Office Kneads

Today we are paying attention to our Heart Chakra 💚

Located at the centre of the spine at heart level, "Anahata" can be translated to the word “unhurt".
It is exactly the halfway point of our chakra system - unifying the physical chakras below it and spiritual chakras above it.
🌉 It functions as a bridge between the Earth and the spirit.

This energy centre is associated with the natural element of air 🌬️ and is linked to our ability to love unconditionally 💚

👉🏽 An unbalanced Heart Chakra makes us feel easily hurt, unable to receive or give love, very lonely and brokenhearted.
It makes us shut down emotionally, holding on to resentments, bitterness and, consequently, making us grow distant from others 😐

💚 Our Heart Chakra is a safe space where we can learn to engage in activities that spark love, passion, and joy.
We feel grateful and encouraged to care for others.

✨ In the end, the middle ground between being human and being a soul can be considered, simply, the love we have.
It is right in the middle, there aren't any complications to it.
When we listen to our hearts, we listen to our whole existence and our whole Planet at the same time 🙂

✨

Sometimes when I'm practising Reiki I get many questions about our energy centres - a.k.a Chakras.

That's why I figured it would be a good idea to share some more in-depth information about them - this way, next time you are in a Reiki session, you can feel more secure and aware of what's going on.

✨ If you are interested in knowing even more about it, I would love to help you. So get in touch and send me a DM!

Complementary treatments for stress and anxiety are always a good option for anyone looking to improve their mental health and productivity ☺️

When it comes to a night time routine, setting up an essential oil diffuser is one of our favourite habits 🌛

So here are our top 7 essential oils for a relaxing time before bed:

- Lavender

- Lemongrass

- Frankincense

- Jasmin

- Chamomile

- Ylang Ylang

- Lemon Balm

✨

Don't forget to check in with a professional if essential oils are something new in your life: is always better to start with some guidance 😉

I'm one of them and I'm here to help ☺️ Just pop me a message!

We understand how it's like to get bored or feel like you don't have much to do when you are all by yourself ☝🏼

We also understand the benefits of creative hobbies and learning new things just for the sake of learning 🌞

Here are 5 good reasons for you to consider trying something new and creative :)

It will benefit your mind, your body and your soul in many ways and you might accidentally discover a new passion! 🤷🏽‍♀️

And remember: you don't need to be an expert or the best in anything to try it out, you can paint and learn the guitar even if you don't feel like you are doing so good ☺️

Have a lovely week!

We ❤️ chair massages!
So here's a quick explanation of how they work ☝🏼

We can't wait to get back to our routine, helping offices around Galway City.
It's been a tough year for massage therapists!

So don't forget to get in touch if you want to work with us and support our work ☺️

Happy weekend! Take care ✨

Sometimes "powering through" might not be the best option.

Make sure to check if you need to let go of something.
It's ok to rest! 😉

Taking care of our beautiful planet Earth is a form of self-care just like any other.

We give love and attention to our planet, and that gives us room to experience the love and attention the planet is always giving us back (even if we are not paying attention to it!).

Living sustainably isn’t difficult, the perceived difficulty is really just an illusion of habit 💭

🌎 The world doesn’t need more garbage.
We’re up to our eyes in plastic. The ocean has a whole new continent made of consumerist waste, and there are now microplastics being found EVERYWHERE, including the placenta!!! If that doesn’t concern you, we’ve got issues and you need to wake up.

“OK Giada, I get it, you’re upset. But what do you want me to do about it?” you might say…

Well, I’m glad you hypothetically asked, because I’m gonna actually tell you ☝🏼

This week I invite you to have a read on askgiada.com and learn a few tips on how to live more sustainably ♻️

If you are looking for simple approaches, this post is exactly what you need ☺️
Here's the link so you can get right to it ;)
https://bit.ly/3v0pLD1

Have a good read - let's heal the world and ourselves altogether!

From boosting our immune system to improving our vitality, there are many scientifically proven causes to inspire you to spend a few more minutes a day outside.

🌻 But we recommend you to get detached from any specifications and just go for it 👀For no reason at all!

Being in nature doesn't have to be something we do now and then - taking big road trips to the countryside or travelling to some ancient lands.

🌳 We can be in contact with nature in very simple ways, every day... as long as we are mindful about it!

Going barefoot, paying attention to the flowers on the way home, noticing little bugs and admiring them for being so small and clever...

Nature is everywhere!
It is resilient, stubborn, eternal. Even if the human race doesn't help, it always finds away 👀

It is not at our disposal, but it is here for us when we need it!

Whenever you are stressed inside a building, you always have the option of walking out: either to see violent rain or to look up and see a bright blue sky 🌞

Have a lovely Sunday and beginning of the week ☺️ Hope you get a chance to step outside!

