Who Needs a Massage?

In the almost 7 years of being a massage therapist, I have met some extraordinary bodyworkers and Marcia Lopez is one of them. I met Marcia when I worked for The Massage Therapy Center in West LA. (Truly love that place).   Over the past several years I have worked with Marcia and I've come to greatly admire her.  She's funny, a kick in the pants, and whip smart. She's never stopped learning about the healing properties of massage. Her knowledge of the human body is vast. I know when I book a massage with her, I'm exceedingly lucky.

Marcia recently sent out an email and I had to share it with all of you. She's offering a deal for women to receive Mayan Abdominal Therapy. Many people don't know how important it can be for your body to receive massage on your abdomen. It's a vital area, aside from holding all of those necessary organs, it is a storage area for your emotions as well. Think about it - if something bad happens, sometimes you get sick to your stomach. Or when you're happy or nervous - don't you get butterflies in your stomach?

So here's your chance ladies, read what Marcia has to say, and if you're in the Los Angeles area, you should get a hold of her. You can tell her I sent you. Then you can look forward to some amazing bodywork.

And fellas? You should get a hold of Marcia as well. Just sayin'.
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Hello Sisters,

I would like to start off by saying what a pleasure it is to know all of you and to have the opportunity to be of service.

Many of you know that I am a Massage Therapist and that I have recently included in my practice – Mayan Abdominal Therapy. This work is very dear to me and I wish to extend this therapy to as many people as possible. It is deep knowledge that has been an instrument in my own healing for ...the past 3 years.

What it is – is an ancient Mayan technique of abdominal massage. It is an external non invasive manipulation that address internal organs that have shifted, thereby restricting the flow of blood, lymph, nerve and chi. It incorporates a holistic approach to health care which includes massage, anatomy and physiology, herbology, nutrition, and emotional and spiritual healing.

The work was taught to Dr. Rosita Arvigo by her mentor Don Elijio Panti, the great Mayan Shaman of Belize with whom she apprenticed for ten years. Don Elijio believed that a woman's center is her uterus. "If a woman's uterus is out of balance, so is she," he would say.

For women, this therapy can aid in the treatment of:
• Displaced or prolapsed uterus and or bladder
• Painful menstrual cycles and ovulation
• Irregular menstrual cycles and ovulation
• Bladder or yeast infections
• Miscarriages, difficult pregnancies
• Endometriosis
• Peri menopause, menopausal symptoms
• Infertility
• PMS/Depression with menstruation
• Ovarian cysts
• Uterine fibroids
• Abnormal uterine bleeding
• Enhances Pregnancy, aids in labor and birthing
• Pelvic congestion, pain

Establishing a connection with my own uterus and using the MAT techniques to return it to proper alignment - has taken my 7 day period to 4 days, has aided in my recovering from a cervical polyp removal, a subsequent biopsy, and ultimately has enhanced my athletic ability, my strength, my intuition, and my belief in true healing.

I combine Mayan Abdominal Therapy with my extensive knowledge of anatomy, Shiatsu Hara therapy, Shiatsu for Pregnancy, Neural Resonance Therapy (www.templebody.com), and advance experience in Injury Rehabilitation, Deep Tissue, Myofascial Work based on the Rice Release Technique of Neuromuscular Health (www.in-spiraling.com), and spiritual healing.

Supporting all of my work is my conviction that we are all capable of self- healing and my strong connection to Love and Source.



Here is what some women are saying about their experience :

My massage was an educational experience where I learned how to connect with my body and build a relationship where I could heal and learn to appreciate all she does for me. I learned self care for my womb which has made a big difference in how she relates to me and helps me to ground. My first menstrual after the massage was less painful! And that's great!
– Miriam Rosario


Receiving a sacred "Mayan Womb Massage" from Marcia was profoundly ritualistic and incredibly rejuvenating.  It has been essential to my post-partum process and is assisting me in realigning my womb, reconnecting deeply with my intuition, my body, and creating greater intimacy with my partner. Thank you Marcia for your majikal hands, soothing touch, nurturing energy and over all medicine.
– Olga Montes


I found the massage to be very comfortable and informative. I could feel the positioning of my uterus and how it responded to being massaged including the muscles and ligaments cradling it. My abdomen seemed to be awakened. The uterus itself was tilted to one side for years and moved more into place, so much so that, with self care follow up, it was in place for my 2nd massage a week later. Since the massages, I have had two menstrual cycles, both with a more even flow and without discomfort or
clotting. The self care is easy to do and only takes 5 min. With all the nerve endings in the abdomen, my body seems to come alive. What's most interesting to me is how responsive the abdomen is to this care.
– Kathy Quinn

This Massage allows for a whole new experience, it is a great massage and I definately recommend it!
- Karina H.

