Massage Therapists, I’m talking to you. When is your next massage?  I see you rubbing your toe in the dirt. When was your last massage? Now your ears are turning red. I know how that feels, my mentor recently crawled me for not taking care of myself.
Why is it that we, as massage therapists, seem to be the last ones crawling on the table for a massage? I don’t have time is a common answer. I’m too busy taking care of my clients/children/pets/house/office. I know. I’m there.
But how can we expect to be taken seriously when our clients watch us breaking ourselves down as we are telling them they need to x, y and z to take better care of themselves? If we believe they need to come see us once a week, every other week, once a month then how is it we don’t need massage?
In addition to my mentor calling me out, one of my very regular clients recently began asking me, “Who gives you a massage?” The first time she asked and heard my answer she made it clear she was not happy with it. She expressed to me that it made her feel guilty to know I was massaging her when I never go take care of myself by getting a massage. It had been months, she was right, and oh, the guilt I suffered over that conversation.
She comes once a month, she asks once a month and she expects an answer. One that goes sorta like, “My last massage was with Megan. She did a great job and my feet and legs feel a lot better!” (True story, that.)
I have set a new intention. At least one massage per month in the year of 2013. It’s going to be hard. I’m stirring a lot of pots right now, just like you, but I challenge you anyway. I challenge you to pick up the phone and make a massage appointment for yourself, right now. Leave a voice mail if you have to, but do it. Your clients deserve it.
♥
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Provider of Fijian Barefoot Massage
Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? It’s taken long enough to get this Thai mat done anyway. I took my first Thai mat class back in late November. Then December happened which is always a very busy month between all the stressed out clients wanting last minute appointments before the holidays and then the holidays. Then there was January with everyone trying to recover from the holidays and all those resolutions. I don’t remember exactly when I made the first phone call to kick this project off, but I thought it might be something interesting to do a little tutorial on because it was easy and kind of cheap if you have the skills and hardware.
So for you interested folks, here is how I made my very first homemade Thai mat. Before you begin thinking I’m a genius for dreaming this up, I was inspired by a certain someone who I met during my Fijian Barefoot massage class in Nashville.
How to Make a (Stripped Down on the Cheap) Thai Mat
Step 1: Call a carpet store. You are looking for the padding that goes underneath carpet. My local store didn’t have any scraps that would work, so I ended up purchasing two pieces each 76″ wide by 45″ long. Cost: $15.87
Step 2: Stack the two pieces of padding on top of each other and make sure they are squared up. Mine weren’t so I trimmed it to be approximately equal.
Pardon the messiness in the background. Our rec room is a “wreck”!
Step 3: Go to a thrift store and buy a king size sheet. Cost: $4
Step 4: Sew the sheet into a giant pillowcase. You may need a ruler, tape measure, calculator and knee pads for this step. You’ll definitely want a sewing machine unless you’re just an animal and have a lot of time on your hands. The sheet I bought fit perfectly when I folded it in half lengthwise and sewed the bottom and sides up. At this point you’ll want to start thinking about how to close the top of the giant pillowcase. I chose to use Velcro, but snaps or ties would work. Or you could just sew it closed. I chose not to because I wanted to be able to remove the giant pillowcase and wash it occasionally.
Step 5: Go to the sewing store and buy something to close the top of your giant pillowcase (buy 2 times the amount you need if you’re making an outer cover).
While you’re at the store you may also want to buy some cotton duck fabric to make a more durable outer covering for your do-it-yourself Thai mat. I think I bought about 6.5 yards, but I don’t remember exactly and you’ll need to do math for the size of your mat. Oh and if you’re a math major (like me) and can no longer add without an Excel spreadsheet then the nice folks at the sewing store can help you figure out how much fabric you need to do the job. Very nice people in sewing stores usually. Cost: Velcro (free-I already had it from another project), Cotton duck – ~$40 on sale at Hancock Fabrics
This is looking great mommy! When do I get my Thai massage?
