Turmeric Elixir

TURMERIC Elixir

Makes 1 quart of elixir (can be consumed cold or hot - I like it hot)

*1 tsp. dried turmeric (juice of fresh turmeric can also be used)
*1 whole lemon washed and then cut into quarters
*2+ tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
*Hot water to fill
*Honey, to taste

Place all ingredients in a 1 quart mason jar squeezing lemon quarters as you drop them in to release their juices. Use organic whenever possible and be sure to wash the lemon's rind no mater what. Fill the jar with hot water. Screw the lid on tightly and gently shake. Be careful not to burn your paws on the glass and metal of the jar. Enjoy as a warm tea-like elixir or place in refrigerator for use later. I typically fill the jar once more with water prior to composting the ingredients.

Drink daily for fabulous inflammation response and healthy digestion!

What do you mean we don't know everything??!!??

The study of anatomy is fascinating! We humans walk around all day in these meat sacks filled with water held upright by a skeleton; however, we know very little about what is actually going on. It seems rather important to understand our bodies so that we can properly care for them. So important for some that they would risk their lives for a chance to learn more. And still today, we are adding to the landmarks that make up our human body, though the risks involved are a bit less drastic.

Anatomy has a dangerous and sorted past. At least as far back as 1600 BCE, the Egyptians were studying anatomy and had discovered: the heart (and its vessels),spleen, liver, kidneys, hypothalamus, uterus and bladder. It seems that they were learning by dissecting the victims of human sacrifice. The father of anatomy, Herophilus, carried out the first systematic human dissections on criminals. Then 1500 years later, research on cadavers was occurring in both England and Scotland where the religious thoughts at the time left those interested in furthering this research with their only option being to dig corpses out of graves. As you can imagine, this came with some legal implications, societal frustrations, and I'm sure those involved seemed to almost disappear from society since their work had to be carried out at night. Imagine if you found out your neighbor was digging people up from graves to cut them apart - yikes! Nonetheless, I am grateful to these somewhat disturbed folks because they built the foundation for what I love to study!

Today, anatomical research isn't quite so seemy. Those involved in anatomical science, can legally work with cadavers and the use of formaldehyde keeps tissues from decaying as you work. Though the smell isn't appealing, it has to be better than those of the past experienced. Society doesn't exactly love the idea of cadaver labs; however, working in one no longer comes with a death sentence.

Here we are in 2013 and science is still discovering new human body parts. Just this week, the existence of a new piece of human knee anatomy was announced. Meet the Anterolateral ligament (ALL):

An image of a right knee after a full dissection of the anterolateral ligament (ALL). (Credit: University Hospitals Leuven)

Back in 1879 a French doctor wrote an article suggesting the existence of a previously unknown ligament in the human knee. A couple of Belgian doctors, Dr Steven Claes and Professor Dr Johan Bellemans, just became the first to prove the existence of this by finding it in 40 of 41 cadaveric knees studied.

It seems that this new ligament could be a key in why something called the "pivot-shift" occurs after a successful ACL surgery. The two doctors are now researching techniques to better repair damage to the knees. Unfortunately, it might be a couple of years before their research is complete.

YAY ANATOMY!

Virtual Tour of my office

Before visiting another country, it is nice to check out the lay of the land. When looking to rent new apartment, I always want to check it out first. When interviewing for a new job, I even take that as an opportunity to interview that company or person to see if I want to work with them. I am thinking the same might be true for my clients, so I would love to virtually show you around my office.

At 2825 Marine St. in Boulder, CO you will find The Marine Street Wellness Center. It is a brick, Victorian home that has been retrofitted to serve the community of Boulder, CO by providing a place for private practitioners of healing arts to welcome their clients.

Upon walking into the front door, you will turn left and pass a kitchen. A set of stairs can be found there which lead you to a lovely waiting room.

Take a seat in one of the comfortable chairs and listen to the sounds of water quietly dripping from a nearby fountain. My office is in suite C, the door to which can be found within this very waiting room.









Welcome to my office! This room is where I provide integrated massage therapy, craniosacral therapy, Reiki treatments, and wellness coaching. I do hope you visit for real soon and receive some of my healing arts work.

Enjoy the evening and be well!

Kitty Massage Chair

Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween! It has become tradition to begin celebrating it as soon as October begins. This year, my roommate and I decorated our apartment with spiders, webs, paper-made bats and pumpkins. Not only do I love costumes and a slight bit of fear (but not too scary!), but I am completely obsessed with anatomy. I love that nearly everywhere I go during the month of October, I find skeletons and such.

