Take Care of Yourself this Holiday Season

Hi All,

Well, the holidays are closing in on us fast.  Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas will follow a month after.  Of course, there are other holidays as well.  Here in America, it usually gets pretty hectic, as people are shopping for the perfects gifts to give, preparing for holiday meals and get togethers, and of course, going to one or maybe several parties.  Of course, this all happens while you still go to work and live your life.  It's no wonder many people get overwhelmed and even run down and sick, during and after the holiday season.

So that raises the question; how can we take care of ourselves this holiday season?  If you want to enjoy yourself and come out the other side of the holidays in good shape - you need balance.  Go with the flow and try not to overload yourself too often, or at all if you can help it.  Of course for most of us it's easier said than done.  Sometimes you can slip out of a party early or take short planned out shopping trips when you can.  Pull together with others and share the preparation duties when you can.  Try to simplify where you can and not overdo it too much.  As Thoreau said, "Simplify, Simplify, Simplify."

the holidays can be a real balancing act.

Remember the basics; proper rest, good nutrition, take a good multi-vitamin.  But that's not the whole story.  How else do we take care of ourselves?  How about doing something good for yourself?  Get a massage or a reflexology session.  Pamper yourself.  Enjoy a relaxing meal with a friend and then go to a spa for a little pampering.  Remember guys - massage is just as good for men as women.  Plan a little time to just relax and recharge your batteries.

Take time for yourself every day.  Take 20-30 minutes every day to just relax.  Sit down in a comfy chair, close your eyes and just relax; be aware of your breath, in and out.  That's meditating.  When you do that, bring yourself into the present moment.  Let go of the past events of the day and your life, and don't think about the things your need to do or plan for.  Just enjoy the moment.  It's so good for you and it's a good practice all year round.

Sometime or several times during the day, stop and just be grateful for whatever you're doing.  Practice gratitude while you're at work, shopping, relaxing at home, or whatever and wherever you are.  Being in present moment and practicing gratitude will bring you an overall sense of feeling good.  If you're feeling down at all - it may be time to start practicing gratitude every day - I promise - it's helps.

Feed your mind and spirit.  Are you taking time to read?  Take a little time and do some reading.  If you haven't been studying your spiritual texts lately, it's certainly a good time of year to take it up again.  Go to church.  Take a little time for worship.  Of course,  you don't have to go to a formal place of worship to do this, but it's certainly nice to worship with like minded people - or if it's been a while, to try something new.

Get into the holiday spirit.  There's so much commercialization of Christmas, they're ready for it in stores at the end of September; it's hard not to be a little jaded sometimes.  However, don't let it get you down.  Enjoy the season, go to a concert or parade, break bread or have a drink with friends.   Just make the decision in your mind that, "I'm going to enjoy the season, this year!"

These are a few simple ideas to help, "make the season bright."  Have some fun and enjoy....and remember - take care of yourself.  And - remember those less fortunate.  There's much we all can do to help others during the holiday season.

May there be more, "Peace on Earth, good will toward men." this year.

Peace,

Tom

www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com

Massage

Hi All,

Wow - is it a beautiful day in Phoenix, AZ today.  This is why we deal with the long hot summer - because of days like today.  I hope things are going well for all of you and that you're enjoying yourself wherever you are.

I came across this little graphic on facebook recently that lists many benefits of massage.  It got me thinking about my clients that come in and return for regular massage.  The clients I see that come for massage regularly report experiencing many of these benefits in their lives.

Some of the benefits I see and hear about from my clients include - an overall feeling of relaxation; mentally and physically.  They report better sleep and muscles feeling less tense and less painful.  I see and feel the improvement in muscle tension when I work on them.

One of my favorites is better sleep.  Getting a massage or body work, helps you relax and get a good nights sleep.  It's so gratifying when I hear someone tell me they're sleeping better and feeling less tense and sore during the day.

I really enjoy what I do and like that I can help folks heal and feel better.  Check out the graphic - the list of benefits of regular massage and decide for yourself if regular massage would be of value to you.  If so - find the therapist thats right for you, that you like.  Try some different ones out - find the one that makes you feel good, and you will start seeing the benefits of massage.

If I can be of service - call, text, or email for an appointment.  If not - find a licensed massage therapist who give you the massage you like.

I hope this upcoming holiday season is the best ever for you.  Enjoy every day....don't worry about tomorrow or regrets of the past.  Enjoy this day - at work, at play...wherever you're at. 

in gratitude,

Tom

www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com

My Biz - Holistic Therapy Solutions - an update

Hi All,

I hope things are going well for you out there.  Here in AZ - things are pretty good.  I'm keeping busy.  There's always plenty to do.  Some of what's keeping me busy these days is working on building my business by coordinating and participating in some special events.

My business is Holistic Therapy Solutions and I'm a massage and holistic therapist.  I practice massage, craniosacral therapy, reflexology, reiki, and hypnotherapy.  I love working with clients one on one, but it's also good to participate in and coordinate some special events.  The events are great opportunities to meet new friends and network with the public, other practitioners and participants.  I enjoy meeting people and working events.  So today I'd like to highlight some of these.

