December Newsletter

Make the holidays special for the ones you love. From now until Xmas, buy 3 one hour massages for just $99.00. That’s good enough to take care of 2 people on your list and keep one for yourself. You can purchase these online (click here) or in person at New Life. Let me know whether you want regular gift cards or holiday ones.

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Remember the Employee and Senior special rates are still available through me. Always make sure you call me at 435 215-3480 to book your appointment.

Thanks for all the support to my articles on Dream interpretation, I will be forming classes after the first of the year, so here’s the next installment. ____________________________________________________________________-
What do you Dream? part three

The final classification of dream types is probably my favorite. There is so much history, lore, and belief system integration in this type of dream that the only question is not whether you believe this is possible, but how much do you believe (to what degree) that this occurs for all of us.

Astral/Clairvoyant Dreams

Tibetan monks have been experts in astral travel for thousands of years. Many in western religions believe that the veil can be pierced and that spirit worlds exist around us constantly. The New Testament tells of angelic visitations in dreams and often it is hard to distinguish between what maybe called a “vision” and a dream. As a young boy being raised in the LDS faith I was told of many circumstances where a loved one that had passed on had appeared to a family member to give counsel and solace. Since my own Father had passed away when I was 3 weeks old, many of these stories centered around him.

So in real-time, without the confines of the physical body, ancient tradition of many cultures believe that the dreamer is free to travel to distant places and check in on a person close to your heart. Often, we awake with a feeling that we need to contact that person if we sense that something is wrong or the opposite may occur where we awake with a feeling that all is well so that we can invest our emotional energy somewhere else.

Modern ESP experiments have focused on developing “remote viewing” skills. This is nothing more than a updated name for the term “clairvoyance”. Much was focused on the work of Edgar Cayce in the 1930’s and 1940’s, his followers have coined him as the “sleeping prophet” for the visions he related. My point being that there is not much difference in states of consciousness between a hypnotic trance such as Cayce’s, zoning out in a daydream, peyote hallucinations, or the dreams we have on a daily basis. When the dreamer discovers that the mind is free to travel without restriction between distant places in this world or realms of the spirit such as the “Astral plane” of the Tibetan monks, then this realisation adds a new dimension to the dream experience.

Now, I have no desire to mess with your beliefs, but rather to illustrate that within all of our belief systems there is some room for acceptance that when we make emotional connections with other people, we establish a line of communication with them. They become part of our spiritual sojourn in this world as so we connect with them on many dimensions. How many of us have had a phone call from someone only to find out that they had been thinking about us as well. No deeper, more mysterious meaning than that, just people emotionally connected reaching out for each other and perhaps some of that connecting takes place in our dreams.

Now that we know the different types of dreams, it is important to keep a dream journal. Begin to write down your dreams and see what class they belong too. What you will begin to notice is that there is a different flavor or texture to different types of dreams. In some you are more detached as though you are merely observing everything going on; in others, you are physically or emotionally involved to a great degree even waking up crying or kicking the wall (just like the family dog who yelps and whose legs move as if running in their dream). It’s only through getting familiar with your own dreams that you can literally program them and the different levels of your consciousness to achieve greater guidance in your life, emotional resolution, better health through more restful sleep and much more.

In our final article we will give you simple tips on how to program dreams. How to remember dreams better and how to become a dream weaver.

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This month’s drawing winner for a free hour massage is

Alfonso Gonzales

November Newsletter

We had a great first month at “New Life Chiropractic & Wellness Center” at the Dixie Sunset Plaza 1812 W Sunset Blvd, Suite 18, St George, UT 84770. We became reacquainted with old friends and met some really great new ones. Thanks to all of you and we look forward to great experiences in the months to come. You have only till the 31st of October to take advantage of the 2 for 1 special, so don’t miss out. If you do, no worries my special until Christmas is pretty good too. From now until Xmas buy 3 one hour massages for just $99.00. That’s good enough to take care of 2 people on your list and keep one for yourself. You can purchase these online (click here) or in person at New Life. Let me know whether you want regular gift cards or holiday ones.

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Remember the Employee and Senior special rates are still available through me. Always make sure you call me at 435 215-3480 to book your appointment.

I had a good response to my article on Dream interpretation, so here’s the next installment. ____________________________________________________________________-
What do you Dream? part two

In order to understand the next 2 classifications of dream types, we have to have a brief discussion on the nature of TIME. As humans existing in a material, three-dimensional world, we experience time in a linear fashion. That is, we live moment to moment, day-to-day, year after year. For us time exists in a straight line with experiences sticking up all along like pearls on a string. When we are not in a third dimensional state, we are free to move more freely through time and the past, present and future exist more spherically, and we can have access to all them through the compartments of our mind associated with each. In dreams where we travel randomly through the subconscious, superconscious mind and then sort out those experiences in the conscious mind.

