No more driving PLEASE!

Whew, I feel as though I drove a million miles today. We went to Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and ended at Venice Beach. Again, tons of photo's but can't upload them. :(

I wish there was more time to get away from the typical tourist crap and explore some National Parks and such but we head home tomorrow. At this point, I hate to say it but there is no desire to come back here. Honestly, I have never seen so many homeless folks and drunks staggering about then I have here in CA and that comes from someone who spends a fair amount of time in NYC!

The large homes you see on the hills are fabulous, the beach front properties amazing. The roads are in bad shape (and I thought PA had the worse roads) and folks that live here.... SLOW down! WOW! I thought I was a fast driver. 

We stayed at Ayres Hotel and I have no complaints. Perhaps one, the shampoo and soap have much to be desired. But the room is spacious and quiet. Only some traffic noise from the highway right outside. Free wi-fi and a nice continental breakfast including hot food. The room has a microwave and a refrigerator which is handy for our left overs. Most the time I can not sleep well at hotels but from the first night, no problem! 

I also got a 10 minute massage from some Asian fellow with a stand at Venice Beach and I gotta say, it was good. I had such tension in my neck from the plane and stress of everything. To bad he can't be there when I need him tomorrow! 

Promises to post some photo's when I get home, back to Marley who is missed so badly. 

Quick Pic

We went to Balboa Park in San Diego. On the way back we went to Laguna Beach. (My traveling partner loves the show) I took countless photo's and will post the best ones later as I forgot the cord to upload the photo's onto my computer. But here is one I took with my phone.

Earthquake!

Here I am in Los Angeles CA on a mini-vacation and I get word that there was an earthquake back home! 

LINK

We were just discussing and reading the hotel manual that tells you what to do in the event of an earthquake here in CA. It states there are thousands of those little shakers here every year, luckily most the time no damage. 

The one in Lancaster and York didn't produce any damage either, thank goodness.

We are off today to San Diego. WooHoo! 

Happy Holiday!

Orkut Wishes.com

May you be stress-free and happy! Here's hoping that you enjoy time with friends and family and forget about the materialism that accompanies Christmas. 

Take a moment to donate to a charity. 

Above all, be thankful for all we have and love everyone around you!

Peace!

Global Alternative Healthcare Project

GAHP

This small group of therapists are making a difference! We all think, how can I help those less fortunate? and often stop there. This group stopped thinking about it and did something. I have heard the stories of the folks they have treated and it is amazing. In one trip over seas they helped over 2,000 people! Amazing!

Tiu Na Clinics revisited

Since my last post I held two tui na clinics. This allowed for some folks to try this therapy for the first time at a much reduced rate. I had some of my regular massage therapy clients come as well as totally new folks who read about it here or on my website. 

It was fabulous to do so many Tui Na sessions! I always feel so good after doing them and I can only account that to using proper body mechanics.

In the past few weeks, I have attended 2  different classes in NY so am feeling much more comfortable with my techniques. Of course the last class took it to a whole other level and those techniques will take some time to master.... can you say life time? lol

Stay tuned for more clinic days in the coming year.

Tui Na Clinic

Upcoming Tui Na clinic 

November 22 and December 13 

10 am - 2 pm 

Only $25 per session! 

By appointment only. 

Clients who haven't participated in prior clinics will have priority. 

Session to last approx. 50 minutes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my website for contact information. 

Calm Spirit Bodywork

These appointments fill up quickly, schedule your soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many folks ask me why I hold these 'clinics' on occasion. 

1. I like to introduce Tui Na to as many new people as possible.

2. As I am continuing to take classes, it is important that I work on new things immediately.

3. To help those out who may not be able to afford full price sessions.

4. It is FUN!! 

See you there! :)

Acupressure to ease anxiety pre surgery

I came across this article posted on Yahoo Health and wanted to share it.

Acupressure seen to calm children before surgery

It would be interesting to see if the effects would have been more pronounced if an acupressure treatment would have been given by a trained professional versus just using the bead method. No doubt the hands on approach would be more successful.

Busy Busy!

Things have been so busy with setting up at the new location. However, I am up and running and enjoying the relaxing new studio! It is amazing how just moving can make it feel like starting all over again, except this time I am not a student.

I will upload new photo's of the room ASAP.

There is also updated information on the website: Calm Spirit Bodywork with location, parking information, link to calendar and a link to purchase gift certificates if you are in a pinch for that perfect gift.

Many will notice that my website has changed again. Sigh. Long story and all about technical things related to Google and search results. This site will probably be somewhat temporary also. You will see it lacks my normal gravitation to something flowery! In order to spare my body from the dangers of sitting at the computer for hours, I will have to get back to that later.

