Questions about my life seem to come up at odd moments and in mysterious ways when the season turns and there’s a chill in the air. Where am I in my life? How are my clients, these people who live in warm human bodies that I help with my massage practice? Where am I in my mental, physical, and emotional bodies? How much exercise am I getting? Could my diet be healthier? Why am I not posting more blog posts? Hey, wait, I’m doing it now…writing something that will connect with others…since I can’t be the only one having these thoughts…

I’m busy with new and long-term clients and I’m glad. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I relocated my business this year, up in Greenwood, in a sweet little nest of a house. I’m passionate about what I do, and when I perform deep tissue massage for people, I like seeing how they come out of my space…feeling lighter and more flexible…and in less pain. And my rates may be slightly higher than what’s now considered “market rate” for a massage in Seattle, but there are many reasons why an experienced massage therapist charges what they do. Such as…experience, knowledge, and being able to help people in ways that someone just starting out isn’t capable of doing. No matter one does for a living, there’s a dollar sign attached to it, and we should all be getting our true worth for our services.

When you go to a traditional Western doctor or hospital, they tell you how much it’ll cost and you pay with your credit card or write a check, but you don’t complain about it. There would be no point, you think. Same should be true with non-traditional  healers. If through your own healing experiences, you’ve found out that regular massage and Eastern modalities (like acupuncture and herbs) help keep your body in tune and on track, you are grateful to be healthy and aware of it, and you’re willing to pay for what works with your body. So, life, healing, seasonal shifts…and money as a fact of life…everywhere in the world. I invite you to ask your own seasonal questions, and find out why you’re feeling in a dark place, or maybe in a lighter place than people around you. What’s weighing you down, or making you feel lighter? How are you taking care of yourself as we enter the busy Winter Season?

True, the summer season elevates moods across the country, but in Seattle, there’s a certain connection we have to the long days of summer than the rest of the country can’t ever appreciate.

Yes, sunlight transformed into vitamin D through our skin is a scientific wonder, but we care about how bright days beckon us outside and we get to be more active and enjoy ourselves.

Sometimes we overdo it, and muscle strains and sprains do happen to our lower backs and leg muscles, but I’m not going to go into that today. I want to mention something that isn’t always considered when someone thinks about getting a therapeutic massage.

The benefit that comes from feeling good and knowing that you’re doing something important for your body’s health. The joy that comes from receiving a massage can’t be understated. After you get a massage, you’re going to sleep better, and the next day those stiff areas will feel much more flexible.

Freedom of movement is one of the joys of having a body.

Feeling better is a part of any healing process. Usually the whole point of going to a massage practitioner is to have bodywork done on specific areas that have been bothering you, such as intense upper shoulder pain, or to have massage work done on an area that has been injured and you are recovering from.

This is how most people think about massage treatments. The other side of the coin is that while on the massage table your body relaxes into a state that it can’t get into otherwise, and you’re just going to feel better, about yourself, and about everything going on in your life.

The healing of our bodies happen during the times when we are receiving massage and it carries over to the relaxation and joy felt afterwards.

Greetings!

A hearty hello to all my loyal and wonderful clients, fabulous friends and great business contacts that regularly read my blog posts. I hope 2011 is treating you very well so far! And also a big hello to new people who may be finding me online for the first time at SierraFaye.com, whether you’re in Seattle or someplace further away. Portland, Cleveland, Walla Walla or Vancouver, B.C.?

Some of you already know there have been many big changes in my life, one of which is moving my massage practice to a wonderful new space in Greenwood, near Aurora and 90^th. 

Yes, Sierra Faye’s Massage practice has relocated to: 747 N. 90^th St, Seattle WA, 98103.

Some great improvements in my new massage space for clients:

v     You’ll always find ample free parking close-by.

v     Traffic sounds and intrusive noises are practically non-existent.

v     The people I share the space with are all healers with more than 30 years experience in their fields.

As a place for giving healing and therapeutic bodywork, my new space feels so much better.

Clients who visit me breathe easier and relax into their massage treatments, without being distracted by traffic sounds or nearby construction projects. Now I can attend to clients in a welcoming space—in a residential neighborhood, in a house that’s been converted into a healing center.

The atmosphere is much quieter than on Capitol Hill, and provides a more cozy massage environment.

