Archive for May, 2010

The physical aspects of stress

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Fact: We live in an extremely stressful world.


Fact: Our bodies, on both physical and mental levels, pay the price.


As humans, we are hard-wired to cope with stress. It’s when stress kicks into overload that we face

problems, sometimes large problems.  Stress can disrupt almost all of your bodies processes, putting

you at at increased risk of such heath problems as  heart disease, sleep problems, digestive problems, depression, obesity, memory impairment and the worsening of skin conditions.


Here at the Spa, we offer a variety of services that are conducive to reducing stress in a calm, peaceful

and quiet environment. From the relaxing sound of waterfalls to soothing music, our team is dedicated

to your well being.


The Touch Research Institute research suggests that massage therapy creates a reduction in stress

 levels. It is documented that following a massage, we feel less pain, are less depressed, anxiety levels

decrease, we are less fatigued and have less difficulty falling asleep.


While the benefits of a restful night’s sleep have been readily available, recently the media has turned

its eyes on promoting the benefits with regard to our general happiness, productivity at work, the way

we interact with others and our general outlook on life.


Several treatments at the Spa are classified as preventative care. Look at your insurance to see what is

covered. Your well being is not a luxury, its a necessity.








Ahhhh, the massage

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

I recently took my own advice regarding wellness and booked a massage with Cathy Callahan. You

can’t help but relax when you step into not only the Spa, but her room. The ambiance was great,

 soft light by way of candles, the sound of water, soothing music and a hint of eucalyptus in the air.

Divine. She started the massage by placing moisture therapy under my back, which helped start the

 relaxation process.  I was toast at that point. For 60 minutes Callahan used reflexology, myofascial and

 trigger point/ deep tissue massage.


Within the first several minutes, I was thinking “liquid silver.”  Her movements were so fluid, her hands

 never left my body, even as she replenished the lotion she was using. She did much needed reflexology

on my feet, hands, neck and shoulders. I sit at a computer a good part of every day with my body leaning

forward.  The chest muscles, left unattended, have a tendency to get shorter and shorter. Thank you

Cathy for that, I didn’t know. She worked on stretching those muscles and suggested  using  

backward  motion when doing shoulder rolls.


By the time she had me flip onto my stomach, all was well with the world. The face cradle smelled of

eucalyptus, which took me further into paradise. The thing about deep tissue massage is that

 sometimes the therapist uses their own weight with their elbows to really get deep. I personally am

not fond of that because it hurts. And its hard to relax when you are feeling pain. Cathy used pressure

 points along my spine to get the same effect. Just an easy up and down movement that while firm,

caused no discomfort at all.


She used the moisture therapy under me for both my back and again when I turned on my stomach,

which was a great touch. The deep tissue method is used to release toxins, hence the need for hydration.

Water flushes those toxins out of your system. Something else she shared with me, massage increases

the blood flow by three times of what is usually is.


This isn’t a luxury, removing the stress and eliminating toxins is conducive to your health and allows

you to function better,  no matter what hat you happen to be wearing.






















The benefits of massage

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Once again, I will touch on the importance of health and well being.  The mental aspect as well as the

physical.  Stress plays an important part in your own overall health and in today’s market, stress levels

are through the roof. You can see and hear the results on the local and national news, Internet

and radio. Staggering. What you won’t hear as much about, are the physical aspects.


75- 90% of visits to family physicians are for stress related  problems and the World Health Organization

has identified job related stress as a worldwide epidemic. The National Safety Council estimates that

1 Million American employees are absent from work every day because of stress related problems.

65% of North Americans take prescription medications daily, 43% take mood altering prescriptions

regularly and alcohol use is pretty much off the charts.


There is a reason that preventative medicine is covered by so many insurance carriers….it saves them

time and money.


While the art of massage is often associated with relaxation and  a part of spa treatments, historically

massage has been known as a therapeutic treatment. It  relaxes the muscles and other connective

tissues, eases  aches and pains, and helps restore balance to the body on  physical and mental

 levels. Massage is a main source of natural healing. It nurtures on a physical, emotional and spiritual

levels. When you seek balance on these levels, you increase your levels of health, vitality and harmony.


To be continued….