Massage Training Online

To make massage therapy your career, attending a massage school and receiving certification is necessary. On the other hand, if you just want to learn to practice on friends and family, there are many massage training videos available online. These can also be excellent for helping you to decide if a career in massage therapy is for you. Explore the different styles and have fun discovering the ones that you most resonate with.

There is an abundance of different styles of massage therapy to chose from these days. Sports massage, Swedish, Shiatsu, Deep Tissue, Thai Massage are some of the more common ones. The form that I personally find the most relaxing is a combination referred to as Swedish/Esalen. Using this combination of forms has been the main focus of my 20 year career as a massage therapist. This form of massage therapy is a blend of the more specific kneading and stroking of the muscles typical of Swedish Massage, and the more deeply relaxing long strokes of Esalen Massage. By sensitively combining these two approaches, you can both address specific needs, muscle tension and pain, while at the same time, ease your friend on the table into a deep state of relaxation. Done well, a gentle unraveling will begin of tension and stress, muscles will relax even more, bringing on still deeper relaxation.

Here are several tips on how to give a massage that is both therapeutic and deeply relaxing:

Take time for yourself to become relaxed and quiet before you begin. Take a few deep breaths and practice "grounding" or feeling you connection to the earth under you feet.

Practice being fully present to what's feeling right, both for your body as well as theirs. Use good body mechanics, keeping your back straight, bending from the hips etc. (This is where a good massage table helps!)

Create a warm, quiet space, where your friend on the table knows they won't be disturbed. Try lighting a few candles, dim the lights and put on some soothing soft music.

Work slowly...and keep your transitions from one move to the next smooth. Keep this in mind as you shift the draping and when you need them to turn over.

When you find an area that needs deeper work, ask them (quietly) for feedback on the pressure. You want to go just deep enough to be effective, but not to the point of pain.

Keep talking to a minimum. Encourage your friend to just let go into the relaxation.

Remember to breath...periodically take some long deep breaths and let go of any tension your holding, relax and enjoy!