Posts by whitewillow
Walk WITH your feet, not ON your feet
Do you ever look at a cheetah and think, “Man, I hope that little guy doesn’t hurt himself, running without the proper shoes.” Of course you don’t, because you’re not insane. Cheetahs are meant to run, and already have everything in their little feet that they need to run quickly and efficiently. But frequently when people begin running, they set out on a quest to find the perfect running shoe for them, the one that will keep their knees safe and stave off plantar fasciitis- the ultimate shoe. Why is that? Human beings are naturally gifted runners, with early man often literally running after their prey until the animal died from exhaustion. There are even a few tribes in the world that still utilize this method.
Today, few people can outrun a house cat without making their knees ache or their heels hurt. Even very experienced runners have frequent trouble with their ligaments, tendons, and joints. How did the human race have survive in a time running was necessary to live, when most people can’t run more than a mile without a professional trainer and specialized shoes?
Chris McDougall, author of Born to Run, has done a lot of research into the matter. You can read his whole argument here, or you can read my summary and get on with your life much sooner.
Basically, it comes down to money. Mild mannered citizens began running in the 70s for fun -tracking prey now unnecessary- and people wanted some specific running shoes so they wouldn’t scuff up their nice work ones. Nike started by making shoes that were basically comfortable foot coverings, but people love technology. Soon the market was filled with highly advanced, heavily cushioned, feather light, arch-supporting future shoes. They sold themselves. And the longer we let our feet relax in these luxury recliners of shoes, the more they became like anyone who spends all day in a luxury recliner: weak and lazy.
I urge not just runners, but every person with feet to read McDougalls reports, and I have a few things to add as a bodyworker as well. I can tell when someone wears barefoot style shoes or spends a lot of time barefoot. They have muscles in their feet. I work barefoot and walk everyday (on concrete sidewalks) in flat, thin soled shoes. I do arch exercises. I never have foot pain. I feel the foot musculature of all sorts of people, and the one thing that people with muscular feet have in common is that they never mention them. Foot pain is rare for these people, yet rampant among the masses.
If there is one thing I want you to know, it’s that weakness leads to pain. Weak back muscles lead to slumped shoulders leads to back and neck pain, etc. Most shoe companies would like you to believe that you need to spend $200 to have comfortable feet, but perhaps you could instead spend 10 minutes a day exercising, as you would for any other pain caused by weakness. Everyone’s situation and every body is different, but hopefully you will consider increasing the function of your feet before you increase the padding in your shoes.
How to Survive the Holidays: A Guide for Introverts
So you’ve made it through Thanksgiving. For an introvert, no easy feat. It was loud. It was messy. It was sensory overload! Aunt Gertrude told the same story for the millionth time and you laughed like it was the first time you’d ever heard it. Your sister, who seems to be immune to the sound of banshees wailing, let her three darling children run amok while you pretended not to notice. You deserve a pat on the back. Well done, you!
But wait. There’s more. That’s right, winter is coming, and it’s bringing the whole family.
Whether you consider yourself an introvert, an empath, or just a sensitive person, the holidays can be tough, if not downright miserable. Fear not, quiet-loving friends, we’ve got just the remedy.
1. Make the emergency grocery runs. If you realize you’re suddenly out of butter, offer to go to the grocery to pick it up. The store may be hectic, but the trip to and fro in your quiet car could be enough of a reprise to get you back on your feet.
2. Offer to do the dishes. Kick all of the aunties out of the kitchen and tell them you’d like to take over with the cleaning. They can take their coffee and chitchat to the other room and you can get some much-needed alone time. Plus, once you get in the groove, washing dishes can be meditative. As you rinse the dishes, imagine that you, too, are getting rinsed of excess energy and negativity. Let it trickle down the drain.
3. Take a break. If your get-together spans several days, plan to take a few mini breaks throughout the holiday. Take a long bath. Go see a movie. Go to bed early and curl up with a good book. It’s not selfish to take good care of yourself.
4. Take the trash out, and while you’re at it, go for a little stroll. No one will notice that you’re gone for the amount of time it takes you to walk around the block. With each breath, imagine you’re blowing out your frustrations and anxieties. With each step, imagine that you’re drawing grounding energy up from the earth.
