by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT As a San Diego Board Certified Massage Therapist, I perform dry brushing treatments on clients. In this video, I share information about dry brushing. Links mentioned in the video include information from the Cleveland Clinic and University of Maryland Medical Center on dry brushing:
The Cleveland Clinic recommends dry brushing to promote lymph flow and drainage
The New York Times reports Dr. Tina S. Alster, a clinical professor of dermatology at Georgetown University Medical Center finds that dry brushing helps the lymphatic system "work better."
Learn more about Manual Lymphatic Drainage, the relaxing massage treatment that moves lymphatic fluid in the body. As a Board Certified Massage Therapist in San Diego, I provide Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage to San Diego area residents in the comfort of their home. To book a treatment, visit http://www.solacesandiego.com
As a Board Certified Massage Therapist in San Diego with advanced training in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, I provide MLD treatments to patients with a facelift after their plastic surgery. In this informative video, I share two studies about reducing swelling after a facelift:
I recently shared my experience rehabbing my running injury with a writer from Prevention Magazine. I share my story, which was published in the November 2016 issue of Prevention Magazine, in this video.
I was so impressed with manual lymphatic drainage, I took advanced training to learn how to give the treatment and now offer manual lymphatic drainage to San Diego, Del Mar, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe, La Mesa, Santee and La Jolla residents in the comfort of their homes. Learn more here: http://www.solacesandiego.com
In San Diego, we have access to plastic surgeons right in our own backyard and cosmetic surgeons from Tijuana to Beverly Hills are both only a short drive away. How can we choose the best surgeon for liposuction, tummy tuck or a facelift?
Straight Talk about Cosmetic Surgery is a classic among cosmetic surgery books for prospective patients, appearing in the Library Journal’s top 23 health books for 2007.Dr. Perry gives clear, logical, no-nonsense advice for how to choose a surgeon as well as overviews of the history and current practice of several different types of surgeries including liposuction, abdominoplasty / tummy tuck, and facelifts. Reading chapter two, The Cosmetic Surgery Consultation got me hooked into reading the entire book because of Dr. Perry’s clear advice on choosing a plastic surgeon and what to look for during the initial consultation.
I highly recommend this book for San Diego residents just starting to research plastic surgeons - the information on how to choose a truly qualified plastic surgeon is invaluable.
Prepare for 2017 By Firing Our Inner Critical Coach
by Kathleen Lisson
As a half marathon runner, an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and RRCA Certified Running Coach in San Diego, I have seen the effects of positive and negative coaching on athletes. But what about the coaching we don't see - the voice inside each of our heads as we run?
“You’re fat.”
“You’re not good enough.”
“If you don’t work out until it hurts up every day, you will lose your edge and someone will come along and beat you.”
These are some words from an athlete’s inner critical coach. Each of us have a voice inside our head, perhaps an echo from a parent or a high school coach, that sets the tone for our workouts.
“That workout was hard, and I made it through all the tough miles.”
“My workouts were solid and I’m ready to increase my weight/distance next week!”
“I feel sick today, I’ll take care of myself and focus on eating healthy so I can get back to a full workout in a few days.”
These are familiar phrases from an athlete’s inner compassionate coach. Which types of messages are running through your head during and after a workout? If they are more critical than compassionate, 2017 is the year to fire your critical coach and hire a compassionate coach.
Step One: Conduct an Inner Coach Performance Review.
Over the next week or two, put the voice inside your head through a performance review. Just like a manager observes employee behavior and conducts a yearly performance review, notice the messages your inner coach is sending you before, during and after workouts.
Here are some questions for your performance review checklist:
Would you say those things out loud to a friend who needed your support at the gym?
Do the messages you hear from your inner critical coach push you closer to loving your sport more or burning out?
If your coach is critical, can you think of a specific person that voice reminds you of - a critical authority figure in your youth?
Step Two: Give your a coach a raise, Put him/her on probation or Fire your coach!
Raise! If you have an inner compassionate coach and find yourself saying mostly positive things, congratulations! Give your coach a raise by taking time to let the feeling of success sink in after a great workout.
