Tag Archives: stress relief

What is Tricia’s Massage Style?

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Photograph of Tricia Griffith

Tricia, Licensed Massage Therapist

If you haven’t been in to Birch Tree Wellness for a massage yet, maybe you’re wondering if my massage style is right for you. Here’s a little bit of information about how I approach each massage.

What Do You Need in a Massage?

The first thing I want to know is, what are you looking for? Are you in pain, and don’t care so much about relaxing as long as the pain stops? Are you feeling physically fine but mentally drained? I can adjust each session as needed to address what you need that day.

Massage for Pain Relief

Before we start the appointment, we’ll chat about where your pain is and how it is affecting you. I want to try to get a feel for the source of your pain before we even start the massage. I’ll find out if you want full body work, or just a focus on the pain area, as well as if you prefer deeper or lighter pressure.

Occasionally, massage is not a good idea, and I want to make sure I’m not going to hurt you more. It’s important to know if you have any disc/spinal injuries, recent acute injuries such as fractures, or surgery. I may ask you about how the pain affects your range of motion and general movement. Are there times where it’s worse or better? Do you remember any specific incident that led to the pain?

Pain Relief is Relaxing

photo of a shoulder massage

Each massage begins with gentle Swedish massage. These are the long, slow strokes that help calm the nervous system and relax your muscles. Starting out with lighter pressure warms your muscles up. If I just dove right in to deep pressure, you’d leave your massage hurting more than when you arrived.

I believe that even a therapeutic massage can be relaxing. This is why as I start working on your problem areas, I incorporate relaxing strokes and gentle, but firm pressure. Occasionally, a hot stone may help loosen up a tight muscle. I may stretch your arms/shoulders, neck or legs/hips. Stretches or heat can help reduce how much deep work is needed to get cranky muscles to let go.

I’m a big believer that massage doesn’t have to hurt to work. I know there’s some amount of “good hurt”, but if you’re holding your breath, it’s probably too much. Don’t hesitate to let me know if it hurts too much. For the most part, I employ gentle techniques to get your muscles to release.

Science!

photograph of a person receiving a scalp/neck massage

Among my favorites is a “positional release” technique. This gets all “science-y.” If you have a sore neck, I target a specific tight neck muscle, and slightly move your head in the direction that muscle is trying to pull it. Then, I’ll hold it there for around 30 seconds. This sends signals to the muscle telling it that it’s done it’s job and successfully moved your head… good muscle! The muscle then lets go (and stops hurting). Science! (Magic!)

In other science news, you may also notice I don’t necessarily start right where it hurts. This is because many times a muscle hurts because it’s over-stretched, meaning the muscle that does the opposite action is tight and has been pulling it out of whack (a technical term). For example, if your upper back and shoulders hurt, it’s often because your shoulders are curled forward and your pecs are tight, over stretching those back muscles and making them sad and painful.

Checking In

If we’re working on a specific problem during your massage, I may check in with you periodically. It helps to know if what I’m doing is making a difference. I may also ask you to do something, such as resist against my push, or test your range of motion.

My “default setting” for massage is generally a medium to deep pressure without beating you up. I find this to be an effective amount of pressure, and most people find it comfortable. I can always back off or press harder as needed, don’t be afraid to let me know. That being said, the type of massage where it’s all elbows and painful deep pressure is really not my style. If you want to be beat up during your massage, I’ll help you find someone who likes to work that hard on you.

Just Shut Off My Brain

photo of a woman with hands on her head

If pain is less of an issue, but mentally you’ve just had it, I can still help. Massage is an excellent way to help manage chronic stress, anxiety or depression. For those of you who just need a mental break, we’ll slow down the massage and go back to those nice, relaxing Swedish massage roots. I often incorporate Reiki or just a gentle, soothing intent into the massage.

Massage decreases stress hormones and increases positive hormones like dopamine and serotonin. By keeping the pressure around a medium to light level, and not doing anything too painful, we can give your brain a break. Sometimes, that’s all we need to reset and get going forward again.

