Reiki Massage

Posted on June 25, 2009 by punkie

reikiBecoming a massage therapist was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made. I am very interested in Reiki.

“The word Reiki means ‘universal life energy’ and this energy is what makes the universe and so heals on all levels.”

(Sarah Collins Reiki)

Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Reiki promotes holistic healing.

The word Reiki has two Syllables- rei, describes the universal aspect of this energy and ki means the life force found in humans, animals and plants, everything.

This energy is used up in our daily lives and we need to replenish our energy and allow it to flow through us uninterrupted.

Reiki is a wonderful practice that can be taught to anyone who is willing and open to the Reiki Master teaching them.

It is a peaceful and quiet modality that allows the therapist to work with the client to achieve the ultimate goal of complete balance.

This is not an invasive modality at all. The client can remain fully clothed and sitting up if that is more comfortable for them. This modality is specific to healing and balance through natural methods. You have to trust this modality for it to work for you.

Finding a method that works on so many levels can be hard.  Finding modalities that fit with our own individual personalities can be even harder.

First we must recognize what it is that we want from a specific modality and whether or not that modality can fulfill those needs, after finding that we must find out the most pressing need of the client.  Serving our clients better improves our own quality of life by giving us that greater sense of purpose that we all desire.

” Choose each day to be blissful and complete, a whole person well cared for by you” Punkie Spelts

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Understanding Deep Tissue Massage Part 3

Posted on June 18, 2009 by punkie

deep-tissue2

Guest Contributor:

Art Riggs

http://www.deeptissuemassagemanual.com/

Now we will look at how we as Therapist’s can benefit from deep tissue massage.

This could be a strange concept to some who don’t understand the relationship between Therapist and Client during therapeutic massage such as deep tissue.

First and foremost, it is a privilege to be given trust by another person as they allow us to try and help them.

Isn’t that what massage work really is?  We try our very best with all of our skills to bring a person to a place of peace, harmony and pain relief for mental,  spiritual and physical health.

This is a benefit to us because bringing them to a place of peace, harmony and pain relief can allow us to experience the same rewards.

What better way is there to bring peace, harmony and pain relief than by being those things already in preparation for bringing our client to the same place as well.

If you haven’t already guessed it, these benefits span across not only deep tissue therapy but also into all other modalities.  Funny how that works, isn’t it?

We all know the more general rewards that we as therapist enjoy from our work,  so I want to discuss some benefits that are rare and less talked about.

First, spiritual benefits.  Connecting with another person is one of the most important things we can do.  How many people do you encounter in one day? For some it can be in the hundreds.

How many of those people could benefit from making a connection? Well, we are all alike in that we all need to be seen, heard and felt. Making a connection.

Now look at the profession you have chosen.  How many people do you encounter in one day?

As a massage therapist you are getting the opportunity to fulfill a basic human need.  Making a connection.

That connection can empower you to improve not only as a therapist but also as a person.

Mental benefits can be harder to find. After all, we are working, right? Have you ever come out of a massage room after working for 50 minutes and felt more energized than when you entered? That is a mental benefit.

Physical benefits. This is easy and hard at the same time.  Regular massage work can be physically exhausting.  I have met massage therapist who have gotten healthier and stronger the longer they practice.

We are required to keep ourselves healthy, balanced and fit in order to keep up with the demand of our work.  Working with a wide range of modalities helps our bodies strengthen and improve while we practice the art of peace, harmony and pain relief, spiritually, mentally and physically.

” Choose each day to be blissful and complete, a whole person well cared for by you” Punkie Spelts

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Understanding Deep Tissue Massage Part 2

Posted on June 11, 2009 by punkie

deep-tissue1

Guest Contributor:

Art Riggs

http://www.deeptissuemassagemanual.com/

We know that Deep Tissue Massage is used in a wide variety of treatments.  We also know the top three focal points of this massage, fascia, muscle and spasms or trigger points.

Now we will look at why and when we will use the skills learned in Deep Tissue Therapy.

Cultivating a sensitive and powerful touch generated by soft hands is a life-long process, but virtually impossible to explain.

One essential quality that comes to mind is the concept of intention.  Without a clear intention of depth at which you focus your energy and a specific goal of what you want to happen, your strokes are merely empty gestures.

We have all had massages where beautiful flowing strokes were emphasized but we really felt nothing happen in our bodies. This is a result of placing more emphasis on form rather than function.

This is  important to remember because having a client that requires Deep Tissue Therapy tells us that they have a specific goal in mind and are expecting you to carry out that goal.

So what kind of client might ask for such a specific modality?

In our previous article we touched on Spasms and Trigger points.  Some activities that could create this condition are fine motor movements, these are movements performed on a small scale like keyboarding, playing an instrument, creating art, all while maintaining good posture.

Gross motor movements are those movements that occur on a larger scale such as exercise, yard work, sports activities, again while maintaining good posture.

Then we have stress and fatigue.  A spasm caused by stress is similar to one caused by an injury, the muscle response is the same.

We focus on these reasons specifically because they are the top reasons for an individual to seek out Deep Tissue Therapy and we see all of these conditions represented in society.