Memory Dreams

The subconscious is the part of our mind where we store memories. These can be anything from the memory of the movie you watched last weekend to childhood events, and in the deepest levels of the subconscious it may be that we have access to ancestral memories (some believe that these may be buried in our dna), memories from other incarnations or timelines, or some have been able to access psycometric memories where we may tap into the memories of a location (this may help explain some instances of hauntings in old houses and castles).  These are the dreams that are usually responsible for reoccurring dreams and often the most emotional of dreams, as emotions are the “tab” system that the subconsious uses to file away memories.When these types of dreams are activated we are transported back into time with a vivid experience as if the memory is new.  Psychologically, we will continue to revisit past experiences until we can release and deal with the emotions associated with those experiences. We often repeat experiences in life until we learn the life lesson. The dream may be accessing a more distant memory that we are more detached from than the current  circumstance, where we can’t “see the forest from the trees”.

Precognitive Dreams: If in the unawake, unconscious state of sleep, we are true time travellers, then the superconscious mind  may have access to future events that are nothing more than trends we have already set into motion. It may be nothing complex that a review of things we may encounter the next day if we continue on the path we have set in motion. Some of you can say you have experienced “De Jevu” where people or actions seem familiar. This could be because you already experienced this possibility on some level in your sleep. The Bible is full of prophetic dreams such as those of Joseph who saw many years in the future to foresee 7 years of plenty to be followed by 7 years of famine. Most of us don’t see very far in the future because we haven,t been keeping dream journals or developing a relationship with our dream state. Some people call these warning dreams because they often get more intense the more we don’t heed what this part of our awareness is trying to tell you. I prefer to call this dreams of guidance and like anything we do, the more you use this guidance the more it will come to you and the easier they will get to understand.

Now it is true that some dreams can be a composite of different types. Therefore future events may unravel in symbolic terms because familiar symbols can make it easier to interpret the information that the dream contains.

One last word on the nature of time. When it comes to the mind, all time is relative. Where does someones mind go who has been in a coma for 20 years? Why did summer when we were kids seem to last forever or why do kids ask “are we there yet?” I’m sure that all of you have experienced dosing off for just a few moments and having a dream that seemed hour-long. As we get older the years seem to fly by. So although time can be measured in exact increments (seconds, hour minutes) life’s experiences are measured by emotions.. the roaring 20’s, our best years, or as in the “Tale of Two Cities”… “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”.

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We recommend ANASAZI STEAKHOUSE & GALLERY on Sunset Blvd

Visit Anasazi’s website at http://www.anasazisteakhouse.com/
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This month’s drawing winner for a free hour massage is

Misty Brennan

October Newsletter

Big changes that I’m sure you’ll be pleased with. First of all I have a new home at “New Life Chiropractic & Wellness Center” at the Dixie Sunset Plaza 1812 W Sunset Blvd, Suite 18, St George, UT 84770. Effective immediately I will see all my existing clients at this new location and I’m sure you be pleased with the quiet atmosphere and the fact that I’ll have greater flexibility in scheduling your appointments and will be available more hours and days of the week. To launch this new endeavor, I’m bringing back one of my most popular specials of 2 for 1 on any massage service. Consider this your economic stimulus and stock up for Christmas gifts or for yourself in the coming year. You purchase these online (click here) or in person at New Life.

I’m committed to bringing back the friendliness and superior care that you have been accustomed to in the past. I have a faith and conviction that we have all had enough negativity about our economy and that I’m here to help you meet your well being and health goals. ____________________________________________________________________
Remember the Employee and Senior special rates are still available through me. Always make sure you call me at 435 215-3480 to book your appointment.

If you have an expired gift certificate, I will honor those at “New Life” , no questions asked, no extra fee, no restrictions.
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What do you Dream?

Many years ago, I used to conduct classes and workshops on dream interpretation and reprogramming. I integrated studies on symbology, retraining the subconscious, and even a little Tibetan Astral travel. It never ceases to amaze me how little is known about dreams, published, or even discussed in our mainstream media. We spend 1/3 of life asleep and all of us dream (even if we don’t remember them well), and all of us can benefit from understanding the doors of our secret mind.

So this is the first in a 4 part series about dreams. What does this have to do with massage? Not much, I have used guided imagery in some sessions when it was appropriate, other than having a better relationship with your unconscious mind can have great health benefits such as have more restful sleep.

