Ready to go!

I have finished the practical part of my training! I have passed all the practice assessments and am now waiting for the workbooks to be marked. I was quite nervous when I started, as I have no background in anatomy and physiology, despite a long term amateur interest in massage. But getting stuck in with practical demonstrations of effleurage and petrissage, as well as body mechanics assessments really did reinforce my book learning. I have a studio, a massage table, and the colour turquoise! I have a set of oils, which I will talk about later. All I need now is the final certificate and my insurance in place, and I will be ready to go!

Alongside the training, (lead by the guy who is also my Thai Yoga massage therapist!) I have also been avidly consuming Youtube videos! I’m not usually one for using Youtube to learn, but I eventually hooked into a couple of channels where those involved were research- and practice -led. I have an allergic reaction to a lot of the self-proclaimed YT experts, so I check out their credentials and compared them to other channels.

Two channels in particular have contributed a lot to my ethos, my unique way of doing massage. Ian Harvey over at Massage Sloth really helped me to focus on deliberate, systematic and respectful touch which lies at the core all massage techniques. He also introduced me to the notion of myofascia, this extraordinary complex fractal of fibres and collagen that envelopes every part of our body, connecting all the different parts together in such a way that ordinary cause and effect ideas of muscle injury are completely confounded.

The second major influence on my ethos is Gil Hedley over at Somanaut. I love that term! Somanaut, exploring the human ‘soma’ or body, finding out more about its mysterious complex of muscles, bones, fascia and nerves! Gil researches and teaches integral anatomy. This is how the body fits together and operates as a single complex system, rather than traditional or classic anatomy which focuses on the seperate parts. Gil has also been a body work therapist, so he understands why we want to know how systems fit together rather than how they can be cut apart. He has a wonderful quirky way about him!

Both of these influences have taught me to slow down my massage, paying closer attention to the layers of muscles in a person, and the fascia that wraps around them and connects them all together in mysterious ways. I am inspired by their deep and respectful love of the human body, and the people who inhabit those bodies. They both are slow, methodical, inquistive and meditative. They both understand the mind/body connection.

My practice therefore (and I thank all of those who have been willing volunteers in my training!) is directed primarily towards therapeutic touch and movement.

In this blog, I hope to explore some of the issues, challenges and excitement of this practice. At the moment, massage is a ‘side hustle’, a hobby alongside my main job. But who knows where this will lead?! If I can help a few people along the way, then I will be happy.