Did you know that when we are born, we have about 300 bones in our structure? As we grow some of these bones ossify (or become joined) and we are left with approximately 206. I say approximately because there are a few differences in each of us that cause some folks to have an extra bone or an extra joining. For example: I was born with cranial synostosis and a few of the bones in my cranium are fused into one bone.

Cats and dogs have more bones than we do, A cat comes in at 244 bones and a dog around 320. I suppose these extra bones are primarily found in their tails.

I hope that you enjoy the day today and have many laughs with your family and friends as you celebrate the coming of the cold. Happy Halloween!

Wednesday Wellness: Winter Wellness

Today is the 3rd morning in 2013 that I've woken up to snow. Although I love this season for many reasons (winter sport activities, hot chocolate, scarves, blankets, and cuddling to name a few), I do not enjoy the common cold and flus that tend to accompany winter. There are many ways that I have learned to care for my body during this chilly time of year and I want to introduce you to one of my favorite supplements to help bolster the immune system: elderberry.

That's right, your European Grandmother knew exactly what she was talking about when she fed you elderberry jam or maybe while serving you that post-dinner cordial.

Some of the berry's constituents attach to the a bit of your cellular anatomy called the ribosome. Viruses and bacteria also use the ribosomes to hitchhike into cells because on their own they cannot permiate cell walls. Inviting elderberry into your daily life can be a delicious way to protect your health cells from invasion. I recommend Wyldewood Elderberry Juice as it is free of added sugar and goes great with my morning oatmeal. Another great brand to look for is Gaia Herbs (http://www.gaiaherbs.com/). Of course, if you have the means, growing your own is the best method always!

Stay well and the season grows cold in 2013!

Types of Massage: A Brief Overview

There are many types of bodywork available to use in care for oneself. One such type is massage therapy and within that umbrella, there are countless modalities being utilized. I practice the following forms of massage therapy and generally tend to integrate them into a symphony of hands-on work for my clients: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Neuromuscular, Sports, and CranioSacral Therapy.

SWEDISH MASSAGE: A form of massage therapy where the therapist employs long, rhythmic strokes to the client's muscle structure. The use of oil or lotion is important as it allows the therapist's hands to glide smoothly creating a rolling out of the muscle tissue. This fluid movement generally moves towards the heart and the pressure tends to be fairly light and relaxing. Most find this form of massage to be very stress-relieving and it is even common to fall asleep.

DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE: Massage using long, deep, and slow strokes intending to gain access to the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. The goal is to create change in chronically bound-up tissues and adheasions. Adheasions are bands of rigid tissue that can be quite painful as they can block circulation, create limited movement, and inflammation. The use of lotion or oil is very minimal if at all. This allows the therapist to gain the depth of pressure needed to create positive change. Though at points there can be discomfort due to the pressure used, it should not be painful enough to create bruising or extreme tenderness post-massage.

NEUROMUSCULAR MASSAGE: This approach is quite similar to Deep Tissue in that it addresses both muscle and the connective tissues that encase these muscles. The strokes are not generally as long nor are they as slow; however, the use of lotion or oil is still very limited if at all. The angle of the practitioner's hands changes too in order to work on more specific points in the tissues called trigger points. This can be uncomfortable for the client at points; however, the end result is better movement in the tissues and better blood flow. In many cases the breaking up of scar tissue can even be achieved.

SPORTS MASSAGE: This form of massage is typically focused on a specific part of the body rather than the full body. It is used to enhance athletic performance, improve recovery, but is not only meant for professional athletes. Many therapist will blend stretching and manual muscle manipulation to achieve the goal of optimal performance. The pace of this work is faster than most massage therapies and goals are often reached much quicker and on the spot.

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY: Very subtle pressure is utilized to create changes in the central nervous system (CNS). This is done by using pressure of no more than a nickel to convince the structure of the body to move into a place of balance. Once the structure is properly aligned, the cerebral spinal fluid is allowed to flow more naturally through the CNS. The work is typically done with the client clothed and there is no need for oil or lotion. While receiving this work it is very common to fall into a dream-like state or even fall completely asleep on the massage table.

This is by no means a complete list of therapeutic massage modalities - in fact, it is far from it! My goal to give a brief overview of the therapies I am currently trained to provide so that my clients can know more about what they are receiving. In future blog posts, I will go into greater depth on the above to provide further education on my passion.