While we’re busy amassing “friends” on Facebook, researchers are busy combing through statistics and anecdotal evidence to try to substantiate what we already intuitively know… friends matter!  Friends nurture, protect and support us!  Friendships profoundly benefit both men and women, but for women friendships “rule” and they start early – note passing (aka texting) sharing secrets, giggles and adventures.

Boys bond too, but more casually through sports, mutual interests and activities.  As adults, researchers think that the hormone oxytocin is, especially for women, the elixir of friendship and health. Oxytocin spikes in women around childbirth and stress, reducing serotonin levels (yikes – stress hormones) and compelling women to seek social connections. Men that lose a spouse, often suffer more than women, who frequently have a larger number of established friendships outside of the marriage!

But remember, friendship is a two way street – you must first be a good friend to gain strong friendships!

5 Ways to Become a “BBF” – Best Friend Forever:
1.    Make friendships a priority! Cross a few “shoulds” off your list and connect with a friend instead – talk, walk, meet for tea (okay – coffee or a drink), take a class together, form a club, any “excuse” to hang out!
2.    Be there for the good and bad, the hard and the easy!  Congratulate and commiserate, celebrate and commemorate.  Life is all about the highs and lows and ups and downs – be a friend through all of it!
3.    Be a good listener!  The best friendships are reciprocal – sometimes you need to talk, sometimes you need to listen.  Be equally generous with both sides of the equation – don’t keep score, things will even out on their own.
4.    Be friendly!  Now this sounds, er, obvious, but it can often be challenging to initiate contact, particularly if you are an introvert.  Joining groups and/or attending networking or social events can present opportunities to meet like-minded people – i.e. potential new friends.
5.    Establish and maintain a close inner circle.  There is no magic number, it depends on your time and the commitments you already have, but consider a circle of at least 4 (up to as many as 10) friends with whom you maintain close and intimate connections.  In the age of Facebook, don’t substitute the scroll of “friends” on your page for the true  intimacy and satisfaction of deep friendship.

For men and women, close friendships take time to establish and develop, but the long term benefits are well worth it! Talking to or hanging out with friends makes you laugh, allows you to cry and simply helps you figure out stuff.  On the health front – friends boost your immunity and promote physical as well as emotional healing.  Close friends profoundly contribute to the quality and length of your life and your health and happiness.  And above all, be the friend you want to have – give the gift of friendship and it will come back to you in amazing ways.

Our office will do this exercise this month for the third time (we first heard about the idea from Chris Brogan – a biz pro). In 2011 our words were:  Collaborate, Connect, and Create!  Those 3 powerful words guided us through a stimulating year of building our outreach through social media (thanks Lisa Moore), spending more “face time” with team members and customers, inviting “experts” to our team meetings, and upgrading our office technology!  We’re working on 2012 – we will take a “play” date later this month to wander and ponder.  This time-out gives us the space and vision to shape and define an exciting new year! We invite you to co-create 2012 with us – take some time to craft YOUR 3 words for 2012.  Please refer to our handy Word Map below!  Remember less can often be more!

Bette Calman 83

Modern yoga, a mind, body and spirit practice, incorporates a variety of disciplines and poses which have evolved over centuries. In many places ( in the US and the world) yoga is considered a form of alternative medicine.  In Sanskrit, the word yoga means to join, to unite or to attach. No matter which school of yoga you follow or style of yoga you practice, the popularity of Yoga is off the er…mat.  A study in the fall of 2010 found more robust growth in yoga than in over 50 sports from 2001- 2010. And the benefits are nothing short of miraculous.  According to Web MD, yoga improves posture, builds strength, lowers stress, improves concentration and mood, lowers blood pressure and relieves chronic pain – and that’s about half of the list!

Yoga can be a soothing, relaxing, work-at-your own pace exercise, and/or it can also be serious, sweaty, strenuous exercise. In Bikram Yoga aka “hot yoga” the room is heated to @%$^#$! degrees to facilitate stretching and detoxing.  “Power Yoga” ups the aerobic ante by elevating the level and pace.  And then there’s a stream of inventive “extreme” new entries like “mobile yoga” combining in-line skating and yoga.  You can find your bliss by sitting in a chair and breathing into your spine or dangling off the side a cliff and everything in-between, but don’t let the diversity deter you.  Start where you are.

