wellness.wherever.you.are

S P R I N G . I N T O . H E A L T H

2010-04-14T16:56:00.001-05:00

Spring marks the end of a hibernation period and a time of fruition both in nature and in society. As green returns to the flora, we begin to put in motion all the projects, ideas, and activities that have been gestating throughout the winter. Many people find Spring an optimal time for rejuvenation. We see many people running and walking in the parks, we see advertisements for “Spring Cleanses” at our healthcare stores, and the athletic clubs get busier and more full. Here's a glimpse at the new growth found in Bodhiwork this Spring:

New Website
Kim Rae Lyle Creative is busy working on the newborn site: www.bodhiworkmassage.com
Thanks to her endeavors and the feedback of many friends of Bodhiwork, the domain name and site content are coming to fruition.

The Coach House on Dempster Street

A beautiful urban oasis cleverly disguised as a Coach House has been procured and client feedback is unanimous: “It is perfect!”
(seen at right)

In the Community

Bodhiwork joins up with Mather Lifeways, a unique not-for-profit company offering care to older adults, to provide staff members with much needed stress-reducing and pain relieving massage tune ups.

Bodhiwork Turns One!

2010-02-26T19:29:00.004-06:00

As Bodhiwork celebrates its first anniversary, many new projects are in development:

New Website & Logo
Bodhiwork has commissioned Kim Rae Lyle Creative to design and execute new marketing materials, including a new logo and website, which should be launched this Spring!

Evanston Satellite Space
A search is underway for satellite studio space in Evanston, Illinois to accommodate clients of the now-closed Relaxing Urban Bodywork. Agreements are projected to be in place no later than March 10, 2010.

Bodhi Birthday Club
Clients will receive a free 15-30 minute table upgrade each year during their birth month! To register your birthday send an email with “Bodhi Birthday Club” in the subject line to: bodhiwork.chicago@yahoo.com
Happy Birthday!

Sliding Scale Plans
Bodhiwork is committed to offering service to individuals and communities of any income level. If budget is the reason you have not sought massage in the past, please ask us about our special Sliding Scale Plans.

In the Community
For the second consecutive year, Bodhiwork is volunteering at the International Women’s Day Celebration hosted by the Mercy House Chicago, Miriam Apartments in Uptown. On March 3rd, three therapists will be on hand to provide participants with therapeutic massage therapy.

March Madness!

2010-02-15T16:40:00.002-06:00

February is drawing to a close and life is changing for this Massage Therapist.

The Relaxing Urban Bodywork (The "RUB") in Evanston will be closing its doors indefinitely on February 23rd. I have met so many wonderful people working at this location and I look forward to keeping in touch with quite a few of them. And as they say, when a door closes, a window opens somewhere else in the house-- or something of the sort.

So... March Madness this year includes:

Opening my Home Studio in Ravenswood on the weekends and Wednesdays.
Subletting space in Evanston
Cranking up the volume of onsite appointments that I am offering.
Website creation

Additionally, I will be offering a sliding scale to those who need a tanked-economy-friendly budget. After seeing the reality of just how many "For Lease" signs are going up all around Evanston and Chicago storefronts, this is absolutely necessary.

Change can be a cause for hope and fear.... but really change is happening all the time. Ride the wave, you know?

thanks.for.reading!

2010 - Intentions - Not Resolutions

2010-02-08T12:47:00.001-06:00

The New Year's Resolution you made. And then forgot.....

This is a new year and a new decade. Many new gym memberships were purchased and now remain unused. That fancy new nordictrack covered in intricate cobwebs...

My clients have all expressed the interest to take better care of themselves and realize that massage is a perfect part of that regiment.

With the economy being what it is- budget is always a factor.... however if you are in pain do not let this deter you from receiving therapy. Rather than coming in once/ month for a 60- 90 minute massage, spread out that budget to do some intensive 30 minute sessions followed by shorter tune ups and then phase into to doing the once-a-month maintenance massage. For the same amount of money you can feel the benefits so much more and you will be thankful for the pain relief.

Many people still think that massage is for that day trip to the spa--- and I am here to tell you it isn't! Those tension headaches don't have to be part of your daily routine. The popping clicking shoulder can be addressed, lower back pain and tingling hands and feet can be released from your life.

You may find that with those irritants out of the way, that you feel more open and your outlook more spacious. And who knows what you could accomplish with that new outlook?

So set an intention - not a resolution - that this year you WILL take better care of yourself (and therefore the ones you love).

Thanks for reading, see you soon!

Flying.Through.July

2009-07-07T11:28:00.003-05:00

Where does the time go?

It is already July, and I find myself working around sunburns, working on "returning-to-bike-pains", helping aspiring runners with Tibialis Anterior & Hip Flexor casualties, and of course post-family holiday stresses.

Now that 'the Taste', 'Pride Fest' and city-wide civilian fireworks shows are over.... people are ready to think about getting themselves to a place of physical and mental peace.

Hydration, exercise, stretching, yoga, meditation and bodywork are all excellent methods to achieve this goal. In that spirit-- I will be blogging on case studies this July for some of the most common issues that massage therapists are seeing this summer, and some of the recommendations and treatment protocols that can be effective in alleviating pain & stress and adding a smile to the heart-body-mind.

To be continued......

