Yoga

The Most Frequently Asked Question

Posted July 5, 2016 by Judy Moon

I get asked a lot of questions – ranging from “is that your real name” – yes it is, to “are you a vegetarian”- no, I’d consider myself a flexatarian- plant based with occasional meat products included. It makes me smile to think that most people assume as a massage therapist that I’m vegetarian, I do yoga every day, I don’t drink, and that I’m calm all of the time. The reality is I like a bloody steak once in awhile, I love red wine, I do stretch everyday, but I don’t have a formal yoga practice and ask my husband – I freak out just like everyone else on the planet.

But the number one question I get asked repeatedly is – “how often do YOU get a massage?”

That question used to make me squirm. I honestly used to put myself on the bottom of my to do list and my own massages were sadly not that frequent. I would wait till I was in pain, or beyond stressed out. Not exactly setting a good example was I. I finally committed to getting a massage every other week and it’s been that way for a few years now. It’s the best thing I have ever done for myself.

It’s a pretty physical job doing massage therapy and I know a lot of therapists who have burned out from lack of self-care – not me baby!

As I said, it made me squirm when people would ask me that – how could I possibly expect and inspire my clients to take care of themselves if I wasn’t doing the same. I felt like a fraud.

I smile and feel proud and authentic now when someone asks me that question. I can honestly say – every other week. It feels good to know that I have made that commitment to myself and that I hope I can inspire someone else to make their self care a priority.

For me because of what I do, every other week is what I need, but I tell people all of the time to do what your budget and schedule allows. For some that’s weekly, for some that’s monthly, for some it’s every six weeks. There’s no one size fits all when it comes to frequency.

I will say that it makes my heart sing when I’m looking at my schedule and I see my massage penciled in – mmmmmm, self care – it’s a good thing!

Posture Power

Posted June 23, 2014 by Judy Moon

Posted by Gwyn MacDonald

When I was kid, 8, 9, maybe 10 years of age or so, my brother who is several years older than me, would poke me in the back or the side and say “Stand up straight!” – Man, did I hate that! In response I would shriek something along the lines of “Leave me alone!” As much as I hated to admit it then, I did slouch and slump quite a bit. I was shy and awkward and that just felt a bit safer to me than sticking my chest out and strutting about.

I bring this up because while I have been thinking about posture for this blog post, it hit home this morning during my first workout with my personal trainer, Paula. (Woohoo!!! She ROCKS! and I get to say I have a “personal trainer”. Mind you this is not part of my usual vocabulary. Sweet!) As she was guiding me into one of the many exercises we did today she said “Now bring yourself into proud posture and then bring your arms back”…etc. Proud posture. Nothing earth shattering here but it just brought to mind the sense of well-being, confidence and groundedness that open, upright posture exemplifies.

In my daily massage work I see the effects of poor posture. Forward head positioning, tight pectoral, scalene and sternocleidomastoid muscles. Strained posterior neck and shoulder muscles, tightness in the ribcage and diaphragm, and low energy. While one session of massage does not “fix” these issues, it can remind my clients how good it feels to lift their chins, open their chests and breath deeply and with ease.

Our posture says quite a bit about how we are feeling on the inside. But our posture also has the ability to work from the inside out. Try this: if you are sitting at your computer or on your smart phone reading this, take a moment and observe your posture. I mean really observe and take note. Are you slumped over your keyboard with your head forward? Are you looking down with your head flexed forward and your shoulders in your ears as you are walking down the street? Are you slouching in your chair with all of the above head/shoulder postures? Not trying to invoke your Mom or Grandma here (or my brother!) but straighten up!

Now take a deep breath…bring your head back so it floats above your shoulders. Let your shoulders fall away from your ears. Take another deep belly breath. Nice and slow. Roll your shoulders up and back and few times. Open your mouth and stretch your jaw. Tuck your tailbone and feel yourself straighten up. Remember that string that lifts you from the top of your head? (or how about Leather Tuscadero with the phone book balancing on her head? Gotta love Happy Days! Now the Fonz had POSTURE!)

Do you feel a difference? Practice for the next few days. Every 1/2 hour or so (or some other time frame that is realistic for you) during the work day check in with your posture and your breathing. Do you need to adjust? Do you notice a change in your energy or your mood when you open and shift your posture? Are you noticing a bit less tension in your neck and shoulders?

We may not be able to change what we have to do for many hours each day but we can change HOW we do it. My brother wasn’t just teasing me for the fun of it! (well… maybe a little) Our posture affects both physical and emotional well being. Gently reminding ourselves to lift our heads, open our chests and take a deep breath can change the way we see the moment, the day, the world.

After my workout and my massage (self care!!!!!!!) today I’ve been strutting around with “proud posture” like crazy – and it feels GREAT!

The Health Benefits of Coconut Water

Posted September 4, 2013 by Judy Moon

Posted by Judy Moon

It Started With a Hangover: Yes, that’s right, I said a hangover! There are beliefs out there that massage therapists are vegetarians, do yoga daily, meditate daily, don’t smoke or drink, don’t eat sugar. You get the picture.

Some of that is true. And a lot of that is true for me. However, I do like red wine. I actually love red wine. On an occasion where my love for it surpassed the need to stop drinking it, I woke up tired, headachy and dehydrated.

I went to my corner Walgreens looking for something that would quench a thirst like I had been in the Sahara desert for a month. I spotted the coconut water. I had read about it, heard some buzz about it and I bought one.

I was reborn! It was a miracle! I did some research on coconut water. Here’s what the Zico Coconut water website said – “ZICO is loaded with 5 electrolytes: sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus. These work together to support your body with what it needs to stay hydrated and to help it perform at its best. ZICO contains as much potassium as a banana, which helps prevent cramping. Plus, ZICO is gluten-free, lactose-free and dairy-free.”

Whether you drink ZICO before a big meeting or after a hard workout, ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water is full of natural Oomph—and it’s all from coconuts. And we think that whoops major butt.

Works for me! I should contact Zico and tell them to add – “works for hangovers” to their list.

I like all different brands and use coconut water in my green smoothies sometimes. I reach for it when I feel tired instead of drinking coffee. Give it a try when you need some “natural Ooomph” in your day.

Photo Credits // 1 Pinterest // 2 Vitamix // 3 Gnet // 4 Flickr // 5 Huffington Post