There are many different styles of dynamic Pilates manly massages out there. Your favorite type will depend on personal preference or what your body is craving for at that moment. If you are new to massage, then the choices can seem overwhelming. We have compiled a list and descriptions of the most popular styles of therapeutic massage so you are armed with at least a basic knowledge.

1. Swedish Massage

Swedish massage is the foundation for many Western styles of massages, including sports massage, deep tissue massage, and aromatherapy massage. The name originates from the Swedish inventor of the technique in the 1800′s.

Generally, a Swedish massage is received nude and covered with a sheet. The therapist uncovers only the part of the body he/she is working on, a technique called “draping.” However, a modest client may feel more comfortable keeping their underwear on and that is perfectly acceptable.

The massage therapists use massage oils or lotions to facilitate smooth, gliding strokes called effleurage. Other classic Swedish massage moves include kneading, friction, stretching and (sometimes) tapping. These are the basic strokes and the therapist flows from one technique to another with light to moderate pressure.

2. Deep Tissue Massage

This type of massage therapy focuses on reaching and affecting deeper layers of muscles and connective tissue.

Typically, it is used in aiding chronically tense and contracted areas such as stiff necks, tight back muscles, and sore shoulders.

Most of the strokes are the same as those mentioned in the Swedish massage, but the movement is slower and the pressure is deeper. The therapist uses thumbs and elbows to gain deeper penetration to muscle tissue to target adhesion’s (bands of painful, rigid tissue) in muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Deep tissue massage works by physically breaking down these adhesion’s to restore normal muscle function and movement. It’s normal to feel some stiffness or pain after a deep tissue massage but this should resolve in a day or so.

Deep tissue massage is often used by athletes and active people to keep the body free of injury and ready for action.

3. Sports Massage

Sports massage does have some aims in common with other forms of massage. It is important for the therapist to have a complete understanding of anatomy and physiology of the muscul0keletal systems. By understanding these systems and the effects of exercise, intelligently applied massage may benefit the sports person and becomes an integral part of the athlete’s training program.

Again the basic strokes are similar but applied in a more therapeutic manner depending on the athletes requirements. Stretching is incorporated into the massage and the therapist may focus on one part of the body rather than the whole.

Sports massage can be performed 45 mins before an event, an hour after the event and as part of an athletes regular training program.

4. Lomi Lomi Massage

Lomi Lomi is a Hawaiian style of massage. Perhaps this can best be understood by one of the alternate names for Lomi Lomi, and that is “Loving Hands” massage.

To understand the depth of Lomi Lomi massage, it helps to have an understanding of the Hawaiian philosophy called Huna, and how the philosophies of Huna relate to bodywork and healing. Huna is simply the belief that everything seeks harmony and everything seeks love.

Lomi Lomi penetrates gently yet deeply into the muscles with continuous, flowing strokes, totally nurturing the body and, enabling the recipient to relax, give in and simply be. So technique is an important part of the massage, but much of the work is done by love, the therapist focusing on the client using loving hands and a loving heart.

The combination of total energy, long continuous flowing strokes, and loving touch, relaxes the entire being. The aim is to assist in a letting go of old beliefs, patterns and behaviours that cause limitations, which are stored in the cells of our body.

5. Shiatsu Massage

When visiting a practitioner of shiatsu massage, wear thin, loose, and comfortable clothing, such as cotton or linen. In a traditional shiatsu massage you can expect to lie flat on the floor, a beaded mat, or a futon.

Shiatsu is based on the holistic system of traditional Chinese medicine, where illness is thought to result from the imbalances in the natural flow of energy, or qi (pronounced “chee”) through the body.

The practitioners will use their fingers and thumbs to apply pressure to specific points on the body’s energy pathways, known as meridiens. They often use other techniques such as rocking, stretches, and joint rotations. Another therapy type called acupressure is based on the shiatsu system of massage.

6. Thai Massage

Thai massage is an ancient type of massage first developed in India thousands of years ago and was performed only by Buddhist monks. The Thai culture later adopted the same techniques into the modern form of the massage practiced today.

