Winter Walking, Trager Style

I sent out a newsletter earlier in the week that suggested taking a walk in the snow and feeling how the light fluffiness of it all could permeate your body/mind and affect how you walk or how you feel about walking. Well, I just got back from such a walk. The snow is coming down fast here in New Paltz - a perfect opportunity to take a walk and enjoy the winter wonderland.

As I was walking with my husband, we started to play in the snow... what else would you do in the snow, afterall, but play. We started walking backwards, sideways and in zig-zags and we noticed something interesting upon walking backwards. Firstly, we noticed that in order to walk, we were using our bodies differently. A little more muscle here - a little less there - head postures changing... But what was most striking was that we could clearly see our footprints in the ankle-deep snow that we were leaving behind us (although they were really in front of us since we were walking backwards). Steve noticed that he was walking with his toes pointing inwards. I noticed that my left foot was totally straight while my right veered out to the right each time.

We both played then with walking as if our heels were leading the motion of each step and both noticed that again, it changed the way were walking and how we felt as we were walking, and all the while, just playing in the snow. Then, of course there were some impromptu sno-cones in our gloves that turned in to a minor, yet cold and wet snowball fight!

What kinds of things do you notice when you are walking in the snow today? Enjoy the exploration of playful movement in this winter wonderland.

Free Massages! Happy Holidays from Bodymind Massage. B3G1F!

Volume 4 Issue 10
December 2008

Call today for an appointment:
845.255.3228

"I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

'We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,'
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December."

- Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing

Mentastics® Minute

Welcome to your Mentastics Minute!
Mentastics, or mind-directed movements, are a fun and easy way to help you relax, break through holding patterns in your body, move easier and recall the feeling of a Trager session.

In each newsletter, I suggest a Mentastics movement that you can "try on" for yourself. If you have suggestions or requests for the Mentastics Minute, please send us an email.

What a beautiful time of year. Didn't I say that about Autumn too? Well - every season has it's beauty and Winter is no exception.

Has it snowed where you live yet? If so, go outside and take a walk on the snow. Notice the crunch of the snow underfoot as you walk. How does the crunching feel to you? How far up your body from your feet can you feel the ripple of the crunch?

How would it feel to walk quieter? Is it the kind of snow that gets whisked away in powdery wisps with the slightest whisper of a breeze? How would it feel to be so powdery light that you could float away on the breeze?

Play with these ideas of quiet and lightness as you walk in the snow and as you walk during the rest of your day:

• at home
• at work
• at the mall
• at the grocery store
• at your holiday party

Where else can you play with walking quietly and softly? Even if you live in a part of the world that doesn't have snow at the moment, recall the sensations of walking in the snow and the imagery of the freely blowing crystals and remember how it can be to soft and free and wispy.


Free Massages? Its True!
Buy 3 Get 1 Free!

Save up to 25% on your holiday shopping!

Buy any 3 gift certificates,
get 1 additinal gift
certificate FREE!


Call us at 845-255-3228 or visit www.bodymindmassagetherapy.com
to purchase your gift certificates today!

Season's Greetings from
Everyone at Bodymind Massage!

Offer expires: December 24, 2008



"Trager", "Mentastics", and the Dancing Cloud Logo are registered service marks of Trager International, which licenses their use in the USA to the United States Trager Association. In the USA, they can be used only by members in good standing of the United States Trager Association.

Happy Thanksgiving from Bodymind Massage

Happy Thanksgiving! This is the time of year when we share what we are thankful for with those who are close to us. We are very thankful for all of you who continue to permit us at Bodymind Massage Therapy to be of service to you. We love what we do and are grateful that we are able to help so many people in such gentle, healthful ways. Thank you for your business and thank you for your trust. Peace, Love, Massage. Helen Gutfreund, LMT Amanda Paul, LMT Bodymind Massage Therapy New Paltz, NY 845-255-3228 Holiday Season Gift Certificate Sale BUY 3 GET 1 FREE As our way of showing you how thankful we are for your support, we would like to "give back" to you this holiday season. Now through December 24th, purchase any three gift certificates and get one of equal or lesser value FREE! Buy 3 sessions of the same length and get session of the same length FREE! For instance, buy 3 one hour sessions and get 1 one hour session free - a $75 savings! Buy 3 sessions of different lengths or services and get 1 of the lowest monetary value FREE! For instance, if you purchase a half-hour massage, a one hour hot stone massage, and a one and a half hour Trager session, you would receive 1 additional half-hour massage session free - a $50 savings! You can specify whether you would like the gift certificates sent to you or we can send them directly to the lucky gift recipients, and as always, shipping is free*! Click here now to order your gift certificates or call us at 845-255-3228 to place your order by phone. *Delivery via free shipping (1st class US Mail) is not guaranteed by Christmas if mailed after December 17th. If purchased after December 17th and delivery by Christmas is necessary, we recommend arranging for pickup at the Bodymind Massage Therapy office, or we could send you a PDF of the certificate by email Please call the office at 845-255-3228 to arrange pick-up. PDF by email can be requested during the ordering process.

