Massage

Kids and Massage?

Massage /
Me with Tina Allen founder of Liddle Kidz Foundation
Me with Tina Allen founder of Liddle Kidz Foundation

So during my recent trip to Denver, Colorado and the 2014 AMTA National Convention I had the odd fortune of getting to take a Pediatric Massage class. I say odd fortune because it wasn’t my first choice. It was actually pretty far down the list of my choices, but circumstances happened and I wasn’t able to register until other classes had filled and this class was happening in the time period I had free to take a class.

You know how they say that everything happens for a reason? Well, there was a reason. Apparently I was meant to take this class, Pediatric Massage: Highlighting Trauma.

It was four hours of non-stop information. Stuff that I should have learned in massage school or psychology class or somewhere, but hadn’t. The class should have been two days long for all the information that needed to be conveyed and received. The instructor was vibrant, knowledgeable, and passionate. She was also very focused on research and real science backing up what she was teaching.

Overall a great class. One that leaves you thirsting for much, much more of the subject.

What I learned in her class, by and large, is that the kids I have worked on, mostly in my office, are not just pint-sized adults; which is how I’ve been treating them. They have different needs, different expectations, just a whole different mindset of what massage is or should be.

That being said, I’m not going to stop working on kids. I’m just going to modify with what I know now. And, mark this down, I’m going to go for a Pediatric Massage Therapy Certification. I won’t be able to go until next year, but that gives me time to save up enough money. Donations are welcome, the tuition is expensive and I’ll have to travel to do it, but I think it’s going to be worth it. And I think it’s a service that our area desperately needs.

Anyway, I’m linking a video here of a short (17 minutes) documentary about Liddle Kidz Foundation and what they do for kids, not just in North America, but all over the world. Enjoy!

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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Spring Training

Massage /
Sharon with Susan Salvo at the 2014 AMTA-AL Spring Convention
Sharon with Susan Salvo at the 2014 AMTA-AL Spring Convention

Well, spring has finally sprung and you know what that means for this chic, more training.

I was lucky enough to get to train this spring with the lovely Susan Salvo and brought home two distinct new methods.

The first is a certificate for TMJ Massage, sometimes called Massage for TMD. I learned some fantastic new moves (including intra-oral) to assist those struggling with TMJ and jaw pain.

The second method is a little different and you know me, not one to shy away from different. My certificate calls it Advanced Neuromuscular Techniques, but recently I’ve seen Susan refer to it as Body Movement Techniques or BMT.

Essentially the techniques involve a lot of movement in the joints to help decompress and loosen joints as well as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. I found the technique to be very effective on my stubborn shoulder and have used it with several clients. So far everyone likes it and seems to be having good progress when paired with other deep tissue techniques.

Here are a few links so you can see a little bit of the technique if you’re interested. And for those of you who visit my table regularly, do you recognize the blanket in the video? 🙂

Body Mobilization Techniques: Shoulder & Arm

Body Mobilization Techniques: Neck & Shoulder

Or just hit Susan’s YouTube channel and watch random Body Mobilization Technique Videos

Here is a nice photo of Susan demonstrating an intra-oral technique for TMJ Massage.

Intra-oral TMJ Technique by Susan Salvo
Intra-oral TMJ Technique by Susan Salvo

And here is one of moi getting the royal treatment from RJ Castille of Clinical Massage Therapy.

Don't you wish you were here!
Don’t you wish you were here?

So that’s what I’ve been up to this spring. How about you?

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapist!

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Relish…

Manual Lymph Drainage /

MLD Certificate

I just wanted to take a moment and relish in the accomplishment. I am now a

Certified Holistic Manual Lymph Drainage Therapist

Wondering what that is?

Well, I am now certified to perform MLD in the Vodder Method on adults, children, pregnant women, athletes, and individuals needing pain, palliative care and hospice support.

The list of issues MLD is indicated for is long and growing every day with extensive research being conducted in the field.

The biggie is for relief of edema (swelling), but MLD also offers benefits for a host of other situations that fall under both medical and cosmetic labels. Everything from headaches, sinusitis, and Bell’s palsy to acne, rosacea and anti-aging treatments.

If indicated, I am also certified to bandage and educate clients on self-bandaging techniques as well as measure and fit for prescription and athletic compression garments after MLD results have been achieved.

I’ve put together a page with packages and pricing for MLD because it is different from my standard massage rates.

