Soteria Wellness, LLC

02/19/2026

Amanda has a 30 minute opening tomorrow starting at 11:15 or 11:30! This is a perfect time for targeted deep tissue work, MediCupping or Myofascial Release. Schedule online or call today to reserve your time to recover and relax!

https://www.soteriawellnessllc.com/getting-started

02/17/2026

Restore Balance. Release Restriction. Return to Movement.

While Dawn often integrates Myofascial Release into CranioSacral Therapy sessions, we are excited to now offer full Myofascial Release sessions or Myofascial Release & Massage Integration sessions with Amanda! Who is a Good Candidate for MFR?

1. Chronic Pain Sufferers: If you have been dealing with persistent pain that hasn't responded to traditional physical therapy or relaxing massage, MFR may be the missing link.
--Fibromyalgia & Myofascial Pain Syndrome: MFR provides a gentle enough touch to avoid "flaring" the nervous system while still creating physical change.
--Chronic Back & Neck Pain: For those who feel "stiff" rather than just "sore."

2. Post-Surgical & Injury Recovery: Once a surgical site or injury has healed, the resulting scar tissue can pull on surrounding fascia, creating "tugging" sensations or restricted movement.
--Scar Tissue Release: Helps soften and realign adhesions from surgeries (like C-sections, joint replacements, or abdominal surgery).
--Old Injuries: Addresses the compensations your body made years ago that are just now causing pain.

3. Athletes & Active Individuals: High-impact training can cause the fascia to become "bound down" and less elastic.
--Restoring Range of Motion: Ideal for runners, lifters, or yogis who feel they've hit a "wall" in their flexibility.
--Repetitive Stress: Great for those with Carpal Tunnel, Tennis Elbow, or Plantar Fasciitis.

4. Postural Imbalances: If you spend your day at a desk or commuting, your fascia eventually "sets" in a forward-slumped position.
--Tech Neck & Rounded Shoulders: MFR helps "unwind" the fascial patterns that keep you locked in poor posture.
--Pelvic Tilts: Helps balance the hips to relieve pressure on the lower back.

5. Those Seeking Stress Relief: Fascia holds a significant amount of emotional and physical tension. Because MFR requires slow, sustained holds, it down-regulates the nervous system, making it excellent for:
--High-stress lifestyle
--Anxiety and brain fog
--General feelings of being "tight"

02/16/2026

02/15/2026

The goal isn't to stay regulated all the time - it's to re-regulate more easily when we're not. Emotional Freedom Techniques is one of our favorite tools to help with this!

Did you know that Dawn has worked at Soteria helping people find emotional freedom as an Accredited, Certified EFT Practitioner since 2019 and has additional certifications in Matrix Reimprinting and Picture Tapping Technique besides her massage and bodywork skills?

02/14/2026

So many of our clients deal with issues like these and often are unaware of the connection with Mast Cell Activation disorders.

"Conditions Commonly Seen Alongside MCAS
• Long COVID
• ME/CFS
• Fibromyalgia
• POTS
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
• Mold-related illness
• Autoimmune conditions (e.g. Hashimoto’s)..
MCAS is not imagined.
It is not a character flaw.
And it is not simply anxiety.
It is a complex, chronic condition involving mast cell dysregulation — one that often requires ongoing management, self-awareness, and compassionate support.

While MCAS may not be “cured,” many people do achieve periods of stability, improved quality of life, and reduced symptom burden when their nervous system, lymphatic system, and immune load are supported.

You are not broken.
Your body is trying — sometimes too hard — to protect you."

🦠 Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)

The Silent Storm Behind Histamine, Swelling & Sensitivity

The Body on High Alert

Have you ever felt like your body is overreacting to everything?

One day it’s your skin.
The next it’s your stomach.
Then your heart races for no clear reason, or your face flushes and swells without warning.

Blood tests? “Normal.”
Allergies? “Nothing specific.”

You’re not imagining it.
And you’re not weak.

Your mast cells may be playing a bigger role than anyone has explained to you.

🌬️ What Is MCAS?

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic, often under-recognised immune condition in which mast cells become overly reactive and release inflammatory chemicals too easily, too often, and sometimes without an obvious trigger.