Autumn Leaves :: bodyMinder October 2008

Patient Appreciation Day at Integral Chiropractic in New Paltz WHO: Helen Gutfreund, Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Trager Practitioner from Bodymind Massage Therapy WHAT: Massage and Trager Approach mini-sessions WHERE: Dr. Lester's Integral Chiropractic office at 3 Paradeis Lane, New Paltz, NY WHEN: Tuesday, October 28, 2:00 - 6:00 PM, WHY: To help Dr. Lester show his patients how much he appreciates them by offering them mini-sessions of massage or The Trager Approach. Make your appointment now or tell a friend! As my time will be limited at Integral Chiropractic, you must schedule an appointment beforehand with Dr. Lester. If you are a regular client of Bodymind Massage and you know someone who is a patient of Dr. Lester's, please let them know that I will be at his office offering "free samples" of my work and to call Dr. Lester's office at 845-255-3300 to make an appointment. Time slots are going quickly, so call today! Food Drive For Family of New Paltz Now through the end of November, Prospect Health Associates and Bodymind Massage Therapy are holding a food drive for Family of New Paltz. Its easy to help local families in need - just bring any non-perishable food item with you when you come for your Massage or Chiropractic adjustment or Acupuncture session, such as canned soup, dry pasta, a jar of sauce, rice, beans, etc. Drop off your food at our office and feel good knowing not only that you are there for your own health and well-being, but that you are contributing to someone else's too. Thanks in advance for all of your generous donations. Mentastics® Minute Welcome to your Mentastics Minute! Mentastics, or mind-directed movements, are a fun and easy way to help you relax, break through holding patterns in your body, move easier and recall the feeling of a Trager session. In each newsletter, I suggest a Mentastics movement that you can "try on" for yourself. If you have suggestions or requests for the Mentastics Minute, please send us an email. Autumn Leaves This Mentastic movement can help bring feelings of easier movement of legs, ankles, hips... maybe even somewhere else for you... by using fun and playful imagery. What a beautiful time of year. The air is crisp, the trees are all aglow, and the crunch, crunch, crunch of the leaves underfoot are one of the joys of childhood that remains with me as an adult. Who among us has never jumped into a pile of leaves burying yourself underneath and tossing them gleefully up above or scurried through them leaving a trail of kicked-up whirly red-orange-yellow-brown foliage behind? Do you recall what fun it is to walk on an autumn leaf covered path or lawn? If not, go outside NOW and play in the leaves, and while you are there, pause for a moment in stillness, just noticing how you feel. How does your body come in contact with it's environment? What smells do you notice? What sounds? What sensations? Now walk through the leaves and with each easy step, gently toss the leaves out to the side of where you are walking. Step... step... step... Easy. Playing. Now toss them to the front. Step... step... step... Easy. Playing. Now to the front. Step... step... step... Easy. Playing. Now pause. Breathe. Notice where your feet are - where your head is. Notice the smells, the sounds, the sensations. Have fun playing in the Autumn leaves, or imagining playing in the Autumn leaves, if your part of the world doesn't have them just now. Feel The Trager® Flow Save 25% off your first Trager® Approach session! Just mention that you would like to try a Trager® Approach Session when making your appointment, and save 25% off the regular fee. Session lasts approximately 90 minutes. Call 845.255.3228 to schedule your appointment today! Offer Expires: December 31, 2008 A Proud Member of: "Trager", "Mentastics", and the Dancing Cloud Logo are registered service marks of Trager International, which licenses their use in the USA to the United States Trager Association. In the USA, they can be used only by members in good standing of the United States Trager Association.

bodyMinder August 2008

"Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,
Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;
Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing
Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn."
- Michelle L. Thieme, August's Crown

