Self-Care

Observations of Life with No Stove

Self-Care /
person holding a frying pan over an outdoor woodfire demonstrating cooking and life with no stove

Back in February I arrived home from work one evening and was greeted by a really stinky house and the news that the stove tried to self-immolate while I was gone. It seems the broiler wouldn’t turn off and had to be killed at the breaker. After a bit of troubleshooting and testing the broiler continued to not want to turn off and we decided to unplug Old Crusty forever leaving us to a life with no stove.

He was over 26 years old and had served us well for many years. He helped feed our family breakfasts, lunches, suppers and snacks not to mention other friends and family through countless meal trains, holidays, church suppers, and parties. Old Crusty was a faithful servant. I felt a little bad about his demise.

Technology Changes Were Shocking

When I started shopping, I was surprised to find the dramatic changes in cookstove technologies. It took way longer to research and decide on a new appliance. I thought the job was done when I finally ordered the unit, sight unseen, because no one was carrying the one that would best fit our needs.

That’s when we got slapped with delivery a month out from the order date. I panicked a little, but immediately started planning on how we could do this without a fully functional kitchen for a month. It would be a learning experience, I reasoned, and possibly fun in a stressful sort of way. Being fortunate, we have access to a microwave, hot pot, coffee pot, electric griddle, a grill, an Instant Pot, Crockpot, a steamer, a toaster, and a toaster oven. Surely, we could make this work.

The decision fatigue was the first thing that hit. How to boil an egg with all of these small electric appliances? The answer, not very easily. And so it went for every meal, decision after decision after creative problem solving session. After a couple of days, the depression started to set in. I don’t do well with constant change. I need a stable, repeatable environment for certain things. Food seems to be one of them.

Then while we’re still struggling, trying to establish some repeatable processes that will help us put food on the table in a reasonable time frame, I receive another email stating that not only would we not be receiving our new stove as promised, they were estimating a new delivery date six more weeks out from the original delivery date. Some tears were shed over that one.

What I’m Learning

  • We are eating out way too much from sheer fatigue
  • The quality of foods we are eating at home has decreased and are by far much more processed than our normal diet because they are no-cook or don’t require an in-depth cooking process
  • We are generating much more garbage
  • We are generating next to nothing for the compost bin
  • Our food budget has increased dramatically while nutritional value has tanked
  • You can use a steamer to “boil” a lot of things. Rice, eggs, veggies, etc.
  • Safety issues with small electrics increase the chance of accidents and injuries
  • I have a perpetual stomachache, brain fog, low motivation, and am overall more emotional than normal

How Do You Deal With the Stress?

So, as you may have guessed by now, this not having a stove thing is turning into quite the catastrophe. The effects of not being able to feed myself and my family in the manner we’re accustomed is turning into a larger discussion in my household about food insecurity and the lack of access to the equipment needed to prepare healthy foods. How do people do it? I literally threatened to build a fire in the backyard at one point just so I could boil a pot of water.

I’ve learned how to use a toaster oven and am happy to say I have a better idea of my strengths when it comes to cooking. I did finally break down and purchase a hot plate because I am primarily a stovetop cook for satisfying the day-to-day nutritional needs of the family. The hot plate eliminated a lot of stress because I could finally cook in a way that made more sense to me than trying to press a bunch of small electrics into a job they really weren’t designed for. It also gives everyone a tool that is familiar enough that I’m not having to do all the cooking.

Through this exercise, I have also learned that I have way too many tools in my kitchen arsenal that I won’t use, even in this semi-emergency situation. I’ll be doing a cleanout of those soon though I will probably wait until the new stove eventually arrives. Just in case…meanwhile I’m trying to manage the stress of a sub-functioning kitchen while dealing with sub-optimal nutrition. It’s a lot.

Have you ever dealt with a lengthy repair process? What kind of stress did you experience and what helped? Drop a comment and let’s talk about this.

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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5 Ways to Ease Dry Nasal Passages Without a Prescription

Self-Care /

Why Are My Sinuses So Dry?

