Notes

"I realize that the experience of oneness, though fleeting and rare, is life's deepest truth. Like a field of force, this knowledge slowly works in me, realigning each cell, turning me toward the source. I no longer look for salvation, for a highway to heaven, for explicit instructions, for blinding light. I don't look for any reward. While meditating or walking or loafing or working, I simply try to be present, attentive, open. And when I am blessed, my inner ruckus yields to stillness, and I am overcome by awe."

-Scott Russell Sanders

article title " A Private History of Awe"

Orion Magazine

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Hot Stone Massage

Hot Stone Massage involves the application of water-heated basalt stones of varying sizes to key points on the body, giving a deep massage and offering comfort and warmth to the client. The direct heat relaxes muscles and alleviates stress.

In cases of muscular injury and inflammation, frozen, cooling marble stones can be used. This creates a type of thermo therapeutic 'vascular gymnastics' in the circulatory system to help the body detoxify and heal. The warmer stones expand the blood vessels, pushing blood and unwanted waste materials through the body. This has a sedative effect on the nervous system. The cold stones cause the blood vessels to constrict, stimulating the nervous system and drawing blood and waste products along the body. This ensures that every cell in the body receives more oxygen and nutrients while at the same time waste material is removed more effectively through the corresponding increase in lymph flow. Not unlike changing the old oil and filter in your car for a newer filter with clean oil—a service for the body.

It is quite an experience to feel the deeply relaxing, penetrating heat from the basalt stones and if used, the alternating toning and refreshing coolness of the marble stones. The use of extremes of temperature (is) has long been scientifically and medically proven to be of benefit to the body.
-Adapted from http://www.pioneerthinking.com/fr_stonemassage.html

While you may wish to experiment with other types of rock, basalt is typically the type of rock used for hot stone massage. Basalt holds its heat for an extended period of time, making it an ideal choice for heated stone massage.

ba•salt: the commonest type of solidified lava; a dense dark gray fine-grained igneous rock composed chiefly of calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene

BENEFITS: Heated Stones on the Body:
• Relieves muscle spasms & tension
• Increases circulation
• Alleviates joint pain
• Deeply warms the body
• If client sweats, helps detoxify body
• Grounding—connection to earth

GENERAL RULE: Contraindications for massage with heated stones:
Most conditions contraindicated for normal massage are also contraindicated for stone massage. There are a few general rules that you can use to decide if something is CI: any condition that could cause pain (broken skin and bones), any contagious disease (like the flu and shingles), anything that makes a person unable to properly judge depth or pain (like intoxication, medications, or peripheral neuropathy), any disease that could be made worse by massage (like the flu, or, possibly, some types of cancer), any time there is the risk of causing infection (like cuts or surgery), or any condition that weakens a person's vitality all contraindicate massage.

Unlike regular massage, stone massage is CONTRAINDICATED for PREGNANCY. Usually starting at 4 months, and increasing up until delivery, the body produces a hormone called relaxin. Its job is to make the ligaments and tendons loosen to help deliver the baby. Adding heat or deep tissue massage to these already weakened parts could make them stretch too far, causing problems later on when they try to shrink back to normal.
-Adapted from http://experts.about.com/q/1818/3496211.htm

CONTRAINDICATIONS:
• Pregnancy
• Heart disease
• Varicose veins
• Surgery where nerves have been cut/loss of feeling
• Diabetes (use stones at 130 Degrees)
• Disease with nerve damage—Neuropathy
• Medication that may have side affects to heat or blood thinning medications.
• Skin conditions that may be aggravated by heat like eczema or psoriasis
• Obesity—where heart might have a hard time with the heat
• Weak or debilitated person— the heat will be exhausting to the body
• Autoimmune dysfunctions
• Caution with elderly—thin skin—more sensitive
• Caution with children—less temperature and time holding stones in one place.
• Epilepsy
• Mental disorders
• Any condition where Swedish massage is contraindicated

SUPPLIES:
I have been searching for ‘the perfect stones’ on this continent’s beaches and river beds for years. You may wish to enter into this quest yourself, but please understand that it is very important to test your stones before using them in a professional environment. Some types of stones may fracture with heat, and some shapes may be difficult to handle. To compliment my personal collection of hot stones, I have a commercial set of marble cold stones that I find invaluable.