5. If you mean “no”, say “no”. You don’t have to host dinner if you don’t want to. You don’t have to travel if you don’t want to. “No.” is a complete sentence all on its own. You don’t owe any explanations.
6. Plan a reward for yourself after the holidays are over- something decadent to look forward to. We recommend a massage!
To any extroverts reading, we don’t mean to leave you out. This is your time to shine! We appreciate the vibration that you bring. We thank you for being the social glue that keeps us all united. Pass the eggnog, social butterfly.
No matter what your holiday plans, we hope you have a good one. Remember that this is a season of light. Our wish for you is that every shimmering light on your path will fill your heart, even in the darkest of crevices, with joy. Happy holidays!
The Psychology of Folding Your Pants
What do you do with your clothes when you take them off to get bodywork? The answer may say a lot about your personality. Or it might not. We’re massage therapists, not psychologists. But that doesn’t stop us from guessing.
The Tidy Cat
You are an organized mind. You are likely one of those people who can’t sleep knowing there are dishes in the sink. Recognize that it may be easier for you to relax when everything is in it’s place, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You would probably make a fantastic (if not a bit pushy) roommate.
The Orderly Shadow
You’re neat and orderly, but also shy about your place in the world. You don’t want to make a mess or take up too much space. You would probably prefer if most people around you didn’t realize you were here, so you can quietly fade into the shadows. There’s nothing wrong with thriving in the background, but remember that you’re entitled to as much space as anyone else, and sometimes a bit of a mess can be therapeutic (you can clean it up later, don’t worry).
The Raptured
I don’t know exactly what to say about this one. It’s rare, and the people who do it seem to have little in common with each other. Perhaps we need a real psychologist’s opinion here. Until then, my guess is that if you do this, you like to pretend that your clothes are people.
The Body Shy
You leave on all your clothes for whatever reason. That’s fine. Do what makes you comfortable. But remember, you’ll probably get a better massage the more we can reach, so if your reason for keeping covered is that you think you’re too fat/sweaty/wrinkley/pimpley/hairy/moley/bony/whatever, believe me, you’re not. No one is too any of those things to enjoy a massage. Really. We’ve seen everything, and it’s normal. You would be weird if you were flawless.
The Hot Mess
You’re a free spirit, confident in your place in the world. You’re probably a lot of fun at parties, but a lot less fun to live with. Remember, there’s no shame in calling a housekeeper.
*All statements have been made up by a bored massage therapist who knows very little about psychology and should not be listened to for any reason beyond being similarly bored.
New: Acupuncture in house!
We’re excited to announce the newest addition to our healing team. Bluegrass Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine is now located at White Willow! Holly Christiansen, board-certified and licensed acupuncturist, is available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture, a form of centuries-old Chinese medicine, is good for every body. Not only does it keep the body and mind healthy, it’s also relaxing. Yep, you heard that right. acupuncture is relaxing. Both Charley and Arielle have acupuncture regularly and we often recommend it for a lot of our massage clients. As you might expect, the big question is usually “But doesn’t it hurt?” Nope! Well, maybe sometimes, but just a little. The needles are tiny. Almost hair-thin. Sometimes there’s a quick sting when the needles hit a good spot, but only for a second. That’s it! If you have a needle phobia, don’t worry, you can still benefit from Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine is more than just needles; there’s also Chinese herbs, cupping, and moxibustion, and other healing treatments.
We massage therapists are no experts at Chinese medicine, so to learn more, you should hear it from the acupuncturist directly. The following information is taken directly from Bluegrass Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine:
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is used to treat a wide variety of health concerns at Bluegrass Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine. TCM has been used successfully for thousands of years and is known to help:
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chronic & acute pain (low back, mid-back, hip, sciatic, neuropathic, shoulder, neck, knee, ankle, elbow, hand, finger, arthritis, degenerative joint disorder, herniated discs, sprains, strains, fractures, etc.)
- migraines & headaches
- stress, depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, over-thinking, over-worrying
- menstrual issues, PCOS, spotting, amenorrhea, fertility issues (known or otherwise), PMS, PMMD, menopause related issues, hot flashes, night sweats, etc.
- skin issues, rashes, urticaria, acne, eczema, etc.
- gastrointestinal issues, IBS, Crohn’s, Celiac, heartburn, gas, bloating, inflammation, allergies, sensitivities, weight issues, eating disorders, etc.