A guy squinching his nose in discomfort with the words Why Are My Sinuses So Dry? 5 Tips to Ease Dry Nasal Passages (Without a Prescription)

I don’t know about you, but I get a really dry nose at the beginning of winter. Every year when the heat kicks in full time, my nasal passages dry out and start causing a lot of discomfort. When I was a kid, it was a surefire recipe for a sinus infection.

The mucous membranes in your nose are designed to trap environmental dust, debris, and pollens and keep them from reaching the lower respiratory tract and lungs. When you have dry sinuses, the potential for those molecules to reach the lungs increases. Not to mention, dry sinuses can crack and tear making another entry point for infection into your body.

As I’ve gotten older and learned a bit more about taking care of myself, I’ve figured out a thing or two about how to keep the sinuses moisturized until my mucous membranes adjust to the new environment. Read on for five tips on how to help your sinuses feel better naturally!

Check Your Beverages

The first tip I have for you is to check your drink. Are you drinking enough to keep yourself hydrated? And, please don’t hate me, are you drinking a lot of caffeine? Caffeine is a diuretic (it’s dehydrating) so it can be difficult to adequately hydrate if you’re having more than a token cup in the morning. I love black tea in the morning so I know how hard it can be to give up your morning ritual. Try to cut back until your body adjusts to the lower humidity caused by the heat.

Go Warm and Hydrating

Since we’re already talking about nutrition, my second tip is to add in herbal teas, soups, stews, and any other juicy, comforting foods that you like. I just read a really interesting article about pleasure and nutrition and how studies are showing if you enjoy the food you’re eating, it’s nourishing you more than if you’re receiving the same nutrient profile from something you don’t enjoy. Super interesting! Anyway, as you’re enjoying your nice, hydrating foods and beverages take a moment to inhale the steam they are offering.

As far as tasty herbals that might be helpful, I find red rooibos comforting as well as energetically moistening to the system. It’s also naturally decaffeinated and hosts more health benefits than I have time to list here.

Add Steam to Your Environment

A lot of people use vaporizers. I’m not a fan. A hot shower can be helpful, but at 3 gallons of water per minute, plus a water heater that takes money to run and probably won’t keep up well after a while it can get expensive.

I prefer simmer pots. Have you ever done a simmer pot? Do you know what a simmer pot is? A simmer pot is a big pot of water you put on your stove. If you’re old enough and lucky enough to have known your grandparents, you may have seen a large pot sitting on their wood stove. That was a simmer pot.

At a minimum, it’s just a pot with water on low heat that is sending moisture into your environment. You know I can’t leave anything alone, so I like to add herbs, spices, and sometimes fruit to make the house smell yummy while raising the humidity levels. What you add (or don’t) to the pot can be strategic. Maybe you just want the house to smell good, maybe you’re also suffering with some congestion.

I recently read about someone starting a simmer pot that ended up being an immune boosting, scratchy throat relieving tea. The whole house was sick with a respiratory bug and instead of mom-ing everyone individually she told them to hit the simmer pot for a cup of wellness. I thought that was brilliant! Unfortunately, I can’t find the article anymore…

Simple Simmer Pot Recipe

Water
Orange Slices, dried or fresh
Rosemary Sprigs or a Tablespoon of dried rosemary
Place water in a pot over a low heat, add in orange slices and rosemary and wait for the steam.

Enjoy! And remember to turn the stove off before you go to bed. Safety is important!

Steaming Your Sinuses

I’ve already mentioned taking a big inhale of the steam coming off your soup or tea, and who could resist a good sniff over a simmer pot, but we can be a lot more intentional by creating a steam inhalation station for a specific treatment for your dry sinuses. It’s a pretty simple setup that you can do with things you already have around the house. Find a heat friendly bowl (think a big soup bowl), boil some water, and grab a bath towel. Place your bowl on a heat safe surface, pour in some boiling water, bend over the bowl with your face close enough to feel the steam (but not burn), drape your head and the bowl with a towel and breathe in through your nose. You could add moistening or demulcent herbs appropriate for helping ease the nasal dryness.