Call today to discuss whether Manual Lymph Drainage might be right for you.

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Certified Holistic Manual Lymph Drainage Therapist!

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Just Another Day in Paradise

Massage /

Or in Sharon’s brain, take your pick.

Don’t you love it when you get an idea? I especially love when I get an idea and it’s not the right time for it, she says sarcastically.

Then I forget it for a long time and then one day something happens or you see something and it triggers a memory and you pick it up, dust it off, and realize that right now is the perfect time for this idea.

So off you go spinning and windmilling through the idea trying to make it happen. Those are the kinds of ideas I like. Not the waiting part so much, but the spinning and windmilling and making things happen part.

Anyway, on to the point of all this rambling…would saying that I had an idea be a bad idea at this point? Yes? Okay, here it is.

The Big, Exciting Idea

I am now offering a partner massage class that is open to the public.

Now I know right now there’s a lot of, “Come to our office and learn to massage your significant other for Valentine’s Day!” This is not that. Though I will sell you a gift certificate to give to your honey and sign you up for the first class.

My intention is to offer this class a few times a year for people interested in learning to help out their partner or other family members with massage techniques. Yes, there will be a large aspect of connecting with your massage partner, but mainly it’s going to be a fun learning environment where you leave with some great new skills to help your partner relax and a partner who now knows how to reciprocate with a great massage*.

We’ll try to keep the saccharine level low by design.

As an adjunct to the group classes I will also begin offering private partner massage classes for those wanting to address specific issues. Private classes will be tailored to the pair according to the issues you’re interested in working on. I’m shooting for late March to do the first group class. I’ve got my hands full with this moving offices thing right now.

If you’re interested, please let me know. Bring your mother, bring your brother, or even your significant other. Singles are welcome as well. We’ll pair you up with someone who doesn’t bite.

Stay tuned for further details. I can’t wait!

* By great massage I mean greatly improved. I in no way mean that you will be certified to do massage for money, trade, gifts, personal gain… okay, maybe personal gain in the form of you rub my back, I’ll rub yours… I think you get my meaning though. You can’t represent yourself as a massage therapist because you take this class.

♥

Sharon BryantHarvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s newest Manual Lymph Drainage therapist!

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New Services in Manual Lymph Drainage

Manual Lymph Drainage /

Some of you may have already noticed that I’ve updated my Qualifications and Services pages with a new service that I am offering immediately.

The new service is called Manual Lymph Drainage or MLD for short. MLD is a gentle type of massage that promotes the movement of lymph fluid throughout our bodies. Because the lymph system doesn’t have a pump, lymph fluid moves pretty slowly to begin with. Those of us who sit for a living (yes, my hand is up, I’m still at a desk 32 hours a week) it moves even more slowly.

MLD is designed to help unplug and clean out the lymph nodes and then speed up the lymphatic flow through the system. The MLD Institute teaches that MLD therapy can speed up lymphatic output up to 10 times its normal rate.

Moving lymph keeps us healthy and younger by assisting in creating more immune cells, transporting immune cells, and removing cellular toxins and other wastes that are in our bodies from the foods we eat and injuries to tissues.

Who needs Manual Lymph Drainage?

Well, in Europe MLD is very common and is used not only in the medical realm, but for anti-aging and general wellness. So MLD is for everyone who wants to be healthier. It was developed by a Dutch doctor who spent a lot of time treating sinusitis and thought there must be a better way.

Currently in the U.S. it is used to treat edema, for palliative care in hospice patients, to minimize pain, bruising and scarring from surgical procedures and is being studied for use in other conditions too numerous to list.

There are side effects of MLD though, after receiving it you may suffer from a stronger immune system, notice that you may have more energy and find that you’ve lost that swollen, bloated feeling.  🙂

So what can you do to help your lymph system?

Well, obviously you should call and schedule yourself an appointment to get an MLD session, but short of that there are three very accessible things you can do to improve your lymph system.

  1. Eat healthy foods, lots of veggies and greens. Minimize the pretend and chemical-laden foods, they are filled with unhealthy fats and foreign substances that cause your cells to emit toxic sludge that has to be dealt with by your lymph system.
  2. Drink water or decaffeinated herbal teas. I know you’re about to stop reading, but bear with me. Caffeine is one of the things that clogs up your lymph system so minimize it whenever possible. And drink more water. Lymph is made up of 10% water, if you’re dehydrated it’s not moving.
  3. Exercise. The lymph system doesn’t have a pump so muscle movements are basically it for getting the lymph and lymphocytes (immune cells) moving throughout the body.

