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January 27, 2014
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Module 2
Hi Shama,
I watch the 2nd video with my wife and training partner on ergonomic positions and chi machine. Your techiques on body position when doing a stretch. I been using the new improve body mechan. on my thai massage clients. As you already know I was trained in traditional thai massage. You improve my techn. dealing with foot positions. I did have some trouble with chi machine. If I lifted the legs I could get the body to move correctly but when I put their legs on my legs to do the techn. with just using my hips do the movement then I did not get the body to move like a snake to give my partner that energy what she had before. What can I do different to same effect what got on the video?
Curtismiller
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 3
Hi Shama,
I watched module 3 on Foot massage with my wife. I've been doing similar techn. on my clients. I've always done it little different way. I first tried it with my wife and she loved the feeling she got from it. I got down the right techn but I will do more times so it comes naturally when I do it on my clients tommorrow. I understand using your bodyweight then just using your muscles or arm. I've taught my therpist traditional thai massage. She does not understand what the beneifit of using your bodyweight to put pressure then just using your muscle. I always start with the feet because the feet controls different stuff in the entire body. Tell me what benfits can I tell my clients from me doing these new techn. on them?
Curtismiller
June 28, 2010
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Hi Curtis,
Welcome to the Complete Thai Massage course and to our forum. It seems that we have some things in common. We both have a background in Thailand and we are both married to a Thai woman. 
You might explain this to your therapist:
- Using body weight instead of muscle pressure is much more energy efficient. It takes much less energy on the part of the therapist to work with body weight than with muscle power. Working with muscle power tires you much quicker and considerably shortens your life span as a therapist.
- Working with muscle power does not feel as good as when you work with body weight. A muscle move lacks the quality of touch which makes a Thai Massage feel really good. The difference between the two kinds of touch is quite significant. I have tested this many times on my students. They all, without a single exception, reported that a move done with body weight feels much better than the same move executed with muscle power.
- Working with muscle power is dangerous for the therapist's health and well being since it can wear out joints much faster than when you use proper ergonomics which includes working with body weight.
- When you use muscle power, you lose the feeling of being connected to your source of energy, you are not being whole so to say. You will never develop a really intuitive feeling for working on people as long as you don't stop muscling people. You will never become really sensitive, and you will never be able to use your hands as listening tools to find out what exactly is going on in your client's body. In other words, Thai Massage with muscle pressure feels mechanical, lifeless and uninspired whereas Thai Massage done with correct ergonomics, body weight and good use of energy and breath feels amazing.
Bottom line is you can get better results with less effort by making sure that all your moves are done with body weight instead of with muscle effort. And it will preserve the health of the therapist and it will feel more enjoyable for both the therapist and the client.
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 4
Hi Shama,
I watched your video on "Foot Massage 2" with my wife and practice partner. I also agree with you that you need to have conceptual learning rather than mechanical learning because I made a mistake in teaching another massage therapist my style of traditional thai massage. She had the mechanical side of thai massage but did not have conceptual side of what she was doing. I know why we do a certain movement or motion to help solve the clients problems. We need to look at a problem like a doctor would and give the right medicine or in our field or the right technique.
I also use the 8 ways to work with the feet with my client. I do it little bit different because I use a massage table. I also understand in using your whole body to do the technique on your client or partner. I know and you that in traditional thai massage we start with the feet. We do a bend out using our whole body weight to put the foot. From your techniques you give the techniques a different way to do it. I enjoyed how my wife felts when started to move my whole body weight side to side while moving you hands down the foot. I liked using a circular motion at the same time bending the feet with a twisting the foot. These techniques are very good and will help ad to my other techniques I do on my client.
Doing the techniques on the floor gives you better ergonomics versus using a table. In the video I'm also watching your body mechanics to see where your body is moving and where is you footing. Like bend out, bend in, bend up, bend down, twist right, twist left, work on top, or work on bottom of the foot. You are right - we need look at our client's body before we start and always ask our clients how they feel and not to make them feel uncomfortable. You are a very wise teacher Shama and hope someday I can teach like you because I want to be a healer not just a massage therapist.
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 5
Hi Shama,
I watched your video on "Leg Warm-Up" with my wife and practice partner. You are right, the muscles should be warmed up before stretching. I think a lot of therapist makes that mistake of not warming up the muscles before they start. I've used your warm-up techniques on my clients. My client named James has MS that affects his legs. These techniques are of great value to him because of his problem.
His muscles needed to be warmed up by using the butterfly techniques by leaning in with your body weight while keeping your back straight. I've always had a problem before keeping his leg straight, but now what I learned from you is to trap the foot so the leg won't move. I've always made sure when I lean in to breathe out and when I lean out to breathe in. Breathing is very important in giving a massage.