Herbal Neti Rinse

Do you use a neti pot to rinse your sinuses? It’s a pretty polarizing piece of equipment. Most people love it or hate it. For nasal dryness I find the neti pot to be an essential tool. Especially since I started integrating herbs into my neti rinse. Mullein tincture + saline water = almost immediate relief from dryness (for me) in a sinus rinse. Check the Helpful Articles section for more information on selecting herbs for nasal dryness to use in a neti rinse.

What if you don’t have herbal tinctures? I’ve brewed teas and used those diluted in my sinus rinse for different things. I don’t recommend getting wild and crazy with what you’re pouring up your nose without further study and some experience actually using a neti pot. If you do want to use a neti pot just getting the saline solution into your sinuses can help and the herbs aren’t required.

Fun fact about saline

Saline is a salty water designed for use internally or on/with mucous membranes. The salt used in saline water can be very drying to the skin. But used in a neti rinse it can actually help moisturize the mucous membranes in the nose. If you wear contacts, you probably have a bottle of saline contact solution in your bathroom cabinet that you use to maintain your contacts and moisturize your eyes when they get dry. And if you’ve ever had surgery or spent any time in the hospital it’s likely you’ve been given an IV drip of saline to combat dehydration. Also, those hydration powders everyone seems to be dumping in their water bottles right now are full of salt. So, salt is good for hydrating internally, but is drying externally.

Helpful Articles

It’s Allergy Season in the South!
Can eating pleasure be a lever for healthy eating? A systematic scoping review of eating pleasure and its links with dietary behaviors and health
Get Your Vitamin P: Why Pleasure Matters When It Comes to What You Eat
Using Herbs With Your Neti Pot

Dry sinuses can be aggravating and painful and I hope this gives article gives you some simple techniques to add to your arsenal of self-care tricks. Drop a comment if you have other suggestions for simple, at-home techniques to relieve dry sinuses.

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The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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Decision Fatigue From a Massage Therapist’s Perspective

Massage, Self-Care /
Woman with decision fatigue holding one hand to her head and the other in a "stop" gesture

Have you heard of decision fatigue? Since I’ve heard of it, it seems to be around every corner and in some way part of every issue that keeps popping up. Maybe you’ve heard of Steve Jobs or Bill Gates or some other high-profile individual wearing the same thing every day. Or maybe you’ve heard of capsule wardrobes or people who eat the same foods every day because it’s what works for them. All these odd habits are actually steps to combat decision fatigue.

The first time I became aware of decision fatigue was in January of 2019. I was in San Antonio, TX, for a Center for Barefoot Massage Instructor Training. It was very exciting, I was getting trained to teach Fijian Barefoot Massage, I was finally getting to meet almost all of the CBM instructor team, and I had never been to San Antonio or seen the Alamo and good golly, I was there for it! I was also getting a sinus infection.

I hope you can tell that while a lot of good things were happening to me, I was making a ton of decisions while learning in addition being in strange surrounds, and there was a lot of stress. As the training ended, one of our “tour guides” set up a float experience. And in true ‘Sharon knows she’ll have FOMO’ style, I was there for it. A new experience AND something I’d been wanting to try out for years. I tried it, the float was awesome, and while it didn’t cure my sinus infection, I’m pretty sure all that magnesium beat it back enough that I made it home before it got ‘go to the doctor’ bad. I look back now and think I wouldn’t have been allowed on the plane these days with that terrible case of the sniffles.

But goodness was I sick when I got home, and I stayed sick for a good, long time because I had overextended myself and now in addition to trying to get back to work, I was trying to heal and not giving myself the time or grace I needed and I ended up just trudging through a month or so of life not being able to do much of anything except get through it. And for those of you who know, that is not who I am and I expect if you’re still reading this, it’s not you either.

This experience really made me evaluate how I was organizing my life and what was causing a lot of hidden stress on a daily basis.

What is Decision Fatigue?

Decision fatigue is a type of exhaustion that results from making too many decisions within a period of time. How much time? That’s unclear and I think probably depends on the individual. How many decisions are too many? Again, unclear and probably depends on the individual. Here is what research is starting to suss out though, when a person makes an excessive number of decisions (~35,000/day is “normal”), their ability to make further decisions becomes impaired. Impaired could look like procrastination, putting off making a decision, impulsive or seemingly irrational decisions, avoiding making a decision altogether, or indecision where you just can’t make up your mind.

