My last blog post about self care and the senses sparked a lot of conversation-especially questions about solfeggios. I’m kind of new myself to the solfeggio camp. A few folks that I know and a client had mentioned them and it definitely sounded like something right up my alley. I was advised to go to Spotify and as I was told, there are tons of playlists and examples to listen to. I like to research, so I wanted to dig into what exactly are they and why should I listen to them?
The quick answer is they are 6 distinct tones used in music and healing. The modern day scale includes 9 tones. They are believed to align with different patterns, including brainwaves, chakras, and promote deep relaxation, physical and emotional healing. They have been used for centuries and used in spiritual, healing music including Gregorian Chants. Derived from numerology, the solfeggio scale is mathematically consistent with the patterns of our Universe. This guide actually mentions the scale dating back to a Medieval hymn by John The Baptist.
What do I personally like about them? First off, they are VERY relaxing. I also like all of the history, science and research behind them. You only need a few minutes a day to receive the benefits, 10-15 minutes a day, 3-5 days a week will do the trick. I love something that’s quick but effective. This post has a very detailed list of the individual frequencies and what they are used for. For example – “528 Hz: This is “the love frequency” that enhances creativity, and concentration, and repairs damaged DNA. It also increases feelings of positivity and love, healing the mind and the body.” Sometimes I will listen to a specific one when I’m looking for what it has to offer. Other times, I’ll just go to Spotify or youtube and randomly ask the Universe to show me something I need. I also like some of the sleep playlists available.
There are some samples in the links that I shared but here is another great taste of the Solfeggios. They are not meant to be listened to at a loud volume. Think of it as more of background sound.
I encourage you to give it a go! What do you have to lose? It just may “resonate” with you. Happy Healing!
The word sensual is often used in a sexual context but does not mean that exclusively. By definition, it can mean enjoying physical sensations such as smell, taste, hearing, sight, touch.
Self care is something that would be beneficial for us all to be practicing on a daily basis to promote general health, prevent disease and to be able to cope with the curve balls life sometimes presents to us.
I think that most people don’t practice self care, or perhaps it’s just not a priority, because we make it bigger than it has to be. Self care conjures up images of going to the gym, meditating for 30 minutes, scheduling a massage into your already packed schedule. It feels like another “thing to do” or something you’re not going to have time for.
I’ve been really mindful and focused about my own self care lately and noticing the difference in how I feel when it is at the top of my to do list as opposed to something I “should be doing”. I had a conversation recently with another wellness practitioner and we were discussing how to make it easy and pulling in the senses to make it more pleasurable. Don’t’ we all need a little more pleasure in our lives?
When you connect with the senses, it will help you to relax or elevate your mood, depending on what your goal is. The thing that I find interesting is that it will be very different for everyone. I notice in my massage therapy practice, there are people who LOVE lavender, which I refer to as the Queen of Relaxation. There are also some people who HATE the smell of lavender. As someone that I used to work with years ago used to say – that’s why there’s 31 flavors at Baskin Robbins!
So let’s take a look at the senses and how you might be able to carve out as little as 5 minutes for some sensual self care:
Smell – (This one is probably the easiest) What smells bring you joy? For some, it’s things like lavender or sandalwood. Others love the smell of fresh cut grass or something baking in the oven. Sometimes you may need the uplifting benefit of the smell of grapefruit. There are many ways to utilize your sense of smell for self care. Aromatherapy diffusers and candles are easy things to incorporate in your day to day. It can literally be as simple as keeping a bottle of your favorite essential oil next to your computer, put a drop in your hand, rub your hands together and take 3 long, deep slow breaths in before you start your work. You just activated your olfactory nerve, stimulated your brain to release serotonin and dopamine AND you got a little breath work in under five minutes – gold star! You could do that several times a day.
Taste – What tastes bring you joy? This will also vary greatly. A quick easy way to engage the sense of taste for self care is a cup of your favorite tea, and extra credit if it smells amazing too! AND you get a gold star if you actually sit and enjoy it without being in front of a screen. Would you give yourself the gift of an uninterrupted cup of tea, a glass of wine, a piece of dark chocolate and just enjoy the pleasure of it?
Hearing – What sounds help you to feel better? Music is such a great healing tool. Sometimes it can help us relax and unwind, and sometimes the self care may be that you’re feeling a little low and need to be uplifted. There may also be moments where silence and the lack of sound is what is needed. There are soooo many great options and platforms out there to indulge in hearing something that you need. One of my new favorite things to listen to is Sofreggios. And I am a HUGE fan of Sound Baths.
