The Holistic Way at Phoenix Massage Therapy School

We are often asked "What is Holistic Health? One way of looking at this questions can be illustrated by an ancient Chinese story. A Chinese doctor was asked, "Do you treat arthritis?" No! Do you treat colds and flu? No! Do you treat muscle aches? No! Well what do you treat? I treat people.

The focus was not on disease but on the positive health of the whole person. The Holistic viewpoint looks at the total person, his lifestyle, his attitudes as well as his ailments.

At Phoenix a student uncovers the art and science of massage by entering the dialog of touch and holistic health. From the first day of classes, the student is asked to reflect on the nature of touch, health and massage throughout the course.

The holistic way at Phoenix can be viewed thusly:

1.) Holistic Education at Phoenix is taught in a holistic and fun way. Massage students learn by doing as much as by listening and seeing. The student is asked to put his hands to the task with practical work. From the beginning, he will be utilizing methods such as kinesthetic recognition, self massage, sightless massage, palpatory skills, therapeutic massage and muscle isolation. When the student is experiencing the kinesthetic world for himself, he remembers his work and has fun learning it.

2.) Holistic education at Phoenix places emphasis on de-stressing and empowering the therapist to-be. The student begins his massage training by making himself his first client! Through Do-In, self massage, the student experiences the nature of his own touch. From Do-In he also learns where he holds his stress and means to vanquish it. Importantly the student uncovers valuable methods to stay viable in his own massage practice. At Phoenix the student receives regular massage while giving massage to classmates. Since a therapist cannot take the client beyond where he himself is, its important to be focused and in the now. If the therapist is stiff, nervous, uncoordinated the massage will have the same characteristics. In contrast, if the therapist has resolved his areas of pain, is focused and has learned to flow with the massage, the massage will have a positive therapeutic effect. The holistic way is about being there totally for your client by being there totally for yourself.

A HOLISTIC MASSAGE^SM SESSION
Greet your new client. Your client completes her assessment form. You follow up with some brief questions. You show your client to the therapy room.

While your client is preparing for her massage, you prepare your Holistic Massage^SM plan. This is a massage tailored to the needs of the client for his maximum well being. You'll select modalities and you'll select means to enhance modalities to fit the client's health status. You specifically tailor a plan that maximizes the massage for your client.

Begin your massage and follow your plan. Let your hands search out those areas most in need. You follow principles of Massage Body Mechanics^SM that allow you to keep the stress out of your body. You won't put the stress in their body either.

About an hour later you come away from the massage feeling elated. One, because you've given a Holistic Massage^SM best tailored to fit your client. Two, because with Massage Body Mechanics^SM you flowed with the massage in dancer.

Now you've shared great energy with your client. You've helped remove stress and strain from your client's life. Most likely, your client will be back plus refer new clients.

Holistic Massage^SM from Phoenix - It keeps your clients coming back.

3.) Holistic Education at Phoenix introduce Holistic Massage^SM. Holistic Massage^SM is both a rationale for assessment of your client and the framework for creating a specific massage plan tailored to the constitution of your client. With Holistic Massage^SM the specific nature and qualities of the massage can be determined, for either a sedentary worker, a track and field athlete, an obese person, a bodybuilder, a child, an elderly person or any other. The massage will be created specifically for the client's condition at that particular moment in his life. The student of massage and the skilled professional can both benefit from a methodology that includes assessment of health status and the appropriate determination of modalities and/or strokes prior to beginning the massage. Holistic Massage^SM has been actively developed at The Phoenix School of Holistic Massage^SM for 3,000 client hours so far. We have seen remarkable benefits from its application. Holistic Massage^SM is published in the Encyclopedia of Body Therapy.

4.) Holistic Education at Phoenix teaches Massage Body Mechanics^SM. Massage Body Mechanics^SM is the preeminent biomechanics for massage therapy today. Massage Body Mechanics^SM is the most powerful means known to transfer force and working load to the lower body. The lower body is much more capable of carrying the force generated by massage therapy. Massage Body Mechanics^SM greatly increase the ability of the therapist to give high quality massage throughout the workday. MBM can help make a rewarding field even more so both for the therapist and the client. MBM has been published in the Encyclopedia of Body Therapy and Massage Therapy Magazine and now in the text book Massage Therapy: Principles and Practices by Susan Salvo.

5.) Holistic education at Phoenix is taught by Holistic Practitioners. These include Holistic Massage^SM Therapists plus Chiropractors, Acupuncturists and Nutritionists who are Massage Therapists themselves. These teachers ensure an in-depth study of massage and its allied sciences.