Halcyon Bodyworks

I’m heading out of town Tuesday, so I opened up Sunday and Monday for massage appointments before I leave.

If you’ve been trying to get on my table or your body has been politely (or not-so-politely) requesting some attention this is a great chance to snag a spot.

Now, let’s talk plantar fasciitis.

It’s one of those diagnoses that gets thrown around anytime someone says, “My heel hurts.”

The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue that runs from your heel toward your toes and helps support the arch of your foot. When that tissue becomes irritated and overloaded, one of the classic symptoms is heel pain that’s especially noticeable with those first few steps in the morning or after sitting for a while.

And here’s the important part:

Your plantar fascia does not exist in isolation.

Your foot is responding to forces coming from your calves, ankles, hips, training load, footwear and the way you’re moving throughout the day.

So what actually helps?

Generally, the boring-but-effective stuff wins: temporarily reducing the activity that’s aggravating it, supportive footwear when needed, gradually rebuilding the foot and calf’s capacity, and progressive calf and foot strengthening. Gentle plantar-fascia and calf stretching can also be helpful for many people.

What usually isn’t the answer?

Beating the heck out of the bottom of your foot.

More pressure does not automatically equal better results. If aggressively rolling on a ball or having someone dig into your heel leaves it angry for the next two days, that’s probably not a sign that you “needed it.”

Massage can absolutely be part of the picture but I like to look beyond the painful spot and start working with the calf complex, ankle, foot and the rest of the lower leg.
This can help reduce guarding and improve how the whole area moves. Then the long-term work is giving those tissues enough strength and capacity to tolerate what you’re asking them to do.

Painful tissue doesn’t always need more pressure. Sometimes it needs less irritation and more capacity.

ALSO…..A good pair of recover sandals can sure feel good too. I use OOFOS, but just about any reputable footwear company has them now.

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This Week at Halcyon

***Valerie has a handful of weekday appointments available if you're looking for focused therapeutic or deeper work.

***Zack has available appointments for Deep Tissue over the weekend.

As always, you can book online anytime.

https://mailchi.mp/20fd9a56a293/im-working-overtime-this-weekend-anda-little-educational-post-on-plantar-fascitis

THIS WEEK AT HALCYON

Zack has an opening today at 1:30, plus about four appointments still available over Saturday and Sunday.

Valerie has one opening Monday at 9:15, and Zack will also be in the office Monday and Tuesday.

If your body has been asking for some attention, this is a great weekend to get on the table.

And now, a little body nerdiness…Why do muscles feel “tight”?

We tend to think that when a muscle feels tight, it must literally be shortened and needs to be stretched or loosened back up, but that sensation of tightness is more complicated than that.

Your nervous system is constantly deciding how much muscle tone feels appropriate based on things like movement, workload, fatigue, stress, pain, previous injury, and even how safe or supported your body feels.

Sometimes that “tight” feeling is less about a muscle physically needing to be lengthened and more about your system saying:

“I think we need a little extra protection here.”

Massage can provide different sensory input that encourages movement, temporarily changes muscle tone and pain perception, and can sometimes help your system decide it doesn’t need to hold quite so tightly.

And yes …..sometimes a wonderfully specific elbow in exactly the right spot feels pretty fantastic. 😉

The goal isn’t to fight your body, the goal is to give it better information.
See you on the table,

Crystal + the Halcyon crew

https://mailchi.mp/b7da6a345779/current-massage-openings-why-your-body-feels-tight

Last minute Opening tomorrow at 3:15pm with ME :) Crystal
60 minutes
https://mailchi.mp/f04e84705ea0/i-have-an-opening-tomorrow

Hello friends,

I’ve been a little quiet over here the last few weeks. My regularly scheduled emails and massage musings will be back soon, but lately I’ve been taking my own advice and making a little more room for life outside of work.

I just got back from a deeply nourishing trip to Idaho to spend time with my longtime bestie and her kiddo (the kind of visit that fills your cup in all the right ways.)

There was lots of laughing, wandering around, good food, and apparently an opportunity for me to feed ice cream to the guy from American Gothic. Naturally, I took it.

And on the work side, I’ve been having SO much fun with what I’ve affectionately started calling my Mobile Recovery Lounge (my mobile massage side hustle that has somehow evolved into bringing a whole little recovery experience directly to people.)
Massage, vibroacoustic relaxation, hot towels, all the cozy accoutrements…apparently I really enjoy packing up half of Halcyon and taking it on the road.
More on that soon. :)

In the meantime, I wanted to pop into your inbox because we have some availability coming up at Halcyon.

Zack of Aspen Root Deep Tissue has quite a bit of availability this Sunday, and only 1 more appointment available Saturday around noon. If you’ve been wanting some focused, therapeutic deep tissue work, this would be a great weekend to get on his table.

Valerie has a 60-minute opening Monday at 9:45 AM. Her schedule tends to fill quickly, so if you’ve been waiting for an opening with her, grab it while it’s there.

And then I promise I’ll get back to my regularly scheduled program of talking about bodies, nervous systems, massage, and whatever rabbit hole I happen to be wandering down that week.

Until then, I hope you’re finding your own little pockets of nourishment as summer starts winding down.
See you at Halcyon,
Crystal

https://mailchi.mp/71279ee1e961/a-little-life-lately-and-openings-this-weekend-and-week

We’re welcoming a new massage therapist to our Halcyon collective!

Please join us in welcoming Zack, a Licensed Massage Therapist and the owner of Aspen Root Deep Tissue. Click the link below for more......

https://mailchi.mp/ea6866cf811b/meet-zack-anda-closer-look-at-deep-tissue-massage

https://mailchi.mp/2860ed8c21a7/when-pain-becomes-a-smoke-alarm

Sassy Saturday with Ellie 🐾

When you said we were going for a walk… but apparently you meant eventually. 🦮🥺

Your massage might help you feel better, but what you do between massages matters even more.

Our bodies are designed to be loaded. Walking gives our muscles, tendons, joints, and bones regular, manageable amounts of force that is helping them maintain the capacity to handle the demands of daily life.

You don’t need to crush a workout every day, sometimes you just need to walk the dog.

Ellie is waiting. And she is not amused. 😂🐾

Openings wit Crystal this Friday! - https://mailchi.mp/4cc2b38680b2/openings-wit-crystal-this-friday

Dear July Piña Colada from Active Culture,

We had something special.

You were creamy.
You were coconutty.
You were everything I wanted after a hot day.

Le sigh.

Farewell, you sweet little coconut gift in a cold glass.

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
Why does the best part of summer always seem to go by the fastest?

See you next July… I’ll be counting the days. 💛

Also... go book a massage for the weekend before they are all gone.