Today’s muscle is a small group of muscles in the anterior neck, known as the scalenes.
Origin: Transverse processes of the 2nd-6th cervical (neck) vertebrae
Insertion: Upper surfaces of 1st & 2nd ribs
Actions: Bilaterally, elevates rib cage during inhalation. Unilaterally, laterally flexes the neck, and rotates head & neck to the opposite side
Infraspinatus is one of my favorite muscles to work on. Clients rarely know about it, but almost everyone has some trigger points there, and people are often amazed by the intensity of sensation when it gets worked on.
I would like to share a small excerpt from the morning affirmation section of Tapping for Stress Relief, from Jessica Ortner of The Tapping Solution:
Today is a gift.
I’m grateful to be alive,
And to have this day.
I refuse to waste it
By complaining about what is.
I choose to focus on what I create.
I create my reality.
I choose wisely.
Enjoy your day! 😀
So Teebs (the black and white cat) reminded me of my promise to tell you about one of my favorite massage books: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, by Clair Davies.
The subtitle is “Your self-treatment guide for pain relief,” and that is the truth. Basically, it breaks down the big red Travell trigger point manuals for the layperson, and gives symptoms, causes, and treatment for almost every trigger point of the body. I mentioned the Theracane yesterday, and that is one of the primary treatment tools. The book features many clear pictures of where to place the Theracane, the lacrosse ball, or the supported thumbs–whatever tool is best–for the most immediate relief.
Really, I can’t recommend this book enough. I refer to it several times a week for use with clients, and on myself at home. As you can see in the picture, I’ve added my own tabs for easy reference. As a massage therapist, I definitely suggest getting frequent massage, but in between, this book and some self-massage tools can often help life feel more bearable!
May you be free of suffering.
May you have physical happiness.
May you have mental happiness.
May your heart be at peace.
Recite to yourself or, in your head, to others as needed.
Have you ever tried Tapping? Here’s your chance! http://www.thetappingsolution.com/blog/eft-stress-relief-audios/
The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a great way to relieve stress quickly and easily, just by tapping on a few specific points on the face and upper body. This downloadable CD teaches you what to do, and then leads you through some guided meditations for the morning and evening. I’ve been using it for several months, and especially love the morning session–it really helps me start the day off on the right foot.
Check out the link, and give it a try!
I’ve been thinking about a quote which goes something like: “Those who look for flowers find flowers, and those who look for weeds find weeds.”
In that vein, here are some things I feel good about today:
1) I had a long phone call with my best friend, and later realized we’ve been friends for almost 18 years!
2) Inspired by last night’s episode of American Ninja Warrior, this morning I was brave and tried BODYPUMP for the first time. A very nice woman enthusiastically showed me the ropes and even asked for my card when she heard I do massage. I felt very strong and proud of myself…I only hope I can still move tomorrow!
3) Probably as a result of the morning’s workout, I have felt relaxed and productive all day.
4) I have enjoyed some quality time, reading with my cats. (Currently I’m finishing up this for my book club.)
5) Although I finished eating up the last of my homemade hummus (though that fact makes me a little unhappy), it is so easy and delicious that I’ll make it again soon. Here’s the recipe:
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 14oz can of chickpeas, drained
3-4 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp tahini
Add all ingredients together in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth!
Visit Cat vs Human–it is very cute and funny!
Today is Pema Chödrön’s 77th birthday. Enjoy some of her beautiful wisdom here: http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=225
And if you like cats, and you like yoga, here’s a cute video: Yoga with Cats
Namaste!
UPDATE 10/21/16: This was originally the 1st post in a 30 posts in 30 days challenge (hence the title) but this is one of the only ones that really stood the test of time!
Dear reader, here I was this morning, thinking about what I could write about, when a topic dropped into my lap. For whatever reason, I happened to take a look at one of the new business cards I just received in the mail Saturday, and there it was…A TYPO!!!! On these brand new cards!!! And it wasn’t just any typo–it was my PHONE NUMBER!!! AAAHHHH!!!!
Instantly, I went into self-flagellation mode. Nothing could have been worse than this idiotic mistake–I mean, how can I start my business if my phone number is incorrect on the dang card? (Ironically, I realized that, over the past few days, I had actually been worrying that maybe I had typed the wrong phone number, but on a different advertisement altogether. Darn these self-fulfilling prophecies!) After some consolation from my husband and a friend (who was the only one besides me to have any of the accursed cards), I was able to do some tapping (EFT, if you are unaware, is amazing) and find some perspective and, lo, even something to write about.
Two things came to mind: 1)The over-excitement of stress (and there are no end of things, it seems to be stressed about these days) can often lead us to make mistakes, both big and small. Likely, they will be small, but still causing no end of teeth-gnashing and beating ourselves up and calling ourselves names, because we really are our own worst critics. Which leads me to 2) The need for self-compassion. This morning, before all this even happened, I had pulled up this great post on gratitude: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5921/10-Gratitude-Principles-to-Live-By.html. I hadn’t gotten a chance to look at it before my little business card freakout, but it definitely helped put things in perspective afterwards. Yes, I felt idiotic in the moment, but, let’s face it, in 100 years (heck, even in 100 days) this mistake will have been forgotten (although here I am, immortalizing it on the Internet, so good work, me!). I caught it before I gave out all the cards; next time I’ll be more aware, and thank goodness for white out!
In conclusion, let’s all try to cultivate more compassion for ourselves. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Be grateful for what is going right. And proofread, proofread, proofread!