Thanks to all my clients who made the transition to North York smooth. Hearing so many compliments really made my days.

HUGS!

How is the room coming along?

This is seriously become a major task for me! So much effort for just one room. Luckily I had some great friends help me out (thanks Tracy and TJ!)




These photo's were taken before anything was hung on the walls.


Besides working on the room, I have been working on a new website due to some technical difficulties with my current on. Let's just say its best to really check out who is doing your site, if you pay someone. Live and learn, right! I am actually liking what I have done better anyways but am anxious to get some feedback so here is the link for now, check it out.

test site

As you can see, I have been very busy. But it's all good stuff and there is always time for Marley. We are heading to the park later.

Have a great week!

New Location!

I have gone and done it again. Moved, that is. I stumbled onto this room for rent and as you will see by the photo's, it was hard to say no to.

Things have been so busy with getting new things to set it up, moving things from my home to there, ect. But how grand is it, I finally have my own space! The room I have been working out of, I was sharing with a lovely lady name April. Sharing makes it hard to schedule and be flexible and now I hope to cut down on phone tag time with clients who want to make an appointment. 

I was having a hard time filling the space though. It is a large room in comparison to other massage rooms I have worked out of. There is a sink in one corner which is a HUGE plus! The only other place I worked at with sinks in the room was at the Spa at the Hotel Hershey. Very nice to be able to wash hands immediately after doing bodywork. There are also dimmer lights in the ceiling and a ceiling fan.

My next post I will show you what I have done with the space as of now. I admit to changing things around but now, I am pretty content. No wall hangings are hung yet but possibly this week. 

Marley loves the park!

Here he is resting after play. Eventually I hope to get a good photo of play time.

Here you can see just how large this off-leash area is. This is one of 3 at Canine Meadows, located in John Rudy Park in York, Pa.

Hope to see you there!

Mindless entertainment

Two websites that I have come across that are interesting.

Give this one some time to load..... totally worth it.

HEMA

This one you can't let the cat out.

CAT

ENJOY!!!!!

Fresh new look!

I have searched and tried a million, give or take, templates to update the look of my blog. Blogger sure has slim pickings so I had to look for outside help.

Links to my favorite blogs will be added ASAP!

What do you all think?

And I got it!

So I ordered the Haiku bag from Zappo and they have fast shipping. I ordered Friday morning and got it Monday morning. This bag is so functional I can't wait to take another day trip to NYC to carry it around. It is being used now but I have found its to big for my daily use.

Luckily my next trip will be in 3 weeks when I go for a Qi Gong lesson! How exciting!

The bag I searched for in NYC

I Like:

To- Go Bag Calligraphy
by Haiku by Sharon Eisenhauer

The train....update.

4 hours and 45 minutes on the train. 30 minutes of sitting because of storm damage. A train ride that takes less then 3 hours. Had I not just had acupuncture, I imagine I would have been fit to be tied. 

But some photo's:

This was taken early evening. We were near Philadelphia and trust me, it should have been nice and bright out. This was a pretty fierce storm.

My daughter goofing with the camera settings.

Train tests my patience!

This is one heck of a day. We got up early to catch the 8:30 am train to NYC. The traffic to the train station was bad and I really think I got the last parking spot there. Big sigh!

We head to an outdoors store because I wanted one particular bag (more about the bag later). We go out of the way, find the place but no Haiku bag!!! :(

Off to get acupuncture and no doubt that was great!

We figured we would take an early train back home. Honestly, we missed Marley. I pay extra to change the reservation and we are set to go. Next thing, all trains are suspended. SIGH! Our train was to leave at 5:10. It left at 6:15. Penn Station was a madhouse! Now the train is running slow and we will probably get back at the original time! And I paid extra for this bull!!!

Everything happens for a reason, right?? LOL

The Massage room

Here is a photo of the room I work out of. It is a calming environment.

Come to York, PA and experience it sometime! :)

Strawberry Fields.....

Forever...

MEME fun

I got tagged! Tracy at Pink Purl wants to see me answer these  questions so here goes!

Five things on your to do list:

1. do this meme

2. laundry

3. email some friends

4. take dog to park

5. teach daughter to park car

What were you doing 10 years ago?

My daughter was 7. I was working at a average job, raising her and probably in some dysfunctional relationship. 

Five snacks you enjoy:

1. chips

2. fruits (banana, strawberry, blueberry)

3. nuts

4. popsicles

5. chocolate

Things you would do if you were a millionaire:

1. buy a home

2. go to college

3. travel

4. give gifts to friends

5. help family

Places I have lived:

Only one, York PA. 

