Is This Your First Massage?

Water, Water, Water, and yes.... more Water

Before a massage, no matter what kind (Deep, Swedish, Lymph Drainage, etc.) you need to hydrate your body in preparation. Drink at least 8-16 oz of water 1-4 hours before your session. This allows time for your muscles, blood, and skin to absorb and hydrate.

Having hydrated skin is important! It helps the therapist make long and purposeful movements without getting drag and they won't have to use as much massage creme. Hydrated skin helps your circulatory system, affects how you release toxins from the body, and gives you extra protection against illness.

After your massage, your water intake is crucial to you getting the optimal results from your session. During a massage, all the fluid in your muscles gets moved and flushed, taking a trip to the bladder (this is why you will often have to urinate either immediately after a massage or soon after), and toxins get broken up and released from the muscles and just kind of hang out floating. If you don't drink AT LEAST 6-8 cups of water in the 24 hours after a massage, then the toxins your therapist broke free will migrate back into your muscles because they weren't flushed out, your muscles will cramp from the lack of moisture and fluid, and you will feet worse than before you went to your session.


Wear Loose Clothing, Minimal Layers, and Slip On Shoes

 To be massaged, at least in the Western Hemisphere, the therapist needs their client to be de-robed. Though also in the Western Hemisphere, people tend to be modest when it comes to clothing and showing their body.

To sum every doubt and burning question: You do not have to be naked.

One option for the first timer is to just get an upper body massage, this way you can leave your pants on. Though if you are wearing jeans, please unbutton and unzip. Trust me, you do not want to spend an hour with a button pressing into you.

Ladies, you can wear a bra. Just know that there are certain moves your therapist can't do, but they can work around a bra.

If you are prepared to undress, then the rest of this section is for you.

Please wear loose clothing. Skin tight skinny jeans take forever to put on and forever to take off. Plus they restrict your circulation which is a big no no after a massage. Sweat pants and a loose t-shirt are fine. You don't have to dress fancy, you're getting a massage, not going to the opera.

Don't wear fifty thousand layers of clothes! Yes, that crop top over your blue tank top with a cardigan looks cute, but takes time to undress and redress. Make your life easier.

The only exception is winter time. Bundle if you need to bundle, but underneath all those coats, remember sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Shoes, shoes, shoes.

You will not believe the shoes I have seen.

Thigh high lace up boots are not your friend when getting a massage!

Wear slip on shoes, like boat shoes or flip flops or boots.

Again, make your life easier, not harder.


BREATHE

Please breathe. Your body needs oxygen to live.

Tensing up and holding your breath does not help the session. The therapist is trying to find the rhythm of your body, so just blank out and breathe.

If you need help, listen to the music and try to internalize the beat.

But please....don't hold your breath. Passing out is not conducive to your therapy.


Communicate and Ask Questions

If you have a question, don't be afraid to ask. You are not imposing on your therapist. Ask what technique they're using, ask about the weather, ask about NASA's latest mission to Mar's. Don't just clam up and lay there.

Also, communication is key.

If it hurts; tell us.

If it tickles; tell us.

We can't help if you don't communicate.

Yes, we can feel the tightness in your muscles. We can feel the trigger points and reflexology points. We check ROM (range of motion). We check the lymphatics system and the circulatory system.

But different people have different pressure thresholds. Tim may find one pressure comfortable that Steve finds painful.

And there's also the nervous system!!

A therapist can't feel the nervous system with their hands. They can do reflex tests to see how it's working, but nerves are just too small to have an accurate read from just our fingers.

Bottom line: Ask questions and tell us if something hurts.




But most importantly, remember to relax.


Peace

Amanda

Sick? Stay Home

As the we approach the deepest of winter, there is something important that needs to be announced.

If you are sick: Stay Home

If you have been feeling ill, getting a massage won't make you feel better. It will actually make you feel a lot worse.

When you get a massage all the toxins that are lodged in your muscles and tissues get dislodged and your circulation is increased. If you are carrying a virus or a bacteria then this process will make whatever cold you've got become ten-fold.

And not only is your illness worsened, you will put not only the therapist at risk for catching what you have, but also all the other staff and clients.

End PSA

Any questions or concerns? Feel free to ask anything!

Peace

Amanda

Why Did I Go Into Massage Therapy?

I was, well still am, a nerd. Sci-fi, Anime, and Band. Large square glasses, always a book in hand. As a child, one look at me in Gym class and you would laugh......so how in the world did I get into Massage Therapy???

