Metta Wellness, Ayurveda, Massage & Wellness

The Holidays are a wonderful and busy time of the year, friends, family, holiday parties and so much more... During this time of the year, it's important to take time for yourself. Finding ways to stay stress free will help you go through the season and make for a joyful time. Meditation: take some time for yourself everyday. Find a quite space and time at least once a day for 10-15min. You may find that guided, mindfulness, mantra or clearing the mind meditation works for you. Explore and find the one that connects to you.  Healthy Eating: As we enjoy our holiday parties, food, wine, many tempting treats make sure your are getting some healthy alternatives in. Check in, make sure you are eating balanced meals and plenty of fluids to keep the body nourished during this time of the year. Enjoy a nice cup of tea or hot cocoa and just sit back and enjoy.Herbal teas can be nourishing, healing and calming, find the tea that speaks to you (I go towards my meditation tea duri

Yes, Thai Yoga Massage! The massage style, type of massage, pressure and even down to the music: everyone is a little different. Massage is beneficial to the the body mind as a whole. This is why it is so important to find the massage that is best for you. When a client comes in,  I will asses where they are(how you are feeling, how is the body) and what the goal is for the massage for the day. Most clients come in due to an injury and quickly find that sometimes bringing them back into balance is the first step. Thai Yoga Massage has long flowing stretches to help move the muscular system, help tone the inner organs and balance the nervous system. Thai Yoga massage is part of an ancient healing system, getting its roots from Ayurveda , one of the oldest holistic healing techniques So why not take some time and re-balance the body through Thai Yoga Massage at Metta Wellness .

As I move Metta Wellness into its new space this week, I am guided by the simplicity of change. I went to a Buddhist Temple this weekend, and was given a light, a small candle to sit in front of the Buddha, and as I did I stepped back and observed in calm and full of peace. It was then explained that the candle is a symbol of guidance( as you enter your home at night, you turn on the light, now you can see) this is the candle left behind. Inside you you have that light, and you can clearly see.This was a powerful time, as any change, we fell fear, anxiety and excitement and moving your work is no different. This calm in this move, the candle just reminds you that you have the light to see clearly inside of your self. With this change, I have come to appreciate that vulnerability, in myself and the people around me. As I move forward and move Metta Wellness into our new space, I welcome this change, this is a time to reflect, learn and grow with this change in front of us.

As fall is officially here, I start to think about baking, family, and wrapped up in warmth. I love the cool crisp mornings, making pumpkin pancakes before heading out for the day.   Blending of winter herbal teas, heated massage tables, and preparing to settle into the cold nights. At Metta Wellness we fell change is good, and as we move into the change of seasons, stop by,, see what we're doing to help you go through the seasons.

Yes, peaceful and relaxed after a few days of meditation, and self care. Metta Wellness has many great challenges and changes ahead, and I'm looking forward to sharing that with you in the weeks to come. Now offering Herbal Ayurveda Consults, and many new herbal products are out on the shelf. If you have not tried the magnesium night lotion yet, now is the time to order yours. So stay close, and check in often to see what were up to here at Metta Wellness.

Lets get set for the change with a stress free month! In our house September can be like many other homes, busy! From organizing fall schedules, to getting back into routines, many great changes. Changes can be great, but sometimes a challenge, so lets face this season in a relaxed space. This month lets focus on relaxing ways to manage this busy schedule and tips to reduce stress as these changes come in. I cannot think of a better way to relax and get rid of stress then an Anti-stress massage. I thought that since this is our featured massage at Metta Wellness for the month of September, it's the perfect place to start the month! Our Anti-Stress massage is just that, no stress! This massage is done with warm herbalized oils with soothing music to calm the system. This is a very slow, relaxing body treatment with elements of gentle flowing massage strokes and energy balancing techniques. You will feel stress fee, calm and a sence of bliss at the end of this massage.

