by Hannah Ford
A riddle for you: what do a sub sandwich, a novel, and a massage have in common?
They’re all deeply unsatisfying if you leave out the middle.
Your massage education included the basics of abdominal massage, but have you found yourself skipping that part of your sessions with clients? There are many reasons for this drift away from the belly – maybe some clients are uncomfortable with their own abdomens, or you are often in a time crunch with short session times, or you feel less than confident with draping methods – but no matter the reasons you’ve let it slip away, I’m here to say you need to bring back the belly work!
Breath resides in the belly. Emotions linger here. Organs sustain us from within the abdomen. And the stress of modern life, combined with a culture that values abs of steel over soft, open bellies, can conspire to create an armoring in this area that begs to be nurtured and melted.
I’ve focused my own massage practice on this vital area. My private practice, Belly Love Massage Therapy, is centered on abdominal massage for fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and women’s health. I’d like to help you regain your confidence in the value of abdominal work for all types of clients, and rekindle your enthusiasm for belly rubs!
In this 6 hour class, we will review the relevant anatomy, present several options for comfortable draping, reflect on social/emotional perspectives of the belly, experience breathing and postural exercises you can use to educate clients and care for yourself, and practice and receive Swedish and Deep Massage techniques to relax and soften the abdomen.
Brush up on your belly love skills – your clients will thank you for it, from the bottom of their bellies!
Learn more at the Abdominal Massage workshop with Hannah Ford on October 19. CLICK HERE to register today!