The Elements Center

When To Get Massage

2009-07-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

I had an epiphany the other day! In a flash of brilliance, I realized that I was my own worst client. "What does that mean?" you might ask. Let me explain. I have been putting off getting a massage for several weeks now and I suddenly figured out why. I was trying to find the "perfect time" to get a massage. I wanted something in the evening so I could go right home after and relax the rest of the night. I wanted an appointment on a day when I was not going to have to do too much the next day or in the days coming up. I wanted something early enough so I could still get some dinner when I got home without eating too late. I also wanted an appointment when my husband could get a massage at the same time which meant coming up with a time that neither of us had to work too late, we could go home right after and we wouldn't have to do too much the next couple of days. I also wanted a facial at the same time, but that meant finding two therapists, one of which could go deep enough for my husband (which is no easy feat), and the other that could do my facial just how I like it. Both of them had to be available at the same time, in the evening on a day when neither me nor my husband had too much to do in the next couple of days. Wow!! What a lot of criteria for finding "the perfect time". Part of the problem is that I teach yoga classes almost every night so getting a massage after means not starting till almost 8, not getting home until 10 and then having dinner. I don't know about you, but I don't really like eating dinner at 10 in the evening. My husband and I are also in the process of fixing up our new house. So picking a day when we don't have much to do in the next couple of days is almost impossible since we are painting the whole house inside and out and re-finishing the hardwood floors that cover the entire house except the kitchen. The house has been neglected for many years so there is cleaning and yard work and plumbing and new outlets and outlet covers and new lighting and cracks in the walls and ceiling and so on and so on and so on. Not to mention the fact that I do, in fact, own a business that needs constant attention. Whew!! When will I ever find "the perfect time" for a massage?

In my epiphany the other day, I realized that there is rarely a "perfect time" for a massage, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't get one. With all of the stress of owning a business, teaching 6 power yoga classes a week and fixing up my new "fixer upper" house, everyday is the "perfect time" for a massage. Getting a massage right now will only make me feel better and my body work better which means as I go on about my busy, busy schedule, I will be more up for the challenge. The many benefits of massage include lessening stress and anxiety (I need that), improving my immune system (I need that), relax and soften tired, over-used muscles (I need that), improve the quality of my sleep (I so need that). And just because I get my massage at a less than "perfect time", it doesn't lessen all of the benefits.

I would imagine most of you have similar situations. Life is busy and stressful with work and kids and family issues, etc. Stop trying to find the "perfect time" and just get a massage. Fit it in wherever you can. Even stopping in for a 30 minute massage once a week or once every other week will do you some serious good. Your body will be more alert and efficient if you take good care of it. So what are you waiting for? Better make your appointment today. I know I am!

Hot Yoga/ Bikram

2009-02-26T11:14:00.001-08:00

Many people assume that Bikram Yoga and Hot Yoga are the same thing. This is not true. Hot Yoga is just a sort of umbrella term that means yoga that is done in a heated room. Most often in the United States, Hot Yoga refers to a power yoga class in a room that is heated to anywhere from 95 to 105 degrees. The room will also be humid. The style will be vigorous and geared towards strengthening and toning the body and possibly, weight loss. Expect to sweat. That's kind of the idea. It is excellent for detox. Sweating is one of the ways that your body rids itself of toxins. It is a tough class to attend if you have never done yoga before. Depending on your fitness level, you will probably be sore the next day. Be patient with yourself. The first class is always the hardest. Once you have learned the basic postures, you will feel much more comfortable and able to keep up with the class. One of the nice things about yoga is that the postures are pretty much the same no matter what style you choose. A Downward Facing Dog is a Downward Facing Dog in any style of yoga.

There are other styles of Hot Yoga. The Bikram Yoga mentioned above is one of them. Bikram Yoga is a set of 26 postures done in a heated room. In order to be called Bikram, the instructor must have trained with Bikram and the class must consist of the set 26 postures and only those 26 postures in a very specific order. There are many, many people that absolutely love Bikram Yoga. I don't really care for this style as I tend to get bored doing the same thing over and over.

At The Elements Center, we offer a class called Hot Lite which is a gentler, slower paced yoga class still done in the hot room. This is a good beginners class and is also good if you are searching for something less vigorous that focuses more on stretching than strength training.
We also offer Hot Yoga classes which usually follows more of a Vinyasa style (flowing from one posture to the next. I will go into this style more in a later blog).

There are many reported benefits of Hot Yoga. As I stated above, all of the sweating you will do is great detox. In my research about Hot Yoga Benefits, I found a blog by Lisa A. Romano that stated:

"The extreme conditions cause the body to work harder so to be able to regulate a normal body temperature. As a result, the heart beats faster, and the blood vessels dilate. As the blood vessels dilate, there is an increase of blood flow to all the major organs, ligaments, tendons and muscles of the body. To maintain our core body temperature, the body divinely dilates blood vessels to allow large droplets of water to carry heat out of our blood. This ability is healing, because as sweat leaves the body, with it goes toxins that have been locked deep within our body tissues."

