HOLISTIC MASSAGE: WHAT IS IT?
by Andy Fagg, MA, MTI, ITEC
(This article is the first of 2 which examine what is meant by the term 'holistic massage'.)
Introduction
Many
massage therapists describe their work as 'holistic massage'. Yet this
term is often used in a vague and woolly way, which can prove damaging
to the reputation of massage therapy as a whole. Even the
constitution of the Massage Training Institute (MTI) blandly defines
holistic massage as 'nurturing touch involving the whole person'.
Other sources talk of 'holistic massage affecting all levels, including
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual'.
It is difficult to
take exception to these worthy phrases - but what do they actually
mean? As a client looking for a 'holistic massage', how can I be sure
that I will get the massage I want and need, both in terms of the
quality of the experience and the range of techniques used? As a
practitioner, how can I be sure I will attract the clients I want to
work with? We all need to understand what we mean here.
I
believe the term 'holistic massage' conceals a rich complexity of
work. Many massage therapists and teachers work in this manner,
upholding a long tradition of high quality and sensitive touch
therapy. I seek here to fill out this picture of what holistic massage
is, both in a historical and present day context. I hope this will
provoke a debate in the massage community. Only by clarifying what it
is we do can we stand proudly for the standards of that work.
What is the 'Whole' in 'Holistic'?
I
like the word holistic, although recognise that many people object to
its 'holiness'; indeed, I know some practitioners who insist in
spelling the word 'wholistic'. To my mind, the significance of the
word 'whole' in this context is that I not only work with the 'whole'
client but also I bring the 'whole' of myself to the massage
situation. Massage in essence is about sensitive communication through
the medium of touch. At the moment of placing my hand on a client's
body, a range of physiological responses can occur, affecting the skin,
the sensory nerve receptors, the muscle tissue, the circulation of
blood and lymph, the ease of movement of joints, the digestion and so
on. My skill as a holistic massage therapist, varying the depth, speed
and intention involved in the touch, helps to determine which response
occurs.
Yet there is great deal more than this. Our emotions
are body felt sensations. Consider when you have experienced familiar
feelings such as anger, fear, shame and joy. Each of these is
fundamentally a physical response and experience as result of the
situation you were in. When I touch your body, I am literally in touch
with your feelings. Also, our bodies embody our conscious and
unconscious belief systems about ourselves. If you believe yourself to
be a confident, outgoing person, you will carry myself in a certain
way, your muscles will develop particular patterns of tension and
relaxation and you will present a particular appearance to others. If
you believe yourself to be insignificant and unimportant, the posture
and muscle patterning will appear very different. Whatever your
self-belief, when as a holistic massage therapist I touch you, I am
literally touching your view of yourself and the feelings that help to
maintain that view. Of course, that view is likely to be the product
of all you have experienced to date - so that when I touch you, I am in
touch not only with who you are now but also with all of your personal
history to that moment.
In that moment of touch, not only are
all your physical and emotional responses present, but so are mine. I
cannot help but bring to the massage situation my physical symptoms, my
feelings and experiences and my personal history. As a holistic
massage therapist, my professionalism means that I will take care of
myself elsewhere, but also that I may draw on my own history as
appropriate in order to assist your individual process. It means that
I may develop an expertise in working with particular clients because
their experiences and needs relate to my own. So the range of possible
responses in a particular session is enormous, bringing together the
rich complexity of who you are, who I am and how we connect through the
medium of touch.
As human being, we are physical entities. Part
of the deal of the human condition is that each of us has a body! Yet
we have a culture and generations of conditioning that try to
marginalise the body, teaching us to be ashamed of its size, shape and
functions. Many of us are not properly 'embodied'. We have been
taught by families, advertising media, partners and our own inner
critics that our bodies are not good enough. The role of the holistic
massage therapist is both radical yet simple, namely enabling people to
live fully in their bodies. That's it! My work in essence is as
simple yet profound as helping others to celebrate their physicality.
