Improve your health for $1.99!!! with Epsom Salt...

I recently checked out the"Epsom Salt Industry Council" site - a website solely dedicated to spreading the word on the many benefits Epsom salt can provide - who knew?? And as an adamant believer of the healing this "salt" can provide, I'm always suggesting a salt bath to my clients to enhance the effects and benefits of their massage and/or acupuncture sessions with me at Zen Soul Spa - Massage & Acupuncture. Here's why it works!

Magnesium Sulfate is the key to Epsom salt's healing effects and the Epsom Salt Industry Council reports that Magnesium Sulfate reduces swelling/inflammation and relieves pain making it great for sore muscles, sprains and bruises, bronchial asthma, migraines and fibromyalgia.

Soaking in Epsom salt is one of the most effective ways to supply the body with the electrolyte Magnesium (absorbed through the skin) which helps the body perform numerous functions including ensuring proper muscle, nerve and enzyme function and proper use of calcium in cells. It's an aid in helping to prevent heart disease and strokes by lowering blood pressure, protecting the elasticity of arteries, preventing blood clots and reducing the risk of sudden heart attack deaths.
Medical research also indicates that magnesium may increase the effectiveness of insulin, helping to lower the risk or severity of diabetes.

Epsom salt delivers sulfates that are needed for the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the mucin proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. Studies show that sulfates also stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and detoxifies the body's residue of medicines and environmental contaminants.


So in a nutshell regular Epsom salt baths and/or foot soaks will relieve fatigue giving you more energy, sharper clarity and focus, relieve aches and pains, reduce bruising and swelling and improve the overall quality of your LIFE! Use it alone or to enhance any of the many treatments offered at Zen Soul Spa - Massage & Acupuncture in Brooklyn Heights.


Zen Soul Remedy Bath

4lbs Epsom Salt (1 large container)
1 tubful of hot water
Soak for 15-30 minutes - 1x a week

Zen Sole Foot Soak

2 cups Epsom salt
1 gallon of warm to hot water in a big bowl/ foot tub
Soak feet until water gets cool - 3x a week

A note of caution: Do not take an epsom salt bath if you have high blood pressure or a heart or kidney condition. And remember, the information above is intended for general reference purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment.

Visit us at www.zensoulspa.com

More Tips On How To Get A Good Night's Rest

Visit us at www.zensoulspa.com to help improve the quality of your life!



How To Relax Before Going To Bed

Massage like a pro!

Visit us at www.zensoulspa.com and set up your first massage lesson and learn to massage like a pro!

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How To Give A Stress Relieving Foot Massage

Learn Infant Massage Now!

How cute is this video?!

Remember when massaging your baby at home to pay attention to baby's tolerance level cues. Many babies begin to get fidgety and over-stimulated if massaged for too long and while many adults hold tension in the neck and shoulder region, babies tend to hold tension in their hips.

Numerous studies have found that massage plays a significant role in:
*promoting the proper growth and healthy development of infants
*stimulates the nerves
*increases blood flow
*strengthens the immune system
*Can relieve a host of childhood complaints from colic to constipation.
*A daily rubdown on baby’s belly helps work out gas and regulates digestion
*Massaging the chest may ease congestion
*Gently stroking an infant’s face can improve her ability to suck
*Most of all, massage is good for parent-child bonding.

The best time to massage your baby is at bathtime or bedtime – massaged babies fall asleep right away, so it’s better not to massage immediately after a feeding or when a baby is hungry.


For more parent-child bonding consider booking a "Two Peas In A Pod" Massage for you and baby at Zen Soul Spa - Massage & Acupuncture in Brooklyn or arrange for a therapist to come to you and baby in the comfort of your own home.


Go To www.zensoulspa.com for more info



How To Massage Your Baby For Health And Happiness

Indian Head Massage

Check out this video on Indian Head Massage - coming soon to Zen Soul Spa - Massage & Acupuncture's menu of Brooklyn massage services.
Coming this Spring to Brooklyn Heights/Downtown Brooklyn!
Visit our website at www.zensoulspa.com



How To Do An Indian Head Massage

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend!

I love this time of year - it brings a certain degree of warmth to the cold winter months and gives us yet another reason to celebrate. Even if you're single take this time out to love yourself with luxurious pampering and heart felt centering. Some of my favorites for couple's include Zen Soul Massage & Acupuncture's 90minute"Pamper Your Partner Massage" for only $140. More than just a massage for two, this Couples Massage combines relaxation with education. You will be trained by a licensed professional to become the expert at home!

