The Holidays are here and most of us are partying like it's 1999. But hey friends think about it. In 1999 not a lot of people were concerned with their wellness. It's a new day and a new way. That being said we are all still collectively living life and boozing up a bit too much this time of year. If you are making the holiday party circuit this weekend here are some great acupressure potent points that will get you on the road to mending that much faster. The names of these acupressure points may sound silly to you, but hey, they work. You gotta love traditional Chinese medicine.

I included acupressure points and names so you can do a little more research if  you need it.
Let's start with my favorite point of all time

The Great Eliminator (LI4) . Please note, this point is forbidden for you to use if you are pregnant. Also please use with caution while laboring at the end of your pregnancy. The great eliminator can stimulate contractions in the uterus.

The great eliminator is located in the webbing between your thumb and index finger. You'll want to search for and locate the highest point on the hand and press with intention down into and up towards your heart. Feel that little bump? That's the great eliminator. Not only is the great eliminator great to help cure a hang over its a great point to know and use for almost every aliment. Head aches, cramps, bloating, tension and pain. I use this point often in my massage and skin care practice and also at home.

                                                     ( Acupressure Potent Points
                                                         Michael Reed Gach )

                                                   
                                                            ( Acupressure  Potent Points

                                                         Michael Reed Gach ) 

The Gate of Consciousness. (GB20)  Located below the base of your skull. Feel for the hollows of your skull. They are located between your two major neck muscles. Feel for the hollows. Press with your thumbs or index fingers up into your skull, with intent. Hold this point for a few moments. This point is great for eye pain, dizziness and that irritation we all have after a long night of too much fun.

The Heavenly Pillar (B10) When looking for the heavenly pillar you'll want to spread your fingers out about a half inch from the base of your skull. Feel for the ropey muscles, outwards of the spine. Press with intent and hold for several minutes. If the muscles feel extra ropey not only are you hung over but you are in need of body work and should schedule a session with a trained professional. The heavenly pillar is a great point for exhaustion, burn out, eye strain and overall head heaviness.

Wind Mansion ( GV16) How to find it? Search with index finger for the large hollow in the center of the back of your head. This is a tricky one to locate. I suggest holding your head straight looking forward. You may need your index and middle finger to locate. Once you find it press with intention into the point. This point is deeper so press with a firm finger but don't over do it.

                                                           ( Acupressure  Potent Points

                                                         Michael Reed Gach )

Bigger Rushing (Lv3) There is a valley between your big toe and middle toe on the top of your foot. Say hello to  Bigger Rushing. Great go to point for every day life and also hangovers. To find bigger rushing walk your index finger just a smidgen to find the valley. Once found, press down then up toward the heart with intention and hold for a few minutes.


Maybe you're like what? What exactly am I feeling for? Well, Acupressure points are often tender little spots on your body. Sometimes they feel like bumps.  These points connect all of the meridians through out our bodies allowing energy or chi flow to circulate. A great reason to use acupressure not only when you are  hung over but in every day life is that often stimulation of one point will send a surge of chi ( energy) to another point in your body. It's a great self care practice and I highly recommend it.

Don't forget, drink plenty of water after a night of drinking. Alcohol dehydrates you. Feeling a little bloated after a party night, try and skip as many carbs as possible. Eat protein and drink water.

Happy Holidays and party on!

A Splash Of Color For Your Morning

I have been on a serious smoothie kick for weeks and weeks now. With the gloomy weather of Fall and  early Winter I've been whipping up some delicious, nutritious color. This fun blender cup had a vanilla protein powder, a handful of berries, blue berries, raspberries and strawberries. I also blended in chia seeds for extra fuel and biotin for healthy skin, hair and nails. A splash of almond milk and water and voila... magenta yum!

The Return Of Mermaid Life

It has been months since I felt ok enough with my conscious to soak in a bath. California is having a pretty serious drought. I have been working out a whole lot lately and my poor quads were seriously not happy with me.  Since it had been so long I allowed myself the indulgence and whipped up some extra fantastic ingredients to make sure my bath was as therapeutic and indulgent as possible.

So what was in the brew this go round? Well let me tell you.

3 tablespoons of chamomile flowers dried
1 cup of epsom salts
a squeeze of local honey, a kukoi body oil
1/2 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of dried passion flower
a few sprinkles of lavender essential oil

Not only was this bath aromatic and soothing to my achy muscles my skin was smooth and felt fantastic the next day. Oh and in the tea cup, chamomile tea. It was a long day.

Purple Potion

I have been on a serious smoothie kick lately. I really don't know what the heck took me so long to get with it, but here I am having a serious love affair with my Blend-Tec  and the produce section of my local market. This morning I was in need of something. I needed it to be quick of course and full of color since I love to start the day off bright. I whipped up this fantastic tasting smoothie.