So what makes you an expert?

By far I am not an expert. I’m still learning and even though I am just one short weekend away from receiving my final certification I still have a lot of studying and learning to do. I do, however, have an expert on speed dial in case we need her.

So far I have been trained on Full Body MLD, LymphLift for the Head, Neck & Face MLD, and Prenatal and Child MLD. I will be writing more about each of those classes and the specific focus for each of them soon.

When I finish my final classes I will be adding MLD for Sports as well as Palliative Care for Hospice MLD. I will also be certified to measure and fit medical and athletic compression wear. So, not an expert, but a humble student who is interested in learning as much as possible and then learning some more from my clients.

I hope you will consider MLD next time you or your loved one are facing surgery, suffering with edema or finishing up chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Call me and we can discuss further how MLD might be able to help.

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Provider of Manual Lymph Drainage!
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Is Ashiatsu Safe?

1 Comment / Ashiatsu /
Do You Ashi?
My nephew doing a perfect Ashi Wing Walker***

Every so often someone asks if Ashiatsu is safe. They have looked at some pictures or read a description and gotten the idea that experiencing Ashi may be akin to being trampled by a small elephant.

I’m here to assure you that is not so.

Many of my clients have taken to telling their friends and family and actually introducing me as the massage therapist who walks on people. I got tired of correcting folks, it’s a distinction really, so now I just smile and nod yes, that’s me, the lady who walks on people and calls it a funny name.

And while I technically do not walk on people, I do a pretty good impression.

Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy or DeepFeet Bar Therapy was created to deliver deep pressure to the client safely.

So I can say it’s safe all day long, but what do I do to make it safe?

Don’t walk on people

I really do NOT walk on you. I use my foot or feet to glide over and compress the muscles. It’s different from walking because even with two feet my weight is rarely ever fully on the client and I never shift weight from one foot to the other while working.

Use the right tool for the right job

Sometimes it’s not safe to receive Ashi. If you’re pregnant, if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure or uncontrolled diabetes or problems with circulation or recent surgeries, you should not have Ashi. That’s why I ask so many seemingly invasive questions when we first meet.

Also, Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy massage and Ashi-Thai moves are designed to be performed in a certain way. If I’m using the wrong foot to do a particular move, at best, I’m going to get stuck and have to make clumsy adjustments. At worst, I might hurt my client. So there’s a right foot and a wrong foot to use for each move.

No free-stylin’

I use only one foot at a time when working with clients who weight less than 40 lbs. more than I do. No, I’m not going to ask you how much you weigh unless you really need two feet, and you’re really close to the me+40 limit.

Regardless of whether it’s with one foot or two feet, I only perform moves I learned to do the safe way in training.

No goofing around on the table, EVER

This is probably the most dangerous thing an Ashi therapist can do. Goofing around and / or not paying attention to what they are doing is going to result in falling off the table and / or on the client. Neither of which is good for everyone involved.

We are trained specifically on how to move and navigate while on the table with a client. It may look simple and fluid, but it’s not all that intuitive and our instructors spend a lot of time trying to ingrain safe on-the-table habits.

Always be gentle and considerate

I try to never touch or cross the spine while working. Since the pressure is deep by the nature of Ashi, getting too close to the spine could cause a lot of pain or even injury. Also, stepping on or pinching the client’s skin is bad form. As is getting your toes tangled up in their hair. Not good… Oh, and I wash my feet obsessively between clients.

So that’s what I do to keep Ashi safe. I hope these answer your questions about Ashi Safety. If not, please leave a comment and I’ll write about it.

***I should point out that what he’s doing isn’t really perfect in that he’s unsupported. His form is pretty good and his balance is great, but as an adult I would never attempt this because frankly, someone could get killed.

I won’t tell you not to let your kid walk on your back. I think it’s a right of passage myself, but do be aware of the receiver’s physical limitations and the weight of the child. My nephew and I had a good weight difference when this picture was taken, probably about 90 lbs. difference.

But he’s growing and I’m growing older and I can almost guarantee we won’t do this again because our weights will be too close for it to be safe. Not to mention even in this photo, at these weights, one wobble the wrong way could have sent him crashing down into me and there’s at least one of us injured if not both.

