(March 15th marked 14 years since my first day of massage school out in Port Townsend, WA. I spent a little time reflecting on what I’ve learned from having my hands on countless bodies of all different shapes, sizes, and levels of health over the years.  In random order here are some of my observations and things I wish my clients knew.)

#11  Our bodies are always seeking balance.

Our bodies are equipped to heal themselves.  They are always seeking homeostasis. They are amazing!!

The Merriam-Webster definition of homeostasis: a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group

Put more simply via biology4kids.com: All of your body’s systems work together to maintain homeostasis inside of your body. Homeostasis is achieved by making sure the temperature, pH (acidity), and oxygen levels (and many other factors) are set just right for your cells to survive.

We had a fun hydrotherapy teacher in massage school who encouraged us to experiment and test ways to naturally heal ourselves using water and the bodies quest for homeostasis. One of my favorite techniques was using ice cold water to relieve a headache. There are many different types of headaches and this won’t work for everyone – but it’s worked for me when nothing else has brought relief.

When you feel a headache coming on put your hands in ice cold water for as long as you can. While your hands are in the water you can open and close your fists. The cold narrows dilated blood vessels. When you take your hands out of the water your body is going to naturally rush blood to that area to warm it [striving for homeostasis] and therefor relieve some of the pressure in your head. At least that’s my understanding of it. All I know is my body is wise and it can naturally heal itself when I do things to support it.