_____________________________________________________________
In This Issue
Bodymind LIVE on the Radio...TODAY at 3:30 PM
Mentastics® Minute
_____________________________________________________________

Bodymind LIVE on the Radio TODAY at 3:30 PM

WHO: Helen Gutfreund, LMT, CTP
WHAT: Radio Interview
WHERE: Broadcast LIVE on 1490 AM, WKNY Kingston
WHEN: 3:30 PM
WHY: To provide information about bodywork to the listening public

Tune in to 1490 AM, WKNY broadcasting out of Kingston, NY TODAY, Thursday August 21, 2008 at 3:30 PM to hear Helen Gutfreund, LMT and owner of Bodymind Massage Therapy interviewed live on the air! She'll be speaking about her history as a bodyworker, why The Trager Approach is unique, and who bodywork can help.

If you can't tune in live because you are out of the listening area, fear not! The interview will be posted to www.bodymindmassagetherapy.com ASAP!
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Mentastics® Minute

Welcome to your Mentastics Minute!
Mentastics, or mind-directed movements, are a fun and easy way to help you relax, break through holding patterns in your body, move easier and recall the feeling of a Trager session.

In each newsletter, I suggest a Mentastics movement that you can "try on" for yourself. If you have suggestions or requests for the Mentastics Minute, please send us an email.

Amazing Maize
This Mentastic movement helps bring a feeling of wind-blown playfulness and joy.

Have you ever stood in a cornfield this time of year with a gentle breeze whistling by? The light this time of year can be so beautiful and the later days of August can bring a little nip to the fresh smelling clean air.

Imagine for a moment you are a giant stalk of corn in a beautiful field - upright and majestic with golden tufts of silk rising from your head and beautiful deep green almost tropical looking foliage. Feel yourself firmly rooted in the earth, yet not at all rigid. As a gentle breeze blows through, feel the wind take up your foliage and your silken parts. Hear the rustle of the other stalks around you. Feel your stalk sway gently side to side - front to back - round and round.

Now pause for a moment. What do you notice about your body, how you are standing - your movements - your mind?

_____________________________________________________________


Feel The Trager® Flow Save 25% off your first Trager® Approach session!

Just mention that you would like to try a Trager® Approach Session when making your appointment, and save 25% off the regular fee.

Session lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Call 845.255.3228 to schedule your appointment today!

Offer Expires: December 31, 2008
_____________________________________________________________


"Trager", "Mentastics", and the Dancing Cloud Logo are registered service marks of Trager International, which licenses their use in the USA to the United States Trager Association. In the USA, they can be used only by members in good standing of the United States Trager Association.

Bodymind Massage Therapy Radio Spot

Click here to check out our new radio spot as heard on 100.1 WDST - World Class Rock!

