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Massage and bodywork for allergies Relief for congestion and pain All year long, allergy sufferers complain of sinus congestion, headaches due to pressure, and exhaustion. But springtime allergies are especially known for the havoc they wreak. Techniques that help Bodywork can bolster your immune system and may even lessen the need for allergy medications. Massage to the head, face and neck can help clear mucus from the nose and throat. Pressure point therapies such as shiatsu, acupressure and reflexology can be particularly helpful because they relieve congestion at the same time they encourage the body to return to a healthful balance. Hot stone massage is another effective technique that can be especially soothing around the nose and eyes. Releasing trigger points Massage is also known for its ability to release trigger points, knots that radiate pain to other spots. With massage, you can receive relaxing work to the face and around the eyes, as well as the upper back and shoulders where many trigger points to the head and face are located. When those areas are released, your headaches and congestion may also be relieved. Stress reduction helps Few studies researching massage therapy and allergy relief exist, but a 2009 Ohio State University study showed that even slight stress and anxiety can substantially worsen a person’s allergic reaction to some routine allergens. Massage recipients the world over report that massage helps reduce their stress. You may well find that simply relaxing with massage helps relieve your allergy symptoms. If you suffer from hay fever or some other spring allergy, try one or more sessions of massage this season. It may make all the difference. Instant Gift Certificates - Now Available Choose a design for your gift certificate, preview it, and then send or print it immediately. It's fast and easy. Check it out! The power of breath Breathe better and feel better You can live a week without water, a month without food, but only a few minutes without oxygen. You can’t generate energy in your body without oxygen. And many people equate energy with life itself. Energy is essential for your physical and emotional health. Thinking, moving, sensing, digesting and every other function require energy. Muscling your breath Breathing involves the chest, abdominal and back muscles, and the diaphragm, a bell-shaped muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. The diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration, but many people don’t use it efficiently. Instead, people often overuse the muscles around the ribs to inhale. But these muscles don’t push fresh air into the lower lungs the way the diaphragm is designed to do. If the lower lungs don’t receive enough air, the body cells don’t get enough oxygen. In addition, when people overuse the chest and back muscles to breathe, muscle tightness increases in those areas, which can lead to chronic tension and pain. Poor posture, muscle weakness, lung disease and even lack of understanding of the breathing process can contribute to inefficient breathing. Releasing your breath Through observation and bodywork to your upper body, your practitioner can help evaluate your breathing habits. She or he can apply techniques to release trigger points and tight muscles that restrict the breath, and demonstrate better breathing habits. When you improve your breathing habits, you can increase your energy and mental clarity, and decrease tension and pain. New Therapist Joining Our Team Beth Minker has been a licensed massage therapist for 11 years, and is a teacher of Anatomy & Physiology at the Cortiva Institute in Pennsylvania.  As always, we will be offering 1 hour appointments with Beth for $50 to allow our clients to become familiar with Beth and her therapy techniques.  Beth specializes, as we all do, in Corrective Massage Therapy.  The introductory offer begins on March 29, and is valid thru April 30, 2011.  Beth begins working in our office on Tuesday, March 29 and her hours will be Tuesdays 10-2, Thursdays 10-2 and Fridays 10-6:30. Call us today to schedule your appointment. Breathing exercises Reduce stress and breathe easier A natural rhythm of breathing includes inhalation, exhalation and resting. You can learn to observe and improve this rhythm. Some questions to ask yourself are: What’s longer, your inhalation or your exhalation? Can you rest between cycles? Do you feel strain when you breathe naturally? Observe your breath. When you are stressed, your breath may be fast and shallow. If you are tired, you may have an irregular, slow cycle with yawning as an attempt to increase oxygen coming in. When calm, the breath is usually regular and relaxed. Try these for better breathing Practice breathing exercises when you wake up or when you get in bed at night. By practicing regularly, over time you can learn to notice when your breathing changes in response to stress, exercise, moods and rest. This can help you develop easy, rhythmic breathing. Sit or lie comfortably with closed eyes and observe the breath. Use no effort. Notice the quality of the breath and how it moves in the torso. Place one hand beneath your navel and one under or on your tailbone and notice the movement in these areas. Place your hands on each side of the lower ribs. Observe your breath. Now cross your arms, placing each hand under the opposite armpit. Feel the breath come and go. Then release your arms and observe any changes in your breathing. Now you are ready to try abdominal breathing. Rest your hands lightly on your stomach. Slowly and deeply inhale through your nose, pushing the hands outwards. Then slowly exhale, squeezing the belly tight. Practice four inhales and exhales. Food for Thought "You become what you think about."   — Earl Nightingale Tell All Your Friends! Are you a fan of social media? Remember, you can forward this email to a friend or share it on Facebook.