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Massage Therapy Education in Maui, Hawaii Part 2

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:42:51 +0000

With the field of massage continually expanding, a strong, quality Massage Therapy Education proves to be a valuable resource to meet and beat stiff competition in today’s workforce. Whether students desire to open their own private day spa or practice, or choose to work in a health care setting, it is imperative that future therapists be prepared through an appropriate Massage Therapy Education. In particular, students who wish to work in an acupuncture clinic may consider a Massage Therapy Education that incorporates Chinese medical massage (tuina), acupressure, or shiatsu. A helpful hint for prospective sports medicine and rehabilitative clinic practitioners would be to gain an in-depth Massage Therapy Education in sports massage, neuromuscular therapy, and cross fiber technique.

Other ideal techniques that can be learned through a Massage Therapy Education include lymphatic drainage and geriatric massage. Students who aspire to work in natural health oncology clinics and geriatric centers would find these studies to be quite useful in their career objectives.

Depending on the specific massage school, the Massage Therapy Education you receive may lead you through weeks or months of practical and academic studies. Some Massage Therapy Education institutes provide day and evening classes, as well as weekend classes. Students enrolled in a Massage Therapy Education will find that they will most likely have to sit for the National Certification exam to receive professional certification in massage therapy. In many states, this is preferred, if not required. While LMTs (Licensed Massage Therapists) who have received an in-depth Massage Therapy Education will almost always earn slightly more than regular massage therapists, the field of massage therapy promises to be rewarding no matter which choice of modality or Massage Therapy Education you choose.

Massage Therapy Education in Maui, Hawaii Part 1

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:22:58 +0000

For those who are interested in a Massage Therapy Education, comprehensive schools of massage and vocational massage schools have taken innovative steps to extend this unique healing art to students everywhere. In the United States alone, there are hundreds of natural healing schools that provide Massage Therapy Education in a vast assortment of massage modalities.

For inquisitive minds or career-oriented individuals who are seriously contemplating a Massage Therapy Education in order to establish a foundation for professional practice, it is important to evaluate all options prior to applying to the massage school of choice. With several massage techniques that one can explore, the selections are nearly unlimited. In today’s Massage Therapy Education, students can choose to earn a certificate, diploma, or even a degree in massage therapy. In addition, curious folks can opt to partake in community workshops and seminars that also offer informal Massage Therapy Education. Clearly, the field of practical learning is vast and full of opportunity.

In a standard Massage Therapy Education, most students will encounter general studies in anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, ethics, and hands-on training in deep tissue, sports massage, or Swedish massage therapies. In a more advanced Massage Therapy Education, prospective candidates may elect to learn more in-depth and varied styles of massage, such as acupressure, Alexander technique, Bowen technique, core energetics, hot stone massage, lymphatic massage, structural integration, tuina, reflexology, Rolfing, and zero balancing – to list just a small number of available applications.

8 Steps To Giving a Great Shoulder Massage Part 3

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:16:42 +0000

* Now, support their forehead with one palm, and put your index finger and thumb around the back of their neck. Pull towards the back of the neck fairly gently (similar to the move on the tops of the shoulders, but only using the finger and thumb). Do this up and down the neck as required.

* Now, with your hands in the same position, try and find the occipital ridge on the back of their skull using the index finger and thumb (one on each side of the centre). This is the line you can feel at the back and base of the skull, and it starts about an inch behind the ears. Work around the ridge doing tiny circles.

* Finally, do a bit more plucking on the shoulders, a few more circles with your thumbs on their back, and some more effleurage. Finish the massage with effleurage leading up to the tops of the shoulders, then firmly down the arms and off the elbows.

