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September 25, 2011
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module 9 leg stretches 3
-In doing the rocking movement on the adductor it helped to ask the client to slow down the breathing in the same rhythm as I did, it helped them to shift their focus away from the tightness in the muscle.
-How would you deal if the client is having lower back problems and experiences the stretches as uncomfortable because its increasing the pain in the lower back? Doing the spinal twist as in your movie is very hard for clients with those problems.
September 25, 2011
Offline module 10 leg stretches 4
-in your introduction you are talking about the energy flow and the focus on the Hara. I am used to focus on the Heart and can feel all the energy that is flowing though me comes in through the top of my head via my Heart into my hands. It is my lower breathing that is charging my Hara. My question is are we here talking about two different things or is it just a different approach of the same thing.
_ during the release of the blood-stop technique, I experienced, besides the blood that 'rushes' into the 'vacuum' the chi part blows in as well and performs a strong energetic cleansing and release of 'trapped' enrgies.
September 25, 2011
Offline module 11 review 1
Its nice to see the emphasis on creating the flow within the various modules and how one can connect them together. How it all sticks together. The techniques you showed in this module, are they part of the 'core'-group of techniques you would use the most?
June 28, 2010
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Reply to your post for module 8:
The "hip pie" is an easy concept to remember, whereas a long list of stretches is not. I try to present all my courses in an organic way which makes it easy to comprehend the concept of why we do something. This is very different from learning via a rote system where you only memorize a sequence of techniques.
Circular and rocking movements are not only ideal as a warm up for a stretch, but often the actual stretch can be done in a circular or rocking style which makes it much easier and more pleasant especially for stiffer clients. Plus it can make stretches more effective since there are more body parts moving.
I present many such rocking or circular options in the Thai Massage course, and I take this concept even further in my Thai Rocking Massage course.
There are several reasons why I do certain movements mainly in one direction. In some cases I just got feedback that it feels better that way. In other cases it follows the natural physiology of the body, and in some cases it works better with the way how the Chi energy flows in the body.
June 28, 2010
Offline Reply to your post for module 9:
You will find that throughout the course I am always emphasizing that you learn the techniques, but that does not mean that you should use them all on every client and in every session. All the techniques are options for you to choose from. With experience you will be able to tell which techniques work best under what circumstances.
When someone has lower back pain, it would not always be appropriate to immediately use stretches. I often work on the back for an entire hour without using one single stretch. Stretches are great, but they cannot be used indiscriminately. Motion techniques like circling and rocking however can be used on anyone and are therefore a better way to start working on a painful area.
June 28, 2010
Offline Reply to your post for module 10:
Chi energy can be experienced in many ways. It can also be activated in many ways, i.e. through focusing of your attention on the hara, through breathing, through consciously channeling it through your body and through generating a meditative state of mind. So yes, we are talking about the same thing. Your experience will be different from mine to some degree.
You are correct, the blood stop technique works on both the physical as well as the energetic or 'Chi' level.
June 28, 2010
Offline Reply to your post for module 11:
Frankly, when I do a massage session I do not think about techniques at all. They are part of me and I just intuitively do what I sense is right and needed by my client. This does not work in the beginning when you study Thai Massage initially, but over time practicing techniques and sequences will be naturally replaced by a spontaneous flow. Also I rarely do full body Thai Massage sessions. Almost all my clients come to me for very specific and localized therapy work. This is what I have been specializing in for my entire career, and this is what I enjoy doing most.
Also I do not just use Thai Massage techniques. My work is a blend of Thai Massage, Thai Rocking Massage, Heavenly Head Massage, Abdominal Massage, and energy work.
I started out with Thai Massage and then went on to developing the Thai Healing Massage family of bodywork. All those modalities are designed to complement each other and work perfectly with each other.
I teach the different flavors of this family of bodywork in my many courses. Ultimately it will all become one big pool of knowledge that allows you to choose from a huge amount of techniques, both physical and energetic. This work will then feel flowing, intuitive, and magical.
September 25, 2011
Offline Module 12 Hip stretches
The more I look at your inspirational videos, the more I get the feeling that it is more about developing the freedom to do what is needed as long as one follows some basic rules, and that there are many, many different approaches, possibilities, angles etc. from which one can tackle the clients problems in a confident way.
I especially liked the moving of the sacrum. Works really well
June 28, 2010
Offline John, you are spot on! I could not have said it better myself. It is definitely not about memorizing a fixed routine of techniques and repeating them forever, but about using the techniques as a way to get into an intuitive flow where you spontaneously know what to do with each particular client. Sure, it takes some time to develop the experience to get to that point, but this course is all about moving from a mechanical approach to massage to the mindset of an intuitive healer. I develop this concept even further in the Thai Rocking Massage course.
September 25, 2011
Offline Module 13 Hip Final
what I liked about this module is the emphasis you put on changing the mindset to be more of an artist then being a mechanic and showing various options on how to be creative.
