Massage Essays (1358 words) - Manual Therapy, Massage Therapy

Massage My discovery of massage therapy's healing powers resulted directly from trying to break a friend's ribs. I was taking my first kickboxing class, and Hugh, a two-year veteran of the sport, encouraged me to try my roundhouse kick on him a bit faster and harder. Who could pass up such an invitation? Crouched down, I swivelled my body and, with venom, kicked the punching bag he was holding. It felt good. Next I went for the kill, and connected so high and fast that I ripped my hip muscles. That was sixteen months ago, and while the muscle tears quickly healed, every time I worked out hard or got stressed out, my thigh and back muscles seized up. About eight months ago my chiropractor, concerned at how often my hip was being pulled out of alignment with my spine, suggested massage therapy for giving the muscles a much needed vacation. The healing effects of touch have been celebrated since they were first documented some 2,000 years ago in the ancient Chinese text The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. Today massage therapy is one of the most popular forms of unconventional medicine in the United States and massage therapists are licensed in roughly half the states. Specific injuries aside, the greatest cause of muscle aches is everyday emotional stress. What we don't realize is that our tissues have a memory, says Thomas Claire, a trained shiatsu therapist and the author of the massage-therapy book, Bodywork. Our feelings get lodged in our muscles and tissues, and in turn, pain and discomfort result in disharmony in the body and the mind. This conflict can be seen in both the way muscle pain in one part of the body can aggravate surrounding areas and the effects physical imbalance can have on mind and spirit. Massage therapy aims to return the body to balance and promote health and relaxation. There are more than a hundred varieties of massage practiced in the United States, but they can be divided into roughly two main areas. The first is Western, or Swedish, massage, and it targets the body's muscle and tissue structure. The second, Eastern massage, of which shiatsu and reflexology are the best-known branches, focuses on leveling the body's natural energy.. The Swedish School is named for its nineteenth-century Swedish innovator, Per Heinrik Ling, who sought to relieve the pain he suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. Swedish, or traditional, massage works the muscles to promote relaxation through the release of endorphins and enkephalins. Endorphins and enkephalins are the body's natural painkillers, which are released during strenuous exercise and cause runner's high. The recipient lay naked on a padded table and a towel or a sheet covers the person. Only the part of the body being worked on is exposed. The practitioner uses a series of five basic strokes, administered by the fingers, hands, forearms and elbows, with the help of massage oils or creams. Muscles are freed up throughout the body, increasing blood flow and helping the body purge toxins and deliver nutrients to cells and tissues. Today many structural-massage therapists have customized the Swedish method with their own techniques. I visited a massage therapist named Arthur Tobias, who specializes in deep-tissue therapeutic massage. The session began with Tobias warming up my back and leg muscles with light hand massage through a towel. Then he focused on the major muscles in my back and shoulders with long, deep strokes of his forearm. The harder he worked my back muscles, the more I whimpered to myself in pain. I then melted into the table, as tension tingled out of my muscles. Aware of the discomfort in my hip, Tobias worked my lower back, butt and upper right leg, pinpointing the muscles that were contorted rock solid. After a one-hour session, my body felt completely relaxed and rubbery. Unlike Swedish massage, shiatsu focuses on not only the physical makeup of the muscles and tissues but also the body's energy system. Yes, energy system. As bizarre as that sounds to those of us firmly rooted in a Western way of thinking about the body, Asian medicine maintains that a life-force energy governs our health (chi in Chinese, ki in Japanese) that

