Pregnancy Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Basic Knead by Michelle Ebbin
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Soothe Your Solar Plexus & De-Stress

Stress relief from my what?! In this day and age, who isn’t anxious once in a while? It’s a chaotic world, and it’s often hard to let go and really relax. Unfortunately, stress is very damaging to our entire system and most doctors agree that over 75% of our health problems can be linked to stress. When we’re stressed, our body’s defense mechanism begins to break down, making us more susceptible to illness and disease.

Anyone feeling stressed should become familiar with the SOLAR PLEXUS, the “nerve switchboard” of the body. This complex network of nerves, located behind the stomach and in front of the diaphragm, sends energy impulses to the upper part of the abdomen. Also called the “abdominal brain”, its purpose is to help balance the sympathetic nervous system, regulate the functions of the organs, and restore calm. It’s often affected by stress, anger, and depression.

Reflexology is extremely effective for calming and balancing the nervous system. It can help you let go of tension and soothe your mind. Reflexology is a drug-free coping mechanism for stress and a way to get in touch with what’s happening on the inside. For a quick route to stress relief, stimulate the reflex area to the SOLAR PLEXUS,
which is located on both feet, in the center of the foot, about half-way between the toes and the heel. This is a great starting point to relax yourself or your partner. Press the solar plexus point for 20 seconds to balance your nervous system and bring inner calm. Repeat this several times on each foot.

Stimulating the reflex to the solar plexus can relax the entire body and bring overall stress relief. It also promotes better, deeper breathing, and relieves the discomfort of allergies, asthma, and even acne. This reflex point is also the center of the third chakra, the Solar Plexus chakra, which relates to your personal power. Located an inch or two above the navel, this chakra is the focus point for our sense of power, ego, authority, self-control and discipline. It’s where the personality is formed. In addition to relieving stress, stimulate the SOLAR PLEXUS to better express your individuality and strength.

Massage Your Salad!

Have you ever had a salad that just blows you away? I just used my hands to make a “Massaged Kale Salad” and I’m in heaven. While I normally don’t post recipes on my blog, this one I have to share because it is absolutely delicious, super healthy, and hey, it has something to do with massage.

Kale is an amazingly nutritious leafy green vegetable. It contains high amounts of beta carotene and vitamin C. It’s also rich in minerals and high in folic acid. This ‘Superfood’ is a low in carbs and high in protein. One cup of cooked kale contains :
– 50 Calories
– 10 gm of Carbohydrates
– 3 gm of protein
– 2 to 3 gm of fiber
– 8000 IUs Vitamin A
– 150 to 200 mg of Calcium
– 30 mg of Magnesium
– 2 mg of Iron
– 300 mg of Potassium
– 125 mg of Vitamin C
– Less than 50 mg of Sodium
– 40 mcg of Folic acid

The high calcium and magnesium content of kale helps in building bones and is great for preventing osteoporosis. Vitamin A and C are antioxidants that protect against many degenerative diseases. The high potassium and low sodium content of Kale makes it an alkaline food and helps those who suffer from acidity and other digestive disorders. Potassium also reduces blood pressure and helps in fighting heart disease. Being a cruciferous vegetable, Kale contains sulfur compounds which help in fighting cancer.
Now, onto my new favorite salad…

Michelle’s Massaged Kale Salad

1 bunch curly kale
½ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled & grated
1 avocado, cubed
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2-4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. sea salt
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Rinse kale and tear the leaves from the stem. Rip them into smaller pieces. Place in a big bowl with the quinoa, onion, carrot, and avocado.

In a separate small bowl, whisk the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, and sea salt.

Now, here’s the fun part: With both hands firmly massage all the ingredients together. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Massage the avocado into the kale so that it smooshes and there are no more chunks. Do this for about one minute so that all the leaves are covered with the dressing. This massage, together with the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, helps to tenderize the kale.

Finally, add the tomatoes, gently toss the salad, and put it into the refrigerator for 6-8 hours. I like to make this salad the day before I plan to eat it and let all the juices sink in. Remember, the longer it stays in the fridge, the better it gets!

Just before serving, give it a hearty round of freshly ground pepper and taste to see if it needs more salt.
You can beef up this recipe with more grated carrot, avocado and additional quinoa if you like. ENJOY!

Win a free copy of my new book “Hands on Sexy Feet” and 2 pairs of Sexy Love Sox!

Click here

#1 Best All-Natural Painkiller: MEDITATING!

While massage can be an effective way to ease your aches and pain, there’s new evidence that meditating (yes, meditating!) is the single best all-natural painkiller. In a recent study, people who had a pain-inducing heating device placed on their legs were able to reduce the pain by 40 percent, simply by meditating. “In comparison, morphine only decreases pain by about 25 percent,” says Robert Coghill, PhD, the study’s senior researcher and associate professor of neurobiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Subjects used the “focused attention” technique: Close your eyes, breathe through your nose, and concentrate on the air coming in and going out. According to Coghill, “the more you practice, the better it works.”
There are even more benefits to meditating:

Better Focus: People trained to meditate are better able to sustain their attention that those who aren’t, according to a study in Psychology Science,

Lowers Blood Pressure: People with hypertension who meditated reduced their blood pressure. In fact, “it was as effective as adding a second blood pressure medication,” says lead author James W. Anderson, MD, from a University of Kentucky study,

Relieves Stress: Practicing meditation for eight weeks not only relieved feelings of stress but actually caused physical changes in the amygdala, the area of the brain that controls those feelings, according to a study published in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.

