- Keep every session and conversation confidential
- Approach you with positive energy and empathy
- Not judge you or your body
- Continue to research new techniques
- Treat you with respect
- Maintain a clean and comfortable environment every session
- Provide resources when needed
- Maintain my own personal health and well-being
- Comply by all rules and regulations set forth by the state and NCBTMB
- Keep my appointments unless in cases of illness and family emergency
- Individualize each session to make the biggest impact on your body
- To be honest always
Monday, March 25, 2013
I Promise to...
As your massage therapist I promise to..
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Why Massage? Pain, Energy & Self-Awareness
I believe experiences and emotions are stored within the body and are closely tied to the nervous system. The body never seems to forget an injury or trauma. And yet, the body's capability to heal and change is remarkable and bodywork with self-awareness and education can greatly expedite transformation.
Self-awareness coupled with bodywork can be a freeing catalyst within muscles and connective tissue itself by interrupting the pain feedback loop between mind and body and instead input something positive into the the lines of communication between the body and mind. If the mind and body receive this break regularly I truly believe it can lead to better energy levels and healing. It is my hope that a client will take an active role in the bodywork, enabling them to become a master of their body. I'm lucky to witness energy and confidence changes within a person over a period of sessions. It is one of the main reasons I love this work.
From personal experience, it was important for me to harness my attention to focus and allow my mind-body to minimize my nagging pain cycles like neck pain, fatigue, effects from corrective foot surgery as a teenager, and teeth grinding. I found relief in meditation, bodywork like chiropractic care and rehab strengthening exercises, working out, and having really honest conversations with myself about how to improve and work towards my goals. I discovered that by modifying a few things in my environment and behavior, my episodes of pain or tension became significantly less frequent. I learned my body has limitations and I choose activities that are least wearing on my joints.When I start to feel my body produce symptoms I can control the situation and avoid peak discomfort.
What I believe massage does is create space for change to happen. The body inherently always wants to return to good posture and a state of balance. Massage offers a window of time for the muscles to adjust and allow the body to become more energy efficient. A muscle in good posture is going to be much more energy efficient than a weak or ischemic (hardened) muscle. In short, poor postures will create a drain and consume much more energy than is necessary. Wouldn't you rather use all that energy for life? You are worth the investment--massage & bodywork are not just for pampering oneself--when it is done with focus it can be an important part of one's whole integration.
Self-awareness coupled with bodywork can be a freeing catalyst within muscles and connective tissue itself by interrupting the pain feedback loop between mind and body and instead input something positive into the the lines of communication between the body and mind. If the mind and body receive this break regularly I truly believe it can lead to better energy levels and healing. It is my hope that a client will take an active role in the bodywork, enabling them to become a master of their body. I'm lucky to witness energy and confidence changes within a person over a period of sessions. It is one of the main reasons I love this work.
From personal experience, it was important for me to harness my attention to focus and allow my mind-body to minimize my nagging pain cycles like neck pain, fatigue, effects from corrective foot surgery as a teenager, and teeth grinding. I found relief in meditation, bodywork like chiropractic care and rehab strengthening exercises, working out, and having really honest conversations with myself about how to improve and work towards my goals. I discovered that by modifying a few things in my environment and behavior, my episodes of pain or tension became significantly less frequent. I learned my body has limitations and I choose activities that are least wearing on my joints.When I start to feel my body produce symptoms I can control the situation and avoid peak discomfort.
What I believe massage does is create space for change to happen. The body inherently always wants to return to good posture and a state of balance. Massage offers a window of time for the muscles to adjust and allow the body to become more energy efficient. A muscle in good posture is going to be much more energy efficient than a weak or ischemic (hardened) muscle. In short, poor postures will create a drain and consume much more energy than is necessary. Wouldn't you rather use all that energy for life? You are worth the investment--massage & bodywork are not just for pampering oneself--when it is done with focus it can be an important part of one's whole integration.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Truth: What I'm really thinking when I give a massage
I get this question a lot: what am I thinking about when I give a massage? In other words... how am I judging the person OR Am I judging the person's body/self as you massage? Bodies come in all shapes and sizes and I believe one of the reasons I can focus on soft tissue manipulation and be effective is because of the way I naturally and technically approach the body.
