Vacation: Bringing our yin into balance

Ah, summertime.

It is the season for fun, activity, sunshine and hopefully, vacation! Having just recently taken a vacation myself, I am acutely aware of how important rest and relaxation are for overall health. In a world filled with day-to-day demands that often tax our nervous system; an extended break is just the ticket toward balance.

My favorite image depicting balance is the Yin/Yang symbol. Universally recognized, this symbol is often misunderstood. In its simplest terms, it depicts the two opposing, and at the same time, complementary aspects of life. Yin qualities are characterized as soft, slow, substantial, water, cold, conserving, tranquil, gentle, and corresponds to the night.

Yang qualities are characterized as hot, fire, restless, hard, dry, excitement, non-substantial, rapidity, and correspond to the day.

I take the position that our society and in turn, our clients, live in a world dominated by yang energy. From the time the morning alarm clock goes off to the moment our head hits the pillow at night, our days are often filled with constant activity. In an age of instantaneous information flow via the internet, cell phones and television, our nervous systems struggle to keep up. All too often, with an excess of yang energy we end up “burning out”.

Our autonomic nervous system is in itself a great depiction of the yin/yang concept. The two components of this system (parasympathetic and sympathetic) present in different ways. The parasympathetic promotes the rest and digest response and is associated with elements of yin. The sympathetic promotes a fight or flight response and is associated with the elements of yang.

Throughout life, the yin/yang mutually transform, as do the responses through our nervous system. The maximum effect of one quality will be followed by the transition toward the opposing quality. This is why we often look for rest and relaxation after an extremely stressful period. In reality, the average American takes 13 days of vacation per year. In stark contrast, the average Italian takes 42 and the French take 37.

Historically, European cultures have relied on a period of yin woven into the fabric of their workday. In Spain, this is called a siesta and consists of a short mid-day nap. The idea is laughable for most Americans, as we tend to spend on average, 46 hours per week at work. 63% of Americans log more than forty hours per week at the office, and 40 per cent log more than fifty.

Whew! I am off to schedule my next vacation.

Overcoming the Fear of Burnout for Massage Therapists

As part of our continuing education programs, we ask students to complete a short survey. It serves several purposes. It helps us understand how far students travel, what topics they would like to see offered and most importantly, what their concerns are as a massage therapist.

The following are quotes taken from recent surveys;

“I am concerned about my longevity and continuing to work without pain. I sometimes wonder how long I will be able to do this.”

“I want to work as effectively as possible for as long as possible. I'm tired of icing my hands at the end of the day.”

Based on our surveys, the majority of therapists fear they will not be able to practice as long as they want due to physical pain and burn out.

Our mission is to provide tools that can assuage these fears. We are attempting to do this in several ways. Our workshops incorporate elements of self-care such as body mechanics, “no thumbs” techniques, stretching and ensuring bodywork is received during class. Our blog features articles around self-care and we have recently posted videos demonstrating new techniques with body mechanics incorporated. We are also trying to raise awareness with employers of massage therapists about the importance of assisting with self-care. But, we can only reach so many people.

There are many things you can do on your own if you are concerned about your body carrying you through many more years of massage. Some suggestions are below;

1. Stay active to ensure the flexibility and health of your body. Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates all form a great foundation for you to stay supple and strong during your sessions. Many yoga postures will strengthen the muscles you must rely on to deliver strokes.
2. Eat optimally to provide your body the nutrients and energy you need to carry you through four to six sessions. Go for natural foods that are not loaded with chemicals and preservatives. Start your morning with a healthy breakfast that will keep you going.
3. Stay involved in a massage community. Attend events where like-minded people go. A support network can keep you energized and provide resources for help.
4. Pick CE classes that offer skills you can use to improve your self-care goals. Always talk to the CE provider before the class to ensure you are spending your money wisely.
5. Stretch between sessions. Take a couple minutes to lift your arms up and open your chest. Keep your wrists flexible by stretching them.
   
6. Eliminate negative thinking. When that little voice begins to remind you of all the things wrong in your life, gently remind that voice you have a lot to be thankful for. Turn your focus to what is right in your life and your perspective can change.
7. Lastly, put yourself first. If you are wiped-out and cannot do another session, then make the decision to take some time off to recuperate.

We’d love to hear your ideas. Please forward any self-care tips you have that might benefit others.

Massage Therapist Self-Care: Small steps to nutritional improvement

Nutritional change can be easier than you think. In our society, we often have a “no pain, no gain” or an “all or nothing” mentality. This, more often than not, will only lead us to disappointment and failure in our efforts to improve. I have often found myself in this type thinking of….”Oh well, I already messed up and ate a piece of cake, I might as well have the ice cream too.” That way of thinking can often lead to consuming hundreds of calories more than we need, instead of just a few.

One of the first significant changes I was able to implement easily, was to set the intention to have a healthy breakfast. I had been told repeatedly how important breakfast was to setting up my day, but I couldn’t find the time to make the right decision. I was your typical corporate employee who would get up, rush to get to work with my only fuel being coffee. Around 10:00 I would start to get a little hungry. Unfortunately, healthy options were non-existent. I began to set myself up for success by making a quick breakfast easy to access on my way out the door. As you prepare for a day full of massage sessions, it is important you have taken care of your own body first.