Tracy also gave me 2 awards and I would like to say Thank you! HUGS!

Veggie Pig-Out!

What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, especially when the weather is blazing hot!

Yoga Home had a celebration today and many folks showed up bearing wonderful plates and bowls of vegetarian food. Jon Protopapa was a gracious host and a good time was had.

Look at this bountiful supply of food -

A BIG thanks to the Yoga Home for this great event. I look forward to many more. 

HUGS!

Counting down the days

10 Days till V-Day! The start of my vacation. :)

I wish I didn't feel like it was so necessary for me to take off. But then I read an article that expressed why it is so important to take vacation, even if one can't afford to go somewhere far. Time away from the job recharges you, making you more focused and productive. There you go..... I gotta do it.

So far I will be in NYC the 18-19. There are a few places I like to check out but weather is always key so time will tell. This time I will be staying at the Madison. Not an exciting hotel but cheap. I wanted to stay at the POD Hotel but couldn't get a decent price.

Besides NY, there are appointments that need to be taken care of, and some day trips planned. Any suggestions for this area would be appreciated!

The next few days will see temperatures in the high 90's. Expect me to blog more, as being outside will be grueling! Air conditioning will be a must. It has to be hot, as most know I do not use the AC unless I have to.

Peace and Love!

A little walk

Sunday I went up to Pinchot Park again. As you can see from this post last year, I like to walk around here.

Here are some photo's I took:

Marley and friend.....

Meet Rose. She lives in the apartment complex and Marley and Rose get to play often.

Losing a friend

Who hasn't been effected by cancer? It is so predominate, often times a killer. It has taken another victim.

She was a strong women, battling many evils through her life span. This last one, she fought strong against for almost 10 years. One of her wishes, to see her sons enter college - fulfilled.

The pain was overwhelming her. The peace is her reality now.

Love to her family.

Downtown York, PA - Part Three

Alley Cats

This store is located behind the Central Farmers Market.
It is open most Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9ish - 3ish.
717-718-1635

You will find vintage, vintage and more vintage! The clothes are amazing and as you can see from the photo's, you will want a lot of time to explore this little space. Today I actually got an old album, a soundtrack of Woodstock, 1969. My daughter got a 'turn table' for Christmas and of course has no albums. Who does these days? :) The giver of the turn table is going to be passing along some old albums from his collection one day so she is excited about that.

Did I mention they have hats?? There have been times we spent an hour trying hats on. All the while I am thinking.... who else put this hat on? Did the original owner of this hat die with it? There is a story attached to used items, to bad most go untold.




I just love this fancy rooster but couldn't for the life of me think of a place I would put him, so I passed on the purchase.

Downtown York, PA - Part Two

The Colonial Complex located on West Market Street and North Pershing Avenue consisted of the Gates House, Plough Tavern, Bobb Log House & The Colonial Court House.
































Central Farmers Market on West Philadelphia Street hosts local produce, baked goods, hand made jewelry and meats. A great place to go and support the local economy.

My logo!

What do you think?

The power of Tui Na and Shaitsu

The other day I had a client whom I have been giving massage to for some time. She presents with headaches that stem from her occiput, lower back pain and some arm issues. Actually she is a body worker too! Her sessions are on average every 2 weeks to which I work mostly on the neck but some time on the arms and back.

One day she decided to try something new. She came in for a session of Asian Bodywork. I did a combination of Shiatsu and Tui Na, really working on loosening up the spine and pelvis. Her feedback was positive, the difference compared to massage was good and she felt stretched and open.

A few days later, I emailed to check in. She replied that her lower back pain was completely gone! Two weeks after that session she came for a session on her neck and at that point the low back was still painless.

Massage in itself can be very powerful but I have been seeing its limitations too. There are many forms of massage so I can't speak for them all, only what I do, of course. Where there are limitations for massage, I see Asian Bodywork filing that gap easily. It is always amazing to me how powerful it is and while I feel at times that I am still learning, I feel that way about LIFE! But there has become an ability to see beyond what the eye sees and calculate what needs to be done to get results and that makes a great difference in the work I do. It brings an intense direction to the bodywork which brings better results.

I am not sure if other bodyworkers get this 'ding', see the 'light'! Like my mind says "Oh, that is what the teacher has been talking about!" Maybe I am just slow. :) All I know is, I want to do more and more Asian Bodywork so Universe, bring it on!

Downtown York, PA - Part One

Here is the Hotel Codorus which is located on West Market Street, right off the Codorus Creek. I searched for some history on the building but only found this link which details a bit of the renovations that were recently done to the building. Years ago, I remember there was a porno/sex store located on the first floor. lol It is definitely looking very nice these days.



