Life

It's been quite a while since I've written on here. Why? Life seems to get in the way of many things. Life seems to take precedence over things that we once were doing regularly.

How much do you seem to get wrapped up in life's many distractions (good or bad)?
What seems to bring you back?
Do you allow yourself the time to readjust and realign?
Do you come back in the same way or have things changed for yourself too?

I feel like we are always changing. Life has a way of shifting our thoughts. Shifting our likes/dislikes. Shifting our lives in one way or another.

How are you changing? What are the most important things that you are taking into consideration? Hopefully your well-being is one of the most important things that is guiding you. 💗

How Much?

When do you know it’s time?

What is it that makes you stop and think something has to change? Something has to be done?

Is it dealing with the same pain, same headache, same nagging thought for 2 weeks, 2 months, 6 months, or do you let it go as long as a year or longer?

When do you know it’s time to start something new? To break out of the same routine that you’ve been in for a long time and start something different? What makes you stop and realize that something different needs to be done?

Honestly, for me, it takes putting up with pain or discomfort for quite a while until I can’t take it any longer. Maybe if I would respond to the discomfort sooner though I wouldn’t have to endure quite so much uneasiness.

How long is too long for you to put up with the same discomfort in any way, shape, or form?

10 things you love

I read an article or quote this morning that talked about when people are asked to list 10 things they love people seldom listed themselves. I thought this was interesting. Though we can all sit and think that we have 10 things/people/priorities/etc that are way more important than ourselves, we should sit and think about how it feels to not include ourselves in that list. How would you feel if your spouse/child/parent/sibling/etc did not include you in that list? Not great I bet.

Why is it any different when you don’t include yourself in your own same list?

I’ve gone through times in my life that I would never have even thought about including myself in a list of things that I loved. But the article or quote made me take a double take. It makes me look at things a little differently and understand more about people. No wonder so many people just go through the motions of work, home life, etc each day.

I wish I would have bookmarked it or printed it out, but I was moving around too fast this morning to think about that. But the statement has stayed with me all day.

What does it mean to you? Does it shift your mind a little or make you look at certain things differently?

Time to take a break and do something nice for yourself :)

Feeling Calm

Calm  

When you think of being calm what do you picture or feel? Do you think of being alone in a place where it is quiet and not much going on around you? Do you think of laying quietly in a peaceful room? Take a moment to close your eyes and really picture a setting that looks and feels serene to you. Is there movement around you? Or is it free of activity?

When I think of being calm I picture my head being clear and free of random thoughts bouncing around. I picture myself sitting or laying down. There might be activity around me but maybe not. It is more of a feeling that if I feel centered in myself, the outside stuff doesn’t bother me as much. I find that when my emotions are on high, it is hard to find this calmness.

Bodywork is one of those things that can help us feel this way. It can help us, for a moment or a series of moments learn how to find this place easier. When we are allowed to completely relax and let our minds and bodies relax we are welcoming the peaceful calmness into our bodies and minds.  Bodywork allows us to quiet our emotions and it helps us learn how to find this place easier when we are by ourselves.

CranioSacral Therapy is a wonderful bodywork modality that is great at allowing our bodies to relax and our minds to take a break. It is a gentle non invasive type of bodywork that is done while the client lays fully clothed in a peaceful and quiet setting.

Massage Therapy is another great way to allow your body and mind to relax.  When we can allow our bodies to relax and let someone else help our bodies release the tension they are holding, we are training our bodies to unwind and feel more peaceful.

Thoughts

For the past several weeks I have not felt well. I have been dealing with some illnesses lately. Yesterday was the first day that I felt more normal. Still more tired than usual, but to be able to feel happier and with less pain was wonderful.  It got me thinking about how certain people we meet during our lives are thought of as withdrawn, rude, or cast aside because they seem to be anti-social. When maybe a lot of what seems to be rude behavior, may just be the fact that they are not feeling well. I know that when I’m not feeling well I do not feel like carrying on conversations with people, I tend not to smile a lot, etc etc.