If you try to picture a Massage Therapist, you will probably imagine someone with long hair tied back in a length of fabric, eating a lovely breakfast of organic vegan food, and listening to whale calls on a music player. Or perhaps someone who is doing yoga on some random white sand beach overlooking a peaceful ocean whilst harmonizing with the ebbs of the tides.

Now picture me, if you can, a 5'4" 180lb book nerd who has the athleticism of a bear during January. That doesn't quite match up to the aesthetic, does it? So how did I get here?

I'll let you in on a little secret. Ready? My dream job when I was little: To be like Steve Irwin. Yep, that's right. I wanted to be a Herpetologist. I have a picture of me when I was just 5 years old holding a baby alligator. And one day when I find it in the massive pile of photo albums my mom keeps, I'll attach it to this post.

I was so determined that when I was in 3rd grade (or Primary 4 for non-Americans) I convinced my mom to take me to the local college where there was a Herpetology class on Saturdays. For 5 months every Saturday I would go to the local college and learn about reptiles. And even now I can pull up my transcript and that class will still be on there.....though I think I got more of a participation grade than an actual grade.

Now, let me bring everyone to my generation for a bit. I was born in 1998. Youtube was invented when I was 8. Okay? Everyone with me? Alrighty then.

When I was in 6th grade (I was 11 yrs old. Do the math. I tried seeing what other countries do, but apparently literally everyone does it differently. For me it was my last year in Primary) over Christmas I got a laptop and on the laptop was the Internet. Now I had been on the internet before and my family had a desk top, but now I could have the Internet On.My.Lap. 

I could use the laptop in the living room, my bedroom, I even used the landing on the stairs a few times. It was a novelty.

Well as any self respecting 11 year old would do in the year 2009, I went on Youtube and watched Charlie the Unicorn and Llamas With Hats. When I finished with that I watched Dragon Ball Z. Again, reiterating.....I was a nerd starting from a very young age. Well, one day over that glorious Christmas break away from the worries of school as I was on Youtube watching various videos, on the trending page there was a video titled something along the lines of: Strange Asian Chiropractic Must Watch Now.

Obviously click bait, but I was baited and I clicked.

But now the Youtube algorhythm thought they had me after that video and over in the suggested column was a video titled "Relaxing ASMR Swedish Massage"

You can probably guess what I did next.

I clicked.

That video changed and rocked my world. I couldn't believe what I was watching. It felt so right. Like a chunk inside of me was missing and had finally been found. 

I kept clicking and watching more and more videos. I subscribed and liked and commented. I learned techniques and styles and lingo. 

Just the thought that I could be the reason someone recovered. That someone felt a relief from pain. That I healed someone. I was already someone that loved to be gentle and kind to all people. And I loved being a carer. 

I grew warm and my heart became light. 

I envisioned a world where I was a Healer and a Fixer. Patching up broken people with Love and Kindness and Hope and Peace.

*************************************************************************

The word Massage has a jaded history. Other than Youtube I had only ever seen it on Disney channel shows where the characters are comically hurt by hot stone therapy. And on the news you only heard about the scandals that drenched the industry in shade.

I grew up in St. Louis, MO and while people are more progressive with each generation, Massage and Eastern Medicine is still trying to build public appeal. To sway opinion that it's not just luxury spa and pamper, but a medical and healing art form.

Living in this environment, even just 10 years ago, I kept my interests closed off and quiet.

I didn't ever really think I could ever go in to the industry and I held those therapists I subscribed to on Youtube on such a pedestal that I never compared myself to them, giving them more of a celebrity status.

Instead I focused on History. Because I was going to be a History Teacher. Or really a teacher in general. I come from a 6 generation line of teachers on my mom's side, I would have been the 7th. I figured that since I love history and that I have a good genetic probability of succeeding, then that's what I should do.

And whilst I was preparing myself for a life of lectures and grading homework, I continued watching videos and practicing moves in the background.

Then the universe stepped in and changed my life forever.

September 1, 2016 I was t-boned on the driver's side of the car. I was taking classes at the local community college on an A+ scholarship and was heading to the local plaza to get food. Suddenly my cars 100 ft down the road, perpendicular to traffic. There's smoke everywhere and this horrible smell. My ears were ringing and I hurt top to bottom. There was an airbag in my face and blood running from my lip. My vision slowly faded to black, but I did not lose consciousness.

We learned later from the experts that looked at my car, that the other guy hit me so hard that my seat detached from the floor of the car ending with the back of my head hitting the windshield. And before you ask, yes I was wearing my seat belt.

I was fully blind the first 8 hours after the wreck. I was worried that I'd be sightless the rest of my life. Eventually though, I regained vision in both eyes, but only color in my right, my left is as you are looking through a sepia filter. 

