The Importance of Touch

Humans are hard wired to be touched. It s vital on a mental, emotional and physical level. Touch is the mother of all senses, touch, the first instinctual thing a mother does holding the child after giving birth, or when comforting a loved one in pain or suffering, even just the joy of greeting a friend with a hug, a business associate with a handshake, and of course sensual touch when we are with our beloved.

There are baby cradlers in children s hospitals ( yes, it s a job ) to comfort the little ones and with their human touch contribute to their healing. Caregivers gently work on elders that have been widowed or without relatives in retirement homes, even a pad on the back has a positive effect and can be powerful.

pastedGraphic.png

After over a year of isolating lockdowns during the Covid 19 pandemic, the world is globally touch deprived. We couldn’t see our families or come physically close, no hospital visits to someone fallen sick and people affected by a family death couldn’t comfort loved ones in their grief and suffering. And even in normal circumstances the lack of touch can have serious long-lasting effects on our health.

Tactile hunger is powerful, we have nerve fibers that recognize touch, sending signals to the vagus nerve, the longest of our cranial nerves connecting the brain to the body. When experiencing touch we release oxytocin, the connection or love hormone & neurotransmitter, we produce serotonin and dopamine the natural anti-depressants. Heart rate lowers, blood pressure and stress hormones decrease to allow optimal  bodily functions. When we are touch deprived the body reacts with a stress response releasing cortisol and adrenalin which wreaks havoc on our nervous system resulting in anxiety and depression.

Touch is crucial to our health. Get in “touch”, book a massage, hug a pet, practice self massage on the body, scalp or feet, cradle a stuffed animal, dry brush, sleep under a weighted blanket.

My Massage and Ayurveda practice is safely open and I am fully vaccinated. I look forward to welcoming you there for treatments. My offerings are listed on the service page in the menu. Hope to see you soon.

Master in Residence & Ayurveda Training at Spa Grande, Jewel Resorts Jamaica

It s been an honor and a pleasure to partner with the brand new Jewel Grande Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica for their Grand Opening October 2017. The 33,000 sq ft Spa Grande conceptualized and helmed by Jewel Resorts Group Spa Director Sienna Creasy truly is Jamaica s new top destination for healing treatments and rituals, fitness, yoga and a full service salon. It features Jamaica s only Himalayan Salt room,  outdoor mineral baths and a cafe.

Located in a quiet cove outside of Montego Bay, this property sets itself apart with it s brand new world class spa.

Sienna Creasy ( formerly group spa director of Island Outpost Resorts: Goldeneye, The Caves and Strawberry Hills ) carefully recruited an exquisitely skillful spa team. Infused by her enthusiasm, attention to detail and knowledge they are offering world class treatments and services. Besides top shelf skincare brands and product lines, the spa is themed around Jamaica s local herb & plant offerings, featuring it s own fresh herb garden to create an authentic experience.

I have been brought in to train the staff (pictured here) in Ayurvedic Treatments Abhyanga; warm herbal oil massage and Shirodhara; a constant flow of herbal oils on the third eye to balance the nervous system and restore homeostasis. The team, an extension of their strong and soulful leader was a delight to work with and perfected their skills within days of training and practice. I can wholeheartedly say: It s been a delight to work with them all and share my knowledge.

Upon the Grand Opening, which attracted around 600 guests, we kicked off operations with offering a Yoga & Ayurveda workshop including an Asana class led by Sienna and a lecture on ayurvedic daily routines ( by yours truly ). Participants walked away with new tools to integrate into their lives in order to enhance a healthy lifestyle.

I rounded up my stay by offering Ayurvedic treatments and consultations to resort guests as well as locals as their first featured “Master in Residence”

This innovative concept of bringing in Master Practitioners from over the world for a limited timeframe, offers additional experiences for their patrons besides the permanent spa menu choices.

( Thing weekly or daily  specials in a restaurant )

It has been an honor to be featured as the first “Master in Residence” of a continuous series Spa Grande has mapped out and it sure proved to be a big success for the spa and myself alike. I am looking forward to continue collaborating with the amazing Sienna Creasy and the Jewel Resort Properties Spas in the future .

