Author Archives: Regine

“Prime Time?” or “Middle Age??”

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Patricia Cohen has recently released a book entitled In Our Prime, The Invention of Middle

PCohenBookCover

Patricia Cohen: In Our Prime

Age which discusses what it means to be “middle aged” how the term originated and when we are considered to be middle aged – somewhere between 45 and 64…..Cohen calls middle age “cultural fiction” which is re-defined by different cultures, generations – I would suggest, demographics.

Middle age is something we don’t want to enter, yet we don’t want to leave to become older either. (We keep hearing “50 is the new 30…”  does that mean we wish we were 30 again?). So according to the book, women can do more, be more and have more than ever now in these years, yet we are still trying to stay young-looking and – even if we are admitting to our age, we are denying it by donning the trends of the young and fighting to look the part.

I heard Ms. Cohen and others discussing this topic on NPR and I was interested for a few reasons – I have recently turned 45 (wondering if middle was to describe me from this moment on), I work in an industry as an esthetician wherein it seems everything is about putting off aging, reversing aging or making money off of those who are, and I am fascinated by the trend of women and men in their 40′s and 50′s doing anything and everything to stay thin, almost insanely active and trendy in appearance as well as attitude.

Don't blame yourself for middle age skin

Vintage Palmolive Ad

I don’t begrudge people the desire to stay active and attractive as they get older. I do have some frustrations with those people who feel as if they should be able to purchase good looks or younger skin instead of doing regular self-care and preventative maintenance. It isn’t difficult! Accept your age. Accept your genes. THEN, take care of your skin and take care of your body because it is the only one you have – the only one you will ever have. Don’t expect me or my colleagues (or your plastic surgeon or Dermatologist) to “fix you up” if you are not willing to cleanse your skin and invest (money and time) in some minor self-care routine maintenance.

I do believe that your 40′s can be “prime time!” Women especially are so lucky to have access right now to affordable skin care and spa treatments all over – especially here in Los Angeles. The advances in products and in sun protection are amazing and all it takes is a little dedication to maintain beautiful skin and even reverse damage! There are even low-cost non-surgical treatments to tone and lift the body and face that are good for your body that don’t require down time. My advice is this:

If you are not close to middle age, stay healthy inside and out. Eat and drink healthful, non-inflammatory foods. Get to know your body and what it needs. Take care of those needs. If you are in middle age, do the same, but really pay attention to the inflammatory process. See PerriconeMD.com or Chopra.com for some good information.

Keep a good attitude, how you feel about others shows on your face; How you feel about yourself will show up in your body.

Be grateful for what your body can do, not sad about what you feel you have lost (in looks or ability). Do what you can to stay active, breathe and focus mindfully. Life is a gift and there are many ways to enjoy what we have.

Remember that you have earned those lines, spots and creases. According to Chinese face-reading, deep lines, especially around the mouth (parenthesis, or naso-labial folds) are an indication of one who has lived an authentic life. Live your authentic life and be proud of your journey!

Above all, take the time, every single day to do your self-care. That can mean a 2 minute or a 20 minute ritual – that can mean a quick cleanse, tone and moisture to a self massage and affirmation session with several serums and creams on top– (all the better!). Just do something everyday to care for the one body you have. Compassion starts within your own heart for your own self.

Your body is your world – LIVE in it!!

 

 

Namaste,

Regine

 

 

 

Do you feel unbalanced?

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In the past few weeks, I have had so many clients and co-workers with one-sided energetic or somatic (body-related) complaints it seems almost coincidental.

Have you ever felt as if your body is “off” on just one side – Left or right? Do you tend to get injured or have aches and pains on one side only?

This is really not uncommon, and we could say that it is due to many mundane things such as a person being right-hand dominant, or sitting at a computer all day with a monitor on the left, turning the neck to left all day; Talking on the phone on the right side; Driving for hours each commute;  A dental hygienist that must always work leaning to one side…..

There are also Eastern medicine theories that are interesting and worth exploring. These are the “energetic” issues that I mention that I believe affect our bodies as well.