We might have the same moves in traditional thai massage but we use different angles. It is very useful to do one technique in different ways because people come in all sizes. My client got to experience what you taught me by using different angles to the body. His muscles felt good when I squeeze and roll up the calf muscle. I used other of your techniques on him before I started on the main stretching. I've told him that I had been taking more education to help people like him.
Thai massage is the only thing that helps slows his condition and live a normal life. He drives an hour away for me working on him for 90 minutes twice a month. His body feels good for two weeks from your techniques which you showed me, and my old techniques from the traditional thai massage. James likes how he feels from these new warm-up techniques you showed me.
Curtis Miller
June 28, 2010
Offline Curtis, I am glad that James is responding well to your sessions. I have had several clients with severe auto immune diseases like MS and Parkinsons. In many cases we can improve the condition with Thai Massage, or at least slow it down or help the client deal with it better. The one thing is that the sessions have to be done on a regular basis to be effective.
I remember I once had a couple who came to me twice a month. The man could hardly walk, his muscles were tight like steel bands, and he could not work anymore. His muscles had shrunk and he kept falling down. He came along with his wife and they reserved one day just for them. They also had to drive over an hour to get to me.
Luckily I was able to help him, and after a couple of months of treatments his condition had improved greatly. He could walk again without falling, could work again, and could reduce his medications as well. Sometimes it is really amazing what the skilled human touch can do. It often has much more power than we imagine.
It is essential that the clients trust us and that we build a good relationship with them. This faith in their own healing process with our help is a major factor in their improvement in my experience.
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 6
Hi Shama,
I watched your video on "Leg Warm-Up With Forearms" with my practice partner. I got used your forearm technique on my client and he is also a massage therapist too. I've got to used on another experience therapist that does swedish. He never knew that you could use forearm techniques on the legs. His experience is using forearms on just the back. I worked inside of leg, outside of the legs, under the legs by using your 5 Lines techniques. Mike told me it felt real relaxing on his legs. It is hard for me know what the clients feel because I have not had anybody do the technique on me. I told my client that their is no muscle in my massage. I only use 100% of my body weight to do the techniques of the massage. I know the power of softness: the feeling of sinking in, not pressing down. I took your knowledge & teaching to my clients, so I can give them the best experience. Now Shama I have another techniques to add to my own techniques. I know I can't use everything but I can pick and choose the right techniques to do on my clients. I thank you again Shama.
Curtismiller
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 7
Hi Shama,
I watched the video about "Leg Stretches 1" with practice partner. I also got used these techniques on my client Mike. I was impressed how you can look at a persons feet and tell if the hip is in place or not. You were right to observe the body for clues to see what areas you need work on. I could tell from Mike's feet that his right hip was higher than his left hip. I used the elephant walk him while I put a pillow to support under his knee, I used a butterfly position on his his thigh using a straight arms by keeping my back straight using only my body weight. Each move I synchronize my breath. I also used my body weight to stretch his calf muscles. These new stretches will help me with my client. When I was doing the stretches on Mike, I also also asked him how it feels and I got a good response back. This new techniques will ad to my old techniques. More and more each day my techniques are getting better because of you. Sometimes because of clients it takes me little longer to do the forum because running a business but I get chance write what I got out of technique. All of the techniques have been positive with my clients and even my wife. My clients don't know I just learn these new techniques. I always do it slow so I won't hurt my clients. I want the client to feel good not bad. Thanks again Shama.
Curtismiller
June 28, 2010
Offline Well Curtis, I have to say that after your initial difficulties with the computer and the forum, you are writing great progress reports. I enjoy reading them - it feels like a peek into your massage practice.
I can tell that with your background in Thai Massage this course comes to you quite easily. You don't have to start from scratch, and you can implement it all right away on your clients.
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 8
Hi Shama,
I watched your video about "Leg-Stretches 2" with my wife and practice partner. I understand the same way as you that you need to evaluate your client's body and condition before you can decide what technique to use on them. I want find what is bothering the client before I give them the medicine by using the techniques on them. I try explain to the client what I'm doing and the reason to do the techniques.
I use a "Conceptual Thinking" with the client. It help the clients mind at easy. I used the 8 ways to work the hip but in little different ways because I'm using table verse the floor. Our skills are not too different like working the calf muscle. It very knowledgeable to know many different ways to do a techniques because people come in all shape and size and maybe you can't do a certain technique on person but if you have other techniques to use in of them.
I enjoyed how you divide the hip in 8 slices using a 45 degree angle. What I liked most about video how you loosen the hip by rocking techniques or using circle motion in different ways. I never knew their was a warm-up techniques do before you go into the stretch because people's body does not move like most people. I will ad these technique to my other techniques I do. I thank you Shama again. I'm opening a new Thai Massage place in Peoria, IL and looking for experience people work for me and if you know anybody in thailand or in the USA. I will sponsor their way to the USA. I will talk to you next time.
