July 2021 updates

 Well, it's been something like 18 months since covid really took hold and it has been a challenging time the world over. Even in those moments when we feel life is ok and we are almost forgetting, we meet those who have really taken a battering or suffered and we are reminded how truly traumatic these last few months in particular have been for India.  

At J.R.T, it has been wonderful seeing so many familiar faces after my two month absence.  It's lovely to hear how some of you are taking exercise seriously and getting back into taking care of body and mind.  Health and well being has never been more important.  Keep up with the exercise and you'll really reap the benefits.

It's been a busy few weeks back and wonderful to be working on key issues and helping to provide people with that balance.  For those of you who had forgotten I'm back, the studio is open from 8am to 8pm with the last appointment at 6.30pm.  The studio is closed one week day and will be closed once again on Saturdays too.  This allows time to work on other projects and the product that I make.

A nice new AC has been fitted in the studio so we have a cool but comforting space to work in.  There's four new oil scents added to the collection of oils that can be used during the session.  As always, high standards of hygiene is practiced through out and the equipment cleaned between each session.

The Indi-ssentials product range is always available and i know some of you have fallen in love with the muscle ease balm, the candles and I've recently added room sprays which are becoming fastly popular. You can always follow the Instagram or Facebook page for latest updates on these.  I'm currently working on an outdoor candle, ideal for the monsoon season and pesky bugs!

I've missed doing the sound meditation and a lot of you have asked about this.  The group is not presently running as i feel most people are not comfortable yet with a return to a group setting.  However one to one sound meditation can and is being provided.  At the moment i have a special price on the various meditations as i think it is something that is needed right now and it's my pleasure to provide it.  Sound meditation is priced at 1200Rs and guided meditation is priced at 1000Rs for one to one sessions.  You can also book as a couple and the price is 700Rs each for sound meditation and 600Rs each for guided meditation.  You can read more here about guided meditation and sound meditation.

Best wishes to you all right now and have a wonderful monsoon period.

Impact of humidity on muscles and joints

 It's not just cold weather that can make everything hurt.  Did you know that humidity can impact things too!  This heat and humidity is relentless!  It's certainly energy zapping!

But it can really play havoc on your skin and in turn, on muscles and joints.  It can come as a surprise as we expect cold weather to get into the bones and for stiffness to set in but less so in hot and humid weather, however the humidity can affect our muscles and joints for many reasons.

There's the fact that it feels so hot and sticky that we tend to be less active and so less movement occurs.  There's the link between the barometric pressure  (think people who get headachy before a storm) and that humid weather tends to fluctuate between dry and about to rain and so there are fluctuations in the pressure which can cause muscles, joints and tendons to contract and subtract leading to pain in your weaker and more vulnerable issue prone areas.

Some researchers say that temperature and humidity can affect the fluid which fills our joints resulting in inflammation and pain.  This is where dehydration plays a role as we tend to become more dehydrated in humid weather, which can affect the level of fluid around the joints. I would imagine that the heat and humidity can often provide an inflammatory response in the body and the humidity in some ways is like the damp weather without the cold and as has been noted in people, damp and cold is worse on the body than dry and cold.

There are some things we can do but it's also hard to do them, such as staying hydrated despite losing plenty of fluid through the heat and stay indoors and in cooler space....not always easy to do....but at least now we know that when the body feels more achy, humidity definitely plays a role!

J.R.T open once again - 1st July onwards

 J.R.T was closed due to the UK work trip but once again we are back open and ready to deal with any post lockdown fatigue or muscle tension.  It's a chance for you to get those muscular aches and pains resolved, reduce any tension from the sedentary life of having had to stay in one place for some time, or to switch off the mind, relax and find reduce stress.

Massage has so many benefits and at J.R.T we largely offer remedial, sports, deep tissue style massage, working deeply into the muscles to break down areas of tension, remove restrictions, increase sport performance, allow greater ranges of motion and help to alleviate pain.

We also offer our more relaxing massages, to help you switch off, relax and let go of any mental stresses and strain.  This can be offered also through the different forms of meditation, such as the sound meditation and guided meditation.  Both are beautiful forms of meditation that really help you to go deeper within yourself.  One to one or small group classes can be organised.

We look forward to welcoming you through the studio doors soon😊

What a time indeed

 The last several months have been incredibly stressful, a sadness and trauma that no-one can ever really prepare for.  India battled such unbelievably difficult conditions and situations during the second wave and as things begin to open, the trauma from the last few months really begins to come out.

Be gentle to yourself, don't be surprised if you experience a wide range of emotions or feel exhausted now that living on the stress hormone is reducing.  Make time to meditate, journal and sit with your thoughts, to chat with friends and to find a way of releasing some of the emotional stress from recent events.

You can find some wonderfully relaxing music online, or a small journal to write in.  It may not feel like it is necessary but when we take five minutes each day for ourselves it can help us start the day right and allow feelings to process.

