My Massage Journey

If you’ve found your way onto my blog today - thank you! And welcome!

My name’s Susie and I have just launched Sea Breeze Therapies down here in Dorset on the sunny south coast of the UK. I wish I could say I was a full-time massage therapist with a busy book of clients, but at the moment I am right at the beginning of my massage business journey. And that’s an exciting place to be!

I qualified in Holistic Massage just over seven years ago – around the same time I discovered I was pregnant with my first son.  Family life, a second child and the financial need to return to a full-time job in arts marketing meant that my massage skills were reluctantly put on the back-burner - although I made sure I kept my hand in by doing the occasional add-on massage course to keep my skills current, and by treating family and friends.

I was inspired to train in massage after receiving an incredible treatment while on honeymoon on the island of Kuredu in the Maldives. “I want to make people feel this good,” I thought to myself, as I sat back against a palm tree outside the island’s spa, sipping my complimentary ginger tea.

I’ve always had a fascination with the human body and the way it works, so when I returned to the UK I jumped on the internet, did some research and came across an ITEC course that was just about to start in my area. It was a big undertaking for somebody already working full time (and with a growing baby bump!) – lengthy modules two evenings a week not just in massage techniques, but also in Anatomy & Physiology and in different aspects of running a therapy business. After all, it’s no good being able to give a massage if you don’t know the effect it is having on your client’s body, or how to carry out a professional consultation that inspires trust in your abilities, or how to ensure your equipment is hygienic and sterile.  There was a lot of home study too – countless muscles to learn the name, location and function of, and of course, a mountain of massage case studies to carry out on eager friends and family.  It all culminated with written exams testing our theory for each element, and a practical massage exam carried out under the watchful eye of an ITEC examiner. By this stage I was so heavily pregnant I could barely reach across my client as they lay on the couch – but get this - I passed!

The holistic approach to the course was interesting – we were encouraged to look at our client as a whole, considering their lifestyle, nutrition, exercise and more alongside any physical pain they may be experiencing. There is so much in normal day-to-day life that can contribute to a person’s need for massage – stresses from work and family life, aches and pains caused by lifting children or participating in sports and exercise activities and then of course the more complex acute or chronic pain conditions. Everybody wants and needs something different from a massage treatment – and as therapists it is our job to listen, understand and try to provide the best treatment possible for that person. For a therapist it is NEVER about diagnosing conditions – that is something we leave firmly to GPs.

My long-term plan has always been to wait until my children have both started school, and then to look at gradually building up my massage business in the evenings. I’d love to be able to give up my day job and focus solely on the massage, but that just isn’t financially viable for my family right now. Baby steps are necessary.  I’m hoping to do some more training in the new year – I’ve got my eye on the 3-day Foundation course which kicks off the Jing Institute's Advanced Certificate in Clinical Massage – it contains some really great advanced techniques that I know will be invaluable to my practice. Treating pain is really interesting to me and something I’d like to be more knowledgeable about.

Since having my children I’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition which causes widespread pain in the muscles and joints as well as fatigue. This is a new challenge that I have to learn to adapt to – I often feel pain in my hands, which is not ideal for a massage therapist! There are no real cures for fibromyalgia, so it’s mostly about coping strategies and making sure I don’t overload myself.

So there you have it – that’s my massage journey to the present day!  I’m excited about what the future holds – about being able to help people feel good inside and out. I hope you’ll stick with me as I continue the journey, and maybe come and try a massage or two!

Water - What You Need to Know!

Ever wondered why your massage therapist thrusts a glass of water at you when your treatment is finished and advises you to drink up?

It’s all for a good reason.

Massage can be very dehydrating on the body – all that kneading and work on the muscles forces fluid and metabolic waste out of the soft tissue and into the lymphatic system, where it heads towards your kidneys. (This is also why you often feel like you need the loo after a massage!) The lymphatic system acts a bit like the sewer pipes of the body – it collects and carries waste material away.

Tight or knotted muscles restrict circulation and inhibit your ability to flush out waste, so when massage has released that tension the waste that enters your circulatory system can be helped on its way to your kidneys  by ensuring you have a good drink of water. If these waste products are left to build up in your body it can cause you soreness in the days following a massage as well as other side effects including headaches or nausea.

Many people feel lightheaded and disoriented after a massage, so a glass of water is also a good way of helping them ‘come round’ gently.

  

How much water should you be drinking?

We all know water is vital to a healthy body, and most of us know that we should probably be drinking a lot more of it.  But how much, exactly? 

There’s no official scientifically-proven answer to that, but it’s generally accepted that around 2 litres a day is the desired quantity.  Any less than that and you can suffer from the effects described above, along with dry and inelastic skin, tiredness, irritability, depression or constipation.  If you’re not used to drinking this much water it can be hard at first – not least with all extra the trips to the bathroom that you find yourself making!  But if you build up your consumption over time your body and bladder do gradually adjust and you will find the benefits to your body and your skin are noticeable – drinking water really does go far beyond simply quenching our thirst.

 Too much of a good thing is bad for you

I’ve seen a few articles online recently which suggest you should be drinking as much as 4 litres a day. This is somewhat alarming, as where water is concerned it really can be a case of too much of a good thing is bad for you. Water intoxication, or hyponatremia, occurs when too much water is consumed over a short period of time, causing an imbalance of electrolytes (salts) in the blood.  This imbalance causes the brain to swell and prevents it from regulating vital functions such as breathing. It is extremely serious, and can cause death. Most cases of hyponatremia are seen when athletes over-hydrate during training or in competition, in Class A drugs users (drugs induce excessive thirst) or in the elderly, whose kidney functions may be impaired. Water intoxication is thankfully rare, but in light of some advice that is knocking around on the internet at the moment it’s definitely worth mentioning.

So the message of this blog is – go forth and drink plenty of water sensibly – it’s good for you!

The Science of Life

I'm giving a lovely treatment later this week, which not only feels fantastic, but when performed regularly can actually rejuvenate the face and diminish the appearance of wrinkles. Too good to be true, you say?  Read on ....

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurvedic facial massage is based on the ancient therapeutic principles of Ayurveda, which has been practiced in India for thousands of years and is one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems. Translating from the Sanskrit as "life science", Ayurveda promotes the idea that good health is achieved when your mind, body and spirit are in harmony, and that any disruption of this harmony can lead to ill health. Its primary focus is on promoting good health rather than fighting disease.

What's your dosha?

Under Ayurvedic principles, we are all comprised of three vital energies called doshas, known as vata, pitta and kapha. All three doshas are present within each of us to varying degrees, and are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. We tend to have one or maybe two dominant ones. It is when these doshas become unbalanced due to factors such as stress, our environment, our diet etc that we become ill.

What does the treatment include?

An Ayurvedic facial treatment begins with the client filling out a simple questionnaire to determine their dominant dosha. This will in turn allow the therapist to select a carrier oil that will suit the client's dosha profile and help keep them in balance according to Ayurveda.

The treatment itself is incredibly soothing - small circular movements are made with the fingers (first anti-clockwise and then clockwise) on the marma points (energy centres) of the face, neck and scalp.

What are the benefits?

Release of tension in the facial muscles
Improved skin tone/vitality
Stimulation of lymphatic drainage and circulation
Relaxation and rejuvenation
Harmony/balance across the whole body

This treatment isn't known as a natural facelift for nothing - it really can give your skin a wonderful rejuvinating boost and help reduce the appearance of fine lines on the face. Definitely one to try!