Plant Meditation (pg 3)

Amazing new Membership Option

(pg 2)

TIMELESS Massage Sessions

New Availability at the

Schenectady Studio

New Practitioners for Reiki

Nourish SANCTUARY MASSAGE NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2014 WWW.SANCTUARYMASSAGES.COM 518-952-1161

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare

feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”

~Khalil Gibran

A Season of Play & Self Care

Summer has finally arrived and in the true yang spirit of the season the calling to be outside and play is in full swing. Birds chirping and the sun shining invite us outdoors for adventure. There are many things to be thankful for this season at the new studio and having a gorgeous view through french doors of lush greenery is close to the top of my list. It may sound strange but PLAY is a vital part of self care and stress management. What better time to

kick off those shoes, let down your hair and have some fun then summer time? Here at the studio, I am excited to offer a safe space that not only allows you to seriously work through some of life’s stresses but also encourages you to be yourself and to enjoy it. Our Craft Club is a great way to join in on creative play and our new Plant Meditations can be a unique and fun way to get to understand your body a bit better and connect with nature! Will you join us in Play this summer?

Stuff You Will Love

Your Body

New Schenectady Hours Sundays 1:30pm-5pm

Mondays & Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays 1:30pm-7:00pm

** Tuesdays Non-Massage office hours 2:00pm-7:00pm

864 Burdeck Street, Schenectady NY

(In the same building as Ed’s Electric)

Muscle Spotlight Piriformis

Most of us are familiar with the area of the body we are talking about when someone mentions the “Glutes” or “Gluteus Maximus”. The Piriformis is a pear shaped muscle. It lies deep beneath the Glute Muscles mentioned above. You may have heard this term in reference to Piriformis Syndrome. It attaches to both your Sacrum (tailbone) and the inside cup of your hip joint. Its is one of your main lateral rotators. You need this muscle to shift your weight from one leg to the other and it is in use

should you ever sit resting your ankle on the opposite thigh. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Piriformis is that it lies very close to your sciatic nerve. Most nerves in your body are about the size of a strand of your hair. The sciatic nerve is the size of your thumb. You can see how easily this nerve can be irritated and a tight, restricted or knotted Piriformis muscle and have direct and uncomfortable results on this nerve. Deeper massage work in the buttocks, low back, and upper thigh region along

Your sciatic nerve is about

the size of your thumb, in

comparison most nerves

about the size of a strand of

hair

You should hold your stretch

for 8-10 seconds and then

repeat on the other side.

with stretching is often how this muscle is addressed in the massage room. Some people are able to alleviate painful sciatica or Piriformis syndrome symptoms with the release of this muscle. Stretch: The best way to stretch this muscle is with a partner. Lie down at the end of your bed and cross one leg over the other. Your partner should gently pick up the leg (at the foot) that is still bent. Placing your foot close to their shoulder they can lean in pushing your legs back towards your chest. The stretch will feel evident

New Membership option helps keep your wellness on track and saves you money

For some of you Massage is a great escape from the real world once in a while and for others it is a vital part of your health and wellness plan! At Sanctuary Massage we understand that life can get in the way and staying on budget is important to you and your family. Offering a membership for our Schenectady studio is an exciting new way to help you plan, keep track of and afford the massages you want and deserve! Why you want to be a member: Membership Includes:

One 60 Minute massage each month

$20.00 for a 30 minute upgrade

25% OFF any additional sessions that you would

like to book

one free 30 minute gift certificate for a friend

one free meditation class every quarter (4)

10% Off any retail Purchase

Joining is easy: Your 12 Month membership starts the day you decide to join. We keep your credit card secured on file and charge it $59.00 on the first of every month. You can book a standing appointment for all or part of the year long period or you can book as you go. For more info visit www.SanctuaryMassages.com

Sad to say Goodbye

In case you have not yet heard, Sanctuary Massage is

saying goodbye to our Albany Office. While we love it

there, and love our colleagues and clients more, in

order to stay in business we have to do what is best for

it. We listen! In listening and going over lots of

information we have decided that the majority of our

client base is in Schenectady and they have

overwhelmingly requested more time in our new studio

located on Burdeck Street. Clients can still visit the

Albany Studio Throughout July and booking as far in

advance as possible is recommended. A HUGE and

heartfelt Thank You to Karen Stuto, LMT for all of her

hospitality, inspiration, and most of all Friendship!

