Raise Your Stress Tolerance

Our bodies were designed to handle a moderate amount of stress. But stress, when experienced for a prolonged period of time, can wreak havoc on our health, well-being and ultimately lead to dis-ease. Building up your tolerance to handle stress will better support your body against the negative effects of chronic stress. That’s right. With a few small tweaks you can build up a better defense to support yourself in stressful situations and beyond.

5 ways to Raise Your Stress Tolerance:

1. Quality Sleep - when we talk about health and well-being, there’s not much that doesn’t start with ‘get a good night’s sleep’. Our sleep is absolutely paramount to raising our stress tolerance. If you have trouble sleeping, try ending your screen time 30-60 minutes before bed and practice a bedtime ritual. A Magnesium supplement or our Sweet Dreams Magnesium Cream may help bolster a sound sleep.

2. Strengthen Your Vagal Tone - The vagus nerve is the largest cranial nerve in the entire body and is an integral part of activating the parasympathetic nervous system - where healing takes place. The vagal tone indicates the ability for the vagus nerve to activate itself. Like a muscle, the more we trigger the vagus nerve, the stronger it gets and therefore, your body is more readily able to trigger a relaxation response. For details on how to increase your Vagal Tone - click here to watch our video.

3. Spend More Time in Nature - get outside, breathe the fresh air, soak in some Vitamin D. Studies have shown a myriad of positive health benefits to spending more time in nature. A walk in the woods, time in your garden, an afternoon by the ocean - however you enjoy the outdoors, make more time to do it.

4. Decrease Alcohol and Sugar - give your nervous system the best chance to fight stress by decreasing your alcohol and sugar intake. Regular consumption of alcohol and sugar will negatively effect your hormones and ultimately increase your cortisol levels, actually creating stress on your body’s physiological balance. Build your body’s reserves by fueling it with a healthy diet, so it has the proper energy to draw from during stressful times.

5. Develop a Mindfulness Practice - cultivating a Mindfulness Practice on a daily basis is one of the most effective ways to build your stress tolerance. Start with 5-10 minutes a day and build up to 20-30 minutes of a seated, deep breathing practice. Taking deep breaths sends a message to the brain to calm and relax.

Another simple Mindfulness Practice is to start or end each day writing down 5 things you’re grateful for. Recognizing and stating the beauty in each day will help your mind naturally shift to a more positive perspective overtime. It’s a practice.

Join Our Team! We are Hiring!

We are growing and looking for a few exceptional practitioners and support staff to add to our Team of Excellence. This is a positive and supportive work environment, with a collaborative mission to create a healthier community through complementary, holistic treatments. Seeking passionate practitioners and support staff who are self-motivated, yet understand the value in collaborating with a team, and have a positive, winning attitude. We work hard at Therapeutic Bodywork - but when you’re doing what you love, it should feel like FUN.

Generous commission, benefits package included and full office support make TB an exceptional place to work.

Please send resume and cover letter to: massagecapecod@gmail.com. No phone calls, please.

Massage Therapist: Seeking experienced and passionate Massage Therapist to join our team. Turning business away year-round, we are always recruiting the highest of excellence to work with us. While we value and appreciate diverse styles of bodywork, our clients are typically seeking ‘therapeutic and deep’ work. A solid understanding of Anatomy & Physiology is mandatory. This is NOT an ‘assembly line’ kind of operation. We emphasize connection with each client and schedule time accordingly. Availability on Saturdays is required - opportunity to be as busy as you want!

Reflexologist: Our Reflexology program is booming and we are ready to add another extraordinary Reflexologist to our roster. Must be well versed in using Reflexology to treat chronic and acute health conditions and have the ability to educate clients and community about the benefits of Reflexology. Must be self-starter and take an active role in collaborating for the overall success of the practice. Seeking an experienced Reflexologist who is ready to grow with us.

Reception Help: We are seeking 6+ hours a week for Reception Help, weekday evenings. Must LOVE attention to detail, have the ability to multi-task and thrive at customer service. This position can lead to more responsibilities that can be done remotely or with flexible hours.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Acupuncture + Adrenal Fatigue

The adrenal glands produce a number of hormones that are necessary for optimal health; these include cortisol, adrenaline, testosterone and estrogen. When you are under constant emotional, mental or physical stress, the adrenal glands can over produce cortisol to keep up with the demands of stress. This excess prevents the adrenal glands from producing other hormones that the body needs, resulting in fatigue, body aches, sleep disturbances, digestive issues and nervousness.

Acupuncture is one of the best methods to regulate the adrenal glands. Acupuncture works by relaxing the nervous system. By relaxing the nervous system we allow the body to enter what I like to call “the healing zone”: this zone is state that is neither fight nor flight, only restorative healing happens here. Acupuncture ensures the Qi (vital energy) flows freely through the body and that yin and yang are in relative balance. In Western terms, acupuncture helps restore homeostasis. Acupuncture for adrenal fatigue stimulates the points associated with the kidneys to boost adrenal functions, to promote healthy cortisol levels and increase the production of dopamine and serotonin to lower stress.

Acupressure can also be used to extend your treatments. Self-applied acupressure to the points one hand width below the lateral eye of your knee, and between your achilles tendon and your medial malleolus can help improve adrenal function between acupuncture appointments. Massage these points, as shown in the images, in a clockwise motion daily.

