My School’s Logo: The Secret of its Origin.

Tonight in his speech, President Barack Obama said, “For in our hands lies the ability to shape our world.” And it took me right back to the origin of our school’s logo. Years ago I visited a potter’s studio in Hillsborough, New Hampshire.  His work was brilliant and inspiring and I left with his brochure.…

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No One Knows How to Give a Great Massage

The great painter and sculptor, Alberto Giacometti, after years of doing abstract art, said he wanted to do a little life-drawing. “I had to make (quickly I thought; in passing) one or two studies from nature, just enough to understand the construction of a head, of a whole figure, and in 1935 I took a…

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How to get 57 Massages in 6 Months

The other day we began a new class. One of the teachers welcomed the students saying,  “This course is going to be the best time in your life.  Because you will get, in the next months, the most massage you will ever get in your whole life.” And I thought, “Yeah, he’s absolutely right!” Massage…

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Physiology of Bliss, Part One

“Our most sacred convictions, the unchanging elements of our supreme values, are judgments of our muscles.” Nietzsche Muscles aren’t mostly for movement. We sense with them. We sense with our muscles and their nerves. Through them we’re aware of the location of our body parts in space; we sense pressure; we sense the amount of…

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Non Self-Centered New Year’s Resolutions

“The first duty of a human being is to assume the right functional relationship to society – more briefly, to find your real job, and do it.” – Charlotte Perkins Gilman It’s interesting that New Year’s resolutions are usually so self-centered. We take it for granted that it’s about my resolution to be more creative,…

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Massage and Alternative Medicine

I wonder sometimes in articles on alternative medicine why massage isn’t mentioned more prominently. It is, BY FAR, the most utilized of all alternative therapies. I suppose that may mean it’s not “news”. But massage therapy and bodywork, especially when practiced at a high level, is so powerful. I suspect research will eventually show regular…

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Anatomy Review: Gluteus Medius and Minimus

by David Lauterstein Origin – Medius: Anterior gluteal line of ilium, Minimus: Inferior gluteal line of ilium Insertion – Greater trochanter of femur Action – Flexion of extension; medial or lateral rotation and abduction of thigh Antagonist – Adductor magnus According to some theories of posture, in a healthy body one should be able to…

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Anatomy Review: Hamstrings

by David Lauterstein, LMT Origin: Ischial tuberosity; medial 1/3 linea aspera (short head of biceps femoris) Insertion: Semimembranosus: medial condyle of tibia, Semitendonosus: proximal, antero-medial aspect of tibia, Biceps Femoris: head of fibula Action: Extention of hip, flexion of knee, medial or lateral rotation of lower leg, (Excessive: Hyperextended knee) Antagonist: Quadriceps These interesting muscles…

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Anatomy Review: Back of the Future, Future of the Back

By David Lauterstein, LMT, Cert. ZB Most people don’t know much about their bodies.  As a result, we live with suffering individually and as a society suffer from the symptoms of “psycho-physical illiteracy”. Most of the physical suffering happens in the back.  Lower, middle, and upper back problems account for most worker absentee-ism in the U.S. –…

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Anatomy Review: Back of the Future – Future of the Back

Most people don’t know much about their bodies. As a result, we live with suffering individually and as a society suffer from the symptoms of “psycho-physical illiteracy”. Most of the physical suffering happens in the back. Lower, middle, and upper back problems account for most worker absentee-ism in the U.S. – as well as most client complaints…

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