How to get the MOST out of your Massage

Yes, your Massage Therapist does the heavy lifting, but there are many things you can do to maximize the effectiveness of your treatment beyond the massage table and even increase the benefits. 

Some tips to keep in mind: 

1) Time it perfectly: 

Your body needs time to rest, heal and process all that great stuff that has just been done to it. Ideally you should allow yourself at least a few hours of quiet time after your treatment. Think of your RMT as a facilitator, pointing your body in the right direction - over the next 24-48 hours your body does the actual healing. Give it the best chance possible by not rushing out right after your massage and doing a million errands or heading back to work. Scheduling your treatment at the end of your day, work week, or at a time when you don't have much to do afterwards is the best thing you can do for yourself. Saying that, if you are in absolute agony - don't wait. It is much better to get a massage at a not quite ideal time, then not get a massage at all. There's no reason you have to spend more days in pain just because you can't get in after work. But if it's not a rush, try and schedule your massage on a day and time where you can simply relax afterwards. 

2) Arrive on time: 

This kind of goes hand-in-hand with #1. When you are scheduling your massage, try and book it at a time when you know you can make it. There's nothing worse then missing out on the full hour of treatment or stressing about making it there on time. Sometimes the RMT will be able to go a little bit over if you are only a few minutes late, but usually they have another client booked after you and will have to cut the session short. This isn't ideal for many reasons, first - you are stressed and anxious when you arrive and not in a relaxed frame of mind, and secondly - you are missing out on valuable treatment time that you may desperately need. Also, most businesses will still charge you the full rate if you are late, as that time was reserved just for you. Try and arrive a few minutes early, take a seat and let yourself begin to unwind, have a sip of water and set the stage for your massage. 

3) Drink plenty of water: 

You've probably heard this again and again, but really, water does the body good - especially where massage is concerned. Why? It's simple. Our bodies need water to work properly and efficiently and massage is as demanding as exercise, especially when you are having deeper work performed. Properly hydrated muscles are much easier to work on, respond more quickly to manipulation and have the ability to remove wastes much faster. One of the biggest effects of massage is an increase in circulation, and along with that is the release of water, salt and other minerals and energy by-products, such as lactic acid from the muscle tissue. It is especially important to drink water immediately after your massage and during the next few hours to assist in the removal of any waste materials that were released. This will help to prevent muscle soreness or stiffness and give your body a fighting chance at repair. Be extra vigilant about drinking water if you have had deep tissue or lymphatic drainage as part of your massage. 

4) Communicate your needs: 

While we may be able to find knots you never knew you had, or muscles you never realized existed, we are not, in fact, mind readers. The more you can tell your RMT about what you want or need out of your massage, the better it's going to be. Generally you will be asked before your session, "What can I help you with today?". Take the opportunity to be as honest with your therapist as possible, indicating which areas you want them to focus on and what you would like to get out of the massage. With the right information, your RMT can suggest a specific treatment plan to meet your needs as closely as possible. Sometimes it is better to focus an entire session on a particularly bad area then massaging a little bit of everywhere. Or perhaps you want a full body massage, with a few minutes of extra attention to your upper back and neck that is bothering you. Be as specific as possible and you will get more out of your massage. Also - don't be shy to mention anything during your treatment that may be relevant. Finding the pressure a bit too much or not enough? Say so. We would much rather be corrected halfway through then not give you the treatment you were after. Sometimes its hard to tell how much pressure is exactly right for you, or if we are on the exact knot that was bugging you. 

