Massage Professionals Article Archive

By Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

As professionals in close contact with their client's skin, a massage therapist may be the only person who sees someone's skin irregularities. Many people look at easily visible parts of their body, but they may not regularly examine less accessible areas for skin concerns. Additionally, despite all of the existing warnings to map and track moles with a dermatologist, only a small percentage of people actually follow this advice.

Skin Cancer
Moles, brown spots and growths on the skin are usually harmless - but not always. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the following are some interesting facts about skin cancer:

• More than 1.3 million skin cancers are diagnosed annually in the United States.
• One in 5 Americans and one in 3 Caucasians will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
• Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. It is also one of the most curable when detected early.
• More than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure, yet fewer than 33 percent of adults, adolescents, and children routinely use sun protection.
• A person's risk for skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns.

The three major types of skin cancer are basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas and the more serious malignant melanoma. More than one million cases of basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas are diagnosed annually in the United States. Typically occurring on exposed areas of the body - face, neck, arms and hands - most basal and squamous cell carcinomas are highly curable. On the other hand, malignant melanoma is usually only curable when caught early. About 62,000 cases of melanoma will be diagnosed this year, and more than 7,900 people will die of this cancer, which has been increasing in incidence annually by approximately 3 percent since 1980.

In the Institute's Anatomy and Pathology course, the accompanying text discusses cancerous lesions in-depth and includes high-quality images of various irregularities of the skin.

Benign Moles or Melanoma
While cancer diagnosis is obviously beyond a bodyworker's capability and scope of practice, suggesting a client have a mole examined falls within the bounds of being a responsible, caring health practitioner. Noticing a suspicious looking mole during your session and asserting your concern can increase your client's awareness of skin cancer and can ultimately save their life. Known as the ABCDE's of skin health, familiarize yourself with the five criteria to visual mole evaluation:

1. Asymmetry - An asymmetrical mole is a melanoma warning sign.
2. Border - The borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven. The edges may be scalloped or notched.
3. Color - Having a variety of colors is another warning signal. A number of different shades of brown, tan or black could appear. A melanoma may also become red, white or blue.
4. Diameter - Melanomas are usually larger in diameter than the size of a pencil eraser (1/4 inch or 6 mm), but they may sometimes be smaller when first detected.
5. Evolution - Any mole change (size, shape, color, elevation, or another trait), or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching or crusting, points to danger.

Sharing Your Concern
For your client's sake, if you spot a suspicious looking mole, do not panic. Tact can go a long way in this area. Taking a responsible position on skin health is different than installing needless worry. Here are some suggestions for professionally communicating your concern:

• Ask your client if they perform regular skin checks, through self-evaluation or with a physician.
• Calmly mention that you see a mole worthy of further investigation, and inquire if they are aware of it.
• Tout the importance of yearly skin exams by a physician.

As is the case for all healthcare professions, don't forget to document this communication in your client's records. If you are particularly alarmed by the appearance of a mole and your client doesn't seem to care, don't be afraid to follow up with them about getting checked by a physician.

Second only to dermatologists, massage therapists probably see and touch the most skin of any profession. The nature of this work makes massage therapists ideally suited to learn about and educate their clients about skin health awareness. Embracing this concept does not tout anyone as an expert, but does raise the bar of massage therapy as a responsible and valuable health profession.

Editor's Note: Handing a brochure with a body map and the warning signs of all major skin cancers to a client can give them time to digest your concern at home. For such a free brochure, send a stamped, self-addressed, business-size envelope to:

The Skin Cancer Foundation
245 Fifth Avenue
Suite 1403
New York, NY 10016

Earn continuing education credit for this article contained in our Cancer & Massage series. Click here to enroll.

Recommended Study:
Advanced Anatomy and Pathology

References:

www.cdc.gov, Skin Cancer: Preventing America's Most Common Cancer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006.

www.newyorktimes.com, Do Your Skin a Favor: Protect it in the Summer, Jane E. Brody, June 6, 2006.

www.skincancer.org, Skin Cancer Facts, Skin Cancer Foundation, 2006.

www.skincancer.org, What to Look For, Skin Cancer Foundation, 2006.

By Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Professionals from any fields must be able to recognize when their practice is declining in order to remain in business. While bodyworkers spend a great deal of energy studying preventative medicine, learning to prevent practitioner complacency is just as important. Settling too deeply into any routine typically leads to a reduction in business growth. Today’s competitive markets require even the most skilled professionals to regularly infuse their business plan with innovation and new tactics to reach new customers/clients. Below are seven common observations that can tip you off to an approaching slump:

1. Feeling relief when you only have two massages to perform in a day; your hands have been aching and you were hoping to tackle your personal to-do list.