Social media advertising meme for the upcoming fair.

This coming Saturday we're hosting an Holistic and Intuitive Insights Fair at Beyond Today Co.  I'm hosting and coordinating this event along with Barbara Buck.  We'll have a variety of artisans, body work therapists, intuitives, and other vendors.  Admission is free.  There's something for everyone and it'll be a lot of fun.

An image used for social networking advertising of Reiki/Energy shares.

I've started hosting two Energy/Reiki Shares a month.  One at my new office, Healing Heart Creations on 13 Nov, 6:30-8:30pm.  The other share is at Beyond Today Co. on Sat, 6 Dec from 5-8pm.

What's a Reiki/Energy Share and why do this?  An energy share is where people get together to do energy work on each other.  There are a lot of people who are trained in Reiki and other energy modalities, who want the opportunity to practice with others; not all do this as a primary occupation.  The share gives us all an opportunity to share our gifts and talents with others in a safe, relaxed, fun and non-judgemental environment.  It's also an opportunity to receive energy work from others and it's a good time.  Non-practitioners are welcome to come as well.  Cost for attendance - donation.

Social media advertising meme for Public Healing Day.

We recently held a public healing day at Beyond Today Co.   This is a Saturday, where we open up to the public, to come and try our services.  Most practitioners will offer shorter sessions of their healing modalities for donation only.  It's a great day for people to try some complementary therapies and holistic therapies that they might not otherwise try.  It's also a public service day for us where we can give back to the community.

Me - Tom Kreienbrink, LMT and owner of
Holistic Therapy Solutions, LLC.

If you're in Phoenix this weekend - stop by Beyond Today Co. and check out our holistic fair.  I hope you have a great week.  Let me know if you'd like more info about these events or my services.  I'm here to serve.

Peace,

Tom

www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com
https://www.facebook.com/HolisticTherapySolutions

Happy Halloween

Hi All,

Happy Halloween.  Hope you're having some fun with it.  Here in Arizona and all over the country, Halloween has become a huge holiday.  People really get into the spirit of it; dressing up in costumes, decorating their yards and houses, kids have always gone door to door trick or treating.  A lot of people have parties and cities throw events too.  And of course - there's the spooky movies.

I thought I'd get in on the action a little and do a fun Halloween pic.  It's the old-school skull with red glowing eyes and Happy Halloween on it.

This years Halloween pic - digital art, Photoshop and Wacom tablet.

I had a little fun drawing it and coloring it in Photoshop with my pen and Wacom tablet.  Good times.
Enjoy your Halloween out there.  Be careful - there's going to be a lot of little ones out there walking around.

A little throw back pic from last year....spooky jack o lantern head.

Take care and have a fun Halloween.

Peace,

Tom

Smoothie - Great Way to Start Your Day

Hi All,

Hope you're having a great week.  Nice warm sunny day here in Phoenix - pretty much like that every day.  I can't complain.  Life is good.  And I am so blessed to live in a great city like this.

One of the things I'm grateful for is all of the great produce that's available around here.  One really good way to start your day is with a smoothie - a fruit (and maybe vegetable), shake.

The photo above shows smoothies that I made for my wife Sue and I yesterday morning.  They included - apples, celery, and some mixed organic frozen berries (raspberries, blackberries, and others).  I also put in a little almond milk.  I blended it all up into a delicious and refreshing breakfast treat.

Not only do smoothies taste great, but a drink like this is loaded with vitamins and nutrients.  There are a lot of resources out there where you can find out the exact nutrients.  One of my favorites is www.WHFoods.com.  It's the website for The Worlds Healthiest Foods.  Great site - check it out.  I've got the book as well - about 15 pounds and 850 pages of in-depth nutritional info....good stuff.

The great thing about smoothies is you can use just about anything you have on hand - fruit, vegetables, honey, peanut butter, milk, yogurt, etc.  One of my favorite ingredients is fresh baby spinach.  It's so nutritious and tastes great in a smoothie.

Here's to you, and your health.  Get out that blender - and mix up a tasty nutritious treat.  Your body will thank you.

Have a great week everyone.  Enjoy yourself and enjoy those around you too.

Peace,

Tom

www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com
www.facebook.com/HolisticTherapySolutions

Cartooning - Mr. Rodgers

Hi All,

I just finished a cartoon drawing of Aaron Rodgers (of the Green Bay Packers).  It combines two lifelong loves of mine; The Packers football team and Cartooning.

Since I was a young boy I loved cartoons and comic strips and I was always a Packers fan.  The Packers were the local heros where I grew up, and I still cheer for them (win or lose).  I also loved cartoons and drawing cartoons.  I would copy pictures of Snoopy and others, as well as making up my own characters.

My favorite cartoons growing up were Peanuts and probably Beatle Bailey (as a young boy), and Doonesbury was one of my favorites as I got into my teens.  Of course there are many others that I enjoyed - as well as Batman and Archie comic books.

Pen and Ink, photographed and partially colored in Photoshop on computer.