Most of us are familiar with Sigmund Freud’s pioneer effort into modern dream interpretation, but any student of the Bible knows it goes back much further than that. Joseph interpreted Pharoah’s dreams and was quite a dreamer himself, there are many instances of angelic visitations in dreams, and whose to say that visions are nothing but waking dreams. Robert Louis Stevenson claimed that stories such as Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were brought to him by ‘brownies” during his dreams (remember that the people of Scotland and Ireland took great stock in “little people”). Freud advanced theories of the subconscious that delved heavily in the meaning of symbolic meanings  for the actions of the dreamer. Mostly his ended up relating to sex or Mother issues. Others such as Jung looked at symbols as being universal or archetypical.  My research breaks dreaming  into four specific types where the rules of interpretation may be different for each type, therefore, the first objective is to identify what category the dream falls into.

Then lets discuss the first and most commonly known dream type.

Symbolic Dreams: we have dreams where the characters are often exaggerated like a Salvidor Dali painting and the places we see and things we do are unlike those of our waking life. These are the dreams where repressed feelings and memories are often dealt with in form that we can handle. We may even assume the character of some unknown person so that we aren’t directly confronted with issues that we have been avoiding or are just not ready to handle. Often in our waking life we suppress memories, for an example, I couldn’t remember much of my elementary school years for much of my early adult life. There was a lot of emotional pain associated with those years. Eventually, I was able to bring back those years by association of the good times I had back then. We tend to throw out the baby with the bath water, only when I could bring balance to those years could I face and deal with the bad things and balance it out by celebrating the good that occurred. Once that happened, several reoccurring dreams I had up to that point (and yes they were often scary and largely symbolic, mostly having my legs stuck in quicksand as I was trying to run away from the bad guys), left and never came back. As we grow and learn in life eventually we must face all our inner demons in order to progress. By getting these issues addressed as symbols we can be detached and objective as we unravel the messages brought to us by our dreams. It doesn’t have to be dark and heavy either. Dreams associated with this quadrant of the brain are tied to our emotional body so it’s not unusual to wake up laughing or crying.

Next month we will talk about 2 other types of dreams, and in the  articles after that we will discuss dream programing, techniques to remember dreams, and even some ways to sleep better. Please send me any questions you want me to address in this series. I hope you enjoy this topic and I wouldn’t be opposed to conducting some workshops down the road if there was enough interest.
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We recommend ANASAZI STEAKHOUSE & GALLERY on Sunset Blvd

Visit Anasazi’s website at http://www.anasazisteakhouse.com/
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This month’s drawing winner for a free hour massage is

Jeane Bulloch

August Newsletter

Hope you enjoyed our guest article last month from Dr. Will Christensen. I highly recommend his services as a gifted Chiropractor. Let me know if you would like to see more guest articles in the future.
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Remember the Employee and Senior special rates are still available through me. Always make sure you call me at 435 215-3480 to book your appointment.

Many of the gift certificates I have sold in the past have an expiration date of June 30, 2009. I will still honor them after that date but they may be subject to a $10.00 fee to cover space rental, linens and supplies. Call me if you have questions on this policy. The $10.00 fee would apply for outcall or at the Summit Athletic Club.
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Are You a “Humpty Dumpty?”

Each year new studies demonstrate what most of you already know as have experienced for yourself, that is, massage therapy keeps us healthier and reduces injury and illnesses caused by stress and exertion. Massage helps lower blood pressure, calms the central nervous system, and increases circulation to all the tissues in the body which helps removes toxins and increases the delivery of cell regenerating nutrients. Those who know this and have regular (monthly) massage, report improved energy and stamina, better sleep patterns, reduction in muscle cramps, and are less inclined to suffer from and recover quicker of colds and allergy symptoms.

In-spite of all this awareness, I still get the call from the client who needs immediate pain relief from an injury or neck ache or headache. Like “Humpty Dumpty” we put them back together again and we don’t see them again until the next time they are in pain. As much as I want to help, sometimes I can’t because of scheduling because someone in pain wants help “Now” and I understand that and it bothers me when I can’t accommodate them.

Most people aren’t aware of the simple changes they can make to have a body that functions better and makes them less prone to dysfunctional neck/back aches, headaches, sore feet, tired muscles. I have training in assessing movement, balance, and body structure. Helping to make you move more effectively and be less worn down by gravity. Those clients who have saught out this kind of help have been amazed by results from making changes in the way the walk, sit and go about their daily tasks. Awareness is the biggest key. The muscles don’t lie, they were designed to function a certain way and when we deviate from proper function the result is almost always those aches and pains. You don’t have to live with pain. Your Mother was right when she said “sit up straight” or “don’t slouch”. We all have gotten into bad body patterns where we are not using our muscles correctly. We hold stress in our bodies and do long term damage just simply because we don’t know any better.

Maybe it wasn’t wise for Humpty to go sit on that wall, maybe he didn’t have choice like most of us who literally sacrifice our bodies for the work we do. When I work in the mall years ago, my feet ached all the time and I eventually developed “plantar fascitis”. I bought better shoes, and learne to treat my condition. I wish I knew about massage back then too. My point is, we need to do everything we can to make living in this body better for longer.