As with a shiatsu massage, wear thin, loose, comfortable clothing, as you can expect to lie flat on the floor, a beaded mat, or a futon.

Thai massage is more energizing and rigorous than more classic forms of massage and is often called Thai yoga massage.

The therapist uses his or her hands, knees, legs, and feet to move you into a series of yoga-like stretches. Muscle compression, joint mobilization, and acupressure are among other techniques used by a Thai therapist.

People describe Thai massage as both relaxing and energizing and some say it is like doing yoga without any work.

Visit us for other articles like this, or if you are interested in therapeutic massage, sensual massage or other forms of bodywork.

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There are Sheepskin Boots and then there are “sheepskin boots!”

One only has to type “sheepskin boots” into any major search engine to be inundated with what seems like hundreds of retailers but they don’t know where ugg boots outlet online is. All of whom are only too anxious to relieve you of your hard earned cash in return for a pair of sheepskin boots. But with so many different brands to choose from how do you know you are making the right choice? There seems to be every type of boot on offer, in every price bracket – from those costing as little as a few pounds all the way up to the top branded makes costing a few hundred pounds per pair. How can you be sure that you are getting value for your money and does quality really matter when buying a pair of sheepskin boots?

To answer these questions we need to start at the very beginning of the sheepskin boot making process – that is we need to start
with the sheep!

The Sheep

High quality sheepskin boot manufacturers use the skins from Merino sheep which are universally regarded as providing the best quality wool and skins. The Australian geography and environmental conditions are uniquely suited to rearing Merino sheep of the highest quality and this is why the best sheepskin boots are made using only genuine Australian Merino sheepskins. The hides from Merino sheep tend to be thicker and more durable and the wool itself is very dense with excellent shape retaining properties. They therefore lend themselves very well to the manufacture of boots with their ability to endure wear and tear whilst at the same time keeping their shape and good looks for many years.

Sheepskin, also known as shearling fleece, is actually a fur – it has leather skin on one side and wool fur on the other. The sheepskin wool is embedded into the leather and because it is attached to the skin real sheepskin does not shed, pull out or wear off. Sheepskin wool is soft, resilient and naturally thermostatic – the wool fibres are hollow and capable of absorbing up to 30% of their own weight in moisture without feeling wet to the touch. The fibres wick moisture away, enabling it to evaporate through the leather outer and this natural “breathing” ability ensures that your feet remain comfortable and dry whatever the weather.

Similarly during
cold weather the sheepskin fibres trap the heat of your body inside the boot thereby providing excellent insulation whilst at the same time the free flow of air between your feet and the sheepskin eliminates any clamminess.

Real sheepskin has many wonderful properties. For example did you know that it is non-static, flame resistant, wind proof and that the leather side is naturally water resistant? It also drapes beautifully and will return to its constituent shape – this means that over time your sheepskin boots will mould themselves to the shape of your foot offering you a customised fit. And as if that were not enough, the high naturally occurring lanolin content in the wool acts as a moisturiser so you can even moisturise your feet as you walk!

The Making of the Boot

Another factor to consider when choosing sheepskin boots is the actual process of converting a sheep’s skin into a workable boot making material. This is a much more involved process than most people realise! First the sheepskin has to be trimmed and washed to remove the dirt. It is then put through a fleshing machine which cuts off the flesh and fat. Next stop is a detergent bath which removes any remaining dirt and fat after which the skin is pickled in a pre-tan bath – this expands the skin and turns it into leather. The skin is then refleshed to clean the leather one more time before the final tanning process where tanning agents are added to allow the skin to become washable and heat stable. The skin is then tested for shrinkage, put through a sammy machine which presses out the excess moisture and improves the skin’s shape, dried again, then dry cleaned with white spirit before being spun and hung out to dry. The next step is to dye the skin in a bath of dye to which has been added acids which allow the dye to fix to the wool fibres, then the skin is given a final rinse, sammied and hung once again to dry. Once dry the skin is buffed to clean the
back and improve the appearance and the wool is combed and sheared to a uniform length. The combing and shearing process can be repeated many times until the desired effect is reached. Then, and only then, are the sheepskins ready to be made into boots!