Historical/Cultural Considerations
Our
approach to holistic massage today can be seen as a natural evolution
from different massage traditions in both eastern and western cultures,
over many years. Specific influences from the 20th century include;
- the development of Swedish Massage by Heinrich Ling;
- the growth of the personal development and human potential movement. In particular, the meditative style of massage developed at the Esalen Institute in California is often seen as the birthplace of present-day holistic massage;
- a growing awareness of stress as a major factor in health and illness;
- the growth in complementary therapies generally;
- the influence of physically based personal development disciplines such as yoga, Tai Chi and martial arts;
- increasing demands for massage therapists to adapt to a clientele in varied states of health, physical fitness and emotional stability;
- the growing importance of practitioner self-awareness as an integral part of the massage, drawing here on therapeutic models such as counselling and psychotherapy.
Fundamental
to my work as a holistic massage therapist is my ability to adapt and
respond to the unique needs of each client, to 'customise' my treatment
accordingly and also to take proper care of myself. I shall examine
these factors at greater length in my second article.
Andy Fagg is Chairman of the Massage Training Institute and runs the Bristol College of Massage and Bodywork.
Since qualifying in massage in 1984, his approach to bodywork has been
influenced by such disciplines as T'ai Chi, meditation, dance, Zero
Balancing and Process Work. He has been in private practice since
1986 and has offered professional trainings since 1989. He works at
the Bristol Cancer Help Centre and teaches at centres in Spain and
Greece. Contact: 0117 377 1201 or andyzfagg@bigfoot.com.
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HOLISTIC MASSAGE: HOW TO DO IT
by Andy Fagg, MA, MTI, ITEC
(This article follows Andy Fagg's previous article on 'Holistic Massage: What is it?')
Process not Routine
Holistic
massage should be seen as a nurturing process of touch and response.
The key here is to adapt the treatment to each client's unique needs,
physical characteristics and personality. I often explain that I
massage people, not bodies - that I do a massage 'with' someone, rather
than doing it 'to' them. For example, I will adopt a very different
approach to a client who approaches me in order to work through the
trauma of a history of sexual abuse to one who simply wants her stiff
shoulders eased after spending too long in front of the computer screen.
As
a holistic massage therapist, I engage with each client, assessing
needs and including physical, mental and emotional factors. I then
make an appropriate selection from a wide repertoire of possible
techniques, customizing the treatment to meet those needs at that
particular time. This process is creative, sometimes unexpected and
does not follow standard routines. I need to be guided by principles
of sensitivity, awareness, knowledge and professionalism.
In
many ways, holistic massage is about setting an atmosphere, creating an
energy, being in a particular 'vibe'. The way in which the massage is
approached is as important as the techniques themselves. Of course,
techniques matter too and may be drawn from a wide area. For instance,
holistic massage may include:
- classical Swedish techniques such as effleurage; petrissage, kneading, friction and wringing;
- percussive techniques such as hacking, cupping, pummelling, plucking and brushing;
- gentle hand holds, drawing on healing traditions and an awareness of the human energy field. This may extend to working off the physical body in the human aura;
- deeper pressure techniques; such as neuromuscular technique (NMT);
- passive joint mobilizations and stretches, such as muscle energy technique (MET);
- appropriate techniques from related bodywork traditions such as cranio-sacral therapy and shiatsu.
An
important feature of this approach is the ability to 'track through'
from a theoretical knowledge and understanding of anatomy, physiology
and pathology to the practical realities of each client's symptoms and
responses - and how therefore to adapt one's massage. In other words,
the really skilful holistic massage therapist will understand the
body's structure, function and malfunction, know how to assess the
effects on a particular client and the consequent links to massage
technique. The article by Darien Pritchard and Su Fox in the February
issue of Massage World explains this much more fully.