One of my massage instructors tells the story of his grandpa who worked on a ranch all his life. When my teacher graduated from massage school his grandpa declared that he never had a massage and never needed one. My teacher had no answer at that time because even at 70 his grandpa worked circles around everyone and throw bales of hay around with the best of them. A few years later his grandpa needed hip replacements. Then my teacher had an answer. Massage probably could have prevented that. It would have reduced the damage that sitting in the saddle day in and out for years had done to grandpas hip joints. I recently saw a rancher walking into the store in Mesquite, wearing his jeans, boots and cowboy hat. His legs were so bowed that it was painful watching him walk. I remember playing with plastic cowboys as a child whose legs were bent just like that so they would fit on the toy horse. We often become what we do.

I challenge you to take care of yourself before the “pain in the neck” sets in. To fascilitate this, I will be glad to do a free movement assessment for anyone seeking to find answers on how you can function better and with less chronic pain.
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We recommend ANASAZI STEAKHOUSE & GALLERY on Sunset Blvd

Visit Anasazi’s website at http://www.anasazisteakhouse.com/
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This month’s drawing winner for a free hour massage is

Julie Kay

Additional winners:

Monique Darling  and  Dustin Nelson

your choice of one of these 2 books

The Pocketbook of Patriotism

Hope, Faith and Healing

Spring is almost here and it’s time for getting outdoors. Just a reminder to “Spring forward” with your clocks this weekend!

As you begin to emerge from your winter caves you might be thinking of ways to shed those extra pound and get your muscles back in shape. Let me introduce to Shari Dill, fitness coach and personal trainer.

Shari Dill

Her clientele relies on her for help in recovery from injuries and improving the quality of their life. They range from someone who wants to gain enough strength to hold their grandbaby or get in shape to run their first 5k to competitve athletes. Shari loves to see people grow and improve and make positive changes to their lives. She incorporates a lot of stability exercises using the swiss ball (or fitness ball) which strengthens the core muscles and a Bosu ball (inflated half ball) that provides an unstable surface which makes the workouts more challenging by forcing the muscles to stabilize and contract. You can stand on the bosu while doing weight lifting exercises which will force you to balance and improve your core strength. It is amazing what great results you can get by just using your own body weight as resistance.

Shari holds a degree in nutrition and fitness and I am a certified personal trainer from the National Association of Sports Medicine. I have competed and trained for running, cycling and triathlon events taking age-group wins in both triathlon and running events including one overall Master win in October 2007. She works with clients in their homes or at local gyms such as Rezults and Anytime Fitness.

If you have found that New Years Resolutions, Diets, or just going to the gym haven’t gotten you the results you have desired, then perhaps it is time to have the positive and dynamic support of a coach like Shari in your corner. Shari is offering special discounts and pricing for those of you get this newsletter. It may surprise you how affordable this help can be, call Shari at 530-888-7729 or e-mail her at shari@kayenta.net. Make sure you let her know you heard about her here!

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This month we will be participating in the Washington County School District Employee Health Fair. As you already know we offer employee discounts to employees of many local companies as well as to those who work for the school district. You can see which ones at http://www.stgeorgemassage.com/specials.html

However, this month only…..EVERYONE GETS EMPLOYEE RATE!

That is $40.00 for a Full Hour Massage or $20.00 off any hour or longer treatment (Hot Stone, Lomi-Lomi, Reflexology Plus or 90 minute). To buy this online go to the specials page and where is asks for company name simply type in “March” or you can just pay that amount at the time of your appointment anytime this month.

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BIO-LIFE Plasma Services.

Several months ago when my Son suggested I go to Bio-Life and donate plasma, I wasn’t very receptive. The very thought of it brought up images of the skid row wino selling blood to buy a bottle Ripple (that dates me ..lol), but I kept hearing positive things from clients and people who worked there who made me consider other things like how the donations save lives. So I decided to give it a try.

First benefit was getting a free physical. It was reassuring to know that my health was good. Besides knowing that my fat and cholestrol levels were good, my blood pressure pefect and pulse in the athletic range; I was impressed by the clean, professional atomosphere. Everyone there has been upbeat and acts genuinely glad to see that you are there. They do everything they can to make sure the experience is positive for you.

By donating, you can make as $50.00 a week for 90 minutes to 2 hours of your time. You can go before work or after and you can read a book, use the free wireless web, listen to your Itunes or watch a movie on your portable DVD (all these things I have done). The process is safe and comfortable. Some people have used the extra cash to save up for a trip (50 x 52 is $2400.00), just have some mad money, or even pay for massages.

