Rachel's Cool Parents
We’d like to take this moment to thank all of our Mothers who’ve supported us, nurtured us, and helped us to grow. We couldn’t have been where we are today without you. Wishing you a Very Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms of Massage Williamsburg! We love you very much!
- Rachel Beider
Mom made birthdays special
Look at how Lovely!
So many of our clients have been suffering this season from very bad allergies. The lack of a NYC winter, combined with all of the gorgeous sunny days, has made many plants and flowers bloom early this year. Massage therapy is a fantastic way to help alleviate the pain and pressure associated with sinus problems. Self-massage can actually affect your sinuses, the array of spaces that are contained inside your facial bones.
Our sinuses help with keeping the skull lighter, as well as providing resonance for our voices. But when you’re exposed to allergens, the histamine in our body releases and we wind up with that oh-so-familiar congestion and sinus pain. One way to cope? Facial massage is great for inducing sinus drainage! Here are a few pointers:
Sit upright. This is the best way to start a facial massage if you’re looking for sinus relief. Lying on your back directs the drainage to your larynx, and lying face down may increase the sinus pressure.
Finger Circles Technique: Start at the forehead and run your fingertips outward to your temples. Then do circles with your fingers on your temples clockwise. Remember how sensitive the temple area can be—don’t use too much force. Continue those ‘finger circles’ under your jawbone. Feel that space? It’s the sinus cavity that connects with your ear. Work out that area, opening and closing your jaw to maximize your efforts!
Start at the nose and move down and out. Slide your thumbs across your cheekbones, then down either side of your nose. Finally tap your fingers on your maxilla—the bone directly behind your upper lip—to release blockage in the maxillary sinuses, and slide your fingers out from the center. Have some tissues nearby for any drainage.
Use Acupressure Points: Press Gently into the space just between your eye and your nose, with the pressure directed inwards and upwards. This should help release some of the pressure and pain that you may be experiencing.
I recently learned of the Buds to Blossoms program in Cambodia, which helps nurture AIDS orphans near rural Phnom Penh. Here is the Program Description, as seen on their website.
“Several times a year Buds to Blossoms brings international teams of volunteers to a rural orphanage in Cambodia that is home to over 200 children with HIV and AIDS. There the volunteers work and live as members of the community providing gentle massage and nurturing attention to the children to foster their health, well-being and development.
Because HIV and AIDS carry a heavy stigma in Cambodia, many of the children faced discrimination and were outcasts in their communities before arriving at the orphanage. A number of them were also abused, neglected, abandoned, raped, prostituted or sold into slavery.
Massage is of particular value to these children because its proven immune system-strengthening effect may improve their compromised health. The relief massage brings from pain and anxiety may also increase their quality of life.
During this program volunteers receive basic instruction in massage for children and learn to share a rich palette of nurturing interactions including improvisational play, singing, and storytelling blended with gentle touch that communicate to children they are safe, loved, valued, and respected. The work we do flows naturally from our capacity to reach out to others with warmth. While experience with children and massage may be helpful, it is not required for participation in these programs. You can begin learning to do basic massage with children during our orientation gatherings and program activities even if you have no background in massage.
Although most of our work is non-technical, volunteers with specialized pediatric massage training are needed to care for several children at the orphanage who, in addition to being HIV positive, have special needs and medical conditions including physical disabilities and mental disorders. Infant massage educators are needed to provide lessons to professional caregivers of orphaned babies with HIV. And because many of the children’s caregivers have chronic muscular tension, volunteers with technical massage expertise including deep tissue training are also needed.”
Rachel in Cambodia, 2006
I wanted to pass this along to my fellow LMTs and also to the greater community of Williamsburg. I feel like this is a very worthy way of spending a week off from work this summer. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Cambodia, and I am planning a trip again! I would love company, please contact me if you’d like to go too!
Warmly,
Rachel Beider, LMT
After watching the first episode, I’d like to believe that it will have no impact whatsoever. It’s a dramatization of a woman’s life – a woman who happens to be a massage therapist and who makes the choice to supplement her income performing sexual “extras”. Massage therapists aren’t the first ones to be misrepresented by entertainment and media. Take the well-worn stereotype of lawyers, for example. And more specifically, I am sure that the Showtime series Weeds didn’t suddenly give all widowed mothers of young children the reputation of being drug dealers any more than Dexter makes people believe that all forensic experts are murderous criminals. The show is full of so many overworked cliches that it’s almost funny. There are the obvious jokes about one therapist’s strong grip being the reason she makes so much money (that joke didn’t even take any creativity) and the correlation of performing massage for 8 hours as foreplay (massaging clients for 8 hours is absolutely exhausting, it’s not a turn-on). My favorite, though, is probably the montage of old, sick, hairy, unattractive people who are bad tippers implying that only young, uber-buff men tip well, but only if you give them “extras”. But it’s not as simple as these cliched misrepresentations.
