NOTES ON A SESSION – 12/9/2013
I periodically remember, way after the fact, that it could be useful for any of us to share the details of our sessions. Each session is such a fascinating integration of art, intuition, critical thinking, applied science, touch experiments, careful observations of client response, and moment-to-moment refinements as we see what may be working best…
Read MoreGrad Chronicles – Rhianna Sanford
by Rhianna Sanford Over the past 10 years I keep coming back to the reality that a good education is paramount in finding fulfillment and maintaining a sustainable practice. When I became a Massage Therapist I felt I had finally found something I loved doing and loved who I was doing it. Becoming a massage…
Read MoreFists down the erectors
by David Lauterstein There are a vast number of potentially effective techniques for lower back pain. In my experience, however, there are three which are most dependably useful and, if done well, have a wonderful impact. Like most effective techniques in troubled areas, if not done well, they may exacerbate the pain! Let’s practice structural…
Read MoreLetting Go of Random in Mind and Body
When we meditate, we may concentrate on an experience such as feeling breath at the tips of our nostrils, or the silent repetition of a mantra, or visualizing a symbol, etc. That then becomes a “home” for our awareness. Our mind will naturally wander; it’s restless. But we have a home to return to. The…
Read MoreENERGY DEFENDED AGAINST ITS DEVOTEES AND ITS DETRACTORS
I have no problem using the word “energy” when it refers to experience. Take bones, for example. When we look at the femur, it is describable with its varied shapes: trochanters, neck and head, shaft, condyles and epicondyles. This is structural anatomy and lives comfortably in science and objectivity. On the other hand, there is the…
Read MoreIncrease the Quality of Massage Education! (and the quantity will follow)
I realize there are some people pushing for requiring 1,000 hour programs. I respectfully disagree. We can in my experience deliver a superb entry-level education in 500 hours. If a school can’t do it in 500 hours – I assure you – most won’t in 1,000! At the same time, I do support recommending up…
Read MoreWithout a Clear End You Can’t Have a Clear Beginning
The Ending of the Calendar Year Is an Important Time of Transition by David Lauterstein The transition in seasons and the transition through the holidays and into the new year is a critical time. It is in many ways the most important time to end habits that no longer serve us. By letting go of…
Read MoreThe Only Mind You Can Read is Your Own!
I wake up early in the morning and one of reasons I do is I like the general calmness and silence of that time. A few years ago I started listening more deeply to the “voice” in my head. For many years before that, I felt that it was often talking too loudly and too…
Read MoreI am Proud of the Women (and Men) Who Constitute the Bulk of Practitioners of Massage Therapy!
In 1910 the Carnegie Foundation funded the “Flexnor Report” to enforce in the U.S. longer training and the curriculum common in European medical schools. It called upon American medical schools to enact higher admission and graduation standards, and to adhere strictly to the protocols of what mainstream science proposed in teaching and research. A repercussion…
Read MoreDiary of a Massage Therapist: Surviving Massage School Again (and Life)
By Jennifer (Shaw) Bonessi, LMT, cPT, RYT at Bodywork In Austin Dear Diary: I know it’s been a while since I’ve written. Life just got crazy. (Doesn’t it always?) I’ve finally completed Lauterstein-Conway’s Advanced Program while managing to keep my massage business afloat, taught regular couples massage classes in both a private and public setting,…
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