Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1464088
L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 59 patterns. Pay attention to the way you breathe when you're nervous, frightened, or doing mindless daily chores. Remind yourself to breathe deeply and to exhale slowly and peacefully. Stay aware of the length of your plateaus after each inhalation and exhalation. Recognize your dominant type of breathing, and train yourself to adjust it whenever necessary. As you work in massage and bodywork, try to coordinate your breath, movements, and techniques with the breathing patterns of the receiver. Don't hold your own breath when you're executing a strenuous pose. Inhale when you need strength and stability. Exhale when you return a heavy limb to the table or the floor. Wait for the client to breathe in a way that will increase effectiveness of the technique you are about to do. Enhanced awareness of breath helps sustain and increase the longevity of a professional practice in the healing arts. Breath awareness allows us to work with more comfort and ease, and this relaxed state is automatically transferred to the people we touch. Healthy breathing patterns reduce stress, increase oxygen in the blood, lower blood pressure, and make our work easier to do. I hope these simple guidelines and concepts help you work with more awareness, ease, sensitivity, and effectiveness. Bob Haddad is a recognized Thai therapist, teacher, and author who has studied in Thailand and elsewhere for over 20 years. He offers courses in traditional Thai massage and herbal therapies around the world. His new book, The Art of Thai Massage: A Guide to Advanced Therapeutic Practice (Findhorn Press), contains valuable information on sensing and intuition, body mechanics, and Thai herbal medicine for massage therapy. The book also features an entire section on breath awareness and breathing exercises for dynamic bodywork. He can be reached at thaihealing-arts.com. Floor work examples. Left: Press into the abdomen while both parties exhale and therapist directs breath away from the client. Right: The therapist tractions neck and breathes away from the client's face. Photos Bob Haddad. ask your client to inhale and exhale at the appropriate time. Most of the time, however, it's best to coach good breathing by example: Just breathe in a louder-than-usual way, and your client will usually respond and become more aware of their own breath. It's best not to speak more than necessary during a session. Part of the beauty of massage and bodywork is that it allows the receiver and the therapist to remain in a meditative state. Occasionally, when you notice your client's breathing is restricted or incomplete, you can remind them to take a deep breath, and then wait for their exhalation to begin (or continue) your movement. For the most part, however, just wait for your clients to inhale or exhale before you begin a new move. Don't repeatedly ask them to control their breathing, since this can be distracting and can minimize their ability to fully relax during the session. Be patient and allow them to always feel as comfortable as possible. As you work with the client in supine position, keep an eye out for facial expressions that signal discomfort or pain, and be sensitive to body reactions such as tightening muscles or "holding." Naturally, you should apply a lighter touch in these sensitive areas, and in some cases, you might also suggest a simple visualization exercise. One of the most common visualizations is to direct breath to a sore spot while inhaling, and to imagine the soreness being released while exhaling. Inhale clean energy, and exhale stagnant energy. Inhale peace, exhale tension. ESSENTIAL BREATH It is truly amazing how a greater daily awareness of breath can lead to improved health and a more peaceful state of mind. The first step in recognizing breath restrictions in others is to be aware of your own breath and breathing