2. Deciding to take a marketing hiatus and relying on word-of-mouth referrals as the only means of attracting new clients.

3. You panic when a handful of regular clients cease making appointments because its impact on your bottom line.

4. Your business costs are increasing with inflation, but your rates and income have not.

5. Whether it’s a chiropractor, physician, physical therapist or other medical professional, your primary referral source has just moved, retired or is simply no longer suggesting your services to prospects.

6. After each session, you feel more drained than before you began.

7. While the modality you’ve relied on for years used to benefit everyone, your clients no longer seem to be improving.

Onward and upward

Whether you reach the depths of a professional slump, are aware that one is approaching, or wish to completely avoid a dip in revenue and satisfaction, you are capable of reviving/sustaining your business’s longevity. While every one of the following suggestions could benefit a massage therapist with these concerns, do not attempt to adopt each one all at once. Focus on one or two strategies that resonate with you and once you feel good about your progress, implement the next tip that would offer you the most benefit. Some of the following suggestions may be a review of valuable information you already know, while others could be brand new career-boosting ideas:

1. Take care of your body – A bodyworker who ignores their hands, posture or emotions can quickly experience job dissatisfaction and fatigue - otherwise known as burnout.

* Reference the following articles Help for Overworked Hands, The Epitome of 'Practice What You Preach' for Massage Therapists and The 4 Steps of Energetic Separation for Bodyworkers for massage therapist self-care.

* If you find yourself struggling with the energy to complete your day, visit www.fatiguerelief.com for information on a proven supplement to reduce fatigue.

2. Expand your repertoire – Learning new techniques or information about specific conditions can infuse your practice with enhanced value. Clients will appreciate your commitment to improving your therapeutic skills while you will find new concepts to excite the healer within. For optimizing cost and convenience, consider enrolling in one of the Institute’s 35 distance learning programs to enhance your skill set.

3. Get business savvy – There are many ways to bolster the business side of your practice. Some suggestions include:

* Hire a consultant, business manager or marketing specialist to help you in areas you need the most help.

* Educate yourself by taking a course teaching business development. The Institute offers two such distance learning courses created specifically for massage therapists; Ethics: Practice Management and Developing a Wellness Center.

* If you prefer to read and reference books on the subject, consider Marketing Massage: How to Build Your Dream Practice or Hands Heal: Communication, Documentation and Insurance Billing.

* Visit your local community college and inquire about a small business development program.

Through renewed focus, any massage professional can experience the benefits of a successful practice. Recognizing professional burnout or a business slump is the best way to prevent it from happening. Experienced bodyworkers agree that mastering new therapeutic and business skills, combined with attention to physical and emotional health, is the formula to maintaining longevity in this constantly evolving field.

Recommended Study:
Ethics: Practice Management
Developing a Wellness Center

By Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Any person receiving bodywork can experience what is known in the industry as a “healing crisis”. Such an occurrence can be frightening, both for the client and for the therapist. Learn how to identify the symptoms of a healing crisis and what steps for prevention you can suggest to clients.

Also known as the "Herxheimer Reaction", a healing crisis occurs when the body tries to eliminate toxins at a faster rate than they can be disposed of. The more toxic one's bodily systems are, the more severe the detoxification experience, or healing crisis. This reaction signifies that the bodywork received is working and that your client’s body is going through the process of cleaning itself of impurities, toxins and imbalances. While a healing crisis is temporary, it can occur immediately, within several days or several weeks after a bodywork session. Symptoms usually pass within several days, but can persist for several weeks. Often the crisis will come after a client feels their very best.

A healing crisis is a reaction to previously sequestered toxins being systemically released. Such poisons can be stored in all kinds of tissues, primarily muscle, fascia and adipose. During manipulation, whether it’s deep tissue massage, energy work or reflexology, these poisons are squeezed out of the holding body tissue into the bloodstream. This sudden increase in blood toxicity causes a toxicity reaction, until the body is able to effectively process and eliminate the poisons. While not a pleasant experience, a healing crisis signifies that a cleansing and purifying process is underway.

While cleansing can be physical, emotional or spiritual, a true healing crisis typically involves all three of these aspects. Due to the body’s fascinating ability to store memories and emotions in the tissues, their recollection or release can accompany the manipulation of those tissues. Most practitioners refer to the surfacing of memories or emotions without physical symptoms as an emotional release. An emotional release is a typical component of most healing crises.

