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I'm new to the site, hello!

I'm new here and am a beginner at performing massages, I was looking for a quality website forum to receive advice on performing massages and anything else that has to do with massage. The school I've started at is Aveda Institute in Minneapolis Minnesota and I'm four weeks into my training. I've already learned a fairly good amount of knowlage about massage but there is lots more I need to learn. The program goes until March 8th, after that I hope to go straight from graduating to working somewhere, I'm not sure yet where at all, but the school will help with that when the time comes. I'm doing well at school, I've got about 99% percent in the class, so thats a great start.

What I know so far is effleurage utilizing Bi-lateral tree stroking, stripping, knuckles, forearms, shingles (hand over hand), tapotement and frictioning. Then petrissage and trigger point therapy. I'm having a tough time finding trigger points to work on though sometimes. We've gotten a little into deep tissue, not too much yet though. My main problems are massaging too quickly, posture, and soreness in my hands from massaging. I guess I'm just here looking for some general tips and tricks to giving a quality massage for a beginner and anything that you guys might clue me in on with this profession. I love giving and reciving massages in school and I'm enjoying it quite a bit so far.

Anyways, thanks for reading, I'm looking forward to reading your responses!

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Permalink Reply by Jed Heneberry on November 19, 2012 at 10:50am

Hi Nathan,

Welcome to the Massageprofessionals.com!

There are plenty of great articles at www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com—I'd especially recommend checking out the new column "Classroom to Client" by Anne Williams, ABMP's Director of Education. It's in all of our 2012 issues, and deals with the transition from school to a professional practice.

Good luck!

Jed

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Permalink Reply by Therese Schwartz on November 20, 2012 at 9:20pm

Nathan, many of the skills you need will come with time and working on lots of people. You are just getting started; patience with yourself is really important!

The most important thing to giving a quality massage is to remember why you are doing it - to make a difference the person on the table. You are not trying to force them into anything - more pressure and deeper work is usually not useful. If you can learn to wait for the tissue to release, you will get really good results and your clients won't be sore. If they are, it will feel like they went to the gym and worked out. If anyone feels like they got "beaten up", or is sore for more than 24 hours, you overworked them.

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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on November 20, 2012 at 11:48pm

I would suggest you get out of your head. Stop thinking. Start stretching and working on yourself. You will learn a lot about massage.

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Permalink Reply by Nathan James Kapel on November 22, 2012 at 8:23pm

Thanks for the responses, there will be many people I will be working on in school, which I am excited for coming up fairly soon. I’m glad I now have a website where I can bring my questions to and have them answered. Most of my questions can be answered by my instructors, but sometimes its good to get a second opinion. Right now, I’m studying Chakra Balancing massage, Foot Reflexology and Stress Fix massages that I will be tested on written and technically in the near future.