Have all of your great New Year intentions gone out the window already? Or maybe you just didn’t get around to even setting any goals or intentions yet for this year. Fear not – you still have Lunar New Year right around the corner – yay!!! Lunar New Year is based on the lunar calendar and is celebrated on the first new moon of the new year. It’s often referred to as Chinese New Year. If you know me at all, you know that I celebrate everything! So, of course I celebrate the New Year twice! Why not?!

Good thing I do because this year I was a little behind on all of my end of year processes and goal and intention setting. Knowing that I had the backup Lunar New Year on February 10 gave me a little breathing room and allowed me to just go with the flow. Also, thank you Danielle LaPorte who mentioned in one of recent podcasts that energetically,  Lunar New Year is a better start to the year, the energy around January 1 is kind of hunker down, stay in your jammies vibe, which I can relate to. You embrace the whole month of January to regroup after the holidays and all of the hustle and bustle associated with that. By February you have rested and reset and are ready to start fresh – sounds like a plan! 

I did complete my Word of the Year in early January. – here’s a link to our last post in case you haven’t found yours yet, or you want to give it a go. The funny thing is that for the first time EVER – I changed it. I was so certain of it. I received signs and everything. My original word was Joy. It’s a favorite word of mine, kind of like Yay, another fave of mine. Joy is defined as – “a feeling of great pleasure or happiness”. I looked up a lot of different meanings of joy and my take away was that it is more of a state of being rather than Happiness for example, which  is usually dependent on an outcome or situation. So my thought  process was… how can I find Joy even in difficult situations? I was excited for that challenge.

I also had a few other words to focus on for the year under the umbrella of Joy. One of them was Ease. -” absence of difficulty or effort”. Yes please!!!!! I don’t know about you, but I would not categorize the last four years as ease. I found myself gravitating more toward ease – how can I feel or find ease in this challenging moment. So I made the switcharoo and Ease is the word for me for 2024 and Joy is definitely on the list of other core desired feelings for me. 

Why do I like to choose a word and have my list of core desired feelings you might be asking? I like to live an intentional life. I check in weekly to see if the actions, and activities in my life are lining up with how I want to feel. If not, then I can make adjustments wherever I can. 

So Happy New Year again! I hope you find a great inspirational word if that calls you or you can  just share Ease with me – it’s a good one! And here’s a great recipe for Chinese Longevity Noodles – the custom of  eating long noodles for the new year is said to bring luck, prosperity and long life!

Do you pick a word of the year? 

It’s one of my favorite things to do.

Why do people do it? It sets an intention, a vibe, a way that you might want things to flow. It can give you clarity, help you focus on goals, give you direction and inspiration. It can be an anchor and remind you of how you want to feel.

I love the work of Danielle LaPorte and I’m a member of her Heart Centered Community.  I’ve done her Desire Map Process many times where you figure out how you want to FEEL and then create your goals around those “core desired feelings.” Makes so much sense, doesn’t it? How many times have you set a goal, achieved it and realized, wow, that was way too stressful – why did I do that? I still do the process of my core desired feelings at the end of the year for next year. I then check in weekly to see what’s working and where can I improve or shift. But I also always have an umbrella word – my single word for the year. 

I’ve actually stuck with the same umbrella word for the past few years – Yay! I love that word so much. I love everything about it – the way I feel when I say it, usually the way another person reacts when I say it (they often say it back to me), and the smile it brings. I even like the way it looks! I try to look for a moment every day to say yay. That’s not as easy as it sounds, especially back in 2020 when my word was yay. But,  it was a great practice to keep me on track and always be able to find  something, even if it was small, that would make me smile and say yay. 

I’ve been feeling like it’s time for a new word. Yay won’t be going anywhere too far away, It will probably be in my core desired feelings. I’ve  gotten a few signs about this new word. I haven’t done all of the processes I like to do to figure it out yet, so I’m excited to see where  this goes. 