We are happy to report that yoga is flourishing in Orlando.  There are dedicated yoga studios and stand- alone yoga classes all over O-town. As with any other pursuit, we encourage you to experiment and find a style of yoga that suits your goals, your level of fitness, your schedule and your budget. And as always, it’s advisable to seek medical advice first if you have injuries or conditions such as high blood pressure that could be affected by physical exercise.  That being said – grab a mat and jump in!  If you have found your “place” let your friends know — post it on Facebook and/or Twitter.  If you’re looking for classes, workshops or retreats, ask for referrals from friends and co-workers –(we love Shine On Yoga)  call or visit local studios and talk to owners or instructors to find a good match.  Googling “yoga Orlando” we stopped at page 49 of listings….OMG (om my god) – yoga is rocking in Orlando!

Without running away or adopting Scrooge as a role model, how can we manage?

Expert advice: Take breaks – lots of them – frequently, consciously, thoughtfully.  According to Dr. Alex Lickerman (Psychology Today), neurons become more resistant to diseases like epilepsy, migraines, and even dementia when stressed and then allowed a period of rest. The thing that stresses neurons and thus ultimately leads to their increased hardiness? Thinking.

Now it’s true, we’re partial to chair massage, but here are some other ways to snag some R & R:

• Calendar some white space
• Take power naps
• Sneak in walks
• Lunch away from your desk
• Phone a friend
• Listen to music (instead of news)
• Take a yoga or dance class

The most important break of all?  Immortalized in The Night Before Christmas – “a long winter’s nap” – i.e. adequate sleep!  You can vacay, take a long weekend, catch a matinee or savor a concert. Just a tiny bit of caution however, imaginary breaks don’t count – you must actually TAKE them!  So make your list, check it twice and then “gift” yourself the gift of breaks.  Breaks reward and help you reboot, but primarily breaks will rekindle the genuine spirit of the holidays: generosity, forgiveness and kindness.

Happy Holidays to all.

Gratitude turns what we have into enough

Let’s face it – stuff seems to be going wrong:  in our city, our country and the world!  Politics, spiraling debt, foreclosures, job losses, and gasp! no Magic games? It’s been well established – negative thoughts and attitudes are actually bad for you and bad for your health.

Gratitude works when you are grateful for something real.  Find ways to shift your perspective to focus  on simple pleasures like beautiful Florida weather, good food, friends and family. Studies concur: expressions of gratitude have profound and positive effects on health, mood and relationships.  A recent study at University of Miami found that participants who practiced daily “acts of gratitude” for only 10 weeks were 25% happier.

Daily acts of gratitude?  Yep, such as:

1)      Simply saying “thank-you” and meaning it.

2)      Giving generously both emotionally and financially when possible.

3)      Choosing what you have instead of what you don’t have.

4)      Keeping a daily gratitude list of at least 5 things you are grateful for (cool iPhone app – http://bitly.com/uypNql)

5)      Accepting gifts, compliments, and recognition that come your way… with gratitude!

Thankfulness feels good!  Join us as we endeavor to contribute a little more peace and happiness to those around us, ourselves and our world.

Courtesy of OhMyGouda in Florida

The reason cancer patients seek massage during treatment is simple: pain relief and relief of emotional distress.  Since many cancer patients experience a depleted immune system, the massage therapist must be in good health and educated in proper techniques which usually concentrate on light, relaxing work. In a study of 380 cancer patients receiving a small number of “touch” therapy sessions (massage and/or Reiki) all recipients reported significant reductions in pain.  When the touch therapies ended, the pain returned, which indicates that the significant benefits of touch therapies are best if offered on a regular basis during treatment.

Lymphatic Drainage Massage, a massage specialty, is sometimes utilitized for breast cancer patients who have had surgery.  Lymphatic massage applies manual massage techniques to move fluid away from areas where lymph vessels are blocked (the lymphatic system has no “pump” – fluids are moved by adjacent muscular contraction or by touch).  Lymphatic massage appears to be effective in reducing lymphedema (swelling of lymph nodes and surrounding tissue) associated with breast cancer surgeries.

While research into the contribution of massage therapy to cancer treatment  continues, the availability of massage services in treatment facilities varies and insurance may not cover treatment.  Consult with your own cancer treatment specialist to determine if touch therapy is appropriate for yourself or a loved one.  You may have to pursue massage treatment on your own if you think it might be helpful.

1. Swedish Massage – One of the most commonly taught and well-known massage techniques, Swedish massage is a vigorous system of treatment designed to energize the body by stimulating circulation. Five basic strokes, all flowing toward the heart, are used to manipulate the soft tissues of the body.

2. Aromatherapy Massage – The use of essential oils (extracted from herbs, flowers, resin, woods, and roots) in body and skin care treatments is known as aromatherapy. Used as a healing technique for thousands of years by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, essential oils aid in relaxation, improve circulation, and help the healing of wounds. Each oil has its own unique characteristics and benefits.

