Why Massage Therapists Recommend Water...

The number one reason we recommend drinking water after any treatment is because we typically don't drink enough. How many people start their day out with a glass of water before they have their morning tea or coffee?? (if you start doing this it is a great way to feel more energetic, and it allows your digestive system to start the day off happy!) At lunch time, do you reach for water or maybe a pop, or a coffee to help get you through the rest of the day?
We don't really prioritize drinking water, and I have heard a lot of people say that they just don't like water, they do prefer pop, or juice, or teas, or something else that has a little flavor. But water has a very important role in keeping the body healthy! If you drink water your body doesn't have to work so hard at extracting water from the liquids we drink and can use that energy for more effective digestion and elimination of things that we don't need to have hanging around in there. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired!
Healthy hydration will help to keep your skin looking better - less acne, and keeping it looking more youthful; it aids in digestion and helps to keep you regular; it helps to combat muscle fatigue; it will keep you healthier by aiding your immune system in fighting off and eliminating germs in the lymphatic system; and will help you have more energy - water is also a conductor of energy which we need for the electrotransmitters in our brains for thought...and literally everything else; it regulates temperature; it cushions vital organs and the spinal cord; it transports nutrients into the cell and waste out; it lubricates and cushions your joints; it is also an easy way to create a more healthy diet.

Our bodies are made up of 50-65% of water for women and 60-65% for men and it is important to keep that level consistently replenished. Percentage of water making up tissues, organs, fluids and bone in the human body: Brain 75%, Heart 75%, Lungs 86%, Muscle 75%, Liver 85%, Kidney 83%, Bone 22%, Blood 83%

When you first start to make the effort to drink more water, you will notice (and probably get annoyed by) how often you have to pee, I promise you that it will balance out, what is happening is your body is rejoicing in the fact that it can finally get rid of the water (and wastes) that is has been holding on to because there hasn't been enough water to safely let go of it, after about 10-14 days (earlier if you have been drinking some water) you will be back to regular peeing habits! The recommended daily intake of water is about 2 litres which may sound like a lot at first, but it is only 8 cups (an average water bottle* is 500ml = 2 cups) so give it a try, and start drinking some more water in your day, your body will LOVE you for it!

*I personally don't recommend using water bottles...water should be free and if you need to, get a water filtering system!

Treat Everyone Like They Are Buddha!

Or someone that you really care about. I swear this will change your life.

I started doing this when I was still working in the food industry. It is a hard industry to work in, considering the amount of people you interact with on a daily basis, and who will show you the full spectrum of humanity.

I was at a great little coffee shop, that in all honesty had some really great people that came in, but every now and again, I was met with someone very frustrating for me. And every now and again, I had a bad day, some times these things would coincide with each other.

So I got to thinking about what I could do to not let someone else's unhappiness affect my happiness (or on bad days, my unhappiness) and it occurred to me that if that negative person was Buddha, how would I treat them?? I would of course treat them with respect and compassion, because that is what I believe Buddha should be treated with. Then I thought, maybe Buddha would be teaching me a lesson in showing compassion for someone who didn't outwardly 'deserve it', and then I thought about why a fellow human being wouldn't deserve to be treated with compassion and respect, and I had a great understanding and realization that EVERYONE deserves to be treated with respect and compassion.

So from that day on, I would just repeat the mantra "treat them like they are Buddha" every time I had a customer that evoked an initial negative response in me, which would switch that moment from a negative to a positive one, and in truth, nine times out of ten, it made a difference in their day too (even if I didn't directly see it).

I also treat everyone out side of my working life (this has carried over into my healing practice) as though they were Buddha, sometimes the purpose of driving is to learn patience, and having compassion and respect for other drivers has made my driving experience far more enjoyable. And every time I am in a situation in which service is being exchanged - like being in a coffee shop, I treat the person who is serving me with the same compassion and respect I know that I deserve, because it all comes back full circle. What you put out there you will receive.

So if the "Buddha" thing doesn't work for you, place in someone that you feel very lovingly towards, and whom you would want other people to treat with respect and compassion, no matter the circumstance.

Treat women like they are your mother, sister, best friend, girlfriend, partner.

Treat men like they are your father, brother, best friend, boyfriend, partner.

Treat children like they are your own, your niece or nephew.

I think that if we all strive to treat everyone like they are Buddha, this world will be a happier place, and perhaps teaching this to everyone and putting it into daily practice is a good start to healing the dis-ease of bullying.

*(sorry if you read my Creating Lasting Happiness blog and have to read this twice, I just think it is that important!!)