5) Have a salt bath: 

You've probably heard this one as well, but it really does make a big difference after your massage treatment. Just as water helps remove toxins from your body through your kidneys, so does a salt bath but through your largest organ - your skin. Having a hot bath is good, but its the addition of mineralized salts that really does the magic. Salt helps to draw out impurities through your pores while at the same time feeding your body with essential minerals, many that our bodies cannot produce themselves. This helps to detoxify your muscles while giving them the "food" they need to properly repair. It will also cut down on the amount of stiffness and soreness you may feel after a particularly deep massage and actually moisturizes your skin. I generally recommend natural sea salts because they contain a higher number and assortment of minerals and are naturally produced, but you can also use epsom salts which  contain magnesium and sulphate. Try and have the salt bath the day of your massage, it doesn't have to be right away but before you go to bed is ideal. If using sea salts add 1/3 - 1/2 cup to a hot bath, if epsom salts you will need 1-2 cups. Soak for 20 minutes and then pat dry, do not rinse off the salt water on your skin because it will continue to absorb and do good things for you! Make sure to stay properly hydrated with lots of water. 

For the love of Massage

At the Bloor/Jane Diner (A family favourite!) 

I'm officially back at work and have been doing massage treatments for almost 3 weeks now. It feels great to get back into the thick of things so to speak and I'm feeling stronger every day. I've really missed being able to massage and the magic that it brings. Being able to help people really is something I excel at, am inspired by and is a huge part of who I am. Not being able to work has taken a toll on me physically, mentally and emotionally. All it took was treating one client and I felt like myself again, I literally walked out of the room with a huge grin on my face, practically skipping with joy at how wonderful it is to make people feel better. It made me realize I'll never be able to stop massaging entirely, at least not for any length of time.

Being an RMT and being able to make a difference in people's lives, even a little bit, is something I'm very proud of. Big or small, every time I help someone I feel a little bit better about myself. Even though my job is physical, it fills me with energy and inspiration every day. I've learned so much over the years from my clients, grown so much as a person and continued to expand my skills as an RMT. The learning is never over and that's what I love the most about this profession. You can always learn something new and will never get bored of your work, especially when you love what you do.

My problem is being able to share that knowledge with my fellow RMT's, because I really only have so many hours in the day and so many clients I can treat. All of my new knowledge is useful of course in my own treatments, but I want to help so many more people and in order to do that I have to teach. Its a new role for me, one that has happened naturally and one that I hope to nurture and expand upon. Designing and teaching courses is a whole new ball game but one I want, need and very much hope to explore. It's a challenge for me and unexplored territory but it's challenges like this that help me to grow as a person.

Every time I reach a bridge in life where I want to do something but don't yet necessarily have the skills or means to do so, I find a way, or work my way towards that goal until it happens. Again and again I've surprised myself. Many of my goals are too large to ever happen in a week, month or even years but as long as I continue to dream, work towards my goal even in a small way all the time, eventually I will get there. This, I know and have proven to myself to be true. I try to remember that when my dreams seem so far away and so hard to make true. I've already accomplished almost every goal I've set for myself in life, so what is stopping me?

For those that are interested in seeing me for a massage these are my new hours:

Monday - 12:45, 4:30, 5:45, 7:00
Tuesday - 12:45, 4:30, 5:45, 7:00
Wednesday - 12:45, 4:30, 5:45, 7:00
Thursday - 12:45, 4:30, 5:45, 7:00

Book Now!   - To see my hours and availability search by Staff - Dylan

Hope to see you all soon!

Yours in health,

Dylan McEwen, RMT 

Family Matters

Many of you may have been wondering where I suddenly disappeared to and especially why I've been absent from the clinic and from the booking system. At first it was because my Mother had a very bad health scare and I had to take over the business and reception in her absence. And then I became unwell myself, including my own trip the hospital and have had to cancel all of my appointments until I get my health back in control. I know many of you have been very concerned about me and wanted to know what was going on and if I was going to be ok and until now I couldn't really say but...

I'M HAVING A BABY!!! 


The bad news is that this little miracle has been making me very, very sick. The good news is that it is all for a good reason. Many of you, especially my pregnant clients and new parents, know that I have been planning for a family with my husband of 4 years for a long time and we are very excited to be making our dream a reality and entering the next stage in our lives together. What I didn't plan for, however, was getting this sick. I was hoping to be able to work for the majority of my pregnancy, right up until the last month or so when I got too big and too tired to be able to massage. I didn't expect my first few months to be as rough as they have been.