✨ We respectfully ask that you provide us with a 24 hour notice of any schedule changes or cancellation requests.

Please understand that when you cancel or miss your appointment without providing a 24 hour notice we are often unable to fill that appointment time.
This is an inconvenience to your therapist and also means our other clients miss the chance to receive services they need.

For this reason, you will be charged 50% of the service fee for the first missed session and 100% of the service fee for each session after that.

You can review the rest of our cancellation policy on our website ☺️

Have you got joint pain? Not sure what to do about it?

Read this here blog post and you'll have a few solutions for your pesky problem!

Arthritis: There's some pain up in this joint... and some solutions too! - AskGiada.com arthritis pain, natural solutions to arthritis, self-care solutions, reducing inflammation in the body, reducing pain, pain management

👣 Taking that first step to schedule a therapy session can be hard.

Psychology cuts us open and makes us confront many issues that we've been avoiding for a while (or maybe weren't even conscious of).

It brings up defensiveness, shines a light on our Egos and many other aspects of our personalities.

That's scary by definition! ☝🏼

✨ It is common for many (many) people to be afraid of mental health support.

In fact, the majority of people who suffer from mental health conditions DON'T look for professional help.

And that happens for a variety of reasons!

Not only because of our good old fear of being judged (by who? it doesn't matter. we just don't like being judged!!)

✨ As humans in the 21st century, we are used to easy-going, quick solutions for most of our problems.

It can be tricky to understand that some of them might need time, consistency and LOTS of patience 👀

We feel lazy, we feel tired... and we honestly think we can DEFINITELY find better solutions than a professional with years of experience in the field!

We feel ashamed.
Small.
Alone.
We might think our happiness is not worth some investment...

So it's ok if therapy is something you've been postponing for a while 👍🏼

But today we invite you to take a moment to reflect on your sense of self-worth... and permit yourself to try something new :)

No therapy patrol will knock on your door 😉
You can try as many professionals as you'd like, you can give it a go as many times as you need...

That's one of the perks of being an adult... we don't own explanations to anyone!

And if you don't know where to start, just pop me a message: I would love to help and redirect you to trustworthy professionals ☺️

Take care of yourself: you deserve it! ✨

Addiction of any kind is not healthy, even when it comes to work ☝🏼

Workaholism is a real problem and it’s important to be honest with yourself and recognise if you are in fact addicted to work.

✨ Everyone needs to make a living to keep a roof over their heads, but balance is key.
A healthy work-life balance is achievable and it’s best to take baby steps for permanent change.

These are just a few ideas that might help you on this journey 😉

Hope you have a beautiful week!

It's a known fact that mental health is a leading cause of lost workdays and has a massive impact on productivity loss, performance and cost ☝🏼

The thing is, people are slower to
react to, or even acknowledge these
conditions, because the “pains” associated with poor mental health isn’t as outwardly obvious as physical pains can be.

✨ If you struggle with depression or anxiety, we encourage you to slowly make some room for change and reach out to your support group and professional help.
You are not alone!

Have a lovely weekend ☺️

If you’re lucky enough to only know it conceptually, be grateful.
Because for those of us who have arthritis, we are pretty much stuck with it 🤷🏽‍♀️

This week on askgiada.com I explain to you how arthritis can be developed (there are many, many ways...) and list my top pharma-free recommendations for treatments!

They are just a few natural solutions to managing your arthritis pain - I use them all in combination and rarely ever have to take anti-inflammatories or pain medications.

Basically, the only time I ever have to take pharmaceuticals is when I don’t have access to my natural solutions ☝🏼

So give them a try, and you never know… it may just change your life! 😉

Going for a swim in the ocean has been a habit of mine for the past few months 🌊 (Rain or sunshine!)

So I'm here to give you a push (pun intended) and maybe inspire you to go for a swim as well!

This full-body workout has many, many benefits.
Here's just a few of them:

👉🏽 It builds cardiovascular strength

👉🏽 It can be good for people with injuries

👉🏽 Relieves symptoms of asthma

👉🏽 Helps regulate blood sugar

👉🏽 Burns calories

👉🏽 It's good for the brain - managing stress and boosting the mood

💤 It helps us sleep better

🌞 Summer is almost here and this might be the easiest time to get started!
Sooooo... I'll see you tomorrow morning in Salthill? 🏊‍♀️
Let me know if you are going!

Self-Care Solutions @ Work is for anyone striving for a more healthy lifestyle in a practical way ☺️

☝🏼 I wrote this book as a friendly resource and guide to teach people how to take care of themselves and resolve their aches and pains so simply it can be done while you’re working ☺️

Interested? Just go to selfcaresolutions.work :)

Have a beautiful beginning of the week,

Giada ✨

Hi, I'm Giada, the author of Self-Care Solutions @ Work ✨

What can I say?
I like to help people feel better, that's really what it all comes down to. I am a massage therapist by trade, and I teach people almost every day how to stretch and take better care of themselves 🙂

So why not write a book about it, right?

