In the ongoing series “What we listen to while at Compose Massage” we have a new album, Discoveries & Inventions by Iskra String Quartet. In contrast to the last album featured, this one is a little bit more varied in it’s content. It’s only three tracks but it really pulls you along. Track one is a soft introduction to the album, track two borders on a bit mournful, and track three is an uplifting breath of fresh air. This is the oldest album listed on Iskra Strings’ Bandcamp page, and I can’t wait to listen to their subsequent albums as the months go on.
Innesti - The World We Knew
I’ve recently made the choice to no longer use Spotify as my work soundtrack. They don’t have a great track record of paying artists fairly and while their rates seem to have improved since the writing of that linked article, I will probably always feel better about giving artists more money for their album directly. One thing I really value is supporting people for their work and art is work!
Starting on the first of September I switched over to Bandcamp, a pretty top notch platform for supporting artists directly and paying them more fairly for their music. I’ll be writing a little blog entry for each album I add to my work playlist so that I can share all of the wonderful stuff I find.
The first album I bought was The World We Knew by Innesti. I don’t have a clear view of what kinds of music I want to offer but I’ve always been a fan of a mellow soundscape and this really fits that description. Part of my preview/review process is going through a first listen or two while I’m working or doing some yoga/meditation at home. This was beautiful, unobtrusive and had an airy quality that left me feeling relaxed but not in a sleepy way.
Ethereal, minimal ambient soundscapes created with field recordings, organic synthesis, quiet conversations, and stories from our past.
Written and produced by Innesti.
Mastered at Ambient Mountain House by James Bernard.
Designed for headphones.
released August 20, 2023
March Announcements - bath bombs, vacations, and a social media blitz
Pictured above is the lovely Guardian of the Forest bath bomb from Lush. This is the gift for any March birthday buds who come in for a massage this month. In addition to being a delightful bath treat, 100% of profits after tax are donated to Indigenous women land defenders and water protectors. You can learn more about that here.
I do want to remind folks that I will be away at the end of the month and into the middle of April. While I’m away if you find yourself in dire need of a massage I’d strongly recommend seeing Jenny! She’s my massage therapist (so I’m already a big fan) and works in a similar style to mine. Also, she offers hot stone massage which is a real treat in the chilly months.
If any of you follow our clinic, Wintersweet Wellness Collective, on social media you may have noticed an uptick in posting. Don’t worry, we don’t have a newfound passion for content creation. We’re trying to do a solid introduction to our clinic and the work we do. We know it’s a big ask to show up for a massage with someone you don’t know and give them your trust. We would really like to demystify things a bit for new clients (and existing clients). If there are any questions you think it would be helpful for us to answer please let me know!
Thai Foot Massage and Reflexology intro deal!
We’ve made it through January and are starting off our February with a very snowy day. I have a few updates for you today - both for the clinic and for myself.
The bath bomb for this one is the Deep Sleep Epsom salt cube from Lush. I love when they add my favourite bath ingredient into their bath treats! This is full of lavender and magnesium, sure to be a relaxing delight.
Some of you may remember way, way back before the pandemic I was taking some extra training in Thai Yoga Massage. Well, clearly the pandemic threw a wrench in my plans to get some extra practice in! I’ve decided to just hop back in and started reviewing my course notes recently. I’ll be adding foot massage and reflexology to the treatment list first. For the month of February I’ll be offering this appointment at 25% off (as I will be using a reference sheet during the session and will be requesting more feedback than usual).
If you’ve been in recently you may have noticed two new additions to our space. On the stairs leading up to the lobby we now have our very own book nook. A place where you can leave books you’d like to share with others or to take one that has caught your eye. Also, we’re offering yoga in the lobby space on Saturdays. Our wonderful pal Andrea has been a mobile yoga teacher and massage therapist for a while now. But she thought it would be nice to offer some low-key classes for folks who are interested. She’s in for classes at 10am and 11:15am. You can get in touch with her to book by emailing her at andrealbrownrmt@gmail.com. She does keep the class sizes quite small and these do need to be booked in advance. Classes are $10 each.
