April 2007 in the news:
Lovejoy: Be An April Fool | Lymphatic Massage Boosts Immune System | Infant Massage & Much More... | Why You'll Love Polarity II | Why Do I Like Working in a Spa? | Upcoming Advanced and Elective Courses
LoveJoy Health & Happiness: Be an April Fool
by Lisa Lovejoy
April 1st has come to be the national holiday for practical jokers, those self-appointed comedians who love to pull the wool over our eyes and make us look gullible and foolish. Of course, looking gullible and foolish is highly undesirable in today’s society, where expertise, or the appearance thereof, is lauded and given its own talk show.
Well, I say, this year, embrace your inner fool!
Spring is the astrological start of a new year, the time of year that brings new beginnings and adventures. The sun now boldly moves through Aries, the first sign of the zodiac. Aries represents the first impulse of the life force into the activity of the physical universe. The energies that are present at this time of year are assertive, self-centered, and self-directed. Aries is an impetuous, often impatient, self-starter, who charges ahead with abundant courage. Aries has the same personality type as the tarot card, The Fool.
In this card, a youth looking off into the distance, no doubt considering some lofty goal, is about to walk off a cliff. This represents the nieve zeal it can sometimes take to begin a spiritual journey, the next great adventure of life that we will bring to fruition. The Fool dares to set out on a path that will take them to the center of their being. It can take a brave heart, one willing to let go of, forgive and forget previous hurts.
Perhaps that is why Jesus said, “…unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18: 2-4) A little child, one who has not yet imprinted the limiting beliefs of their society, still has a mind that is free of preconceptions, expectations, judgments and prejudices. However, eventually, children lose that innocent quality and want to be “the one who knows,” the expert. Once we decide we know something, we close ourselves to other possibilities and lose the ability to be awake to what is really happening. Since we’ve got it all figured out, we don’t need to pay attention. At that point, we stop living in the present moment, in the ever present now, and lose the ability to respond to what life offers us. As Suzuki Roshi said in Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind, there are few.”
So, how do we regain our lost innocence after we’ve built our lives on being an expert? Be curious...about the contents of your mind, and the contents of the world. Be willing to look at and identify your expectations and your beliefs. Look to see how those beliefs have resulted in the life you are living. If your life is different from the way you want it to be, notice the beliefs that magnetized that reality to you, and let them go. Be willing to be wrong about the way you think the world is. Or, just be willing to not know. Let life show you its surprises. This is the way to open up to the “authentic you” in the midst of the set of accumulated beliefs that you carry around, and this is the way to create an authentic life. At this time, when all the world is renewing itself, let yourself be new as well. Let yourself be a Fool, and you’ll be free to discover where the journey to your true self will take you.
Please remember to send me your questions, comments, articles, poetry or whatever is on your mind. lovejoy@ipsb.com
Lymphatic Massage Boosts the Immune System and Reduces Toxicity
by Karen Axelrod
Are your clients experiencing ongoing colds they just can’t shake off? Are they still battling a lingering cough from this season’s cold and flu season?
If so, it might be because their immune systems are weak. If one’s immune system is not functioning at its highest potential, clients become vulnerable to viruses and bugs that cause these all-too-common illnesses. And the same goes for you, the practitioner! If your immune system is compromised, you are just as vulnerable to these same conditions—especially when clients come to see you when they are sick.
What is the lymphatic system?
The lymphatic system is a key part of the immune system. It consists of lymph nodes located throughout the body that act as processing centers to eliminate invading organisms. Lymphatic fluid carries cells that circulate freely throughout the body in their ongoing mission to search and destroy germs, viruses, toxins, and bacteria. When a cell locates an offending organism, it travels to the lymph nodes and drops off its find for final elimination.
If someone's lymphatic system is blocked, it severely limits the body's ability to fight off even a common cold. This leads to remnants of a bug remaining in the body over time and further contributing to a state of ill health. A sluggish lymphatic system with inhibited flow of fluid or an inability to fully eliminate a virus can lead to toxic build-up and perhaps a more serious illness.
