Alabama Massage School

In my last Alabama Massage Therapist Blog I spoke of the importance of using proper body mechanics. Following that same line of thought I’d like to look at the movement classes we teach at RMI. These classes come under the heading of Somatic Education, which is an important branch in the field of massage and bodywork.

The word somatic was coined by Thomas Hanna and comes from the Greek root “soma” meaning, “body”.

The word is usually associated with the term psychosomatic meaning mind/body.

Somatic education is the process of learning about ourselves and how we are wired. For example, why do we move in a certain way when we do such and such a thing? How can we move with less effort and more grace? It is by paying attention to what we are doing that we can modify and improve our function. Somatic education is really about tinkering with the nervous system. As massage therapists we can use somatic education to assist our clients in learning about their movement patterns (especially unhealthy ones) and how to find more efficient ways of using themselves.

In the movement classes the students attend to themselves. They are guided in self-explorations that teach them about themselves; how they hold themselves and how to let go of unnecessary tension. It is essential for a therapist to have a heightened sense-of-self so they can discern whether it is their tension they feel or that of their client. In fact, if the therapist is tense then they will not be able to truly feel the subtle textures of their client’s tension. The more the therapist is at ease with themselves the more they can assist their client into that same space. As David Moore, an old friend used to say, “you can’t give away what you don’t own.”

The pioneers of somatic education were forward thinking explorers. They understood that the human being is designed to learn at any point and at any time. In that sense they were decades ahead of the scientific community, which rejected the idea of brain-plasticity until very recently. The term neuro-plasticity is used to convey that the human nervous system is malleable; it alters its connections and impulses depending on factors such as amputation, stroke, as well as use. The exciting thing is that we can make adaptations to how we live and function to find our maximum level of health.

If you want to read further about how science now understands this amazing ability there is an excellent book by Norman Doidge, MD called The Brain That Changes Itself.

For more information on somatic education go to www.feldenkrais.com. Some other pioneers in somatic education include: Thomas Hanna, F. M. Alexander, Emily Conrad, Carol Welch (Biosomatics) and Elena Rubenfeld.

My latest topic for the Alabama Massage Therapist Blog is about injuries; especially the potential injuries a massage therapist may incur. It may not have occurred to you if you are just considering a career in massage therapy, but there are a few things you need to be aware of to avoid work related injuries. All of these injuries would come under the heading of repetitive motion or strain. These types of injuries are common in many work conditions that involve tasks that are performed over and over. Physicians are even reporting seeing this type of injury with kids playing computer games and texting their friends day after day.

Basically what happens in a repetitive stress injury is a motion (usually small) is made so often that the muscles and tendons of that area become tight, swollen and inflamed. Symptoms are usually mild at first and are experienced as localized pain in the area. If left untreated the condition can become more serious and require invasive medical treatment. However, repetitive stress injury is very treatable and it so happens that massage therapy has become more and more the treatment of choice. This is exactly why the athletic community praises the use of massage so much.

In the case of massage therapist, the muscles of the forearm and hands are usually involved and lead to achy wrists, hands, elbows and arms. Fortunately at Red Mountain Institute Massage School we not only teach how to treat this condition, but more importantly we teach you how to avoid getting it in the first place. The key to a successful injury-free massage therapy career is how you do the massage, or what is known as proper body mechanics. How to give a massage using proper body mechanics is one of the key elements of the training at our school.

Without proper mechanics a therapist is almost certain to have problems with repetitive strain sooner or later. I have known therapists that have been in the field for 20 years without any problems because they learned the proper way to give a massage. On the other hand I’ve known therapists that had to leave the industry after just a few years all because they either didn’t know good body mechanics or refused to use them. Be assured and rest easy, if you train at Red Mountain Institute you will be taught the proper way to give a massage that produces the least amount of strain on your own body. That way you can give many years of massage without fear of suffering from repetitive motion or strain.

One thing I love to brag about and what makes Red Mountain Institute special is our staff. I have never worked with such a committed group of individuals before. They are committed to the education and welfare of the students, they are committed to their own continuing education and they are committed to the profession of massage therapy as a whole. One of the exciting things about being around such quality professionals is their contagious enthusiasm. It seems someone is always just returning from some new training and folding what they learned into the program.

For example, Windy Dodson the school Director and Sheila Cook the Educational Director have just finished an in-depth training in aquatic therapy. They now work with people in a heated therapy pool providing a variety of massage-based techniques to loosen tight muscles, and relax frayed nerves. By suspending the client in water they are able to get a level of relaxation that is almost impossible in gravity. This training took them over a year and required many hours of study and practice sessions. And, of course they have brought it to the classroom. Each class now gets to go to the pool and be exposed to the concepts of what aquatic therapy is all about.

Another training that most of our core staff has taken is the Spirit of Learning. This is a 90-hour program in the philosophy and methodologies of education. The program was designed and taught by the master instructor Carey Smith at BTI in North Carolina. I feel this training has given our staff a great advantage in the ability to create lesson plans, manage classroom dynamics and teach to a variety of learning styles. With this specialized training we are not only experts in massage, but are also qualified educators in our area of expertise.

On top of all of the above, we all are actively involved in our individual massage practices, so we come to the classroom with real examples of case histories. We get to share real life scenarios and their outcomes. This combination of enthusiasm, continuing education, understanding the particulars of teaching and keeping our hands active is what I think makes our staff one of the best Alabama Massage Schools and in the nation for that matter. It has always been our mission to set and maintain the highest standards in the field of massage therapy, bodywork and integrative therapies.

Hi, my name is Arnold Askew.  I have been an Alabama Massage Therapist for 20 years.  It has been the greatest profession I could imagine.  Not only do I get to help people, I also make a right livelihood.  Getting paid to do something I love is truly a luxury.  I don’t dread going to work each day, instead I look forward to it.  The clients I meet are fascinating and the multitude of problems they present with are always a challenge.  People think I’m kidding, but I truly get as much from giving a massage as my clients do by receiving them.

For me it is essential that what I do keeps me stimulated.  I am not the type that wants to do the same thing all day.  And though it may seem that doing massage all day is the same thing, it’s not.  Every person is different, and the things they want and need are different.  I guess you ‘could’ do a standard one-size-fits-all massage, but to truly meet a persons needs you need to treat them as the individuals they are.  That is why a massage therapist will always be superior to an automatic massage chair or some similar product.  The massage therapist can adjust the quality of their touch based on what is needed.  And, a good massage therapist can detect what is needed even before the client realizes it. 

Through the course of a week I may see someone who has a strained back, another with shoulder problems, an athlete that wants to improve her flexibility, and yet another with headaches or any variety of issues.  Figuring out how to best assist my clients is what makes each session unique and exciting.  There is no one solution to the many problems people have.  Instead each case must be assessed and approached differently.  As a result I can honestly say that in all of my 20 years as a massage therapist I have never been board. 

Full-Time

• Monday through Friday - Day Program: Starts: Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Part-Time

• Monday & Wednesday Evening/Weekend Program: Starts: Monday, September 22, 2008

For more information about Red Mountain Institute: Alabama Massage School Fall 2008 Schedule programs [click here]

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