Metta Wellness, Ayurveda, Massage & Wellness

Do something nice for yourself. Sounds easy, right. How often have you given a friend, co-worker or partner some good advise, to only not follow it yourself? It just had this happen this week. My client came in, we were talking about self-care, I had suggested that she take some time and do something nice for herself. The next afternoon, I had a client come in for a massage, when I asked her what brought her in, she said," My body was telling me this is what it needed". She took the time to listen to herself. It seems so simple. I do my mediation, and do my herbals, for me its keeping up with my yoga and doing the gentle pampering s of taking time that I forget. So for me, it was a foot scrub! I am either on my feet or using  my feet in my Thai yoga massage, and they sometimes yell for a nice foot scrub. So that's just what I did, a nice eucalyptus sugar scrub followed up with a tea tree lotion bar. My feet have been saying thank you all day. So...

February is a time for , yes - massage! Most of us think about Valentines day, as time to show that you care or love someone special. It can also be the time to work on or focus in on the connection you have with your partner.   Finding ways to spend time, share with your partner that are not the day to day things are important.  We get caught up in out lists of going to work, paying the bills,making dinner, but when was the last time you said to your partner," tonight I'm doing a massage for you"! Massage with essential oils is a great way to share with your partner, your spending time, it works on your connection, and communication, and who doesn't like a massage!   Plan ahead, pick out a few essential oils for you and your partner, then grab some oil(this can be olive oil, coconut oil ), put the oil in a bowl, add a few drops of the essential oil, heat it up, put the music on and your ready. You do not need to be an expert at massage, your partner ...

For me, herbs make sense. When I have a cold, or feeling tired, or struggling with a stuck emotion, I go to my herbs. Herbs can be gentle, soothing, or strong, pungent and sometimes not that pleasant to take. Over time I have come to see that herbs make the journey smoother. Starting simple, like what herbs do you have right now in your kitchen. Most of us have rosemary, cinnamon, ginger and maybe basil or turmeric. With just what you have in this herb kitchen you can start your journey. Now that you have taken a new look inside your herb kitchen, lets find a few ways to work with the ones we have. Over time you will find which herbs you connect to, or relate to, and others you may not. Give the a try, blending, adding to broths, meals, self massage or just simple relax and smell the herbs. What can these kitchen herbs do for you? When I look at the herbs that you may have, I think of rosemary oil for cooking(maybe garlic in that) this is perfect for lungs and heart opener. ...

When you start out in the work world, you just never know where you may end up. I was lucky to find what I love, go to school for it, find a job and now my work my passion are the same. I would tell you, it was not an easy start, many hours looking at the phone, working on web sites, finding the right fit of massage, energy balance and marketing myself. It took time to see how it would work and if I could make it work. Their is nothing better then working with a client and seeing them get some relief, whether it's through the massage, meditation or finding a balance in their routine. Massage can do all this, it relaxes the body, brings relief to the muscles and calms the mind body connection. It is also the perfect companion to your wellness routine, helping strengthen the immune system over time. For me, learning ways to work with many different clients, understanding the mind body connection and working with my clients to find balance is so rewarding. I know that when I a...

Body image. Almost everybody has something about their body that they don’t like. For many people it’s a minor issue, no big deal. But some people have a major issue with their body image. It affects how they live and their happiness. When I tell some people that I’m a massage therapist it can cause a strong reaction. They tell me, whether verbally or through their reaction and body language, that massage is not for them.  The paradox here is that massage can really help with body image issues. In massage school we were all nervous about taking off our clothes and letting somebody else touch us. It didn’t take long for us to discover that bodies are just bodies and become much more comfortable with our own. We also experienced how good receiving a massage made us feel. Something unexpected happened – when our bodies felt better we felt better about our bodies. I think there are  options to consider. 1. Don’t get a massage, nothing changes This is the easiest because...

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. ...

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...

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 g...

Winter Foot Salve with Garlic, Indian Long Pepper and Ginger  What a perfect way to heat the body and keep colds at bay during the long winter months, we have it right here at Metta Wellness  our own Winter Salve. Wild crafted, small batches of Winter foot salve in 1oz tin or 2oz twist top( for those that like the benefit with out the work). The blend of garlic and  Indian long pepper infused in olive oil with ginger essential oils along with Vit E and castor oil to help heat the body and help clear the system to better handle colds and flues that may come your way over the long winter months. Find the option that works best for you. We have crafted a small 1oz tin , you apply the salve to the bottom of the feet at night before bed, or a 2oz twist top for ease of just rubbing onto the bottom of the feet at night.  Our salves are made in small batches from oils that we have for the majority been wild crafted , when we are unable to harvest our own h...