Katherine is a New York state licenced massage therapist with an Associate of Occupational Studies degree and medical massage certification from the Swedish Institute in NYC, and a B.S. degree in Forest Products Marketing from Virginia Tech. She is proud to lend her writing skills to our blog, and her professional massaging skills to Massage Williamsburg.The average person takes 7,000 steps per day. The average New Yorker takes about 13,000 steps per day — on concrete (sometimes even in stilettos…) The result is achy, tired feet that become more prone to painful foot blisters, bunions, corns and calluses. Even though they do get a little support from the hip and knee joints, your feet remarkably support almost ALL of your body’s weight. Taking care of your feet is possibly the best thing that you can do for yourself, so say thank you to your feet by giving them a special massage!
Each of your feet has 28 bones. Each of these bones are connected by precious yet vulnerable ligaments and tendons. When we wear tight shoes and socks we compress these bones and ligaments together. This results is limited range of motion, shortening of the plantar fascia (the meaty connective tissue found on the bottoms of your feet) and even improper circulation! Try taking your shoes off as often as you can, and wiggle your toes and ankles around (this is especially helpful for you heel wearers!) Mention to your therapist that you’d like to have work done on your feet and they’ll take care of ‘em! Expect lots of joint mobilizations and foot relaxation techniques present in this sort of a massage.
Massage can also benefit many foot pathologies. Plantar fasciitis, morton’s neuroma, and achilles tendinitis are the most common presented within our office. It is important to let your therapist know that your have either of these conditions. Although it can be beneficial, working with these sorts of pathologies can be somewhat painful. Expect lots of longitudinal strokes, deep pressure and stretches in this kind of work.
Try working on your feet at home. This can be supportive throughout the healing process in addition to regular massages. Try making your own foot spa/soak. All you’ll need is a deep basin or bucket, epsom salts and hot water. Add essential oils such as tea tree, peppermint, or rosemary if you’d like a more invigorating soak. Soak your feet for 10-15 minutes and you’ll feel awesome afterward!
Use a foam roller or a reflexology massaging-map to stimulate your tired feet.
Also, try this nifty trick — freeze a bottle of water and roll your feet over it. This presents relief for acute, inflamed feet as well as an easy massage!
As always, please consult with your doctor or podiatrist before trying any of these helpful hints. Enjoy!
Clients are always asking us to publish a playlist of recent music (we are a fan of highlighting local indie bands, and playing some pretty rad music, etc). Here are Rachel’s top 10 so far for February. Come by the office for a massage and hear them in person!
1. Eddie Vedder: Longing to Belong I can’t believe that Vedder made a ukelele album. It’s absolutely gorgeous!
2. Cat Power: Where is My Love Chan Marshall’s haunting voice over beautiful piano.
3. Sharon Van Etten: For You Sharon is a LOCAL musician who I can’t get enough of. This is one of my favorites!
4. The Black Atlantic: Fragile Meadow The entire album was made for massage, seriously! Relaxing, beautiful music!
5. Ha Ha Tonka: So Quiet They’re Loud Sweet guys from the south, who recently played a show in Brooklyn! Give em a listen.
6. Horse Feathers: Thistled Spring A fantastic song, strings and piano make me so happy!
7. Little Joy: Don’t Watch Me Dancing This one’s a little different, but I’m going with it. As Robert says “no more bummer songs!”
8. King Creosote: Bubble His voice is incredible, and its nice to have a little electronicly influenced music here and there to break up all this slow piano.
9. The Rachels: Wally, Egon, and Models in the Studio Again, another complete record that is IDEAL for massage. This instrumental will blow your mind!
10. Dawes: Take Me Out of The City I am a sucker for the harmony. So good!
Aaaand Last but not Least, I can’t stop listening to JAMIE X the moment I leave the office. It’s too loud and fun to play while getting a relaxing massage, but I love it as a pick-me-up after a long day of work! Enjoy the steel drums: Far / Nearer
In the past year, I’ve touched more than 50 naked people.Don’t worry though—the fancy parts were covered—I’m a massage therapy student. They have you start on friends and family, other students and then the general public. Some people are silent during a massage; others can’t stop talking in a nervous attempt to clothe themselves with something, even if only words.
