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.

Successful companies like Google don’t get that way by accident. Even in these difficult times, the company thrives. Why? They think outside of the box. They throw  most  conventional thinking out the window. They always ask how they can improve what they are doing.  Of course, unlike most companies, their employees are highly motivated and very creative. Fortune magazine ranked them as the number 1 company to work for. It was no surprise to hear that all their employees can receive massage as a job benefit, right at their  facilities.

 Google’s Massage therapists are treated with the kind of respect not often afforded in the “real” world, working no more than 12 hours a week. Contrast  that with Massage Envy’s sweatshop- like conditions and meager wages that take advantage of under-trained and undereducated recent “graduates”. I bring this up because Massage Envy does a lot of the “massage” business  but they don’t really provide  much steak, just the sizzle. So, it is not really massage you receive and, therefore, it is more a luxury then a real benefit to your health. Don’t take my word for it…….here is what others think! The Massage Envy ?  or this spa site.

 At Google, the therapists are well trained and represent what massage is really all about. Does the company you work for provide massage for employees?  No? Well maybe they ought to think about it, think outside the box!

A few years ago, an elderly woman approached me, asking for my help. She seemed so earnest, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I just can’t take the pain anymore”, “please you have got to help me”. I was so moved by her plea, I responded.” Well, let’s see what we can do to take that pain away?” She recoiled as if I was about to steal her purse. She was so unaware of her attachment to her pain. She walked off without making an appointment, her tears all dried up, and a look of real apprehension across her face.

A well- respected Massage Therapist, Art Riggs,  wrote  about deep tissue massage, near the end of the book, he suggested asking the client some questions before beginning the session. One question was, do you have some secondary gain from not getting better? He said that, of course, you can’t ask the client that directly, as the client would not want to hear such a question. Well too bad, maybe we ought to think about it? I mean, how many times do you promise yourself that you are going to make changes? Somehow, those changes never really happen, and you never really get better.

Let’s face facts, it is a whole lot easier giving up when you can tell yourself, “What can I do anyway?” So have a twinkie since everything  else is bad for you, right? Wrong

Perhaps you console yourself with some claptrap about it being all in the genes, and therefore, out of your control, or my favorite, I’m just getting older. As per the genes excuse, you might want to watch this Bruce Lipton video . As far as getting older, you will age much faster if you don’t take care of yourself.

Now, if you’re getting depressed, you are getting the wrong message, really, see the video. You are not destined to be sickly and can even reverse the aging process. So, do you really want to get better? Massage can, among other things, change your outlook on life, which makes it possible to make and sustain other healthy choices.

Ladies, the debate rages on. I know the decision is a difficult one…….but maybe I can help resolve the potentially stressful internal conflict that just won’t go away. Chocolate or Massage?

Lets look at some of the pros and cons:

1. Massage  makes for more” Me” time. Chocolate pleasures are more ephemeral.
2. Massage is healthy for you. Chocolate  anti-oxidants taste the best.
3. The effects of the Massage can last up to a week. Me and my chocolate are as one; who cares about next week.
4. Massage is an expensive treat. Chocolates can be an expansive treat depending on how many you have.
5. Massage can leave you sore. Chocolates can make you bigger.
6. There are good Massages and bad . Most Chocolates are pretty good.

Ladies, don’t fret. We are not going to resolve this today. In the meantime, why not get both.  Start with a Massage followed by a Chocolate.

During my Massage training, we would regularly volunteer at sporting events.  One time, we were at a track event with some heavy hitting corporations, like Exxon.  Anyway, you could see these middle-aged executives competing, but one stood out; he seemed to be simply floating above the track. Later, I found out the athlete was Bob Hayes, ex- Olympian, ex- Dallas cowboy wide receiver.  The difference between Bob and the other athletes was stark. The other guys seemed to be struggling, taking short, choppy strides while Bob took long, smooth, seemingly effortless strides. He easily destroyed his competition. Not only were his legs more flexible, but, also, his hips, shoulders and neck. He was so relaxed

The difference was flexibility. Keep that in mind when you want to cut corners and skip your stretching. Now the original Gumby