Massage 101
The Fundamentals of Touch
The quality of every massage is determined by your freudenfreude, attention to detail, and willingness to explore. When you derive joy from helping someone feel fantastic, it elevates your quality of touch because intent can be felt. If you have ever been touched by someone lazily moving their hand across your back without intention, then you know how it feels to be touched without freudenfreude. The experience is miserable because massage is more than a series of pokes, prods, and squeezes; it uses the physical body as a conduit to pamper the mind and spirit. For a brief period, we get to rest, relax, and receive the undivided attention of someone who wants us to feel wonderful. Knowing how majestic it feels to be cared for by someone with genuine intent offers insight into why your intent is so important..
Receiving the undivided attention of someone else, who genuinely wants you to feel heavenly, can transform an ordinary massage into a magnificent one. It is the cornerstone of a great massage, but you can further enhance its quality by paying attention to detail. This means investing in the moment to feel their skin, muscles, and the contours of their body. When you slow down, let go of every distraction, and focus solely on them, you will begin to feel details that were completely invisible to you before. In every square inch of the body is an infinite degree of detail. The greater your attention to detail, the more exquisite your touch will be.
Dialing in on the intricate details opens the door for you to explore. Where before you might have felt what you would have described as an ordinary back, you will find hills, mountains, and valleys. You will notice changes in skin texture, muscle density, and bony landmarks. Like an explorer, you will mapout uncharted lands, make new discoveries, and fall in love with the intricate details of existence.
A willingness to explore elevates your touch quality by preventing you from massaging like a robot. Anyone can memorize a sequence of techniques, but you will be special, because your massages will be unique. Using your innate curiosity and communication skills, you will unearth hidden techniques and soul-soothing sensations. You will never get bored or feel lost during the massage, as your awareness will continually reveal new insights and experiences.
In my Fundamentals of Touch class, you will develop your freudenfreude, attention to detail, and willingness to explore. The world will begin to feel bigger, brighter, and more beautiful as your eyes scan for the infinite details of the land. But most importantly, the quality of the massage you provide with your hands will be heavenly.
Freudenfreude: deriving genuine joy from seeing someone experience relief, pleasure, or happiness.
Attention to detail: being precise, observant, and thorough.
Willingness to explore: openness to adapting, trying new approaches, or customizing the experience.
Sunflowering 1 & 2
In this massage 101 class, you will learn how to safely and effectively perform techniques on the neck, shoulder, and upper back. This class has two parts; in the first, you will learn techniques that glide across the body. In the second, you will discover how use similar techniques that use a dragging or pulling motion. When used together in a massage, these movements offer significant relief for people with neck pain and headaches.
Enveloping the Scapula
In this fundamentals of touch class, you will learn techniques that alleviate rotator cuff pain with kneading (petrissage) and effective circle work. Additionally, you will be introduced to typical pain patterns, light pressure, the importance of point awareness (an element of massage), and how most knots aren’t knots.
Exploring the Spine
Blooming 1 & 2
Blooming 1 & 2 is a two-part class that builds on the concepts learned in Sunflowering 1 & 2 and adapts them to the lower back. You will learn how to use gliding and dragging techniques in conjunction with petrissage, circles, and straights to help alleviate low back pain.
Arms 1 & 2
Legs 1 & 2
If you sit or stand all day, you know what foot and leg pain feels like. In this Fundamentals of Touch massage class, you will learn how to provide the legs and feet with the peace and ease they need. This class builds on the techniques learned in prior classes and adapts them for the legs and feet.
Bringing it All Together 1 & 2
Knowing how to massage every area in the prone position is valuable, but how do you bring it all together? In this class, you be introduced to transitions that help you seamlessly move from one area of the body to the next. In part 1, you will learn how to interlink each area and remain in contact with your partner throughout the massage. In part 2, you will demonstrate a complete full-body massage in the prone position. Your instructor will observe the massage to ensure you are using safe body mechanics, answer any questions, and inspire you throughout the entire session.
What is my goal with this massage class?
I want you to be able to provide your partner with a massage that feels better than most professional massages.
Why would I want to do this?
Years ago, I was given the opportunity to help a married couple avoid divorce by simply teaching them how to communicate with each other through touch. I believe marriage is one of the most beautiful traditions, so when two people come together under God to be forever allies, I want to help protect that bond. Love is more than just a feeling; it is our actions and words, but sometimes we just can’t figure out how to convey our feelings to the person we love the most. This is where I come in, I believe touch and massage are among the most wonderful gifts God bestowed upon humanity. Fortunately for me, He gave me the ability to communicate, empathize, write, and perform a massage. By combining all four, I can share my gifts with others, help them feel the magnificence of existence, and communicate through loving, kind, and purposeful touch.
In addition to helping couples remain together, I want to elevate the expectations of a massage. If your standards increase, then hopefully the standards of my profession will increase as well. There are far too many massage therapists graduating from school without the basic education required to provide a satisfactory massage. Most don’t even know how to perform a massage without hurting themselves. In your massage 101 class, I will teach you more hands-on skills than you would learn in an entire year at some massage schools.
