Grief Massage Conversations

In this episode, Aimee discusses how simple day-to-day activities can be considered self-care - especially during times of stress or grief. Self-care is not limited to bubble baths and complex rituals! She talks about why "treating your body the way you would treat a small child" can help create an emphasis on simple self-care. She also shares resources for information on simple or "boring" self-care and on body based grounding strategies.  Mentioned during this episode is an article by Priscilla Frank titled, "'Boring Self Care' Drawings Celebrate Everyday Mental Health Victories" from the Huffington Post (long link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/boring-self-care_us_5914dabae4b00f308cf40a19). The occupational therapist mentioned in the article (creator of the 'Boring Self Care' drawings is Hannah Daisy - she can be found on Instagram under the username "makedaisychains".   Also mentioned in this episode is a resource on strategies for grounding - provided through Wichita State University and created by Truman Medical Centers. This list of grounding stategies is titled "In the Thick of It...Body Awareness" (long link: http://webs.wichita.edu/depttools/depttoolsmemberfiles/conferences/2017%20GPHC/Handouts/General%20Session/ACEs/8_GroundingStrategies.pdf).

In this episode, Aimee provides an in-depth definition and exploration of what Grief Massage is. She describes the philosophy and approach of Grief Massage as "catering the massage experience to early grief" and shares information from her report "5 Tips for Receiving Massage During Bereavement".

In this episode, Aimee provides commentary and shares her observations (both personal and professional) on how easy it is to get "stuck in our heads or stuck in our hearts" during times of stress and grief (or even to disconnect from the body while we are going through spiritual seeking or questioning around our loss). She shares some simple reconnection strategies that helped her in times of early grief, and discusses the role of Grief Massage in helping with body reconnection through touch.

In this episode, Aimee shares her vision for the Grief Massage Conversations podcast and shares her personal story with listeners. This episode covers Aimee's journey from a devastated, grieving 24 year old back in 2005 to the creator of the Grief Massage modality and a leader in the movement to make specialized massage therapy services available to people who are in early grief.   More information about Grief Massage can be found at www.griefmassage.org.