Bare Infinitive After Certain Verbs

Bare Infinitive After Certain Verbs Bare Infinitive After Certain Verbs Bare Infinitive After Certain Verbs By Maeve Maddox An ESL speaker has two questions about the following construction: I was startled to hear a local radio announcer refer to a contest for artists to submit designs to paint â€Å"murals† on storm drains. Question 1 Can you, please, explain to me why the construction calls for the plural form of the verb â€Å"refer† rather than the singular one (refers) when the subject of this verb (a local radio announcer) is singular? Answer Refer is not inflected because it is not a main verb in this clause. It’s an infinitive. The sentence contains one main verb (â€Å"was startled†) and four infinitives. Three of the infinitives are easy to spot: to hear, to submit, and to paint. The fourth infinitive- refer- lacks the identifying to because it is a bare infinitive. A â€Å"bare infinitive† is written without the particle to. Bare infinitives are not as common as complete infinitives, but they do follow certain verbs. The modal auxiliary verbs will, shall, would, could, can, may, might, must, and should are followed by the bare infinitive. For example: We should go to bed early tonight. (bare infinitive) Can you help me? (bare infinitive) When certain verbs, such as hear, see, make, and let, are followed by an object, the object will be followed by a bare infinitive. For example: I saw him make a face. The object of saw is him. Make is a bare infinitive. She heard Charles tell a lie. The object of heard is Charles. Tell is a bare infinitive. I was startled to hear a local radio announcer refer to a contest. The object of to hear is a local radio announcer. Refer is a bare infinitive. Question 2 Would I be correct if I use the participle form of the verb; i.e., â€Å"I was startled to hear a local radio announcer referring to a contest†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ? Answer The use of refer rather than referring in this context is a stylistic choice. The original sentence is made up of two clauses: Because I am used to thinking of a  mural  as a painting on a wall, I was startled to hear a local radio announcer refer to a contest for artists to submit designs to paint â€Å"murals† on storm drains. The word refer points the reader to the words following it. Changing refer to referring would shift the emphasis from what was said to the announcer saying it. It wouldn’t be â€Å"wrong,† but it would weaken the sentence. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should KnowCannot or Can Not?"To Tide You Over"

Analyzing the Central Theme of Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain Essay Example for Free

Analyzing the Central Theme of Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain Essay Cold Mountain is a tragic yet a very profound story of love, searching, and intuition which happens in an environment terrorized by war in 1864 (Buchanan). The story is set on the troubled plains and mountains of nineteenth century America where Inman, the main character, decided to leave the battlefield as he yearned and searched for his lover. In a nutshell, the story basically revolves around a tale of love which bound two people together amidst distance, chaos, and isolation. This debut novel of Charles Frazier has definitely redefined love in ways, portrayed as a powerful force which enables people to overcome dangers and even life threatening situations just to reunite with a loved one. In several ways, the novel reflects the importance of faith as well as love despite isolation, distress, and confusion that an individual faces. Central Theme of the Novel The main feature of the novel which an average reader may notice would be the war of the 19th century America. It tells the story of how distressing and miserable life during war is and how hopeless it gets most of the time. Inman, identified as the main protagonist of the story, was a part of the confederate army before he went on to his venture of coming back to his long lost lover, Ada. His life in the confederate army made him realize that it is indeed a lot worse to lose something a person already has than fail to get what that person currently wants. The war made the character feel all the isolation and alienation any person would never want to experience. Through this isolation, Inman felt the need to come back home. However, amidst the distress and pains brought by the war, Inman’s spirit was kept alive by his love and yearning for Ada. The epic describes how more painful Inman’s longing is for Ada compared to the pains he felt because of his wounds. The author illustrated Inman’s longing as miserable as if, â€Å"his wounds gave hi, just reason to doubt that he would ever heal up and feel whole of a piece again† (Frazier 25). Although the epic was largely about battles, what Inman felt because of his separation from Ada gave the story a soft, emotional, and sentimental effect. This aspect of the story depicts a reality that no matter how harsh a person’s environment may seem, there will always be some spark of compassion and love inside his or her heart to encourage him or her to live. The story also illustrates that compassion and love will always be strong forces that will bind two people regardless of how far they are from each other and irrespective of how tough and immovable the barricade between them may be. Ada’s love, on the other hand, is illustrated in her patience and faith in Inman. Despite their distance, she never stopped waiting for Inman and believing in him. Her faith and belief that everything between them will be alright is reflected in her notes as a response to Inman’s letter which said: â€Å"This you must know: that despite your long absence, such is the light in which I view the happy relation existing between us, that I will never conceal a single thought from you† (Frazier27). The story was basically split between Inman and Ada’s life events which proved that beyond borders, their love will always unite and hold them together. Incorporating such a sentimental theme in a distressing genre such as war was an amazing feat that Frazier was able o successfully portray in his novel. However, upon further analysis of the novel, one may realize that it is from these painful and trying times that the need for love and compassion emerges, since this is the time when people are more likely to feel alienated and lost. It is also from these hard times when the need for someone to love and to be loved back is stronger. Thus, it may appear understandable and explicable why Inman had such a strong desire to come back home and turn his back from the grueling and miserable face of war. Nevertheless, Frazier was also able to present the realities of war in a very compelling manner. The alienation which Inman felt was also very believable which made it possible for the readers to empathize with the main character. Conclusion Cold Mountain is a realistic and compelling epic of a warrior who did not only fight for his state but also for him to come home to the one he loved. In this novel, Frazier was able to blend well the very different concepts of hostility, isolation, alienation, faith, and love. Yet, the author was able to present these ideas in a very realistic manner through the characters of the story. The epic can be considered as a good representation of how powerful love can be inside a person’s heart in times of desolation and loneliness. As reflected in the story, it can indeed be the driving force which can help a person to survive the harsh elements in his environments just to come home to the arms of his or her lover. Similarly, the story also portrays well the impacts of alienation and isolation to an individual and what alterations these impacts can cause to a person’s life and points of view. Thus, if there is anything that this epic would send the readers as a message, it would be that, amidst isolation, distress, and chaos, faith and love can help a person survive the odds and the tough challenges. Works Cited Buchanan, Catherine. â€Å"Cold Mountain: Context. † Spark Notes. 2009. 15 Apr. 2009. . Frazier, Charles. Cold Mountain. New York: Grove Pres Analyzing the Central Theme of Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain. (2016, Dec 10). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

