Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1481961
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 73 Work with a practice partner. Ask for feedback as you learn. And, of course, communication is key as you begin to incorporate this awareness into your client session. Enjoy the feeling of satisfaction as you begin to deepen the effectiveness of your bodywork practice. Mary Kathleen Rose, LMT, has been actively involved in the holistic health field since the 1970s. A pioneer in the field of touch therapies for the elderly and the ill, she is an ardent advocate for the needs of special populations. She is the developer of Comfort Touch and is internationally known for her work in bringing safe, appropriate, and effective touch to hospice, hospital, and home-care settings. Rose is the author of Comfort Touch: Nurturing Acupressure for the Elderly, the Ill and Anyone in Need of a Caring Touch (Wild Rose, 2020); Comfort Touch of the Hands & Feet: A Guide for Family Caregivers (Wild Rose, 2015), and producer of the videos Comfort Touch: Massage for the Elderly & the Ill (Wild Rose, 2004) and Bereavement: Dealing with Grief & Loss (Wild Rose, 2022). She can be reached at rosevine@comforttouch.com; comforttouch.com. Self-Care Using the Tonic Acupressure Points Tonic points can also be used to treat oneself as part of a self-care regimen. Use specific contact pressure on the point, holding for a few seconds or through one respiratory cycle of inhalation and exhalation before release. Repeat as needed. Begin with GB 21, L 4, L 10, and ST 36, and enjoy their benefits. Incorporating Use of Tonic Acupressure Points into a Bodywork Session Awareness and use of tonic acupressure points is traditionally an integral aspect of Asian bodywork practice, which makes primary use of compression-based techniques. Stimulation with contact pressure of specific acupressure points is done when working on a particular part of the body. This may be unfamiliar to you if you practice conventional Swedish massage, with its gliding and kneading strokes. But with this newfound awareness and understanding of motor points and tonic points, you can begin to incorporate these specific techniques into your practice. 11 12 Conception Vessel 6 is located approximately 2 inches below the navel. Governing Vessel 20 is located at the top of the head, along the midline of the skull.