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Don’t get me wrong, I love stretching! In fact, I did some partner stretching with my son a few days ago (I’ll post on my social media soon). There are other creative ways to be a beacon of self-care for your clients in their time of need. Below are four ways to stay connected by offering tangible resources for your beloved clients. (The links included are NOT affiliate links).
DIY Face Mask
If you are crafty, then you can make them yourself. There’s a link in the resource section at the end of the blog to get you started. If you are not the crafty type, you can purchase them from Etsy. There are MANY sellers making homemade masks. You can have the masks sent directly to your clients or to your home. As an added precaution, be sure to wash the mask(s) once they arrive.
Essential Oil(s)
Many essential oils are known to have anti-viral properties. They are excellent for cleaning the home and creating homemade hand sanitizer.
You can find essential oils in stores like Whole Foods…even Target will often have tea tree oil. You can also purchase online (link is below).
Travel-Sized Hand Sanitizer
Promotional companies make travel-sized hand sanitizer to give away at trade shows. You can also add your own logo if you choose. Just a heads up, the minimum order is 100-500 depending on the product…but don’t let that deter you! Connect with other LMTs and split the order. In the resource section below, I posted a company that has relatively low minimum order amount and a 10 day turn around.
Immune-Boosting Herbs
There is an array of herbs that are great for boosting the immune system. According to a study published by Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, “… natural products serve as an excellent source of biodiversity for discovering novel antivirals, revealing new structure–activity relationships, and developing effective protective/therapeutic strategies against viral infections” (Lin et.al. 2014). Below are herbs that are readily available in the United States:
Send your clients dried herbs, along with a recipe or two on how to use them. This is an excellent way to send your love! You can find these herbs in your local market or online.
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It is important to stay connected with your clients by sending them small, affordable, yet meaningful care packages. It helps to keep the continuity of care and the relationship that you have built throughout the years. It is truly a worthwhile investment in their health.
Be well healers,
Vanessa Hazzard, M.Ed., LMT
LINKS TO HELP ON YOUR JOURNEY:
Face mask tutorial: https://hellosewing.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/
Etsy search for face mask sellers: https://www.etsy.com/search?q=face%20mask
Bulk essential oils: https://www.bulkapothecary.com/categories/essential-oils/pure-therapeutic-grade/
Positive Promotions (hand sanitizer): https://www.positivepromotions.com/hand-sanitizer-bzk-towelette-kit-personalization-available/p/osw8985/
Lin, L. T., Hsu, W. C., & Lin, C. C. (2014). Antiviral natural products and herbal medicines. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 4(1), 24–35. https://doi.org/10.4103/2225-4110.124335
Starwest Botanicals (dried bulk herbs): https://www.starwest-botanicals.com/category/bulk-herbs/?utm_campaign=herbs&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=adcenter&utm_content=bulk-herbs-exact&utm_term=bulk%2520herbs&msclkid=2742169cad66148a9f7b48e32f911c91
Golden Milk Recipe: https://wellnessmama.com/223/turmeric-tea/
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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With self-quarantine mandates in effect, there are more licensed massage therapists and wellness professionals accessing online learning than at any point in our professional history.
Online learning can prove to be challenging for us…due to the tactile nature of our career. We are used to our learning experiences including touching and movement. With that taken out of the equation, learning and retaining knowledge can be a daunting task. While it may be a challenge at first, it is still possible to have an awesome e-learning experience!
Here’s a few tips for you to make the most out of online learning:
1. Limit Your Distractions
Find a quiet place free of commotion and close the door. Close any and all unnecessary browsers. Also, put your phone on “Do Not Disturb”. This will turn off the ringer and social media notifications.
2. Take Handwritten Notes
Writing your notes by hand helps you to retain the information better than using a Word document. Taking notes is especially helpful when watching a video lesson or podcast.
3. Don’t Try to Digest the Lesson All at Once
This often leads to cramps and muscle aches (which is why most of our clients come to see us)! It also leads to daydreaming, loss of focus, and a decrease in your ability to retain the information. Instead, pause the lesson every 10 minutes to take notes. Take a 5 minute stretching break every hour.
