From arnett@unixg.ubc.ca (Bill Arnett) Tue Jan 19 11:53:36 EST 1993
Article: 1142 of alt.backrubs
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From: arnett@unixg.ubc.ca (Bill Arnett)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: need advice for my fiancee
Date: 19 Jan 1993 01:17:27 GMT
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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In article  melissa joan cameron  writes:
>I got spoiled by an ex-boyfriend who was excellent at massaging and back-
>rubbing.  My new beau, who is now my fiancee, just can't seem to do it
>without hurting me (he presses really hard and when I ask him to lighten
>up he can't seem to manage it).  Could someone post anything they feel
>is relevant (for instance, personal experience, book suggestions, 
>precticed techniques) so that I can show him for him to try on me?  Thanks
>in advance!

There's a bunch of possibilities.  If it is long strokes (like the back) that
are the problem, some possibilities are:
- Working on a bed makes it difficult to maintain consistent pressure, so
  if you are working on a bed....don't.

- Working on the floor is better but also has it's problems.  On the
  floor, it is important to stay in a position where you are stable and
  balanced.  You need to be able apply (or relax) pressure without losing 
  your balance, and to not exceed your comfortable reach.  If you reach
  too far you may wind up supporting your own weight by leaning on your
  partner or else you won't be able to apply any pressure.  The solution
  is to do the area you can reach and move somewhere else to do the rest.

- Working on a table should be easier, but over-reaching will still   
  cause similar problems.  (Tried out my massage table for the first
  time a couple of weeks ago...it's *great*...*much* easier than working
  on the floor.)
  
- If he weighs much more than you do, it could be tough to find the "right"
  pressure.  If he is using his weight, he could try using arm strenght
  instead.  (It could tire him more easily, but he might find it more
  controllable.)  And, conversely, if he is using arm strength, he should
  try using his weight instead.  (carefully!)

If the problem is with shorter strokes where finger strength is being
used, then...
- The pressure could be too specific.  That is, it is *easy* to cause
  pain by applying pressure to one small area.  If you widen the area
  the same pressure is distributed so it won't hurt as much.  For
  slight changes in (perceived) pressure it is often much easier to
  change the area of contact rather than change the (applied) pressure.
    
No doubt there are lots of other possibilities...

Cheers.  Bill.

PS: my pronoun reference was terrible in this, but I'm sure you'll get
the point.
-- 
Bill Arnett                            Internet: arnett@unixg.ubc.ca


From jrewing@netcom.com (John Ewing) Mon Aug 23 19:26:38 EDT 1993
Article: 1780 of alt.backrubs
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From: jrewing@netcom.com (John Ewing)
Subject: Re: Could use some Tips on Giving Backrubs
Message-ID: 
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
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Daniel Snoek (dsnoek@terapin.com) wrote:
: Does anyone have any tips for a Beginner Backrubber?  What areas should I focus
: on?  What kind of hand motions should I use?  What works best for you?

: I tend to find it much easier to give a backrub in the shoulder area where you
: can hold onto the top of the shoulder with your fore-fingers while your thumbs
: do work...what techniques shoudl I use down lower on the back?  What muscles
: are best to work on?  What about the shoulders?

: Any help would be appreciated

Some suggestions that come to mind for learning massage are:

1)  Take a course in massage and learn first hand from an experienced
    practititioner/teacher.  This is the quickest and most effective
    way to learn, IMHO.

2)  Get regular massage from a massage practitioner.  This is one of the
    best ways to learn massage, short of taking a class in massage.  Of
    course, you have to stay awake: Concentrating on how the massage
    is being done is not as satisfying as just relaxing.  As a massage
    practitioner, I find that this is a good way for me to experience
    new styles of massage and integrate them into my personal style, if
    they seem effective.

3)  Read some good books on massage, such as

    "The Massage Book", by George Downing and Ann Kent Rush

    "The Theory and Practice of Massage", by Mark Beck

    "The Web that has no Weaver", by Ted Kaptchuk

    "Your Healing Hands", by Richard Gordon

    "The Anatomy Coloring Book", by Wynn Kapit and Lawrence M. Elson

4)  Take a course in human anatomy/physiology.  This is a great way
    to get a feel for where muscles connect and the directions that
    are good to massage.


Some suggestions on giving massage, once you've learned some basics are:

1)  Always ask the person you are about to work on what areas, if any,
    are bothering them.  Many massage practitioners, myself included,
    have a intake form for clients which helps to assess the clients
    health: They may have a condition for which massage is not
    indicated.  For non-professionals this is overkill, but the point
    is that when giving a massage you are entering into a dialog with the
    person being massaged.  Encourage them to tell you during the massage
    if the pressure is too light or too hard.  Encourage them to tell you
    if their body positioning becomes uncomfortable (many people seem to
    think that once the massage has begun they must endure whatever
    follows).  Listen to them with your ears *and* your hands.

2)  Avoid relying too much on your thumbs.  Many massage practitioners
    develop problems with their thumbs as a result of relying on them too
    much.  Of course, it is very difficult to massage without using
    your thumbs at all but you can be aware of times when the heel of
    your hand or your elbow or forearm will work just as well as your thumbs.

3)  Keep your wrists aligned with your forearms when applying significant
    pressure.  Just as thumbs are easy to injure, so are the wrists.
    Thera-putty is a good way to exercise your forearms and help keep your
    wrists healthy.

4)  Maintain good posture when giving a massage.  This can be difficult
    if you don't have a massage table.  If you do have a table, make
    sure the heigth of the table is set correctly for you.  If you don't
    have a table, I recommend massaging on the floor.

5)  Don't forget to breathe!  Full deep breaths keep you relaxed and
    energized as you give a massage.  It will also help you maintain
    good posture.

