What are the 13 Rules of Massage Therapy?

1. Slow down when you need to. Speed up when you don’t need to slow down. Massage that’s always slow is ultimately boring massage.   2. Palpate – how can you love if you don’t know what’s there?   3. Know anatomy – not just in general.  Have memorized the origins, insertions and actions for…

Read More

Trauma and the Body – A Vignette

by Gregory Gaiser My first experience as a health care professional working with trauma happened in the early 1990s with a woman I’ll call Roberta. Roberta was in psychotherapy at a local women’s center which specialized in treatment for childhood sexual abuse and rape survivors.  Roberta’s story was particularly tragic as she had been born…

Read More

THORACOLUMBAR FASCIA AND BACK PAIN

Some years ago, I went with my daughter, Katja, to receive her first facial. The esthetician, from Colombia, explained how it would proceed. She said, “Your face does not end at your neck! It goes down to your chests!” Well, something similar can be said about your back. Your back doesn’t end at the waist!…

Read More

Bodywork: Finding what you didn’t even know was there

by Keith Vencill, LMT, CDMT Clients often reveal that the most intense areas discovered during the session are exactly that: unearthed, previously unknown tension and pain. Around this pain and because of it, compensatory movements and postures can grow.  These very pragmatic structural and energetic arrangements are temporary adaptations, but can linger long after they…

Read More

Ritchie Mintz

by David Lauterstein I’m not sure you all know that we have a delightful and very special workshop coming up on March 30. It is a don’t-miss experience to for all bodyworkers and massage therapists in Central Texas! This remarkable class is called Fascial Explorations – and the Streams of Life. It features Ritchie Mintz,…

Read More

Weave

 by Jason Bratcher In the previous article on the Austin Massage blog I focused on the “Deeper” aspects of Lomi Lomi (it’s a great read and I encourage you to read or reread it and blend it with this new article.) Since Lomi Lomi means to “Weave”, amongst its other definitions, I thought I would…

Read More

ENDING THE ENERGY DEBATE

This is an article I’ve spent a long time writing – for the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education and just published by Massage Today. May it do a WORLD of GOOD. Please share with other therapists! Very happy to get these responses already! Thank you most sincerely! “A very well spoken and balanced perspective on this challenging…

Read More

Moving Meditation

by Lauren Bilbe A few years back, I made a fortuitous decision to leave my career as a bureaucrat. My goal was to find a calling that allowed me to live a rhythm of life that works optimally for me, allowing for more free time. I desired to have a greater, more immediate impact on…

Read More

I Get Structurally Integrated

Ritchie Mintz, Certified Advanced Rolfer and Howard Miller, Produce & Meat Supervisor. Wheatsville Food Coop. will be presenting their perspectives on anatomy and Fascia in the upcoming workshop – Fascial Explorations and the Streams of Life on March 30. Register Today – CLICK HERE! This passage is excerpted with permission from Ritchie Mintz’ new book, Foundations of Structural Integration.…

Read More