It makes alot of sense that they would pick Southern Utah as a place to build a donation center as there is a higher percentage of people living here with a healthy lifestyle. If you think you are healthy enough to donate and would like to find out more go to http://www.biolifeplasma.com

They have a referal program where you receive $10.00 for everyone you send to donate. If you decide to go, please put me down as the referer. If you do that I’ll give you a free half hour upgrade on your next massage. In addition, anytime you pay for your massage treatment using your BioLife Visa, I’ll give you an additional $5.00 off your treatment even if you are getting another discount (example: employee rate $20.00 off plus BioLife $5.00, you get $25.00 total discount).

In these days where everyone is talking about tough times and bad economy, donating can be just the boost you need to not have to give up some things you rely on for a good life. And remember, you’ll be doing good for others.

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MARCH MASSAGE WINNERS

Cami Nelson  Sandy Wheeler  John Corriea

It pays to enter every month! click here to enter

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A monthly massage is another easy and affordable resolution you can make to have a healthier new year…..

Happy Valentine’s!

“Be a Hero” Valentine’s packages now available online at
http://www.stgeorgemassage.com/valentine.html

Get a full hour massage and two hours expert house cleaning by “Mercedes Quality Cleaning”
for only $88.00 .. .. once again we are offering “Black Tie” delivery on Friday February 13 or Saturday February 14 for just $10.00

or you can purchase house cleaning or massage gift certificates separately for just $49.00 “Mercedes Quality Cleaning” has been taking care of our house for nearly 2 years and I personally recommend this wonderful service.

What Valentine wouldn’t want a relaxing therapuetic massage and be able to come home to a beautifully cleaned home? Guaranteed to make you a hero for sure.——————————————————————————————–

The Healing Power of Gratitude

Nothing makes us feel better than a heartfelt “Thank You”. It’s important to feel appreciated, it fuels the fires of our inner drive to help us continue with our efforts. Life isn’t about surviving, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s not even about earning a living; rather it’s about the mutual benefit we receive from interaction with others. We learn nothing from solitude. The infamous monks who go up on the mountain top to meditate gain no enlightenment until they come down and communicate with their pupils, the vision they garnered from their meditation. It’s the journey and the lessons that help us grow.

One of my favorite quotes is from the late Cheif Dan George in the movie “The Outlaw Josey Wales”, in it he repeats the words told to him by the President when the tribal leaders were invited to Washington, “endeavour to persevere”. Sounds so much more worthy an effort than just merely surviving. I have always gained value from the precepts of being an “impeccable warrior”, that is to conduct yourself with dignity and taking full responsibility for your actions.

That being said, I want to thank all of you for the positive words of encouragement and support you have given me over the past few months. You have made a difference and have helped me to “Endeavour to persevere” during a difficult time. Recently I had been experiencing more and more pain in my wrist. I tried all my usual remedies, icing, wrapping and even massage but it just wasn’t improving. Now these type of injuries are common to massage therapists and I read articles on self care looking for some easy solution. It really began to worry me, even to the point of wondering if I was cut out for this career. So I put out the thought and asked for guidance. The answers came clear and strong.

Physically: I sought medical treatment firstly to get a clear diagnosis so that I knew what I was dealing with. First my physician tried steroid treatment which had no effect whatsoever. So then we had an MRI which confirmed that I had arthritic tendinitis and pinpointed the inflammation. Next we tried a Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drug which has given me great relief, reduced my pain from an 8 to about a 2 and has allowed me to continue to work as my body heals. Also some of you may have noticed me using some new strokes and using my forearms and left hand more recently during sessions. I will continue to learn techniques that allow me to improve my skills while putting less strain on my body.

Emotionally: YOU. I have had such positive feedback on everything I do. People have told me how much they enjoyed these articles and newsletters, appreciated my efforts in the community such as SGMT, and most of all for my body work. Let me share some examples; one client wrote, “Man, I wish I could come for a daily massage. If I were Oprah, I would hire you!!!” another wrote “I had my first massage from Michael in mid-December and was very impressed. Although I have Fibromyalgia, RA, and 2 torn menesci, I left the appointment pain-free and remained so for several hours, enabling me to Christmas shop and wrap gifts. What a treat! Thanks so much, Michael…I’ll be back for sure!”. Now I’m not sharing these to toot my own horn but rather to let you know that comments like these inspire me and most certainly helped me to recover every bit as much as the medicine the doctor prescribed. I continue to be an impeccable warrior not because I am strong but because I am stronger for connecting with all of you.

I am grateful that I have found a profession that allows me to do positive things for others. I am grateful for my health and that my work makes me healthier. I am grateful that because of my age and life experience I can connect with more people and share their health concerns. If I haven’t told you lately, “I love you” and thank you for letting me do work that I love.
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FEBRUARY MASSAGE WINNERS

Heather Allred   Cristina Werner    Penny Stewart

It pays to enter every month! click here to enter

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A monthly massage is another easy and affordable resolution you can make to have a healthier new year…..

