Decatur's Barefoot Massage Specialist...and more!
Roses are Red, Violets are Blue
Guess Who I Haven’t Seen Lately?
…
Is it you?
Is it time for you to schedule a massage now that all the Valentine’s Day craziness is over? I’d love to see you on my table this month. Call today to schedule your next massage.
♥
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Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashi-Thai Massage |
Hoping You Have a Lovely Valentine’s Day! Read More »
Are you familiar with Yelp?
I set up a Yelp site for Harvest Moon Massage a while ago because I couldn’t seem to make Facebook understand that I really wanted people to be able to “recommend” and rate my services. To date, Facebook still hasn’t figured out that I am a service provider even after repeated requests for them to review my page. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me as it took them two years to figure out that I was located in Alabama (not Arkansas) and fix the map locator on my page. But I digress, I’m here to talk about Yelp, not harp on how much I love Facebook. (I really do love Facebook, but it’s one of those love to hate you relationships)
Anyway, if you haven’t noticed it before, over there in my sidebar —–>>> there’s a pretty button that says, “Write us a review in Yelp”. It’s down there in the Other Places To Find Me Online section. Oh here it is!
I like Yelp. I like that you can go out there and find out what others think about a business or service. Unfortunately, I have done a poor job of asking folks to go Write a Review for Harvest Moon Massage on Yelp. Maybe because it seems like I should be offering an incentive for them to do something for me, but then I think there’s something a little dishonest and ‘conflict of interesty’ about paying for reviews. Therefore, I have no reviews for this little venture (as Facebook decided to delete the one’s I used to have on my page, grrr…). Hopefully that’s about to change since you are here now and know that I actually do want your opinion on how I’m doing.
So if you’ve had a lovely massage from me (or even a not so lovely one, I need to know) or if you love reading my blog or if you just like me for no apparent reason, please head on over to Yelp and be the first person to review me. I will be forever grateful.
If you don’t use Yelp, what do you use? I’m curious.
♥
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Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Provider of Fijian Barefoot Massage |
Meet My Sidebar – Where I Yelp About Myself Read More »
When I wrote back in January about the Thai Yoga Bodywork class I took, Lauren asked about it. She was baffled and had not heard of it so I promised her a more in-depth discussion. I should probably say here that I don’t yet feel qualified to even begin to define what it is.
I can tell you my experience with Thai massage, but I am a novice. Think kindergarten. My sum total of Thai experience is the 24 hours I took with Mukti, described in the link above and the 17 hours of Ashi-Thai I took with Jeni Spring.
Ashi-Thai is a westernized interpretation of Thai massage that is performed on a table with overhead bars for balance, support and stabilization for the therapist as they use their feet and legs to move the client through a series of yoga-like stretches (assisted asanas). There is also an element of compression massage involved with Ashi-Thai.
Thai massage is different and more. Traditional Thai is performed on a floor mat. Like Ashi-Thai the client is moved through a series of yoga-like asanas except the therapist is now using hands, arms, body, legs and feet to accomplish the stretches and compressions. That’s pretty much where the similarities end. There is a spiritual element of traditional Thai that is best captured by the beginning of a Thai Yoga Massage, called Puja Position. Puja Position allows the therapist to ground and open themselves while the client relaxes thus opening a line of communication. It’s all very esoteric and visceral and somewhat unbelievable until you feel it happen. So traditional Thai is about physical healing (the massage part), spiritual connection (for therapist and client, with each other, but perhaps also with their higher power or the universe in general), and the aesthetic of yoga. It should be beautiful when “performed”.
So what does it buy you? Looser muscles, decompressed joints, better localized blood flow in the areas being worked, relaxation, spiritual rejuvenation, etc. I think every Thai session is different and I think every person walks away with a different experience. It’s sorta like yoga in that respect.
I suppose I could go on and on and on, but that won’t give you any better sense of what I’m talking about so in the spirit of a picture is worth a thousand words I’ve embedded a video for you. I’ve chosen this one because the ladies in the video are two of my lovely Gray Bear sisters who I began my Thai Yoga Bodywork odyssey with. Charlene Gaffney (the therapist) is quite a bit more experienced at Thai Yoga Massage than I am. Stephany Fair (the receiver) is a yoga whiz and Thai practitioner as well. And when you get to the acrobatic part of this video just remember that I said they’re more experienced than I am and that I’m still in kindergarten (so I don’t know how to do nor will I attempt any of that fancy break your head stuff).
