503-705-4762

Category: Health and Wellness

Gentle Yoga, Mindfulness And Meditation Workshop Saturday May 3rd

Had a long week? Join Anne for an afternoon of mindfulness.

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We start with gentle seated yoga to warm up our bodies and calm our minds, then explore your five senses with a mindfulness exercise, and finish with a guided meditation.

  • Who: You! And your Fluid family
  • What: 90 minutes total, the class includes gentle movement and sitting quietly with short rest breaks
  • When: Saturday May 3rd at 2 pm
  • Where: Fluid World headquarters 1626 S.E. Sherrett Street, Portland, Or 97202
  • Why: reduce stress, improve your mood, increase your awareness and strengthen your relationships

New to yoga or meditation? This is the perfect introduction. If you are not able to sit on the floor (like Anne in the above photo) please bring a pillow, blanket or towel. Anne will also have props to make you comfortable.

Click here and here for more info about the benefits of meditation.

Questions? Call Anne (503) 705-4762. R.S.V.P. to anne@fluidportland.com by Friday May 2nd to reserve your spot.

Anne McCranie is a Portland Oregon based Licensed Massage Therapist and Personal Trainer. She offers one on one training, weekly classes and monthly workshops. A list maker and go getter she is working on getting comfortable with stillness, silence and moving s-l-o-w-l-y and invites you to join her on this journey.

Get Happy To Improve Your Health!

 

Did you know today is the first day of spring (yay!) and it is also World Happiness Day?

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This is the second year in a row for this United Nations sanctioned event and this year they are calling on you to share your happy videos. This event was initiated by representatives from the county of Bhutan, which by the way ranks number 1 on the “Gross National Happiness Index”. This measures several factors including a people’s psychological wellbeing, health, education and living standards.

So why is happiness good for your heath? Studies show that your positive outlook affects your life span, rate of depression, even resistance to the common cold.

Here are some things that make me happy:

  • This video of schoolchildren in Detroit singing Pharell’s ‘Happy’
  • Reading positive news from the Good News Network
  • Going outside in weather like we have today!

What can you do right now to increase your happiness quotient? How do you improve your mood when you are feeling down? Let me know in the comments below…

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based massage therapist and personal trainer. She stays happy by laughing at herself often, getting sun on her face whenever she can and surrounding herself with positive people.

 

 

Get Organized With Casey

Who do you know who has recently moved, gone through a divorce, had a baby, changed jobs, brought their parents (or adult children) home to live with them? These life events can all create stress and you need professional help!

Working with an organizer allows you to take control of your life and equips you with the skills to navigate life’s changes with grace. Casey Hazlett is my personal organizer. After my recent move she helped me organize both my physical space and my business expenses so I am prepared to see my accountant this month.

In March and April Casey is offering six complimentary organizing workshops at local libraries.

Come learn her “Seven Strategies For Staying Organized” to reduce your stress and free up more time to do the things you love with the people you love!

Click here to reserve your spot in one of Casey’s March workshops.

Should You Heat Or Ice Your Injury?

I was discussing heat vs. ice with my Pilates ladies this morning. When you suffer an injury do you know which therapy is best? As with most things the answer is not black and white.

For years I encouraged my clients to ice. Ice your sore shoulder, ice your bum knee, ice your back after your massage. Why? The R.I.C.E. manta – rest, ice, compression, elevation – had been drilled into my head.

I have recently been suffering from a tight hip (left piriformis and sacral tendon if you must know) and have been applying heat via my grain filled cloth bag (I call it a bucky) several times a day. Rarely do I ice an injury nowadays. Why? First of all it is winter here in Portland and it has been really cold and unusually snowy. I can not imaging putting ice on my body in this weather. Second my condition is one of tightness, so applying heat encourages my tight muscles to relax.

If you ask a Chinese medicine practitioner or acupuncturist about heat vs. ice they are likely to tell you that pain equals blocked chi (energy) and heat moves the chi. When treating an injury this is what we want, movement, not stagnation.

So when is it appropriate to ice? When you have an acute injury that involves swelling, or feels “hot” ice may help relieve swelling and bring temporary pain relief. A perfect example of this, one of my ladies twisted her ankle playing soccer on Monday. She iced her ankle and within 48 hours her pain had subsided. Ice temporarily numbs the area, provides pain relief, and reduces swelling.

We could have a long discussion about how swelling is your body’s natural response to an injury and weather or not it is wise to jump in and stop this. This clinic for example eschews ice entirely for treatment of ligament and tendon injuries and suggests a M.E.A.T. treatment protocol instead.

Here is a basic guide.

Ice:

  • Acute injuries – twisted ankle
  • Swelling – jaw pain after oral surgery
  • Headaches – place a bag of ice in a pillowcase and rest it over your eyes

Heat:

  • Chronic injuries – tight shoulder from that college skiing incident
  • Tight muscles – especially low back, hips, hamstrings
  • Tight tendons – like the Achilles
  • Before exercise – warm shower or bath before your strength or cardio session

Be careful to not overdo it – 20 minutes at a time will provide relief without irritating the tissue, and always place a cloth or pillowcase between your skin and the hot or cold object.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based Licensed Massage Therapist and Personal Trainer. Please see your healthcare provider for specific medical advice.