Probation: If your coach is critical, is it a voice from your youth? If so, recognize that the person may have meant well and thought he/she was protecting you. You are an adult now, and your inner coach needs to coach you as an adult, not as a child. Put your inner coach on probation and remind yourself that you are not a child every time a negative, punitive thought crosses your mind.
You're Fired! If your inner coach is critical and you know listening to negative coaching will lead to burnout, fire your critical coach. Evaluate every inner coach comment - if you heard someone say it to a friend, would you agree with them or tell the person to shut up? 'Hire' a more compassionate coach by finding something that went well every time you exercise and taking ten seconds to fully feel a sense of accomplishment and success. Awareness of the coaching voice in our head is a powerful first step in changing the way we view exercise and overcoming obstacles like busy schedules, physical pain and fatigue and burnout. Let your inner compassionate coach make a positive difference in how many New Year's Resolutions you keep in 2017.
I share my personal story about my inner coach here:
Kathleen Lisson is a certified Meditation Teacher and Labyrinth Facilitator and teaches Meditation and Mindfulness at IPSB college in San Diego. Sign up for a private meditation lesson or labyrinth walk in the comfort of your home here:https://www.massagebook.com/San_Diego~Massage~sandiego?src=external
"Does MLD improve patient-oriented and disease-oriented outcomes for patients with orthopedic injuries?" This is the question posed by the study 'The Effectiveness of Manual Lymphatic Drainage in Patients with Orthopedic Injuries' authored by Tricia Majewski-Schrage and Kelli Snyder and published in the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation in 2016. The authors conducted a literature search for level 2 evidence or higher on the topic of MLD techniques effectively decreasing edema (swelling) and pain, increasing range of motion (ROM) and improving a patient's return to activities of daily living after orthopedic surgery.
Research has found that Manual Lymphatic Drainage after orthopedic surgery can:
Decrease edema (swelling)
Decrease pain
Decrease limb volume
Increase range of motion (ROM)
Improve a patient's return to activities of daily living
Though every well-educated massage therapist receives a few hours of training in MLD, advanced training is preferred. Ask you massage therapist if they have a certification in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, or ideally, a full certification as a CLT, or Certified Lymphedema Therapist.
Dry brushing is the ritual of brushing the skin on the body with a specific type of brush in order to improve the skin and lymphatic system. Does it work and what are some tips to have the best results?
I first encountered dry brushing in massage school. We were told to buy dry brushes and practice dry brushing daily for a week. I saw improvement in the softness of my skin. Now that I have advanced training in manual lymphatic drainage, I am interested in the benefits of dry brushing for both the skin and lymph drainage.
What is the science behind dry brushing?
The Cleveland Clinic recommends dry brushing to promote lymph flow and drainage
The New York Times reports Dr. Tina S. Alster, a clinical professor of dermatology at Georgetown University Medical Center finds that dry brushing helps the lymphatic system "work better."
In this video I share my experience with receiving manual lymphatic drainage after surgery on my face and after an ankle sprain a few years ago. I saw the benefits of this type of lymph massage that reduces swelling after surgery that I took advanced massage training to be able to give it to other men and women in San Diego after orthopedic or plastic surgery!
The past few years of my life have been life-changing for me. I turned 40, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, quit my job, moved cross country and changed careers. In the beginning of massage school I wanted to specialize in elite athletes. Around the time I was diagnosed with skin cancer at age 41, I realized my true calling is to help men and women with a cancer diagnosis, scars and/or lymphedema. At each of those crossroads, I found myself thinking 'who am I now and where am I headed?'
The answer to that question from that small voice inside of me has meant everything. I have discovered that I am more than just a reaction to what life is throwing at me. How I think about my situation can make a big difference!
Psychologist Shawn Achor "found there are ways that you can train your brain to be able to become more positive. In just a two-minute span of time done for 21 days in a row, we can actually rewire your brain, allowing your brain to actually work more optimistically and more successfully."
If you are traveling a path with a few crossroads of your own, I encourage you to explore the techniques that Achor suggests.
Learn how researchers got their results in this TED talk 'The Happy Secret to Better Work:' https://youtu.be/fLJsdqxnZb0
San Diego has so many opportunities to be active, from swimming in the ocean to walking or cycling raround Balboa Park. I can help men and women with lymphedema enjoy San Diego and reduce the negative effects that a fun-filled day may have one their lymphedema. Here is a testimonial from a San Diego tourist that booked a lymphatic drainage massage with me. I came right to her hotel room during her San Diego visit.
Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT and Jessi after Jessi's MLD Massage
Jessi says -
I booked my appointment for MLD with Kathleen while visiting San Diego. I have lymphedema in my thigh and after airplane travel, extra walking in the heat, and some vacation food indulgences my thigh was swollen and heavy.
When Kathleen showed up at my hotel on time with her massage table and friendly smile, I immediately felt comfortable with her. She asked all the questions that showed me she knew her stuff, and listened carefully to my answers. The MLD was excellent and some of the best I've had. The results were a leg that felt light, relieved, and back to its normal size.
It can be nerve racking and difficult to find the right CLT and I am so grateful that I was able to find her on my vacation. What a gift! I would whole heartedly recommend anyone who lives in or is visiting San Diego to book an appointment with her. When I am back in San Diego, I will definitely see her again.
- Jessi Raymond, cancer survivor with stage 2 lymphedema on vacation in San Diego from her home near Seattle. Follow Jessi at @movingmylymph on Instagram
If you are in San Diego or planning to travel to San Diego on vacation or business, book a manual lymphatic drainage massage here:http://www.solacesandiego.com
The first time I traveled to India to visit my future husband's family, I knew it would take a few months before I would fully integrate the experience into my life. Being exposed to such a wide variety of foreign experiences takes time to sink in. I experienced the same feeling a few years later when I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and experienced an African Safari. I could share photos and funny stories, but the true, deep meaning of these experiences didn't blossom until I spent time in stillness by myself and allowed my body to unravel its own understanding of what it had experienced. Travel writer Pico Iyer offers similar advice in the inspiring TED talk 'The Art of Stillness.'
Do you give yourself stillness after you travel, or jump right back into your day-to-day life?
Kathleen Lisson is a certified Meditation Teacher and Labyrinth Facilitator and teaches Meditation and Mindfulness at IPSB college in San Diego. Sign up for a private meditation lesson or labyrinth walk in the comfort of your home here:https://www.massagebook.com/San_Diego~Massage~sandiego?src=external
I am a certified Meditation Teacher and teach Meditation and Mindfulness at IPSB college in San Diego, but I didn't always meditate. I began practicing meditation during a period of high anxiety in my life. I had just sprained my ankle, forcing me to cancel running a half marathon race which I had been training for for the past three months. I had moved cross-country that past summer for my husband’s job, which meant a career change and I was due to start massage school in a few weeks.
As I sat on the meditation cushion those first few times, I heard all my anxieties surfacing in the quiet of my mind. My sarcastic inner voice reminded me that if I wanted to sit around and be reminded of how disappointed and scared I was, I could do it with a glass of wine instead of paying hundreds of dollars to a meditation instructor. But I didn’t quit. Soon I became more experienced at meditation. I was able to recognize those anxious thoughts before they turned into full-blown stories and let go of my focus on them.
Those first few times, I was feeling the effects of a major meditation misconception - that meditation is going to be like a day at the beach - just relaxing, not thinking, every care magically whisked away.
The reality is that meditation for beginners will always involve thoughts, and often exactly the thoughts we don’t want to think about. Meditation reduces anxiety not by ending anxious thoughts but by allowing them to pass - like a child learning to play catch with a ball. Have you ever seen major league baseball triple play? The ball is in and out of the glove in record time because the players saw the ball coming and were able to recognize it and then let it leave their glove. If anxious thoughts are like a baseball, the goal of learning to work with the ball effectively is to not hold onto the ball.
Watch some great baseball triple plays here:
OK, so we’ll get the ball out of my glove. But first, let’s consider another major meditation misconception this one about the best way to let a thought pass - many beginning meditators think that thoughts during meditation mean they are a failure and that ‘forcing’ themselves not to think and berating themselves when they do is the only way to ‘win’ at meditating.
Watch this baseball fielding video to get an idea of how we should react to thoughts. Bill Ripken only has positive feedback for his young player learning a new skill.