Everyone is different but some ideas on how to start the day right include;

1. Eat something that is alive, such as fresh fruit, juice or vegetables. The enzymes that have not been destroyed by pasteurization or heat are easy to digest and will give you needed energy. You can quickly grab fresh fruit before you head out the door.
2. Eat a protein and some healthy fat. To keep you full and full of energy, add a protein such as yogurt, kefir or an egg to the mix.
3. Eat something with fiber such as whole grain toast, pitas or oatmeal. Adding ground flax to just about everything will provide fiber and healthy fat.

Some great combos to consider:

The “Get Up and Go" Kefir Smoothie

1 Cup Plain Kefir (You can usually find this at health food stores or in the health section of major grocery stores. If you can't find it, substitute with organic yogurt)
1/4 C any combination of mixed fruit (my favorites- frozen cherries and blueberries or mango and pineapple)
1 T Ground flax (optional)-- adds some great omega fatties

Put it all in a blender and blend away! If you use the plain kefir, it will be a bit more sour so you might add some honey, stevia or agave nectar.

Kefir is a milk based liquid product that is cultured, similar to yogurt, but has many more beneficial intestinal friends. For a more thorough description of the benefits of kefir click HERE.

Quickie Oatmeal with "adds"

Plain instant oatmeal
Add heated soy or lowfat milk
Add ground flax
Add ghee or non-hydrogenated coconut oil
Add dehydrated fruit

A great source for unrefined coconut oil is HERE.

Enjoy!

Body Mechanics: A massage therapist's life line

From Effort and Strain - to - Ease and Flow

Today we are teaching a body mechanics class for deep tissue massage. As part of the introduction we ask students why they are taking class with us. Unequivocally in all trainings we hear about the desire to escape from pain and for career extension. It is sad for us to know that in an effort to bring relief and ease to clients, therapists are in fact doing so at the expense of their own bodies. The quote in the upper right section of the blog’s homepage drives this point home stating there are almost as many therapists leaving the industry as entering it.....often due to physical burnout and pain.

Eric was fortunate enough to attend the Body Therapy Institute, a school passionate about proper mechanics and self care. However, as we travel across the United States, we find this is not the case for everyone, and actually is quite rare. As I observe classes, I’ll hear Eric gently remind students to bring their head out of the work, to move from their core, to keep their shoulder disengaged and to effortlessly use gravity to apply the pressure their poor thumbs can no longer deliver.

I left my corporate job with a dream to help build a business that in some way would improve the lives of others. As I watch an entire room of massage therapists moving in sync with the teacher’s call outs, using straight spines, strong legs and upright heads; as I see them gliding effortlessly along the back of their fellow students, I can only hope that for some this has been meaningful and their ability to practice massage has been improved and lengthened.

Not everyone has easy access to proper body mechanics training, but if it is at all possible, I would encourage the effort. The investment in time and cost will quickly pay off as you diminish old habitual patterns while increasing your client’s satisfaction. Being half way through my yoga teacher training, I also find many similarities in yoga and tai chi movements. Practicing either modality will assist you in building your core and lower body strength in preparation for you asking them to support new movements that allow your overstretched rhomboids to finally breathe. We will be posting body mechanic pod casts soon. Our current ones can be viewed on you tube HERE

Massage Therapist: Finding Balance to Avoid Burn-Out

Yesterday, I ran into a fellow colleague and inquired about how her massage practice was going. “I got out of it altogether”, she said with an air of frustration.

I went on to assume it was because of an injury but she soon corrected me. “It was emotionally exhausting, working with people who are in pain each and every day. I finally had to just give it up.”

Testimonials like this, although completely understandable, break my heart, especially when you hear an overtone of longing in the therapist’s voice. My mind immediately starts to wonder what steps could have been taken to prevent the loss of a practice, of a career.

I believe massage is a mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually draining job, even on good days. The same profession that feeds our souls with endless wonder can also be ruthless in its ability to deplete us.

I was laughing uncontrollably with another therapist at the clinic the other day. It was the end of our workweek and we both had a client no-show. What normally is an agitation, turned into a joyous event. We both looked at each other and somehow knew that we were out of gas; there was nothing left to “give”. The powers at be knew it too, and helped us out. In our exhaustion, we could do nothing but laugh.

What steps are you taking today to balance your life? How are you replenishing the energy that you expend each day as a massage therapist?

Let us continue to find the balance between what our clients need from us and what we need for ourselves.

Massage Technique for the Lower Leg: Podcast 1

We are adding short podcasts to our blog demonstrating self-care practices and massage techniques. The below podcast demonstrates a lower leg, self-care stroke. It's a great technique you can teach clients to do on their own.

Self Care is Vital this Time of Year for the Massage Therapist

This month’s activities have taken a toll on my body. Beginning the first week of November, the conditions started brewing for the perfect storm; mix together a heavy travel schedule, restaurant food and staying in hotel rooms. Add in winter weather and the beginning of the holiday season. The result, a fine recipe for compromised health.

