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Renu Massage, Energy & Bodywork in Madison
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Tag Archive for: massage

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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

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-supine-neck-massage

Amanda joins our team at the Normandy location

Renu entrance

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.

renu-couples-massage-room-madison

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.

Renu exterior sign

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. 

Renu blade sign

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. 

Headshot of Rosalinda, Renu Therapist

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 Renu's front door

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
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Amanda-massage-therapist-head-tilts-right-Renu.jpg 600 800 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2022-01-24 09:06:292022-01-24 09:06:29Announcing Renu’s 10th Anniversary
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:

  1. Do you have difficulty attending to every day activities?
  2. Do you feel depressed or hopeless?
  3. Have you noticed a drastic increase or decrease in energy?
  4. Have you noticed a change in appetite or weight?
  5. 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
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Grief-Pic.jpg 327 450 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2021-12-15 15:36:502021-12-15 15:36:50Massage Therapy for Mental Health
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.

silicone-cupping-therapy-renu-madison

March 3, 2021/by Heidi
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Massage-with-Acupressure-Scapula-Renu-Madison.jpg 300 450 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2021-03-03 09:04:052021-11-16 17:37:49Want Faster Results from Chiro?
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!

 

Renu-massage-manual-gift-certificate

 

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

February 1, 2021/by Heidi
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Renu-Massage-Energy_Bodywork-Madison-Greenway-Station-diverse-lesbian-couple.jpeg 1667 2500 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2021-02-01 15:17:332021-11-12 17:24:20Love Is Love
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
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Winter-Solstice.jpg 720 1280 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2021-01-29 15:21:342021-11-12 17:24:45How’s That Resolution Coming?
Healthy Living, Massage

Have You Thanked Your Kid’s Teacher Yet?

Renu-massage-gift-certificates-are-available

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
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/jack-russel-dog-in-spa-Copyright-a-hrefhttpwww.123rf.comprofile_damedeesodamedeeso-123RF-Stock-Photoa.jpg 321 450 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2020-12-16 13:08:352021-11-12 17:25:46Have You Thanked Your Kid’s Teacher Yet?
Healthy Living, LGBTQIA+, Massage

Are you tired of checking boxes that don’t fit? We got you.

A-couple-with-noses-touching

At Renu, we want to know your pronouns and your preferred name. We want you to feel nurtured and respected while we help you feel better physically. 

Life is a beautiful spectrum, and we are a safe space for everyone, regardless of where they may be on any given spectrum. 

We may not have our couples room available during the pandemic, but we can still be a place to celebrate any occasion, or even just the end of 2020!

Say “buh-bye” to 2020 by caring for yourself – get a massage today!

December 4, 2020/by Heidi
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Renu-Massage-Energy_Bodywork-Madison-Greenway-Station-Trans-Queer-nonbinary-couple-wedding.jpeg 533 800 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2020-12-04 16:43:352020-12-04 17:01:12Are you tired of checking boxes that don’t fit? We got you.
Healthy Living, LGBTQIA+, Massage

Renu – Now at Greenway Station!

Cy-and-Amanda-fun-pic-at-Renu-front-desk-masked

2020 has been… tough to say the least.

But one great thing this year was our move to our own store front in Greenway Station. We are so thrilled!

We’ve got four private session rooms with a soothing decor and our very very own nongendered bathroom so no one needs to decide which box they fit in when given a binary choice; everyone can feel completely safe during all aspects of their visit with us – during their massage, before and after. We thrive on serving the queer community and being a safe space. 

Two therapists max will be working at the same time, so each session can be in a fresh, new room. See our Covid-19 protocols for all of our safety measures. We take this pandemic very seriously!

We can’t wait to work with you again!

Renu-exterior-sign

November 30, 2020/by Heidi
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Cy-Amanda-Fun-Pic-Front-Desk-Renu.jpeg 990 1320 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2020-11-30 15:39:382020-12-04 17:01:41Renu – Now at Greenway Station!
Body Treatments, Healthy Living, Massage, Natural Remedies

Emotions and Bodywork – We Are Connected Beings

By Heidi Aschenbrenner,BCTMB CCT, LMBT and Member AOBTA

Our bodies are wonderfully complicated entities, which makes the field of bodywork so exciting.  Any kind of bodywork that delves into the fascia prompts change in those tissues, on a level that can’t be accessed with other methods of healing.  (Fascia is a blanket term for all connective tissue in the body.)  Our soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin – all the softer fascia of the body) can be stretched, strengthened, injured, or torn.  Thankfully, our bodies adapt and compensate for an immense variety of potential mishaps that we encounter as we go about our lives with both our work and our play.  Also thankfully, our bodies do heal, and they can also be retrained out of any bad habits we’ve had – all we need to do is prompt our muscles to do different things to learn new behaviors.  What a wonderful fascial system we have!

Many of us have had some type of injury.  We may have gone through physical therapy, we may have just put some ice on it and taken anti-inflammatories until our acute pain went away, or we may have ignored the pain until we no longer noticed it anymore, pushing through the daily “have to’s.”  The fascia does eventually heal, sometimes in spite of ourselves.  But… if there was any emotional trauma connected to that injury, the emotional aspect of the injury does not simply go away as we ignore it.  Ah, the complication now arises. 

therapeutic-massage-bodyworkOur fascia retains those emotional memories.  If this is a new concept to you, then pause and think on that for a moment:  our fascia retains those emotional memories until we release them.  Unless you have experienced this phenomenon, it may be difficult to grasp.  I had grasped the concept mentally years ago, yet I still was not fully prepared for the first time I experienced this type of healing.  Many of us have learned to push down our emotions, pressing on and not stopping to feel or to grieve.  There may be fear, sadness, or anger associated with any traumatic event that results in physical injury.  How often do you think we allow ourselves the time and space to process those feelings at the time they occur? 

