Epsom Salt Baths - Great Health Benefits

Hi All,

It's been a pretty decent week here in Phoenix, the massage and holistic biz is going well and keeping me busy.  As an holistic therapist, I often recommend clients take Epsom salt baths after they get a massage or energy work or other holistic therapies, along with drinking plenty of water and other things.  I think most people believe that it's a healthy thing and helps draw out toxins from the body, but how many of us are really familiar with the benefits of an Epsom Salt bath?  So what are the benefits of an Epsom Salt bath?

You can get Epsom Salts at drug stores and most supermarkets.  They're very inexpensive.

First of all, Epsom Salts are high in Magnesium and Sulfates.  If you have a magnesium deficiency, soaking in a bath containing Epsom salts can give you a boost in that area.  The body absorbs these thru the skin, where it goes into the bloodstream.  At the same time, the Epsom Salts help to pull salt and harmful toxins out of the body.

Magnesium is very important to the body.  It helps to regulate 325 enzymes in the body.  It helps to improve muscle and nerve function.  It also helps improve blood flow and oxygenation of the blood.

The Sulphates are important too.  They help to keep your joints healthy.  They also are good for healthy skin and nerve tissue.

Epsom Salts can also assist with relief from various chronic health issues like; improved heart and circulatory problems, gout, improve the bodies ability to use insulin, pain and stress relief, can also ease regularity of migraine headaches.  It also helps the body absorb nutrients and helps relieve stress.

Of course there are always contraindications.  Women who are pregnant shouldn't take Epsom Salt baths.  If you're dehydrated or have burns or open wounds you shouldn't use Epsom Salts in your bath either.

So remember; the next time your massage or holistic therapist recommends using epsom salts, there's very good reasons for it.  Enjoy the bath.

Have a great day.

Peace,

Tom

Tom Kreienbrink, LMT
web: www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HolisticTherapySolutions

Taking Care of Ourselves

Hi All,

I hope you're all doing great things out there today.  I'm working on it - and yet, I'm a work in progress, (but I keep learning).

I saw this photo (I'm sharing here), on a social media website and it prompted me to think about the many ways we take care of ourselves, or not.  Many of us take care of ourselves in some ways, but may neglect ourselves in others.

Why do we take care of ourselves?  The obvious - it's good for us, good for our health, and it's the right thing to do...I'm sure you can think of other reasons too.

The basics: we take care of the body - nutrition, exercise, adequate rest.  We want to feed ourselves spiritually, and mentally as well.  Most of us try to take care of the body - and may or may not always do a good job of it.  In this path we walk here on Earth, I keep discovering and learning various ways that I can take care of myself.

One of the key ingredients for me is to reduce stress in my life.  I like Thoreau's quote, "Simplify, simplify, simplify."  The less complex my life  - the more I stay in the present - the less stress.  With less stress, I feel better.  Easy, right?  Well - sometimes, yes - and I can flow with life like a river of love.  Other times there's nothing simple about it at all.

Saying "No" can be one of those ways of caring for myself.  Many times in the past I've found myself agreeing to do something, when I really didn't want to, or didn't have the time.  But, out of guilt, or maybe even low self esteem, I said yes.  Typically - this adds stress to my life.  I may obsess about now being committed to something I had neither the desire or time to do.  This can manifest in the body - maybe keeping me awake at night,  tight muscles from stressing, even possibly causing my immune system to be compromised and getting sick, (if you believe in mind-body connection).

You may read this and think I have a selfish attitude, but I would disagree.  Of course, it's a good thing to help when we can.  The act of serving others with love, can be such a powerful force in our lives.  I like to be of service as often as I can.  I like to say "Yes," as well.  However, in the past, my tendency to say yes has caused me to spread myself too thin, on many occasions.  When I do that, I'm not taking care of myself - and the spirit of service turns into a commitment I regret and don't feel good about at all.  It leaves me out of balance and ineffective.

I like the analogy of the oxygen mask on the airplane.  The flight attendant giving the emergency instructions tells us, when the plane loses pressurization and oxygen masks come down, put your mask on first, then put them on people around you.  When I take care of myself first - then I'm much better for those around me.  I need to feel worthy enough and love myself enough to say No, when necessary and let the chips fall where they may.

