twinsparksmassage.com

When I say Larry is one of the most flexible people I know, it’s no wild stretch of the imagination.I’m not just talking about physical flexibility, but in every sense of the word. A long term client, Larry touts the benefits of both massage and being flexible. ”Regular stretching may extend your life”, surely your athletic life.  He believes massage makes stretching easier to accomplish with less discomfort.

As Larry explains, one  keys to learning how to stretch is to “concentrate past the pain”. Ironically, to really be Gumby you have to develop an iron will. While holding your stretch you might concentrate on your breath. While breathing, during your stretch, notice your body sensations  are almost always more uncomfortable when your inhaling. Pain in the body often reduces during the exhalation phase of breathing. Another key, do your stretching for at least 15 minutes a session, otherwise your wasting your time.

Larry does some exercise coaching, if your serious about getting more out of your body. His understanding of stretching is unique. This  is not a”Yoga” approach. To inquire about Larry’s unique training and what he can do for you drop him a line at …..lrryhurley@yahoo.com

For years I have been fortunate  not been ill from cold or flu. Here are a few things that I did to prevent or shorten the duration of the common cold and flu.

When you are just beginning to feel under the weather is the time to go on the offensive.  Most bacteria and viruses don’t do well in an alkaline environment (the way your body chemistry is supposed to be). Unfortunately, many among us are too “acidic”; this actually promotes or encourages  these entities to find a home sweet home in your body. Let’s make them a bit more uncomfortable, shall we? 

Start drinking plenty of water,  adding just a spritz or two of juice from fresh lemons in each cup. Drink water at least once an hour while you’re feeling under the weather.  If you never drink water, don’t over do it. Onces of H2O is what your body needs, on average, say, 64 onces a day (8-80z. glasses). If you have a medical condition involving your kidneys, you need to consult your doctor as to how much water is appropriate. The water and lemon juice can begin to change your body more towards alkalinity, which makes you stronger and the germs weaker.

Also, this is  time to take your vitamins, like Vit-C, and minerals like zinc; both are stimulating to, and support  your immune system. The herb echinacea also stimulates the immune system to gear up. Your whole strategy early on is to prevent these pathogens from getting a grab hold. If you can hold them at bay for at least 3 days while your immune system gears up, the chances are you will beat your cold or flu before it really gets started.

If all that does not do the trick, I add some herbs and supplements that will directly attack these invaders. The list is long: I like garlic; high quality organic honey; oil of oregano; olive leaf extract;  cinnamon.

If you or a loved one are running a high fever  or  having difficulty breathing, please do consult your doctor.

Perhaps you’ve heard the expression “stone faced”. If you’ve ever known  a person possessing such rigid facial features, the chances are it’s not only their face that is rigid. Probably, along with the face comes a stiff body and a person who has trouble being  expressive or animated. Underneath the facial skin and fascia lie the muscles which give shape to the facial features above. Those taut muscles tell a story of emotions trapped inside, becoming toxic.

As a massage therapist, I do “face lifts” all the time. Unlike the plastic surgeon, I don’t force a permanent look on your face. If you come in with a “long face”, I massage you in an upward direction, pulling the cheeks upward, relaxing your jaw muscles, removing that stress from around your eyes, and when I complete the massage, your “baby face”, that youthful appearance, has returned. You feel good, in an honestly healthy way. Instead, you could go the “plastic” way and construct a smile that lasts long after you have shed your mortal coil. What kind of “smile” are you going to opt for?

A few years back, Duke University Medical Center conducted  a study of men who had already had heart attacks. The researchers were monitoring  the patients’ hearts with a special imaging technique, asking questions, all while  videotaping facial expressions.

The scientist predicted that when they asked the patients questions that angered them (angry facial expression) it would have a negative effect on the heart. They did. Many patients experienced silent ischemic episodes; the left ventricle of their hearts partly collapsed which caused blood to be restricted to the heart. This could  easily precipitate another heart attack.

What surprised these researchers while correlating facial expressions, questions and heart monitoring, was that only one other facial expression gave rise to this silent ischemic episode- when the patient smiled! Not just any kind of smiles, but those fake smiles, the ones with no real enjoyment behind them.