Many of our chronic pain issues are simply our bodies crying out, begging us to pay attention to what still needs healing, and it may need to be on an emotional level.  Our bodies can wait a very, very long time for this, but eventually push comes to shove and then someone’s back goes out simply from picking up some laundry.  Chronic pain plagues so many of us, and so often the medical community doesn’t understand exactly what is causing that pain.  Pain is the body’s method of communicating to us that we need to stop what we are doing and change something.  Discovering what needs to change is not always a simple task.

How do we experience this healing?  It requires trust in your therapist.  It requires slowing down and allowing your mind, body and spirit to express what needs expressing.  It requires not forcing your fascia to do what you think it “should” but rather just letting go.  It requires not having an agenda for your bodywork session, which comes back to trusting your therapist.  Letting go with your mind is imperative so that your fascia can then let go of whatever it still needs to; you need to be in a parasympathetic state for this type of healing to occur, and for any real changes in your fascia to occur.  If you are one who likes to chat during massage, you will never get to this level of healing.

Not everyone needs this deep emotional release during bodywork, but many of us certainly do.  If you ever feel the need to weep during a bodywork session, please remember that it is good and healthy to let that happen.  Don’t stifle the healing process with any “should’s.”  You are safe with your therapist, and all licensed therapists receive training on this very topic.  I recommend that you talk to your therapist if you’d like to know more. 

massage therapist certified cupping therapist

Heidi Aschenbrenner, BCTMB CCT, LMBT and Member AOBTA, is the owner of Renu Massage, Energy & Bodywork. Heidi’s team of therapists all strive to achieve balance in each session through the use of energy work incorporated into their bodywork therapies.

March 17, 2017/by Heidi
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/hand-massage-renu-madison.jpg 682 1024 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2017-03-17 13:23:402017-03-17 13:24:45Emotions and Bodywork – We Are Connected Beings
Healthy Living, Massage, Natural Remedies

Why regular massage is so very, very good for you

Is massage or other kinds of bodywork part of your regular wellness habits?

Massage bodyworkOr do you just come in for special occasions when you believe you deserve a treat? Massage is considered part of health care in other countries and has been an ancient form of healing. It’s no surprise that most chiropractors have an onsite massage therapist as part of their practices.  Massage has benefits for the physical body, the mind, and your energetic life force.

9 Great Benefits of Massage

1. Do you see a chiropractor? Every time you get adjusted, your muscles will want to pull your spine or pelvis back to to where it was before, since those muscles had adjusted themselves to that position. Massage helps train them to go back to how they should be in relation to the newly adjusted bones. 

2. Do you exercise? Massage therapy has many great benefits when combined with exercise. Even if you don’t consider yourself an athlete, all adults should be getting regular exercise, and massage will help to:

  • reduce muscle soreness
  • improve your range of motion
  • balance your muscle tone (to prevent it from being too highly toned)
  • improve exercise performance
  • decrease muscle stiffness after exercise
  • promote relaxation

massage therapy myofascial release3. Massage relieves pain. Most people either already have or will experience back pain at some point, and massage enables those people to feel better and be able to function instead of remaining debilitated. Same goes for headaches and migraines.

4. Say hello to endorphins during every massage session. You know that great feeling you get after you’ve peaked in your exercise session? Get more of that natural goodness with massage.  Endorphins are our natural pain killers and stress fighters. Who doesn’t want more natural stress fighters?

5. You will sleep better! Most of us could use a little extra rest, so why not promote healthy sleep with regular massage? Your brain will thank you. You will also feel more alert, one 1996 study found.

6. Your immune system will be boosted according to a Cedars-Sinai study from 2010. “This research indicates that massage doesn’t only feel good, it also may be good for you,” said the principal investigator of the study. ”More research is ahead of us but it appears that a single massage may deliver a measurable benefit.”

7. You’ll even look better! Massage increases blood flow and stimulates lymphatic drainage, making your largest organ (skin) look healthier and younger. Cupping therapy on the face greatly multiplies this particular benefit!  We call this Facial Rejuvenation Cupping at Renu.

8. Soothe anxiety and depression without medication. Massage reduces cortisol, that pesky stress hormone. We all know cortisol much too well, and massage directly reduces cortisol levels, multiple studies have shown. 

9. Massage soothes the mind and spirit, not just the body. During massage or bodywork sessions, you will enter a parasympathetic state (like a meditative state), allowing mindfulness to occur naturally. This helps balance you emotionally and spiritually, in addition to all the great physical benefits mentioned above.

hand-massage-renu-madison

Massage is important for your health. It’s documented. It’s something that many people with debilitating pain have discovered has helped the regain their lives. But regular massage should not be enjoyed only by those in chronic pain; each of us will benefit by incorporating a monthly massage into our lifestyle. We really can’t afford not to!

Schedule Appointment

References:

AMTA article

Science Daily article

Huffington Post article

Prevention.com article

MassageTherapy.com article

July 14, 2016/by Heidi
https://renumadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/MFR-pic.jpg 267 400 Heidi /wp-content/uploads/2020/11/renu-logo-print-high-res-1.png Heidi2016-07-14 16:45:422019-10-15 15:23:18Why regular massage is so very, very good for you
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Renu Massage, Energy & Bodywork

1701 Deming Way, Suite 114

Middleton, WI 53562

(608) 438-5342

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