We are already at the end of January and I am pretty sure that at least 10 people have asked you about your New Year’s resolution for 2020. If you are like me, you’re probably feeling a little overwhelmed.

So let s take a moment and regather…

How about starting 2020 without using the word “resolution”, and instead use the word INTENTION or GOALS.

To me, the word resolution has a negative connotation. It is too easy to lose focus and therefor set ourselves up for failure and huge disappointment.

Whereas, setting intentions and goals sounds more positive.

So you have it! Let s start 2020 with new intentions. Whether it be related to health, sport or even in your professional world.

STEP 1 : Think of your reward I would like you to sit down, take a moment, and write a list of 20 things you will reward yourself with along this journey. It has to be :

- something for you

- something that makes you happy

- something you do not get to do often

- something you will be proud to do

STEP 2 : Set your intentions

Most people start the year with unachievable resolutions. The problem there isn’t the goal in itself, it is just that they are very optimistic (well done, it is great to be optimistic!) and a little less realistic which is why most people a few weeks into the new year give up. They changed everything too radically and the body and mind didn’t follow.

The goal is the end result. It is this ideal intention you are setting yourself up for, but the journey to get there can be long and strenuous which is why it is important to take it easy. Step by step, little wins by little wins. So you can curb the disappointment of doing a faux-pas; which is absolutely normal because as time goes by we do change and remodel who we are and what we want. So start to count all the wins days after days.

I would like you to list the answers to your questions:

- What are the habits you have and what would you like to change or leave behind?

- What have you procrastinated about in the past and never got to achieve ?

STEP 3 : How to start

Depending on what your intentions are focussing on (health, sport, work, family…) please keep in mind that it takes 21 days to reinforce a new habit.

Some habits are easy to get rid of but some are much more difficult. I am thinking of things like junk food, smoking, or this “oh so rewarding glass of wine at the end of a difficult day”. It would be absolutely crazy to start changing everything in your life in one go. Be kind to yourself and pick one thing at a time. Just one! That one thing you know you can nip in the bud easily.

I’ll give you an example : Every evening you need something sweet to finish the dinner, usually chocolate or biscuit. The problem is, it’s not one piece/slice that you are going for, it turns in to 2 rows of chocolate or a packet of tim-tam. We have all done that (me included ! and it was a family pack of tim-tam).

Do not worry, I know how hard it is to stop. Instead of completely removing it from your life, how about reducing the quantity of it. Each day, have less than the day before. You still had your treat but you didn’t over indulge. This is THE WIN!

On the contrary you want to exercise more but don’t know where to start, how about going for a walk along the beach or the break wall in town?

Just 5 to 10 mins once a week or whenever you can, but make a point of doing it at the time and day you set yourself to do it. No excuses!

Put yourself first for once. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, it’s just about getting moving again.

And from once a week, you can then increase it to two or maybe three times a week. You can also increase your walk time but always remember to stretch after exercising.

STEP 4 : Reward time! Remember that list of things you did in step 1? There you go! Now is the time to go back to it and choose your reward. I am not talking of a daily reward but a reward every week or two after you have earned it.

Little wins add up to big wins and will get you closer to the better version of yourself. It is also a more empowering way to live your life, by focussing on the glass always being half full.

Talking from experience, I have often set unachievable goals with regards to exercise and only realised that it was all too much for me after injuring myself.

This is why I have stopped setting the bar too high and now focus on trying to become a better version of the person I was few a months ago. I know it is not easy, and boy I am struggling but I know it will get easier and easier as time goes by.

I will be rewarding myself with massage, acupuncture, hairdresser and of course shopping.

How will you reward yourself?

Breath. Such a simple thing. It’s essential to life, but yet how often do we think about it? It ebbs and flows throughout our days and we barely give it a second thought.

Let's find out a bit more about how breathing improves our health and also discover few techniques we can all start to utilise today.

Deep breathing can reduce anxiety

Implementing a deep breathing technique when anxiety strikes can make the difference between a full on attack and an unwelcome blip in your day. Deep breathing lowers your heart rate, improves circulation and promotes clearer thinking.

You can use your breath to calm down

Let’s face it, when tempers flair it seems almost impossible to think about anything other than the current situation that set you off. Practicing simple breathing techniques can encourage calmness and help reverse the physical symptoms of anger.