I am very excited about this work.

*Beginning May 16th thru June 30th I will be offering this treatment to my community on a sliding scale.
$60 to $90 for the initial session - 90min to 2hours
$40 to $60 for follow up sessions - 60 to 75min.
Follow up sessions are strongly recommended, frequency is determined after initial treatment.
 
Appointments are necessary -
You may reach me by email and phone:
truehealingbodywork@hotmail.com
310.514.6009


More information about the work can be found at www.arvigotherapy.com
And by reading Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer http://www.amazon.com/Sastun-My-Apprenticeship-Maya-Healer/dp/006250259X
Here is a quick preview to the documentary that is also available:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbJFEe8U5Y4


I look forward to sharing this amazing and revolutionary work with all of you.
Health, Love, and Prosperity
Marcia


Maya wisdom flows through my veins first and foremost.  I come from the land of the Q'uiche, the venerated Ix'chel, Choc, and the majestic Quetzal. Mayan ancestry is with me as their connection to
earth and cosmos. The fruit of their knowledge lies in the center of woman, for within her is the center of the universe, the matrix of life, blood, and body, for she is the holder and the creatrix. The health of the woman is the health of the tribe, for all her fruit is blessed.
~ In Lak'ech (I Am Another Yourself)

Jeff the Cat, Merchant of Darkness

This is Jeff. Isn't he just adorable?

Don't let that fool you.

Jim Hanna, creator of the webseries, Jeff the Cat: Merchant of Darknesss, is a sick, twisted man and I love him for it. I've been extremely fortunate to share the stage with Jim several times. Not only is Jim a solid actor, he's a comic genius, and you feel yourself just drawn to him as you watch him on stage. You might have even seen Jim in "that one commercial," or on a show recently. (Hot in Cleveland, Hard Times of RJ Berger,  Lie to Me, Alias - to name a few). He's a supreme talent, and his genius knows no bounds.

Although Jim takes care of Jeff, apparently Jeff can be kind of a dick. Not one of us believed that such a sweet faced kitty could be so evil.  So Jim decided to show the world that Jeff is truly depraved. He keeps horrible company and treats Jim like a servant. There are 5 episodes so far showing the full range of Jeff's depravity, and I can't wait for the next one.
My favorite is still the first one. (None of these are suited for kids or for the workplace - you have been warned). Also check out how Jeff ruined Christmas here.



If you desire to  know more about Jeff, never you fear. You can find him on Facebook and Twitter. He's a smart, smart kitty.  He even Tweeted about me on my birthday! One day I hope I can be on Jim and Jeff's webseries. Maybe we can start a Twitter Movement to get me on it, what do you think?

I leave you with this picture, where Jeff shows he knows what the Internet is used for.

Fearless Week!

After I saw The Vagina Monologues last week, I didn't do too much. The reason? As many on The Tweety know, I was house-sitting in Manhattan Beach. I was watching over, this precious, precious little kitten, Fearless:

(I'm very proud of this picture).


Fearless was named so last year, when Stephaine found a mama cat and a litter of 4 kittens in her backyard. Of the four little ones, the smallest, sickest one would come out to greet her every time for food. Thus, Fearless was named.

There she is, just as talkative as ever. (Pic by Stephaine Boltjes). :)

I'm starting to think I may have a career in pet photography. All with my cell phone. Pardon me, but I share a lot of pics I took this past week.

Fearless is just about a year old, but she's sooo curious about everything! She makes exploring fun. She plays fetch like a pro. She's slowly learning that in between pouncing and running that snuggles are nice. She's happiest when she plays, it's when she purrs the most.

Here we go, here's the gallery of Fearless pics from this past week. Enjoy.

She's quite the Night Creature

And this is what I see when I leave everyday. "Don't go! Stay and play with me! I'm soooo cute!"

The bathtub is a fantastic playground.

This is another favorite. The Fearless Hunter

The Almighty Thor!

The fact that I get to learn about swordfighting is awesome. The fact that my teachers have worked on such favorites of mine like Hook, The Three Musketeers, and Army of Darkness is supremely awesome. The icing on the cake is that they've become family to me down here in Los Angeles.

Jan Bryant, Dan Speaker, and Kim Turney are instructors at the Academy of Theatrical Combat.  They know their way around all kinds of sharp, pointy objects, and all kinds of bludgeoning goodies as well. Jan and Dan were hired to coordinate the fights on SyFy's The Almighty Thor. Check out the trailer below, you'll catch a glimpse of what they've done. You'll even see my friend Jason Medbury in a suit of armor, fighting Thor. Yay!