Instead, we let thoughts pass by recognizing and naming them (“thinking” or “this is anxiety”) and returning to the breath. Name, return. Name, return. Name, return. Much like a player catches hundreds of balls during a baseball drill, this process can happen hundreds of times during meditation and it is an essential skill to develop. The magic part is when the skill of recognizing a thought starts appearing in our everyday lives. Instead of getting caught up in anxious thoughts, we begin to recognize them when the first thought comes to mind and are able to label it before it overwhelms us.
Kathleen Lisson is a certified Meditation Teacher and Labyrinth Facilitator and teaches Meditation and Mindfulness at IPSB college in San Diego. Sign up for a private meditation lesson or labyrinth walk in the comfort of your home here:https://www.massagebook.com/San_Diego~Massage~sandiego?src=external
Low back pain? Make sure your car seat is adjusted properly!
by Kathleen Lisson, CMT
As a massage therapist in San Diego, I see many clients who complain of low back pain.
I use a combination of myfascial release, deep tissue and trigger point work on their low back, sacroiliac joint, quadratus lumborum, gluteal and hamstring muscles to decrease their chronic pain and increase their range of motion.
During the massage I ask them about how they use their back. Here are just a few common triggers for pain in the low back area:
Standing more on one foot than the other
Sitting with a wallet in the back pocket
Carrying a heavy bag
Poor driving posture
I cannot walk out to clients' cars to look at their driver's seat, but this video can help you to make a few simple adjustments to your car seat that may reduce your back pain. Learn from Physical Therapists Bob Schrupp and Brad Heineck in their video 'How To Adjust Car Seat for Back Pain-ALSO Secret Car Feature REVEAL' here https://youtu.be/kBxlJWGrP3s
As a meditation teacher in San Diego, I have found that many beginning meditators become discouraged after their first few meditation experiences. They believe that they cannot meditate because they simply can't stop thinking. Many of us approach meditation with the same 'get it done' attitude that we do with other "must-do" parts of our lives, like going to the gym, cleaning the whole house or getting to work in rush hour traffic.
In a TED Talk titled 'A simple way to break a bad habit,' psychiatrist Judson Brewer explains positive and negative reinforcement. He shares how he learned not to "force" himself not to think during meditation using the reward based learning process and curiousity.
After listening to Brewer's talk, I invite you to try to meditate again, this time using curiousity instead of 'forcing' - let me know your experience in the comments below!
Kathleen Lisson is a certified Meditation Teacher and Labyrinth Facilitator and teaches Meditation and Mindfulness at IPSB college in San Diego. Sign up for a private meditation lesson or labyrinth walk in the comfort of your home here:https://www.massagebook.com/San_Diego~Massage~sandiego?src=external
Do you already know the relaxing, pain relieving effect that massage has on your body but concerned that a cancer or lymphedema diagnosis means that you can't enjoy the benefits of massage anymore?
Are you overwhelmed with traveling to medical appointment after medical appointment and wish you could have the benefits of a massage in the comfort of your home, on your schedule? An in home massage means that you can take a relaxing bath in your own bathtub or go to sleep in your own bed, right after your massage.
Hello, my name is Kathleen Lisson. I am a Board Certified Massage Therapist with oncology massage training and a Certified Lymphatic Therapist in San Diego. I provide massage to men and women with a metastatic cancer diagnosis, a cancer diagnosis, a cancer history or a lymphedema diagnosis in the comfort of their homes in the San Diego area. To book a massage click here: http://www.solacesandiego.com
I studied massage therapy for people living with cancer with Teri Polley-Michea, RN, MA, HHP in San Diego and have assisted her in teaching Touch, Caring and Cancer classes to family members of those with a cancer diagnosis. My hands on work included shifts providing massage to patients receiving chemotherapy in the Moores Cancer Center infusion center in La Jolla and providing full body massage to patients with cancer and a cancer history at the UCSD Cancer Center in Encinitas.
I recently finished my training in Complete Decongestive Therapy for lymphedema with Gunter Klose and Linda Roherty from Klose Training. Gunter received his initial Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) and Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) training in 1984 at the Foeldi Clinic in Hinterzarten, Germany. In 1990, Guenter came to the United States to assist Dr. Robert Lerner in establishing the first CDT treatment center for lymphedema patients located in New York City. Guenter’s work was instrumental in establishing the field of lymphedema therapy and training in the United States.
