I am always amazed at the miracle of touch. I never know if what I am doing will make a difference, so it is always nice to receive feedback that I helped to reduce pain. As a massage therapist, I don't do anything "magic" - I simply help the body into the parasympathetic mode, or into a state of relaxation, and the body can begin to heal itself.

One regular client said that he considered me one of his healthcare providers - along with his doctors, physical therapists, and other providers. That was one of the best compliments I have ever received! I would love to work together with other helathcare practitioners in meeting your needs. -Heidi

"I began therapy with Heidi about two months ago, and I have seen good improvement in my flexibility and circulation. I've broken the seventy-year-old barrier and my muscles and joints have gotten stiff and sore from injury and over-use, plus the circulation isn't as efficient as it once was. Heidi has done a lot to improve my overall well-being and lift my spirits in general. She's easy to talk with, listens closely and thinks before speaking. I've worked with several massage therapists for health reasons over the years; my profession was a very physically demanding one and I incurred much injury and tissue damage before retiring. 

Heidi continually adds to her knowledge database, uses her books and the Internet to learn about specific issues pertaining to her clients, is one of the more knowledgeable therapists I've found and is my favorite. I'm sincere when I say I am grateful to her for her innate need to understand the human body, her (ongoing) help, her ability to communicate on a deeper level and her compassion. These are the things I find important in a medical professional, and that is where she excels  Thanks, Heidi!"
-Jim M. (March 2019)

"Heidi came to my  rescue last Friday. . . . I was awakened by severe back pain. . . I received no help from my physician and was left to experience continued severe pain over the weekend. I decided to call Heidi . . . . [She] had family visiting . . . . [yet] was very empathetic and responsive to my needs. . . . She massaged my back for only about 15 minutes.I experienced almost instant pain relief.  I went home from the massage and fell asleep. The pain was gone and hasn’t returned. . . . She is a hero health care provider.
-Russ H. (June 2018) Read the complete testimonial

Below are more testimonials from clients, listed by the type of massage they received - Myofascial Release, Manual Lymph Drainage, Spinal Touch, Shiatsu, Swedish, Thai, or Cranio-Sacral.

Call me busy and multi-tasker. Or call me lazy. Either way, I admit that I have rarely included an exercise regimen in my life. I will go through spurts of time when I walk, bike, do yoga or pilates, but I rarely last beyond a week or two. It's easy to find excuses not to fit in the half hour to exercise every day.

To counter-balance my excuses I justify my lack of exercise by telling myself that I include exercise in my everyday life. I use my bike as transportation. I run up and down the stairs to get supplies from the storage room. I don't look for the closest parking stall. I garden. I clean my  house. And I add extra movement into my every day life.

Silly but simple - when I brush my teeth, I do a yoga pose. Usually tree pose. I read somewhere that balancing on one foot is good for your brain. Who knows if it's true, but I figure that while I brush my teeth I may as well ward off Alzheimer's at the same time.

​I am often asked how soon after an injury can one receive a massage. If the injury is soft-tissue related, with a skilled massage therapist, you can receive treatment immediately. Depending on the injury, the massage may be brief and light touch. Often return visits will be beneficial and the massage may change in length and depth.

From personal experience and from observing my clients, the sooner you receive a massage, the quicker and better the healing. Often just a few minutes of treatment can yield relief. 

I learned a lot at the 2017 AMTA National Convention in Pasadena! I attended a research class on massage and pain management. There is more research showing that massage helps lessen pain, and with the opiod epidemic many physicians are searching for additional ways to manage pain.

I have had amazing experiences with some of my clients needing much less pain medication after surgery. Stay tuned for one of those stories. 

My back was killing me the day before I attended the AMTA National Convention. If I had to be at convention with a hurt back, this was certainly the right one! I experienced pain relief during my hands-on classes and when a great travel companion/roommate - another massage therapist - gave me a two-hour massage one night. My back pain was manageable, and at times disappeared! 

I learned some new techniques in managing lower back pain and neck issues. It was been a great convention! 

I love learning. I love being a massage therapist. I love helping to lessen the pain and discomfort of my clients. Call me for an appointment!

Kira's roommate asked me a question:

What blessings do you currently have in your life that you can trace back to Joseph Smith's prayer in the Sacred Grove?

I chose to answer with a massage slant since that is what I spend so much of my time doing.