But… it was fun anyway and a great memory that we will both have for posterity. I’m glad we got it in electrons 🙂

♥

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

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Ashi at Your Garden Party!

Ashiatsu /
Jordan Ben doing Ashi on the portable bar system
Jordan Ben getting sassy on the portable bar system

Recently one of my Ashi sisters called wanting to rent my portable bars for an event. Turns out she got a gig at a “Girls Day Out”. She kept saying it was about swimming and eating and massage and pedicures while the guys were out hunting or fishing or doing whatever they do when they’re not around on the weekend.

This is one of the many pictures that came out of the event. I love that they were outside. The tent the host provided was huge and had curtains for privacy if the client wanted them. She was set up on grass and at first I thought that might be a problem, but apparently the portable bars handle grass alright.

I love the Garden Party aspect of this event that she did. I wish I could have gone with her, but now that we know, anyone? Ashi at your Garden Party? Family Reunion? Random outdoor event?

I’d love to bring the portables and do massage for your friends and family!

♥

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

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Gentlemen, Avert Your Eyes

Massage /

boobpillowOr not, your lady may be interested in this.

Ladies, do you know what that is? It’s a cushion designed to make lying on your stomach more comfortable. If you enjoy (or suffer through) being a larger chested woman, you know what I’m talking about.

Recently the stars aligned (read that as, I finally went to the store) and I got all my supplies together to make this helpful little cushion.

Now there’s no more dreading those first few moments of lying on your stomach as this little tool will be available for use with your massage and should help alleviate any discomfort. In addition to a more comfortable experience, this cushion helps properly align your shoulders so you receive a more effective massage. And I’m pretty sure we could all use a more effective massage.

P.S. – If you would like one for personal use at home, just let me know.

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Bamboo-Fusion Massage!

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Comfort Touch

2 Comments / Massage /
Dementia - The size of the challenge
Dementia – The size of the challenge (Photo credit: The Prime Minister’s Office)

I’ll be attending the Alzheimer’s Support Group at the Morgan County (Alabama) Mental Health Association this next Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 7 pm.

Ms. Lynn Easterwood of Hospice of North Alabama will be demonstrating techniques to relax and assist in reducing the pain of elderly or ill persons.

The flier I received in the mail says she’ll be presenting the Comfort Touch system. I don’t know much about it, but it’s supposed to be a massage modality suited for people with dementia, pain, illness or simply the elder folk.

Anyway, come join us if you are local and interested. It’s free and nurses and social workers get CE hours. I’m working on finding out whether Massage Therapists can also get credit. Regardless I think it’s something good to know as we all have elders in our families.

♥

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

 

 

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More Thai Training Canceled Due To Lack of Interest

Thai-Yoga Bodywork /

Arch CompressionsSo in addition to two weekend trainings, Mardi Gras weekend, 20 blog posts in February, a part-time job that pays the mortgage, a full load of clients, managing the AMTA-AL website and developing the retention plans for the membership committee, I decided the first weekend following the February madness absolutely had to be filled with more Thai training.

How could I pass it up? Mukti was coming to Birmingham. I had to go.

After Rossiter training last weekend, I’m exhausted and excited, but mostly exhausted. I’ve arranged to buy a set of stands so that I can begin offering Rossiter ASAP. Hopefully I’ll be picking those up in the next couple of weeks. The good news is the stands are really the only equipment needed for the level of training I have. I’ll be writing more on Rossiter and how I think it can help my clients in the very near future.

But back to the Thai training. You may remember that I’ve been working on making a Thai mat. The hurry was ultimately for this class. I wanted to use it for the Rossiter, but that class was so crowded they asked for a regular yoga mat instead. So the new mat will be getting a workout this weekend. I hope it goes well. It has to be better than the “thick blanket” that was requested as equipment for the class. I can’t imagine crawling around on my knees all weekend on no padding.

I am excited for the new knowledge and getting to practice and reinforce the techniques I learned back in December. And also to see Mukti again. I also understand there are going to be a few people in the training I know so it will be good to see friends and make a few new ones. And I’ll be staying with my cousin who I don’t get to see often enough.

There are so many positives to this whole weekend plan that I hate to even think about how tired I’m going to be when it’s all over. It will all be worth it, but I can tell you now that the plan for the next weekend is to lie about on the couch. And maybe eat a bon-bon.

♥

Sharon Bryant Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Provider of Thai-Yoga Bodywork

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