Most of us have heard of Yin and Yang. We have seen the symbol – half-black-half-white the round disk with the s-like division – and it is vaguely familiar that it has something to do with Chinese medicine or martial arts and Balance. That is really it – everything has a balance of energy – sun and moon, dark and light, cold and hot, male and female, etc…

In Chinese medicine these aspects of energy are also found in energy lines of the body called meridians and also our organs are assigned to either Yin or Yang energy. We also have a Yang “side” – the dorsal (or back) side and the Yin “side” is the ventral (or front) side. Some practitioner-instructors have also told me that the left side is also the more Yin side and that right is the more Yang.

In Yoga and Ayurveda (the ancient traditional medicine of India) the energetic lines of the body are called Nadis and include not only energy channels but all of the blood, lymph, air, fluid, nerve and waste pathways to comprise what is said to be 72,000 channels. The main channels are the Sushumna, which is the central channel; The Ida, which is the left channel and the Pingala, the right channel. The Ida corresponds to the Yin in Chinese medicine and the Pingala corresponds to the Yang.

So, is this energetic information something more than just of passing interest to the average spa-goer? I think so. These ancient anatomical lessons have so much wisdom and have been around for so long, we would be silly not to learn them and incorporate some of their material into our lives.

For example: If I have a client with a tendency to injure or have difficulty with his or her left or Yin/Ida side, I try to analyze what the energetic pattern is. Is there a lack of energy? For example, is there tightness, holding, and/or weakness, or an unwillingness to use that side – Or is there an overuse – overbuilt muscles compared to the right side, overuse injuries, bruising, inflammation, etc…

I may ask some questions of the client as to what types of activities that they are willing to do at home for self-care – are you willing to do stretching, work out, meditate, use skin care products, take some time for yourself. If they already do these things and perhaps to excess – gym 6 days a week, work overtime, socialize several times a week, drink, talk a lot, etc – This is a Yang personality and may have weak Yin or Ida.

If the client says “I don’t have time to work out (wash my face, stretch, do self-care) I have a stressful job, my kid and life are so demanding…” this person is probably Yang deficient or a Yin personality.

I see more of the latter in women – seems odd for a woman to be weak in the “female” energy right? Not so much these days, I’m afraid. Women have forgotten to RECEIVE. That is the main Yin energy that is lacking in my book. Our society is so go, go, do, do – We just are not listening, not receiving information, love, help, or nourishment – Not even from ourselves.

I tell my clients, my students – everyone who will listen – Please do self-care rituals. Even if it is a few seconds of stretching in the evening or morning – you can cleanse, tone and moisturize your face and it can be a self-care ritual. You can sit in the kitchen and drink your tea or coffee with no TV news (and just enjoy it) for your ritual. Listen to your best friend tell you about her newest shoe purchase with interest. Take a walk. Just receive life as it happens for awhile.

Does this mean men don’t have this issue? – of course not. Men too – please take the time to take care of yourselves and those you love.

Men and women who try to power their way through life (Yang/Pingala energy) may have overuse injuries as well. Patience is difficult for these types and it can be hard to enjoy the journey for the constant thought of the goal. “Eye on the prize” is the way of life for these people and even if their body is being injured in the process, it just will not occur to them to slow down or take a few days off to rest.

I have actually asked an injured client (who was in severe pain) what exactly he was training for so diligently that kept him from taking a couple of days off to heal… The guy looked at me and was kind of confused … “Training? What do you mean” I said, you know, are you training for a race or a marathon or competition? He said no….As if I were crazy. I then asked him why exactly he could not take some time off to heal, since he was not going to miss a race or let a team down…Or was I missing something? He basically said that if he did not work out he would go crazy.

I have heard this before and I try to give people suggestions of things that they can do with their time to keep them busy – Or at least lighter workouts to perform. I tell them that there is no score being kept for MOST PAIN TOLERATED (and the winner is…..).

So, there are many kinds of things that bring bodies to the table. Sometimes it is lack of use, sometimes overuse; sometimes it is illness and sometimes grief. Every once in a great while, a celebration brings bodies to the spa, and that is really nice.