Quiet, Please

Lastly, in generally I try to follow a “Don’t speak unless spoken to” rule during your appointment. I believe that not having to worry about carrying on a conversation improves your massage experience. Several chatty clients have tried out being quiet during their massage and commented that it seemed like the massage lasted longer. That being said, if you just need to vent for a while, that’s okay, too!

Don’t Hesitate to Ask

Feel free to email me at tricia@birchtreewellnessmassage.com or message on Facebook if you want to talk about your massage needs, or have questions about my massage style. I look forward to meeting you!

Self-Care Day 14

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Start a Journal

I think that journaling can seem a little intimidating because you feel like you need to commit to journaling every single day, or you need to write something profound, or you need to have a special journal and a special pen *coughcough~me~coughcough* But all you really need is a cheap notebook, some looseleaf paper, or a file on your computer to make it happen.

And you don’t really need to write anything deep and prophetic. You can write “today sucked” and leave it at that. Or maybe you can elaborate about why today sucked. I did some searching on the interwebs and found that there are even journaling prompts you can use for mental health, creativity, inspiration, whatever you like.

You don’t need to write every day. I love to journal and don’t do it as much as I’d like, but one of my favorite things to do is to sit down and freehand write about a problem or idea that I’m trying to work out. I might just say blah, blah, blah… ramble on about bad ideas, or list out options. I don’t worry about paragraphs or punctuations, just sort of brain dump onto the paper. It’s surprisingly helpful.

Whatever method you choose to try, it may be a great way for you to sort out that chatter in your head!

Self-Care Day 12

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Take a Long Bath or Shower

OMG I miss having a bathtub so much. Long soaks are among my favorite things. More often than not I’m just taking a quick “get ready for work” shower, but every now and then I appreciate a nice long shower.

Warm water eases muscle tension and gets your circulation going, but did you know you can wash away more than grime? If you’ve had a rough day, hop in the shower! Visualize washing away negative emotions, angry words, or any of the crud people flung at you that day.

All that and you can sneak in a few minutes of alone time! (maybe… minus pets and small noisy humans). Enjoy!

Self-Care Day 11

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Doodle or Color

This is one of my personal favorite self-care tools. I definitely see a difference in my stress levels when I haven’t done anything creative in a while. I have done a few different coloring books over the last couple of years. As many of you know, I am also an artist and regularly doodle or create art.

I recommend treating yourself to a big box of markers and your favorite themed coloring book. There are some funny swear word ones out there. I have a dragon one, and one with general abstract, swirly designs. You can also just grab a pencil and an inexpensive sketchbook.

What’s your favorite creative outlet?

Self-Care Day 4

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Meditate

I know, I know… who has time to sit and say ohhhm for a half-hour? I can’t shut my squirrel brain off that long! Who can get their body into that weird pretzel position for that long?!

Did you know you can just sit in a comfy chair to meditate? You don’t even have to say “ohhmmm”. Here are some tips to incorporate meditation into your life:

Guided Meditation

YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify… the interwebs are full of recorded guided meditations. I’m a long-time fan of Jason Stephenson on YouTube. He has a huge collection of meditations for practically anything you can think of, including anxiety relief, sleep, affirmations, and healing. He also has what I think is a very soothing voice. Find his YouTube Channel here.

Soul Soothers: Mini Meditations for Busy Lives

This is a book written by a friend that features one-page meditations that can be practiced all day—while doing the dishes, waiting at the doctor’s office, or even in the shower. See? No pretzel required. (Great, now I want pretzels.) You can find the book here.

Make It Up As You Go

You don’t have to really even have a recording or an intent. Sometimes there’s magic in just putting down the work, phone, or responsibilities for five minutes and sitting quietly, staring into space. If your squirrel brain wants to gather nuts, just let it. Sometimes you might even find a solution you couldn’t see before around all the distractions.

Bottom Line

There aren’t really any rules to meditating. There are different styles you might find you like, or you can totally make up your own. Like anything, it takes a little practice, so don’t give up after the first attempt. You got this!

