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This post contains information that may be of interest to members of Harvest Moon Massage’s local community. North Alabama

Dealing With the Death of a Client

David's FuneralAnd 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.

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

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Proper Etiquette for Interacting with the Deaf

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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Not Once in a Blue Moon

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

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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Portable Ashiatsu Massage

Lately I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the portability of my Ashi massages. And I’m happy to say that, yes, I can come to your location. In early 2011 I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a set of Hardee-Ashiatsu Portable Bars.

I have the ability to travel with my portables for different events. To date I have had been able to use them at several outdoor 5Ks and occasionally I throw them up on my front porch just to play with them. I am always searching for more opportunities to travel with my bars. I enjoy introducing the public to Ashiatsu. The adult reactions range from sheer boredom to fascination. The kids are so much fun and will gather just to watch and wait for the opportunity to jump on the table. And yes, I work on kids, but mostly it’s just a simple stretch and they get a tickle if they want it. The adults are a little harder to get on the table, but once they do they are so glad they did.

Portables aren’t really appropriate for just one or two massages unless you’re willing to pay an outrageous set up fee. What they are appropriate for is events or conventions or office functions or anything really where people gather who would like a massage therapist on hand.

The following video features my lovely Ashi-Thai instructor, Jeni Spring, assembling a set of portable bars. I find it highly entertaining as she is really much taller in person than on the video. Her sense of style cracks me up and you can really see her personality coming through starting around minute 3:30 and continuing on until the end. Enjoy!

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The Fuzz Speech…

I have heard and read for years that it’s important to stretch before you exit the bed in the morning. Most of the reasons given have to do with blood flow and getting the blood that pools in the extremities out of the legs and arms and back into the core of the body.

Then I ran across “The Fuzz Speech” and this new approach to the importance of stretching and movement kind of smacked me upside the head. I knew about the “stuckness” that happens after injury or prolonged disuse of the body. As a massage therapist, I see these kinds of body issues every day in my clients. As a part-time desk jockey, I have struggled with these kinds of body issues for years. But I had very little visualization into what the anatomy and physiology behind it was.

I’ve never heard of this “fuzz” before and I am fascinated.

So the following video is a talk given by Dr. Gil Hedley about this stuff he calls fuzz that grows between what I understand is the fascial sheaths of muscles (perhaps it is part of the fascia?). The fuzz grows while the muscles are still, i.e., while we sleep or spend hours hunched in front of our computers or vegging on the couch. Enough fuzz and you realize you’re stiff and have trouble getting going again. Even more fuzz and it becomes strong enough to cause restrictions in movement. This is the point where I typically see a new client.

The solution to the fuzz? Movement, period.

As someone who struggles daily with getting enough activity and movement, I found this to be pure genius. It shores up my resolve to move more, to stretch more, to get more of the E-word.

So since I’ve told you all about it, perhaps you would actually like to see the video? Just a word before you view it, there’s cadaver footage in the video. In case you’re sensitive to that kind of thing, you might want to just listen.

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My First Sporting Event!

One of the things I’ve been wanting to do as an Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapist is do events with my portable bars. Heck, it’s why I invested all those dollars on the portable bars.

Up until now I haven’t had much luck insinuating myself into any local events. Until yesterday when a friend texted and asked if I would donate a gift certificate to support The Special Olympics via the Decatur Police Department’s annual Torch Run. I had been involved with this organization in years past and immediately agreed.

Then I pitched, “How about I come out and work your event?” She got excited, I got excited, then we figured out I was going to be out of town that weekend, but wait, there’s another event this weekend closer to where we live.

So… Harvest Moon Massage Therapy & Reflexology will be at the Foot Pursuit 5K this Saturday giving out free massages!

Where: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 1450 Sparkman Street, Hartselle, AL
When: March 26, ~7am – 10:30am

I would love to see you there!

And here’s a gratuitous plug for my friend / Ashi-Thai instructor. She is the subject of an article about Ashi and Athletes and put up some lovely pictures from one of her events.

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A Week In An Airport

I recently saw a client who had spent a week in airports across Europe and the U.S. trying to get home after spending the holidays in Italy.

I can’t say that I’d ever wondered what sleeping on benches and chairs and floors would do to my back. I suppose if I’d ever considered it, I figured I’d be permanently broken. This client, surprisingly, was not. Of course, she’s younger, still in college. Still, I was surprised that she wasn’t in worse shape.

While working with her, I began to contemplate the levels of frustration spending that much time stranded must have generated. I can’t imagine.

Afterward as I was driving home listening to the news from Haiti, I began thinking about how frustrated and desperate the survivors of the earthquake must feel. The outpouring of aid from the U.S. is encouraging. I hope it’s in time.

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I’m Honored

Today I received a phone call from the head of the Massage Therapy program at Calhoun Community College. It was a request for me to serve on their advisory board.

They needed a graduate to participate on the board and I was selected out of all their graduates over the past two years. I’m honored and excited!

I find it coincidental that I’m currently in a multi-day massage training program when I get this offer. Karma works in strange and wonderful ways and affirms that I’m doing something right.

Oh, and I accepted, of course!

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