Here are two websites that provide stone massage supplies, including full sets of stones:
http://www.allyouknead.com/massage-supplies/browse/browse-category/?dept_id=28
http://www.massagewarehouse.com/Hot+Stone+Massage/id=294/category.jhtml

Supply List:
• Basalt stones
• Roaster (make sure it’s a roaster with temperature settings)
• Rubber gloves that are heat safe
• Thermometer (the kind you use in the oven/turkey)
• Small fish net
• Tongs and/or plastic spatula
• Laundry bags/lingerie bags x4
• Plastic tub
• Hand towels x5
• Pillow Case x2
• Massage Oil
• Essential Oils
• Vinegar or Dr. Bonners or spa oxidizer
STONE ARRANGEMENT IN ROASTER:
Supine
1st Bag:
• 12-14 small spinal layout stones
2nd Bag:
• 3rd eye stone—very small flat and round
• Pillow stone—approx. 4inches long flat for under neck
• 5 chakra stones—heavy, med. relatively flat
• 2 hand holding stones—heavy, chunky, graspable
• 2 Psoas stones—med. relatively flat
3rd Bag:
• 4 leg massaging stones—med. hold heat fit well in therapists hands

4tth Fish Net:
• 8 toe stones—quarter to nickel size, flat

5th Bag:
• 6 Neck stones—2 pointy, 2 flat with edge, 2 pointy with some surface area holds heat
• 2 Face stones—silver dollar size, relatively flat

Prone
The following are the stones you will need for prone position—remember to place stones into roaster as soon as you are through working on the client in the supine position so they will be hot again when the client lies face down.
• Two of the largest Charka stones (you will use these as placement stones on the tailbone and/or under the belly)
• 1st Bag
• 5th Bag

STEP-BY-STEP SEA STONE MASSAGE PROCEDURE:
1. Check in with client
o Brief overview of session
o Contraindications?
2. Check stone/roaster temperature (135-145 degrees ideal)
3. Client sits up—towel down, 1st bag—spinal layout placement, towel over stones, client lays down carefully
4. Optional clean feet, neck and/or leg stretches
5. 2nd bag—place chakra stones (pelvis stones first), place hand stones in hand with sheet protection, place pillow stone under neck, place 3rd eye stone
6. 3rd bag—apply oil to leg, massage with 2 stones in hands, switch sides
7. 4th Fish net—place toe stones. Start with pinky toe, alternating feet so stones don’t cool off too quickly, cover feet with sheet.
8. Remove hand stone and apply oil to arm—then use same stone to massage key arm points. Then switch sides—place stones on counter
9. Remove 3rd eye stone, pillow stone, 5th chakra stone, (certain bodies, you’ll want to remove the first two spinal layout stones)
10. 5th Bag—massage face with two stones (generally no oil necessary), massage neck, tops of shoulders starting with 2 flat edged stones, then 2 pointy stones, then 2 larger neck stones—place neck stones directly into roaster
11. Remove toe stones/stretch legs
12. Remove chakra stones—chest first, place two of these stones directly into roaster
13. Client sits up with your support
14. Remove spinal layout stones and place directly into roaster
15. Client rolls over
16. Massage backs of legs only if time (no stones unless specific work needed
17. Massage back without stones
18. Place 1 or 2 tailbone stones and/or belly stone
19. 1st Bag—spinal stones use to massage back until stones go cold
20. 5th Bag—“neck stones”—work specific points along spine, neck and tailbone with heat—finish with effleurage stroke using 2 larger “neck stones”
21. Finishing hold/stretch
22. Quick tidy of room before stepping out of room (turn roaster off asap, unless needed for your next session)

TIPS TO A BETTER SEA STONE MASSAGE:
• Relax. Clients are using Sea Stone massage as a means of relaxation. Your tension will transfer.
• If a stone is too hot, prior to the session, fill the sink with about 2inches of cold water so you can dip the stone to cool it off—have a towel near by to dry it off prior to placing it on your client. Check continually about temperature with your client.
• If stone layout or chakra stones are too hot, place a pillow case or a towel between skin and stones.
• Ideal temperature for roaster is between 135-145 degrees.
• It takes about 10-15 min. on high for stones to heat up—remember to turn roaster back to 135-145 degrees after initial heat up.
• A fresh, hot stone can only be placed directly on skin when it is kept moving and first introduced with back of hands.
• Make sure to dry excessive water off stones before massaging
• Clean stones after each treatment with very hot soapy water or vinegar and water—make sure to use temperature-safe gloves
• Clean roaster at the end of the day with soap or vinegar and water
• Re-energize stones when necessary by placing them in a river, ocean or under a full moon

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Living in Motion: A Body Awareness Project

Excerpts from a dvd produced By Sarah Platenius

A definition of the word "somatic" is "of the body." By combining this with the root word "psyche", the translation becomes the study of the body- mind.

A definition of "awareness" is "consciousness". Consciousness is a gift given to humans making us the best known learners in the solar system; It allows us an ability to examine how we live our lives, gives us an ability to bring attention and intention to our daily actions and allows us to intellectualize and embody how we relate to other people and the planet.

Ideally, consciousness brings a learned desire to appreciate and acknowledge that which we become conscious of.