This is one of the quickest and easiest massages to do, and if done right feels very good. Above all, make sure you both enjoy it, and don’t do anything that hurts either of you – it’s incredibly easy to strain your own muscles trying to relax someone else…

8 Steps To Giving a Great Shoulder Massage Part 2

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:33:21 +0000

* Pluck the tops of the shoulders from near the neck to the deltoids. This means holding your hand as if you were picking up a glass of water, holding the top of the shoulder between thumb and index finger (supporting with the other three fingers), and then gently pulling up and away. The idea is lift the muscle without pinching it – ask them if you’re doing it right. If someone has particularly beefy muscles (or if you just want to vary things), use both hands on one shoulder at the same time, holding the thumbs and index fingers together.

* Resting your fingers on the tops of the shoulders, make circular movements with your thumbs on either side of the spine, again working up and out. You can be quite firm with this move, always ask if they want more or less pressure. If you find knots (which you can feel as bumps in the muscle), you can try and work on them by pressing and holding over them, or rotating the thumbs in opposite directions around them. Releasing a knot feels very nice for the person being massaged. Work all the way to the edges of the shoulder blades, and more gently over them – then work gently on the neck in the bands of muscle just on either side of the centre (don’t go further round with this move, or it’ll hurt).

* The next move is ‘two handed hacking’. Push your wrists and fingertips together firmly, but relax your fingers so they can move from side to side when you shake your hands. Hold the fingers apart and in a kind of prayer position, and rotate at the wrist so the little fingers slap into their back and the other fingers slap into the little fingers. If you get it right, it’ll make a distinctive sound – get it wrong and it’ll feel like you’re just karate chopping them. Do this over their upper back as hard as they want. If you want, you can take your hands apart and do the same thing with each hand individually (with practise you can hit the same spot with both hands in turn so fast that it feels continuous).

8 Steps To Giving a Great Shoulder Massage Part 1

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:12:21 +0000

A shoulder massage is a great way to help someone relax, particularly if they’ve been working at a desk all day. It can be done without oil, or through clothes, and is therefore also an ideal platonic massage for giving to friends without looking like you have ulterior motives.

This massage shouldn’t be done on anyone with injuries to their shoulder or neck, allergies to any oil you may be using, or skin problems. Ideally you should be in a relaxing environment, and there should be a comfortable chair for the person you’re massaging to sit in that still allows you to reach their shoulders, neck and upper back. You should be able to massage them without having to bend over, or else by the time you’ve finished you’ll need a back massage to get over it.

* Stand behind the person you’re massaging as they sit down. If they’ve taken their top off, offer a towel for them to cover the bits you’re not massaging, unless it’s both very warm and you know each other very well. If using oil, put a little in the palms of your hands and rub them together to warm it up.

* Start using sweeping, stroking movements (effleurage) of your palms over their upper back and shoulders, to coat the skin in a small amount of oil. Using far too much oil means you can’t grip the skin for some of the moves. Work from the centre up and out wherever possible. You can use this move to find any knots in the muscle for later moves.

Five Tips for Shopping for a Massage School in Hawaii

admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:58:39 +0000

As the current Director of Education at the Cortiva Institute just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Polseno advises those considering massage therapy school: “Be a wise shopper.”

“Select a massage therapist school that can prove its competency and educational excellence.” Polseno urges students trying to choose between the numerous massage therapy schools available to consider five key elements when making their decision.

1. Longevity of the school – How long has the massage school existed? The longer the better.

2. School focus – A school devoted to massage therapy is more likely to ensure educational excellence than a trade school where massage therapy is one item on the menu.

3. Experience level of the teachers – Look for massage therapy schools where the faculty have been teaching for five or more years and have additional hands-on experience.

4. Reputation of the school – Research this question using three methods:

* Get a massage from a graduate and decide whether you like the person’s technique.

* Talk to employers who hire the school’s graduates. Ask whether they hire—or make a point not to hire—graduates from a particular massage therapist school.

* Talk to graduates. Ask if they would recommend the school they attended or a different massage therapy school.

5. Percent of graduates that pass the national certification exam – Compare the massage school’s passage rate for the national certification exam to the national average. A school with a passage rate above the national average demonstrates educational excellence.

Ancient Art Of Reflexology

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:10:30 +0000

Want to optimize your health? Learn how to move the thumb of your right hand across your left palm or find someone who is willing to work on your feet.