And yes, Thor gets to use an Uzi. I don't see a problem with that, do you? Almighty Thor premieres May 7th on the SyFy Channel. Weeee!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Whirlwind of a Weekend

Hot damn I had a good time this past weekend. So much so that it ended on a Monday. I do believe I need more hours in a day to play, sleep, and then share all.

Friday was great as Genie and I went to see a show at Improv Olympic, Opening Night. She's now taking classes there and I plan on seeing as many shows as I can with her as possible. I live for the improv. Always need more. There's more to learn, more to enjoy, more to play. And they were F-ing brilliant! The hardest thing about improv is describing a show you've seen. There's just no way to capture what you've seen. Just trust me when I say brilliant.

Saturday Genie and I went to a Vegan Cupcake Thingamabob. THEY WERE GOOD!

That is a dark chocolate peanut butter cupcake. You best believe I ordered two. That was my dinner. I'm proud to admit it.

I followed that up by seeing a movie called Big in Bollywood, where fellow UCLA alum Matt McCroskey was one of the filmmakers. It was premiered at the Indian Film Festival. The documentary was fantastic, and they won Audience Favorite! Here are the guys doing a little Q &A after the screening.

It's a little grainy, sure, but you get the idea. I was there! I saw the magic!

Sunday I went to The Gentle Barn for the first time. The Gentle Barn rescues abused animals from all sorts of places. And when I hear their stories, I find I want to be vegan more than I ever thought possible. By the way, you can go on Sundays for $5, hug the animals, and eat world class vegan cupcakes and pizza. *drool* That pizza was absolutely amazing! Enjoy these pics.

Goodness me that's a whole lotta pics.

And last but not least, I saw The Vagina Monologues performed by a wonderful group of women over at the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble in Santa Monica. I've read the book/script before, but never watched it performed. It's truly wonderful. You may turn your nose up at it, "oh it's been done before." But still there are people who haven't seen it, haven't performed it. Still people who might not understand what it's all about it. So go see it, read it, and learn. It's wonderful to see such good work performed by your friends.

You can find The Gentle Barn and LATEnsemble on Twitter: @gentlebarn and @latensemble Great people doing great work.

God of Carnage is a Must See

On Wednesday, Trina and I had the privilege to go see the opening night of God of Carnage.

I always love seeing shows in a big "professional space." There's an extra sense of magic, I think it's because there's a bigger budget involved. It feels more grown up. I'm not trashing the "little theater", 'cuz that's where my heart is at. Anyway - the extra sense of fun this time around was due to it being opening night! Ooh! Lots of people in the house! Even some celebrities! It was even rumored that Brangelina were there. But we didn't see them. I think my fave sighting was Sandra Oh.

I was going to show you the fabulous pictures I had taken with my phone before they told me no pictures were allowed. But it seems none of them came out. Well, except for this awesome, awesome one---->


I do love my R2D2 phone, but the self portraits still need work. Droid 2s don't seem to be that convenient for such a task.

Anyhoo, let me tell you about the play! GO SEE IT! It's twisted! It's hilarious! It is fucking fantastic. You start out with two couples facing the problem of their children fighting. They meet in one family's home. You start to think you're going to watch a "living room" drama. But  nooooo. It descends into total chaos. No character is perfect, and you don't care. In fact, you want to see them explode, and they all do. James Gandolfini, Hope Davis, and Jeff Daniels are just wonderful, but no one explodes the way Marcia Gay Harden does.

Originally, it's a French play written by Yasmina Reza, it was adapted by Christopher Hampton, (best known for Dangerous Liaisons), and the script just kills. There are some fantastic one liners as we learn about the couples, their marriages, and their views on child rearing. It was on Broadway, and we in Los Angeles have been lucky enough to watch the original cast play on stage. I tell ya, even from the nosebleeds, it was a joy to watch them work.

At the end of the night, as Trina and I were waiting to watch the crowd thin out, I spotted some LA Theater friends. After exchanging pleasantries, we were asked if we wanted to do an interview. I, amazingly enough, said yes. There was a camera with a bright light, and Corwin with a mic, and myself stumbling over my words.  As I was telling my mom today, I'm not comfortable in front of a camera as myself. As someone else, yes, me? No. When I get my hands on it, so will you. You will enjoy a good laugh.


I highly recommend that if you can see God of Carnage, you best do it. I wish I could go back and get closer seats. Och, it was so good. You can buy tix from the link above, and it's playing until May 29th. If you're in the LA area, you will be thrilled to see it. If not, no worries: there's a film coming out with Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, and Christoph Waltz. Looks like it's slated to come out in 2012. I can't wait, hope it lives up to the play.


And there's my mini review. I hope it was enjoyable.

Fearless

She's adorable.