Apparently, our brains only have the capacity to make so many decisions each day and when you surpass that number of decisions it leads to what is called decision fatigue. Ever get tired of trying to figure out what’s for dinner? Could be decision fatigue. How about what to wear to work? Could be decision fatigue, especially if you’ve waited until bedtime to try to decide on tomorrow’s outfit. Trying to call in a prescription for your medicine, but just can’t dial the number? Could be decision fatigue and low-grade anxiety about the possibility of having to answer even more questions.

Decision fatigue is something that can lead to burnout. I have a theory that the stress of this ongoing global pandemic, changes in family structures, workplace changes, continuing losses of all kinds, and incomplete grieving, has led to an overall heightened sense of stress. More chronic stress leads us closer to burnout and we all know burnout makes even seemingly simple decisions more stressful and difficult. All of this points to decision fatigue for many people.

Why is decision fatigue a problem?

What if you’re a doctor or a lawyer or a meteorologist with a tornado bearing down on your community and it’s really important that you make the right decision? You can see pretty quickly where someone’s life could be at stake and you’re out of bandwidth because you’ve spent the last six hours making decision after decision and there’s no more decisions left in the tank. Most of us aren’t making life or death decisions every day, but most of us do drive somewhere every day. I’m betting money decision fatigue plays into your ability to deal with traffic and the laws. I know it does mine.

Streamline Your Life

So how do we protect ourselves from decision fatigue? The literature doesn’t have succinct answers for that other than to reduce the number of decisions you make daily. Makes sense, but how do you do that when you have so many responsibilities? I’ve put together a few suggestions for you:

Make important decisions first

Stack your day so that the most important things you must handle get done early.

Remove distractions

Turn down the noise, turn off ringers and notifications, give your brain a break from all the distractions while you’re trying to get things done. And when you’re off-duty, be off-duty. Don’t check email or answer the random text message, let calls go to voicemail and check them tomorrow. Figure out the biggest offenders and do what you can to mitigate them.

Take a break

This one is important. If you’re already in burnout and suffering from decision fatigue, then taking a vacation and really getting away from it all might be your best bet. If you can’t do that then it’s time to start scheduling shorter, regular breaks and adding in something that recharges you. Not there yet? Make sure you’re scheduling breaks, moving around in nature, and getting some type of mental enrichment regularly.

Capsule wardrobe

This is the one I was talking about earlier where you wear essentially the same thing every day. I’ve seen people who literally buy 5 of the same outfits and wear them every day to work so they never have to decide what to wear. I’ve read about people who only wear black slacks with a white shirt. The style of the slacks and the shirts can be different, but it’s always white over black. I’ve seen made for you capsule wardrobes where everything goes with everything else. It seems like a pretty versatile option for folks who don’t want to spend a lot of time scratching their head in the closet searching for something to wear while still allowing for individualism.

Leverage technology

Use GPS instead of struggling to figure out where you’re going, use alarms and reminders to free up the constant monitoring of the clock, use an app to make, order, and schedule grocery and supply deliveries/pick-ups. Use automatic bill pay. Leverage all the technology we have access to in order to make your life easier and cut down on constant and unnecessary decisions.

While scientists are still duking it out in the literature over whether decision fatigue actually exists (some think because they can’t figure out how to measure it or its consequences, it must not exist) I’ll be over here figuring out better ways to deal with it. I’ll update here occasionally as I discover ways to automate those niggling decisions of daily living that can easily be done without my attention.

More Info on Decision Fatigue:

Decision Fatigue: A Conceptual Analysis – From the NIH National Library of Medicine
What doctors wish patients knew about decision fatigue – From the American Medical Association
Why do we make worse decisions at the end of the day – From The Decision Lab
Why Less is Always More: Things I Quit to Reignite Joy in My Life – Rooted by Carmen Luisa

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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Day 28: How Much Longer?

