
April 10, 2012

Module 10. Leg Stretches 4
I tried to do all the stretches in a row. In the end I added foot massage from module 2 and Chi-machine. I felt that those moves may be as good for the ending as for the beginning. I've tried blood stop several times, however I'm not sure I've done them right, as I couldn't feel any change in pulsation.
It is interesting - on some people you can do lots of intense stretches, and they enjoy them, but the relaxation moves don't do much for them.
Then there are people who can't handle hardly any stretches, and for them it is best to just do muscle work, rocking and relaxation moves, at least until they are able to handle some more stretching.
The ideal combination are rocking moves. They can work on muscles as well as on stretches. They are more gentle for the stretching, and they are very effective for relaxing tight muscles.
Regarding the blood stop, first locate the femoral artery with your fingers until you feel the pulsing. Then position the heel of your hand on the exact spot and slowly sink in until you feel the pulsing. If you don't feel it, reposition your hand until you do. Once you 'get it', you will find the right spot very easily. Also play with changing the angle of your arm when you lean into this spot.

April 10, 2012

Module 12. Hip Stretches
Again did it on a highly flexible person, so I was able to do all the strong stretches you showed. However the one in the beginning, when you put feet against your trunk and stretch leaning forward, was just not enough. I couldn't create force big enough with my body weight.
I think you mean the stretch at about minute 7 in the video, right? This one is not designed to be a very strong stretch. The purpose of it is a combination of compression and traction of the joints. The stretch is more of a side effect. There are other techniques in the same video that give you much more leverage for this stretch.

April 10, 2012

Module 15. Abdomen and chest
This are good introductory moves, however I felt that abdomen massage is scarce, would like to concentrate more on this area.
Also when I do a full massage receiver is very relaxed, but sleepy afterwards. Do you use some something to awaken client, some percussion techniques etc?
I have a separate course just on abdominal massage which goes deeper. You can check it out here.
I do not try to wake up my clients at the end of the session. Actually I think it is a very good sign if they are sleepy. It is not really sleepy, but more like an altered state. I just let them rest until they feel like getting up, even if that takes a few minutes. When they are totally asleep, you can play some soft music or chimes or touch them lightly to wake them up.
I think this altered state is the best state for healing and integration of the session. Personally I love being in this state after a good massage session.
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