i'm still here...

image by jester arts

I know...  it's been ages since I last posted anything...  I'm still here!

this last month has been very hectic, what with still working full time in my day job and having lovely weekends away with my even lovelier boyfriend.

so, yet again, it's a few days before I'm due to go back to the course and I'm frantically trying to get all my homework and study done...  this time it's muscles, muscles, muscles!

I will be back on monday to share my tales, while I wait in on a rare day off work for the heating engineer to come and fix our boiler, again!

Diploma - day six

sunday morning was spent going over what we had learned about cells and tissues from reading one of the course text books - this part of our previous weeks homework I had managed to do...  I had done higher biology at high school so I had a vague recollection of the structure of a cell, but the basics of tissue structure and types were new to me.

we then split into two groups and were allowed to confer whilst filling out a short test on what we had learned about anatomy, physiology and pathology so far - covering terminology, anatomical positions, muscles, bones, cells and tissues.  my group did very well - we didn't get full marks for all of the questions individually but with the addition of some bonus points we got full marks for the test as a whole!

the afternoon was spent discussing what aftercare and advice we would give to specific clients of varying ages, activity level and lifestyle and looked at how the client as a whole would determine what treatment you would give as well as what kind of aftercare and advice you would suggest.

the day was rounded off with a practical demonstration and summary of all the various massage strokes we had covered on the course so far with a chance to practice these on each other.

then Ros gave us our homework assignment for the next session of the course - which gives me four weeks to do everything!  I will get all my homework done for next time!  ...I will, I will!

and then it was home time... :)

Diploma - day five

on saturday morning I had booked myself in for a reflexology treatment.  I've never had any reflexology done before but a couple of friends had told me about their experiences with it and I was intrigued...  I wondered if it works and if it does, what can it do for me...

so I headed over to the therapist for my consultation and treatment at 11am.  I had booked it early so I wouldn't have to rush before heading out to Livingston for the start of my massage course at 2pm.  the therapist asked how my general health was and we talked over what would happen during the treatment.

while the therapist worked on my feet I experienced some tenderness and discomfort over pretty much all the areas she touched - tenderness means the corresponding area of your body is congested - so just about every part of my body is not functioning at 100%...  in particular my upper body - the heart, lungs, neck and shoulders were all areas which the corresponding areas of my feet were showing as having signs of congestion.  these are all areas where we can store emotional tension.  this rang true for me when the therapist explained later as I've been a bit stressed out and grumpy for the last few weeks...

when she was working on my big toes I had the most bizarre sensation that a wave of warmth or energy was washing over my head, starting at the very top and flowing all the way down to my neck and shoulders!  I learned afterwards that the big toe represents the cranium - freaky, eh!?! 

the therapist then explained at the end of the hour that I may experience some after effects of the treatment in the next 48 hours which may be out of the ordinary.  in much the same way after a massage treatment you can experience a sensation of being spaced out or woozy, lightheadedness, nausea, feeling extremes in body temperature, vivid dreams, changes in toilet habits to name but a few...  it is all to do with the detoxing effect these treatments can have on the body.

in the afternoon I headed to my massage course feeling none the worse for my morning treatment.  but by 5pm I was a wreak, I ended up giggling whilst we were learning the basics of massaging our own arms and hands, and then I couldn't stop!  I was like that until we finished at 6pm!!!

but despite that I did learn a lot on saturday - we had a catch up at the beginning of the session and handed in our homework (mine only half finished); we covered the muscles of the upper and lower arm leading into the hand and learned how to look after our own muscles by going over the basics of how to do a DIY hand and arm massage...

the girls on the course all thought it hilarious that I had lost it in a fit of giggles for so long!

thankfully it was only a short out burst - it didn't last all night!

I'm going back for another reflexology treatment in two weeks time...

more homework...

image by jester arts

on the run up to our third weekend of the course I was trying to get all my homework done in time...


I had three weeks to do it in, but with two weekends away and a hectic schedule at work with a trip to Liverpool thrown in I didn't quite manage it!


I found time to do the massage practice and most of the reflective writing up that goes along with it but I didn't manage to get all the assignments done, so I have two extra things to do before we go back for the next weekend in april...


ah well, at least I have four weeks to do it all in! :)  I just hope I'm not writing the same blog post next time...

Client N

image by jester arts

client N is an office manager, who sits at a desk all day long.


she has been suffering with lower back pain for the last 6-9 months and is currently seeing a physiotherapist (though she had to wait 6 months for the appointment with the local NHS).


she is hoping that massage may be able to help in conjunction with the work the physio is doing...

Client M

image by jester arts

client M is another family member - this time my auntie.


she is a staff nurse at the local hospital in my home town and works shifts - so it's fair to say she finds work quite stressful.


when she's not busy with work she likes to travel - she and my uncle are fond of a nice city break.