Self-Care /

Well, today is 28 days since I had to (temporarily) close Harvest Moon Massage Therapy. It has certainly been an eye-opening ride. I started off the first week by bolting out of bed, showering, getting dressed, putting on makeup (gasp!), and filming a bunch of videos for Idle Sole Wellness. That lasted 5 or 6 days before my energy and enthusiasm began to flag. What I discovered is that I was running from all the feelings of grief, panic, uncertainty, etc. Then about day 21 something inside me broke open and I finally relaxed.

Once I began to deal with the feelings, I spent some time figuring out what to do. I’m not one to not be busy or productive. I find it difficult to just sit and watch tv. So, I thought I would give you a survey of what I’ve been doing with my time.

What I’ve Been Doing

  • Learning to edit and splice video footage together to create a not-so-professional video wellness series. Again, why not, I have the time and it can only help in case of future projects. Want to see it? Click here to sign-up!
  • Trying to figure out what to do with all the stuff that’s in our “to donate” pile, but can’t go anywhere yet.
  • Crocheting and trying to figure out how I have so much yarn and unfinished projects!
  • Sewing masks, it’s a fabric de-stash project that’s helping me feel like I’m still relevant. The word “non-essential” is just rude!
  • Zoom happy hour with a great friend from Birmingham. She’s single, I worry about her.
  • Spending time outside in the sun in between the rainstorms and dodging the rumbling bumblebees
  • Getting my garden ready for planting day!
  • Cooking a lot and rejoicing when I can do curbside!
  • Baking cookies and bread and then eating it. I have visions of my table groaning every time I take a bite!
  • Replacing a dryer vent (that was hard)
  • Applying for unemployment and the EIDL loans/grants. Both new adulthood experiences
  • Keeping up with the changes in sanitation recommendations for when we do get to open back up
  • Taking a correspondence course. Because, why not? I have the time and I’m just holding my breath hoping I get back to work soon and can use it!
  • Cleaning and cleaning and cleaning some more
  • Checking in with family to make sure they’re all safe
  • Designated grocery shopper and pharmacy runner
  • Watching gobs of movies and Netflix and TV and Amazon Prime
  • Learning to create and run a t-shirt fundraiser to help with business expenses while we’re shutdown (it’s over now, but I have a few extra shirts if you’re interested)
  • Zoom happy hour with my barefoot massage peeps. Tiki Style!
  • Drinking too many adult beverages and sodas. Our favorite Mexican place did margaritas by the gallon last Friday. I’m happy to report we still have some of it left!
  • Canceling my next Ashiatsu class and trying to figure out if that needs to extend into May’s Fijian class
  • Walking laps around the neighborhood when it’s not raining
  • Staying up too late and getting up at a time my grandmother would have considered scandalous!

If you’re also in quarantine, I’m sure your list looks similar-ish. If you’re not in quarantine, know that I’m rooting for you to stay healthy and strong.   

How Much Longer?

As to how much longer it’s going to be before I’ll be back in the office and accepting clients…I’m not sure. Right now, the Alabama Department of Health and the Governor’s order says no sooner than April 30th. I don’t think the state even knows what re-engaging “non-essential” businesses is going to look like.

I know it’s not the answer any of us want to hear. I’m ready to get back to work. The part of me that doubted I could be my own boss for long (inner voice: “because I’m too lazy”) is starting to rear its ugly head again. I’m ready, ready, ready to move and groove and get everyone back on the table. There’s so much stress and pain and pressure and uncertainty and EVERYONE needs a massage right now and probably a hug. I hope you have someone to hug.

Oh, and have you seen these quarantine bingo cards? No… scroll down to find one! I hope it brings a little bit of fun into your day! Once you ‘Bingo!’, treat yourself!

Self-Care Bingo Card!

If you’ve made it this far into this unfocused and randomness, I hope you’re having a wonderful day!
Peace,
Sharon

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Day 28: How Much Longer? Read More »

Using Binaural Beats to Relax

Self-Care /

It’s no secret that sounds and music can have profound effects on mood. I think we’ve all experienced sentimentality while attending a wedding, the elation and hyperactivity after a rock concert, and irritation at an alarm that just will not stop. I’ve always been especially tuned in to noise and music which probably explains why I spent so much time in band and orchestra as a younger person. Thus I found it very interesting when I started seeing articles a few years ago about a new kind of music.