One of my favorite processes is Unravel Your Year and Find Your Word from Susannah Conway. There’s a FREE download – yay! There are great questions to inspire you to look over the past year, what was great, what wasn’t the best, and guide you into visualizing and dreaming about what’s ahead.

So stay tuned for my 2024 Word Of The Year …I ‘m excited to discover it. I’d also love to hear if any of our followers have a word and how you came up with it!

Do you know August 15th is National Relaxation Day! But you can make it any day!

I love holidays and I celebrate any and all holidays whenever I can, why not?? I love discovering holidays that I didn’t know about and as a  massage therapist, I was super duper excited to learn about National Relaxation Day! Woohoo!!!!!

So, how does one celebrate this special day? It’s a day to focus on self care and giving ourselves a moment to relax. Sign me up! My last blog post was all about how I sort of fell off my self care wagon a bit, but I have since gotten back on track and am feeling much better after just a few weeks of focusing on taking better care of myself. Put yourself at the top of your to do list!

As a massage therapist of course my first suggestion would be to schedule a massage or a reflexology session. But you could keep it super simple and pour yourself a cup of your favorite tea, sit somewhere quiet and leave your phone in another room for 30 minutes, or even 15 minutes if the thought of being without your phone that long feels stressful. 

Here’s a few more quick and easy ways to relax:

• Breathe: my favorite technique the 4-7-8 technique is my go to for a quick fix
• Breathe in some lavender essential oil. Put a few drops in a diffuser or just put a few drops in your hands rub them together, cup your hands and breathe in slowly and deeply. Don’t have any lavender essential oil? Maybe you buy your first bottle to celebrate the holiday!
• Go for a 15 minute walk 
• Be in nature if possible
• Listen to some relaxing music – Marconi Union Weightless is scientifically proven to evoke a relaxation response 
• Do some guided visualization or meditation- lots of great options on YouTube
• Call a friend who makes you laugh
• Epsom salt bath – extra credit if you add some lavender
• According to the Mayo Clinic practicing relaxation techniques can have many benefits, such as:
  • Slowing heart rate
  • Lowering blood pressure
  • Slowing breathing rate
  • Improving digestion
  • Controlling blood sugar levels
  • Reducing activity of stress hormones
  • Increasing blood flow to major muscles
  • Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain
  • Improving focus and mood
  • Improving sleep quality
  • Lowering fatigue
  • Reducing anger and frustration
  • Boosting confidence to handle problems

Sometimes we just need to stop and smell the roses. Give yourself the gift of relaxation, even if it’s just for 5 or 10 minutes. You might like it so much that it becomes a habit! Imagine a world where EVERYONE was just a little bit more relaxed …

Happy National Relaxation Day! 

Can you believe it’s already mid July? We are more than half way through 2023. I have a question for you – how are your New Year’s Resolutions/Intentions going? 

If they are anything like mine, kind of up and down right now. I had a really interesting experience last week that I had to share. I was talking with a friend and I confessed that I had really let my selfcare go downhill – things like staying on top of my acupuncture, chiropractor appointments, etc. I have it written down to schedule these appointments, but I just always put it off. I heard myself say out loud – “I always put myself last lately”.  It felt terrible to hear myself say that. I really like to practice what I preach, how can I inspire people to take care of themselves if I am not doing it for myself?

I had to look in my schedule to see when my last massage was. Old Judy was getting one every other week. This newer version of Judy was not making herself a priority. 

The very next day I pulled a card from a beautiful oracle deck that one of my coworkers gave me. I asked the question – “What is my message for today?” I pulled the Self Care card. As you might imagine, I almost fell over, but then laughed and said – “ok, I got the message”. I pulled out some workbooks I had done at the end of last year and looks to see what intentions I set for the year. It was nice to revisit the vision of what I wanted the new year ahead to look and feel like. I was pleasantly surprised that many of my intentions – drink more water for example – were actually happening. Yay!

