Words of Wellness / Health

Nature heals in many ways. Most of us have felt the sense of renewal that comes from walking through a garden filled with fragrant flowers, or sitting under a massive tree, shaded from the burning rays of the sun. Indigenous peoples worldwide believe that each plant has a spirit we can communicate with, to ask for their help in healing.

You can tap into "plant spirit" by keeping aromatic plants around your home or wherever you spend time. Whether fresh or dried, herbs and plants can delight the senses and offer varied health benefits.

Aromatic essential oils extracted from herbs, flowers, resin, wood and roots have long been a source of healing, aiding in relaxation, circulation and wound healing. However, the use of these medicinal oils declined as the modern pharmaceutical industry developed. In 1928, French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse revived the use of essential oils and developed the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from botanicals to balance and harmonize the health of body, mind, and spirit. Gattefosse coined the practice aromatherapy.

When we experience something good, it's natural to want to tell everyone about it. Massage is no exception. Here are some ways to share your enthusiasm for massage therapy.

Lymphatic Drainage Therapy Fights Infection

Plan to Stay Fit This Winter Winter's here, and you've moved your running shoes to the back of the closet until April. Yet that piece of pumpkin pie has your name on it.  With the onset of colder weather, shorter days, and snow-covered streets, we eat more and exercise less, waiting for the spring thaw to get back in shape. Instead of having to make New Year's...

In northern climates when the heavy snows fall and the sun moves south, many people find their moods shift from upbeat to downright depressed. The severe form of winter depression--called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD--affects at least two million North Americans. Another thirty-nine million experience milder symptoms of moodiness and extended sleep patterns that somewhat resemble hibernation.

Tip No. 1: Take Five

After your therapist leaves the room at the end of your massage, take your time getting off the table. Instead of jumping off the table and running back into the busy world, lie on the table quietly, take a few relaxing deep breaths and just enjoy some peaceful stillness for a few minutes.

Choosing from a menu of massage techniques may sound like a heavenly dilemma (so many techniques, so little time …). But the choice you make is a weighty one — and it’s not just about your preferences for light or deep pressure, but also your health and physical condition right now.

Some nutritionists insist that 80% of the country is walking around dehydrated. We drink too much coffee, tea and soda containing caffeine, which prompts the body to lose water. More troubling is that when we are dehydrated we do not know what to drink.