Purple Potion Smoothie

1/2  cup of frozen berry mix
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon of oats
1 tablespoon of dried blueberries
1 tablespoon of almond halves
3 prunes

I love the super full feeling I had after drinking this smoothie and bonus the dried berries and prunes had me matching my manicure ... so fab!

Pomegranate Luv!

A couple of weeks back I popped into a local farmers market and picked up a fresh pomegranate. I love the fresh tangy  taste and delicious crunch when you bite down on this powerful fruit. What's crazy fabulous about pomegranates are they are great for your body and your skin. Pomegranates are the most powerful anti-oxidants of all fruit, providing you with anti cancer and immunity support effects. Pomegranates are also great a lowering blood pressure, and cholesterol.

Pomegranates are also ideal  for fresh clear skin. Feel a little dry? Don't skimp on the Pomegranate juice, it helps keep you hydrated and will recharge and replenish your dull dry skin. Pomegranate also helps to stimulate collagen production, battling wrinkles and saggy skin as we age.

Having a break out? Pomegranate is great to decrease inflammation and battle the redness that pops up on your skin near that wretched pimple.

Adding pomegranates into your diet or to your skin care regime will defiantly boost your shine. so go ahead and give it a whirl.

Here are two quick and easy ways to make it happen, like now!


Pomegranate juice is great to tone your skin with after you wash it.

Antioxidant Rich Smoothie 
Serves: 2 Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
4 cups organic baby spinach
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup blueberries, frozen
1 cup strawberries, frozen 
2 tablespoons flax seeds, ground
2 tablespoons of coconut oil 

Self Care... It's An On Going Thing

Here we are, October 1. I really loved September and all of the reminders to care for yourself. 

I decided to continue on and create another little calendar to give some more inspirations on how to and when you can carve out time for self care. I truly and fully believe in the caring of yourself. You can never invest too much time on you. 

Take some time and plan out when you will make the all important date with yourself and make this time an on going ritual. There are 91 days left in 2014. Recommit and reinvest in you. 

It's The Yum: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I love pumpkins! I love their look and their taste. To me there is something magical about pumpkins. Maybe it's the whole Cinderella tie in or just when I see them I know my favorite time of year has arrived. Plus we are that much closer to Halloween.

I thought sharing my pumpkin pie smoothie recipe would be a great hump day post. This recipe was inspired by a posting I saw on greatist.com. I altered it a smidge to suit what I had in the house and to save me some calories.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
1 frozen banana
1 half can of canned pumpkin
2 cups homemade almond milk
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon of tumeric
2 teaspoon of cinnamon
a squeeze of agave nectar
1 teaspoon of PB2

This was a hit at my house. It kept me pretty satisfied this morning  and has great flavor . Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A vitamin C magnesium, fiber and essential fatty acids. Plus, they are jam packed with antioxidants. Magnesium is great for you skin, fine lines in particular but the major plus side to magnesium is that is will really battle breakouts. Combined with fiber magnesium and the antioxidants in this smoothie will really work great for a flawless complexion.

Enjoy this magical pumpkin smoothie!

Mermaid Life

I just love me a bubble bath. Slipping into hot scented bubbles turning down the lights and turning on some mellow tunes, is the life I'm all about. The Mermaid Life,
 I like to call it. My life is busy. I'm a parent, a business owner, a daughter, sister, and  a friend. Often my own self care gets pushed to the way side. This is an issue I am always trying to remedy. Of all of the activities that fill my work and personal calendar, I am always sure to keep one appointment on the books. My Sunday night bubble bath. It's become my ritual. I love rituals they fill my life with whimsy, balance and a little bit of magic.

I don't just soak in a bubble bath to pamper myself, although if I'm being honest that is reason enough. I take bubble baths because they are good for you.

Bubble baths can:

Soften your skin
Induce relaxation
Provide relief for sore muscles
Increase blood flow
Help to induce a peaceful nights sleep.

I add a little bit of everything to my bath. From essential oils, sea salts, and also homemade bath teas. I like to think of my appointment with myself as bubble bath extravaganza.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes.

Mommy Needs Some Beauty Sleep Bath -
has it been a long day, week, month? maybe this time change has you wrecked? This is the bath for you.

a handful of dried lavendar or chamomile flowers
10 drops of lavendar essential oil
10 drops of rose essential oil
5 drops of peru balsam essential oil

Achy Breaky Body Bath -
too many downward dogs, one too many miles on the track, or your feet are killing you from power shopping... soak this up.