When addressing an area of a spasm it is important to remember that we are helping and not hurting the client.  Always make sure there are no contraindications.   Pay very close attention to their reaction  to your touch. This is a wonderful indicator as to whether they can receive a massage or not.

The biggest cause of pain or harsh touch is attempting to make things happen rather than letting them happen, never try to force tissue into releasing, rarely is pain caused by working too deeply but rather a case of working too fast.

The deeper you work the more you must slow down, if the tissue does not respond, going deeper will serve no purpose.

Our best tools are our hands and our ability to bring our clients to a place of healing and balance. With these goals at the forefront of every massage we can be sure that every client will benefit from their massage.

” Choose each day to be blissful and complete, a whole person well cared for by you” Punkie Spelts

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Understanding Deep Tissue Massage, Part 1

Posted on June 3, 2009 by punkie

deep-tissueGuest Contributor:

Art Riggs

http://www.deeptissuemassagemanual.com/

How long does it take a client to determine the quality of  work when she receives a massage

from a therapist she’s never visited before?

Most people say that within the first minute or two they can predict how the entire massage will feel.

No matter what particular area of expertise or how many sophisticated workshops we have taken, probably no other aspect of our work defines us as therapists and communicates to our clients who we are as the subjective feel of our touch.

The more deeply we work and the more sophisticated our therapeutic goals, the more important a refined touch
becomes.

Most of us have experienced work from therapists well-schooled in advanced therapies who are not proficient
at transmitting that knowledge through their hands to accomplish their goals.

In exploring which modalities to choose; it is important to remember how each of them can effect the body.

Deep Tissue is a specific modality that offers great rewards and benefits.

It is used in a wide variety of treatments. It is known by other terms such as  Deep Tissue Work, Medical Massage,  Deep Pressure Massage, Neuromuscular Therapy and Trigger Point Work.

Knowing your client and their ability to benefit from this modality is key. We must approach each client individually.

First it is important to review or be well-versed in musculoskeletal anatomy, understanding your origins, point of insertion, actions, fiber directions.

Knowing your anatomy will insure that you are giving your client the most beneficial massage available.

I want to explore the top 3 areas that we need to concentrate on for this modality and how each area has specific and general applications.

#1 fascia. The most abundant tissue type in the body is connective tissue; one type of this tissue is Fascia.
Fascias contain a ground substance that possesses two physical states.

Sol State: thin fluid condition that is more pliant and less restrictive during movement.
Gel State: thicker fluid condition that is tougher and more inflexible, restricts movement.

The Fascia state can be altered to some degree because it possesses a property called thixotropism, the ability to change from one state to another.
During a deep tissue massage you can witness how your client responds by being aware of the condition of their fascia layer. Your hands will be your guides as you feel tension release from their connective tissue and melt away.

#2 Muscle: we have touched on this above. Always remember that knowing musculoskeletal anatomy is key for this modality.

#3 Spasms and Trigger Points: A muscle may experience a spasm as a result of injury from a strain or contusion. This is a general or localized contraction. It is a condition of hypersensitivity. With increased neurological activity summation can occur.

These are also known as tender points. Working in an area of a spasm, if not contraindicated, requires the therapist to maintain contact with the client and remain aware of their pain tolerance. This modality can be aggressive and therapeutic but only if the client has the ability to relax and receive under vigorous massage.

In this post we have covered a very generalized area of Deep Tissue Massage.

We will cover in more depth the areas of this modality that will show why and when we would use these skills and how we as therapist can benefit from them ourselves.

Contributing source :

Massage and Bodywork Magazine

” Choose each day to be blissful and complete, a whole person well cared for by you” Punkie Spelts

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Mindful Touch as a Means of Comfort to Dying Persons

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Sharon

After 26 years of providing massage for dying persons and teaching care givers mindful touching as an integral component to the delivery of everyday care giving tasks, I stay amazed at the profoundly positive outcomes of what seems to be the most organic gesture in the care giving relationship; the act of touching.

Touch is the first sense to develop in our bodies and may be the last sense to fade. Touch is our instinctive form of communication; an organic need as is food and water, and a natural healing act.

Research from the Touch Research Institute in the Miami School of Medicine, proves that a seemingly simple touch of a hand can stabilize heart rate, lower blood pressure and stimulate the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain suppressors. Therefore, as care givers, we have the ability, through focused or mindful touching, to assist in bringing physical comfort to dying persons.

A very good practice is to bring your awareness to the physical touching aspect of the following care giving tasks and procedures; feeding, dressing, changing, wound care, turning a patient in bed, brushing hair, swabbing a mouth, making a transfer from bed to a chair, etc. These tasks and procedures are touch sessions. They are opportunities for healing and comforting when mindful touch is performed.

Bringing awareness to the touching aspect of care giving also includes being aware that your eye contact and the tone and cadence of your voice are major components to the touch relationship. Bringing a mindful presence into your physical touch can transform the experience of care for both you and the dying person.

Physical comfort; however is only part of the equation. For me the emotional support that may be provided by mindful touching offers a major contribution to the daily coping strategies in hospice care. Touch provides dying persons with an opportunity for quiet reflection on one’s personal life experiences, and may also offer the opportunity for the release of feelings associated with these memories.

