Posts Tagged ‘port townsend’
hydration, massage school, massage special, massage therapy, Newsletter, port townsend, self care, special, tania palermo, tips, wa
In Business, CT, Manchester, Marketing, Massage, Newsletter, self care, Specials, studio on main, Uncategorized on June 22, 2018 at 4:39 PM
My next newsletter comes out tomorrow morning – and in it is a crazy good massage special for the month of July. If you want to sign up to receive future newsletters so that you’ll always know when a special is coming – send me a quick email to tania@taniapalermo.com – and let me know. All I need is your first name and a valid email address.
While you’re deciding … check out some of next week’s newsletter below:
Why I picked PTSM for my initial training in massage . . .
I lived in the PNW for many years – specifically Bellingham, WA [or B-ham as some locals referred to it]. When I got the itch to consider massage therapy as a career I made phone calls to lots of local schools. The first thing that drew me to PTSM [Port Townsend School of Massage] was that the woman who answered the phone was from New York!
Seriously.
I’d been missing the East Coast and I loved that she had an accent I was familiar with … and that she was a little – I don’t know the right words for it – maybe forward and loud. All the people I was surrounded by in B-ham were so laid back and nice I sometimes didn’t know what to do with myself.
That was not the deciding factor, of course – but it felt like serendipity and got me to drive out to the school for an interview.
Fun fact about my time there. Each weekend we had class I had to drive down the coast a few hours to get to Whidbey Island to then get on a ferry that took me over to the Victorian Seaport of Port Townsend. One of my favorite parts of the trip was crossing Deception Pass. I wasn’t a photographer then … but stopped as often as I could to take pictures and walk around a little bit.
If we had time before class started after getting off the ferry, my friend Charity and I would rush to the Tyler Street Coffee House to see if there were any scones available. Seriously the best scone I’ve ever had, and they only made them a few times a week, so scoring one was a treat.
The whole thing was an incredibly rewarding and life changing experience and I wouldn’t change it for anything. In fact thinking about it now is making me heart achingly nostalgic.
Hydration Recipe:
Keeping hydrated is an important part of staying healthy. Water promotes cardiovascular health, keeps your body cool, helps muscles and joints work better and keeps skin supple. Here is this week’s hydration recipe:
Mango Pineapple Water
Ingredients:
1 medium sized mango, thinly sliced
1 cup pineapple, chopped
Water
Instructions:
Peel and slice one mango. Add 1 cup of finely chopped pineapple and water. Refrigerate 4-6 hours before drinking to allow flavors to infuse.
Bonus Tip:
Possible benefits of eating mango & pineapple:
Mango – may help to – promote clear skin; improve eye health; alkalize the body; & improve digestion.
Pineapple – may help to – aid immune system; support eye health; improve gut health [anti-inflammatory properties]; & strengthen gums.
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DIY Hand & Forearm Massage:
Too much texting?
Don’t worry.
Try this hand / forearm massage to help relax your muscles.
- Relax one arm, palm up, on top of your thigh.
- Push the heel of your other palm slowly along the forearm in the direction of your wrist.
- Use enough pressure to feel some heat, but not to give yourself a brush burn.
- Do the same thing across your open palm all the way down toward your fingertips, and again over the mound of your thumb.
- Repeat a few times, and switch hands.
I’d love to send you tips too. If you want to sign up for the next newsletter leave your email in the comments below – or send me a quick message at: tania@taniapalermo.com
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14 things i've learned since leaving massage school, 2016, CT, healthy-living, manchester, massage, move, port townsend, Relax, school of massage, self care, stretch, tania palermo
In Massage, Uncategorized on April 7, 2016 at 3:53 PM
(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.)
#13 Our bodies are designed to move.
We have the opportunity to live mainly sedentary lifestyles now a days. Sitting in front of computers all day at work, then phones, laptops and TV’s at night means we never have to physically engage or challenge our bodies. We weren’t meant to be inactive.
Here are a few benefits of moving more, taken from the ACE Fitness website: lower blood pressure; better control of body fat; improved immune function; increased muscle strength; increased flexibility; improved mental functioning; higher quality of sleep. Some of the consequences of inactivity? Loss of bone density; stiff joints; weak muscles; weakening of heart & lungs; degeneration of the cellular energy systems.
I see lots of “holding patterns” in my practice. Limited range of motion in joints because they are rarely moved or stretched. Shoulders curved forward and curvature in the cervical spine from endless hours of sitting all day. Our fascia, especially if we are dehydrated, will tighten and sort of hold us into place if we are always in familiar movement patterns.
