Gratitude

With the change of season we find ourselves reflecting and feeling grateful. An invitation to shift, clear and grow like budding leaves under the warmth of the sun. A gratitude practice is a simple way to create momentum and awareness using positive reflection. Here a few ways to incorporate a gratitude practice:

1. Write in a gratitude journal. 

2. Create a gratitude jar 

3. Make time to walk in nature

4. Carve out time to practice gratitude in meditation

5. Write a letter of gratitude to yourself or someone else

Cascade Massage Therapy Gratefuls:

We are grateful for the opportunity to offer bodywork and treat clients for so many years. We are grateful for the talented therapists that make Cascade Massage Therapy a team.

We are honored to be part of such an amazing team and to be part of such powerful work. We are grateful that you make self care and bodywork a priority and for allowing us to be part of your healing journey. 

We are grateful for your support and trust. 

Avoiding Emotional Hangovers During the Holiday Season

Avoiding Emotional Hangovers During the Holiday Season

You may be stellar at setting boundaries with socializing, but you can still fall prey to an emotional hangover: a toxic energetic residue left over from the interaction. This can linger long afterwards, resulting in you feeling exhausted, bleary and irritable. The risk of these hangovers increases exponentially around the holidays, so remember these strategies for proactively decreasing your potential need for a dark quiet room and a bottle of merlot after the festivities are over.

1. Light it up! Burn sage, juniper, or any plant you find cleansing and healing for your space.  Burning things not your jam?  Try a comforting aromatherapy diffuser with your favorite essential oil, an oil diffuser, or a clean burning soy candle.

2.  Create a bathroom sanctuary nightly by lighting candles, playing relaxing music, and luxuriate in an epsom salt bath with essential oils.  Enjoy the simple pleasure of tending to your physical self.

3. Create a cozy atmosphere with a salt lamp. The pink hue softens the light energy in the space, plus they are claimed to produce negative ions which clear the air of dust, mold spores, pollen, odors, cigarette smoke, bacteria, and viruses. 

4. Go away.  We’re talking in nature: walk by a stream, through a path in the woods, take the dog to the park.  If climate permits, get those bare feet on the ground and connect to the earth!

5. Exercise!  This boosts your mood and builds up energy reserves, not to mention your confidence, which is quite the buffer for tense family get togethers.

6. Get a massage!  This can literally take you away from a stressful situation, nourish your muscles with fresh oxygenated blood, relax your body and mind by putting you in to rest and digest.

We are here to help. Book online at CascadeMassageTherapyBend.com

Yoga and Massage

Yoga and massage are spiritual sisters. Both help you breathe space and length in to restricted areas, detoxify the body through increasing circulation in the blood and lymphatic systems. Even after your massage or yoga practice, your body is left assimilating the work that was done by or to you, to help you become a more centered, grounded version of yourself.

In yoga, you self-massage the internal organs through bending and twisting, nourishing your body with deliberate breath through the entire session. You have to create your foundation with intention, to be able to play with the freedom you find in the space you create.

Treating your body to both massage therapy and regular yoga sessions will help you find greater balance in your life.

After your yoga class @BendHotYogaWellness, be sure to see the front desk for a special offer coupon, then book your massage with us, @CascadeMassageTherapyBend

Staying Clear-headed When the Weather Gets Cloudy

“You are the sky - everything else — it’s just the weather.” -Pema Chodron

This season marks the beginning of a challenging time of year for many; less daylight, more cloudy skies, and increased precipitation can lead to days in the doldrums.

Living in the high-desert, we get more sunshine than many, which of course is known to boost mood and energy levels. Here are more ways to increase your output when the day is gray:

1. Exercise is an immediate energy and brain booster. Taking a walk, jumping rope, climbing the stairs, or even doing wall sits will stimulate blood flow to your brain. If you sit for long periods of time, simply get up and walk around.

2. A deep, peaceful, long rest. This is the best way to recharge your energetic battery and help heal, well, pretty much everything in your body. Experts suggest turning off technology at least 1 hour before bed. “Blue light” from gadgets stimulate the brain to think it's day time, impeding the body's circadian rhythm to switch to nighttime.

3. Supplements like CO-Q10 and folic acid help the body generate energy between cells as well as produce and maintain new cells. Nootropics are supplements that are capable of enhancing the health and performance of the brain. They are associated with improving mood and focus, and decreasing anxiety.

4. Avoiding alcohol in lieu of water. Dehydration reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain, causing your heart to work harder to pump oxygen to all your bodily organs, making you less alert. Alcohol is dehydrating and a depressant, so if your goal is to have more energy for evening events, it’s best to stick to H2O.

5. MASSAGE! Massage increases circulation, which means more oxygen to your muscles and brain. It also reduces stress and symptoms of depression, and improves sleep quality, all resulting in a clearer mind and more energy.

Let us help you stay clear-minded during this transition to Fall. We’re open 7 days a week to treat you.

Falling Back in to Fall Patterns

The Summer is ending and Fall is on the precipice. With it comes the beginning of school, new schedules to get used to, potentially the beginning of your first “real world” job. Did you know that even “good” stress can have a negative impact on your body?

When you’re stressed, adrenaline, a fight or flight hormone, increases your heart rate after a seemingly stressful situation presents itself.

Norepinephrine, another stress hormone, shifts blood away from non-crucial areas like your skin, to your muscles to enable you to flee more quickly.

Cortisol, a third stress hormone, can be life saving in situations where you need to maintain energy to flee. It helps to maintain fluid balance and blood pressure, while regulating some body functions that aren't crucial in the moment, like reproductive drive, immunity, digestion and growth. However, if your body continuously releases cortisol, it can suppress the immune system, increase blood pressure and sugar, decrease libido, produce acne, contribute to obesity and more.

Be sure to take time during this transition in to Fall to engage in healthy patterns for stress management. This can include having healthy snacks options, getting enough sleep, exercise, and massage!

Let us help. Book an appointment here.