How to Create a Successful Healthcare Policy and Get It Implemented Assignment

How to Create a Successful Healthcare Policy and Get It Implemented - Assignment Example In creating or reforming the health sector, creating health policies is just one of the process towards ensuring its effectiveness and efficiency in tackling peoples’ health care problems and challenges. The second step is assessing the availability of resources necessary in the implementation of the health care policy; this is an essential process because it allows for planning on ways of acquiring other resources that are critical to the success of the process. Resources include both human and non-human; it is important to ensure that successful implementation of the policy requires qualified personnel in the healthcare sector, sufficient funding and reliable infrastructure. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the policy is important in making necessary adjustments to ensure that set goals and objectives are met as stipulated in the policy. Stakeholders play an important role in the successful implementation of the health policy; they play an oversight role, guiding in the implementation of steps planned. Stakeholders are also important in creating resources needed for implementing the set goals and objectives in the policy; the source of funds, create partnerships with the government and other interested agencies. At the same time, they are essential in setting policy benchmarks as well as help in the process of creating human capital required in the successful implementation of the plan. Every policy is set with the aim of achieving its documented objectives, however, failure to stick to the plan as outlined in the process can contribute to its failure. It is expected that there will be collaboration and consultations in the implementation process. When these processes are not present, the policy is always bound to fail (Mason 2012), when there is no line of command and authority control, the implementation lacks direction and hence fails to achieve its set objectives.  Ã‚   In addition, when there is a lack of resources and commitment from the government and other stakeholders, policy creation and successful implementation is always destined for failure.     

Legalized marijuana in medicine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legalized marijuana in medicine - Research Paper Example The history and role of marijuana in our society, cultivation, medical benefits and its eventual prohibition by the federal government has been a subject of controversy, mystery and propaganda. Despite being legal for medical use in 13 states the federal government still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I Controlled Substance under the 1970 Controlled Substance Act. By their own definition a Schedule I substance is classified as; being highly addictive in nature, possesses no medical accepted medical use, and there is a lack of accepted safety for medical use of the drug or substance even under medical supervision, yet research has proven that none of this assumptions are true. As a matter of fact despite the mounting body of scientific and anecdotal evidence suggesting the medical and therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis the federal government refuses to recognize the medicinal value of cannabis. Regardless of the fact that cannabis has been proven to be safer and more effecti ve than a variety of drugs the federal government continues to maintain its unreasonable stance on marijuana prohibition. The financial personal and social costs of prohibition have been great for the public in general that are unfortunate enough to get arrested in a marijuana related incident. Furthermore the goals of prohibition have not being achieved since prohibition has created a black that market increases crime rate drugs availability. As matter of fact it is easier for a minor to buy marihuana than legal drugs such as tobacco or alcohol since distribution is not regulated like for alcohol and tobacco and which directly has caused marihuana to be easier to obtain for has not fallen and has been utterly ineffective at reducing crime rates or hard drug use. The real reasons for marijuana prohibition have nothing to do with the inherent safety of the drug itself, but are directly influenced by the economic impact that

