ANGEL DE LA PAZ BLOG

Remote Astral Healing is the ultimate solution to modern times and dilemmas.

With a referral from your healthcare provider, breast massage can be included in any full body treatment. This is done in a safe, sacred space in Santa Barbara that facilitates deep relaxation and rejuvenation where each client feels heard, cared for, and leaves with a deeper understanding of their body.

Whiplash can come on immediately, one day, or weeks after an accident and you won’t know until you suddenly have unmanageable migraines, difficulty focusing on normal daily activities, or even a loss of appetite and struggle with sleep. There are so many of us who go, “I’m good” and head back to work when the vehicle is still the shop. We think our body is “just fine,” but soon discover that’s not the case. Any amount of pressure applied to your car causes a rebound effect to your body leading to scar tissue trauma and spasms that slowly affect your ability to work and function as you did before your accident. No accident, even below 5 miles an hour, should be ignored. A full body review by a soft tissue therapist is necessary to make sure that you’re not having negative effects after your car accident. Most people will maybe have a chiropractor crack them here or there and close their auto claim or not even open it. But years, decades down the road, unresolved tissue issues can lead to problems like fibromyalgia. ​ As a massage therapist who has practiced in caring for auto accident clients, I know that no matter how big or small your accident the micro spasms, tissue damage, and even mental trauma must be cared for. You are entitled to medical coverage through car insurance, even if it was your fault. Don’t let your acute pain turn into chronic pain. I will provide the service of verifying your insurance benefits, free of charge, today! Please click on the button below and complete the online form. I will contact you as soon as the benefits are established to schedule your massage.

A major concern for many people when they come to get a massage, especially if it’s their first time ever receiving one, is how much of their clothing they’ll need to remove and how they’ll be covered throughout the massage. It’s perfectly understandable. As your therapist, I’m asking you to put yourself in a rather vulnerable state, and I have the upmost respect for that. My focus is making you comfortable every step of the way. So there’s a few things you might want to understand so that you can stay as relaxed as possible during your massage session. First and foremost, as for how much of your clothing you’ll need to remove, this is entirely up to you and the type of massage you want. There are some massage techniques that can be performed while you’re fully clothed. However, the more common methods do require at least partial undressing to be able to be most effective. For example, if your back is sore from a little extra work over the weekend, I can do some compressions and mobilizations that can help while you’re fully clothed, but to access some of those deeper structures in a more precise manner, taking off your shirt will allow me to do just that for those hard to reach back muscles. That will also allow me to use lotion or oil to glide across the skin as I work, making the entire experience a whole lot more pleasant and relaxing. The second thing I should mention is that no matter what clothing you decide you’re comfortable removing, you will remain covered at all times. Your pelvic area and chest/breasts will always be covered (unless written and verbal consent for breast massage is received). Part of our training as massage therapists is centered around how to cover and uncover specific areas of the body while maintaining modesty. So we can uncover your leg without ever exposing anything above the thigh and tuck the linens just so to prevent any unwanted exposure. The same goes for your arms, your chest, stomach, back, and even the glutes. Again, my focus is on making sure you can relax and enjoy your entire massage, and part of that is covering and uncovering areas in a way that ensures your privacy while still allowing you to have the best massage experience possible. If you ever feel uncomfortable or have any questions or requests, please don’t hesitate to speak up. The last thing I want is your mind taken over by thoughts of worry or discomfort while you’re getting a massage.

While many people may associate stretching with their workouts, loosening up before or cooling down after, it’s actually a very beneficial practice to get into every single day regardless of your workout routine. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, every hour or two throughout your day, or winding down before bed, taking a few minutes to stretch and release the tension in your muscles can help you to move and feel better. Stretching Improves Local Blood Circulation When you stretch, you’re opening up areas of tension that may have contributed to decreased circulation of blood and lymph to certain areas of the body. Opening these areas helps oxygen and nutrients to get to every cell as needed, leaving your body functioning better overall. Stretching Can Boost Energy Getting your blood flowing, through exercise or simply moving and stretching your body after sitting for a while, can give you the perfect little pick-me-up when you’ve hit your mid-day energy lull. Feeling sluggish? Take a few minutes to stretch your arms while at your desk. If you have room, stand for a moment and stretch for just 5 minutes. Stretching Can Improve Posture Allowing your body to move and your muscle to elongate can help you to become more body-aware and help to prevent your body from becoming too comfortable and accustomed to poor postural habits. This means you’ll be more aware as you fall into those bad postures and unconsciously bring yourself back up to a better position. Stretching Can Improve Athletic Performance When performing dynamic stretching before a workout – a type which includes movement along with your stretches as opposed to static stretching, the kind you simply hold – can improve your performance. It warms up your muscles for the upcoming activity, helping to prevent injury. Stretching Can Increase Your Range of Motion When your muscles are tight, it prevents you from getting the full range of motion in your joints. For example, if your hips and legs are tense, it may mean you can’t move your hips as smoothly or as much as you need to. When you stretch regularly, you’re keeping those muscles around the joints loose, allowing them to move as they should. It’s important to note that when you add stretching into your daily life, be sure to listen to your body. Don’t force a stretch past where it feels comfortable; you don’t want to injure yourself. Also, to get into the habit of daily stretching, try to stretch at the same time every day. You may find that a few minutes in the morning to loosen up after lying down all night is a great start to the day. If you have to stand or sit in a single position most of the day, getting up and stretching every hour or two may be just what you need. And a few minutes of stretching before bed to get rid of the day’s tension and relax is always a great end to the day.