So now without further ado…
If you’re interested in reading more about Thai massage, here is what Charlene had to say about it after our class. And here is an article from Massage Magazine on Thai. And my instructor is online at Vedic Conservatory and writes extensively. And then there’s always Google…
♥
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Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Provider of Thai-Yoga Massage |
What Is Thai Yoga Bodywork? Read More »
Are you ready? The day of love is coming and time is not slowing down just cause you’re busy! Don’t get caught in Kroger V-day afternoon picking through what’s left of the boxed chocolate and bent greeting cards.
Call me and we’ll put a gift certificate together for your sweetie! Want a box of chocolate to go along with the gift certificate? No problem, I can pick that up for you too and I won’t ever tell that you didn’t do it all yourself. (256) 603-4596
♥
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Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy Massage |
Are You Ready for Valentine’s Day? Read More »
If you haven’t already, you should get yourself over there in my sidebar —–>>>> and sign up for my Newsletter. This year I made a commitment to be better in touch with my current clients and to give curious folks who haven’t made that phone call to schedule an appointment yet a way to get to know me and what’s going on with Harvest Moon Massage a little better.
If you’re a current client, you know that I’ve been collecting email addresses for a while with the intention of doing this. I don’t know why, but it was just too big, too much and I just couldn’t manage it until now.
My intention is one monthly email to share the latest happenings and plans as well as sporadic emails with available appointment times in case anyone wants to grab an appointment. I definitely do not want to spam anyone.
So, if you’re like me and wondering what the hey people put in a newsletter, here’s a link to the archive. Please understand this is totally out of my head and I’m making it up as I go so please be kind.
I’m wondering if I need to add a link for current newsletters to the sidebar…hmm… maybe I’ll put that on my very long list of things to do.
Thanks to Allissa at Writing a Blue Streak and Kelli at Massage Therapy World for inspiring me to take this seemingly giant step.
♥
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Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Provider of Thai-Yoga Massage |
Getting My Newsletter On Read More »
So many of you may know from reading here for a while that I am involved with AMTA – AL Chapter. That’s American Massage Therapy Association – Alabama Chapter for the acronym sticklers among us. It’s quite a mouthful to say and a handful to type so I avoid it whenever possible.
Anyway, I’m in with AMTA – AL Chapter. For the non-massage therapist readers out there, AMTA is an association massage therapists can join. Most do so to gain the (usually) required insurance coverage to practice, but AMTA also comes with a whole host of perks and benefits which I will let you go check out on your own if you are interested.
I donate a fair amount of time to AMTA-AL serving as their current Website/Social Media Committee Co-Chairperson. That’s a fancy title for computer monkey and apparently as such I needed to show up at the Winter Board Retreat. Who knew?
The retreat was held at a largish house on Smith Lake in beautiful Crane Hill, AL. It slept only 23 people. Geesh… you’d think for 8 they could have gotten more room 😉 jk. It actually was quite comfortable for the 8 who showed to stay and the others who came later just for meetings.
One might assume a houseful of massage therapists would be enjoying a weekend of fun and relaxation with a lot of massage happening. But not so much. We spent the weekend meeting and planning and meeting and planning and meeting and planning some more. What’s so all-fired important? Well, we have an Annual Convention coming up and it’s going to be at the beach*!!! Woo hoo!!!
All the meeting and planning was to make sure everything is getting done and to figure out more fun things to offer MTs who show up for ‘up to 20 very affordable CE hours’ (you must read that last phrase in your best game show host voice). I think we’re all glad the sitting part is over. There was a lot of it, but we are all super-excited about the Annual Convention. I love being involved in an organization that works hard to bring CE opportunities to MTs. And it was a great opportunity to get to know the people I’m working with better. Who knew I would be rubbing elbows with MTs from the other end of the state? I would have never met most of the people I spent the weekend with if not for AMTA-AL. I love it and if it sounds interesting to you, let me know and I’ll hook you up.
Anyway, it was real and it was fun and parts of it were real fun, but my butt is still a little numb. I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Conference!
*What? You want to know more about the beach? Well, click here for now and come back in a few days. I’ll be posting a lot more information here for the Refresh Your Career weekend at Orange Beach, AL with AMTA-AL Chapter.
♥
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Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy Massage |
AMTA – AL Chapter Winter Board Retreat Read More »
And we are NOT having a goose!
Don’t forget, we have gift certificates available for your loved ones. Call today, it’s easy, 256 603-4596 or email me!