Are Man Made Alternatives Better?

Man is a competitive beast and likes nothing more than trying to go one better than mother nature by tinkering with her treasures and trying to improve them. Indeed there are many occasions when man-made fabrics make for a much better product than anything found in the natural world. Take ski wear for example – the massive strides made in the manufacture of lightweight, breathable yet waterproof clothing has revolutionised the ski wear market. Now you can stay out all day in layers of moisture wicking undergarments, lightweight fleece sweaters, and Gore Tex coats and pants which have been specially designed to keep you warm, dry and comfortable no matter what the weather or how many times you fall over!

However, Man does not always know best! Especially when it comes to sheepskin boots! Cheaper types of sheepskin boots are made using a layer of wool or synthetic fleece material which has been glued onto pig or cow hide. This is then brushed up and is often loose enough to be pulled away from the backing which enables it to wear away when the boots are worn. This synthetic sheepskin does not breathe and results in the unpleasant sweaty feet problem of cheap boots. It is impossible to copy synthetically the astounding list of natural qualities found in real sheepskin but unfortunately these cheap boots are often marketed as “Sheepskin Boots”.

So as you can see real sheepskin is a marvellous product – just ask any sheep! Don’t accept pale imitations – insist on high quality sheepskin boots and they will be an investment which you can enjoy year after year. Manufacturers of quality sheepskin boots will be happy to tell you where their sheepskins come from – it is only the man-made sheepskin boot manufacturers who will be evasive with this information.

So, Bottom Line?

Yes! Quality does matter when buying sheepskin boots. You don’t have to buy the most expensive make of boot but you do need to be sure of where the makers got their sheepskins from. If you want real quality and value for money then invest in a pair of boots made from genuine Australian Merino sheepskin and you will be able to enjoy them for many years to come.

(c)2005. Sue Madelin is the owner of The Snug Stop purveyor of finest quality Australian Merino sheepskin boots, and a huge fan of her many pairs of Warmbat sheepskin boots. [http://www.snugstop.com]

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Crown has everything you need for your Hen’s, Buck’s, Birthday or hens venues Melbourne. Wedding planning can be a challenging exercise, not to mention an expensive one. Having a budget is essential but sometimes your budget just can’t quite accommodate all the wedding ideas you have in mind. Wedding planning becomes a matter of compromise, saving money in one area so that you can spend more in another, or saving money on the overall expense of the day.

The simple wedding ideas below will help you to save money on your wedding planning.

Wedding Reception

Wedding receptions can account for a significant amount of your overall wedding budget, usually around 40-50%. Wedding ideas to help reduce the amount you spend on your wedding reception are:

1. Select a venue that doesn’t charge a hire fee – Some hotels and restaurants will waive the venue hire fee if you achieve a minimum spend on food and beverages. This can save you hundreds (if not thousands) but you must be sure that the minimum spend they need is realistic for your wedding reception. Alternatively, other venues may not require a venue hire fee at all.
2. Opt for a venue that doesn’t require much decoration – Decorations and theming can really add up. By choosing a venue, such as a restaurant, that has stylish decor you won’t need to worry about spending a fortune on hiring chair covers and cloths to cover ugly trestle tables and chairs, or other props to dress up an otherwise boring function room.
3. Host a cocktail reception instead of a sit-down meal – Serving your wedding guests a two- or three-course dinner can cost upwards of $65 per guest. By hosting a cocktail reception and serving canapes instead you can easily save yourself around $20-$30 per guest. Another advantage is that a cocktail reception requires less space than a seated reception, so you can hire a smaller area and potentially save on your venue hire fees.
4. Get married on a Friday or Sunday – Saturday afternoon or evening is the most popular time to be married. Venues know this and they impose a higher minimum spend on Saturday. By having your wedding reception on a Friday or Sunday (or even mid-week if it suits) you will reduce the amount that the venue insists on receiving by thousands of dollars.
5. Avoid serving spirits and limit wine selection – It’s not necessary to have an open bar for your wedding reception. The biggest cost saver is not serving spirits at all, or if that doesn’t sit well with you then just serving them for the first hour. By limiting the wine selection in advance you can eliminate the possibility of your guests requesting premium wines that might blow your budget out.