I think it's important to understand our bodies, how they work, and how they can heal. Many people just accept their limitations, whether it be pain, inflexibility or otherwise... and I say that's silly ☝🏼

There are so many simple ways to resolve chronic problems. We just haven't been taught them. That's what this book is here to do. To teach you how to take better care of yourself, to feel better and live better ☺️

If you want to get your free copy of my book "Self-Care Solutions @ Work", just go to:
selfcaresolutions.work 😉

Today we are paying attention to our Solar Plexus Chakra 🌞

This energy centre is associated with the natural element of fire 🔥 and it's linked to our sense of self 🙂

It's the mechanism in our bodies that helps us develop and trust our own identity ☝🏼, our sense of purpose 🧐 and individual will 💃

👉🏽 An unbalanced Solar Plexus can bring feelings of shame, anxiety, frustration and insecurity.
It can make it extremely difficult for us to connect with other people because we simply don't like or accept who we are.

☝🏼 When we do our work to filter the energy around it, we feel lightness within our self-expression, and freedom to connect with others without shame or neediness 🤗
We are extremely comfortable in our skin and not bothered by other people's flaws and judgments ☝🏼

Our Solar Plexus is the safe space where we store our confidence and the power to just be unapologetically who we are 😉

✨

Sometimes when I'm practising Reiki I get many questions about our energy centres - a.k.a Chakras.

That's why I figured it would be a good idea to share some more in-depth information about them - this way, next time you are in a Reiki session, you can feel more secure and aware of what's going on.

✨ If you are interested in knowing even more about it, I would love to help you. So get in touch and send me a DM!

I know there are some websites out there that offer you something cool for free, but then stick you into some program that charges your card every month...
This isn't one of them! ☺️

✨ Reason 1: I think it's important to understand our bodies, how they work, and how they can heal.

✨ Reason 2: ​Many people just accept their limitations, whether it be pain, inflexibility or otherwise... and I say that's silly.

✨ Reason 3: ​There are so many simple ways to resolve chronic problems. We just haven't been taught them ☝🏼

✨Reason 3: That's what this book is here to do. To teach you how to take better care of yourself, to feel better and live better!

👉🏽 If you want to get your free copy of my book "Self-Care Solutions @ Work", just click here:
selfcaresoltuions.work :)

Contrast hydro at its core is alternating between hot and cold ❄️🌡️

The way you do is simple:
Apply heat for several minutes, then switch to cold for several seconds to a minute.
🚿 This is easy enough to do in the shower, especially if you’re aiming for a full-body effect.

And why would I be suggesting this?
Well, there are many benefits to contrast hydro, such as:

- Improving circulation

- Detoxifying the body

- Strengthening your immune system

- Easing depression

- Adding in the cessation of smoking

You really can’t go wrong!
The more you do it, the more you will enjoy the contrast, and the more your mind and body will benefit☝🏼

Hope you all have a lovely beginning of the week ✨


Want more practical tips for your well-being?
Check selfcaresolutions.work to know more about my book ☺️

Happy Friday everyone! 🎉

A lovely and quick list of self-care ideas for your daily routine with an Easter Egg right in the middle 👀

"Self-Care Solutions @ Work" is a handy professional guide, packed with tips and tools for relieving the most common ailments experienced at work.

It has easy-to-follow instructions and beautiful illustrations to help you in your daily workplace self-care routine.

✨ Get in touch to get yours or go to selfcaresolutions.work ;)

✨ Sometimes, we might think we are not growing simply because our lives feel a bit stagnant.

We might not have had many major events or shifts in a while, things just seem a bit bleh...
We might have been working on something we love for quite a while and the results seem like they never come.

But we are always growing!
Growth can happen exactly like this: unoticed, useen.
And THAT'S what we call bamboo growth ☝🏼
Bamboo takes some good years developing underground before it finally shoots straight up, (very quickly).
That means that, for a good while, no one knows the bamboo is there... but it is growing... quietly.
It builds it strenght and resilience while going unoticed 😉

Here's another example for you: apart from the Seasons, can you notice a tree growing?
You just know when it's done, but the action itself is impossible to be noticed!

If you can relate to this idea, remember that it's all ok: some days we will feel like we are explicitly moving on with life and some days we will feel stuck and stagnant!

That is norm and part of existence 😮

The trick is that we have to believe in the work we are doing!
And we can't expect anybody to believe it for us.
We have to do the work and keep the faith in ourselves, even on days we feel like we aren't capable.
Growing takes stenght and resilience and, in the end, we only have two options: we can quit or we can go fowards.

