Massage PSAs

Contains information that may be useful to the massage consumer.

Raiding a Bar With a Band of Pirates

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Shortly after Mardi Gras and the big parade I was talking with a friend of mine who came to last year’s parade and hung around for the after-party. Last year there was no formal Krewe Party so we made it up as we went along and ended up in the bar side of a local Italian restaurant.

In the conversation he mentioned that he had a lot of fun, “Raiding a bar with a band of pirates,” and that night had fulfilled something that he didn’t even know was on his bucket list.

I started laughing because I had never actually considered one, that we were a “band of pirates” and two, that we “raided” places. But that’s exactly what happened that night. A gnarly-looking band of foul-mouthed pirates took over a bar and spent the evening drinking and carousing. Just what you would expect them to do.

Which is so far from what I do in my real life that it is shocking that I was even a part of it. But they say that clothes really do make the man and apparently putting on the coat and hat and sword really do make the pirate.

Since the conversation I have thought back to him saying that it fulfilled something he didn’t even know was on his bucket list. And after processing the superficial meaning of the conversation and continuing to come back to it, it has occurred to me that this is what life is about.

Being open to the things that you don’t even know are on your bucket list. Living life wide open and experiencing it as it happens and loving it. Good, bad, and ugly, just take it, live it, and love it.

I’ve been talking about fun stuff, but as I’m aging I’m also learning an appreciation for the tougher things, the painful things and learning to be thankful for all the times I’ve come through, good and bad. Because it gives me experience to draw from and confidence that next time perhaps it won’t be so hard or painful. And thankful for the practice of living life now so next time it gets bad I won’t despair.

I guess what I’m ultimately trying to say is that along with enjoying the journey, just be open to what life brings you. Or as those gnarly pirates might say, “Storm and plunder, baby!”

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashi-Thai Massage

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I Am Not The Food Police, I Am Not The Food Police, I Am Not The Food Police

Massage PSAs /

usda-guide-to-nutrition-labels-ga-1I was at Target earlier today trying to buy myself a salad for lunch when a conversation broke out in front of me. Seems the gentleman checking everyone out hadn’t had his lunch yet and it being lunchtime he was scanning and bagging lots of peoples’ lunches. It was making him hungry. That’s when the lady in front of me, who was slurping on some slushy Starbucks chocolatey-looking thing, busted out with, “This shake is my lunch.”

I looked at her and tried not to judge her at that point. Who drinks a coffee drink for lunch and how do you survive the rest of the day if you do? Which then led me to wonder how many calories are in something like that? Hmm… less than I expected, but the sugar, yikes!

Which then led me to wonder how many people care? And do you know how to read a nutrition label? Do you read nutrition labels?

Maybe I’m just special that way, but I read the label on everything. Even those bottles of drops you’re supposed to put in your water to make it flavorful. I don’t use that stuff cause I don’t know what all those chemicals are in the ingredient list.

So because I’m feeling all tutorish right now and also like I need to atone for judging the Starbucks lady, here’s the quick and dirty on how to read the nutrition labels on foods.

Serving size – This is always good to check because many foods and beverages are packaged for more than one serving. Disappointing, I know.

Servings Per Container – That tells you how many servings are in the box, bag or bottle.

Now here’s the tricky part, every other number on this label is calculated for the serving size (not the whole container). That means if there are two servings in the package and you eat the whole thing you get double the number of calories, fats, cholesterol, carbohydrates and proteins. Four servings, and you need to multiply it by four. Get it?

I’m not going to go into each one of those categories because frankly everybody is different and their nutritional needs are different. It’s impossible to say eat this, don’t eat that because I don’t know what you require.

Add to that even the people who are supposed to be experts on nutrition disagree on what we should and should not be eating. In the 80’s eggs were the mortal enemy to cholesterol. Now they’re ok. High fructose corn syrup, if the manufacturer is to be believed it’s A-OK in moderation, but there are studies saying it increases your chance to develop diabetes. Artificial sweeteners used to be the bees knees, but now some are considered neurotoxins.

