Good News

IS ONLINE!

Those of you who read my article about Jane McGonigal and her life-changing game idea, know what this is all about.  SuperBetter is up and running, and if you signed up on elle.com/friendswithbenefits, you have no doubt received an e-mail with an access key.

SuperBetter is Super Awesome!  You can choose to overcome anything from injuries to chronic illnesses, losing weight and learning to meditate (which is my goal).

The online version keeps track of your progress and prompts you on your next move. 

Join me and my hero "Inner Peace-A-Licious," to create a SuperBetter planet, one person at a time.  Starting with you of course!

If you neglected to sign up the first time, give elle.com/friendswithbenefits a go and see if you can still get in on the SuperBetter ground floor.  If not, let me know, I just may share my access key with you.

Super Better, A Healthy Adventure

Super Girl

Suffering a serious injury, game designer Jane McGonigal turned her powerful intellect toward saving herself. In the process, she may have found a key to overcoming obesity, depression, and illness, helping us all feel Super Better.

This is the hook used by Whitney Joiner in her article about game designer, Jane McGonigal.  You can read the full article at elle.com/friendswithbenefits, but I'm going to give you the gist of it here.

McGonigal grew up inventing all sorts of games and ended up making a career out of it.  In 2009, she suffered a concussion and was left struggling with how it affected her.  True to her nature, McGonigal came up with a game to assist her healing process.  I have copied and pasted Jane's description of Super Better from her blog, Avant Game.  

"SuperBetter is a superhero-themed game that turns getting better in multi-player adventure. It’s designed to help anyone recovering from an injury, or coping with a chronic condition, get better, sooner – with more fun, and with less pain and misery, along the way."

"The game starts with five missions. You’re encouraged to do at least one mission a day, so that you’ve successfully completed them all in less than a week. Of course, you can move through them even faster if you feel up to it."

As I understand it, Super Better, at this point in time, is a game where you log your progress in a journal.  There are plans to make it something more and you can sign up to be one of the exclusive beta testers at elle.com/friendswithbenefits.  Today I signed up to test the game, but for now am going to get started on the current version.  I am excited to find out what kind of super hero I will become.

To read Jane McGonigal's blog regarding Super Better, go to: http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/09/super-better-or-how-to-turn-recovery.html.  Learn the rules and how to play, and get Super Better with me!

Massage, It Feels So Good...

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of receiving a massage from Chandra, owner of Enchanté.  The treatment was pure magic; exfoliation & salt scrub, perfect pressure, and a synchronicity of the movements with my breath.  As I communed with my body, I was reminded of a phrase I hear often when giving a massage, "I didn't know that hurt, until you touched it."  Massage has a way of bringing to our consciousness, the physical and emotional pains we have buried and desensitized ourselves to. 

Therapists can be the biggest offenders when it comes to caring for our bodies and actually getting massages.  We too struggle with the time, money, and commitment it takes to honor ourselves for that hour.  It's easy to come up with reasons not to treat ourselves to a massage or fit stretching into our day.  Humans, however, are brilliantly creative and will find a way to get what they honestly desire.  

Time can be on our side, if we plan our days, weeks, and months appropriately.  Find the value in five minutes of stretching each morning and slowly increase that number.  Carve fifteen minutes out of your week to implement self-massage techniques.  And, once a month, enjoy a professional massage.  Setting small goals is a good place to start, you can always replace them with bigger ones.

Money doesn't have to be a barrier to getting the treatment you need and deserve.  Figure massage into your monthly or weekly budget, and plan for this expense.  Explore alternative methods of payment, like insurance.  Maybe you have a service you can provide in trade.  Some massage centers advertise on the Internet and local publications, offering coupons and discounts, and there is always the option of calling to ask about current specials.  Use your imagination and you will find an avenue that leads to affordable services.

Having the time and money are great, but they are nothing without commitment.  Taking responsibility for your current state is the first step to improving your health.  By making stretching a part of your daily routine, you will rediscover your body and improve it's condition.  Seek out a therapist you can work with on a regular basis.  Let them know about your goals and ask for tips on how better to achieve those goals.  Soon you will be well informed and saying, "Massage, it feels so good."

Breathing to your Health

The diaphragm, located at the base of our lungs, is the primary muscle used for respiration.  If you take a moment to breathe using the diaphragm, you will notice a rise and fall of the belly.  This is caused by the muscle contracting and relaxing.  Filling the top portion of the lungs with a shallow breath, uses accessory muscles of respiration in the neck and upper torso.  Consider this if you suffer from neck, pectoral, or upper back pain.

Working with a knowledgeable massage therapist relieves pain and tension while increasing body awareness.  Soft tissue manipulation causes changes to take place throughout every system in our bodies.  Breathing deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth, facilitates these changes.  Don't just take my word for it, give it a try.  During your next massage, practice deep breathing and experience the benefits for yourself!