Module 2.  I like being a beginner because I'm open to the information given in a way that is different from feeling I know a lot. You can tune out when you think you've heard it before, but you pay attention when it is new so you don't miss a thing.  I appreciated how this module came together with the big picture about Thai massage as it relates to the back, and specifically back therapy.  There are so many reasons why people have back problems. There are also many ways that Thai massage can address these problems and, at the end of this module, all the ways that Thai massage can help a person find their way to who they really are. That was a big take-away, that Thai massage can help with feeling brightness and lightness, peacefulness and hopefulness.   I know how my daughter feels after I work with her; she gets up, turns to me and says, "I liked that!" Her face shows it, her body is more relaxed, and I know that she feels so much better. 

But it is not just the client who feels good. I feel really good too. I focus on breathing. I get into the rhythm with her breathing, with movement and rocking and using body mechanics to finish up a session feeling I liked it too.  All of that came back as I heard Shama describe all the ways Thai Massage can help someone. Had I heard all of these before? Well, probably, but not quite in this way and maybe I'm more ready to hear them now for my own wholeness and well-being.  It's like these points about Thai massage can be integrated with back therapy and I will see how this happens during these weeks; the brightness and lightness, peacefulness and hopefulness.

The review of the different sections of the spine, including the coccyx, also revealed how our body depends on the spine for balance and movement and action and relaxation and purpose.  The joints and muscles and nerves, all working together with the spine, with the whole back, with the body, can lead us to great healing.

I really enjoyed this approach and the many interesting facets-yes, facets- that will be explored as this Thai Massage Back Therapy unfolds.  Thanks so much Shama!

Module 3.  You really are laying the foundation with these first few modules, and  this one especially set up a way to bring the parts together.  That was good for my brain, to see the organization of this big section, big and important!  You have to know about the parts of the spine mainly addressed.  Then there are the common problems and issues that people want addressed. I thought the first part of this module, emphasized with a quiz question , brought home the point of helping with tight muscles, like the pec muscles, and how the collapsed posture can be worked with, but if you have really weak muscles that you can't do much about them. It sounds so basic but I needed to hear this to remind myself what exactly I can do for somebody.  I can help in certain ways, such as relaxation and then stretching, but strength work comes from elsewhere.

The conversation with people who have back problems is helping them possibly find their way to a lifestyle factor that could be explored, and the intake form can help with this. As you point out, there are a lot of techniques and tools that we can use in Thai Massage for the back, to address these issues, and our assessment can help us narrow which techniques and tools to use, depending on things such as the body size, history of injuries, etc.

This was really good and I'm glad I focused on it, for I sat with it a while afterwards. Just really good modules, Shama!

Module 4. So much in these modules! This one was good for my daughter, for she likes rocking, she enjoyed the rhythm of the entire back work, and she noticed when the speed increased or the offset back and forth rocking was used. Rocking is easier to do than to apply linear pressure, and I also practiced shifting from one heel down/other knee bent to the opposite, to see which is more comfortable. Circling to work with  the back, finding spots of "thickness"  on her back, and being cautious when getting close to the spine were balanced with the variable pressure.

The options with the hands made it more enjoyable for me, to shift from hands on top of each other, next to each other, then using just the palm/heel of the hands, and it felt good. I was aware of the skin stretching issue and I liked the challenge of the offset rocking, because it took a minute to get the right rhythm back after moving up or down. And you added the technique to the sacrum, which was okay for my daughter.  Very nice!  I think in my review later on, this is one module I'll come back to, because there are so many variations. I'd like to practice using them all, esp getting comfortable with technique # 5. The directions are clear and easy to follow and I like that you stop and make good points by looking at the camera to emphasize points.  Thanks Shama!

Module 5.  The sacrum is fascinating to work with. So, this morning I was teaching yoga and I went over the sacrum and demonstrated how to find theirs, starting at lumbar vertebrae, circling down, finding the corner edges and across the top. They were good sports and they understand the importance of taking care of their spine.

I don't remember hearing that the sacrum has 5 nerves; pieces come together so well in these different courses and they add a dimension that helps me understand anatomy and to apply it to Thai Massage techniques. So woo hoo! My daughter was okay with this module, which I started with some feet work and then did rocking on her back until she literally relaxed. It can be like every muscle lets go at the same time.

The emphasis on being careful with thumb work, not only for myself but to keep from the feeling of being pokey for clients was good. The horse gallop rhythm is really cool and it helped to have the 1-2-3, taking the pressure off the "3".  I was itching to get more forearm or knuckles down on the sacrum but held back on this fascinating bone.  It has a lot of energy.  Circling was very good and, as usual, my daughter is super sensitive to fingers ,so the palm circling was very good, followed by the speeding up. She had tensed a little and the rocking with the speeding up settled her down again.

I had to find the edges of the sacrum more than once, but I slowed down and found the up and down pace was soothing and it got me back into a good rhythm too. You can never go wrong with using percussion at the end!  Thanks Shama.

Module 6.  Wow, I missed some things this week including completing this module!  My daughter let me practice with her last Sunday and it is now Thursday! I feel I get more of a feel for the sacrum with every practice and that the angle of work makes a difference. I notice that the sacrum technique picks up which side of the sacrum moves easier, into one side of the ilium rather than the other ,for my daughter, and that the "space" is more accessible on one side. The variable movement of the hands is so beneficial for getting a good feel and then the faster rocking feels good. I avoided using the thumbs to avoid tickling my daughter.  Rocking is also a good place to conceptualize what is coming next  and to breathe into that awareness.

My daughter likes the light touch with rocking. I liked the next techniques with using the elbow and forearm. Body mechanics have to be paid attention to or you can a message pretty quick from your body that you need to refocus; it is not just the arms leaning in, but the whole body. My tendency is to go back and forth and to sometimes move more mental,and it really helps to give pause to bring all the pieces together again.

I practiced the transition several times with the video and two rolled up towels, and found it worked out with my daughter for one side to the other. The instruction was very helpful, the videos are the best, where to put the first knee, placement of the second knee and then coming up on that leg, sitting back. The shift over to the other side then doesn't feel complicated but makes sense.

We both breathed, the relaxation with a final rocking made for a good session. Thanks Shama!

Module 7.  We are back, a short break was needed. So glad to be back in and on course again. I completed the first technique now 3 times along with the video and then once with my daughter last night. Really helpful to repeat the techniques. Transitioning becoming more comfortable and my daughter okay with the rocking, lean and push over. Having the leg aligned with her body makes a difference. Those are the tips that really help me.

The single knee with rocking was easier to do than with circling, and I switched to the left knee to see if it was easier, which it was.  I think I was extra slow and it was okay with my daughter.  I found I settled into it and could then synchronize with my daughter's rhythm and breathing. I missed this part!  She let me straddle for the both knees technique, my hands on the floor, and I found a difference in my hip flexibility when one knee moved easier and smoother than the other knee.  Then my daughter was done with this so I transitioned back to her side and did not do the maximum power technique, the flow nor the heel on the glutes. Instead, I did circling and wiggling with my hands for a gentle way of relaxing.

It always comes together so nicely in watching Shama do a mini-session for the glutes/sacrum, all benefiting the SI joint in getting movement, a good workout for relaxing the whole area.  Very good, thank you so much Shama!