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a prosperous and healthy 2009…

OOPS I did it again… Look for me January 8 through January 26 in the St George Musical Theater production of “Singing in the Rain“.

I was asked late in the rehearsal process to join the cast and was happy to be a part of the ensemble of this wonderful show. You will be surprized and delighted by al the great Tap dancinging as well as al the familar songs. To find out more got to www.sgmt.org

Singing in the Rain

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NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS YOU CAN KEEP

We all respond well to specific targets when it come to our goal setting. Vague starting or ending point don’t get much respect from our subconscious, so we end up seeming like procrastinators when we shoot for “someday’s, I get around to it, or even the haziest one of them all “tomorrow”. We set up conditions like, I’ll quit smoking when I finish this pack, carton, or the famous “I just won’t buy anymore” which turns us into the biggest moocher in town. (note: I smoked 35 years and have been completely smoke free 6 years 12/18/2008..so I know these)

We are all familiar with and often dread “New Years Resolutions”. This is one of the clearest target dates we can wrap our head around, and great beginning date that is so specific; so why do we have so much trouble keeping our resolutions? One culprit is that we may be uncertain, unspecific or unclear about our goals and the conditions we set up for them. Think about playing chess without knowing the rules or condtions for victory. You wouldn’t be very successful at it and would quickly become frustrated with the effort. Summarily, we do the same thing with resolutions, which we see as promises to ourselves. We become subconscious promise breakers (ie:bad people break promises or so our inner child perceives) and the whole process becomes one of disappointment. So what can we do create success? Here are some ways to change your thinking about resolutions.

1) clearly define you goal. Don’t just say “I want to lose 10 pounds”. Be specific, “I want to lose 10 pounds by April 1st”

2) set up conditions for small victories along the way. Using the above formula (10 pounds) work on 1 pound a week. Build positive mental energy around each successful step. Too often we only see the mountain top rather than breaking it down into steps we can achieve each day.

3) Keep quiet!! This may seem strange but we tend to give our power away to others. We may be honestly seeking encouragement from others but more often we get the opposite. People will shoot you down with all the stories of how they tried, gave up, failed. They are used to and comfortable with the the way they see you and will drag you back to your familiar self image. Remember Michael Corleone in Godfather III, where he laments about his failed attempts to go legitimate; “Just when I thought I was out, they drag me back in! (to crime)”

4) Do your homework. Even bad habits can become comfortable for us. You must therefore do a little sales job on your psyche. You must convince your subconsous that the new habit is truely better than the one you are used to. Since space abhors a vacuum, you must replace each bad habit with a new one that the mind perceives is better that the one it gives up.

5) Examine yourself. Are you making this change for yourself or to please others. Ultimately, you can only do it for yourself. You will not be successful being nagged into change, it must come from a clear choice.

Finally, I’m going to suggest a simply change everyone can easily do. Drink more water. I don’t care if it is the purest water from the virgin melted snow of the Alps or straight from the tap. We are lucky to have pretty good tap water here in Southern Utah, I have lived where it came out cloudy, smelling of chemicals, or even came out with a head like draft beer.

We all know the benefits of drinking more water. So here’s a tip to create success. Don’t think about drinking water, instead make a habit out of carrying a water bottle. Begin to think as you leave the house: cell phone-check, keys-check, water bottle-check. Tip 2, Become an expert sipper, set up the reward of punctuating each sentence or paragraph with a sip. Too often we hear about drinking so many glasses or quarts of water each day and all we can do is hear the sloushing of so much water in our tummies. Climb the mountain a sip at a time. Build a winning team, if you must have a support group hang out with those who already drink more water. Don’t talk someone else into joining with you as you then become invested in their success or failure.

People who drink more water have less aches and pains in their muscles because they improve circulation which includes delivering nutrients to the cells and carrying away the waste and toxins.

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JANUARY MASSAGE WINNERS

Beth Nichols    Susan Yeaton    Kevin Wright

It pays to enter every month! click here to enter

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A monthly massage is another easy and affordable resolution you can make to have a healthier new year…..

December Newsletter

Happy Holidays to all of you!

2 for 1 gift certificates… on any massage service from the ever popular Reflexology at just $35.00 to the yummy Hot Stone Massage at $75.00 or a full hour ($60.00) or 90 minute Massage ($90.00). Pick the right gift for those you love available until Christmas on-line only..click here to purchase
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ACUPUNCTURE is now available at Salone Sienne. Dave Flater, Lac. will be sharing my space and providing Acupuncture on Wednesday (other times by appointment) , so that will be my day off. He has 2 great offers so that you can take advantage of this service.