Emotional Releases

Most people have some emotional issues or traumas occurring sometime in their life. Whenever an emotional trauma or situation happens it is stored in the nervous system. Though we may think we are over it and not even remember it, the mark or impression could still be there and negatively affect our health and psychology. During any form of bodywork it is possible to release these stored issues or traumas. An emotional release may give rise to feelings of anger, grief or another emotion. This release is indicative of a healthful body transformation, where the body clears itself of the negativity previously stored within.

Learning to suppress our feelings typically causes them to go into our physical bodies. The tensing of neck muscles will prohibit frowning, holding one’s breath can replace crying and jaw clenching may stifle yelling. When these patterns are repeated, emotional suppression becomes a habit, the unconscious mind takes over, and the body becomes a storehouse for unexpressed, unconscious feelings.

Suppressed emotions and traumas are a key factor in the development of muscular tension, high blood pressure, heart disease, immune weakness and other diseases. Most practitioners agree that real healing begins when this suppression is released, freeing the body to heal at the deepest level.

What are the symptoms of a healing crisis?

While each individual’s body is unique, there are some common symptoms typical of a healing crisis. Below is a list of Herxheimer Reaction symptoms most often experienced after receiving bodywork:

• Dizziness and light-headedness
• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Low-grade fever
• Joint and muscle aches
• An odd or metallic taste in the mouth
• Muscle cramps
• Skin eruptions
• Intense emotional states
• Increased sweating, urination or defecation

Is this a healing crisis?
After a session, a client may experience a number of uncomfortable symptoms. In order to feel confident that this is a healing crisis, and not stemming from different etiology, the following causes should be ruled out:

• Low blood sugar – A hypoglycemic reaction can cause light-headedness, dizziness, nausea and fatigue.

• Pregnancy – A new pregnancy can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.

• Starting to get sick – Catching a cold can cause dizziness, headache, feverishness, nausea, achiness and fatigue.

If the therapist is unsure of the reasoning behind a client’s maladies, and the client is concerned, refer them to their physician.

How do you prevent or minimize its course?
The best strategy to prevent or minimize a healing crisis is to support and facilitate the body’s toxin removal and encourage emotional health.

The best ways to facilitate toxin removal are:

• Hydration - Drinking extra water immediately following and sequentially after bodywork to aid the body in toxic elimination through urination and perspiration.

• Fiber – Increasing dietary fiber will support the gastrointestinal system’s swift removal of waste via the bowels.

• Sleep – Feelings of fatigue or sleepiness are best honored. Listening to one’s body by getting the rest it asks for will help the body in its recovery process.

During an emotional release, the most important item a therapist can lend is a safe environment while being supportive of the client’s process. Since bodyworkers are not trained as psychotherapists, below are some suggestions to best convey safety and support:

• Grounding - If appropriate, maintain a grounding touch with your client. This can take different forms, depending on the therapist’s level of education and comfort around grounding.

• Listening - Focus on listening, not counseling. Clients often need to verbalize their feelings to be able to move past them.

• It’s okay - Confirm to your client that an emotional release is not only okay, but it will amplify the effectiveness of your session. This can be prefaced by stating that when an emotion surfaces, the body is saying it's time to let it go.

Most releases surface and resolve quickly. However, if a client exhibits frequent, strong emotional releases during sessions, or if the client’s anxiety or fear increases as a result of bodywork, it's important they seek the help of a professional counselor.

A healing crisis may take both bodyworker and client by surprise, but being prepared for its possibility can be a freeing, learning experience. A therapist may wish to discuss this aspect of healing with their client prior to a session, or may find this information helpful during or following a client’s healing crisis. The release of the old and in with the new is what physical and emotional healing are all about, and the welcoming of this transformation opens the door to leading a healthier, more conscious, life.

Recommended Study:

Deep Tissue Massage
Reflexology
Healing Energy and Touch

References:

www.experts.about.com, Experts: Massage, Christopher Hall, About, Inc., 7/27/05.

www.falconblanco.com, The Healing Crisis, FalconBlanco, 2006.

www.massagetherapy.com, Freedom for Feelings, Cathy Ulrich, Body Sense Magazine, August/Winter 2005.

www.nihadc.com, Massage and Somatic Emotional Release, National Integrated Health Associates, 2006.

www.positivehealth.com, Reflexology – A Second Look, Ingrid Sahai, Positive Health Productions, Inc., 2006.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Autumn brings back-to-school sales, a chill in the air and plenty of viruses to avoid. As a service professional with your door open to the public, viruses both mild and nasty can make their way into your healing space. Whether you provide bodywork to teachers or parents of runny-nosed children, receive a sneezing client on your treatment table or have someone under the weather waiting for a client in your reception area, autumn’s germs are everywhere. Keep yourself and clients healthy by learning to foster an optimal healing environment. Minimization of virus transmission and elimination of airborne germs will keep your massage practice from perpetuating the common cold.