In addition to improving the industry, maybe you will fall in love with the nuance of massage and decide to become a therapist. Or maybe you are currently in massage school or recently graduated and are disappointed with your education. Maybe the information I have to offer bridges the gap, so you can have a long, rewarding career.
Aren’t you concerned that by teaching people how to massage it will decrease the demand for your services?
No. We have all been given gifts, and just like a child, if we hoard all of our things, they are taken away from us when we refuse to share. I love sharing knowledge, especially when it enriches someone’s life. Teaching a couple how to massage each other enriches their relationship by helping them discover peace, hope, and joy, so why would I shy away from that? Sure, some people might not schedule as many massages with me after I teach them, but that is a good thing. I became a massage therapist to help people. Sure, I need to make a living, but at the end of the day, I want to help people live their best lives. If their partner is providing them with all the pain relief and peace they need, that is a win to me.
Massage 101
Massage 101 introduces you to the fundamentals of massage. Upon completing this course, you will be able to safely and effectively perform a 60-minute full-body massage. In many respects, you will possess more skill and knowledge than many recent massage school graduates.
How is this possible? How could I know more at the end of this course than a recent massage graduate?
- In massage school, the class sizes are significantly larger. Students must vie for their instructor’s attention to receive the tutelege they need. Your Massage 101 course is private; you and your guest are the only people in the class. This means you will have your instructor’s complete and undivided attention.
- Many instructors have never received training on how to teach. This places students at a disadvantage because they must learn massage as their instructor learns to teach. Your private massage instructor is an experienced Certified Higher Education Professional, trained to teach massage.
- Massage schools typically have a teaching environment, not a learning environment. We foster a learning environment that encourages you to have fun, explore, and participate. This means breaking down the information in an engaging way so you may understand it, adjust it, and personalize it.
- Many instructors have been practicing massage for so long that they have forgotten how daunting it can be to learn as a beginner. Many massage therapists become instructors because they no longer want to practice massage. Others become instructors because they believe it is the next step in their career. Our instructor moved into this role because he wants to help make the world a better place. He wants to inspire you to live your best life and offer others the delightfulness of peace and ease.
- Many massage programs are jam-packed with filler. Busywork is rampant, and many learning hours are misused. Your instructor values your time and uses every minute he has to help you develop your hands-on skills.
Constructive Criticism
The ability to offer and accept criticism is a powerful quality. If we want to provide a magnificent massage experience, we must be capable of receiving and responding to feedback. Feedback is rare among massage therapists, even in massage school. This lack of feedback limits professional development. In this program, you will develop the ability to receive and offer constructive criticism.
Massage 101 Reading Material
- Joy of Giving: Explore the joy of giving and how it relates to massage.
- Complete Touch: Learn about complete touch. A feeling experienced when the totality of someone’s attention is delivered through touch.
- Massage Pressure Levels: In this article, you will learn about massage pressure levels and how you can provide the perfect level of pressure.
- Personalized Massage: In this article, we will discuss how you can develop your ability to perform a personalized massage by using routine with freestyling.
- Massage Empathy: In this article, we will explore some of the ways massage empathy may help improve the quality of your massage sessions.
- Body Awareness:
- Body Mechanics:
- Transformative Massage:
| Massage Class Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 60-minute Class | $120 | Book Now |
Massage 101 Classes
Massage 101 focuses on introducing you to the core components of massage. By the end of this course, you will be able to perform a 60-minute Swedish massage, using proper body mechanics. Each class is two 50-minute segments. These classes are a hybrid of instruction and hands-on learning. This course requires two people.
- The Basics of Touch: In this class, you will become acquainted with the art of touch. The goal is to encourage you to explore the sensations experienced throughout a massage, as a recipient and a provider. Using light pressure and oil, each of the primary areas of the body will be massaged: back, arms, and legs. Rather than teaching specific techniques, the aim of this class is to help you enjoy the act of giving. Additionally, the recipient’s goal is to develop their ability to relax, remain patient, and communicate with honesty and kindness.
- The Basics of Massage: In this class, you will learn about draping, the rule of three, the concept of easy-in easy-out, complete movements, basic body mechanics, and the importance of empathy in a massage. The goal of this class is to provide you with the fundamentals needed to safely and effectively perform a massage.
- Observing a 60-minute Swedish Massage: In this class, you will observe the instructor perform a 60-minute Swedish massage. The purpose of this class is to show you how a complete massage is performed. It also helps you gain an understanding of how the techniques taught throughout this course are supposed to feel.
- Basic Hand Massage Techniques: In this class, you will learn how to massage the hand. The instructor will demonstrate a technique, then you will perform it.
- Basic Arm Massage Techniques: In this class, you will learn how to massage the arm. The instructor will demonstrate a technique, then you will perform it.
- Basic Shoulder and Neck Massage Techniques: In this class, you will learn how to massage the shoulder and neck. The instructor will demonstrate a technique, then you will perform it.
- Basic Upper Back Massage Techniques: In this class, you will learn how to massage the shoulder and neck. The instructor will demonstrate a technique, then you will perform it.