What a difference it would make if, instead of sending these people unfair judgments we could send them love and caring. How much of a difference would that make in their lives? How much of a difference would that make in our lives? Doesn’t it feel better to send love rather than judgments?

Customer Service

It seems these days that good customer service is hard to come by. One of my biggest pet peeves it to go into a store and be treated rudely or just another problem to deal with in their busy day. To me, that shows that you don’t really want my business and I will happily go somewhere else that proves they do want and appreciate my business.

I recently had an experience at a jewelry store that really seemed to go above and beyond my expectations.  It really meant a lot to me and really showed me that they appreciate their customers and are willing to go out of their way to make their customers happy – to hopefully make them repeat customers.

This experience has shown me that there really are still places out there that are about the customer and not just about making another sale.

I hope I do the same with my clients. I hope I am able to show them that I truly appreciate their business and try to do everything I can to make sure they leave with less pain and with tools to carry through their days to feel better.

What is it that you like/expect from good customer service?

Referral SPECIAL! :)

I am going to start offering referral specials for clients for the rest of the 2015 year. If you are a client of mine and you refer someone (a friend, family member, colleague, whoever) to me for a session, and they book an appointment, you will get your next session 50% off!! This is a great deal!!! Just for telling a friend how wonderful you felt after coming to a session with me and in return they make an appointment with me, you will receive 50% off your next one hour session. Instead of paying $65 for a one hour session you will receive a one hour session for just $32.50. 

Just be sure to mention to the person you refer to tell me who referred them!

What could be a better deal than this? 

The more referrals you successfully make, the more money you save on your sessions. 

Set Backs...

How do you deal with set backs? How do you keep moving forward? What keeps you motivated so you keep putting one foot in front of the other?

I think, too many times, when something gets tough people throw in the towel. People may see illness or life hurdles as a way to give up. I don’t believe it always has to be. Instead, change your view to see it as a challenge instead of something that is impossible. 

What helps you keep going? Is it motivation from someone else? Is it motivation from inside of yourself? Or is it because you are trying to succeed to help someone or something else grow?

When I start to feel discouraged, I allow myself to fully feel and try to understand the reason I’m feeling discouraged, but then I try to think of ways to move past that. I try to think of ways that might make me feel better so I can pick myself up and keep going forward. 

Finding a way to release the discouraged feeling is important. Writing, playing/singing music, exercising, and/or talking to someone else are all good ways to release unnecessary feelings. The most important part is to find what might work for you.

What helps you to keep moving forward???

Active Isolated Stretching/Strengthening

Active Isolated Stretching

This weekend I attended an Active Isolated Stretching class. We learned ways to help people recover from injuries, help muscles have more range of motion, and increase flexibility.

During this class we were able to work on ourselves and on each other seeing how much of an effect the stretching was having on our mobility. By day 3 we were feeling very limber and moving more freely.  We were able to watch, as we worked on each other, our range of motion increase and pain decrease as we continually did the stretching technique.

A quote taken from Aaron L  Mattes book – Active Isolated Streching: The Mattes Method, “Trauma, overuse, and age are the most common causes of muscle tightness resulting in protective flexor postures.”

As we age we slow down and may develop poor habits like hunched shoulders or our hips may become tight because of changes in our walking habits. This work can help you stand straighter and move with less pain.

Stretching is important for your bodies’ circulation, oxygenation, relaxation, lymphatic circulation, and tissue lengthening. Everyone should incorporate stretching in their daily routines.

We also were instructed on exercises to go along with the stretching that people can do to strengthen the weak areas.  The exercises we learned can help in becoming stronger, improving posture, and decrease pain.

This work is great for anyone who is recovering from an injury or anyone who feels like they can improve performance in various areas of their life.

Goals

I’ve been thinking a lot about goals lately. I’ve never been one to really incorporate that word into my life. For some reason it is not really a word that I like. I would rather change the wording and call them things I’m working on or things I’m putting my energy to. Sometimes I feel that when we call them goals we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. What if a family or health issue prevents us from reaching that “goal?”