Self-Care Day 1

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Take a Nap

While napping may not be for everyone, I think many of us agree that the thing that we fought against as children is now something magical.

The Mayo Clinic suggests that you keep naps to 10-20 minutes in length. Much longer and you’ll just feel groggy afterward and potentially disrupt your evening sleep. A short nap can be a great way to reset when you’re feeling unproductive, tired, and/or cranky.

While a bed is ideal, I have been known to nap in my car during lunch breaks in the past. If I have time at the office, I have occasionally napped on my massage table or in my comfy chair. I also have a giant beanbag chair that is awesome for naps. Maybe you have a comfy couch or a nice recliner.

Pick a day, set an alarm (I recommend setting it out of reach to prevent hitting ‘snooze’), and see how a short nap makes you feel!

30 Days of Self-Care

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A Self-Care Reset for the New Year

Happy New Year! I don’t know about you all, but I’m a bit of a mess from the last couple of years, and I was inspired to create a way for myself and any of you who want to do a self-care reset to get started.

There are a lot of self-care checklists out there, but a lot of them are geared towards just moms or include more “pampering” stuff than actual self-care. So, I scoured the interwebs and found the parts I liked the most, threw in a few of my own, and ideas from friends.

Now, I’m pleased to present “30 Days of Self-Care” – a self-care reset from Birch Tree Wellness. I will share one a day through January. They will be on Facebook, Instagram, and my website. At the end of the month, I’ll also create a checklist of all 30 so you can use it as a reference throughout the year.

An important tip: Don’t stress yourself out trying to self-care yourself. You don’t have to do them on the exact day I post them. It’s okay to skip a day. It’s okay to skip the ones you don’t like. Just do what you can and what speaks to you. That’s part of the process.

Notably, you won’t see “get a massage” on this list. That’s kind of a given, but also I tried to keep this list mostly free or minimal expense. I know you’ll get a massage if that’s what you need.

Let the self-care begin!

Now Booking Distance Reiki

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I’ve been doing distance healing and Reiki work for many, many years, but hadn’t really considered adding it to the regular services of my practice until recently.

Since I’m not providing in-office services for the time being, I have set up a new scheduling program specifically for booking distance Reiki during this time of COVID-19 concerns.

What is Distance Reiki?

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction, relaxation and healing. This modality is based on the idea that an unseen life force energy flows through us and gives us life. If this energy is low, or blocked, then we are more likely to feel stressed or ill. When this energy flow is increased and blockages removed, we feel more positive and healthy.

Since this life force, in essence, flows through everything, it makes Reiki an ideal method of helping people long distance. A practitioner can focus on the person receiving Reiki using a photo or personal item and special techniques learned in advanced Reiki training.

How Will a Distance Reiki Session Work?

reiki kanji
An example of a Reiki Kanji

With this service, you schedule a day and time, just as if you were going to come into my office. However, at the time of your appointment, you can just stay home. I recommend taking a nap or meditating, or otherwise finding some place quiet to sit. During that time, I will send you Reiki and other healing/calming vibes.

I”ll contact you before your session to find out if you’re looking for any particular focus or just want me to send you the Reiki energy and let it go where it needs to go. Reiki is great for focusing on healing, immune boosting, and just overall stress and anxiety.

What Does a Distance Reiki Session Cost?

now booking distance Reiki sessions
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Since I don’t have to do laundry or sanitize after you, the fee for these sessions will be $20 for 30 minutes, $20 for 45 minutes, or $40 for 60 minutes. You will be required to pay for the session at the time of scheduling.

I am back to using my regular MassageBook schedule to manage all appointments. New clients may not be able to schedule their first Distance Reiki appointment online, please contact me and I will get you set up. After your first appointment, you can book online regularly. Thank you for your patience!

Meanwhile…

If you would like to know more about Reiki, you can check out my About Reiki page or visit Reiki.org. To schedule, click Book Now on my Facebook page or website and select Distance Reiki from the service menu.