6)  When massaging, try to use your whole body to initiate a stroke.
    If you're using a massage table this is easier.  Bend your knees
    and/or move your hips to generate motion; don't rely on arm movements
    or arm strength alone.

7)  Remember that you're goal is to massage muscles.  There are many
    areas in the body that are poor candidates for deep pressure (e.g.
    behind the knees where there are nerve bundles and blood
    vessles, but virtually no muscles).

8)  Trust your intuition.  If you invent a new stroke or technique and it
    feels comfortable applying it, it probably feels comfortable to the
    person receiving it.  If you try a new motion and it feels awkward,
    it probably doesn't feel right to the person you're massaging either.


These are just a few suggestions off the top of my head.  Hope this helps!
-- 

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
   "May you stay solvent by whatever legal means are available to you."
       -- John Ciardi
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+


From kuns@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Edward Kuns) Tue Sep 21 10:18:27 EDT 1993
Article: 1855 of alt.backrubs
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From: kuns@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Edward Kuns)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: Clueless -- and need advice!
Message-ID: 
Date: 20 Sep 93 21:35:00 GMT
References:  <93259.073627SDM133@psuvm.psu.edu>
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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SDM133@psuvm.psu.edu (Wolfshadow) writes:
>Ok -- my boyfriend is a backrub fanatic and I would like to learn how to give
>better backrubs than I do now, (although I don't know exactly how BAD I am at
>these.)  Obviously I'm an amateur at this.  Can anyone give me any suggestions
>of how I can learn how to give better backrubs, and win over my guy's heart in
>the process??  =)  (The latter is -- of course -- optional.)

I'm only an amateur, but the way I learned how to give backrubs was by getting
them.  :-)  Really.  A friend of mine when I was an undergrad was trained
as a physical therapist, and know how to give _excellent_ back rubs.  
So I asked her to give me back rubs as frequently as I dared, and I didn't
just enjoy the backrub; I also paid attention so I could see what she was
doing, and what felt good and what felt bad.  Once I had the basic idea, it
was practice, practice, practice.

Also, I would suggest you start off without using much pressure.  At least
until you develop a touch for an appropriate amount of pressure.  A couple
ex-girlfriends of mine just weren't able to tell how much pressure was
appropriate, and thus gave backrubs that hurt.  If you start off gentle, and
ask when to increase pressure, that may help.

And when your boyfriend sees that you're trying to figure it all out, that may
help on the latter part.  :-)

                       Eddie


From troubl@cisco.ksu.ksu.edu (Sunshine) Thu Sep 23 08:05:37 EDT 1993
Article: 1860 of alt.backrubs
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From: troubl@cisco.ksu.ksu.edu (Sunshine)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: Clueless -- and need advice!
Date: 23 Sep 1993 05:16:15 -0500
Organization: Kansas State University
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Wolfshadow  writes:

>Ok -- my boyfriend is a backrub fanatic and I would like to learn how to give
>better backrubs than I do now, (although I don't know exactly how BAD I am at
>these.)  Obviously I'm an amateur at this.  Can anyone give me any suggestions
>of how I can learn how to give better backrubs, and win over my guy's heart in
>the process??  =)  (The latter is -- of course -- optional.)

I had a girlfriend who enjoyed backrubs/massages.  To the point that I was
giving them a whole lot more frequent than getting.  She thought I needed
to improve a bit and since she worked in the campus book store she bought me
a book on Massage.  It worked excellent.  It may seem impersonal to use
a book but the outcome is much worth it.  Though we are no longer seeing
each other I still give her backrubs on a regular basis.  (I never returned
the book.)

a few points to help.

   Talk during the massage.  Don't talk of daily stuff or problems, talk
about the massage.  Make sure he knows to say if it is too hard or soft.
Especially too soft as then you might as well play video games for all the
good it is doing.

   Remember that you are massageing MUSCLE.  not bone or cartiledge.  Muscle
and tendons are the main focus.  If he says you are using too much pressure
and it seems that you are not...try a different grip.  remember you are 
massageing the underlying muscles.

   Don't forget the not so obvious areas.  Feet, ankles, knees, hands, arms
face and torso.  Just about anyplace there is a joint is where you want to
massage.  My ex gets very relaxed during the facial massage.

   When doing the massage/backrub.  work the body as though you are trying
to get air out from under each muscle.  don't push that hard to do so...
but if you start with a muscle as though you ar pushing air out of it...you
will do pretty o.k.



Don't rule out buying a book.  Less than the cost of a date it will help
bring many hours of closeness.  Don't hide it either...keep it with you
during the massage to refer to.  If you have to stop and read...do it.
Whoever is laying there won't mind just relaxing for a moment.

Hope this helps.



From harmony@meltdown.chi.il.us (On The Beach) Sun Sep 26 08:42:39 EDT 1993
Article: 1863 of alt.backrubs
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From: harmony@meltdown.chi.il.us (On The Beach)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: Clueless -- and need advice!
References: 
Message-ID: 
Date: 23 Sep 93 12:05:22 CST
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Eddie says:
  ...start off without using much pressure  
  ...ask when to increase pressure

Harmony adds:
  Beginning and many advanced backrubbers dont understand how much pressure may
be used comfortcause they dont understand the relationship between pressure and
speed.   REally, moving your hand increases the force on the muscle and the
same pressure "still" might be painful "moving".  The same is true for slow
motion versus quick.  And one of the most upsetting to the tissue forms of
quick motion (And many body workers miss this) isletting off quickly.  Go in
slowly and let off slowly.  Think of yourself as a sine wave.

Another thing that is useful is to spend some time and find out the pressure
level where it hurts.  So you can stay back of that.  But it may surprise you.
And Body Experimentation is fun.  