Step 6: Hem the top of the giant pillowcase and install your closures.
Step 7: Put the giant pillowcase on the carpet padding mats. Good luck and get ready to crawl around on the floor and sweat.
Step 8: So now it’s time to figure out how to form all that cotton duck fabric into another giant pillowcase. Hopefully you kept notes from when you talked to the nice lady at the fabric store so you know how to put this thing together. I had to take two pieces of fabric and run it cross ways to the mat to make a pillowcase large enough. Since I didn’t take pictures during this step if you need better descriptors, just ask and I’ll be glad to help you.
Step 9: Hem and install the closures for the cotton duck pillowcase.
Step 10: Wrestle the cotton duck pillowcase onto the mat and Viola! You are done! And sweaty! But you have a nice soft place to lay down and take a nap 🙂
I will probably make some “pillows” using this method, but for now I’m just going to try to get through the rest of February before taking on any more projects.
So here for your convenience is a supply list: 2 sections of carpet padding cut to the size of your mat, one thrift store sheet sized appropriately, cotton duck fabric to cover your mat sized appropriately, closure notions (Velcro, snaps, or extra fabric to make ties), scissors, measuring tape and/or a hardware tape measure, coordinating thread, sewing machine, carpet cutting blade and maybe some other stuff I’ve forgotten about. And you’ll definitely want to think about a beer after you’re done, but only if you don’t have clients lining up already.
And if you’re keeping track of the budget this whole project cost around $60 which is about half the cost of the cheapest Thai mats I was looking at online.
I’ll have to let you know how it compares to the mats I learned on. Already it performed quite well on the hardwood floor in the house. I’ll be taking it to a Rossiter training and another Thai-Yoga training in the next few weeks so I’ll do a review on my own “product” as soon as I have some results to report.
If you decide to make your own, let me know how it turns out!
A finished Thai Mat!
♥
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Provider of Thai-Yoga Massage
Eek! How did this happen? I looked at the calendar and realized that I only have a few days left before I’ve got to pack a bag, throw my thai mat and yoga mats in the car, and head off to Atlanta for a Rossiter training.
Starting in February I somehow managed to book every weekend except this one. Between massage trainings and Mardi Gras I’ve either spent the nights away from home or stayed out super late with friends. I’m pooped and the laundry is piling up.
Regardless, I’m very excited about this Rossiter training. It’s yet another barefoot modality, (I know you’re surprised). From what I’ve read it’s also a movement modality. Pressure and movement together sussing out what ails a muscle. Sounds good to me. I can’t wait to try it. I can’t wait to experience it.
And as a bonus it’s being hosted by AMTA-GA so I’m getting to sit in on their member meeting. Maybe I need to take a pin or something to trade. Hmm…
It’s also inexpensive. $80 for 12 CE hours and if everything goes as planned I’ll be sleeping on a friend’s couch so the cost for the whole trip should be about gas, food and time. I hope it all goes as planned.
I guess I better go call my friend and start doing some laundry.
♥
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Provider of Fijian Barefoot Massage
When I wrote back in January about the Thai Yoga Bodywork class I took, Lauren asked about it. She was baffled and had not heard of it so I promised her a more in-depth discussion. I should probably say here that I don’t yet feel qualified to even begin to define what it is.
I can tell you my experience with Thai massage, but I am a novice. Think kindergarten. My sum total of Thai experience is the 24 hours I took with Mukti, described in the link above and the 17 hours of Ashi-Thai I took with Jeni Spring.
Ashi-Thai is a westernized interpretation of Thai massage that is performed on a table with overhead bars for balance, support and stabilization for the therapist as they use their feet and legs to move the client through a series of yoga-like stretches (assisted asanas). There is also an element of compression massage involved with Ashi-Thai.
