The holiday season is fast approaching. However you celebrate they are a time for coming together with loved ones and reflecting on the past year. It is a time to give and give gratitude to all the blessing you have received in the past year. We, at Heidi Ella Massage and Wellness are truly appreciative of the gift of working with each and every one of you this past year.

Specials for December 

Special #1:

Buy 2 Gift Certificates, Get a Free 30 Minute Massage Voucher

Buy 4 Gift Certificates, Get a Free 60 Minute Massage Voucher

Give the gift of wellness to your family and friends and you will get an opportunity to give back to yourself.

Special #2

We will also be offering a complimentary infrared foot sauna treatment with a cup of our new Calm Tea after your session for the month of December. Be sure to add the special 15 minute treatment to your massage to take advantage of this special offer.

New at Heidi Ella Massage and Wellness

Heidi and Janet have been working hard to expand the offerings at Heidi Ella Massage and Wellness. We will be introducing a line of custom-blended teas in the month of December. Each tea sampler available will offer specials blends that support your well-being, body and soul.

Look for the samplers soon in the display case in The Wellness Center. They make great gifts, too!

Who doesn’t love a nice, warm bath with essential oils and maybe some Epsom salts to relax away the tension? But, the sad truth is, we do not always have the time to soak for 30 minutes in that tub. You can use an Epsom salt body scrub in the shower and get many of the same benefits plus exfoliation. This scrub is easy to mix up and keeps well for a month or more (depending on oils used).

• 3/4c Epsom salts
• 3tbsp of cold-pressed vegetable, fruit or nut oil (I like rice-bran oil best)
• 15 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 tsp dried lavender flowers (optional, as they may be messy to clean after the shower)

Mix the oils, salts and optional lavender flowers together and place in an air tight jar. Use weekly in the shower to promote healthy glowing skin and relaxation.

(Not a DIY kind of person? Not everyone is, I understand. We also have our lovely salt scrubs available for purchase at The Wellness Center. Select blends are 10% each month!)

Once someone said to me, “well, all you do is provide stress relief”. Well, besides that not being true, what is more important than that? Ask almost any person what is the most significant contributing factor to their well-being and they will tell you stress. Financial or familial, stress is every where in our lives. And it is not an exclusively negative thing. Without stress you would have never learned to walk or speak or have gotten through school. It is when stress becomes unbearable, that it becomes a problem. The nagging problems that follow you home from work. The breakdown in communication between you and a loved one. All contribute to providing negative stress response in your life.

Stress 101

What happens when we are stressed? In short the body prepares for “fight or flight”. This means energies and organ systems are converted to prepare to react to the stress. You may find your blood pressure rises. Your senses become more alert. The parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for relaxation and digestion, shuts down and your sympathetic nervous system takes over. This is a natural response and, in most cases, a healthy one. Once the perceived threat is over, your body returns to its previous relaxed state. But what if you are experiencing chronic stress? What if the body cannot tell the difference between a real threat and a minor one? This is where you see stress disorders and chronic illness.

Massage and Stress Relief

When stress overwhelms their daily life, many people turn to massage therapy as a means of relief. Massage can not only help with generalized muscle tension and trigger points, but with helping to lower blood pressure and balance hormones, as well. It can help to support and bolster the immune system to help the body better respond overall to stress.

Above and beyond the mechanical side of massage therapy, many people can benefit from the power of positive touch. In an increasingly disconnected world, positive touch can be very therapeutic. Research has shown support for the benefits of energy work, such as acupressure, in addition to more traditional massage modalities like Swedish and Myofascial Release.

Working with a qualified, license massage therapist regularly can help you to manage the every day stresses in your life. You will find yourself in a better mood, healthier and experiencing greater vitality. You cannot remove all stress from your life, but you can make it easier to manage. To quote Audre Lorde, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation..”. Make self-care a priority for yourself to manage your stress level.

The holiday season can be stressful. You can help by arming yourself with the gentle, yet effective essential oil, lavender. Many people associate its floral scent and beautiful, calming purple color with relaxation. It is also beneficial as a muscle relaxer and for pain relief. For the month of November, you can purchase a 5ml bottle of DoTerra Lavender Essential oil for 10% off the suggested retail price. Use it in a diffuser, in a bath, mixed with a carrier oil and rubbed on sore muscles or just inhale it as needed. With so many uses, you will find lavender is like a Swiss Army knife of an essential oil.

DoTerra Lavender Essential Oil

5ml Bottle

$25.20 for the month of November