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musings

thoughts on massage, self-care, art, and more

Sorry, dog treatment is reserved for family

Massage, seated variety

1/23/2020

8 Comments

 
Glad the holidays are over, but missing the community feeling of the parties?

Recently, a brilliant client of ours asked whether we could show up at a birthday party with a massage chair. Answer: wholehearted YES!

We thought this was a great idea in theory, and it was a smash hit in practice, so we wanted to share it with you too.

Chair-based massage is a great way to receive shoulder, neck, arm, back, hips, and hand work. It doesn't take a ton of space, and it's easy to transition from one person to the next. So it's a great fit for a small party -- or a large one.

Ready to add a little relaxation to your next shindig? Call 207-558-2766 or email info@harkhouse.me to arrange a time.

No travel fee for any location within the downtown Biddeford area, one half mile from our office at 180 Main Street. 90-minute minimum, $85/hour/therapist.


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Need a tune-up between appointments?

We set up shop every Saturday morning from 9-12:30 at the Saco River Market, located at 40 Main Street in Biddeford, next to Sweetcream and Portland Pie Company. Stop by to introduce your friends! We'd be happy to answer any questions, give you a treatment in the chair, or book your next appointment. Market also has great vegetables, meat, prepared foods, crafts, jewelry, artisanal dog treats, and live music.
I stopped into the Saco River Market this morning with a terrible headache and was happy to find Chrystina and Sean there offering 10-minute seated massage. Chrystina was knowledgeable, intuitive and got right to the root of the problem. A half an hour later, and my headache was gone. I HIGHLY recommend her!" - Emily W.
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Massage looks great in your office! You know the benefits of massage, but did you know that only 20% of the adult American population receives massage?

Making time for health and self-care are top of mind for many folks these days, and massageis a great way to help jump-start a path toward better self-care or supplement an already great routine. Even a 10-15 minute session can be beneficial.

Having healthy colleagues is beneficial for everyone. When your colleagues are relaxed, it's much easier for you to relax too.
8 Comments

learning to relax

1/13/2020

9 Comments

 
Relaxation takes practice. We may feel like it should just come naturally, but what did you do the last time someone told you to "relax." Personally, I get irritated when someone says that to me. They're not wrong, but they're not making it easy either.

The Dalai Lama said "If you can't do anything about it, why worry? If you can do something about it, why worry?" So, let's do something about it!

Being on the massage table, many clients find it hard to give up control of their limbs or head. They instinctively want to "help." Sometimes we do take an active approach and ask you to move your body against resistance, for example, but most of the time, your job as the client is to relax. Easier said than done.

Receiving massage is a skill. When you've got an elbow in your hamstrings, it's easy to freak out and think you might be in imminent danger. But if you can convince yourself that you're actually on a heated massage table and the therapist is here to help, you may be able to let go of that tension. When we see the scrunches in your face, the toes curling, and feel your body resist the pressure, we back off. The more you can relax, the better we can get to your deeper tissues. But the pressure is a stressor, so you have to employ some de-stressing techniques to work through it.

Try this (for deep tissue massage or anything stressful, really): Bring your awareness to your breath. Feel the cool air enter your nostrils and the warm moist air exit. Notice if it's stronger in the left or right. Feel your belly rise and expand as the diaphragm presses into your abdominal organs to make way for the air sponges of your lungs to expand. You may feel gurgles in your belly as your organs move. This is normal! If you pass gas, it's just a sign of the body relaxing. It's ok.

This breath awareness can take your mind off the momentary pain of tissues changing. It resets you into parasympathetic response (rest & digest) rather than the fight-flight-freeze response of the sympathetic nervous system. It also engages the diaphragm, which stimulates the vagus nerve, which is critical in the parasympathetic response. Many people get into a habit of using the muscles in the neck to lift the rib cage off the lungs. This causes all manner of neck and shoulder problems and is itself stressful and has less impact on the vagus nerve. It's a habit worth attempting to break. These little muscles can do it, but they're not designed to do it for long and they get angry and tired trying to do all that work when the big old lazy diaphragm could do it if it would just engage!
9 Comments

    Author

    Chrystina Gastelum, LMT

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Telephone

207-558-2766

Email

Chrystina Gastelum, LMT chrystina@harkhouse.me
Sean Hasey, LMTsean@harkhouse.me

Co-Owners
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Address

180 Main Street
​Biddeford, ME 04005

NEW LOCATION (starting 9/1/22):
58 Pike Street
Biddeford, ME 04005
  • Hark House
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