Good Tuesday morning.
One of my regular non-edible indulgences is a full body massage. I try to treat myself to at least one a month, though if I could swing it time and finance-wise, I really would prefer every other week. The older and creakier I get, the more valuable I find a really aggressive deep-tissue massage or, better yet, a Rolfing session.
For the uninitiated, Rolfing is structural integration involving deep tissue manipulation that involves manipulation and realignment of the body’s tissues – especially the connective tissue known as fascia, which is having something of a moment these days. Rolfing was invented by a biochemist named Ida P. Rolf, PhD, in the 1940s.
Massage, by contrast, mainly targets the muscles, though it might also involve some myofascial release. Fascia, to be clear, is around your muscles, and is attached to every muscle, ligament and bone throughout the body. Stuck fascia is not a good thing, as it can cause chronic pain and inhibit movement.
The conventional wisdom is that Rolfing is more intense than massage, with the latter more focused on relaxation and the former more about a full-body reset. In my experience, neither of them are terribly comfortable – especially if you opt for deep tissue massage over, say, the Swedish version.
Swedish massage, perhaps one of the best-known varieties of massage (and there are many), involves a series of strokes, presses, squeezes, and yes, even strikes.
It has its roots in a method called the Swedish Movement Cure, which was created in the 1800s by Swedish doctor, gymnast, and teacher named Per Henrik Ling, whose approach, according to the interwebs, was “as much medical gymnastics as massage therapy.”
The practice of massage dates back centuries and spans a number of cultures. The roots of massage can be found, for example, in the holistic medicine system known as “Ayurveda,” that began in India somewhere around 3000 BCE and continues to be widely practiced there as well as in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Ayurveda is all about natural and physical balance, and massage is believed to be an aid through which the body can become more balanced and therefor better able to heal itself.
There is also evidence that massage was practiced centuries ago in China (perhaps in connection to martial arts) and ancient Egypt.
Today, one can easily access a wide variety of massage at spas, dedicated studios, and even in the wild – chair and table massage as the finish line of triathlons, marathons, and ultras has become pretty standard. If you’ve never had the pleasure of a massage, now would be a good time to start, as it’s National Massage Therapy Awareness Week.
This observance, which runs Oct. 20-26, was started in the late 1990s by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), to not only raise public awareness about the benefits of massage, but advocate for its practitioners and push for regulation and licensure of the industry.
Though the wild weather swings is wrecking havoc with my sinuses and immune system, I can’t say that I’m not a fan of the gift of sunshine and warm weather. Today will be mainly sunny and close to 80 degrees (!)
This won’t last, so enjoy every warm and Vitamin D-filled minute.
In the headlines…
With two weeks until Election Day, more than 15 million people have already cast their ballots, the clearest sign yet that voting habits were forever changed by the pandemic and early voting is a permanent feature of the American democratic process.
With early voting now underway in much of the country, former President Donald Trump said that he had seen no evidence that the outcome of the election would be unfair, but continued to baselessly sow doubts about its integrity anyway.
Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming sought to give voters who oppose abortion rights explicit permission to support Harris, suggesting during a town-hall-style event with the vice president that GOP restrictions on abortion rights had gone too far.
More polling from the Keystone State suggests Trump may avenge his bitter loss there four years ago, showing him up over Harris 46% to 43%.
Several actual McDonald’s workers, examining video of Trump serving generously salted French fries to hand-chosen patrons at a closed franchise in Pennsylvania were less than enthused about his performance.
The star political writer Olivia Nuzzi of New York magazine, who has been embroiled in scandal since she disclosed a personal relationship with the former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has left the magazine.
New York Magazine said in a note to readers that an investigation by the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine had found “no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias” in Nuzzi’s coverage of the 2024 campaign.
The Central Park 5 yesterday filed a federal defamation suit against Trump over lies he told about them during last month’s presidential debate with Harris.
City Councilman Yusef Salaam and four other exonerated Black and Latino men accuse Trump of repeating his false claim that they pleaded guilty to the notorious 1989 rape of a jogger in Central Park.
“Plaintiffs never pled guilty to the Central Park assaults,” attorneys for the men, now all in their 50s, wrote. “Plaintiffs all pled not guilty and maintained their innocence throughout their trial and incarceration, as well as after they were released from prison.”
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump’s campaign, dismissed the lawsuit, claiming that the men were seeking to “interfere” in the election on behalf of Harris.
Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah said it launched a missile attack at an Israeli military base near Tel Aviv, sending residents fleeing into shelters hours before Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to arrive in the city for meetings with Israeli officials.
Blinken arrives in Israel today, the first stop of a wider Middle East tour aimed at reviving Gaza ceasefire talks and discussing its future following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, but any breakthrough ahead of the looming U.S. election looks elusive.
