Make yourself a priority this New Year!

Take care of yourself this year!

The New Year is HERE, now is a good time to resolve to take better care of yourself! Taking care of yourself is NOT a selfish act, but many times, we tend to feel as if it is. Take time to recharge your batteries, for a dead battery is good for no one.

Exercise is a great way to increase endorphin hormones in the body – the ones that increase your feeling of overall well-being. Exercise is not strictly relegated to the gym, you can do it indoors, or out, at home, or in the mall. Partnering up with a friend will help you have an accountability to each other, as well as have a cheerleader when the times get hard. Black Girls Run is a national running team that encourages you to get off the couch and get going, and if you’ve never run a race before, but you’ve always wanted to, they have a Walk Before You Run (WALKB4URUN) program.  That way, you can train properly for the run with other women, at your own speed (pun intended!). You could also get a great playlist of music to get you moving, this way you can sneak some fun into your exercise, and really have a great time.

Make sure that you put yourself on the TOP of your priority list this year!

Aromatherapy – is a great way to help improve your emotional balance and a sense of well being. Think it doesn’t work? If you go to Bath & Body Works, or use scented soaps, bodywashes, or anything that has a scent, you are using aromatherapy, to an extent. My earliest remembrance of aromatherapy is my Mom doing my hair, as a child. She used Blue Magic hair conditioner with Bergamot when she did our hair every week. Different scents require different means of use. Aura Cacia is a great resource on how to properly use essential oils and scents.

Lets make 2014 the best year ever!

Don’t Stress During the Holidays!

Alright, the days are getting ever closer to Christmas, but don’t let it stress you out! Here’s my best advice for enjoying the holiday –

1- Schedule time for yourself. Find a sitter service that will help you care for your kids, so you can have a well-deserved break. Or, if you have friends and family members that you trust that would LOVE to take care of your kids, take them up on it. You can return the favor when they need you to.

2- DELEGATE– don’t do everything yourself. You’d love to be Martha Stewart, but even she has helpers. If people offer to help, don’t refuse the resource. If people haven’t asked, ask them; maybe they don’t know how to help you the way you need them to.

Take time to take care of yourself; your body will appreciate it.

3- Use the internet to your advantage. Don’t know how to spruce up your home for the holidays? Use Pinterest to spark an idea. You don’t have to go overboard. Many crafts are easy to make with stuff you already have on hand. 

4- Everyone has a skill. You may have a friend who bakes but your cookies might look more akin to hockey pucks. Ask them for advice. They’ll love to share the knowledge.

5- Get together with your friends, and do a craft together, or just hang out! I’ve been invited to do massages at an event where the ladies are going to get together and enjoy each other’s company, and just relax. 

What advice would you share about taking care of yourself during the holidays?

Client Question – What Kind of Client is Your Favorite?

Client Question – What Kind of Client is Your Favorite?.

Client Question – What Kind of Client is Your Favorite?

Questions are free – Ask away!

So often, during a conversation, someone will ask me a question where as I am answering I say to myself,’This would make a great blog post!‘ I had just such a situation happen last week at the Atlanta Pampered Ladies’ Expo.

As I was manning my massage chair, waiting for the doors to open, a nearby booth mate asked, “Who is your best type of client?”

My best client is one who has never had a massage before, but have always wanted to get one. They want ask a lot of questions, but they don’t want to feel they are pestering you by asking a lot of questions. I encourage the questions, because I would like you to understand what your body is telling you. As Sy Syms would say, “An educated consumer is my best customer.” (Yes, I’m that old!) I try to relate information in plain English, so that the jargon doesn’t confuse or disinterest the client. (My husband is a computer programmer, so when he uses technical jargon to convey his story, I tend to look like the

Have you ever had someone talk to you, and you looked like this?

RCA/Victor dog.) Now, if the technical jargon doesn’t throw you, I’ll use it. It also helps keep me sharp on my anatomy; what muscles work together to do a specific action and what muscles work against each other. I also try to throw in some humor, because if it’s even a little funny, the message tends to be memorable.

I’ve had all kinds of questions thrown at me, so not too much tends to throw me off my game. If I don’t know, I don’t know, but I’ll do my research. This way, we learn together! So come on, ask those questions, you’ve always wanted to ask!

Relax, Chill, Take a Breath…

Relax, Chill, Take a Breath….