When I take care of myself in this way so many other good things follow.  Number one - I don't obsess with worry or regret about fulfilling what I agreed to.  This helps me sleep better at night.  This reduces stress in my life and helps me feel better about myself and the world around me.

So take care of yourself - physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Cultivate love in your like and be of service to others when you can.  But - love yourself as well.  Say no when you need to.  It's ok.

Have a great day.

Peace,

Tom

If I can help with your self care with massage, reflexology, hypnotherapy, or energy work like Reiki or CranialSacral therapy - let me know.  I'm here to serve.

www.holistictherapysolutions.weebly.com - or follow Holistic Therapy Solutions on Facebook.

Acti-Tape Taping Class

Hi,

I hope you're having a good start to your week.  I'm feeling great.  Monday is typically a day I work from home and it's been a good day too.

I'm excited about a class I took this past weekend.  It was a therapeutic taping class, specifically using Acti-tape.  What is this tape?  It's an elastic tape designed to help people heal.  It promotes circulation, reduces heat in tissues, relieves pain, reduces inflammation, can draw out a bruise, excellent for breaking up scar tissue, help with structural support, help the fluid to move in the spine and there's even a taping protocol that can help with hay fever.  There's a taping set-up that can assist with carpal tunnel syndrome (want to avoid surgery??  This may be a huge help).  The tape is great to assist with lymphatic drainage also...and other uses as well.

Taping for Frozen Shoulder support

The tape has evolved from athletic trainers tables in pro sports and International and Olympic competitions to being available for use by Chiropractors, Physical Therapists and even Massage and Holistic Therapists like myself, to use on people who can benefit from it.

Taping for Lymphatic Swelling support

The tape is strong, elastic and can stay on up to 16 days.  As it starts to peel, you trim it down, until the last piece falls off.

The tape is great for shoulder support issues, weak muscles, and amazing for helping drainage (like for people who've had lymph nodes removed and need assistance with lymph drainage).

Taping to assist with inflammation of the bursae in the elbow.

Tape for Lymphatic Swelling and Inflammation in the Shoulder Blade area.

There's even a taping set-up to assist with Carpal Tunnel syndrome.  The tape is applied in such a way that it takes the pressure off the nerves that get inflamed in the carpal tunnel and allows them to heal.  It also supports the muscles in the wrist, palm and forearm.

I'm really excited to add this therapeutic modality to my holistic practice.  A little about the instructor - his name is Rod Lyman.  He's an Holistic and Massage Therapist here in Phoenix.  He and his wife own Beyond Today Co. (where I rent space for my practice).  Rod teaches a lot of classes, is a master of massage, energy work, and is now opening an on-line school - where people can take classes on-line.  I'll be posting my classes on-line as well (more to come on that soon).

So - if you need a taping - let me know.  I'm here to serve.

Have a great week.  Enjoy life, help others, and remember - a little gratitude is a good thing.

Peace,

Tom

web
www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com

on Facebook
www.facebook.com/HolisticTherapySolutions

Thoughts on Meditation

Hi All,

Hope your week is going great.  I'm having a pretty good week here in beautiful Phoenix, AZ.  The weather is cooling down a bit (low 100s), and even cooler at night.

Lately the topic of meditation has come up several times.  Just last night a friend was telling me about his new practice of meditation that his girlfriend helped him start, and how it's really helped him to be more calm and relaxed.  It's so good for that.

I've been thinking about starting a Wednesday afternoon meditation class/group.  I rent space to run my massage/therapy biz at a place called Beyond Today Co., here in Phoenix.  I was thinking a group would be great to help people who would like to try meditation, but feel like they can't on their own.  It would also be a good place for experienced meditators to come and share about their meditation practice, what they do, how it's going, etc.  And - we'd also do a group meditation every week as well.

So why would you want to meditate?  There are lots of reasons; better health for one; Physically and mentally.  For me personally it's a recharge and a reset.  It gives me a good recharge of energy - helps me really get going on as little as 15 to 20 minutes of deep rest or meditation.  Thomas Edison was famous for his 15 minute recharging "power naps."

