Tuesday Treat: Shepard Moon Concoctions

Shepard Moon Ache & Pain Relief Bath Salts

Feeling like a slacker, I did 40 minutes of pilates on Sunday (Mari Windsor Pilates for Pink Core Challenge) and then played tennis for an hour and 15.  I felt fabulous – at the time. 

Yesterday the aches set in.  I started feeling them right before my regular Monday pilates session and then as I went through several of the moves I had just done the day before the soreness started making its presence known.  I got some good ballet stretches in at the end of my pilates lesson, but I knew there was only one thing for sure-fire relief – Shepard Moon Concoctions Ache & Pain Relief bath salts. 

I stumbled upon these little gems in Whole Foods a few months ago and they have seen me through many a sore workout session.  You pour just 1/2 cup in a hot bath and, “for best results,” add in some epsom salts too.  Soak for twenty minutes or more and soreness is greatly reduced or gone.  What’s in this miraculous organic concoction?  Celtic sea salt, magnesium sulfate and the essential oils of Spruce, Laurel, Birch, Rosemary, Marjoram and Black Pepper.  Interestingly in smells like peppermint.  Huh?

$10 for 24 oz = 6 therapeutic spa like bathing experiences.  Bonus for those in the Pacific Northwest – Shepard Moon is a small Seattle company, bringing you organic, hand-crafted eco-friendly products since 1999.

Tuesday Treat: Massage

In the middle of the holiday rush, nothing feels better than taking an hour or so out to relax and have your muscles unknotted by a good masseuse.  Sounds like a Tuesday Treat to me! 

I, like many, used to think of massage as a luxury, a once and a while treat.  I would indulge occasionally on vacations (the spa at the ITC Sheraton in Agra, India is INSANE) and at home.  My favorite place to head for a spa style massage treat in Seattle is Spa Scotta, where Theresa can release the tension I hold in my neck and shoulders in minutes.  I usually choose the 60 minute custom massage, but occasionally indulge in a full 90 minutes of tension releasing bliss.

In June, I was in a car accident and that led me to learn, first-hand, about the serious therapeutic side of massage.  My doctor prescribed weekly massage therapy visits and those visits helped my recovery more than muscle relaxers and physical therapy combined.  Now this was not relaxing, zone out and de-stress massage.  This was serious deep tissue, let’s get things back in line style massage.  But, you know what, it worked.  On one of my earliest visits, the therapist did a certain type of release that literally made me feel like I was going to lose my lunch (he warned me first) but that resulted in a 80% release of the pain I had been holding in my lower back.  My visits have decreased to about every other week and I am hopeful that I will be fully recovered soon.  Having learned the benefits of regular massage, however, I’m likely to stick with it.

It turns out that massage can be relatively affordable too.  If you have a doctor’s prescription your insurance may cover it, at least in part.  If not, there are many other options.  For example, the massage therapy center I go to (Greenlake Massage) currently has a deal where if you buy a package of 5 one-hour massages the massages cost $60 each.  Also, see if there is a massage therapy school in your area, many offer massage clinics, where you get a student massage (supervised usually) at a low price.  My friend frequented the massage school in Santa Rosa, CA when she lived there and said it was addictive.  In Seattle, you can go to the Northwest Academy and get a one-hour massage for $35.  If you’re on the Eastside, you can check out Bellevue Massage School, their sessions are more limited but a one hour massage costs $33, $28 if you’re 55 or older.

So, find yourself an option that fits within your budget and get out there and get a massage!