Class Notes Day 8, Mon 2/12 - posterior body flow, shoulder, hip

"The world is round, and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning."

I feel much better today having had yesterday off. Plus 13-hour jet lag is mostly finally gone (11 days later), and the swelling in my lower legs/ankles from the flight is finally gone, also. I dread going through that brutal trip again to get home. It's brutal.

The course is 1/4 completed. On one hand, it's a relief to be that far done. On another, it seems like it just started and I know nothing yet. On yet another, I don't want this to fly by because I don't know when/if I'll ever get to do something like this again. 

I'm eager to learn more.

I'd like to take a class taught by Rob Wilks as senior teacher.

Does he teach his own classes? What? Where?

I cannot comfortably live in this heat/humidity. The right kinds of fabrics and fit of clothes makes a huge difference. Today, the flies are prevalent. This morning, anyway. [evening supper by the lagoon, more mosquitoes]

Resting yoga for 1.5 hours, some with a partner. Movement. Awareness of self and other. Moving together. Resting and listening. Joint mobility and support as needed. 

Loaned Anatomy of Movement to Richard. I think he'll find it useful and clear.

Really great morning session with Rob at the helm. 

Last week was all supine.

This week will be prone - work the entire posterior body, more muscle mass, less detail

Some clients sleep, but many enter a semi-sleep "trance" state when the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in. This is when the most healing takes place. This is our goal.

Ellen loves foot massages, so add those if she gives you an exam!

Place the bolster on the table at your best guess, then adjust after the client is on the table. It's less awkward than placing it after they are on the table. 

Get the client comfortable.

Center myself.

Focus on client's breath/my breath

initial contact - skin temp, breathing

compressions w/thenar emminence tells muscle density, strength, tightness

over drape, compress paraspinals and rhomboid on contralateral side

lean, don't push

use gravity not muscle strength

create a triangle from your back foot (leg straight), to your head, 

   down straight arms to the floor

   with client's bodypart at your hand level

use one hand on shoulder and other on opposite hip (R/L)

compressions on spine - ONLY thoracic spine, not floating rib area

rock the body with compressions

from head of table, compress sacrum, lenthen client's spine

then move to the other side and repeat compressions

compressions should be done VERY slowly

the greater the pressure, the slower you should move

light pressure over sheets should be faster

spend only 2-3 minutes working on top of the sheet doing compressions

when you identify knots, apply constant pressure while client breathes

when moving the drape, don't go too slowly

move it at the pace of a light-touch long stroke

draping here - slide top of drape to top of sacrum

fold both sides in with edges on top

hold drape on sacrum with upper hand, use lower hand to tuck excess between legs

Do not skip the lateral sides of the body

Use heels of hands, palms, fingers, and fingertips

Lotion - not oil - on feet

Move my feet by cross-stepping, not side-by-side steps!!!

Use hands independently of one another - the nervous system cannot track 2 signals at the same time - helps client to let go

when client is prone, do not apply traction to both legs at once -

   pulls client's face in face cradle/against table

ALWAYS finish with long strokes off toes, fingers, or crown

pause to let client integrate, then return via where you were or nearest large joint

   watch breath and return with exhale

table work with Linus - flow and long strokes on posterior body

today - not pressure, not using forearms

add a little hand and foot massage

use 2 different colors of sheets at work - top vs bottom sheets

   less fumbling with drape movement

   I'm thinking something indicating the lateral edges would be helpful, too

to finish, cover legs, then return and do some long strokes on the back

last back long stroke, scissor your fingers to grab top edge of sheet at hips 

   and pull up to shoulders, then do closing over sheet

"I lean all day" - that's how I do long massages, it's not using muscle power, it's gravity

Richard has agreed to do a trade with me this week. I need to do three, so must find two more who speak English. Iruka, Simba, Hope, who else to ask? Kalev? Linus?

Massage tables for this course were made in Bali. I don't like them - very thin padding. Face cradles don't adjust at all and are uncomfortable. 

Esalen-style massage was developed without using face cradles because they inhibit movement of the body on the table. The work was influenced by Feldenkrais. 

So client prone, 1 arm bent and up by face which points toward that arm. The other arm straight and extended down the side of the body. Client shifts their head/arm as needed for comfort. (Very uncomfortable, too - there must be a better solution)

Initial still touch

full body long stroke - sacrum stretch

thoracic compressions on contralateral side

compression on legs

at the PACE OF A SLOW, PEACEFUL DREAM

Arm/shoulder - 

select the arm that is close to the face, not the one by the body

hang it over the edge, doing long strokes from shoulder to elbow

movement in shoulder joint - use my body motion/movement, don't stand still

gentle lift of shoulder joint

slip under the arm, put bottom sheet on thigh to protect clothes, 

   then rest upper arm across my thigh

work on delts, traps, triceps, rotator cuff

"be curious" with your fingers - look around using your fingertips

posterior neck

end either with stillness or a long integrating stroke

after finishing deep work, don't keep going

either have a moment of stillness for client to integrate what they've just received,

   or long stroke to reconnect the whole body back together

Hip -

rotate hip by lifting foot and rotating femur by making circles with ankle

lift leg by the ankle off table - swing leg and hips should sway

use upper hand on glute rotators

   lower hand makes circles with ankle to run lateral rotation muscles under hand

do piriformis stretch - usual one

end same as with arm/shoulder

Don't forget the lateral/sides of the torso

Do the other shoulder/hip

The skin has all those sensory nerves sending signals to the brain, so it's like the skin is the surface of the brain.

Job's Body by Deane Juhan (an Esalen man and Trager practitioner) -

do I have this book already? I think so. Pull it out to re-read.

When a client holds, "the dog is barking" so ask the client what's going on

he/she is then functioning outside of the parasympathetic nervous system 

guarding - breathing is faster or is being held

when the body twitches, just stop and watch it move/twitch

it usually does it several times

the body is releasing energy or reorganizing in some way