Theme of Love in Act 1 Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Theme of Love in Act 1 Romeo and Juliet Essay â€Å"A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life† : by using these words in his Prologue and by describing Romeo and Juliet as being â€Å"star-cross’d† Shakespeare is alluding to destiny, the inevitability of the two characters’ paths crossing each other and suggests that the outcome is going to be fatal. The Prologue is written in sonnet form, a form of poetry which is usually used for love and by doing this Shakespeare is suggesting to his audience that that the play is concerned with love as well as tragedy: it brings a sense of heroism to the play and makes Romeo and Juliet the eponymous heroes that every play needs. Shakespeare shows their determination to be together despite the fact their stars are crossed rather than aligned: in the days of Shakespeare it was believed that the positions of the stars ruled over people’s fates and there was nothing they could do to fight it. Shakespeare does not begin the play with the theme of love but rather the theme of hate â€Å"draw thy tool, here comes of the house of Montague’s†. The quote spoken by Gregory a servant of the house Capulet, is telling us how strongly he feels he must support the Capulet’s by hating the Montague servants. Gregory is a servant he has no reason to hate the Montague’s or even hurt them yet he still has anger towards them for no purpose other than they are his master’s enemies. Shakespeare does this, he starts the play with hatred, he embeds this violence and anger into the play between all these people just to show and help the audience understand what really goes on behind the scenes of love. Romeo and Juliet may be in love but Shakespeare tells us their friends, families and relations have an â€Å"ancient grudge† which breaks to â€Å"new mutiny†. The conflict of these two families only reinforces the aspects of love that we see; it tells the audience that if Romeo and Juliet are willing to ignore their families feud despite the consequences that they both would suffer theirs, must be true love and that is why Shakespeare starts off the play with the intertwining of love and hate. The first time Romeo is introduced in the play it is by Lady Montague who inquires of Benvolio (Romeo’s friend) about her son, â€Å"O where is Romeo? Saw you him today?† Shakespeare used these two short sentences to help the audience see the worry of a caring and loving mother, a perfect example of parental love. Shakespeare wants the audience to see Romeo’s parents are very â€Å"hands on† and involved in his life even knowing when he’s upset. Lord Montague tells us that when the sun, â€Å"begin to draw† Romeo â€Å"begin to draw the shady curtains from Aurora’s bed, away from light steals home my heavy son†. Aurora is the Greek god of dawn and Lord Montague is using classical allusion to elevate the idea that Romeo is so miserable he is shutting out the light and is â€Å"heavy† which means sad and depressed. The fact that Lord and Lady Montague are even aware of Romeo’s state shows just how openly they love him and shows their true parental love. Juliet’s parents, Lord and Lady Capulet, have a different approach to parental love and find it harder to express their love for Juliet. Lord Capulet is protective of his only remaining child â€Å"The hopeful lady of my earth† was how he described Juliet, Shakespeare shows a big contrast between Juliet’s parents behaviour by showing Lord Capulet’s open declaration of love for his daughter yet Lady Capulet cannot even speak to Juliet alone, she wants to speak to her daughter about the personal subject of marriage and sends the nurse away â€Å"Nurse give leave a while, We must talk in secret.† But then she says â€Å"Nurse come back again, I have remember’d me†; Lady Capulet needs the help of the Nurse to speak to Juliet: it seems as though she is afraid of her own daughter and wants the Nurse in with her to talk about this sensitive subject. The last type of â€Å"parental† love which Shakespeare explores is the love between Juliet and her Nurse. We feel that the Nurse is more of a mother to Juliet and loves her more than her real mother. On line 62 the nurse says, â€Å"And I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish† she is saying if she could live to see Juliet married even once that’s all she would need to make her happy in life: the quote shows the closeness the Nurse feels for Juliet; she feels as if she were her own daughter and seems to love her as much as if she were. The theme of love continues and it seems as if Shakespeare is mocking Romeo for when Romeo sees Juliet he says, â€Å"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night† Romeo is saying he has never known true love till this moment when, in fact only moments before he was infatuated with Rosaline and was convinced he was heartbroken because Rosaline didn’t love him: his language was completely overdramatic and full of misery when talking about his love for Rosaline, â€Å"this love feel I that feel no love in this.