Role and Qualities of the Practitioner
The
holistic massage practitioner is a facilitator through touch, working
with and guided by the client. To quote Deane Juhan (ref 1):
"Touching
hands are...like flashlights in a darkened room. The medicine they
administer is self-awareness. And for many of our painful conditions,
this is the aid most urgently needed."
This contrasts with other
massage approaches, which may seek to 'sort out' the client, regarding
symptoms as problems to be 'fixed'. Such a reductionist approach
treats the body not the person, offering massage as a bio-mechanical
intervention within a medical paradigm that is becoming increasingly
outmoded. For instance, the growing scientific evidence for mind-body
medicine or psychoneuroimmunology (ref 2) supports the importance of
relaxation, stress reduction and emotional factors as fundamental to
understanding and healing dis-ease.
In addition to technical
skills, the role of the holistic massage practitioner must require
self-awareness, since depth of contact with oneself is a prerequisite
for depth in the therapeutic relationship. This self-awareness might be
physical, through exercise, dance, yoga or tai chi; emotional through
counselling or psychotherapy; or spiritual through meditation
practice. What matters is that holistic practitioners are committed to
working on their personal process, in order to enhance their work with
clients. In the Massage Training Institute all practitioners must
maintain continuing professional development (CPD) through supervision
and further training courses and cannot renew their annual registration
without this.
Attention to personal as well as professional
development by the practitioner means that during sessions s/he can be
more present and grounded. Quality of touch becomes the interface at
which the practitioner and client meet. There can be a deeper level
of communication beyond technique, offering clients opportunities for
change through greater awareness. Also, through effective body use
whilst massaging the holistic massage practitioner both looks after
his/her own physical well being and also brings into the session
qualities of grace, fluidity and rhythm.
Outcomes
Holistic
massage can lead to a variety of outcomes; depending on the needs of
the individual client. (ref 2). They can include:
- physical improvements such as relaxing tight muscles, improvements to circulation, nervous function and joint mobility; this can ease many short and long term ailments, such as back pain, arthritis and insomnia.
- reducing stress, one of the main causes of disease in Western society. As well as addressing stress factors, holistic massage can facilitate the switch between sympathetic and autonomic nervous systems, hence allowing both body and mind valuable recuperation time (refs 3,4,5).
- emotionally, massage can provide the caring non-intrusive touch clients have often longed for; this can soothe the busy mind, reduce stress and enhance self esteem.
- at a deeper level still, massage can release the personal history stored in body tissues; this can lead to powerful changes in our energy and provide a vital and chemical ingredient in each persons process of growth.
Of course the key here is to work with each client and the agenda they bring. Some simply wish to have their tight shoulders relaxed, whilst others might use massage for much deeper personal growth.
Conclusions
The holistic approach to massage therapy can touch an individual's whole being - physical, mental and emotional. It holds the possibility of reintegration, is person centred and is guided by principles of sensitivity, awareness and quality of touch. These enable the holistic massage therapist to work with clients, applying techniques and skills in an appropriate manner. At an organisational level, the MTI is one organisation with a well developed, thoroughly thought through approach to holistic massage.
Andy Fagg is Chairman of the Massage Training Institute and runs the Bristol College of Massage and Bodywork. Since qualifying in massage in 1984, his approach to bodywork has been influenced by such disciplines as T'ai Chi, meditation, dance, Zero Balancing and Process Work. He has been in private practice since 1986 and has offered professional trainings since 1989. He works at the Bristol Cancer Help Centre and teaches at centres in Spain and Greece. Contact: 0117 377 1201 or andyzfagg@bigfoot.com.
Refs:
1. Job's Body (Deane Juhan) - Station Hill Press. Page xxix.
2. Medicine Hands - Massage Therapy for People with Cancer ((Gayle Macdonald) - Findhorn Press. Pages 23-48.
3. Job's Body. Pages 322-325 and 340-343.
4. Outcome-Based Massage (Andrade and Clifford) - Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins. Pages 77-80.
5. Molecules of Emotion (Candace Pert) - Simon and Schuster. Pages 240-244.
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