Announcing the Publishing of my First Course
My first course is up! It marks a real milestone for me, so I don’t mind taking a moment to say a quiet, “hurrah!” (applause)
My intention in this blog is to talk about classic massage itself, and what is most important for the practitioner in order to be successful. However, as this is my first course, and my first website, I want to say a couple quick things about that.
What a learning curve! Technology really is a fast-moving wave these days, and I’m in the large category of people who were born early enough that it hasn’t been a standard part of my life. There is a lot to learn about the technical aspects of getting this all up and running!
While I am happy with my site and progress so far, my intention is to continue adapting the video production in particular to improve the production quality of what I release. However, I am quite proud of the course content itself, including the 6 videos, and the additional info on the pdf. I sincerely hope that (at least some of) you truly enjoy it. I have made it available for a very friendly, introductory price.
And, as a bit of shameless self-promotion, please note I will be releasing Classic Massage part 2 in the coming weeks. Part 1 focuses on the core basics that are so critical to this style. It covers a full, one-hour massage from start to finish. Part 2 moves into advanced classic massage, and expands the body regions, and teaches advanced techniques for stomach, feet, neck, and other sensitive regions of the body. It extends the classic massage up to 90 minutes, and will be coming soon!
But enough about that… what about classic massage? Let’s talk about that…
In the introductory material for the course, I make the point that classic massage is like vanilla ice cream; simple, but perfectly satisfying, almost every time. Classic massage is ‘classic’ because it is effective and satisfying, which is why we tend to go back to it over and over.
So, what are the important things that make it effective? Well, the techniques are explained and taught in detail in the course, and I’m not going to just repeat that here. I want to point out the value of doing something simple, but doing it very well. And the secret to that is honesty with one’s self, because that is where strong, clear intention comes from, and where focus becomes powerful.
Think about breathing. Why? You might ask. Well, breathing is the foundation of all meditation. It is something we do automatically, and it may in fact be the simplest body function there is. Yet, when we breathe with focus, silence, and intention, it becomes an experience that is not only profound, but continues to get more profound the longer you hold that space and intention.
Yet all you are doing is breathing.
So, what does that say about classic massage? Well, to me, it says that, yes, technique is critical. Understanding precisely why we want to use a certain hand position, apply pressure in a certain way, et cetera, these things are very important. In a sense, if you don’t understand those things, you can’t really be effective. If you don’t know about the role of massage in circulation in muscle tissue and why it is important, you can only do so much for your recipient. You are in danger of just rubbing your hands around, which can be fun, but it might not be as effective as massage can be.
Good massage, like many things, is an art, not a science, even if looking at it briefly through the lens of science is important. Your own intention, breathing, honest self-awareness; these are the things that will make the difference between a pedestrian, garden-variety massage, and a professional one. And the difference can be quite profound.
My advice? Well, since you asked, don’t fool yourself about the value of practice, and of preparation. In my course, I suggest on more than one occasion that even the simple hand techniques will improve when you practice them on a pillow. Or your pet. Perhaps you are familiar with the classic movie, The Karate Kid, (original) in which the boy takes his martial arts skills to a new level by waxing cars. “Wax on, wax off.” Have a look, if you aren’t sure what I mean.
The reason that classic massage can be so effective is because, like many simple things, it has all that it needs to be effective; IF, and only if, the practitioner has a depth of honesty with themselves.
If you are honest about your intention, your focus will follow. It will do so quite naturally. If you practice and prepare (sometimes just by visualizing your practice), you, as the practitioner may be surprised at how profound your own experience can be. And, in being open to feedback, you may be pleased to find that, more and more, your experience and the experience of the recipient reflect one another.
This is not always true, and it is not necessary, so don’t be disappointed if the person didn’t have the same moments that you did; they still had theirs. Just ‘return to the breath’, and continue. Return to the simple things that make the practice work, and it will provide.
Just like vanilla ice cream! In fact, I think I might go get some right now.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.