Lately I've been thinking a lot about gardening. I love the idea of having a vegetable garden growing in my yard year round, or almost year round. Going out to the yard to pick some fresh greens in December. Getting the tomatoes and beans planted earlier than usual and having an awesome succession crop growing. It is such a motivation to eat healthier. Food that you grew, that only has to travel from the garden to the kitchen, now that tastes so much better.
So yesterday, my husband and I decided to build a cold frame. We went to the rebuilding center, picked up some windows (ones without lead paint), got some wood and made a frame. Our goal is to have greens growing most of the year and warm weathered plants in the ground earlier than their normal growing season. Can't wait to see how it all turns out. For us, it's one thing at a time. Gardening is fairly new to us, so we will make mistakes and we will learn from those mistakes. But hopefully they will not be repeated.
It is our intention to continue to grow as many fresh fruits and vegetables in our small yard as we can. We have seen others do it and they have been a tremendous inspiration to us. It made me realize that there is no reason why we can not do it. You just have to get out there and start doing it. Ask questions, read books, and ask more questions. It is so inspirational to see more and more people growing their own food. I wouldn't doubt if one day fresh vegetables are growing in almost everyone's yards and back porches. Fresh food for everyone!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
How to choose a massage therapist
There are so many massage therapists, how do you know who is best for you. It can be really difficult to find the right person for you and sometimes you may spend time and money finding the perfect person for you. But there are ways to try and narrow it down and find the right one. Here are a few tips...
1. Make sure your massage therapist is licensed in your state. There are massage therapists who claim to be licensed and are not. You can verify this by going to the Oregon board of massage therapists website and typing in their information. Here is the link http://obmt.oregonlookups.com/index.asp.
2. Ask for recommendations from your friends and coworkers. Even though one therapist is not right for everyone, recommendations can be very helpful. Find out how long they have been seeing their lmt and what it is they like about her. Feel free to ask about the environment as well since that can play an important part in a massage.
3. Ask the massage therapist questions before booking an appointment. What is the environment like? What are your specialties if any? How long have you been practicing? If you have injuries that need worked on be sure to ask her if she has experience working on that type of problem.
Don't be afraid to ask questions and tell your massage therapist what you like (if you know). And always speak up about pressure. Your massage therapist should respect you for this and will be more likely to deliver exactly what you need. I also recommend that you stick with one massage therapist when you find someone that you like. The reason for this is that your massage therapist will get to know your body, where the restrictions are and what techniques work for you. Your massage should keep getting better and better over time.
I hope this information helps and that you find the perfect massage therapist for you.
1. Make sure your massage therapist is licensed in your state. There are massage therapists who claim to be licensed and are not. You can verify this by going to the Oregon board of massage therapists website and typing in their information. Here is the link http://obmt.oregonlookups.com/index.asp.
2. Ask for recommendations from your friends and coworkers. Even though one therapist is not right for everyone, recommendations can be very helpful. Find out how long they have been seeing their lmt and what it is they like about her. Feel free to ask about the environment as well since that can play an important part in a massage.
3. Ask the massage therapist questions before booking an appointment. What is the environment like? What are your specialties if any? How long have you been practicing? If you have injuries that need worked on be sure to ask her if she has experience working on that type of problem.
Don't be afraid to ask questions and tell your massage therapist what you like (if you know). And always speak up about pressure. Your massage therapist should respect you for this and will be more likely to deliver exactly what you need. I also recommend that you stick with one massage therapist when you find someone that you like. The reason for this is that your massage therapist will get to know your body, where the restrictions are and what techniques work for you. Your massage should keep getting better and better over time.
I hope this information helps and that you find the perfect massage therapist for you.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
To talk or not to talk
That is the question. Since I've been a massage therapist I have had such a broad spectrum of clients and one thing that I have noticed is sometimes the client thinks that it is there job to entertain me. I would say that there are 3 categories of this...
1. the client who chit chats throughout the entire massage
2. the client who talks out of nervous habit
3. the client who is able to completely let go and quiet her mind
I tend to fall into category 1 or 3 depending on the day. Let me just state for the record, that when receiving a massage it really is all about you. You should never feel like you need to entertain your massage therapist. We Americans tend to have such a busy lifestyle that it is important to be able to take that time and quiet our mind. We are a people that just keeps going and going and going. Ideally, I feel that you will get the most out of your massage when you are able to bring yourself (with the help of your massage therapist) into a meditative state and let all of your thoughts go during this time. This will not only allow your mind to let go, but your body will let go too. Your muscles will be in a more relaxed state which will allow your massage therapist to have an even greater effect. In addition to this, your massage therapist will be able to focus more on what she is doing and be more aware of what is going on with your body. If you find that your massage therapist keeps trying to have a conversation with you, don't be afraid to speak up and say something. Your massage therapist should respect your decision and will become more aware of how she is affecting her clients. This should become a lesson to her and perhaps make her a better massage therapist.
So the point to this blog is...
It is never your job to entertain your massage therapist. Feel free to quiet your mind, let go of all your thoughts, and just be in the moment. You do not need to be friends with your massage therapist. If you are, that's great, but remember, this is your time. Use it wisely. Get as much out of it as you can. Enjoy the hour or so of peace and quiet. Treasure the moment.