I've been playing with this piece off and on for about a month and a half.  I start out with bristol board, pencil and eraser.  Then I created a pen and ink cartoon.  I took a photo of it with my phone camera (hadn't purchased the new printer/scanner yet).  And - as you can see above, started cleaning it up and coloring the toon.

I do most of this with the brush tool in Photoshop.  I was working on this for fun and wasn't in a big hurry, so taking the extra time on this piece gives it a real hand drawn look (because it really is).  I use other tools and know of many other more efficient ways - I'm telling you how I did this picture, and it's a slower process for sure.

Finished artwork of Aaron Rodgers immortalized in a cartoon.

When the actual cartoon character is finished, I work the lettering.  I clean up the letters and use selection tool and airbrush to get the effect.  Finally I use custom brushes, layers, and transparency levels to put a nice background together.  Simple and fun.

Have fun with the cartoons.  The beauty of cartooning is you can do it anywhere and just about at any time.  All you need is a drawing implement and something to draw on.

Have a great week.  Go Packers!!

Peace,

Tom

www.behance.net/tk-art

Flu Season's Coming...Take Care of Yourself

Hi All,

How are you doing?  How's your transition into fall?  Here, the palm leaves don't turn colors, and very few other trees lose leaves.  It's cooling off a little and we're easing into another season - the not so hot season.  However - even in AZ, colds and flu still go around.  You still need to care for yourself or get sick.

At Beyond Today Co, (one of my office locations), there's an amazing Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Katie Nuckolls.  She's a naturopath who practices general family medicine.  She's excellent - and I recommend her.  A wonderful person and top notch physician.

She recently blogged about the 5 things you can do to help get thru Flu season.  Great recommendations and sound holistic medicine.

You should check out her website and blog... http://horizonnaturalmedicine.com/

The following is Dr. Nuckolls' blog post on the 5 things you can do to stay healthy during flu season.

Enjoy - and take care of yourself.

First of all, whether it is flu season or not, we are all exposed to thousands of disease-causing microbes every single day, and we have been exposed to them since the day we were born. If the simple presence of a virus or bacteria in our vicinity was enough to cause disease, we would all be sick every day of our lives. But the truth is that it’s not about the bugs, it’s about us. Micro-organisms only grow when conditions are right for them: in bodies where the immune system and other tissues are already damaged and weak.  So while it is important to be well-informed and practice good hygiene, I believe that the most important way to combat the flu and other contagious illnesses is to keep your body and your immune system strong.  How do you do that? Check out my 5 easy tips below.

1. Keep your gut healthy:
   1. There is a direct link between gut health and immune health. This is one of the main reasons I focus on healing the gut first with almost all of my patients. One of your body’s primary defense systems is the “good bacteria” that form a physical barrier on the wall of your intestines so that dangerous bacteria and viruses cannot enter into the bloodstream. If your gut barrier is strong, dangerous bugs will literally just pass on through without finding anywhere to attach to and cause disease. Two of the most effective ways to keep your gut healthy this flu season are to identify and avoid food allergens and take a good quality probiotic supplement daily.
2. Vitamin D:
   1. Vitamin D plays an important role in immune system, and many studies show that supplementation can reduce your risk of getting the flu. One of the main sources of vitamin D is sunlight. Our exposure to the sun is much less in the winter months, and this may be part of the reason why we are more prone to colds and flus during this time. Getting your vitamin D level checked with your doctor and supplementing if needed is a great way to keep your immune system functioning optimally.
3. Exercise:
   1. Getting regular exercise has a significant effect on your immune system. Studies show that moderate exercise (like brisk walking, jogging, or weight training) 3-4 times per week lowers your risk for getting sick. Just be careful not to take it too far; overtraining can actually lower your immune system and make you more susceptible to infection.
4. Berries:
   1. Many different species of berries have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-viral properties that help to keep your immune system strong. While fresh berries can be hard to find during the winter months, frozen berries are always available. For a stronger immune-enhancing effect, I use concentrated berry extracts like black elderberry, which has been shown in scientific studies to significantly increase immune system activity.
5. Homeopathic Flu Prevention:
   1. For the past 150 years, homeopathic physicians have been using the remedy Influenzinum as a preventative treatment for the flu. In the same way that the flu shot changes every year, a new batch of Influenzinum is produced yearly using the flu virus strains recommended by the World Health Organization. In 1998, the French Society of Homeopathy conducted a survey of 23 homeopathic doctors who used Influenzinum as a flu preventive in their practices (Coulamy, 1998). The results of this survey were quite incredible. In approximately 90% of the cases no instances of the flu occurred when Influenzinum was used preventively, and when the patients themselves were surveyed, 98 percent expressed a desire to take the same preventive treatment the following year.

The bottom line is this: no matter what the season, the secret to staying disease-free is to focus on your HEALTH and make yourself and your well-being a priority. Small changes can make all the difference. If you are interesting in learning more about the therapies listed above or have questions about what natural medicine can do for you, call 602-359-2893 and schedule a free 15 minute consult with Dr. Katie at Horizon Natural Medicine.