KBrink Design

Hi All,

I hope you all are having a good Holiday Season.  I had an excellent Christmas and looking forward to a good New Year.  It's even been a little like winter here (northern tier folks - don't laugh too hard).  Anyhow - I'd like to announce a new design start up that I'm involved with....KBrink Design.

KBrink Design Logo

KBrink Design is the brainchild of my son Andy.  Andy is an artist and designer with experience working in screen printing and some work with punk rock band logo and flier design.  We've talked about collaborating on a business for a while, but the timing was never quite right.  However, this time the timing seems good.

Here's the idea that he had for the business.  We would focus on the markets/areas where his interest lies.  Punk and Rock n Roll Bands, Horror Movies, and related topics.  We'll be putting together products for sale at Horror Cons, Comic Cons, and on-line.  TShirts, buttons, stickers, artwork prints, original artwork, etc.  We'll also be providing original designs, artwork and products for clients.

I bring most of the experience to the project.  The knowledge of the industry, artwork production techniques, and thing of that nature.  We're already working on products and designs and will be open for business at an event soon.  Updates to come soon.

Have a great day and Happy New Year.

Peace,

Tom

Expectations and Attachments; a Holiday Trap.

Hi All,

Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, Seasons Greetings....etc, etc....  I hope you're enjoying the Holiday Season, whatever you celebrate.  We've had a nice little taste of winter here in Phoenix, AZ this year.  It's been on the cool side - and I'm loving it.  I hope wherever you are, things are going well.

I got up early this morning and was doing a few things around the house, before going in to work with a client.  It was peaceful and quiet, and my thoughts turned to the expectations and attachments that we can sometimes have around the holidays.  Those are two things that can be a huge trap for resentments and disappointment during what should be a festive season of joy.  Because I've fallen into this trap before, (several times), I thought it might be a timely topic for the blog.

When we're kids, so often we had expectations of Santa Clause, friends and relatives bringing toys and gifts for us.  When I was growing up, we had a routine - Christmas Eve we went to church and while gone, Santa came and delivered presents.  After church we had treats, opened gifts, enjoyed family, and had a great time.  Expectations met, right?  What if we were really attached to recieving a certain special gift - and didn't get it?  If we got it, what if it didn't live up to the hype?  What if it got broken shortly after recieving it?  Sometimes the disappointment could be pretty big. 

As adults we can have expectations and attachments that set us up for disappointment also.  These expectations may not even seem unreasonable.  However - are we attached to them so much that when things change we have a resentment?  It's a trap, and especially easy to fall into during this season of peace and love.

Here are some examples many of us can relate to.  We may make plans with friends and relatives and excitedly look forward to them... then, they cancel.  We may be counting on a particular special gift from someone near and dear...and they don't deliver.  Are we attached sometimes to Holiday traditions going off in a particular fashion...but then they just doesn't measure up to past celebrations?  These can be a sure fire way to become sad, angry or even resentful.  It's happened to me before, (more than once), and probably has happened to a lot of us.

So this Holiday Season, I'll be celebrating Christmas with my family as usual.  Sue and I go to church on Christmas Eve, exchange gifts with the family Christmas morn and enjoy other festivities.  There are things I need to do to keep my expectations and attachments in check, so I can just enjoy the season.  The first thing is obvious - take a look at myself.  Am I attached to people, places, things, events?  Do I have expectations for any of these?  If so, who or what am I judging? What I need to do is release these; let these go.  When I do, I release myself from them.

When I'm in the middle of the Holidays what can I do to stay centered and feeling good?  For me, I find I need to remain flexible.    I find that I need to go with the flow.  This means not being rigid or attached to things going my way.  Things change and sometimes they don't go the way we want them to.  Relax, take a deep breath and just enjoy the ride.  For me, so many times situations like that turn out better than my expected agenda.

The last thing is, remember to fill your heart with gratitude.  There's always something to be grateful for.  A quick prayer of gratitude or carrying an attitude of gratitude with me always makes me feel good.  It just seems to work that way.  It's been said, nothing changes the energy of a situation like gratitude.  I find that true in my own life.

Enjoy the Holidays.  I hope you find joy and peace and happiness this Season of Celebration.  Take a little time to be grateful and enjoy those around you.  While you're celebrating, remember to keep an eye on how you're feeling.  If you start to feel a little out of sorts...perhaps you might take a look at any expectations you're having, or are you attached to anything?  Regardless of the details - you may just have the best Christmas (or other Holidays), ever.

