Fabulous Fall Skin

It's that time of year again. Days grow shorter, weather gets colder and for most of us our skin feels these effects.

When the weather changes and we start dressing for colder weather many people forget to still care for their skin. This is a huge no- no. Your skin is your largest organ and should always be maintained to keep it healthy and glowing. Here are a few ideas on things you can add to your healthy well beautiful skin routine.

-Keep hydrated. Just because its getting chillier outside does not mean you should skimp on your water  intake. A great calculation to determine your water intake is the following

Take your body weight and divide that number by two.

Divide that number by eight. 

Your answer its the approximate amount of 8 ounce glasses of water you should be drinking every day. 

If you lead a very physical lifestyle, working out etc you can add an additional two glasses of water into your final answer above.

Be sure to stay hydrated but don't over do it on the water intake. Water just like all healthy life style habits is about moderation. You don't want to be out of balance with water levels.

- Switch up your cleanser. Using a soapy gel based cleanser can leave your body feeling stripped of moisture during the Fall. Going soap free and switching up to a creamy body wash to scrub up can leave your feeling and looking its best. 

- Protect your hands and lips. Seek out a fabulous lip balm and a fantastic hand cream. These are two hand bag must haves for myself. I love having soft kissable lips and as a massage and skin care therapist I pride myself on my always soft hands. 

-Exfoliate I can never stress enough the importance of exfoliating your skin. Exfoliating sloughs off dead dry skin cells, revealing fresh skin. It will also help you with circulation and waking up your lymph system . I recommend exfoliating during your morning shower to increase lymph drainage. An oil based scrub is always a great way to go during the colder months.

Here is a quick DIY body scrub you can make at home.

Hello Autumn Body Scrub

1/ 2 cup of coffee grounds

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup carrier oil (olive, grape seed, kukui oil, sweet almond, avacado)

6-8 drops of clove essential oil

6-8 drops of  myrrh essential oil 

6-8  drops of sandalwood essential oil

The Mercury Retrograde: In Full Effect

This week my streams of communication have been all haywire. The culprit I have to thank... The Mercury retrograde!

What is it you may ask? 
Mercury retrograde is when Mercury the planet that rules communication spins backward in the universe.This can and often does cause many a melodrama in people's lives. 

I'm a Gemini Mercury is my ruling planet. The Mercury retrograde that happens sometimes 3-4 times a year has always and continues to cause mischief in my life.

Messages are not being sent through. I'm not getting emails or texts. People I usually have no problem communicating with are not picking up what I'm putting down. Oh my! This is a few weeks of craziness. 
If you are struggling with the Mercury retrograde take heart friend, you are not the only one. 


How I'm getting through:

Taking it easy- I'm not rushing through anything
Don't commit- to a contract, a promise, a person 

Take everything with a grain of salt-
People can be salty during a mercury retrograde. Know it's the universe spinning them backward and it's probably not their intention to behave that way towards you.

Take care of yourself - when things get hectic with lost communication it can stress us out. Take a moment to breathe deeply - from your core. 
Take a power nap or get to bed early
Beauty sleep is always a tool I use when I'm feeling overwhelmed
Eat a meal full of greens and protein
My quick go to is two scrambled eggs two handfuls of kale and mushrooms. I eat this often. Scramble all together like a little skillet and enjoy.

Watch your flow- what energy are you vibrating out? You want to be mindful that you are not sending mixed signals or pushing people away

reflect, reinvent,  rewrite, resolve, reform - I'm not saying dwell. I'm saying maybe just maybe you need to rethink on some things and if there are some things you need to clear up then do so but tread lightly. Communication is tricky now.

Although this is a chaotic time its also a time in the universe filled with energy and excitement. Take things in trust your intuition it might be a little extra sensitive.

Shine- brightly when things go haywire be a little beacon of light for yourself and the people you encounter. 

Mercury goes retrograde three times this year.
February  6-28th
June 7-30th June 7th is my birthday.I will be on a cruise to celebrate- YIKES!
October 4-24th 

Mark your calendars!

Love You!

Happy Valentines Day to you. I wanted to take a minute and write a little love note. For everything you do. Make sure you take a moment and pat yourself on the back. Do something that makes your heart sing. Only you know the song of your life. Sing it loud and without hesitation. Do what you need to honor yourself on this day full  of love. It maybe a Hallmark holiday to some but, the intention of love is everywhere it's in the air. Breath it in. Swallow it whole and let it fill you. Let that energy flow seep out to others today. And then except that energy that flows back to you.