Feel free to message me with any questions! Stay healthy! ~Tricia

Distance Reiki Testimonial:

I asked Tricia for a distance reiki session for a relative in another country. Did not tell my relative because I thought she might think I am nuts. A few days later I talked to her on the phone and she told me she had slept like a baby—the best night in a very long time. She was so surprised and pleased. ~Stefanie

Floating Away Stress

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We live in a society of near constant stimulation. Even when you come in for a massage, there’s music playing, occasional light sounds of traffic, and voices of other people in the building, along with the sensation of the massage itself.

Now, just imagine just turning it all off…

I first heard about float (sensory deprivation) tanks a few years ago, and was curious about them, but didn’t have one close enough to home to be able to check it out. Therefore, I was excited when I saw the notice last summer that there would soon be a floatation center opening a few minutes away from me in Hermon, Maine – Float 207.

What is a Float 207?

Float tank with purple light

Float tanks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from pods to full on float cabins. Approximately 10 inches of warm water fill the soundproofed tanks. The addition of a high concentration of Epsom salt makes you extremely buoyant. While there are options for light and sound, the basic concept of floatation is sensory deprivation, which means turning off the lights and music. The goal is that mythical beast, “turning it all off.”

Gabe Kingsbury and Roscoe Witham first experienced floating at a center in Portland before deciding to open their own center. Gabe discovered it a couple of years ago when he and his girlfriend were looking for something unique to do the morning after a concert, and immediately fell in love with it. Roscoe learned about it through his involvement in wellness and alternative medicine.

Image courtesy of Float 207

The pair began to discuss opening their own center, and through research and conversation, found that Greater Bangor could support its own center. They decided to take the plunge and started planning in February 2018. Float 207 opened eight months later, on October 19, 2018, becoming the Bangor area’s first floatation center.

What Are the Float Rooms Like?

While researching floating/sensory deprivation online, I saw that a lot of floatation centers used something like a pod, or an “oversized coffin” as one site described it. This worried me a little. Therefore, I was pleased to find that Float 207’s floatation tanks were actually a little more like small rooms, or large, roomy bathtubs.

Photo courtesy of Float 207

The standard tanks at Float 207 are roughly 8’x5’, and you can move around in them quite a bit. They hold about 10 inches of water and have over 1200 pounds of Epsom salt dissolved inside. The water temperature is about 93.5°F. This is “skin receptor neutral.” After reading some rather wordy scientific explanations, I am guessing is ‘feels neither too hot nor too cold’, like Goldilocks’ porridge. Whatever the meaning, once you settle into floating, you cannot distinguish between the air and the water temperature.

The tanks are in their own private rooms and the doors to the tanks close, but do not latch. You can choose a color for the tank lighting and have the option to turn the lights off for true sensory deprivation. You can also pick music to play or bring your own music.  Again, if you’re going for full sensory deprivation, you can opt for no music at all.

What are some of the benefits of floating?

Floatation allows you the opportunity to relax and disconnect from all that constant stimulation/sensory input and give your body and brain a chance to rest and reset. The benefits of floatation have been studied since the 1950s, and you can find information about many of these studies at the website Clinical Floatation. Some examples of the benefits of floatation include:

  • Stress reduction
  • Decreased muscle aches
  • Improved sleep quality
  • Fibromyalgia relief
  • Pain relief
  • Depression relief
  • Increased optimism and mindfulness

What is a float session like?

Photo courtesy of Float 207

I met Gabe on my first visit, and he gave me a tour of the facility and explained the float process. I picked out the color of the lighting I wanted (purple), and he recommended music I might like. For my first float, I chose the “Deluxe Tank” which is larger, since I was still feeling a little apprehensive about closing myself in a small room. The deluxe room also has starry lights in the ceiling. Definitely worth the extra cost!

The tanks are in quiet private rooms. They have a sort of coziness about them while still feeling sanitary and tidy. There’s a soft, squishy rug and a bench for your clothes. There are equally soft and squishy towels provided. Along with the towels, Float 207 provides wash cloths, ear plugs, and ointment to cover any cuts or scratches (think salt water in cuts… ouch).