1. the client who chit chats throughout the entire massage
2. the client who talks out of nervous habit
3. the client who is able to completely let go and quiet her mind
I tend to fall into category 1 or 3 depending on the day. Let me just state for the record, that when receiving a massage it really is all about you. You should never feel like you need to entertain your massage therapist. We Americans tend to have such a busy lifestyle that it is important to be able to take that time and quiet our mind. We are a people that just keeps going and going and going. Ideally, I feel that you will get the most out of your massage when you are able to bring yourself (with the help of your massage therapist) into a meditative state and let all of your thoughts go during this time. This will not only allow your mind to let go, but your body will let go too. Your muscles will be in a more relaxed state which will allow your massage therapist to have an even greater effect. In addition to this, your massage therapist will be able to focus more on what she is doing and be more aware of what is going on with your body. If you find that your massage therapist keeps trying to have a conversation with you, don't be afraid to speak up and say something. Your massage therapist should respect your decision and will become more aware of how she is affecting her clients. This should become a lesson to her and perhaps make her a better massage therapist.
So the point to this blog is...
It is never your job to entertain your massage therapist. Feel free to quiet your mind, let go of all your thoughts, and just be in the moment. You do not need to be friends with your massage therapist. If you are, that's great, but remember, this is your time. Use it wisely. Get as much out of it as you can. Enjoy the hour or so of peace and quiet. Treasure the moment.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Community Thai Massage Clinic
Some of you by now are aware of the "Community Thai Massage Clinic" that I am participating in with a few other local Thai practitioners. Last month we had our first one and it turned out even better than we could have expected. The turn out was amazing, we filled every spot except for one half hour opening. Thank you to everyone who helped get the word out and was able to participate. Our next one is coming up soon and I bet it will be even better than the first. Now that we are getting our rhythm I think it will go even smoother (even though I think the first one went pretty smooth).
Now I have not yet had the opportunity to go to Thailand, but I know that many of you have and have had the opportunity to receive Thai massage in a traditional Thai massage setting. We hope to recreate that experience by having several massages taking place in the same room. Last month I got my first real taste of that and I have to say that I absolutely loved it! The energy in the room was so positive and exuberant, something that I love to surround myself with. The clients were very receptive to receiving massage in this manner and seemed to be able to fully relax just as if they were in their own private treatment room. I think I have to give a big shout out to Angi Orton for having such a great idea, getting it set up, and thinking enough of me to include me.
Now I have not yet had the opportunity to go to Thailand, but I know that many of you have and have had the opportunity to receive Thai massage in a traditional Thai massage setting. We hope to recreate that experience by having several massages taking place in the same room. Last month I got my first real taste of that and I have to say that I absolutely loved it! The energy in the room was so positive and exuberant, something that I love to surround myself with. The clients were very receptive to receiving massage in this manner and seemed to be able to fully relax just as if they were in their own private treatment room. I think I have to give a big shout out to Angi Orton for having such a great idea, getting it set up, and thinking enough of me to include me.
Our next community Thai massage clinic will be held...
Monday, May 11th, 2009 from 10:00 - 3:00
at Yoga Potentials Studio
2oo NE 20th @ Everett
This is a sliding scale and rates are as follows...
30 min...$10-25
60 min...$20-55
90 min...$30-85
10% of all proceeds will be going to a Thai charity or a local charity.
To schedule an appointment call Erin at...
541-961-2805
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
My first blog, so bare with me please...
So I finally decided after much consideration to start a blog. I think I will mostly blog about massage and massage related things, since that is what I do for a living, but I may stray a bit and just say whatever is on my mind. I can see where it could be easy to just start rambling, but I will try not to do that.
They say that blogging can be a great way to draw attention to your business, so I decided to test that theory, only time will tell. While I feel that I have a pretty successful massage practice, I feel that there is always room to grow. I'm especially interested in growing the traditional Thai massage part of my business. The results that I see with Thai massage is just tremendous, more so than with deep tissue massage. No other massage (that I am aware of) moves the body so organically the way Thai massage does. By organically, I mean the natural way that the human body moves, which may be different for everyone (but I'm sure that you didn't need me to explain that). It's actually quite difficult to descibe the way Thai massage feels other than being "the best massage EVER"! Ok, so I might be a bit biased, but that truly is the way that I feel. If you have not yet received one, I encourage everyone to try it. And if you have and have had a bad experience, I encourage you to come and see me. Not to toot my own horn or anything but...I really am good at what I do!
Well, I will write more on Thai massage and other great topics later. But for now, I need to get ready to receive a traditonal Thai massage from a friend of mine. Can't wait!
They say that blogging can be a great way to draw attention to your business, so I decided to test that theory, only time will tell. While I feel that I have a pretty successful massage practice, I feel that there is always room to grow. I'm especially interested in growing the traditional Thai massage part of my business. The results that I see with Thai massage is just tremendous, more so than with deep tissue massage. No other massage (that I am aware of) moves the body so organically the way Thai massage does. By organically, I mean the natural way that the human body moves, which may be different for everyone (but I'm sure that you didn't need me to explain that). It's actually quite difficult to descibe the way Thai massage feels other than being "the best massage EVER"! Ok, so I might be a bit biased, but that truly is the way that I feel. If you have not yet received one, I encourage everyone to try it. And if you have and have had a bad experience, I encourage you to come and see me. Not to toot my own horn or anything but...I really am good at what I do!
Well, I will write more on Thai massage and other great topics later. But for now, I need to get ready to receive a traditonal Thai massage from a friend of mine. Can't wait!
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