Wedding Dress

Many brides spend thousands of dollars on their wedding dress and that’s fine if that’s your choice. However, if you’ve looked around at dresses and decided this is an area where you haven’t budgeted enough, consider these money-saving wedding ideas:

1. Buy a pre-loved wedding dress – Take advantage of those women who spent thousands and now need to recoup some money. They’ve worn their dress once and had it professionally cleaned. The dress still looks as good as new but costs around 50-75% of the original price, sometimes even less. This is a great way to pick up a designer wedding dress at a fraction of the retail price. Pre-loved wedding dresses can be found listed on the seller pages of many wedding directory websites.
2. Buy from a bridal outlet store – If it’s last season’s (or last year’s) wedding dress style it will cost less. By buying from a bridal outlet store you can save yourself hundreds off the retail price. The dresses may be classed as old stock but they’ve never been worn and the basic styles don’t tend to change too much from year to year.
3. Wear an evening gown instead of a wedding dress – There are some stunning evening gowns available, which can look just as elegant as a wedding dress but without the wedding dress price tag. While many evening gowns are available in white or neutral tones, this is the ideal option if you’re looking to walk down the aisle in a coloured wedding dress.

Flowers and Decorations

Flowers and decorations add ambience to your wedding day. They are a lovely inclusion but can be budget breakers. Some budget relief can be found in the following wedding ideas:

1. Forget formal floral arrangements – Instead of paying a fortune for a florist to create floral centrepieces for you, consider buying loose flowers and leaves from a flower market. These can then be placed or scattered on the tables at your wedding reception. As long as you keep the layout simple, the venue will often be willing to place these for you at no (or minimal) extra cost when they’re setting the tables for your reception. If not, enlist the help of a couple of good friends to go in and place them for you.
2. What decorations can your wedding venue offer you? – Many venues that regularly hold weddings often have their own decorative items, such as candles, candelabras, fairy lights, coloured table cloths and chair covers, already available for you to use. Some require you to hire them for a small fee, others include them in your function package at no extra cost.
3. Scour discount and craft stores – These stores often have items at bargain prices that, with a little creativity, you can turn into a striking table centrepiece or unusual prop to decorate your wedding reception. Discount stores are great for inexpensive glass bowls, vases, candles and candle holders. Craft stores sell all kinds of interesting items such as mini painting easels (to display your place cards or menus), beads and ribbons, silk flowers, woven baskets and boxes, and a wide range of decorative paper and cardboard.

Wedding Stationery

Design, printing and mailing costs associated with wedding stationery can be exorbitant and it’s very easy to go overboard without realizing it. Here are some wedding ideas to keep your costs well within the budget:

1. Do you need to print them? – Traditionally, people choose to print wedding date claimers, invitations and RSVP cards for their guests, which then require envelopes and postage that can significantly add to the expense if you’re looking at having a lot of guests. Instead, why not design your own invitation as an electronic document that can be emailed to your guests. Guests then respond via phone or email, saving paper and postage.
2. Check out the do-it-yourself options at stationery stores – Stationery stores carry a vast range of beautiful papers and cards. You can easily create your own invitations by overlaying paper printed with your wedding details (through your standard computer printer) to decorative card for a personal touch.
3. Consider creating your own wedding website – Wedding websites are growing in popularity and are available for a small subscription fee from many wedding directories. Basically you create a website all about your wedding and include all the various details about the hen’s and buck’s parties, ceremony and reception. You can then create, within the website, invitations for these events and email them to guests. The website can even collate RSVPs for you.

If you’re still looking for more wedding ideas then take a look through bridal magazines for inspiration. Many of the items shown in the magazines can be bought inexpensively online, or you can get creative and make them yourself.

