Below we interview Grace McDonald, Massage Therapist in Queensbury, NY about her journey in massage therapy!
It is clear that Grace loves her job (and she really is ahh-mazing at it!) As a certified Massage Therapist, she offers a variety of services including deep tissue massages, Swedish massages, aromatherapy, HOT Synergy Stone massages, and everything in between.
It was fun getting to speak with her. Get to know Grace a little more in our interview below!
When did you start massage therapy?
“I started doing massage therapy in 2015 and have LOVED it ever since. When I learned the many, many benefits of massage therapy sessions, I knew that I was doing what I was meant to do.”
What massage school did you go to?
“I went to CNW (Center for Natural Wellness) a school for massage therapy in Albany. I did the FULL-time program and next to giving birth to my BEAUTIFUL baby girl, it was THE HARDEST thing I’ve ever done. It was very worth it though!”
What techniques of massage are your favorite?
“I FIRMLY believe in affecting the nervous system of my clients. It’s what controls almost all the other systems of the body, so my intent is to turn off the “fight or flight” nervous system and turn on the “rest and digest” system by using various techniques such as long fluid strokes, applying heat, slight shaking or vibrations, kneading of the muscles, HOT Synergy Stones, cupping, aromatherapy and the list can go on…to help achieve that goal. They’re ALL my favorite to use.” (See full list of massage services here!)
Why did you want to become a massage therapist?
“I wanted to become a massage therapist because I’ve ALWAYS loved receiving massage and schedule REGULAR massage therapy sessions for myself today. Whatever issues I was having, whether it was high stress levels that caused tension in my muscles or high pain levels due to overworking my muscles or repetitive movements that started to bother me, I always felt so much better after my massage therapy session. I wanted to help others to feel the way I felt and decided to become a massage therapist.”
What is your most popular service and/or package?
“My most popular service is the Therapeutic Touch Massage which incorporates heated rice packs/hot packs, a weighted blanket, biofreeze and some trigger point therapy. I also have massage packages that are AMAZING! But, I have to say that my “Melt Away” package is by far the most popular. It’s 2 hours of the most AMAZING experience that anyone can ever have!”
How do your customers typically feel before and after meeting w/ you?
“Before getting on the MOST COMFORTABLE massage table you’ll ever lay on, my clients typically are stressed to the limit due to work and life. The stress they’re under leaves them with very tight muscles that cause them to feel pain and exhaustion. AFTER their session, their whole demeanor typically changes into one of feeling “light” and “fluid” and the most relaxed they’ve ever felt. Their pain levels are dramatically decreased and they didn’t know their bodies could even feel that way. It’s truly an honor to witness these changes in my clients.”
What are you looking forward to in your business?
“I’m looking forward to giving the BEST customer experience to everyone every time they walk through my door and growing my business working with the nurses, teachers and office workers in my community. These are some of the most giving people I have the honor of meeting and working with. They put themselves last which leaves them depleted, exhausted and stressed. To work with them as they see the benefits of REGULAR massage therapy sessions and to help them feel so much better than when they walked into my office is the greatest honor I can receive in my business.”
Schedule Your Massage Today
Make sure to take care of yourself during these unchartered times! And after all of this, Grace will be here to help you reduce your stress, ease your pain and bring you some relief with therapeutic massage.
I wanted to take a moment to reach out to you and say that I hope that you’re okay. For a time, our way of life that we know it will be altered due to COVID-19.
Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers and that I’m eagerly looking forward to working with you again as soon as I’m able to open my door. Please stay healthy and safe. I will be checking in with you via email and sending you some tips on self-care, motivational quotes and some brief words to offer encouragement if needed.” -Be Well, Grace
Are you ready for a fresh start? After a busy holiday season, always remember the necessity of taking care of the most important person in your life……YOU! Taking good care of yourself will go a long way for your mental, physical, and emotional health. Unsure how to get started? Check several health and wellness events that will be happening around the Capital Region this Spring:
Check out a variety of health and wellness workshops at KindNest. Whether it be one class or a series of eight, this place has a variety of workshops for everyone! Some of the classes that sound excellent for your body and mind include:
Here’s the perfect opportunity to join an ongoing, 8-week integrative health and wellness program. Come learn what the impact of mindfulness has on your brain and the ability to heal. This course is taught by Dr. Selma Nemer, PhD and Pierre Zimmerman, MS. Students will learn how to live life with more ease and how to overcome daily challenges.
You do not want to miss this exciting expo that is coming to Saratoga Springs this spring! Come discover over one hundred vendors, lectures, presentations, workshops, free samples, and so much more…all devoted to making yourself happier and healthier in the year ahead.
Are you ready to become proactive with improving your overall health, mentality, and wellness this year? Start by looking into one of the health and wellness classes above! There are endless resources available to help you take charge of your mind, body, and soul. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020!
Spring is here and it’s time to get moving! The 10th Annual Glens Falls Rotary 5K Corporate Challenge is a run/walk, health and wellness event held at SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury, NY.
