Did you know that massage is great for helping with weight loss?? Break down some of those fat cells with a massage this turkey season! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Shine On Giftcards! The Gift that keeps on healing!
We are happy to announce that we are officially selling gift cards at Shine On Massage Therapy! You can either purchase them over the phone and have them mailed to you or just stop on by our studio and pick some up!
We will also have a special deal thrown in where you can get two 90 minute massages for $145! You will not beat a deal like that! Call us today!
Shine On!
10 Reasons Why every Home Should Have Essential Oil Diffusers!
1. Relaxation and Sleep
One of the best and most well-known uses for essential oils is their ability to help you unwind at the end of a hard day. While there are several other methods for getting your soothing oils from the bottle into your blood stream where they start to work their magic, the diffuser is by far the easiest and longest-lasting of them all. Keep one at the office to help you relax on your lunch break. Have a diffuser ready to go with the push of a button when you get home from work in the evening. Set one on the bedside table to help your mind and body relax so you can sleep better at night.
Recommended oils: chamomile, lavender, clary sage
Get more expert tips on how to catch some high-quality zzz’s (from a former insomniac) with these 11 Natural Sleep Remedies That Really Work!
2. Mood Elevating
Just as a diffuser can help you to de-stress, they can also be used to create an energizing mood. This is not only great for when you’re feeling sad or depressed. You can use your diffuser to inspire high spirits during the holidays, to set a positive atmosphere for business meetings and social gatherings, to help you get moving on a slow morning, or even to create a romantic atmosphere for that special someone in your life.
Recommended oils: sweet orange, jasmine, rose, scotch pine, sandalwood, vanilla
3. Ward Off Illness
Using a diffuser in your home or office is a great way to keep cold, flu, and other nasty illnesses at bay that works on three levels. First, many essential oils are powerfully anti-microbial and when introduced into the air in vapor form, the organic compounds within the oils come into direct contact with airborne pathogens before they can invade your body. Second, essential oils can also be used to boost the immune system. Last but not least, some diffusers also double as humidifiers which will help to keep your airways moist and healthy so you are less susceptible to any microbes that do make it into your body.
Recommended oils: tea tree, sage, rosemary, grapefruit, lemon, thyme
4. Helps You Breathe Easier
Essential oils are great for reducing inflammation and congestion in clogged airways to help you breathe more easily. If you are prone to allergies or other breathing disorders, try diffusing essential oils in the room (or rooms) of your home where you spend the most time. Just remember to keep a box of tissues handy as your nose and sinuses begin to open so you can also avoid that mad dash to the bathroom!
Recommended oils: peppermint, rosemary, lemon, eucalyptus
Want more tips on how to naturally improve air quality so you can breathe better and be healthier? Our wildly popular 10 Reasons To Have A Himalayan Pink Salt Lamp In Every Room Of Your Home is an absolute must-read!
5. Pain Relief
While most people will tell you to apply essential oils directly to the body for pain relief, you can also use a diffuser to extend their effects. This method is an excellent way to combat persistent pain such as that caused by headaches, sore joints, and overworked muscles.
Recommended oils: ginger, chamomile, lavender, eucalyptus, clary sage, rosemary, bergamot
Also, be sure to check out these 14 Effective Natural Remedies To Relieve Joint Pain to learn more about using natural home-remedies in lieu of chemical-laden pain meds!
6. Improve Cognitive Function
Using essential oils in a diffuser is a highly-effective way to super-charge your brain cells. Again, this effect works on multiple levels. First, many essential oils have adaptogenic qualities – meaning that they are soothing when you’re stressed, but they can also give you a pick-me-up when you’re feeling down or sluggish. By leveling out your mood, the oils in the air will help you to focus. Also, there are several essential oils which are known for their powerful ability to balance the body’s hormones. With regular use, these oils can actually help to heal the underlying causes responsible for hampering cognitive function.
Recommended oils: peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon, pine
(Further Reading: 9 Essential Oils For Hormonal Imbalance & How To Use Them)
7. Safer Alternative to Candles & Incense
If you have pets or small children, burning candles or incense can be a potentially hazardous practice. With an essential oil diffuser, you can reap the benefits of aromatherapy – and to much greater effect – without the risk of burns, wax spills, or other accidents.
Recommended oils: any
8. Repel Insects
Whether your problem is mosquitoes, house flies, fruit flies or moths, you can use essential oils in your diffuser to deter these critters from entering your home.
