Taproot Bodywork Resource, LLC

Folks, 

As massage therapists and other natural healer types are wont to do, I recently subjected myself to a three week ‘cleansing diet’.  No, this was not some militaristic fast, nor an esoteric meal plan consisting of lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, and maple syrup.  Rather it consisted of a very fibrous shake once or twice a day, and a diet that eliminated the most common food allergens, as well as anything that might tend to stress the liver, such as caffeine or alcohol.  I actually found it easy to follow, never felt deprived of sustenance, and maintained my weight.  Cool! 

About a week and half in, however, I got sneezed on by a 4 year old, and 3 days later I had a sore throat.  Quel dommage!  As usual, I whipped out the orange juice, bought stock in grapefruit plantations, sucked on zinc lozenges, make some chicken soup, napped lots… and medicated myself with a shot of whiskey a few nights running. 

What a sweet way for bacteria to perish, aswoon in local Clear Creek Distillery’s McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt! 

My belief that no throat-dwelling bug could survive being doused with whiskey overcame my compunction to adhere as closely as possible to my cleanse.  My folk remedy seemed a worthwhile divergence from the stricture of the cleanse – an all-too-rare case of one good thing outweighing the benefits of another.   

How does this relate to massage, you might finally ask?  Perhaps in these frightening economic times you’re tightening your belt against rising food and fuel prices.  Perhaps you’re eliminating anything you regard as ‘luxury’.  Over the tumultuous months sure to lie ahead, however, there will be times when treating yourself to a massage will be of greater value than strict adherence to a no-frills budget.  Ultimately, we scrimp so that we can afford the necessities - a healthy body and a clear mind should top that list.  Massage is preventative maintenance for your exquisite body.  When times are tough, massage not a luxury, but an inoculation against the ravages of stress and discomfort. 

Inspired?  Do call or email to schedule your appointment!  I have several appointments available this week, but will be out of town for my pop’s wedding June 8^th through the 17^th.   

If you’d like more information about cleanses or are seeking a fabulous naturopath, check out Dr. Kelly Owens at http://www.hawthornewellness.com/.  Please let her know you heard about her here! 

The July Back Massage for Couples class will be taught on the 26^th, at 2 pm.  Check out reviews and more at my new website: http://www.taprootbodywork.com. 

Hope you are well and enjoying the simple things in life.

Michelle

PS. Got a great folk remedy?  Tell me about it!

The July Back Massage for Couples class will be taught on the 26th, beginning at 2 pm. 

 The August class is pending due to the vagaries of vacation scheduling, etc.  Check back soon for updates.

Back Massage for Couples will be taught June 7th, from 2 to 6 pm.

Can’t make it?  Give me a ring, and we’ll set up a class time that works for you, or keep an eye out for the announcement of July’s class date.

Learning back massage is the beginning of a lifelong wellness practice! By taking a couples massage class, you and your partner will:

Gain competence and confidence in the hands-on skill of massage

Become more aware of your bodies, and be able to address physical problems sooner

Have a means of relaxing together, productively!

Appreciate your mate as a partner in your health

Deepen your connection and develop communication skills that go beyond the verbal

Complement your existing intimate relationship with the addition of skilled, loving touch

Give each other a gift that keeps on giving — to your health, and to your relationship!

• Active couples who’d like to help themselves and their partners feel better after a workout
• New couples who want nurturing touch to become a cornerstone of their relationship
• Established couples who want to explore a new way to connect and communicate.
• Lifelong learners with a curiosity about the body and the effects of massage
• Couples who recognize the value of massage in addressing an ongoing health issue
• Couples who’ve tried to massage each other, and haven’t yet rubbed each other right

Now accepting registration for the May 10th Back Massage for Couples Class!

Guys, you’ll get what you give with a couples massage class, and the mother of your children will love to be massaged by you on her personal holiday weekend.

 Email michelle@taprootbodywork.com to sign up for a great Mother’s Day gift!

Have you ever tried to teach your partner a new skill?  Has your partner ever tried to teach you a new skill?   