Corinne Templeton
Editor, Wedding Ideas Guide
http://www.weddingideasguide.com

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Because Canada host to some world-famous ski resorts offers huge mountains, stunning scenery, charming resort villages, sensational champagne powder snow, and superb après ski activities therefore I will get Canada ski packages. There is more to travel than just jumping on a plane and going somewhere. Travel has the potential to be an exciting experience.The possibilities for a dream vacation are endless – just think about all the places you could go and all they ways you could get there. Do you know what it takes? No matter how good of a planner you are, here are some ideas to get you going.

Keep notes of key information if you are traveling abroad. This is your first point of contact help if you need it. They can help you with any problems that arise.

Create a list for your trip!

The less stuff you have, the fewer things you are likely to lose or have stolen.

Do not expect an airline will make you as comfortable as necessary on a flight. Bring your own pillow, pillow and headphones if your trip is going to be a long one. You should also pack snacks to ensure that you won’t go hungry if you do not like what the plane.

Taking a trip no matter how far from home may cause you desire to bring a little piece of home along with you. Limit yourself to the toiletries that are essential toiletry products. Make yourself a short list of the things you use daily. Pack those that are most important.

A luggage tag on the outside of your luggage is easily be ripped off in transit.

Use melted hotel ice for having filtered water for your coffee in the morning. Rather than using plain tap water for your coffee, let the ice melt in the ice bucket. You can brew tasty coffee in the morning.

These sheets will be for the kids to play cards or color in coloring books on.

Find out if you require a visa to get into the country you need to go to. It can take some time for visa processing, as the processing times for visas can be quite long.

Research currency rates prior to your expenditures. You will know how much you can start planning what you’re going to be able to do while you’re there. This will help you max out on fun and reduce your expenses.

Use environmentally responsible services to ensure your trip.A number of hotels have linen reuse programs, have lighting that is energy efficient, energy efficient lights, utilize alternative sources for energy, alternative sources of energy and so on. Tour companies, care rental agencies, auto rental companies and other service providers are looking for innovative ways to let travelers go green.

Rental agencies want to try to get you to buy additional insurance that you may not need what they are selling. Vehicle insurance may have some third party liability coverage.

Try getting the “local” rate at any hotel you travel. Some hotels offer a break. If you have a friend in that area, see if they can ask about discounts. This simple step can end up saving you some cash.

If you are taking a long flight, pack snacks that are non-liquid.

Always take bottled water when going overseas.The water you find in other countries is often not be safe to drink as it can cause different sicknesses. Use bottled water to brush your teeth. You can also become ill from using the tap water.

Don’t forget to bring car seats if you hire a car. The car seats that might be available with your rental car will probably not be as good as the ones you already have, and your seat is one that your child is comfortable with.

Be up front when taking out travel insurance. Let the insurance provider know if you’re sick. You’ll be stuck paying the bills to settle for yourself.

If you are planning on a really remote and exotic trip of a lifetime, you might want to buy insurance that pays for search, rescuing and search. This is a real lifesaver if civilization is not nearby.

Long flights across continents can be stressful. You can avoid some of this by planning in advance.) and sleep during the plane lands. You will wake up feeling good and ready for a new day.

Keep in mind that you are not the only person staying in hotels. Be courteous to others; keep your noise level down and close doors quietly. Even mid-day, people are taking naps and needing peace and quiet. You don’t have to take it to an extreme, but show a little respect for others by keeping the volume down.

Sometimes a broken piece of furniture or a hole in the wall.

If your travel dates are not set in stone, adjust them as necessary when searching for the best deals. You may find that there are special rates that are specific to these dates and you can save money.

You want to have a copy of your reservations. This helps if you can prove it to them. This simple step that will save you a great deal of trouble. Print all of your papers out and keep all of them in a folder.

One way to save some money when you travel to book your flights as early as possible. As flights fill up, the seats you want might be either unavailable or more expensive.