I have sensitive skin, so long ago I began to make my own skin-care creams. There are many benefits:

• I use the best-quality ingredients - and the results are nutrition for the skin!
• High-quality lotions can be expensive and we don't always know if the ingredients are safe and non-toxic. I can make my own for a fraction of the price, and I know exactly what I put into it.
• I change the recipe each time - depending on the season, my mood, and my needs. For example, my daily body lotion is different from my massage lotion. I want my daily lotion to soak into the skin quickly. I want the massage lotion to glide and not quickly soak in. I make a different recipe in the summer than I do in the winter.
• I can make it unscented (always my massage lotion) or add a few drops of essential oils to personalize the lotion.
• It is easy to make - it takes me less than an hour to make a batch.
• My daughters and their friends like to help - so it is quality time with my favorite people!

Ancient awkward tree poses.

I would love to receive a daily massage. It's good for your body and your soul. But it isn't happening. The more I learn about fascia, the more I recognize the need to keep it from adhering or becoming stiff. There are many ways to keep our fascia healthy - movement, massage, and yoga among them.

I have always been very stiff and NOT flexible at all. I need to loosen my fascia. I'd love a daily myofascial massage or a Thai massage (basically someone putting you into yoga positions and massaging you - a most delicious massage!). I don't have the time, let alone the money, to receive a daily massage. I've taken a few yoga classes, but am always incredibly self-conscious because my body just doesn't go into those positions. However, my body feels good when I take a gentle yoga class.

Last summer Kira's friend, Heidi, introduced to me "Home Yoga with Adrian." Two or three times a week I have been doing her yoga in the privacy, non-judgmental place of my own home alone or with one of my daughters. Below is Adrian's "Yoga for Beginners" video. She has many other videos at all different levels. She fits my style.

Try some yoga, but then come in for an occasional massage!

Say What?!

Lately I've come across several advertisements and articles advocating "dry brushing." You use a special stiff brush on your body, starting at the extremities and brushing towards the heart. Among other benefits, it is supposed to stimulate the lymph system. Google it if you're curious for more information.

The lymphatic system is a major part of the body’s immune system. It is made up of organs and lymph nodes, ducts and capillaries that transport lymph throughout the body. Many of these lymph capillaries run just below the skin and proponents of dry brushing claim that brushing the skin regularly helps stimulate the normal lymph flow within the body and help the body detoxify itself naturally.

From what I've learned in my Manual Lymph Drainage classes, I can not disagree with the benefits of dry brushing. But I do not have time to add yet another thing I'm supposed to do daily - I struggle with fitting in exercising and sometimes eating lunch. Then I realized that I was already dry brushing every time I showered.

You remember, we do not dry our laundry. People always tell me that is great because it is environmentally conscious, but they would never do it because they don't like stiff towels. I never noticed a problem with my towels - I like the invigorating rub over my body as I dry myself off. Besides, after the first use with a clean towel, it softens up significantly.

So now that I know about dry brushing, I conscientiously dry my body with my stiff air-dried towel in the direction of the lymph flow. I also do this when I sauna and rub myself down (but the benefits of sauna is a whole other post by itself. . .). 

But if you are not convinced to give up your dryer and still need your soft towel, well then, may I recommend booking a manual lymph drainage (MLD)! MLD is a gentle massage which encourages the natural drainage of lymph and in the process helps to build the immune system. As the winter season approaches, MLD is one more way to help your body fight off the viruses and bugs that are around.

Continue reading to learn the benefits of air-drying your clothes.

One of my daughters and her roommate have friends over to their apartment for a weekly "Appreciation Night." They celebrate different aspects of life: leaves, hammocks, color, light, music, cereal . . . you get the idea. They will do an activity based on their topic. The people who attend vary each week, depending on who is available and who is interested in the activity. And someone always brings a new person or two. I love to hear about their activities and the friends they make. I have longed to join them.

I finally got the chance last week! My youngest daughter was on spring break, so we decided to spend one night with her older sister at college. We conveniently picked "Appreciation Night." Well, my daughter took advantage of me - more than the usual free dinner - and asked if I would help them to appreciate touch.

I wanted to get my hands on her leg and help speed up the recovery with massage, but they lived too far away. A year later they returned to the US and the leg was still swollen and tender. She said the leg felt like a balloon blown up tight, ready to burst and and she couldn't put any pressure on it - just setting a book on her knee was painful. She was also limited in how much she could move her leg, thus hampering how much she could walk. As soon as they visited us, I put her (with a lot of protesting - she is a also a very stubborn Dane!) on my table and gently began to work on her knee.