When you smile you use the zygomaticus major muscles; it is what raises up the corners of your lips.  For the smile to be genuine, another muscle, orbicularis oculi, must also be engaged. This muscle, which circles around the eyes,  lifts our cheeks and creates the crow’s feet effect. 

So when you smile, smile from the heart, so to speak. Make it real, not painted on. Now for my most favorite expressive guy……Marcel Marceau!

After I graduated  massage school and started working with real patients, I made the startling observation that working on what my clients described as the source of their pain yielded only temporary improvement;  they soon returned with the same symptoms. I came to the conclusion that the pain a person felt and the source  of the problem were not synonymous. For one, seldom was just one isolated muscle injured, as muscles work in collective groups,and hurting one meant hurting others as well. Moreover, the injuries that were presented  often represented the weakest link in a chain. When the trauma or accident occurred, that was the area predisposed to giving out. To do a “good” job, I had to treat the link, but also had to fix the fence. To be a better therapist, I had to re-think  my notions about our bodies.

 My original ideas came from the prevailing medical model, which viewed the body as a collection of parts. This idea is being replaced with better understanding. Yet, orthodox medicine still lags behind.

People are sometimes confused when trying to understand the human body. As a Therapist, I know all too well that we add to the problem by way of our explanations. Often, we will use the analogy that your body is like an automobile, it requires regular maintenance to perform at higher levels, that much is correct. However, the body is not like an automobile; .You just can’t remove and replace parts and expect everything to be like new. If you develop large gallstones, for example, and need to have your gallbladder removed, the absent organ will be missed, you will never digest fats the way you did before (before you manifested the problem). The consequences are too many to be listed here. Removing your tonsils increases your chances of developing cancer. That “new” hip will never be as good as the one God gave you. Not that long after your hip replacement, you can expect your back to start aching, and, like most folk, you probably won’t even make the connection between those two events. “Old” school medicine recognized only the most obvious connections. For example, originally, before they knew better, doctors who “cracked”  open chests, first identified the thymus organ and, because it appeared as shriveled up in adults, the organs were routinely removed. They soon learned that these  patients promptly died, so they stopped surgically removing the thymus. As it turns out, we do not have spare parts. Take note!

Unlike a car, the “parts” do not function independently. They work together! And the best news of all, your body can repair itself!  It does require your commitment, and a willingness to want to feel and be healthier. First, however, you need to realize that it is possible to actually get better. Regular massage, by a skilled therapist, can help a great deal! Contact Info

Hey, did you know that  petting your pet  not only feels good, but produces positive health effects?

Studies have shown that just petting the kitty or pooch can slow down your heart rate and blood pressure. It can also lower your cholesterol levels. Other studies show faster recovery times from illness.

Of course, you have to want a pet and be willing to take care of your new family member. Otherwise, you’re going to create more stress in your life.  I do prefer dogs, but I love my cat, too. My pet fish, “Hydro”, passed away last year.

My cat receives regular Massage; she loves getting the back of her neck and ears gently rolled between my fingers. Does your furry family member (cat or doggy) enjoy being massaged?

Rancho Cucamonga has an animal shelter.    http://www.rcpets.info/

Nobody enjoys stretching; we’d rather just compete. However, that’s one big reason athletes get hurt. Afterward, the rehab can take a long time, and any athlete will tell you it is frustrating  not being out there competing. So, a few pointers on stretching.

• Before you stretch, warm your muscles up…..If you’re at home, take a warm shower. If you’re at the gym, do the  activity you planned, only do it at 1/2 to 3/4 speed. Do this without any contact. So take a few layups, short jumpers if you’re hooping for example. The key is to do the activity slowly; this allows for blood to get into those muscles. When they are warm, they are less likely to tear or perform poorly, which might lead to an injury.
• Once the muscles are warmed up, it is time to stretch.  Be sure to “hold” your stretch for a minute or so. Count to Sixty, otherwise you probably won’t stretch the muscle long enough.  Do this for each muscle group involved. Also, no bouncing, hold the muscle in a sustained stretch. Focus on how the muscle feels and on your breath. This will help the stretch and get you focused and ready to play.
• Stretch the muscles used in the activity, focus on the ones that give you trouble.
• Whatever your game, go out and perform.