TECHNIQUE for Anxiety and Calm

Isolate yourself from everyone for 15 minutesInhale slowly for the count of 4Exhale slowly for the count of 8Notice the space in between the inhalation and exhalationRepeat until you begin to calm down

Take breathing even deeper with pranayama

Pranayama is the practice of using the breath to soothe an active mind. If practiced right, pranayama can bring harmony between mind, body and spirit. It boosts your ability to be mentally and spiritually strong. There are very specific breathwork techniques that are outside the scope of this article, but we recommend reading up and finding a good teacher.

Use with meditation

Breathwork can be a fantastic addition to your mindfulness or meditation practice. It can allow us to open our hearts and our minds. It has been said that it can move stuck energy as well.

TECHNIQUE for Pranayama and Meditation

Quiet your body and mindObserve your breath as it isSlow your breathing to a calm steady levelConcentrate on the air that moves in and out of your lungsFocus on how your body feels and moves as you inhale and exhale

Much like massage, there is no doubt that breathing can encourage relaxation and healthy habits. It keeps the body/mind functioning and curbs stress.

Your muscles naturally relax and you can go about your day a little easier.

Breathing may seem insignificant. It happens naturally, so we may not think about breathing all that much, but maybe it’s time we should.

People with neck and shoulder issues often have their pain return before their next massage appointment. Work, play and children all make demands on the body. A dull ache can quickly turn into a burning pain especially while folding laundry, doing yard work, playing on the computer or any of the other million things you do.

What can you do between professional massage appointments to take the edge off neck and shoulder pain? Here are some ideas.

Take a Break

Take short breaks as often as you can if you sit at a computer all day. Move your shoulders around and s-t-r-e-t-c-h.

Ideally you can get up and move around a bit. But even if you're chained to the desk, you can rock out a little Deskercise to stay loose.

Check these stretches out!

Get the kids into it

Have a short yoga break together! There are plenty of videos made especially for kids, and the moves are just as beneficial for adults.

Bonus: got a little one averse to naptime? Try the lying-down postures here and maybe you'll get a short break.

Heat it

Just 10-15 minutes of heat on your shoulders can make a huge difference in how your tissue moves and feels. You don't need a fancy heating pad, you can DIY that.

Self-massage

Try it, you might be surprised how much it helps!

It's not complicated, just grab a tennis ball, a spikey ball or a lacrosse ball and check out these techniques.

Choose the right pillow

You spend about a third of your time in bed, be sure it's cozy for your neck.

Side-sleepers have different needs than belly-sleepers. The right pillow at night can help you all day.

A few minutes of self care every day, little changes, can make a huge difference in how you feel.

As much as we enjoy the emerging flowers and warmer weather of November, the fires and smoke happening around Port Macquarie are leaving us with a feeling of desolation and stress before the festive season. As things settle thanks to the fantastic work our firefighters are doing, it can be hard to regain this sense of calm within us.

Here are a few ways to regain balance before the summer kicks in.

Meditation

Meditation does not have to be about pretzeled legs, chanting, and reaching enlightenment. It can simply be about creating a moment of stillness in your mind as a way to become more relaxed. Just one minute, 60 seconds of meditation, can dramatically improve your mood, your productivity and the quality of your day.

Check out this fantastic free app for helpful guided meditation : Insight Timer

Exercise

It can be tough to make time for exercise when the schedule gets tight and tensions get high. But that's when it becomes even more important. Exercise can relieve the physical symptoms of stress like fatigue, pain, and moodiness. If you can't make time for a daily workout, try to fit a 5-10 minute walk outside into some part of your day. A little goes a long way when you need it.

Make sure the smoke outside isn't too bad before deciding to head out.

Giggle and hum

Both laughter and music can lower the blood pressure. In fact, this study in 2011 showed that 3 months of laughter or music therapy resulted in the same drop in blood pressure that could be achieved with a low-salt diet, losing 10 pounds, or taking a blood-pressure-lowering medication.

So cue up the "Who's on first?" or dance around with your kids while making dinner and work some giggling and humming into your day.

Massage

Regular massage can improve sleep, relieve headaches, reduce muscle pain, and improve moods. Plus, massage feels good. When you feel good, you play more, work more efficiently, and take better care of the people you love.

Schedule a massage now to prepare for a busy (and fun) end of year !

Commit to taking care of yourself this season!

You may be surprised with the results.

We are all suffering of headaches at some stage in our lives. Some are due to stress, some are due lack of water intake and some are due to muscle tensions. No mater the reason, there is always a solution to help improve the pain.