To give a short answer, no, deep tissue massage does not have to hurt. There’s a common misconception that massage, especially Deep Tissue, has to be painful in order to be effective, but this is completely false. First, you have to break down what Deep Tissue is, and honestly, it’s a debated topic, even amongst massage therapists. Deep Tissue Massage is typically considered any technique that is meant to affect the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. And while some people assume that means applying deep pressure, that’s actually not the case at all. In fact, some very light touch techniques can be used to still affect those deep layers. When faced with the decision of Swedish or Deep Tissue Massage, it’s not about pressure, it’s about the results you hope to achieve. Swedish Massage is generally long fluid strokes, using whatever pressure makes you comfortable, with a focus on relaxing the body; while Deep Tissue Massage combines a number of more direct manual techniques, using whatever pressure you’re comfortable with, to relieve pain and tension on a deeper level within the body. The most important aspect of your massage is communication. We get the best results when you communicate what you’re looking for from the massage, and speak up at any time throughout about your pressure tolerance. Everyone has a different tolerance for pain and pressure. It’s all about your comfort level and what you want. Now, sometimes, especially with Deep Tissue Massage, there might be some discomfort as certain tender areas are addressed, and that’s normal. The thing to keep in mind, is that it should never go beyond a “good hurt”, the kind where it’s uncomfortable, but you can breathe through it easily, the muscles can stay relaxed, and it’s got a hint of relief mixed in with the hurt. That’s perfectly fine. But if the pressure exceeds that “good hurt” and goes into true pain, where you make funny faces, hold your breath, or feel like you need to tense up your muscles, that means we’re doing more harm than good. The entire point of your massage, Deep Tissue or any other modality out there, is to relax the body and release any built up tension in the muscles. If you’re clenching or tensing up your muscles in response to something I’m doing, we’re defeating the purpose of your massage and I need to back off the pressure. So please, no matter what, speak up if the pressure is ever too much, or too little for that matter. Massage, whatever the type, does not need to hurt to be effective.

Pregnancy can be difficult, physically and emotionally, even in the healthiest of pregnancies. This is a time when a woman’s body is undergoing an enormous amount of stress and change, and a time when self-care is of utmost importance. So why should you get regular massage therapy throughout your pregnancy? Here’s some of the biggest benefits of prenatal massage: Decreases anxiety and symptoms of depression Relieves low back pain Decreases restless leg symptoms Improves sleep Relieves minor swelling Helps to relax and open the chest, allowing for deep breathing Relieves round ligament pain Loosens tight, aching hips Decrease in Sciatica symptoms Reduced headaches Decrease of SI joint pain While prenatal massage is considered safe through all stages or pregnancy, and for most women during a low risk pregnancy, as with any addition to prenatal care, it’s best to consult with your physician about adding massage into your routine. Some high-risk factors may make massage and other bodywork contraindicated (not advised). What should you expect during a prenatal massage? During the first trimester, not much will change in the logistics of your massage appointment. However, once you enter into the second trimester, your positioning will need to be changed. When lying on your back, you’ll having bolstering and pillows under your neck and back to keep you semi-reclined, as well as any bolstering to support your legs and arms if needed. Instead of lying face down, you’ll be able to lie on your side, with bolsters to help support you and keep you comfortable. This side-lying position is not only safe and comfortable, but allows for great access for the therapist to address those painful and tight hips and low back. Massage therapy can also play a large role in helping you throughout labor. Not only does massage help to manage pain and decrease the need for pain medications, but it also decreases stress hormones which counteract the oxytocin your body produces to progress labor. The more you can decrease those stress hormones, and try to relax during labor, the quicker and easier your body will go through the process. Once your beautiful bundle arrives, that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop taking care of you. Most new moms have their hands full taking care of their new baby, recovering from delivery, and adjusting to a completely new normal. With the stresses and hormonal changes happening right after your baby arrives, you’re going to need some physical and emotional relief. Postpartum massage may very well be the answer. Your body has gone through something tremendous, and needs to find relief for those tired, aching muscles in those precious days, weeks, and months after delivery. Pregnancy is a beautiful, stressful, amazing, and painful time of life. With all the ups and downs, highs and lows, your self care routine has to come first. Make massage therapy a regular part of that.

As the temperatures outside get cooler you may find that your body is craving warmth. Why not try out a hot stone massage? If you’ve never had one, and you’re not quite sure what to expect, well you’re reading the perfect thing. A hot stone massage is very similar to most standard massages, with one major exception. Well obviously it’s even more amazing, but the reason for that is In a hot stone massage your therapist will use smooth heated stones to perform the massage techniques, not just their hands and forearms. It’s kind of like being massaged by someone with intensely warm hands. But the great thing about the use of these stones, is that they allow the heat to penetrate much deeper into the muscle. This not only feels amazing, but also gives you the added benefit of a much deeper sense of relaxation and tension relief, both physically and emotionally. It’s important to note that while hot stone massage can be very appealing to a variety of people, this technique isn’t for everyone. There are some additional contraindications specific to hot stone massage, including systemic inflammatory conditions, neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and any other condition or medication that inhibits your senses. The ability to give proper feedback on temperature is crucial, and any impairment in that ability makes a hot stone massage ill-advised. While communication is always important in any massage, it’s especially important during a hot stone massage because of the heat factor. Let your therapist know if the stones are too hot or if you would like them to be a bit warmer. Oftentimes, if they feel a bit too warm to you, your therapist can either set them aside to cool for a minute, or they may simply move them slightly faster during the massage strokes so the temperature feels better to you. As the stones cool, leaving enough warmth to still feel wonderful, but cool enough to stay in one place for a while without burning, your therapist may choose to place them in strategic places, like in your hands, on your low back, under your neck, or on your stomach. The heat along with the slight weight of the stone can often provide an intense feeling of relief for the area. While it may be cold outside, you can find one of the best ways to warm up and feel great at the same time with a hot stone massage. Book yours today!