The meaning behind Metta Wellness is a powerful and person connection to myself, my space and my work. The word "Metta" is simply translated to, "Loving Kindness", for me this is my work. Several years ago, when I was thinking and in-visioning working in a space, my own space. I knew I need to have a name that would say how I felt about my work, my clients, my space. As time goes, and we move forward, we realize that what we are looking  for is right here. Let me share: When I started this path with massage, I had a plan in mind to finish school and just work, simple. As my path unfolded in front of me, I started my first work as a massage and Reiki practitioner at a womens shelter and at a home for cancer patients. Far from what I planned, but yet where I should be. I learned the power of touch and the power of the human spirit. This was the turning point for me, I learned to follow the path that my work was going, not to force myself to be what I thought...

Yes, that would be me, and the thought of massage and blogging. I have that look of, "what, blog"and what is massage and blogging and how does that go together.. So here I am, and will be. I have decided to blog twice a week on massage, Ayurveda and wellness. Why, because I want to share with you my love for what I do, and why I do this work. Over the past 9 years of doing this work I've learned a from my clients, reading, observing and doing ;so many ways to help bring balance into lives. One thing we all need is a little reminder from time to time, so I am being reminded to share, learn and yes blog. So hopefully you read, comment or share, as we work to inspire each other through our journeys of massage and blogging. Who am I: Heather, I work with for and at Metta Wellness , my space to share massage, Ayurveda and bring wellness in a holistic space.

Why Rest? I hear this a lot form my clients. Anyone that has come to Metta Wellness for a massage or an Ayurveda treatment knows that at the end of every type of  bodywork I do, I have you rest time at the end. Our lives are busy, whether its work, home, kids, we are always going, and taking very little time to our selves. I realized the importance of rest when I was doing body work for cancer clients years ago. I learned so much about taking time, it's not till we think our time is limited do we take the time to live it. I was blessed with working with a group of clients that where all part of a study on how the body responds during stress, how much more stress can you have then cancer? With this we worked with  the simple touch of massage, reiki, and relaxation techniques such as meditation and resting the mind body. We found that our clients had an easier time with their cancer treatments while they where in this program. From their I worked in an Ayurvedic clinic and a...

Lets get healthy and Balanced with Metta  Wellness As we have entered into summer people ask me often enough, how do you stay healthy and get everything done with four kids and starting your own business? So now is the time,lets get healthy and  balanced  with Metta Welness. Massage  is my main focus, my passion at  Metta Welness, and to stay healthy I eat healthy, think healthy and try to live healthy. I have a busy, yet simple life, I work, I cook ,do laundry, relax with the family, and enjoy time sneaking away here and their (sometimes with everyone and sometimes on my own). The key is balance, from my work to my home life they all over lap, we work together to help each other, and to create the space we each need(some days its easy, and others I would like to stay in bed). I eat, create and cook healthy meals( sometimes the kids think I’m a little crazy about eating healthy, but).  My work, I do massage therapy with a back ground in Ayurveda, y...

Summer is here, and it's time to help keep the body, mind cool. What better way to keep cool then a cucumber infused water, with rose petals, sage or maybe rosemary. Take 1/2 cucumber, sliced          2 quarts water          Additional options: rose-petals, sage, mint,lemon,ginger or rosemary Place the cucumbers in jar,top with any additional herbs and pour water over and place in frig, sip through out day. I like to make mine the night before and place in the frig, this allows the flavors from the cucumber and herbs to infuse into the water.Try different combinations of cucumber water, see what you come up with, and share with us on facebook . Benefits of cucumber water: Good for your muscles and joints, cucumbers contain silica which is known to strengthen the connective tissues. Cucumber helps with elimination due to the high water content. Cucumber water helps with keeping the skin clear. Cucumber water will help ke...