Avoid triggers

If certain foods or scents have triggered headaches in the past, it could be time to make a note of them and avoid them at all costs. Things like caffeine, cigarette smoke, and bright lights can be a big culprit in spurring on pain, but it doesn’t have to be that obvious. Perfumes, loud noises, flowers, and even lunch meat have the power to make you miserable.

Workout often

Exercising on a regular basis reduces tension and can help prevent headaches. Choose something you enjoy doing - walking, biking, kayaking, hiking, etc. - and follow the proper guidelines for the exercise you’re engaging in. That means stretching and warming up slowly. And don’t forget proper hydration.

Eat and sleep regularly

Lack of sleep and skipping meals can aggravate symptoms for the migraine sufferer. Make sure you are getting enough fluids and are eating meals at regular times. Lack of sleep (or even getting too much sleep) will also aggravate symptoms, so implement routine and stick to it.

Control stress

Stress. Stress. Stress. It happens. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid. The only thing we can change is our response to it. Learn techniques to reduce stress levels like breathing, yoga and meditation.

You can also combat stress with a massage, a long walk, a hot shower, or whatever you need to do to take the edge off.

While most sufferers experience attacks once or twice a month, more than 4 million people have chronic daily migraine, with at least 15 migraine days per month. More than 90% of sufferers are unable to work or function normally during their migraine.

Acknowledging the triggers and patterns surrounding your migraine episodes will help you figure out what’s causing them and minimize your chances of experiencing headache pain.

If you do suffer from Headaches, massage can help you relieve those tensions and keep you pain free for a while Don't wait any longer and book your appointment here

If you google “women’s health and fitness” we are willing to bet your search would turn up millions (and millions) of results. Some are legit health articles with real research to back up their claims, while others are trying to sell fitness garments, sports bras, and gear.

If you’re new to the health and fitness world it’s overwhelming. Where does a newbie start? Is it the gear? Is it the food? Or is it the exercise?

Move some.

First and foremost, it’s important to move. Stretch, walk, run, or hike - it doesn’t matter, just get out of the normal groove of work and couch surfing. Start with five minutes a day and stay consistent. Do this for about a week. When five minutes feels so easy it’s ridiculous to not do more, bump up your time or go a small distance further. The aim here is stirring up the boring routine and get that body moving.

Get the right gear.

Most people start with the gear. They go out and buy fancy trackers, hats, clothes, gloves, etc. Sure, it’s fun to buy stuff, but some people are dropping a small fortune on new digs and falling off the wagon a few days in. Why is that? Gear shouldn’t be the motivator. Sport/smart watches are merely tools to help you in your new chapter. The motivation needs to come from within. Get moving, see what you enjoy and then get the gear to match your new activity.

Eat well.

Once movement becomes a routine, you’ll find a natural progression into healthy eating. Fitness habits support good health habits and visa versa. It’s important to start small. Remove junk foods from your home (workplace, purse, vehicle, etc) that aren’t your favorites to avoid mindless eating. Swap out an unhealthy choice for a healthy one every time you grocery shop. Reduce your portions if you feel you’re eating too much and increase the amount of (small) meals if you feel you’re not eating enough throughout the day. Plan and prep your meals around your schedule one day a week and try to curb those impulse take-out orders.

Sleep well.

Sleep is essential to a healthy lifestyle. When you sleep your body goes into repair and restore mode. It aids digestion, stress levels, moods, and often times our patience with basic daily tasks. Oh and your memory! (Almost forgot that.) If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, find a time that you can start winding down every night. For example, have a cup of tea at 8PM each night to jumpstart your “getting ready for bed” process. Over time your body will recognize that tea as a trigger and start winding down as soon as you smell that cup of chamomile.

Have fun.

This is huge. No one wants to do things that make them unhappy. Don’t force yourself to run if you hate running. Walk or cycle instead. Or try yoga. Or massage. Find activities that you love and it’ll be that much easier to keep up with.

You know what’s best for you.

Do what feels right. Take care of yourself. Seek guidance from a medical professional if you need it. Speak to a nutritionist, a personal trainer or your own doctor. Educate yourself on what it takes to achieve the goals and results you are after. No one can do this for you. It’s your journey, so take that step - one little bit at a time.

We know massage will make us move better and feel happier, but not everyone can make time for regular appointments. Luckily massage is great preventive care and it can have some instantly-gratifying results.

