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November 12, 2013
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Hello, I just received the Thai Rocking Massage Intro Video, and am trying out the forum so I'm ready to go. I have completed 150 hours of Thai Massage Training here in California, and while I'm waiting for my teacher to schedule the last module of her trainings, I found this online. I've been practicing Thai Massage professionally for the last 6 months and notice the strain on my thumbs and low back. Part of this is learning to use my body more efficiently, but I also found that I wanted to instinctively rock my clients at different times because it is what I would enjoy receiving, and it felt like such a calming, softer way to open that stretching. Thankful to have found a course on just this, and looking forward to the training.
Namaste, Andrea
June 28, 2010
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Welcome, Andrea, to the Thai Rocking Massage course and our forum! I have a similar affinity for rocking techniques and use them in every single session. Those motion techniques are much easier on your body and on your hands and thumbs. You will find that this will take your Thai Massage to a whole new level!
November 12, 2013
Offline Just watched the first intro to rocking video. It confirms my intuition about why rocking is so calming, simulating the natural rocking of a baby in and out of the womb. It also simulates that feeling of water, which our body wants to connect with, and which helps to soften our energetic and physical bodies. Thai Massage feels very watery to me already, so this just enhances that vibration. I'm looking forward to learning some new Rocking techniques!
June 28, 2010
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Sometimes Thai Massage is done in a pretty rough way, not watery at all. Of course that's not the right way of doing it. My style is all about creating flow (my term for what you call 'watery' 
).
Rocking lends itself ideally to creating flow, much better than direct and linear pressure moves which don't connect together as easily as rocking moves which can blend together beautifully.
November 12, 2013
Offline Thai Rocking - Mod 2 - I already use the chi machine in most sessions, but have only been doing it for about 20-30 sec, and then moving right into another techniques. It makes sense to do it longer and then let them be still to fully absorb the effects - I'm excited to enhance this technique!
The traction rock is one I also use, but I do a different version, so thankful for another way to apply it.
The portion on visual cues was so helpful - so simple, yet I haven't been using the cues as much as just noticing them, and letting them direct me to areas to work on, but this helps me to start to use the cues to guide me in HOW I apply techniques, i.e., encouraging more opening in the direction of the restriction, rather than just applying the prescribed sequence for an area.
I already feel the way that your teaching is helping me move from the framework of a practitioner to a therapist - exciting!
Thank you Shama! 
November 12, 2013
Offline While practicing the chi machine on my husband, who has very long legs, he noted that after about a minute, he felt hyper extension under his knees. I tried again, placing my feet under his knees, and it was more comfortable, but not as much of a release, as it reduced the shaking. Any suggestions?
June 28, 2010
Offline This is probably the only contraindication for the Chi Machine. If someone has hyper extended knee joints, or a tendency towards it, even if slightly, or someone has very long and maybe heavy legs which might exacerbate a knee discomfort, then just don't do this on this person. You can put a pillow under the knees, but that will reduce the free flow of this move. You can also just reduce the amount of time that you are doing it to stay within the comfort zone of your husband in this case.
Always remember that all the techniques which I am showing in my courses are options to choose from, not mandatory sequences to be applied on every client. Many techniques will not work on everyone equally well, and the art is to learn what works on whom and when.
November 12, 2013
Offline Great, thank you. Yes, I understand that not every move works for every body.
November 12, 2013
Offline Mod 3 - Thai Rocking Massage - I have intuitively done the rocking of the leg lines, but didn't have a methodology, so am thankful for your technique of having a control hand to stabilize and enhance the rotation, the switch grip, and the adjustment of legs to get better leverage for the inside lines. I'm excited to incorporate this into my practice, especially for my clients who have severely locked up hips. I could spend alot longer working with these techniques since their limited mobility makes it difficult to do many of the stretches. Also, am excited to be integrating the evaluation of the receiver before deciding what to do. Sounds funny to say, but before I was just going through the motions without realizing it.
Thank you Shama.
June 28, 2010
Offline Clearly you are a natural at this, and you easily relate to the rocking concept.
November 12, 2013
Offline Thai Rocking - Mod 4 - now we're getting into it!
I loved this session, and the build up to it. Your style builds off of techniques I already use, so it is a natural extension of my Thai Massage foundation - woohoo!! I love that you offer techniques that offer the same, if not more, effective movements for the receiver, with much less stress on my own body. This is what I was hoping to gain from this course.
I currently rock and rotate the leg and feet, but not with the support of my leg at an angle, as you offer here. I also appreciate how you break down each movement and explain why we are doing it, what the effected joints and muscles are, and how to use body weight and alignment most effectively.
