wash away dead skin and impurities. A further detoxing option is to follow up with a hot bath containing two cups of Epsom salts and 20 drops of tea tree oil.


Recharge


After you have de-stressed, refreshed and released, it may be time to ramp up your energy. These final steps are geared to recharge your emotional and physical batteries.


Stay in Touch


Physical touch in any form stimulates the body, and while massage is typically used to relax and release, it can also revitalize. A recent National Institutes of Health study showed that massage had a positive effect on cancer-related fatigue in patients who were undergoing treat- ments that drained them of energy. “During an invigorating massage, the therapist uses faster paced, gliding, strokes, rather than slow, sustained, pressure,” explains Kristen Sykora, a licensed massage therapist and spokes- person for the American Massage Therapy Association. In-between visits (locate a local practitioner at Finda MassageTherapist.org), there’s plenty you can do on your own.


“Physiologically, when you mas- sage yourself—even when you rub lotion on your skin—you’re asking the blood vessels to open up and bring in blood, nutrients and oxygen into that area,” Sykora says. She suggests a simple tapping technique, called tapotement, for re-energizing any area of the body that feels fatigued, such as quadraceps or derrière. To work on quads, sit comfortably, so the muscles are relaxed, make a soft fist and tap gently all over the muscle for one to two minutes. Use either the pinky end of the fist or the underside, where the fingers are curled.


Walk


A simple way to get moving, walking raises heart rate and breathing capac- ity, increases circulation of blood and nutrients to all systems of the body and, as new research from the University of Pittsburgh shows, improves memory. It’s a relatively low-impact, safe, form of exercise that also gets you outdoors, which has its own balancing benefits.


natural awakenings February 2011 27


Beginners can try for 10 minutes a day at a slow, comfortable pace, while more experienced walkers may shoot for 30 minutes a day at a faster, more invigorating pace.


Try Something New


Sticking to the safe, familiar and tried- and-true may seem like an energy- conservation measure, but upsetting your routine and trying new things can re-cultivate a passion for life. And pas- sion, says Marks, helps provide life with meaning and purpose. “It’s important to find pleasures outside of work, even if you do love your job,” she counsels. What will you do? Something you’ve always wanted to do, or used to do and have always wanted to get back to. Or, something you never thought you


could do, or think you’re too old to do. Natural Awakenings’ monthly Cal- endar of Events is a perfect place to start. Take a cooking or art class (local com- munity colleges are great, too) or join a dining or green drinks or birdwatching group (Meetup.com facilitates local gatherings). Learn a new sport (tennis, paddleboarding, salsa dance) or a musi- cal instrument (ukulele, an easy instru- ment to pick up, is making a comeback). Join a community gardening, handcraft- ing or reading circle, which are all part of the growing make-it-yourself move- ment. The list is endless...


Frances Lefkowitz’s new book, To Have Not, has been named one of five Best Memoirs of 2010 by SheKnows.com. Connect at FrancesLefkowitz.net.


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