Massage Video Blog

Paki Massage is short for Pakistani Massage - I'm not sure if that's an official term or just used by some people.

I'm sure there are different varieties of massage, as much as I can tell from seeing different footage from Pakistan, but this one video is showing one of the most unique massage techniques I've ever seen.

It remind me on a situation that I had with a client who couldn't lie on his back. He asked me if I could rig something up to make it so that I would be underneath him, like working on a car that is jacked up.

I thought of a few things, but it seems that this Paki massage guy has figured out one way to do it.

Not that my client would have been able to lie like that and be relaxed, nor do I have the flexibility and strength to probably hold this position for more than 1 minute, but I think it shows that different cultures always approach massage in a slightly different way and for that this massage video is already exciting.

So enjoy this paki massage video:




Don't try this at home!

Labels: paki massage video, pakistani massage video

This Holistic Massage Video clip shows you the basic of this massage style.

Never heard of it?

Well this video clip will give you the information you need. Jim Granger, Director of Somatic Studies at Health-Choices Holistic Massage School in Princeton, New Jersey talks about things like somatic studies, mindful massage, and conscious touch.

The Institute of Somatic Studies says:

Developmental Somatic Psychotherapy, created by Ruella Frank, Ph.D., is a relational and movement-oriented approach to psychotherapy within a gestalt therapy framework.

Inspired by the work of developmental psychologists, motor theorists, and somatic educators, Developmental Somatic Psychotherapy is a template for understanding and working with early psycho-physical blocks as they emerge in the here-and-now of the adult therapy session.

Here from the Health Choices website about the schools philosophy:

Two important components of this approach are "Mindfulness" and "Embodiment".

Mindfulness means you are calm, centered, open-hearted, and fully focused on your client throughout the massage.

Embodiment means you are not just in your “head” but alive and aware in your body, connected with the entire Wisdom of your Being.

We, The Staff of Health-Choices, have all experienced this transformation through touch in our own lives and are willing and eager to share what we have learned with you.

Basically this therapy looks to integrate you spiritual aspect into the massage session. You have to make up your mind if this is something that you can relate to or not. For some of you it might sound a little bit too esoteric - but you have to make that judgment yourself.

Holistic Massage Video Clip 1:





Holistic Massage Video Clip 2:

Labels: holistic massage video clip, somatic studies

This Indian Head Massage video clip was shot in India. It is a massage parlor in Pushkar, Rajastan.

I am always amazed to watch massage videos from other cultures - clips from their daily routine nothing set up. Just documentary style. I shows me how different people approach the treatment situation in a different way.

There is loud music, road noise, there is a lot of color in the room, cluttered room, no massage equipment other than a chair and a pillow, but still watching it already tells me that the clients was able to really zoom out.

Relaxation does not always depend on the environment, it mainly depends on the effect that the massage therapist has on you. (I don't think it is the catching of the cosmic rays, but at least there is some serious drama in front of the camera - LOL)

Enjoy this really great Indian Head Massage video:





For more Indian Massage Videos

Labels: indian head massage, indian massage video

Don't know how to choose a massage course?
Having a hard time finding the perfect massage course for you? Doing your own due diligence work can save you a lot of time and money. Here is what you need to look for in a massage school or private course. This step-by-step guide will give you the most important questions that you have to ask, when choosing a course or massage program.

How to choose a massage course

1. Why do you want to learn massage? There are many different motives for attending a massage course including 1) personal interest and personal development, 2) wanting to be able to help friends and family with minor aches and pains, 3) giving massages as a side job, 4) adding valuable skills to you own profession and 5) seeking a massage therapist career.
   
2. Set up a budget. It may not make sense for you to attend a 3-year massage course for a lot of money if you are only learning so that you can massage your spouse.
   
3. Determine which massage style you would like to learn: Decide whether you want to learn a hard massage style like Deep Tissue Massage or Rolfing or softer massage techniques such as Ayurvedic massage or lymph drainage, massage with accessories like hot stones, etc. Check books, magazines or on the Internet to learn about the major differences between these massage techniques.
   
4. Shop around: Check on the Internet, yellow pages and local newspapers for massage courses being offered in your area.
   
5. Ask around: Ask friends, family or colleagues if they know of any good massage courses in your area. Ask your local massage therapist where they learned massage.
   
6. Contact different massage schools: Find out in advance about the contents of the course, their pricing and any other requirements for attending the course.
   
7. Contact the massage instructors: Speak to the instructors to see if the course is the right thing for you and what teaching method they use. Ask what the ratio of theory to practice usually is in the course.
   
8. Check the credibility of the schools: Inquire as to how long the school has been in business, how many graduated students they have, the founder’s massage education and the qualifications of the instructors (how long did they study, how long have they been teaching, what is their educational background, etc.)
   
9. Try to contact former students: There is nothing wrong with asking for references. Ask some of the school’s or instructor’s former students how they feel about the massage course.
   