Plant Meditation is about reconnecting with your body, learning to listen to and understand the messages it has for you. Using nourishing herbs allows us to deepen this connection further along with experiencing how your body interacts with the medicine of each plant. We look to our meditations to discover which herbs/plants might be supportive allies in our journey as we continue to grow and heal. Working with plants in this way has brought immense solace, support, and joy to my life and I hope to bring this to you during each of our plant mediations. What to expect: Each session will focus on one simple herb so that we can get to know that plant on its own before blending it with others. I like to think of this process as getting to know a new friend and all the ways it might support us on our path. We will be able to touch and smell the dried plant, see what the plant looks like while growing, and most importantly taste and drink in the herb in the form of an infusion or what you might view as a strong tea. During some sessions you will be lead through a guided meditation with the plants, and in others the space and time will be held for you to journey on your own. I strongly encourage you to bring a journal to each class to record what you are feeling and experiencing with each plant. After each meditation there will be time to journal as well as discuss and ask questions about your mediation What will I learn: While we may cover a few of the medicinal properties of each plant, the goal is to experience your body and how it receives the herbs, not get a lesson in clinical herbalism. My hope is that through these mediations you will begin to learn about your body more deeply and which plant allies can make a positive difference in your life

Sanctuary Massage welcomes new practitioners

Reiki is an amazing energetic modality that is becoming more and more popular and for good reason! The following practitioners while working at the Sanctuary Massage Schenectady Studio, set their own hours, rates and are in charge of their own business separate from sanctuary. Each have their own style and spirit that they bring to their Reiki Practice.

Soulful Wonderings Reiki with Lisa McHugh 518-929-0959 Sunday Morning Sessions

Old Wolf’s Run with Eric Hillenbrand 518-657-6078 Monday Afternoon Sessions

Beginning in July they will take place:

1st Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm

3rd Sunday of every month at 10:30am

Pre-Registration is Required

$10.00

Www.SanctuaryMassages.com

Plant Meditations Nature is always hinting at us. It hints over and over again. And suddenly we take the hint. " -- Robert Frost

Sacred Brew Apothecary is Sanctuary Massage’s new line of herb-

al products. We encourage you to find our page of facebook for

all kinds of tips and info on the herbs, what they do and how to

incorporate them into your life in fun and simple ways

Practice Self Care Stay Hydrated There is no better time to develop good water drinking habits than the summer

time, talk to your doctor about the correct amount of water that you should be

drinking,. Dehydration mixed with intense heat can be a bad combo, so know your

body, listen carefully to it, and pay attention to any signs of dehydration. Some

examples are headaches, head rushes, muscle cramping, and nausea. Olympic

figure skater Karen Courtland Kelly likes to suggest drinking a glass of water fist

thing in the morning to wake up all of your organs. Have you tried it, is it a good

way to start your day?

Know when you have had too much! Our bodies speak to us all the time. Often however, we don’t know how to listen to

the messages it is giving us or we don’t pay attention. You KNOW, when enough

is enough, this summer take some time for yourself. Don’t be afraid to let your

family know when you need a break from all of the fun. Notice when they are over

extending themselves as well and work together to create a good balance or rest

and PLAY/

You’re Photo Here

DID YOU KNOW: that is contraindicated and dangerous

to get a massage while you have a sunburn? Take care

of your skin while in the sun and contact us ahead of

time if you get burned so we can reschedule your

session

Timeless Massage Session: *limited services available This very special mas-

sage session is about self care and really giving

yourself a chance to escape from the stresses

that may surround you. For this session, we take

the clock right out of the room and instead of

worrying about how much time we have left, we

focus on exactly what your body needs.

Enjoy a full body session, complete with Swedish

and Temple Lomi Techniques, Energy work, aro-

matherapy and focused detailed attention. We

start each session with herbal tea while we dis-

cuss your needs and goals for the session. An

added bonus of blessing herbs or herbal washes

may be included along with time to relax and

reflect afterwards. Clear your schedule for these

sessions as it may last anywhere from 60 mins to

2 hours

Herbal Foot Soaks: Summer is the perfect

time to introduce herbal foot soaks! **A favorite

during our FREE MASSAGE DAYS this spring. Soak

those achy feet and get back outside to play! A spe-

cial blend of herbs create and herbal infusion which is

added to a hot water foot bath along with salts and

essential oils. These special herbs are amazing for

soothing the sore and achy muscles of your feet and

to top that off we finish your session with a 15 mi-

nute foot massage.

What do you

think? One of our favorite things about the new Schenec-

tady location is our ability to offer unique classes

and events. However, scheduling events is new to

us, and we really care what you think. Please visit

www.SanctuaryMassages.com and visit the

Healing Arts Survey, located on the Contact us

drop down screen. From there we can really learn

the best way to schedule along with what events

you have been hoping for.