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May 21, 2017
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Hi from eastern USA.
Been watching videos, now I need to start posting & testing
June 28, 2010
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Hi Marie, welcome to our forum and the Thai Foot Massage course. Glad to have you! 
Please make sure to read the information on this page and watch the video. You were automatically forwarded to this page after you sent in your certification enrollment form:
The certification has to follow a certain format, otherwise it becomes chaotic in a forum with over 11,000 posts. 
I already corrected two things for you: I changed your display name to the same name that you listed in your registration form, and I changed the topic title to include your name. Without that it is like detective work to find someone in the forum.
Also please take a moment to read our certification check list, which is an abbreviated form of the entire certification tutorial.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 1. The squatting position: I cannot sit on my heels or sit cross-legged on the floor. I’m using a portable lounge chair. I can easily adjust the height of the feet and move it some with the person in it. I have been experimenting to find the best positions for the different techniques. Later, I will also try using a massage table. I appreciate the tips for efficient movement and to prevent injuries.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 2. I found it difficult to use only the middle knuckle. It got tired fast. The person I was working on said that the twisting with pressure felt good. I like not having to use my thumbs so much. Again, I used the portable reflexology chair to workable positions as a substitute for not being able to work on the floor.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 3. The 1, 2, pause rhythm felt good to do. The person I was working on liked very much. Since I can not work on the floor, I cannot hold their feet in position against my legs. I found that it works to hold their feet together, bracing against each other. With the person in the chair, I was able to work on the outside of their Achilles, so they did not have to be prone to access this area.
June 28, 2010
Offline If you cannot sit on the floor comfortably, then you have to adjust how you work, like on a table. Luckily the second half of this course doesn't require any sitting on the floor at all. It is all done with you sitting on a chair or stool.
I demonstrate the techniques on the floor, but I know for a fact that many of our students are adapting it to the table, or like in your case, a chair. This will change how exactly you do the techniques, and that's fine. You don't need to follow the techniques to the letter, but it is fine if you take the spirit of them and implement them creatively to suit your physical abilities.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 4. I found that I had to use a table for part of this module, since the person cannot be prone in a chair. There are treatments that I do on a chair & different treatments I do on a table. It is good to have tools for each. I use the chair as much as I can, so that I can watch the video while practicing. When I practice on the table, I have to move the person to another room and remember how to do the technique, rewind & make sure I did it correctly.
Some of the techniques I could do seated by bending the person’s knee to have the feet point out & lay flat, especially using the forearm. When necessary, I supported the foot with the non-working hand instead of working on both feet at the same time. I supported above the ankle when using the elbow on the bottom of the foot & for some of the foot stretchs. Otherwise, the knees would bend and there was no pressure on the foot.
Some of these techniques I learned in Shiatsu school, like walking on the middle of the person’s feet while they are prone, and rolling knuckles of the fist on the bottom of the foot. In the chair, if the feet did not need support, I could cross my arms to get my hands on the bottom of both feet at the same time and be at the proper angle to treat.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 5. Again, I adapted to chair or table instead of floor. As mentioned before, I appreciate the suggestions to prevent strain by moving the whole body to do moves and using body parts other than thumbs.
I was able to access the inside and outside of the ankle in the seated position instead of having to turn the person over.
The foot flapping I learned in IRR foot reflexology as a relaxation move.
June 28, 2010
Offline It seems that you are approaching all this in a very creative way and you manage to figure out the adaptations.
Soon you will get to the second part where this won't be an issue anymore.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 6. I like the ankle support for the stretches & rotations. I need to start doing more of this. I liked the review at the end of this module. The ergonomic were helpful.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 7. I would have preferred to watch this first, then went back to start at lesson 1 because it uses a chair. At first, I was more interesting in learning reflexology techniques than learning more massage techniques. However, people really liked some of the massage techniques. If that can help to relax them, it is good to use.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 8. Just when I thought we were finally using the chair, here we are on the mat again. Oh, well. The back to the recliner, repeating several of the techniques used on the mat in previous modules. I should have watched 7-10 first instead of trying to figure it out.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 9. Great to learn some lower leg techniques. It was reported that it was very pleasant to receive these movements. Not being in a group class setting, I miss the receiving, so I don’t know how it all feels. It would be nice to find someone to try it on me.
May 21, 2017
Offline Module 10. The person I worked on didn’t like the percussion. It was just a personal preference or I’m doing it wrong. I’ll have to try it on someone else. I like the idea of massaging with the towel. When I do a foot scrub in the spa, I gently massage while whipping off the scrub. Now I have new techniques to add to this.
May 21, 2017
Offline After wathcing a module now & then for a couple months, I finally got serious and devotes these past few days to work hard to get this done.
June 28, 2010
Offline Congratulations for completing the certification program! That was a true posting marathon.
No doubt that with practice you will get better with the techniques and refine them so that it all feels good.
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