The Quiet Spot
Bring balance to your body, restore your spirit, and support your health with peace.
Monday, March 21, 2016
Spring 2016 Beginnings & News
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Another Path to Parenting Class series will begin March 13
Sunday, December 29, 2013
JANUARY CLASS INFORMATION
The next PATH TO PARENTIING CLASS begins January 7th. It is a 6 week course and will meet once a week on Tuesday nights, at 6:00 PM. The class will be 1 1/2 to 2 hours in duration. For more information on that class go to Path to Parenting class information (the option of an arranged weekend make up class may be available in special circumstances, if a couple has to miss a class during the series). Please email joy@thequietspot.com, or call 615-554-8059 to register. You may pay your class fee the first day of class or online at The Quiet Spot Square marketplace.
The next group MASSAGE TIPS & TECHNIQUES FOR COUPLES CLASS will be offered on January 18th, at 4:00 PM. For more information on that class, go to Massage Tips & techniques for couples class information. Beginning this year, I will also be offering class series packages, for couples interested in a private class setting with more in-depth instruction on perfecting specific techniques (classes are therapeutic massage instruction, and non-sexual in nature). Please email or call joy@thequietspot.com, or call 615-554-8059. Classes may also be purchased online at The Quiet Spot Square marketplace.
Beginning in January, I will also be starting a Doula Apprenticeship program. This is the first group participating, and space if quite limited. Acceptance into the program will be based in individual interviews. The next Apprenticeship program will be offered beginning in May or June. Please email joy@thequietspot.com for more information.
Monday, August 19, 2013
- Information about the physiological, emotional, and mental changes that pregnancy brings
- Suggestions and techniques to help keep your body in balance and optimal health, as well as ways to minimize discomfort or complications during pregnancy
- Education and information about birthing
- Exercises and information to assist you in discovering your birth and parenting personality
- Techniques to help you prepare for your unique childbirth process, based on your specific parenting personality
- Assistance with preparing for birth in your chosen location and suggestions for creating your ideal birth environment
- Breastfeeding and postpartum information and preparation, including dietary suggestions for optimal lactation and postpartum healing, recovery and transition into early parenthood
- Resources for any additional concerns or areas of interest
- OPTIONAL (additional cost): Postpartum home visits to assist with lactation, offer emotional and physical support, and/or facilitate in easing the often challenging adjustment into early parenthood.
GROUP CLASS - $150 per couple (*August 31st - next class series start)
PRIVATE CLASS - $300 per couple (with special scheduling and/or class grouping alternatives possible)
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AND RECOVER QUICKLY
- The lymphatic system is responsible for cleaning the toxins out of your body. When you are battling a virus or infection, the lymphatic system is taxed. Swollen lymph nodes are sometimes an indicator of this. Manual lymph drainage massage is an excellent way to support the lymphatic system, although it may not always be available as a treatment option.
- An Ayurvedic recommendation would also be to start your day with a glass of warm, lemon water or herbal (caffeine free) tea to stimulate lymphatic flow, as well as taking ashwaganda to improve the function of the immune system.
- Raw garlic and ginger, which you can easily find at your grocery store, also help to support the immune system in fighting infection.
- A combination of zinc, vitamin C and Echinacea have also been found helpful in boosting immune function.
- Reishi, a medicinal mushroom, is one of my favorite immune supporters. It also has a number of other health benefits when taken regularly (especially in the areas of respiratory and cardiovascular support).
- When running the heater in your home, consider using a vaporizer at night, to keep moisture in the air. Dry nasal passages are more vulnerable to infection.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
As I stood up from weeding my vegetable garden the other day, I felt a little dizzy and dehydrated and was aware of some protesting joints. I was so focused on the task, that I had not realized how long I had been in the heat, kneeling and crawling around in the dirt. Every day I remind people to pay attention to their bodies, to be sure to hydrate and stretch to keep their muscles oxygenated and keep the toxins from building up. As I walked stiffly away from my garden, headed inside to drink a few glasses of water, I realized that I needed to take my own advice.
In the warm summer months, as we spend more and more time outdoors, we travel to vacation destinations, and our schedules are thrown into limbo, it is easy to forget to take care of ourselves. Though it may not be as convenient to maintain our wellness rituals during this time, massage therapy can play a big role thriving through the summer. This time of year, there are massage benefits that are particularly helpful, such as:
- stress and anxiety relief - especially for parents with kids at home all day,
- releasing sore neck, back and shoulder muscles after long car trips or cramped airline flights,
- strengthening the immune system, by aiding in detoxifying the body - especially after an afternoon of indulging in beverages and junk food on the lake or on the patio at your favorite bar,
- reducing swelling and water retention - especially in pregnant women or those spending all day on their feet in the heat,
- promoting clear thinking, good sleeping patterns and daytime alertness
- improved circulation - especially for those working at a desk all day, in an air conditioned office
- improved joint mobility and muscle function - especially for those musicians on tour all summer
In addition to these and many other potential benefits, my clients in the coming months will likely also end up with a few cucumbers and tomatoes from my garden to take home and put into a healthy salad. I look forward to the all the ways I can help make the summer a time of relaxation and wellness, for those around me and for myself.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Peace - a gift you give yourself
It’s that time of year again...when temperatures drop and germs are passed around like juicy gossip. Meanwhile, the business year is coming to a close as the holiday season kicks into full swing. The world goes insane, while we sing songs about peace and good cheer, through gritted teeth. Although to some it may very well be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be the most stressful time of the year.
I have heard some people claim that they thrive on stress, but that is a misuse of the word “thrive”. It has been proven that stress has negative effects on the circulatory system, the digestive system and the immune system. When the immune system is repressed and taxed, it is more difficult for the body to defend itself from infection, and we all know that rest is necessary for healing. Though we all have different ways of coping with stress, the majority of them seem to incorporate an element of excess or overindulgence. Stress appears, and we react by trying to pretend it is not there; we sometimes create more stress to keep it company; or we might attempt to smother it with alcohol, medication, food or even shopping. For a time, some of these coping techniques may work (though they often create more potentially stressful situations in the process), that is, until our health begins to suffer.
It’s the most inconvenient time of the year to get sick. It is a stress compounder, yet illness, whether acute or the common cold, forces us to be present. It pulls us out of our head - where we do all that managing, avoiding, or burying of stress - and back into our bodies. It insists that we attend to our physical needs in a ways we often do not or will not, especially our need for rest and peace…
This year, let’s do more than just sing songs about peace. It is the best Holiday gift you can give yourself, and your body will thank you!