As we come to the end of another month, summer will quickly come to an end. Now is a great time to sneak away and take those last minute trips. Take your time when planning your trip, or just a day to sneak away and pack a few self care items. Look ahead at your journey, are you spending time outside,  will you be in the car for long hours sitting or driving. are you staying at a friends house, rental or hotel are their potential allergens , such as a pet do or environmental differences from your own space. Taking just a few minutes and looking at a few simple questions, you can then plan your travel care packet for your trip.As you have seen in the past month, I pack my herbal teas, allergy oils, cold capsules, and magnesium lotion. I am packing for my trip now, and looking at the fact that I will be camping, hiking and harvesting herbs, I will make sure I have my care packet supplied with herbal bug spray, anti itch stick and immune boosting teas to help with my ou

Yes, as I'm checking my dates, and looking at kids getting back to school, I too am sneaking away for a relaxing journey. This year is going to be a year of great changes and movement at Metta Wellness as well as at home.On the work front, I am teaching more,doing Herbal Consults and working on bringing you herbal products for your everyday along with seasonal changes( and yes specialized massage oils for balance). At home we have kids getting ready to go back to school from wrapping up college to starting high school, this is a big year. So, balance is in need. Now as I have picked my dates for my journey, planning my road trip with AAA, setting up a dog sitter, I also make sure I have my travel kit. As I pack, I add in my herbal teas( a great allergy defense tea and my stress tamer tea) magnesium lotion along with my personal dosha oil. For me, my dosha oil is a blend of vata and pitta, to cool , center and ground, this helps balance my system (which when we travel can e

As we pack up our cars, or check in at baggage claim, this is the time of the year most of try to fit in any last minute travel plans.This year lets take a few minutes and do a little self check, how are you feeling, is their any stress or anxiety with this trip, did you pack a self care kit? For me, I love to travel, to take a journey, weather it is back home( I'm from a small southern town) or somewhere I have never been (India). When I pack, I pack a self care kit, yes, with things that I know will make my trip a little smoother. Last week I shared with  you my love for packing my tea jar, I went for a weekend away last month, and it was so nice to get back to our hotel room and their on the counter was my tea, waiting.This week I will share another life saver -I pack in my kit, night lotion. Like most people, I struggle to fall asleep, and when I travel I find it to be harder, so I have a this magnesium lotion that I bring, and just rub some into my legs at night, and it

Welcome August! For most of us, this is the end of the summer vacations, kids getting ready for school, heading off to college for the first time, back to our routines and schedules. For me, work will slow down in the massage side of things this month, while vacations are at hand, but will be busy with the herbal side, drying and prepping for oils and salves. I also use this time to sneak away and plan some space to rejuvenate and reflect before the winter comes in. As we have these times of ebb and flow, we forget to take care of our selves, and a little planning will go a long way to make this time run smooth. So as you are planning those last minute beach days, or sneaking in a road trip, think about self care. Throughout the month of August, each week we will find ways to plan, pack and stay healthy while on these end of summer journeys. For me, I love my herbal teas, so before a trip I will blend a tea - if it's a day trip I will make it and have it ready t

As July comes to an end, what ways have you found to keep cool this month? As you focus in on self, self care and keeping cool in the hot summer months, think yoga. Yoga helps with blood flow, breathing and self awareness, so what better way to cool down. I find for myself being a a pitta dosha(Ayurveda constitution that typically runs hot) that yoga with a heart centering and grounding focus helps to keep my mind and body calm helping me feel cooler.  Poses that are helpful for cooling would be child's pose, mountain, cat cow, downward dog, warrior 1(or side angle), and so many more. Finding a pose that works not only for your body type, but for the season will help you to stay cool and balanced. Explore a yoga class, or look for more information for pitta, heart centering or cooling yoga. Learning to work with your body and the many ways to cool down the body will help with the seasonal changes.