Our advice: keep going fowards!
Even if you are doing it quietly. We see you!
It will be hard... annoying... and it might take time.
But it will be worth it!

Have a lovely begging of the weekend!

- A couple of weeks ago we watched a beautiful video by and now, here we are, sharing an idea that got stuck in our brains because it made so much sense and it was so helpful.
With this post, we hope to reach more people and spread these thoughts ✨

☝🏼 If you're struggling with sharp shooting pains, "Self-Care Solutions @ Work" is definitely for you!

Packed with tips, tools and advice - and delightfully illustrated - this book is the ideal desktop accompaniment 🖥️
In this guide, I share my professional tips for relieving the most common ailments experienced at work!

The book covers everything from tension headaches to back pain, carpal tunnel to sore feet and over 100 easily implemented solutions right at your fingertips! 🤲🏼

✨ Click this link to get your copy and find out more:
selfcaresolutions.work

✨ Core Strength is everything. I exaggerate because it’s nearly true!

Your core is basically every muscle from your diaphragm to your pelvic floor.
Your lats to your glutes and so much more - this includes all your abdomen muscles, spinal muscles and all the muscles that encompass the pelvic girdle.

✨ Having a strong core can make such a significant impact on your life as a whole, that I consider it as important as staying hydrated and sleeping well.

☝🏼 Achieving core strength in the office could actually be pretty easy - crunches and abs do go hand in hand, but that’s not the only path.

Other solutions include:

Balancing on one foot

Wall sitting

Standing planks

Kegels

☺️

*If you aren’t familiar with these exercises, maybe try a personal training session at your local gym.

✨ Speak to your doctor before having massage if you have:

- fever
- infection
- migraines
- unstable hypertension,
- broken or fractured bones,
- open wounds,
- sun burn,
- varicose veins,
- malignancies,
- acute flare-up of arthritis conditions,
- deep vein thrombosis,
- irritable skin conditions
- osteoporosis,
- infectious diseases
- any recent surgery

✨ Got any other massage-related questions?
Send me a message - I'll be happy to explain and guide you ☺️

Hope you had a lovely Sunday and a beautiful start of the week tomorrow ✨

Well, my answer is quite simple: I'm happy that I've found a way of drinking coffee that doesn't get me so anxious and gives me enough of a boost!
It's so nice to find a new and healthy way to consume a product.

☕ Green coffee beans are simply regular coffee beans that haven’t been roasted and remain completely raw.

The taste might be different (you are more than likely to think it's odd at first, since it has more of a herbal taste), but it's a matter of habit and if you give it a go, it might suit too!

I've made lattes out if it and it's also delicious 😋

If you are a coffee lover who is looking to build new habits, that might be a solution for you too ☝🏼

Try it out and let me know what you think ✨
And if you are not sure where to find them here in Galway, just pop me a message and I can point you to where I usually get mine 😉

Have a lovely Thursday!

Just keep going (and take it easy whenever you can) ✨😀

Art by the brilliant Liz and Mollie

🌙 What is a “good” night?

Debatably, it is one that involves a calm decline from the crescendo of your busy day.

🌝 A slow down-hill stroll towards bed-time, rather than a chaotic sprint to get enough sleep before morning.

A good night is a great way to set up a good morning! 🌞

As someone who is not a morning person, I find this exceptionally important.

SO what’s the trick?

Well, there’s a few up my sleeve, and I've just shared them on Askgiada.com this week ✨
You just have to click the link, sit back, relax and take them all in.
Here it is: https://bit.ly/3dQGlji

And don't worry, you don't have to change up your night routine all at once: even if you do a little change every day, you'll see the difference over time 😉

Sleep well!

Happy Sunny Sunday everyone ✨

Recently enough I've joined a couple of Facebook groups for massage therapists - and it's been wonderful to exchange some experiences and ideas.

One of these days we were all sharing our massage rooms "must haves".
✨ Creating a safe and comfortable space where we can practice our work is so important... it takes time and thoughtfulness 🧐

So here's my top 7 items. Without them, my practice would just not be the same ☺️

1- At least one plant (so long as there's sunlight) 🌱

2- Soft lighting 💡

3- A good speaker 🎶

4- Extra pillows and blankets

5- Somewhere to hang or place clothes off the ground

6- A space heater 🌡️

7- And of course, a nice mirror


If you are also a massage therapist like me, who wants to connect with similar professionals, send me a message ☝🏼 I would love to introduce you to some of the groups!

Have a lovely week ☀️

Some advice from .arts on this cloudy Tuesday ☁️

Let's focus on our own journeys for the sake of our mental health ✨