I gave a talk to a massage class at FCCJ this morning.
This class had been in school for nine months and wanted to know a lot about the styles of massage I do. So I demonstrated and talked about each style, using the students as guinea pigs.
What they wanted to know most about was Myofascial Release, and I did a longer demonstration on that. While I demonstrated the other styles of massage with the student clothed, I needed one undressed for MFR.
Although the student got on the table, she asked me not to expose her glutes (butt) as she did not wear the right type of underwear for massage. Wow.
This is a problem that many new massage students and even some therapists have. They are afraid of the body. I understand that working someone’s backside is a personal thing, but it is nothing more than a muscle, an important one at that. The muscles there connect to the lower back and legs. Back pain and leg pain can many times come through this area making this something that needs to be worked.
It is one thing for a client to be a little nervous about it, but a therapist? I know a couple therapists that only do compression on the glutes through the drape. Now, I have never been shy about working any part of a body that needs work (within the comfort level of the client and the law that is). But it does surprise me how many therapists are afraid to work glutes. This kind of goes back to proper intent that I mentioned the other day.
At any rate, I did a few MFR moves and showed the class the change in her alignment afterward. I think they liked what I said and showed.
I always like talking with new students and showing them the possibilities.