She also states that Hot Yoga will help regulate hormones. (Now come on ladies, who can't benefit from more stable hormones!).

Another benefit of the heat is that it stimulates fat receptors in our bodies, activating fat stores and facilitating fat loss (hurray!) which helps release fat-soluble toxins. Heat also stimulates white blood cell production which boosts the immune system, promotes relaxation and increases the speed of healing of connective tissue injuries. Other benefits include better sleep, increased circulation and improved digestion and metabolism.

You can also burn a lot of calories with Hot Yoga. Through my research, I have found tons of websites that talk about how many calories you can burn doing Hot Yoga. The amounts vary quite a bit. A lot of it depends on you and how much you are willing to work. Yoga is all about personal responsibility. You can go to a yoga class and half-heartedly do your postures. Sure you got through the class and sometimes that may be all you have in you, but if you really work the postures, you are certainly going to get more out of it. Your teacher can recommend ways to get more from each posture, but it really is up to you to "work" postures. Give your yoga practice all you've got while still honoring your limitations and you will see results much quicker than if you do the bare minimum to get through the class. Remember that even a beginners class can be challenging if you take the opportunity to try a harder version of the posture than you normally would or even get a little deeper into the posture. Don't leave it up to the instructor to motivate you. You must be responsible for your own practice.

What kind of yoga is right for you?

2009-02-25T08:19:00.000-08:00

What is yoga anyway? Is it a bunch of people sitting in some crazy pretzel- legged position, chanting "om"? Or a group of scrawny, waif- like 20 somethings standing on their heads? Do you have to be made of rubber? The answer to all of these questions is maybe. It really depends on the class that you take. It is important to pick the right class for you before you just jump right in. I have been teaching yoga for over 2 years and even I have ended up in the wrong class a few times. About a year ago, I went home to Kansas City and wanted to take a class while I was home. I looked up classes near my aunt's house where I was staying and found a studio that offered an Ashtanga class at a good time so I headed off to class. I had never done Ashtanga before and wasn't too sure about what it was, but I've been doing yoga for awhile so I figured I'd be fine. Fortunately for all involved, I had the presence of mind to start with the beginning Ashtanga because even that class almost kicked my booty! I spent most of the class mentally beating myself up. "You have no business teaching yoga. You can't even do this beginners class. Wow, this hurts. You better suck it up so you don't look stupid." These were the thoughts that ran through my head for the first part of the class. I finally started thinking about all of the things that I say when I teach my classes. "Respect your body." "Yoga shouldn't hurt it should feel good." "Practice metta (loving kindness) to yourself." So I let myself off the hook and spent the rest of the class doing what I could and trying some new things and resting in child's pose when it got to be too much. I learned a few valuable lessons. First: Research the yoga style before jumping in. Second: Just because I have been doing yoga for a few years, I don't know everything there is to know about it.

If you have never tried yoga before, try to find a beginners class or a slower paced class. Call the studio and ask what they suggest for beginners. Always remember that you are the only one that has to live with your body the next day. If you take a class that is beyond your current level and you try to keep up and end up injuring yourself, you are the only one that has to live with the pain. Be kind to your body. It's the only one you ever get. There is no shame in coming out of a posture if you need to take a break. As an instructor, there is nothing that makes me happier than to see a student honoring their body by coming out of a posture when it has become too much for them. Remember to start slowly and work up to the more vigorous styles. My next few blogs will be an overview of different styles of yoga to help you figure out which style is for you.

Yoga Etiquette

2009-02-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

So you're thinking of taking a yoga class because all your friends are talking about it or you've seen Madonna's body and you know she got that way from yoga or you're really stressed out and you've heard that yoga does wonders for stress relief. Great!! So what's stopping you? Believe me, yoga isn't nearly as scary as it may seem as long as you get in the right class. There are tons of different styles and techniques out there to choose from: Ashtanga, Jivamukti, Bikram, Vinyasa, Anusara and more. I will go into descriptions of the different styles in another blog, but for now, let's talk about the do's and don'ts of yoga.

1. Do show up for class early or at least on time. Showing up late disturbs the whole class. Come into the room quietly, find your spot and quietly unroll your mat. It is preferred that you do not talk during this time. If you absolutely have to be late, please be as silent as possible and find the closest spot.

2. Don't wear shoes in the yoga room. Yoga is done barefoot. Wearing shoes in the yoga room will drag in all kinds of dirt and other bad stuff. It is much more hygenic to leave your shoes outside the room. The receptionist or instructor will let you know where to put your things.

3. Don't bring purses, mat bags, keys, or other personal stuff into the yoga rooms. The yoga room is a sacred place where we let go of the outside world. Do yourself a favor and leave everything (including a competitive nature and bad attitude) outside the room.

4. Do remember to be kind to your body. Metta is a Sanskrit word meaning loving kindness. If your friend was doing yoga and she was really struggling with a posture, would you laugh at her and tell her she was doing a bad job or that she needed to suck it up and try harder? Probably not. You would love her for her efforts and praise her for attempting the pose in the first place. Now why not extend yourself the same courtesy? You deserve to be loved and praised just as much as your friend. Instead of thinking about all of the things that you can't do, think about all of the things that you can do. There are some postures that I will never be able to do. It has nothing to do with not trying hard enough or not being good enough. A lot of it has to do with bone structure which is something I can't change. Every body is different which means that every yoga posture will look different. Learn to love your body for its uniqueness.

