WhooHoo! I'm so excited. I love taking classes, and studying new techniques of massage, and hanging out with other therapists. I'm a total geek when it comes to education. So a few months ago I had entered a drawing to win a free registration to attend the World Massage Festival, a conference for MTs that is held every summer. They were giving away one free conference registration per state.
They announced the winners yesterday..... and yippee, I'm Miss Virginia!!!!! It's a major award...
Yes! Now all I have to do is decide which classes to take!!!!! It's gonna be tough to choose.
All massage therapists are required to take a certain number of Continuing Ed classes every few years, in order to maintain our licensing. Besides that, don't you want a therapist who is interested in learning more about how to help you? I thought so! :)
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Cold Weather is Setting In: Time for a Hot Stone Massage!
It was inevitable, I suppose. Those lazy/hazy/crazy days of summer hung on as long as they could. But now that the "s" word (snow....) is being flung about by our local meteorologists, it's time to be proactive and schedule yourself for a nice cozy hot-stone massage!
Where did hot stone massage come from, anyway? It has been increasingly popular at resorts and spa locations throughout the country. Some believe that LaStone was the original hot stone massage treatment; one story I heard in school was that a therapist, in the middle of a deep-tissue session, heard a little voice whisper to her: "Use the Stones"...... somewhat like Luke Skywalker & the Force, I suppose. Anyway, wherever the true origins of hot stone massage may be, it has many devotees!
Therapists use many different means to acquire their stones, and many different methods to heat them. My hot-stone collection was partly sourced from one of my massage supply companies, partly obtained from a gardening supply company, and partly picked up from the local oceanfront!
How are the stones used during a treatment? Well, there are many options available. Often, at the beginning of a session, I will give the client a small stone to hold in the palm of each hand. The stones are warmed, but not burning-hot to the touch. During the course of the treatment, I frequently use a stone in each of my hands to knead and glide over the larger muscles of the client's arms and legs. Also, I can take a rounded stone and use the edge of it to work the client's palms and the soles of their feet. If the client has trigger points in a major muscle group, the stones are helpful for focus work on those trigger points. When massaging the client's back, especially their lumbar area, the stones feel awesome! We can use deep pressure there, if you wish.
Many clients feel that hot-stone massages are very grounding, since the stones are from nature. Some people like the additional pressure that the stones can provide. Other clients just enjoy the element of heat that the stones add to their treatment.
Have you tried this modality yet? What do you like best about Hot Stone Massages?
photo courtesy abmp.
Where did hot stone massage come from, anyway? It has been increasingly popular at resorts and spa locations throughout the country. Some believe that LaStone was the original hot stone massage treatment; one story I heard in school was that a therapist, in the middle of a deep-tissue session, heard a little voice whisper to her: "Use the Stones"...... somewhat like Luke Skywalker & the Force, I suppose. Anyway, wherever the true origins of hot stone massage may be, it has many devotees!
Therapists use many different means to acquire their stones, and many different methods to heat them. My hot-stone collection was partly sourced from one of my massage supply companies, partly obtained from a gardening supply company, and partly picked up from the local oceanfront!
How are the stones used during a treatment? Well, there are many options available. Often, at the beginning of a session, I will give the client a small stone to hold in the palm of each hand. The stones are warmed, but not burning-hot to the touch. During the course of the treatment, I frequently use a stone in each of my hands to knead and glide over the larger muscles of the client's arms and legs. Also, I can take a rounded stone and use the edge of it to work the client's palms and the soles of their feet. If the client has trigger points in a major muscle group, the stones are helpful for focus work on those trigger points. When massaging the client's back, especially their lumbar area, the stones feel awesome! We can use deep pressure there, if you wish.
Many clients feel that hot-stone massages are very grounding, since the stones are from nature. Some people like the additional pressure that the stones can provide. Other clients just enjoy the element of heat that the stones add to their treatment.
Have you tried this modality yet? What do you like best about Hot Stone Massages?
photo courtesy abmp.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Do You Think This Could Be True?
If the Grinch had regularly-scheduled massage treatments, would he have been much more calm & patient, and would he have befriended the Who's down in Who-Ville, rather than burglarizing them on Christmas Eve?
Just wondering.
Just wondering.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Did You Know....
From the Little-Known-Facts department: Did you know that there are more than 200 different styles of massage therapy?
Many people are aware of Swedish massage (generally focused on relaxation), Deep tissue massage (usually focused upon 1 or 2 areas of the body where you are having issues), and Onsite Chair massage (this is becoming ubiquitous in airport terminals; it fits the environment because these treatments are most often 10 or 15 minutes in duration, and that's just enough time for you to squeeze in between your flight connections).
But there are oh, so many more massage modalities out there!
Currently I practice Swedish, Deep tissue, Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Hot stones, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Hawaiian Sacred Lomi, Prenatal, and Chair massage techniques. I have also trained in Craniosacral and a couple other modalities. I'm going to write some articles about these techniques, and hopefully you will read about something that you would like to try!
Let me know your comments and what you would like to know more about! :)
Many people are aware of Swedish massage (generally focused on relaxation), Deep tissue massage (usually focused upon 1 or 2 areas of the body where you are having issues), and Onsite Chair massage (this is becoming ubiquitous in airport terminals; it fits the environment because these treatments are most often 10 or 15 minutes in duration, and that's just enough time for you to squeeze in between your flight connections).
But there are oh, so many more massage modalities out there!
Currently I practice Swedish, Deep tissue, Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Hot stones, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Hawaiian Sacred Lomi, Prenatal, and Chair massage techniques. I have also trained in Craniosacral and a couple other modalities. I'm going to write some articles about these techniques, and hopefully you will read about something that you would like to try!
Let me know your comments and what you would like to know more about! :)
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