Alison Easton Massage Therapy

Positivity!
A few weeks ago I was baking a Clementine cake and this is how the eggs fell into the bowl 🤗 ... It made me smile when I saw the photo again this morning and somehow it seemed appropriate to share this serendipitous piece of egg cracking with as they continue on their US trial journey. https://m.facebook.com/groups/teampeterfund/permalink/235988451941569/
Thank you to all my clients and their friends and family who bought vouchers in the run-up to Christmas and contributed to Peter's treatment fund. (Swipe pics to see your certificate!)
Onwards !

I loved the last one and can't wait to be relaxing in the evening after a great pilates session! Thanks Najat x

Last few remaining spaces in our very popular festive Candlelit Pilates, Stretch and Meditation Workshops.

Wednesday 1st December 8pm-10pm

Wednesday 8th December 10.30am-12.30pm

At The Residents Pavilion 129 Grand Drive, Raynes Park.

🕯 30 Minutes Pilates

🕯30 Minutes Deep Stretching and Releasing

🕯30 Minutes Guided Meditation

🕯Followed by mulled wine (non alcoholic options available) and a mince pie.

✓ All you need is a mat and a blanket

✓ Booking is simple, easy and safe through our website www.mertonhealthfitness.co.uk

✓ This is a great opportunity for you to take time for yourself MIND, BODY & SOUL.

✓ Feel your absolute best during the festive season!

Please contact me for more information.

Morden Park was looking fab this morning ...

Did you read this article too Najat &fitness ?
I've been enjoying your pilates recordings this week, but standing on one leg with your eyes shut is definitely much harder - I need to work on this! 😆

Standing on one leg is a sign of good health – and practising is good for you too Practising standing on one leg has also sorts of benefits, research shows

Thrilled to announce the arrival of these beautiful new paintings in our treatment room. Thank you to the hugely talented for accepting this commission and making it such an enjoyable process ... Nothing beats seeing these in the flesh so come for a massage and you get to lie under these amazing trees in person. I don't know how she does it - they're vibrant, calming, energising and relaxing all at once! therapy

Thank you .park for a beautiful afternoon of Art in the Park yesterday. Some very talented artists and cheerful volunteers - I really enjoyed contributing to the seed pod sculpture. Looking forward to seeing the finished piece! .art

Wonderful weekend for tennis, but very grateful for the occasional cloud this afternoon! To be honest my heels/calves could do with a bit of tlc tonight!

Perfect place to listen to my new-found favourite podcast from The Massage Collective ... watching cormorants diving, swallows flitting in for a quick drink and a heron patiently waiting. I could've stayed a lot longer but the dog wanted to get going!

Beautiful combination of art and nature with a cheeky sense of humour! Such a peaceful place to visit some inspirational sculptures. We were there for 2 hours and still more to see so I'll definitely be back soon ... Thank you

My heart is happy having spent a beautiful weekend in the Surrey Hills with lovely friends. Looking back through my photos I spotted this little copse of trees which looks just like a pair of human lungs and a heart (pics 3 &4) ... pumping out oxygen for us to breathe! The national trust have made some great 'Mindful thoughts for walkers' and we stumbled across this sign a bit further on (pic 5) @ YHA Tanners Hatch Surrey Hills

Happy everyone! Hope you've had a good weekend? Here's some advice for private practice for musicians to try and minimise the risk of injury from practicing too intensely ... hard to stop when you're in your flow, but try to remember the load you're placing on your muscles and other soft tissues.
This is from a great 2014 paper by Chan & Ackerman 'Evidence-Informed physical therapy management of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders in musicians'
Flick through the post for more details.
@ Raynes Park

Something satisfying about hundreds of rows of lettuces planted in a field ... Is the plural lettuces or still lettuce?
@ Suffolk

Spot on description of the viola ... 'a chameleon!' in BBC Radio 3 Podcast The Listening Service 'The Viola - Music's Secret Fire'
Lovely to hear the enthusiasm about the instrument and the descriptions of the viola's place in the orchestra or ensemble it's playing in. I think it describes the personality of those who choose to play this mellow instrument too!

I've had a niggly hip for a few weeks now & thought it would improve with stretches, self-massage & tlc ... I finally got round to getting some osteopathic treatment for it from the brilliant Carlo at backontrackhealthcare.co.uk and it's now beginning to feel like it's improving. Please don't sit on these little niggles hoping that they go away - get some treatment to make sure that it doesn't turn into anything more serious. I was also rewarded on my drive home from my appointment yesterday with this amazing sky!
@ Raynes Park

Following on from last Monday's post, as well as considering nutrition for optimum performance, water intake 💦 is also important especially for singers, brass and woodwind players.
Some research has shown that needs vary from 2 litres per day in normal conditions to around 3l per day with the addition of moderate physical activity. A warmer environment also leads to increased water intake requirement due to fluid loss through sweat.
Dehydration before performances can lead to tiredness, muscular weakness, dry & sticky mouth and tongue, headaches, dizziness or lightheadedness. These effects all have the potential to affect performance.