Most often we need to balance our lives, we need to work hard, play hard and rest. We need to let life bring joy and happiness, knowledge and challenge to us. We must meet challenge and bitterness with strength and moral fortitude and with physical stamina that we can only get from balance in body mind and spirit.

We only get one body, one life…

Your body is your world…LIVE in it!!!

 

Namaste,

Regine

 

http://lieske.com/channels.htm

http://www.yogajournal.com/wisdom/927

http://www.tantra-kundalini.com/nadis.htm

Beauty, hope comes from those who seek it..

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I had the amazing opportunity this past month to do makeup for a photoshoot for a brochure that was destined for breast cancer survivors (or other survivors of illnesses that cause hair loss).

I was so touched by the models – The women that I worked on were beautiful – literally physically gorgeous and had the kind of demeanors that lit up the room. The energy from them was lovely and they had so much patience I could not help but feel silly and almost ashamed of myself for my own impatience with the small (and some large) problems that came up during the day.

These women were not in perfect health, but either in remission or in a good place at the moment. They were happy to help in this shoot because they wanted other women to be able to find a place to get beautiful hair as they had done and find nice, kind people to help them through this most difficult time, so that they could face their co-workers and families without so much dicrimination and sadness…

I was so inspired by these womens’ physical stamina to withstand a full day of costume, wig and makeup changes, uncomfortable sets and lighting and general discomfort. I was worn out and a bit cranky by the end, but I kept thinking that No, things did not go perfectly, but really things do not go perfectly in life and that is why we are who we are and how we learn – That is why I got the chance to meet these outstanding, beautiful people. things did not go perfectly for them and for some other women out there it will not go perfectly either. We will be there for them and help them present themselves with beauty and give them hope to carry on their lives with as much kindness and grace as we can.

Thank you for sharing your own Beauty and Hope with us!!

 

Namaste,

Regine

Talk about scary…What do you fear?

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This past weekend, I was out with friends and we started talking about the crazy things that people do for “adrenaline rush” – Like jump out of airplanes, watch scary movies or on a sadder note, self-mutilation……

We debated about what was “crazy” what was “normal” and socially acceptable (to whom, to what society, etc) and I found it incredibly interesting. For example, cutting is unfortunate, sad and recognized as a behavioral disorder of self-mutilation. But branding is a socially acceptable “body art” that has become popular as a permanent tattoo alternative for people wanting to prove themselves or go through a coming-of-age-type experience. Some have argued both are “crazy” (not my words!- In this weekend’s discussion the practice of hanging by meat hooks was also taken up and I won’t go into that now!). The question is: Why is this practice being done? What is the motivation and is it “healthy” or not, I suppose…..

We have television shows that are designed to freak us out by showing disgusting foods, situations or experiences, we have scary movies, we have voyeuristic “reality shows” that range from fame-seeking party kids to wild terrain survival shows – And these are all here for us to feel things we never feel in our own lives….(??!!). Really? We NEVER feel enough excitement?

I thought we were a stressed-out society…I thought we all needed escape from our own reality of high unemployment and high gas prices, and that we all needed more happy movies and thoughts. The deal is that we all do need an escape and most people do prefer to experience positive emotions (according to  Andrade and  Cohen. “On the Consumption of Negative Feelings” Journal of Consumer Research: August 2007) – However, there are many people that derive pleasure from thrills and chills – From extreme sports to extremely violent games, and activities (whether real or virtual) that can increase our blood pressure, liven our senses and make us forget our troubles.

Thrills of all kinds can give us a sense of relief, too – When the bad bit is done – The movie is over, the conflict resolves, the game won, the sport or adventure accomplished; We feel that sense of release that we really need. Maybe that sense of relief that we are unable to acheive in our life of unending stress or un-realized goals or unpaid mortgages and on and on.

So, are we looking for a surrogate for life’s real challenge-and-win? What are we really afraid of? I can tell you that. Most people I know are deathly afraid of silence, sitting still and facing their own thoughts. We are afraid of facing our own judgements. This is, in truth what most of us fear to face.

