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March 20, 2014
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Module 16
My partner loved all of the new shoulder stretches, especially the elephant walking below the collarbones. I had a hard time lifting their shoulders in some of the stretches because they are big and heavy. However, all of the feedback was positive. I need to practice the move where the foot goes in the armpit some more because it doesn’t flow yet, but I at least remember to use just the edge of my foot. I added a gentle pulsation by extending the wrist a few times before putting it by their head because their wrists are not that open in one of the stretches, and I think that helped on the other side.
June 28, 2010
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Abdominal massage is generally not used much in traditional Thai Massage. I have hardly ever had any therapist touch my abdomen in all my 15 years here in Thailand. I feel that abdominal massage is highly therapeutic and can feel great if done right. That's why I have created a separate course about it which you might consider at some time. I have had great success with this abdominal work.
The same goes for the rocking techniques which have become kind of my trade mark since I have used them more and more over the years, again for the same reason - they work very well. I also have a separate course about rocking. This happens to be my second most popular course after the Complete Thai Massage one because it adds a whole new element to Thai Massage.
This particular move with the foot in the arm pit does take a bit of extra practice since it involves a bit of coordination between your body parts.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 17
My partner really enjoyed all the arm and hand work - they almost fell asleep! I practiced this module and the last one together and am beginning to develop a flow. I listen to what you are saying but sometimes I have to modify a little bit depending on my size vs. the person's size/proportions. This is helping me flow with the instruction and not get into a "box" of how it's supposed to look like. We particularly liked moving along the lines of the hands with the thumbs.
June 28, 2010
Offline Your partner almost falling asleep, developing a flow, and not staying in the "box" are all signposts for the way to success with the training. 
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 18
This was a helpful module for practicing different ways of getting around the body. It will take me more practice to make it effortless but it does work better than stepping over my partner. They liked the transition where I took both arms behind the head and stretched backwards before moving to the other side. My arms are not long enough to comfortably do figure 8's on my regular partner so I just do one shoulder at a time, but with smaller people I am able to do those rotations.
June 28, 2010
Offline Stepping over clients is just not a very graceful way of moving. I never do that.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 19
I watched the summary session and then practiced a short flow on my partner. It was helpful seeing the speed of your massage and hearing the tips on different body sizes. I noticed while watching that the techniques used on the hips and shoulders are very similar, as are the techniques for legs and arms. This has helped me remember some of the available movements and stretches when I approach the upper body or massage around similar structures.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 20
The stretches and warm ups in the video flow together so well, it's hard to mess it up! Massaging the foot with the elbow at first felt awkward, but I really appreciate that we don’t just use our hands. My thumbs get tired pretty quickly so this is something I will use and get creative with. I had watched a separate video of yours on the website where you explained how to make a neck cradle with pillows and I have been doing that for my partner. I may also try putting a pillow under their chest and using a neck pillow shaped like a U for their face.
Are there any videos where you show how you move a client into another position? (For example: supine to side lying or into sitting position) or do you just ask the client to move there?
June 28, 2010
Offline Actually I did include the step by step process of moving clients from one position into the other in some of my recent courses. However it is not included in this course. I will put it on my list to create a separate video where I explain this in detail. However moving clients around like this only works if you have a fairly large mat. If you work on a more narrow mat, you will have to ask your clients to turn around themselves since otherwise you would roll them right off the mat.
March 20, 2014
Offline That would be great - would love to see how you do that. I have another question - can you explain what positions are best for working on certain body parts? In another student's forum you said that the supine position was best for working on the hips. If a client wants a lot of shoulder or neck work, for example, what would be the best positions to put them in to target those areas?