People wanting therapeutic massage treatments in the north end of Seattle can get to me easier, and my long-term Capitol Hill clients have a perfect reason to come up to Greenwood and check out a neighborhood with so much going for it…great restaurants, cool art galleries, inviting coffee shops…and excellent massage practitioners.

“I have a pain in my lower back and it won’t go away. I’m scheduling a massage.”

“It’s been a few months, and I’m feeling out of balance. Getting some deep tissue bodywork done seems like a great idea.”

Most times, people wait until their body sends them a clear message, and it’s usually connected to pain.

Maybe this is the message you’d hear if you listened more often:

“I want to make sure my body is in optimum shape, and getting a massage is part of preventative medicine. I know that regular massage treatments help provide greater freedom of movement, ease pain, and help me achieve a more active life.”

Many people aren’t so fortunate, and they’re disconnected from their bodies. I want you to listen to your own body, and feel the healthy energy flowing through it. Try to stay in touch with how your body feels, not just every so often, but stop and listen at some point every day. For some people, seeing or feeling is a better way to picture this getting in touch with the body. Whatever works for you, let your mind guide you.

Listen to your body when it reminds you of the pain, stiffness, and lingering pain that it feels. Maybe you have pelvic or low back pain, or there’s stress you feel from a past injury. If it takes time to gain more freedom of movement after an injury, give yourself time, but work with your body, learn to move again and feel how your body responds as it heals.  Our bodies were designed to help themselves and heal themselves, but nature can only go so far without intervention. Nature wants healing hands to help nurture bodies to a more healthful state.

Stretching before running or taking a long walk is important. Making healthy dietary choices as often as you can is vital. Choosing to receive a high-quality massage treatment to help you through Seattle’s autumn months is an idea worth acting upon.

For most clients, the freedom of movement and increased energy levels are enough to make scheduling a massage worthwhile, and for others it was keeping chronic muscle and tendon pain out of their lives for days or weeks, and for others, therapeutic massage adds real clarity and lets them focus on the activities they’d like to do.

As the body ages, pain management isn’t just a sometimes thing, it is something one is always concerned with in a number of ways. Maybe you have an old sports injury that flares up when cold weather returns, or chronic pain related to an ongoing physical condition. Rather than just take pills or put up with problem areas in your lower back, your joints, or neck and shoulders, schedule a professional massage and experience the rejuvenating effects of professional body work.

The benefits are clear, and the more often you receive a massage, the more your body responds. Here are just a few of the ways that regularly scheduled massage treatments can help you:

•       Higher energy levels
•       Greater freedom of movement
•       Decreased levels of stress and anxiety
•       Improved circulation
•       Reduction of fatigue

We all have priorities in our lives, and taking care of our health means so many things to each person. Healing massage therapy is what I bring to peoples lives, and when clients experience the type of deep tissue work I can do, they literally breathe a sigh of relief. This is gratifying to me, since I know the increased vitality and pain relief that can come from bodywork is an important part of a health regimen.

Ask yourself if it’s been too long since your last massage therapy treatment. Think about how much better you’ll feel afterward.

Yes, we are lucky to be living in a city like Seattle, full of vibrancy, culture, and so many great people. Remember: being healthy and taking care of one’s body with a therapeutic massage is an essential part of enjoying life.

You’ve reached that point. Getting a massage has become necessary. Your body already knows, but your brain tells you to put it off for a few days or weeks longer.

We’ve all been through challenging times during the past few years, but something is in the air—so many people agree—something vital has opened up again.

A lot of lives have been affected, and many people in Seattle and in our whole culture want to find a better way—they want to find a way to do more of what feeds their spirits, and what makes them whole. The ideal is to do what you love for a living.

All of our lives are busy, we’ve all got dreams and plans, and taking care of your physical being is a part of doing what you love to do.

If you need to receive therapeutic bodywork, listen to the side of yourself that wants to make time for healthful choices.

What gets you excited about getting up every morning? What makes you the completely alive self that you want to be?

Turn your likes into loves, and love your physical body by scheduling a massage that will get you on track to feeling better.

There are some definite changes in the air, and people want to feel more alive, more connected. Part of the learning and healing process is getting that therapeutic massage you’ve been putting off for a while.

Ask yourself if you want to get closer to loving what you do. If getting the deep tissue massage that you’ve been putting off is part of your healing process, I’m here.