This “new” music was called binaural beats music. And essentially it is a type of music written such that each ear hears a different frequency or note. Sounds weird, right? Just weird enough that I had to try it!

So after a bit of research and reading I found some samples of binaural beats music. I have to admit I was skeptical. It flew in the face of all my musical education. And not wanting to spend a lot of money on something that I thought was perhaps just another gimmick, I settled down with the samples to listen and I was stunned at my body’s reaction.

After my first binaural beats music listen, I was drunk. Not the tipsy, let’s party kind of drunk; I was drowsy, time to go to bed drunk. And I went to bed and slept hard. Obviously more research was in order because one can’t just go around being drunk all day. Well, I guess one can, but it might really impact one’s ability to function productively in society.

So upon even more reading I discovered that binaural beats music has an interesting effect on the brain. Used mindfully, it can take one from a state of high functioning brain activity to a more relaxed state of brain activity. In lay terms, it can turn the monkey brain off and promote a more relaxed state of mind.

What would you do with a more relaxed state of mind?

Even more interesting, binaural beats music can be customized to take the brain into a state suitable for sleep (which is what I listened to that first time) or to an alert state great for getting all the things done or to enter that meditative state that is so healing and relaxing. If you’re still reading I know you’re now wondering how that works. Well, it’s got to do with sound frequency and how the brain responds to different frequencies and all of a sudden things get very sciency. If you’re really, really interested in the science behind it I recommend starting here to read about what’s happening in the brain when listening to this kind of music.

If you don’t really care about the science, that’s okay and you don’t have to know it to use binaural beats music. And even better the creators of binaural beats music (even some of the free stuff) label each “song” according to its purpose. So it’s really easy to find something that suits the kind of relaxing you need to do whether it be getting to sleep or getting into a creative groove.

So let’s get down to some details about how you listen to binaural beats music to get this relaxation effect. First you need to find some binaural beats music. Here is a website that let’s you download sample binaural beats music for free. You’ll need a set of earbuds or headphones and they need to be able to handle stereo sound. Get comfortable, take inventory and see how you feel, put on your headphones, and start the music. Plan to spend at least 15 minutes listening. When you’re finished take inventory again and see how you feel.

It might take a few tries to find something you like. Big surprise I’m sure, but I’m partial to nature sounds. It may also take a couple of tries to really start feeling the relaxation effect. It’s sort of like meditation or other relaxation methods in that you have to give your brain and body a chance to figure out what you’re trying to accomplish. Also, you must use earbuds or headphones. The technology simply doesn’t work without them. And some of this music you can’t hear at all without earbuds or headphones.

I hope this gives you one more self-care, stress-relieving technique in your arsenal. If you try it I’d love to hear about your experience. Happy Listening!

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage!

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Traditional Herbal Flu Fighters – An Herbal Class!

Self-Care /

Harvest Moon Massage Therapy & Reflexology will be hosting a class in Traditional Herbal Flu Fighters. Get a jump on flu season this year by learning traditional herbal remedies and methods that local Native Americans and Appalachian settlers used.

Learn to identify, process and use sweet gum, elderberry and herbal teas.

Class includes: Herb walk, make and take a sweet gum tincture, taste elderberry syrup and herbal teas.

$10 per person + class materials (list will be emailed upon registration)

Class size is limited so register today!

Class will be led by Alice Evans. Alice is a second year student with Phyllis Light of the Appalachian Center for Natural Health and is pursuing her Community Herbalist certificate.

REGISTER HERE!

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Help for Upper Back and Neck Pain

Self-Care /
A black and white photograph of the back head and neck area of a man, seated. A person with upper back pain receiving massage therapy.

This week has been jam packed with back pain in my office and so many have been asking what they can do for self-care at home between appointments so I decided to put a few more videos together that I find helpful.

