updates, and...

It is my 10th anniversary of opening my practice in Portland! I have been a LMT for 15 years, and the vast majority of that has been here, with you. So thank you for your support of my practice, and thank you for letting me support you.

At Apex Wellness Clinic, Dr. Rebecca Schacker has retired and Dr. Krystal LaPlante, DC has returned to a full time schedule at the clinic. I refer all of my clients looking for chiropractic work to Dr. K, she is attentive, thorough and a delightfully collaborative practitioner.

Summer update: NEW location

 I am so excited to share that I am moving into a thriving wellness clinic in Foster-Powell, Apex Wellness Center. This clinic may be familiar to those of you who began to see me 7-8 years ago, though I will be in a new room. I am excited to move my practice to this lovely space, full of incredible practitioners. I will start seeing clients there beginning June 1^st.

Please let me know if you need to update any currently scheduled appointments. I realize this new location may impact the days and times you’d prefer to schedule, or travel times. I hope this move won’t be too inconvenient. After the past three years of a temporary landing at Laurelhurst due to Covid and subletting between two rooms, I am so excited to stretch back into my full practice. I will be opening up my schedule with more availability, and able to get you in when you need.

Check the schedule here: https://deepgroundmassagebodywork.fullslate.com

Breathing Into It

You might have heard your practitioner say -just breathe into it- as a hand painfully digs into your pectoralis minor, or a needle is pressed into a particularly tender point. You might believe the patronizing and cruel suggestion to breathe couldn't possibly help. Breathing is an involuntary action, but when we bring awareness and intention to this action we can alter our pain perception, and remind those muscles (that we never told to fire) to let go.

Breath is the foundation of living. Respiration provides energy required for growth, repair and movement. It brings nutrients in and aids in the removal of toxins. Awareness of the breath allows us to activate deeper, diaphragmatic breathing. This is respiration using the diaphragm, the deepest abdominal muscle.

Lately, I have been working on breathing exercises with clients who are experiencing chronic back pain. More often than not, when we think breathe, the lungs and rib cage move, and only in the front-side of your body. Because the diaphragm is such a unique muscle, it attaches to the entire circumference of the inside of your ribs, and to your spine. When properly activated the diaphragm moves all of those structures, on all sides of the body.

Try it! It is easiest laying down on your back, with your knees up, feet flat on the floor. Inhale low into your stomach. Exhale bringing your stomach back in. Use the floor to expand your back into as you inhale. Exhale. Find a slow, rhythmic pattern to your breathing, using a count of 2 or 4 to inhale, then exhale for 2 or 4 counts.

An important part of diaphragmatic breathing is that the belly is loose, and can move freely. It really contradicts the notion that you have to "suck it in". Your lungs are also not moving your shoulders up as much either. The lungs move as the diaphragm contracts (inhale) and relaxes (exhale).

Dry Brushing

 

Dry brushing is an invigorating way to support the skin and the body as a whole. It is said that 1/3 of the bodies toxins are excreted through the pores; dry brushing exfoliates the skin and helps to unclog the pores. As it encourages circulation, it also exercises and supports the lymphatic system through gentle stimulation of the glands as you glide the brush over your body. And a healthy lymphatic system is the foundation of a healthy immune system!

How to Dry Brush:

With a dry, natural bristle brush, apply your preferred pressure, and gently brush your skin. Starting at your extremities, brush toward the center of your body. Avoid the groin, breasts, and face. It's best to brush before bathing.

And, to really help detox the body, at the end of your shower take a 10-30 second cold plunge! This helps the blood return to your vital organs to replenish your body systems, as well as stimulate your nervous system.

knowing your body

I recently had acupuncture. It had been several years since my last treatment, and my neck and arm muscles were feeling particularly taut. She placed needles in my lower leg to alleviate my head and neck tension. The muscles instantly released upon the prick of the needle. My mind drifted, my body rested. This treatment reinforced my thinking around the systemic connection of the body; that one point can hold deeper sense of inner workings.