As we focus on keeping the body cool this summer, lets talk about that scalp! In the hot summer months keeping cool can sometimes be a challenge, and keeping a cool head can be an even bigger challenge. If your anything like me, I get a hot head, and face(to much pitta dosha) and its hard to keep it cool. But with a few tricks, you can make it easier. I work a lot with clients that come in for stress, headaches, hair-loss,TMJ, and more that need a focus from the shoulders up. One thing I do, is blend together a herbal oil to help, whether we need to stimulate or cool down the scalp to relieve tension. In Ayurveda we have many tools to cool the body, so why not cool the head. Some of my simple oils:Blend coconut oil with rosewater and maybe a drop of lavender essential oil to cool and relax then massage into the scalp with a circulatory motion. I also like to apply a small amount of aloe to the center point(crown charka) in the heat of summer to bring the cooling in fast. Make

Create your own Flavored Water July is a great time to explore with your cooling summer drinks: I like to start with a large mason jar, drop in sliced: cucumber lemon and mint Fill with water, and place in the frig overnight, the next morning you have a great herbalized water for cooling and detoxifying . Try: Lemon balm and mint - cooling and calming, I also like to play around with Strawberry and rosemary or Watermelon and ginger. Try your own combinations of herbalized water, let me know what you like to add to your water. Have fun and stay hydrated this summer                                                                                                                                                                     Heather Small is a licensed massage therapist, Ayurvedic body worker and herbalist at Metta Wellness. She has continued her studies and brings that knowledge to her clients and readers, encouraging them to continue of a path

Allergies can be difficult for many people to deal with, so finding ways to relive some so the symptoms is one way to deal with the discomfort. One way we find relief form allergies is through a few simple steps that we add to our daily routine. 1tsp raw honey with turmeric and black pepper honey works as a cleaning agent to the body, so as it moves through the system it picks up things and carries them through( like pollen's, dirt)  to helps eliminate them black pepper and turmeric work together, the black pepper activates the turmeric and the body, while the turmeric is an anti-inflammatory agent for the body. Allergies cause discomfort equaling inflammation that will result in puffy eyes, stuffy nose, etc. Essential oil diffuser I take a blend of peppermint, lemon and lavender essential oils and add to my diffuser at home and will run at night to help clear the air, leaving smelling fresh and opening my sinus passages. I will also do a second blend of the pepperm

Thai Foot Massage becoming my clients favorite healing tool. I love sharing different techniques with my clients, and their is nothing better then finding just the right combination for and with your client. I am continually learning different ways to work with issues, such as headaches, stress reduction, low back pain right down to anxiety. Every client is different, so, each combination of treatments can be different. I start by checking in with you, what are your goals, what brought you to me for body-work,then onto  health forms a few questions and from their we see what will work best for you. After a while you know what treatment combination you like, and as we continue to adjust over time , weather it be oils, essential oils, herbs, teas, right down to maybe a different combination of body-work. One combination that has become a favorite of quite a few of my clients is a massage,  followed by a Thai Foot massage. A Thai foot massage can be very deep, working into

Yes, I love Nettle, and as you see I  featured them last week in my teas:  Blueberry Nettle and Nettle with Rose-hip and Cinnamon chip. Both have the nourishment that we need in the change of season and are a great source of vit.C, not to mention they taste great. You will also find nettle in my massage oil for the head and scalp massage(helps wake up the scalp while nourishing the pores, this oil is made right at Metta Wellness), along with my muscle oil for the Ayurvedic treatment Kati Basti.   Not sure what an Ayurvedic Kati Basti is? Start off with an Abhyanga or a warm oil application, wrapped in warm towels you will rest while the oils soak into the area or areas that we are working.This treatment can be done on the low back, neck area, stomach and yes even for the eyes(different oils are used for the eye treatment), each one has its own herbalized oils that I make here at Metta Wellness, your oil could have up to 20 different herbs that are infused in your oils to work w

