Giddy-up! A-oom-pah-pah Mow-mow

Last month I traveled to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for the first time. There, I earned 16 live Continuing Education (CE) hours and a certification in Myofascial Swedish massage. As a Licensed Las Vegas massage therapist, I’m always looking for ways to deepen my practice.

Las Vegas Massage Therapist, Christina Aldan's, Certificate of Completion for Myofascial Swedish

The Journey

Before I dive into what I learned from the Massage Sloth about myofascial release (MFR), I have to tell you about the journey there. My trip started with a bit of a hiccup when snow in Detroit caused a 2.5-hour flight delay. But I’m a lucky girl because I just spent that extra time hanging out in the airport lounge, admiring the beautiful Christmas trees, and reading some Terry Pratchett in the downtime. As I headed toward Oak Ridge, I wondered if this was where the "Oak Ridge Boys" were from. I used to listen to them all the time when I was younger (Turns out, they were based out of Knoxville, yet played in Oak Ridge regularly. So they started out being referred to as the "Oak Ridge Quartet," which later turned into the "Oak Ridge Boys").

Keep in mind that I’ve dealt with chronic pain most of my life. And while I’ve healed to about 90%, stress and the damp weather can still trigger flare-ups of brain fog, a stiff neck, and throbbing nerves. That's why I arrived a day early to let my body acclimate, and I’m so glad I did.

I went for a moderate hike on Oak Ridge's "Georgia Trail," which I found on the AllTrails app. Coming from the desert, my eyes just took in all the biodiversity of the forest. I grew up in the Northwoods of Michigan and Wisconsin. My Bachelor's degree is in Ecology and Environmental Services. No matter the season, no matter the microclimate, forests ground me. I love the rustle of leaves. I love the fungi and lichen patterns. I love the smell of the rich soil. I love seeing scurrying rodents. I even sat on a rock by a bubbling creek and listened to birdsongs (whose identities I might have known 30 years ago).

Las Vegas massage therapist Christina Aldan arriving and hiking in the hazy winter of Oak Ridge, TN

I even had a "small world" moment at Bud's coffee shop where I ran into the shop's owner, Jim Hynes, who was putting up a lighted Christmas tree in the window. We started chatting about my recent New York trip to see Chess, the Musical and I learned that he was one of the musicians who held the original contract for Chess, The Musical on Broadway! He worked with ABBA to arrange the music and he played the trumpet on the original production. That's the magic of traveling: you never know who you'll meet.

Ussie with me and trumpet player, Jim Hynes, at Bud's Coffee Shop

Sign outside of Bud's Coffee Shop says, "Snow place like Bud's"

The Philosophy of the Sloth Way

I've watched a lot of videos from Ian Harvey (Massage Sloth). I chose Ian’s course because he is famous for teaching therapists how to be "lazy," but still effective with their body mechanics while massaging. In our industry, massage therapists burn out way too early because of poor body mechanics, and I want to work smarter, not harder, so I can experience a long and healthy career.

The Goff building on Roane State College campus has a massage lab. Class began with some foundational principles: "Offer the gift of your attention," "Bodily autonomy rules," and most importantly, "It’s okay to play." Ian defines fascia as the continuous connective tissue that makes us "human-shaped." He has a playful way of teaching that is also entertaining. Two important qualities when you are talking for 16 hours straight.

My cold trip to Oak Ridge, TN to earn my Myofascial Swedish certification from the Massage Sloth

The core of the Sloth approach is simple: slowly drag the superficial layers of tissue or pin fascia to gently smooth out adhesions within the tissue, then transition into Swedish massage techniques. We explored how MFR accounts for the body as a whole by considering the fascia, muscles, and the nervous system, too. A successful Myofascial Swedish massage session should leave the tissue a bit warm and pliant, providing more mobility that offers the client a better sense of freedom.

Massage Sloth Techniques

We spent 16 hours diving into specific techniques that I’m already using on my clients back in my Vegas massage studio. Here are some of the highlights for me:

• The Harvey Maneuver: A trapezius/pectoralis sliding move that creates traction.

• Superman: We learned to find a position at the head of the table to press inferiorly on the back, then lean-in and fly into a "Superman."

• Steamrolling: For this technique, we learned to use our fists to steamroll the low back down to the hips.

• The Airplane Landing: Ian taught us that every contact should be meaningful, no throw-away moves. We practiced the airplane landing and take-off to ensure every touch was slow, fluid, and handled with intent.

  
  

Body Mechanics

For me, the tips on body mechanics were worth the tuition alone. Ian suggested setting the table lower —to below your fingertips or even mid-thigh. Instead of working too hard he encouraged us to shift our center of gravity and find excuses to dance, play, and break the rules a little with our movement. He also reminded us to remain in contact with the client, encouraging us to use a mother hand to lead a trailing hand, so sensitive clients aren't startled by touch.

Integrating Myofascial into Swedish Flow

The real beauty of this course was learning to integrate MFR with Swedish flow with transitions. Ian’s rule of thumb? Let the oil slow you down and determine your speed. If you use too much oil, you lose the grip needed for feeling the drag of fascial traction.

For one technique, we learned to work at a 45-degree angle, and visualize slowly pouring our body weight into the client. This makes the massage feel a thousand miles long without needing to use blunt, painful pressure to soften the tissues.

Bringing it Home to Vegas

I now have a much deeper understanding of how to work with the fascial network and muscles. My goal is for my clients to stand up/sit/sleep/move with a greater sense of ease and freedom that they didn't have when they walked into the massage studio.

After several years of personal MFR experiences as a patient, as well as being introduced to myofascial release styles at John Barnes's Healing Hands Seminar in Sedona, Ruth Duncan’s Method in Norway, Chris Melmoth's Deep MFR, and now the Massage Sloth's techniques, I have a wider perspective of fascial work. It’s all about slowing down, waiting for softening in the tissue. Some say that time span is around 30-60 seconds, while others say 3-5 minutes. They all encourage communicating clearly with the client, with minimal talking during the session so the noise doesn't distract you from noticing shifts in the tissues.

If you’re in Vegas and you've got aches and pains, then book a massage appointment with me to experience how these styles influence my work.

"Hi-ho, Silver. A-waay!"