This article came across my desk and caught my attention. The discussion is about how and why more and more, therapists and schools in the US are backing away from a true full body experience.  It does not have to be.  with proper training, good client communication and informed consent there is no reason why in 2019 this should be. I have interjected my thoughts in italics, but otherwise this is re presented in abridged form from Massage Magazine. published from

The anterior (front) torso, including the chest and abdomen; hips; buttocks; and medial thigh are often avoided or only given cursory attention during many massage sessions.My awareness about this developed after reading many posts on social media about “full-body massage.” Discussions with massage colleagues, educators and therapists indicate this problem is real. I Have seen many posts about the chains not allowing massage 1" below the collar bone, or glutes at all.
“There is a significant decline in the number of massage therapists that are willing to perform massage therapy on gluteal, pectoral and abdominal areas,” said Brent F. Jackson, academic program manager, massage therapy, at Central Carolina Technical College, headquartered in Sumter, South Carolina. He said he believes there are three factors contributing to this situation.

First, he said, massage therapy businesses and schools alike are wary of being involved in litigious situations, because of criminal acts by some massage therapists have made the news and are therefore overly conservative when it comes to creating curriculum.
Second, he said, “In academia, we are also encountering a broad spectrum of skill, and therefore a possible lack of qualified and confident massage therapy educators. That lack of training may be inhibiting the student’s professional growth.”

Third, said Jackson, there is simply a growing trend of the therapist not wanting to put in the effort required of a true full-body massage. Instead, he said, therapists are cutting corners.
“As a profession,” Jackson said, “it is necessary to be open to treating these areas when warranted, as would any other health care professional.”
Educator Nancy Dail, of Downeast School of Massage in Waldoboro, Maine, has also witnessed this trend. “I have long been aware that massage therapists have been cutting corners around the human body, basing massage on a rote recipe and repetitive sequence versus a treatment based on the individual’s medical history, posture, repetitive actions or injuries,” she said.

“Since society has a vulnerable perception of the abdomen, it has been the most logical area to skip,” Dail continued. As to other areas, she said, state regulations on breast massage, draping and professional conduct have led to restrictions on how the client’s body is addressed.”
However, student ignorance and state regulations cannot fully explain the diminishment of the full-body session. In my research and conversations, I have come to realize there are three pieces to this situation: incomplete massage education; apprehension on the part of clients; and insufficient informed consent across the profession.
Massage Education“Attempting to avoid excessive intimacy, my students’ hands often tense up around buttocks, chest, belly and inner thighs. I teach them instead to deliberately connect with these tissues using safe touch,” said Barbara Helynn Heard, a continuing education provider and practicing massage therapist in Seattle, Washington.

Although many massage schools provide a comprehensive education that prepares students to offer complete, full-body massage sessions, Heard’s approach isn’t how all massage students are being taught to touch clients’ bodies.
I, and many other massage educators, believe some schools’ entry-level education falls short in developing skills in positioning, draping, time management, communication and consent about the process of massage. Massage education sometimes creates fear related to boundaries and sexual misconduct litigation instead of developing professionalism. Instead of assessment and critical thinking skills imbedded into the massage session, a massage sequence is sometimes drilled into students.
For example, the common statement, “Disrobe to your level of comfort,” only creates confusion. Instead, direct instruction needs to be given. Such an instruction might sound like one of these two examples:

“I regard the anterior torso as crucial, yet it is avoided in 90 percent of the massages I receive,” said Eric Stephenson, who was interviewed for this article when he was director of education at imassage continuing education and consulting company and who is now chief wellness officer for Elements Massage. “This is one of the great paradoxes of massage therapy.”

Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that the two national massage organizations do not accurately educate the public. One association’s website states, “A typical full body session will include work on your back, arms, legs, feet, hands, head, neck, and shoulders. You will not be touched on or near your genitals (male or female) or breasts (female).” This statement essentially omits the chest, abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs and face. With these areas unmentioned, what type of expectation does this create in the consumer and employer?

Another association’s website states, “Depending on your needs, the massage therapist will massage either the full body (except private areas) or only specific areas that need attention, such as especially tight muscles.” This statement is so ambiguous that the information is confusing. What are private areas?
Despite professional strides in the massage industry, confusion between massage therapy and illegal sexual solicitation continues to occur. Something must be done so that the massage therapy profession as a whole can move beyond this degrading situation. I challenge our professional organizations and major employers of massage therapists to collaborate and directly address this issue.

Additionally, there is gender bias pertaining to male massage therapists.