I find myself recommending these two mobility exercises over and over again for upper back and neck pain. I actually use them myself when I get a stiff neck or that spot of pain further down between the shoulders that just makes my day miserable. The reason I think they work is that they both target increasing mobility in the upper back. A sticky or stuck upper back is many times a major player in neck (as well as shoulder) pain.

Free Your Neck

This first video I’ve been using for quite a while and find it very effective for loosening the upper back and getting the neck and back working together to reduce pain.

Magic Neck Stretch

This next video also does a great job of getting the upper back moving so the neck can stop working so hard. It also shows you how to test to see how much progress you’re making with the stretches.

***Updated stuff I added***

So I was in the shower this morning thinking about why I only had two videos in this roundup and wondering if I’d forgotten something when I realized that I had, indeed ,forgotten about this next video. It’s a little different than most of the things I find, but when I tried the first part of the exercise worked so well I forgot to do the last two parts. If the video is any indication, I need to be doing this one every day!

Baby Rolling, Who Knew?

I also found this video that goes into explicit detail about how to improve your posture in just a few minutes.

After trying these exercises, it’s a good idea to head on over and read a little more about head forward posture and how it contributes to upper back and neck pain. And then go learn how to strengthen the upper back with a simple move you can do anywhere. You won’t regret spending a few extra minutes with these articles.

As always, be gentle with yourself. Go slow, take care of yourself and if anything feels wrong, stop. If these exercises seem to help, but don’t quite take care of the issue give me a call and let’s see if we can get to the root of the problem.

***Micro mini fine print: I’m not a doctor and this article is not intended to replace medical advice. Please listen to your body and seek medical attention when necessary.***

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Help for Upper Back and Neck Pain Read More »

What Is Dry Brushing?

Self-Care /

Dry brushing is an ancient skin care technique that has been used throughout the centuries by countless civilizations. History also tells us it has been used for many different purposes. Stimulation of the lymphatic system and skin exfoliation being the primary purposes. On the internet you will find claims that have not and cannot be verified promising everything from cellulite reduction to religious experiences. It’s out there and that’s why I decided to write about it. I wanted to try to clear up the fact from the fiction.

Exactly What is Dry Brushing?

Dry brushing is the process of brushing dry skin with a natural bristle brush. The brush strokes are short, quick, and stimulating. Most sources say to start at the feet and brush your way up the fronts, backs, and sides of the legs, up the front, back, and sides of the body, and up the fronts, backs, and sides of the arms toward the arm pits. The neck and chest can be brushed in downward strokes toward the arm pits.

When you first begin dry brushing it may feel scratchy, but you should quickly adjust to the sensation. If you don’t, lighten the stroke. It should feel good, almost like something you didn’t know your skin needed. As you work your way up and around the body you will notice a warm feeling where you have already brushed. Perhaps your skin is a little pinker or darker than it was, this is from the blood flowing into the epidermis. A word of warning to ladies of a certain age, dry brushing can instigate a hot flash.

Why Should I Care About Dry Brushing?

There are numerous reasons you might be interested in trying dry brushing. Stimulating the lymphatic system is a common reason many try this self-care technique. For clients who are suffering from chronic swelling that is not complicated by skin infection and when it is appropriate, I sometimes recommend dry brushing as an adjunct to manual lymphatic drainage. It is a simple, self-care technique that is effective for many and empowers those who sometimes feel helpless in the struggle against lymphedema.

Another common reason you might be interested in dry brushing is to exfoliate dry, flaky skin. The strokes during dry brushing literally brush dead skin cells away. This is known as manual exfoliation and provides the common benefits of skin exfoliation. Manually dry brushing skin gently smooths and stimulates the skin leaving a tingling, fresh feeling and decreasing the chance of clogged pores. It is not advised to dry brush the face, other sensitive areas, or broken or infected skin.

Increasing blood circulation to the skin is another great reason to investigate dry brushing. As a by-product of the manual stimulation and exfoliation of the skin is blood flow. Increased blood flow affects the color and texture of skin by circulating needed oxygen and nutrients, mobilizing cellular debris in the lymphatic system and reducing puffiness. Regular dry skin brushing is said to improve the look of skin. Of course this is subjective and each person will experience different results.