Even if you don’t get it exactly right, it’s OK. Reflexology is comforting and relaxing, and the touch is beneficial.

Reflexology, an ancient healing method, is based on the premise there are maps to all the major organs of the body on the hands, feet and even the ears.

Applying pressure just under the pinkie finger may help that sore shoulder, and manipulating the tip of the big toe can stimulate the brain. Move down to the ball of the foot under the big toe, and you’re working on the heart.

Cindy Hayes of Serendipity Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in Stuart said some of her customers come for a massage, then end up being surprised when the therapist works on their feet.

Some people can’t have a massage because of other health issues, but will discover that reflexology is a viable alternative. “Maybe they are too sensitive in some areas, because of something like migraines. They can’t be touched and may not tolerate massage, but we can access different parts of the body through these nerve pathways,” Hayes said.

“Reflexology accesses the inner organs of the body,” she said. “There’s really no other way to do this. And everything in reflexology can be adapted to a person’s needs.” Reflexology is not meant to be painful, but should be comforting and comfortable to the client.

Knowing the zones of the hands and the feet, a reflexologist can zero in on the sore back, an upset stomach or just about anything else, reaching parts of the body in a way that massage alone can’t do.

Foot Reflexology Throughout the Ages

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:06:43 +0000

Foot reflexology pressure therapy is a safe holistic remedy. Records of this ancient healing art date back as far as ancient Egypt.

Foot Reflexology is very old, and was practiced as an ancient form of pressure treatment that uses the application of focused pressure on known “reflex” points that are found in the foot. The various points correspond to areas on and within the body.

When a person receives a foot reflexology treatment they may benefit from increased circulation as well as relaxation. A session promotes the release of tensions. Although there are many other benefits, (for which empirical proof may not yet exist). But recipients have noted that this ancient tool does promote the clearing of emotional debris. And therapists have evidence that reflexology helps with the release of toxins from of organs, tired cells and tissues are rejuvenated, the auric field responds by balancing, the body is more grounded, and reflexology helps to facilitate other energy methods offering a synergistic effect.

The age of those first practicing reflexology is not known. There is , substantial information that suggests Foot Reflexology and other forms of pressure point therapy may have been used as are back as five thousand years. This is noted both in China and Egypt.

In fact, in Corinthians, in the bible, there are references which suggests that the early Christians knew about the practice and benefits. Perhaps the tradition of washing the feet and anointing the feet with oil carried medicinal significance, in addition to the traditional teachings associated with humility and being of service.

What is Reflexology Massage?

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:35:24 +0000

Reflexology is a gentle form of therapeutic treatment applied to the feet and sometimes to the hands. It evolved around 1913 from the work of Dr. William H. Fitzgerald, an ear, nose and throat surgeon in the United States. Reflexology is considered to be a holistic healing technique that aims to treat the individual as a whole, in order to induce a state of balance and harmony in body, mind, and spirit.

Reflexology is based on the belief that there are reflex areas on the feet (and hands) corresponding to all the parts of the body including major organs. It is believed that applying pressure to specific areas on the feet, hands and ears can affect internal organs and body systems, and therefore promote good health.

The therapist stimulates and works these organs and systems through the reflexes areas on the hands and feet, applying pressure to the feet with thumb and fingers. Pressure is applied to clear out congestion and restore normal functioning and health.

Reflexology was brought to America in the early 1900s by Chinese immigrants.

Treatment Time?

A treatment usually lasts between 40 minutes and 1 hour.

Benefits of Reflexology?

Reflexology has many benefits. It feels good. It is pleasant and soothing, and it relaxes the body. Each person responds to a reflexology in a unique way and on occasions may experience a variety of short term reactions, for example, extreme relaxation, tiredness, lethargy or tearfulness. Reflexology is not a ‘cure-all’. However, reflexology does help releive pain associated with migraine, sinus problems, breathing disorders, digestive problems, circulatory problems, back problems, tension, and stress.