Touch yourself.  Touch others.  Recently I have been learning about Chinese
Medicine and the energy flows.  Previously I had kept my Chinese Medicine to
the five elements.  And then I decided to learn some points and I used Michael
Gach's book on Acupressure.  My my, how did I avoid touching my body so much
that I didnt know that I had all these (very) sore spots.  And with all the
chua k'a I have done!

But I am working them out to my great pleasure.
Good luck to you all.  Dont fear.  Oh one more hint- trust the person being
worked on.  Dont argue even if he/she/it says it hurts when it didnt a moment
ago.  First, tissue wakes up.  Second, things go on sub-consciously and then
when you are trustworthy (trusting) then the tissue trusts you And letting go
is not dependent on pressure, but on connection.

These are secrets.  Use them well.

--Harmony.   Reiki Master.  Connective Touch: Lessons in Body Harmonics
  studied with IPSB, Arica, Feldenkrais, OrthoBi, Tai Chi ...
  Will set up out of town classes in Reiki and Chi Generation.  
  Healing Happens

--harmony@meltdown.chi.il.us     --Chicago area, Illinois, USA   --TKR--
                                 --Meltdown runs CNet at (708)665-9732
           "Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile."  


From lmw6k@Virginia.EDU (Laurence Marshall Wright) Thu Feb 24 12:52:08 EST 1994
Article: 2378 of alt.backrubs
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
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From: lmw6k@Virginia.EDU (Laurence Marshall Wright)
Subject: Re: good backrubs
Message-ID: <1994Feb22.013535.761@Virginia.EDU>
Organization: University of Virginia
References: <001497f.1.2D63E590@axe.acadiau.ca>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 1994 01:35:35 GMT
Lines: 53

001497f@axe.acadiau.ca  writes:
> Can anyone tell me how to give a good backrub??
> 
	Actually, I repent.

	There are several important things.

	-Make sure that the temp is warm enough for the rubbee.
Comfort levels vary with physical activity; when someone is lying
still, they like it a little warmer. Also, they will probably
be wearing little if any clothing.
	I find that temps between 75 and 85 are best for most
folks.
	-Try to work on clean bodies. It is surprising how
annoying even a little grit can be, both to you and the
recipient. It kills a lot of the good effects of using oil.
Persuade your recipient, if you can, to take just a quick
shower, even if they had one "just a little while ago".

	-Use oil. A good massage can really only be done with
oil, although I have tried powders. If a person starts to
perspire the least bit, though, powders won't work. Use oil.
Stock lots of different flavors, too.

	-Take your time. Let your fingers teach you about the
structures they feel. Listen to them. It takes time to learn to
see and hear with your fingers, so take the time. 
	Don't hurry. Remember, you are supposed to be helping
your rubbee relax, right? If you haven't time for a good full
body massage, work on one part, and really do a good job on
that part. Feet, in particular, respond well to brief massages,
perhaps because they are so neglected otherwise.

	-I find talking distracting, both in giving and receiving
massage. I want to talk and listen with my hands. This is
alternate communication, here. Listen, and speak, with your
fingers. 

	-Try to find a good teacher. This can be difficult, as
massage in this culture is generally associated with sexual
intimacy. There is a profound difference between massage and 
erotic massage. the first is relaxing, the second stimulating.
If you are heterosexual, try to find a gay masseur/masseuse of
the opposite sex to teach you. There will then be no question
of sexual tension intruding. Alternately, try to persuade your
SO that this is something different from sexplay. 
	If you can't find a good teacher that you can trust,
and be comfortable with, get a good book. One of my favorites
is the "Massage Book" by George Downing (?)

	Good luck!

Larry


From Bill_Arnett@mindlink.bc.ca (Bill Arnett) Thu Feb 24 12:54:40 EST 1994
Article: 2380 of alt.backrubs
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From: Bill_Arnett@mindlink.bc.ca (Bill Arnett)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Talking (was Re: good backrubs
Date: 24 Feb 94 09:33:20 GMT
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Laurence Marshall Wrig
Address : lmw6k@Virginia.EDU wrote:
>        -I find talking distracting, both in giving and receiving
>massage. I want to talk and listen with my hands. This is
>alternate communication, here. Listen, and speak, with your
>fingers.

As a receiver, sometimes I like to talk.  As a giver, I let the
receiver lead the conversation: we can converse if he feels like
it, or be silent.  I just go along with it.

However, it is always important to remember that the massage
is more important than the conversation.  As a giver, your
concentration should always be on the massage.  For this to
work, the conversation can't be anything that requires a lot
of thinking.  And it will generally be a pretty disjointed
conversation, with huge pauses by both people.

Sometimes conversing will help a person to relax, sometimes
it will prevent him from relaxing.  If the topic is
interfering with relaxation, change the topic.  (Don't just
stop talking because the receiver will still be thinking
about the same topic.)

If you want the person to shut up, the way I find works
best is to talk about what you are doing and tell the
person to make himself aware of the sensations.  This
usually takes the other thoughts out of his mind.

As a giver, I (almost) never initiate a conversation
unless it relates to what I am doing.

Cheers. Bill.
--
Bill_Arnett@mindlink.bc.ca                Bill Arnett Consulting
PO Box 32593,                             - Mainframe, IBM PC, and
Aberdeen Centre P.O.                         Macintosh programming
Richmond, BC.  V6X 3S1                    - Technical writing
     "See me.  Feel me.  Touch me.  Heal me." - The Who


From amazon@kisio.esd.sgi.com (Stormwind) Wed Jul 20 07:47:42 EDT 1994
Article: 3257 of alt.backrubs
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
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From: amazon@kisio.esd.sgi.com (Stormwind)
Subject: Re: Massage question
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Robin wrote:
>an49492@anon.penet.fi writes:
>>Please excuse the anon.posting I'm sending this from the office.
>>(our sysop is a jerk)
>
>     I don't think there is an excuse to post here without in any way 
>     identifying yourself. 

when did we start checking IDs at the 
door?  and who hired you as the bouncer?