Enjoy.

Peace and Love,

Tom

Great Easy Holiday De-Stress and Energizing Ideas

Hi All,

Seasons Greetings...I hope your holiday season is shaping up to be a good one.  Things are pretty good here in Phoenix.  It's an amazing and beautiful time of the hear here.  Whether you celebrate Christmas (as I do), or whatever holidays...I hope they're happy and blessed.

Earlier this evening, a friend of mine shared these images with my wife and myself.  She thought I might find them helpful...and I agree.  These are nice little ideas for relaxing, energizing and letting go of stress and tension.  These are from Dr. Oz's "The Good Life," magazine, and also on line at www.DrOzTheGoodLife.com.  Check it out.

Below are some very easy to to beginner yoga moves that can help you de-stress during this hectic Holiday Season, or anytime.  Enjoy...

Peace,

Tom

Some Thoughts...

Hi All,

I've got some thoughts about all the shootings in our country and violence around the world as well.  I thought I'd jot some down and see if it makes sense.  My heart goes out to the people of San Bernadino and Colorado Springs...and people and communities around the country affected by gun violence.

Typically, we're peace loving people, here in the USA.  We also have rights to buy and own guns.  Many times, people take guns and lash out at other people, the community, etc, with firearms.  So the question is; what can we do about it?  As a nation, as an individual, as a community?

As an individual, what can we do?  Do you know your neighbors - most? any of them?  Can we reach out to neighbors who we don't know?  Can we reach out to people at work, who we don't know...like the person who may seem sad, isolated or angry? What would happen if we showed some of these folks some kindness, compassion, etc?  Would that change things in some small way?  Conversely - when we're at odds with people who are a little different than us; perhaps we don't understand them or agree with them about issues of race, religion, country, and the like.  If we show them hostility because of that, does that solve anything?  Does that make things better in any way?  Or does each side walk away with strengthened resolve?  Could this push someone over the edge? (don't assume that I'm removing personal responsibility from people...just asking some questions).

What is it that drives a person to shoot up a church, a school, a healthcare facility, or to kill anyone?  Hatred, fear, feeling isolated and persecuted, anger, feeling powerless; all of these play a part.  Many of the people who carry out these shootings are mentally ill and need help.

What do you see in your neighborhood?  Keep your eyes open.  People rarely act out in a vacuum.  If you see suspicious activity, report it to the authorities.  Who knows, you could prevent something bad from happening.  It doesn't mean we have to be prying into peoples business - just be aware of your environment.

As communities - we can be alert in our communities as well.  Perhaps we're part of a spiritual community.  We can pray for our neighbors, countries and the world.  Prayer is powerful.

Does the community have a responsibility to help people who suffer from mental illness and don't have the insurance or money to cover it?  Are there resources available in your community? Can we pull together a little bit more as communities and can this prevent tragedy?

How about as a nation?  Can we pass some legislation to address the unfettered access to firearms in this country?  Should we?  Some say yes, some adamantly say we should do nothing.  Unfortunately, here in the US, many of our politicians are beholden to lobbyists and special interests like the National Rifle Association, who are vehemently opposed to any gun legislation - however small.  I was a member of the NRA as a kid.  Back then it was about gun safety and hunting - now it's something much different.  Can we as a nation, continue to have a free society, and balance gun rights with some restrictions that may keep some guns out of the hands of folks who would do harm to others?  It seems to me that there has to be a middle ground, where we don't overreact, where we find some solutions and common sense actions we can take.  Does this mean I oppose people's right to keep and bear arms?  No, of course not.  Does this mean I'm calling for the government to round up the guns?  No - absolutely not.  Should all Americans have access to all the assault rifles and military gear they want; no questions asked?  Does that sound like a good idea?  Not to me.  Does that make me anti-gun rights?  No...of course not.  So can we make changes?  Changes that make sense?  I'd like to think our politicians can put partisan bickering aside and get to work on this.

Now, I'm not removing responsibility from the people carrying out shootings/killings.  People have to be accountable for their actions.  I don't have a pollyanna view of the world, (some will think so).  I'm disturbed by the constant mass shootings in our country that happen every week (sometimes every day).

