Tuesday, December 27, 2016

How do I use Dry Brushing?

How do I use Dry Brushing?

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."



 The University of Maryland Medical Center includes dry brushing on it's extensive list of ways to reduce fluid retention. Read more here: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/edema



Saturday, December 24, 2016

What is Manual Lymphatic Drainage?

What is Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage?


by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT

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

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Can Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage help reduce swelling after a facelift?

Can Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage help reduce swelling after a facelift?


by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT

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:

Face Lift Postoperative Recovery
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12140694

Facelift and Patterns of Lymphatic Drainage
http://asj.oxfordjournals.org/content/32/1/39

Learn about how manual lymphatic drainage can help reduce swelling after a facelift:



To book a manual lymphatic drainage treatment with me at your home in the San Diego area, visit http://www.solacesandiego.com

Monday, December 19, 2016

Medium: 7 Things Your Massage Therapist Wishes You Knew

Medium: 7 Things Your Massage Therapist Wishes You Knew


by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT


Getting a massage in San Diego? I cover the top 7 things that massage therapists wish you knew over at Medium.

Click here to read more: https://medium.com/@Kathleenlisson/7-things-your-massage-therapist-wishes-you-knew-931943f8ef1b#.ehp5l1x4g

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Manual Lymphatic Drainage helped me get back to running after my ankle sprain

Manual Lymphatic Drainage helped me get back to running after my ankle sprain


by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT

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

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Book Review - Straight Talk about Cosmetic Surgery by Dr. Arthur W. Perry, M.D., F.A.C.S. with a foreword by Dr. Michael F. Roizen, M.D.

Straight Talk about Cosmetic Surgery Book Review


by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT


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.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

How to Keep New Year's Exercise Resolutions - Fire Your Inner Critical Coach

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

Ditch the Itch! B Vitamins and Nerves after Plastic Surgery Liposuction

Itchiness is a complaint I hear frequently from my clients recovering from plastic surgery, especially liposuction. This is due to nerve reg...