David Lauterstein
Muddy Waters on Energy
“She moves me, man. Honey, now I don’t see how it’s done.” – Muddy Waters The concept of energy in bodywork has historically had, and I think wisely, a wide definition. It retains the mystery Muddy Waters evoked. Yet maybe we can see with a little less muddiness “how it’s done”. In physics, it is…
Read MoreMassage Therapy with Two Eyes
Energy work and structural work are two sides of the same coin. The most effective therapy arises from an approach that respects the unity of structural and energetic aspects of both therapist and the client. The various arguments for and against energy work, for and against insistence on evidence-based therapy, are certainly passionate. The best…
Read MoreEnergy Work Defended (Against Devotees and Detractors)
Energy is too important a subject to be, on the one hand, defined only by its devotees – some of whose ideas or practices have been shown to be false or dangerous or with claims made for scientific validity where there is insufficient scientific evidence or disproof. On the other hand, energy work has been…
Read MoreEnergy and Integrative Massage in Recent History
When I began as a therapist in 1977, Swedish massage, Shiatsu, Rolfing, Aston Patterning, Reiki, Feldenkrais, Alexander work, Polarity, and Cranio-sacral therapy were what one mostly encountered. There was a broad umbrella under which they all easily co-existed. As the massage and bodywork field grew, its proliferation gave rise to new modalities, new educational standards,…
Read More3-D Massage – Disease, Disposition & Destiny
In my last blog piece, I outlined three realms of massage/bodywork – wellness, orthopedic, and holistic. We can also look at three purposes for massage and bodywork. These relate to the “3 D’s” – Disease, Disposition and Destiny. DISEASE People come to us with dis-ease. It may be a physical disease – an injury or…
Read MoreMedical Massage is Not the Best Kind of Massage
Over the last few years, some practitioners of so-called medical massage have implied it represents the highest level of our profession. First problem, most state laws say massage is NOT the practice of medicine. Many therapists persist in blithely ignoring that. Second problem, assuming the superiority of a medical approach ignores the client. The best…
Read MoreDeep Massage for the Trapezius: Therapy for the Sails of Life
We use our shoulders, arms and hands to take action. And, on the other hand, when we talk they are used expressively – they are parts of speech. We see also in writing and sign language an entirely linguistic use of shoulders, arms and hands. Massage itself meaningfully bridges these two worlds of action and…
Read MoreMassage Therapy – The Antidote to the Economy?
For years, I was fascinated with Systems-Centered Therapy and worked hard in a group. One thing I learned was that many of our fears are not based on reality. Rather, we often make negative predictions about what may happen in the future – a meeting might not go well next week, this new client might…
Read MoreWhy Choose the Life of a Massage Therapist?
I remember the exact moment in 1977 on a train in Chicago. I was working through the career-hunters book, What Color is Your Parachute?, and heard the words in my mind, “I guess I’m going to become a massage therapist!” And sure enough, that’s what I’ve been ever since. Here’s some of what I got…
Read MoreThe First French Hippy Gets a Massage?
In 1785 Claude-Étienne Savary wrote about his experiences receiving massage in Egypt. ‘Perfectly massaged, one feels completely regenerated, a feeling of extreme comfort pervades the whole system, the chest expands, and we breathe with pleasure; the blood circulates with ease, and we have a sensation as if freed from an enormous load; we experience a…
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