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Sharing Social Media Content

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Part 1: How to Ethically Share Someone’s Social Media Content on Instagram

I’ve seen it, you’ve seen it, maybe you’ve even been a victim of someone sharing a cool piece of content you created for your business or organization and never linking back to you. It doesn’t feel great, so I thought I’d share some thoughts here on how to ethically go about sharing someone else’s content on Instagram.

Early on, as I was learning about Instagram, I’m sure I shared something along the way that wasn’t correctly credited back to the creator. I didn’t know any better, but as I’ve learned, I’ve done better and I want to help you do better too.

Now that I know better, I do better.

Maya Angelou

The first thing you’ll need is an app that allows you to share content from Instagram. It’s not hard to find, you can Google “apps to share content on Instagram” or search that term inside your device’s App Store. The results will give you plenty of options to choose from. Each of them are different, many of them have free options and you’ll need to evaluate each one to see if it fits your needs.

If you’re just starting out in business or using a personal account, one of the free options will probably do. If you’re into scheduling posts out ahead of time you might want to look into some paid options. Google will be your friend here in determining which paid option is best for you.

Sharing Other Creator’s Content on Instagram

In order to be successful at ethically sharing, you need to know what I’m talking about when I say “content”. Content is anything someone creates whether it be a photograph, an altered photograph, an image created for advertising, a meme, and any caption (text) that goes along with it.

So now that we know what content is and we have an app whose job it is to reshare that content, here are things to keep in mind when sharing content from other creators.

Always link back to the content creator’s account

Most apps do this automatically when you select the option to preserve the caption. I recommend you let the app do its thing here cause it gives your account visibility through the app’s fans, the creator’s fans as well as possibly a hashtag the app creator’s use to tag their work.

Preserving the original creator’s captions

I asked a bunch of folks what their feeling was on this and here is what came out of those conversations:

  • Sometimes the app malfunctions if Instagram has changed something and needs a minute to catch up so you might not be able to preserve the original caption. I actually use two different apps in case one hasn’t caught up yet. If you don’t have the bandwidth for learning two apps, in this case you need to manually make sure the link back to the creator’s account happens some way in your caption or by tagging the image.
  • Sometimes you may want to add to the caption or refine the caption’s message. In this case, add to the caption, but make sure the reader knows where the original caption stops and a new contribution begins.
  • Sometimes it’s all about the image or graphic the original creator shared. Ethically, just share it, tag it with the creator, and preserve the caption. Just sharing the image as your own work is unethical. Don’t do that…make sure that somehow the creator is credited for their work.
  • Always make sure your app tags the image in some way. The creator’s IG handle should appear directly on the photo, if it doesn’t, explore in your app to turn that option on. Most of them have options for placement and whether they appear dark or light.

How to know what you’re looking at…

The following graphics explain what a shared post looks like, who shared it, who created it, how to figure out the tags, and what is different from the original caption.

Illustration of a shared piece of content on Instagram

The graphic above illustrates the content that was shared in one of my Instagram posts recently as well as identifies who is sharing the information and the tag back to the content creator.

Illustration of a shared content caption on Instagram

This graphic illustrates how some re-sharing apps tag and hashtag to attribute credit to the creators and themselves. This might seem weird that they would point to themselves, but their livelihoods also depend on views, just like so many of our businesses. This graphic also illustrates the original caption and the additional information added to the end of the caption.

What about Instagram Stories?

I didn’t address sharing to Stories on Instagram. Those are somewhat of a different beast. The Instagram app itself has some capability to share to Stories and takes care of attribution so I’m going to let you figure that one out on your own.

I hope this discussion on how to share social media content on Instagram has been helpful for you and helps you feel more confident when sharing other people’s content. Now get out there and socialize!

Part 2: How to Ethically Share Someone’s Social Media Content on Facebook coming soon!

Sharon Bryant teaches for Center for Barefoot Massage at Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center!