Yes here we are, between winter cold and wet damp Spring. As the weather starts to change this is the time to prepare the body and mind for the spring. A great way to do this is with a gentle cleanse. I like to start with teas, then add in daily massage(I do garshana then abhyanga), this wakes up the system while starting to clean out the old. This is also the time that I slowly decrease any bad habits that I have picked up over the long winter months, mine would be lack of my yoga practice and coffee. So as the weather is changing, I slow down on my coffee intake, and add in yoga, while eating warm nourishing foods with herbs that my body needs along with cleansing teas.                                    Look for  Metta Wellness  for massage and body-work, and now  Metta Wellness Herbals  for your blends of our in-house teas, oils and salves. The products and body-work offered by Metta Wellness are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. If you have or

To me this is the ideal Winter body-treatment, warm and focused on sore muscles. I start with warm herbalized oils( one of my own blends of wild harvested herbalized oils ) applied to the body, then a relaxation time while the herbs soak in, while you are resting I am heating up your herbal poultices. The herbal poultice will be used  in a quick rhythmic tapping to heat the joints and muscles while breaking up stagnation in the body, leaving you feeling warm and blissful. The herbs I have blended  together are to help relax the muscles while encouraging circulation with your herbal goal in mind. I have three herbal poultice blends, a Stress and Relaxation Herbal Poultice,Arthritis and Joint Pain Herbal Poultice and Muscle Relaxing Herbal Poultice.Before your treatment we will work together to pick the herbal blend that is best for your body.  The products and body-work offered by Metta Wellness are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. If you have or sus

What have I been up to on my Snow Day, Peaceful Centering Tea Yes, in the past two weeks we have had several snow days. I wanted to stay busy and I did! I did my share of shoveling and I enjoyed getting outside and feeling that cool crisp air, feeling the crunch of the snow under your feet. As I found myself much like other people out shoveling, I found my body to be a little tender(could be from our dog that pulled me on the snow/ice). So I did what I always do, made an oil for my muscles(coconut oil infused with pomegranate,comfrey oil and a blend of essential oils), blended a tincture (milky oats and passion) then sat down with a cup of herbal tea(sample available at Metta Wellness after each massage). Woke up feeling fine, and no areas of tender muscles. I love to work with and blend my herbs, I use them before an issue arises, such as the snow and shoveling, I prepared herbs to help relax and sooth the muscles since they had been worked in a different way. Think o

Metta Wellness offers Maharishi Ayurveda, what is that you ask: Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old traditional way of healing form  India  based on a whole body approach of mind, body, and spirit. Working with your  doshas  and daily routine to create balance.  Maharishi Ayurveda  has worked over time to bring the principles of traditional Ayurveda here for everyone and that is just what Metta Wellness is working to do. Maharishi Ayur-Veda  is a health care system based on an analysis of health from the deepest  quantum mechanical  level in nature, the  Unified Field . Vata, Pitta and  Kapha , the three doshas, were the first expressions of the Unified Field. They are located at the deepest  level of nature’s functioning. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are subtle but powerful fields that create the structure and function of the physical world including the  human body . Maharishi Ayur-Veda works to treat imbalances that are present in Vata, Pitta, Kapha and their subdivisions. Imbalance in t

2014 was a great start for Metta Wellness, thank you for welcoming me into your space! We went through some changes this past year and you shared in my learning as I worked with my herbs and Essential Oils as I have slowly brought them into our space to share with you and your families. Now a new year starts, a time of many possibilities and forward movement, Welcome in the New Year! This year will continue to bring change to Metta Wellness,such as:              I will continue my Herbal Journey with a focus on pulse diagnose, bringing this to full circle at Metta Wellness in late spring early summer.This will allow me to work with my clients on a focused long or short term goal using massage, personalized oils and teas, along with some tinctures and at home goals to help with an overall holistic balance.              I will introduce a great head and scalp stimulating massage this year. This one has come by great request, and over time I have worked on the massage, and I am no