Deep Tissue Massage - A different approach.

Many people who seek out massage therapy enjoy or need deeper tissue work. There are also some clients that feel deep tissue is the only way to gain benefit from a massage.  So, an opposing problem exists when deeper pressure is beneficial for clients who simply find deep tissue painful or deeper pressure is not painful but is damaging to certain muscle groups.  It is the massage therapist's primary responsibility to insure the safety of the treatment. 

Also, many Massage Therapists experience injury in their own bodies when they do Deep Tissue work. Many therapists who continue their careers begin to avoid deep work as they get older because the wear and tear effects of performing too much deep tissue work is cumulative.

Soft Tissue Melting incorporates Western and Eastern technique and is one of several massage treatments that solves problems associated with contraindicated deep tissue massage.

Soft Tissue Melting is about knowing exactly what muscles or trigger points to address and delivering exactly the right pressure. A combination of traditional deep tissue and lighter touch therapies such as Cranio Sacral, Jin Shin, and Energy work are what make up the dynamics of Soft Tissue Melting.

Clients who receive this work should never feel frustrated that the pressure is too light. On the other hand, people who typically feel uncomfortable with deep work will feel deep satisfying relief without the pain of other types of deep body work.

Deep Tissue and light touch therapies sound like opposites but performing both at the same time can have a powerful impact on people who are otherwise uncomfortable with "deep" massage.

Above & Beyond Day Spa Adds Green Tea Facial Massage.

Green Tea has been used for thousands of years by Asian medicine to fight the effects of aging.  Western medicine is only just now beginning to acknowledge the benefits of Green Tea.  Much research still needs to be done to determine the scope of Green Tea to human health.

Still, the sun protection benefits of green tea are particularly well documented, so it could make sense to apply a green tea formula under your sunscreen when venturing into the sun.  It may also be useful to incorporate green tea into your skin maintenance routine to possibly slow down skin aging.

However, simply buying a green tea cream may not be the best way to go. Like most other highly effective antioxidants, green tea polyphenols are oxidized when the come in contact with free radical chemicals such as those found in environmental pollutants like cigarette smoke and car exhaust (this is how antioxidants work...it is why they are useful to us).  Unfortunately, these same antioxidants also lose their activity when unnecessarily exposed to air. This is especially true when the antioxidants are held in a moisture laden state.  So, whether prepared commercial green tea creams can retain their antioxidant properties over time is unclear.  Most likely the products will vary widely from brand to brand.

Jade Green Tea Facial Massage Mask.

What is known for certain is that ingredient freshness is very important when working with antioxidants.  Here at Above and Beyond Day Spa we have developed a green tea facial mask (we call it the Jade Green Tea Facial Mask because of its beautiful green color).

We use only the best green tea, which is called Matcha Green Tea, in our mask formula.  Our Matcha Green Tea is made from fresh green tea leaves, freeze dried and ground to a baby power-like consistency to expose as much of the rich inner tea leaf as possible.

Next, our Jade Green Tea Facial Mask is mixed fresh for each treatment and will deliver the finest quality green tea antioxidants possible directly to your face and neck.  We use this mask on ourselves and know you will feel the difference it makes in your skin.

Resveratrol provides anti-aging benefits, study shows

After reading the article below you'll want to Check Out Our Red Wine Facial with Resveratrol Serum. 

Harvard Medical School researchers are saying they have confirmed that compound resveratrol lthat's found in red wine does provide anti-aging benefits.

The study, which was published on March 8 in Science, shows that resveratrol stimulates production of SIRT1, a serum that blocks diseases by speeding up the cell's energy production centers known as mitrochondria.

"In the history of pharmaceuticals, there has never been a drug that binds to a protein to make it run faster in the way that resveratrol activates SIRT1," senior author David Sinclair, Harvard Medical School professor of genetics, said in a press release. "Almost all drugs either slow or block them."

Resveratrol is a naturally-occuring polyphenols antioxidant that is found in some plant products like grapes and cocoa. It is categorized as a phytoalexin, an antimicrobial compound that is produced by plants to protect them from rough environments like excessive ultraviolet light, infections and climate changes.

Resveratrol has been linked to protection against obesity and diabetes, a reduced risk for blood clotting and a way to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, due to the compound's ability to dilate blood vessels, increase nitric oxide and block the stickiness of platelets.

Sinclair commented "We're finding that ageing isn't the irreversible affliction that we thought it was".  "Some of us could live to 150, but we won't get there without more research."

Repair Dry Facial Skin with a Soothing Mask

Avocado & Oatmeal Facial Mask

The avocado and honey in this formula will moisturize your dry skin while the oatmeal balances the pH and calms irritation.

1. 1 very ripe crushed avocado
2. 2 tbls raw honey
3. 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal
4. distilled water

Whisk the avocado, oatmeal, and honey ingredients together in a small bowl.  if necessary add just enough distilled water to moisten the oatmeal to create a thick spreadable paste. Apply a complete covering layer of the mask to your dry skin.

Relax, kickback and let sit for 15 minutes. Gently wipe skin clean then rinse with warmed distilled water.  Pat excess moisture from skin. Repeat every few days as long as excessive dryness exists.