The last weekend of September our massage therapists had the opportunity to take an introductory course in the John Barnes' Approach to Myofascial Release. This is the methodology that Paula has been using for the last decade. We were so excited to see a course come so close to home.
This course was called Fascial-Pelvis. In it we learned a lot about how the hips create a foundation for stability in the whole body. We learned techniques for not only releasing the muscles and fascia around the pelvis, but also techniques with wedges to encourage the hips to realign in a more healthful position.
Can you find our beautiful staff in the picture here? We were wow'd by the techniques and the results they offer - even in a "short" amount of time. We saw someone gain 40+ degrees in forward flexion with a 5 minute technique!!
Since we love sharing with you all the shenanigans we're up to, we had each of our massage therapists write down their biggest take-aways from the weekend class. (Not in any particular order)
Tawney's Takeaways
As a bodyworker, any aversion to tuning into myself makes it much harder to tune into my client. Just further reiteration to myself to prioritize my own self-care!
Lack of security in your environment will slow your growth -- this includes comfort and connection with your therapist. It's okay to ask for what you need, even if that means pivoting to working with someone you're more aligned with.
Other's feelings are not your responsibility to anticipate -- it's their responsibility to communicate (and then yours to respond with regard to them AND yourself).
Pain (emotional or physical) is not a life sentence, but you have to feel (*not analyze*) the discomfort to get to the relief.
Everything you do/see/immerse yourself in has an impact on your tissues and neurological function. We are primal at our core, and adaptation and survival of our kind is #1 priority.
Surround yourself with people who are on their own journey and want to inspire you and allow the space to make your own goals/expectations. This is where you grow. (If their tools don't feel authentic to you, you're still closer to finding what does work for you.)
Truly an experience that I wouldn't have had without Paula in my life -- I am so grateful for the role she plays in my trajectory. Also thankful for Dena, and the opportunity to be in a similar point of our bodywork journeys allowing us to lean on each other. So much gratitude for the Ohana crew and clients.
Dena's Takeaways
Seeing the whole client - this seminar was a great reiteration of why it’s important to zoom out when looking at a client. Posture, history, current conditions, emotional state are vital pieces of information that we take in to account. If we are trying to get to the root of a problem, it can often be coming from a different source than where the client is feeling pain.
The benefit of slow, gentle work - highlights recent themes of “infinite patience produces immediate results”. And honestly, we all could benefit from slow and gentle these days.
Importance of setting and environment in treatment - music, cues for deep breathing and feeling in to the body, quieting down, dimmer lighting, a safe space - these elements are essential for both the client and practitioner to get the most out of the session. They allow us to be present and in a state of flow with the mindbody.
We are all in different places in our life journeys, yet we can always see ourselves in others if we are open to looking.
I’m so grateful for this opportunity to grow and learn. It benefits our clients but also ourselves as practitioners and humans. Getting to experience the seminar alongside Paula and Tawney allowed for so much sharing, exploring and bonding. Cannot wait to start using these techniques!
Paula's Takeaways
As you may have seen gathered, I love teaching and offering knowledge to others. Even though I closed the chapter on the school for now, I still love teaching. To me, there is nothing more amazing than witnessing growth in real time.
I also love what I do, the John Barnes' Approach to Myofascial Release. It is a hands-on therapy that has transformed my life in so many ways. I am so grateful that I am able to offer it to others. Again, witnessing growth and healing.
So it totally makes sense that I would jump at the opportunity to assist at a seminar. Witnessing growth in action. Life changing. Below are my takeaways :)
There is power in the pivot. Sometimes things don't go the way we plan them to, being able to adjust and take opportunities that are presented is where the magic happens.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink. And please quit trying to drown it. Sometimes we have the best intention of helping others and/but if someone is not ready/willing to hear the message, shoving it down their throat isn't going to help. There's no shame in planting a seed and walking away.
What scares you the most can benefit you the most, if you take empowered action. And often times that action is letting go. There have been so many clients over the years that want me to "fix" them. The issue I've found with that mentality is that they often don't do any work at home. Results are limited if you only connect with your body an hour or two a month. Also, coming into a session with a strict belief of what is needed to correct the issues in your tissues limits the results you can get from the work.
Visualizing is a game changer, or rather, a life changer. We can do all the things in the world, but if we can't see (in our minds eye) that we can achieve it, chances are it won't happen. This is especially true for those overcoming chronic pain or injuries.
Holding yourself back does just that. And it feels gross once your realize that you've been doing it for so long. Give yourself opportunity for growth and near infinite possibilities.
One person's opinion is just that, and it's based off their reality. What we hold onto/attach to is on us. The myofascial release work that I've been dedicating so much of my life to has a different mindset to it's work. John calls it a paradigm shift. Encouraging people to go from a human doing to a human being is difficult, especially in the world we live in. I share the mindset work with my clients, if they don't accept it, that's fine. Their healing journey is theirs. If I got bent out of shape every time someone disagreed with my thought process, I would have driven myself mad by now.
Feeling is healing. Yeah, sure, you can get some results without feeling, but they're probably not sustainable. Our bodies carry us through so much, they have felt so much, they remember so much (even if we've checked out of that feeling years ago). When we can let go of the need to know everything and allow ourselves to feel into our body, our lives can shift in ways we never imagined. Also, as my therapist says "You're shoving down muscle is quite strong. You've been developing it for years. If the feeling gets to be too much, you can always shove it down again."
We can learn in any situation, so long as we are open/looking for it.
The importance of safe space. To truly let go and be open to receiving help, a client has to feel safe and they have to trust you. If they don't, they will always be bracing slightly. Our jobs as massage therapists is to create a space in which clients feel seen and heard.
While I didn't choose to participate in this seminar the way I originally intended to, as a fellow student, it was an honor to share a piece of my world with them in any way I could. It was so amazing to be able to watch Dena and Tawney connect with each other and to dive into these techniques with curiosity and openness. I am so excited to see where their journey takes them.
Thank you for taking the time to read our updates!
We are all so excited to be able to share these new techniques with you in conjunction with our normal services. If you're interested in learning more give us a call or ask us if these techniques can help you at your next massage or myofascial release session.
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