Self Love Tips

Massage with Abby  
Spring News 2016




 Stress is our response to any demand on the body or mind to respond, adapt, or alter. It is our state of readiness to survive, requiring hyper vigilance from the body, mind, and spirit.  It is our emotional reaction to stress that may be the difference between positive action and destructive breakdown, especially if many of the stressors seem beyond our control.


I suppose thats why the ancients were all about pausing, breathing, and being mindful before reacting.  Maybe even taking a moment and let the thoughts pass until there are none.

I'm here to remind you that you are the ancients in a new form.  I'm here to remind you it's okay to feel what your feeling. Know that you are loved and that you are love.  Here are some tips you can do to return to your most loving state.  Here are 20 mostly free ideas you can do to transform your stress into a beautiful loving state.

1. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Breath through your diaphragm or your lower lungs and up to the top of your lungs in that order for 2 seconds and let it out through your mouth.

2. Breathe into the area you feel your stress and breathe even deeper, slower, and longer.

3. Breathe into your feet in the same way as step one or even try to breath out through your nose all the way to your toes.

4. Give yourself a big hug. Go ahead squeeze your shoulders and arms.

---

5. Ask your body "What can I do to thank you today?"

Is it a hug?  A massage with Abby? A local fresh juice?  A long cry with a friend?  A big chocolate bar? A dip in the pool at your local gym?  Cuddles?
That glass of water or cup of tea you've been wanting for the last couple hours?  A good old scream to let it out?

6. Give your body that.

7. Go ahead and allow your body to tell you what it's craving.

8.  If you've been sitting for hours, give yourself permission to go for a walk outside, maybe it's warm enough to get barefoot and feel into the earth that provides us with so much nourishment.

9. The earth is so strong and can take any of that stress and turn it into that energy. Go ahead and breathe that stress into the earth and let it go. Stomp it out or hug a tree for extra relief.

10. Shake it out. Get up and wiggle. Arms, wrists, hips, shoulders, legs, ankles, feet. Wiggle until you jiggle. Even if you have to get on the floor slowly to do it.
If you have to go hide in the bathroom for fear of someone seeing you. Maybe you want to inspire others to do so with you. Go ahead do it whenever, where ever!  

11. Give your knees a hug and then roll around on your back or simply hold your knees with your arms locked for a different self back massage.

12. If you are on your feet; Give yourself permission to take your shoes and socks off and breathe into that feeling of being off your feet.  Breathe deep into your feet and into your ankles and simply watch your breath as you feel every out breath go into your aches and pains.

13. Strapped for time? Create a ten minute alarm with a soothing sound and let yourself breathe into your aches and pains.

14. Write down whatever you are feeling. Let your thoughts come out however they are without any judgment.  It might be a drawing or something abstract.  Store it in a journal with your favorite pictures and quotes to glue on or in it. If you are ready to let it go or it doesn't serve you to keep it. Take a leap and light it on fire or rip it up and throw it away. Find a fun way to transmute it into something creative.

If you are at a loss of creative transformational ideas?!? Ask me! 
I'm full of them.

One of my greatest gifts is guiding people to their fullest creativity through fun little motivation exercises to grow and have fun with their life.

15.
Gratitude! Gratitude! Gratitude!
Make a list of all your comforts, joys, successes,lessons, and beauty in your life.
Try to say I have ____ or I am grateful for having _____
Try to stay away from I was grateful or I use to feel this grateful. Try to write your gratitude in the present tense!

16. Take a break and go to the store and smell the essential oils or if you are at home take time to smell your essential oils and see how you feel after each try.

17. Ready to get deeper relaxed? Get into that tube and add 1/2c of epsom salts and 1/2c of any kind of sea salt and your favorite essential oils (if you have some)
or create a warm bath for your feet and let yourself decompress and soak.

18. Stretch and breath into your tension or your feelings. Go on YouTube and look up yoga for whatever you are feeling and let that video guide you.

Example: Yoga for neck pain, yoga for lower back pain, or yoga for relaxation.

19. Go into the garden and weed out those invasives that aren't edible or helpful to the rest of your garden while you weed out the stress that doesn't serve your best self.  

 
20. Sing! Turn on your favorite music and sing along or sing whatever your thoughts and feelings are. Let it all go and sing!!

Still feeling stressed?
 Give yourself permission to relax and rejuvenate with a massage from me     

I moved my office to suite in Squirrel Hill inside Maxon Towers at Forbes and Shady.
Come and visit me! 

Check out my website for full directions