[pain in the neck!]

Some time ago, my neck and shoulders were in a lot of pain. 

I thought I’d see if I could find some yoga moves especially meant to relieve neck pain. I found these three poses and gave it a try. My neck/shoulder pain was gone! No pain killers needed.

So, if you've been on the computer for too long, let these poses do their magic! Your body will thank you.

Here's the source for these poses and the instructions how to do them correctly:

yoga poses for neck pain 

{mass-ahh-zh}

michaels sells these huge bling bling decorations. my bling bling mania continues. :) this one is totally clear but reflects the colors surrounding it. so pretty! :)
the cover i made for my massage therapy binder.
yep, i'm a massage therapist by training. due to my fibromyalgia i can't work as a massage therapist anymore. i really miss it at times. i loved relaxing people and helping them feel better.

massage has so many health benefits!
massage = mass-ahh-zh

i still can't believe some of the anatomy we had to study during the massage course. we learned about everything. it was very intense study. fun! i loved learning about our bodies. i can't believe that some people believe our universe just happened "accidentally". it's like believing that if i'd pour out the pieces of a 5000 piece puzzle on the floor and they'd magically fall into place and make the puzzle. i gained so much respect for our bodies during my study. my faith in God increased even more.

:)

:)

i collected massage related cartoons.
the reason why i've been thinking about massage is that even though i'm a massage therapist, i still sometimes forget about the benefits of massage. i've been paying for my nature walk with majorly sore legs. i finally remembered that "hey, how about massaging my legs!" we have this really good, powerful massager. i spent almost an hour massaging my legs and back with it and it sure helped. i have got to remember to massage myself more often!

if you have never had a massage, you're missing out.

just a warning: make sure you find a therapist you like. they all massage differently and some even too roughly. you need to feel comfortable with the therapist and if it hurts like crazy during the massage or afterwards, they're doing something wrong. unless you decide to see a rolfer but that's another story. :)
gotta love massage!
then...

i was reading our church magazine when i had breakfast and something really touched me. the article mentioned the first world war and the 1918 flu pandemic. some stats:

70 million men from all over the world took up arms.

there were over 30 million military casualties, including 9 million dead, half of whom have no known graves.

worldwide, the death toll (of the flu pandemic) was staggering: at least 50 million people died.

sometimes we take our peace for granted and also think nothing of the flu. it's easy to feel that with our modern medicine we'll be safe and well taken care of. i think we need to be humble and be thankful when things are well. life is such a fragile thing.

someone i know just got pneumonia from h1n1 flu.

today i'm going to go and get vaccinated.

{that time of the year again}

microscopic picture of the H1N1 virus

(image found via google image search)

so - it's that time of the year again. many people have already been sick. lots of stuff going around. many of us are worried about the swine flu - H1N1. much debate has been going on about whether to get the vaccine or not. some are still confused about when to go to the doctor and when not.

to make it simple, here's a list of the differences between a cold and a flu.

a cold

• milder than the flu
• usually lasts for about a week
• contagious for the first 3 days (stay home!!!)
• usually begins with a sore throat, which usually goes away in a day or two
• runny nose and congestion comes next
• cough by the 4th and 5th day
• children might get slight fever, adults usually not
• if no improvement in a week, a bacterial infection a possibility, you need to see a doctor (possibly need antibiotics)
• to help cold symptoms: antihistamines, decongestants, anti-inflammatory medication

a flu

• similar symptoms as in a cold, but more severe
• sore throat, fever, headache, muscle aches and soreness, congestion, cough
• swine flu especially - might get vomiting and diarrhea as well
• most symptoms gradually improve over 2-5 days but can take a week or more
• pneumonia is a common complication
• if you get shortness of breath or fever that comes back after having been gone for a day or two - go to a doctor immediately
• to help flu symptoms: antihistamines, decongestants, analgesics (ibuprofen, acetaminophen)
• antiviral drugs should be started within the first 48 hours (tamiflu, relenza)
• stay home!!!

source for info: www.webmd.com

one tip most people don't know about:

the doctors here are recommening a salt water spray to clear the nose of bacteria. don't just mix salt with water. go to your pharmacist and ask about it. it works great for people with allergies as well. it clears the nose and helps runny nose and congestion. prevents illness as well by flushing bacteria out.

ps. i'm not a doctor. use this info with discretion. :)