As you are well aware, the holidays are upon us.  Am I the only one to notice that most radio stations have been playing christmas carols since the beginning of the month? 

With all this pre-holiday bombardment, small and large businesses are now thinking of budget friendly ways to reward their very hard working employees.  While renting a party space with the requisite food and dancing is perfect for those businesses who have had a fantastic year, there are those who don’t want to skip employee holiday celebrations although the economy has not been so friendly to them.

Think chair massage! In addition to significantly reducing stress, massage also helps with strengthening the immune system.  In this flu season, a hardworking body needs all the help it can get and you need your employees in tip top shape.

For a reasonable rate, you can hire one or more therapists to give 10 minute massage treatments in a vacant conference room.  Pair that with an elegant holiday luncheon spread and you have some very grateful employees.

Contact us at www.tranquil-oasis.com for more information on how we can bring the benefits of massage to your workplace for this holiday season and during the rest of the year.

Happy Holidays!

Happy August!

During these extremely lazy and hazy days, I’ve taken to staying inside with the AC and in addition to finishing the last Harry Potter saga (fab, wonder how they will do it justice in the movies, but that is the subject of another blog..), I’ve also just finished an awesome book called Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown, MD.

Dr. Brown, founder of the National Institute of Play, a nonprofit in Carmel, CA, explains the importance of playing is vital to maintain a sound mind, body and spirit.  But if you are like most harried adults, you are probably asking yourself, when am I going to find time for play especially in these uncertain economic times?  Another fact is that corporate America is reducing personal and vacation time, so we are obligated to work longer hours with no time off to play at all.   So taking time off is frivolous and irresponsible, right?

Wrong!  Dr. Brown insists that now is the perfect time, in these stressful circumstances, for mature and responsible adults to take the opportunity to toss those pressures aside and liberate your spirit via play.

Ok but what if you have been working so hard and don’t remember how, here are some tips:

• Start a list of activities you enjoy – at week’s end, look it over, refine and discover those things you’d like to repeat.
• Develop your sense of humor– make jokes, play around with your friends, family,  and pets alleviates stress
• Move – Dance, swim, walk, practice a sport you like but without competing with anyone or trying to be the best.  Just enjoy the experience.
• Explore – Investigate new ways of thinking and feeling.  Take classes.  Try a new hobby.  Discover your world.
• Organize – If you like organizing events, plan a party or reunion.  Scope out your next vacation.  But, don’t try to be a perfectionist, enjoy what you are doing. 
• Collect –  Be it Superman comics, stamps, Victorian dolls, or classical music records, start a collection just for your pleasure, don’t think about how much you are going to get for it at Antiques Roadshow.
• Use your imagination – Read, go to the movies, daydream, write stories, solve puzzles
• Socialize – Play board games, charades, join a book club, soccer club, or just go out to dinner with your friends, it helps to strengthen emotional ties and reduce stress.
• Create art – Redecorate your home. Paint. Design a dress.  Enroll in a ceramics class.

The most important thing, says Dr. Brown, is the attitude that you have when doing any of these activities.  When you play without pressure and letting your imagination roam, we heal and our spirits lift with much needed happiness.  So get out there and play!

Namaste,
Soqui

Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.”
Andrew Weil, M.D.

With all the stressful events that we are thrust into on a daily basis, one of the easiest way to get a handle on the situation(s) is to remember the power of breathing.

During a stressful occurence, one of the things that happens is that your breath becomes shallow.  This leads to a lack of oxygen when your body needs it most.

You are probably wondering – “well, I know how to breathe or I wouldn’t be alive.”  Yes, that is true but when you realize that you forgot that you’ve got your kid’s car pool duty, the dress that you wanted to wear for your night out won’t be back from the cleaner’s, etc.   Your mind starts to race and then your breath will become shallow, not to the point of hyperventiling but pretty darn close.  It is only when you remember to breathe deeply do you realize just how shallow it was.

There are several excellent guides on how to control your breath that will not only calm you down but will help you maintain your health.  One expert is Dr. Andrew Weil whose 2000 audiobook – Breathing: The Master Key to Self-Healing is an comprehensive guide to how to utilize proper breathing techniques to propel you to better health.   I also recommend the 2005 audiobook Breathe – Guided Yoga and Breathing Exercises To Relax and Revive by yoga master Rodney Yee.   He uses the ancient art of Yoga to help relax and redirect your body.

I hope that these suggestions help and remember to relax and breathe!

Namaste,
Soqui
Tranquil Oasis Massage

Hello and welcome to my first blog posting!

We get asked for suggestions on how to extend the benefits of massage if the client is too busy to get on the table.

Simple Self-Care is accessible to everyone and the outcome is the same: a feeling of relaxation and getting back to your body.

One of my favorite suggestions is an epsom salt bath.  Epsom salts can be found in most pharmacy shelves in a very unassuming (generic) package.   Run a slightly warmer than usual bath and add two cups of the salts to the filling tub.  If you’d like a little pizazz, add some essential oils, several drops of lavender is great after a very stressful day.   If you are going out later, revive up your sagging emotions with peppermint oil or scotch pine.  If you don’t have a store that carries oils, check the internet.  Pure essential oils go a long way, so a small size (1/8 oz.) will last.  Adding some bubbles not diminish the benefits either.

Once you are out of the bath, gently dry off and apply your favorite moisturizer.  Bath and Body Works has a very extensive selection of yummy scents for you to try.

Of course, when the time is right, head to your local massage therapist and enjoy the rejuvenating, stress-busting benefits of a great massage. 

Until next time,
Soqui
Tranquil Oasis Massage