Wellness with evening rituals

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When I feel confused about things in my life and can't seem to find the answers to my questions, or even quite figure out what my questions are, I turn to a form of meditation. I have created an evening ritual that fits into my work and philosophies as a massage therapist.

You will find your own expression that suits what you do and what your beliefs are. Prayers, yoga, meditation, a shower and so on. The intent will be the same, and that's what is important.

This is part of my wellness regime, possibly the easiest part for me compared to diet and exercise.

I want to share my ritual with you, to let it serve as an example and give understanding to why I do it. It's my hope that you will find it useful and it can aid you in creating your own ritual.

I do a smudging with sage and other herbs. It has several steps where the intent is to let go of the day that has passed. The intent is to remove the negative influences and feelings. It is a symbolic cleansing of my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual body. I then offer thanks and gratitude for the day that passed, again including all aspects of life.

Once I have smudged myself I often play with my massage stones. Arrange them in patterns on the floor and just enjoy to touch them. This has a soothing and calming effect on me, and is a meditation form.

I then take a medicine card. The cards have animals on them and the book describes these totems. For you it could be tarot cards, daily affirmation cards, beads or any other things that you attribute some meaning to and which will give you associations to important things on your mind.

In my notebook I write down the date and then exerts from the text of my daily card. I just write down the sentences or words that speak out to me in that moment, the words that feel right and ring true.

Then I put away the card so I can still see it and I start writing. I write what comes to my mind. It can be events of the day that are not fully solved, some challenge or pain weighing on my heart, associations with the card. Really anything that pops into mind, questions and answers.

By doing this I get into contact with my subconsciousness and often I gain clarity and inspiration on how to deal with certain issues or ideas for what I can do to change things. It is very productive and insightful.

Finally, I write a daily affirmation. This can be just a few sentences or several paragraphs. That all comes down to what weighs on my mind and where I want to change. If I want more success as a massage therapist, I will write that I am a successful massage therapist. If I want to be more compassionate and kind, I write that I am compassionate and kind.

If I need more grounding and calming, I will cocoon myself with some of my stones, either hot or cold, and go into meditation with them lying on me. Often I fall asleep quickly and only vaguely recall putting the stones on the floor an hour or two later.

Doing this little ritual every evening helps me wind down from the day, calm my mind and gives me a nice quiet time which allows me to sleep better at night. All my thoughts, worries and ideas of the day have been written down and dealt with. And they're there for the next day if they're important.

What is your little evening ritual? How do you let go of the day and prepare yourself for the night?

What is wellness massage?

The expression wellness massage is fairly new, though the concept has been around for years. Often they're called relaxation massages. Relaxation massage is not quite the same as wellness massage. Nor is wellness massage to be confused with therapeutic massage. There are some distinct differences, which I will explain below.

Let's define Wellness first:

1. the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, esp. as the result of deliberate effort.
2. an approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases.

Wellness massage is not just a pampering and feel good massage, nor is the intent to treat any injuries or medical problems. Wellness massage is a holistic treatment.

Psychically:
Here the focus is on relaxing muscle tissue and supporting the natural healing process of the body. The aim is preventive healing as opposed to treating any injuries. The muscles are toned and relaxed, tensions eased out and aches soothed. Range and mobility are increased. The circulatory system is stimulated, helping the body to bring nourishment and oxygen to the areas which needs it. Digestion is aided when the stomach is massaged. Good physical health is the base upon which the other aspects rest.

In short, minor problems are dealt with and the body systems are given a boost.

Mentally:
A wellness massage can become a journey into meditation and deep relaxation, enabling the client to let go of worries and stresses. The rest gives a boost of energy and fresh look at challenges. It is important that we all find time to relax and walk away from our stresses, and a wellness massage allows you to do that.

In short, the recipient aided in dealing with his or her stresses.

Emotionally:
Here the most important is to give caring and nourishment to the recipient. To give them that loving, caring touch that allows them to relax and let go. Many of us need more touch in our lives. A wellness massage provides that.

Physical contact and closeness aids the recipient in getting into touch with themselves. The massage gives a boost of enjoyment and pleasure. The "feel-good"hormone oxytocin is released, giving emotional strength. Many feel happy after the massage. By being in touch with yourself and your body, it is easier to know how you actually feel in a given situation and thereby act upon it. Emotional strength helps dealing with stress from other parts of life.

Spiritually:
A wellness massage can be part of a spiritual journey, giving insight and clarity. It gives energy and healing on a spiritual level. The massage aids the the recipient to connect with their higher self, the Universe and Mother Earth.

