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I’d like to share something with you all that I never really talk about. I don’t like to get too personal because personal and professional boundaries are important. Yet, I’m choosing to share this part of my life with you all because I often hear other healing arts entrepreneurs struggle with this same thing.
I had a pretty challenging childhood. I grew up poor and that affected my relationship towards money and self-worth. Poverty messes with your brain in ways that can affect you over time and in many ways. Ways that have taken years of therapy to work through! In the past, I have even had panic attacks when working on wealthy clients because the voice in my head that says, “I’m not worthy”, won’t shut the hell up!
Here I am, a healing arts professional with 14 years of experience under my belt. I have multiple degrees and countless certifications. I’ve worked on thousands of clients and had hundreds of students over the years, and yet shaking that feeling of not being good enough is still a struggle for me.
Thankfully, most days the negative voice is quiet or non-existent. This is the result of years of practice with re-educating my brain. Being a wellness professional doesn’t mean that I am immune to intrapersonal struggles, but it does mean that I have come up with ways to help myself when I am panicked. When I feel the anxiety coming on, I remind myself of these things:
Are you struggling with confidence in yourself as a healing arts professional? Wouldn’t it be great to build a stronger foundation in massage and bodywork, replete with a larger body of knowledge?
I can help you with that.
Along with an array of courses in the United States, I’m going back to Thailand for the third time June 22-30, 2019 and I’d love for you to join me! This time, I’ll be teaching at Samahita Retreat Center, located on the lovely island, Koh Samui.
Spend 9-days learning Thai massage, partner yoga, and how to incorporate eastern knowledge in western settings. The course I’ll be teaching is eligible for NCBTMB CE hours in most states, including New York. (Contact me for details and I can tell you if it is approved in your state). You will learn traditional Thai massage combined with innovative techniques that are evidence-based…and plenty of variations based on body types and injuries!
Not a massage therapist? Yoga and fitness professionals are welcome!
This is not only an opportunity to build your practice and earn continuing education hours, but it is also a chance to explore the other side of the world! Click here to learn more and register! Anyway, I’m so glad that I was able to share my experiences with you all in hopes of helping someone else that struggles with the same thing.
Since 2005, I have been helping folks to reduce chronic and acute pain, decrease stress, improve athletic performance, restore range of motion, and simply relax while hiding from the kids and in-laws. In short, I help you be resilient to whatever life throws at you!
Lets get to know each other! Join my Thai Yoga Massage community on Facebook.
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By Vanessa Hazzard
Originally featured in Massage Today July 2018 Edition
Thai massage is the most well-known branch of traditional Thai medicine. What we currently practice as
Thai massage has been highly influenced by Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, along with
existing indigenous Thai healing practices. Like the Thais, wellness practitioners in the U.S. have also
blended healing practices from around the globe.
Because of the dynamic stretches, massage therapists in the West tend to gravitate towards Thai massage for
use on clients that aim to increase their flexibility. While this is one benefit, this ancient modality is way
more than just stretching.
In Thai massage theory, it is believed to be 72,000 invisible energy pathways, called sen lines, in the body.
Only 10 of those sen lines have been “mapped” on the body and are used during sessions. The sen are
conduits for an energy called, lom, which translates to “wind.” The goal is to remove stagnation within the
sen lines so that lom, can flow more freely. This means that the client experiences a sense of ease (as opposed to dis-ease). This is done through compressions, massage, stretching, movement, as well as an opening mantra recited before laying hands on the client. These physical techniques have energetic intentions. They’re meant to balance the total body and
spirit of the recipient. As research into Thai massage grows, studies have been confirming what practitioners
in Thailand have known for years. This modality is, in fact, beneficial for an array of physical and mental
conditions.
Mental Health
Thai Massage supports mental well-being and has been shown to decrease depression and anxiety. It decreases psychological stress by increasing parasympathetic activity. This activity slows the heart rate and allows the body to “rest and digest”. In 2014, a study was published in Clinical Interventions in Aging that examined how effective Traditional Thai Massage was in treating muscle spasticity, functional ability, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in stroke patients, versus conventional physical therapy (Thanakiatpinyo, et. al. 2014). The results showed that both Thai Massage and physical therapy both helped decrease muscle spasticity, functional ability, and quality of life. Yet, Thai Massage was the only modality that significantly decreased anxiety and depression.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy is a neurological condition that is the result of abnormal brain development or brain injury. While it can occur prior to birth or during labor and delivery, each person with cerebral palsy will have varying levels of functionality. This can range from being completely immobile to only needing a minimal amount of help with daily tasks. Individuals with cerebral palsy may experience:
A 2015 study published in the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand concluded that “Thai Massage decreased muscle spasticity and is suggested to be an alternative treatment for reducing spasticity in young people [6-18] with cerebral palsy” (Malila et.al. 2015). Although treatment and therapy can help manage the effects it has on the body, the damage to the brain is permanent.
