Healthy Living Archives - Renu Massage, Energy & Bodywork in Madison

Body Treatments, Craniosacral Therapy, Healthy Living, Massage, Natural Remedies, Renu's History

Welcome Zhanna!

Announcing our newest team member – Zhanna! We’re so thrilled to welcome her, and we think you will all love her work. Zhanna was trained in massage therapy at East-West Healing Arts (as were the rest of us), so eastern therapeutic techniques are incorporated into Zhanna’s massage sessions, using meridians and acupressure.

Zhanna is also trained in Craniosacral Therapy (CST) from the Upledger Institute, and she really has a passion for this work. This is hands on, unlike reiki, but it is also unlike a massage. CST incorporates gentle pressure, focusing on the Craniosacral system and fascial system of the body. Clients stay clothed for CST work.

In addition, Zhanna is a licensed esthetician, and we may add those services in the near future. Zhanna has limited availability this summer, and we plan to add more days and hours starting in the Fall.

We hope you’ll book a session with Zhanna and see why we’re so excited to have her on the team!

June 29, 2022/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Natural Remedies

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

I learned something from one of my regular health care providers that I found surprising. And evidently it’s become a more common problem for all essential workers in general. I could see this being a problem for anyone who’s wearing a mask all day at work, which includes many of us.

You guessed it – water consumption is way down for those wearing masks at work all day. And that is leading to an increase of kidney stones in otherwise young and healthy individuals. I’ve never had one of these, but I hear there are miserable! This was confirmed by my health care provider, who seemed way too young to have had this problem.

I don’t think there’s a magic number of ounces that you need to consume; the best way to tell if you’re hydrated is by the color of your urine. If it’s too concentrated, then you need to find a way to drink more while maintaining your safety from Covid by wearing your mask. Especially during these drier winter months: make a plan, set reminders, drink your water.

Another factor that has led to more instances of kidney stones is too much Vitamin D. Did you know that was a thing? I sure didn’t! If you’re taking more than 1,000 – 2,000 iu’s per day, that’s too much – according to the people who treated my provider’s recent kidney stone.

So here are a few other small things you can do to improve your health and wellness as we begin a new year – more water, and (potentially) less Vitamin D. That seems doable.

February 3, 2022/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Massage, Renu's History

Announcing Renu’s 10th Anniversary

Just over 10 years ago, Heidi graduated from East-West Healing Arts Institute and completed the purchase of what is now Renu Massage, Energy & Bodywork. Such a transformation has taken place! Here’s a walk down memory lane for Heidi, and a brief history of Renu for everyone else.

Couples Massage Room at Renu’s First Location

In December 2011, Heidi graduated from a local massage school and also learned Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupressure, and cupping therapy. The purchase of a 3-year old massage business was also completed that month – it was a crazy time! The business had the former owner’s name in it, so in 2012 when we rebranded and changed the domain name, business just… tanked. Heidi thought there would be enough regular clients to make it through that transition, but sadly that didn’t happen. Renu was in the basement of an office building on Odana, and it had a much different feel than it would once we left that space. Within 9 months of ownership, all the therapists either quit or were let go – both because of the decrease in business and also due to some resistance to the changes Heidi wanted to implement. It had originally had lots of spa-type services, drawing lots of one-time clients, and Heidi wanted a more therapeutic-based business that had a lot of loyal regulars.

Nature's Pathways Cover July 2013 - Heidi and cupping therapy

Heidi was featured in Nature’s Pathways

So we really did begin anew in mid-2012. Heidi learned the hard way to be picky in hiring – after taking the first available applicants too quickly! And that obviously didn’t work out. It took some time to build a team that would be a good fit – most of those therapists have been grads of East-West as well. Since building the team after rebranding, Renu has had a very low turnover in therapists. We find those who are a good fit, and they stick around.

It was at our first location that we were featured on the cover of Nature’s Pathways – what an exciting time that was! Heidi was still working as a massage and cupping therapist, and the magazine did a great job of showcasing the uniqueness of cupping therapy. (And I still love how my shirt matches the font color!) That was 2013, and we stayed in that first space for another year.