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Ayurvedic Head Massage for Beginners – A Book Review

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It's a picture of Sharon reading a book

Press Here! Ayurvedic Head Massage For Beginners: A Practice for Overall Health and Wellness by Hillary Arrieta

I should start this review by disclosing that my knowledge about head massage before reading this book consisted of watching a few videos on YouTube of a guy in India doing Indian Head Massage. It looks violent, but the receivers seem to enjoy it very much so perhaps vigorous is a better description. After reading this book I would definitely have to go with it’s all in the hands of the practitioner. I will definitely try it someday.

I should also probably disclose that the author is a friend of mine.

About the Author

Hillary Arrieta is a massage therapist, massage educator, aromatherapist, and overall badass. She owns The Heeling Hut Barefoot Massage in Dallas, TX, and teaches barefoot massage with Texas Barefoot Massage Training.

About the Book

This book covers everything: the what of Indian Head Massage, basic principles of doshas, chakras, and marmas, different aspects of preparing for the massage, recipes to prepare your own hair oils to use during the massage, and instructions and illustrations for performing eight different Indian Head Massage rituals for working with clients as well as self-care.

Overall, I found this book unassuming and very accessible. It seems comprehensive for a beginner technique book without becoming a tome. It is easy to read and use with a handy index that makes it quick to find exactly what I’m looking for. I appreciate that the author took the time to illustrate both the self-care technique for each ritual as well as the client-care techniques. And the illustrations being inclusive just points to how much thought and consideration was put into this work.

If you’re interested in learning more about this technique without sinking a ton of money into a continuing education class, this would be a great place to start.

Find the Author

You can learn more about Hillary Arrieta and her book at her website.

Happy Reading!

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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2022 Barefoot Massage Training Schedule!

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I really don’t know how I’ve neglected to drop the 2022 Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center schedule here. It’s been busy is all I can say. And seems like every time I thought I had everything straightened out, something else would change.

Regardless of future changes, right now this is where we stand.

In addition to the entry-level myofascial Ashiatsu Fundamentals and Fijian Barefoot Massage classes, I’ll be teaching a couple of Intermediate Ashiatsu classes this year. Did I neglect to tell you I finally finished my Intermediate Instructor Certification? Yes? No? Refer to above where I said it had been sorta busy. That instructor certification was not the easiest thing I’ve ever done.

I’m Taking Fijian on the Road!

I’ll be traveling to Kentucky and Georgia to teach Fijian in March and September respectively. Palpation Prep School of Massage in Benton, KY, tried to host Fijian in 2020, but COVID-19 messed that up so we’re trying again. If you’re in western KY or anywhere surrounding that area, come join us!

The Georgia Fijian class will be hosted at Terramar Wellness Center in Carrollton, GA, and I am so excited to visit this location. I’ve been following TerraMar Wellness since I first taught one of the owners when I was still in my Fundamentals Instructor Training. Also, they have a float tank and I absolutely cannot wait to make a reservation for that. I might float every single day I’m over there!

And Dawn’s Coming to Teach ROM!

I’m also really excited about hosting a ROM class here at the Decatur campus. That one is happening in May and Dawn Dotson from our Center for Barefoot Massage New York campus will be here to teach it. You may remember her from when I took ROM last September.

So, as you can see, there’s going to be a lot going on as far as barefoot massage training classes this year. And I’m really pumped about being able to road trip and take Fijian out into different communities as well as hosting other instructors locally.

Students, if you’re here for the barefoot massage training, register over here. Registration is open for everything you see here.
Alumni, if you have your eye on a particular class I don’t teach, let me know and I’ll see about getting one of our other instructors to come teach it here.
Clients, if you want to get scheduled in for a clinic appointment, text me and let me know!

Sharon Bryant teaches for Center for Barefoot Massage at Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center!

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Massage is Weird – A Book Review

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Massage is Weird: How to Beat Burnout and Kick Butt as a Massage Therapist by Ian Harvey

This book is actually very much a breath of fresh air in the massage industry. It’s a return to logic and common sense with a bit of social psychology thrown in and none of the usual social media mother-henning and overly emotional responses.