 “As a male therapist, I have to maintain trusted professional relationships with clients, [which includes] education about various body areas included in the massage session, to achieve client goals,” said massage therapist (and my son) Luke Fritz, an instructor at my school, Health Enrichment Center in Lapeer, Michigan.
I believe the massage field should launch a public awareness campaign that clearly discusses sexual inappropriateness by both the client and the massage therapist, and that describes body areas included in general massage coupled with an example of informed consent. There should be ethical guidance by our professional associations and employers that frames clear statements to the public and massage therapists about appropriate behavior.
Such a statement might read: “Massage therapy is a nonsexual health service. Sexual behavior by the therapist toward the client or by the client toward the therapist is always unethical, inappropriate and illegal. It is always the responsibility of the massage therapist and business management to ensure that sexual misconduct does not occur and to report sexual solicitation by clients to law enforcement. Clients who feel that the massage therapist engaged in sexual misconduct should immediately report to the business management and to law enforcement.”


Informed Consent
The problem is that major employers are accepting substandard massage as the norm.

One reason for this may be that the confusion between massage and sexual interaction will just not go away, so employers might limit massage application to particular body areas because of the fear of sexual misconduct lawsuits.
It is very concerning if we have come to believe that the major body areas cannot be massaged in the typical 50- to 60- minute session. Massage employers and clients need to be assured that all massage therapists are providing quality massage services and can provide massage to all appropriate areas of the body.

Your thoughts
I welcome comments on all my posts but especially would welcome comments on this one. What has your experience been? What is your preference?

From the perspective of a  massage therapist, and I can only really speak for my self, there are few things that warm my heart more than a handwritten thank you note from a client.

If you’ve recently had a wonderful massage experience and want to leave or send a thank you note to your therapist, please do!

I can still remember one of my very first clients many years back.  When I can back into the room, I saw a very simple yet very lovely handwritten note had been left on my table.   It meant so much that I still have it. 

Moving a client is itself very rewarding, and the testimonials I receive by email or on sites mean more in terms of job fulfillment than money.  I need money to live, but money in and of itself contributes almost nothing to how you feel about how you spend your days.

It can be hard to know what to say and you may worry how it may come off, but as long as you are sincere and appreciative it will most likely be very well received.

If you are really uncertain what to say, I will make it simple. Two words- Thank you !

As a culture we have almost moved completely away from handwritten notes, postal letters and anything personalized. But a note not only shows how much you appreciated the experience but that you took the time even just a moment to do it.  It is likely to put a big smile on the face of your therapist which in turn will cause someone they encounter to smile.  There is an expression "most smiles are created by another smile" and this is true.

Some suggestions on what to write:

Why you’re thanking them – What was it exactly that made you want to write a note? Did they help fix a particular issue, resolve some pain, was it a life-changing experience?

How did the massage make you feel – I think it’s important to mention how their massage made you feel. This is great feedback and for me the most important. I generally don't work with pain as much as I do feelings and state of mind.

Let them know you will be back - or refer a friend
This is the most impactful way to also show your appreciation, by re-scheduling and or referring a friend.  When you write your note consider a short ending by letting them know you will be back.

And again, if you are really uncertain what to say, I will make it simple.
Two words- Thank you !

Try it, it may make you feel just as good writing it as the person reading it !

 Aloha

Have you ever written a Thank You note of this type? If so please fell free to comment with your story and or suggestions.

UPDATE / PART II TO AN ARTICLE WRITTEN 10/17

With  this subject coming up more and more online and with clients, here are some further thoughts utilized t.
________________________________

Breasts aren’t usually invited to the self-care party—despite the fact that there’s a restorative practice for pretty much every other part of the body (hair included). But there’s an argument, more than one, for incorporating full chest and breast massage into your treatment.

“Massage is a wonderful, stress-relieving, detoxifying practice for the whole body,” says natural beauty expert Jessa Blades.

                “It’s odd that we don’t massage the breasts [in the West].”
                                                                         —Jessa Blades

And no, you don’t need to be pregnant or nursing to reap the rewards, a fact the holistic wellness world’s been clued in to for ages. “In Ayurveda, if you get a full-body massage, your breasts are massaged too,” Blades notes. “It’s odd that we don’t massage the breasts [in the West].”

Breast massage  may provide huge psychological and emotional benefits, especially for those recovering from breast disease and the aftermath of invasive treatments.

While this work is not even close to being mainstream at the moment, that’s starting to change as word gets out about the physical and emotional benefits the practice produces. And lets not forget about choice.  There is an emotional long tail effect about subconsciously feeling the need to "hide" them.

Breast health is too often ignored until after a problem arises. It’s an area of the body with powerful associations that sometimes makes women hesitant to seek care, despite the fact that the vast majority experience discomfort at some point.

Breasts are often compressed with sports bras, constrained by underwire, or enhanced with padding. This can restrict the flow of lymph, the clear liquid derived from blood that contains disease-fighting cells called lymphocytes.  It is widely speculated that chronic impairment of lymph drainage may be implicated in many breast health problems, including cancer.”  This is the case for not wearing a bra.