Olga joined us in November 2013 – and is still with us! Olga keeps expanding her skills and is excellent at all of her endeavors; we are very lucky to have her on our team.

Amanda joins our team at the Normandy location

Renu’s front door in the office building on Normandy Ln

The team-building continued as we moved into an above-ground office space on Normandy – right next door to East-West! Renu was there from 2014 through 2020. It was a much brighter space that felt more like the energy of our team, and it really worked well for us, except for a few recurring issues. But it was a bit hard for some people to find us there. Heidi would dream of one day having an actual store front with all the visibility that entails, but she also really liked that it was a small business with a great team and great clients, and was content to keep it that way.

Amanda joined Renu in September 2016, and has worked closely with Heidi in shaping the direction Renu has taken over the years since then. Amanda is invaluable in so many ways, and clients love their work as well.

Couples massage room at the Normandy location

The five and a half year lease went by so quickly at the Normandy location! Heidi thought about perhaps looking around about a year before renewal was due – there were a few issues at Normandy that were less than ideal, but it was otherwise a really good space for us.

Then someone from Greenway Station reached out to Heidi in late 2019 – thinking Renu would be a great fit for an available space. Serendipitous? The square footage and layout did seem just right. Heidi doubted Renu was in a position to pay the requested rent, and sure enough… there was no way. But Greenway Station was willing to negotiate, and very eager to have us there. It was the most perfect rent negotiation because the whole time, Heidi didn’t expect it to go through and was very transparent; not at all embarrassed by Renu’s small business stature. And that resulted in a deal that worked for both parties. Voila – excitement ensues!

Then… pandemic. We shut down for three and a half months in 2020. We had barely any clients when we reopened in the Normandy space.

So now what? After a few months of being in a circular and anxiety-producing decision-making process, Heidi and the Greenway Station rep talked again, and the rep once again had good ideas to resolve the things that were causing the most anxiety about moving during a pandemic.

Our first store front space!

So we went ahead and moved at the end of August 2020. We repainted, repaired, and made the space our own. Business was still pretty minimal until May 2021, when vaccines were more prevalent, and we are once again making ends meet on a monthly basis. We needed lots of grants, loans, and other sources of funding to get us through 15 months of minimal revenues, but we are making it! And the visibility of the new space has already made such a difference and is helping us recover. It will take a long while to rebuild after all those losses, but the path looks good to do just that.

So great to have our own signage!

Being in Middleton has led to joining the Middleton Chamber of Commerce, which is a very active and fun group! This has been such a great move for Renu, and we’re all excited to see where things progress once things become more normal again. Heidi hopes and plans to grow Renu – with the right team members of course – to have more support staff onsite now that we’re in a storefront. As of now, we’re still operating under the model that Renu has had from the beginning – the therapists do the check in’s, check out’s, and the bodywork, and we don’t accept walk-in’s.

Heidi hopes that will change sooner than later once we get past Omicron and hopefully get to a point where Covid-19 is endemic and much less dangerous. We’ve kept and will continue to keep all the safety protocols we put in place in 2020.

Rosalinda at the front desk with cups

Brian in one of our treatment rooms at the new space

What a journey it has been! Heidi is so thankful for Olga, Amanda, Brian & Rosalinda – such a wonderful team of therapists. Brian joined us in February 2019, and Rosalinda in January 2020. Both of them started here as a very part-time side gig, and they’ve each developed their own loyal following.

We will be looking to expand our team, perhaps as soon as this Spring or Summer. We’re not in a rush, but we lost a few people during the pandemic that we don’t expect will return.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a fan of someone at Renu. If you know of any other licensed massage and/or cupping therapists that would fit well with us, please let us know! We’re always looking for like-minded people to join our wonderful team.

Olga outside the new space – with sun in her eyes!