5. Do remember to turn your cell phone off and leave it outside of the yoga room. There is nothing that will take you away from your yoga practice quicker than a ringing cell phone even if it is someone elses. Be curtious and turn it off.

6. Do show respect for your yoga instructor. Most yoga instructors are registered with the Yoga Alliance although this is not mandatory. The Yoga Alliance has strict standards for all registered yoga instructors. If you don't agree with something that they have said or done, don't just blurt that out mid- class. Please be respectful and discuss the issue with the instructor after class. It is considered bad form to contradict, correct or argue with a yoga instructor during class. If you don't feel comfortable with doing something that the instructor has said, please don't do it. Remember it is your class and your body, but don't make a big scene out of it. Sit quietly in child's pose or do a modification of the pose. A good instructor will be able to help you with this.

7. Don't be noisy or disrespectful if you need to leave early. If you know that you need to leave early, please let the instructor know before class. It is best to stop about 3-5 minutes early and go into sivasana (relaxation pose, ie. lie on your back on your mat). When you get up to leave, please roll up your mat quietly and do everything possible not to disrupt your fellow students.

8. Don't take a class that is too advanced for you. If you are new to yoga or not particularly fit, please try to find a class that is appropriate for beginners or start with a private lesson. Advanced yoga classes are difficult. Most are designed to be challenging for advanced students. Please don't set yourself up for failure by starting with a class that is beyond your level. If the instructor is constantly helping you, the rest of the class is not getting the class for which they paid. It is also potentially dangerous and can cause you injury. Remember to start slow and work up to more advanced postures and classes. If you spend the entire class struggling and feeling bad, there is a pretty good chance you are not going to stick with a yoga practice.

9. Don't wear perfumes, scented deodorants or anything else that smells. Please be mindful of your fellow students and instructors and remember they might have allergies.

10. Don't make a big deal if you fall out of a posture or if you are really struggling with a posture. Trust me, everyone struggles with a posture now and then, but no one is paying attention to you unless you make a big deal of it. It can be really embarrassing to struggle with a posture that everyone else seems to be doing just fine, but if you comment, laugh or make a bunch of noise that only guarantees that everyone is going to look at you. Quietly try the posture again, try a modification or skip it altogether.

Our First Blog

2009-02-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks for checking out our first blog! My name is Traci and I am the owner of The Elements Center. First let me tell you just a little bit about The Elements Center. We are a green, organic spa and yoga studio. What does that mean? It means that we care about you and we care about the planet. Believe me, it is much cheaper to buy non-organic skin care products, but I believe that if you are spending the time and the money to come in for a facial or spa treatment, you should leave healthier than when you came. Non-organic products are full of synthetic, carcinogenic chemicals. Not only are these ingredients harmful, they are often just fillers to make the products cheaper to produce. Now, since we know that the skin is the body's largest organ and that it tends to absorb whatever you put on it (think about the nicotine patch), why would you put all of that really bad stuff all over you? I think its a pretty bad idea so I researched a whole bunch of skin care companies before I chose Spirit Earth. I won't go into details about them, but feel free to check out their website http://www.ourspiritearth.com/.

Now, what do we mean when we say we are "green"? This term has certainly been used a lot lately. There are lots of ways to be green. Simply recycling plastic bottles or setting the thermostat a little lower in the winter can mean your green. We like to take it a little further than that. Here we go:

We use 100% organic cotton linens & towels. We use eco-friendly cleaning products. Our toilet paper is made from recycled paper. The paint on our walls is low VOC paint. Our carpet is made from recycled materials. Our yoga floors are recycled tires. The clothing that we sell in our boutique is organic cotton and/or bamboo. Our nail polishes don't contain formaldehyde, toluene, xylene or dibutyl phthlate (most do). We recycle and have a recycling center here. We sell organic, fair trade tea and other bulk herbs. Our gift cards are made from recycled plastic and we re-use them. We offer 100% organic cotton towels in our bathrooms instead of paper towels. Our skin care products are all-natural and organic. The paper we use for our printing is recycled. Our trash can liners are bio-degradable. We offer only organic half & half in our Tea Room. We use real glasses instead of styrofoam cups.

The list goes on, but you get the idea!! We like to lead by example. We don't preach about "saving the planet", but we will offer helpful tips if you ask.

Anyway, that's a little bit about who we are. Please feel free to post comments on who you are and what you do to make the world a little greener. Our future blogs will be full of helpful (never preachy) info about earth-friendly issues and ways that you can help make a difference. Please feel free to take this information however you would like. We know that life is tough and sometimes, just making it through the day is hard enough without having to add "save the planet" to your to-do list. Also, if you think of some useful tips of your own, please feel free to share or if you have an issue that you would like blogged about, let us know that as well. Hope to see you at the Center soon!

Metta (loving kindness)
Traci