† I think by changing Romeo’s views of love (dramatically) when he sees Juliet from the negative response to Rosaline’s reaction to a positive one to Juliet’s. Shakespeare shows us two different types of love: one between Romeo and Rosaline and the other between Romeo and Juliet. Through this he manages to show that Romeo is so young and naive not knowing the true meaning of love until he meets Juliet: he is just using words and feelings he thinks means he’s in love. The once â€Å"love sick† young man seems to fall in love with Juliet very quickly. He says, â€Å"this love feel I that feel no love in this† which is an oxymoron to show how miserable Romeo is about his unrequited love; he feels he can’t be happy because Rosaline doesn’t love him. However, when Romeo sees Juliet his thoughts and state of mind become much happier: his love for Rosaline is forgotten and his language is very dramatic. His love for Rosaline was purely superficial; proof of this is in line 209-10 â€Å"O she is rich in beauty only poor that when she dies, with her beauty dies her store† whilst expressing his love for Rosaline to Benvolio: but all Romeo seems to actually be expressing is his love of her beauty not her heart or her as a person. In the lines I mentioned previously â€Å"the shady curtains from Aurora’s bed away from light steals home my heavy son† said by Romeo’s father about his son; Shakespeare uses light in a negative way here to show Romeo is upset and doesn’t even want to see th e sun but wants only to shut himself up in his bedroom and wallow in his misery, but when he sees Juliet he uses images of light which makes his love for Juliet more real. Shakespeare also uses classical illusion when talking of Romeo’s unrequited love for Rosaline to elevate how unhappy he is but when talking of his love for Juliet he uses religious imagery to show how happy he is with this love. It is hard for Juliet to know what â€Å"true love† is: when her mother Lady Capulet, and her Nurse propose to her the idea of marrying Paris she says â€Å"it is an honour that I dream not of.† This shows us how completely young and innocent she really is. Shakespeare is telling the audience of Juliet’s youth and reminding them how before Romeo, she had never even thought of being in love. Shakespeare continues the theme of Juliet’s feelings by allowing her to respond to her mother’s question, â€Å"how stands your dispositions to be married?† saying, â€Å"I’ll look to like, if looking liking move.† Here we see the respectable, dutiful child who wants to please her parents. She continues saying â€Å"your consent gives strength to make it fly† agreeing that if her mother approves, she will oblige her mother’s will and do what her mother wishes. In act 1 scene 2 we see a different kind of love, the love parents feel their children should have: the kind of love Paris has for Juliet. This is a contractual type of love. Paris’s love for Juliet is more of a contractual love not true type of love: he sees Juliet the way a woman sees a sparkly diamond; as an object of his affection, something to be desired. Juliet is the diamond to Paris, a step higher in society, a boost to his career and most importantly would be suitable to be the bearer of his future children. Juliet is from a respectable home with high social standing and a powerful father, and Paris is handsome a suitable match for her. The contract of their marriage would be simple. Paris would provide and Juliet would be a dutiful wife but, what Shakespeare tells the audience is that the contract is actually between Paris and Lord Capulet since Juliet is owned by her father until she is married. â€Å"O she doth teach the torches to burn bright† When Romeo first sees Juliet Shakespeare uses light in a positive way to express Romeo’s love for Juliet. Shakespeare delays the inevitable meeting of Romeo and Juliet for five scenes to build tension for the audience. Romeo and Juliet’s love is not just about emotions; Shakespeare also wanted it to be about lust and passion but not just about that and so when they finally meet and they finally kiss Shakespeare uses religious imagery and allusions to elevate their love; for example on line 98-99 Juliet, using gentle poetic language, says â€Å"Saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.† Shakespeare is not only elevating the kiss but also Juliet’s character by showing the importance of religion to her and how she feels her for Romeo is as strong as her love of religion. At the beginning of my essay I talked about fate; I talked about Romeo and Juliet’s fate being â€Å"cross’d in the stars† and I believe that, and I think Shakespeare believed it too which is why he put it in his play: but I also believe their love was true and pure despite their age and obvious immaturity and different ideas of love. Nothing is worth having if you don’t have to fight for it and Romeo and Juliet fought; they fought the odds, they fought their birth-right and because of this Shakespeare allows us to see the problems attached to pure love.

The Importance of Physical Exercise Essay -- Workout Programs Exercis

The Importance of Physical Exercise What is exercise? The actual definition of exercise is; to use repeatedly in order to strengthen or develop, but to make it simpler, exercise is doing programs and workouts to keep fit, for example, running, hiking, bicycling, and any active sport. Most Americans do little or no exercise during work or rest hours. Today there aren't many jobs requiring intense physical activity. Instead of walking, people use automobiles or public transportation. Instead of being physically active, people usually watch TV in their free time. Some sports such as bowling, golf, and tennis (doubles) provide some exercise, but do not provide as much exercise as other more vigorous sports. Exercise is very important and is beneficial both physically and mentally. When you exercise, you feel better about yourself because you are fit or your getting fit and you feel that you have accomplished something that was hard to strive for. The benefits of physical activity is it gives you more energy, it helps you in coping with stress, it improves self-image, and it increases resistance of tiredness. Exercise does not only keep you fit, it also reduces your chance of heart attack. Various studies have shown that the chance of heart attack is two times more likely to happen to an inactive person than a more active person. It really all adds up because with exercising, you burn off calories, which keeps you at your desirable weight, which lowers your risk of he...