Valentine’s Day Lesson: How to Give Good Foot


For Valentine’s Day, why not give your partner the gift of a soothing, sensual, foot massage. Using the Sexy Love Sox as your guide, you can stimulate the entire foot, and in doing so, the entire body. The following routine will guide you step-by-step through a complete reflexology treatment. I recommend doing this routine to start, and then later you can focus on specific areas of your feet that need particular attention. If you want to experiment and play around with your own routine, just remember that it works best to build anticipation by progressing to the areas of the sexual organs, rather than just starting there. Think of foreplay…
Working the entire foot has its advantages. A benefit of this approach is that you don’t need to develop a vast knowledge of human anatomy and physiology in order to be effective. Since the systems, glands, organs, and parts of the body are all so intricately intertwined in their functioning, thorough stimulation of all of the reflex areas in your feet can effectively reduce stress and tension, creating a space for healing and rejuvenation to occur.
This full-foot routine includes many reflexology techniques, but not all of them. It’s up to you to pick and choose the techniques that will work for you and your partner. Later on, as you learn to locate specific reflex areas to the erogenous zones and tap into your partner’s energy, you’ll be able to tailor your technique, and give the most effective, relaxing yet sexually arousing reflexology session possible.

10-Step Full Body/Full Foot Reflexology Technique

Step 1: Relax. I always begin a reflexology treatment by first washing my hands so that they are clean and clear of any negative energy. Next, relax both yourself and the feet by taking both feet in my hands and just holding them for ten seconds. This helps me direct my focus to the feet and allows my partner to get used to the feeling of my touch. Take a deep breath, count to three, and exhale. If you have the Sexy Love Sox™, then no lotion or oil is necessary. If you want to work directly on the feet, take some lotion or oil and warm it in your hands. Gently spread the lotion or oil over the top of the foot and the sole. Concentrate on the sole and work the lotion in so that there’s only a light layer remaining. This lets your fingers slide with control.

Step 2: Stretch. Bring both hands under the heels and pull back, giving a slight stretch to the lower back.

Step 3: Side to side ankle loosening. Move your hands to one foot and place the outer edges of your hands at the heels. Move your hands from side to side to loosen the entire foot.

Step 4: Ankle Rotations. Bring one hand underneath to support the heel, and rotate the ankle in one direction a couple of times, and then the other.

Step 5: Achilles Tendon Stretch. Gently stretch the toes back to release the arch of the foot, and then bring the toes forward, stretching the top of the foot. Next, flex the foot backward and then pull the toes toward you. Repeat this stretch.

Step 6: Solar Plexus Relaxer. Hold both of your thumbs at the solar plexus point, which is in the middle of the foot. This reflex point can relax and calm the entire body. Press here for 10 seconds, release and repeat.

Step 7: Finger-Walk: neck/shoulder line and up. Beginning at the inner edge of the foot, finger-walk up from the heel to the top of the toes. Bring your thumb back to the heel, move over about 1/4 inch, and again finger-walk up to the top of the toes. Repeat this until you reach the outer edge of the foot. Finger-walking the entire foot will allow you to touch all of the erogenous zones so nothing gets left out. Later, you can go back and focus on specific reflex areas that correspond to the exact erogenous zones you want to target.

Stimulating all the reflex points on both feet can encourage the entire body to come back into balance. Work both feet to treat the entire body. Try to cover every inch of each foot, including the ankle, with this finger-walking technique.

Step 8: Don’t Forget the Toes. Many people find the toes very sensitive. Take each toe, one at a time, between your thumb and index finger, and slowly roll them back and forth. Try to move your fingers around the entire toe so that you stimulate the whole toe. The area between the toes, close to the crease is very sensitive in a lot of people. If your partner enjoys this, spend extra time applying light pressure here.

Step 9: Stimulate Specific Sexy Areas. This is the best part. (Or at least I think so!) Using the Sexy Love Sox as your map, choose the areas that you or your partner think need the most attention and use the “Finger-Pressure” technique to bring awareness and energy to that area. If your partner responds, then change up the technique to include the “V” slide or make small circles with your thumb, staying in this area to promote maximum circulation to this particular erogenous zone.

Play around with each of the erogenous zones to get to know what, how and where your partner likes to be stimulated. After a bit of fun practice and good communication, you’ll be able to really tune in to your partners hidden passions and desires.

**As you work on each area, feel for “grainy” areas or places where the feet are tender. By discovering grainy or tender areas, you are clued in to energy blockages and potential “problem areas.” This allows you to focus on areas of the body that may need the most help.

