Katiebeworks

11/09/2021

This month as we focus on exploring the metal element, we will dive into the breath as we look to support our lungs. The lungs present as the yin organ during the season of the metal element. Yin is passive, grounding, and calming. We will use this as a road map for our breathing practice. We are also in a cooling season, so we will look at ways our breath can help warm the body. Lastly, we will explore the breaths relevant to immune support.

11/05/2021

How to support the Lungs?

This week, I introduced the metal element representing the fall season in the Five Element Theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Five Elements make up a cycle that organizes all natural phenomena into five groupings. These groups represent clear patterns in nature. This cycle of elements shows how nature interacts with the body and how the different dimensions impact each other. We can easily recognize where imbalances in the body, mind, emotions, and spirit lie through these patterns.

During Fall, the two dominant organs in the cycle of the Five Elements are the lungs which represent the yin organ, and the large intestines, which represent the yang organ. Examining the characteristics of these two organs can give us information about areas of excess (Shi pronounced sure) and the deficiency (Xu pronounced shoe) in the body. Examining if your characteristics are showing up in excess or deficiency is where we can equate our massage session and yoga practice in a way that supports our health during the fall season. Also, when you read these characteristics, keep in mind the element of metal, the organs being the lungs and large intestines, and you can see how these characteristics took shape.

* Inner Structure and Value
* Hard/strong, precise
* Rigid
* Brilliant, shining, inspiring
* Can be remolded many times over to take any form, but it takes time
* Grief is the ability to experience grief, process it so you can grow over time
* Boundaries, discrimination, routine, ritual, neat, precise
* Structure, organized, methodical
* Know own value/worth
* Discernment, analysis
* Taking in and letting go

When someone has an excess (Shi), it will appear as an issue of perfectionism, strictness, and dogmatic. When someone is having a problem with deficiency (Xu), they appear sloppy and numb. These imbalances create emotional difficulties with expression, intimacy, and spontaneity, and physiological imbalances occur in the respiratory, skin, elimination, lubrication, lymphatic, and immune systems. Now that we have these characteristics outlined, we will begin to apply them to our practice.

11/04/2021

Fall Element Metal - Large Intestine - Yang Organ

Yesterday I introduced the lungs as the yin organ that corresponds to fall. Today I am introducing its partner, the yang organ for the season, the large intestines.

These two organs run separate systems but complement each other energetically because one takes in what we need while the other releases what we don't. The lung and large intestine support one another in regulating the immune system, Wei Qi, by influencing fluid movement in the body.

We will explore the relationship of the lungs and large intestines in connection to the element metal, what characteristics present with deficiency or excess in the large intestines, and how we can reflect on these patterns to support our overall health and wellbeing.

11/03/2021

How hard is it for you to disconnect and be fully present with the people around you? This was something that has been nagging my mind since this past weekend. I had many goals and deadlines that I wanted to meet this Monday. I had planned out the entire weekend, what I would get done, and when. The only issue, I completely spaced out that it was Halloween. I had two options- 1) block out all the noise, lock myself in my room, and work, or 2) enjoy some much-needed family time. I chose number two. I felt this was the right choice for me because it was the weekend, and I believe it is precious and healthy to take time to be present with your tribe.

Even though I consciously made this choice and only had myself to answer, I kept having moments where I’d get a knot in my gut, feeling guilty for what I was letting go of accomplishing. I felt like this self-inflicted guilt was holding me back from being fully present with my family. I caught myself thinking thoughts like- I’ll take my laptop and work there, or maybe if we finish early, I can stay up until 2:00 AM because my morning is free. Then I wiped the thought from my mind and just allowed myself to be “present.”

One of the characteristics of the metal element that we will be exploring this month is structure. As we begin to slow down and move indoors, now is a great time to evaluate your schedule and set realistic boundaries that are flexible and support you. By taking the time to do this, you will be setting yourself up for success in the year to come. More importantly, as we approach the holiday season, having this schedule in place will help you be present for the festivities. Some elements of scheduling that get lost in the hustle of life are rest, play, and family time. I encourage you to start looking at these as priority elements for your overall well-being and not to look at weekly/daily rest, play, and family time as something we allow.

11/03/2021

Fall Element Metal- Yin Organ- Lung

In the Theory of the Five Elements, the lungs and large intestine are predominant in the Fall. The lungs are the yin (feminine, damp, slow) organ, and the large intestines are the yang (masculine, dry, active) organ.

As the temperature drops, the air becomes drier, and there is an increase of wind as the cold fronts move in. The weather changes leave your lung system vulnerable, often leading to a scratchy throat, dry nose, chapped lips, dry cough, or dry stool. The goal for the season is to focus on developing a flexible routine, encouraging warming, ensuring hydration, and fortifying our immune system.

The lung system dominates skin, respiratory system, immunity, and the emotion of sadness.

The function of the lungs is to Govern the Qi. The lungs "grasp the Qi of the heavens" or take in the oxygen and move the qi through the respiration system. The oxygen mixes with the nutrients brought in through the diet, the blood, and then moves the qi throughout the body. Therefore in Chinese medicine, the lungs have a vital role in the circulation of fluids and our Wei Qi, equivalent to the immune system.