Focused or mindful touch may also convey a message of being cared for, being safe, of being worthwhile, and being connected to a greater whole or community, thus creating a sense of belonging, as in the womb.

The feelings of safety and of belonging to a greater whole help the dying person to develop a more positive relationship with his/her physical body and in turn with the dying process. This helps to ease attitudinal symptoms such as anger, depression and fear that complicate the ability to receive care and contribute to the experience of discomfort.

One afternoon a client of mine, Susan, called me from a hospital psychiatric unit and asked me if I could come over and give her a foot massage. Susan had previously tried to commit suicide and was in deep depression. During the massage I noticed tears running down her face and a short while later she opened her eyes and reached out took my hand. “Thank you, Irene,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve loved myself in a very long time.”

One-on-one social contact provided through mindful touching assists in easing feelings of
isolation and loneliness. Easing these stressors, which contribute to the experience of
discomfort, in conjunction with the stimulation of endorphins elicits mindful touch as a viable partner in controlling pain. In some cases the dying person will not have friends and family present to provide the kind of support that encourages feelings of emotional safety and nurturing. Mindful touch can serve as the missing family link by promoting these feelings.

Being our first language, and also possibly the last sense to fade, touch provides a natural
alternative method of communication as the dying person loses the ability to utilize verbal language. This eases feelings of helplessness for the dying person, family and health care team thus providing a way of re-establishing hopeful relationships.

Within the fabric of caring, touch is the integral thread that weaves the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of the fabric together. Bringing mindfulness to this organic gesture of human contact creates what is truly the essence of comfort care.

Learn more in my new resource Providing Massage in Hospice Care available through Health Positive!. For other resources and a training schedule for health care providers and body workers visit www.everflowing.org

Blessings,
Irene Smith

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Continuing Education in a Hard Economy

Posted on May 20, 2009 by Sharon

During economic down turns there is always a tendency to reassess our situation and improve.

Most often one of the first places we start is education to advance in our career and see a raise in pay.

We have been told for quite some time now that education is a good investment.

‘April 2009′ the unemployment rate nation wide was estimated  to be  8.9% as reported by the ‘Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor’

In July 2008 the population nation wide totaled 304,059,724.  With these numbers we know that a little more than 24  million Americans are unemployed.

To bring this into perspective, in 2003 the unemployment rate was at 6.1% or about 9 million Americans unemployed, adjusting for population growth.

We have not seen these kinds of numbers since the depression.

Is continuing education a good idea for massage therapists?

Yes, if you can answer a few questions.

  • Can I afford this?
  • Will this further my advancement in my field?
  • How long will I have to wait until I see a return on my investment?

Lets start with affordability.  There are the few diligent ones among us who set aside money for continuing education and they should be applauded.  That is the best way to approach this.  For the rest of us we are looking at loans.  Student and small education loans are good and offer a way to further yourself and not incur the expense up front.

Even credit cards will work if the cost and time investments of the continuing education are fairly small and if the course will give you a new marketable insight, tool or skill, be sure to watch the interest rate and not get caught off guard by a low introductory rate that triples after 3 months.

When choosing massage therapy continuing education, always pay close attention to the details and assess how the course content applies to you.

Home study CE courses can give you a way to check into a new skill area for a small investment of time and money and give you a clearer sense of whether attending a larger, live workshop in that topic would really serve you or not.

Will this further my career?  This is the big question.  If it doesn’t then it was a waste.  We are lucky to be in a field that while the economy suffers, it continues to grow and advance.

How long will I wait for a return on my investment?  In this field we can see a new modality become the hot new thing and during our training we learn it has fallen out of favor.  Most often it remains favorable and we can see a return on our investment in a matter of weeks.  Our field offers freedom to choose what modalities we wish to practice, or just what’s popular, and take only those.  That makes it much more affordable.

Let’s look at what is happening in this area.  at the University of Massachusetts there are above 20,000 full time students, grads and undergrads on the Amherst campus. There are nearly 15,000 students taking courses through the university’s continuing and professional educational program including those who are strictly online.

We see these kinds of numbers across the board in fields like ours.  We can advance ourselves in so many different areas.  The possibilities are endless.  This is a good time to further yourself as long as you can answer the questions.  Pretty simple in the abstract I know.

It is always a good time to improve ourselves.  Sometimes a nudge from the economy is all it takes.

“Choose each day to be blissful and complete,a whole person well cared for by you.” Punkie

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Welcome to Our New Massage Continuing Education (CE) Blog!

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Sharon

This is an exciting time for massage. We have the world at our fingertips, literally.

Welcome to our new Blog area! This is one more way to help the network of massage therapist stay informed on the newest things happening in the world of Massage.

Health Positive! is celebrating 11 years as a NCBTMB approved CE provider. We will be bringing as many helpful things as possible to you about our field. After all, our mission is to help you bring your gifts to life!

I encourage you to come back and participate by checking out the articles and leaving us a comment.

The possibilities available to those of us who have chosen this field are really endless, and working together makes this world a much easier place to live.

Choose each day to be blissful and complete, a whole person well cared for by you.

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