My Dear Friends,

Last week, the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) gave RMTs the cautious go-ahead to resume treatments, stating:
"The government’s order was recently updated. With the updated order (Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health’s Directive #2 for Regulated Health Professionals, attached) Massage Therapists (RMTs) are now permitted to gradually restart Massage Therapy services."

In light of this exciting news, we are preparing for a safe gradual reopening.

There are many requirements set out by the CMTO that we are putting in place for your safety and the safety of all. I want you to know that we, your health care professionals, are not taking this lightly. 

If you have a serious immediate need for Massage Therapy treatment, you may have already been contacted. Otherwise, those requiring immediate attention will be prioritized. Thank you all for understanding.
· · · · ·
We are officially open, but we are doing things differently for everyone’s safety. For example

• COVID screening health form must be filled before each visit
• visitor log is filled upon entry and exit
• hand-washing upon entry
• face masks are worn while in the clinic and/or during your appointment
• minimizing daily appointments​

I sincerely hope all are safe, healthy, and well.

During this extremely sensitive time, I'm doing all I can to ensure the health of all whom I serve, the public at large, and my own personal health.  

The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) had reached out to all RMTs to take initiative and undertake every precaution for public safety. They have shared their FAQs to help us decide what is "non-essential" and in what cases we ought to be providing services, and taking what measures to do so.
Subsequent to CMTO’s guidance, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) issued a formal directive to healthcare providers pursuant to the Health Protection and Promotion Act ordering that all non-essential and elective services be ceased or reduced to minimal levels until further notice, with allowable exceptions for time sensitive circumstances to avert or avoid negative patient outcomes or situations that would have a direct impact on the safety of client.
The full directive from the CMOH can be found here.

In following suit, I still remain available for clients whose health would severely decline without the care intervention, and while protecting the most vulnerable among us. 
See what precautions I am implementing here.


Where I can help no matter what, where, when, or who!

I'm dedicated to being there for you, no matter the circumstances. You need to know how valuable and precious your being here is. 
Are you following me on social media? I regularly engage on Instagram, which connects to my Facebook page.  ​And please make sure you're connected to my email list.
On these platforms I share information and tips on all things holistic. 
Or stay tuned right here, where I can share with you all the things I love to learn and share with you as a way to enhance your life and well being. 

If there is any topic that would be particularly helpful to you at this time, please write them in the comments below, and I'll be happy to assist in whatever ways I can.

I hope to see all of you again, once this time has passed, with more vitality and love for life, and ready for the next amazing, exciting, and innovating chapter of our lives. 

Where you seek fear, you will find more fear;
Where you seek love, you will find more love.

In these particularly stressful times, it's easy for anyone to get swept into the chaos that seems to be waiting at every turn to bite you in the ass. Even having an extensively positive mindful practice, I, too, have found myself dealing with a mental, emotional, psychological roller coaster. 
After the announcement on Monday from PM Trudeau and Premier Ford -- and after numerous rumors of country, province, or city-wide lock-down -- I was relieved to hear that the "state of emergency" could be allocated to areas of large congregation. 
According to the government and our governing body, the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO), we have not been mandated to close our practice. But rather, to practice best practices to ensure the best public interest and safety.
The CMTO has however, asked us to "Suspend Non-Essential Massage Therapy Treatment... Using your professional judgement for what you deem as essential to the client..."

With this information, I have decided to keep Rejoice Wellness open for the following reasons:

1. Giving clients in need an option to receive Registered Massage Therapy treatments
First and foremost, I acknowledge that others may not share my optimistic point of view. Giving clients an available option in a safe and health-conscious environment allows them to receive care when absolutely necessary. 
If  you are reading this, you may or may not be experiencing significant pain that could possibly be helped with treatment. With controls in place, and the best judgement of client and practitioner, we can still avail ourselves for the client's best health. With discernment and scrutiny, we have the choice to decide if providing treatment will be for the best for the client while maintaining public safety.

2. Having adequate control: We are a small practice
While practicing "social distancing" we are a small faculty with lots of space between us.
In the clinic there are 3 practitioners, and at any given time there are no more than 9 people throughout the facility. Having one-on-one relationships with our clients allows us to directly communicate and screen for possible concerns, suggest later scheduling, or decide if they are clear for treatment. 
As our cancellation policy is waived during this sensitive time, we encourage clients to openly decide whether or not to proceed with bookings, but kindly let us know ahead of their scheduled treatment time. 