Despite our obsession with sex, American culture doesn’t really encourage nakedness (physically or emotionally). And if all the pleasantries and social constructs we use weren’t bad enough, we add social media into the mix and distance each other even further. When we’re naked and silent, all of that falls away. What I learn from what a person tells me is miniscule compared to what I learn by feeling his skin, muscle and bone. By watching him move. By listening to his breath. By feeling his pulse. So, in case you didn’t know:
1. Your body doesn’t lie. You might say, “I’m relaxed!” or, “That pressure is great, you can work deeper,” but your body may tell a very different story. What goes on in your muscles, with your breathing, with your pulse is the truest you: the you that even you might not know yet. It’s a good thing to get in touch with. You’d feel much better if you listened and let your words match up to what your body was saying.
2. When you stretch, you open up space. This is physically true, and emotionally true. When you physically stretch (or allow yourself to be stretched) you create space and allow for greater movement, greater vulnerability and more growth. It’s the same when you stretch yourself emotionally, too. Your physical and emotional selves aren’t separate––stretch one, and you usually stretch the other, too. It isn’t always comfortable at first, but it’s a wonderful thing. Surrender to it. You won’t regret it.
3. That thing you’re embarrassed about? That you don’t want anyone to see? That you tense up and hold your breath over? The part of you that you wish were different? It’s ok. Let go. Enjoy it. It’s part of what makes you so beautiful.
4. Everyone has body hair in various places and amounts. There’s no one right amount. It’s all good. Same goes for moles. Even models don’t look like they do in the pictures. Smooth and hairless is a Fifth Avenue invention designed to create discontent (and sell grooming products).
5. Everything you’ve experienced is stored in your body at a cellular level. Each cell is a record of all of it. I’ve felt it in your skin. Being born. Being held. The time you fell off your bike and weren’t that hurt but very scared. That brutal sunburn on your shoulders at 14. The time you fell out of a tree and broke your collarbone. The first time you felt deeply loved. The person who hurt you so badly you thought you were broken for good. Your muscles remember it. They remember it like it happened 10 minutes ago.
Your successes hold your shoulders high. Your losses pull your chest inward. You hold your sadness in your throat, your anger in your jaw and your fear in your belly. Your happiness rises and falls in your chest. Love rolls in and out on the tides of your breath. It’s all there, all the time. {You can release the parts that hurt, if you want to. Yoga and massage are the best ways I’ve seen.}
6. Your weight is the least interesting thing about you. I promise.
7. Your skin, however, is fascinating. Every line, every freckle, every scar tells the amazing stories of your life. Please don’t Botox, bleach or sand it all away. They’re all beautiful.
8. Your body is a wonderland. You are amazing just as you are, right now.
Our clients love us! Here are some recent reviews of our work:
“LOVE this place. Have been going on a regular basis. Robert is a magician. It’s changed my body going to see him. Beautiful little space, really reasonable prices. highly recommend!”
“I’ve seen several therapists here over the years – most recently Jen and Allison – and every time it’s been a great experience. I tend to have chronic headaches and upper back pain and both have improved significantly since I’ve been going here regularly. Quiet, clean, easy to make appointments, generally wonderful. I’ve moved out of Williamsburg, but I’ll go here for massages as long as I’m in NYC.”
“I am so happy to find such a great spot for massages in Williamsburg! After two amazing 90-minute sessions with Amanda, I am now a devoted follower and bought a 10-session package. I’ve had many massages from many different therapists, but Amanda is the best therapist I’ve ever experienced! Her strong hands not only execute flawless technique, but also a singular focus of energy and intuition directed at all the right places with the right amount of pressure. I’m sure the other therapists are just as good, but since I clicked right away with Amanda, I’ll stick with her! ”
“I received a massage from here as a gift and really enjoyed it. I got lucky was scheduled with Emily. She was warm, professional and instantly made me feel comfortable. Emily took the time to do a pre-massage consultation and feel I got a more customized massage because of it. I will defiantly go back and would recommend it to anyone of my friends.”
“It was the most relaxing massage I have ever had. We sat together for a few minutes and discussed the things that ailed me, and he gave me a full body massage to get rid of all that stress i was holding onto. Needless to say, I am going to be booking weekly appointments with Robert! Clean, cozy, quiet little space with lots of TLC. I am extremely happy and have referred him to several friends already!”