Depending on the background of the massage therapist, as well as that of the client, different approaches and methods are used. Some include Reiki, others ceremony from Shamanism, some do Healing, they might work with energy principles from Chinese Medicine, or concepts from Auyerveda and so on. This is a highly personal aspect, and often very subtle. The spiritual element can be one of the reasons why a client connects with one therapist and not another. Nobody consciously working with the spiritual aspects will ever impose them on the recipient, so generally there will never be a conflict of interests, religions or views.

Holistic approach
A wellness massage focuses on treating and supporting all parts of the recipient. It is a massage which looks at the person as a whole. If one element of our being is imbalanced, then the others will be affected negatively.

As I wrote in a previous article:
Your wellness is like an orchestra, consisting of a number of instruments which create great and beautiful music when they all play in harmony. Just one instrument which is disharmonious and the entire piece of music sounds wrong and becomes a pain instead of pleasure. Make sure all your instruments are in tune and played the right way and with the right tune and force.

This is the intent and what a Wellness Massage aims to achieve.

LaStone therapists are unique

Being a LaStone® Therapist isn't just about learning a new massage routine or learning a new technique. It's learning a whole new approach to massage and implementing these principles into the different bodywork techniques we already know and use.

We learn some routines such as the Original Body or Castle Building. These are very specific types of massages, with a clear intent and a range of motions we go through. They're not rigid, but we
start out following a "recipe" which we later on adapt to suit our own expression. Original Body is much like an almost finished painting onto which we add the last details and colours.

With LaStone® we also learn very specific techniques, such as the use of cold stones and geothermal therapy in Deep Stone. This is not a routine taught, but a series of different motions to address specific issues. Deep Stone is much like a collection of building blocks you put together depending on the situation of the client.

The beauty of LaStone® is that you can implement elements from all the different directions and teachings into everything that you already do. A LaStone® therapist doesn't only give the treatments she learned at the courses, but knows how to implement the use of stones and geothermal therapy into her other treatments.

As we become more familiar with our stones, we discover new ways to implement them into our massages. That can be using cold stones while giving reflexology, it can be letting the client lie on a warm belly stone while receiving Lomi Lomi, it can be using stones to aid the energetic work in Shiatsu. The possibilities are endless. Each LaStone® therapist will have her own unique expression, incorporating the stones into everything she does.

This is what makes LaStone® therapists truly unique.

Properties of massage stones

It is no coincidence that the stones I use in my massages are those they are. Not only are their thermal properties important, but also the nature of the very stone plays an important role. Stones are harvested with respect for nature and treated well.

Time is taken to find the right basalt stones which were created via volcanic eruptions thousands and thousands of years ago. Water shapes and polishes the stones creating the best massage tools. They are smooth and round, with no sharp edges. You can find a stone to suit every type and form of massage. Basalt can range from greenish and reddish grey to deep black. The colours indicate the mineral content in the stone, and the weight the density. The heavier a stone, the more heat it can retain and the longer it can be used during a massage.

Marble is created from organic material and pressure. It can be found in a wide range of colours. Pure white, green, blue, red, pink, and even black. Because marble stones have been cut from slaps of marble and polished, their beauty becomes an important part of their use. There is something very pleasant and savoury to be massaged by beautiful and colourful marble stones. Marble is a stone that stays cold for a long time and is perfect to use for cold stone massage.

The sardonyx is a unique organic stone as well, created by deposits and pressure like marble. They can practically have all kind of colours, arranged in intricate layers and patterns. They work just as well as marble to stay cold and for massage. They can be incredibly beautiful and fascinating to work with.

Energetic properties of the stones I currently use:

Basalt

"The long understood healing properties of basalt stones are stability and strength, clarity in difficult times, easing anger and promoting understanding in such situations. It has been said to enhance the reproductive system and increases fertility."

Marble

"Marble is used for protection; many altars are made of marble for this purpose. It is also said to aid in personal success and body fitness. It is common knowledge that marble is the stone of choice to adorn castles, churches or any building that is a place of honour and authority. Marble will assist in recalling your dreams and promotes mediation. In relationships, it supports common sense and matters of the heart."

Sardonyx

"Sardonyx is said to help with sleep, offering one a sense of protection, aiding in a deeper state of relaxation, so sleep comes easily to those who take this stone to bed with them. This stone balances both male and female polarities. It relieves stress and anxieties by enhancing this balance and self-control; it eliminates negative thinking, apathy, stress & neurological disorders, aids in detachment of unwanted relationships and inspires a sense of inner calm and serenity. Sardonyx is the stone of joy, self-control and wise decision-making. It is a very popular stone used in many rosaries and said to assist one in spiritual inspiration, concentration, devotion and protection against incantations and black sorcery."

There is always a stone which will appeal more to you than others. Please don't hesitate to find your own stone and let your LaStone® therapist know which one it is. They're our gifts from Mother Earth.

Quotes: LaStone® Therapy