3.  We take the upmost care to ensure a sanitary, safe environment for our clients and practitioners
Without a doubt, safety is our number one priority. At this time, we are implementing every precaution we can to ensure your health, including

• Implementing best practices as suggested by the Government of Ontario, Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario, Health Canada, and the World Health Organization
• Using hospital grade cleaners to disinfect all commonly touched surfaces throughout the clinic at regular intervals throughout the day, including but not limited to doorknobs, walls, stair railings, light switches, desks, pens, POS terminal, computer keyboard, and mouse
• We continue to practice the standards set by the CMTO by disinfecting all massage surfaces, changing all linens, thoroughly washing hands and arms, bottles, and massage tools between each appointment
• Volunteering self-isolation in the case of any possible infection 
• Providing hand sanitizers for your use while in the clinic

4.  Understanding that Fear breads more Fear, Relaxation releases stress and promotes healing
It is commonly known in our world that 90% of diseases today are the result of un-managed stressed. Stress is not all bad for the body, but we are so severely imbalanced that our natural stress-balancing mechanisms - for example, sleep - cannot cope with high amounts. Eventually, the rest of our body runs out of resources to battle stress effectively and starts reducing energy from other areas, systems, and centres in the body, weakening those systems, and ultimately making you "feel sick".  The overall outcome is a signal from your  body to stop you from creating more stress.
By receiving care (or giving yourself care) that reduces stress - be it any form of Massage Therapy, Reiki, Meditation, Yoga, or simple breathing exercises - you give your body an environment of safety, which is the opposite of stress. Only in a safe environment can your body grow, fight off common infections, create a stronger body, and promote a happier life. 

***If you have any concerns, you show any symptoms, or fear that receiving treatments could make you a carrier to more susceptible individuals, please refrain from booking; stay home and stay healthy.***
​There are many ways to release stress, as stated above. I will be continuing to share ways you can do this in later posts.

In all, I sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. I would be happy to help you release stress and promote your best health and your best self. 

With love and light and all things bright.

Raisa "Rejoice" Regozo

We are still accepting appointments.​
Please use your best judgement. If this if your first booking, please provide a phone number where you can be reached. Should you have any symptoms or reason to cancel, please do not hesitate to contact.

If you think Reiki can only take place for people, you're in for a surprise. Energy is in all things. As energy can flow in and out of our bodies, so they can also get stuck in our bodies and stored in different ways.

For example: Imagine a scar anywhere on your body. Where did this scar come from? How long have you had it? What events may have occurred for you to get this scar? Were there stitches involved? Who was there with you, or who may have contributed to the event?
This is a tangible example of how "energy" can get stuck. Other ways maybe be more hidden like the aftermath of a sprain, or even deeper issues causing chronic illnesses like asthma, or migraines, or abusive relationships, heart attacks, obesity, and more.

As Reiki can be beneficial for helping a person release the energies surrounding this trauma-causing scar, so can it be helpful in releasing stuck energies in our homes and possessions.

Reiki for your home is similar to having a priest come and bless you house when you first move in, or praying over your car for your safe-keeping.
It kind of works like Spring cleaning! This is some people's favourite time of year because the energy just shifts as stale energies are released. Everything feels brighter. We tend to move or throw out stuff that was just in the way. Those "stuff" hold energies, too!

In a clearing sense, have you every walked into a room and got the heebie-jeebies and you couldn't figure out why?
The world around us is very rich in history and has seen many walks of life before we were ever here!
Homes, buildings, and different areas of the city can hold energies from very old events. Perhaps a war took place or maybe someone passed away, peacefully or not.


Have you ever watched The 6th Sense or Poltergeist?
Not to put Hollywood-quality fear in you, but there is a lot more around us than our eyes can see. Intuitively, our spirit/deeper energies recognize this. That's the reason we feel shivers or areas that feel fog-like sensation even though the room is seemingly empty.


Reiki for your home can go into to these deeply stored energies, releasing any energies that don't belong, and protect those living in the space today.


Staying safe is the main priority:
For the Practitioner bringing Reiki healing into the home, it is very important that she keep herself safe from potentially harmful energies. Reiki has immense protective powers that can do this. She can also be assisted by calling in "Light Beings" like Angels, Reiki Guides and Ascended Masters who lived and passed on to the other realm, who help with healings and clearings. She will usually bring natural stones or crystals, who have protective gifts given by Mother Earth.


Why don't these energies go away on their own?
Often times energies that/who get stuck are just lost. They would go, but they had no way of knowing they were lost in the first place. Lost or misguided energies are like a child with no direction. Reiki is safe a vehicle for these energies to find a way to where they were trying to go.