Check out these 3 things massage can help you with right now.

Headaches

Tension headaches (often called stress headaches) are the most common type of headaches among adults.

Pain or pressure in your forehead or on the top or sides of your head? Could be a tension headache. It's especially likely if you've been hunching over a desk or some knitting, spent a ton of time in a car, or if you're still shivering and huddling to keep warm as spring slowly creeps in.

Massage can help get rid of that headache and regular massage may well keep it from coming back.

Low Back Pain

A major research study was published in 2011 showing that massage therapy was better than drugs and usual care for general lower back pain. Better than drugs. I just had to say that twice.

Just about everyone will experience low back pain at some point in their life. If it happens to you, don't suffer. Schedule a massage and get back into action.

Irritability

Have you ever been so cranky you got on your own nerves? Yeah, me, too. It isn’t fun. When you feel yourself biting everyone’s head off when they ask you a question, it might be time for some self-care.

Massage is great for stress relief. You get to shut off all the things that buzz and chime and aggravate you to the point of eye twitches. Music, silence, warmth, massage. All the cranky disappears.

This is dual purpose. You'll feel better and all the people around you will be happier that you're back to your sunny self.

Got a headache, low back pain, or a case of the grumpies? Get a massage scheduled and we’ll handle that fast.

We usually don’t think about our feet. Until they hurt. We tend to take them for granted, but like other parts of our body they can get tired, overused, sore, and in need of some attent

ion.

When they start to hurt it can lead to many other problems.

When your feet hurt you don’t want to do much of anything. You just want to stay off of them. Your body likes to move, though. And your brain functions better when you are active. So foot pain can quickly lead to other issues.

Foot pain can cause of other pain in your body. If your foot hurts, you change the way you stand, walk, and move. Those changes affect your legs. When your legs hurt, you make more changes in what you do, which affects your hips, then your back, then your neck.

Some jobs involve being on your feet most of the day. Often it is on hard floors or rough terrain. You may have a long walk from the parking lot to your job.

At home we walk around to take care of our place, our family, and our belongings. We shop, stand chatting with a friend, stand in lines, and walk around doing errands. We cook, do laundry, clean and put things away. You may make multiple trips up and down stairs every day. Yard work and home maintenance keeps us on our feet as well.

You may kick things out of the way or stomp your feet to let out some frustration. You may do extra walking for exercise or from an inconvenience, or run to make it somewhere on time.

If you enjoy sports you use your feet to run, jump, and kick. Your feet take a real pounding since they support all your body weight along with the extra force from the exertion.

For exercise or fun activities you use your feet for yoga and fitness classes, hiking, climbing, kickboxing, and dance - and hauling all of your equipment around..

Your feet have things dropped on them and they get stepped on. You step on unexpected things such as rocks, tools, or toys (Legos!).

All of your leg joints are all affected by your feet. Joints are under pressure from muscles and bones pulling and twisting on them. Relieving foot pain allows your muscles and joints to be in their proper positions and with less pressure on them you feel better.

We squeeze our feet into uncomfortable shoes or boots. Sometimes it may be for the sake of fashion, such as high heels. Other times work footwear is uncomfortable. Sandals may be more comfortable but they may not provide the support your feet need.

Massage provides relief from Plantar Fasciitis, heel pain, and other common foot pain. Most muscles that move your foot start in your calf, so relieving foot pain can also reduce calf pain too.

Your feet do a lot for you. Give them some attention with a massage so you can keep doing what you want.

Happy holidays! Happy 'getting stressed out, trying to do too many things and plea

se everyone' season. Oh, wait. That's not promising.

Maybe this is the year to mix it up a little and make the holidays a little easier.

Forget perfection

Sometimes gingerbread men will be missing a limb. The tree may have a bald spot. The kugel may not taste exactly like your grandma’s. Know what? None of it matters. Decide what's truly important to you over the holidays, and focus on that.

Enlist help

Once you drop the desire for Norman Rockwell levels of perfection, it gets much easier to ask for help and delegate tasks.

Kids can sign the names and address holiday cards. Wrap gifts in plain brown paper and kids can stay occupied decorating with crayons and ribbon.

Stick to a budget

Much of the holiday stress people feel can be attributed to money woes. Make a list and check it twice, making sure the gifts you choose are within your budget’s reach. And when you're tempted to overspend, remember that things are rarely as meaningful as a kind thought or gesture.