Curtismiller
June 28, 2010
Offline I will keep my eyes open for potential candidates. When will you open your new place?
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 9
Hi Shama,
I watched your video on "Leg-Stretches 3" with my wife and practice partner. I enjoyed your session on more leg stretches. I do allot different stretches with my clients. You gave me more techniques do before I go into a stretch. You are right that many clients are not very flexible when doing the different stretches because the client's muscles are too stiff and need to be loosen up before doing the stretch by using a rocking motion.Yes their is several ways to stretch the legs but using different angles to do the technique. Your right you can not use a power stretch on everybody but on more flexible clients. You done stretches like I would do with my client you do it with a extra twist too it then what I would thought of doing. Your right about how to execute a stretch with: 1. Full awareness, 2. Correct breathing, 3. Using your whole body, 4. Correct ergonomics, and 5. Working with body weight are good key things to know when doing a technique on a client. I also use the one-to-ten method with clients to see how far I can go with my clients when I do a technique on them. For me I always want know how my client feels because I do not know how much body weight the client wants in the technique give a deeper stretch or a deeper pressure point on the body. I also know you can't do all stretches or techniques because people come in all sizes and some are more flexible than others. I thank you again Shama for give me more techniques to do on my clients. I will open my shop in 3 weeks. Good thing about the shop is that the business is in a Worlds' Gym. So allot clients will come from the gym and and from the street. I like working with athletes and helping with their problems but I also like working with people who have medical problem such as back problem and other types of issues. I want help cure their problems or make then not as bad as they were before. Bye for now.
Curtismiller
June 28, 2010
Offline That will be a great location for your new place, with the perfect clientele right next to it.
I am just like you - I really like working on people with problems much more than just doing general relax sessions. First of all this is where Thai Massage shines with all those amazing techniques, and second it is very gratifying to be able to actually help someone in need.
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 10
Hi Shama,
I watched your video on "Leg stretches 4" with my wife and practice partner. You are about the Anatomy of a Thai Massage Move: Basic technique, correct body posture, softness of touch, correct breathing, focusing on the hara and working with your entire body which I do in my massage to on my clients. I know all about the "Hara" from being in the martial arts for 31 years. From releasing the energy through techniques using to break bones or object without touching them such as one inch punch or the iron palm technique or death touch that are all from the "Hara". I enjoyed the new techniques using a spinal twist or just moving the footing to give a more powerful stretch on the leg or calf. I like how you showed us how to modify because a clients size. The technique I liked the most was the "Blood Stop". My wife could feel the warming in her legs and with a pleasant tingling sensation. I will ad these new techniques to be added to my old techniques. I thank you again Shama.
Curtismiller
June 28, 2010
Offline I have a martial arts background as well, and you are right, the way how you generate energy and power in the martial arts and in Thai Massage is not so different, just that it is done in a much more gentle way in Thai Massage. The power is generated in more or less the same way in Qigong as well, and this energy can be used for various purposes. This is a main theme in Asian martial and healing arts.
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 11
Hi Shama,
I watched the video with my wife and practice partner. I see from the video and doing the techniques with my clients. To see a summary of your techniques all flow together like a dance. For me it also adds to my own dance of techniques. To give your clients the best techniques then you have learn new techniques to help heal your clients. Your techniques are just a little different then my techniques with a extra twist to it. I thank you again Shama in showing me how to make the techniques work for me.
Curtismiller
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 12
Hi Shama,
I watched your video on "HIP STRETCHES" with my wife and practice partner. From this video I learn different techniques stretching the calf muscle but also learn that their are different ways to the same stretch. Your are right that people come in different sizes and you might have change technique to fit your size or your client size. I love what showed me on your video how to stretch the hip many ways because I deal with people with hip problems. I needed more stretching techniques to help with their hip problem pain. I thank you again Shama and I will add your techniques with my old techniques.
Curtismiller
June 28, 2010
Offline From all the feedback that I am getting, the variations of doing one technique in different ways is one of the most appreciated features of this course. It is certainly one of the most useful skills to have to modify and adapt how we do things so that we are not stuck with one way of doing something.
January 27, 2014
Offline Module 13
Hi Shama,
I watched your video on "Hip Final" with my wife and practice partner. I do some of the same techniques to my clients. I always ask the client if this is too much pressure because I can soften the technique or work on the area were the pain issue is by using a scooping, finger circling, and fingertip wiggling. We do allot of same types techniques to see if it is a good pain or bad pain. I always listen to my client to get them involve in the massage. I do also use the hip pie to remember the different stretches. I thank you again Shama or your wisdom on thai massage. I'm off now to do another thai massage with a client.
Curtismiller
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