If I don't clear my space, am I safe?
Typically, yes. Most people don't acknowledge the presence of energies, though others do. Children are said to have highly intuitive gifts from birth! That later gets diminished as year pass and priorities shift to more social needs.
As above, some people feel a sense of "dirtiness",  "crowdedness", or "fog", making it difficult to focus on daily tasks, or cause troubled sleep. Sometimes a regular illness persists among family members.


What does it feel like?
After having Reiki performed in your home, you should have a sense of freshness and more openness. It might feel easier to think, breathe, function, and sleep.


Do you Reiki the hold house?
Ideally, the whole house should be cleared so you can walk into your whole living space and know that you are completely safe, but it is not mandatory. If you like, you can have Reiki in the areas that you spend the most time in.




If Reiki for Your Home sounds right for you, let's talk and schedule a home clearing appointment!

As the days are getting brighter, and especially with the slow-down of our first long-weekend of the year, let's try something a little different. Here is a gentle guide to your own listening-to-your-body meditation. Anything going on in your life can be felt in different areas of your body. As someone who works on people's physical bodies for a living, I can tell you this... only YOU can Heal Yourself. I am only here to help. And with this in mind, humour me. JUST READ the following exercise just for a couple minutes and let me know how you feel.
I'd love to hear your feedback, so please leave  comment below. 

Okay, let's first admit it: you need a massage.  You needed it yesterday. Badly. But you can't justify taking the time off work to go get it. Even though you know it will make everything better:
- You feel lighter and less stressed,
- You're more focused for work, and beyond that, 
- You're nicer at the office, at home, for your special someone, or your kids,
- And best,  you just feel like yourself again.

Your boss knows this, too. He could definitely use one too, and benefit from the same advantages (see list above). So why do you feel bad asking for time off to treat yourself to massage therapy and real, actual healing? Is your body in pain? Do you crack your neck just for relief? Can you feel the tension when you roll your shoulders back right now?
​
We make special arrangements for emergencies, surgeries, specialists, and even the dentist. Massage therapists should be no different! In fact, we do the best job of keeping the others away (other than maybe dentists. Unless you feel spontaneously compelled to floss more after being super relaxed).

So this is what you say to your boss when you're dedicated to keeping your massage appointment:
"Hey John, I need to get off early on Tuesday because I have an appointment with a specialist. They're almost impossible to book, so I'm glad I was finally able to get in. They say I need to see them every month to keep on top of things. And I need to keep this appointment or else I won't be able to book them again for way too long, and I'd hate the the situation to get worse and I'd have to miss more work." If they ask what's the issue, just tell them: "It's a sensitive personal matter and I'd rather keep it between myself and my health professional. But I promise I'll be better after my appointment and I'll be ready to return on Wednesday, bright, shiny as new, and ready to go."
*** Remember to personalize this message and practice out loud! Feel the emotions behind what you're saying and you're a shoe-in.

 Let's face it. Winter is here. The end of January into February is the height or our brr-chilly winters. We usually think of a White Christmas and snow falling on New Year's eve and think, "That's it! Great winter everybody!" but once the new year rolls around, the true beauty of winter shows up. 
That being said, life must go on. We can do our darndest and run away to a sunny destination for a while to stave off those winter blues, but sometimes we can't. And that's the truth.
But there is always a bright side. If life must go on, we shall too. Do things that you love anyways. 
Sometimes, it feels a drag to leave the house to go and relax, so that's why I love offering traveling, in-home treatments. Massage Therapy, Reflexology, and Reiki are all available.

How can I have a Massage at home if I don't have a massage table?
Let us take care of that for you. We'll bring the table,  the receipts, and even the music. 
What we need from you:
- Some space, just enough to walk around the table. About least 9 feet by 6 feet. Somewhere where you could lay down a yoga mat and spread out your arms comfortably. I've set up in bedrooms, living rooms, basements, and in one case, a den and hallway. Whatever works for you.
- 1 or 2 pillows
- A small blanket for your comfort
- Your own music, if you prefer

​Who can benefit from in-home Massage Therapy?
Anyone, but especially people who cannot leave home for any number of reasons:
- Elder clients with decreased mobility
- Patients of recent surgeries, injuries, stroke, or multiple sclerosis
- New mommies, who need to be close to their babies
- Whole families. Moms and dads often take turns watching kids while receiving treatments. Kids are more open to trying as well when they see how relaxed mom and dad are.
- Kids need massage therapy too! We often think kids have no stress, so why should they have the privilege of getting massage therapy? Children are growing, moving, exercising and using their bodies as much as adults, if not more. Because of the amount of physical activity most kids undertake, their bodies consistently present with increased muscle bulk, tender points, or even trigger points, as well. Insurance companies are starting to understand this too. More and more have family coverage as an option for extended health plans.