>>Somehow I find the thought of having a
>>female do the backrub very appealling. I'd like to hear the point of view
>>of a female, in giving a nude? (I assume that massages are giving to the
>>person who is nude, or nearly nude) stranger of the opposite sex a backrub
>>or massage. If I were to massage a nude or nearly nude female I don't know
>>if I would be able to relax. Just a few questions that I had.
>
>     Why don't you just call a 900 number! The women there will talk you you 
>     about *anything*.

go get a beer, robin.  our anonymous poster has
a valid point.

many males don't like the idea of having massage
done to them.  there seems to be some reticence 
about being nude in public for some, while for
others the thought of a stranger (especially a male
stranger) touching them is not palatable.  for
some of these men, the idea of a woman doing the
massage is more acceptable (there is a very subtle
ideaology that women won't sexually attack a male, 
that women are more "sensitive", and the not-so-subtle
undercurrent for some that it's more acceptable to 
be handled by someone of the opposite sex).  and,
some guys appreciate the concept that there *do*
exist women out there who are strong enough to 
work on their physique.

now, there ALSO exist a certain percentage of 
males who have no problem with being nude (or
nearly so) and having a female massage them,
but who become a little agitated and even *distracted*
when doing identical massage on females, sometimes
even fully dressed ones.  i've seen this reaction
before, where the male i'm working on will go
solidly asleep while being massaged, but who cannot
focus on doing a massage when the roles are reversed.

i don't completely understand why this happens (yet);
what i *do* know is that when i'm doing a massage
for the purposes of relaxation and healing, i focus
entirely on the muscles.  i've been known to work on
people with my eyes shut so i can listen to my hands
better.  i sometimes forget who i'm working on when
i'm really in tune with working out a muscle.  i'm not
sure if this is due to my own particular approach 
towards massage, or if it's something that one develops
over time.   i'd suspect that if you experiment with
meditation at all, you could probably figure out how
to reach a state where the gender of your vict...er, 
subject doesn't matter during a massage.

don't forget about environment and music as well.
you can set tones with scents that can offset/cause
certain reactions with the human body; likewise, 
music can have the same effect.  you can use new age
music to enhance the meditative mode, and you can 
use sharp astringent scents as opposed to musky or
cloying scents, to help offset reactions as well.
i like eucalyptus (though many don't), and citrus
is also a sharp scent that people don't often confuse
with the more sexual musky odors.  you can try adding
the scent to a room by adding essential oil to water
and misting it with a spray bottle; you can try adding
essential oil to massage oil (though be careful; not
everyone likes scented oil, and most males aren't
going to appreciate smelling like a geranium as opposed
to smelling like cedar wood); or you can try burning
incense.  i find that a relaxing (for me) scent that
isn't sexual is juniper or cedar wood incense.  it
reminds me of the woods up around tahoe in the winter
when people's fireplaces are going.

				stormwind

				hell's amazon


From jlburhan@mtu.edu (Jeffrey L. Burhans) Tue Oct 25 15:06:19 EDT 1994
Article: 3874 of alt.backrubs
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From: jlburhan@mtu.edu (Jeffrey L. Burhans)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: Dumb question
Date: 24 Oct 1994 23:41:02 -0400
Organization: Michigan Technological University
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Richard Karasik (richard@octel.com) wrote:
: In article <37ljeu$fpo@csugrad.cs.vt.edu>,
: Mogwai  wrote:
: >I've read the FAQ but it didn't really answer my question. I have given shoulder
: >and back massages to relatives / various friends for most of my nineteen years.
: >My current love interest has no qualms about stripping down for a good massage
: >(yes, I am a 19 year old that can give a massage without getting hyper-aroused.
: >Believe it or not..)
: >
: >My question is..I have always seemed to have a knack for what I do.. Do you all
: >think I should go and get books to learn the various massage techniques or just
: >continue with what works? I would love to know new ways to give massages, but I
: >am not sure I can learn them from a book , ya know? Any thoughts?
: >
: 
: 
: Not so dumb question as this is at the crux of the issues surrounding
: competency and effectiveness.
: 
: If you study any art with purely a focus on form then you may have the form down
: and none of the soul that the art can impart to you.
: 
: IF you go only for the soul then you do not have a medium you can express it in.
: 
: You need both pieces to be effective and competent and unless
: you find one hell of a good teacher that can read you and lead you
: then you have to decide how much of which and when.
: 
: Richard
: 

     If I might make a recommendation, the book "The New Sensual Massage" is an
excellent source on both erotic and non-erotic massage. The techniques it
offers have worked well for me in both situations.
 
     *
    * *RION
     *


From arnett@unixg.ubc.ca (Bill Arnett) Wed Jun 10 00:46:42 EDT 1992
Path: newshost.uwo.ca!torn.onet.on.ca!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!ccu.umanitoba.ca!access.usask.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!arnett
From: arnett@unixg.ubc.ca (Bill Arnett)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: Greetings from Tulsa! And a question...
Message-ID: <1992Jun8.063016.754@unixg.ubc.ca>
Date: 8 Jun 92 06:30:16 GMT
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In article <920604170642.24c00644@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU> RTL22898@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU (Tristia) writes:
>	What is the best way to learn how to give relaxing massages?
>	I'm married and kind of shy, so a class may not be appropriate,
>	but videos or books would be great.  Can anyone recommend some
>	good ones?

 I started withe *The Book of Massage* by Lucinda Lidell (ISBN 0-671-54139-0).
It has sections on massage, shiatsu, and reflexology. It has lots of photos
and illustrations, and concise explanations of everything.  I think it's
pretty good, but it leaves me with the false impression that there is only
one "right" way of doing things.