Introductory Special an initial consultation plus full hour treatment for just $45.00 ( an $80.00 value)

Christmas Special 2 for 1 Gift Certificates for just $80.00 for a full hour Acupuncture session.

To take advantage of these great specials and learn more about Dave and Acupuncture

click here

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Remember

You can now view my appointment schedule on-line. Use this to confirm your appointment or to check and see if a time is available before you call to schedule. For now you can only view the calendar, in the future we hope to add on-line booking and more.

go to: stgeorgemassage.com/events.html

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TOP TEN REASONS YOU DON’T GIVE FEEDBACK

Massage is usually a pretty passive experience. We want you to relax and enjoy the treatment, but we also need your feedback which can be hard to do because:

1) I’m in lala land..so leave me alone
2) I’m not sure if it’s supposed to feel this way..Besides he knows what he’s doing
3) It’ll be over soon anyway.. so just grin and bear it
4) hmm I have to pick up the kids at 4 and stop by the store..oh wait, I’m supposed to be relaxed.
5) is that a hangnail or is Freddy Kruger giving this massage.
6) maybe he won’t notice I didn’t shave my legs
7) Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
No pain no Gain..right?
9) oh yeah right, breathe….
10) cold hands..yikes

All kidding aside. Feedback is important after all it’s your body and it’s your massage. Most therapists (as do I) enjoy the challenge and break from the routine when clients have special requests. I once had a client who told me at the beginning of her session that she wanted to start laying on her back and didn’t want me to use any forearms or elbows. It was clear she knew what she wanted and liked and although this threw me out of my routine it ended up being a great session for both of us.
The worst thing you can do is lay there and suffer. If something doesn’t feel good a simple change may make all the difference such as more lotion to reduce friction or changing the tool from knuckles to palm. There are many strokes and ways to do them and as always, it’s my job to adjust to you not make you adapt to my style. Ladies, if you have tender breasts or have had augmentation, there is simple bolstering we can do that can ease discomfort. With the addition of a couple of towels to support your shoulders and ribcage, most of the pressure is taken off of the tender areas. Similar bolstering can be used for any sensitive area or injury so that the massage does not add unwanted pressure to those areas.
This goes for climate control too. Let me know if you’re too hot. Uncovering the feet (the bodies built in thermostats) can help you to cool off quickly. Or if your cold, don’t be afraid to ask for a blanket which I always keep handy.
All this might seem like common sense, but even I sometimes find it hard to communicate when I’m getting a massage, so I know both sides of the table. Yes, I look for signs of discomfort such as tensing up, clenching fists, or even the occasional scream but all in all I can’t read minds, so make sure your massage is great by giving a little guidance. Oh yes, 00hs and ahs count as feedback too, a little encouragement is like applause to an actor, you’ll get a better performance.

*note: I received some great response on Novembers article “How you can change the path of Health care” and I wanted to make it very clear that in no way was I trying to make massage seem superior to other forms of health care. My primary intention was to point out that choices are limited under today’s insurance options. I will continue to beat the pulpit for more choices which make for better and more Holistic health care. I do apologize if in my zeal it appeared that I was putting down any other health care profession.
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DECEMBER MASSAGE WINNERS

Debbie Warren     Rosemarie Swallow    Corey Stevens

Congratulations! After I put out the reminder to enter every month we had close to 40 people enter last month. Thanks and once again I encourage to enter again and tell your friends.

It pays to enter every month! click here to enter

Thanks to Dave Flater we have one more winner this month for a Free ACUPUNCTURE Session. Congratulations to Marci Ware ________________________________________________________________________________

Give the gift of Massage! And who deserves that gift more than you?

Exciting news!

The return of our most popular special this month only to help with your early Christmas shopping..

2 for 1 gift certificates… that’s right purchase 2 massages for just $60.00.

available online only..click here to purchase
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Just for Fun

As many you may know I do a back walking massage (Lomi Lomi) which I combine with Shiatsu. I recently came across a back walking video that I know you’ll just love.

click here and scroll to bottom of page

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Remember
You can now view my appointment schedule online. Use this to confirm your appointment or to check and see if a time is available before you call to schedule. For now you can only view the calendar, in the future we hope to add online booking and more.

go to: stgeorgemassage.com/events.html

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HOW YOU CAN CHANGE THE PATH OF HEALTH CARE

Unfortunately, massage is not covered by most insurances in the US. This is not true in other countries. I have had clients from Australia and Canada ask me for an invoice to have their insurance at home reimburse them for the cost of the massage treatment. At best, some of you School District employees who participate in Altius, benefit from my employee discount which was negotiated as part of your Coventry Care program. With the changes brought about by yesterdays elections we may see many changes in Health Care and Health Insurance. You have a voice in this.