Self-care is vital. While you are making strides to take better care of you and increase your daily movement – take time now for bite sized changes. Once an hour stand up at your desk and stretch in any way opposite of what you do all day. If your hands are palm down typing, put them palm up, and gently stretch your fingers towards your elbow with your opposite hand. Shoulders always hunched forward? Clasp your hands behind your back to open up the chest and round the shoulders back. Walk to get a drink of water. Just little one minute “snacks of self-care” can really add up.
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14 things i've learned since leaving massage school, 2016, CT, healthy-living, manchester, massage, music, port townsend, Relax, relaxation, school of massage, tania palermo
In Massage, Uncategorized on March 31, 2016 at 11:26 AM
(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.)
#12 Massage Music-LESS Mondays
You know the campaign that’s been floating around for years now to get people to add more plant based meals into their diet? Meatless Monday. Well, the studio is closed on Mondays and I’ve taken the pledge to always have “massage music-less Mondays”.
Don’t get me wrong. Massage music is beautiful and soothing and an important tool in helping to create an environment that encourages relaxation. And, every once in a while I hit my limit of hearing ocean waves crashing, or bells ringing and flutes fluting. There was a time period about 4 years into my massage practice when I played anything but massage music for anyone who would let me. We did a lot stuff like Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux. Several clients made me ‘mix tapes’ of their favorite music to unwind to and we’d play that during their sessions.
Help us massage therapists get out of our massage music blues and bring in something you’d like to listen to. We’ll appreciate the variety and you may even let go more easily listening to something you can connect with.
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14 things i've learned since leaving massage school, 2016, balance, cold water, CT, headache, healthy-living, homeostasis, manchester, massage, port townsend, Relax, relaxation, relief, school of massage, tania palermo
In Massage, Uncategorized on March 30, 2016 at 2:58 PM
(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.
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14 things i've learned since leaving massage school, 2016, body, compassion, CT, healthy-living, kindness, manchester, massage, port townsend, Relax, relaxation, respect, school of massage, story, tania palermo
In Massage, Uncategorized on March 29, 2016 at 5:09 PM
(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.)
#10 Every body has a story …
… and we are all seeking love and acceptance.
Please don’t apologize for anything about yourself.
We’ve all had twists and turns in our lives. We’ve given birth; broken a leg skiing; danced at a wedding. We’ve comforted someone with a hug; ran a marathon; tripped while walking off a curb. We’ve gained weight and lost weight. Dyed our greys and tried to minimize wrinkles. We’ve survived the loss of loved ones.
Our amazing, miraculous bodies have carried us through every step of the journey.
People express a lot of their fears before getting on the table. Reasons they believe they do not deserve a massage. They worry they are too overweight; too tense; too sensitive. They forget to shave their legs and feel embarrassed. They apologize for scars and tension and varicose veins.
We, as massage therapists, are not judging you. We are applauding you for being brave enough to take care of yourself.
One client spent a good 15 minutes before & then during their massage session telling me all the things they believed were unacceptable about their body. They were concerned about being overweight, worried about some holding patterns in their body that they hadn’t been able to release for years, ashamed of some visible scars, uncomfortable with some damage in their feet, etc.
As we continued to do bodywork my intention was to witness them, hoping to create a safe, accepting space for them to be in. They shared some of their story with me. They had suffered and been abused greatly in their childhood. I don’t want to share details even anonymously as it is not my story to tell. What I do want to share is how much immense respect and compassion I felt for this person. I was awed and stunned to hear about what they had gone through and to know them in the present as a kind, big hearted person. They were angry at their body for being ‘deformed’ and in pain. As I heard the stories of what happened I knew their body had done everything it could to protect them and help them survive. They seemed to look at themselves as being all used up and of no value. I saw them as a walking miracle. A person deserving all the kindness, love and compassion the world has to offer.
My hope is that one day they will see how amazing they are. And that they will stop being angry with their body and start lavishing it/themselves with kindness. Every body has a story and they all deserve to be honored.
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#7, 14 things i've learned since leaving massage school, 2016, CT, healthy-living, manchester, massage, port townsend, pressure is subjective, Relax, relaxation, school of massage, tania palermo
In Massage, self care, Uncategorized on March 24, 2016 at 2:14 PM
(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.)
#7 Pressure is subjective
A common question I’ll ask a new client is “What kind of pressure do you like?” Then I’ll remind them that pressure is subjective and ask them to communicate with me throughout their session if anything is too deep or too light.
I have an idea of what a light amount of pressure feels like from my perspective as the giver [about 4 pound of pressure] and let my clients preference guide me in regards to how much deeper to go. The challenge is, we all live in our bodies differently. Some of us are sensitive and others have high pain tolerance levels. Some of us think we need pain in order to heal and other people think gentle prodding works better. Occasionally people are so checked out from their bodies that they don’t feel much of anything at all.