Thai massage is different and more. Traditional Thai is performed on a floor mat. Like Ashi-Thai the client is moved through a series of yoga-like asanas except the therapist is now using hands, arms, body, legs and feet to accomplish the stretches and compressions. That’s pretty much where the similarities end. There is a spiritual element of traditional Thai that is best captured by the beginning of a Thai Yoga Massage, called Puja Position. Puja Position allows the therapist to ground and open themselves while the client relaxes thus opening a line of communication. It’s all very esoteric and visceral and somewhat unbelievable until you feel it happen. So traditional Thai is about physical healing (the massage part), spiritual connection (for therapist and client, with each other, but perhaps also with their higher power or the universe in general), and the aesthetic of yoga. It should be beautiful when “performed”.
So what does it buy you? Looser muscles, decompressed joints, better localized blood flow in the areas being worked, relaxation, spiritual rejuvenation, etc. I think every Thai session is different and I think every person walks away with a different experience. It’s sorta like yoga in that respect.
I suppose I could go on and on and on, but that won’t give you any better sense of what I’m talking about so in the spirit of a picture is worth a thousand words I’ve embedded a video for you. I’ve chosen this one because the ladies in the video are two of my lovely Gray Bear sisters who I began my Thai Yoga Bodywork odyssey with. Charlene Gaffney (the therapist) is quite a bit more experienced at Thai Yoga Massage than I am. Stephany Fair (the receiver) is a yoga whiz and Thai practitioner as well. And when you get to the acrobatic part of this video just remember that I said they’re more experienced than I am and that I’m still in kindergarten (so I don’t know how to do nor will I attempt any of that fancy break your head stuff).
And as you may have gathered since I’m writing about it here, I recently had a client pass away. He was not my first client, but he was the first one to pass. I can’t say it was expected, but then again, I can’t say it wasn’t totally unexpected. I need to tell you some of his story in order for you to understand.
I last saw him December 7th for his regular appointment. He came once a month, sometimes more. He was very exciting and talked almost our entire hour and a half about the trip he and his wife were taking to visit their daughter who is in the military and currently stationed in Korea. He was a Vietnam war vet and this was a trip back to his past that would be different this time. He called a few days before his trip wanting to see if he could get in for a massage before he left, but I was so busy and decided not to squeeze him into the schedule as I knew he had a massage scheduled in January.
If I remember correctly, they flew on the 22nd of December. On Christmas Day he had a stroke. I found out a few days later when I got a text message from him saying he had to cancel and that they didn’t get to come home because of the stroke. He would call when he got back to the states. I was concerned, but thought perhaps it wasn’t so bad since I thought it was him texting me. I didn’t hear anything after that until a different client asked if I’d heard what happened.
They were still in Korea and David had very little body movement. It was mid-January and they were trying to figure out how to get him home and into the local VA hospital. Then on January 25th I received another text telling me David had passed. They had brought him home and he’d had another massive stroke. I’m not sure of the details except that he had spent a few days unresponsive in the hospital.
I was shocked. This was a strapping man who was of retirement age, but decided against it because he loved his job and his wife wasn’t yet ready for retirement. He could talk the bark off a tree stump and loved life and everyone in it with him.
I went to his funeral and managed to hold myself together until the 21 guns volleyed. Then I lost it completely and ended up in the bathroom weeping uncontrollably.
One of the things they don’t teach you in massage school (or at least the one I went to) is what to do when a client dies.
I have agonized over how much to share here. Where do privacy issues leave off with the client/therapist relationship?
I have decided that for me, privacy issues, the true one’s, where he lives and other personal information, persist. I have decided to be a little freer with the issue of whether he was my client or not. I am hurting and I need the support of my people and the ability to talk to them about him so I can heal from this loss.
I also need to open a dialog with my current clients about what I expect from them and what they expect from me in the event of a critical illness or, god forbid, their death. Do I expect their family members or friends to contact me? That would be nice so I can visit them or express condolences to the family if appropriate. Should I send flowers, a card, or do they even want me to come to the funeral? These are things I never thought about before David.