Therapeutic breast massage also loosens the tissues of the chest, shoulders, and neck, using a combination of deep-tissue massage techniques, movement, breathing, and stretching. Whether your breasts are healthy or compromised, every woman can benefit from this work, and it can be a powerful aid to emotional healing or healing after surgery or radiation therapy.

If you are It is important that you find a therapist who is qualified;  trained and experienced with this work.  Just as it is surprising to many clients, it is surprising to many therapists. A qualified  therapist will be able to explain the work, discuss benefits, address curiosities, fears and or/concerns, go over the protocols for consent and choice - and ultimately help determine if you might be a good candidate for this work.

I have created an FAQ page that for the moment is password protected. It contains further discussion, FAQ's, and other information along with testimonials.  If you would like to access it, please go here 

Here is a list of prior blog posts for further reading on this topic:

•      Full Chest & Breast Massage and why it's Important
•      Breast Massage and Breast Cancer - Aids in Healing and Recovery
•      Ayurvedic Breast Massage - Why, Benefits & Self Care

If you have had breast massage and would like to share your story, it may help others - please send me an email.

 

A couple of clients have asked me about Chi Nei Tsang, and am I experienced in this work.  I am familiar with aspects of TCM, (Traditional Chinese Medicine), but because I was unfamiliar with this, I decided to investigate - to how if at all it shares any similarities, goals or methods of touch with Lomi Lomi.

What is Chi Nei Tsang?
Chi Nei Tsang is a centuries-old variety of healing touch therapy from China. It focuses on  gentle abdominal massage in order to “train” the internal abdominal organs to work more efficiently, which in turn is said to improve physical and emotional health.

The words "Chi Nei Tsang" roughly translated mean "to work the energy of the internal organs” Practitioners adhere to the belief that unresolved emotional issues are stored in the digestive system.

Chi in Chinese,  Ki in Japanese, or Mana in Hawaiian all translate to the inner life force or inner strength..

It is believed that Chi, the life-force energy, moves through the body’s internal channels, nervous system, blood vessels, and lymph glands.  Tensions, worries, and stresses of the day, month, or year accumulate and are seldom dispersed. The result is the gradual obstruction of energy circulation, which may lead to any number of maladies including, but not limited to, indigestion, constipation, bloating, insomnia, whole body toxicity, poor skin quality, and an inability to lose weight.

The ancient Taoists realized that negative emotions cause serious damage to one’s health, impairing both physical and spiritual functions. They understood that each human emotion is an expression of energy and that certain emotions could indicate the negative energy behind many physical ailments. They also identified a specific cycle of relationships between the emotions and the organs. For example, the experience of a “knot” in one’s stomach indicated the presence of worry, the negative emotion that accumulates in the stomach and spleen.

Whereas I am not trained in this work, I can not speak to it beyond what I have read - however I do find similarities to the work that I am trained in, specifically Lomi Lomi.

Abdominal massage is an integral component of Lomi Lomi.  For many it is their first experience with touch on the belly.  This is a personal and emotional center on people, but without exception every one of my clients who has received it has enjoyed it.

Why is it so important to Lomi ?
Lomi lomi is thought to have started as a method of aiding in digestion. Its true,  Hawaiian Royalty, after consuming large quantities of food would have a special servant Lomi Lomi their belly to aid in the digestion process.  From there as the practice spread beyond the palace to villages and family, it was taken on by the kahunas of medicine and refined to address other physical and mental issues. A combination of observation, touch and medicinal herbs constituted successful medical practice.  Later missionaries who arrived on Hawaii observed that Lomi Lomi was a remarkably relaxing experience that also induced calm and helped with sleep.

There are similarities between the beliefs and practices of many early cultures.  So while I cannot speak to the claims of Chi Nei Tsang, and in general I refrain from exaggerated claims of any type when it comes to bodywork, I can tell you from observation that abdominal massage when incorporated into tradition or Lomi work has positive effects on peoples sense of well being.  Abdominal work is always a choice, is is part of my regular intake. If you never tried, consider it as part of your next massage. 

Experience  Edward and this life-changing work in New York.

Aloha Friends

I will be traveling to NYC  March 19-21, 2019 to visit existing clients and to meet new clients.  I will accepting appointments for bodywork as well as workshops.

If you are interested in being on my mailing list for future visits or have any questions or suggestions please click here.

In addition to offering Authentic Lomi Lomi Massage, Swedish Massage and Soul Healing Energy Work, I will be offering Couples Massage private and group workshops.  As well as private one day Intro to Lomi Massage workshops for couples or singles.

I specialize in the ancient art of Lomi Lomi and all forms of relaxation bodywork with an emphasis on touch healing and the mind/body connection.  I am happy to help realize your goals.

If you would like to book any treatment, or schedule a workshop,  please just click on the button below.

If you have any questions please just send me an email here.

Mahalo


Please like and share if you know anyone that might be interested.