big surprise to all of you. I hope that you find value in my experience as a bodyworker and a nurse, the ample time I allow for our sessions, and the personal and timely communications that I strive for (i.e. no online scheduling/barrier to communication).
This is what you can expect effective mid September:
The 30 minute* tune up - $60
The 60 minute* usual - $85
Just a little more, 75 minutes* - $95
Leaning all the way in, 90 minutes* - $120
*These are approximate times on the table, but as you know, there is always ample time built in for session goals and post-session reflection.
If these rates present discomfort or hardship for you, let’s chat and see if we can find a plan that works for both of us!
|READING|
Building on the concepts of pain from the Lorimer Moseley TED talk that I shared last time (view here), I’ve discovered a body of work by Steve Haines, a biodynamic craniosacral therapist from the UK. He is behind the Really Strange series of research based graphic novels addressing the complexities of Pain, Touch, Trauma, and Anxiety in a really accessible way. Not surprisingly I am most drawn to the topics of pain and touch. Hains opens up ideas on how we can change our personal pain experiences, in part by gaining perspective on how our nervous system works. You can have a listen at the Body College Podcast, borrow a copy from me, or purchase your own boxed set.
|PONDERING|
Pelvic floor muscles are on my radar! Constipation, diarrhea, urinary and fecal incontinence, painful sex, prolapse, period pain, childbirth challenges… Men, you are not immune here - some of these symptoms could apply directly to you while other aspects may affect the women you care about.
A healthy pelvic floor must be able to contract, release, and stretch. Abdominal massage can enhance circulation to your core musculature and also define and refine the mind body connection to this area, helping you to recognize where and when you may be holding tension.
Additionally there are a whole host of simple exercises to help you get in touch with your pelvic floor muscles - a wondrous world beyond the generic, usually hastily taught, Kegel that we all think we should be doing while stopped at red lights. If you are more interested, talk to me in your next session, seek out pelvic floor physical therapy, and check out Kim Vopni, the Vagina Coach. As for the few good men reading this, I wish I had a male centered, comprehensive resource to send you to, but here is a good introduction to the male pelvic floor.
|LOCAL EXPLORATION|
Seeking a restful experience, besides a massage? Check out Hester’s screened porch rest sessions (and her other offerings). Resting and relaxing fall into the same category for me - they both seem so simple and attainable, but once you know the feeling of non sleep deep rest, you know that it is fleeting and a practice in itself. Hester sets the stage beautifully for a deeply nourishing and thoughtful experience. Like massage, Yoga Nidra can help teach our body and mind how to access the quieter side of our nervous system, supporting our body’s innate ability to heal and restore.