3. Hot Stone Massage – Heated, smooth stones are placed on certain points on the body to warm and loosen tight muscles and balance energy centers in the body.  Hot stone massage is good for people who have muscle tension but prefer lighter massage.

4. Deep Tissue – Deep tissue massage targets the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. The massage therapist uses slower strokes or friction techniques across the grain of the muscle. The muscles must be relaxed in order to effectively perform deep-tissue massage, otherwise tight surface muscles prevent the practitioner from reaching deeper musculature.

5. Shiatsu – Developed in Japan, shiatsu is a finger-pressure technique utilizing traditional acupuncture points. Similar to acupressure, shiatsu concentrates on unblocking the flow of life energy and restoring balance in the meridians and organs in order to promote self-healing.

6. Thai Massage – Thai massage has been taught and practiced in Thailand for approximately twenty-five hundred years. The technique combines massage with yoga-like positions during the course of the massage; the northern style emphasizes stretching while the southern style emphasizes acupressure.

7. Reflexology - Based on an ancient Chinese therapy, reflexology involves manipulation of specific reflex areas in the foot, hands, and ears that correspond to other parts of the body. Application of pressure to these reflex zones to stimulate body organs and relieve areas of congestion.

8. Sports Massage – Designed to enhance athletic performance and recovery. There are three contexts in which sports massage can be useful to an athlete: pre-event, post-event, and injury treatment.

9. Chair massage – Seated massage includes bodywork and somatic techniques, such as shiatsu and Swedish massage and focuses exclusively on the back (also neck and shoulders).  We’ve got that one covered.

10. Pregnancy (Prenatal) Massage – Performed by a trained perinatal specialist, many methods of massage and somatic therapies are both effective and safe prenatally and during labor and postpartum periods of women’s pregnancies. Specialized, advanced training in the anatomy, physiology, complications, precautions, and contraindications is highly recommended, and many practitioners require referrals from physicians prior to therapy.

Lois - Healthy Eating Specialist

Where can you learn about healthy food and sample some at the same time?  We found the answer….Whole Foods Market launched Health Starts Here in 2011.  The goal is to teach us all to understand (and experience) the value of eating natural, fresh, whole foods that are minimally processed.  To introduce Take 5 to the program, Lois Dorotiak, the Winter Park store’s Green Mission Specialist, visited our August team meet-up to share her talents, considerable knowledge and insights with us.  Now I don’t want you to think we were just hanging out…with the food she was stirring up while she talked, she had our full attention!  And yep, it was yum.

Yum! Good for you - tastes great! Thanks, Lois

Good news – both local Whole Foods Markets are offering classes and demos to support eating more natural, fresh whole foods.  Check store calendars: WFM – Winter Park and WFM – Phillips Crossing for schedules.  The next introductory class is Sept. 13th (2011) in Winter Park at 6:30 pm.  It’s FREE – online registration is required – click here to register, spots go fast!  We guarantee you’ll learn great stuff and walk away feeling full – full of healthy ideas and some healthy “bites”!

While some medical conditions can contribute to or cause back pain, it can be something simple like: your desk chair, a child riding on your hip, sofa-slouching or schlepping heavy stuff (laptops) or weighted purses and bags.  Another place to look – is down- at your literal foundation, your shoes! Remember as a kid you got new shoes twice a year – back to school and Easter? As an adult, you have almost infinite number of choices!

Don’t fear – we’re not gonna rant about the danger of high heels (we’ll let Dr. Oz do that) or argue about the utility vs ugliness of crocs (we’ll let WebMD do that).  We just wanna to put our foot down – shoes matter and adults can make poor choices.  Adults skip getting measured, wear shoes after their expiration date, buy vanity shoes – look great, hurt like heck, buy “cheap” shoes ‘cause we only wear them once.  And – especially Floridians-  flip-flop through our warm days and nights, disregarding the strain on our joints and tendons.

Next time you shoe shop consider what Robyn Martin, an Orlando Advanced Rolfer, has to say: “Your footwear is crucial to your alignment – the whole body loses support and will eventually suffer.” She advises looking for:  good support, a flexible sole with an ample toe box and heels no higher than one inch.  And Robyn adds: “If you treasure your back, just say NO to stilettos!”

For better options – consider getting fitted at a great local store like The Track Shack (for running shoes) or the Walking Store – with knowledgeable assistance you’ll learn a lot about your choices.  Some local drug stores have “foot mapping machines” (Dr. Scholl’s Custom Fit Orthotic Center) to help determine what kind of support your feet might need.  And since we live in Florida – alternate your flip flops with a pair of durable sandals that offer breezy support (Robyn recommends a back strap if you do a lot of walking).  High heels?  We’re staying out of it, but remember no matter what your choices, we’ve got your back!