An Introduction to One of Susan's Six Classes for Continuing Education

Keys to the Body's Self Correction

You are about to begin learning a system of body work that has evolved from years of work, using the concepts of several techniques. Positional Release Therapy, Orthobionomy, unwinding techniques used in Myofascial Release Therapy, and techniques for Cranial-Sacral work are all a part of this system of work that will be presented. A description of each of these massage modalities will be given during your class.

The “Keys” classes work with the innate reflexes to bring about a better sense of postural balance, well being, and personal integration. Simply put;This system of work releases tight muscles which restores blood and energy circulation, reduces pain, allows the skeleton to return to proper alignment, and lets the muscle tissue feel safe in its released position.

This is accomplished using gentle, non-force, safe techniques which use the natural healing instincts of the person. These techniques are easily learned.

Remember, most body-work practices are based upon forceful approaches. It has been shown that the body responds better when it is given acknowledgement for its corrective and protective instincts. Change can only come when the corrective instincts of the body are summoned up in such a way that the body does not resist this change. Anything beyond this is force, which when applied too much, leads only to rebellion of the self instead of a re-unification of the harmonic whole.

I have been drawn to what we call the “indirect” or “passive” techniques since the beginning of my practice as a massage therapist. When I began my massage practice, I was working as a registered nurse. I had suffered a lot of pain, both muscular-skeletal and stomach problems. All of my ailments began as a child; And,it wasn’t until five years after becoming a therapist that I learned I was suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome due to severe child abuse. No wonder I was drawn to a gentler form of therapy.

I had had the pain so long I really didn’t recognize it as pain or something I could address. It felt normal to me. One of my teachers in massage school started giving me the first massages I had ever had. He was very instrumental in the development of my work style. He used barely any pressure on my body, and yet I was feeling better in ways I had never imagined possible. Though he knew nothing about my history of abuse and injuries, he was able to help me. He showed me how to let the body show him what to do. Every massage from him was different. He was acknowledging what my body was doing to guard itself, and in doing so, my body did not feel the need to defend itself. He never forced anything. Though I may not have realized consciously, my being such a young student, I was taking in his methods and way of approaching the body. He did not always practice using these totally “passive” techniques. He taught very direct and deep work as well.

I have taught at a school of massage and have found that very few if any schools in this area are teaching the techniques, concepts, and approach that you will be learning in this class. You will be learning techniques and ways of thinking that will help you help your clients, decrease the amount of effort you exert during a session, go deeper with less or no pressure, cause less post-therapy pain for your clients, and definitely get you away from the boredom that a routine used for every massage can cause.

The first class titled “Full Body Introduction” will be lecture followed by demonstration. We will be showing releases on various areas of the body. We will choose the parts that can easily reveal the technique and results of that technique.
The second class, “Face, Head, and Neck” will start with a short lecture review followed by hands-on demonstration and individual instruction on the techniques for work on the areas of the face, head, and neck.

You will be learning a new method and way of thinking. Give yourself time to let it sink in. Do not worry “how long” it takes you to “get it”. We’re all different in the way we learn and the way we think while we practice body-work.
Once you understand the basics and get used to approaching a tight muscle with this new way of treatment, it will be as automatic as what you are doing now. These techniques can become part of any style or routine you are using without breaking the rhythm. You will become more and more proficient in following the body’s cues, discovering more and more “Keys to the Body’s Self Correction”.

I have developed these methods of body-work over the 30+ years I have practiced.
The techniques come from my own studies for certification in Positional Release, Orthobionomy, Neuromuscular, Therapeutic Touch, and Reiki. Of course many of my hand positions and approaches come from working in that massage room: dimly lit, full of healing energy, a person on the table happy to be there, witnessing and being a part of their letting go, and being focused on their inner bodies. Each day facing something different in a body leads to spontaneous discoveries along the way.

It is my desire to pass along what I have experienced and learned in the hopes that whoever follows can carry on and advance this work in the light of increasing knowledge.

Susan Reid RN, LMT
NCBTMB Provider #450770-08
Susan Reid RN, LMT

Quality CE provider for massage and bodywork therapy in Belleair Bluffs, Florida.

I am close to the following areas: Belleair Bluffs, Sand Key, Indian Rocks and Indian Shores Beach, Clearwater Beach, Redington Beach and Largo Florida.