Erica ragusa's Posts - massage and bodywork professionals2024-03-28T11:04:03Zerica ragusahttps://massageprofessionals.com/profile/ericaragusahttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1966404721?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://massageprofessionals.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=04doeyojuuwsw&xn_auth=noHerbs to Add to Your Massage Oilstag:massageprofessionals.com,2012-01-08:2887274:BlogPost:2476052012-01-08T21:57:36.000Zerica ragusahttps://massageprofessionals.com/profile/ericaragusa
<p>Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body and it absorbs everything that you place on it? Did you know that mainstream beauty products are filled with industrial chemicals, like parabens and petroleum? According to the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org), common beauty and body care items contain many chemicals, both natural and synthetic. The manufacturers, by and large, do not test their products for health and safety, so we do not know how much of their chemicals…</p>
<p>Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body and it absorbs everything that you place on it? Did you know that mainstream beauty products are filled with industrial chemicals, like parabens and petroleum? According to the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org), common beauty and body care items contain many chemicals, both natural and synthetic. The manufacturers, by and large, do not test their products for health and safety, so we do not know how much of their chemicals get into our bodies or what their risks are to us or to our environment once they get tossed. Yet the EWG estimates that consumers use about 10 personal care products containing 126 ingredients every day. </p>
<p>A couple of weeks ago, I held a green beauty workshop in the Breckenridge Arts District at the Fuqua stable to teach our community how they can make beauty and body care items at home, without the use of synthetic ingredients. Every item we made contained five ingredients or less, and with no preservatives. </p>
<p>The first item we made was a body oil in which we learned how to infuse herbs into oils. We chose to infuse our oil with dried comfrey leaf, because it is therapeutic when applied to bruises, sprains, broken bones and injuries. In one European study, an ointment made with comfrey root proved to be effective at treating both pain and swelling in 142 patients with sprained ankles. Research done in the United States has shown that one of the natural chemical constituents in comfrey, allantoin, proliferates cell growth so that wounds to connective tissue like bones, cartilage, and muscle can heal more rapidly. The body oil is effective for application over strains, sprains, bruises and muscle aches, but is not recommended for application over open wounds because the rapid cell proliferation may pose the risk of trapping microbes and toxins beneath the surface of the skin.</p>
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<p>The second item we made was a healing first aid salve using calendula-infused oil. <a href="http://ambikahealing.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/green-beauty-recipes/" target="_blank">Read More</a>...</p>Understanding the Doshas for Better Healthtag:massageprofessionals.com,2012-01-08:2887274:BlogPost:2478192012-01-08T21:55:09.000Zerica ragusahttps://massageprofessionals.com/profile/ericaragusa
<p>“In the practice of Ayurveda we try to bring people back into balance and at the same time let their true nature shine through. The two processes are really the same.”–Deepak Chopra. </p>
<p>Ayurvedic practitioners look at each client as a unique composition of the doshas, which are distinct mind-body types. In Ayurveda, there is no separation between the two. The first dosha is vata, and it is usually the first to become imbalanced and over time will take the others with it. It is…</p>
<p>“In the practice of Ayurveda we try to bring people back into balance and at the same time let their true nature shine through. The two processes are really the same.”–Deepak Chopra. </p>
