Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1492048
T he term body mechanics does not do justice to what happens when a skilled massage therapist is entirely in sync with a client's musculature, as well as their own body in motion. The massage f lows in a powerful energetic dance where both the client and the therapist are enlivened. Using the right type of oil, lotion, or cream will change your bodywork "dance" for the better. A LUBRICANT EPIPHANY When you are giving a massage, you think about the type of shoes you wear to give you stability and good support. You think about protecting your hands, your wrists, and your knees. But what about your glide? It may sound a bit like Goldilocks, but your glide needs to be "just right." The stroke may start by pushing from your feet, but it ends with maintaining the perfect glide for the area you are massaging. An unspoken rule of bodywork is that things are often not as they first appear to be. I learned this lesson more than 30 years ago. I was completing my two-year intensive training at Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and seeing clients in my budding private practice as well as in the school's clinic. Closing in on 1,200 hours of training and hundreds of hours of hands-on sessions, I realized I had to select my oils, lotions, and creams not only for my hands but also for my own body mechanics when working with each specific client. 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 51 JEREMY PAWLOWSKI/STOCKSY