Loving the angled hip lift and rock - I currently do this is most sessions, but apply it straight on by bringing the receiver's heel in as cool to their sits bone as possible and lifting up and back from there with about 30 sec of harmonic rocking. It is doable, but can be a lot of work for me. Excited to compare the two. I prefer yours already because of the slight twist that it offers the low back, which is an area where 95% of my clients hold a lot of tension.
I love the adductor rocking technique, as this is another staple stretch for my clients, but I just usually apply a butterfly hand press. Happy to bring in the block and rock technique.
Great additions! My clients are loving the rocking!
Metta, Andrea
June 28, 2010
Offline Good for your clients! They will be happy with your additional skills, and I am happy that it fits in perfectly with what you are doing already.
November 12, 2013
Offline Thai Rocking - Mod 6 - More awesome sequences to add to the repertoire - loving this course! Thank you for showing the transitions between sequences - it's one thing to get the hang of each movement, but to integrate it seamlessly from one movement to the next is the real skill. I am getting such a positive response from my clients as I incorporate more rocking techniques into my sessions, and my body is so much happier too! I'm excited to bring this new sequence in. I have a client tomorrow who is my greatest challenge, as she is extremely sensitive to touch, especially around her left hip where she has several plates and screws from smashing her pelvis in a car accident 6 years ago. She can't straighten her leg out, so it has been tricky to figure out how to work in a fluid motion with her. I'm hoping she'll respond well to some of these moves. Any suggestions for this type of case?
June 28, 2010
Offline It's great to hear your enthusiasm and success with your clients. Regarding your challenging client - what I do in such cases is that I work very closely with the client. I ask them that I will try several techniques and they should tell me what feels best for them. I tell them to work with me so that we can tailor the best possible session for them.Clients generally appreciate that they can influence the session in such a way that it works best for them.
If someone has as bunch of metal in their body, there is no way that you can know what exactly feels right for them, since the natural balance and the natural system of their body has been changed. Only they can feel that, so try various moves and ask for lots of feedback.
November 12, 2013
Offline That was my intuition - thanks for the advice! I'll see how she likes some of the new material.
November 12, 2013
Offline Thai Rocking Mod 7 - I love this sequence - just need to find a small person to practice the first sequence with - looks amazing for the low back and quads! I already use the sandwich belly rock, but appreciate the cue on moving the hands in unison, rather than in opposite directions - looks like a really nurturing techniques. Clients are usually surprised how much they like the belly work since it's not an are that our culture embraces. Thank you!
June 28, 2010
Offline Even here in Thailand, therapists practically never touch the abdomen - strange but true. People almost always really like abdominal work as long as it is done gently. I use it a lot with good success.
November 12, 2013
Offline Wow - I thought it was just a western thing…the abdomen is the center of our health in many ways - it's amazing that it isn't regarded as the center of our healing too. I understand that it is very vulnerable, so I tend to do very gentle work. Rocking is the perfect way to soften and calm it.
June 28, 2010
Offline The thing is that in Thailand the major Thai Massage schools teach a way to work on the abdomen which is somewhere between unpleasant and brutal in my experience. It just consists of direct deep linear pressure without any warm up. Nobody likes to receive it and I guess that's why no therapist does it. That's the reason why I came up with my own system, and I even have a separate course about Abdominal Massage. And it is all gentle and clients love it.
November 12, 2013
Offline My teacher taught us to always begin with very gentle abdominal work like waving the hands or energetically circling before beginning deeper work with fists or fingers. I usually do the wave with a rock from the side position or the sacral belly rock from supine and clients love both.
Thai Rocking Mod 8 - Ribs, Chest and Shoulders
In general, Shama, I really appreciate your teaching style. It is very thorough and offers more than just techniques, including helpful tips about working on a man versus woman, body mechanics and breath, and how they correlate to pressure or intensity, and the way you always break down the movements slowly before showing it in real time. I'm really enjoying learning from you - thank you!
For the chest rocking on a man, can I do the forward/back or side to side rocking technique using both hands - one on each pectoral? I am traveling, so am not able to practice it on my husband until I return..
Thank you for cautioning about skin pulling, my husband often points out that I am pulling on his skin during different arm stretches.
Also, you mention to be sure to maintain body contact throughout the transitions - do you feel this way about the whole session? What about transitions between lying prone and supine, or other big positional transitions where I need to walk around the body?
I wonder how the rib rocking will be received - this is such a sensitive area for many people...
Another wonderful module - excited to integrate it all!
Namaste, Andrea
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