And if I send flowers for this one, do I need to make it a policy and do it for every client? Or only regular clients? And if I do that am I straying into favoritism territory? It’s a lot to decide. I went with my heart and sent flowers, went to the funeral, and afterwards wrote his wife a letter. If that is favoritism, then so be it. It’s hard not to become attached to people who frequent your life and care about you right back.
I know some of my MT friends have “countertransference” bouncing off the insides of their heads right now. I respectfully disagree. We enjoyed no relationship outside of our therapeutic one. If I ran into him at the grocery store I would say hello and introduce him as a friend if he approached me first, but otherwise I think I do a pretty good job at keeping a professional distance as much as is possible while still working so closely with someone. As a helper/fixer/healer, I don’t really think there is a way to prevent our hearts from getting involved while doing this kind of work. I think heart is what makes massage and bodywork so profound and all the good ones use their hearts during their sessions.
There are tasks that we are forced to do in this lifetime and I would have rather never had to make these decisions, but since I did I am so grateful that it was him to guide me through this. It is so fitting for the relationship we enjoyed with each other. I will still miss him horribly when his Friday morning appointment rolls around. I will probably cry again, probably more than once.
Rest in peace, David, and know that you are loved still and will be remembered in many, many hearts.
♥
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Bamboo-Fusion Massage
So recently I went to a class for Thai-Yoga Bodywork or Thai-Yoga Massage or Thai-Yoga Assisted Asana. I’m still not clear on exactly what it’s called. My certificate calls it Thai-Yoga Bodywork hence the title above. It’s one of those “that which we call a rose” dilemmas. It is what it is.
For me it’s a new method of bodywork, new tools in my arsenal of weapons against physical pain and suffering. And they seem powerful. The good news, I can integrate some of what I learned immediately. The not so good news, some I won’t be able to do until I get a mat for the floor. And the downright tragic news, others I won’t be able to do because we didn’t learn them. Apparently to properly learn Thai-Yoga Bodywork from this organization they need 150 of my hours with which to teach me. Never fear though, plans are being hatched as I write this. This wasn’t the last I’ve seen of this instructor.
The class itself was intense. A Wednesday afternoon through Sunday morning affair at Gray Bear Lodge in Hohenwald, TN. My certificate says 25 hours, but we stayed on-site due to the rustic, out-lying nature of the training center so it was more like an immersion experience where time gets lost.
The instructor was absolutely brilliant. I didn’t understand a portion of what he was saying as I’m pretty sure he was speaking several different languages and I am only proficient in English. Fortunately so was he so I don’t think I missed anything critical though I still have to figure out what molobunda (oh, go ahead and look at the link, it demonstrates just how lost I actually am) means as he seemed to use it quite a lot. I think I missed the explanation as I was desperately scribbling away in my book trying to write down the most egregious gaps in my body of knowledge. Also I think it’s entirely possible to learn this type of massage by experiencing it and watching the demonstrations. Verbal communication certainly hastens the teaching experience, but not strictly necessary, I think. But then again the experience of sitting in a classroom and being completely lost at times is inspiring. I have much to learn.
And then there’s Gray Bear. It’s a place, it’s an experience, it defies. In general, it’s a tract of largely undeveloped land where the owners have built a lodge, several small cabins, a meditation hut, the Yoga Room, a stone hot tub, a dedicated watsu pool, and a sauna. I’m sure there’s more, but that was the extent of my experience with the infrastructure of the place. The experience is one of love, warmth, family, and just being home. At night it’s dark and you can lie by the hot tub and see the stars, really see them like we used to as children before we felt the need to turn the night to day. During the day there are forests to trek, waterfalls to find, nooks and crannies to explore, classes to take and the best darn food you can imagine.
It’s impossible to write just one post to encompass this experience. It would take numerous posts to even begin to touch it and then my skills certainly wouldn’t do it justice. Let’s just say it was one of the most interesting experiences in my life and I’m still mourning it just a little.