It takes a personality that is comfortable with people in all their stages of life to work so closely with a wide variety of the population. Instead of seeing the superficial layer, I look at a person as a history both physically and mentally that I get to unravel through body work and informed touch. It's amazing to watch someone become more connected within their bodies and the complexity of the nervous system. Every time someone is touched, anti-inflammatories are released, mitochondria proliferate and endorphins flood the body http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201141710.htm . This visualization along with detailed knowledge of anatomy is what I'm really focused on.
But what you want to really know is do I pass judgment on people's bodies? The honest answer: not the way you think. I'm in the zone and I have a high tolerance for idiosyncrasies in the body- to put it nicely. I had corrective foot surgery on both feet as a teenager and generally I take people's flaws with interest and not so much judgment.
Biology sparks my curiosity and working directly with people's physical being allows me to experience this as a gift each and every time I lay my hands on someone. Usually the next question that follows is ...isn't this work exhausting? Although doing massage takes stamina, no matter how I feel I always feel pumped and positive after a session. It doesn't drain me. Physically a good work out, but mentally and emotionally awesome. I essentially get to meditate for hours each day and bring my clients into that world.
It takes a personality that is comfortable with people in all their stages of life to work so closely with a wide variety of the population. Instead of seeing the superficial layer, I look at a person as a history both physically and mentally that I get to unravel through body work and informed touch. It's amazing to watch someone become more connected within their bodies and the complexity of the nervous system. Every time someone is touched, anti-inflammatories are released, mitochondria proliferate and endorphins flood the body http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201141710.htm . This visualization along with detailed knowledge of anatomy is what I'm really focused on.
But what you want to really know is do I pass judgment on people's bodies? The honest answer: not the way you think. I'm in the zone and I have a high tolerance for idiosyncrasies in the body- to put it nicely. I had corrective foot surgery on both feet as a teenager and generally I take people's flaws with interest and not so much judgment.
Biology sparks my curiosity and working directly with people's physical being allows me to experience this as a gift each and every time I lay my hands on someone. Usually the next question that follows is ...isn't this work exhausting? Although doing massage takes stamina, no matter how I feel I always feel pumped and positive after a session. It doesn't drain me. Physically a good work out, but mentally and emotionally awesome. I essentially get to meditate for hours each day and bring my clients into that world.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Body Armoring & Recieving Massage: Not so Easy for Everyone
Doing these canned routines for massage therapy is a great disservice to a client who is shelling out a lot of money for every session. Bodies are not static and changes in technique should mirror changes in the body/mood.
I can essentially do identical techniques and strokes and have varied effects on different individuals. Moreover, I can do an identical technique to the same client in one session and do it again in another session and have a different response.
Hmmm why is this? Mental and emotional fluctuations and complex personal history. There is a concept massage therapists subscribe to called Body Armoring. It is a protective mechanism triggered by the nervous system in response to a threat, physical/mental/emotional trauma and other complex experiences. The "armor" shields off a part of the body/muscle/muscle group or a specific or general area. What is this lady talking about, you may ask? I have two good theoretical cases to help you understand. 1.) client A comes in for a massage and I can barely touch his head or neck. He winces, but he is not in pain. He reveals that as a child he was regularly physically abused by a parent 2.) client B's ankle was crushed in an accident some 10 years ago. His foot is unusually ticklish and he even becomes angry when touched in that area. Both clients have traumatic experiences programmed by the nervous system as protective mechanisms in specific areas of their bodies.