That being said there are things that I work towards or put my energy into. I work hard to reach what I set my mind to, but I also cut myself slack if something happens and I can’t do it in the time frame that I had hoped or even at all.

The purpose of this is to continue to grow and continue to find things you are working towards. Even if you can’t reach them for some reason doesn’t mean that you throw in the towel and give up on everything. I think your sight slightly changes.  Maybe the goal changes completely or maybe you have to alter the goal to fit your new circumstances.  No matter what, find something to continue to work towards, or if you choose, a goal you want to achieve. :)

Comfort Zone

6.8.2015         Comfort Zone

When I think of being comfortable the first thing that comes to mind is a big warm blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I love the feeling of warm blankets or of heavy sweaters keeping me warm. They help me feel safe and they help me feel comfortable.

What makes you feel comfortable? Is it feeling safe with a warm blanket or being wrapped up? Or is it something different entirely?

During CranioSacral Therapy you can leave your clothes on – you don’t have to take anything off. If you are cold you can have a warm blanket around you. I want you to be completely comfortable and at ease during the treatment. When your body can completely relax and take in the treatment, you are able to receive all of the benefits and your body is able to unwind and restore to its natural healing state. :)          

Quote for the day/week/month/year/life :)

I found this quote this morning and it seemed to resonate quite deeply with me. This is truly how I wish to live each day. Have a great week everyone!

Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.

- Henri Nouwen

Trying Something New! :)

What makes you say you want to try something new? Is it pain that motivates you? Is it unwanted emotional feelings that make you want to make changes in your life? I’m sure the decision is individual for all of us.

Do you think about trying new things very often? Do you think about how it would feel to not have those heavy weights bogging you down? Imagine how it would feel to be able to walk around with a feeling of lightness instead of a feeling of heaviness. Imagine how it would feel to be able to release the heaviness in a calm and non-invasive space.

CranioSacral Therapy and/or a Massage can help you release your tension – physical and emotional. I create an environment for my clients that is peaceful and non invasive where people can come and relax. If you’re new to CranioSacral we could even mix it with some manual massage techniques. I work by what my clients need each time they come in.

Have a great day and a beautiful weekend!! Call for an appointment to start letting things go today! 828-450-5050

Journaling

                                      Journaling                 

Journaling can be a great way to release stuck emotions or feelings. It’s a way to get things out that you have been having trouble getting out other ways. Journaling is a way to calm the chaos in your head by putting it down on paper or typing it on a computer. Not that journaling will make you forget everything that you have going on in your head, but at least it will calm the chaos by sorting the thoughts out some.

You can rip the paper up to shreds when you are done with it to get the visual that those thoughts are being destroyed. It helps to let go of things this way because it gives you the visual of letting your thoughts go and then ripping them up so they cannot be put together anymore.

Journaling has been helpful for other clients of mine and for myself too. Go ahead and give it a try to see if it helps you too! :)

Top Ten Reasons to Try CranioSacral Therapy :)

Top Ten Reasons to Try CranioSacral Therapy!

1. You suffer from headaches or migraines.

2. You suffer from back, hip or neck pain.

3. You feel bogged down from daily stressors/life.

4. You are experiencing jaw pain or have TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder)

5. Your life is feeling out of balance.

6. You are healing from an injury.

7. You have trouble concentrating on anything.

8.  Your immune system is not as strong as it should be.

9. You are healing from a concussion or a more serious head injury and have your doctor's clearance.

10. You're whole body feels tense and you need some unwinding.

CranioSacral is a non invasive, gentle therapy that works be freeing restrictions in your body to allow your natural healing processes to work. By combining CranioSacral Therapy with gentle massage techniques your body is able to free more restrictions and get to the reason why the pain is there in the first place. Our bodies are amazing in the way that they know how to heal - we just need to give them the optimal space and time.

Right Direction :)

How do you know when you are on the right track? How do you know when you are headed in the right direction? Is there a certain feeling that you get? Or are there signs? How do you know when you are making the right decisions?

