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Massage - Natural Talent or Taught Skill?
so i was reading a blog entry and it got me thinking....where does the core skill of massage come from? is it a natural gift we possess or is it something anyone can be taught and do well? (i can't help but relate it to photography...another of my passions) anyone can be taught to take a great photo...but only those with that natural eye for it can actually create a great photo.
here's the entry i read (hope you don't mind me posting it here Rudy):
As a teacher of massage and lomi lomi I have learned that for every 100 students I was teaching only 3 (at the most) will possess the natural abilities, passion and drive that make a good therapist an exceptionally and profoundly dynamic therapist. This is where I believe that schooling and national certification will always fail. You can train them and model for them all of the powerful attributes for success, they can pass the hardest test in the world, but they and they alone either get it or they don't. As someone who has travelled the globe learning and teaching massage in numerous cultures, I have been more impressed by some (natural talent) that had never spent a day in school. Their intuitive prowess allowed them to see into my tissues what all of the text books and tests couldn't.
thoughts?
here's the entry i read (hope you don't mind me posting it here Rudy):
As a teacher of massage and lomi lomi I have learned that for every 100 students I was teaching only 3 (at the most) will possess the natural abilities, passion and drive that make a good therapist an exceptionally and profoundly dynamic therapist. This is where I believe that schooling and national certification will always fail. You can train them and model for them all of the powerful attributes for success, they can pass the hardest test in the world, but they and they alone either get it or they don't. As someone who has travelled the globe learning and teaching massage in numerous cultures, I have been more impressed by some (natural talent) that had never spent a day in school. Their intuitive prowess allowed them to see into my tissues what all of the text books and tests couldn't.
thoughts?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on
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Hi Lisa,
This is the same in almost all fields of endeavor. Some people just naturally fall into whatever they do. The skills they have learned along the way "just fit". It will always be this way.
Talent can be taught, to some. Otherwise only three of those students, Rudy mentioned, would be successful. Given time and effort, it is possible. Some doctors are naturals and some should change careers. Along the way, trying and then quitting, they will affect many aspects of the profession. And change opinion of it.
Massage is a skill. Whether natural or taught, I hope everyone is given a chance, because you'll never know if you are or aren't a natural, until you try! It's like the kid that wants to hit the ball, but is afraid to swing the bat. Go for it and find out!
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Permalink Reply by Lisa on
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totally agree with you Mike...one never knows until one trys. i just wish i had bucked upon this sooner...because i DO believe it is innate in me. however i also believe things happen in their own time, and therefore any other time but the present, i wasn't ready for. :)
Mike Hinkle said:Hi Lisa,
This is the same in almost all fields of endeavor. Some people just naturally fall into whatever they do. The skills they have learned along the way "just fit". It will always be this way.
Talent can be taught, to some. Otherwise only three of those students, Rudy mentioned, would be successful. Given time and effort, it is possible. Some doctors are naturals and some should change careers. Along the way, trying and then quitting, they will affect many aspects of the profession. And change opinion of it.
Massage is a skill. Whether natural or taught, I hope everyone is given a chance, because you'll never know if you are or aren't a natural, until you try! It's like the kid that wants to hit the ball, but is afraid to swing the bat. Go for it and find out!
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Permalink Reply by Marissa on
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New "potential" therapists are always asking me these types of questions. I truly believe to be a great therapist and to have a long and healthy career in massage and bodywork, there needs to be a seed planted first. Like Mike said, everyone should have the chance to explore their interests and see if it "fits". However, there is a sensitivity and intuitiveness present in some hands and overall being that just screams "FANTASTIC MASSAGE THERAPIST!" You can only be taught anything to a point and then instinct has to take over.
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Hopefully Rudy won't mind me quoting him....this is where i need some smileys...especially that one with the quirky face. :)
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there ya go!
Lisa said:totally agree with you Mike...one never knows until one trys. i just wish i had bucked upon this sooner...because i DO believe it is innate in me. however i also believe things happen in their own time, and therefore any other time but the present, i wasn't ready for. :)
Mike Hinkle said:Hi Lisa,
This is the same in almost all fields of endeavor. Some people just naturally fall into whatever they do. The skills they have learned along the way "just fit". It will always be this way.
Talent can be taught, to some. Otherwise only three of those students, Rudy mentioned, would be successful. Given time and effort, it is possible. Some doctors are naturals and some should change careers. Along the way, trying and then quitting, they will affect many aspects of the profession. And change opinion of it.
Massage is a skill. Whether natural or taught, I hope everyone is given a chance, because you'll never know if you are or aren't a natural, until you try! It's like the kid that wants to hit the ball, but is afraid to swing the bat. Go for it and find out!
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Permalink Reply by rudy m smith on
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Hi Lisa,
please feel free to quote me unless I am being an obvious (obstinate nutcase) in which case let me know asap so I can clean up my act!
