Body Wisdom Massage School’s Blog

BWS: Can you share with us how you first became interested in massage therapy and what led you to specialize in Thai Massage?

Ethel: I first became interested in massage therapy when I was searching for relief from some back pain I was experiencing.  I don’t like taking medications unless absolutely necessary, so I was looking for a pain relief alternative.  I visited Body Wisdom initially to receive a very much-needed massage.  !  I ended up leaving and enrolled as a student in massage therapy!  Although unfinished, I had studied Pre-Med during my college years and found Body Wisdom’s focus on the science of the body absolutely fascinating.  Finally, I can use some of the education I have already loved and learned!

BWS: What about the training at Body Wisdom Massage School that inspired you to pursue Thai Massage as a specialty?

Ethel: After I enrolled, I researched the schools in the area at that time.  There were several, but Body Wisdom had the highest graduation and licensure rate of their graduates, the graduate students were perceived as the best candidates for hire in the area, and they had the most variety of classes.  One of the things that caught my interest was Thai massage.  It sounded so exotic and different.  I could not take Thai Massage with my scheduled program when I initially enrolled.  I originally had designed a program more suited for a spa niche.  Oh, how quickly that began to change! While I couldn’t completely overhaul the program I had committed to,  I knew I would be back for CEU classes, explicitly targeting Thai Massage and Orthopedic/Sports Massage.

BWS: Reflecting on your time as a student at Body Wisdom Massage School, what aspects of the training most influenced your approach to massage in general and Thai Massage in particular?

Ethel: My time as a Body Wisdom student was terrific.  The instructors had a true passion for their craft, which showed how they taught. It seems that pursuing a massage certification also draws people of the same caliber: Passionate, enthusiastic, and empathetic caretakers or facilitators of well-being. I truly felt I had found an entire family who felt the same way I did regarding massage and its ability to heal the body. I still have that same love as I proceed through my Mastery Program at Body Wisdom.

BWS: What motivated you to transition from student to teacher at Body Wisdom Massage School?

Ethel: I never saw myself as a teacher of massage.  Honestly, I had homeschooled 2 of my children for 3 years and had discovered how much of a challenge that could be.  I NEVER wanted to teach.  What swayed my decision?  Ali Hatfield.  Honestly and truly.  I blame her 😊  She and Rhett had influenced me so much as a student.  I highly valued their opinions.  At that meeting, she convinced me that teaching would be a fantastic way for me to help continue to influence the future public about the miracles of massage bodywork and perpetuate the same learning experience (and love) of the trade I had as a student long ago.  

BWS: As a teacher, how do you convey the core principles of Thai Massage that you learned here to your students?

Ethel: I fell in love with the basic human principles encompassing Thai Massage, derived from the Buddhist religion, and the practical techniques themselves.  The heart has 4 chambers, which correlate to the 4 divine states of mind.  Metta, Karuna, Mudita, and Upekkha, translated in English, mean Loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity.  How beautiful is that?! Those are principles that I not only live my life by but also by how I choose to treat those that come along my path in any capacity.

BWS: Can you discuss some teaching strategies you use to help students overcome common learning hurdles in Thai Massage?

Ethel: My primary strategy in teaching is to be 1000% myself, which is what I request from the students in any of the classes I teach.  I do not purport to be the end-all, be-all specialist of the material I share.  In fact, I refer to all of the classes here at Body Wisdom as Level 1 courses… it’s just the beginning!  I am also a student of the modalities I teach, meaning I never stop learning. There is always knowledge to be learned, from both practicing and additional education acquired regarding any specific modality.

BWS: How do you adapt Thai Massage techniques to cater to clients with specific therapeutic needs

Ethel: I have a dual niche practice, and each complements the other beautifully.  My initial niche for massage consists of active individuals who currently use their bodies regularly or desire to better use them.  My secondary niche includes individuals suffering from chronic pain due to injury, post-surgical, or physical disorder.  I love how Thai Massage promotes healing to each and every one of those clients.  Athletes love the recovery assistance, and those who suffer from physical disorders find a new freedom in participating in an exercise to benefit their bodies that wouldn’t ordinarily be possible using traditional massage practice.  Thai massage is done on a mat on the floor while clothed.  That allows me to usher a massage for my client that provides physical and mental therapy.

BWS: Based on your experience, what advice would you give current students at Body Wisdom Massage School interested in Thai Massage?

Ethel: Thai Massage is known as a physical modality.  Most therapists can facilitate a Thai Massage.  The teaching focuses on posture, movement, and breathing from the beginning.  The class hours for this course run over a 12-day or 96-hour period.  However, with our teaching method, the students receive instruction over almost an entire month, allowing time for their bodies to develop the physicality needed to administer a treatment safely and effectively.  This isn’t done through additional exercise; it is by practicing the stretching, posturing, and meditations we practice daily throughout the teachings.

BWS: From your perspective as a practitioner and teacher, what are some challenges that the massage therapy industry, especially Thai Massage, is facing today?

Ethel: Thai Massage was developed to complement Thai Medicine, providing treatments to aid in the healing of the body, mind, and spirit. Western medicine has excluded the practice of massage as a method of treatment. Medicine is starting to welcome Massage’s assistance, but we still have a long way to go. Thai Massage is an energy modality with a reputation for being too outside of the norm to have a proper physical benefit.

BWS: What have been the most rewarding aspects of practicing and teaching Thai Massage?

Ethel: Whenever I perform a Thai massage treatment, I help the client and work on myself. Performing the techniques adequately requires my body to move freely, and the movements themselves allow for a rhythmic and slow pace for my body to unwind and warm up.

Wishing all my fellow massage therapists success in their practice …

Ethel