The other night, I was hanging at home watching Al Madrigal’s comedy special, and he mentioned hurting his neck while sleeping. “As a man,” he said, “You have very few massage options.” I braced myself. Massage comes up in comedy from time to time, frequently in borderline offensive ways. I tend not to get riled up over these things, but…
Tag: Massage
Obsession of the Week: Breath
In all lines of work, we can form obsessions. I’m not talking big, unhealthy obsessions, but little ones, tasks or concepts we relish because we believe they are the key to so much more. In my previous career as a fundraiser, the database was my baby — I developed an actual passion for getting data squeaky clean. I love these…
How to Get a Massage
Yesterday, I wrote a note to people who have a hard time relaxing. Sometimes the transition from mile-a-minute NYC life to lying still for an hour or more can be a little bumpy. Massage tends to smooth it out on its own; daily stresses melt away over the course of an hour or so. As a massage therapist, it is…
Taking it Easy isn’t Always Easy
I have a confession to make. I haven’t always been good at getting a massage. I don’t mean booking a massage and putting it on my calendar — this is not a post about scheduling (though that is also important). This is a post about what to do when you get through the door, because it doesn’t always come naturally.…
Muscle Spotlight: Quadratus Lumborum
What is the Quadratus Lumborum? A) The muscle that connects the hip to the ribs, earning it the nickname “hip hiker” B) A deep muscle of the lower back and frequent culprit in back and hip pain C) Part of the posterior wall of the abdominal cavity D) A boring old square (quadratus lumBORum) Did you think it was all…
Songs to Soothe You
I’ve got music on my mind today. There’s a music only yoga class at Sacred on Sunday evenings, instruction at a minimum. It’s a standard Bikram-style sequence, so it works for anyone who’s taken a similar class before, and it is beautiful, a room full of people breathing together and moving silently and in sequence, adjustments to poses coming from…
Running Piglet
The other day, I mentioned my terrific acupuncturist, how one of the things that I like about her is that she talks through treatment strategies with me. Acupuncture is based on the same philosophy as shiatsu, so there is some overlap in our knowledge. I understand where the primary meridians are, and I know what it means when she says…
When NOT to Get a Massage
Today, I bring you an important message: getting a massage isn’t always a good idea. As much as I love massage therapy and enjoy extolling its benefits, it’s not actually the answer to all the world’s ills or to all of your bodily ailments. When you are sick, sometimes it’s better for you to stay home. It might seem like…
Finding Your Match
I love acupuncture, and I’m lucky to have a great acupuncturist. She first treated me in the clinic when I was in massage school and she was finishing up her acupuncture studies, and somehow she just “got” me. When she graduated, we lost touch. I’d seen other acupuncturists before, and I saw some after Sue graduated and moved on, students…
Spontaneous Adjustments May Occur
We massage therapists are not allowed to do spinal manipulations, and rightly so! We are not chiropractors or osteopaths, and even though we get to know the spine pretty well in our training, we don’t get into it the way these doctors do. Occasionally, a client will ask for a little back cracking, and I always explain this and politely…
Bodywork Brooklyn 