There are many ways to become conscious and likewise, many ways to practice becoming conscious. The body is a tangible, physical reality. It is a telescoped landscape from which we breathe everyday offering an ideal place from which awareness can be practiced.

What is the purpose of studying the body-mind?

What does being embodied offer people?

How can body awareness reach the everday Joe on the street?

Body awareness is a fundamental but essential aspect of Somatic Psychology. Having a body awareness connects us to ourselves; We learn how our intuition, energy, physical biology and spirit intersect and overlap. This offers us information about who we are and the story we choose to tell about our lives from which we can grow and change.

The body is a place to begin to practice awareness. Understanding our bodies can teach us how to live more ecologically; we understand the interconnectedness of all life.

Body awareness can be achieved in many ways other than through Somatic therapy although this is a good place to begin but perhaps only a stepping stone for realizing our natural ability to be conscious on an everyday level and to become our own awareness facilitators.

I believe that dance, meditation, exercise and even tattooing may be ways of relating to our bodies. What makes a difference is the awareness we bring to these activities.

We can learn to celebrate the body and acknowledge our bodies as nature, as the wild, to accept the unpredictability of our feelings and use our awareness abilities to make healthy change in our lives and on the planet.

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Food Combining

by Sarah Platenius

Food Combining is the art of taking foods from different food groups and combining them in order to create a meal in which the body makes the best of the foods nutritional value; the body has a happy digestion in the process.

Too often, we eat a great variety of foods thrown into one meal which contributes to excess habits of eating, fermentation, a heavy mind and in extreme cases, contaminated blood. The key to food combining and eating in general is to stick to simple foods and combine them minimally.

It is best to eat the highest protein foods at the beginning of the meal since such foods require the most stomach acids for digestion. Salty foods are to be eaten next or before other flavored foods. Proteins, fats and starches are good when combined with green non-starchy vegetables. Eat proteins at the beginning of the meal with lots of green vegetables. And then eat your starches and fats. Lastly, the sweet stuff including fruits come later. Either eat a little bit at the end of a meal or separately as their own meal.

The problem with eating sweets and fruits first in a meal is that they tend to take over all the digestive functions so any foods also hanging out in the stomach waiting to be digested will ferment.

These four rules will benefit digestion. There are more details for combining foods depending on how sensitive the digestive is in an individual.

Food combining takes conscious effort and contributes to conscious preparation of food and consumption. In the long run, its main purpose is to aid digestion, inspire vitality and bring us back to the wholeness that can be found within simplicity.

(Notes from Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods)

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Green Foods

By Sarah Platenius

Many kinds of green food supplements are popular today. They are used to enhance and help cleanse your diet. Spirulina, Chlorella, and wild blue-green algae are micro-algae we hear about most often. They share the common property of chlorophyll which makes them green like other green plants. These three specific algae's just happen to have the highest percentage of chlorophyll. The color green itself supports finding balance where there is imbalance. Chlorophyll and green plants in general "provide a refreshing, vital and relaxing presence." Chlorophyll also acts as a purification agent, an anti-inflammatory, and helps renew different aspects of the body.

Spirulina, one of the most economical sources of green foods due to its simple harvesting technique, has a slightly salty flavor, is cooling yet nutritious. It helps clean the kidneys and liver, builds and enriches the blood and helps the arteries, supports intestinal floral and discourages the growth of fungi, bacteria and yeast. It can be used for a number of different diseases such as hepititis, general inflammation and obesity. Its supply of beta carotene, chlorophyl and unsaturated fatty acids, make it a great immune booster.

Another highly nutritious algae is chlorella which carries less protein than spirulina and a bit more beta-carotene and twice as much chlorophyl and nucleic acid. This algae is similar in its uses to spirulina but for people with difficiences and someone who wants to cleanse but is cold, this is the best green food supplement. Chlorella is also known for its ability to improve growth patterns in kids, maintain health in elderly and support people who have growth diseases or degenerative diseases.

One of the more complicated algae's to harvest and therefore more expensive is wild blue-geen algae. In comparison to Chlorella and spirulina, wild blue-green algae is the most cleansing and potent. It is advisable to use wild blule green with care and to be sure it is the proper algae for your specific condition or disease. Wild blue green is bitter as well as cooling. It has a drying effect and acts mildly as a diuretic, neurostimulant, antidepressant and relaxant. It is also good for the lethargic or for excess type person.

There are other high chlorophyll foods such as dunaleilla (a micro-algae), wheat and barley grasses. Green foods in general have beta-carotene properties which in combination with chlorophyll make Vitamin A--a necessity in helping the liver function properly.

When choosing a micro-algae or other green foods besides regular green foods such as lettuce or celery, it is important to match your body type with a proper algae or green food supplement. Please consult a professional before adding a green food into your diet.

(Notes from Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods)