Jeannette Napoleon

Life Experiences

Many years ago, I began suffering frequent panic attacks. While they weren't disabling as sometimes happens to others, they were very stressful. At first, they were quite frightening because I didn't know what was happening. I suspected heart disease. At the time, I was in massage school and I got to know a bit about one of my classmates. He was a young fellow, with many personal emotional, and financial stresses. Stress was becoming overwhelming and he was having panic attacks severe enough to land him in the emergency room more than repeatedly.  Strong drugs were used to quell his attacks. Those had their own ill effects. I knew I didn't want to wind up in the ER nor use strong drugs for management. I later learned that the power of breath and regular stress management was huge in management. I found that eucalyptus and peppermint were both good at encouraging a deep breath. When I felt the attacks coming on, I would pull out oil-soaked cotton balls smelling strongly of eucalyptus and take a whiff. Almost immediately, I was breathing in a calmer, more relaxing manner. My heart rate, moments earlier racing, also slowed to a comfortable, easy rate. I would keep these oil-soaked cotton balls in the car, at the headboard and near my desk. Pretty much everywhere I might be. I also   learned that keeping away from second-hand cigarette smoke, getting enough rest and dealing with emotional stress in a timely manner all helped to keep the anxiety attacks short-lived and to a minimum. Music also proved to be immensely helpful in learning to manage stress.

During the first year of COVID, my husband and I began doing yoga together for the first time in our married life. That practice helped ground us and alleviate some of the pain of isolation. The deep breathing involved helped get our day off to a good start or our evening slowed for a happy bedtime. 
These life experiences have all taught me the value of deep, conscious breathing, meditation, exercise, sound nutrition, rest, social connections, and purpose. They have also helped me relate to you, my clients, and the stress you might be exposed to. I like to learn about you. How you live, where you live, what you eat, and how you unwind all are of interest to me. Health, I have learned, is more than just comfortable muscles and a presently-soothed nervous system. I want massage to play a vital role in your ongoing health management. Call now to take that next vital step in self-care!

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