One partner relaxes on the massage table while your personal massage therapist demonstrates basic strokes and techniques to the other partner. Together they determine your specific areas of stress, the best way to massage those areas, and pressure preference. Half way through the session, the couple switches positions, allowing both the pleasure of a four-handed massage and the benefits of massage education not to mention it's so much fun!

For those who choose to go solo in the pampering, I suggest the 90 minute"Zen Hot Stone Massage"also for only $140 - you will melt like warm butter as these deeply penetrating heated stones work to undo all your stress and muscular tension. The heat will allow your deepest layers of muscle to gently release while gliding massage strokes soothe your mind and body zen soul.

No matter your preference you can experience zen soul right here in Brooklyn Heights/Downtown Brooklyn and begin your journey into urban wellness.

Visit us at www.zensoulspa.com to begin your journey.

Sleepless in Ny - Part II (The Solution)

I've spoken of the life changing effects acupuncture and massage can have in treating pain and stress. Also how these two healing modalities support restorative sleep, well here's how they do it along with some great ways you can help yourself to experience restorative sleep.

Therapeutic Massage and Acupuncture by a licensed practitioner support restorative sleep in the following ways:

1. It reduces stress by decreasing cortisol levels and sympathetic autonomic nervous system activities. When stress is high it is because these levels and activities are high, reducing them are of the greatest importance in healthy living.

2. It increases a sense of well being and calm through promoting the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system activity. This is the part of the nervous system that regulates rest and digestion.

3. It relieves or reduces pain and discomfort that may interrupt sleep.


Here are 10 self-help tips you can implement now to achieve your best night's sleep!

1. Get up and go to sleep at around the same time every day, including days off or at least get up at the same time regardless of when you went to bed.

2. Get at least 30 minutes of daylight exposure by being outside or in front of an open window. This exposure stimulates serotonin levels. Seratonin is a hormone closely associated with the sense of well-being. Depression has been linked to low levels of the seratonin hormone, no wonder the winter months can cause mild depression or seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.)in some.

3. Exercise moderately on a regular basis but do not exercise aerobically 4 hours before sleeping. Try yoga in the vinyasa style - this yoga involves a constant, fluid movement producing stretching, strengthening, increased flexibility and range of motion at the different joints when practiced over time - for descriptions and classes in Brooklyn Heights visit www.yoga-people.com

4. Avoid eating heavy meals before bed. If hungry, consider a light snack without sugar like a plain yogurt or some slices of turkey (turkey has high levels of tryptophan, which encourages sleep) 30 minutes before retiring.

5. Stay away from stimulants (i.e. cofee, colas,etc) 10 hours before bedtime so if you go to bed at 10pm avoid stimulants past lunchtime (12pm).

6. Avoid long naps. A power nap is short and sweet, rejuvenates your mind and body and does not spoil your good night's rest for later. A short 15-30 minute nap is usually effective in combatting midday fatigue.

7. Keep the lights dim or turn them off 1 hour before bedtime. Stretching in dim lighting is an excellent way to begin decompressing and winding down before bed.

8. Turn off the television and sleep in the dark. Play some soothing music or nature sounds instead.

9. When drowsiness occurs, immediately relax into sleep. The drowsy pattern lasts only about 15 minutes and then the body goes into a new cycle which lasts about 90 minutes. So if you miss the sleep window, continue with the calming techniques until the sense of drowsiness comes back - then go to bed.

10. And finally develop a bedtime ritual that you can follow consistently. The ritual should begin about 30 minutes before sleep. Make sure to be in dim lighting and allow 15 minutes for the ritual. You can wash and brush your teeth but avoid taking a shower this close to bed time because of its stimulating effects - a warm shower or bath is great an hour before rest. Meditating or reading something that is gentle and calming for 5-10 minutes can be very relaxing. Drinking a cup of warm milk or herbal tea is soothing as well as listening to soft music or nature sounds, breathing in the scent of a fragrant essential oil or candle can work well also. Meditate, pray, and review your day in a thankful way. Reinforce this ritual or whatever ritual you choose to support deep sleep by doing it on a consistent basis. Do it the same every night and eventually the ritual will signal your body into a sleep pattern.


Still not convinced? Try this little exercise to assess and improve your sleep patterns - identify three activities that support restorative sleep and three activities that can be improved.


My current sleep pattern is as follows:




Three current activities that support sleep are:
1.
2.
3.


Three activities that could improve sleep are:
1.
2.
3.


Visit Zen Soul Spa - Massage & Acupuncture in Brooklyn Heights for more information and to set up a phone consultation and session at

www.zensoulspa.com