These chemicals include:
• Histamine
• Leukotrienes
• Cytokines
• Prostaglandins

Under normal circumstances, mast cells protect us during injury or infection.
In MCAS, however, they behave like overprotective guards who never stand down.

This doesn’t mean your body is broken — it means it’s stuck in a state of constant alarm.

📍 What Are Mast Cells?

Mast cells are immune sentries found throughout the body, especially where we interact with the external world:
• Skin
• Lungs
• Gut lining
• Blood vessels
• Brain barriers
• Lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes

When they perceive danger, they release inflammatory mediators to protect you.
In MCAS, this response becomes exaggerated and dysregulated.

🧬 MCAS Symptoms: A Body on High Alert

Because mast cells are widespread, symptoms can affect multiple systems, often fluctuating and overlapping:

🩷 Skin & Face
• Flushing
• Hives, itching, eczema
• Swelling (under eyes, lips, throat, underarms)

🧠 Brain & Mood
• Brain fog
• Anxiety or panic sensations
• Dizziness or light sensitivity
• Migraine-type headaches

🫁 Heart & Lungs
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness (without structural heart disease)

🌿 Gut & Digestion
• Bloating
• Cramping or loose stools
• Acid reflux
• Food sensitivities or unpredictable reactions

🌡️ Whole Body
• Fatigue
• Joint or muscle pain
• Temperature regulation issues
• “Allergic-type” symptoms without a true allergy

🔄 MCAS & the Lymphatic System: An Overlooked Link

This connection is often missed — yet it’s vital.
1. Mast cells live alongside lymphatic vessels and nodes.
When overactivated, they irritate lymphatic tissue, contributing to:
• Puffiness and swelling
• Sluggish drainage
• A sense of heaviness or congestion
2. Histamine alters lymph fluid dynamics.
Elevated histamine can thicken lymphatic fluid, slowing its movement and allowing inflammatory byproducts to linger.
3. Chronic inflammation overwhelms drainage pathways.
When the liver, gut, and lymphatic system cannot keep up, symptoms tend to intensify or last longer.
4. Supporting lymphatic flow may reduce inflammatory load.
Gentle strategies such as Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD), castor oil packs, hydration, and rest can help the body process and clear inflammatory mediators more efficiently.

This is supportive care, not a cure — but for many, it plays a meaningful role in symptom regulation.

💥 Common MCAS Triggers

Triggers vary widely between individuals and may change over time:
• Emotional or physical stress
• Infections (viral, bacterial, fungal)
• Mold or chemical exposure
• Hormonal shifts (menstruation, perimenopause)
• Heat, cold, or overexertion
• Certain medications or supplements
• High-histamine foods (aged cheeses, fermented foods, alcohol, citrus, leftovers)

🌿 Supporting a Calmer System (Management, Not Cure)

MCAS management is highly individual. The goal is regulation, stability, and longer symptom-free periods, not perfection.

🔹 Mast Cell Stabilisation (when appropriate)
• Quercetin
• Luteolin
• Vitamin C
• Stinging nettle
• DAO enzyme support
(Always under professional guidance)

🔹 Support Detox & Drainage Pathways
• Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)
• Castor oil packs
• Adequate hydration with electrolytes
• Gentle heat or infrared sauna if tolerated

🔹 Nervous System Regulation
• Breathwork
• Vagus nerve support
• Magnesium
• Low-stimulation environments during flares

🔹 Dietary Adjustments
• Temporarily reducing high-histamine foods
• Prioritising fresh, simply prepared meals
• Listening closely to individual tolerance signals

📍 Conditions Commonly Seen Alongside MCAS
• Long COVID
• ME/CFS
• Fibromyalgia
• POTS
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
• Mold-related illness
• Autoimmune conditions (e.g. Hashimoto’s)

💚 In Summary

MCAS is not imagined.
It is not a character flaw.
And it is not simply anxiety.

It is a complex, chronic condition involving mast cell dysregulation — one that often requires ongoing management, self-awareness, and compassionate support.

While MCAS may not be “cured,” many people do achieve periods of stability, improved quality of life, and reduced symptom burden when their nervous system, lymphatic system, and immune load are supported.

✨ You are not broken.
Your body is trying — sometimes too hard — to protect you.

📌 Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.

© Lymphatica

02/13/2026

Are you shocking your body in the name of healing —
or are you supporting it with rhythm?