Linda was elected to the Lymphology Association of North America’s Board of Directors in 2000, acted as Vice President of LANA from 2002–2005, and has served as Secretary since 2010.
I also volunteer in the Moores Cancer Center Patient and Family Resources Center and provide free massage to underserved communities in San Diego with the Alternative Healing Network.
If you or a loved one has a lymphedema or cancer diagnosis or history and prefers to receive massage services in the comfort of their home, please consider using Solace Massage and Mindfulness.
Have you ever done a hard workout and felt like you just couldn't recover in time for your next run? Scientists have found that it could be because of what you are doing AFTER your workout as much as during your workout. Brad Stulberg writes in the Outside article 'Recovery Is All in Your Head' that a meta-analysis titled 'Psychosocial Factors and Sport Injuries: Meta-analyses for Prediction and Prevention' finds that "athletes are most likely to sustain physical injuries during times when psychological and/or social stress is high."
This makes sense because our bodies are recovering and rebuilding from our workouts in the hours after we shower and leave the gym or running trail. Adding stress forces our bodies to choose between dealing with stressful situations or healing and building muscle.
How can endurance athletes increase recovery after a hard workout?
I use activities like taking a nap, meditating and getting a light massage to reduce stress after my hard Sunday runs. A recent Times of San Diego story by Debbie Sklar featured a University of California San Diego School of Medicine study that found an participating in an Ayurvedic routine including meditation, yoga, vegetable-based diet and massage "experienced measurable decreases in a set of blood-based metabolites associated with inflammation, cardiovascular disease risk and cholesterol regulation."
Nutrition Classes for Patients with a Breast Cancer diagnosis in San Diego, CA
by Kathleen Lisson
There are a wide variety of nutrition classes for those with a cancer diagnosis, including breast cancer, in the San Diego area. Here are a list of classes:
Cancer Nutrition Resources in San Diego
Scripps Healthy Living Classes - Those who attend will "learn what foods and exercises protect against many lifestyle-related diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease." https://www.scripps.org/events/healthy-living-classes-chula-vista-english-october-18-2016 Sharp Chula Vista Nutrition Class for Breast Cancer Patients - Those who attend will find a class that "has been designed to address common diet- and nutrition-related questions and concerns that are unique to patients with breast cancer. The most current diet and physical activity guidelines and strategies for making positive changes in these areas will also be discussed." http://www.sharp.com/health-classes/nutrition-class-for-breast-cancer-patients-1645
UCSD Moores Cancer Center - Healthy Eating Program's Monthly Nutrition Seminars "provide participants with evidence-based nutrition information and an opportunity for discussion with a nutrition professional. Each month our seminars explore a different topic on food, nutrition and cancer survivorship." https://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/cancer/resources/nutrition/healthy-eating/Pages/default.aspx
How to Use Meditation for Frustration, Anxiety and Stress
by Kathleen Lisson
Have you ever said something you instantly regret when you're feeling stressed?
Have you ever read the same paragraph over and over and not 'got it' because you feel frustrated about something that happened earlier in the day?
Have you ever 'blanked out' for a test you have studied before because of anxiety?
A regular meditation practice can help with these situations, especially when seated meditation is full of thoughts. In this fun 13 minute talk, San Diego based Warriors at Ease and Mindful Schools curriculum trained meditation teacher Kathleen Lisson shares the role of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus in stressful situations and how meditation can help us think straight and improve test anxiety.
Heavy Arm after Cancer Surgery - What is Stage 0 Lymphedema?
by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CMLDT
The National Lymphedema Network states that people with stage zero lymphedema in an arm or leg can feel sensations of heaviness or fatigue in their limb, even when there is no difference in the size of their affected arm and unaffected arm. I have also heard that in stage zero lymphedema, people will feel like their rings and shoes feel tighter than usual, even though their arm doesn't look different.
These symptoms may be connected to lymphedema. It's a good idea to mention them to your primary physician. Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage may help to reduce the feelings of heaviness and fatigue in arms and legs with stage 0 lymphedema.
Advice for those with secondary lymphedema in San Diego
Want to fit relaxation into your busy schedule? Here are five ways you can relax during the day, no matter how busy your schedule is.
