Module 1:
Great to get started with this detailed approach to shoulder work. I love the idea of having enough skill to focus the massage on the upper body. I've felt fairly locked in to spending a lot of time on the lower body and trusting that opening the lines in the legs would also ultimately help the upper body.
I already have clients that I know will benefit from these techniques. So many folks have shoulder issues these days, and tightness in the neck and chest, that they are virtually unaware of. I love when my work can open clients up to new awareness of their own bodies.
For some strange reason that I will never quite comprehend, Thai Massage here in Thailand focuses mostly on the legs. Most sessions consist of at least 70 percent leg work. In my actual experience many more clients want upper body work than leg work. Like you say, so many people nowadays have back, shoulder and neck problems, largely due to our sedentary habits and our TVs and computers which lock us into a position which ultimately causes us trouble.
For this reason I have produced several upper body courses which focus on those areas that are often neglected in traditional Thai Massage, or at least they are not addressed as much as could be done. They include shoulder work, neck work, abdominal work and chest work.
This Ultimate Shoulder Course is VERY much in depth, you will see. There is a lot you can do with it.
Module 2:
good techniques to start opening up the joint. i haven't seen the approach of setting the shoulder blade on my knee but it makes good sense for access to the tendinous connection. my sense is i should practice these a lot to understand sensitivities since the tendons are already stretched. on we go...
Module 3 and 4:
Lots of mobilization techniques given here for the shoulder. I love the thumb rolling moves and the arm rocking (which I call Arm Jiggling
I am practicing the variable pressure palm circles and the trapezius rolling. It's a bit like rubbing your tummy and patting your head!
Also, I'm glad you offered the tapotement at the end of Module 4 as I often find myself interjecting tapotement after I stretch and work an area to help diffuse any lingering sensation.
Thanks!
The name of the course "Thai Rocking Massage" cannot possibly do justice to what it is all about. There are so many movements included in the concept of "rocking" like big rocking moves on legs or back, small and short rocking moves, palm circles, finger wiggles or jiggles, finger circles, and rocking with all kinds of body parts. I keep finding more uses for it and I keep finding more ways to apply it in new ways. Recently I came up with a great way to use knuckles for 'wiggles' and 'jiggles'. It keeps on growing.
Modules 5 and 6: Sidelying Shoulder techniques
great complement to the rocking moves in the Rocking course. I feel now that I could confidently offer a whole session focused on generating chi flow and loosening the muscles and adhesions in the shoulders. most of my clients are a lot more stiff in the shoulders than your model so that makes me really like the rocking and circling moves that slowly open them up without any sustained stretches. The movement seems to be what helps clients let their guard down enough to get the openings.
thanks, barrie
Congratulations for completing another course successfully. I am sure you can now easily offer complete shoulder sessions, and I am also pretty sure that there won't be many therapists around you who can offer such a shoulder therapy workout.
True, my model is not on the stiff side. Here in Thailand it is difficult to find very stiff people unlike in the western world. However she has shoulder trouble as well since she is an artist and she stands a lot with her arms raised while she is painting on the canvas. And she loves getting her shoulders worked while getting paid for it as well .
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