Massage & Bodywork

JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2020

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Q&A How did Sarga Bodywork get its start? Sarga Bodywork was developed in Hawaii and grew from our love for barefoot massage, myofascial bodywork, and a desire to make barefoot bodywork more mobile. The curriculum and equipment we use in our courses today is the result of countless hours of research and development—and hundreds of refi nements to our equipment designs that began in 2012. At the heart of Sarga Bodywork is our passion for the healing arts and a desire to share our enthusiasm for this transformative work with others. What are the benefi ts of training in Sarga Bodywork? Therapists who train in Sarga Bodywork acquire skills in both barefoot massage and myofascial massage techniques. In truest form, these manual therapy techniques are inseparable from our proprietary equipment. Sarga Bodywork equipment, which is comprised of a fabric strap and the necessary hardware to fasten it to a massage table, enables practitioners to gain tensional support and force by pulling up on the strap while applying downward pressure. In addition, the Sarga Strap can be transformed into a variety of tools and facilitates a wide range of body mechanics for practitioners. The mobility of Sarga Bodywork is also a major perk for therapists who train with us, and we have equipment for both a raised table and a fl oor-based confi guration that therapists can choose from. Many barefoot and ashiatsu techniques require that overhead bars be installed into the ceiling of a treatment room. Since this is not always possible or desired (and since massage therapists tend to be an independent, mobile demographic), this freedom can be a key benefi t of training in Sarga Bodywork. What sort of therapist should take your classes? Is there a minimum experience level or amount of training a therapist should have before taking your course? We celebrate the diversity of therapists who attend Sarga Bodywork courses, and whether one is still a novice bodyworker or has 10+ years of barefoot massage experience, cultivating an attitude of Shoshin or "beginner's mind" is a therapist's best asset when preparing for a Sarga Bodywork course. Shoshin is a word from Zen Buddhism and refers to an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject—even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner would (paraphrased from Wikipedia). We do ask that therapists who apply for our courses have at least one year of manual therapy experience and can meet our four fi tness measurements, which can be found on our website (under "Come to Class Prepared") at www.sargabodywork. com/come-to-class-prepared.html. Are your training courses in-person, online, or a combination of both? Currently all our curriculum is taught exclusively in live, in-person courses. Our raised-table courses (Sarga Table 1 & 2) will always remain live courses, since we require that students undergo in-person training for proper safety, setup, and use of Sarga Bodywork's raised-table equipment. However, we receive many requests for online courses, and we do have plans to make some of our fl oor- based curriculum available as a digital course in the future. What sets Sarga Bodywork apart from other bodywork modalities? The use of tensional and gravitational force to deliver barefoot myofascial massage techniques makes Sarga Bodywork a uniquely powerful bodywork modality. As a therapeutic tool, a well-trained bare foot is a dynamic powerhouse. It is not only nimble, sensitive, and dexterous, but provides a strong, broad, and steady contact that is undeniably effective. Barefoot massage is nothing new, but when combined with Sarga Bodywork's equipment and our unique myofascial methodology, a truly creative and transformative therapy is born. To see Sarga Bodywork's nationwide 2020 course calendar, go to SargaBodywork.com. Jiva Massaguer and Daniel Tsukayama Founders, Sarga Bodywork sponsored by EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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