Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1078860
Yo u r M & B i s w o r t h 2 C E s ! G o t o w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e t o l e a r n m o r e . 75 is to educate them in the techniques and theories we employ in our practices, and to be honest about our own understanding and limitations of these techniques. Sarga Bodywork is not for every client and shares the same contraindications as Ashiatsu and deep-tissue massage. Because of its myofascial and compressive elements, therapists must take extra care to be aware of any client contraindications. These include, but are not limited to, pregnancy or trying to conceive, high or low blood pressure, acute injury, advanced stages of osteoporosis or other degenerative bone conditions, certain medications, recent surgeries, and advanced diabetes. THE SARGA EQUIPMENT Sarga Bodywork marries method and design, enabling practitioners to gain tensional support and force with a fabric strap fastened to a massage table or floor mat via its patent-pending equipment. In addition to providing support, the strap can be transformed into a variety of tools and facilitates a wide range of body mechanics for practitioners. By pulling up on the strap while applying downward pressure, for instance, the practitioner gains tensional force that can be transferred to the recipient's body. Sarga Bodywork equipment also allows practitioners to be completely mobile with their barefoot bodywork practices. Whether working at multiple locations or driving to outcalls, this equipment allows practitioners freedom from the limits of treatment rooms. WHY LEARN TO MASSAGE WITH YOUR FEET? As massage therapists, the ability to use our feet for manual therapy can be a career-saving practice. With the typical career longevity of a massage therapist being less than 10 years, the ability to incorporate body mechanics that utilize body weight and gravitational force is not just intelligent, it can also stave off repetitive use injury and fatigue. This is especially true for therapists with practices that focus on deep-tissue or myofascial massage techniques. The number of therapists who practice some form of foot-based massage is steadily on the rise, both because of its benefits to the practitioner, and because of consumer demand. Although foot-based manual therapies are ancient practice, consumers in the West have taken a while to warm up to the idea. In recent years, the massage industry has seen foot-based practices such as Ashiatsu and Thai massage become mainstream because of the therapeutic results and efficacy of these practices. A BRIGHT FUTURE There are less than 200 certified Sarga Bodyworkers worldwide, and it's been less than two years since Sarga began offering its continuing education courses, but the work has garnered a loyal following and the attention of a growing wellness industry that is continually evolving and looking for new ways to provide effective therapeutic services. "One of the greatest privileges of working in the healing arts is being a part of a community whose interests center around the mechanisms that catalyze positive change in the world," Massaguer says. "Our mission is to provide a distinctively transformative and healing therapy, while offering the techniques and materials to help inspire our fellow bodyworkers to resource their innate creativity in ways that are mindful, safe, minimally strenuous, and fabulously efficient." Cofounder of Sarga Bodywork, Daniel Tsukayama believes there are many ways to access our innate regenerative abilities, but in a culture that is often distanced from a sensational experience of our bodies, a somatic approach to healing is increasingly vital. Tsukayama maintains a structural integration and Sarga Bodywork practice on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. For more information on Sarga Bodywork, visit www.sargabodywork.com, or email sarga@sargabodywork.com.