My rule of thumb, if I can’t pronounce it, I’m probably not going to eat it. If the ingredients are unrecognizable, I’m probably not going to eat it. Now before you think I’m just all la-ti-da about the food, I should probably disclose that I spent a lot of years not caring what went in to my body. Fortunately my massage career (and my cholesterol level) changed all that. I have to manage my food and my health more closely now so that I can feel good, be available to help my clients feel better and, ultimately, stay in business.

So what about you? What’s your food policy?

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy Massage

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Sailing Through Mardi Gras

Massage PSAs /

KreweOYeCrookedGoat-MardiGras2013All I have to say about this year’s Mardi Gras parade is, Wow!

Okay, you knew I couldn’t just say, wow, and leave it at that. Wow! OMG! I still can’t believe how much fun that was! {Doing the funky chicken dance…} Okay, whew, calming down a little bit now.

We had a good time. Check that, we had a great time!

There’s nothing like spending time with your friends working toward a common goal. Even if the goal is something really weird like building a pirate ship on a trailer then dressing up in thrift store finds and running around clashing plastic swords with each other.

Until Sunday I didn’t realize how crappy the start of this year has been for me. Issues with my other job, a couple of unexpected deaths and some niggling family issues that just won’t go away have combined to bring me down in these dreary, rainy days that are typical for southeastern U.S. winter weather. And as usual I smile and soldier on employing the ‘fake it til you make it’ mentality until I’m so far into a trench I can’t see the sun anymore.

Mardi Gras was a good excuse to kick my hermitey self in the butt and get around friends. And no matter how sad or crappy I was feeling when I got to a work session, by the time I left, I was glad I went. My friends (new and old) always have a way of lifting my spirits just enough. Whether they’re feeding me tasks to do and leaving me alone or we’re all hauling on a rope to pull a mast upright, it helps.

And then seeing the finished product and getting to take our awesome, hard, and creative work and put it out on the street to entertain the masses. Seeing those little kids’ face’s light up at real, live pirates, it did something for me. Watching the delight wash over the adults when they realized we were for real and that ship wasn’t just cardboard and spit, but actual wood and nails and canvas. It cracked something open in my heart just a little bit.

And I think that’s what I’m trying to write about today. How getting out of my head and doing something with others and for others and just being open to letting life in instead of shutting everything out helps to start healing something I didn’t consciously realize was broken. Perhaps my instinct to shut down, hunker down and feed my turtle should be an indicator in the future that I need some time with friends. Perhaps…

Thank goodness for my crazy, artistic friends who envision these nutty things for us to do. I’m not sure what I would do without them. For sure this life would be a lot less fun.

P.S. – We won the trophy for 1st place for our float. Pictures over here, if you’re interested.

P.S.S. – Only two of my clients made a spectacle of themselves. Lucky them! I hope they’re not giving up massage for Lent…

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Fijian Barefoot Massage Massage

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Big Breath In and Out Slow

Massage PSAs /

If you’ve ever been on my table you know that there are times when I ask for a big, deep breath with a slow, controlled release. Usually it’s when I need to get in deep somewhere and I want to use your breath to help us.

I like to use the breath for two reasons. The first being that it helps you relax and the second is that deep pressure (and/or stretching) usually goes further and is less stressful on the psyche with the exhale. I’m not sure that’s ever been scientifically proven, but my unofficial study of it in the massage room and my personal yoga practice has convinced me that it is true for those who truly embrace the exhale and its intent.

One side effect of asking the client to use their breath is that I also get to see how they are breathing. Cut to the recent client who was reverse breathing. I’d heard talk of this for years. I’d seen people do it casually, I do it on occasion when very stressed, but I’d never really seen it in action.