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Newest Provider of Vedic Thai-Yoga Massage
Christmas Is A’Comin’ Read More »
Before I became a massage therapist I’d had a few massages, not too many, but every single time I would stand there wondering, “Take them off or leave them on?” I’m talking about underwear, panties, drawers, tighty whiteys, we had a variety of names for them when I was a kid. After I grew up I learned that going without was called, “Going Commando,” which I personally think is better suited to the gentleman as a term. But, I digress…
Recently I had a client come in completely freaked out. It seems she had run out of the house that morning ‘Commando’. Is that the way you use that term? I don’t know, but you get what I’m saying. She stood in front of me like a child, chin to chest and “confessed.” I think she expected me to send her home or scold her. Instead I just started laughing. Perhaps not the most professional response, but I just couldn’t help myself and she’s that kind of client.
When I was in massage school our instructors would stride through the lab proclaiming, “And you are required to take your underwear off for labs.” Thus we learned to work the glutes uninhibited. When we started working on the public for our practicals, underwear became a tricky subject. One instructor insisted practice clients be nude, another wasn’t so insistent and let the client choose. Thus we learned to work the glutes around and through underclothes. Both equally important skills.
So what is my policy at Harvest Moon Massage? I let the client choose. I tell them that the more they take off, the better their massage will be as I will be able to more efficiently work the hips and glutes. Some choose to remove, others not so much. I’m fine with both and I think most massage therapists feel the same way though I have been to some who tell you to keep your drawers on. I’m not sure what’s up with that, perhaps they’ve had some kind of trouble in the past. I just find it hard not to remove. After a year of getting massages in school and learning how much better a massage can be on the glutes and hips when the therapist has free access I just can’t not.
Of course, all of this talk about removing underwear brings up the subject of trust. It’s hard to bare it all to someone. I’m going to write a separate post on that. But for now, just know that it’s ok. Whatever you’re comfortable with, I can work with.
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Ashi-Thai and Bamboo-Fusion Massage
Do I Have to Take my Underwear Off? Read More »
Here’s hoping you have a beautiful day to spend with family and plenty of time to give thanks.
Harvest Moon Massage will be closed beginning Thanksgiving Day and will reopen Monday, November 26th.
Happy Thanksgiving! Read More »
So I’m sure if you follow along at all over on my Facebook page you already know that I’ve been in Nashville the last couple of days for a class. I had been considering and pondering and planning for quite a while about this class and then it just sort of fell into my lap.
I drove up Friday morning giving myself an extra hour of drive time which was a good thing. Have you ever driven in Nashville rush hour traffic? Yikes!
The class was Fijian Barefoot Massage with Lolita Knight. I have been curious about this modality for a while. I wanted to try a different kind of barefoot massage to see how it compares to Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy. And I have to say it was quite different. Similarities, of course, but interesting new ways to use the feet to get in there with the pressure.
And Fijian is similar to Ashi-Thai in that the client stays clothed, which is a plus if you’re working in public spaces. And it’s portable. Very easily portable. Essentially all you need is the floor (or ground if you’re outside). A thai-style mat would up the comfort level, but is not necessary if you’re in a real pinch.
I learned so much at this class and met so many interesting people that I’m still somewhat overwhelmed trying to process and integrate it all.
Meanwhile I have to tell you about the highlight of the entire trip because it is bizarre and surprising and made my day. We were mid-way to lunchtime and had been working for a while. I was chatting with my practice partner. Obviously I told her I was an AOBT and she was asking me some questions about it. Apparently she had been researching Ashi classes and was unsure of which organization to go with. Then she specifically asked about one of the copycat knock off providers and I was launching into my spiel about why she should choose Deepfeet.com when I heard a tiny voice from across the room say, “I teach for them.”
It stopped me in my tracks. For a moment I wasn’t sure how to interpret that statement. You work for the knock off? You work for Ruthie at Deepfeet.com? I looked and there was this face that I recognized, but didn’t know and suddenly a name was flying out of my mouth and there was laughing and squealing and there across the room were two of my Ashi sisters. We all knew each other from our Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy Facebook Group, but didn’t know we were going to be in the same class. I spent the rest of the day hyper aware of where they were and what they were doing as we worked. Then we went to dinner together and had a fabulous time. That poor TGI Fridays in the Opry Mills Mall may never be the same.
Overall I had a great time learning Fijian and then later the luxury add-on Soft Touch Island Massage and getting to share it with my Ashi sisters made it all even better.
Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Ashi-Thai and Bamboo-Fusion Massage
My Fijian Experience Read More »