You Deserve a Massage! ~ by Cynthia Land, LMT

In the 1990's, my little home-town of Bremerton, WA didn't have many massage spas like it does today. In fact, I didn't know too many people who got massages. My parents certainly didn't get them. I came from a family were there wasn't much hugging or snuggling so comforting touch was kind of an anomaly. Somehow I came across friends who were enlightened about such things and they convinced me that my nagging upper back pain could be alleviated by simply getting a therapeutic massage.  

I laugh at myself today because the person who showed up for that 30-minute appointment in the early '90s was a scared, doe-eyed innocent. The only experience I'd had with anything resembling massage was the play kids did in elementary school where we drew designs on each other's backs when we should have been paying attention to the teacher. This massage was held after-hours at a Curves-like establishment in a room carved out of the center of the space. I was too scared to take off all my clothes so I left my bra and panties on. The very capable massage therapist did a terrific job working around my shyness and supplied great relief to my back pain. I was hooked!  

I stayed with that therapist, following her from venue to venue, for years. When you find someone who understands your body and can alleviate your pain, you stick with them! I can't believe I waited as long as I did to seek massage. I have since had dozens of treatments from dozens of therapists and have honed in on what type of massage works for me. A decade after that first massage I became a massage therapist myself and now help others find relief from chronic and acute pain. However, sometimes we can't get in to our therapist and we need relief now. Aspirin and muscle relaxers are fine as far as it goes, but here are a few ways you can take care of those aching muscles yourself.

Topicals:

Acute issues - Tiger Balm and Arnica oil

This works best if you use it directly after whatever strenuous activity you've been doing. I found it worked wonders after a day of downhill skiing, but it could work after a day in the garden or after a long day helping a friend move. I'd come home from skiing, pop in the shower and directly after toweling off, set the towel on the floor with the container of Tiger Balm and arnica oil and mix a little of both in my hands and then massage my legs.  This isn't just a lay the concoction on my skin procedure, I really get into the tissue and rub the muscles. Probably about three minutes per leg. The Tiger Balm has menthol and camphor in it which opens the pores and increases circulation, helping to move along any lactic acid build up in the muscles. The arnica reduces any inflammation or bruising. A winning combination.

Chronic issues - CBD creams or oils

I use this on arthritic joints and sore muscles. I've had good results with making my own cannabis creams by combining organic coconut oil with CBD oils. In states that allow the purchase of such oils, you can ask the bud tenders about percent of CBD oil to percent of coconut oil. Some places even sell the pre-made creams or topicals. The creams are super easy to make and you can add essential oils to make them smell good and add more therapeutic benefits. If you live in a state where marijuana is not yet legal, I understand aspercreme is a good substitute.

Self-assisted massage:

Foam roller

These are an excellent tool for getting at places you can't get at yourself. Many physical therapists are known to torture their patients with them. One can buy them in different densities depending on your preference so they're not quite so tortuous. Here's a series of videos from the Mayo Clinic on how to use one.  https://youtu.be/QUszqQf51zY  I use my foam roller almost daily to help relieve tension in my upper back. The roller will almost always gloriously help adjust my spine. Not as often, but just as good, I will use the roller on my calves, thighs, and glutes which can be excellent for working out areas that are prone to spasms.

Tennis ball/Lacrosse ball

As the foam roller is broad the tennis ball is specific. I use it for knots in the upper back, hips, and calves. Just be sure to avoid contact with bony structures such as shoulder blades or you may have bruising. You can lay down on them or use them as you stand against a wall. I know people who have them in their cars and sit on them while driving. I have a fallen arch on my left foot and will use a Lacrosse ball on the bottom of my foot while standing to roll out any aches and stiffness. It does wonders!

As a massage therapist, I recommend getting a massage once a month but if you can't do that or you need something in between treatments, use the above to get your through to the next session. You've only got one body. Take good care of it!

The Hands ~ by Ralph Duncan

Although I am not a prolific blogger, I hope I can offer you some interesting thoughts and stories.  Most of what I'll write will be about my experiences and adventures that inspire and inform my art. Here’s a little bit about why I make art. Enjoy.

It was an interesting day that unexpectedly became a day of reflection and in some sense, a day of drawing a line in the sand. I know—what does this have to do with hands? Or what does this have to do with art for that matter?

It started with my afternoon trip to the Bellevue Arts Museum. I made a point of going because the exhibit of furniture maker John Cederquist was at the museum and I didn’t want to miss it. As I walked through his exhibit and the following sculptural exhibit of Wanxin Zhang, I kept wanting to put my hands on the pieces; to feel the shape and the texture. But—there was the sign—DO NOT TOUCH ART—I’m not sure why some of us feel the need to touch things. Perhaps it is this feeling that without touching something, without the feel of the shape, the texture, the softness, the harshness, the curves, and the sharp edges – one has not really engaged in the subject.

Ironically, as the day progressed, I was walking the streets of Seattle and came across an interesting bookstore.  Browsing the store, I found a wonderful book titled, “Hands at Work.”  

As I thumbed through the book, I read stories about people who work with their hands. My mind went back to the gallery and my thoughts about wanting to put my hands on the art. My thoughts drifted to my father when I said my last goodbye to him and touched his hands roughened by a life of working with his hands; of the things those hands taught me when I was young. 

I remembered the old tools I inherited and the feeling of self-worth and history when working with a tool that is decades old. I wondered what craftsman had his or her hands on this tool and of the intertwining of the oil and sweat from their hands and mine.

I read the stories and explanations of why these men and women chose to make a life by working with their hands.

“They talk of living in their hands and needing to get their hands dirty, cold, or wet. For them, the materials they use are alive and responsive; their hands teach them things they didn’t know and connect them to different times, places, and people.”

People are losing the ability to make things for themselves…We’re missing out on the incredible creative process that engages the mind and translates to the hands.

THIS...is why I must make art.

By Ralph Duncan