Recommended oils: clove, lemongrass, rosemary, cedarwood
Arm yourself against the swarms of creepy crawlies this spring and summer with these 6 Fragrant Herbs & Plants That Repel Flies and 13 Natural Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Away!
9. Keeps You Cool
(While it might make you appear more eco-savvy to your friends and family, that’s not the kind of ‘cool’ we’re referring to.)
In the heat of the summer months, running the air conditioner all day and all night is a surefire way to send your electric bill through the roof. Instead, try diffusing your favorite crisp, cooling minty essential oils in the rooms where you spend the most time to help you beat the heat.
Recommended oils: peppermint, eucalyptus, spearmint, wintergreen
10. Saves Money
So far we’ve covered the top nine reasons that owning a diffuser is an investment in your health and well-being, but it’s more than just that. With all of the versatile uses for essential oil diffusers around the home which ultimately lead to less doctor visits, lower electric bills, fewer cups of coffee and better productivity; you will soon discover that this handy little device is a money-saver as well!
Benefits of Prenatal Massage!
Studies indicate that massage therapy performed during pregnancy can reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, relieve muscle aches and joint pains, and improve labor outcomes and newborn health. Massage therapy addresses different needs through varying techniques, one of which is called Swedish Massage.
Swedish Massage aims to relax muscle tension and improve lymphatic and blood circulation through mild pressure applied to the muscle groups of the body. Swedish Massage is the recommended massage method during pregnancy because it addresses many common discomforts associated with the skeletal and circulatory changes brought on by hormone shifts.
Hormone regulation
Studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered when massage therapy is introduced to women’s prenatal care. This leads to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health.
In women who received bi-weekly massages for only five weeks, hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol (hormones associated with stress) were reduced, and dopamine and serotonin levels were increased (low levels of these hormones are associated with depression).
These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications, such as low birth weight. The evidence strongly suggests there are maternal and newborn health benefits when therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care.
Reduction of swelling
Edema, or swelling of the joints during pregnancy, is often caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus. Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints. This also improves the removal of tissue waste carried by the body’s lymph system.
Improvement of nerve pain
Sciatic nerve pain is experienced by many women in late pregnancy as the uterus rests on muscles of the pelvic floor and lower back. The pressure of the uterus spreads tension to the muscles of the upper and lower leg, causing them to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves.
Massage therapy addresses the inflamed nerves by helping to release the tension on nearby muscles. Many women have experienced a significant reduction in sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy through massage.
Other potential benefits of prenatal massage:
- Reduced back pain
- Reduced joint pain
- Improved circulation
- Reduced edema
- Reduced muscle tension and headaches
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Improved oxygenation of soft tissues and muscles
- Better sleep
Source: "americanpregnancy.org"
Kicking the Flu Without the Shot
Flu season is coming around and if you are anything like us, you are scared of all the weird things that could be in a Flu shot. When we become ill with a cold or the flu, our lymphatic system works overtime to increase the delivery of infection-fighting cells, and to clear away waste and toxins. Manual lymphatic drainage helps to increase the circulation of lymphatic fluid, increase immune cell production, and enhance the removal of toxins.
There are plenty of other home remedies that you could practice before getting a Flu shot. One of the most obvious ones is staying hydrated. We know for most people, remembering to stay hydrated is like remembering that you need to floss. Put up a sticky note on the fridge that simply reads "Chug a glass of water!!!"
One thing that we swear by here at Shine On are diffuser's. Doterra Essential Oils actually makes an amazing oil called "On Guard" and it contains Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary Leaf/Flower essential oils. These are all known to be helpful with keeping the common cold and the Flu at bay. A basic diffuser does not cost more than $20 and you can get these essential oils all over the internet for very reasonable prices. Why not naturally medicate the air you breathe!?
Last but not least, take your vitamins! Echinacea root is one of the herbs we swear by. Echinacea encourages the immune system and reduces many of the symptoms of colds, flu and some other illnesses, infections, and conditions. Echinacea is a perennial plant, meaning it lasts for many years. And of course, you have your vitamin C that you should always remember to be taking plenty of during Flu season. Elderberry is another incredible Flu fighter. 10mg of Elderberry combined with 1,000mg of Echinacea a day is a great way to kick start keeping the Flu away.
We hope that this has been helpful for everyone and we also hope that everyone stays Flu free this winter and continues to Shine On!