Sometimes massage can feel unpleasant on an area that is armored--like an aggravating sensation that tells the brain "stop touching me!" Or armor causes little pleasure or pain even though the tone of the muscle is clearly stressed and hypotonic. As long as the armor is up, it's difficult to make any progress no matter how much digging I do. More importantly, aggravating an armored area can HURT the person emotionally or degrade their trust in body workers.
The good news is that body armor can be removed even if temporarily if it is done carefully. Massaging is a negotiation between the muscles, nervous system and the therapist. In cases I come across armored areas I use very slow, medium to deep strokes to avoid triggering the nervous system from putting up the shield. I've been able to touch people in places where they are ticklish, sensitive or even "wake-up" the area where little sensation is experienced. The key is to recognize the defense mechanism and then work around it and very slowly and predictably move in. If the body tenses up, I start over. In successful cases I can release muscles and connective tissue and get that area accustomed to being touched, assuring the nervous system that the armoring is no longer needed.
This is why it is so important that I create individualized sessions. People's moods change sometimes moment to moment and issues like trauma, surgery, and injury have to always be kept in mind. I tend to be a very hyper-focused person and massage being one of my favorite things to do, I find myself almost in a meditative trance during a treatment. A therapist's mind that wanders is not going to be able to pick up on the subtleties that the body is trying to communicate. I firmly believe that if a therapist does not approach a client with a strong sense of empathy and sensitivity the client's nervous system WILL PROCESS THIS even before the client knows it consciously.
Trust between client and therapist is not always instant. It can be a big deal for a person to lay vulnerable on a table and allow a stranger to touch them, especially when they've experienced abuse or trauma and have never trusted someone to delve into their history. Eventually people start to relax during the massage and then a few visits later they receive massage so much better. The point is don't give up on the first try. Find someone you have a comfortable chemistry with who is willing to get to know your body and your vulnerabilities without judgment.
I can essentially do identical techniques and strokes and have varied effects on different individuals. Moreover, I can do an identical technique to the same client in one session and do it again in another session and have a different response.
Hmmm why is this? Mental and emotional fluctuations and complex personal history. There is a concept massage therapists subscribe to called Body Armoring. It is a protective mechanism triggered by the nervous system in response to a threat, physical/mental/emotional trauma and other complex experiences. The "armor" shields off a part of the body/muscle/muscle group or a specific or general area. What is this lady talking about, you may ask? I have two good theoretical cases to help you understand. 1.) client A comes in for a massage and I can barely touch his head or neck. He winces, but he is not in pain. He reveals that as a child he was regularly physically abused by a parent 2.) client B's ankle was crushed in an accident some 10 years ago. His foot is unusually ticklish and he even becomes angry when touched in that area. Both clients have traumatic experiences programmed by the nervous system as protective mechanisms in specific areas of their bodies.
Sometimes massage can feel unpleasant on an area that is armored--like an aggravating sensation that tells the brain "stop touching me!" Or armor causes little pleasure or pain even though the tone of the muscle is clearly stressed and hypotonic. As long as the armor is up, it's difficult to make any progress no matter how much digging I do. More importantly, aggravating an armored area can HURT the person emotionally or degrade their trust in body workers.
This is why it is so important that I create individualized sessions. People's moods change sometimes moment to moment and issues like trauma, surgery, and injury have to always be kept in mind. I tend to be a very hyper-focused person and massage being one of my favorite things to do, I find myself almost in a meditative trance during a treatment. A therapist's mind that wanders is not going to be able to pick up on the subtleties that the body is trying to communicate. I firmly believe that if a therapist does not approach a client with a strong sense of empathy and sensitivity the client's nervous system WILL PROCESS THIS even before the client knows it consciously.
Trust between client and therapist is not always instant. It can be a big deal for a person to lay vulnerable on a table and allow a stranger to touch them, especially when they've experienced abuse or trauma and have never trusted someone to delve into their history. Eventually people start to relax during the massage and then a few visits later they receive massage so much better. The point is don't give up on the first try. Find someone you have a comfortable chemistry with who is willing to get to know your body and your vulnerabilities without judgment.
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