There's also so much hate speech out there as well.  There's politician suggesting that Muslims should be registered (like sex offenders??).  There was a suggestion that Muslims should have some kind of identifier so they could be identified on sight.  Tell me - does this solve anything?  I feel like this will cause more and more resentment and hard feelings.  We have 15 or 20 million American citizens who are Muslims and how many of these domestic terrorism acts were carried out by them...3 or 4 over the years?  How many mass shootings have we had in this country this year so far?  35.  Think about it.

We've got some issues....we really need cool heads to prevail and we need leaders with the sense and the courage to do what needs to be done.  And again - there are things each of us can do.  Fear and hate are not going to help anything.  We need solutions...and we need to stand on our principles.

I hope and pray that we can pull together in these times, not fall apart.  God bless you all.

Peace and love,

Tom

Himalayan Salt Lamp - Why Have them?

Hi All,

I hope you're all having a great day.  Here in Phoenix, summer is finally over and it's a welcomed change.  Of course further up north, your weather is changing and winter is coming.  Enjoy it - every day....even if you have snow and cold.

As a massage and holistic therapist, I like to write about topics that promote health and well being.  Of course, the therapies I provide can be huge for health and healing, but they're only a piece of the picture.  Good nutrition, exercise, meditation, spiritual care, and any way you take care of yourself all help.  Clean air is also important and that's my focus today.

Standard Himalayan Salt Lamp

One thing that helps clean the air in your house and is a good looking decorative item is the Himalayan Salt Lamp.  Turning the light in these lamps on actually helps clean the air we breathe.  The lamp is made from a chunk of Himalayan salt, hollowed out, with a light bulb inside.  When you turn the light on, the bulb lights up the rock salt lamp and works it's magic.

So, how does this all work, you may wonder?  When heated, the Himalayan Salt works to clean the air by emitting negative ions.  In the world we live in today, we have computers, TVs, microwave ovens and electronics of all kinds.  These electronic devices emit positive ions into the air.  The negative ions from the lamp neutralize the positive ones, creating a cleaner and healthier environment in your house.

Too many positive ions in your living space can be hard on you.  They stress the body, can make you feel sluggish and cause or increase insomnia.  Positive ions are also said to increase anxiety, brain fog, and help the body accumulate free radicals, (not a good thing).

There are different styles of Himalayan Salt Lamps

Using the Himalayan Salt lamps will help clean the air by emitting negative ions into the air - neutralizing the positive.  This will help you to relax, breathe better and sleep better.  These negative ions are reported to reduce allergies and reduce the amount of allergens in the air.  Cleaner air = you feeling better.

There are different kinds of lamps to chose from (as shown in the photo above).  You may want more than one lamp in your house, as each lamp will only be effective for a certain amount of space.  You'll have to look and pick out the one (or one's), that are right for you.

Himalayan Salt is good for other things too.  People add them to their bath water as a relaxing, soothing soak, much like Epsom Salts.  It's also used on food and internally.

I hope you find this helpful and enjoy less positive ions in your living space.

Have a great week.

Peace,

Tom

Tom Kreienbrink is a licensed massage therapist and holistic therapist in Phoenix, AZ
www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com

Energy Medicine and Energy Healing

Hi Everyone,

I hope you're all doing well out there.  I'm just fine here in Phoenix.  Enjoying the change of seasons.

I hosted a Reiki/Energy Share last night with a friend, at her shop.  It was a nice little share and we did some amazing sessions on each other.  We split up into groups (depending how many people participate), and share energy medicine/healing with each other.  It's so amazing, and feels so good.  People with almost always go home feeling wonderful.  It's a chance to share with others and receive this gift as well.

Mikao Usui - artwork by Tom Kreienbrink

So what is this, and how does it work?  First, remember that at the most basic level, everything is energy (and mostly space).  Items that appear solid are slower, denser energy, while light is a fast, high frequency energy.  The Chinese had the body's energy meridians mapped out thousands of years ago.  They referred to this life force energy in our bodies as Chi.  They found they could keep the energy flowing and have balance in their lives by keeping the energy flowing freely thru the meridians of the body.  Also - they found that when there was blockages or imbalance in any of the meridians, they could open or balance these and bring things back to normal.  They use acupuncture, acupressure, and other techniques to do this.