Diabetes
People with diabetes may experience lack of balance, coordination, and muscle weakness. Peripheral neuropathy, also common amongst diabetics, is nerve damage resulting in a burning or tingling sensation, particularly in the hands and feet. Thai foot massage, which uses thumbs and reflexology sticks, has been shown to be beneficial for diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy. Results of a study performed at Khon Kaen University showed that “Thai foot massage is a viable alternative treatment for balance performance, ROM of the foot, and the foot sensation in diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy” (Chatchawan et. al. 2015).
Knowing the benefits of Thai Massage outside of increasing or restoring flexibility, opens up opportunities for bodyworkers to help a wider array of clients. Whether performed in a Traditional Thai Massage, or in conjunction with western therapies, our clients will benefit from our greater understanding of the applications of this modality.
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Are you interested in studying Thai massage? Come to join me in Koh Samui, Thailand for the Thailand Healing Arts Retreat in June 2019! Learn more by clicking here!
References
Chatchawan, U., Eungpinichpong, W., et al. (2015). Effects of Thai foot massage on balance performance in diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy: a randomized parallel-controlled trial. Med Sci Monit Basic Res. 2015; 21:68–75. doi: 10.12659/msmbr.894163. PMID: 25892354.
Malila, P., Seeda, K., Machom, S., Eungpinithpong, W. (2015). Effects of Thai massage on spasticity in young people with cerebral palsy. J Med Assoc Thai. 2015 Jun; 98 (Suppl 5): S92–S96.
Thanakiatpinyo, T., Suwannatrai, S., Suwannatrai, U., Khumkaew, P., Wiwattamongkol, D., Vannabhum, M., Kuptniratsaikul, V. (2014). The efficacy of traditional Thai massage in decreasing spasticity in elderly stroke patients. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 9, 1311–1319. http://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S66416
Since 2005, I have been helping folks to reduce chronic and acute pain, decrease stress, improve athletic performance, restore range of motion, and simply relax while hiding from the kids and in-laws. In short, I help you be resilient to whatever life throws at you!
Lets get to know each other! Join my Thai Yoga Massage community on Facebook.
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Originally Published in My Area Yoga
Thai Massage has been known for its dynamic stretches, since becoming popular in the United States in the 1990s. It looks more like yoga than what we in the west consider to be massage therapy. In fact, it is often called, “lazy man’s yoga”. While people tend to flock towards Thai Massage to help with their flexibility, this ancient modality is way more than just stretching. Here are five other reasons why Thai Massage is one of the best healing modalities you should make a part of your self-care arsenal.
Since 2005, I have been helping folks to reduce chronic and acute pain, decrease stress, improve athletic performance, restore range of motion, and simply relax while hiding from the kids and in-laws. In short, I help you be resilient to whatever life throws at you!
Lets get to know each other! Join my Thai Yoga Massage community on Facebook.
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in four adults, approximately 61.5 million Americans, experience mental illness in a given year. Most likely, we all have had at least one massage therapy client that has dealt with mental illness at some point in their lives. As Memorial Day approaches, I am reminded that many of us work with veterans. Those who have served in the armed forces are more prone to post-traumatic stress disorder than other populations. Those symptoms may affect how they react to otherwise benign situations in the treatment room.
Last year, I attended a Yoga for Trauma and Recovery Teacher Training through the Transformation Yoga Project. I received a wealth of knowledge and met some pretty incredible people along the way. During the meditation portion of the training, I reflected on the various ways healing modalities, such as massage and yoga, can affect people living with psychological distress.
As massage therapists, we know that positive, informed touch can be transformative. To learn more about depression and massage therapy, check out my online continuing education course Depression 101.
“If compassion doesn’t include ourselves, it is incomplete.”-Jack Kornfield
It is not uncommon for healers to forget to heal themselves. When our energy is depleted, it is near impossible for us to give quality care to our clients. Eventually it takes a toll on us, can ultimately cut our career short.
There are certain barriers that LMTs have that prevent them from caring for themselves on a regular basis. Namely time and money! I came across this cool little article, 23 Ways to Treat Yo’ Self without Buying or Eating Anything. It’s pretty awesome! I definitely plan on doing some of these…especially numbers 1, 6, and 10. I hope you will too!
Have other self-care tips to share? Write in the comments section below!