I would be imeasurably wealthy if I could figure out the exact SPARK that turned someone on, motivated them, propelled them into success. Not just financial success, though that IS important, but success connecting with something so much bigger than themself that they CAN NOT, NOT DO IT. I don't mean unhealthy compulsive obsessive stuff I mean THIS IS IT, THIS IS WHY I AM HERE!!!
The D average thing is important to me - valedictorian sure okay but -
D - Dedication to ones' profession
D - Devoted to ones' clients
D - Disciplined in the application of ones' skills at the therapeutic level each and every time we connect with someone.
For some it takes a lifetime to learn why they are here some NEVER get it... but then they have to be looking don't they?
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Permalink Reply by Keith Eric Grant on
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Mike's initial comment, I believe, is in the right direction. But what one learns and is able to do is a combination of natural capacity, skills and perceptive abilities picked up in early environments, and skills and perceptive abilities learned during explicit training. One deficit in current approaches being taken to training is that there are many meta skills that were part of tacit curricula but missing from more recent, requirements based curricula. In many instances, the requirements miss entire areas (i.e. are incomplete) that can be taught or learned via example and practice. If we simply dismiss such skills as "innate" or "intuitive", we aren't meeting our potential as instructors. I'd explored this area of intuition and meta skills in an article some years back because I believe they are important and were and are being missed.
The core areas for success, however, are motivation, liking contact and proximity with other human beings, and treating yourself as an athlete (dancer, musician, ...) in terms of training, conditioning, and body self-care. The other requirement to stay in self-employment is the combination of business sense with caring sense. Many general small businesses fail within a few years and massage practice has the additional human/emotional and physical demands. One cannot count hourly income by what a client pays per hour, but what makes after marketing time, idle time, social security, office expenses, ... Many enter without understanding the balance sheet.
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I agree, but since we have to deal with a 17 to 70 plus year old, educationally diverse population, that comes from about every direction available, common ground is hard to find to provide the education, that will test all the same. Not all have picked up these skills or perception abilities. Yet they are still licensed massage therapists. With states having decided on such a variance of educational governance, much less cirriculum, it is difficult to begin to define "whose is correct". The reality is we are in a pickle and have just started working our way out.
I want all to have a chance. A lot of people "feel" intuitive. That's good. It might give them the confidence to keep at it. For those that feel they don't have the "feel", keep practicing, you will gain confidence. It may take you a little longer. But I know few, that have stayed at what they love to do and not be successful. If that great massage comes from a natural or time taken skilled practitioner, the client will like it just as much!
Keith Eric Grant said:Mike's initial comment, I believe, is in the right direction. But what one learns and is able to do is a combination of natural capacity, skills and perceptive abilities picked up in early environments, and skills and perceptive abilities learned during explicit training. One deficit in current approaches being taken to training is that there are many meta skills that were part of tacit curricula but missing from more recent, requirements based curricula. In many instances, the requirements miss entire areas (i.e. are incomplete) that can be taught or learned via example and practice. If we simply dismiss such skills as "innate" or "intuitive", we aren't meeting our potential as instructors. I'd explored this area of intuition and meta skills in an article some years back because I believe they are important and were and are being missed.
The core areas for success, however, are motivation, liking contact and proximity with other human beings, and treating yourself as an athlete (dancer, musician, ...) in terms of training, conditioning, and body self-care. The other requirement to stay in self-employment is the combination of business sense with caring sense. Many general small businesses fail within a few years and massage practice has the additional human/emotional and physical demands. One cannot count hourly income by what a client pays per hour, but what makes after marketing time, idle time, social security, office expenses, ... Many enter without understanding the balance sheet.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Jeffrey on
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I was suprised to read Rudy was teaching only 3 at a time. This sounds ideal as in the bigger classes when does the student and teacher get to work on one another. In many classes (I'm talking about brand new bigginer MT classes) the student can do the whole course, get certified, and enter the career never having recieved a professional massage?
I've mentored 4 students one to one 4 hours a week over approx 10 months. When they get the oppertunity to learn deep work this way the speed at which they can pick up the skills then apply them is phenominal.