If you have five minutes - try a body scan. Sitting or lying down, find a comfortable position and gently focus on different parts of your body in this relaxing technique. Start by feeling your toes for two breaths, then feel each different body part, switching every second inhale. Breathe and feel the feet, ankles, lower legs and knees. Continue to focus on how your body feels from the inside of your thighs, hips, lower back, abdomen, upper back, shoulders, chest, arms, hands and fingers. Finish your body scan by feeling inside your neck, jaw, face, ears and scalp, each for two breaths. Finally, focus on your entire body breathing peacefully for a few breaths. This can be done at night in bed or when you are a passenger in a car.
If you can spare two minutes, twice a day, Dr. Andrew Weil recommends a 4-7-8 breathing technique. Find out more here: https://youtu.be/YRPh_GaiL8s
If you have one minute - focus on your breath. This exercise can be done at your desk or even in a tense meeting! Take a slow deep inhale through your nose, then exhale through your nose. Count to two, then inhale again. Pausing in between breaths brings relaxation.
If you are waiting in line - whether at the grocery store or for your morning coffee, take 30 seconds to notice what is going on in the body. With each breath, focus on relaxing the muscles around the eyes, then the forehead, then the jaw, then letting the shoulders be at ease.
For a custom relaxation primer, try this trick - imagine you are making a business presentation and were just asked a question you can’t answer. Feel that anxiety in your body. Now, notice what parts of your body tensed up. Your hands? Your face? Your belly? Focus on relaxing your personal list of tense body parts the next time you need a dose of relaxation.
Kathleen Lisson is a certified Meditation Teacher and Labyrinth Facilitator and teaches Meditation and Mindfulness at IPSB college in San Diego. Sign up for a private meditation lesson or labyrinth walk in the comfort of your home here:https://www.massagebook.com/San_Diego~Massage~sandiego?src=external
Have you tried ‘everything’ and still can’t get to sleep?
by Kathleen Lisson
Does your room have blackout curtains, a humidifier and the finest bed linens on a comfortable mattress and you still can’t get to sleep at night? The answer may be in your pre-bedtime rituals.
Why Is Sleep Important?
As a San Diego meditation teacher, I know that our number one way to detoxify from the stress of the day is through a good night’s sleep. Meditation can also release stress, but sleep is key to robust health.
How do Insomniacs Try to Go To Sleep?
A Detroit-based study of sleep hygiene among insomniacs found that drinking alcohol, smoking near bedtime and taking naps during the day were common practices in those with insomnia. Read the study, ‘Sleep Hygiene Practices in a Population-Based Sample of Insomniacs,’ published in the Journal of Sleep, here: http://www.journalsleep.org/articles/280509.pdf
My biggest battle is limiting contact with electronics within a half hour of my bedtime. Looking at just one more website or Facebook update is simply too attractive to me and I can easily stay up an hour past my bedtime and then spend another half hour lying in bed with thoughts spinning in my mind.
How Sound Sleepers Fall Asleep
A better bedtime ritual? Set an alarm on my phone for a half hour before bedtime and spend that time reading or performing my pre-sleep essentials - brushing my teeth and applying lotion to my face, arms and legs. Maybe spending time with loved ones or petting my dog? Gazing at the stars or the moon, which are beautiful in San Diego when we don't have a marine layer. Reviewing the needs of the next day and making sure I have prepared everything so I am not stressed or rushed in the morning. Making notes of everything left to do so I won’t have to try to remember them right before I fall asleep.
A Meditation Teacher’s Top Four Tips for Falling Asleep
Set an alarm 30 minutes before bedtime, start your bedtime rituals
No television or other distracting electronics in the bedroom
Don’t use your bed for lounging, train your body to associate the bed only with sleep
Use a meditation or breathing technique if thoughts are preventing sleep
What tips for getting to sleep have worked for you?
Kathleen Lisson is a certified Meditation Teacher and Labyrinth Facilitator and teaches Meditation and Mindfulness at IPSB college in San Diego. Sign up for a private meditation lesson or labyrinth walk in the comfort of your home here:https://www.massagebook.com/San_Diego~Massage~sandiego?src=external