Cannizaro Park this weekend compared with the same day last year ... This means that I have to go back for another lovely walk there in a few days when the flowers have opened up a bit more. Hopefully they didn't get too damaged by the hail today 😲
but is this a rhododendron or an azalea?
@ Cannizaro Park

Musical rehearsals and performances constitute a low intensity endurance activity. 60% of the energy used by the body for this type of activity comes from carbohydrate sources, with 25% from fats and 15% from protein, therefore a musician's diet should reflect this in preparation for this activity. Low to medium GI carbohydrates are the most ideal to give sustained energy over long rehearsal/performances.
Afterwards it's good to replenish depleted fuel reserves and facilitate repair of any muscle fibre breakdown that may have occurred. This can be done by consuming more rapid release (medium to high GI) carbohydrates and proteins.
Research from sports science says it's best to consume this within an hour of activity.
This kind of conscious eating takes some planning and preparation which can be difficult during intense periods of work and busy touring schedules.
Do you set aside some time each week for food planning and shopping?

Discovered a gem! We stumbled across this beautiful waterfall while walking out in the Ashdown Forest this weekend.
I may have grumbled a little bit at missing my Sunday morning lie-in as we had to take our eldest to Sussex for his Duke of Edinburgh award training expedition, but it was worth it in the end (as it usually is!)
I'm so grateful to all the staff at his school and leaders who gave up their weekend to guide our teenagers. DofE is such an amazing scheme which helps our young people to think of others by volunteering as well as improve themselves by learning a skill and committing to some form of physical activity.

Cardiovascular fitness & resistance training is important in maintaining a healthy & long career in the performing arts (Shafer-Crane, 2006)
A suggested guideline for musicians to improve/maintain fitness & conditioning is:
5 x moderate intensity or 3 x high intensity, 30 minute cardio sessions per week and
2 sessions of resistance training per week focussing on different muscle groups each time (2-3 sets of 10-20 repetitions, 90 seconds rest between sets)
Are you achieving this or is there something you can do to improve your exercise schedule?
Have a look at Fun with Louise for some great inspirational classes!

More new beginnings! The kids are back in school, I'm back in my treatment room and after a couple of weeks off to rest a pulled muscle, I'm back to cardiovascular exercise this week 😊
I've never really understood the endorphin release that people say they experience when they exercise, but I definitely felt my mood was lower and I struggled to control unnecessary eating when my exercise levels dropped.
This week I've got back to focussing on the small things -
❇️ drinking plenty of water
❇️ planning meals over the week
❇️ making sure healthy food options are always available

Orchestral musicians, especially wind players, think about your sitting posture as things start to open up a bit and we get back to playing in groups.
We've all had that moment when we walk into a rehearsal or concert space and see the uncomfortable looking chairs 😟 Try and speak up if this is a repeated problem anywhere as your comfort and ability to maintain an efficient posture is important.
Poor breath control can have a negative effect on sound production & performance and can lead to injury if you're having to strain to produce a consistent sound.
Book an appointment if you need to work on any tension that's hindering optimal sitting posture.

I've loved the last couple of days back in the treatment room helping clients to get back to running, improve their mobility and give their body some attention. What have you been grateful for these past few days?

'Weightless' by Marconi Union has been researched by Mindlab International in 2011 and found to lower blood pressure, slow heart rate and reduce cortisol (a stress hormone) more than any other music. This is on one of my massage playlists, but I'm always looking for more, so let me know your favourite music to relax to in the comments below.

The calm before the storm! I'm enjoying preparing to reopen on Monday 12th April. I'm really pleased to have been able to book in lots of regulars for next week, but still have some times available so please get in touch if you would like to book in.

A client recently asked me why I'm particularly interested in treating musicians with massage. I've loved playing the viola in orchestras and quartets from a young age, but not always without a few aches and pains. Musicians use their bodies in similar ways to sports people for highly skilled, repetitive actions that can result in injury if consideration is not given to self-care and preventative strategies. I've updated my website so you can read all about my journey here https://www.alisonmassage.co.uk/my-background

Musicians, runners, gardeners, desk-workers, mums ... whatever activity you've been doing or craving to get back to, I'm excited to welcome you back soon.
Much as I have been enjoying these long walks, beautiful blossom and blue skies, I can't wait to be able to get back to the work I love and see my wonderful clients on the treatment couch again.
I hope I'll still have time for walks as I've found they're great for reflection and planning time, and have made me more productive when I get home.
I've taken advantage of the increased time I've had for exercise and my body & mind have definitely benefited from this.
I would love to hear the positives that you've found over this lockdown period.