Why does the lymphatic system go awry?
What causes the lymphatic system to break down? Surgery or an injury resulting in scar tissue can impede the flow of lymph fluid. In some cases, such as mastectomy, lymph nodes are removed, thus completely eliminating some of those very important waste-processing centers. Emotional or mental distress also affects the immune system. Other causes include lack of sleep, poor eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle, overuse of antibiotics, or overindulgence in drugs or alcohol. In some cases the lymphatic system can adapt to these disturbances, but not always.
An impaired lymphatic system doesn’t always lead to increased illness, however, but it can lead to physical discomfort. Many people who have had lymph nodes removed near the arms or legs experience no further breakdown in their immunity, but they may experience swelling in the affected limb. Pregnant women with swollen hands and feet experience a fluid build-up as a result of increased pressure around lymph vessels due to weight gain. Someone whose body houses toxic build-up may experience frequent headaches, fatigue, or unexplained body aches and pains.
How does lymphatic massage help?
Lymphatic massage boosts the immune system by increasing the circulation of lymph fluid in the body. A lymphatic practitioner uses gentle pressure to activate sluggish nodes and then flush fluid through stagnant areas. This type of treatment helps build resistance to colds and flu as well as alleviate physical discomfort associated with lymph-related swelling or toxic build-up. Lymphatic massage can be performed on a certain affected area or encompass the whole body to aid overall health and well-being.
Lymphatic massage can benefit children as well as adults, including the elderly. Because of its gentle, relaxing nature, a lymphatic massage is ideal for those in acute pain or who anyone who prefers a light-touch treatment.
How to learn more about lymphatic massage?
IPSB offers a 16-hour Introduction to Lymphatic Massage course in April. The course teaches simple protocols for the head/neck/face and upper/lower body to help bolster the immune system and enhance fluid flow. This class also emphasizes anatomical understanding and palpation of the lymphatic system, plus proper body mechanics while working.
Karen Axelrod, BA, NCTMB, CST, is an advanced-level lymphatic therapist, a nationally certified massage therapist, and a certified craniosacral therapist with a private practice in Redondo Beach.
Infant Massage, and Much More...
By Suzanne Reese
My mission, as a teacher of Infant Massage, is to provide resources for all of those seeking to exercise efforts in helping the world thrive through nurturing the inherent love and compassion our children are born to share. When we really think about and experience what this is and what it can mean, we may discover a change in the way we look at babies and come to recognize how much they have to offer in our own evolution as human beings.
Baby (or Infant) Massage is the popular term used for healthy attachment and bonding through nurturing and compassionate touch. The benefits reach far and wide: Brain development, sensory and motor development, social relationship, biochemical balance and a myriad of development within these categories. It is these benefits that yield the common successes of baby massage that are more widely known: deeper sleep, relief of gastrointestinal distress, weight gain in preterm infants and helping the parent/caregiver through the effects of postpartum/post adoption distress, anxieties and depression. Without the first list of benefits, the second and more popular list would not exist. This is far more than Baby Massage. This is the development of self—inside and out, and families have the tools right in their own hands and through their own hearts to help their children thrive on so many levels.
I have named my business, “Compassionate Child”, which is a term that identifies a key benefit of baby massage. How a child is cared for directly influences the child’s ability to care for herself and others. It also influences the quality of care she will provide for herself and for others. Compassionate qualities are trust, reliability, predictability, respect, recognition, understanding, validation and admiration. Conveniently, these are also key elements of the bonding process. Compassionate care results in compassionate beings. Compassion is the deep awareness of another’s distress— and the wish to relieve it.
It is so important for the baby to know there is someone there who will listen, attempt to relieve the distress—and wants to. It is through this care, the child learns to reach out to others in the same way, without anger or aggression; instead, with an approach that is purely human and humane. We, as human beings, are born for compassion. Our brains are geared to nurture this aspect of human nature. The trainings and presentations I offer exist in an effort to facilitate a deeper experience into the compassion we are all born to offer every living being.
