Author Archives: MaryAnn Reynolds

About MaryAnn Reynolds

I practice advanced bodywork in Austin, TX, specializing in Craniosacral Biodynamics and TMJ Relief.

Welcome, reader from Sao Tome and Principe

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I just checked on my blog stats and noticed that someone in Sao Tome and Principe had looked at my blog yesterday. I had heard of it before and knew of it as a very tiny nation, but I wasn’t sure where it was.

I marvel at the reach of the Internet. Chances are I will never go there or meet someone in person from there, but there is now a connection between me, in Austin, Texas, USA, and some unknown person hailing from Sao Tome and Principe. Who could ever have guessed?

By hovering over the name, the map on the blog stats page showed that it’s a tiny island off the west coast of Africa. So of course I had to look up this exotic, enchanting place (where someone has read at least one of my blog posts!) in Wikipedia…

saotomemapIt’s actually a group of islands. Sao Tome and Principe are the two main islands formed from an extinct volcanic mountain range. (I bet the geology is fascinating. I love tropical volcanic islands.) This is the second-smallest African nation, after Seychelles.

The largest island was discovered by Portuguese explorers on the feast day of St. Thomas in 1471, hence the name (Sao Tome is St. Thomas in Portuguese.) The islands were uninhabited, and the Portuguese explorers decided they would make a good base for trade with the mainland.

The volcanic soil was good for growing sugar. Sadly, they imported slaves to work on the sugar plantations (not enchanting), but it became Africa’s largest exporter of sugar…until the Caribbean islands began outproducing it.

In the 19th century, coffee and cocoa were introduced. At one time it was the world’s largest producer of cocoa, still its most important crop. The landowners employed slaves, both legally and later illegally, and its history was marked by labor unrest and riots.

The islands became independent of Portugal in 1975 and is now a democracy.

saotomepeakAnyway, these islands have mountains as high as 6,000 feet! Here’s a photo of one. Yes, it is exotic with fascinating geology! Also tropical, with the average temperature of 80 degrees F. and a rainy season.

About 164,000 people live there, including someone who read a blog post here! (Hello there!)

Demographically it is also fascinating. Populated by mixed blood descendants of the Portuguese colonists and African slaves, there is also a group said to descend from African slaves shipwrecked in 1540 (!) who earn their living from fishing, as well as descendants of freed slaves, contract laborers from the African mainland, Portuguese and Sephardic Jews, and Chinese.

Cesaria Evora’s lovely song Sodade is about longing to return home to Sao Tome.

Mild green smoothie has only 5 ingredients

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Usually when I make green drinks, I add a lot of ingredients. Besides a base of coconut water, I add several green veggies like celery, cucumber, kale and/or chard and/or spinach and/or parsley, garlic and/or ginger for bite and medicine, lemon or grapefruit juice, and a bunch of extras, like hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, maca, turmeric, spirulina.

Today I decided to simplify. I poured about 10 oz. of coconut water into the blender and added a thumb-size chopped chunk of peeled ginger, the juice of 1 small lemon, a small avocado, and 1 bunch of spinach. Five ingredients, blended after each addition.

It tastes mildly sweet, with just a bare hint of bite from the lemon and ginger. I think this is a green drink that everyone might like. No strong taste, and the texture is very smooth, thanks to the avocado. It’s thick enough to make the straw stand up.

No need to add fruit to make it palatable. I notice that juice bars often add bananas or apple juice to their drinks. I imagine this is in order to please the sweetness-skewed tastebuds of people accustomed to the Standard American Diet.

I don’t have anything against fruit. It’s got a lot of great nutritional benefits. But sugar is sugar, no matter the source. I’m cutting way down on it, especially the really sweet fruits, and I feel better, more stable, for it.

I have had cravings, though. I think sugar has an addictive quality.

Just part of my food evolution….

Touch: Louder Than Words? | Psychology Today

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Check out this article in Psychology Today about the power of touch. I just learned something new:

Field’s research has revealed that a person giving a massage experiences as great a reduction in stress hormones as the person on the receiving end.

It makes sense.

via Touch: Louder Than Words? | Psychology Today.

Sprouted lentil salad with yummy Wheatsville dressing

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Here’s another recipe for sprouted lentils. (Earlier, I posted about using them in a Greek salad.)

Today’s concoction includes these ingredients below. I didn’t measure, so use your own judgment about proportions:

  • sprouted green lentils (i.e., the plain brown lentils)
  • celery
  • artichoke hearts
  • shredded red cabbage
  • cashew-tamari-garlic salad dressing from Wheatsville Co-op (I love that stuff!)

I’m finding that sprouted lentils make a good basis for improvising quick hearty salads. I like to add ingredients with some color and crunch and different flavors. You could add red onion or scallions, marinated mushrooms, walnuts/pecans/slivered almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, bell pepper, tomato, avocado, jicama, cooked beets, sprouts, greens cut in slivers, or whatever appeals to your tastebuds.

Tuna might be a good addition, or hard-boiled eggs, if you want extra protein. I feel less sure about salmon or chicken.

You could use almost any kind of salad dressing, mayonnaise, or yogurt to add flavor and nutrition and to hold it together.

Can you tell I get excited about improvising in the kitchen?

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Gift certificates and referrals

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A massage makes a great gift. We all know someone who would be incredibly grateful to receive one.

If you’d like to give the gift of massage, you can purchase gift certificates from me in any denomination (and you can also buy a package and give some or all of the sessions as gifts).

If you refer someone to me who then receives a full-price massage, you get 30 extra minutes of table time whenever you’d like to use it! I love it when you tell your friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family members about the great massage you received from me.

Your satisfaction and positive word of mouth are the best possible ways to build my business.

