Holistic Education

Massage for Ear Pain

Massage therapy is a natural way to help discomfort and pain in your ears that you may be experiencing. A common way for ear pain to occur is from ear infections. Massage is a great technique to reduce the pain from an ear infection. You can visit you local massage therapist who may have many strategies to address ear pain. You can also perform self-massage to experience immediate relief from ear pain and infection. continue reading »

The Effects of Muscle Tension and How Massage Can Help

massage-1015568_640Many people brush off muscle tension as being nothing more than the body’s response to stress, assuming it has no real impact on their health. But the truth is that muscle tension, especially chronic cases that persist for weeks or months on end, can affect the body in more ways than just one. continue reading »

Benefits of Massage Therapy for Office Workers

office_workers_400Does your job require you sit at a desk for all or most of the workday? It is not uncommon for those with desk jobs to experience chronic back pain, circulation problems and other issues that can arise from sitting on a computer 40 hours a week. If you are dealing with chronic pain, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Fortunately, massage therapy is an excellent way to relieve pain, improve posture and get you back on the road to better health. continue reading »

Massage as Education

Someone recently asked me if, in addition to attending classes in massage therapy, I also   receive massage. My answer: YES! ABSOLUTELY! NO QUESTION ABOUT IT!

My very first massage was a life-changing event for me. Right then and there, I heard my inner voice (a wise old soul) tell me that this was “what I was meant to do”. Within months, I enrolled in a massage therapy training program, and embarked on a fascinating, yet previously unimagined, journey into this new phase of my life. This was some 30+ years ago.

As we learned the nuts and bolts of massage therapy, we practiced on each other and I received various forms of touch at least twice weekly. I made a commitment to myself that from then on I would continue getting massage regularly. Since I graduated, I have carved out a time for myself weekly, biweekly, or at least once a month for my massage, and I give it priority in my schedule.

Massage has always been a learning experience for me, whether I am giving or receiving it. Not only does it relieve my aches and pains and coax me into being centered and relaxed, massage also deepens my awareness and understanding of my self and my body.

During my sessions, I am attentive to how each stroke or technique, along with how and where it is applied, may affect me at that particular time. I notice how my therapist puts the parts of each session together to achieve a particular effect. This enables me to understand and imagine how clients may experience, in their own body, the various forms of touch I use. My self-observation, along with the client’s communication (both verbal and nonverbal) guides me toward choosing massage approaches and adaptations that will best serve this person, and will encourage a healing and beneficial experience for them.

In summary, while I have been privileged to study with many innovators and masters of specialized bodywork programs over the years, receiving massage itself is an education for me. I consider it equally important as any classroom instruction I may engage in. As my body ages, I find it increasingly vital and helpful to receive massage therapy, as it provides me with greater physical ease and awareness, and a growing appreciation for my self in this/my body