A month ago I picked up a copy of *The Massage Book* by George Downing (ISBN
0-394-70770-2) and I think it is MUCH better, especially for a beginner. It
is easy to read and has a much more relaxed feel to it.  The author also
talks about some things which will help a beginner, such as: the advantages
and disadvantages of working on a massage table or on the floor; suggestions
for protecting the living room carpet; how much (or how little) clothing to
wear; etc..  It's not as daunting of a book as many others.  Obviously, other
people must like it too---it's in it's 39th paperback printing since being
published in 1972...about 800,000 copies.

The books cost me CAN$15.00 and CAN$13.50, respectively. (US$11.95 and US$9.??)

For videos, try checking your public library.  I've watched several that
way of widely differing qualities.  They're useful for SEEING a massage
(speed and rhythm of the strokes, for example), and to learn some new
variations perhaps, but I don't think they'd be very good for actually
learning everything from.  (The quality of some of the videos is REALLY BAD!
One featured a man and a woman massaging each other, with each section ending
with a lusty, close-up of the woman's face---long, blond hair of course!
And it was obvious she didn't get the job for her massage abilities---she
didn't have a clue what she was doing.)

hope this helps you.
Bill.
-- 
Bill Arnett                            Internet: arnett@unixg.ubc.ca


From keg@strathspey.llnl.gov (Keith Grant) Wed Nov 30 21:47:14 EST 1994
Article: 4175 of alt.backrubs
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From: keg@strathspey.llnl.gov (Keith Grant)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: To anatomize, or not to anatomize (teaching massage)
Date: 30 Nov 1994 16:45:13 -0800
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Keywords: anatomy book suggestion recommendation archive FTP



In addition to the anatomy books by Thompson and by Sieg and Adams that 
Jamie Blustein just reposted to info on I'll add the following:

Calais-Germain, Blandine.
  [Anatomie pour le mouvement. English]
  Anatomy of movement / Blandine Calais-Germain ; translated by Nicole 
  Commarmond ; edited by Stephen Anderson.  English language ed.  Seattle : 
 Eastland Press, c1993.  x, 289 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
 "Originally published as Anatomie pour le mouvement, 1985.  Revised in 1991." 
 ISBN:  0939616173 : $28.50

This is an anatomy book written by a dancer. It is intended as an introductory 
text with an emphasis on basic human anatomy as it relates to external body
movement.  It's nicely illustrated (B&W drawings) and fills in a lot of the
conceptual territory missed by books that focus only on static anatomy in 
standard anatomical position.

While an understanding of basic anatomy and joint movement is helpful to
teaching and learning massage, it's also easy to get too focused on the
details as they appear in books and forget that a lot of anatomy is
available from palpation exercises. Practicing palpation focuses on the
idea that massage is a two-way sensory process and gets away from the
tactilely blind rote application of techniques. It's also very worth 
discussing the roles/impacts of massage on body awarreness and emotions.
(two possible books: Richard Strozzi Heckler: The Anatomy of Change;
Clyde Ford: Compassionate Touch) 

-- 
  +-------------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
  I                         I Common sense and a sense of humor are the     I
  I Keith Eric Grant        I same thing, moving at different speeds.  A    I
  I keg@strathspey.llnl.gov I sense of humor is just common sense, dancing. I
  I                         I (or perhaps dancing is just common sense)     I
  +-------------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
  I For certain it is, that any ideas expressed above are of my own humble  I
  I opinion and bear nary a relation to the policies or positions of LLNL   I
  I or of any agency or contractor of the U.S. Government.                  I
  +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+


From jade@gate.net (Christina Casado) Tue Dec 13 12:14:52 EST 1994
From: jade@gate.net (Christina Casado)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: Oils, Herbs and Accessories
Date: 13 Dec 1994 00:48:15 GMT
Lines: 98
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Bill Greer (billybob@vnet.ibm.com) wrote:
: In article <3cfb0p$1iod@tequesta.gate.net>, jade@gate.net (Christina Casado) writes:
: |> I am a relative amateaur when it comes to massage therapy, given the fact
: |> that I was never trained, licensed or any of that.. and since I don't
: |> charge for backrubs I guess its OK.  But I feel that it is our duty as
: |> members of this crazy species to make life a little better for each
: |> other.. What better tools than MT/aromatherapy/herbs and things.  I've
: |> been studying herbs and essential oils for seven years now; enough that I
: |> became a plant biologist.  I think that no massage is complete without
: |> the right accessories.
: |>
: |> i make my own oils for Swedish MT, using sages, rosemary, and lavender
: |>      oils for pain treatment, and diff citrus, and mints for revitalizing,
: |>
: |> Better yet, ylang ylang, clove and some other good stuff is guarenteed in
: |> a romantic situation...I'm going to try and market that one..
: |>
: |> I only use the remnants of the oil left on the body after Swedish for
: |> some Shiatsu/point massage at the end of a session... Does that sound
: |> right?
: |>
: |> But I would like some feedback as to what other people ae using, and
: |> share some ideas as to base oils, scents vs. thereapy value and
: |> extracting oils from herbs.
: |>
: |> if not, I could talk forever on the topic and I'd really like to listen
: |> to someone now...:0 ;)
: |>
: |> My regards to the wolfman...if you're out there, roar for me.
: |>
: |> ************************************************************
: |> *                                                               *
: |> *  jade@gate.net           we dance in a ring of fire,     *
: |> *                            but cannot see the flames  *
: |> ************************************************************

: I use two different types of base oils.  The first, and my personal favorite
: because it's water dispersible, absorbs nicely, and your hands glide over it
: easily, is from Biotone.  It has almond oil, coconut oil, kukui nut oil for
: a base.  You can buy this with different herbs already mixed in, but I prefer
: to buy it unscented.  Then I have a local aromatherapy and herbal shop
: mix different essential oils for me that I mix with the base oil.