Anterior pelvic tilt - remedial therapy jaipur

 As a deep tissue remedial massage therapist, many times i have clients coming in with an anterior pelvic tilt.

So what is an anterior pelvic tilt and how do i know i have this?

An anterior pelvic tilt is where the arch in your back is more pronounced, your hip flexors at the front are tight and tend to be shortened, causing the pelvis to tilt anteriorly/forward. 

You tend to be able to spot if you have an anterior pelvic tilt, as the curve in your back is more pronounced and your abdomen tends to bulge out, regardless of the level of body fat.  It's almost like your pelvis is pointing downwards and your bottom muscles sticking out.

Not everyone who has an anterior pelvic tilt has an issue.  Genetics can have created this or people can function normally with an anterior pelvic tilt and not experience any pains or problems with their body mechanics.....however when people are coming to see me and complaining of pain in their thighs and lower back and have this pelvic tilt, then it's a good tell tale sign that it's something for me to work on. 

What could have caused this?

As already mentioned, it can be simply genetics that you're having to work with but it can also be from

-lots of sitting, shortening the hip flexors, using the back muscles (erector spinae) for greater support rather than core muscles.

-Pregnancy where the hips are rotated forward to make space for baby and post birth with the lifting and holding.

Massage is especially helpful for loosening up the tight muscles and working on fatigued muscles that are having to overcompensate for the week muscles.  They can loosen up the tight fascia and remove restrictions so you can work on strengthening the area which is a big help for getting that pelvis back into neutral alignment.

There's many great YouTube videos out there and you can search for them and read up more on the subject on anterior pelvic tilt.  You can pop in for a treatment so we can assess and see what's going on and if it's likely to be an anterior pelvic tilt or something else such as S.I joint dysfunction, piriformis syndrome, or even posterior pelvic tilt.  But exercise and reconditioning your thought process are big steps in correcting this issue.  Here's some exercises to get you started.  In particular the pelvic tilt is very helpful in getting you to recognise what a neutral and posterior pelvic tilt feels like so you can work on shifting out of that anterior pelvic tilt.

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/anterior-pelvic-tilt-exercises#pelvic-tilt

Happy 2021 and changes at Jaipur Remedial Therapies

 Goodbye 2020 and hello to 2021😄.  It's been a strange year for us all and I'm glad we have all made it to the end, a little battle weary perhaps but we start a new year with the potential for new possibilities.

As we go into this New Year, I'd both like to inform people of some new changes and developments and also a reminder of the terms and agreements.

• A reminder that J.R.T is closed on Wednesdays and Saturdays. My hands need a little rest too and I also work on my other projects.

• A reminder that due to numerous last minute cancellations or no shows and the disruption they cause, there is a 12 hour cancellation policy otherwise a fee of 500Rs will be charged.

• Same day appointments need to be booked in by 1pm, after this time it will not be possible to schedule for the same day, as by then I am usually working on my other projects.  Please don't be offended if I'm unable to reply to your last minute request as i may be caught up with something.

Now we have the terms of service out the way, other updates for J.R.T is that I am currently training in scar tissue work and will be able to offer this in the future to clients within the session. I know some of you already have scars and we will be working together as part of my case studies.

Scar tissue work has seen many benefits, both on reducing the scar tissue, redness and inflammation around the area, bringing sensation back to numb scar tissue and easing muscular restrictions due to build up of collagen.

I have also been training in kinesio taping and once i have completed my case studies and increased my knowledge in this area, i will also be offering this in particular sessions as and when the need arises.  Kinesio taping is especially helpful for acute conditions and great to add at the end of the session to extend the benefit of the treatment and keep the area supported.

Let's see what else 2021 brings for all of us!

Some helpful exercises to benefit you best

 As i have discussed with many of you before, massage works best and sees longer standing results when teamed with exercise, as it's through strengthening muscles and being active that we see lasting results.  Massage works well in conjunction with exercise and can help to reduce the tightness and restrictions, allowing us to exercise better, get better stretches in and increase range of motion so we can work on strengthening.

One of the key areas that often needs loosening up is the piriformis muscle.  A tight piriformis along with other key muscles and weak muscles can be the source of lower back pain.  This video has some key common and useful piriformis exercises in that you can make a part of your regular exercise routine.

Another key area of tension and common issue and goes hand in hand with piriformis pain, is sacroiliac joint pain and this joint can be found at the base of the spine.  Again working on loosening this area up, both by performing the piriformis stretches above and these exercises to help strengthen the surrounding muscles around the SI joint, can be beneficial in reducing lower back pain.

This is another one of Michelle Kenway's videos, as she is very good at explaining how to do it correctly to get the maximum benefit.  This time a video on strengthening the core, as once again, it all goes hand in hand and is all connected.  By strengthening the core, it takes the pressure off the lower back that has had to compensate for weak core muscles and is likely to have in turn caused issues in the glutes, piriformis and SI joint.  Strengthening the core is very important to overall body health.

Hopefully these videos give you a good starting point and a reminder that you are an active participant in your own health and well-being.