Practitioner Resistance
Perhaps the most important component of a healthy environment is maintaining the bodyworker’s immune system. Someone who is ‘burning the candle at both ends’ will lack the strength necessary to fight off a communicable illness. Contributors include:

• Eating irregularly
• Consuming foods that lack nutritional value
• Drinking alcohol and smoking
• Working long hours
• Getting insufficient sleep
• Lacking movement or exercise
• Sacrificing fun and joy

Attention to general lifestyle factors will not only make a person feel better, but will also increase their immune system’s strength. Such factors include:

• Eating regular, healthy and nutritionally balanced meals.
• Supplementing diet with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Vitamin C, Zinc and Echinacea are all believed to strengthen one’s immunity to colds and the flu.
• Saving vices (alcohol and sugar consumption) as occasional treats.
• Quitting smoking. Tobacco smoking has been linked with the weakening of the immune system. Smokers on average take 25% more sick days a year than non-smokers.
• Setting limits on work. This will leave you more time for rest, relaxation, fun and sleep.
• Adhering to a regular exercise routine. Research proves that regular exercise strengthens the immune system.

The stronger a practitioner’s immune system, the less likely they are to act as a viral conduit from one client to the next.

Germ-free Environment
Excellent hygiene practices are crucial for minimizing contagion. This includes:

• Changing linens between every client
• Doorknob cleaning
• Scrupulous hand washing
• Air purification

Changing linens and cleaning doorknobs
While most practitioners understand the importance of linen changes, it is easy to become lax with this crucial practice. Even though a client appears to be perfectly healthy and may leave the massage table without any evidence of their previous session, the linens must be clean and fresh for each person. Since viral particles are undetectable to the naked eye, failure to provide fresh linens can easily result in viral transmission.

Doorknob germs are a prime suspect in the transmission of the common cold. An easy tip to minimize viral spread during cold and flu season is to keep some antimicrobial wipes handy, and wipe down doorknobs between clients.

Hand washing
To avoid catching a client’s cold; bodyworkers must wash their hands thoroughly and regularly, as well as refrain from touching their own face. If the therapist touches the client’s face (by performing any type of facial massage), be sure to follow immediately with thorough hand washing. Research has demonstrated that anti-bacterial soaps have no effect on the cold virus - it is the mechanical action of hand washing that removes the virus particles. In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended alcohol based hand gels as an effective method for reducing infectious viruses on the hands. However, subsequent research supports findings that the physical rubbing together of hands is the primary cleanser.

The following is a highly recommended hand washing protocol:

1. Turn on water to a moderate flow and wet hands.
2. Place liquid soap in hands. While plain soap is fine for routine hand washing, an antimicrobial soap is advised for use with an immune compromised client - or in the event of a blood or suspicious body fluid exposure.
3. Rub hands briskly for 30 seconds, including knuckles, between fingers and under nails. Wash up to forearms.
4. Rinse hands in a downward motion, from forearms to fingertips.
5. Dry hands completely with paper towel.

Disinfecting the air
Since viruses are primarily transmitted from person to person via cough or sneeze droplets, neutralizing airborne germs can prevent viral inhalation. While some practitioners may rely on aerosol spray disinfectants, many people (as well as the environment) are sensitive to these products. A natural, yet effective alternative is releasing an antimicrobial essential oil into the air.

When high quality essential oils are chosen, they can possess significant healing properties. Three essential oils typically relied on for their antimicrobial properties are:

1. Grapefruit
2. Orange
3. Tea tree

An easy method to disinfect the air is to use a spray bottle. Add 10 drops of a chosen essential oil to two ounces of water and spray the air in between clients. Another method to use in your healing space is an air diffuser. Use approximately six drops in a diffuser to maintain a continual dispersal of essential oil in the air.

Grapefruit and orange are more desirable for most healing spaces because the aroma of tea tree may be too strong for client appreciation. Tea tree essential oil dispersal into the air is best at the end of the day, to rid your office of any remaining airborne germs.