So many people don’t believe they are truly loved. So many people aren’t even certain, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that they were truly wanted when they were born. Being loved and wanted is every child’s right. Being heard, acknowledged and validated is our active responsibility to nurture the potential for compassion in every living being. We can make a difference, and it’s happening now.
Why You’ll Love Polarity II
A Letter from Dina Fraboni
Joyfully, I'll be back at IPSB starting on April 15th, to share more about energy, support your learning, and bring together more wonderful people.
Polarity 2-The Elements is truly my favorite material to teach. We will explore the dynamic play of the elements in their nature within and without, including how to palpate, identify and balance the elements in ourselves and others. We will look through a new lens of awareness at the elements in body, mind, emotions, astrology, diet, chakras, and language. It is fascinating and fun to see how everything is connected!
I'll be giving students six different polarity protocols, which begin to weave together all of Dr. Stone’s teachings. This material is the foundation of ALL the work I've come to do, both privately and in the classroom. It is amazingly powerful.
This upcoming class in April is the only time I'll be teaching this class at IPSB this year. So, if energy healing interests you, be sure to sign up now and secure your place in the Polarity 2 class. I'd love to see you there, share my passion for this work, and be a part of growing your energy education.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. My email address is dfraboni@yahoo.com. I’ll look forward to being in class with you soon.
Why Do I Like Working in a Spa?
By Anke Rice
Teaching the Massage Technician course, I often encounter students who are unsure what type of massage work might suit them best. Some are surprised to hear that I enjoy working in a day spa. Though many massage students look forward to the day when they can open their own practice and be their own boss, I have found that spa work has many advantages that a massage student may not have previously considered that make it a highly desirable environment in which to work. Some of the reasons I enjoy my spa job are practical or mundane, some are social, and others are more spiritual, speaking directly to who I really am as a soul.
Spas offer many financial incentives to well-trained massage therapists. The most prominent of these is the potential for steady income. Unlike some massage establishments, Doctor’s offices, or a private practice, most day spas are consistently busy. Massage therapists often have little “down time” in their schedules. Having consistent income without having to put a lot of effort into promoting yourself can be a blessing. It gives the therapist the space to focus on what they really want to do, help people by doing bodywork. Also, the regular work hours let me clock out and leave my work behind at the end of my shift. That prevents the problem that some massage therapists have of having no boundaries regarding when they will work, because they are desperate for work. Other financial perks of working at the spa include being provided with oils, lotions, sheets, music, a beautiful environment and a uniform. All of that saves me a considerable amount of money, and I don’t have to wash sheets! In addition, I have health insurance and a retirement fund.
Opportunities for Growth
Along with all of the financial advantages that working at the spa offers, it has also offered me many opportunities to better myself as a therapist and a person. Some spas provide ongoing trainings on body mechanics, customer service, communication skills, techniques, and boundaries. Some provide their therapists with a budget to attend educational workshops. Of course, it is a wonderful resource to have access to a community of massage therapists from different schools, with different styles, for trading and exploring different types of bodywork. One of the best things about working at a spa, though, is the vast amount of different body types, and personality types one gets to work with. This is the ideal way to improve your knowledge, skill, and confidence in your work. It is great to be paid as you practice integrating all of the techniques you are making part of your repertoire. There are also opportunities to further your career within the spa by moving up to training or management positions.
On A More Esoteric Level
The worldly reasons for which I enjoy my spa work are gratifying unto themselves, allowing me to live comfortably in society. However, other more esoteric reasons are an even more important motivation for me. The most important aspect of spa work, for me, is the opportunity it gives me to practice being the person I want to be. Being with the general public in such an intimate way, affords me a chance to practice being kind, compassionate and attentive to the needs of others. It forces me to pay attention to what is happening in my interactions with my clients. I have to stay aware of my thoughts, what I am doing with my mind during the session. I need to focus on being present and connected to my core as I am working with another person. I get a chance to see whether I am holding a space of neutrality or being judgmental, and whether I am aligned and flowing in my body, or not. Being fully present so much of the time is a constant meditation that connects me with who I am on the spiritual level. This is the most rewarding part of my job at the spa. For all these reasons, I feel fortunate to have found a place where my work life truly supports who I want to be.