There are two big factors that drive you insurance coverage and you may not know just how much you can effect them.

Factor One: Medicare.  What medicare covers and does not cover is used as the benchmark for what most insurances exclude or include in their coverage. This is one area where government and private sectors blend. This is why you can influence Medicare by demanding that your elected officials include massage in Medicare coverage. There are many studies that show that people who receive regular massage treatment spend less on prescription drugs and less doctor visits. The concern has been abuses. These are being addressed by the National Certification Board and by professional organizations such as the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), both of which I am a member. Many doctors would like to prescibe massage but are restricted to using Physical Therapists which could include hands on treatment but doesn’t because most PT’s like the doctors are trying to see as many patients per hour as possible. Therefore, massage remains the ONLY health care treatment that will give you specific hands on treatment for as long as you need it, just where you need it. Make sure our legislators know this.

Factor Two: Consumer. We tend to forget that you pay for the insurance coverage and you have the right to shop around. Even if your coverage is a Labor Union plan, you pay for it in dues and you elect your union officials. In other words, you are your own best lobbyist. Unfortunately, too many just go with the flow a don’t speak up. With huge insurance companies like AIG looking for a bail out, they will tend to look at cutting expenses but they can’t cut what they don’t have if you threaten their income by taking your business elsewhere.

We may see great sweeping change in Health Care in the next few years or at least we will see compromise and some restructuring. Make sure you get what you want and deserve by being heard.

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NOVEMBER MASSAGE WINNERS

LoyAnn McLendon   Karan Taylor

Congratulations! We only had 2 entries this month, so, just 2 winners. You gotta enter if you want to win.

It pays to enter every month! click here to enter

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Give the gift of Massage! And who deserves that gift more than you?

Well the St George Marathon is over for another year. Thanks to all the volunteers who made it great this year. A special thanks to those who offered host homes and to our corporate sponsors who made the therapists feel appreciated.

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Please visit my website for this month’s specials 2 for $99.00 or 3 for $122.00 (full hour massages)

You can now view my appointment schedule online. Use this to confirm your appointment or to check and see if a time is available before you call to schedule. For now you can only view the calendar, in the furture we hope to add online booking and more.

go to: stgeorgemassage.com/events.html

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Why we love back rubs.

Most of my blog articles are inspired by actual questions and conversations I have with my clients, Hopefully this allows me to focus on the real questions you have and I am always open to responding in these posts to your concerns and curiosities. With that in mind, I was asked the other day during a session “why does getting your back massaged feel so good?”

The answer to this has less to do with the number of nerve endings and more to do with the genetic, social conditioning we higher mammals enjoy. The same triggers we have that cause a baby and mother to bond with each other and why we care for each other. Obviously, we are relatively helpless in our early development and require a high amount of nuturing. Touch is a big factor in this. Babies will respond to being picked up and cue into our emotions. The more stressed we are the less likely the baby will be comforted, while the more peaceful and serene we are the more likely the baby will be soothed by our efforts.

Because we are unable to reach our on backs, like the baby we are dependant on the help and care of others. For most of us this becomes a social part of our well being. Thanks to the efforts of people like Jane Goodall we have been able to observe Chimps and Gorillas in their native habitat and we see that in those times that aren’t spent foraging, much time is spent grooming each other. It is a show of trust to be able to turn one’s back and have the other groom those areas that can’t be reached. Besides the health benefits of controlling parasites, much like our barbers and hair stylists it improves appearance to smooth the hair/fur. Another element is the endorphines and hormones that are released in response to touch. We are just now beginning to understand how important a role these “bio” chemicals play in our well being.

Look what the cat does when you go to pet it; the cat will arch it back to meet the stroke of your hand as a signal of its pleaseure and acceptance of the touch. Elephants and Bears have been known to stratch their backs by rubbing against the bark of trees and still other kinds of animal will roll around in the dirt. Horses will stand end to end to help keep flies off each other and we have all seen horses and Giraffes rub necks and nuzzle each other.

So my contention is that we are wired and programmed for touch paticularily in those hard to reach areas of backs and feet. I always notice those families in church who sit there throughout the service scratching or gently rubbing each others backs.

I feel sorry for those few who were less nutured and don’t feel comfortable with touch. Perhaps they associate touch in negative ways such as an invasion of space or privacy. Chances are they may have been social outcasts early in life or don’t come from families who were physically demonstrative. It makes me happy when I give someone their first massage because I know that deep down I am passing on a caring touch as well as a healing touch.

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OCTOBER MASSAGE WINNERS

Diane Biasi   Kathy Adams  Brett Merrill

Congratulations! It pays to enter every month!

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Remember to look for Michael in St George Musical Theaters “Ghost Tours”

October 16th through October 30th

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Give the gift of Massage! And who deserves that gift more than you?