News: October 2022

What does mental illness have to do with massage?

October 10th is World Mental Health Day!

We live in a country that values productivity. We rush to tick off items on our to-do list as quickly as possible only to fret that we're still behind schedule, incessantly running to catch up. We are defined by our accomplishments and accolades. Oh, and sleep is for wusses. Is it any wonder why so many of us suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression?

Massage therapy has been shown to work wonders for the mind. Studies have shown massage therapy to reduce:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Worry

Plus all of the physical and physiological symptoms that go along with these conditions, such as:

• Muscle and joint pain
• Headaches
• Tension
• Indigestion
• Difficulty breathing
• Blurred eyesight
• Rashes or itchy skin
• Feeling sick or dizzy
• Constipation

Personally, massage has played a vital role in my mental health. In my memoir, I describe my 15-year battle with anorexia. As my illness advanced, I grew increasingly isolated, cut off from everyone around me. I was chronically touch deprived. With a long and arduous recovery came the realization of the necessity of nurturing touch, and what finally led me to become a licensed massage therapist.

World Mental Health Day aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and reduce stigmas around mental illness. This is especially important today, as the number of cases of mental illness has soared since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of depression and anxiety alone has increased 25%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

If you are struggling with any mental health issues, please get help from a qualified professional. If you don't know where to start, you can always call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) hotline, or find a therapist near you on PsychologyToday.com. And to set you on the road to better mental (and physical) health, get a much-needed massage!

Insecure to Confident with Self-Massage

Feeling insecure? You're not alone. Join me as we use posture, breathing, stretching, and self-massage to find confidence, self-assurance, and peace.

What's new with me ...

Stuyvesant Town had a resident art exhibition as part of its 75-year anniversary celebration. Jesse did an amazing picture of the view from our apartment, capturing the playground right below, all the way out to the Empire State Building.

Sienna has been super into Harry Potter. After school and on weekends, she and I take our magic wands, invisibility cloaks, and notebooks to the playground to practice our spells and observe muggles.