Maintaining your own immune system, practicing excellent professional hygiene and using aromatherapy to keep your environment germ-free are all ideal methods for making your healing space a retreat from autumn’s cold and flu season.

Recommended Study:
Aromatherapy Essentials

References:

www.en.wikipedia.org, Common Cold, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. August 2006.

www.evb-aromatherapy.com, Using Essential Oils, Elizabeth Van Buren Essential Oil Therapy, 2006.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Amputation of a body part is a devastating event that can follow surgery, infection, disease or trauma. Phantom pain adds even more insult to injury, by inflicting pain in a limb (or other body part) that no longer exists. Phantom pain is more common after the removal of an arm or a leg, but can also occur elsewhere, such as the breast or eye.

Symptoms
Described as tingling, itching, twisting, pulsing, cramping, pins-and needles, stabbing pains, pressure, a sense of fullness and more, phantom pain is experienced by the majority of amputees. These sensations range from mild and infrequent to severe and chronic.

Often the feelings of phantom pain are highly localized. An amputee may describe the sensation as being in a specific location, such as ‘on the bottom of the little toe’ or ‘on the right side of the shin, right below the knee, going down in a straight line.’

New amputees tend to have frequent and intense sensations several times every day, often continuously for a few hours at a time. After an amputation, the sensations typically become less frequent, less intense, and bouts of pain last for a shorter amount of time. However, many amputees report that the phantom pain never completely disappears.

Varying styles of bodywork can bring a great deal of relief to phantom pain, even more relief than western medicine’s limited treatment options.

Cause
Since the removal or loss of a limb can be so emotionally distressing, many people once presumed that phantom pain was a psychological problem. However, research has since demonstrated that phantom pain is a very real, physical phenomenon.

While the exact cause of phantom pain is still unclear, experts agree that the cause is rooted in the neural circuitry, as generated from the spinal cord and brain. It is believed that when a body part is amputated, the brain region responsible for perceiving sensation in that area begins to function abnormally, leading to the perception that the body part still exists.

Relief
While western medicine primarily offers an array of medications and surgical options to dull phantom pain, alternative medicine harbors many treasures for an amputee. A few are:

• Acupuncture – Acupuncture effectively relieves chronic pain by enhancing circulation in the affected area as well as stimulating the central nervous system.

• Biofeedback – In biofeedback, the person learns to regulate body functions such as blood pressure and skin temperature, all of which affect phantom pain.

• Hypnosis – When hypnotized, a deep state of relaxation is reached where the client is open to suggestions designed to decrease the perception of pain and increase their ability to cope with it.

Relief from a massage therapist
Massage therapists also have access to a wide range of techniques benefiting phantom pain sufferers:

• Progressive muscle relaxation – Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique in which people consciously tense and then relax muscles. Some people who have phantom pain have anxiety about their pain, causing tension and, thus, increasing their pain. PMR can bring relief by reducing the anxiety and tension contributing to pain.

• Energy medicine – The application of Therapeutic Touch or Reiki to an amputee can change the dysfunctional energetic patterns perpetuating their pain. In addition, teaching energetic visualizations to a client can help them work with their pain at home.

• Cranial-Sacral therapy – The gentle touch of cranial-sacral therapy increases cerebrospinal fluid circulation, clearing blockages in the cranium, along the spinal cord and around the sacrum. Since phantom pain is typically viewed as abnormal brain and central nervous system processing, balancing the cranial-sacral system can bring enormous pain relief to an amputee.

• Acupressure – Based on the same principles as acupuncture, acupressure application has a unique place in relieving phantom pain. Acupressure works by stimulating qi (energy) when applying pressure to the path by which the qi travels (meridians). The stimulation of qi enhances circulation, which subsequently reduces pain. Once a therapist can identify the meridian along which the phantom pain runs, they can work with that meridian on an existing body part. Additionally, the meridians intersect the midline of the body, so stimulating a point on the right side will benefit the same point on the left, even if that left-sided location is amputated.

Due to the non-visible nature of phantom pain, the tactile approach of western medicine is at a loss for its successful treatment. While allopathic physicians may prescribe useful pain-numbing pharmaceuticals or surgically install pain-relieving devices, healthcare practitioners utilizing touch, circulation enhancement and energetic stimulation have a much greater capacity to help those afflicted with phantom pain.