Here’s hoping 2022 is a better year for everyone! We look forward to another amazing 10 years of wellness and growth, and we hope you’ll join us on our journey.

January 24, 2022/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Natural Remedies

Here’s How to Be Healthier This Year Without Tons of Effort

How’s that resolution going? We tend to think big when making resolutions, when the most effective way to see tangible results is by making small changes that are doable. So think small. If you haven’t yet read Darren Hardy’s The Compound Effect, it’s a great short read about how small changes add up over time – whether they be positive or negative. The pandemic sure showed me how true that is! Now it’s time to reverse.

What one or two small things can you change that will add up over time? Here are some ideas:

Add dark leafy greens

From a recent Washington Post article:

“Eating more dark green leafy vegetables is one of the best changes you can make because ‘they are the healthiest food on the planet,’ says Tracye McQuirter, public health nutritionist, author of “Ageless Vegan” and founder of the 10 Million Black Vegan Women movement.

Dark green leafy vegetables are packed with nutrients that fight cancer and promote the health of our hearts, eyes, bones, digestive systems, brains and skin, which is why, she says, ‘the glow is in the greens.’”¹

Sound tough to do? It doesn’t have to be. Add some chopped greens to a stir fry, an omelet, your smoothie (you won’t ruin it!), or sauces and soups. Just a little bit as a habit will really make a big difference.

Eat Less Red Meat

That means less, not zero, if you’re a meat lover. Between the health of your body and the health of our planet, it’s a really great thing to decrease consumption of, significantly if possible, and just a little bit if not. Even if once a week you choose an alternative (those Beyond or Impossible Burgers are pretty great!), you’re still helping things.

Try More Easy Meals at Home

How many times do we order food because the thought of cooking at the end of the day seems too daunting? Restaurants do need our support still, but let’s be purposeful about when we order from them and stick to our home-cooked resolve. Choose a couple easy, healthy recipes that become a go-to on your tired nights. The Whole 30 has some great tasting recipes that are very healthy. The tuna boats, protein salad and salmon cakes are among my favorites – salmon cakes take a bit of prep, but you can make a double batch that will last awhile. The tuna boats can be done with or without the endive boats (and the tuna mix is delicious!), and the protein salad is super easy once you do it a couple times. There are also some great sauces for seafood that aren’t very difficult to make, and they go with pretty much any white fish.

Reduce Alcohol Consumption

’Tis the season to abstain – Dry January has become quite popular! It’s really good to give your body a break from alcohol. Many people increased their consumption during the pandemic, and cutting back even a little bit on your weekly intake will make a big difference on your health; alcohol calories really add up, and excessive consumption can lead to other health concerns over the long-term.

There are lots of good-tasting non-alcoholic beverages available these days. A few of my favorites include:

Cascara Club Italian sodas
Kin Euphorics
Seedlip
Monday Gin
Proteau botanical beverages

I found all these from another Washington Post article² last January – it’s worth a read!

¹https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/01/03/how-make-smart-new-year-resolutions/

²https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/01/09/dry-january-nonalcoholic-drinks-recommendations/

January 12, 2022/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Massage, Natural Remedies

Massage Therapy for Mental Health

Tis the Season… to take care of your mental health. Many of us feel more stress, anxiety and/or depression around the holidays. You are not alone if you are feeling any of these things.

The National Institute of Mental Health indicated that in 2019 almost one in five adults lived with mental health issues. In June 2020, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report showed that nearly 40 percent of Americans were experiencing some sort of mental health concern, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women experience one trauma in their lifetime. Additionally, 7 to 8 percent of adults will have post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their lifetime.

Pain, fatigue, muscle tension and sleep disruptions can result from mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. There is an abundance of research suggesting that massage therapy can and does help with many chronic health conditions.

Some questions to ask yourself:

Do you have difficulty attending to every day activities?
Do you feel depressed or hopeless?
Have you noticed a drastic increase or decrease in energy?
Have you noticed a change in appetite or weight?
Are you sleeping too little or too much?