To return to the home page for The Well Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Austin, click here.

Massage outcalls

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I do outcalls only for established clients with whom I feel comfortable who have a massage table set up in their homes. There’s a fee for my travel time, usually $25 in the Austin area.

Having a massage therapist come to your home is a great luxury. You can really savor the refreshment and relaxation after your massage without having to deal with the stress of driving. You can relax in your own home, prolonging the benefit.

One great way to take advantage of this service is to schedule 2-4 people (household members, friends, relations) to receive consecutive massages, splitting the travel fee.

At this time, I am only offering integrative massage on outcalls.

If you’re interested but don’t yet have a table, you can buy massage tables in person at the Morningstar Trading Company in Austin or online from many places.

To return to the home page for The Well Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Austin, click here.

Pay-what-you-wish days and massage email list

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I occasionally offer pay-what-you-wish Ashiatsu days. If you haven’t experienced pay-what-you-wish bodywork, you balance what you can afford with the value you receive.

This allows people with irregular income or suffering a temporary financial setback to get the attention they need when they need it — and often the increase in well-being receiving bodywork helps the money energy start flowing favorably again.

I do appreciate your positive word-of-mouth, glowing written testimonials ;-), and referrals as forms of reciprocity. And if you can afford to pay extra to help subsidize someone else, fantastic. Otherwise, you can pay it forward.

Pay-what-you-wish sessions average about $50 per hour, if you’re curious about that, and they’ve ranged from $20 to $100 per hour.

And if the whole idea disturbs you, you can always pay my regular rate of $65 per hour.

To find out when I schedule pay-what-you-wish days, please send me an email request (mareynolds27 at gmail dot com) to be added to my massage email list. I send no more than one email per month.

For more about The Well Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Austin, see my home page.

Time, money, and massage packages

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At The Well Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Austin, I always give you the full time you pay for, and if I run over a few minutes, it’s on me.

You can take your time getting off the table and getting dressed afterward, because I don’t book sessions back to back. I schedule in some recentering and renewal time for myself between massages because it’s important to me to be rested, fresh, and present with each person I work on.

My regular rate is $75 per hour. 

Getting regular massage is beneficial for great health and well-being. To that end, I offer packages with discounts, which you can view on my online booking site.

I take cash, checks, and Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover cards. I can also process payments via HSA (health savings account) cards — your plan may require your doctor’s approval first. 

Gratuities are always welcome, of course! 

For more about The Well Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Austin, see my home page.

What clients say about integrative massage

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One recipient of an integrative massage (which combines Swedish massage, Lauterstein deep massage, acupressure points, foot reflexology, body mobilization techniques, muscle testing, stretching, trigger point therapy, and craniosacral work, as needed and desired) wrote afterwards:

Just a note to say I really enjoyed our conversation and my massage. The massage you gave me has allowed me to sleep soundly two nights in a row. My stress level also feels much lower than usual. Thank you for enhancing my life with your friendship and magical/healing massages! Sending happiness & blessings & love your way.

Here’s a testimonial for an integrative massage I gave to a dear friend suffering from insomnia.

I sit here at my computer after the best night’s sleep I’ve had in weeks. I am so deeply grateful for your loving energy yesterday. Your integrity, touch, and presence were exactly what I needed to break open the clogged dam of emotions that’s been keeping me from sleep.

All throughout the massage, I could feel and take in your love and healing energy which is abundantly transferred through your hands. When you said ‘How you feel matters,’ my soul got the message that you cared enough to hear, see, and touch me.

When you did the cranial-sacral hold, I felt like I was being cradled by my mother.

You had asked the question, “What happened three weeks ago?” … My insomnia has been “waking me up” to the fact of unfinished business….

Your work allowed me to dive through the opening and swim the turbulent waters on top of a still well. I’m not quite at the still well yet, but I have faith that I’ll get there.

Another client wrote to say:

MaryAnn has a special gift to connect with you and gently nurture your entire being. She is unique in that she offers unconditional love so freely. I highly recommend her massage therapy. ❤

For more about The Well Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Austin, see my home page.

Who just loves Ashiatsu?

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When I first learned Ashiatsu, I thought that really large men who like a lot of pressure and can’t get it any other way would seek it out. That is definitely one type of Ashi fan! Men with big muscles tend to really like it.

But that is a stereotype. I’ve also worked on small women who love the deep pressure. I’ve even worked on a couple of women smaller than I am, using carefully controlled pressure to their liking. Larger-breasted women find that deep pressure on their backs can feel more comfortable by using my breast pillow.

Ashiatsu is a favorite massage modality of many athletes. Runners like the firm pressure on their leg muscles — every runner I’ve worked on has loved it, both pre-event and post-event. (They hate/love the work on the IT band.) Cyclists like the work on the shoulders, back, and legs. Swimmers tend to love the shoulder work.

I’ve had other health-oriented people including professional dancers and dance teachers, yogis and yoga teachers, massage therapists, acupuncturists, martial artists, and people who work out regularly request Ashiatsu sessions.

But many seek Ashiatsu for the stress relief it provides. I’ve worked on airline pilots, chefs, coaches, college students, day traders, dentists, engineers, executives, firemen, government employees of all kinds, investors, judges, musicians, nurses, police, private eyes, many clients working for technology companies, teachers, trainers, waitstaff, and writers (so far, and I’ll keep adding to this list as I work on more professions!).

Also, massage therapists who learn Ashiatsu love it because delivering deep pressure with your feet is w-a-a-a-y less stressful on your body than using your hands. You let gravity work for you, avoiding repetitive strain injuries. You can work more hours with less wear and tear on your body while giving a deeply satisfying massage. That sure put the fun back into giving massage!

If you want to learn more, check out my home page for The Well Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Austin.