Regards steve
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Yes yes, here's the thing... if you realy study massage therapists who graduate as a group and you realy look at some HARD markers for success in terms of what a proffesional carreer is you will see that most are scraping by, many having to hold several jobs to make ends meet... few able to pay for health care insurance, let alone short term or long term disability insurance. We will also see HIGH levels of dissatisfaction in this same group for these same reasons on top of that many give up, burn out, or settle for poor working conditions and very low pay because what clients they do get in the door they can't retain and don't get referals from. Here in this cyber place - Those of us who are making it are the minority. Just several years ago the (new student in a private massage school) was forty something, carreer change, mom with an empty nest, recent divorce etc... now corporations have moved in to get their share of the federal money available to many disenfranchised low end socio-econimic (very young) and very gullible, couldn't handle college, so they thought massage would be an easy job, students. Whew! This recruiting proccess has been in many cases criminal at best. Promising these new students great jobs with great pay that seldom pan out. It still blows my mind when I walk into a classroom at month 8 of training and ask "so where are you going to work? what are your plans?" and I get a whole lot of blank stares followed by some poorly thought out answers! Part of the reason is that massage schools often hire massage therapists who have never had a succesfull practise so they resort to teaching to make a living. Those who can't teach, those who can do. This is NOT always the case (I love to teach). These unsuccessfull (now teachers) of massage pass on very watered down skills, that never cut it in the real world, - and so it goes. But I ramble :}
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Mike Hinkle said:Hi Lisa,
This is the same in almost all fields of endeavor. Some people just naturally fall into whatever they do. The skills they have learned along the way "just fit". It will always be this way.
Talent can be taught, to some. Otherwise only three of those students, Rudy mentioned, would be successful. Given time and effort, it is possible. Some doctors are naturals and some should change careers. Along the way, trying and then quitting, they will affect many aspects of the profession. And change opinion of it.
Massage is a skill. Whether natural or taught, I hope everyone is given a chance, because you'll never know if you are or aren't a natural, until you try! It's like the kid that wants to hit the ball, but is afraid to swing the bat. Go for it and find out!
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Okay - realy good input - but - let's move away from the touchy feely energy words for a minute, let's dig into the reality of palpable skills, 14 levels of palpation. My premise is there are (naturals) who can tune into the human body and feel what is going on via kinesthetic feedback, and through the use of their hands, restore the tissues to a more normal lengthened, less stagnant condition. And they can do this having never set foot in a massage classroom. We need an avenue in the United States and elswhere that allows for these dynamic naturals to go to work doing what they were born to do! Without the hubbub of school or testing to get in their way - there are ways for people to prove their competance and demonstrate their skills without traditional acadamia. The free market is proof of this - if they can't cut it the market will send them packing or to the food kitchen or both. Massage is a funny business. We have everthing from crystal wand waving, sage smudging hippies, to highly educated and gifted administrators. I think what is realy important is that we become all inclusive in a way that excludes prostitution and focuses on the needs of the public who will quickly decide who is and who is not competent.
Jade Edwards said:I haven't read the other postings ...so please forgive me if what I say is already mentioned! ;)
My personal view is that there are four (4) kinds of individuals who attend massage therapy school.
1- This individual attends massage school and wants to become a therapist...however, they are unable to absorb and regurgitate the AP portion of the course. This is the end of the line for this individual in regards to becoming a massage therapist. It also would be rare for this person to try again in the future.
2- This individual attends school, has the drive and mental fortitude to push forward through the lecture portions...but is unable to function during the hands-on training and has to drop out. This individual is more likely to try again in the future.
3- This individual attends school, has the drive and mental capacity to complete the lecture portions...but is able to master the hands-on techniques of massage. However, this person is unable to feel energy or work with it...energy is unknown to this student therapist.
4- This student therapist achieves all of what number three does...however this person is also able to 'feel' the clients energy and 'exchange' their waste and bad energy...with clean and renewed energy. This student-therapist functions like a sponge.
This is how I look at all the students who come through my school. You can almost tell immediately the first week of school.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read my post! :)
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Excellent post!
Reality is sometimes as simple as G.I.G.O. or grabage in garbage out... in massage school we get good with bad, teachers and students........ when both are garbage (please excuse the anology) the result is many times tragic. But I promise there a phenominal massage therapists who have never spent a day in school!
Keith Eric Grant said:Mike's initial comment, I believe, is in the right direction. But what one learns and is able to do is a combination of natural capacity, skills and perceptive abilities picked up in early environments, and skills and perceptive abilities learned during explicit training. One deficit in current approaches being taken to training is that there are many meta skills that were part of tacit curricula but missing from more recent, requirements based curricula. In many instances, the requirements miss entire areas (i.e. are incomplete) that can be taught or learned via example and practice. If we simply dismiss such skills as "innate" or "intuitive", we aren't meeting our potential as instructors. I'd explored this area of intuition and meta skills in an article some years back because I believe they are important and were and are being missed.
The core areas for success, however, are motivation, liking contact and proximity with other human beings, and treating yourself as an athlete (dancer, musician, ...) in terms of training, conditioning, and body self-care. The other requirement to stay in self-employment is the combination of business sense with caring sense. Many general small businesses fail within a few years and massage practice has the additional human/emotional and physical demands. One cannot count hourly income by what a client pays per hour, but what makes after marketing time, idle time, social security, office expenses, ... Many enter without understanding the balance sheet.
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