Module 2

Oooh, I was very excited for sternum work. I remember in school that this area was a small part of our content, but I loved when this area was worked on during class. My partner is male, so I didn't have to be as cautious as is needed with females and breast tissue. However, he doesn't have a flat chest. Through weightlifting, he has raised pectoralis muscles, so it just shifted how I was getting to this area without causing stress to my thumbs or fingers. I ended up striking a nice balance.

My partner was very patient. I watched the video pre-session, but also played it on low volume during the session to help guide (otherwise, I would've been stressed by trying to remember, or looking to notes). This made me feel like I was in a live course. My partner zoned out, so it was ok. During lecture portions, I kept my work going from what I was doing before lecture. My partner enjoyed the work on the sternum as I followed his breath. I noticed he started breathing slower about 1 minute in. He let out an 'ahhh' in the first time I worked between the ribs. I used the whole-handed technique with circular movement, and the 'horizontal scrubbing' with the side of my palm. It felt like a nice way to close out the previously direct work of thumb compressions. My partner didn't really know how to share feedback on this -- he said he didn't really know what to compare it to, and seemed to be a bit unsure of how to express his experience. He said he felt relaxed and enjoyed it...that his chest felt more open. He recognized he was 'a bit tight' before the session. I know he was feeling rested because he started to breathe deeper, as he does when he's about to fall asleep.

Module 3
The wave-like compressions around the top of sternum and by AC joint were tender on my partner -- he completed an upper body workout yesterday. I wasn't pressing hard, but I shifted to be a bit lighter in pressure. He enjoyed the push-pull technique with the pectoralis major. I liked doing this body work with the waves - it created a nice flow for me. For the push & release of shoulders -- I hadn't thought to transition between weight on both to weight on one. I would've gone right to weight on one to the other. Working on the table, I had a bit of a difficult time with the stretch when crossing arm over body & pulling body over. I placed my right knee on the table while pulling to the right. My partner said that it felt nice, so I think I just need to feel more comfortable with this.

Separately, I understand why the circular techniques might be enjoyed by women with larger breasts, but I did not understand why women with smaller breasts or "bony" people wouldn't enjoy it as much. I feel like anyone may enjoy if they do weightlifting for this muscle group, and that anyone with tight chest muscles/stretched upper back muscles would enjoy.

Module 4
My partner experiences neck tightness pretty consistently from holding stress there and computer work. He's also starting to get RA in his hands, so I wouldn't be surprised if he as starting to get RA in his neck too. Anyways, into techniques...I felt comfortable with the head cradling/lifting/flowing, though it took some practice to get into a flow. I used the table again, so I didn't have the additional step to lift shoulders with my feet. But, I think I'll try this later on the floor for a short period of time (I don't have a soft floor area & my knees can't handle constant kneeling). My partner really enjoyed all 4 techniques (and nodded off a bit), and I enjoyed all of these because it was slow enough work that I was thoroughly able to understand what was happening in his body. There were some trouble spots between C3 and C6. After about 10 minutes of practicing and repeating these techniques, his neck felt warm and the muscles felt looser. He actually took a short nap after the session because he was so relaxed!

Module 5
On the topic of hair...my partner has very mild case of alopecia (minor loss in patches). We weren't working in those areas of his head during the massage, but the little research I did on this, it seems scalp massage can benefit alopecia...? Regardless, I'll have to practice these techniques on people with long hair. I'd hate to be relaxing during massage and have the therapist continually pull on strands - ouch! Similarly, I'd lose trust if the therapist wasn't protecting my neck. If there was an unexpected drop, or jerking me around, I would have to verbalize my dislike for it, and need them to move away from work in that area. My partner loved the work with squeeze & pull back/squeeze & circle. He thought that, to some degree, he might be able to do this on his own, so he tried this a bit after the session. I enjoy the slow speed of this work, and think this helps bring a client to a state of relaxation.

Module 6
I love all these wave motions - the technique of lifting and pulling back into the occipital ridge was enjoyable for me (and my partner!). I always find that recurring techniques increase my trust with the therapist and create a sense of calm. So, I did this wave slowly for a minute or so. It took me a few tries to get the technique done correctly where I'm sliding my fingers into the occipital ridge and inching up the heel of my hands to protect the neck and begin again. It felt a bit more intuitive after some practice. In the optional technique to drop the head while keeping index finger at occ. ridge, my partner was 'holding' his neck a bit. So, I transitioned to some of the wave moves and tried again, but he held again. Instead, I described to him what I was going to do, and he trusted my techniques, and I was able to do this. He wasn't really aware he was protecting his neck and keeping me from moving through the technique.

Module 7
The direction you provided was good for the sideways stretch and roll. It looked like it might be awkward with the arm crossover and providing support while also moving the other arm, but it felt pretty comfortable. I did have to be aware of my body mechanics because there was a lot of movement and various actions happening. These techniques loosened some neck tension for my partner. He felt like the area was more relaxed immediately after these several minutes as I practiced the movements.

It took some time for me to achieve a comfortable flow for the side stretch with opposite traction to neck and face. It was similar to patting you head and rubbing your stomach -- it's just a new movement in my body. But, my partner liked how it felt, even early on when I felt odd going through the actions.

Module 8
With the first movement, I again needed to practice patience with myself. It took some getting used to, as I pushed my partner's head in one direction and his neck in the other. I tried to think of it like a leaf or something swaying in the wind gracefully. For a variety of reasons, I like using rocking techniques during a session, but I never would have thought to do rock/wiggle the neck (moving toward the chin). I would have thought that this might feel jarring for the client, my my partner enjoyed it. I have never had this done to me, and he wasn't comfortable trying it on me, so I don't know how it feels. I wish I could clone myself and practice on myself : )

I imagine that some techniques in the first half of this session might not be liked by some clients, so I agree that communication is key. Clients have different needs and comfort levels, and that's definitely true with the head/neck area. Lastly, my partner loved the slight neck traction on the occipital ridge. I think that this would feel lovely after all of the stretches.

Module 9
I've continued here with working on a massage table, which means that I didn't have to figure out comfortable placement of my legs. I really don't think I'd be comfortable on a 30-60 minute session while on the floor, but with all things, I guess it would just take some getting used to. On to the techniques -- I loved seeing these ear techniques because I can do them on myself too! It's nice to have that opportunity, in order to better understand how these feel. My partner loved these -- partially because they felt great, but also for the same reason as me -- he can do some of these on himself.
I appreciated how you pointed out the need to turn the index finger in some of these techniques. You are right -- turning makes a big difference. This really makes me thing differently about how to use my 'tools' differently, especially in small spaces. It seems obvious, but I really don't think I've done this before, whether with thumb, heel of hand, fingers together, etc. It's also easier to turn a single finger, than to maneuver an elbow, per se. Hmmm, things to test out.

Module 10
This module actually displayed techniques that I originally imagined might be in a head massage course. I've been surprised by how much more expansive the course is! In any case, these were enjoyable to practice, and pretty easy to become familiarized with. Some of these were similar to what I've received during shampoos pre-haircut. I love them! The variation of speeds is so pleasing to the nervous system. There are added benefits when working with one hand, and holding the head with the other. It's a nice mix of techniques and a calming/stable presence. With all that said, my partner really enjoyed this work. Unlike me, he hasn't experienced this in a hair salon, so these were pretty new to him.