Dog Days of Summer : : Bikes That Heal

Vote for Bikes That Heal! The goal of BIKES THAT HEAL is to promote awareness, educate, and raise monies in an effort to help find a cure for Blood Cancers. They donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as well as the many hospitals that do clinical research. In addition, BIKES THAT HEAL wants to help individual cancer patients in any Bikes That Heal community with the extra expenses that are incurred during treatment (ie: hotels, temporary apartments, travel, etc). They also aim to combat the concerns of rising fuel prices, pollution, and obesity in our country. BIKES THAT HEAL is a major step toward reduced energy consumption, clean air, reduced traffic congestion, a healthier environment, and an overall improved quality of life for everyone, one town at a time. BIKES THAT HEAL is currently in the running for a $25,000.00 grant that will enable them to raise awareness even more, but they need your help. In order to win the grant, they must receive the most votes out of 10 finalists up for the award. To vote for BIKES THAT HEAL, please visit: www.markhammarkofdistinction.com You can vote once a day, every day until the end of the contest. Good luck to BIKES THAT HEAL! "Be Tuff! Dog Days of Summer Can Be Wuff!" Worse than having to put on layer upon layer of clothing in the Winter to get warm, for many people it is not being able to take enough clothes off in the Summer to get cool. Going to the pool or beach is a favorite passtime in the Summer for the cooling off factor alone. Many people stay away from massage in the Summer because the thought of being touched when it is hot and humid outside doesn't seem appealing. You CAN Teach and Old Dog New Tricks! If you think massage in the summer has to make you overheated, you've been barking up the wrong tree. Massage actually causes vasodilation (increase of the diameter of blood vessels), so the blood in your circulation actually moves slower and has less friction, thereby actually making you feel cooler. So if you want to relax AND cool off and your friends say the beach is the only way, don't let the tail wag the dog! Tell them that they can cool off with a massage too! Mentastics® Minute Welcome to your Mentastics Minute! Mentastics, or mind-directed movements, are a fun and easy way to help you relax, break through holding patterns in your body, move easier and recall the feeling of a Trager session. In each newsletter, I suggest a Mentastics movement that you can "try on" for yourself. If you have suggestions or requests for the Mentastics Minute, please send us an email. "Down, Doggie... Down!" This Mentastic movement helps bring a feeling of playfulness. Do you use your body solely for utilitarian purposes like driving your car, washing your laundry, typing on your computer or sitting in a meeting? Do you ever use your body for play such as running and jumping to catch a frisbee, hula-hooping, splashing around in the water or ecstatic dancing? Take a quiet moment wherever you are and notice how you feel in your body. Do you feel tired or awake? Do you feel stiff or fluid? After noticing how you feel, bring some playful movement into your body - whatever that means to you... running and jumping to catch a frisbee, hula-hooping, splashing around in the water, ecstatic dancing, or just some "shaking out" of your limbs. Do the movement with ease, with joy and with a smile for about a minute. Now pause for a moment. What do you notice about your body, how you are sitting or standing - your movements - your mind? Feel The Trager® Flow Save 25% off your first Trager® Approach session! Just mention that you would like to try a Trager® Approach Session when making your appointment, and save 25% off the regular fee. Session lasts approximately 90 minutes. Call 845.255.3228 to schedule your appointment today! Offer Expires: December 31, 2008 "Trager", "Mentastics", and the Dancing Cloud Logo are registered service marks of Trager International, which licenses their use in the USA to the United States Trager Association. In the USA, they can be used only by members in good standing of the United States Trager Association.

June Brides and Butterflies :: Bodyminder June 2008

Volume 4 Issue 6

June 2008 Call today for an appointment: 845.255.3228

"There are moments, above all on June evenings, when the lakes that hold our moons are sucked into the earth, and nothing is left but wine and the touch of a hand."

~ Charles Morgan (English novelist, 1894-1958)

Butterflies Moving Elephants Have you seen the current edition of Healthy Living Magazine yet? If so, then you've probably noticed an article entitled "Butterflies Moving Elephants", all about the Trager Approach with an interview by yours truly. If you haven't picked up your free copy yet, you can check it out by clicking here or by visiting: http://healthy-living.chronogram.com/issue/2008/5/ Arts+%26+Culture/Butterflies-Moving-Elephants

June Weddings It can be the happiest time of your life, AND one of the most stressful. From setting a date to dress fittings to deciding where to seat the guests, the busy-ness of the details of wedding planning can often make you feel run down and tired when really you want to feel elated and joyful... and you should! If you are in the last throes of your wedding planning and you are feeling more stress than bliss, its time to stop - take a deep breath - and relax. For the Bride-to-be, getting a relaxing massage before the big day is essential. Why not make it a special day out for you and your Maid of Honor or for you and your Groom? We have special but limited Saturday availabililty to accommodate couples and best friends, so make your appointments today.

Happy Father's Day! (Dads Love Massage Too!) Last month you may remember hearing about how all types of moms love massage. Well, I'm here to tell you that dads are no different! Click here to order up some R&R for that special dad in your life.

Mentastics® Minute

Welcome to your Mentastics Minute!
Mentastics, or mind-directed movements, are a fun and easy way to help you relax, break through holding patterns in your body, move easier and recall the feeling of a Trager session.

In each newsletter, I suggest a Mentastics movement that you can "try on" for yourself. If you have suggestions or requests for the Mentastics Minute, please send us an email.

"Self Care"
This Mentastic movement helps bring a feeling of ease to ______________ (fill in the blank).

Mentastics are designed to bring you awareness of your own body and mind. With that in mind, sit or stand quitely and comfortable and close your eyes and take a "scan" of your body starting from your feet and going all through your body all the way up to your head. In what part of your body do you notice that you would like a little opening, ease, length or free movement? In what part of your body do you notice that you already have those feelings? What type of movements would feel good in your body right now? Remembering to move with ease and without effort, make a movement now and for about a minute that would feel good to you.

Now pause for a moment. What do you notice about your body, how you are sitting or standing - your movements - your mind?