We will explore the connection between the Lungs and the Large Intestine as it presents in Traditional Chinese medicine, what characteristics are dominant with this element, how these characteristics change in excess and with deficiency, and what massage and yoga practice help support your overall wellbeing with this element.

11/02/2021

As mentioned in my post yesterday, I will be using the month of November to explore the Metal Element in Traditional Chinese Medicine which represents Fall. Each element represents a set of organs: yin - feminine, cool, damp, and yang- masculine, hot, and dry. We will be exploring what it means to have an excess and depletion of these yin and yang energies and what actions you can take at this time to help your vitality or support your Qi for the year to come. Our focus will be on how diet, yoga, and massage can best help you through the fall months and prepare you for winter. Do you notice any patterns in your body when fall comes around?

11/01/2021

I am ready to participate in my wellness actively. It is easy to run through life completing tasks and taking care of everyone else. Well, here is your reminder if you haven't heard it lately, you cant take care of others until you take care of yourself! Throughout November, we will be exploring the Metal Element in Traditional Chinese Medicine which represents Fall. When we look at Fall as a time to gather our crops, which are the labor of our summer energy, we collect our nutrients to sustain throughout the winter. Fall is the perfect time to set a flexible schedule that reflects healthy boundaries with value for yourself and your energy. If you can set this structure now, it will benefit you greatly for the year ahead. What tasks do you set up during your day, week, and month to help honor your health and wellbeing?

10/20/2021

"In the early years, this curvature may not be obvious, but as a person grows and ages, it may become more so. It also creates tightness and pain in the mid-back, neck, hips, forearms, and hands, affecting the range of motion."

Screens might be the norm, but they have a huge impact on children, such as by evolving their young bodies. Here's some suggestions to avoid poor posture and physical changes

10/09/2021

A time-lapse NASA video of Earth shows seven days in 2005, when a category-4 typhoon developed off the coast of China. See our planet as never before.

09/29/2021

The body is quick to reveal its secrets. A client said this to me the other day, and it is a sentence I have been rolling around in my head ever since. The context of the conversation was that the client said they had felt that they had been doing an excellent job of exercising and getting back in shape, but that was wrong by the way they were feeling during the massage session. What is interesting is that this comment I made to a friend the other day when she was doing some energy work on me.

As a practitioner, I spend a lot of time reflecting on how I speak to my clients. Many people come into session looking for assistance with a specific issue they are experiencing that is typically for either pain or stress management. Either way, it’s for self-care, and it’s an honor to get to assist my clients on that journey. To come into session and to share with someone who is a stranger your concerns is very brave. My goal is to offer a safe space to help guide you on your self-care journey. There is no judgment from this side. Maybe you are at the beginning of recovery from an accident or coming in for regular maintenance of a chronic issue. What I wish I could help everyone focus on is you are showing up for yourself, you are making the right choices for your health, and you are actively working on your recovery.

09/23/2021

09/23/2021

09/21/2021

⚡️⚡️What are some small actions that you do to increase your energy?⚡️⚡️ I don’t usually like to feed into the early week blues, but boy, I am feeling sluggish this week! Anyone else? Recently I have been looking for stillness and opportunities to focus on breathing to help with my energy. My yoga background is in Ashtanga, so active meditation used to be my jam. Nothing would make me feel more energized than a good Mysore practice.

Laying this way is one of my favorite things to do after a full day of massage. The pillow under my legs helps to relax and release my lower back which, even with good body mechanics, gets a bit sore by the end of the day. Placing the bolster along my spine and opening my arms to the side relaxes my whole upper body. Does anyone ever notice their head floating above their pillow when they go to bed? Then one big breath and your neck releases, and you sink into your pillow? That’s what happens to me with this pose. My spine relaxes, any tightness in my core releases, and my chest lets go from a full day of pushing and kneading tissue. Ahhh, well, this looks good to me. I will find myself on these bolsters in 9 hours! Have a great day, everyone! Remember to breathe!

09/17/2021

I am thrilled to share with you my new massage space. I am so grateful to you all for helping me to bounce back and get going. I can’t continue to grow my business and help guide you on your journey to self-care and healing 💆‍♀️

09/15/2021

I am very excited to announce that I am starting in a new location in downtown Tomball. The new space is located just off of Baker St. at Spring Center of Hope. I will continue to provide mobile massage for established clients and referrals of established clients.

Interested in booking an appointment, click here: https://square.site/book/QXKZ8550756QD/katiebeworks-tomball-tx

I am also in the process of transitioning to a new phone number so please now reach me at
832-773-1981

New Address: 990 Village Square Drive. , Tomball, Texas, 77375

I look forward to seeing you soon!

09/14/2021

08/05/2021

Just in case you need a reminder- always be inexcusably your unique self! Don’t overcomplicate it, just be you. Looking back at where you came from and where you’re going, remember your only job is to be yourself. Don’t get lost in the tunnel vision of your current state or expectations of your surroundings. When you are feeling lost, the only support you need is from the Earth. Ground yourself. Find your center. Carry on. Oh, and always remember to stretch your pecs- your back will thank you.