Lymph responds to rhythm, not shock. 🌿

🔥 Hot Water vs ❄️ Cold Water

What Your Lymphatic System Actually Responds To

Social media loves extremes.

Ice baths.
Cold plunges.
Boiling detox baths.

But your lymphatic system is not trend-driven.
It is physiology-driven.

Let’s talk about what is actually happening inside your body.

🌿 First: Understand This About Lymph

Your lymphatic system:

• Has no central pump like the heart
• Moves through muscle contraction and breathing
• Responds to vessel constriction and relaxation
• Is highly influenced by your nervous system

Temperature changes affect:
• Blood vessels
• Lymphatic vessel tone
• Inflammation
• Fascial tension
• Cortisol levels

So hot and cold water do very different things.

🔥 HOT WATER (Showers / Baths)

Hot exposure causes:

✔️ Vasodilation (blood vessels widen)
✔️ Smooth muscle relaxation
✔️ Increased superficial circulation
✔️ Activation of the parasympathetic (calming) response

What this means for lymph:

When vessels dilate, more fluid shifts into tissues temporarily.
Muscles relax. Fascia softens.

This can:
• Help mild stagnation begin to move
• Support relaxation before manual lymph drainage
• Improve circulation in tight, guarded tissue

However…

If you already struggle with chronic swelling or venous insufficiency, prolonged hot exposure may increase feelings of heaviness before drainage catches up.

Hot water is supportive — but not endless.

❄️ COLD WATER (Cold Showers / Ice Baths)

Cold exposure causes:

✔️ Vasoconstriction (vessels narrow)
✔️ Reduced acute inflammatory signaling
✔️ Increased vascular tone
✔️ Sympathetic nervous system activation

Cold can:
• Temporarily reduce inflammation
• Increase vessel contractility
• Improve rebound circulation after removal

But here is the important part most people don’t know:

Extreme cold can increase cortisol levels temporarily.
High cortisol increases fascial tension.
Tight fascia reduces fluid mobility.

So for someone who is already:
• Chronically inflamed
• Autoimmune
• Nervous-system dysregulated
• Exhausted

Aggressive cold exposure may stress the system rather than support it.

More is not better.

🫁 Breath Is Your Primary Lymph Pump

The thoracic duct — your largest lymphatic vessel — empties near the collarbone.

Every deep diaphragmatic breath:
• Changes internal pressure
• Pulls lymph upward
• Assists drainage toward the venous system

Temperature helps.
Breath moves.

If you do nothing else — breathe deeply.

⚖️ So Which Is Better?

It depends on the person.

For acute inflammation:
Short cold exposure may help.

For chronic tension and stress:
Warmth + breathwork may move lymph more effectively.

For vascular training:
Gentle contrast (warm → cool → warm) supports vessel elasticity.

What lymph truly loves is rhythm.

Not shock.
Not extremes.
Not punishment.

🌿 What Lymph Responds To Most

• Deep diaphragmatic breathing
• Muscle contraction (walking > plunging)
• Gentle contrast therapy
• Calm nervous system
• Vessel elasticity

Your lymphatic system is intelligent.
It responds to consistency and balance.

Not trends.

And maybe the bigger question is this:

Are you shocking your body in the name of healing —
or are you supporting it with rhythm?

Lymph responds to rhythm, not shock. 🌿

Disclaimer:
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen.

02/12/2026

Our VibroAcoustic Mat allows you to create your perfect session using music and sound therapy in binaural beats (playing to the left and right hemisphere of the brain) to coax your mind into different therapeutic states. But it’s for more than just your brain! The adjustable intensity vibrations also provide deep stimulation to the muscles, joints, bones, organs, nervous system, and skin. All this is combined with the deep infrared warmth of an amethyst and tourmaline BioMat!

02/12/2026

Last Minute Openings Thursday 2/12!

Dawn: 10 AM and 3 PM (both 30 minutes)
Debra: 4 PM (30 or 60 minutes)

Book online tonight! https://www.vagaro.com/soteriawellnessllc

02/12/2026

Theresa is back and available for drop in shopping Thursday and Friday 3-7 PM!

Other romantic suggestions in our store: Illuminator Red Light Massage Wand, hand carved semiprecious heart stones, Urbal Teas for winter warming and more!

02/11/2026

I don’t know who needs to hear this right now.