I pride myself with providing excellent Luxury Spa training and it is an honor and a privilege to create & give profound healing spa treatments and experiences….just look at these happy faces……

http://www.jewelgrande.com

for inquiries about spa trainings or Master in Residence appearances please go to the contact page here on my website. I look forward to hear from you

 

 

Slow Beauty Stories featuring my Ayurveda practice

It s been such a pleasure to collaborate with SPIRITUAL over the years, developing education manuals, protocols for treatments and training their worldwide accounts on their products and services. SPIRITUAL s founder the visionary Shel Pink invited me to be featured on their SLOW BEAUTY blog a while ago, but it s never too late to share. Enjoy watching the video.

http://www.slowbeauty.com/videos/2015/3/2/slow-beauty-stories-ayurveda

 

NOBODY IS FREE UNLESS WE ARE ALL FREE

My mantra on a daily  basis is: MAY ALL BEINGS EVERYWHERE BE HEALTHY HAPPY AND FREE!  This is my intention and my wish for all people, regardless where they are on their path. We have to meet each other where we are at and stay open and tolerant about each other. After all, we are just walking each other home……

To be truly free requires some internal work in order to grow into our authentic selves and reveal our true gifts and allow them to come forth in our daily lives and shine. The fundamental force behind this is to be of service, which drives everything. Connection to our true nature as spirit. Starting with ourselves, nurturing our soul, being present and balanced in our bodies and minds and with the practice of meditation, Yoga and a healthy lifestyle unfurling our full potential as humans.

Read More…

40 days of self love

honoring yourselfI have recently started a 40 days of self love program, designed and offered by my wonderful life coach and friend Eva Maurice. It’s not about that I already have certain tools and practices in my life, but how regularly do I actually take the time to apply them? Be it meditation, a yoga practice, journaling, or simply taking a moment for gratitude, forgiving yourself and cultivating the authentic self with conscious awareness. Please inquire for information about the 40 days of self love program and get onboard with honoring the many levels of yourself – body, mind, spirit and emotions -on a daily basis. www.evamaurice.com

News!!

Hope this finds everybody healthy and happy.

For your convenience I am now accepting credit cards for my services. There are new gift certificates available. So much for the formalities….

We are in the midst of an intense time cosmically. New moon and full moon eclipses just happened, venus transit and lots more is going on in the universe and you might have felt it in one way or another.

In those times it is important that we nurture ourselves by eating good healthy food, spending time with loved ones and friends, practicing yoga and meditation but also getting some passive relaxation where we can completely surrender without active participation, where we are able go really deeply within and let go.

If you have never tried a Pinda svedana treatment, I highly recommend you to try it. Warm steamed herbal poultices are being massaged along the nadis (energy lines) of the body penetrating deeply into the tissues, deeply releasing tension and toxins and re-alligning your meridians. After a brief consultation an herbal blend appropriate for you will be chosen to melt you into a blissful state of deep relaxation. I look forward to treating you with this ancient ayurvedic remedy.

Namaste!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2011! I hope the New Year has started out fantastic for you, wherever you are. In our hemisphere it is wintertime, the Kapha season in Ayurveda. It is cold and moist in qualities, therefore we have to make sure we keep warm and dry. Those times are perfect for rejuvenation therapies, warm oil massages, herbal steams and the right food for body and mind to keep it engaged and active, yet relaxed.

This past New Moon I set strong intentions to move deeply into my practice, serving the highest good for others and myself. I invite you to experience ayurvedic rejuvenation treatments like Abhyanga ( warm oil massage ) Shirodhara ( warm herbal oil drip on the 3rd eye ) and any 5 sense therapy to maintain the body’s homeostasis and allow it’s vital organs to function optimally and maintain perfect health.

Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu ~ may all beings everywhere be happy healthy and free from suffering

soo much love,

Andrea

Fall Equinox

This year the fall equinox and the harvest moon are happening on the same day. This change of season brings with it shorter days, wind, rain, and lower temperatures. In the ayurvedic calendar this is the beginning of Vata season. We hibernate more and after a hot outdoorsy time in the summer, we retreat more indoors and find comfort in cozy warm homes, congregating around the house with family and friends, or taking the time for reflection and going inside.

This dramatic change of seasons is also the perfect time to cleanse the body of toxins accumulated throughout the year. If we do not rid ourselves of toxins on a regular basis they will stay in our deeper tissues and create a perfect breeding ground for dis-ease to develop. If we keep our tissues healthy and cleansed, all our defense systems are strong and we are armed for the harsh winter season to come.

Please call or write to inquire about the Ayurvedic Panchakarma cleanse, an affordable cleanse program based on ayurvedic principles which rids the body of toxins on a cellular level. Please go to the service page and look up Panchakarma information or call for a free orientation.

I look forward to servicing you.

In good health, be well,

Andrea

Spring Cleanse Panchakarma

Spring is the perfect time to get rid of accumulated environmental toxins and metabolic waste in the body and mind. The ayurvedic Panchakarma cleanse is a mild yet profound way to detox and rejuvenate yourself. Like In nature this is the time of renewal.

I offer Panchakarma cleanses here in Los Angeles. Many of my clients manage to complete a cleanse although they are mothers, have full time jobs or both.

Contact me for your individual consultation.