There appears to be little clarity on who will take over the militant group, making it difficult to ascertain the probability of striking a new deal. Hamas has shown no inclination to change its stance on hostage and ceasefire negotiations.
As Israel vowed to continue its attacks against Hezbollah, a White House emissary visiting Lebanon said the conflict had “escalated out of control” and called for the enforcement of a UN resolution that ended the previous major war between them, in 2006.
A group of New York clergy and faith leaders are voicing concern over proposed changes to the state’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) – a Medicaid program providing essential home care to about 250,000 state residents.
New York officials are encouraging older residents to consider applying to the Medicare Savings Program, suggesting it could save them thousands of dollars a year.
A coalition of 35 organizations representing small businesses, the insurance industry, medical interests and more sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul urging her to once again veto an expansion to the state’s wrongful death statute.
Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski recently joined a group of other Long Island supervisors in writing letters to Hochul urging her to support establishment of a Long Island Regional Solid Waste Management Plan.
A hard-hitting TV ad claims that a New York ballot measure meant to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution will also benefit illegal immigrants and “open the door” to allowing non-citizens to vote in New York elections.
Mayor Eric Adams has reportedly discontinued a controversial policy requiring local elected officials to seek permission via an online engagement form before speaking with senior officials in his administration about a range of issues.
Adams administration officials yesterday attempted to assuage City Council members’ litany of concerns about the sweeping “City of Yes” zoning overhaul, which is intended to boost housing construction across the city and ease the ongoing housing crisis.
Most council members agreed that the city is facing a crisis. But how to solve that issue, and whether “City of Yes” is the right solution, is hotly contested.
City Planning Director Dan Garodnick responded to concerns over the plan’s potential impact on individual neighborhoods, the threat opponents say it poses to street parking, and the amount of affordable homes it would actually create.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams plans to introduce a bill under which the Council would launch its own Charter Revision Commission – the latest in an ongoing power struggle between the speaker and the mayor.
As New York City mayoral candidates tout their most recent fundraising tallies, the city’s campaign finance watchdog is poised to clamp down on who is eligible to receive matching funds — with potentially lethal consequences for Adams’ reelection campaign.
Jury selection got underway yesterday in the trial of Daniel Perry on charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the 2023 chokehold death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old Michael Jackson impersonator.
Groups of potential jurors faced a series of questions — and be grilled about their own experiences riding city subways — before 12 Manhattanites are ultimately chosen to decide the fate of Penny, 25.
The gloves are off over a controversial proposal to build a glitzy $12 billion casino complex in Hudson Yards — with local hard hats pitted against lovers of the High Line.
As the number of New Yorkers seeking cash and food assistance surges post-pandemic, many applicants still face delays in receiving benefits, according to a new report from a city watchdog.
Dozens of City University of New York faculty and staff were arrested yesterday during a protest near Columbus Circle to demand a new union contract with higher pay.
The Staten Island Ferry is set to burn cleaner fuels as New York City seeks to transition its ferry fleet to “renewable diesel,” a petroleum-free fuel with fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
After almost 30 years since its founding, the New York Liberty brought home the WNBA championship title on Sunday — and all of New York City will be celebrating, including with a ticker-tape parade on Thursday.
Tourists who flocked to Hudson Yards for the Vessel’s reopening yesterday were bummed out about new security measures that they said defeats the purpose of the sightseeing attraction.
In three key swing districts in New York’s Hudson Valley, candidates are pressing for the support of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who tend to vote as a bloc.
The liberal Working Families Party told its members not to vote on the party’s line in a congressional swing district – over fears the “spoiler” candidate will give Republicans a victory.
First-term Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro said Democrat Josh Riley is running an even more dishonest and deceitful campaign for Congress than what he faced in his 2018 matchup with then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Detectives are investigating the discovery of the buried skeletal remains of a “mid-to-late teenager” found Sunday in Burden Pond Preserve in Troy – a location police searched as recently as two years ago for missing child Jaliek Rainwalker, officials said.
The American Battlefield Trust has given 25.6 acres of land south of Fish Creek to the National Park Service to be included in the Saratoga National Historical Park, the site of the 1777 American Revolutionary battles.
West Ave Chicken, which has served some of the best-regarded chicken sandwiches in Saratoga Springs for the past three years, is expanding south and is planning to open later this week at a storefront at MVP Arena on South Pearl Street.
A modular home fell off the back of a tractor-trailer at an entrance ramp to Interstate 90 late yesterday morning, State Police said
After receiving Adirondack Park Agency criticism for scheduling a two-week public comment period on the thousands of pages of the Barton Mines expansion application, the agency rethought its position and extended the comment period by 15 days.
Hoshino Resorts, a 110-year-old Japanese hospitality brand that owns or operates more than 60 locations in five countries, has begun to develop its first property in the continental United States in Sharon Springs.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