Enjoy a Girlfriends Getaway in Bolton Landing! Join a fun and exciting group of women during a weekend of classes, speakers, and health and wellness classes at the beautiful Sagamore Resort. Hosted by the Bolton Chamber of Commerce, the event will host various empowering motivational talks, entertainment, a welcome reception, fashion show, luncheon, door prizes and more! Attendees can create their own agenda by choosing from 18 presentations geared towards women on Saturday. The event will be held from Friday, May 8, 2020 until Sunday, May 10, 2020.
Balance Your Mind, Body and Soul
Are you ready to become proactive with improving your overall health, mentality, and wellness this year? Start by looking into one of the health and wellness classes above.
Book a Massage in Queensbury, NY
Looking for something more low key? Schedule a relaxing massage with Grace and let your worries be free! INDULGE yourself with a 70-minute relaxation massage that includes hot towels, aromatherapy massage oil, a relaxing sugar foot scrub with a warm paraffin foot treatment. Whichever massage package you choose, you are sure to leave refreshed and rejuvenated!
Rejuvenate Your Mind, Body, and Soul
There are endless resources available to help you take charge of your mind, body, and soul. We hope these ideas gave you some inspiration. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020! *****************************************************
The New Year is here and the new page of the calendar is the perfect opportunity to begin including self-care in our daily routines!
Self-care, a practice intended to improve one’s health, well-being, and happiness, has become a hot topic over the last few years. Treating yourself to a self-care routine is an attainable goal that doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or expensive. Putting yourself first has numerous benefits and improves overall happiness and productivity.
If your resolution is to add self-care to your to-do list during 2020, here are 7 tips to help you be the best version of yourself in the New Year.
Enjoy a healthy snack. Not sure how to start practicing self-care? One of the easiest ways to begin taking care of yourself and improving your health and wellness is to fuel your body with nutritious snacks and meals. Eating mindfully and incorporating healthy snacks into your day can be as simple as choosing fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins over sugary snacks.
Get creative! If you’re feeling stuck in a rut or bored in your daily routines, try something new – or even pick up an old hobby. Creative activities such as writing and drawing have been proven to decrease your stress levels. Focusing on learning a new task or engaging your brain in a different way can be relaxing and fun.
Book a massage. Massages benefit your mind as well as your body and are the perfect way to add self-care to your schedule in 2020. In addition to physical benefits such as pain relief, promoting circulation, lower blood pressure, and boosted immunity, massages are proven to decrease stress and anxiety. Massage therapy can also be personalized to suit your individual needs – whether you need additional pressure to loosen tight muscles or aromatherapy to make your experience even more relaxing.
Take time to be grateful. Practicing gratitude is a simple way to begin to shift any negative mindset into a positive attitude. In addition to reducing stress and anxiety, taking time to pause and reflect on the things you’re grateful for can rewire your brain to seek out the positive in every situation instead of dwelling on the negative. Begin by taking several moments at the start of your day to list out five things in your life you’re grateful for. As you continue your practice, you may be surprised to find your list growing!
Go outside. Taking a few minutes to get outside and take in fresh air and sunlight has many benefits, both physical and mental. A quick trip outdoors can lower both your stress levels and your heart rate! If inclement weather prevents you from stepping outside, try simply changing your environment. Go for a short walk around your office. Sometimes, simply taking a break from your routine can be enough to leave you feeling energized and refocused.
Get moving. Adding exercise to your daily routine doesn’t necessarily require an expensive gym membership or cumbersome gym equipment. You can reap the benefits of exercise by start small by walking for 30 minutes three to four times per week. Increasing your heart rate, even for short periods of time, improves both your mood and your physical health.
Catch some extra zzz’s. If you find that you are tired more frequently than not, it may be time to practice self-care by adding more sleep to your schedule. With our hectic schedules and busy lives, this component of self-care can be challenging, but like many other self-care practices, it’s easy to start small. Try to go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night, and if this is doable, perhaps try 30 minutes earlier. If your current bedtime works for you but you find that you’re not sleeping well, work on removing distractions from your bedroom or turning them off sooner. Put away laptops and tablets and turn off the television earlier to allow your body and mind a little more time to fall asleep.
Start Self Care Today and Book a Massage!
Self-care begins with setting an intention to add practices to your routine that will improve your health and wellness. Making healthier snack choices, adding exercise to your routine, and booking a massage with Graceful Touch Massage Therapy will have you on your way to feeling your best in 2020! We offer massage to fit every schedule and budget. Check out our massage services then message us online to book your massage today!
The cycle continued every week…you’re so excited on Friday because the weekend has rolled around again. While you may think of spending that entire time relaxing, you more than likely have a huge list of things to do and places you need to be. Yes, life is busy, but there are ways we can set ourselves up to get some much-needed recovery time and prepare ourselves for the week ahead. So, here are a few tips on how to use your weekend the way it was intended.