You need to shower thoroughly before your float to prevent gumming up the works with lotions, etc, and they provide natural, unscented shampoo and body wash, as well as conditioner you can use afterwards. You can bring your own products to use after the float. The shower is right outside the tank, making is so that you don’t have far to go between the two.

Photo courtesy of Float 207

I unscenty scrubbed up, put in ear plugs,  and hopped into the tank. And by “hopped”, I mean I climbed ungracefully over a kind of high edge and lowered down into the water. I closed the door and a friendly female voice recording said something about enjoying my float. It was roomy and I didn’t feel closed in. In the tank, I played with the buttons that turn the lights on and off and control the music volume before getting myself floating.

Learning to Float?

The first thing I discovered once I started floating is that I was expecting to float similar to how you do in pool or lake water. However, all that salt makes you more buoyant, and you float “higher” in the water than you do in non-salty pool water. I was having a bit of trouble finding a way to let go and relax that didn’t feel awkward. So, I opted to try the foam neck pillow provided. This helped my neck muscles stop feeling like they needed to hold my head up. I think it probably took 20 minutes for my brain and my body to work out an agreement about how to lay/float.

In between all that, there’s a certain amount of fidgeting and exploration. Like, bouncing off walls and spinning in circles because you apparently drift a lot easier when extra buoyant. I also didn’t feel as warm as I thought I would. Here’s a hint… stop fidgeting. When I stopped bouncing around I realized that the air was warm and the warmer water rose to the surface and — voila! I was warm!

Finally Settled

Once most of that (and random playing with lights and sound) settled down, then there was the inevitable squirrel brain. Thinking about the things I should be doing instead. Pondering business stuff. Remembering I need to order this and that. Trying to meditate. Getting distracted. Deciding to turn off the purple lights and see what happens. Eventually, my brain must have given up and I zoned out/napped, because the next thing I knew, the music stopped and friendly recording lady told me she hoped I enjoyed my float.

There was a short window of re-familiarizing myself with gravity in order to stand up and step out of the tank. Then I did a lot of scrubbing and rinsing to get all the salt off. I love the big rainfall style shower head and had nearly as hard a time leaving the shower as I did the float tank. Did I mention the towels? They are fabulous!

Photo courtesy of Float 207

They provide a lounge to relax in after your float, have tea, gather yourself. There’s a room with a large mirror, sink, counter space, and hair dryer to help put yourself back together. Not being a “girly girl” I didn’t even really think to bring a hairbrush, let alone makeup or anything! So, I just shrugged and went with the tousled look.

Photo courtesy of Float 207

I spoke with Gabe for a few minutes on my way out. He reassured me that I would not be the first person with squirrel brain in a float tank. He says it takes on average 2-3 floats for you (and your brain) to learn what to expect and be able to fully sink into the experience.

Since then, I have gone in for a second float. I definitely stopped fidgeting much sooner and got more out of the experience.  It will be interesting to see how I feel after a couple more floats, but I really think it is an excellent complement to massage therapy. I highly recommend you try out Float 207 or a float tank near you.

Be Well,
~Tricia

*Note: I have not received any compensation in exchange for this post, it’s just a product of my experience and opinions!

Stress, Anxiety, & Massage

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Why get a massage? According to a survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association, 28% of Americans who get a massage do so for relaxation and stress reduction.

That’s a lot of people in the US who feel pretty good about how massage helps them manage their stress. But warm fuzzies aside, what exactly do we know about massage and how it relates to stress and anxiety? And what does the research have to say about that?

What is Stress?

Stress is your body’s response to demanding circumstances. Working long hours? You’re probably stressed. Studying for a big exam? Definitely stressful. Toddler throwing a tantrum? Probably stressful for both of you.

Too Much Stress?

When stressed, your blood pressure goes up. Your breathing and heart rate increase. You may feel agitated and distracted. This is useful if you’re a prey animal that needs to flee for its life. Less useful if your stress the result of a loved one in need of patience and comfort.

When exposed to occasional stress, we can usually diffuse it and recover relatively quickly. When stress becomes a chronic condition, health problems can result.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily a reaction to circumstances. Most often, it’s related to anticipated future or potential stress.