Heavy lifting, overuse and middle age are some of the most familiar risk factors for lower back pain. But for many people, predicting a lifetime of lumbar trouble could be as simple as consulting the family tree.
A growing number of studies are finding that chronic back pain has a strong genetic component. In the past, researchers who looked at families with multiple back patients had trouble ruling out the environmental factors that relatives often share, like similar lifestyles and careers, or habits like smoking and lack of exercise. Now, however, studies have shown a clear connection.
In one large analysis published in February in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, researchers at the University of Utah used records from a large health and genealogic database to study more than a million Utah residents. As they scoured the data, they focused on people with herniated or degenerating disks — diagnoses that commonly result in chronic pain.
The data showed that having a second-degree relative (aunt, uncle or grandparent) or third-degree relative (cousin) with the condition increased a person’s risk, regardless of environmental factors. And having an immediate family member raised a person’s risk more than four times.
Other studies have strengthened the hypothesis by identifying at least two versions of a gene that produces a collagen protein and appears closely linked to sciatica and disk herniation.
Written By: Annahad O’Connor in the New York Times
Often times you’ll hear someone complain “I have such a huge knot in my shoulder” or “my back is full of knots”. You may feel around your own shoulder and notice some crunchy lumpy spots.
So what are “knots” exactly? Well I am so glad you asked! The simple explanation is that our muscles are layered and are oriented in many different directions. Their layers cross each other at various angles – think of some as parallel, like 14th Street and 23rd Streets in Manhattan, and others as perpendicular – 2nd Avenue as compared to 10th Street. To add complication, there are often several layers of muscles right on top of each other. You may find that at these crossings, from time to time, rather than gliding past each other nicely as usual, muscles may become adhered or “stuck” to their surrounding structures, resulting in a crunchy, lumpy, hard and painful spot that can feel stuck and uncomfortable. (Knot is a misnomer, as muscles aren’t literally tangled up). An adhesion can start to limit your range of motion, making it harder to move or stretch in a certain direction, which is often uncomfortable and painful.
A common spot for someone to feel a bit stuck is Levator Scapulae because of its angular orientation (Think Broadway, how it runs along at an angle to all the other streets). Levator starts at a point high up in your neck, and runs at an angle to attach to your Scapula (or shoulder blade).
Why do we get knots? Muscles become adhered for all kinds of reasons, most commonly because of posture and sitting still (in front of a computer or at a desk) for too long. Sound familiar? When we don’t move around, we don’t allow proper blood flow – blood being important because it lubricates our muscles, bringing fresh oxygen and nutrients, all while speeding away the yucky stuff that accumulates over time. We aren’t meant to be sedentary, our bodies need movement and action to stay healthy. (An extreme side of this is when muscles atrophy, or waste away, from lack of movement.) Another contributing factor to adhesions is dehydration. Coffee and alcohol are diuretics, and in order to stay well hydrated and it good shape, our bodies require water. Muscles are a pretty spongy tissue, and need to stay well hydrated to perform their best. Injuries can also contribute to adhesions, and they are commonly found at points of scar tissue.
How do you get rid of knots? There are a few things that you can do to treat adhesions, most notably stretching and massage therapy. Massage therapists will fully warm up an area before working on it, using long, gliding strokes and deeper kneading strokes (fancy terminology for these strokes is Effleurage and Pettrisage). Applying pressure to the area with their fingertips, fists, elbows and forearms, your therapist will sink in slowly into the painful area that is bothering you. A skilled therapist will at first work along the length of the muscle using long gliding strokes to feel the adhered areas, and then work across the points of adhesions using a technique called Cross Fiber Friction to help gently unadhere those stuck spots. This usually feels a little painful, but very very good. (What I like to call “Delicious Pain”. The session should follow with gentle mobilization and stretches for maximum benefit. You can also give yourself a massage at home using a foam roller.
How can I prevent getting knots in the future? Take Breaks – don’t stay in the same position for hours and hours, walk away from your desk or computer regularly, and use the most ergonomic posture that you can when doing repetitive work. Stretch regularly, it helps establish nice patterns of movement and increases your range of motion. Stay hydrated, skip excess caffeine and alcohol. Keep in touch with your body through activities that allow an understanding of how you’re feeling, like meditation and yoga. You wouldn’t wait for your car to break down before changing the oil – take a moment to listen to your body and notice where you have stress and tension, so that you can take preventative action before a condition worsens. Regular massage appointments can also help inform you and remind you of what is happening with your muscles, all while treating the pain and discomfort and increasing circulation.