Step 10: Happy Ending: Feathering. Finish by lightly brushing your fingertips from the top of the toes to the feel, several times, on both feet. At this point, you can even remove the Sexy Love Sox and do this with bare feet so that you have real skin-to-skin contact. Or, leave the Sexy Love Sox on if you choose.

New Study Finds Massage Boosts Immunity

http://www.rodale.com/benefits-massage

Holiday Headache Cure

There are so many reasons why you might get a headache this holiday season. Here’s a fast, easy reflexology technique to help you get rid of a headache and prevent them in the future.

With your index finger, press the reflex area to the pituitary gland, which is located on both feet, at the base of the inner edge of the big toe, in the crease between the big toe and the second toe. You can also make tiny circles on this area for 15-20 seconds. Stimulate this area on both feet.

What is it?

The pituitary gland, which is located in the center of the skull and just behind the bridge of the nose, is one of the most important glands of the body. About the size of a pea, the pituitary gland is an important link between the nervous system and the endocrine system. It controls the functions of all the endocrine glands and releases many hormones that affect growth, sexual development, metabolism, the reproductive system, the mineral and sugar content of the blood, fluid retention, and can also affect the body’s energy levels. The pituitary gland helps to keep the body in harmony.

How can reflexology help?

Stimulating the reflex to the pituitary gland can help you maintain healthy metabolism, boost your energy, and get rid of headaches. If you’re trying to lose weight, paying extra attention to this reflex area can help your body shed those unwanted pounds. Since this gland is responsible for proper growth of the body’s organs and glands, it can be beneficial in stabilizing the growth rate in children, who may be growing too fast or too slowly. Stimulating this reflex area can also balance your 6th chakra, which can help strengthen your intuition, perception, and psychic abilities.

Rub-a-Dub with BABY MASSAGE

Read about the fantastic benefits of baby massage and our Baby Massage Onesie…http://fitbottomedbabies.com/2010/10/rub-a-dub/

Massage is a lovely way for you to express your love and care for your baby. Massage can soothe your baby and help her to sleep, try also using a baby lovie from https://makaboo.com/Gifts/angel-dear-lovie/ for your baby.

Massage has many added benefits for your baby, including improving weight gain, aiding digestion, improving circulation, and easing teething pain. Massage is a great way for you and your partner to bond with your baby, and you may find it relaxing, too!
What is baby massage?
Baby massage is gentle, rhythmic stroking of your baby’s body with your hands. You can use oils or a moisturiser to help your hands to glide smoothly over your baby’s skin. As part of your massage routine, you can gently manipulate your baby’s ankles, wrists and fingers. You can talk softly, hum or sing to your baby while you are massaging, which may make it more reassuring for your baby.

The soothing strokes of your hands stimulate the production of the feel-good hormone oxytocin in you, your baby and even your partner, if he’s watching. Oxytocin is the hormone that gives you that warm, loving feeling when you hold your baby close or breastfeed her.
What are the benefits of baby massage?
There are lots of ways baby massage can benefit not just your baby, but you and your partner as well. Massage may help your baby to:
develop mentally, socially and physically
stay relaxed and not get upset
cry and fuss less
sleep better

One study found that massage in the early days could help newborns to recover from jaundice more quickly.

You may find that giving your baby a massage lifts your mood and helps you to feel more empowered as a parent. The time you set aside for a massage can be your special time together. As you massage your baby, it comes naturally to chat to her and have plenty of eye contact with her.

This is one reason why massage can help mums with postnatal depression, or who are at risk of depression, to interact with their babies. Find out about the other benefits of baby massage for mums with depression and their babies.

Baby massage can be great for dads, too. Some dads may miss out on a lot of the hands-on care of their babies, especially if they are at work and their baby is breastfed.

A regular massage with dad can become a routine, perhaps at bedtime, that helps to bring your baby and partner closer together. It can also help your partner if he is feeling stressed.

Massage may be particularly good for premature babies in special care, resulting in:
Improved weight gain, particularly if oils are used. Massage stimulates a key nerve, called the vagus nerve, which connects the brain with important parts of the body, including the stomach. Stimulating this nerve can improve digestion and bowel movement, helping your baby to gain weight.
A more stable heart rate. Massage improves the parts of the nervous system that regulate our organs. So massage can help to keep your premature baby’s heart rate steady.
Calmer response to stress and pain.
More stable brain activity. Premature babies who are massaged tend to have brain activity that develops at a normal level. Premature babies who are not massaged have shown a decrease in brain activity development.
These benefits may contribute to the finding that massaged premature babies tend to be well enough to go home with their families sooner than babies who aren’t massaged.

Foot Massage Reduces Swelling During Pregnancy

Foot Massage Reduces Edema in Pregnant Women. Read on…http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=9881&catid=1&title=foot-massage-reduces-edema-in-pregnant-women

Win a FREE Baby Massage Book and Onesie!

Win a free Baby Massage Book (“Hands on Baby Massage” by Michelle Ebbin) and a Baby Massage Onesie. Click here: “http://www.mommywantsfreebies.com/2010/10/basic-knead-hands-on-baby-massage-book.html“>