Is it when you are taking care of yourself and feeling your healthiest? Is it when you have identified the unnecessary stressors in your life and eliminated them?  What do you have to do to eliminate unnecessary stressors? To eliminate the unnecessary stressors in my life I have to look within myself and find what feels out of balance or what seems like it isn’t working in my life. Sometimes it takes asking others how they feel at different times in their lives. Sometimes it takes asking myself tough questions. Sometimes it takes talking to someone else and dialoguing about ways to find more ease in my life and ways to eliminate stressful things in our lives.

When we eliminate excessive stress and tightness in our life, we make it easier to deal with other issues that need our attention at that time. Through stretching and various forms of bodywork it helps us to move easier through life and focus on things with a clearer head. Sometimes we carry restrictions in our lives without knowing exactly why we are carrying them. Having regular bodywork sessions can be a great way to release our stress and tension and to feel changes in our bodies so we can tell when we start tightening up again.

How do you know when you are moving in the right direction in your life???

Call 828-450-5050 today for an appointment in my NEW and BEAUTIFUL location - 

Center For Yoga - 1780 E Grand River East Lansing MI! Start moving in a less stressful and easier way today! :)

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder - Relief with CranioSacral Therapy

Temporomandibular Disorder (TMJ or TMD) – relief through CranioSacral Therapy

One of the most commonly seen disorders in people who seek CranioSacral Therapy is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD). TMD is what people suffer from when they have had problems with their jaw and the facial muscles that are related to jaw movement. The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects the jaw to the temporal bones of your cranium. These bones are located in front of each ear. These bones allow your jaw to move up and down and also side to side.

If someone has problems such as pain or limited movement with such things as talking, chewing, or yawning, it is likely they have a temporomandibular disorder. Most common symptoms include discomfort in your face, jaw, neck, shoulders, or trouble when trying to talk or when opening your mouth to do things like chewing food. You may hear a pop or a click when opening your mouth. This is a common symptom and is sometimes painful. Also when chewing, your teeth may feel like they are not aligning properly and your bite is uneven.

Some common causes of TMD include injuries to your jaw, the jaw joint, or muscles in your head and neck such as a forceful hit or whiplash from an event like a car accident. The pain can be extreme at times and last for a short while or even as long as several years.

Through a full body assessment during CranioSacral Therapy, I would find what areas of the body are restricted and may be leading to misalignment of your jaw. Most commonly the temporal bones are unstable and not moving properly.  After relieving any restrictions throughout your body such as sacral problems (which can be directly related to jaw issues, or issues in your neck and chest area (thoracic inlet)), I would then go to your cranium and evaluate the cranial bones. If there is a torsion in the sacral area, it can affect your whole body until it is resolved and in correct alignment. Starting at your frontal bone (forehead), I would work my way through the parietal, sphenoid and nasal bones.  I would place more focus on your temporal bones since they are the most common culprits. But without releasing the constraints in the other bones first, the temporal bones do not have as much of a chance to release all of their restrictions. They would not be able to move as freely as they would be able to after the other cranial bones are first moving without limitations.

CranioSacral can give relief to people suffering with TMD relatively soon – depending on how long and how severe it has been an issue. Most people should notice small amounts of relief after only a couple sessions. CranioSacral is a gentle non-invasive technique that uses very light touch to promote changes. By gently relieving the tension in muscles located inside the mouth with gentle techniques, we are “opening the avenue of expression” which can sometimes bring up emotions for people. If people have been having pain associated with their mouths, they haven’t been able to say everything that needs to be said at certain times. Some of their emotions have likely been held in.  When releases occur in the mouth, people may feel more emotional while their bodies realign and get back into balance. This is a normal occurrence and should not be feared. People should allow whatever emotions come up to easily and gently release. 

I would like to end this article with a quote from Dr John Upledger –

“The bottom line could be anything from childhood anxiety that perpetuates into adulthood and causes them to clamp their teeth together hard. Or they could have a little bite off, or they could have a bad low back that ultimately transfers back up into their head and throws their temporomandibular joint balance off.”

I believe that quote says a lot about what all of the possibilities of what could possibly be going on causing jaw pain and dysfunction.

Stephanie A Stanton

LMT, BSNH