The combination of the serenity and beauty of Gray Bear, the open and loving nature of the staff and workshop participants, and Michael Buck, aka, Mukti was something I will be tempted to do again and again.
I’m not prone to making New Year’s Resolutions. Never have been really, I’m more the kind of person who just does what needs to be done when I see someone or something in need. That’s why it took me by surprise when, after Christmas, I started thinking some really deep thoughts about things I wanted to change during the New Year.
Thoughts along the lines of not being happy with the large amount of work I’m doing and the small amount of fun I’m having. Thoughts about how I’m allowing my work to suck all the creative juices out of me leaving behind a withered, papery husk by the end of each week. Thoughts about how much time (and life) I’m wasting on Facebook and Pinterest and, dare I say it aloud, WordPress.
Now don’t start thinking I’m going to quit bringing the massage goodness to Decatur, I’ll still be working. I’m just going to be doing more mano y mano and less online. There are, after all, bills to pay, dogs to feed and I am beginning understand why massage therapists don’t really retire, they just slowly wean down their clientele.
This doesn’t mean I won’t be blogging here, I will. It doesn’t mean you won’t ever see me on Facebook, I’ll be there, just less. Less sitting around hitting the refresh button waiting for someone to comment on my latest brilliant Facebook post. Less trolling Pinterest for the latest, neatest, yummiest whatever that promises to change my life. Less stressing and turtling over the long, long list of things that must absolutely be done, right now.
Less Vegging; More Being
More enjoying the moment, being present. More creating whether it be writing or cooking or scrapbooking or crafting something beautiful for the office or house. More music and dancing. More creative fuel. And hopefully more joy.
I’ve not completely figured out the end goal of all this. Perhaps there isn’t one. Perhaps it’s just that I need to learn to enjoy the journey more. That sounds good, Enjoy The Journey. Perhaps the best resolution of all.
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy and Ashi-Thai Massage
So I’m sure if you follow along at all over on my Facebook page you already know that I’ve been in Nashville the last couple of days for a class. I had been considering and pondering and planning for quite a while about this class and then it just sort of fell into my lap.
I drove up Friday morning giving myself an extra hour of drive time which was a good thing. Have you ever driven in Nashville rush hour traffic? Yikes!
Fijian Barefoot Massage
The class was Fijian Barefoot Massage with Lolita Knight. I have been curious about this modality for a while. I wanted to try a different kind of barefoot massage to see how it compares to Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy. And I have to say it was quite different. Similarities, of course, but interesting new ways to use the feet to get in there with the pressure.
And Fijian is similar to Ashi-Thai in that the client stays clothed, which is a plus if you’re working in public spaces. And it’s portable. Very easily portable. Essentially all you need is the floor (or ground if you’re outside). A thai-style mat would up the comfort level, but is not necessary if you’re in a real pinch.
I learned so much at this class and met so many interesting people that I’m still somewhat overwhelmed trying to process and integrate it all.
Meanwhile I have to tell you about the highlight of the entire trip because it is bizarre and surprising and made my day. We were mid-way to lunchtime and had been working for a while. I was chatting with my practice partner. Obviously I told her I was an AOBT and she was asking me some questions about it. Apparently she had been researching Ashi classes and was unsure of which organization to go with. Then she specifically asked about one of the copycat knock off providers and I was launching into my spiel about why she should choose Deepfeet.com when I heard a tiny voice from across the room say, “I teach for them.”
It stopped me in my tracks. For a moment I wasn’t sure how to interpret that statement. You work for the knock off? You work for Ruthie at Deepfeet.com? I looked and there was this face that I recognized, but didn’t know and suddenly a name was flying out of my mouth and there was laughing and squealing and there across the room were two of my Ashi sisters. We all knew each other from our Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy Facebook Group, but didn’t know we were going to be in the same class. I spent the rest of the day hyper aware of where they were and what they were doing as we worked. Then we went to dinner together and had a fabulous time. That poor TGI Fridays in the Opry Mills Mall may never be the same.
