Valentine's Day is fast approaching. Caring Palms has hand-crafted jewelry made by Shirley Dean. In fact, we have stocked our display cases with fresh new pieces that would tell someone that you care. Come see our selection and find something that your loved one would like.

by Brian Dean 

We all have times when we feel we are not strong enough to face issues that come up in life. We may feel that we are not worthy of an opportunity, or that we do not have the strength to overcome some obstacle that has been placed in our path. We all have situation where we simply feel we are not good enough. We flounder and fight and sometimes overcome, but many times do not. What we really need to do is tap into that piece of inner strength to give us that boost to push on, or push past.

First off, what is inner strength? Inner strength is the power we have in ourselves (whether we know it or not). It is the boost of confidence we need to tackle a project. It is that belief that we can overcome anything. It is what keeps us going when all else has failed. It is the ability to keep pushing forward when we feel like we are sliding back. It could be physical strength, or mental strength. It could be the difference of failing or succeeding.

We all have within us reserves of power that flows through us all the time. And believing that it is there is half the battle. Many times we feel that we are all tapped out when we have a reserve that is waiting for us to tap into it. But convincing ourselves that we have it is the key.

Meditation would help here. Go into a meditative state and visualize a massive power grid within yourself. Then plug an electrical cable into it connecting it to yourself. You could also look at that power as a massive ocean, and you simply open the floodgates allowing it to flood into you.

Another thing is to do affirmations. Affirmations are statements that you say to yourself daily to affirm belief in yourself. Making a list of positive statements and reading them is very effective. These can be statements like, "I have the ability to change my state of mind", or "I handle problems and adversity with ease", or "I am the master of my fate", or even "the force will be with me always". Believing in yourself is the first part of believing that you can overcome a problem.

You can also come up with phrases that you use to convince yourself that you are powerful. One that comes to mind comes from the cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the universe which was later turned into a movie. He-Man would walk up to the sword and pull it from the stone it was in. As he did that, he would raise it above his head and shout "I have the power!" At that moment, he would be filled with massive amounts of strength. If we make this a mantra during difficult times, we can fill ourselves with inner strength, either mental or physical.

We hear stories of people that lifted cars to free someone pinned under it. Even though a car weighs a lot more than one can normally lift, believing that they could, forced adrenaline through their system and allowed them to do something extraordinary.

If someone needs help lifting something, and you end up holding part of it, while standing there, keep repeating to yourself, "I have the power!" This taps you into energies to strengthen you and gives you that power that you need.

Another mantra is the I Am, I Can, and I Do. I Am a being of strength and power. I Am worthy. I Can overcome any situation. I Do overcome any problem. These lay the foundation of belief that allow you to do whatever it is that you need to do.

So, meditation, affirmations, phrases that you can take to heart. These are all parts of tapping into your inner strength. So, the next time you are facing a problem, just remember... You have the power!

The following is a list of currently scheduled classes.  This class is a two-day class worth 12 CE hours for massage therapists.  Each class (unless otherwise marked) currently has a status of 'Scheduled'.  This means that a date has been set, but no one has signed up for it yet.  Once a deposit has been received for a class, the status will be 'Confirmed'.  The 2015 schedule is as follows:

• April 18 - April 19  (Saturday 9:00am - 5:00pm and Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm)
• May 19 - May 20  (Tuesday 9:00am - 5:00pm and Wednesday 10:00am - 4:00pm)
• June 20 - June 21  (Saturday 9:00am - 5:00pm and Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm)
• August 18 - August 19  (Tuesday 9:00am - 5:00pm and Wednesday 10:00am - 4:00pm)
• October 17 - October 18  (Saturday 9:00am - 5:00pm and Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm)
   

All classes are scheduled to be held at the Caring Palms Studio.  Should the location change, that change will be on the website and students notified. 

Maximize your results with less effort. Utilize the science of martial arts and apply it to massage. Advanced Body Mechanics and Techniques for Massage Therapists, is designed to reconnect the massage therapist with proper body mechanics and techniques while putting a new twist on things and showing how to get more pressure with little effort. While it does go over some basics, it takes body mechanics to a new level where every move involves the use of the therapist's entire body so they can work without hurting themselves. The class being part lecture, part hands-on practice takes positions, centering, and the proper use of body strength from Japanese martial arts and applies them to the art of massage therapy. It also shows how to focus one's energies to increase their strength with simple exercises meant to teach the student how to 'think' beyond where they are working so they can get deeper into the client and to channel their energies to the point of thought. The student will learn how to focus their energies and use their body to do deep work and not get hurt. This class will help anyone to work deeply with less effort no matter if one is 90 pounds or 250 pounds. This class is for both the seasoned therapist and the new therapist. It will show moves everyone does, but in a new light as well as moves many people may not have seen before. The idea is not to dictate how to practice, but to show better body mechanics which the therapist can adapt to what they do. This is true whether they adapt all of it or just part of it.

 
NCBTMB and Florida Board of Massage Approved for twelve (12) Continuing Education Hours (CEUs)
Class Cost: $300 Early Registration (at least 19 days before the class date)
                    $350 within 19 days of the class date

This class is for licensed massage therapists or anyone that regularly uses massage in their practice.  For those looking to learn basic massage for relaxation for their partner or friends, see the website on the Massage For Couples classes. 

To sign up for classes, go to the website and select Continuing Education, Advanced Body Mechanics and Techniques, and Class Schedule to see additions and changes or to sign up.

Caring Palms has two rooms for rent to a holistic arts practitioner.  This person could be a practitioner of accupuncture, reflexology, hypnosis, massage or any similar modality.  If you know anyone interested, please have them call Brian at Caring Palms.