Please consult a mental health professional if you are experiencing the above, and you don’t have other contributing factors. Your primary care physician is a great place to start if you don’t have your own mental health professional.

Massage therapy can help, but it is no substitute for a thorough medical evaluation. Massage therapy can bring relief as you manage your medical journey.

Learn more about how myofascial release can help with anxiety, depression, and exhaustion from John Barnes, PT, LMT.

References: Massage Today

December 15, 2021/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Massage, Natural Remedies, Veterans

Massage Therapy for Military Veterans

Massage can make a difference for veterans coping with PTSD, chronic pain, and more.

PTSD

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in some people who have seen or lived through an event that is shocking, scary or dangerous. These events might be combat related, for example, or involve violence, abuse or trauma.

“People experience PTSD when their choices over what happens to their bodies are taken from them,” says Pamela Fitch, the author of Talking Body, Listening Hands: A Guide to Professionalism, Communication and the Therapeutic Relationship, and a massage therapist with extensive experience working with clients with PTSD.¹

This condition comes with both physical and psychological symptoms, and can include the following:

Higher rates of musculoskeletal or cardiovascular issues
Flashbacks and nightmares
Increased feelings of detachment and isolation
Irritability and difficulty falling asleep
Hyperarousal
Hypervigilance
Guilt and shame
Intrusive thoughts

There is research that suggests massage therapy can help veterans with PTSD. One small pilot study found massage significantly reduced headache, anxiety and pain interference. Massage was also found to be a positive addition to veteran health care in a June 2017 study.

Similar to other mental health diagnoses, like depression or anxiety, PTSD is commonly treated with an integrative approach that may include both medication and some form of psychotherapy, with the goal being to help the person effectively work through the trauma.

For clients with PTSD seeking massage therapy, Fitch believes working through their trauma history with an experienced psychologist or psychotherapist is a must. “If clients with PTSD seek massage therapy before they have done some reflection with a psychotherapist, they could be at risk of worsening their symptoms, becoming triggered by the touch, or feeling depressed or angry,” she explains.

How Can Massage Therapy Help Clients with PTSD?

Stess relief, decreasing anxiety, reducing depression¹ and improving personal mood are all positive outcomes massage may provide clients. Additionally, a 2012 study focusing on how integrative therapies can help promote reintegration among veterans found that those participants who received massage therapy reported significant reductions in physical pain, tension, irritability, anxiety/worry and depression.²

Research also indicates massage therapy may be effective for those clients who experience dissociation as a symptom of PTSD,^3.4 allowing these clients to experience a more coherent sense of self, which for some is a primary reason they initially seek out massage therapy.^5,6

It is important to find a therapist you can trust and go slow with massage therapy if you have PTSD.

Chronic Pain

Studies have long supported the benefits of massage therapy for people in chronic pain, including back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and osteoarthritis. Research continues to support the health benefits of massage therapy for pain relief, and massage therapy can be a viable non-opioid solution for pain relief that works.⁷

Anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is described as persistent and uncontrollable anxiety and worry. A 2016 study of the effect of Swedish massage therapy on symptoms of GAD found that participants’ anxiety was significantly reduced at the start of week three, suggesting massage may be an effective acute treatment for GAD.⁸

Insomnia

While insomnia is a common issue among the general U.S. population, this condition presents an even greater problem to veterans. A study conducted in 2017 involving primary care providers’ perspectives on veterans showed that more than half of the veterans already enrolled in VA health care centers in the Midwest demonstrated having significantly higher levels of insomnia.⁸

Research indicates that massage therapy can improve sleep in those with lower back pain, fibromyalgia, insomnia, pain and other health conditions.

Before You Book

If you are a veteran with any of the above conditions, please reach out to us before your appointment to let us know how we can best address your unique needs. We will want to avoid anything that will make you nervous about your session, and we’re happy to discuss your specific case both before and during your session. It’s important that we know what to be aware of to avoid any potential triggers for you.