I have since scheduled a massage and appointments with my chiropractor and acupuncturist. I’m also doing an online calligraphy class because I miss doing something creative every day. It feels so good to be prioritizing me. Put your oxygen mask on first as they say. 

So I invite you to take a moment and check in .

• Are there any areas in my life where there is room for improvement? 
• Am I getting enough sleep? 
• Am I drinking enough water?
• When was the last time I had a massage? 
• Did I do something fun today?
• Is there one slight shift I could make in my day to make me feel better? 
• Do I need to stretch more? 
• Do I spend enough time with friends?
• Do I need a break from social media?

Celebrate the things that ARE flowing effortlessly and be inspired to create change in what doesn’t feel good, even if it’s one tiny thing. In fact let’s take a slow breath in to the count of four, hold for 7, exhale slowly for 8. Don’t you feel better already?

Prioritizing YOU and living an intentional life is a beautiful gift to give yourself.What tiny shift will you make today?

The Cherry Blossoms were outstanding this year even though they came a little early with the heatwave we experienced here in Philadelphia. With that also came an avalanche of pollen. I know some people who are experiencing seasonal allergies for the very first time this year. 

Fun fact about the word Gesundheit from Miriam-Webster: Gesundheit was borrowed from German, where it literally means “health”; it was formed by a combination of gesund (“healthy”) and -heit (“-hood”). Wishing a person good health when they sneezed was traditionally believed to forestall the illness that a sneeze often portends.

In addition to whatever traditional or herbal remedies you are using to alleviate your symptoms, there are some acupressure points that you can self massage to give you some further relief. Yes please! 

• Resting your elbows on a table, place your thumbs on the inside corners of your eyebrows and gently push in and slightly up. You can lean your head slightly in to add more pressure. Another option is to gently pinch  the inside corners of the eyebrows and hold for a minute or so. 
• Place your middle finger on the cheekbone, in the little hollow,  lining up with the pupil of your eye. Press inward and gently up. You can also use the same position as above with the elbows on the table leaning in if that’s comfortable for you. 
• Slide the middle fingers over to the corners of your nose, you will feel a little hollow spot on each side. Apply gentle pressure there as well. 

Holding these points for as little as five minutes will help drain the sinuses, relieve congestion and stuffiness and help with headaches.

If you want to kick things up you can add some essential oils. DoTerra™ has a fantastic blend called Past Tense which is a blend of Wintergreen, Lavender, Peppermint, Frankincense, Cilantro, Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Basil, and Rosemary. It comes in a roller bottle and I love to roll it across the base of the skull where it meets the neck and I massage it in. Then gently rub in to the temples (don’t get too close to the eyes or they may become watery). Lastly, I rub my hands together and cup them under my nose and inhale the fresh minty uplifting scent. It really helps open things up. I also use this protocol on the rare occasion that I get a headache or if I’m extremely fatigued and need a lift. You could use lavender and peppermint if you don’t have Past Tense. I could also hook you up with Past Tense if you feel that it needs to be part of your life – it’s a lifesaver! 

Wishing you good health this allergy season – Gesundheit!

Have you seen the signs – the little patches of grass that are the most electric shade of green, the flower petals on the tips of the tree branches, the daffodils and tulips dancing in the breeze?

Spring has arrived! 

The change of seasons can affect us in many different ways. Massage Therapy is a great tool to make the transition to Spring a little smoother. Physically, we may have spent the winter months being a little more sedentary – raise your hand if you binge watched a little more Netflix than you’d care to admit! ✋

Massage can help loosen things up and can create more range of motion and flexibility. It increases circulation and oxygen to the muscles which will get you ready for the springtime activities you’ve been dreaming about all winter. Broad Street Run anyone? 

It can also help shake off the winter blues. Massage increases our dopamine and serotonin levels – yes please! We also know that it reduces anxiety and stress, decreases cortisol levels leaving us calm, relaxed, grounded, centered and happier. Yay!