Christina Trieste is a Licensed Acupuncturist with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine, has a Diplomate of Acupuncture from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). She has specialized training in Orthopedic Acupuncture. She works with a full scope of health conditions including but not limited to: Post-Stroke Recovery, Mental + Emotional Health, Sleep Disorders and Insomnia, Digestive Disorders, Pain Management, Women’s Health, Fertility and Preventative Medicine.

Book with Christina on Monday, Tuesday, Friday + Saturday.

Welcoming You Back

We have been laying the groundwork for a safe reopening for weeks. With the commitment of our outstanding team and the cooperation of our beloved wellness community, we are confident that we can get back to doing what we love, with safety as our main focus. Our approach will be slow and steady and we expect to be making tweaks and modifications along the way. Like all of you, we have never worked through a pandemic before, so please be patient and considerate as we move through these new systems.

What You Need To Know:

• All services are by appointment only. Our doors will be locked and access to TB will be granted only to those who have a previously scheduled appointment.

• Please arrive in the parking lot 5 minutes prior to your appointment time and wait in your car. We will call you when we are ready to welcome you in.

• Upon entry, we ask that you use the hand sanitizer we provide. You may also use the restroom at this time.

• In accordance with the CDC and government mandates, you must wear a face covering in the building.

• We will be wearing a mask at all times.

• We will move directly to the treatment space where we will have a quick intake specific to your treatment.

• Please be aware that we will be eliminating ‘table talk’ for the interim. This is for the protection and comfort of both the client and the practitioner. Please limit talking to communication about pressure, warmth, and comfort while in the enclosed space of the session room.

Before We Schedule:

• We have temporarily modified our cancellation policy to allow for late cancellations when symptoms have come on prior to your appointment time. We are operating on a very limited schedule and your consideration of your appointment is still expected and appreciated. We will make exceptions for any COVID related circumstances.

• We have had to add a $3 MA Safe Practice Fee to each appointment to cover the costs for each treatment. We look forward to eliminating this temporary fee when we no longer have to incur COVID related costs.

Important Changes We’ve Made:

• Bathrooms: We currently have sole possession of 1 bathroom in our building. This allows us the ability to control access and confidently assure you of the cleanliness. We have made modifications to create a no-touch bathroom experience for you. After washing your hands, please use a paper towel to handle the door knob to exit the bathroom and to use the door knob in the hallway. There will be a receptacle at the desk for you to dispose of your paper towel. The bathroom will be sprayed down with EPA-certified disinfectants.

• Wellness Shop: You are more than welcome to continue shopping in our Wellness Shop when you are in for your appointment. You may also preselect your items ONLINE and select ‘pickup in store’ at checkout. We will have your order ready for pickup when you’re in for your appointment.

• We have staggered appointment times to decrease crossover within in the building. When there is crossover, please practice social distancing.

How To Use Your Gua Sha

Considering Gua Sha was one of our best sellers in the Wellness Shop over the last year, we assume you are familiar with it. If you are not, Gua Sha is an ancient tool that is used in Chinese Medicine to move stagnant blood. In the last few years, the use of Gua Sha on the face has become one of the fastest growing skin care trends. Gua Sha increases circulation and blood flow in the face by 400% and that alone is reason to give this little tool some massive attention.

Benefits:

• smooths out fine lines and drainage of lymph fluid

• clears clogged pores

• promotes radiant skin

• improves blood circulation

• reduces stress

• evens skin tone

• lifts and firms saggy skin

• reduces dark circles and puffy eyes

• enhances absorption of nutrients

• decreases tension in jaw

• releases stored emotions in face

Before You Begin:

• start your gua sha with a clean face. Apply a small amount of facial oil, so you don’t pull the skin.

• you’ll want to keep your pressure somewhere between light-medium and your speed moderately slow.

• all movements should be upward, so as to suggest a ‘lift’ to the face.

• strokes should be from the center of your face, outwards towards your hairline.

• hold your gua sha almost flat to your face, about a 15 degree angle.

Start At Your Neck: If you have tension in your face, you have tension in your neck. Using upward strokes, start on the sides of your neck and move towards the center.

Sweep The Jaw: Your jaw line stores a lot of emotion - sweep your jaw line with 5 strokes on each side, holding the skin by placing a finger on your chin.

Sweep The Mouth: Holding a finger next to your mouth, sweep out from your mouth. 5 strokes each side.

Sweep The Cheeks: Place a finger next to your nose and sweep under your cheekbones. If you suffer from any sinus issues, you’ll want to spend a little extra time here.

Sweep between your Eyebrows: Using gentle pressure and upward stokes between your eyebrow, aka the third eye. This should feel very soothing and help decrease your ‘frown lines’.

Sweep Your Eyebrow: Using gentle pressure, follow your eyebrow line out towards your hairline.

Sweep Up on your Forehead: Gently holding the skin above your eye, sweep up your forehead towards your hairline. You don’t have to stop at your hair. Using the Gua Sha on your scalp feels amazing and has many stress relieving benefits as well.

Consistency is key and once you start seeing and feeling the results you won’t want to miss your daily gua sha!

Founder, Beth Warner, demonstrates a Gua Sha session in the video below. Although we made this video on Hyperlapse for fun, remember you want the speed of your Gua Sha session to be slow and methodical.