Footnote

• A massage course can be offered by a massage therapist school, massage institutes or just by individual massage therapists. Even though many countries have regulations on the amount of hours you need to study massage in order to get licensed (requirements can vary by state, county and even city in the U.S.) the content of the courses can often vary greatly.
  

Labels: how to choose a massage course, massage course, massage school, massage therapist school

This Chi Nei Tsang video is a great introduction by Master Mantak Chia.

Chi Nei Tsang can be called the "Internal Organ Chi Massage" and it mainly focuses on the abdominal area. It works through manipulation of lymph, blood and reflexology points.

Taoism says that: "You are as young as your abdominals".

This doesn't refer to a six pack, but to the state of the abdominal organs.

In this video Mantak Chia refers to the small intestine as the second brain, the heart as the third brain. This is also according to Taoist philosophy. The abdominal organs do not just play an important role for our physical well being, but also for our mental and emotional state of health.

The manipulations in Chi Nei Tsang are usually soft, and applied sometimes deep sometimes superficial, depending on which layer or organ you are working on. Goal is to release tension from the abdominal area, to start working on unprocessed emotions and to have the organs work more efficiently.

Like in the video posted yesterday, it is important to know that the massage therapist has to learn Qi Gong (Chi Kung), actually Chi Nei Tsang can be seen as a form of "applied Chi Kung".

Enjoy this Chi Nei Tsang Video:





For more chinese massage video clips

Labels: asian massage video, chi nei tsang video, chinese massage video, mantak chia

Mantak Chia who is known amongst massage therapists for his Chi Nei Tsang is a controversial figure in Taoism, but I want to show you this video, because there is much to learn from these 6 minutes.

When I started doing massage, I noticed that I was always very drained afterwards. The worst time was when I was giving massages to cancer patients in a hospital. The patients always looked forward to the massage, because they felt great about it.

I talked to a fellow therapist at the time and he told me that it is because good massage therapist are actually channeling energy from the outside, while I was just using up my own energy. It's almost like I merged energetically with the client.

There is always some sort of energy exchange between therapist and clients, but it is important to know that not all energy is the same, some energy is almost toxic. And I don't mean this in an esoteric way. It's just experience.

So you need to learn to at least protect yourself and shield yourself in a treatment session. I had a chinese teacher who told me that I should always imagine a glass cylinder around me, that doesn't let any energy go through. He said I would need to do that, because I was not able to draw chi from the environment or the breath.

And I started doing this. First in session, then even in public places and on the subway and it works. Try it out yourself.

Here is what you can read on wiki about Mantak Chia:
Mantak Chia (謝明德, born 1944) is an author, teacher and self-described healer. He is best known for his books and teachings on Taoism and qigong. Mantak Chia is a controversial figure in Taoism, alternately praised for public disclosure of long-held secrets and condemned for idiosyncrasies such as a heavy focus on Taoist sexual practices. Mantak Chia claims to make esoteric Taoist practices more accessible to a modern Western audience. He has closely worked with several students with a background in Western esoteric studies, especially Michael Winn, Eric Yudelove and Dennis Lewis.

Enjoy Mantak Chia's talk about self protection in Massage

Labels: chi nei tsang, chinese massage video, mantak chia

This shoulder anatomy video gives you the very basics you need for any kind of body work. Bones, Ligaments and muscles are pointed out in an easy to follow way.

I personally always had a hard time learning anatomy from a text book. It's great to have visuals, it's even better if you follow along and check on an actual shoulder (can be your own) at the same time.

For me there are two things that can be important about anatomy in connection with massage. First of all you might be able to understand the movements of a joint better, you might be able to see imbalanced muscles according to movement patterns, but mostly because it feels much better if you run strokes along the entire muscle than just a part of it.

The second point is important, because it has to do with the actual experience of a client. Nothing worse than a client that is unsatisfied, because they feel you didn't go all the way in terms of the length of the muscles. In many cases the client will not be able to verbalize that, but will just feel discontent and that might reflect badly on your reputation.

It's easy to combat that by generally working all the way to a joint (there are exceptions like the knee, the armpit).

Enjoy this shoulder anatomy video:





Click to see a proper shoulder massage video

Labels: Anatomy Video, shoulder anatomy video, shoulder massage video

This TheraCane Trigger point video gives you a simple introduction on how to use this product. John W. Johnson, Licensed Massage Therapist, shows great basic applications of this very inexpensive valuable massage tool.

I personally have one right at my desk, because I can just spend 30 seconds on some tightness, before it gets to be a bigger problem.

If you work on the computer a lot like myself, it is good to take frequent breaks, do some stretching or range of motion exercises, get up walk around, drink a glass of water or use the TheraCane.

I always used to roll around on a tennis ball to massage my back, but the TheraCane gives you great results for areas that are hard to reach.

I know this sounds like an informercial, but it works for me and obviously for John W. Johnson, too.

So here is the TheraCane Tigger Point video, one of the simplest massage tools for self massage.





Click here if you want to see more videos about trigger point techniques that you can apply with the TheraCane

Labels: massage tools, theracane, trigger point massage

This back massage video shows some good elements, but it also remind us that we should have a concept of what we actually trying to achieve.