- chemotherapy/radiation side-effects, nausea, anemia
- insomnia
- flus, colds, viruses, immune system strengthening, jet-lag
TCM is a holistic medicine, so it treats the entire body and promotes healing from the inside out.
Next time you’re in the office, be sure to say hello to Holly!
Charley’s Summer Salsa Recipe
One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh veggies and herbs. When it’s too hot to cook in the kitchen, try this salsa for something fresh and bright.
Charley’s Summer Salsa:
- 1 each: green, yellow, and orange pepper- diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper- seeds removed and chopped
- 1 red onion- diced
- 3 roma tomatoes- seeds removed and chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro- roughly chopped
- 3 limes- juiced
- salt to taste
Combine your veggies in a bowl and mix well. This salsa tastes great the next day or even with just a couple of hours of downtime while the flavors combine. Be careful with the jalapeno. My advice is to taste it first. If it’s too hot, cut the pepper in large chunks and remove from the bowl before serving. I served this salsa with black refried beans topped with avocado and blue corn tortilla chips for dipping. Tasty!
Crafty Night at White Willow
We had our first craft night last month and it was a blast! If you missed it, don’t fret, we’re doing it again this month. Until then, you’ll have to make due with the photo documentation of the event. Armed with a glass of wine and an iPhone, Charley snapped a few blurry photos for your viewing pleasure:
We all had a great time and we intend to make this a regular monthly event. Come craft with us! Our next crafty night will be Thursday, April 28th at 6pm. Click here to RSVP.
Journey of a Frantic Girl: Meditation
Several months ago I wrote a blog post titled On Being Present: Struggles of a Frantic Girl. Since then, as promised, I’ve continued to walk to work, which takes me about thirty minutes. However, during the coldest winter weather, I didn’t walk as much as I’d hoped. But this isn’t a story of failure or of struggle. No, my friends, mine is now a story of a journey.
Since October I’ve been on a journey to get healthy in my mind and in my body. Walking to work allowed me time and space to clear my mind and get my body moving, but when the weather got in the way, I found that I was really missing my daily commute. I realized that it had become meditative for me. In lieu of the walks, I started meditating almost daily. When you’ve got a mind as busy as mine, meditation is no easy task. I’d always heard that meditating meant that you sit down, be quiet, and remove all of the thoughts from your mind. For me, an impossible task! My mind is bustling with constant thought and chatter, many conversations happening all at the same time. Even quieting one layer of thought in my mind proves quite the challenge. One day, I had an epiphany. I was listening to a podcast, I cant remember which one, and the host said something like “Meditation isn’t about erasing all of your thoughts, it’s about narrowing your focus onto one thing. One thought. A mantra. A candle flame. Your breath. Whatever works for you, put all of your attention on that thing until it’s the only thing you see, hear, or feel.”
Whoa. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that my life was changed by that brief suggestion. Since then I’ve tried different ways of meditating and I’ve found success with most of them. My favorite way to meditate is so fun that I almost think it’s cheating: Guided meditation~ Guided meditation, if you don’t already know, is when you take a little daydreaming trip through your mind’s eye. The meditation can be either guided by another person or recording, or self-guided.
Luckily! We’ve teamed up with Brandon of Ethereal Daydream. This coming Monday, April 11, 2016 at 6pm, Brandon is offering a meditation in our office. Please come! Donations benefiting Seven Generations Community will be accepted. Seven Generations, if you haven’t heard, is a community focused on sustainability and bettering our local community. You might remember way back in July when we teamed up with them for a downtown trash walk.
To reserve your spot at the meditation, please RSVP via Facebook here. We’ll see you Monday!
-Charley Caudill, LMT
Breanna Sees The Grandest of Canyons
Last month, my husband and I decided we wanted to see the Grand Canyon. This was a little bit fueled by the fact that two of the characters in my favorite tv show took a similar trip and it reminded me that it is in fact possible to get to the west side of the country by car.
Last week, we packed up my Yaris and left. We saw a lot of cool stuff along the highway, a lot of western landscape (so flat!) and, of course, the Grand Canyon. The canyon was honestly dizzying to look at; my brain couldn’t understand that sort of distance.
There was a lot to see along the way, including the worlds largest rocking chair and a plaza that had fudge, candy, burlesque shows, and a dinosaur. The highway is an odd place for sure. In Texas I saw my first tumbleweed, which was extremely exciting, and in Sedona they keep their lights low enough at night that you can see the stars.
