Stoic Bodywork News Letter - October 2024
Dear Honorable Fellows of the Human Genome,
Here in you will find Stoic Bodyworks’ first general newsletter. A monthly musing regarding the goings on, happenings, happenstances and general incisive ramblings of your overly introverted therapeutic bodyworker… yes, the one with the large beard, who, yes, is also long winded.
First, some housekeeping. You are welcome to unsubscribe as this will be a monthly letter going forward, the button to do so is at the bottom of the letter. No, I will not be offended should you do so, I sometimes wish to unsubscribe from my own ruminations if I’m being honest. Alas, I seem to still be stuck in my own mind, but now you get to partake in that daunting space as well. Before you click that disengagement button below, a brief overview of what you will find here:
Updates on what I’m working on or researching
Health tips and information related to those workings
General jabber that may increase your self awareness
An odd glimpse into my mental faculties (you’ve been warned)
A pondering or two regarding the human condition
Most likely something related to cats on occasion
Stoic Bodywork news and information
Second, my ad nauseum disclaimer which you will always find somewhere in these letters going forward: I am not a doctor, medical or financial professional, and none of this is medical, financial or professional advice of any kind. Enjoy.
News:
Stoic Sleep is almost ready for retail, more info below
Stacey is ready to take on more clients, if you or someone you know is interested reach out and we’ll get you started. New client and weekly appointment discounts available. Small group training of 2-6 people may also be available. If interested contact info@stoicbodywork.com
A postural assessment and correction package where you get to work with both Phil and Stacey is being worked on. If you’d like to volunteer as a trial participant email info@stoicbodywork.com. There will be a deep discount for helping provide input on how to shape the services.
Small group training in Tai Chi, Self Defense or Mobility & Flexibility is available upon request (email schedule@stoicbodywork.com)
Phil is working on multiple different courses for professionals. To prepare for publicly teaching again he is looking for speaking events. If you have an event in mind, he is an experienced public speaker and can talk on many different topics including; self-awareness, mental health, general health, entrepreneurship, personal finance or a specific topic of your choice. If interested email him directly at phil@stoicbodywork.com
Currently the former DIY therapy room is being used as a storage room, because the fire marshal said we couldn’t use the sauna in there (fair but annoying). It may stay as a storage room that Phil uses for his own therapy devices, but we are entertaining ideas. If you or someone you know would have interest in renting the room send an email to phil@stoicbodywork.com
We’ve done our best to shield our clientele from rising costs. Unfortunately, that is becoming difficult as supplies and especially credit card processing fees increase. To be full transparent, we are weighing a $5/hr increase to all services starting in January 2025. We’ll keep everyone updated.
Current work / research:
Stoic Sleep:
I have the dosing of the major ingredients set and testers are reporting good results. There is one major issue for mass production currently. Each powder ingredient has a volume of density. This means 1 gram of one thing doesn’t take up the same space as 1 gram of something else in the mix. Thus when you put it all together you get a grams per dose but the volume is the sum of all the parts. The current volume falls just short of a 2 tsp (9cc / 9ml) scoop. Thus I’ll need to add something to make it fit that scoop for ease of use. Typically companies do this with fillers, emulsifiers or flavoring. My goal is to not have any additives and thus it needs a nudge in volume to fit the scoop without compromising the formula and goal.
Menopause Support Formula:
I’ve started researching this as it is a common ask from clientele. A few notes of things so far for those who may want to do their own research. I also make no promises of this becoming a product, I’ll do my best though:
Phytoestrogens - Seem to have efficacy in providing the body with a usable source of estrogen.
Quercetin - Inflammation control is key to a lot of health issues and histamine reaction is linked to hot flashes and temperature regulation. Quercetin is the master histamine response regulator. As a note, I take this myself for inflammation control and have had clients who found relief from seasonal allergies should that be of interest to you.
Resveratrol, DHEA, 5-HTP - Need to do a lot more reading on these but they effect hormone production and control in the body.
Creatine - Can help with the brain fog, lethargy and similar issues. Dosing recommendations are all over the place and I’m trying to find a better standard that is more bodyweight dependent. This ultimately will make a supplement blend difficult, but it’s what I’m finding.
Mitochondrial Health:
Spending a lot of my time on this right now. Light therapy, circadian rhythm, melanin regulation and production, etc. This is a big topic and you will see it being talked about more and more. A fun fact I’ve learned so far is that you get all of your mitochondria data from your mother. This fact has some big implications for health, especially chronic and genetic disease. This also ties into all the recent activity around GLP-1 regulators. I’m staying out of that conversation for now. Here are some simple no/low cost things you can do to aid mitochondrial health:
Get your steps in. Walking at minimum 7,000 steps (3.5 miles or 30-45 min on average) a day makes a huge change in mitochondrial function. 10-15k steps is a better number as it provides even greater health benefits including weight loss/control and better sleep functions. Walking for 10-15 min after a meal has been shown to have positive effects on insulin sensitivity as well. So walk it off.
Sun exposure is extremely beneficial and even possibly necessary for healthy mitochondrial function. The circadian rhythm has a lot to do with this, as does hormone function and neurological health. If you can see a sunrise great, if you can’t, try and get 15-20 min of direct skin sun exposure before 10 am. Red light therapy can also be used to supplement when needed, as can vitamin d+k2. As a note, clouds filter sunlight they don’t stop it, so ‘it’s cloudy’ isn’t a valid excuse, neither is ‘its noon I missed the optimal window’, nope, shut up an go for a walk.
Diet dictates a lot of what is going on and the list of does and don'ts are a little too long for this letter. Search engines are your friend here but as always don’t believe it just because someone fancy says it. That goes for things I say too. However, what I will say here is no seed oils, stay away from preservatives and protein intake is important. So is fiber intake but that is part of my ongoing gut biome research. I’ll try to put some of that into the next letter.
Questions of the month:
‘What exactly do you do?’ or ‘How do I describe what you do?’
I work with the fascial system to create lasting therapeutic change. Increasing blood flow to the areas of issue while helping remind the body what areas it needs to focus resources on. This is done through manual manipulation of the soft tissues, that is the practice of Therapeutic Bodywork. It is not Massage.
‘But you’re a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT)?’
Yes. States do not differentiate under their licensing programs. This gets into a lot of politics and history of how licensure came about, but before all that there was Bodywork (what I’m trained in). Most cultures and countries have traditional forms of medicine that included manual manipulation techniques. The Massage Therapy taught today is focused and based on just the Swedish relaxation techniques. The education and licensing systems are designed to produce individuals who work in spas. Advanced training does exist but it gets a little complicated. I play nice and follow all the rules so I am licensed. The title for that license in PA is LMT, so that is what I am, but I practice the full range of Therapeutic Bodywork. Including having developed my own system known as the Stoic Bodywork Method which I plan to teach.
(Have a question you want answered? Send it to info@stoicbodywork.com)
Unrelated:
Cats:
I told you cats would be mentioned. They have been. You are welcome. I like working on them (sorry allergic to dogs). If you have a kitty in need of some Bodywork, let me know and maybe I can help.
Stoic and Chan/Zen ponderings:
Perhaps we are not cleaning something, merely making something else dirty. A cycle for sure, maybe even a balanced one. Wax on, wax off. Where does the wax come from?
Your body is a calcium structure floating in water managed by trillions of tiny organisms. You are a walking coral reef. Thus, is it yours, or do you, like the creatures in the ocean, merely inhabit it?
Carbon is prevalent everywhere in the universe, including stars. You are carbon. You are made of star dust. A bit gritty, but sparkly none the less.
Smithing of Words:
Both the words ‘passion’ and ‘patient’ are derived from words that refer to suffering. Specifically those that choose to suffer willingly for specific means, often requiring action by outside forces. I know very few people who are truly passionate about the things they say they have passion for. I do however know many people willing to be patient with me. Thank you to you all.
Thanks for reading. We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment.