I manage to get a cold about once a year and it will usually linger for about a week. This year has been no different. However, part of the challenge for me is to get back to exercising, eating well and the routine of self-care after the setback. As I sit here and type, I realize I have not exercised in over two weeks. Okay, I know that is not the end of the world but it has lead to another problem: a weakened and less flexible body.

After giving three massages on Tuesday afternoon, I was waiting for my next client when I noticed an increasing pain signal along my spine. I took a moment to breathe and stretch but the pain kept a constant swell. By the time my client arrived, I was in pain and my rhomboids were in spasm.

Ethically, this is an interesting juncture in a massage practice. Does a therapist proceed with the massage, or explain the situation to the client, apologize for the inconvience and reschedule? In the past, I have rescheduled a client after they arrived at my office due to my inability to give quality work. Deciding where that fine line is can be the difference between a passing muscle spasm and a shoulder girdle that locks up on you for a week.

Taking a moment to check in with my body, my intuition told me to work with my client and make adaptations during the massage. Fortunately, this client prefers lighter touch, Swedish based work.

Soon after the session, I immediately located one of my colleagues and asked if they might take a few minutes to work with releasing the spasm in my back. After a few minutes of focused work, much of the contraction released.

These recent events have once again led me back to the concept of self-care. During this season of frenetic activities and seasonal colds/flu, may we rededicate our commitment to staying healthy and vital; so that we may continue to help our clients do the same.

Body Mechanics: A necessity for all massage training

We recently facilitated a deep tissue continuing education class in West Virginia. While we love to teach therapists new techniques, we are PASSIONATE about incorporating self-care into our classes in an effort to provide avenues for therapists to stay viable longer. I was observing Eric working with a student on a technique. He asked her to pause. He then had her focus on her body mechanics, encouraging her to work from her core and position her body so she could flow easily in the direction of movement. After navigating the new shift, her face lit up. She told us she had learned body mechanics in school, but had never figured out how to utilize the movements correctly in her practice. When Eric had her take the focus off her back and place it on her center, she could effortlessly deliver deep techniques. Proper posture and positioning is important when delivering the work and helps ensure greater longevity.

The picture above is of the Deep Tissue Class in WV. They were a great group to work with and we look forward to returning next year.

Hugonomics – The healthy aspects of hugging

If in need of a quick healthy fix, try hugging.

Scientists at University of North Carolina School of Medicine studied a group of women and discovered those who received the most hugs from loved ones had lower blood pressure and heart rate, plus higher levels of anxiety-reducing hormone oxytocin.

Here's someone who is passionate about hugging.

I found this website about hugging.

A good article on hugging.

I’ve been more of a patter my whole life, but I’m opening up to hugging!

Massage Therapists: Giving Until it Hurts

“When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”

--Abraham Maslow

I love this quote. It leads me to reflect on problem solving and on the winding road to healing. To reword it for massage therapists: “When the only tool you have is your thumb, every problem looks like a trigger point.”

It is always intriguing to get a group of therapists together and talk about techniques to release myofascial trigger points. From divide and conquer strategies to gentle “milking” approaches, the goal is the same: release. I am sure we have all found ourselves at one point, thumbs deep in a client’s rhomboids hell bent on obliterating any restrictions. At times, a client who has incredible tolerance for pressure has asked for more than we could give, so we concede to their request. Out of a desire to please and a competitive spirit, we decide that trigger point is no match for our superior might! After a night or two spent icing our blown out thumbs, we decide that it might not be the best plan for career longevity to give beyond our abilities in an effort to please.

I have had my hands in the ice bucket on more than one occasion, promising it would never happen again, but occasionally it does. One good thing coming from these intimate evenings with the ice is the time to reflect.

In my next series of postings, I will share what the ice bucket has taught me.

Peace--Eric

Strategies for Self-Care: remembering to remember

If I had to choose a population that I enjoy working with the most in my practice, it would be fellow massage therapists. In a broad perspective, simply seeing them come through my door to take care of themselves is a beautiful thing. As caregivers, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to take care of oneself.

Recently, I was working with a therapist that has an extensive outcall clientele. She was presenting with pain and tingling in her hands, sore shoulders and had little ability to flex her fingers. Hauling her supplies and fighting traffic had added to the discomfort she was experiencing. It had been eight weeks since she has received a massage. About ten minutes into the 90 minute session she commented: “I was tempted to cancel today. I had a client call for an appointment and this was the only available slot I had open. But I resisted the temptation. I need to be here today.”

Ah, the temptation to neglect our own needs. How easy it is to put business, family and even community needs before our own. Rationalizing we will be fine by postponing our own personal time is all to easy to do. “You have to remember to remember,” one of my teachers would say. Remember to remember who you are, what is important and how to take the best care of your resources.

We would love to hear from you. With all of the demands of modern life, how are you successful in creating time for yourself? What strategies do you employ that other therapists may benefit from hearing about?