Articles tagged with 'self-care'

It’s easy for us to get stuck in our work—physically, mentally, emotionally. Let’s look beyond the usual self-care routines to find better ways to get unstuck and back to the work you love.

Therapy tools can help massage therapists with pain or limited mobility.

Transdermal magnesium can help massage therapists and bodyworkers in their self-care.

Self-defense skills can help MTs feel safer and more confident in the treatment room.

Walking, moving, curling, rolling, and stretching parts of the feet can not only help with flexibility and stability, but it can also help ensure better future foot health.

Putting yourself in a better headspace can lead to better focus on your client.

Recently, author Mary Ann Foster underwent heart surgery. The healing environment and communication skills of the medical staff reminded her of massage practices.

Have you ever purposely changed how you breathe? If so, you were practicing "breathwork." In this column, join Heath and Nicole Reed for a self-care exercise incorporating breathwork.

Nerve gliding positions the body to isolate nerve branches and then encourages the nerves to slide/stretch.

According to Ayurvedic principles, when we are aligned with nature, the body and mind have an incredible capacity to heal and thrive.

The more comfortable the body tolerates higher levels of carbon dioxide, the more efficient the delivery of oxygen into the tissues.

A multitude of sacred writings demonstrate that kindness is not exclusive to any one religion or region; rather, practicing kindness is a way to heal and connect to our fundamental humanity.

The benefits of adaptogens are nothing short of a wonder drug: diminishing stress, enhancing hormonal and immunological efficiency, reducing inflammation, and even preventing age-related diseases.

The shoulder hang does more than create space in the joint, it actually helps remodel the structure of the acromion.

Massage therapists have stress like everyone else; self-care is not selfish.

Massaging, pressing, and/or holding points along meridians called acupressure points (a.k.a. acupoints and marmas) can offer relief and comfort and help soothe and drain the sinuses.

Standard Precautions have changed over the years as agencies have attempted to limit exposure to pathogens.

Returning to proper body positioning during your client's massage sessions can relieve your pain.

Try a postural reset before, after, or during a session, or recommend it to clients who are looking for everyday adjustments to generate greater ease and alignment.

We can refine our artistry and happiness by creating a lifestyle of mindful movements—like the ones found in this article—before, during, and beyond our sessions.

By helping clients become more aware of how they move, the Feldenkrais Method provides powerful ways to support easier and better-organized movement and function.

Researchers in the field suggest the emotional freedom technique has the capacity to bypass the stress response and may even rewire the brain.

Self-care is less about getting things right and more about leaning into what brings you reliable doses of joy. What activities or relationships bring you powerful moments of bliss?

Recognizing what we dislike about our work can help us be more efficient with those tasks and keep our business on track.

Practicing mindfulness encourages intention and connection between practitioner and client—and prevents boredom.

There's is an exchange of energy between you and the earth when you touch flowers and soil.

The benefits of decompression breathing are cumulative and exponential and flourish with a dedicated practice.

Finding new ways to press, squeeze, and glide can help reduce the repetitive-use injuries common for massage and bodywork practitioners. Consider experimenting with different combinations.

By practicing using your whole body in every movement you make, your sessions will start to feel flowing and full of ease, rather than heavy and full of effort.

Taking steps to offset, decrease, and prevent inflammation is key to optimizing your current and future health.

While the term placebo effect can carry negative connotations, it can also be a positive in working with clients when we use placebo pathways to help clients feel better and help manage their pain.

Understanding and facing self-limiting beliefs can help restore self-confidence and self-trust.

If massage therapists choose not to prioritize or develop communication skills, they can unwittingly harm their clients.

Handheld percussion massage tools can be an effective way for massage therapists to enjoy the rejuvenating benefits of massage for themselves.

Full-spectrum self-care requires embracing not only the yin qualities but also the yang qualities to initiate change, stand up for ourselves and others, recommit to our core values, and refuse to suffer.

Back-to-back appointments can be a challenging part of the massage profession. If possible, leave some time between sessions to replenish and restore your body. These stretches can help.

Learn techniques and exercises to help strengthen, stretch, and activate the muscles in your hands.

Like "stressed" and "traumatized" before it, "burnout" has become the new repository for all manner of presenting symptoms, both physical and mental.

Learn Surya Bhedana with ABMP's Angie Parris. This yoga breathing technique activates a sluggish mind and moves energy throughout the body.

In our experience, most of us caregivers naturally direct support outside ourselves. If this is true for you, we invite you to embrace a pattern interruption as you flip the script.

This chair yoga session begins with the Dirga pranayama exercise. Dirga pranayama brings about a state of profound relaxation and serenity, preparing the mind to meditate.

Have you ever helped someone with a headache, and while they left the table feeling better, you later had a headache? All of us are susceptible to the energy acquired from the company we keep, and the clients we touch.

Learn some basic qigong exercises to clear energy and reset. Exercises include sun and moon circles and water swings.

Now more than ever, we can experience the negative effects of sensory overload in our daily lives; disconnecting through a variety of options is beneficial for us both physically and mentally.

Joint mobility is important for the entire body, but perhaps even more so for the shoulder joint.

Learn to improve your quantity and quality of sleep by optimizing your sleep surroundings and creating a pre-bedtime ritual.

As massage therapists, the fear of any injury—especially overuse injuries—is always in the back of our minds. One way to combat injuries is to strengthen our muscles by lifting weights.

2020 was foretold to be a year presenting itself as "water moving under earth." Symbolically, this means that many had the experience of walking on shaky ground. Discover the elements of sacred space that can support you in hard or uncertain times.

Angie Parris-Raney, LMT, guides us in chair yoga incorporating the Dirga deep-breathing technique.

Check out this guided alternate nostril breathing technique that helps remove emotional blockages and anxious thoughts in the body, harmonizing the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

After a full day working with clients, massage therapists can develop their own sore, stiff muscles. Using a foam roller before and after a workday can help alleviate some of those pains.

What we do every day as bodyworkers and massage therapists is taxing work. Here are some stretches to relieve back pain.