Benefits of Heated Stones!
Combining hot stone protocols with a full body massage provides a very healing and effective experience. The hot stones also expand blood vessels, which encourages blood flow throughout the body. The hot stones have a sedative effect that can relieve chronic pain, reduce stress and promote deep relaxation.
Benefits of Reflexology
The benefits of reflexology include its ability to stimulate nerve function, increase energy, boost circulation, induce a deep state of relaxation, eliminate toxins, stimulate the central nervous system, prevent migraines, clean up urinary tract conditions, speed-up recovery after injury or surgery, help relieve sleep disorders, reduce depression, and relieve pain. Furthermore, it can help ease the treatment of various types of cancer and even helps to soothe the pains of pregnancy, even those occurring after the delivery.
Many of us find ourselves on our feet all day at work. Whether you work in an office, a factory, a field, a hospital, or anything in between, there is a good chance that you put a lot of weight and stress on your feet every day. It is not always the back, stress can manifest itself in the other parts of our body too. People often opt for massages, so it makes sense that there should be foot massages too, right? Reflexology is much more than a foot massage, but at its foundation, that’s the easiest way to describe the process. This specific area of massage therapy also includes the hands and ears, making it more of an extremity massage than a foot massage.
What is Reflexology?
Reflexology is an alternative treatment for a wide variety of conditions, as mentioned above, and has been in use for thousands of years. The ancient Chinese and Egyptians have documented practices similar to reflexology as a treatment for certain afflictions. It involves the reflexologist applying pressure to specific areas in the hands, feet, and ears that affect certain reflex areas of the body. Imagine that there is a connection between zones of your feet and hands that represent certain areas of your body that can be adjusted or managed through these zones. A lot of the theory behind reflexology has to do with aligning your qi, but even for those who normally don’t invest much in this discipline of health, there are plenty of scientific studies that have supported the claims of reflexologists.
It is not widely accepted in the medical world, but thousands of alternative physicians across the globe have been using reflexology for generations, with surprisingly positive results. If there are alternative treatments to treating more than a dozen health conditions affecting various parts of the body, isn’t it worth giving reflexology a try? After that, you can decide for yourself!
(Information brought to you by "Organic Facts" at Organicfacts.net)
Benefits of Cupping for Cellulite
Cupping therapy is increasingly being used in weight reduction and the removal of cellulite. Many celebrities are now talking about the fascinating effects of the treatment that is a form of deep-tissue, non-invasive healing therapy.
Cellulite is mainly caused because of a genetic condition which causes fluid retention, an inefficient lymphatic drainage system and weak veins that result in ineffective blood circulation. Hormonal imbalances can also cause the development of more fat cells. These factors result in the fat cells lying under the skin converting into cellulite.
This cellulite pushes up the cords connecting the skin to the underlying muscle and creates the ungainly appearance of the dimpled, orange peel look on the skin that is a sign of cellulite.
When suction is applied on the skin, the reverse pressure causes the cellulite to break up. Blood circulation is stimulated, and the fat and toxins that are released are moved to the lymph drainage network.
Since cupping therapy also promotes a more efficient drainage of the lymph nodes, these toxins are quickly eliminated from the body. Cupping is also known to ease the cords connecting the skin and muscle. In this way, fluid build-up is reduced and the skin develops a more cellulite-free healthy appearance.
(Information brought to you by "Cupping Resource")
Benefits of Craniosacral Therapy
Cranial sacral therapy (also known as craniosacral therapy) is a gentle, noninvasive form of bodywork that addresses the bones of the head, spinal column and sacrum. The goal is to release compression in those areas which alleviates stress and pain.
Cranial sacral therapy seeks to restore the natural position of the bones and can decrease stress from chronic injuries as well as provide relief from migraine headaches, neck and back pain, temporomandibular joint disorder (the inflammation of the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull) and more.
According to the National Headache Foundation, approximately 28 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. Often, migraines are triggered or exacerbated by stress and poor sleep. In a study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, researchers found that participants who received bodywork like Cranial Sacral Therapy had better quality sleep and fewer migraines than participants who didn't. Effects even lasted up to three weeks after therapy ended.
October Couples Massage Special!
Tis the season of ghouls, ghosts, specters and Spooks. Getting spooked heightens cortisol levels and getting massage is the best way to bring those levels down! From now until the end of October, we will be offering Couples Massages for only $120! Don't be afraid - check out our new online booking software!