Overall I had a great time learning Fijian and then later the luxury add-on Soft Touch Island Massage and getting to share it with my Ashi sisters made it all even better.
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Ashi-Thai and Bamboo-Fusion Massage
When I was in massage school my instructors told us over and over again that it was very important to take time out to have our bodywork done. Without it our tools (our body) would get worn out and eventually injury would set in possibly ending a career. Most massage therapists I know don’t have time to go get a massage. They are busy scheduling appointments, doing massage, managing paperwork and taxes and sometimes employees. Many have families at home to care for and like most folks in the caretaking business, we put ourselves last.
So I was very excited and proud of myself when I scheduled a massage before I was hurting so bad I couldn’t work. The day finally arrived and of course, I’d spent most of it giving massage and hadn’t scheduled myself a lunch break. So as I was driving to my appointment I was wondering what I could eat to tide myself over until dinner. Then I started debating whether or not it was smart to eat and then I started laughing at myself. My clients ask me this question all the time and here I was fretting over whether I should eat or wait.
Should I Eat Before My Massage?
Yes, eat. Always eat and hydrate. Massage, especially deep tissue massage, can cause your blood sugar to drop so having something on board is a good idea. Don’t eat like it’s Thanksgiving dinner. That would be uncomfortable and you could possibly get sick. I use a lot of pressure, probably more than you realize, but your stomach will tell you about it if it’s overly full and I don’t want to clean up the mess. Also, your blood pressure can drop. It’s a side-effect of the relaxation process so hydration is important to keep the blood pressure from dropping too low.
So the takeaway, eat a small snack and drink lots of water before your next massage. Then afterwards go eat a healthy meal if you still feel like you need it.
I suppose it’s a natural question. I get it from almost all of my clients, if not the first time we work together, eventually.
Have You Ever Fallen Off The Table?
The short answer is no, I’ve never fallen off the table. The longer answer is yes, sort of.
When you ask me if I’ve fallen off the table a movie in my brain starts playing wherein I fall off the table head-first onto the inadequately padded, concrete floor. There is a lot of blood in my movie and I end up horribly injured, disfigured, and paralyzed. This has never happened to me, but suffice to say the prospect of truly falling off the massage table from a standing position scares the stuffing out of me.
I have however stepped off the table thinking my step stool was underneath my foot and missed. This is sort of like falling and the aftermath is not comfortable. I have also stepped onto the step stool and had it promptly turn over as I’m dismounting the table. This is almost worse than falling because I think I’m home free and then suddenly there’s danger. I’ve also just stepped straight down off the table onto the floor (on purpose) and jammed up my hip.
Usually my clients never know when this happens unless they hear the step stool thunk a bit. I have been fortunate in that I have never injured myself severely enough to have to stop a massage.
How Do You Keep From Falling Off The Table?
Hold on to the bars is the obvious answer, but sometimes I have to let go to change the drape as I move through the massage or adjust the position of an arm or leg or get off the table altogether. That’s when the safety training takes over. If I did something stupid and/or dangerous while I was learning Ashi (AOBT) or Ashi-Thai, my instructors counseled me. And by counseling I mean I was gently corrected, became the butt of a snarky comment or was downright yelled at if I was about to hurt myself or someone else. I was counseled several times during training. I also learned from my friends’ counseling sessions.
Now that I don’t have the luxury of an instructor scrutinizing my work, if I have a misstep during a massage I flag it in my memory and later come back to analyze it. Â My general philosophy on mistakes is that I should learn as much from them as possible so I never have to repeat them. Thus I try to learn from each misstep or mistake; then I design the massage around my equipment with an eye towards maximizing safety for me and for the client. That way it’s all fun and games and no one gets hurt. And by fun and games I mean the deepest, most luxurious massage on the planet.
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Ashi-Thai and Bamboo-Fusion Massage
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