Careful the products you use...your body will listen.

I have written a few drafts on a topic I've been wanting to write about for a long time: how what we put on our skin affects our overall health and well-being. It's a subject we all hear so much about, but how much of it really makes sense, sinks in, and stays with us in a way that helps us really make good choices when deciding what products we choose (or choose to make)?

What I've found in writing these drafts is that I have a basic understanding of products and interactions from an experiential background, and from my time in massage school (both as a student and a teacher). While I feel I could adequately share that basic understanding, I cannot communicate the scientific and chemical side nearly as well as my friend, Dr. Sarah Villafranco at Osmia Organics in her recent post.

So, with full credit to Sarah and her team, the following is the best explanation on this topic I have ever read, so please enjoy and make sure to check out their INCREDIBLE products, from soaps to body oils to face masks and scrubs! They are the real deal and I have not been paid to promote them or their products in any way. I just believe in them 100%.
Be Well.
Dani Grace, LMT

The Osmia Tox-Screen: The What and Why of Ingredients We Don't Use in Our Products

by Dr. Sarah Villafranco, MD

Osmia Organics Website

Session Sounds

Have you ever walked into a treatment room, and felt instantly

put off by the sounds coming out of the speakers? 

Have you ever been so distracted by the music during a massage that you felt you just couldn't let go and relax like you wanted to? 

Have you ever wished you could just bring in your own playlist filled with music you know will put you into the

state of mind you're seeking? 

Whether you are consciously aware of it or not, your

mental, emotional, and physical relaxation while on a massage table are partially dictated by what you can hear.

The emotions that music can trigger in us range from euphoria to nostalgic bliss or angst; from lost love remembrance to first dances or great concerts and everything in between. When combined with the relaxing and/or rejuvenating effects of massage, the results can vary greatly. 

Everyone is different in what we seek from life. Our wants and needs when it comes to massage and music are no different. No two massages are identical, nor are our reasons for seeking bodywork!

One day we may want to sleep better, another we want to feel like we can take on the world. On still another day, we may just be seeking relief from pain or an increase in mobility. 

For each of those reasons (as well as many others) there can be a different soundtrack. (We don't always listen to the same music to fall asleep as we do when we go out dancing!)

That's not to say if you prefer the same music for every massage, there's anything wrong with that. There is a lot to be said for consistency and knowing what to expect. Feel free to leave the decisions up to your therapist too. Just remember that you have a choice. 

Sometimes therapists get locked in to a playlist or CD out of complacency or may simply subscribe to a music service that provides a certain type of music to them. There is a strong possibility that new music would be a welcome break from the norm, so go for it! The bottom line that should always be truth is that YOU, the client should be completely at choice in this area.

You should never be afraid to speak up if what is playing is not what you want to hear. While it may not be possible at a large spa, if the music is piped in to all the rooms, if you have a massage therapist who has his or her own office, you can even ask if you can bring your own music in. 

Silence is always an option, too. 

For my practice, I welcome any and all playlists that will help you reach your goals. Ask me when you book your next appointment!

While I do not agree with everything stated in the following article, it offers a lot of food for thought on the topic of music in the massage room and how it can change a session. 

Mood Music: What's Playing in Your Practice?

Be Well, 

Dani Grace, LMT

New year, new approach, new inspirations.

In this new year, it feels like time to show more appreciation of the positive inspirations in my life. I find that as positive and optimistic a person I am, that doesn't shine through when what I blog about are the complaints about things that annoy me or frustrate me, even though those things sometimes are the squeakiest wheels. 

I have so many more thoughts about what I love in life, in my friends, in my family, in my career and in myself than thoughts about what troubles me, so why give those few negatives more power? I believe it to be a toxic practice, and who wants to encourage toxicity?

No more.

What I do in my work is to essentially help other people release their troubles and to let go of pain and stress by focusing on the present, focusing on what feels good, and focusing on feeling whole and healthy. In order to do this, I also need to stay focused on these things--not only just when I am with a client, but in my day-to-day life as well.

I will be blogging about the spa industry from a very personal and positive perspective. There will be advice for clients, advice for therapists, and quite a lot of information that I have to share about the "whats," "whys," and especially "hows" in the world of massage therapy as it applies to the body, mind, and spirit.

If you have any questions that you would like to get answers to, please share them! If I am already planning an entry on the topic, I would be happy to address specific concerns and issues that you would like to know about!

Cheers,

Dani