As with stress, anxiety isn’t necessarily an immediate health problem, although it’s unpleasant. Feeling a bit anxious about an exam, the birth of a baby, or a big presentation can give you a push to prepare as best you can.

Too Much Anxiety?

Anxiety becomes unhelpful when it is overwhelming, requiring you to focus all your energy on surviving your immediate feelings rather than addressing their roots. Pacing, nail biting, trembling, and vomiting are signs that anxiety is veering into unhelpful territory. Test anxiety, social anxiety, and decision anxiety are all common forms of anxiety.

Anxiety disorder is the general term for chronic, excessive anxiety in response to everyday situations. Anxiety disorders include:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder: excessive anxiety in general.
  • Social anxiety disorder: anxiety disorder related to interacting with others.
  • Separation anxiety disorder: anxiety disorder related to separation from specific people, often parents or caregivers.
  • Phobias: subset of anxiety disorders characterized by persistent fear of a specific thing.
  • Panic disorder: anxiety disorder characterized by reoccurring panic attacks.

Many people discover that they have more than one type of anxiety disorder. Others deal with anxiety combined with depression, PTDS, eating disorders, alcoholism, or substance abuse. While stress and anxiety are more general terms that you can probably identify in yourself, anxiety disorders can only be diagnosed by a physician.

Massage & Stress Studies

Stress: Stress levels are largely subjective. However, studies focused on pain, sleep, and other outcomes often find that patients report decreased stress levels as a major benefit of massage therap.

In one study on pain in acute care settings, more than half of the patients mentioned relaxation in their survey responses. One patient described the receiving massage as “very helpful, soothing, comforting, and relaxing.” A notable result, considering the stress of hospitalization. Patients and nurses also reported improved emotional well-being and sleep – both good indicators of stress reduction.

Massage & Anxiety Studies

Anxiety: Most studies done on massage and anxiety have focused on specific populations. One study found significant improvement in both long term and immediate anxiety in children with cancer and blood diseases who received Swedish massage.

Another measured the physiological responses to stress (blood pressure and pulse) in hospitalized children and found similar results. Cardiac care patients were the focus of another study. Again, massage was helpful in reducing anxiety. Still, larger and broader studies on the matter still need to be done.

Massage & Anxiety Disorder Studies

There have been relatively few studies on massage therapy for anxiety disorders specifically. Most studies that have been done are generally small and lacking good control groups. One randomized controlled trial found that massage therapy was significantly helpful for people with generalized anxiety disorder, but no more so than other relaxation techniques.

This study only measured improvement over multiple weeks, and not feelings of anxiety in the short term, before and after treatments. Because this study didn’t have a no-treatment control group, they weren’t able to state whether all three were equally effective or equally ineffective.

What does all this mean?

People regularly feel that massage helps reduce their stress and anxiety. There are also other techniques, such as Reiki, that seem to be helpful to varying degrees, depending on the situation and the person.

This is helpful to know, because not everyone enjoys massage. For some, touch itself can be a source of stress and anxiety. Therefore, it’s helpful to know that there are other complementary therapies available that also create positive results.

Stress and anxiety are closely tied to pain, sleep, and other factors. Reducing pain reduces stress levels. Reducing stress levels can also reduce pain. Improving sleep can impact both pain and stress, and vice versa. Does massage therapy work primarily through either pain or stress reduction, or does it impact both equally? This is an area for further study.

Massage therapy is a fairly safe way to manage stress and anxiety. With relatively few drug interactions and a very low chance for injury, massage therapy can be helpful to a wide variety of people dealing with stress and anxiety in different situations. From the smallest infants to athletes to people in hospice, there are few who could not benefit from massage therapy.

There is a lot more to learn. While there is a lot of research on massage for pain, massage for anxiety (and especially massage for anxiety disorders) has less research to back it up. It will take time and money before a large body of knowledge has been built up.

If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, massage therapy is worth trying. The evidence is still rolling in, but what we have is promising. Are you ready to give it a try? Book your next massage today. Click HERE to book now.