: The other base oil I use is a soybean oil (it's Wesson!).  I've had a few
: clients with allergies to almond oil where I've used this on them instead.
: It works pretty well, and is a lot cheaper, but I still prefer the Biotone.

: So far I've used two essential oil mixtures with my base oils.  The first
: is a mixture of orange and ylang ylang.  And I can't remember the second
: mixture for the life of me.  I should have written it down  :-)  Most of
: my clients prefer the second mixture.  When I visit the aromatherapy shop,
: the woman there tests several combinations with me, and I can't remember
: which one I decided on last time.

: Bill

Yeah, I've used the Body Shop base oil when I was in a pinch stuck out in 
suburbia nightmare and had no Natural food shop around. I believe it has 
Grapeseed oil as its basic component.  That worked fine.  I am loyal to 
Almond oil, and the fact that you had a client that was allergic to it is 
a nit disconcerting. I'll have to be careful.  

Thanks for the welcome Jamie!  Miami, where I live, is a pretty 
unfriendly town.  It's nice to be welcomed.  

I have some things to share, although I am sure many of you are already 
aware of the miraculous feats of PEPPERMINT OIL!! ( Cheer! Hooray!)
I love this stuff. It is the first thing I grab in most pain/health 
related situations.  It cures hedaches when used (don't forget to dilute 
b/c it burns the skin with this wierd cold sensation) for temple and sinus 
area massages.  It is great when used on muscles which require the 
application of cold compress (in addition to or instead of ice).  
(Eucalyptus is great for heat). Of course we have all heard of the 
peppermint foot lotion that body shop sells for $5 and the PEACE of Mind 
Origins sells for $12.  RIP OFF! You can make your own with A bottle of 
essential oil of peppermint ($6 bottle will last several years. 
I recommend Aura Caria or Collingram brand <--- good stuff!) and some 
Johnson & Johnson Baby lotion (merely a suggestion, althogh they are 
nasty polluters and most of their products are made with iky petroleum 
products!)  
Peppermint tea has been shown to be a more effective stimulant than 
caffeine, although it's not as fun and doesn't give you a buzz :(.
I know it's helped my allergies alot! Using the tea bags as compresses 
on sinus areas has helped a stuffy nose or two.


A tip to Relax! While on the subject of compresses, chammomile tea bags 
placed in hot water ( to steep) then iced down until it's COLD make 
great eye compresses for relaxing during foot and hand reflexology.  
They are very effective if you have irritated eyes and minor eye 
infections in reducing redness and taking away the itchiness.  Another 
great medicinal herb.

Well, let me hear from you all! 

Keep Smiling, 
		JADE
    


From vnielsen@chat.carleton.ca  25 Dec 1994 
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
From: vnielsen@chat.carleton.ca (Vernon Nielsen)
Subject: Re: Full Body Massages
Message-ID: 
Sender: news@cunews.carleton.ca (News Administrator)
Organization: Carleton University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
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Date: Sun, 25 Dec 1994 01:35:06 GMT
Lines: 56

Robert Sapp (sapprm@ndlc.occ.uky.edu) wrote:
> Anybody here ever hear of Full Body Massages, or Know how to do them?  
> One of my friends was teaching me how to do them, and I was wondering if 
> anyone else knew how.  They do NOT have to be sexual in nature.

	I've given a few full body massages, and they have never lead
to sex.  The key is to massage the muscles underneath the skin, not
the skin itself.  The people whom I have given the massages said that
they were felt really good and relaxed afterwards, so I thought I
might share with you what I did.

	First of all, you have to prepare for it.  The best way I
found was to read up on anatomy, so that you would begin to understand
the muscle structure.  Once that is known, you will be able to concentrate
on particular muscles, providing stimulation and pressure.
	I started out with the back, which is usually the easiest
place to begin, as you would well guess.  Making sure that I kept
constant contact, I worked my way down the back to the buttocks, and
then back up again.  Then I followed a flowing order, so that I never
had to take my hands away until it was time to roll over. 
Specifically, I proceded like this;

Back (shoulders to buttocks) -> Neck -> Back of the head -> Arms -> Hands and
fingers -> follow the arms back to the shoulder, down the back ->
Buttocks -> back and inside of Upper Leg -> back and inside of Lower
Leg -> Feet

Then I turned them over.

Lower Leg (front and outside) -> Knee (be careful not to press too
hard, or use sideways motion, especially in people with patella-femora
syndrome) -> Upper Leg -> Stomach -> Pecs (I've only had to massage
the pectorals on a guy once, but for women, I tried to avoid that area
if her breasts were too large.... see `Pectoral Massages' in some
recent posts) -> Shoulders -> Face

	At the very end, I try to stop where I finished, so I get the
person to roll over again (face-down) and finished with a quick backrub.

********************
The reason why I wrote so much is because I was bored, and I had some
information.  It's Christmas Eve, and I have to work graveyard shift
tonight, so please don't try to blame me for anything.............

Merry ho-ho :)


Facetiously Yours,
		      /\  
Vernon Nielsen	    /	 \    /\             "Only through knowledge
Enviro Try-Hard	  /        \/    \            can we change the world
VP Education - ESSCO	     \     \          Thus, we are engineers"
vnielsen@chat.carleton.ca      \     \                ......by me

So long, and thanks for all the fish...........
				

From templar1@pipeline.com (Helmie Ashiblie) Tue Jan  3 15:01:44 EST 1995
Article: 4859 of alt.backrubs
Path: newshost.uwo.ca!torn!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uunet!news.pipeline.com!not-for-mail
From: templar1@pipeline.com (Helmie Ashiblie)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: ****Get Your Questions Answered*****
Date: 2 Jan 1995 22:00:28 -0500
Organization: The Pipeline
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NNTP-Posting-Host: pipe2.pipeline.com

If you have any questions relating to backrubs, the folks at The Great
American BackRub Stores would be more than happy to answer them. They have
about 30 licensed massage therapists on their staff who would gladly answer
your questions. 
 