The joy of creating my own oils, teas, and salves with wild harvesting.  Wild Harvesting Roses for Heart Glycerin  I have worked in massage therapy and Ayurveda for the last  nine years and through this time have learned, and continue to learn the art of creating. With massage you are always learning and working and finding new(sometimes old) ways to work with and help with issues of the body. With Ayurveda, we are looking at the body,mind spirit connection and finding ways that you can build balance in your everyday life. With balance we create harmony and in harmony we are in a healthy space. While working at the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center in Lancaster,MA I learned to make oils for dosha balance. When learning  the oil making, we worked with large amounts of herbs, most would come in a dry or powdered form, and we would make the oils from their.Over time I learned how to blend herbs for our clients for many different healing treatments, such as oils t...

Yes, the beauty of Thai yoga massage , one of my favorite modalities to practice and work with. When I was finishing up school for Massage Therapy in 2005, one of our last classes was to help introduce us to all the different types of massage that where out their. So we spent time with hot stone massage, body scrubs, and then we got a taste of a few more modalties that we could continue in learning after we finished schooling. Yes, one of them was Thai massage, or Thai Yoga Massage(also know as Lazy Mans yoga), I was hooked.I took a table Thai class right away, enjoyed it, but felt that their was more to it, so I went on the search. I found a teacher that taught here in the states and traveled back to Thailand every year to continue with her practice. I started from their, and at the same time did my Ayurveda training,and found Lotus Palm, school for Thai Ayurveda Training. Now I could take the Thai massage and Ayurveda along with my background in Swedish Massage and truly enjo...

You hear this from me a lot, take time for yourself. So have you? With our schedules so busy, and the feeling of having to get everything done, its a wonder we forget to stop and take time for ourselves. I shared some easy recipes with you this week and some ideas of dry brushing as I have focused on self, and getting ready for spring, and spring allergies. At Metta Spa , Ayurveda is the controlling factor of my space, how we eat, sleep, exercise, and so on, so my goal is to share with you every week easy tips to add into your daily life to find balance. So as we go off for this long weekend, many of you will have Good Friday off along with Easter Monday, so I am sharing a real easy wake your skin up recipe. We found this one to work great is you make it the night before and use it in the morning. Wake Up Coffee Facial: 1/3 cup base oil, almond,sesame or coconut 1 tsp organic honey 1 1/2 tsp coffee grounds(use the ones from your morning coffee) Add everything together and...

April is a great time of the year, weather is changing, flowers are starting to pop up, and that means allergies.So this question has come up several times in the last few weeks about Oil-Pulling, perfect timing, because it goes along with the seasons and helps in so many ways including allergies.So what does Ayurveda thinks of it , how it works, and where to start, lets tackle oil pulling today. First "What is oil-pulling? A little background on oil-pulling:Ayurveda is a time tested, 5,000 year old traditional based; all natural healing. With Ayurveda comes many methods of keeping the body in balance through meditation, yoga, massage, daily routine and yes one is oil-pulling. Ayurveda has many modalities all to achieve health, working to maintain a healthy balanced body, mind and spirit. So what is oil-pulling? Simply put, part of the Ayurveda morning ritual to wake up and flush toxins and bacteria out of the body.Oil-pulling has a powerful detoxifying effect,you are pul...

Personalized Oils I love when a client comes into my space for the first time. I start off, like most massage therapist, with a simple health form, but after that nothing is the same from that point on. That health form is my jumping off point, a warm up, for understanding the goal of each client that comes in the door. A massage with me at Metta Spa(Heather Small) will not only settle the body, relax the muscles, but get you started on your road to a healthier balanced mind body and spirit. One way that I will do that is to create your own personalized oils, allowing you to move forward each time you come in for your massage. Think about it for a moment, we all have some stresses in our lives, work, friends, our partners, kids ,taking care of our homes, each day presents us with a different challenge.The healthier the mind, body spirit connection is, the better off we are to handle the stresses that come our way. Some days are great, and others you cant wait to crawl into bed. ...

Self love is strength! Love is a very powerful thing. We have to start with ourselves, the power we have and the power we can create? With all the work I do, no matter the issue it always come back to issues in the self. When we love ourselves this is a strength in our self . We can then easily handle areas of stress and you are then able to move forward with greater self. Stop and think for a moment. All of us, at different times in our life have issues, work, family, kids, finances, friends, but the difference is how we handle these things. These issues will either give us the strength to move forward or hold us back from the person we can become. How we feel about ourselves has so much to do with how we react to our environment and how we impact the people around us. We all come into our world with a different self, a different way of looking at the world, and a different way to react to things. Over time our experiences will encourage, shift, or force us to become the ...