At the end of our session I asked for that big breath and watched as her shoulders and chest expanded hugely and her abdomen literally disappeared from my line of sight. I was so shocked I asked for another big breath and just watched what was happening to her body. Her rib cage and shoulders lifted towards her neck, her neck pressed down into the table and I could see the cords standing out on her neck. She looked as if she was rolling her upper back into extension with the deep breath and yet she still wasn’t filling her lungs. Probably because her belly was obstructing her diaphragm muscle from contracting.

That’s when it occurred to me that all this strain we’re carrying around in our shoulders and neck and upper back and perhaps even the rampant stomach issues could be related to this reverse breathing phenomenon. I’ve been unable to find any research that connects these things, but it seems another informal study is in the works in my massage room.

I spent a few extra minutes with this client talking about natural breathing patterns and guided her through a few deep, belly breaths. It was difficult for her and I sent her home with homework to do. I hope she’s doing it even though it is hard work.

I know what you’re thinking, “How hard can breathing be?” I remember the first time I was guided into belly breath. It was uncomfortable physically and mentally unsettling. If I let myself get overly stressed for a period of time and forget to breathe into my belly (which is a common stress reaction among humans), coming back to it is a struggle.

So how do you know if you’re reverse breathing? Put your hand on your belly and breathe in. Is your hand moving away from your spine or toward it? Correct belly breathing expands the belly so your hand should move away from your spine. And how do you stop reverse breathing? Practice, practice, practice… Here is an article I wrote on Simple and Free Stress Relief. The last few paragraphs describe what you need to know to start practicing belly breathing.

Let me know what you find if you try this.

Sharon BryantHarvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy and Ashi-Thai and Bamboo-Fusion Massage

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Do I Have to Take my Underwear Off?

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Before I became a massage therapist I’d had a few massages, not too many, but every single time I would stand there wondering, “Take them off or leave them on?” I’m talking about underwear, panties, drawers, tighty whiteys, we had a variety of names for them when I was a kid. After I grew up I learned that going without was called, “Going Commando,” which I personally think is better suited to the gentleman as a term. But, I digress…

Recently I had a client come in completely freaked out. It seems she had run out of the house that morning ‘Commando’. Is that the way you use that term? I don’t know, but you get what I’m saying. She stood in front of me like a child, chin to chest and “confessed.” I think she expected me to send her home or scold her. Instead I just started laughing. Perhaps not the most professional response, but I just couldn’t help myself and she’s that kind of client.

When I was in massage school our instructors would stride through the lab proclaiming, “And you are required to take your underwear off for labs.” Thus we learned to work the glutes uninhibited. When we started working on the public for our practicals, underwear became a tricky subject. One instructor insisted practice clients be nude, another wasn’t so insistent and let the client choose. Thus we learned to work the glutes around and through underclothes. Both equally important skills.

So what is my policy at Harvest Moon Massage? I let the client choose. I tell them that the more they take off, the better their massage will be as I will be able to more efficiently work the hips and glutes. Some choose to remove, others not so much. I’m fine with both and I think most massage therapists feel the same way though I have been to some who tell you to keep your drawers on. I’m not sure what’s up with that, perhaps they’ve had some kind of trouble in the past. I just find it hard not to remove. After a year of getting massages in school and learning how much better a massage can be on the glutes and hips when the therapist has free access I just can’t not.

Of course, all of this talk about removing underwear brings up the subject of trust. It’s hard to bare it all to someone. I’m going to write a separate post on that. But for now, just know that it’s ok. Whatever you’re comfortable with, I can work with.

Sharon BryantHarvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Ashi-Thai and Bamboo-Fusion Massage

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Proper Etiquette for Interacting with the Deaf

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Recently I had the opportunity to attend a seminar concerning proper etiquette when interacting with deaf individuals. It was interesting and enlightening and I think the best part of it all is that since then I have stepped past my insecurities of embarrassing myself and made friends with a deaf person.

Years ago when I was in college at Jacksonville State University I remember sitting in the cafeteria watching and listening to the table of deaf students during lunch breaks. I always chose a seat near them because the constant flurry of hands and expressions, as well as all the noise they made, fascinated me. I even lived in an apartment complex with some of the deaf students, but I could never bring myself to befriend anyone. Mostly because I was scared of the unknown factors.