He addresses self-doubt, boundaries, educating clients, germs, creeps, trauma, business topics, client communication tactics, different causes of burn out, massage myths, and of course Ian’s specialty, massaging like a sloth! In short, anything that seems to professionally contribute to burnout, he’s covered it. And it’s all delivered in a coherent, gentle, and well thought out manner.

Overall I found this book very well organized. And while there’s nothing earth shattering or even new here, I would recommend this book for every new or struggling massage therapist because the information is succinct, applicable, and accessible. The layout is such that you can locate the topic of interest without having to read the whole book to find what you need. I do recommend reading the whole thing through at least once though. For those of us who have been around a while, I recommend reading it to support our industry cohort and to see the unique perspective his background offers to our work.

Happy Reading!

Ian Harvey’s Massage Sloth Website is here if you want to learn more about him and his Massage Sloth style.

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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FasciAshi ROM: Stretch Therapy

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A photo of Sharon performing a ROM stretch to the client's arm

What is ROM?

FasciAshi ROM is Range of Motion: Stretch Therapy and I’ve been waiting to take this class for over a year. Covid-19 really kicked the can down the road as far as marking goals off the list, but it finally happened.

Years ago, I’d taken a Thai-inspired barefoot massage class and I’ve used it for years, but this was totally different. Perhaps I’ve thrown a stretch or two into a session in the past, but I always found it difficult to integrate those moves because they were designed for the client to stay clothed. With these new ROM skills you’ll find more stretches during your current barefoot massages because they’re easier, not only on my body, but to just throw a stretch in here and there without having to worry about exposure.

One of the other things I found with this class is attention to the ‘Why’. Why would I use this particular stretch or compression? The attention to ‘Why’ makes it much easier to know when it’s appropriate to use these techniques. Got a Charley Horse? There’s a stretch that addresses gastrocs and soleus (the muscles that are typically involved in that kind of cramp). Hip flexors tight and sore after training and running that 5K? There’s a stretch for that, a few, actually. And then there’s those stretches that feel great but are sneaky effective in areas you wouldn’t expect. Fascia is amazing that way and ROM most certainly addresses the fascial system.

How Do I Get My ROM?

All that to say, ROM is definitely on the menu. You’ll find it under Stretch Therapy if you’re trying to book it yourself. Otherwise, just ask me next time we book your appointment if you’d like to try it. I can integrate it into your regular barefoot massage appointment, or we can go straight up Stretch Therapy with a blend of ROM, facilitated stretching, and some of that Thai-inspired barefoot massage.

Can I Learn FasciAshi ROM?

For those of you wanting to learn FasciAshi ROM, Dawn Dotson from our New York Campus will be here at Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center in May! Register here. Class will be small, and yes, we will need clients for clinic. If you want to come experience the classroom version of ROM, let me know!

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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Research Says…Deep Tissue Massage is Better!

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A massage therapist performing barefoot massage with an overlay of the words, "Is your massage research based?"

Have you ever noticed that barefoot massage therapists and their clients talk about barefoot massage like it’s something even better than massage? There’s a reason for that! For all the claims we make about it being great for pain and stress, sometimes we forget to talk about why we believe our work is head and shoulders above the rest.

First, we stand on the table while we work so we are literally, physically “head and shoulders” above most other therapists. Second, barefoot massage is, by its very nature, deep tissue massage.

Because we have access to all of our body weight when applying pressure, we are uniquely positioned to offer a targeted and much deeper deep tissue experience than a hands-on massage therapist can deliver.

Good News!

Research supports what we barefoot massage therapists already know. A 2011 study by Romanowski, Romanowska, and Grzeskowiak compared the effects of Therapeutic Massage techniques to Deep Tissue Massage techniques for chronic low back pain. It found that Therapeutic Massage techniques were good, but Deep Tissue Massage techniques offered significantly greater results in pain relief.