One thing I had to think about, and I don't know if it will be covered in later modules, is that frequently the clients that come have physical damage or replaced body parts (hips, knees etc., or pacemaker). Its a hard one to find the balance between the clients expectations and being able to create some relief. What would you do in such cases.
June 28, 2010
Offline When I have clients with damaged or replaced body parts, I explain to them that they are the ones who know their body best and I ask them to give me immediate feedback on how it feels what I do. I involve them in the process and encourage them to be the ones who make the decision as to what feels right and what does not.
Of course I will choose techniques that I feel are appropriate, but there is no way that we as therapists can know exactly what the condition in a damaged or replaced body part is like. I have always found that clients feel safer and even grateful when they are encouraged to help steer the therapist through the session in a way that works best for them.
Naturally it helps to have a variety of techniques available that allow you to work in many ways and on many levels with such clients. There is an old saying that says "If the only tool that you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail to you." Therefore therapists need to have a good arsenal of techniques and they need to be able to work intuitively in order to choose the appropriate ones.
This is one of the reasons why I have produced many different courses for many different applications as part of the Thai Healing Massage family of bodywork.
I have always believed that clients should be encouraged to participate in the healing process, at the very least by providing feedback when necessary. Therapists are neither psychics nor X-ray specialists nor experts in the mechanics of replaced body parts. Once such clients understand that they need to participate in the session in order to get the best outcome, they will be happy to provide us information and feedback that allows us to be safe and effective with our session.
September 25, 2011
Offline module 14 hip rocking
a nice module. Works well with not too heavy (250Lbs and up) clients.
A lot of those very heavy clients are stiff in their hip joints, so even a little rocking can have some profound experience. I found that doing the chi machine a lot longer helps as well to free up the joint. When there is too much stiffness I put them on their side and rock the bent legs one by one in a circular movement. Perhaps not as good for the sacrum but its sometimes better then nothing at all.
I always make sure that i don't lose the physical connection with the client. Found this of great importance. For me it worked already sufficient if I kept the contact with one of may hands, regardless how I am moving around
June 28, 2010
Offline Always maintaining the physical connection with the client is one of my core principles. Your last paragraph could have come straight from my my "rule book":)
And yes, the Chi Machine can be done for quite a while, the longer the better. It impacts the entire body, and it definitely is beneficial for the hip since the client is constantly rocking on it.
September 25, 2011
Offline Module 15 Abdomen and chest
Doing by not doing, just listen with your hands and your senses... Focus on the natural rhythm and flow of the breath...
This module gives a great opportunity to become more aware of the 'other' modalities that are involved in doing thai healing massage.
What I sometimes do as an addition is very, very gentle tapping on the sternum with the fingers. When this is done very careful it feels as if tiny sparks of chi are transmitted into the sternum. The same counts for tapping on the soft spots below the collar bone (This in combination with the circular movements and soft pressure with the palms of the hands). Works great!
June 28, 2010
Offline Actually I use the exact same tapping technique on the sternum that you described above. I don't cover it in my Thai Massage course, but my Heavenly Head Massage course contains an entire module just about working on the sternum, including this fingertip tapping technique. I like how you describe the effect with the "sparks of chi."
September 25, 2011
Offline Module 16 Shoulders
Interesting module!
In this module you showed how to stretch the shoulder joint by pushing the arm against your foot (pushing the foot up - pulling the arm down). This is a great way of loosening the muscles in the shoulder area, especially when there are problems like a frozen shoulder. The next 2 moves you showed are working very well too for that condition (hand near the head on the floor - and the shoulder rocking). Do you have some other suggestions when one has to deal with a frozen shoulder?
June 28, 2010
Offline Yes, I do have suggestions. First, module 32 of your Thai Massage course is all about shoulder work in the side position. Second, I am working right now on completing my latest video course which is exclusively about shoulder work. This will contain the most comprehensive collection of shoulder techniques you can imagine!
September 25, 2011
Offline module 17 arms and hands
Loads of different options are shown. What I sometimes do when a client is very tense or has a lot of pain, then I start with massaging the hands and establish a connection before I do something else
June 28, 2010
Offline You can never go wrong with some good hand massage. I'd take one any time of the day or night 
September 25, 2011
Offline module 18 shoulders and transitions
I am dealing with a client with a frozen shoulder. You demonstrated some good stretches, pulls and twist to free up a lot of the shoulder joint. The specific problem here is that the client cannot lift one arm straight sideways higher then 90 degrees. If not straight up at the side then there is enough space to lift the arm up completely. I know that an orthopedic would 'break' the tissue thats frozen under general anesthesia, but thats not where is chosen for in this occasion. What would your approach be? I know that you are making a video with shoulder techniques that might provide an answer. Would be nice though to do already something about it without having to wait. Thanks
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