Dig it!!

It’s planting time (actually I’ll be enjoying lettuce and radishes any day now) and its great being able to get back into my small backyard organic garden and get my hands in the soil.   If you’ve thought about planting a garden – what are you waiting for?  Plan your garden and get your plantings in by the first week or two of June.   Don’t get in over your head – start small with a few of your favorite vegetables.  You’ll save on your grocery bill and you’ll get great exercise pulling up a little sod (who needs all that grass to mow anyway?) tilling, planting and doing the dreaded weeding.  Watch your body mechanics while gardening and take frequent breaks.

Of course, the reward is the harvest where you’ll enjoy your own fresh vegetables straight from the soil to your table.  The overflow of tomatoes, zucchini, etc. can be given to your family or friends, or invite them over for a harvest lunch or dinner where everyone lends a hand in the preparation of the meal.  It just tastes better that way!  Enjoy it with a bottle of wine from one of your favorite Finger Lakes wineries.  Green thumbs up to you.

Katherine Scholl, L.M.T., N.C.T.M.B
Massage Therapist
Katherine Scholl Massage Therapy Website
(315) 488-5504

Care for the caregiver

Most caregivers are helping relatives, and one in four live with the person for whom they are providing care.

If you are a caregiver for a loved one, your role may have came about suddenly or gradually over a period of time, and your duties as such may range from light to heavy.  It’s important to find time for yourself to keep from feeling overwhelmed, fatigued and stressed which can result your own health being compromised.

Some things you can do:

• Talk about your feelings with someone you trust
• Ask for help from a friend or relative and take advantage of services (voluntary or paid) that can assist you
• Eat healthy and try to get a good night’s sleep (try to share evening duties with someone so that you get enough rest)
• Exercise while a friend or relative watches over your loved one Read more

…ZZZZZZZZZ…

Restorative sleep is an important wellness ingredient – during sleep we are renewed and repaired physically and emotionally.  A range of between six to as much as nine hours a night is a requirement for most of us.  However, sleep disturbance is a factor for many people and can contribute to illness and chronic pain syndromes.  There are many possible interruptions to sleep, such as work schedules, stress, external disturbances, physical factors like hormone fluctuations and certain medications, diet, and inadequate exposure to daylight and darkness.

Ways you can help support better sleep:

• Receive therapeutic massage which reduces autonomic nervous system activity and stress hormone levels and activates the parasympathetic (rest/digest) nervous system.  Massage can help to relieve pain that may interrupt sleep and can improve your sense of overall wellbeing.
• Exercise regularly
• Avoid or reduce stimulant intake – no caffeine 6 hours before bedtime. Read more

Take care of your stocking so you can keep rocking!

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. and more than 1 million skin cancers are diagnosed annually.

As a massage therapist, I often spend more time observing clients’ skin than anyone else, including the client.  Noting any skin changes or possible abnormalities early and seeing a physician means that most problems can be taken care of before they become serious.  With the new year upon us, you might take the time to schedule an examination for yourself and a loved one with your physician or dermatologist.  Read more

How much is enough?

Every December I see them, I feel them … tense people, tense bodies. With all the prep-work the holidays can bring, we can tend to push aside the fact that there are only so many hours in the day to accomplish what we feel we need to in order for ourselves and others to have a “happy holiday”, and we forget that we can’t do it all, we can’t please everyone. Decorating, shopping for gifts for friends and family, preparing special meals—all of these things are a source of “good stress” but are stressors just the same; Read more

Winter wellness toolbox

Wow, it’s that time again … we’ve turned back the clock for daylight savings, and the winter months are quickly approaching. It’s a good time to start thinking about the many tools available for beating the seasonal “blues” some of us tend to experience during the winter months. In addition to proper nutrition, exercise, moderate exposure to sunlight, and staying socially engaged (laughter really is great medicine : ) ), remember that an effective, substance-free way to help maintain winter wellness is to get periodic massage. Read more

Body Trivia

Some “did you knows” about the body that I recently came across while going through some notes:

The human skull contains 22 bones: 8 in the cranium and 14 in the facial region. The cranial bones are not fully developed or joined when we’re born–there are usually six gaps that close over a period of between 2 and 24 months.

The stapedius muscle located in the middle ear is the smallest muscle in the body Read more

Busy body

We give and receive hundreds of non-verbal messages in the course of our daily work and personal lives.  Body language signals may be learned, intrinsic or a mixture of both, and we respond and react to these Read more

Music medicine

“Without music, life is a journey through a desert.” -Pat Conroy

Like most massage therapists, I have music playing during a relaxation massage session. Slow, ambient music along with massage often assists in bringing my client to a relaxed, sleep-like state Read more

Footbath fix

Now that the busy summer season is coming to a close, it’s a good time to slow down a bit and replenish our energy. With the evenings getting cooler, a simple way to relax and re-energize at home is Read more

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