Seasonal allergies, colds and flus also creep in  this time of year. Massage therapy can help boost the immune system and help the body manage some of the symptoms experienced. 

Spring is a time of rejuvenation and renewal. We often do “Spring Cleaning” in our homes and it is a common practice to do a cleanse in the Spring, often focusing on the Liver. Working with the circulatory, lymphatic and digestive systems, massage supports our own detoxifying systems, making it the perfect addition to any cleanse that you may be practicing this Spring. 
I invite you to embrace all of the loveliness that spring showers us with – take in the Cherry Blossoms, smell some lilacs, listen to Vivaldi Spring hit a farmers market – is there anything better than fresh local asparagus?  Treat yourself to a beautiful bunch of tulips and consider booking a massage to help you slide effortlessly into Spring! 

I want to share a love story.  Not a story of romance and passion.  A different kind of love. A kind there are no words for. 

I have a dear friend and neighbor who lives about a half a block from me. During the summer, when she and her family go to the beach, I feed their cat Kaiu. One day, when I went over to feed Lady Miss K, as I like to call her, there was a small gift bag and a note for me on the counter. Inside the bag was a small heart shaped dish filled with random, tiny heart shaped stones.

If you don’t know this about me, I see hearts. All of the time. It’s probably safe to say I see one a day.  So this gift was very meaningful to me. The note explained that she and her two young boys, who I adore, and their cousin, had been finding and collecting the stones for several years at the beach. She had finally found the perfect dish to put them in so she could give them to me. 

Did I cry? You bet.

I’m a little teary now as I write this. I had originally thought I would put it on an altar I have set up, where I have other objects that are sacred to me. I decided it should live on the coffee table instead, where I see it several times a day. There are 51 stones and I have held each one of them individually imaging who discovered it and how excited they were finding each one. 

I hope this inspires you in some way. I encourage you to become love warriors. Do something magical for someone, a random act of kindness.

Love can be celebrated in many ways and sometimes all it takes is a dish of rocks to make someone very happy. 

Today is day 21 of the annual 21 day cleanse that I do with my husband every January! I’ve blogged about it many times over the years and given all of the details of what exactly we do and don’t do. It’s so much easier than it sounds. If you really stick to the mindset of “this is what I can eat/drink” and just focus on that as opposed to longing for that glass of wine or slice of pizza that you can’t have, you’ll be successful. If my husband can do this, anyone can!  

Every year I learn something new, or switch something up. Last year’s epiphany was cauliflower in smoothies instead of bananas. I know it sounds weird but trust me, it works. It adds the creaminess of banana without the sugar or starch which can metabolize quickly and cause blood sugar spikes. I’m not in anyway anti banana, so everyone can calm down. I know they have potassium and other health benefits, we just avoid them for the 21 days. I may actually stick with the cauliflower for awhile, I like sneaking in the extra serving of a cruciferous vegetable. You don’t even know it’s in there. 

This year, I put  a twist on another of my faves – Golden Milk. I drink this all year not just on the cleanse. I find it really soothing and satisfying in the evening. If you’ve never tried it, it’s like a creamy Chai. Last week, on a cold rainy night, I was stirring some Golden Milk in the saucepan, taking in the aromatherapy of all of  the warm spices (it is very aromatic) and I was thinking, mmmm, hot chocolate would be nice right now too, and I decided to toss a scoop of chocolate protein powder in to the pan. I thought, this is either going to be delicious or really gross, thankfully it was delicious! So now I have another new, fun, chocolatey, spicy evening beverage to add to my repertoire.

I’m excited and inspired after finishing the Cleanse this year. We tried some new recipes that are definitely keepers, and we didn’t even get to some of our favorites. So we are going to keep going, at least on weeknights. We both feel fantastic, lost some weight, and have more energy. 
I will say, however, that I am ready for a glass of red wine and I will savor it and enjoy it to the fullest. 