Sight – What visually makes you feel better when you look at it? Intentionally looking at something to shift your mood couldn’t be easier. Do you have a favorite, go-to movie that instantly makes you feel better? I personally have some photos on my phone that I look at when I need to smile. I also will sometimes take a few moments in my roof top garden and just basque in the colors and the beauty of what’s growing up there. When was the last time you walked through a museum and just let your eyes drink in the surroundings?
Touch – What feels really good to your body? Is there anything better than a 20 second hug (that’s how long you need to hug to release the oxytocin)? How about the feeling of sliding into your favorite pair of slippers? or wrapping yourself in your favorite blanket? or the feeling of rubbing a beautiful, hydrating body oil into your skin after a shower (bonus points if it smells amazing and you take a few nice breaths in as you apply!) Sometimes petting your fur baby is just what you need. And there’s always the way you feel after receiving a great massage! Hint, hint!
These are all really simple, easy ways to give yourself the gift of self care on a daily basis. The key is intentionality. You can make yourself a cup of tea, but are you present? Are you noticing how it tastes? Are you noticing how it smells? Do you have a favorite, pretty cup to drink it in that makes you smile when you see it? I have a new adorable pink tea cup that someone recently gifted me that I smile and think of her every time I see it! Can you take five minutes and shift your mind, your emotions and indulge your senses? I encourage you to schedule these moments if necessary until they just become part of your routing like brushing your teeth. Make it easy and keep it simple and sensual. What’s your first step going to be? Which of the senses called out to you?
Looking for a way to boost your immune system as we are entering into cold and flu season?
In addition to a healthy diet and a good night’s sleep, scheduling a massage might be just what you need for some added protection.
Massage can support your immune system in many ways:
Decreasing stress by lowering your cortisol level, which is a stress hormone.
Increasing circulation – increased blood and lymph flow help move nutrients through the body and filter out toxins*Improving the quality of sleep – better sleep is imperative in supporting the immune response
Increasing white blood cell activity which helps fight disease
Increasing lymphocyte cells that assist the immune system in fighting off harmful substances in the body.
Improving mental health – having a healthy mind promotes a healthy body!
By scheduling a massage, you are not only going to instantly feel better but you are practicing real self care and self love and supporting your body.
What a gift!
If you are interested in reading more in depth about the effects of massage on your immune system , here is an interesting study.
I feel like we were just grilling ribs on Memorial day and now I’m seeing back to school supplies out. Time flies when you’re having fun as they say.
I’ve been reflecting and reminiscing about when does it really feel like summer? There’s the obvious Memorial Day kick off weekend, and barbecues with friends and family and then one of my favorites — the first day I put my toes in the sand and stare at the ocean all day. My favorite summer sensations seem to revolve around ones that take me back to my childhood and often are food oriented.
Like my first cucumber sandwich of the summer — I have fond memories of my mom making us crisp, cool cucumber sandwiches on a hot day, always buttering one side of the bread as Mary Moon always did with ANY sandwich she made. She’d often cut them into quarters so they’d be “party sandwiches” . To this day I still make “party sandwiches” whenever I make a sandwich. My husband Joe has finally stopped rolling his eyes when I do it and just enjoys the sandwich in party form. Pinkies up not required. Watermelon is also a biggie for me. We get a CSA box every week from Taproot Farm. We recently got watermelon in our box. It’s an old school watermelon with seeds. I’ve been eating watermelon all summer, it’s one of my faves. Sometimes the ones from the CSA are LOADED with seeds and you get kind of spoiled after having the seedless ones that are available now, but I have to say this last one we got from the farm made my heart sing. Was there a lot of seeds, yes, but it was manageable. It was the brightest red color, it was sweet and it just screamed with watermelon flavor. It took me back to all of the Fourth Of Julys (which is my birthday!) at my Aunt and Uncle’s cottage at Cottrell Lake. We would always have watermelon slices on a white paper plates. You’d be wrapped in your towel after a swim, sitting in the grass, in the sun and we would see how far we could spit a watermelon seed—now that’s summer!
Fun fact I just learned about watermelon, in addition to being great for hydration, it’s also great for digestion! It contains prebiotics, which is a fiber that helps stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the large intestine, who knew?!
I’m basking in these last weeks of August celebrating all things summer, gearing up for our annual two week retreat to the beach. Right around the corner is pumpkin hunting season …
I’m curious to know when does it really feel like summer to you? Don’t forget your sunscreen!
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!
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 …
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.
