MekaMassage

12/09/2016

Calling Massage Therapists!
The World Massage Festival 2017 will be held in Cherokee, NC May 7-10.
You can get up to 24 continuing education credits from this one event!
I'll be taking Pillars Of Aloha - Foundational Aspects Of Traditional Hawaiian Lomilomi Massage, with world renowned teacher Kumu Brenda Ignacio
Check it out!

http://www.worldmassagefestival.com

03/09/2016

Having Neck or shoulder pain?
Here's a great stretch for levator scapulae, which starts on the side of your neck and attaches on the upper angle of your shoulder blade. This muscle is the cause of many issues, but a prominent one is the shoulder being "jacked up" higher than it should be.
Check out this excerpt from the book, Perscriptive Stretching:

http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/levator-scapulae-stretch

The levator scapulae runs between the upper part of the shoulder blades and the top four cervical vertebrae.

01/19/2016

Here are some great illustrations showing which muscles are being stretched for each pose. 😊

http://makeyourlifehealthier.com/36-pictures-to-see-which-muscle-youre-stretching/

You should all know that you need to stretch, whether you are a chronic sitter, a weekend warrior, or a daily exerciser. Stretching helps your blood reach your muscles and your joints move through their full range of motion, but it also improves your posture and athletic performance and reduces the…

12/11/2015

Want to see Asheville keep locally owned businesses at the heart of our economic development strategy?
By acting steadily through smart growth, together we can bring about thoughtful change at a local level.

What can you do?
Purchase a 2016 Go Local Card this year!

For only $16 you will receive discounts at hundreds of locally owned businesses and $8 will go to support our public schools connecting our youth and education to the health of our local economy.

I honor the Go Local Card, offering card holders $5 off every visit OR an extra 15 min. added to their session.

I also offer:
* NEW CLIENT DISCOUNT: $10 off your first session.
* REFERRAL DISCOUNT: Refer someone to me and receive $10 off your next session after they complete theirs.

Visit www.MekaMassage.com to schedule your healing session and/or purchase a holiday gift certificate!

http://ashevillegrown.com/go-local-card/

10/21/2015

I just joined the Go Local movement and I'm now offering $5 off -or- an additional 15 min. on every bodywork session to those with a Go Local Card.
Check out my listing!
http://ashevillegrown.com/city/meka-massage/

Each therapeutic session I offer is tailored to your needs with a combination of integrated techniques. Being a lover of life and following my passions, I’ve traveled around the world, gathering bodywork experiences via learning from friends, workshops, and intensive study/certifications in the US &…

09/28/2015

I took a fantastic workshop over the weekend...If you haven't experienced Esalen Massage, I highly encourage you to try it out!

I had known about the Esalen Institute for many years from living in the SF Bay Area and was always intrigued by it's natural hot springs and stunning beauty....However, this weekend, I discovered how similar Esalen Massage is to my "style" of bodywork that has evolved over the years.
One Esalen technique is characterized by long flowing strokes, often traveling up and down the entire body. The main focus is on calming the central nervous system with deliberately slow and fluid movements and total attention to the breath and body signals of the client.
Robin Fann-Costanzo is an excellent teacher with a fanomanal wealth of experience from living at Esalen for 16 years! What a treat to have her and her husband Corey here in Asheville.

I look forward to integrating more Esalen techniques into my work with clients and plan to take the journey of being a certified Esalen Massage practitioner in the not too distant future!

Interested in exploring more with me?
I am honored to work on and with you for your optimal body balance and thrival!
M. :-)

Here's a little inspirational piece about the Esalen Institute:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEBH4JKNIBg

08/27/2015

Hey Folks-
Wondering why I'm always giving attention to hip opening and stretching your Psoas (pronounced so-as) muscle?

When the psoas is chronically contracted, due to stress or tension, it will shorten and can lead to a variety of painful conditions, including low back pain, sacroiliac pain, sciatica, disc problems, hip degeneration, and even knee pain and digestion issues.

Check out this great blog post that goes into the deeper connections of the Psoas muscle:
https://bodydivineyoga.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/the-psoas-muscle-of-the-soul/

I was delighted when I first came across Liz Koch's amazing work because it confirmed much of what I'd been intuiting on my own. I had begun to open and close my yoga practise with hip opening pose...

07/24/2015

For those of you who are experiencing tightness in the neck and/or shoulders with an occasional or even chronic sensation of a pinched nerve, which can refer pain up into the neck, between & under the shoulder blades, or down the arm (even into the hand), you may have what's called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS).

TOS involves several sets of muscles that often become tight from all the things we do with our hands/arms in front of us...working on computers, cell phone use, etc.
It is important to have good posture, especially working with your hands/arms in front of you, keeping your shoulders back and down (aligned with hips) and ears centered over your shoulders.
With stress, we tend to breathe shallow, which adds to the problem through tightening scalene muscles
Here's a few simple stretches you can do to help alleviate the pinched nerve plexus running through each of your shoulders:

http://youtu.be/Z4aXRj0uIj4

Chad Madden, Physical Therapist, describes the Top 3 Exercises to perform for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. www.maddenpt.com Madden Physical Therapy 5425 Jonesto...

07/17/2015

Although, I've been practicing for many years, I'm excited to announce the launch of my new website: www.MekaMassage.com
Check it out and tell me what you think of the logo I designed.