Namaste Valentine :)

Why I love massage

I'm often asked during sessions or when I'm out and about how I came to be a massage therapist. 

Once a long while ago I received work from a young lady. She was younger than me at the time of our meeting. I found her to be so inspiring. The way she spoke - her light, her way of being. Each time I came home from a session with her I felt very different.

 Her work rumbled something in me. It tugged at me. It massaged the idea of how this very non traditional type of work could invoke such  happiness in another person. I could only imagine how it must have made the therapist feel.

 I learned a lot about myself from my sessions.

 I enrolled in classes at the Berkeley Psychic Institute. I learned to ground myself- how to disconnect from energy paths that my spirit found harmful and how to tap into my intuition. I learned about meditation, and chanting and how these practices help to feed your spirit. Soon there after I enrolled in massage school at the National Holistic Institute and put my foot down on a path of becoming a massage therapist and health educator.  

Long before my meeting that therapist I had discovered aromatherapy . I used to practice it as a teenager carrying around a little lotion I concocted with peppermint, sage and lemon essential oils I would apply it on my temples if  I had a headache or if I was overwhelmed with the stress of high school politics. This natural healing I discovered worked for me and I very reach for an aspirin when I had an ache or pain.

The marriage of these three non traditional pathways lead me to a career and gift I am so very proud of. Massage is my passion. I love it! I could not ever see myself doing anything else. When I'm  not in the studio working I am often reading about body work. How to change a stroke up, experimenting with how to go deeper into a body and sometimes if the energy is right beyond that with energy work. Massage is not pampering, massage is medicine. One of the most ancient forms of it. In this country its very often overlooked as a luxury. I attempt to transcend that mindset when I work with clients.

Massage is a part of my everyday life. I love creating a space for people to come- relax and release. I love creating space in a persons body and in their spirit. I often hear the things that are troubling my clients. Most times they share but often it's felt in the energy that is exchanged while they are on the table. If they are sleeping well, if they are bogged down by bigger problems. Many times clients have broken down and cried over whatever issue is hurting them. I love being able to create a space and energy they can be vulnerable and feel what they need to feel in that moment of receiving... It's a powerful healing if you allow it to be.

I often hear -
Michelle, I don't even need to tell you where the tension is your hands just glide there.
Michelle, your work is so different it's a healing I receive when I'm here.
Michelle, I have been looking forward to seeing you all week.

Thank you. I do focus on intuitive work, it is healing it's not your basic cookie cutter massage. 

Thank you. I love being the high light of so many people's day. That's a blessing to receive that type of gratitude, over and over again. Not everyone can say that about their job. My work is greeted with a smile.

All of these things and more of what I hear further reinforce that I am doing what I was meant to do. Massage is my gift. Combined with the other modalities I practice . This work always fills me up. I love what I do and that in its self is its very own gift as my passion, talent and gift is what  I'm so appreciated for. Sharing my love for wellness and body work along with energy work and skin care makes me happy. I'm always pleased to greet a client and place my hands on them. Thank you for sharing yourself with me.

Well Hi There!

Hello! Hola! And all that jazz welcome to absolutely blissed! I am so pleased you are here. Please stop stay awhile and see what develops! Let me tell you a little more about little old me. I'm a licensed massage therapist and esthetician. I''m a health educator and an advocate for wellness. I practice reiki, read tarot  I live a positive life style. I rarely get out of bed without reading my horoscope... I like to take a glimpse and what maybe coming at me. For the most part I'm gluten free however,  that's been tricky to stick with since December 1. But I'm getting back on it. My life is ritual based. Everything I do seems to have a ritual attached to it. Some would say I'm a creature of habit. Others would say I'm a little OCD. I like to say ritual. It sounds way more lovely and whimsical and magical. I think every life should be filled with love, whimsy and magic. Massage and body work is my passion. I'm also a sucker for a great lip gloss and inviting cosmetics counter.I'm a girlie girl. I love to stop and smell the lotions at Victoria's Secret and the flowers in the park.  Here at absolutely blissed  you will pick up fabulous tips and tricks to care for your body, wellness and beauty. You will also find a comforting ritual or two. Thanks for stopping by!