All you have to do is e-mail your question/s to me at 
 
templar1@pipeline.com 
 
and I'll pass it on to them. The LMT's on duty would give me an answer and
I'll e-mail it back to you. 
 


From rossi@mtu.edu (Rossi) Sat Jan 28 07:41:47 EST 1995
Article: 5105 of alt.backrubs
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From: rossi@mtu.edu (Rossi)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: Can anyone help me?
Date: 27 Jan 1995 17:35:26 -0500
Organization: The Fortune Cookie Factory
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steele7@marshall.edu wrote:
>Help!
>	It was just brought to my attention by my  fiancee, that after a long day of
>work, his muscles hurt.  He has on many occasions requested that I give him
>backrubs, shoulder rubs, etc.
>	My problem?  I don't know exactly how do give a "good" backrub.  It
>always seems as though he becomes more tense afterwards than before.  I also
>have a problem of my hands cramping up in a most painful fashion.

  To start with I'd like to thank you for listening to your partner in
a nonverbal manner.  Not all people do that.  :)  However, I think it would
help to ask him directly to verify your impressions of his tenseness before
running out and changing things.  I can pose many possible things to
ask about and to watch for, but maybe you are giving him really good
backrubs already?  So much of backrubs depend upon personal tastes that
even the list I'm giving is biased towards my tastes.  Oh well.

(list of possibilities to wonder about)

 - pinching too hard  (that your hands are cramping is a sign that you
                       are using a lot of hand strength, take a break 
                       and let them rest.  If I was someone getting a
                       backrub and the person giving it was getting cramps
                       it would make me feel uncomfortable too.)
 - long and sharp fingernails (ouch)
 - kneading too soft
 - using the bony parts of the hand instead of the fleshy parts
 - not using body weight to apply more pressure

  The best thing (again my bias) is to ask him what he likes and then
have him demonstrate on you so you know how it feels.  If anything when
you rest he could rub your hands and arms a bit.  This way instead of
it being a one way exchange it could be a shared gift.


>	Since there are hundreds of people out there who can give a good
>massage, I must be doing somethings wrong.  If anyone can give me a few good
>beginner's tips. It would be most appreciated!  

  Listening is good and asking questions will help you change your
style if he finds it isn't what he wants.  The assumption however that you
are doing it wrong is quite flawed.  Good luck and keep those ears open.
:)


>*Kimber*


  songbird


From bartlett@dorsai.org (Chris Bartlett) Wed Jan 11 09:11:25 EST 1995
Article: 4934 of alt.backrubs
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From: bartlett@dorsai.org (Chris Bartlett)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: stage fright
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 21:18:09 -1812
Organization: I'm my own master
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In article <3euubp$3r0@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, brandonmp@aol.com
(Brandonmp) wrote:

> I have doing full body massage off and on for three years now on a
> semi-professional/amueteur basis.  I have had over 250 hours of training. 
> Before almost every massage, I have fairly strong feelings of what I can
> only describe as stage fright.  
> 
> If anyone has had any experience similar to this, and worked their way
> through it, some insight would be appreciated.

There are a couple of ways to deal with this.  One is to ignore it
entirely, which sometimes works for me, but runs the risk of increasing
your own stress levels.

I think the best way is to develop a routine that you follow every time
before you begin a massage, even before the client arrives if possible. 
This will vary from person to person, mine involves sitting quietly in a
chair and concentrating on my breathing, slowing it down and deepening
it.  Some people (including my instructor) do tai chi meditations before
beginning.  The what is less important than the consistency.

Eventually you will condition yourself that when you do xxx you will
master the stage fright.  Or so I believe, your mileage may vary.

     Chris Bartlett
     Soon-to-be AMTA member
     Email: bartlett@dorsai.org


From bh295@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Lee Murray) Tue Jan 17 12:19:11 EST 1995
Article: 4999 of alt.backrubs
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Path: newshost.uwo.ca!torn!nott!cunews!freenet.carleton.ca!FreeNet.Carleton.CA!bh295
From: bh295@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Lee Murray)
Subject: Re: stage fright
Message-ID: 
Sender: bh295@freenet3.carleton.ca (Lee Murray)
Reply-To: bh295@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Lee Murray)
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet
References:   
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 10:20:47 GMT
Lines: 27

In a previous posting, Ken Jordan (ken.jordan@onlinesys.com) writes:
> From: ken.jordan@onlinesys.com
> 
> BR>Before almost every massage, I have fairly strong feelings of what I can
> BR>only describe as stage fright.
> 
> still have stagefright doing males, but with females it's seems that I
> can joke around with to help them and myself to relax so we can both

Affirmations, things one says to oneself:

`My massage is highly beneficial for all who receive it.'

`My knowledge and talents are of great value to millions of people.'

`My presence alone has a good effect, even if I don't do anything.'

`Both women and men benefit from my massage.'

If one tells oneself such things a few times over, one starts to believe
them, and automatically communicate same message to clients!

