Just how important is rest & relaxation?

"Running the rat race!" This was a phrase I heard all too often growing up, usually when my parents were blowing off steam about how they never had time for anything. We've all been there-- shoot, we're still there. In this day & age, it's nearly impossible to fathom what all you might miss if you didn't keep up with the incessant barrage of responsibilities, cost of living, & the attempt of maintaining a social life. But, just how crucial is is for us to take a breath?

My entire career hinges on this one fact: an unregulated nervous system destroys the body, mind, & spirit. Without the chance to slow down, decompress, & recharge, we are ticking time bombs for complete & utter dysfunction. When our bodies are flooded with cortisol & adrenaline, our immunity drops, cytokine activity increase, leading to inflammation, which consequentially keeps the cycle repeating until something has to give. Cue my entrance from stage left.

Massage is more than just a treat; it's a treatment. I cannot tell you how many past clients are startled to find that even without mind-bending pressure, the body gains invaluable healing from a palliative session. Touch therapy utilizes the senses to signal to the sympathetic nervous system to sit down & let it's much more chill fraternal twin, the parasympathetic nervous system to take the wheel. The former is responsible for "fight-or-flight" mode, while the ladder is better known as, "rest-and-digest." It's in this that our physical state can regulate with our mind & spirit to modulate pain, regulate blood pressure & hormone production, release entrapped nerves, & sync the sleep-wake cycle to it's normal cadence.

Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Well, let this be your sign to never again underestimate the power of a spa day. While our culture has taught us in America to view this corner of the health industry as "fluff," or "luxury," it's truly the baseline of healing. Wellness is so much more important than we take for granted, & I don't know about you, but a $200/month mini vacation sounds significantly more affordable than a $5000 deductible for hospital care when your blood pressure is through the roof even dead asleep, or your endocrine system has totally failed you at the spry age of 30.

My point is this: your self-care is just as important as your kids' extracirriculars & your partner's work schedule. Make the appointment & refill your cup to keep pouring back into those you love.

"You cannot pour from an empty cup"