Recently my fella and I went to Big Sky, MT for a week of skiing.  Ever curious about the massage scene, I decided to check out the spa in our hotel, the Huntley Lodge.  Turns out the Solace Spa offers something called the “Guided Massage” for couples, the idea being that a professional massage therapist would guide each of us through working on each other.  Hm.  Four handed massage?  Someone else teaching my guy how to work on me?  A tax write-off in the guise of research?  Excellent!  We scheduled a session for the next night.

Being a professional massage therapist myself makes teaching my partner massage even harder than it might be otherwise.  (Imagine having to massage your massage therapist.)  Our lovely massage therapist/instructor, however, demonstrated strokes and a route around the table, modeled great communication skills, and made gentle corrections, all without causing the eruption of World War III between the two of us.  I was really pleased with my massage, and my partner is eager to practice his new skills.  Success!

Perhaps you’re aware of how hard it can be to get your partner to rub you the right way.  I’m sure there are folks out there who somehow manage to put their egos away, and teach or learn from each other, respectfully and successfully.  But doing so is more difficult when the ‘material’ is new to both of you, or one of you has a sore shoulder, and a shortage of patience.

Perhaps you’d like to ensure that learning to massage each other is the blissful, connecting experience it should be.  Taking a couples massage class allows you to speak your massage needs, and your partner to get advice from a cheery professional about the best way to meet them.  Your shoulder or back feels better, and your partner hasn’t been henpecked.  You’re more likely to turn to each other for massage in the future, for reasons therapeutic or otherwise.    What a lovely habit for you to develop!

Couples Massage Classes will be offered April 5th and 19th.  Use your tax return to invest in the good health of your relationship!

One of my intentions with this blog is to provide some space to reflect on what it is to be a massage therapist.  This evening I’m thinking about marketing, and how it’s been my achilles heel as long as I’ve had my practice.  I’ve relied on flyers in my neighborhood, Craigslist, and word of mouth in the past, and would suggest them to new therapists as a cheap means of getting started.  In the nearly 5 years since I’ve started my practice, however, I do think it really has become necessary to have some sort of web presence.  To that end, here I am. 

 This evening I spent digging around Wordpress, looking for a great new theme.  By virtue of being picky, a little Type A, visually oriented, and not at all computer saavy, I’m in over my head, and thus extremely grateful for the assistance of Clay at http://www.trestlemedia.net/.  Thanks Clay! 

Hello folks

I give you Gabrielle Roth, dancer and former faculty member at the Esalen Institute:

“For me, massage is a spiritual practice for both giver and receiver.  In everything is the seed of its apparent opposite, and in no practice is this more apparent than in the ordinary act of reaching out to touch another.  We need each other.  We each possess the power to heal, and this power can only move through creative action.  We, who have been so lost, desperately need keys to unlock the wisdom of affection and intimacy in safe, natural, and organic ways.  Massage is such a tool…”  from Connecting through Touch by Peggy Morrison Horan.

Last month’s couples massage classes were full, and awesome.  Check out the reviews by searching for Taproot Bodywork Resource on InsiderPages.com.  Spaces are still available in this weekend’s class, on March 9th, and on March 22nd.  April classes will occur on the 5th and 19th.  Email or call if you’d like to learn to connect with your sweetheart through massage, in this great class.

REMINDER REMINDER REMINDER  Gift certificates purchased in December as holiday gifts expire at the end of this month.  Do remind your lucky recipients to schedule their hour of relaxation. 

This past Monday I received a massage from one of my favorite therapists.  I thought I was being smart, having just gotten out of the car after a 2 day drive home from 5 days of skiing in Big Sky, MT.  And then yesterday I pulled my way through my first rowing practice in 5 months.  I’ll be scheduling another massage at first light.  Portlanders are all manic in the spring - sound like you?  Come on in - we’ll work the whine out of those newly awakened muscles, and get you on a healthy path through the active season. 

Hope you’re well, and enjoying the heady scents of spring.

Michelle