If you are performing a classic Swedish massage, the concept is to give the client's venous and lymph system some relief. This is primarily done by directing the strokes towards the heart and the major lymph nodes.

In this video there is no predominant direction of strokes, so the end result is probably not as great as it could be.

If you are performing this massage with Chi in mind, then you would usually run the strokes down the back to encourage Yang energy to flow through the meridians, upwards movement would stall that flow, so if the person as in this video moves in both directions there is no great effect on the chi either.

There is another important aspect, that when you do elbow and stretch connective tissue on the spine downwards, you will some introduce extra stress to the neck, because connective tissue will be pulled from the neck and also from the front of the neck. This can be very uncomfortable and should only be done if some connective tissue release is done on the front first, so that you have some slack in the neck.

If there is any discomfort, immediately change the direction to upward which will also give you some slack in the neck area.





So all in all this video shows a confused concept of massage in both eastern and western schools of thought. The massage will still bring some local benefit and even full body benefit (especially for those who never receive massage), but the results could be definitely improved, by having an underlying common sense concept.

For more info go to our Back massage video section

Labels: back massage video, massage tips, mistakes, misunderstandings

Official Google Blog: Massage interviews?

I think it's a great idea that Google has massage therapists on their team. If you are working a lot on the computer, you know how good it feels if somebody just squeezes your shoulders or neck a little bit.

Unique their approach in terms of quality check. They just let the guy massage them. If he is good he's in, if not never mind.

I guess Google still has some common sense, even when it comes to massage

The Heavy Handed Swedish Massage Video shows supposedly a deeper form of Swedish Massage.

It's hard to tell from the video, but I don't see anything particularly deep about this style, because Swedish massage is in my books always done with that intensity, unless you work on somebody who is very weak.

The lady mentions that you should see more circulation by getting the skin to turn pink. Hey that's what massage is all about: increasing the circulation, increase the skin temperature - you should always see that. Otherwise you are not giving a Swedish massage but rather just petting someone.

Swedish massage uses a heavier hand, to get a firm and broad contact and you lift muscles during petrissage with a broad contact and are not just pinching of the skin.

What is maybe noticeable in this Swedish massage video is also that there doesn't seem to be a preferred direction as usually used in this technique. Classic Swedish always works towards the heart (to help venous flow) and toward major lymph nodes.

Anyway see what you think about this so-called heavier hand Swedish Massage video





To see more Swedish Massage video clips

Labels: swedish massage video

Stretching and massage are two of the most important parts of whole body wellness. The third component is strengthening.

Research has shown that actually strengthening is the most crucial part of wellness. A weak muscle does not react well to either massage or stretching. Actually a person who has weak muscles should only be massaged, if you try to tone the muscles with your techniques. That means to bring chi to the muscle, activate the muscle and bring heat to the muscle.

Stretching can be quite dangerous if not done properly aligned, done with unnatural force or done on weak or cold muscles.

Most therapists tend to stretch a muscle which is in chronic contraction or tension, but only have limited success. Why is that?

Well stretching does only make sense in a muscle that has appropriate strength levels. A muscle will relax right after a contraction, through contraction of the antagonist muscle.

I would recommend reading Muscle Energy Techniques from Leon Chaitow, which very clearly offers you the great safe strategies for stretching in a massage setting. Many of these soft tissue procedures are used now by chiropractors and osteopaths, because they seem to get better results than many tradition adjustment techniques.

Passive stretching by a partner is always very risky, because it's hard to feel the limits of the stretch. Ambition and goal-oriented behaviour in a therapist can lead to more damage than it helps.

This is why I show you this Full body stretch video, because I don't feel that it tells you anything about the strength part in connection with stretching. A weak muscle will easily strain if stretched, so it first has to be strengthened or at least done together.



Footnote: Many people hurt themselves stretching, but the chances are much higher than you get hurt if somebody else is controlling the stretch.

Labels: stretching massage video

This Accupoint massage video clip is unfortunately in German, so I don't know how many of you understand. But I still wanted to show you this clip as this is one of the best therapies I have ever learned.

Accupoint massage according to Willy Penzel is mainly taught in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, although there are also Accupoint massage courses offered in Australia and New Zealand. Willy Penzel created this massage technique in the 1950's and it is based on the system of chinese meridians.

It utilizes a small metal stick to help move the chi in the meridians. This therapy taught me the most interesting connection between meridians, the effects of heat and cold and how you can use them to stabilize the chi and how different joints are connected.

Together with Rolfing, Accupoint massage is probably my favorite massage technique, although I use it not so much with the metal stick, but rather as a basis to determine my treatment plans.

As you will be able to see in the video, this massage technique can be also used on animals. The horse has a slight limp before the treatment and just a tonifying stroke in part of the small intestine meridian takes that limp out.

It's a very powerful massage technique, so enjoy this Accupoint massage video:

Labels: accupoint massage video, apm, penzel