<p>Ayurvedic practitioners look at each client as a unique composition of the doshas, which are distinct mind-body types. In Ayurveda, there is no separation between the two. The first dosha is vata, and it is usually the first to become imbalanced and over time will take the others with it. It is governed by air and ether and is linked to the intestines, circulation, and the heart. Characteristics of vata are coolness, movement, speed, dryness, and roughness. The second dosha is pitta. It is governed by fire and water and is linked to digestion, metabolism, and perspiration. Characteristics of pitta are heat, sweat, sharpness, and sour odors. The third dosha is kapha. It is governed by water and earth and is linked to the mucous membranes. Characteristics of kapha are heaviness, sweetness, steadiness, softness, and slowness. Everyone is a combination of the three doshas, and at the time of our birth, we are composed of a harmonious balance of all three—not necessarily an equal balance, but a combination that forms our perfect mental and physical constitution, our <i>prakriti. </i> Over the course of one’s life, we will shift from our <i>prakriti</i>, our harmonious balance of the doshas, into a disharmonious <i>vikriti,</i> which literally means a deviation from nature. Our doshas become imbalanced over a period of time due to some lifestyle choices: eating the wrong foods, not getting enough rest, harboring negative emotions, and enduring physical and mental strain. On the other hand, our doshas can be balanced through diet, exercise, daily routine, and seasonal routine. The <a href="http://ambika.massagetherapy.com/ayurvedic-bliss-massages" target="_blank">Ayurvedic bliss</a> therapies that I practice are rituals that are intended to balance a person’s <i>vikriti</i> and to restore harmony among the doshas. <a href="http://ambikahealing.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/understanding-the-doshas-for-health/" target="_blank">Read More</a>...</p>Relaxing Hatha Yoga in Breckenridgetag:massageprofessionals.com,2012-01-08:2887274:BlogPost:2478162012-01-08T21:50:14.000Zerica ragusahttps://massageprofessionals.com/profile/ericaragusa
<div class="entry-content"><p>Living Breckenridge, there is a high level of athleticism displayed by its inhabitants. The mountains afford opportunities to participate in myriad of activities like mountain biking, trail running, and white-water rafting in the summer; and skiing and snowboarding in the winter. While it is healthy to be active and fit, the importance of proper relaxation cannot be overlooked. Think of relaxation as the yin to the yang of activity. Yoga teaches us that there…</p>
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<div class="entry-content"><p>Living Breckenridge, there is a high level of athleticism displayed by its inhabitants. The mountains afford opportunities to participate in myriad of activities like mountain biking, trail running, and white-water rafting in the summer; and skiing and snowboarding in the winter. While it is healthy to be active and fit, the importance of proper relaxation cannot be overlooked. Think of relaxation as the yin to the yang of activity. Yoga teaches us that there are five points to a healthy lifestyle: proper diet, proper excercise, proper breathing, positive thinking and meditation, and proper relaxation. </p>
<p>The hatha yoga classes taught by <a title="Breckenridge Massage Therapist" href="http://www.ambika.massagetherapy.com/about-the-massage-therapist" target="_blank">Breckenridge massage therapist</a> and yoga instructor Erica Ragusa are designed to give us the proper levels of movement, breathing, and relaxation to contribute to our health and well-being. The classes are one-hour long and start out in savasana, or corpse pose, to bring the participant into the present moment and leave behind the stresses of the day. Then, there is instruction in pranayama, or breathing techniques to increase our vitality. It is said that when we breathe deep, we live deeply; when we breathe shallow, we live shallow. Deep breathing techniques are taught along with exercises to improve lung capacity. Then, the part of the practice that is most associated with “yoga,” the asana practice, is started. We move into a series of poses while keeping an awareness of our breath, trying to synchronize our movements with our breath. </p>
<p>The pace of the class is slow, giving us time to really feel the movements and deepen our stretches. Participants have said that the class has allowed them the opportunity to really stretch, lengthen, and open their joints. The class concludes with a guided relaxation to facilitate total calmness and comfort. The savasana at the end is important, as it allows our bodies time to process the asanas and integrate them into our structure. Erica teaches yoga Wednesdays at 5:45pm at Carter Park, Saturdays at 9:45pm at the Rec Center, and volunteers with the BOEC as a gentle yoga instructor and massage therapist for MS, ALS, and TBI groups. Visit her <a title="Breckenridge Massage Therapy" href="http://ambika.massagetherapy.com/blog-of-massage-therapist" target="_blank">Breckenridge Massage Therapy</a> website for more information.</p>
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