The Comforts of Massage: “Orthobionomy”
by Tracy Gilliam, Advanced Practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy®, Licensed Massage Therapist, Texas Massage Therapy Instructor and CE Provider
I took an Ortho-Bionomy® class on a whim. The flyer that came in the mail was bright yellow – hard to lose on my desk. Not really much information about the class or the technique on it, just a list of upcoming seminars in the Dallas area. But it was on a weekend I had free, the cost was reasonable, CE’s were included and I was looking for something to add to my “toolbox.” So I sent in my check and made the trek to Dallas.
When class started, I was sure I had made a mistake. I was the ONLY massage therapist in the group AND the only one who didn’t know about or had not taken, an Ortho-Bionomy class before. So there I am, with the UPS driver, an architect, a professional ballerina, a music therapist, a martial arts instructor, a cattle rancher and a grandmother. WHAT could possibly draw all these people together? Well, I found out – a desire for comfort.
From the first demonstration, I observed how relaxed the instructor was; how the body of the demo model softened in front of our eyes; how comfortable I felt watching the work performed. It was something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, or could articulate, until later. I was home. The method, the concept, the work itself connected to my core. I was told, and I could feel, the innate wisdom of the body making changes.
The movements were not difficult, in fact, if they were “hard” then they were not being executed properly. Observation of held patterns, palpating sore points and using the idea of finding more comfort released tension easily. The best thing about it – it worked when I got home just as well as it worked in the classroom!
Ten years of learning, using, playing and discovering later, I am still as much in love with the work as when I was first introduced. My clients love it, because as I learned in that first class, everyone needs comfort. What Ortho-Bionomy taught me was how to show my clients, no matter what their profession, how to eliminate tension in an easy, gentle, effective way.