Upcoming Advanced and Elective Classes
If you would like to add another valuable skill or modality to your repertoire, take one of our many great advanced classes starting this month:
REIKI II (6 HOURS) $90
April 1 Sunday 10:00am - 5:00pm
Taught by LISA LOVEJOY
This class expands on the techniques taught in Reiki I, increasing the power and focus of hands-on healing as well as offering treatments for mental, emotional and karmic problems. Students learn how to use Reiki for distance healing, clearing objects and places, releasing unwanted habits, and for manifestation. Reiki symbols and how to use them are also taught. Each student receives a Reiki II attunement which increases the flow of Reiki energy through the practitioner.
SPINAL BIOMECHANICS (Formerly The Spine) (6 HOURS) $90
April 7 Sat 10:00am - 5:30pm
Taught by BRUCE SCHONFELD
Offering new ways of helping clients with back pain by releasing the spine at core levels, this class covers basic spinal biome- chanics and accompanying myofascial strain patterns. Associated CRANIOSACRAL and visceral anatomy are discussed in terms of their structural relationships to the spine.
HYDROTHERAPY (12 HOURS) $144 (+Mat‚ls Fee)
Apr 9 & 14 Mon 6:30 -10:30pm and Sat 9:30am - 6:30pm
Taught by LORRANE BONANNO and CYNDI ORTOLANO
Introduction to the physiologic effects of hot, cold and water treatments. Safe, practical application of selected treatments for spa or private practice. Course also includes a survey of current spa treatments and techniques.
SENSORY REPATTERNING I (24 HOURS) $288 (+Mat’lsFee)
April 12 - 17 Thursday,Friday,Monday,Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Taught by ELIZABETH JACOBOWITZ
The key principles of Timing, Gravity, The Skeleton, The Wave, and a complete “recipe” for a 50 minute session.
CRANIAL III (24 HOURS) $360 (+Mat’ls Fee)
April 13, 14, & 15 Friday, Saturday, Sunday 9:30am - 6:30pm
Taught by GARY STRAUSS
Prerequisite: Cranial I
The third class in the Cranial series provides the student with an experience of integrating techniques learned in Cranial 1 & 2. The focus will be on using communication, presencing, visualization and energy based skills to do process-oriented cranial work.
POLARITY II – ELEMENTS (42 HOURS) $630 (+Mat’ls Fee)
April 15 - 29 Saturday,Sunday 9:00am - 6:30pm
Taught by DINA FRABONI
Prerequisite: Polarity 1or Human Energy Systems
An in-depth exploration of Polarity energetics and the expression of life energy through the Five Elements - Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Learn bodywork sessions for balancing each element and basic Polarity exercises. Emphasis is on understanding the activity of elemental energies in our own lives so we can work with these energies in others.
FOREARM DANCE™ INTRO (8 HOURS) $120
April 15 - Sunday 8:45am – 6:15pm
Taught by VAL GUIN
Click here for flyer
Save your hands! Save your body! Val Guin's Forearm Dance™ is the "practitioner friendly" massage technique that enables you to give your clients a relaxing and fluid full body massage while also safely accessing deeper layers of tissue. Using ONLY your Forearm & Olecranon (elbow) as your massage tools, give your clients the sensation and relief they want while generating energy for yourself throughout the massage. Learn the key foundations to becoming a Forearm Dance™ practitioner. New concepts, body mechanics and exercises based in Tai Chi, Yoga and dance will help you to achieve openness, fluidity and strength. You learn to apply basic Forearm Dance™ strokes to the back and legs with finesse, power and ease. Add this fun and exciting technique to your repertoire. Enjoy the dance! *Please note, this class will take place at the Santa Monica Center of Healing Arts.