How would we communicate? What if I don’t understand them or they don’t understand me? Do I need to learn sign language?

I didn’t know so I just watched from afar. Now I realize I was somewhat stalkerish and it was probably good no one noticed. I’m glad that I now have some of the paralyzing questions answered and though I still don’t sign I can have a conversation with a deaf person and not be scared out of my wits about the prospect.

The seminar was given by Alabama Department of Rehabilitative Services and it was completely free. So if you, like I was, are dumbstruck by the idea of communication with someone who communicates differently, give them a call and ask about their next seminar.

***Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Ashi-Thai and Bamboo-Fusion Massage

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Awareness – Body and Soul

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A few weeks ago I was asked by Lauren Bertolacci of LaurensFitness.com to write a guest post for her blog. I’ve been admiring Lauren and her blog for a while so I was honored when she asked.

Then I went on a camping trip and did a lot of hiking. The whole time I was on vacation a small part of my brain was on the prowl for a nugget that could bloom into something worthy. Towards the end of the trip I still didn’t have anything solid and started to get nervous. Then I came home and the consequences of being away a week slammed into me. Laundry, the new dog, grocery shopping, work, and clients all came back into keen focus.

The first night back on the table with a client made me realize that I was stronger and more centered. I was working with a sense of peace and joy that I hadn’t realized I’d lost before getting away for a while and resting. Driving home that evening I contemplated how I could have gotten so far into burnout territory without realizing it. And you know how one thought leads to another and I remembered an article I had recently read about muscle recovery and massage and suddenly I knew that I wanted to write an article for Lauren about the importance of rest and massage for muscle recovery.

For several days I rolled the subject around in my head and even looked up the article and several other pieces of research and related information. I just couldn’t  seem to get started on it though until one morning I had a stern discussion with myself and finally sat down to start writing.

A few paragraphs into the article I realized why I had been procrastinating. Something about the subject wasn’t sitting right and most of what I’d written was more  about body awareness and the brain/body disconnect than muscle recovery.

So I went with it and yesterday Lauren published Body Awareness and the Brain/Body Disconnect: A Bodyworker’s Perspective by yours truly.

A big thank you goes out to Lauren for giving me this wonderful opportunity, not just for publishing my work, but also for giving me the opportunity to look inside myself, listen and respect what is there.

Sharon BryantHarvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Ashi-Thai and Bamboo-Fusion Massage

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Not Once in a Blue Moon

Massage PSAs /

I realized recently after talking with some massage therapist friends that I don’t do a very good job of educating my clients on the benefits of regular massage. After careful examination, I realized it’s because I never want my clients to feel like I’m trying to upsell to them. I have an intense dislike of pushy salespeople trying to sell me things when I already know what I want.

So in order to better prepare myself and share with you, gentle reader, the following is why I and some other very knowledgeable people think it is important to make massage a regular part of your health and grooming regimen.

I think the most important benefit of massage is relaxation. Our society does not value it; instead opting for longer days, shorter nights and higher and higher levels of stress. For some, relaxation is a state they can no longer obtain and the lack of regular rest and relaxation, i.e., stress, wreaks havoc on the body.

A study in 1999 by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine and Nova Southeastern University in Florida gave us proof that massage reduces blood pressure. The risks of high blood pressure are long and scary and while more research is needed to explain exactly what mechanism of massage causes the reduction, I think we can all agree that however it works, it’s a good thing.

Other studies have resulted in benefits such as a reduction in stress hormones in the blood stream, alleviation of depressive symptoms and a better immune system response. In my opinion, these four benefits are so interrelated that once you get a response from one the others follow along. And these are just a sampling of the benefits that have been proven by studies.

Fortunately, it’s not just the massage industry researching the benefits of massage. The American Diabetes Association now recognizes that stress reduction helps with the absorption of insulin.