Recommended Study
Cranial-Sacral Therapy
Healing Energy and Touch

References:
www.mayoclinic.org, Phantom Pain, Mayo Clinic Staff, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, November, 2005.

www.stoppain.org, Phantom and Stump Pain, University Hospital and Manhattan Campus for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Continuum Health Partners Inc., 2005.

www.transitiontoparenthood.com, Phantom Pain, Janelle Durham, 2004.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Every client is different. Some enter your healing space totally aware of their physical and emotional health barometer, while others only know that they feel good after a massage. Communicating with your clients in order to cover such crucial aspects as comfortable pressure limits, body temperature, health history, description of physical sensations and the uncovering of emotions hidden in muscle tissue is integral to an effective session. Asking for and receiving feedback from your client enables the therapist to tailor their treatment to specific needs and wants. A challenge arises when the client does not offer feedback, or worse, is unaware of their current physical and/or emotional experience. This is when intuition can help guide a therapist through a successful session.

Bestselling author, Shakti Gawain defines intuition; “There is a universal, intelligent life force that exists within everyone and everything. It resides within each one of us as a deep wisdom, an inner knowing.” Gawain does not suggest that we operate solely on the intuitive mind, but to balance it with the intellect. She describes the intuitive mind as having access to an infinite amount of information, where we can tap into a deep storehouse of knowledge and wisdom that exceeds our own experiences.

Author and psychiatrist Dr. Judith Orloff asserts that we are keepers of an innate intuitive intelligence so perceptive that it can tell us how to heal—and prevent—illness. Yet intuition and spirituality are the aspects of our wisdom that are typically disenfranchised from, and ignored by, traditional health care.

The ability to simultaneously combine input from our intuition and intellect is the premier mark of a gifted healer. Having the analytical skills and facts organized in the left brain can only get bodyworkers so far, especially when approaching a client who is less than communicative. The ability to access the creative intuition from the right brain can guide the bodyworker in many areas, such as where pain originates, to choosing the best modality for any given client or in determining the right amount of time spent on a constricted muscle group.

The well-known style of Esalen massage incorporates intuition into its description, and gives a good understanding of the relationship between intuition and bodywork:

The practitioner brings a knowledge of strokes (many have roots in Swedish Massage), of muscles and bones, of movement, of listening to the body as well as the words. Prior to the session, he/she pays attention to his own physical comfort, and quiets down internal chatter to welcome inner guidance, or intuition. As he massages, the practitioner responds to the signs of relaxation: deepened breath, enhanced circulation, a sigh, perhaps flutters of the eyelids. Each session is unique, tailored by personal requests, comfort level, physical tension and release, the felt sense of intuition.

Many gentle and/or energetic modalities such as, Therapeutic Touch, Reiki and Cranial-Sacral Therapy, require the practitioner to be still and aware in effort to connect with their intuitive sense. Appreciating the subtle, yet definite force of each client’s energetic needs, fosters a cross-over between the practitioner’s right and left brains. This cross-over is the culmination of learned academics with sensed phenomena representing the most advanced form of healing.

Everyone experiences a continual stream of intuitive thoughts. Unfortunately, our culture has trained us to ignore such “right-brained” hype. As a result, many people ignore, discount or contradict their gut feelings. Developing intuition requires an initial awareness of its presence. Most people need time and practice to identify these thoughts when they surface to give them credence and volume instead of the well-practiced dismissal.

For massage therapists, a critical aspect in following their intuition is the ability to trust oneself. Another aspect of our cultural conditioning is to look to authorities or teachers for answers or directions. Learning to trust your intuition harbors the belief that listening to yourself will lead you well.

Doubt can arise for a practitioner mid-session. Examples include:

• What area or technique should I work next?
• Should I spend more time on this muscle group?
• Could this move be uncomfortable for my client?
• Can this client handle deep tissue massage?

If the client is unable to provide the appropriate feedback to satisfy your doubt, ask for inner guidance. Everyone possesses an intuitive voice that contains answers about healing. However, the volume of the intellect can be so loud as to drown out this inner voice. Devoting a few minutes each day to listening to your intuitive voice will help every therapist trust inner wisdom signals, propelling your skills from mediocre to expert.

Editor’s Note: Following one’s intuition is never intended to replace the advice of a medically trained professional.

Recommended Study
Healing Energy and Touch
Swedish Massage
Cranial-Sacral Therapy

References:

Gawain, Shakti, “Developing Intuition”, New World Library, Novato, CA, 2000.

www.drjudithorloff.com, Five Steps to Intuitive Healing, Intuition for Health, Healing and Alternative Medicine, 2006.

www.esalen.org, Esalen Massage Defined, Esalen Institute, 2006.