In case you want to dig down into the numbers or the very specific techniques that comprise Therapeutic versus Deep Tissue massage, you can read A Comparison of the Effects of Deep Tissue Massage and Therapeutic Massage on Chronic Low Back pain here or the full study can be found here.

And yes, we can do all those things with our feet. Excepting the parts about fingers, we just use a different part of our foot to accomplish the techniques they’re referring to in the study. Our training also teaches us how to very carefully and specifically use our body weight and feet to safely access muscles, tendons, and ligaments to deliver a very deep pressure massage.

And this isn’t the only study that shows massage therapy is good for low back pain. Another study comparing massage therapy versus relaxation techniques concluded that massage therapy is effective in reducing pain, stress hormones and symptoms associated with chronic low back pain. It also found that massage therapy improves range of motion in the same study.

It’s great to see more research being conducted on massage therapy and its benefits. It’s even better that we finally have scientific proof that massage therapy works!

#barefootmassagechallenge #barefootmassage Center for Barefoot Massage

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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What is Barefoot Massage?

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Barefoot massage is a collection of styles of massage performed with the therapist’s feet. In addition to using their hands, barefoot massage therapists use their feet to deliver a deeper massage than what can safely and comfortably (for both) be achieved with the hands. That might look like a therapist on the table using overhead support during the massage or it may be you on a mat on the floor as the therapist is standing and/or seated to deliver the massage. You may be clothed or unclothed depending on the style of barefoot massage you’re about to experience.

A photo of the sole of a foot as it engages the muscles of the back with a description overlaid that says, "What is Barefoot Massage"

I am trained in several different styles of barefoot massage and regularly offer three unique barefoot services. Why only three if I’m trained in more than that? Because learning many different methods and skills tend to inform all of my work and I chose to simplify the offerings into three distinct categories.

Photo of a barefoot massage therapist performing neck massage with an overlaid description of "Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage is Deep Tissue"

What is Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage?

I offer what I call Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage. This method has the client lying unclothed and draped on the table while I use my feet to compress, glide, and distract the client’s tissues to achieve a therapeutic, myofascial, deep tissue massage. I will also use an overhead support structure for balance and support as well as a suspended strap to lean into for lateral body work. This style of massage offers a comfortably deep experience that addresses muscle, fascia, and joint function. Other barefoot massage practitioners may define ashiatsu as something different depending on when and where they were trained.

A photo of a barefoot massage therapist performing the Happy Baby stretch on a client with an overlay description of "Ashiatsu + Thai Barefoot Massage is Stretch Therapy"

What is Barefoot Stretch Therapy?

I also offer Barefoot Stretch Therapy which involves the client on the table, typically clothed unless it’s integrated with other massage sessions. During Barefoot Stretch Therapy I will again use my feet to guide the client’s body through a series of Thai Yoga stretches, range of motion movements, and muscle compressions. Barefoot Stretch Therapy is a very effective method for keeping joints moving throughout their healthy range of motion, encouraging synovial fluid to flood and nourish the joints, and easing pain associated with arthritis.

A photo of the lower leg receiving Fijian Barefoot Massage with an overlaid description of "Fijian Barefoot Massage is Sports Massage"

What is Fijian Barefoot Massage?

Fijian Barefoot Massage is the third barefoot service I regularly offer. It is what you’ll see me doing if you find me at an outdoor event or a health and wellness fair. This massage finds a fully-clothed client on a mat on the floor where I’ll use my feet to perform a compressive, neuromuscular, sports-style massage. This technique is a faster paced massage that I perform seated or standing using a chair or suspended strap for any needed support. It’s an aggressive technique that is deep, but you won’t find a therapist using their full body weight or both feet during this massage. This style of barefoot massage is a great option for massage anywhere and benefits athletic recovery as well as weekend warriors who have overdone it.

So as you can see, barefoot massage is, simply, massage. We just happen to do that massage with our feet!

I hope this article helps you understand a little more about these different styles of massage. I also hope it helps you decide what type of massage might work best for you!

#BarefootMassageChallenge | For more information on learning Barefoot Massage, visit Center for Barefoot Massage and Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center.