Client L

image by jester arts

client L is one of my oldest & bestest friends! (yes, I know bestest isn't a real word!)

she is something of a dare devil - she enjoys doing scary stuff to raise money for charity, like skydiving, wing walking and abseiling off railway bridges!

she is also a bit of a find in medical terms - she has scoliosis with a very pronounced curvature of her spine; a split in her spinal chord which is also tethered at its base; a compressed heart & one lung...

needless to say I was a bit nervous before our first massage session!!! ;)

Client K

image by jester arts

client K is another of my uncles. 


he can also be counted on to provide honest feedback!


just before christmas '11 he slipped on ice and fractured his ankle and broke his leg in several places.  he is still battered and bruised and in need of a relaxing massage.

Client J

image by jester arts

client J is one of my uncles.  

he is in a wheelchair and suffers pain & discomfort from spending alot of time sitting.

he is a good guinea pig as he will always be sure to give me honest feedback.

Client I

image by jester arts

client I was an unexpected addition to the list.  

his name is Dysel & he is a 2 year old spaniel. 

he enjoys having his paws & head massaged!

he is my uncles dog.

Client H

image by jester arts

client H is my granny.  she is almost 75 & will be the oldest of my willing guinea pigs.

Client G

image by jester arts

client G is super fit!  


she is always at the gym or training & is in pursuit of the perfect body...


she's very healthy but pretty much every muscle in her body is in tension  


she is like a coiled spring - just ready to pop!

Diploma - day four

sunday is always an early start to get to Livingston for 10am...  I'm not a morning person generally & hate having to get up with my alarm but it's nice & quiet on sunday mornings so I made it on time.


the morning was started with a bit of theory - we learned a few more muscles, some of the facial muscles & what they do...  the muscles which control movement of the lips, those around the eyes, the muscles across the skull which control movement of the eyebrows, and those which control the chewing action of the jaw...  now I just have to learn all the proper names! 


we talked a little about the reflective aspect of our homework...  as part of the course we have to write up massages we have given and also massages we have received, and then reflect upon our experiences - what we did, or had done, how that made us feel, and what we can learn from this...  I have to admit I have found this the hardest aspect of the write ups so far.  but we chatted over a few examples with our tutor Ros and I think now all us girlies have a better idea of what to write next time. :)


we did a wee exercise in communication - where we had to split into 2 groups, read over some of the history of massage and then had to decide on the best approach about how to communicate what we had learnt to a specific audience.  my group had to present to an audience of 9 year olds (I'm not sure how easily the other girls found it pretending to be 9 again!)...  I think we did quite well in our approach, keeping it simple and to the point, with a practical demonstration which got the audience involved.  the other group had to pretend they were presenting to a group of over 50's, which they did very well.


the afternoon was taken up with a practical session covering the legs and face/neck.  getting & giving massage is a lovely, relaxing way to spend an afternoon :)  it's also been quite nice to practice the techniques which some of us had already covered in the 2 day foundation course...  the first 2 weekends are a review of the 2 day introduction and a good taster of what massage is all about for anyone who hasn't already had any experience.  from the next weekend onwards everything we will cover will be new which is very exciting! :)


more homework has been set for our next weekend session...  I have some busy weekends between now and then so I better get on with it!

Diploma - day three

our second weekend of the diploma course started on saturday afternoon with a hot drink and a quick catch up.


we had a review of the homework we had been set the previous weekend - anatomical terminology & movements, bone names & functions and the four muscles we had identified in the first weekend - the trapezius, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi and rhomboids.


the practical demonstration on saturday afternoon was a quick review of starting a massage and the back.  we also learned a few stretches for the torso & back and how to massage the gluts.


I had volunteered to be the willing body for the practical demo, which was great as I got a bit of work done on my right side gluts where I often get some sciatic pain.  in the end I was on the table for an hour & a half!  it was fab to be worked on for so long but I did feel a bit spaced out when I finally got around to getting up... :)

homework... ARRGGGHHH!!!!

Image by Jester Arts

its been a long time since I've had any homework to do...  the next weekend of my course is fast approaching and I still haven't finished all the different assignments we're supposed to have done by saturday afternoon...


the last time I did any serious studying was 6 years ago and life was pretty much put on hold until it was over.  this time thats not so easy, life is getting in the way!  I think I may have to work a bit harder to achieve the right work/life/study balance throughout the rest of the course...


thinking positively there are still 2 evenings and 1 morning to get everything done...  so long as I get it all finished at least I'll have an excuse for not doing the housework! ;)

Client F

image by jester arts

client F is my dad.  he is a painter & decorator - one of my few guinea pigs who doesn't sit at a desk all day...

Client E

image by jester arts

client E is my mum.  she does alot of walking & spends most of her day on her feet.

Client D

Image by Jester Arts

client D is a student, of the mature variety.

