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Learning to MeditateBy Shawn Dolan, Registered Massage Therapist, Reiki Master

Why Meditate?

Most of the top CEO's on the planet meditate, so, success is a benefit. Some CEO's would even go as far as to say that companies that incorporate meditation practices have a definite competitive advantage. It has also been scientifically proven that people that meditate enjoy less stress, have lower blood pressure, and are generally healthier than someone that doesn't.

From a traditionalist point of view, to ask what can meditation do for me? Akin to saying why should I buy this? Is exactly the thing that meditating is trying to cure. One could say that its purpose is to dilute that what’s in it for me kind-of- attitude.

Absolutely nothing in the external world can bring you peace, and joy. Happiness

maybe, but, happiness is fleeting, it comes and goes, and is basically a measuring stick for sorrow. "I’m happy when I get a new car" but how long does it last? "My kids make me happy" but only when there are not making you crazy.

Why you should meditate is to break free from the love/hate, happiness/sorrow loop that keeps perpetuating in your life.

How can I stop my mind so I can meditate?

The short answer to this question is that you can't stop your mind. I always say that you don't want to get into a street fight with your mind, because you will lose every time.Meditation is about silently observing your mind until, your mind, no longer has dominion over you. By simply

watching your thoughts as they arise naturally in your mind, you will eventually get you to a place where unwanted cyclical thinking won't be a problem anymore.

By observing your thoughts, you begin to realize that you (who you really are beyond your name and attributes ) cannot be your thoughts. How can you be your mind when 'you' are the observer of it?

By practicing this inner awareness so to speak, an opening will blossom within your being, that you will recognize as the beginning off true joy, the only real freedom on this planet.

Meditation workshops will be offered in 2017. Like us on Facebook for up to date information.

Pause.Step away.Take a moment.

Read. Learn. Grow.

This 2016 edition of Beyond Massage is a project of love, brought to you by the dedicated therapists at Ability Massage Therapy & Acupuncture Studio, and The Massage Shoppe.

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Mud HeroOttawa Regional Cancer Foundation Charity.On June 4, 2016, we created 10 Mud Hero’s! Bruce, Rose, Libbie, Anu, Jackie, Sue, Bynn, Stephanie, Emma and Samantha raced for cancer research!

Exciting, challenging, and rewarding, this event created a united team who pushed each other, encouraged each other and got muddy together.

Letting the sun bake the mud off in the beer tent afterwards made it also feel like a spa day.

Way to go Mud Hero’s, your efforts will now pay off for our Ottawa hospitals!

Alberta Wildfires5% of May’s Revenues donated to the Red CrossBy Rose Murdoch, Owner

When the news revealed that fires had started in Fort McMurray, it was terrifying. Videos of families fleeing, driving down the highway surrounded by fires on either side. I cannot imagine the fear, sadness and worry of the evacuees.

The Red Cross started asking for relief funds; I decided to pledge 5% of May’s revenues from both clinics.

My heart was breaking watching the news, our fellow Canadians left homeless, jobless and not sure what the future would hold.

On November 10, 2016 the local state of emergency for the Wood Buffalo Region was lifted, after being instated on May 1st. As of November 15, 2016 an area of 601,713.89 hectares were burnt this year in Fort McMurray.

Thank you for coming in for treatments in May, your visit contributed to the Red Cross relief fund, helping over

80,000 residents. There are still families living in hotels today, waiting for a place to call home again.

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May 2016Alberta and Fort McMurray Wildfires

Nothing is more precious than mother earth. Watching the news on the wildfires in Alberta was heart breaking.

Ability Massage Therapy & Acupuncture Studio and The Massage Shoppe pledged to donate 5% of all of May’s revenue’s to the Red Cross.

We are blessed to live here in Ottawa, we are fortunate to have sustained another year in business, and we are able to give; so we did.

This Mud Hero team raised $1000 for the Ottawa Regional Cancer

5th Annual John Shouldice Memorial Golf Tournament to raise funds for Tysen Lefebvre’s ‘Mission To A Million’ campaign for Make-A-Wish Eastern Ontario.

A fun filled day on Eagle Creek Golf Course. Amanda, Jen, Emma, Steph, Deb, Sam and Rose massaged golfers to raise over $500 in donations for the charity event on August 23rd.

We had the perfect location, where all the golfers stopped by; reporting improved tee offs after their treatment!

Having fun with our charity events!

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The Ancient Art of CuppingBy Jennifer Plummer, Registered Acupuncturist

The 2016 Summer Olympics brought cupping therapy into the spotlight.  People started to ask, what’s cupping? How does it work?  Would it be right for me?   Cupping is actually a very old technique that has been around for thousands of years.  The healing effects were first documented by the ancient Egyptians to treat many different ailments.  Today many countries around the world use cupping therapy.   So what is Cupping? Cups  (glass or plastic),  are used to create a suction drawing the skin up into the cup.  10-20 minutes of this suction gets into the deep tissues and can affect the tissues as deep as 4 inches from the external skin, releasing toxins, and refreshing veins and arteries.    Colouring (or bruise like marks) appear where there is more stagnation built up in the system.  Cupping can be done on its own or in a combination with acupuncture for amazing results.  Both treatments help the flow of Qi or "vital energy" of the bodies natural meridian lines.  