Everything started out great, but around week 6 the nausea and vomitting hit me like a brick wall and I've been fighting it ever since. And we're not talking about a little bit of morning sickness that a few crackers and ginger ale will fix, we're talking about all day, sometimes all night, sometimes uncontrollable, unstoppable vomitting that even prescription medicine couldn't keep entirely at bay. I've had it so bad I've had to go to the emergency room on more then one occasion because I couldn't get it under control. And when it was under control, the waves of nausea were preventing me from doing much of anything.

To say I've had a rough several weeks would be an understatement but what I feel the worst about is missing out on being there for all of you. I've simply had no choice but to stay home and focus on the health of myself and my baby. We couldn't really tell anyone officially what was going on until I hit that 3 month mark and after everything was confirmed by that first ultrasound and I hope you can understand why we have been a little vague about this "bug" that I came down with. Now that I know everything is going ok for my little "bug" I wanted to officially announce the big news. My Mom is thrilled by the way as this is her very first Grandchild!

Thankfully I've had a great team of RMT's helping out in my absence and I hear they are taking very good care of you and my Mother has been running the business pretty much by herself, like a champ. We also have two new RMT's in the clinic, Alicia and Kelly W. as well as two new receptionists, Rachel and Liz who you may have already met. The good news is that I am doing better and will be returning for bookings very soon. I just have to build up my strength a little bit after all this absence and make sure I am 100% before I take any bookings just in case. If all goes well it looks like I will be back at the beginning of July, if not sooner. My hours will have changed slightly, but I will be there and will update you on the details as soon as its all official. I appreciate your patience at this time and especially appreciate everyone that has asked about me and sent their well wishes, it means so much right now!

I can't wait to get out of the house and return to a more normal schedule! I miss treating so very much and especially miss all of my wonderful clients and being at the clinic. I hope to see you all soon and look forward to catching up and helping out with all of your healthcare needs.

Sincerely,

Dylan McEwen, RMT 

How to shop in Bangkok

On my last day in Thailand, before flying out of Bangkok, I made sure to visit the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. http://chatuchak.org/  From everything I’d heard and read about this was THE market to shop at, the kind of place so large that any other would pale in comparison. My husband and I set aside most of our last day to basically shop until we dropped. We did as suggested and arrived early to beat the heat and the crowds. 

An outdoor portion in the middle of the market.

It’s hard to tell how big this place is because most of it is covered. Unlike all the other weekend markets I had been to in Thailand, you couldn’t look at it all in one glance. There was hardly any way to orient yourself. As soon as I thought I knew where I was, I was completely lost and confused again! It’s mostly all indoors with row upon row of stalls containing anything and everything you could ever want to buy. There’s no real way to navigate this place, so we would just follow one aisle for awhile and then randomly decide to go right or left. I have no idea if I saw the whole place or not, it’s nearly impossible to do so. And god forbid you see something, don’t buy it and then decide you actually do want it and try and find it again. Not. A. Chance. According to their website the market covers 27 acres, is divided into 27 sections and contains more then 15, 000 booths selling goods from every part of Thailand.

I had already purchased a whole wack of massage supplies, lotions, soaps and essential oils for the clinic so this day was all about buying last minute souveniers for myself and my friends and family. And getting rid of the last of our Thai money (not that there was much left). I bought a bunch of really cool printed t-shirts, some small pieces of art, a statue, bell and a larger suitcase to put it all in, including my smaller, overstuffed suitcase that I had originally brought with me. But the coolest thing I bought in the entire market was actually from a small table outside. These weren’t offical booths and seemed almost garage style with small tables and blankets full of all kinds of random stuff. I just about lost it when I found one table full of antique Thai photographs. I collect old black and white photos so this was an exciting find. I spent quite a bit of time flipping through them all, pulling out all the photos that I was drawn to. I had to stop myself from buying all of them they were so cool! Photos from weddings, funerals, graduations, vacations, worshipping at temples, families at home as well as monks and nature scenes. There were a bunch from the 60’s that made me laugh, with Thai women dressed to the nines with giant glasses and pumped up hair. Of everything I bought while in Thailand, these photos meant the most to me. It’s an odd thing to collect I know, but in some way I feel like I’m keeping the people, moments and memories alive. It’s also a very affordable hobby. I also bought a stack of replica photos of the current King and Queen, also in black and white, from another booth. 

