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Happy Blogiversary!

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Two years ago today I started writing this blog as my solution to sanity during the first pandemic shut down. I was only home for about a week and a half when I realized I need to use my brain! I also needed a way to connect with my clients from home and promote pain relief and well-being. When massaging my clients, I only have to ask them what they do for a living, and I pretty much know where the pain is. It makes me seem magical (who am I to disagree!)  Between lectures from our health care professionals, health and safety departments and person experience, we know the potential our job has to cause injury and repetitive strain. We can be very well-behaved when it comes to our work - lifting with our legs, using proper ergonomics, using proper gear, taking breaks, etc. We are not so aware in our recreation and hobby activities. When we are doing the things we enjoy the most, we go longer and harder. The endorphins we get from what we love blocks out any concept of pain and disco...
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New Beginnings

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The first couple of months in a new year are a time of reflection and preparation. A fresh new calendar is on the kitchen wall, a new semester has started, paperwork needs to be collected for taxes, gardens and holidays are planned, pet licenses need to be renewed... The list is long. Much of our society has gone paperless, we use our computers, phones and tablets to organize our lives. Don't get me wrong, I love my phone calendar with it's alerts to help me stay on track. It's always with me, which makes it incredibly convenient. Despite all that, I have a great fondness for writing things down. I find the physical act of writing helps me remember things better. Even if I forget to bring my list, if I wrote it down, I will remember what was on it. (Or I have a kid text a picture of it to me while I'm in the grocery store!) For the first time in my adult life, I did not have a calendar on my kitchen wall, made by either my Mom or my Aunt (they took turns) of family and ...
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Early Morning Drama

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Brain: Adrienne, wake up! Adrienne: mmmphhh Brain: Adrienne, it's time to get up! (Adrienne rolls over and snuggles in) Brain: Hey, Bladder, can you help me out here? She's being difficult! Bladder: ummm, Adrienne?? Do you (yawn!) think, maybe, if you want...we should get out of bed? Adrienne: I don't hear you. (pulls covers higher) Brain: Well, that was a big help! Do I have to do every thing myself? ADRIENNE, YOU'RE LATE!!! (Adrienne, with a slight panic, and blurry-eyed, turns head to look at clock) Adrienne: Brain, it's only 5:30am! I am NOT late! Brain: But I wanna go swimming. We love swimming! We go swimming at 6! Come on!!! We can watch the sunrise through the big windows!! Adrienne: It's Saturday, the pool isn't open at 6 on the weekend. Brain: ohhh! It's not? Sorry about that. shhh, go back to sleep now, it's all warm and cozy, shhhh Endocrine System: Hey! Did you love that surge of adrenaline when you panicked, 'cause you thought you w...
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Star of the Show

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Don't underestimate the power of a gold star (or red, or green or silver - it's a multicolour pack!)  A nasty cold after Christmas, coupled with sub-freezing temperatures, meant that I didn't leave my house from Dec 24 to Jan 10. Much of that time was horizontal. As a result, every muscle in my body stiffened up and every joint dried out from inactivity. I'm sure that I have told you before that the lubrication in our joints (synovial fluid) is released through movement. Of course I have, I tell everyone! Turns out, walking from the bed to the couch isn't enough movement - who knew!! Two weeks of being sick with an ordinary cold, and I've spent two months recovering from the aches and pains of immobility. My personal favourite form of exercise is swimming. As an RMT, I love a lot of things about it. It's easy on the joints, you're in a humid environment, it uses the whole body, you can do cardio, stretching, resistance work and core strengthening. I hav...
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Where Am I?

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The question of "where" may seem like the least interesting to write about in this little series of self-discovery and self-improvement. In the broad sense, there are only a few categories; home, outdoors, gym, professional offices. Once you have already identified your "whats" and your "whos", the where really just falls into place. If you want to swim, you have to go to a pool or outdoor body of water. For karate, you go to a dojo. Not a terribly interesting topic for conversation. So let's look at some less obvious wheres. Where to find supports and resources? This will depend somewhat on your community, how far you are willing to travel, or how comfortable you are with the internet and technology. Alberta Health Services - AHS has a variety of programs available for people, some general and some specific, like for new diabetic patients. Some examples are nutritional counseling, healthy pregnancy and exercise programs. They also have addictions supp...
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Who's Who

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Who Are You? Well, that seems rather obvious, but is it? It brings to mind the scene with the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, blowing smoke rings as he askes "Whooo are you?" So many of the choices we make are because of what we think others want or think of us. It stops us from trying new things, or taking risks. Our fear of failure is stronger than our sense of adventure. Children don't have these inhibitions. They do all sorts of things for the pure joy of it. Society and it's judgmental attitudes can't be blamed for all of it. Some caution is the result of our brains becoming more capable of abstract thought. We start to see the potential consequences of our actions. This increases exponentially with adult responsibility. Shortly after I became a massage therapist, I took my boys tobagganing. As I stood at the top of the hill and surveyed the panorama below me, all I saw was breaks and sprains that would prevent me from being able to work. The last time I ...
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A Time For Everything

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There is a time for everything,      and a season for every activity under the heavens:      a time to be born and a time to die,      a time to plant and a time to uproot,      a time to kill and a time to heal,      a time to tear down and a time to build,      a time to weep and a time to laugh,      a time to mourn and a time to dance,      a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,      a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,      a time to search and a time to give up,      a time to keep and a time to throw away,      a time to tear and a time to mend,      a time to be silent and a time to speak,      a time to love and a time to hate,   ...
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