4. Embodiment
Embodying the lesson allows you to take what is on the screen and make it tangible. For example: mimic the movements and make note of how a stretch feels. Pretend that there is a body in front of you. Practice the techniques like you would on a client. Lastly, palpate the areas on your body and on a partner if one is available.
I hope you found these quick tips helpful! Feel free to contact me with any specific questions!
Be well,
Vanessa
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.
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
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.
Hello Healers!
Welcome to the first installment of my monthly series. The Skill Building for Thai Bodyworkers Series was designed to formally introduce you to your body! You will sharpen your anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology skills…while learning cool Thai Massage techniques to address the body’s needs. Each series will include:
If you have taken Thai massage classes before, you know that this modality was not designed for “spot treatments”. The goal is to remove stagnation within the sen lines (energy pathways) so that lom, or energy (which actually translates to “wind”), can flow more freely. This means that the client experiences a sense of ease (as opposed to dis-ease). This is done with compressions, massage, stretching, and movement. These physical techniques have energetic intentions. That being said, for the sake of making learning about the body more attainable, we will focus on one portion of the body at a time. The techniques shown should be included in a full body sequence for best results.
Who is This Series for?
The Skill Building for Thai Bodyworkers Series is specifically for people that have taken at least one Thai massage course and do not have a strong background in anatomy. It is also beneficial if you have taken an anatomy course and wish to strengthen your knowledge. As I mentioned above, while Thai massage is an energetic modality, you are still manipulating the physical body. This series will help you know the names of things you are touching!
So, before we jump into specific conditions, let’s talk about basic anatomical terms. This will help you to navigate future blogs. Use this specific entry as a resource…it’ll make your life easier. I’ve included a PDF of this blog for future reference. We will be discussing:
Planes are three imaginary lines penetrating the body to aid in visualizing the spatial relationship.
Sagittal– lengthwise cut dividing the body into left and right portions. Mid-sagittal means the cut divides the body into equal left and right halves.
Transverse or Horizontal – perpendicular to the sagittal plane. Divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions.
Frontal or Coronal – perpendicular to both the sagittal and transverse planes. Divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.
Flexion
Decreases the angle between two bones. It bends a joint, or brings two bones closer together.
Ex. My arm in the photo (elbow flexion). My model’s arms (shoulder flexion).
Extension
Increases the angle between two bones by straightening or opening a joint. Hyperextension is when a joint extends beyond its normal range of motion.
Ex. My model’s arms are in elbow extension.
Dorsiflexion
A movement of the ankle that lifts the toes towards head.
Ex. Flexing the foot in a calf stretch
Plantar Flexion
A movement of the ankle that points the foot toward the ground.
Ex. Pressing the gas pedal
Abduction
Moves the limb(s) away from the midline (think “take away”)
Ex. Leg abduction to palm press leg muscles
Adduction
Moves the limb(s) toward the midline (think “adding towards the body”)
Ex. Leg adduction to place the leg back to original position after performing technique
Ulnar Deviation
Radial Deviation
Abduction and adduction at the wrist joint is called “ulnar deviation” and “radial deviation”.
Ulnar deviation is when it angles towards the pinkie finger side.
Radial deviation is when the hand is palm up and angles towards the thumb side.
Flexing the head or vertebral column to the side. This is a head and vertebral column movement only.
Rotation
Turning from side to side. This is a head and vertebral column movement only.
Example: Shaking your head “no”
Medial/Lateral Rotation (Sometimes referred to as internal and external rotation)
These photos show internal and external rotation of the hip joint.
Medial rotates the body part towards the body.
Lateral rotates the body part away from the body.
Inversion
Movement of the sole of the foot inward toward the midline.
Example: Twisting the foot at the ankle joint towards midline of the body.
Eversion
Movement of the sole of the foot outward away from the midline.
Example: Twisting the foot at the ankle joint away from midline of the body.
Supination
Movement of the hand that turns the palm upward.
Pronation
Movement of the hand that turns the palm downward.
Horizontal Adduction
A movement that adds the limb towards the body in the horizontal or transverse plane.
Horizontal Adduction
A movement that adds the limb towards the body in the horizontal or transverse plane.
Circumduction
Turns the part in a complete circle.
Thumb Opposition
This is the only joint that performs this motion. Thumb opposition is when the thumb and fingertips touch.
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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