A view of the Codorus from the Market Street bridge. Off to the left is the Heritage Rail Trail. The Rail Trail as we locals call it, is a great place to walk and ride your bike for miles.

We are back!

First and foremost, I want to thank Tracy at Pink Purl for the wonderful birthday gift she sent me! It was such a surprise to open a package from Norway. Tracy makes wonderful handmade items and sell them. Please check out her blog and follow the link to her shop site to see. I guarantee you will be impressed.


Our day in NYC yesterday went to quickly. We did go to Patsy's for pizza. The atmosphere is that of the typical bar/restaurant, the service is what I consider normal in NYC, slow and not friendly. The waitress wasn't mean, just not friendly, if that makes sense. The pizza was good but I have to admit I wouldn't go out of my way for it. I like the fresh basil they put on top but would prefer if the leaves were chopped and sprinkled rather then just while leaves thrown on.

My acupuncture session was beyond good. I have sent a prescription in for raw herbs. It has been some time since I had to cook and drink raw herbs so I hardly look forward to it. It does typically help more quickly then taking pills. This formula is to help my female organs work more efficiently. :)

Here you can see Marley recuperating from his time at the sitters. Last night he could barely keep his eyes open. He is so played out. We missed him immensely though and are glad to be back with him.

On the train....

Heading to NYC for the day!

First we are going to Patsy's for pizza. The original Patsy's, located in Harlem, is famous for New York style pizza. Time won't allow a trip to Harlem, especially considering reviews stating that the quality is very unpredictable there. Instead we we go to a franchise located in Chelsea. Stay tuned for a review!

After eating we will go for our acupuncture appointments. Woooo hooooo!!!

Currently we are pulling into Philly. It is sunny, gorgeous weather! Pictures will be posted from home.

York, PA

I just love Wikipedia. 

Check out this link: York, PA

Upcoming time off

My little world has been pretty busy lately, which is why I have been delinquent in my postings here. When I say busy, it is not as though I have been having loads of fun or anything! Not to sound negative, it is more like things have just been steady, unexciting. 

Lately I have been 'picking up' on some sort of under current around me. So many folks are seriously stressed out about the economy (who can blame them) and the state of our politics. I can only guess that this is all part of why I have been feeling the way I do. Clients have expressed concern about anxiety and depression. I wish this weren't so common but it is. Personally I have felt very tired, making it hard to work more then I have been. I am lucky in that any sleep issues I have had in the past are just that, in the past. I can easily sleep more hours then necessary. And then still take a nap mid day! 

In a discussion about this anxiety and depression, someone recommended a book that turns out to be one of Oprah's picks. Good ole Oprah, she does pick some good books though. She really gave The Secret some recognition and I am sure the same applies to the latest. I am currently reading A New Earth by E. Tolle. This is the first book I have read from this author. As I am not to far into it, it is hard to say ya or nay about this one. It is a thinker for sure and I find I am re-reading passages in order for  it to sink into my old brain. 

For health sake I decided to take some time off in June to gather my thoughts and recharge. Originally I was going to take a trip but that had to be put off. However, my health can't be so I will still take off work. A little over a week off and I have to keep telling myself, NO clients! NONE! I plan to turn the phone off too. (Well, I plan to but time will tell.) The extensive trip won't happen but some day trips, some time in the woods, stuff like that. Not to mention, kicking it off with acupuncture in NYC! 

The plan is for me to work on me. Get acupuncture, get a massage, lay by a lake, read and gather my thoughts, spend time with friends, stare at the sky. Sigh..... is it June yet?

Happy Mother's Day!

For many this is a happy time to celebrate and appreciate motherhood. I also expressed gratitude too my mother, I bought her a stepping stone at the local street fair here in York. She really seemed to like it and placed it in her flower garden for all to see. 

To those who have lost their mothers or have had the unfortunate 'bad' parent, this day can just outright suck. How does one pretend to express happiness to a mother who was abusive or neglectful? There can be an overwhelming grief for many today and often no way to let those feelings out. 

For me, I think that holiday's like this one are bogus. Why not express love every day? Why do I have to go out and buy a card and present, as though my mother doesn't know I love her? After 30+ years of cards and dinners and gifts, it gets harder to do. Almost like "Hey we get it.... you  mothered me, good for you!" 

