How I know what muscle to work on...

Well, I just know most of the time. I listen to what people tell me, watch how they move and don't move their budy and I have a good idea of where to start looking. A good portion of the time, I'm in exactly the right spot.

I read the book, "Blink" and got a sneak peek into how people make snap decisions and why sometimes they are the perfect decisions, and when they aren't. I highly recommend this book. Absolutely fascinating!

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The holiday week(end) is coming.

Most holidays don't affect the operating hours of the spa since we have so many practitioners with different lifestyles. With Labor Day coming up close, this one may be the hardest to schedule. Please call a little early than normal for an appointment next week. I have quite a few people who are planning on taking time to enjoy a last hurrah of summer late next week.

I will be teaching a couple anatomy classes out at Paradise Unbound, which is a camping event for the sex positive community held out near Redmond. I am happy to share my knowledge to help people keep safe and informed during their explorations. In previous years I have received bodywork from a gentleman who will be teaching massage classes this year. I have seen him teach before and he is quite good.

Men's Spa Night is hosting an extra evening at the Little Red day Spa is Sunday the 30th of August in honor of Richard being in town this week. If you are interested in attending, email Sophia@HengstStusio.com and I will get you in touch with Dion and Richard. Also, because of the holiday weekend, there is some question as to whether the 1st Sunday Men's Night will go on as usual. I will let you know by Tuesday or Wednesday what has been decided.

A yoga workshop has been scheduled on Saturday September 5th at 2pm over at the Harrison space, behind the Bistro. It's still in the planning stages, so the only information I have is that it will be 90 minutes long and there is a chance it may become a regular or semi-regular event. I wish we could host this in the spa, however, there is so much more floor space available in the Little Red Studio on Harrison St. Once day, when we get a new building for the Spa, I will be able to host yoga classes. Richard is going to be enrolling in a yoga instructor training program this fall. It would be a treat to be able to have room for him to hold classes at the spa. Some day.

Anatomy in daily life.

Or why learning Latin might have been a good idea before taking anatomy classes.

The Sartorius muscle is not generally the main culprit in any pathology and dysfunction of the leg. Usually it gets "stuck" fascially to the Quadraceps. It sticks in your head because it is the longest muscle in the human body and when you pull your leg into the lotus position or to sit tailor style, you are engage it in it's fullest contraction.

Imagine my delight when this was the word of the day recently:

sartorial \sar-TOR-ee-uhl\, adjective:
1. Of or relating to a tailor or to tailoring.
2. Of or relating to clothing, or style or manner of dress.
3. [Anatomy] Of or relating to the sartorius muscle.

Most muscles are named for their shape or location or what they do. Sartorius is much more poetic than, say, the Levator Scapulae, which roughly translates to elevate the shoulder blade.

I'm teaching an anatomy class May 23rd.

When not doing Watsu and running the Little Red day Spa, I enjoy sharing my knowledge so that others can be safe in their explorations.

ANATOMY 101 FOR BDSM is a class that focuses on basic human anatomy and physiology for anyone interested in engaging in BDSM play safely and effectively. There will be lecture, demo and some practice finding nerves, organs and blood vessels.

When: May 23rd
Time: Noon - 4pm
Where: Center for Sex Positive Culture (membership not required for workshop)
Cost: $35

Why should you have a deeper understanding of the human body beyond "the knee bone is connected to the leg bone"?

So you don't break your toys!

Whether that is someone else, or your own body, this class will help you gain a basic understanding of human anatomy, and some physiological processes, in order in increase safety and enhance enjoyment of BDSM activities. Learn how to palpate various structures such as nerves, exploit the body's weaknesses to further a scene, strategies to distinguish good pain from bad pain, and increase play options. (Translation: Tops, I am going to teach you easy ways to be meaner. Bottoms, I am going to help you recognize potentially problematic circumstances before something goes wrong.)

This class will include lecture and demos that incorporate participation with plenty of time to get your anatomy questions answered.
Bring a writing utensil and wear loose clothing.
Due to space availability, please RSVP to workshops@sexpositiveculture.org

Self care reminder.

How many of you work on a computer, drive or write for more than an hour a day? These three activities are the biggest culprits that cause forearm, wrist and hand tightness, pain and discomfort.

You can keep every day tension from turning into a Repetitive Stress Injury by performing any number or combination of these self-care techniques.

*Stretch. Take 30 seconds out of every hour you are working at a computer to do one or two stretches. Rotate through various stretches throughout the day. Hold stretches for 10-30 seconds.

Examples:
-Stand up and roll/shrug your shoulders in circles both forward and back.
-Bring your hands together (both palms facing and backs of hands facing) to stretch the muscles that flex and extend the wrists.
-Roll your wrists in slow circles.
-Extend elbows and gently pull fingers back and then fold fingers toward palm and pull gently.


*Strengthen. Making sure that your muscle groups are balanced can prevent the pain that results from one group of muscles becoming significantly stronger than it's counterpart, resulting in the counterpart having to work extra hard to "keep up." It also gives the main muscles you use in your work a much deserved rest.

Examples:
-Wrap a rubber band around your fingers and thumb at the second knuckle. Start with fingertips touching and spread them out so you are stretching the rubber band. Remember to open and close slowly.
-Use a very small hand weight (or water bottle, soup can, etc...) and rest your forearm on your knee or a table. Let your wrist extend from the table unsupported with your palm facing down. Extend your wrist up so that you are lifting the back of your hand up. Always move slowly.

A book I highly recommend is called Save Your Hands! by Lauriann Greene, CEAS & Richard W. Goggins, CPE, LMP. While this book is written with massage therapists in mind, almost all of the stretches, exercises and self-care techniques can be used by anyone who uses their hands for their work.

New (to me) Book

I love books and often peruse the book sections of thrift stores or second hand bookstores for gems. I just finished reading a book called The Body's Edge: Our Cultural Obsession with Skin by Marc Lappe. Ph.D.

It's an older book, published in 1998, so some of the attitudes and information is a little outdated. But anatomy info doesn't go out of date in 10 years. We just aren't evolving that fast. While I haven't learned anything radically new in regards to the skin's anatomy, I have gained a deeper understand of it's form and function. A fascinating correlation between the skin and the immune system was riveting. The theory vacillated between the idea that the skin had it's own immune response system and the skin as being part of the immune system. Also, the section on Psoriasis was very interesting, especially where he delves into possible reasons why psoriasis was once a valuable adaptation.

Unfortunately, it has a terrible bias against popular American culture trends in tattooing and body piercings, while being respectful and deferential of other tribal cultures' practices in the same vein. Here is where I confess that I didn't read the last few chapters, the bias became annoying. My recommendation would be to skip the last third of the book. The first half to two thirds was incredibly informative.