Gallbladder Energy Meridian - starts and 1 and ends at 44.

In the early 1900s Mikao Usui discovered/was given the energy healing modality, Reiki, in a vision while on a journey on Mount Kurama in Japan.  With Reiki, the person is attuned to symbols that are a focal point for energy delivery.  Reiki also taps into the universal life force energy and uses it to bring the person back to a place of harmony and balance.  Like Chinese medicine, it's not associated with any religious practice.  The universal life force energy is in and around us for use at any time.  People experience a wide variety of benefits from Reiki on all levels.  Pain relief and deep relaxation are very common.  One of my first clients was referred by a friend.  She had cancer and was flying back to Pennsylvania the following day.  She wanted to try Reiki to see if it would help.  A couple of weeks after the session, I found out that she had a nice flight back and felt unusually well for several days following.  Occasionally more dramatic healing experiences are reported.

One of my favorites is Cranial Sacral therapy.  It is an energy therapy that Dr. Jon Upledger studied and helped to bring to the mainstream.  It's a treatment that involves working with the body's own rhythms to help restore balance and vitality.  As the name suggests, a major part of this is working with the bones of the cranium, spine and sacrum while monitoring and working with the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid in the head and up and down the spine.  Another major part of this is fascial release; helping to release and open "stuck" areas of connective tissue in the body.  Part of why we need to release these areas of fascia (or connective tissue), is because stress, physical, mental, and emotional injury can manifest in our tissues as tightness, tension, stuck energy, and even disease.  We want to use these techniques to release that and again...restore the person to a state of balance and harmony - physically, mentally, emotionally.  It's very helpful for people who have experienced traumatic injuries, like veterans, or folks who have been abused or in serious accidents.

Foot reflexology chart showing areas of the feet and corresponding systems of the body

It is my belief that massage and reflexology are also forms of energy work.  Thru a more deep physical technique we are able to move the energies of stress and tension out of the muscles and help to keep or restore the client.  These modalities are much more physical, and feel fantastic.

Physical therapists in main stream medicine are now (and have been), using electronic devices to send energy deep into tissues to assist with healing.  Applying ultrasonic machines to send energy waves into soft tissue to heat them up, helps to enhance the body's healing.  You may have seen commercials for devices you can buy and use in your home, like the Willow Curve.  It's energy healing - but it uses electricity instead of the more natural techniques like Reiki or CranialSacral.

I hope you found this helpful and eye opening.  Energy healing modalities are good for you, can be relaxing and also assist you in deep healing.  The techniques I employ are of the highest vibration and not the work of any sinister being - they're also not a part of any religion or belief system.

I am a massage and holistic therapist in Phoenix, AZ.  I specialize in Therapeutic Massage, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Reiki Therapy, and Reflexology.

You can access my website at: www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com  -- call, email, or text for an appointment.

Have a wonderful day.

Peace,

Tom

Painted Nativity Scene Project

Hi All,

I hope things are going well for everyone.  Recently, my family and I were going thru "the big photo box," after my Dad passed away; reminiscing and looking at pictures.  While looking at old pics I came across a few photos of a project I helped put together around the year 2000.  It was a fun job and an old school project as well.

While in the Air Force I was stationed near Honolulu, Hawaii.  Every year during the holidays the city hosts displays in downtown and a parade.  This particular year, some folks from the church we attended, put a nativity scene together and asked if I would help out by doing some artwork for the display.

Painting nativity scene panels on large sheets of plywood with acrylic paint

The project was a lot of fun.  Very much a cartoon style display, but the as you can tell, the characters weren't exaggerated either.  Almost like coloring book style artwork.  As you can see by the top photo - outline first, then fill in with color, then finishing with airbrushed highlights and shadows.

Working on details.

At the time I still had my hand in doing airbrushed artwork on a regular basis.  Years prior to this, most of the illustrating I did was created using traditional media; including airbrush.

Bethlehem to my left, camel and wise man on my right.

Unfortunately, I didn't come across any photos of the completed project.  When painted, the panels were constructed into a little stable with nativity scene.  It all came together quite nicely and was a beautiful display.  It was a fun project to help out with.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Have a great day.

Peace,

Tom

On-line portfolio: www.behance.net/tk-art

On Facebook:  www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-Kreienbrink-Art-and-Design