Consistency is Key

I've been running my tootsies like mad to keep up with my massage practice and aromatherapy study, and for the past 2 weeks I've neglected -- you guessed it -- regular strenuous exercise, aka the gym.  Last night Coach Antonio put me through the paces with a killer finisher ("tailpiping" -- don't ask).  Today I feel like a truck hit me.  Not that I haven't worked that hard before.  It's just that I haven't kept it up for the past couple of weeks.  A lesson learned.

This also made me think about the consistency of massage.  In the course of a session, we are able to warm up the tissue and work through increasingly deep areas of concern, adhesions, etc.  Think of the changes that can be brought about through regular, consistent massage!  I'm coming to believe that I can accomplish more with a client through 5 weekly treatments and then a long break than I could over the course of 5 monthly massages.  Of course, I have not put this into a study (yet), but it does make one think.

Consistency: one of the most difficult, yet powerful, things in life.

Facial Serums? Yes, I Can!

Body Butters in the Making

A couple of weeks ago, I took a look at the ingredients of a facial serum from one of my favorite skincare companies.  I trust them because they use only natural and mostly organic ingredients.  I was happy to see that not only did they use amazing ingredients, but I had most of the ingredients in my humble aromatherapy kitchen!  So, I put my little hands to work, measuring, blending, reformulating, bottling, and I came up with a delightful facial serum of my own.  I've been using it for the past 10 days, and my skin feels soft and smooth...all from my own kitchen!  And wait -- am I missing a couple of crows feet...?

Massage Environment

I've been putting some finishing touches on my massage office, adding a round bamboo rug, new curtains.  It's feeling more and more comfortable.  I have a diffuser to offer aromatherapy, comfy organic flannel sheets, music.  What else do you love in a massage office to make your treatment the best it can be?  I'm always looking for great ideas!

Keep It Simple

I recently compared the ingredients of a popular brand of body wash and those of a castile gel soap I purchased.

The Castile Gel
Saponified Oils of Coconut, Olive and Jojoba, Aloe Vera, Glycerin/Vegetable Gum Extract, Rosemary Extract

The Popular Brand
Water , Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate , Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate , Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate , Glycerin , Linoleamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract , Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract , Matricaria Flower Extract Chamomilla Recutita , Citric Acid , Propylene Glycol , Triclosan , Yellow 5 , Red 33 , Fragrance

I've already listed Propylene Glycol as one of the ingredients to avoid.  Among other concerns, this ingredient has resulted in positive cell mutation results on mamallian cells.  Is it worth it?

I Can't Go Back!

So, I've been working with natural products for a while now, studying aromatherapy, reading ingredients on my various skin and haircare products, and I've been using my homemade skincare products in the meantime.  Today in my hotel room I used one of those little bars of soap, and I realized that I've become addicted to the good, homemade stuff!  The hotel soap felt like an industrial bath, harsh and damaging.  The fact is that our skin is the largest organ of our body, vital to the elimination of the ever-increasing amount of toxins in our environment.  Why wouldn't we want the most nourishing products available?  So, I can't go back to those everyday products.  It's time I did more research about the harmful chemicals we find in them.

Step One: I will avoid the following:

Propylene Glycol (a petrochemical - yech)
Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (harsh, harsh industrial detergent - are you THAT dirty?)
Mineral Oil (from petroleum, blocks pores - and, again, yech)
Parabens (Propyl, Methyl, Butyl, or Ethyl -- toxic and allergenic)

Aromatherapy Certification

I'm still working on my aromatherapy certification with Andrea Butje at Aromahead Institute (aromahead.com).  I'm pretty much through all of the classes, but I must finish up the case studies, write my final paper, and take the exam.  I'm discovering how much of a new world aromatherapy is.  So many people don't know anything about essential oils...or any complementary and alternative treatment options.  I can sometimes see the internal rolling of the eyes when I tell people about essential oils.  What needs to be understood is that a good aromatherapist roots his or her practice in science, referring to research and being grounded in the chemistry.  As Barbara Close, founder of Naturopathica, said to me, "It's ALL about the chemistry!"  So, onward I go to study, study, study my chemistry!  (And finish those case studies!)

Self Care in 2011 (3)

Okay, this isn't really an update on my self-care progress for the year.  But after a full day of massaging on Sunday, my hands were a little sore yesterday.  I reached into my bag of aromatherapy balms and pulled out a pain/inflammation butter (palm kernel oil, arnica, calendula, St. John's Wort, beeswax) and rubbed it into my hands and wrists.  Today my hands feel fantastic!  All this without having to resort to a chemical anti-inflammatory.  Nice!