Giving Back

The Abundance of Nature

Giving back to my community has always been a principle that I have followed throughout my lifetime. In my family of origin, we lacked for nothing. We never had to worry about having food on the table, clothes on our backs, or shelter over our heads. I grew up in a military family, and we were always taught to ‘walk tall, act right,’ and if we ever fell down, to pull ourselves up ‘by our bootstraps’. It all seems very easy when you are under your parents’ wings and raised in an environment where this theory is part of your everyday life – simply second nature to your way of living.

After spreading my wings as an adult, and always being involved in church in some way, shape, fashion or form,’giving back’ was a practice I continued to incorporate. I always thought it was important to help those who were ‘less fortunate’. Upon going through my own life’s upheaval and being in a very desperate position that took years to recover from and experiencing what being on the other end, or, one of the ‘less fortunate’ was like (which is an extremely humbling position to experience in life) I learned a very valuable lesson. You can either stay dismally ‘stuck’ in the aftermath, or you can learn to move on and let your experience help you to become ‘better’, not ‘bitter’. I believe that continually giving back to the ‘Universe’, whether it be tithing at your local church or choosing a particular organization to donate either your time and/or money to is a very spiritually healthy way to live.

I was introduced via social media to a new non-profit organization just over a year ago called ‘Veterans Holistic Health Foundation of America’. This organization was developed by two Veterans, one who had returned from war were experiencing P.T.S.D., and one who was injured stateside, both taking medication, who decided that there must be a better way to get beyond their experiences. They simply went ‘boots on’ out into their communities and started talking to massage therapists, yoga practitioners, chiropractors, and other ‘alternative’ health providers to see if they would be interested in donating their services to veterans of any era. The response was astounding, and I am now volunteering my time to help create a chapter in the place I love most on the face of the earth – the Treasure Valley.

As the volunteer Idaho Regional Manager of VHHFA, my first step was to ‘partner’ with a local massage school to get monthly FREE massage clinics created for veterans, and ‘we’ (VHHFA and Three Oaks Academy) will be starting our first clinic in November to coincide with the Veterans Day weekend.

As a business owner and provider, I have chosen to donate 10% of my earnings from my massage practice to VHHFA on a monthly basis. It is my way of giving back to those who have served for the ideals of freedom that we value so greatly in this Country.

For more information, please visit www.vhhfa.org.

Hot Stone Weather is Here!

The History of Hot Stone Therapy

Massage therapy is perhaps the oldest form of hands-on-healing known to humans, easily pre-dating written records. The three main cultures which have heavily influenced how modern-day Hot Stone Massage/Stone Therapy has evolved are the Chinese, the Native Americans and the Hawaiians (although Egyptian, Ayurvedic and many other traditional healing arts are also said to have used stones and/or heat).

One of the first recorded uses of stones for healing was by Ancient Chinese medical practitioners who regularly used various shaped/sharpened stones (Bian Stones) to treat disease. The use of Moxabustion (burning of the herb mugwort) helped to add heat to these treatments.

Native Americans are well known for their Sweat Lodges, which are similar to modern-day Saunas. The use of heated stones on the lower abdomen to relieve cramps was another common Native American practice.

Hot Stone massage can even be used with your favorite essential oil, such as Lavender, for an aromatic therapeutic experience. This allows for a deeply relaxing massage, and with the cooler months coming upon us, can provide you with a heavenly treat before the rush of the Holidays, so why not put a Hot Stone Massage on your list of things to do? Your body will thank you!

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