Austin

November 13th: A Day of Massage for Cindy Anderson

The Wellness Community Unites In Support of a Beloved Local Massage Teacher Cindy Anderson, LMT, MTI, a beloved long-time instructor at the Lauterstein-Conway Massage School was recently diagnosed with Stage Four Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) cancer. This is a rare form of cancer for which there is chemotherapy but no dependable cure. Day of Massage for Cindy Anderson Fundraiser ...
Read More

MASSAGE – IS IT A REALLY WEIRD PROFESSION?

In Austin, we have a saying, “Keep Austin Weird.” I have always prided myself and our school for helping to keep Austin weird – since massage is still regarded as a little weird by some people. It still gets made fun of in movies, TV, cartoons, etc. Then I asked myself, “Well, what does being “weird” really mean?” I started by looking up the root meaning for the word. Here’s a summary of what t...
Read More

Believing in Touch

I have never been a very conventional religious person. Maybe those of us who practice massage therapy are, however, in touch with something deeply spiritual underlying all beliefs. From an early age I did have a respect and attraction to the sacred, often through art and music, and also from a deep hope that humans would collaborate in creating a peaceful world. I was intrigued by the exper...
Read More

Senior Massage – Not Just for Old People

by Mary Duval The seniors are coming – be prepared! The baby boomers started turning 65 in 2011. Every day since then more than 7000 baby boomers have reached 65 and this will continue until 2030, when all baby boomers are 65 or older. This is a growing population and even if you do not plan to work exclusively with this population, you will probably see more and more seniors coming into you...
Read More

What is Table Thai Massage?

by Robert Gardner Table Thai is something I developed after being unable to find facilities that allowed me do Thai massage on a mat. In most of Texas, massage is done on a table so the Thai massage I'd learned was difficult to use in various settings whether I worked in a spa or clinic setting. I knew Thai massage was more effective for common client complaints and saved my hands but how cou...
Read More

Meet Your Mindbody Acupressure Instructor – Gayl Hubatch

by Gayl Hubatch, OMD, LAc, LMT My Bodywork practice began in 1982 with Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure® and massage therapy. This opened me to the world of Mind Body connections and eastern philosophy. Embracing the study, I finished my doctorate and licensure in Chinese Medicine in 1988. At that time, Acupressure and Acupuncture were not really known so I started teaching at the local univer...
Read More

SPACE IS THE PLACE

Suzuki Roshi: ‘Sometimes a flash will come through a dark sky...The sky is never surprised when all of a sudden a thunderbolt breaks through. And when lightning does flash, a wonderful sight may be seen. When we have emptiness, we are always prepared for watching the flashing.’” When I listen to my thoughts, in general or while doing bodywork, sometimes their volume seems softer. And that’s fin...
Read More

NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST

Your mind naturally wanders, but, as it says in the Lord of the Rings, "Not all who wander are lost." When we do Deep Massage, we cultivate healthy "psycho-mechanics," We attend as much to the movement of awareness as to the movement of our body. So to facilitate the client's clear experience of our touch, we keep returning our awareness to the place we are working on - we pay attention. A...
Read More

Neuromuscular Therapy: The Nemerov Method

by Howard Nemerov “Jane” reported pain in her left shoulder area. Initial assessment revealed tension along the superior medial border of her left scapula, as well as a zone of spinalis tension along her left lower thoracic spine. The Nemerov Method explains the “why” that correlates with the “what”. Persistent tension usually is a sign of compensation, where the tight muscles perform ex...
Read More

Ornament, Crime and Massage – The Art of Massage #7

Ornament and Crime? Got your attention? Well I’m not really going to write about that. However, that was the title of a famous essay written by the architect, Adolf Loos, in 1908. He was a founding member of the “Bauhaus,” a modern movement that approached design with a heightened sense of the beauty and efficiency of things designed quite simply and thoughtfully for use. Proclaiming, "No or...
Read More