Module 11:

Although yesterday`s module doesn’t have to be practiced but most importantly observed I felt that the best thing I could take from it was timing. I mean, after doing and treating patients from the first 10 modules I relished that I wasn’t sure how long to exactly hold one stretch or another. I`ve been pretty consistently using all stretches in the same time frame up until now, that is left and right and forward and back all being the same timing per stretch and for each individual and ailment also. I learnt from this video that each technique and especially each person with their ailment or imbalance will need slightly different timing on each stretch. So today for a teen boy who has a strained abductor I not over stretch or over hold but just did a minute or some more holding and timing than his slightly less stiff side.

Also for another person, an older woman who had a weaker heel problem I laid off on the timing for the calf stretching and foot stretching where it raised the toes and stretched the thigh for the better of her legs to ease her into massage therapy. She, being new said she felt more balanced which I suppose is a good physical gauging of the timing for her holding.

Module 12:

I found using the hands only being the most appropriate for one client this morning when doing the initial hip opener mentioned in today’s module.  The client who is attending a physiotherapist was shuddering his legs in fight or opposition to my initial full body weight when I leaned by upper body weight against him. Doing 100% of my body weight on this person will never be possible as they simply don’t seem to have that range in their hip sockets. The even told me  that it was problematic for them in the front of their hip which was great to know .Being honest, although I notice the shuddering I  wouldn’t have noticed that it was not possible to eventually do 100% of my body weight stretching on this person, until they told me  during stretching. I guess this is a huge advantage in choosing to have an open dialogue when stretching and it is safest for the client too.

 The butterfly type stretch towards the end is a really effective and easy stretch. Easy for the therapist but really effective for the client. I found it great to do and easy and really safe as the clients back is supported by the floor with my body weight on the other side dictating the opening of the hips while  at the same time crossing their legs. This is an area I`m really week on myself and I really wish I was my client this morning as I’ve never had this stretch done to me in Thai massage. What a pity!

Module 13:

At 3:40 mins into the video I realised that this stretch should to be done with the boy (athlete teen boy) that I worked with today. The explanation was very good and allowed me to avoid doing this stretch today. It is true to see that there is a psychology between myself and the client. I tried the cycling and the scooping today with him and he began to open up to me about the description of his pain. I felt that the scoping and cycling time was a good time to use as it allowed him to openly describe his 1-10 pain feelings. He told me that he dreaded that stretch every time I did it. I felt this time that I felt scooping and circling left him feel assured that I was willing to try something different and that he was not forced to do the same stretch. This gave me great progression in my therapy.

Then after the scooping, circling and the chatting with the client I asked him to try the stretch as in 14:20 by wiggling instead. This really relaxed him psychologically and it actually worked where we went physically deeper! It`s great to have more dept, variation and open communication!

Module 14:

I found the technique at 13: 50 minutes into the video very tricky to get a handle on. I found that depending in the size of the client  it was difficult to reach over and co-ordinate the move. I am quite tall and being in the middle of a smaller person and doing this move was tricky. Though I need more practice, much more to improve my co-ordination here.

At 18:05 a similar problem occurred. This all looks very easy when you look at it on the video but trying to man-over myself around the persons body and co-ordinate hands while rocking and keeping the client relaxed was also tricky but I think I did ok. Of course more practice is a must. I had one client who is smaller and really likes this rocking so I think I`ll tailor my moves to include more of this on her next time, it will give me more practice too!

Module 15:

When I did this module with my client today the client was very tense. The tensed their stomach muscles immediately and it was difficult to get at the clients stomach and side of stomach area. It also seemed that when I was doing the rib butterfly hand steps that he the male client was holding his breath. I decided to stop massaging the client and to just discuss with him that I was doing this for a reason to release his tension and improve his overall flaccidity of his bodily movement, and I did not complain about his tension. Instead I that it is normal to breath and to fight the massage by holding the breath so told him to breath slowly and I would go slowly and not too deep on the massage. I told him that I would go no more than 6 today on a scale of 1-10 and then we tried again.

Soon after the client was completely relaxed and it all worked out fine!

Module 16:

This morning I had a new person. She was a very good swimmer and was delighted with the fact that I was now going to try my upper body techniques with her. When I tried the upper body techniques she was very relaxed with module 15 and 16 and much more trusting than the man from my module 15 experience. I felt that this would be a relaxed session all in all as she communicated each time we went to a new area. However, when we came to the shoulder area and I was stretching her elbows back she was very, very tight. I could only do a certain amount here which was very limited in flexibility compared to her hips and hamstrings. She told me that she did lengths and lights of pool swimming in the free style of swimming and that she had just completed an hour’s swimming early this morning. I went easy for today and i learned a lot more about muscles and sport!

Module 22:

Although of yesterdays classes concentrating on module 21 and the new moves, I studied this video before and after  I did the massage. I studied module 21 and 22 together which was a nice change at this time of the course because I felt more aware of the moves from both in 2 massages yesterday morning though I only tried ones from module 21. Then very early today after continuing with a 30 minute leg massage which concreted modules 21 leg stretches my  youngest male client allowed me and even encouraged me to re watch the 22^nd module. So, as he was waiting for his lift home I have just tried  a couple of moves on him.

This boy has usually got issues with his legs and hips and he presented with no soreness in in the hands and upper body/ shoulder modules. Interesting though today was that when he was ok with module 21 by module 22 he said that his muscles were a but sore even though I didn’t feel as if I was going deep, used the 1-10 communication with him and didn’t over stretch with new moves. Perhaps as it was so early for him he was dehydrated in the early morning. He wanted this early  session as he is travelling today but his body did feel a bit raw to begin with. Raw as in tight.

He found crossed legs at 8:50 very tough on his hamstrings. We had to release the stretch as he said he felt a cramp. I immediately released and he then relaxed for a bit, then I did the sitting as in 13:30 and left it at that, He reported a rush going done his legs at the back which felt good!