And we haven’t even talked about massage and pain reduction yet. Massage improves circulation to the muscles, circulation promotes healing, and pain dissipates as healing occurs. This is a simplistic explanation of the pain cycle, but you get the picture. Another study recently proved that muscles recover quicker after strenuous exertion when massage is incorporated.

All good things, dontcha think? So when was your last massage? Mine was too long ago.

***Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Ashi-Thai and Bamboo-Fusion Massage

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How to Find a Massage Therapist

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A woman working with a laptop and notebook

Post updated: 11/30/23

Finding a massage therapist online is not hard if you have a little time and are the curious type. My first step and the most straightforward is a search engine. We’ve all done it so I won’t belabor the point of how to do a Google search. The larger question here is how to know if the massage therapist you’ve searched for and found is legitimate. One of the downsides of the Internet is that anyone can position themselves as an expert. Unfortunately, massage therapy is not immune to this phenomenon.

Is Your Massage Therapist Legit?

Anyone can stand up a nice-looking website with enough willpower or cash so searching the internet is a good start, but you need to take another step to ensure the person you’re thinking about booking with is who they say they are and has the necessary training and qualifications. So let’s talk a little bit about how to verify that you’ve found a licensed and properly trained massage therapist.

If you live in the State of Alabama, like I do, it’s pretty easy to find out if the therapist you’re thinking about booking an appointment with is properly trained. The state board of massage therapy does that for you. All you have to do is go to the Alabama Board of Massage Therapy’s website and do a Licensee Search for the massage therapist in question. If the name shows up there, you know that the state has done the legwork for you, assuring that the therapist has completed the minimum educational requirements, has passed the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) or the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) for massage therapy and jumped through all the appropriate legal hoops to be legally offering massage therapy to the public.

What if you’re not in Alabama?

Going back to Google and performing a quick search on text for “massage therapy board Oregon” pops up the massage board for the state of Oregon. I just picked Oregon randomly because I have a dear friend who lives there and I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately.

Getting back to the subject at hand, Oregon is apparently a licensing state and they have a License Verification option. Oooh… I like the information they list on therapists, especially the part where “there has been no discipline on this license”. That’s a good piece of information to know when trying to choose a new massage therapist. I wish Alabama had that little bit of technological information included in their licensee search.

What States License Massage Therapists?

Sounds like a simple question, but as with everything where politics are involved, it’s not. There are states that have a massage board that regulates the massage therapy business and licenses therapists. There are states that have no massage board, but local municipalities regulate massage therapy businesses. There are states where you don’t have to be certified, but you must be registered and vice versa.

It’s a complicated question because we’re not regulated at a federal level. And I’m not suggesting that we should it’s just important to know that this is why it’s so hard to identify a lawfully compliant therapist from one who is not. After a little noodling around online, I found this website that has compiled a list of massage license requirements by state. I can’t vouch for the correctness of all of the information here, but it will give you something to start with if you can’t find what you’re looking for with a search engine.

What if My State Doesn’t License Massage Therapists?

If the state doesn’t have any type of licensure requirements you still have a couple of options in locating a suitable therapist. The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) offers a Find a Massage Therapist locator service. All therapists listed in this service are insured members of AMTA who meet minimum educational requirements and must agree to abide by a Code of Ethics. Good stuff, folks, I would go to anyone who I found using this service.

The Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP) organization offers a similar locator service to AMTA. I have never been a member of ABMP so I can’t say a whole lot about their organization except that they also insure their members who meet minimum educational requirements and also agree to the ABMP Code of Ethics.

And finally the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodyworks offers a locator service for those of us who are Board Certified through their organization. This is a good service, but not all states require NCBTMB or MBLEx exam passage to license the massage therapist and the test is expensive so most folks don’t take it unless it’s required.

And when all else fails, it never hurts to ask your friends and co-workers if they know someone good. Usually this is the best way to find a great therapist.

Now, get out there on the information superhighway, find a massage therapist, make an appointment and go. You could use a massage today, I promise.

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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