Shop local

Shy away from the average stuff you get at chain stores and Amazon. Visit your local bookstore, bakery and massage office (Hey! That’s me!) to get gifts and gift certificates that really mean something.

Look for a winter farmers’ market where you can buy jars of local honey or handmade ornaments. Keep a stash in your car with some gift bags for last-minute “I can’t believe I forgot to get a gift for my kid’s teacher” type situations.

Get massage

Taking care of yourself makes you better able to take care of all the people who depend on you! Here's to a wonderful holiday low on stress and filled with fun!

Only 32% of adult Americans got a massage in the past 5 years. And only even fewer get massage regularly. So it's not surprising that most people don't know much about massage.

Here are some fun facts to build your knowledge:

Massage can help you sleep better. (Even if you don't nap during the actual massage.)

When your back hurts, that might not be the only area that needs massage. Sometimes back pain comes from the hip, legs or even the abdomen.

Likewise, sometimes hand and arm pain is caused by dysfunction in the neck and shoulder. The body is so crazy and weird and neat-o!

You can stop a massage session at any time. You never cede control of your body. At any time during a massage you can say "no", "stop", or even "can you just work on my neck for the rest of the time and skip everything else?" If you are uncomfortable or feel like the therapist isn't hearing your feedback, or if you just feel like the table is too hard and you have to pee and gosh, this is awful. You can end it.

Massage can help your mood. It's been shown to be helpful in treating both anxiety and depression.

Even small therapists can provide deeeeep pressure. It's not about size, it's about the techniques we use!

Massage doesn't 'detoxify' your body. That whole thing is a silly myth. It was taught in many schools and you may have heard me say it, back before I knew better. But we know now that it's just not true.

Massage is safe in the first trimester of pregnancy (unless there are unusual health issues). Some practitioners choose to not do it, but that's a liability choice.

Deep tissue massage, or any massage, doesn't need to be painful to be effective. For reals. Run screaming from any practitioner who insists there needs to be pain in a treatment.

Scars are living tissue that can be transformed with massage and other manual therapies, no matter how old they are. And they can be affecting you in places farther away from the visible scar than you'd ever suspect.

It's OK to focus on certain areas of discomfort and not always get a full body session. If you only want your arms massaged, that's fine, too.

Your massage therapist loves feedback. We like to know if you hate having your feet touched, and if you looove having your ears massaged. We like knowing your musical preference and if you prefer to start face down or face up.

We're also cool if you just want to chill and let us use our judgement to design the treatment.

Breath. Such a simple thing. It’s essential to life, but yet how often do we think about it? It ebbs and flows throughout our days and we barely give it a second thought. September is Healthy Lung Month and we’re going to look at some ways our breath improves our health - including some techniques you can utilize today.

Deep breathing can reduce anxiety

Implementing a deep breathing technique when anxiety strikes can make the difference between a full on attack and an unwelcome blip in your day. Deep breathing lowers your heart rate, improves circulation and promotes clearer thinking.

You can use your breath to calm down

Let’s face it, when tempers flair it seems almost impossible to think about anything other than the current situation that set you off. Practicing simple breathing techniques can encourage calmness and help reverse the physical symptoms of anger.

TECHNIQUE for Anxiety and Calm

Isolate yourself from everyone for 15 minutesInhale slowly for the count of 4Exhale slowly for the count of 8Notice the space in between the inhalation and exhalationRepeat until you begin to calm down

Take breathing even deeper with pranayama

Pranayama is the practice of using the breath to soothe an active mind. If practiced right, pranayama can bring harmony between mind, body and spirit. It boosts your ability to be mentally and spiritually strong. There are very specific breathwork techniques that are outside the scope of this article, but we recommend reading up and finding a good teacher.

Use with meditation

Breathwork can be a fantastic addition to your mindfulness or meditation practice. It can allow us to open our hearts and our minds. It has been said that it can move stuck energy as well.

TECHNIQUE for Pranayama and Meditation

Quiet your body and mindObserve your breath as it isSlow your breathing to a calm steady levelConcentrate on the air that moves in and out of your lungsFocus on how your body feels and moves as you inhale and exhale

Much like massage, there is no doubt that breathing can encourage relaxation and healthy habits. It keeps the body/mind functioning and curbs stress. Your muscles naturally relax and you can go about your day a little easier.

Breathing may seem insignificant. It happens naturally, so we may not think about breathing all that much, but maybe it’s time we should.