Cheers! 

It’s summer and the produce right now just doesn’t get any better! One of my favorite summer rituals, and something that was on my summer fun bucket list, was to have a cucumber sandwich. The tomato sandwich is usually the one in the spotlight and is also a fave of mine. In fact, a little secret, I eat my tomato sandwiches open faced so I can pile the tomatoes higher.

Back to cucumbers. Growing up, one of my favorite things in the summer was one of my mom’s cucumber sandwiches. She would get two slices of squishy white sliced bread, butter one slice (my mom buttered one slice of the bread on every sandwich she ever made me) add mayonnaise that she would whisk with a little vinegar on the other slice, and then she would pile up thinly sliced peeled cucumbers, a dash of salt and pepper and a lot of love. There was nothing better than that refreshing, cold, crisp sandwich on a hot summer day. If we were feeling fancy that day, she’d cut the crusts off and we’d have “party sandwiches.” I made one last week and it was just like I remembered it –  minus the squishy white bread, I’ve moved on to Ezekiel bread these days. A client told me that he used to eat cucumber and peanut butter sandwiches. I’ve yet to try that, but I think that would work. Everything is better with peanut butter, right?

Cucumbers are a super food and really simple to sneak into your diet.

Some of the many benefits include:

• High in Nutrients
• Contain Antioxidants
• Promote Hydration
• May Aid in Weight Loss
• May Lower Blood Sugar
• Easy to Add to Your Diet
• A Great Source of fiber

WebMD has even more great information about all of the health benefits of cucumbers – hello vitamin K! 

In Philadelphia last weekend it was 100 degrees, so I broke out another old cucumber favorite, Dr Axe’s Detox Cucumber Soup. It’s easy, healthy, delicious, and perfect for a sweltering day. An added bonus, it takes about 10 minutes to make – yay! 

Stay tuned, I just may share my quick, spicy garlicky pickle recipe in my next post!

It’s likely that you’ve heard of Reflexology—stimulating points and nerve endings in the feet that correspond with different organs, systems and structures of the body to improve overall health and wellness. Plus, let’s face it, having your poor, tired feet rubbed just plain feels good!
I’ve been practicing Reflexology for years but recently upped my game and became certified in Integrative Reflexology^®. Sounds fancy, what’s the difference?

Integrative Reflexology^® works with the same grid, map and location of points on the feet as what I previously had learned. There are, however, additional layers and things to consider: Chinese Five Element theory (a philosophy that demonstrates how all aspects of human health) diet, movement, and emotions which are interconnected with nature, and our environment. Also we have to consider what meridians and meridian points are also involved in what the client is experiencing. And finally, Psychoneuroimmunology, which is based on the connection between the brain, the nervous system, the immune system and the emotions. Integrative Reflexology^® can also include the hand and ears.

There are over 10,000 nerve endings in each foot. With this technique we can simultaneously improve brain chemistry, calm the nervous system, and stimulate the lymph system, which helps detoxify the body and help reverse the effects of chronic stress. The feet are like building blocks and can give us insight to the rest of the body.

Personally, my recent training was a bit of a wake up call. We’ve collectively gone through a lot over the last few years and have had to manage new levels of stress. Like many people, I’m good at putting my game face on and I just keep going. But what is the cost of that? I definitely had let my own self care slip to the wayside and in receiving the reflexology treatments as we practiced in class, I realized that my nervous system was shot. Yes, there are those days you do have to put your game face on and just keep going but then what do you do to balance that out? The pendulum needs to swing both ways. After several days of receiving the Integrative Reflexology^® treatments, I noticed a huge shift in how I was feeling. I have felt calmer, clearer, more energized, grounded, my physical body felt more relaxed, and I slept better. 

That left such an imprint on me and I feel excited to share the work and inspire your body to perform in a better way. Your feet and your whole body will thank you!