I must admit, I haven't been taking very good care of myself lately -a lot of working, and planning, and performing, and...not enough revitalization. I am determined to prioritized self-care. I've had massage. I took an Epsom salt soak. I stretched every morning and evening. It takes a lot of work, and after a week of working on myself, I don't feel better -(!!!)- I feel pretty mediocre. There is no miracle, and it takes time and energy. Our bodies are ever-changing, adaptable, and impermanent. When we heal, we don't heal to our former self -our "pre-injury" status- but rather a new status, one that remembers the pain and weakness, yet strives for physical knowledge beyond our past afflictions.

Summer Sun and Your Skin

Massage therapists are very conscientious of skin. Summer is a difficult time for our skin; it gets warm, it gets damp, and too often, it gets sunburned. The best thing to do is to stay out of the midday sun, and know that even when the sun is hiding under the clouds on these hot and humid days, you are still catching rays. So when you enjoy the outdoors wear sunscreen -I usually wear Badger natural sunscreen- and always try to wear a hat, and a light-weight long-sleeved shirt. If you do get a sunburn, slather on plenty of pure aloe vera or calendula oil to help soothe irritated skin.

fluid motion

I took a wonderful course this weekend which focused on the fluidity of the spine, evoking our aquatic days. Undulation, a technique for spinal bodywork, is based in structural integration modalities, like Hellerwork and Continuum.

"Undulation, a fluid movement through multiple joints that include waves, bends, and curves, can be used as a tool..." to get through dense myofascial restrictions (stiffness) and revitalize lost range of motion due to our postural habits and repetitive-use injuries. (Anita Boser, LMP, CHP).

There are some common misconceptions when it comes to our bodies, that through idiomatic phrases, our bodies (and minds) believe is true. This class helped to unmask these words, and redefine, or rather, return to the definition via the evolution of our connective tissues and the past uses of the spine. The Spinal Column, evokes a solid, upright, rigid support. However, our spines (and our boney structures, in general) can do incredible things!

video: Emilie Conrad speaking about the fluid connective tissue that is the spine, as a Continuum teacher demonstrate the beautiful and free movement that our bodies, in health, hold.

Another broader cultural habit is to assume that once our bodies are in a state of injury or decreased motion, that we must adjust to or work around this new habit, greatly decreasing our body's entire range of motion. Bodywork and manual therapy (massage) restores our bodies to their highly functioning state, through the movement of fluid (lymph, blood) to the connective tissues (muscle, bone) and, by the breaking up of adhesions (places where the fluid surfaces of the body are no longer simply gliding, but stuck in fricative, decreased motion).  If we continue to encourage limits of our range of motion, we impress into our muscular memory, solidifying our dis-ease, a reduced range of motion that eventually can effect our entire body. With self-care practices and hands-on bodywork encouraging stretching and movement, we could hope that we could create patterns of a little more movement, instead of a little less movement.

So get up, stretch, and let your spine dance. Free your structure with fluid motion!

for dark winter months, a cold remedy

This yearly combination of darkness, a calendar full running around, hugging and cheek-kissing, and the over-sugaring of the holidays has brought a cold to a few of my housemates. I have evaded it (for now) with a few simple rituals that I'd love to share with you:

1. Plenty of water!

Drink room temperature water (my naturopath suggest half your body weight in ounces), to help keep your body hydrated, as we tend to crank up our thermostats or crowd around smoky fireplaces!

2. Daily exercise!

I wake up every morning and get my heart-rate up for thirty minutes. There is nothing like sweating it out!

and most importantly...
3. Fire (fights the cold) Tea!

This has been my go-to beverage for a couple years now, I don't recall where I picked it up (some old remedy typed onto some other blog), but it always proves delicious and restorative! Whoever is in my home, especially in the winter months, will be handed a mug of this if they are feeling under the weather, a last ditch effort to NOT GET SICK! The recipe is simple: Ginger, Black Pepper, Cayenne, Lemon Juice, & Raw Honey, in Hot Water. Mix to your taste, sometimes I want it spicy-er, other times a nice spicy/sweet balance. As I sip this I like to pretend that the tingly feeling is really the Spice knocking out all of those pesky germs!

the goods + your favorite mug

fresh grated ginger, cayenne, cracked + whole black pepper (whatever you are feeling)

juice (half of) a lemon, add it to your spices

add a spoonful of honey, and stir in hot water

give to your ailing, but soon to be better loves