Utilize your free time throughout the week
While your work week schedule may be pretty busy, there are a few ways to utilize your time through the week in order to get things done around the house. If you cook dinner every night for yourself or the family, why not try slow cooker meals. They’re quick and easy and cut down your cooking time each night. You can cook a full meal, soups, or your main dish and just add a quick and easy side when you get home. Or use 1 or 2 nights to meal prep or double or triple your recipes so lunch and dinner is already done for the rest of the week. This frees up more time each evening to either take care of some other must-dos or to just enjoy so you don’t need the weekend so desperately.
If you find yourself cleaning all weekend trying to make up for doing nothing around the house all week, try using that extra time each night to get one room or one task done. Whether its cleaning a bathroom, mopping the floor, or a doing just one or two loads of laundry, doing one thing each evening when you’re already up and moving can mean you get to sleep in on Saturday instead of rushing to clean the house each weekend.
Set boundaries for anything work related
Depending on your job, this may be difficult, but it’s definitely achievable. While you may be receiving work emails that need attention, unplug from work as much as possible. Unless it’s truly a requirement of your job, most things can wait until Monday. But if you absolutely must work, do it strategically. So instead of reacting every time you get a notification, set a certain time each day you’ll check in on work stuff. The rest of the day is yours. It’s also important to set clear boundaries with co-workers as well as your boss. Make sure you let them know that in order to do your job well, you need time to take care of yourself on the weekends.
Go with the flow: We tend to feel as if everything we do needs a schedule that’s set in stone, even when it involves our free time. While you may have events to attend like a birthday party or social outing, try your hardest to allow yourself just to be. Have you ever woken up on a Saturday and realized you had nowhere to be and the day was TRULY yours? It’s one of the best feelings ever.
Learn to say no: While socializing with our loved ones and friends can be therapy in so many ways, overscheduling yourself on the days you should be resting is exhausting. Don’t spread yourself too thin. If you already have plans and get invited to another event, don’t feel like you have to find a way to make it work. Say no. These events are meant to be fun and enjoyable, not you rushing from one place to another, never really being able to relax. It’s okay to say no, or “I already have plans”, even if that plan is you relaxing on your own.
When there’s no way around it, get it done: Sometimes having a to do list on the weekend is unavoidable. Generally, those to-dos drag along with you throughout the weekend as you put it off again and again. When you have things to get done on the weekend, try to get them done as soon as possible, so you don’t have that weight on your shoulder anymore. Then you really can just enjoy your weekend.
While the weekends may be your favorite part of the week, be sure you’re using them wisely and taking advantage of every second you have to take care of you. Get that well-deserved downtime…you’ve earned it.
Stress is an
unavoidable part of life. I mean, it would be nice if we could go most of our
lives with little to no stress, but for many of us, that’s just not how life
works out. Whether it’s related to work, family, finances, or just little
irritants through the day like traffic, we’re regularly exposed to stressors.
And while mild stress is usually manageable in a variety of ways, the link
between chronic stress and some medical conditions is undeniable.
When you’re
stressed, your central nervous system (CNS) goes into what is often referred to
as the “fight or flight” response. Your body releases adrenaline and cortisol,
your eyes dilate, your heart beats faster, your blood pressure increases, your
muscles tense, and your digestion stops to allow blood to be redistributed to
those muscles needed to fight or run for your life. When the perceived threat
is gone, the CNS will usually act to ease the mind and body, going
back to a state often referred to as “rest and digest”, because the body calms
and functions return to normal. However, chronic, or long-term stress
means that signal may not be sent for quite some time, so your body is staying
in that state of stress for far too long. This can wreak havoc on your
body over time. Here’s 4 conditions that can be directly related to chronic
stress.
Insomnia: When you’re stressed, your mind never turns off
due to all those perceived ‘threats’. This can easily lead to trouble sleeping.
You may be planning the next day’s events, worrying about bills, family issues,
or any number of other problems. But if this continues over time, it’s not just
about having trouble turning your mind off to fall asleep, but can progress
into true insomnia; an inability to fall asleep, even when the brain and
nervous system have calmed. Not getting enough sleep only continues to add to
the problem, by increasing your body’s level of the stress hormone, cortisol.
Depression: When you’re in a constant state of stress,
especially when the root of your stress isn’t easily resolved or is out of your
hands, depression is common. Feeling like you have no control over your life
leads you feeling helpless, hopeless, and sometimes even angry. You may
distance yourself from your loved ones and avoid activities you once enjoyed.
Heart disease: When
you’re stressed, your body produces a large amount of adrenaline and cortisol,
both hormones that put physical stress on the heart. Because these hormones
cause the heart and blood vessels to work harder, over time this can lead to
damage to those structures.
Digestive disorders: When you’re in that fight or flight stage, your
digestive system shuts down most of its functions. This can cause problematic
delays in the digestive process, leading to constipation, diarrhea, and making
you more susceptible to the development of stomach ulcers. Long term stress can
lead to irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, and ulcerative colitis.
While we may not be able to control the stresses that pop up in life, we
CAN control how we react to them. So even though we experience stress, we can
make choices that allow us to handle that stress in a healthy way; in a way
that keeps our bodies from becoming damaged from the stress. And don’t forget
to add massage therapy into your regular stress-management routine to keep you
as healthy and happy as possible!
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