I have some really good news. You are much too hard on yourself! Take it easy, you are gonna be okay – Just give it a try. Take a deep breath – Sit down and try quiet for a few minutes. Listen to your own breath, your own thoughts and what is going on inside. Now, be nice! Try to be compassionate with yourself and just breathe. You do not need to solve the problems in front of you. Nor anyone else’s problems. Just rest and relax. Just for a few minutes. You may find a bit of clarity here.

Was that scary? Difficult? I know. We all avoid the silence when the going gets tough. Good thing for Halloween and Scary movies……Try some sitting though, too

 

Some days I feel every Breath, Touch, Thought is a Universal Connection

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Pleasant or not -Stay Present!

Some Days are so Intense.

Maybe I am feeling badly, in pain or tired and things are difficult.

I have a busy day working with clients who are also in pain and need…Not to mention co-workers and loved ones who depend me to be nurturing and competent – Present.

This is when I open to everything. Empty myself to what I think I need or expect or believe “should” happen and let my body be what it is – Majorly imperfect and irritatingly difficult to work with currently…

I let the course of my day flow – Sigh, lateness, schedule off again, changes, complaints and then – Happy, sweet clients that make the whole thing soo beautiful!

I let my relationships settle – Letting that dependency of cause-and-effect of words and looks and attitudes of work and home and all the crazy, silly, fun, unsettling, and confusing-ness that is what relationships with others are…..Just kind of….settle – Like a mass of ping pong balls finally making it from a glass room to the water.

I can see that the less I try to get-it-all-together in my control, I see that I can’t control, but I can be a part of the universal flow of everything. It seems like a dance – When I open to all of it, the icky parts, the wonderful parts, the confusing parts, and the parts I want to run screaming from!

If I can be there for myself – Breathing,Open, Present – Just like I am for my clients. Then I am there for my clients and my co-workers and my family……. Connected to the Universal Energy that we all hold within us and that connects us.

 

You Body is Your World…LIVE in it!!

Namaste,

Regine

 

 

Approach health and healing gently with open mind and heart

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Even the most learned healer must listen with care before treating.

As a bodyworker and especially in treatment massage, I am asked many questions that are far-ranging and frankly, so far out of my scope of practice that I sometimes wonder if my clients think I have some sort of medical degree.

I also have experienced receiving body work from many well-meaning therapists that offer advice and lifestyle suggestions that seem to reflect their own choices, their own journey or their own explorations, without considering the possibility that I may have a very different journey of my own in progress…..

I do understand the desire of therapists, physicians and even well-meaning friends and loved ones to want to offer advice, or share their own discoveries of what has helped them through difficulties -However, I propose that the best and most compassionate offering that we can give first is to simply listen to the client or friend or patient – with all of our energy- With all of our hearts-And with an open mind – To be sure that we are truly hearing that individual. We should not project own own life onto anyone no matter how much success or joy we have discovered on our own journey.

Each soul has their own journey and as healers and bodyworkers we must honor each person’s own path – giving room for each to develop as it will helping where we can – Listening and guiding as much as we can with openness, compassion and Love.

And without Hope…….Meaning Helping in the moment, no agenda, no ego.

 

Namaste,

Regine

Breathe in and out – and do it again..

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No matter what – you can always return to breath.

I suppose even the eternal pessimist could say “what is you have asthma or COPD, etc…”

Well, fine, lets focus on the concept that most of us can be still and breathe.. focus on how, if you really follow that breath – all the way in  -

It feels GOOD! kind of like a relief. then let it OUT! all the way! Don’t purse your lips like you need to blow out a hundred-candle-cake – Just let it out  All the way.

THAT feels GOOD TOO! did your shoulders relax a tiny bit? good.

Great. okay so if you can do that one little tiny nice thing for yourself, maybe you can do it again. Maybe if you start feeling better and better that can resonate and expand to all the other areas of your life. And the lives of others around you!

You do too have time for self care – it can all start with a breath        in         aaaahhhhh………

Your body is your world..LIVE in it!!