If you want to make this fun journey yourself sometime, I have a few tips that helped us get through being in the car for pretty much 5 days straight.
-We brought a bag of apples, a couple packs of cans of V8, a bag of carrots, a bunch of bananas, a container of peanutbutter and a 2.5 gallon container of water. I’m telling you, nothing tastes better than some V8 when you’ve been eating fast food all day. Sweet nutrients.
-We brought a ton of music and podcasts. It takes about 26 hours each way to get to the canyon and back. Stock your mp3 player accordingly.
-We drove through as much of Oklahoma in the dark as we could so we wouldn’t have to look at it. (Kidding! Sort of…)
By the end of our trip back, we had both sort of forgotten what it was like to not be in a car. If we went west again, which we fully plan to, we would definitely plan to spend about 2 weeks on our trip so we could chill out and spend time in different cities. But people voice regrets all the time about how they didn’t see enough of the world before their job got hectic, they had kids, what have you, so we figured now was better than never.
Charley’s Winter Salad Recipe
I recently made the best salad in the world! Okay, I’ve got to give a little credit to my brother, Brandon the chef, who gave me the idea of using seasonal produce rather than the standard salad ingredients. This salad will give you life!
Ingredients:
- Arugula
- Bacon or veggie bacon
- Beets
- Pears
- Red onion
- Goat cheese
- Fig balsamic dressing
Directions:
Start with roasting your beets at 425 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Once they’ve cooled, slice them. Chop the bacon and fry it, starting with a cool pan. Slice the pears and red onion. Assemble the salad in a large bowl, crumble the goat cheese on top, and toss to distribute the ingredients. This salad has enough flavor to stand on its own, but I topped mine with Whole Foods’ 365 fig balsamic dressing. Enjoy!
-Charley Caudill, LMT
Let Your Cares Float Away…
Have you ever felt like your daily stresses are actually weighing you down? What if I told you that there is a therapy out there that can and will dissolve your stress so deeply that you feel like a brand new person afterwards? Well, it exists, and it is called Sensory Deprivation Therapy. Sounds kind of scary, but it is an incredibly valuable and relaxing experience.
So, what is it exactly? Sensory Deprivation is designed to reset the mind and body in a zero-sensory environment. No sound, no light, no physical stimulation. Just pure, unadulterated consciousness.
Float tanks are chambers that are filled with around 800 pounds of epsom salts and water the same temperature as your resting body rate. The epsom salts’ purpose is to make your body completely buoyant. The temperature is a very important aspect, for the goal is to lose the sensation of having a physical body so that you can delve into your essence, or pure consciousness. It can be a jarring experience at first, but once you can relax it is a beautifully harmonizing place to be.
I recently traveled to Colorado and gratified my curiosity with a float session. I was hoping to have an experience where I could be fully supported by water and to provide space to dissolve into my being. After I settled into my float, I started to realize just how much tension I hold in my spine, especially my neck! With some mindful breathing and conscious corrections I started to trust the water and to let go and feel that deep, chronic tension melt away. I cannot express the deep sense of relief this brought to me. Now that my body was totally at peace, I could start to work on my mind. A lot of re-programming of the consciousness can occur in the tank. Whether that is to just silence the inner chatter or to go down to the root of some of your core issues. I was so deeply relaxed and I even drifted out of my body a few times. Each time I came back I had a deeper sense of oneness and calm.
Upon exiting the tank after 90 minutes I felt like a brand new baby! My mind was crystal clear and receptive and my body felt like it had been resting for years. What an incredible feeling.
We don’t realize how much sensory stimulation is thrown in our faces every day. To be in an an environment where there is nothing but your own mind can be scary, but it can also provide us with the healing that we cannot acquire anywhere else. I found floating to be just the reset that I needed.
Floats are known to help :
- Stress relief
- Muscular pain
- Rheumatism
- Chronic pain
- Fatigue
- Fertility
- High blood pressure
- Migraine headache
- Jet lag
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Back pain
- Depression
- Pre-menstrual tension
- Post-natal depression
Lexington now has several float tanks at Source on High! Go try it out for yourself and see if you benefit the way I did.
Happy floating~~~
Arielle Ferrell, LMT