What can cupping treat?Cupping can treat many ailments, some of which include;

• pain and inflammation of the muscles and joints,• promote healthy blood flow,• relaxation, • colds and flu's,• asthma,• nerve pain,• menstrual cramps,• headaches (including migraines)

It Cupping Right for Me?There is a caution for those who have bleeding disorders, inflamed skin, and high fevers.  Most people however are suitable candidates for cupping.  The cups can cause some swelling and/or bruising that can last a few days after treatment.  This is a natural way for the body to release the toxins through the skin.    

Bamboo Fusion TM

Winterize your MassageBy Rose Murdoch, Bamboo Fusion Therapist

In February we flew the creator of Bamboo Fusion TM from Florida here to train our therapists. We closed the clinic for 2 days as we learned this unique therapy. Hot bamboo sticks are used throughout this massage to heat the tissue, allowing the therapist to work deep through all the muscle layers.

As relaxing as it is therapeutic you’ll want to add this treatment to your health care regime this winter! It also makes a wonderful gift!

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Registered AcupunctureIs all acupuncture the same?By Anu Sahgal, Registered Acupuncturist, Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner

 Registered Acupuncture is only performed by Practitioners who are registered with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario (CTCMPAO). The Registered Acupuncturists have studied a 2000+ hour program with more than 450 hours of clinic. This form of acupuncture is performed in accordance with the theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine after doing a full diagnosis of a patient. Acupuncture is performed after understanding the root cause of the problem, and the acupuncture treatment techniques are used to treat a wide variety of health conditions including pain and muscular skeletal dysfunction. Many people have had acupuncture performed by other health care practitioners and some say it worked for them and others are skeptical.

They have questions about Dry Needling and Intramuscular Stimulation. Dry Needling and IMS are like mini subsets of acupuncture and are performed by therapists for only musculo-skeletal issues. It does not involve any understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine and that is why the results can be hit or miss. 

Even within Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, I remember taking a course with one world renowned teacher - Dr Richard Tan - who taught Balanced Form of Acupuncture - whose opening statement was that “acupuncture always works - immediately”. There were many of us in the room who were not as confident as the gentleman in front of us. Basically, he mentioned that there are many point selections to treat a problem and if the patient is not responding, reassess, and try with a different point selection.  More recently, I have learnt Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture, which involves the insertion of acupuncture needles on the scalp to treat pain and motor disturbances and weakness of the locomotor system. This form of acupuncture can be used stand alone or in conjunction with other forms of acupuncture to treat neurological issues such as Parkinsons, Paralysis, Post Stroke weakness. Acupuncture is a very powerful modality - which can help your body heal - without injection of any substance. It can be used to treat a very wide range of health issues.

Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST)Dancing your connective tissueBy Rose Murdoch, Fascial Stretch Therapist

Fascial Stretch Therapy is our newest modality at the clinics. Bruce and Rose travelled to Toronto this year for 5 days/40hours of hands on training in this exciting stretch therapy. Fascial stretch therapy is an unwinding of deep connective tissues in the body, it opens up the tissue in a way you’ve never felt before. Strapping one leg in on the table, the therapist will dance your other leg into a subtle stretch, adding traction, spreading, sinking, and dancing to allow the connective tissue to glide into it’s proper resting place. The client stays dressed in athletic wear, and lets the therapist do all the work; enabling a deeper stretch to happen. Client’s leave with a smile on their face, a spring in their step, and usually a giggle; having never felt so comfortable in their own skin before. A 90 minute session will include a range of motion assessment, full body stretch and closed kinetic chain exercises to enable the brain and body to sustain the stretch results longer.

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The Importance of Hydration 

Our body is composed of up to 70% water. Water is involved in so many processes our body undergoes. By being just 2% dehydrated our body begins to feel the affects and how it performs. Dehydration slows the activity of enzymes in the body, including ones responsible for the production of energy and can lead to a slower metabolism. Every cell needs water to function. Your body uses water to maintain temperature, remove waste from the body and even to help lubricate joints. 

Hydration is important to many body parts like our stomach, skin, muscles, joints, kidneys, urinary tract, bowels and more. You lose water every day through breathing, sweating and waste removal, so the need to replace water lost through bodily functions is very important. 

Drinking lots of water before and after a treatment is the most important thing you can do for your body so you’re not too sore or tender after a treatment. During the massage process we break down adhesions, scar tissue, lactic acid, tension and stress in the muscles. This process causes an increase of fresh blood to travel into the muscles where it will flush all that metabolic waste into the blood stream. Once in the blood stream it needs to be excreted. 