It also is like a "reset," for the body, or like a "reboot."  When you reboot the computer it resets everything, helps all the little programing that get out of whack, get back into place and running at more efficient levels.  Meditation does that for the body and mind.  It calms you down, lowers blood pressure, and relieves stress.  It also helps in the same way mentally to quiet the mind chatter down and help you feel more peaceful.  Life is hectic and fast paced - when we get stressed out even the little things can start to bother us, and then we may even obsess about them.  Meditation helps to quiet that down.  After meditating I'll usually wonder why I even gave any of those crazy thoughts energy to begin with.

So what can we do to start?  It can be so healing to just start with 15 minutes a day of relaxing and quieting down the body and mind.  You can talk to yourself with that inner voice - tell yourself, guide yourself to relax.  Relax your body a piece at a time and get into a nice breathing rhythm.  Focus on your breathing and when you get distracted by some passing thoughts, come back to your breathing and focus on it.  Everything is connected...if you are thinking good thoughts, you'll naturally feel better.  If you're thinking about all the junk going on in the world and obsessing about things that are out of your control...it will make you feel worse.  That's just common sense right?  So when you meditate, you take the focus off of the negativity and impulsive thoughts - and into a good peaceful direction.  Simple.

Now I know some folks that may be concerned that meditation is related to a spiritual practice or religion that they don't want to be affiliated with.  Yes, there are meditation practices that are taken from various religions.  However - you can create your own practice, just like I described above.  People of all walks of life know that taking a quick power nap, or closing their eyes and resting for a little bit can be very rejuvenating.  That's meditation, it's just not labelled as meditation.  However, the results are the same.

So if you can, take a few minutes out of your day and take a little rest.  Relax your body and mind.  Who knows, it may help keep you out of the doctors office or help you feel a little more balanced.

Take care everyone and have a wonderful weekend.  Be kind to others...and be nice to yourself.  Treat yourself with the same kindness that you would extend to your friends.

Peace,

Tom

Holistic Therapy Solutions, LLC
http://holistictherapysolutions.weebly.com/

New Office at Beyond Today Co.

Hi All,

As most of you know, I'm an artist and designer and have been for many years.  I'm also a holistic healthcare practitioner.  I've been doing massage and other therapies for a while now after I graduated from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts with an Associates Degree in Holistic Healthcare.

Recently, my friend and colleague, Susan Webber, introduced me to the folks at Beyond Today Co (BT).  BT is a business run by Rod Lyman and Cleo Daily where Rod performs holistic therapies and massage, and they also hold classes and events regularly.  Susan and I were looking to use their classroom for the smoking cessation group we're putting together.  Well, one thing let to another - and I and Susan ended up renting a room to work out of.

A view of the Beyond Today Center near I-17 and Cactus Blvd in Phoenix

Beyond Today (BT), is a great place to work out of.  There's a number of therapists that provide a wide range of therapeutic body work, energy work, and intuitive services.  The atmosphere is nice and peaceful as well.

By the front reception area, there's a little store where you
can purchase a variety of essential oils or other products.

I'm working every Tuesday and Thursday at BT.  I'm also working some Wed and Sat - call or schedule thru schedulicity for an appointment.

My room on left, hallway on right

Very good energy here.  The place is clean and the room is nice size for doing therapy work.

The classroom.  It can hold over 70 people - and they've already filled
it for events.

There's a large classroom at BT as well.  Tonight Susan and I start our first Tobacco Freedom smoking cessation group.  It's a group for quitting tobacco that includes the use of hypnotherapy.  It's going to be awesome!!  Early next month Rod and I are going to teach a class together.  It'll be a Reflexology and Acupressure for the hands class.  He'll teach the Acupressure part and I'll do the Reflexology.  They're bringing in Yoga soon and they have a number of events and classes continually.

My room - massage table and therapy chair

So call or come by soon.  Book now for a massage, reflexology, or other body/mind/energy work.  See you soon.

Beyond Today from across the lake

For more information check out the website for:

Beyond Today

my therapy company: Holistic Therapy Solutions, LLC

Remember - I still do chair massage at your event or office, and out-calls (when requested).

Have a great day All.

Peace,

Tom