Be thorough in completing your intake form, and don’t be afraid to talk to us during your session if anything is uncomfortable, unsettling, or just not to your liking; we want your feedback.

References:

1. https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/massage-and-ptsd/

2. William Collinge, MPH, PhD, Janet Kahn, PhD, LMT, and Robert Soltysik, MS. Promoting reintegration of National Guard veterans and their partners using a self-directed program of integrative therapies: a pilot study, Mil Med. 2012 Dec; 177(12): 1477–1485.

3. Price CJ, Donovan D, Wells E, Rue T. Mindful awareness in body-oriented therapy as an adjunct to women’s substance use disorder treatment: A pilot feasibility study. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2012; 94–107.

4. Price CJ. Dissociation reduction in body therapy during sexual abuse recovery. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2007;13(2): 116–28.

5. Price, C. (2012). Massage for adults with a history of sexual trauma. Chapter In: Dryden, D. & Moyer, C. (Eds.) Massage Therapy: Integrating Research and Practice. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL., pp. 165-170.

6. Price, C. (2004). Characteristics of women seeking bodywork as an adjunct to psychotherapy during recovery from childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 8(1): 35-42.

7. https://www.amtamassage.org/resources/massage-and-health/alternative-to-opioids/

8. https://www.amtamassage.org/resources/massage-and-health/veterans/

November 17, 2021/by Heidi

Body Treatments, Cupping Therapy, Healthy Living, Massage, Natural Remedies

Want Faster Results from Chiro?

You’ve heard of muscle memory, right? Did you know that can work against you when you’re trying to fix postural or structural alignment issues? Your muscles are creatures of habit – and they really like being where they’re used to being, even if it’s causing you pain. It takes time and consistency to retrain those muscles.

Massage can help! So can cupping therapy!

Manual therapies like massage and cupping therapy speed the time it takes to retrain the body – by disrupting the previous patterns, releasing adhesions, and loosening up the tissues, those tissues then are more ready to respond to a new direction.

Massage & chiropractic go hand in hand. Same with physical therapy.

Check out our Wellness subscription rates today. Or book an appointment.

March 3, 2021/by Heidi

Healthy Living, LGBTQIA+, Massage

Love Is Love

Celebrate love all month long! 💞 💘 💝

You can spoil your loved one with a much-needed massage… Has anyone been feeling stressed this past year?!? 🙋🏻 Massage is the perfect gift!

You can add hot stones, aromatherapy, or both – for an amazing experience. They will love it.

We offer online gift certificates as well as the more traditional, hand-written kind.
Prefer the latter? Contact us and we’ll make arrangements for you!

Let’s focus on all that’s good right now – and also spoil each other!

February 1, 2021/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Massage

How’s That Resolution Coming?

As a new year dawns, we want to encourage you not to get down on yourself if you’re not making progress on your resolutions. Or even if you skipped resolutions altogether this year! That’s a valid choice.

2020 was rough. A lot of that carried into 2021. So don’t go crazy with resolutions.

One easy thing you can do for yourself is to incorporate massage as part of your regular self-care. It’s so important, and many have been going without during the pandemic.

We know everyone is feeling more stress right now, and we’re here to help! Check out our Covid-19 safety protocols, and feel free to insert a hepa filter into your mask for extra protection.

January 29, 2021/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Massage

Have You Thanked Your Kid’s Teacher Yet?

2020. It’s been hard on all of us.

Imagine how much tougher your job was this year, and then consider those who really got dumped on: teachers, health care workers, delivery workers, parents with kids in school.

Know anyone who needs some stress release? Massage can help!

If you’ve got cash to spend on gifts, this is the perfect opportunity to thank those who have served you and are likely exhausted by now.

And even if they aren’t ready to get a massage yet, they’ll still be able to use their certificate post-pandemic. Renu will absolutely honor it.

So say thanks to someone who went above and beyond this year, and help a small business while you’re at it! It’s a win-win.

Because who doesn’t want to feel like this right now?

December 16, 2020/by Heidi