Perfect PR (in 15 minutes or less...)

2009-05-09T13:21:00.004-05:00

Marketing and PR campaigns can be costly... yet everyone needs to keep clients (also known as customers, employees, benefactors, end-users, etc.) happy, interested, and satisfied. This is one of the universal truths of doing business, no matter which industry you find yourself in.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. It doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming to keep everyone in your business (yes, including you!!!) happy, interested, and satisfied. A massage lasting anywhere from 10 15 minutes is all that it takes. Clients crave and rave for it. And there is good reason for this reaction... During a 10 to 15 minute massage, client heart rates return to normal, (oxygen and cellular nutrients increase and travel further thanks to an increase in venous & lymph return), pain is relieved, endorphins are released, chronic tension is lessened, and hypertonic soft tissues (read: rock hard knots) are softened, pressure is relieved from the lumbar and cervical spine, and the body's ability to repair and fight infection is strengthened.

Wow. That's a lot of "stuff" for 15 minutes, right? This must be expensive, right? Ri-ight?

Wrong.

$10 - $15

4-6 people for $60

Perfect PR in 15 minutes or less.

Thanks.For.Reading.See.You.Soon

Menus.Marketing.County.Clerk.Applications

2009-03-17T09:34:00.005-05:00

Under the Illinois "Assumed Name" Act, sole proprietors who are performing business with a moniker which differs from what is on their birth certificate must register this name (or "mark") with the County Clerk.

So I'm hopping around on David Orr's (for those who don't know- he is the Cook County Clerk) site trying to get the lay of the land and I see that I can register my "mark" so I hop over to Jesse White's page (Secretary of State) and along with my application... I need to submit 3 examples of "my mark".

I am such a fan of multi-tasking that I decided to use this opportunity to design a postcard which would basically explain what I do to members of the public. Now, mind you this is only a 1st draft, so don't **"marry the design" but I think the basic elements are there.

If you have ideas, suggestions, or questions, or even biting criticism disguised as humor, post a comment below.

** Side Note: This was my college costume designer's favorite slogan. "Don't marry your design... or you'll cry like a baby when it gets ripped apart"

thanks.for.reading.and.see.you.soon!

Shoulder.Bulges.of.Steel

2009-03-10T14:52:00.007-05:00

On Saturday, March 7th, Northwestern University's "Dance Marathon 2009" raised a record-breaking $917,834 for Project Kindle with the help of over 1000 NU students. I was there to help!

We wheeled our massage chairs into the "Dance Marathon Spa" at NU and set up a booth for Evanston's The Rub: Relaxing Urban Bodyworks.

During the event, student after student sat in my chair. All sizes, shapes, and colors with one thing in common... giant fist-sized rocks on either side of their necks. Those with the trendy "messenger" bags had uni-lateral humps, and those with their "old school" back packs sported symmetrical knottage-- Which my elbow, palm, forearm, and thumb attempted to tame for 8 hours.

[For those of you out there with a clinical background you'll know the area I am speaking of-- where Trap meets Levator Scapula at the ever-so-tender superior angle of the scapula.]

But these bulges.of.steel are not confined to attacking only student shoulders... anyone who holds a phone to their ear via the shoulder, carries an "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" sized purse, Laptop bag, briefcase, or spends more than 20 minutes per day on the computer can also enjoy these painful rock formations.

This results in slouching postures, tension headaches, as well as weakness, coldness, and numbness in the arms and hands.

The moral of this story is to stretch, stretch, stretch, "lighten your load" whenever possible, change phone, and bag positions, and take frequent breaks. Regular massage doesn't hurt either :-)

That's.All.For.Now.Thanks.For.Reading!

finally a name is born

2009-03-05T14:13:00.012-06:00

The path of this recent Soma graduate has led to the creation of

[ insert drum roll here ]

B O D H I W O R K

Therapeutics

wellness wherever you are!

Therapeutic massage services include:

onsite corporate chair massage
sports events
fundraising events
conventions & tradeshows
spa/ wellness parties
charity volunteerism
at home self-care

What's up with the name "Bodhiwork"?

Bodhi (pronounced 'boadee') is a sanskrit word that means perfect or enlightened mind, a spirit without conflict, and also references the Buddha. "Bodhiwork" is a play on "Bodywork" which is exactly what my practice is all about. Helping people center their minds & bodies through massage therapy and selfcare. In doing so they will have more energy, longevity, stability, immunity and raise their sense of overall well being.

Why an Eastern/ Western name? Why not "Goodehands" or "Beck & Call Massage"?

Hee hee. I thought l o n g and hard about this business model and where I'd like to see it go in the next 5-10 years... I came up with all kinds of names from the truly ridiculous [see: "Beck & Call Massage" or "Goode Vibrations"... LOL] to ones that held some compelling fragments. I see myself as a lover of both Western Clinical Science and Eastern Holistic Medicine-- this love is my Yin & Yang-- and I fully intend to carry this passion into my practice.

What's up next?

I am starting to train in more Eastern Modalities like Thai Massage & Zen Shiatsu, as well as singling out some outreach volunteer opportunities with organizations who help the terminally ill. I'll be attending the AMTA IL State conference in April at the Lisle Wyndham and hope to get more involved with the local chapter.

thanks.for.reading.see. you.soon.