A regular client I had asked for moderate to light pressure. As we worked together I quickly learned that what I thought of as extremely light pressure felt very deep to them. They came to see me every two weeks. Each time I backed off the pressure more, trying to find their sweet spot. They joked around that they felt like my Goldilocks client. During one session I had backed off so much that I felt like I wasn’t massaging them at all. I didn’t believe it would be possible to use less pressure. As I gently used my thumb to work on the upper part of the Trapezius they burst out laughing and said, “Oh great … here comes that thumb again. It feels like you’re trying to reach down from the top of my shoulder to the bottom of my scapula and just wrestle a knot right out of me …”
We both laughed for the next 5 minutes of the session. I actually believe that the laughter was a release of a holding pattern for them because afterwards the same amount of pressure didn’t cause as much discomfort.
Please know that it’s your body, your massage session and your right [and responsibility] to let us know what’s going on for you. We do our best to honor what you’ve asked for, and every once in a while you may have to bust out a ‘back off sister’ or ‘I could use more pressure there’ because we don’t know what it’s like to live in your body.
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14 things i've learned since leaving massage school, 2016, CT, healthy-living, licensed massage therapist, manchester, massage, masseuse, port townsend, Relax, relaxation, school of massage, STUDIO ON MAIN, tania palermo
In CT, Manchester, Massage, self care, Uncategorized on March 23, 2016 at 12:05 PM
(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.)
#6 I am not a masseuse.
OK well technically, semantically, I am.
Dictionary.com defines masseuse as: “A woman who provides massage as a profession or occupation.”
What some people think masseuse means is better defined by UrbanDictionary.com:
“Generally considered to be a woman who practices massage therapy, however this is a misnomer. A masseuse is a woman who practices massage and has none of the western medical training and is not licensed and may be associated with prostitution. In most states this is illegal.”
Even though I know that it’s likely that most people mean no harm when using the term, I cringe whenever I hear it. I’m not sure if other licensed massage therapists feel this way or if it’s just one of those things I’m sensitive to. Unfortunately, over the course of my career, I’ve had one too many people ask me if a “happy ending massage” was an option, for me to let a word slide by that may be encouraging that kind of mentality. I’ve received repeated offensive phone calls. A few times it’s been necessary to “fire” my clients when their behavior has crossed a line that has made me feel unsafe.
It has been disheartening over the years to have to wonder if that potential new client on the phone is really understanding what a professional therapeutic massage is. My massage school was 17 months long. It included 650 hours of in class instruction and a tremendous amount of out of class time spent not only studying but giving massage to friends / family members in turn for their critique / review which was handed in and reviewed by the school. I had to pass an exam in the state of WA, where I went to school, and in CT so that I could become nationally certified as a Licensed Massage Therapist. In order to maintain my license and insurance I am required to continue my schooling every year, taking continuing education classes on different massage modalities.
I may be a bit sensitive to the way the word masseuse can be used to imply services that are illegal. It may be just because I’ve had some uncomfortable experiences with people. I’m curious to know what you think. Have you ever heard someone mention a masseuse with a wink and a smile? Did you laugh? Feel uncomfortable? Maybe I need to rethink this word that makes me cringe … or maybe it’s cool that I ask you to refer to me as your Massage Therapist.
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#5, 14 things i've learned since leaving massage school, cancer, CT, family, healing, healthy-living, honor, manchester, massage, port townsend, Relax, relaxation, tania palermo, wa, witness
In CT, Indulge, Manchester, Massage, self care, Uncategorized on March 22, 2016 at 5:44 PM
(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.)
#5 It’s an honor to work with you.
Back when I started my first practice in CT, over 12 years ago now, I had a client come to me to receive massage while she went through her treatment for cancer. I felt unqualified and a little bit nervous to lay my hands on this beautiful soul. At the time I was still fairly fresh out of school and I hadn’t done any long term work with anyone battling that disease. For various reasons, at that time there was still some lingering debate going on about whether or not it was even OK to do certain types of bodywork while a patient was receiving treatment. [The landscape has changed a lot since then.]
Needless to say we proceeded mindfully and with approval from her doctor. We were intentional about communication, not doing work that was too deep for her to be able to process, etc. As the months went by we were doing less physical bodywork and more laying on of hands and energy work because that was all she could handle. My client was losing her battle with cancer and continued to come see me week after week because she needed a safe place to be. She needed to be witnessed. She needed a place to fall apart before she went back to her husband and children at home. The simple, but powerful art of therapeutic touch gave her comfort and helped fill her spirit just enough to get through a few more hours.
I was heartbroken when I heard she lost her battle with cancer. All these years later I am still awed that she choose me and trusted me to share those sacred moments with her. I consider myself lucky to have spent that time with her and I still feel that way today any time a new client chooses to trust me with their well-being for an hour or so. It is an honor to work with you. ♥
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Tania Palermo [Studio on Main] 