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 21
My partner greatly appreciated this module because of their tight hamstrings. The techniques were easier for me to pick up because they were very similar to the massage techniques in supine position for the quads. I am becoming better at using my whole body to move pressure around - I have liked sinking in with my forearms as I move my upper body in a circle to effect a larger area.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 22
The prone position seems to lend itself easily to stretching the quads - the easiest way for me to do it was to press the heels towards my partner's glutes; it is similar to a yoga enhancement we learned during training. Using the knee to massage the glute area was very effective and easy on my own body. I also experimented with using my knee to massage the hamstring area just for fun and my partner really liked that because they need a lot of pressure and I am light.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 23
Thank you so much for the sacral work! I can imagine that most people would need massage like this. I was surprised to feel how broad my partner's sacrum is and how knotted it felt in the grooves. My thumbs got a little tired during the rocking so I tried using a knuckle for a little while but I am not sure it was as effective. Using percussion over the whole area also brought positive feedback. I had my partner do some of the sacral massage on me and I felt like I had a brand new low back!
June 28, 2010
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Regarding best positions for shoulder and neck work: You can do shoulder work in all positions, supine, prone, side and sitting. There is a lot more about this coming up later in the course. The side position can be very convenient for shoulder work since it offers unrestricted access.
For neck work I prefer the supine position. I have created a course called Heavenly Head Massage which contains a lot of neck work. This material goes way beyond standard Thai Massage.
Sacrum work is almost always a winner. And yes, you can use your knuckles instead of your thumbs, but this takes a good amount of sensitivity and practice to get good at it. I have never met anyone who does not enjoy and appreciate sacrum work. It is one of the "hidden secrets" of massage since most therapists don't touch the sacrum much.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 24
I set up my partner with pillows and then practiced the continuous gentle back massage. They enjoyed the offset wiggle on the erector muscles. I spent more time where I felt there was tightness. When I switched sides I turned my partners head the other way so their neck would feel more balanced. Breathing while leaning in and out is easy as long as I move slowly.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 25
Before practicing back massage with the forearms and knees, I did the previous massage to warm up my partner's back. They responded positively to using the elbows and forearms because they like deeper pressure. My favorite was wiggling with my elbows in the groove of the back, because I felt like I was effectively loosening the muscle.
Using the knee was helpful also since my partner likes strong massage. I wonder if I should spend more time loosening up tight areas before using the knee because my knee would want to "slip" over the knots when I leaned in.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 26
My partner really liked pressing on the shoulder blade with the forearm - they like pressing on bone in general. I know we are not supposed to in general, but I humor my partner sometimes and gently use my palm on a bone. I also noticed that they often feel like they could crack their back when I use my forearm in between the erectors and the spine. The only reason I can think of is that their back is more compressed and maybe tighter in those spots.
Using the forearms on the near side of the spine did not feel easy - I was sitting as you were showing but I felt like leaning low and rolling was more work for my own shoulders. I am not sure what I might have been doing incorrectly with my posture, but my partner did enjoy that sensation.
June 28, 2010
Offline It is always a good idea to do some more gentle warming work before using a power technique. Although you actually can work very gently with the knee, you can't feel as much with it, and that's why it is important to do the feeling and sensing for tight spots first with your hands, and then follow up with the knees in this case.
Regarding the forearm rolling, make sure that you work with your entire body and not just with your arms.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 27
My partner needs upper back work and was very helpful with giving feedback for this session. Their left side is more restricted than the right, and it was very noticeable to both of us because their arm would not bend behind their back as much. For the scapula massage technique with the arm behind the back, is it better for the client's elbow to be elevated or (if possible) near the floor?
The fingertip massage and wiggles were great; I combined them with some of the power moves from the last sessions for more practice. For the upper back twist I was not able to sit and hold the shoulder because my partner has a wide back. For them, I stayed in the position of the last move and interlaced my fingers around to pull back the shoulder. For smaller people, I will practice sitting back.
March 20, 2014
Offline Module 28
Thank you for the pointers in the summary session - I feel like I understand better how to give a full body massage in the prone and supine position, depending on the client's needs. I am not able to do every single move because of my partner's and my proportions, but I have practiced what I can do in a flowing way.
As you mentioned, it isn't easy to lie on the belly for a long time and my partner does get a bit uncomfortable. I am wondering what the most relaxing position is for their arms when they are not being worked on?
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