As you can see, your trip is not only about getting to your destination, but about the whole planning and journeying process. You need to plan and enjoy the experience. The above tips should have given you some advice.

UGG slippers are an essential in any cold weather wardrobe, and UGG have a diverse range of designs for you to choose from UGG boots online. The word “Fashion” is a word that can be found in your typical Webster dictionary, however when approached and asked how would you define fashion, have you ever realized that the word might be easily definable, yet defined so differently by every person? To me, fashion goes far beyond what the latest trends are and is a way of expressing “yourself” and showing off to the world who you truly are. I believe fashion can be expressed in multiple ways because it exemplifies what you think is trendy or chic, regardless of what the latest magazines are illustrating. Fashion is an expression of one’s self, not a reflection of what someone else wants you to be. It’s both a lifestyle, and a language in itself.

Have you ever caught yourself rummaging through your closet wondering, “Will people like this outfit?” I can definitely say that you could have caught me multiple times doing a 360 in the mirror wondering if my peers would consider the outfit I had on as fashionable. Throughout my high school years, I always wanted to make sure I “fit in” with the latest fashion trends, which did not take long for me to come to the realization that I spend way too much time reading fashion blogs and magazines. This led me to believe that I was spending more time worrying about what I thought I should wear, rather than wanting to wear what I felt comfortable in. In our society, it is considered normal to be wearing the stereotypical North Face and UGG boot when winter emerged. It wasn’t until college, when I finally realized it was time to find myself, and see myself as a blank canvas. I stopped trying to wear what everyone else was wearing and decided that instead of being a replica of my classmates, I was going to be different. It took me a while to figure out that this is how it should have been all along. I wish I figured it out sooner, but then again, don’t we all just want to be accepted?

Nowadays, when I see a whole spectrum of girls wearing the latest outfit featured on the store mannequin, I think to myself, “How boring”, which is true! People do not realize that it is important to be an individual and stand out, not be clones of one another. Fashion should be something enjoyable; like a form of art. If you are just like one of the “typical girls” then what fun is that? Fashion is about experimentation; finding what you feel comfortable in and can feel the inner model within yourself. I can’t tell you how many times I will go into the dressing at Forever 21 or H&M just to find the right type of shirt I am envisioning in my head. It is important to always remember, changing up your style once in a while never hurts either; you never know what you will suit you best until you give it a chance.

Fashion is the one-way people can get to know you, without having to verbally speak to you. With fashion, you can intimidate others, or be easily admired. If you are well dressed for an interview, you are most likely going to be considered before the other interviewees who dressed poorly. Your fashionable wardrobe giving you a one-up on your competition can’t get better than that, right? If you are having a bad day, or just feeling lazy and want to spend the day watching movies or lounging on the couch, you may walk out of the house in sweatpants, no harm in that. Contrary, if you woke up feeling great, you typically will spend more time getting dolled up in the mirror. Fashion allows one to express their emotions, without having to verbally say how they are feeling.

It has become more apparent that people are becoming wrapped up in weight, trying to resemble the models often featured in magazines. I cannot voice enough how strongly I believe that women should wear whatever they feel they look good in, regardless of their weight. Everyone is their own person; personality wise and physically, no two people are exactly the same. This is who I am, this is how I feel, are two phrases that emphasize a form of self-expression. Just because you might not be a size 0, does not mean you have to avoid the cute clothes in the store. Nowadays, designers are making their clothing in multiple sizes so they can fit all shapes and sizes. Seventeen Magazines always does a feature, which I admire, that gives advice on what type of clothes might look good on different body shapes. If you haven’t already, I highly recommended picking up a Seventeen Magazine and reading this section!

All in all, after being asked what fashion means to me, I myself realize that my definition is quite different than my friends, peers, and even family members. I think the crucial aspect to get out of reading this article is to be your own fashionista. Don’t follow the trends and go out of your way to buy what magazines portray as the latest must have clothing item or accessory. Dress how you want and most importantly, don’t be afraid to show it! As one of the world’s greatest designers once said, “In order to be irreplaceable, once must always be different.”

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