Your massage therapist will encourage you to drink water before and after a treatment. Staying hydrated will help your body heal and recover from your massage treatment.  It is recommended to drink 1-3 glasses of water 1-3 hours prior to a treatment, and 2-4 glasses of water after a treatment.

When should I use an ice pack?

Cold slows down blood flow to an injury, reducing pain and swelling. Cold therapy slows circulation, reducing inflammation, muscle spasm and pain. It should be used if the area is swollen or bruised. Cold is applied by ice/gel pack( wrap with towel to protect skin). You can use an ice pack for 10 minutes maximum every hour (no more then 10 minutes or it may cause frost bite). 

When should I use a heat pack?

Heat can increase blood flow and help restore movement to injured tissue. Warmth can also reduce joint stiffness, pain and muscle spasms. As with cold packs, heat packs have a role in easing pain from both acute and chronic injuries such as sprains, strains, muscle spasms, whiplash and arthritis. You can use a heat pack for 20 minutes maximum every hour (no more than 20 minutes or you may endure a burn). 

Epsom salt bath

Comprised of the minerals magnesium sulfate, Epsom salt is a natural exfoliant and anti-inflammation remedy that can be used to treat dry skin, sore muscles, small wounds and even fight illness. It can also be added to any bath or foot soak to create a luxurious at home spa experience. (use 1-2 cups of Epsom salts in a hot (not scalding) bath, for best results keep fan off in the bathroom and let it get steamy- sit 20 minutes minimum in tub with a glass of water.  The point of this bath is to detox through sweating. Remember for what you lose in sweating replenish with drinking water). 

HydrotherapyBoosting your recoveryBy Libbie Turcotte, Registered Massage Therapist

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What is Chinese Herbal Medicine? A small excerpt ..

Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the modalities used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat any ailment or disorder. Although the herbs are mostly plant based, some times minerals and animal products are also included to treat disease and dysfunction. Herbs can include any part of a plant - root, bark, leaf, flower, fruit and each part may have slightly differing properties to help with treatment of disease. Ginger, cinnamon, mint, turmeric, chrysanthemum flower are all herbs in Chinese medicine.

Herbs can be categorized in many different ways. Some herbs can help warm the body, others can help cool, some can help with dryness and others for water retention. They can help relieve stagnation in the body and relieve pain from trauma by improving the circulation of Qi (energy) and blood.

The beauty of the herbal medicine is that it is used to treat the presenting condition after a full and complete diagnosis of the patient. The idea is to restore balance in the body and restore balance of Yin and Yang. Yin is cooling/storing/nourishing aspect of our body while Yang is the warming/activating/moving aspects of our body functions.

Herbal medicine restores balance depending on what is causing the dysfunction. If you have caught a cold, the herbs will restore balance by clearing any pathogen. If you have more heat symptoms such as fever, red face, sore throat, yellow mucus, cooling herbs are recommended; while warming herbs are recommended

if you feel the chills, pale face, watery nasal discharge. When a patient is weak, herbs that are known to improve digestion or improve defensive energy (so you don’t catch colds and flus easily) are administered. When the stress and anxiety levels are high, herbs to calm the mind and improve sleep are suggested.

Because the idea of the herbal medicine is to restore balance, you only need to take the herbs while you have the problem - for a few weeks at a time, and then you may not need to continue the herbs or may need to be reassessed to see if the pattern has changed.

Chinese Herbal MedicineEffective Individualized Formula By Anu Sahgal, Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Registered Acupuncturist

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Ability Massage Therapy & Acupuncture Studio is turning 10 this

spring. We are planning a celebration on Friday May 5th from 12-4pm at Ability Studio.

*RETRO RATES *CARD READINGS*WINE, BEER & WHISKEY TASTINGS

*GIVE A WAYS*FUN *FUN *FUN*

Save The DateFriday May 5th, 2017

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Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you for trusting us with your alternative health care needs in 2016.

We had a wonderful year at both clinics. Our therapists continued to pursue their studies, learning is an ongoing enjoyment for all of us here. We love to improve our knowledge with new techniques, stay current in health care research and provide our patrons leading edge bodywork therapies.

We’ve had some great accomplishments this year. Anu received her registration as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Acupuncturist, Blair graduated and was nominated valedictorian of his Osteopath class, Shawn completed his studies and is now a Reiki Master and offers meditation sessions. Some of our therapists announced

engagements, new homes, new pets and exciting travel plans.

Everyone here volunteered for local charities, some worked at the Sens’ camp, and some travelled to client’s homes when they couldn’t leave their house.

We have the biggest hearts, and that makes all the difference in health care. We truly want you to be healthy in 2017, reach your goals and have lots of adventures along the way.

See you in 2017! Best wishes,

Rose, Bruce, Sasha, Libbie, Anu, Jackie, Sue, Terry, Shawn, Donna, Deanna, Brynn, Blair, Jennifer, Stephanie, Deborah, Amanda, Emma, Samantha, Erik and Chantal.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!BE

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