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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Learning in the Time of COVID-19: Part 2

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Certificate of Completion for The Roll Model Method Correspondence Course

So in this next edition of Learning in the Time of COVID-19, I want to tell you about a correspondence course that I took early on in our shutdown phase. It’s called the Roll Model Method and it’s something I’ve been interested in for a while, but just never had the time to really dig into.

Time definitely hasn’t been a problem with this Stay at Home and now Safer at Home business so when I discovered they had a correspondence course I jumped at it!

The correspondence course came with a textbook and a complete set of the balls that you need to make your way through the coursework. Which is a plus since it comes right to your door and you don’t have to be traipsing all over the place looking for equipment.

What is it, exactly?

rubber ball rolling for elbow pain

Good question! It’s a self-care modality using squishy, grabby, rubbery balls to give yourself a myofascial “massage”. I’m using those quotation marks (#quotationmarksmatter) around massage because it’s NOTHING like what happens on a massage table with a professional, trained massage therapist. But it does give you some of the benefits of a massage – like pain and stress relief. Is it going to “fix” an issue? Maybe, maybe not, but it gives you some agency over your healing in a time when you can’t get to your massage therapist.

Why do I want to give myself a “massage”?

Because right now, if you can find a massage therapist who is working, they’re swamped and you can’t get in to see them. And because you probably have some sort of pain that could be helped with a little bit of attention. And if you can’t identify any pain, you probably have some stress, anxiety, or grief happening.

Wait, these balls can help with stress?

Yep, I was skeptical at first too, but as I made my way through the coursework I started to notice that the time I spent with with the squishy orbs became meditative and was activating my parasympathetic system (rest and digest). And if you’ve been around me at all you already know there’s a lot of science behind meditation and parasympathetic activation. Oh! AND, I learned a body hack to activate the parasympathetic system while taking this class. It makes so much sense and I already knew it, but had never put the science with the actions until I was talking to a colleague who was also taking the class. If you want to learn more about that, take a look at my Idle Sole Wellness Series where I talk about a lot of body hacks (including this one) for taming stress and anxiety.

Want to learn more?

Well, you can go get your own correspondence course or you can call me and we can customize a plan for you that targets your specific issues. And, best of all (for right now), we can do it virtually so no worries about transmitting those COVID cooties to one another!

But…I’m having trouble concentrating right now

Totally normal. No, really, there’s a lot of evidence that when we’re in states of high stress it’s really hard to concentrate. That’s why I’m introducing you to this form of self-care and giving you the option of working with me versus having to read the whole textbook. Anything that helps us drop out of that sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) nervous system state into the more relaxed, rest and digest state is a good thing to learn!

Peace, y’all! I hope everyone is well and safe and learning in the time of COVID-19 in whatever form those lessons may be.

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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Happy Anniversary!

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Happy Anniversary, Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center!

This last year has been a, “Blink and you missed it,” kind of year. I can hardly believe it’s been an entire year since Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center opened its doors to students!

Sadly, we are still closed due to COVID-19. In fact, we should be teaching Fijian Barefoot Massage this weekend, but nothing is normal right now.

Check out the schedule below for other opportunities for training this year! We are hoping it will be safe enough to run our classes as soon as July.

2020 Alabama Barefoot Massage Training Center Schedule

See something you like? Go ahead and register for it!

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Learning in the Time of COVID-19: Part 1

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So it’s not that I wanted to spend even more money on learning in the time of COVID-19. What with still not being back to work, but I figured it would be less stressful to get my NCBTMB Board Certification requirements done. Last night I spent a couple of hours getting my Ethics hours done, filling out the NCBTMB application, and of course paying the fees.

I got my paper saying that I passed the test, the email saying my application was accepted and under review, and now I wait for my new certificate to come in the mail.

What are you learning during the time of COVID-19? If the answer is, “I can’t concentrate on anything right now,” there’s a reason for that and it’s perfectly ok. I had a hard time getting through this ethics course because it’s so hard to concentrate right now.

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

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