 2 handfuls of epsom salts
 10 drops of camphor essential oil
 10 drops of geranium essential oil
 5 drops of ginger essential oil

* this bath is very effective after a  work out or after you receive body work. when you work out or get body work your muscles get toned. this toning will release lactic acid that can leave you feeling achy for a few days. i find this bath very effective in helping with the process of flushing your body free of the lactic acid. wanna step that flush up? drink a large glass of ice cold water with lemon while in the tub.

Time To Be Queen Bath
because you know you are.

5 cups of  Vitamin D milk
1/3 cup of honey
5 drops of patchouli essential oil
5 drops of sandalwood essential oil
4 drops ylang ylang

*milk baths are great to soften your skin because of the lactic acid in milk.make sure you soak and rinse. do not clean yourself with the milk as its not soap.

Bliss Tox Bath
because sometimes we go overboard on the weekend.

one handful of epsom salts
one half cup of baking soda
5 drops of peppermint essential oil
2 drops lavendar essential oil
2 drops ginger essential oil

Date Night Bubble Bath
soften and scent your skin for a good old time, a roll in the hay? well that's totally up to you.

2 teaspoons of avacado oil
5 drops clove essential oil
5 drops rose essential oil
3 drops jasmine essential oil

Spring Time & Your Skin

Spring has just about sprung... is your skin ready? With the weather warming up and people everywhere shedding their coats and winter layers, you can believe that more skin will be showing.Your skin is your largest organ. Keeping up on it's up keep is so important. Your skin is responsible for 1/4 of your body's detoxification process.  Here are a few tips on what to do to get that glorious glow on.


1. Drink water- Our water intake lessens during the winter months. Water is your skin's best friend. Keep it on hand and stay hydrated. Your skin will love you for it.

2. Exfoliate - I mentioned in an earlier post the importance of keeping your skin exfoliated. Not only does your skin on your face need to be exfoliated so does your entire body. A  fantastic way to exfoliate all over your body is by dry brushing. Dry brushing the skin helps to shed dead skin cells.This may improve the texture and appearance of your skin. Dry brushing can also tighten your skin, increase the blood flow, lymph flow and increase circulation. All of these things are great big snaps for a fabulous glow.

3. Moisturize- Keeping your skin moisturized is so important. We often tend to apply less creams and butters during the Winter season, leaving us scaly and dry. Stock up on moisturizers and slather them on all over. Don't forget your elbows and heels of your feet.

4. Get a facial- If you do not have a skin care therapist that you work with regularly, the beginning of Spring is a great reason to find one in your community and begin a beautiful relationship. Your  Esthetician will guide you on a skin care regimen that will shine a light your skin, work with you on areas that you are concerned about, and keep you looking your best. Many specialize on many different services.

Aromatherapy!

The term “aromatherapy massage” refers to a popular method of relaxation and healing following a set of effective massage techniques.  Tracing back time, ancient peoples made use of different types of natural oils extracted from the plants and herbs they believed assisted in healing.   It is well known today that this method promotes mental, physical, and emotional relief. The secret to the effectiveness of aromatherapy massage is due to the aroma of the different essential oils used.   While each essential oil has different healing properties, the oils used in aromatherapy massage activate the nerve endings in the nose and which in turn deliver the impulses to the brain, stimulating memories and emotions. Many common aromatherapy oils, like lavender, have a soothing and calming effect which aids in relaxation

.Some documented benefits of aromatherapy massage are:

 Aids in fighting off the symptoms   of illnesses.

 Relieves stress.

 Tones down attacks of depression.

 Promotes sound sleeping. 

 Helps discomfort in pregnant women. 

 Helps fight off colds. 

 Contributes to a person's alertness. 

 Alleviates pain.

I use aromatherapy in my every day life. In practice and in my home aromatherapy  relieves muscle aches, head aches, it helps to induce sleep on a little person that won't agree to bed time. I very rarely reach for an aspirin. If I have a headache or pain anywhere in my body I reach for my collection of essential oils and use natural remedies to heal my body. 

Stretch, It's Important

Stretching is important. Many of us live sedentary lives. Commuting, sitting at a desk all day and then another long commute. By the time we get home many of us are feel achy just from a day on the job. Even if you don't work out or your not an athlete, stretching can still help you feel better. Stretching helps improve your flexibility, improve your blood flow and even improve your posture by lengthening  your muscles.  Stretching will keep your muscles and tendons healthy. We often overlook it but stretching can make a real difference in how you feel each and everyday. 

A  stretching routine will help you improve range of motion and as said before improve your flexibility. Take a few moments and look up some stretches on line, download a stretching app on your smart phone or take a look at my facebook page where I post a stretch of the day. Set a timer for once an hour and take a few minutes to do some basic stretching. If you sit at a desk all day get up and move around as much as possible. Take a walk around your office space and  do a few lunges.Your muscles will love you for it. 

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!