It may take a week or two to really begin seeing results from regular dry brushing. It takes time for the skin to adjust to the increased stimulation. If symptoms such as localized swelling, skin reactions, or rashes occur stop dry brushing. Dry brushing isn’t a panacea for everyone and you can’t know if it is or isn’t for you until you try.

When Is the Best Time to Dry Brush?

The Ayurvedic system recommends dry brushing before you shower each morning. This recommendation permeates the internet and other sources I’ve found and I can understand why. It gives you the opportunity to wash off any dry skin flakes that might still be hanging around after the brushing. And it gives your body time to process the stimulation from brushing. But in my personal experience, it’s ok to dry brush any time during the day or night. I brush when I think to do it. I try to brush every day, but sometimes I miss it if my schedule is crazy. Sometimes I brush twice a day if I’m itchy or unsettled in my skin.

Can You Dry Brush Too Often?

Dry brushing is a mechanical exfoliation of the skin. That means the bristles strip off dead skin cells. If you continue to brush, even lightly, after all the dead skin cells have been brushed away you’ll eventually wear through the outer dermis layer of skin into the epidermis and develop a blister or start bleeding. It would take quite a while to achieve that kind of damage though, but yes, you can dry brush too often. No more than twice a day is a good guideline.

Is Dry Brushing For Everyone?

As with almost everything, there are certain issues you may have that would make dry brushing ill-advised or inappropriate. Broken skin, open wounds, bacterial or fungal skin infections, contact dermatitis, and systemic infection are just a few of the reasons you may want to avoid dry brushing. Most of what I’ve listed here are temporary conditions that will heal and dry brushing can begin or resume. Some conditions such as extremely thin or sensitive skin or lymphedema due to organ failure would make dry brushing a contraindication.

If you would like to learn more about dry brushing, find out if dry brushing is appropriate for you, or get a coaching session on how to effectively dry brush, give me a call! I can even hook you up with a brush if you need one.

♥

Sharon Bryant Sharon at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is a Certified Holistic Manual Lymph Drainage Therapist!

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It’s Allergy Season in the South!

Self-Care /

Coughing, sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, post-nasal drip that just won’t quit, sore throat, sinus infection? Welcome to the Valley of Bad Air!

For it to be so lush and beautiful here, it sure does give a lot of us terrible allergy problems when it’s growing on. Here are a few tip and tricks if you’re suffering with allergy symptoms:

  • Get to know your Neti pot – Studies show washing your sinuses out with a saline solution improves most people’s congestion and sinus issues
  • Know your pollen forecast – If you know you’re allergic to say, cedars, use this handy website to find out if there’s a lot of cedar pollen floating around (there’s even an app for that!) and then make plans to avoid the outdoors during that timeframe
  • Nettle tea or freeze-dried stinging nettle supplements provide a short-term, natural alternative to OTC anti-inflammatories and allergy medications
  • Lemon, lavender and peppermint essential oils diffused regularly can reduce the allergen levels in your home and don’t pollute the air like the store bought air fresheners
  • Stay hydrated! Don’t give pollen and allergens the opportunity to catch onto you. Keep the fluids flowing in order to wash it away
  • Take a probiotic. It might sound weird but studies show the gut is the center of our immune system. Keeping your gut (and immune system) healthy helps you stay well when the allergens are swirling
If you’re suffering from the dreaded sinus headache, give me a buzz and let’s see if my sinus and headache protocols can give you some relief.

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Expert Ashiatsu Provider!

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Managing Pain at Home

Self-Care /

As a massage therapist, my clients ask me regularly what they should do to help manage pain between their regular massage appointments. Check out this little Facebook Live video I did addressing that question. In it you’ll learn a couple of different techniques for managing pain at home and how to make your own hot/cold pack.

Let me know what you think. Did I cover it all? What do you do that I didn’t think of here?

Make sure to Like my Facebook page if you haven’t already. There will be more little goodies like this as well as my weekly openings, specials, and other bits of interest.

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Massage Specialist!

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