Client C

Image by Jester Arts

client C is my boyfriend.  he has never said no to a massage by my fair hands...


he is a geek, he sits at a desk all day, he has no real need of massage - he just likes it


after the first full body massage I practiced on him (way back in october) 'everything was a bit blurry'...


it is handy to have a body on hand 24/7 to find muscles & practice techniques on :)

Client B

Image by Jester Arts

client B got lost & couldn't find our flat...  he has rescheduled his first consultation :)

Clients - 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C

as part of the course examination we have to submit a portfolio, which includes write-ups of 40 hours of massage we have given & 10 hours of massage we have received.  for the 40 hours of given massage I have had to recruit volunteers who want to be practiced on over the next 6-8 months.


in exchange for free massages they in return must give me feedback on how I'm doing...  do I listen to their cries of pain & lighten the pressure, do they come out of the session feeling better, do I do what they ask of me or get distracted & do something completely different...  that kind of thing...



I need a variety of folk to practice on...  male, female, short, tall, old, young, slim, not so slim...  I need folk of different age ranges, different body shapes & who have different occupations & hobbies...  so I have been trying to find a range of folk to cover as many different areas as possible.



I have to keep a record of all massages, which must to some extent be anonymous as far as the identity of the client is concerned.  so I must decide on a reference system which allows this but still lets me know who is who, so I don't get mixed up & end up with no one coming back...


as part of the record we must also reflect on the sessions - figure out if, from our own point of view, we would/could have done anything differently, what positives & negatives we feel we have learned from any particular session...


I thought including some client sessions in my blog would be a good way of developing a way writing about my clients while still keeping their anonymity, reflecting on whats been happening & figuring out how to index them.

Image by Jester Arts

so...  here we go with Client A


client A is very tall.  in fact I said those exact words to him & my immediate thought was 'oooh, thats not very professional'!  just as well I wasn't meeting him for the first time... ;)


client A was concerned he wouldn't fit on the massage table...  all was fine - it's a long table!

Diploma - day two

sunday morning was cold & frosty, but there was no sign of the snow that was forecast to hit us over the weekend.  I got to Livingston in record time as there are so few folk on the roads early on a sunday morning - it was bliss!

I have been a bit delayed in writing about my second day on the course, work has been hectic this week & a reminder of the stress that I am hoping to reduce if not escape when I've made it through to the end of our 10 months of massage training...

day 2 was a full day, 10 till 6 on sundays, but the hours didn't drag...  we started the day with anatomy, physiology & pathology, which does seem rather daunting when you look at a title like that!  but we started off with the basics of terminology, bones & muscles.  2 of the girls then volunteered to be poked & prodded while we tried to identify some different muscle groups in the back & felt what happened to them when the are relaxed or flexed.

in the afternoon we went over some of the other aspects of a consultation with a client - what information we should cover in an initial consultation so you can have an accurate picture of the client, their health & lifestyle.  who not to treat - knowing when to refer someone to their gp before commencing in a course of treatment.  we shared some of our hopes & fears - what we all want from the course & what we might be scared of...  I was reassured to find that we all shared some of the same hopes & fears.

the practical element of sunday afternoon involved going over the basics of massaging legs & arms with a quick run through of what we had already covered with back, neck & shoulders.  I was the willing demonstration model for this & loved taking my turn on the table :)  Ros also did a quick run through of massage to the abdomen, which I thought would be really weird but found surprisingly comforting...

we have a bit of homework to get through before we head back for our next weekend at the end of february so I best get on with it!

Diploma - day one

this morning was spent as most saturday mornings are...  a longish lie in bed, a quick game of plants vs. zombies on the iPhone (which always lasts longer than I intend), shower, toast & nutella with a glass of fruit juice, get dressed, catch up with the housework I have been too lazy to do during the week...  same old, same old...


but this afternoon was the first session of my MTI diploma course in Holistic Massage with Rosslyn Alternatives.  after leaving really early to try & avoid the saturday lunchtime traffic, made much worse today by the arrival of several thousand folk making their way to Edinburgh for the Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield, I made it to Livingston (a town in the central 'commuter' belt with more roundabouts than any town should have!).


I was welcomed by Ros, our tutor, who I had previously met on the 2 day workshop in Holistic Massage I completed with Rosslyn Alternatives in October last year.  I don't generally get nervous or apprehensive about meeting new people, but I do get a bit tongue tied every now & then, so it was slightly daunting meeting the other girls on the course...  but they all seem really lovely & I am thoroughly looking forward to our journey through the course over the next 10 months! :)


our first afternoon of the diploma course involved getting an overview of the course itself; what will be expected of us; going over the basics of what you need to think about when preparing to give a massage, both in terms of us as massage therapists & the environment in which we massage; & a practical 'hands on' section in how to start a massage session.


I really enjoyed my first day of the course & am really looking forward to day 2 tomorrow.  No doubt I will be completed shattered by the end of the weekend & wish I had arranged a day off work on Monday...