I always tell me daughter not to buy cards. One day I hope that she will write me something personal as that would mean much more then a card randomly selected from 100's on the shelf. This morning she did make me breakfast. Bless her heart, last night she thought she would prepare for it, she peeled and grated potatoes to make this morning. What she wasn't aware of, is that potatoes turn brown if not placed in cold water, which she didn't do. Then for whatever reason, she still made the potatoes, even in their brown state. LOL  There is one mistake she won't repeat. :)

To end my thoughts, I just like to send out some hugs to those who need it. You know who you are. 

HUGS!!!!!!

What has Marley been up to?

Marley got fixed! He only wore that cone for a short time but of course hated it!


Marley is half a shiatsu dog (shih tzu) so I put him to work!



Last but not least, Marley is now a raw food eater! Currently his diet is chicken but we will be adding various other meats as time progresses. He is doing wonderful with it and LOVES his meat.

Happy Easter!

I must admit to not being a big Easter celebrator. But hey, a good home cooked dinner will make the day special!

After noticing that my blog gets many hits from those searching Asian Bodywork Therapies in NYC I wanted to share my actual location. And just when I was thinking this thought, a great friend of mine, Tracy posted this entry. 

Touring the Pennsylvania State Capital

I live 20 miles south of Harrisburg in York, PA. Small town, a lot of history. In the next couples days, I will add information about York to this post.

Muddy days

Last Sunday we took Marley to a dog park in Lancaster. The Buchanan Dog Park is located behind Franklin & Marshall College and is well maintained. However, one can't control the weather and before Sunday, it rained immensely. The fenced in area for the dogs was a muddy mess, not that the dogs care.



Marley doesn't have a new hair thing happening, apparently another dog got him on the head. Needless to say, he got a bath immediately!

Next adventure for him will be getting fixed. That will take place on Thursday. Yes, Valentine's Day. How very ironic for him. But we will give him tons of love while he recuperates from surgery.

YOGA!

A very awesome new yoga studio opened next door to where I do massage.

Yoga Home

Jon Protopapas is a great teacher and interesting man. I have had brief chats with him and each time learn something new. During his class, you are stretching, meditating, relaxing, chanting and discovering new things about yourself. I am excited to continue to take classes.

Marley gets a buzz cut

I realize that summer is some time off but Marley was looking a bit ragged so he went for a hair cut today.

Before:



After:




What do you think? We think he looks pretty cool!

An award!

I got this amazing award from Tracy over at her blog called Pink Purl. It seems I have to include a few weird and random facts about myself. This may take some consideration, because though I am sure there are many, I tend to think of myself as normal! Oh how wrong we can be about ourselves.

1. I have always been aware of my dreams and they are almost always a bit insane. For years of my life, I had dreams of spiders chasing me which I think stems from my father torturing me as a child. Thanks Dad.

2. I can not speak well. My mouth can never articulate what my brain is thinking. It makes me feel like an idiot.

3. Due to the above, public speaking terrorizes me.

4. I love tea and my current obsession is Chai tea which my daughter 'discovered' with a friend. Imagine my surprise when she called and asked if I had Chai tea! But of course. So now we share a cup once and a while.

5. I fancy myself a world traveler but have never been over seas. My farthest trip is to Florida and as far out west as Chicago. Not very adventurous. We do plan to go to Alaska this summer though. But this leads me to my next fact.

6. I spent a summer of my youth following the Grateful Dead. The best time of my life, truly. Shame I can't remember to much. :)

7. I am trying to come up with weird but its not happening. I will get back to this last fact.

So there you have it. Thanks Tracy for sending me this award and for writing an inspiring blog for the world to read.

New Year's Day in New York City

Wow.... things have been so busy for the year just beginning. I sure hope this isn't a sign of how the year progresses. Don't get me wrong, I like being busy, just not to busy that I can't do all the things I love to do.

I went to NY after all the New Years Eve hype was over. We stayed at The Hudson Hotel which I must admit was pretty cool. Very retro and comfortable. The room was pretty tiny and from what I hear that is common in NYC but I must have gotten lucky in the past because this room was the tiniest by far.

Here is the view looking to the left and in front of the room window.


Same view in the morning.


This is the front view looking down, we were on the 17th floor.



Here is the room, taken from the bed. Behind that curtain is the shower and yes, you could actually open up 2 curtains and watch your roomie shower.

Check out this funky lamp.

So besides the cool hotel, we ate some good Meditterain food at Taboons and the next day we shopped for the dog. I got that pretty snazzy t-shirt for him up there. After that, off to get acupuncture which was fabulous as always then we got out of there before all the commuting traffic. Plus we were anxious to get back to Marley who was getting spoiled and played out at the dog sitters house. He actually slept most the next day, that is how tired he was. I think Marley will be going back for play time on a regular bases.