Sunday picnic in Bangkok. 

After several hours of non-stop shopping both of our backs were starting to give out and we decided to take a break and get some lunch. We found a little “restaurant” on the outskirts of the market and I had a tasty bowl of noodle soup and Byrd had some stir-fry with rice. There is a big park right next to the market so we wandered over to rest our aching feet and backs. It was a beautiful park and all the locals were out in hoards enjoying the perfect sunday. And my oh my do they ever know how to picnic! As soon as I walked in, a woman was offering me a straw mat to lay on for 20 baht. There are all kinds of people wandering around the park renting mats, each one marked as theirs. For 20 baht you have a huge straw mat that you can lie on for as long as you’d like. When you’re done, just walk away and they take care of it. There are also people wandering around with food, drinks, snacks and there are bbq meats and soups by the entrance. So basically you can come to the park with absolutely nothing and have a great picnic! Why don’t people do this in Canada?? It would be great on the island or on the lakeshore on a beautiful summer day. It certainly came in handy for us on our big shopping trip.

One-eyed pigeon in the park.

Mid-day rest.

Food and drinks for sale. 

You really can shop till you drop... 

Once we rested a bit and were feeling a bit better we left our mat and headed back to the market to spend a couple of more hours shopping. By mid-afternoon it was starting to get crowded and hot so we treated ourselves to some popsicles and a slushy to help cool us down. I got to spend some time wandering through the animal section, oohing and ahhing at the adorable puppies, kitties and bunnies. I never did find those baby squirrels I read about but I did see more dog outfits, accessories and toys then I ever had! We got lost, found and then lost again. Picked up all the gifts and souvenirs we wanted to. And then finally thew in the towel, feeling like we had barely cracked the surface. Chatuchak weekend market - you did not disappoint!

Don't think these would make it past customs. 

Lanterns. These were at all the night markets.

Fake flowers. 

Yummy popsicles!

Dried goods. 

Mountain of pottery. 

Really convincing fake food. 

Designer doggie. So cute I just about died. 

This guy looked just like my dog back home when he was a puppy!

Bunnies. 

Bubble machines. 

This gives a whole new meaning to "dog purse". 

Some interesting t-shirt art... 

Performing magic tricks for a crowd. 

The afternoon crowd, glad we came early!

Cat on a hot tin roof (literally).

And off to our next destination - Wat Pho!

Last day on the beach

Just a few photos to share with you from our last day, not much to say really other then I was hoping to be able to climb skull mountain but we quickly realized our footwear would not suffice... and you will shortly see why! Enjoy. 

Fishing boats docked at low tide. 

Two dogs that followed us out to the ocean, playing all the way. 

Beautiful and hardly a person in sight. 

Play date!

Skull mountain. 

Offerings. 

Shell offerings. 

Jellyfish washed up onshore. 

Skull mountain. 

Found sand writing. 

I see these propped up everywhere but am not sure of the significance... 

Woman picking for something... crabs, shells, mussels perhaps?

Cactus growing on the top of the cliff. 

My handsome husband striking a pose on the beach. 

The entrance to skull mountain - just a few ropes and wood tied together... 

An artsy shot my husband took of the ropes. 

Shell encrusted rock. 

The sun starting to set. 

I think this may be the skull in skull mountain.... 

The alternative path - not any better!