The Ariana Institute’s Head, Hand, and Foot Massage Manual is part of a series of massage manuals that are designed to help deepen the knowledge of current massage therapists and introduce new massage therapists to the world of massage and bodywork. The Head, Hand, and Foot Massage Manual features topics that are also available as NCBTMB approved online CE courses through the Ariana Institute at www.arianainstitute.com/ce-online/, including:
- Reflexology for the Hands, Feet and Ears
- Facial and Scalp Massage
- Neck, Hand and Foot Massage
- Back, Neck and Shoulder Massage
This manual incorporates detailed protocols, photos, links to online videos, marketing strategies, personal stories, and resources to encourage a comprehensive understanding of head, hand, and foot massage therapy modalities beneficial for your massage practice.
Here’s a personal story about reflexology massage featured in the Head, Hand, and Foot Massage Manual.
REFLEXOLOGY
My first experience with reflexology was at Whole Foods Market where I received an incredible reflexology treatment from Taki, a delightful Japanese woman. From the first moment she touched me, I knew I was going to be transformed. It was clear from the very beginning that she had a deep understanding of reflexology that was far beyond merely a perfunctory technique of lightly touching the feet in certain spots. That is certainly not what reflexology is; it is dynamic and powerful.
Taki sat me down in a big reclining chair in a quiet corner of Whole Foods, in downtown Austin. She was like a quick bumblebee rapidly flitting from toe to toe and then working both horizontally and vertically up and down the soles of my feet. She started at the top of my toes, then worked her way down to the base of my toes, then across the pad of my foot and down to the arch of my foot, finally landed on my heel. Taki had the most powerful, intuitive and skilled thumbs I’ve ever encountered. She worked very rapidly and palpated the reflex points energetically with the tip of her thumb. I let my imagination run wild and envisioned myself in a beautiful golden temple in Kyoto, receiving this magnificent reflexology session from a lovely Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor clad in a kimono. It was heaven on earth. This was my first encounter with Traditional Chinese Medicine and I was impressed. As soon as the session was over, I thanked Taki profusely and went on my way back into the sea of people shopping at Whole Foods. My feet felt like they were floating on a cloud.
I knew from the moment I received Taki’s treatment that I was determined to learn reflexology techniques, offer them in my private practice and teach reflexology in my continuing education classes at the Ariana Institute. It wasn’t too long after the experience with Taki that I moved to Wimberley and established my massage practice and my continuing education school there. One day I walked into an art gallery and a friend of mine and I talked about my upcoming Hand and Foot continuing education class and she said that her mother, Rosemary, was coming to town and she was a Certified Reflexologist. I immediately asked if I could hire her as a guest instructor for a segment of my upcoming class. Everything fell into place, and Rosemary was in my class demonstrating reflexology techniques for the feet, hands and ears. I absorbed the reflexology information like a sponge and my students were delighted to have the bonus of reflexology in their Hand and Foot Massage class.
After the class was over, I took more reflexology classes, watched many videos and then designed the Ariana Institute’s Reflexology Course. I obtained approval from the state as well as from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in order to offer the class nationally. I’ve found reflexology to be helpful in many ways. It resets the metabolism and is a significant stress reducer. I’ve even had clients who have found relief from headaches after a reflexology treatment. I love the fact that reflexology is a safe, non–invasive and easy–to–administer modality that helps people be more at peace in their own bodies. Feeling like I’m floating on a cloud is one of my ideal states of being and reflexology certainly helps facilitate that euphoria.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – ARIANA VINCENT, LMT, MTI, BCTMB
Ariana Vincent was awarded the 2015 CE Provider of the Year Award by the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education. She is the CEO of the Ariana Institute and a Nationally Certified Massage Therapy Instructor whose classes are accepted throughout the United States. Ariana is also a Massage Therapy Hall of Fame Honoree and author of the Ariana Institute’s therapy manual series available on Amazon.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
To read the foreword of the Head, Hand, and Foot Massage Manual, visit https://arianainstitute.com/the-ariana-institutes-head-hand-and-foot-massage-manual-and-ce-courses-2/.
The Ariana Institute’s video introduction to the Reflexology for the Hands, Feet and Ears; Facial and Scalp Massage; and Neck, Hand and Foot Massage CE courses can be accessed on the Ariana Institute’s YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/user/ArianaInstitute.
To order your copies of the Ariana Institute’s Head, Hand, and Foot Massage Manual, visit www.amazon.com/author/arianavincent.
For additional information about the Ariana Institute and to register for online continuing education and MTI courses visit www.arianainstitute.com/ce-online/.
Ariana Vincent, LMT, MTI, NCTMB