`I have the practical wisdom to be the very best at what I do~'
 etc.
Lee
polarity +0- therapy
###


From leed@pro-harold.cts.com (Lee Dronick) Thu Jun 15 17:55:15 EDT 1995
Article: 6564 of alt.backrubs
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Path: newshost.uwo.ca!torn!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!crash!pro-harold!leed
From: leed@pro-harold.cts.com (Lee Dronick)
Subject: Re: Romantic backrubs
Organization: The Harold Network -- An Alliance For Creative Communication
Date: Wed, 14 Jun 95 22:38:39 PDT
Message-ID: 
References: <3rmt2q$7lf@sun670.ttsi.tandem.com>
Lines: 28

In <3rmt2q$7lf@sun670.ttsi.tandem.com>
jholmes@ttsi.tandem.com (Jennie Holmes) writes:

>In article <3rmi1g$p9l@nms.telepost.no>, demo@telepost.no (Demo TelePost) says:
>>
>>Can girls use backrubs to pick up guyes 
>>
>
>A backrub changed my relationship with my current fiance from a
>friendship to something more than that.  I've given and gotten 
>lots of backrubs, and it can be used as a form of communication.
>If you are rubbing someone's back and are thinking thoughts 
>about how attracted you are to them, how much you enjoy touching
>their body, etc, that will come through in your touch.  I still
>remember every detail of that particular backrub.  We were in
>Hawaii in his apartment during a hurricane, with no power,
>candles all over, and one incredible massage.  :-)
>


Yup! That's why I think and send healing messages to my clients. As one of
my massage instructors puts it "Intent is 70%".
_____________________________________________________________________
 Lee Dronick, M.T.       San Diego, CA       leed@pro-harold.cts.com
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 To touch someone else you must first be able to touch yourself, so 
 close your eyes and take a moment to feel what you are like inside.



From me today
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From: wlfshd@aol.com (Wlfshd)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Classes
Date: 13 Aug 1995 23:44:03 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
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Status: RO

Let me just add this, I just took an adults physical therapy class, and if
you even have a passing interest in massage, take whatever one becomes
available!

Scott

From sthomson@atlas.co.uk Sun Oct  1 18:08:36 EDT 1995
Article: 7824 of alt.backrubs
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From: Simon Thomson 
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: HELP : Delpletion of energy during Massage
Date: 1 Oct 1995 20:07:04 GMT
Organization: Atlas Internet
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The symptoms you have described maybe the manifestation of a form
of 'psychic empathy'.  Most people in 'healing professions' have 
heightened psychic perceptions (though they may not know it, or 
recognise it as such).  At its most simplest, it can be likened to 
a string on a stringed instrument (e.g: violin) that resonates
when a sound is made on the same pitch (or a harmonic) to which the
string is tuned.

What may be happening is that your (psychic) energies are effectively
resonating in tune with the (negative?) energies given off by your
patient.  This may sound far-fetched, but consider an everyday situation:
You may be feeling in a happy-go-lucky mood, and you meet up with a close 
friend who is really depressed.  Before you know it, you go away feeling
just as depressed, with your happy mood shattered!

This is a situation that arises especially with psychic or spirititual
healing.  There are a number of techniques used to overcome it.  The
trick is to find the median between retaining that 'sixth sense' of
being able to detect problem areas with the patient, whilst not making
yourself so shielded as to not be able to use your natural senses and
abilities to perceive them.  

Any healing session, before contact with a patient, will begin with a
brief period (a few minutes) of meditation.  This serves to get one's
thoughts calmed.  During this time, ask for protection.  This may be a
brief prayer (if this is your persuasion) or in the form of an appeal to
the Cosmos or your inner self - whatever works for you.  Ask that you be
protected from physically 'taking on' the symptoms or problems of patients
whilst at the same time not totally shutting yourself off.  It may help 
if you can visualise yourself wrapped in a clear, protective shield, that
enables you to see and deal with a patient, whilst at the same time 
leaving
you protected and shielded.  Visualisation tachniques can be very 
powerful.

Other techniques that help remove the symptoms you may continue to feel 
after a healing session are these:

Drink a few mouthfull's of cold water after each patient, and wash your
hands and wrists in cold water.  With your hands, use a wiping-away 
movement
first across your solar plexus region, then across your brow and head.
This serves to use your own energy to neutralise and dissipate any 
negative
energies you may have picked up from a patient.  Lastly, finish your day
(or a session after a patient from whom you have particularly picked up
their symptoms) with another brief period of meditation (or a prayer) to
ask that you be 'cleared' of any symptoms or energies you may have had 
left with you.

I hope this all doesn't sound too 'off the wall'.  I have had many past
experiences of taking on very real symptoms and pains from patients
because of not properly protecting myself beforehand.  

Simon                                           sthomson@atlas.co.uk

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From jamie@csd.uwo.ca Tue Oct 22 21:52:35 EDT 1996
Article: 13067 of alt.backrubs
Path: newshost.uwo.ca!csd.uwo.ca!jamie
From: jamie@csd.uwo.ca (J. Blustein)
Newsgroups: alt.backrubs
Subject: Re: Lower Back Pains
Date: 23 Oct 1996 01:52:05 GMT
Organization: The alt.backrubs archive
Lines: 14
Message-ID: <54jto5$3kr@falcon.ccs.uwo.ca>
References: <54633q$rvl@mouse.slip.net> <3268EC1A.7D11@earthlink.net> <54cfur$ahe@murrow.corp.sgi.com>
Reply-To: jamie@csd.uwo.ca
NNTP-Posting-Host: mccarthy.csd.uwo.ca
Summary: Advice about posture during massage
Keywords: tai chi, back pain, posture
X-Copyright: copyright (c) J. Blustein, 1996.  All rights reserved 
Disclaimer: It's people like you what cause unrest!

In article <54cfur$ahe@murrow.corp.sgi.com> Stormwind
 wrote:
>i'll definitely second the tai chi 
>recommendation.  i've participated in 
    This is a bit off-topic, but I still think many will find it helpful.
When using a table for massage: keep your back straight and one leg behind
the other.  You can lean with your knees.  Also, keep your hands near your
hips (and the recipient) at all time.  These practices will reduce back
strain.
-- 
Jamie Blustein                                                
    Answers to questions frequently asked in alt.backrubs are available via
    anonymous FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in pub/usenet-by-group/alt.backrubs/faq
           (ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/alt.backrubs/faq)