How do we set it up?
​Click below to email or call and we will set up your in-home appointment as son as possible!
[REQUEST BY EMAIL]  |  [CALL NOW]

I can't wait to see you relaxed at home! ​​

I get it. When we're driving, we have a heightened need for protection. On the scientific level, it's something that happens in the brain (the amygdala) that causes us to react very quickly when we feel like we're being threatened. It's a primal instinct, unless you can use the fore-part (which is a lot slower, mind you)of your brain that is connected with logic and reason before pure reaction.
Anyways,  in a particular incident, someone felt threatened by my driving when I needed to switch lanes in order not to exit the highway. I switched in front of him, but needed to slow down as to not drive into the car ahead, then switched to the next lane as soon as the way was clear.  A good 3 or 4 minutes pass of him following me, he proceeded to drive next to me only to flip me off and mouth *F#CK YOU* through the glass.  Then cut me off in turn and slammed the brake as I followed.
Right then and there, I was reminded of this great story that goes back about 2,500 years....

The Buddha was visiting a small Indian village, and people spontaneously gathered around to hear him speak. Among the listeners was a young man.  While listening to Buddha, he lost track of time and forgot about the work that was waiting for him on his father’s farm. The son’s father went looking for him. When found him, he went up to the Buddha and started screaming and scolding him. He accused Buddha of teaching children to walk away from their responsibilities.
             Buddha smiled and said: “When I come to your house with a gift and you accept the gift, then who does the gift
             belong to?”
             “To me, of course,” replied the father, caught slightly off guard.
             “And if you would refuse the gift, then who would it belong to?” The man, irritated about this strange question,
             replied: “To you of course, but what does this have to do with anything?”
             Then Buddha said:  “Your gift to me in this moment is anger and I refuse the gift. So the anger stays with you.”

I found myself in the car having this conversation with myself:
"I'm sorry, Sir, but I cannot accept your gift, despite how generous you may be in giving it. In exchange I'll give you peace..."
He pulls away, to begin his exit and waits for me to pull up again, 2 lanes over this time. Surely, he would expect that I'd be as enraged as he was.
I offer him a peace sign.
He refused... so it stayed mine. 

Kindness and love is the only sweet response that's needed, not revenge.

This one's for you. Stay peaceful out there! Namaste.

AS it starts, I've always been super positive.

"Sunny on the inside" had become one of my favourite expressions because it had to do with feeling in control of my own perspective, regardless of how others would normally interpret a "negative" situation. In my opinion, there is no such thing as a qualitative "negative". That meaning, only numbers, or integers could have a "-" symbol signifying that a quantity is less than the value of 1.
In the same breadth, a state,  a situation, an event, an emotion, or anything that happens just IS. It is neither positive, no negative. That is solely in the eyes of the beholder.

To give you an example, growing up, my family and I used to go on many family trips and vacations. Long drives to camping was a regular norm. We had many things happen on these trips. But for some reason, at the end of it, we would compare our experiences. My sister always tended to have a tragic catastrophe. I'll give it to her, getting car-sick, scratched by a cat, chased by a family of black flies, and attacked by a fish (ok, I'll admit the last is a bit of an exaggeration -- it simply fell in the boat and flopped around a bunch), then I'd call it a crappy experience as well. And for her, there was always something to complain about.

But I didn't. I always chose to experience the best of all things. The long drive, though not always the most comfortable, was very relaxing and scenic. We stopped often --though I couldn't wait to the final destination -- so we could stretch our legs, or try something new.  Bug bites came with the territory  of camping! I was ready for it.... and they were ready for me, no matter how many times I applied my repellent. We always had more than enough food to eat, and there was more than enough to see and do. And mine was always a pleasant, happy, positive experience with lots of fond memories.
It was just the difference between my sister and I to recognize "perspective" from a very young age. (Now, please mind you, she is not always negative, nor is she a negative person; simply for the example to display. And it was many years ago. Things  change.)

So, as is it goes, my words of advice to you are to take things as they are - neither positive, nor negative. It just is. Then that way, when something comes as a negative perspective, you can also say... "Hey. it could be worse."

Stay sunny.