It took me two month's to walk again without aid from a walker, cane, crutch, or brace. Though I still have a brace I use if my knee's acting up.

I ended up having to drop out of school. Or rather.......I flunked out of school. The day after the wreck I was sitting my classes and I continued to stubbornly show up. Let me just say that you do not want to see my report card. 

I finished out that year with the only passing grades on my transcript being Band. 

The next year I took a gap. Until October. I was sitting in the living room filling out job applications when suddenly I got a text from an unknown number saying: "Are you interested in a career in Massage Therapy?" I replied that I was interested and less than a month later I was working as a receptionist for a Massage Envy location and I had a spot in a school starting in January.

Thanks Universe!!

Since then I have graduated from my program with an "A", passed the MBLEX, and have now been working as a LMT for almost 6 months and it has been amazing!! I have lots of amazing coworkers and I love the clinic environment and I have never felt like have belonged somewhere more than I do now.

And that, guys, gals, and nonbinary pals, is how I, Amanda Shipley, ended up becoming a Massage Therapist.

Peace and Love

Amanda

************************************************************

If you like my content, make sure you give me a follow and leave a heartwarming comment! Maybe share how you got in to your profession!

Massage, Immune Systems, and Metabolism!!! How Do They Correlate.......In Layman's Terms!

Fact: Regular massage boosts both the immune system and the metabolic system.

Just one massage a month can lead to a healthier and fitter you!

Preventative Healthcare has been getting a lot more attention in the Western medical field lately due to the internet connecting the world like it never has before..........

You've probably heard the above statement several times from various people stating all the benefits of massage. They state their message, sounding mechanic and scripted. Only answering the questions with flattering answers. But you don't care about the fluttery language. You want the cold, hard truth. From a real person, and not a textbook or infomercial.

Well then, buckle up and get ready because I'm going to lay it all out to you in regular people terms. Not everyone has a degree in the medical field and only the most ambitious read the science journals and blogs....and even then the researchers writing their reports use language so out of date with modern society, it's like reading a foreign language.



Today we are going to dissect the first sentence: Fact: Regular massage boosts both the immune system and the metabolic system.

The first question lies in the first two words "regular massage." What exactly does that mean? Everyone has a different and vague definition. Even Merriam-Webster has an assortment of meanings for the word regular.

In the massage world, regular just means "as often as is best suited for your needs and body." Regular massage for those just looking for relaxation could be something along the lines of once a month or even as far between as once every three months. However regular massage for those with chronic pain could be once a week.

Then there are some professional athletes who get a massage almost every day.

But always remember, that "regular" all depends on what you and your therapist decides is best for Your Body, and not what some health blog or online guru tells you.



Now, onto the immune system.

There are some people who read up on the benefits of massage, see that it boosts the immune system, and think, "Man, if I got a massage everyday, then I'd never get sick!"

That's not entirely how it works. Massage boosts the immune system, but doesn't make you impervious to disease and the flu. Though wouldn't that be a sweet deal!

When you get a massage, all your blood and lymphatic fluids get pushed around exciting your circulatory systems. Plus all the toxins that are stored in your muscles are broken free and allowed to be filtered out. Here's a nifty little website (not sponsored, I promise) that has a quick and simple lowdown of toxins held in muscles I found with a quick Google search.

Massage works with what's already there. If you have a really strong immune system, then that gets boosted even further. If you have a weaker immune system, it still gets boosted, just not to the point of invincibility. Don't show up to a session thinking it's the end all cure.



And lastly the metabolic system.

Again, people have misinterpretations. Regular massage will not automatically make you loose 50 lbs automatically. You will get a kick start and the rest is up to you.

The metabolic system controls how efficiently you process food/nutrients to turn what you consume into energy. It also plays a part in how fat and muscle cells store the glucose and how fast it burns.

To have the best results for weight management, you have to combine massage with a well balanced and healthy diet (hopefully with the help of a dietitian.)



There we go! How do you feel after that knowledge dump? Hopefully this helped someone!



⭐⭐⭐Being a healthy individual is difficult, but by having a maintained balance of your mind, body, and spirit, you are on the right track.⭐⭐⭐


Any questions or concerns? Please feel free to leave a comment or if you'd like your inquiry to be more private, use the contact form to the right=================>

Until Next Time

Peace

Amanda Shipley LMT

So You've Decided To Check Out My Website

So You've Decided To Check Out My Website

Whether you stumbled upon this website on accident or came here deliberately, Welcome and Salutations!

There is plenty to see and do, so have fun and check everything out!

Also if you have any questions, feel free to use the contact me form to the right of the page!

Enjoy and Peace!

Amanda