FOREARM DANCE I (12 HOURS) $180
April 19 - May 3 Thursday 9:00am - 12:15pm
Taught by VAL GUIN
Prerequisite: Forearm Dance Intro
Introducing the Olecranon! Learn to apply your olecranon to achieve the depth and specificity found in deep tissue techniques without hurting yourself. Give your clients the relief and sensation they have been asking for as you build upon the key foundations of the Forearm Dance.
INTRODUCTION TO THAI MASSAGE (8 HOURS) $120 (+Mat’ls Fee)
April 30 & May 7 Monday 6:30pm - 10:30pm
Taught by BRIAN MARKOVITZ
Nuad Bo Rarn, or Ancient Healing Massage from Thailand, is a modality that is growing in use and application in the West and integrates well into other styles of bodywork. It is a very physical approach to “energy” work using a slow meditative pace, integrative stretches and energy Meridian's called sen lines. It is a complete method of caring for the body, mind and spirit. This class introduces the foundational tools, stretches and positions of traditional Thai Massage.
PALPATION SKILLS (16 Hours) $192
April 21 & 28 Sat 9:00am - 6:00pm
Taught by DR. VINCENT PUNTURERE
Required for Deep Tissue. Recommended for all advanced massage courses.
Through the art of palpation, students explore the entire body, focusing on bony landmarks, specific muscle location and soft tissue textures. Palpation is an essential skill for the advancement of any bodyworker.
DEEP TISSUE II (40 HOURS) $480 (+Mat’ls fee)
SUNDAYS: April 22 -May 20 Sun 9:00am - 6:00pm
Taught by JORDAN ALLEN, VAL GUIN & CYNDI ORTOLANO
Applying the skills learned in Deep Tissue I, students therapeutically address musculoskeletal conditions, traumas and injuries by viewing the body as a whole and learning to release both primary and secondary areas to resolve clients' complaints. Classes also incorporate the core IPSB philosophies of tai chi, karmic zones, chu'a ka and body/heart/mind integration, including effective communication skills. These concepts plus exercise and self-care techniques enable the practitioner to facilitate clients' participation in their own healing process.
ANATOMY/PHYSIOLOGY II (42 HOURS) $504
May 1 - Aug 14 (No class 5/8; 7/3) Tues 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Taught by DR. VINCENT PUNTURERE
A system approach to the study of the human body with specific focus on the effects of massage and bodywork. Curriculum includes tissue study and the integumentary, nervous, endocrine, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. Please note, A/P 1 is not a prerequisite for this class.
CORE SKILLS: INTRO TO IPSB MASSAGE (24 HOURS) $264
May 1 - 17 Tues,Thurs 9:30am - 1:30pm
Taught by CYNDI ORTOLANO and KAREN AXELROD
This class is the prerequisite for transfer students enrolling in Advanced Circulatory Massage & Deep Tissue classes. For 27 years the IPSB style of massage has helped therapists deliver a powerful, deeply moving sensory experience to clients while protecting the therapist's body from stress, injury and burnout. This course for new and seasoned massage professionals overviews the principles of IPSB Massage through movement explorations, hands-on bodywork and exercises in personal sensory awareness. Students learn tai chi-based movements to integrate into their massage repertoire as well as a kinder, gentler approach to deeper circulatory work. Proper body mechanics, an introduction to tai chi, communications skills, professional boundaries, injury prevention and integration of body, mind and heart are emphasized.
COMMUNICATION FOR BODYWORKERS (42 HOURS) $630 (+Mat’ls)
(Open to all bodyworkers)
May 2,5,6,9,12,16, & 20 Wed 6:00pm-10:20pm, Sat,Sun 9:30am-6:30pm
Taught by DINA FRABONI
Focuses on verbal and non-verbal skills to support healthy boundaries between the practitioner and the client. This process facilitates deep levels of rapport and understanding. The relationship between mind and body is explored with an emphasis on integrating verbal work with bodywork and exploring the energetic meaning of physical postures, movements and responses.
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