Yin & Yang

YIN & YAN (yang)
This Symbol of Yin-Yan represents the ancient Chinese understanding of how things work. The outer circle represents “everything”, while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies, called “yin” (black) and “yan” (white), which cause everything to happen. They are not completely black or white, just as things in life are not completely black or white, and they cannot exist without each other.

While yin energy is dark, passive, downward, cold, contracting, and weak, yan energy is bright, active, upward, hot, expanding, and strong. The shape of the yin and yang sections of the symbol, actually gives you a sense of the continual movement of these two energies, yin to yan and yan to yin, causing everything to happen.
If Yan is overly powerful, then Yin may be too weak. If Yin is particularly strong, then Yan is weak.
Yin is more a more feminine, receptive, nourishing and relaxing energy while Yang is a more masculine, active, outgoing, consuming energy. If masculinity’s yang force is overwhelming, then there will be excessive heat. If the femininity force of yin is overwhelming, then there will be excessive cold.
When numbering the tsubo points, the Yin meridians move up the body, whereas the Yan meridians move down the body.  Remember body position of Eastern Anatomical Position when figuring these directions out.
Chinese medicine does not cure diseases, but rather, prevents It. This reinforces the idea of self care of one’s own KI. Self awareness  for optimum health is one of the main elements in Asian bodywork systems.

Living Gently

We at ASIS hope that we can all meet each other in the same
compassionate way that we meet our client and their tissue. If there is
ever an dissatisfaction within the teaching staff or directed towards the
administration, we hope that you can approach the person you have issue
with.
When issues fester or poor feelings are aloud to continue with in a
group, it usually ends up affecting the system as a whole.
Part of the ASIS philosophy includes the idea that we are all
participating through our small actions in the larger world’s problems or
solutions, depending on what we are doing. When I have a problem with a
peer, colleague, friend, family member, etc, and I choose to talk about
them in a negative way to a third party, I am triangulating. Usually,
whether I like to admit it or not, I want that third party to take sides with
me, thereby excluding and even condemning the person I’m in conflict
with. We all know what it feels like to be excluded and or condemned.
The next thing I know, I know have conflict and WAR.
So what about diplomacy? What about the idea that if I’m having a
difficulty with a person ( or with my work system), I talk directly to them.
Or, if that’s too scary, I ask someone in the spirit of peacefulness, to
mediate, or help me find the courage and skill to communicate how I am
feeling, and how this other person effects me. I call this world peace
work. We need to stop making others evil and wrong, as we try to
navigate our own lives. The way I see it, we’re all just trying to keep our
heads above water, and a big dose of honesty, compassion, and tolerence
is good medicine for all involved.
Like children, students learn more from what is exemplified than from
what is said. So we can talk peace all we want, but if we are not actually
participating in peace, what we are modeling is not then congruent with
the mission of this massage school.

Peace to us all.

THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

The lymphatic system in vertebrates is a network of conduits that carry a clear fluid called lymph. It also includes the lymphoid tissue through which the lymph travels. Lymphoid tissue is found in many organs, particularly the lymph nodes, and in the lymphoid follicles associated with the digestive system such as the tonsils. The system also includes all the structures dedicated to the circulation and production of lymphocytes, which includes the spleen, thymus, bone marrow and the lymphoid tissue associated with the digestive system.  The lymphatic system as we know it today was first described independently by Olaus Rudbeck and Thomas Bartholin.  However, Hippocrates was the first person to mention the lymphatic system in fifth century BC. Rufus of Ephesus, a Roman physician, identified the axillary, inguinal and mesenteric lymph nodes as well as the thymus during the first to second century AD
The dissolved constituents of the blood do not directly come in contact with the cells and tissues in the body, but first enter the interstitial fluid, and then the cells of the body. Lymph is the clear, protein rich fluid that is formed when interstitial fluid enters the conduits of the lymphatic system. The lymph is not pumped through the body like blood, but is moved mostly by the contractions of skeletal muscles.
The lymphatic system has three interrelated functions.
1)    It is responsible for the removal of interstitial fluid from tissues.
2)    It absorbs and transports fatty acids and fats as chyle to the circulatory system.
3)    The transport of antigen presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells, to the lymph nodes where an immune response is stimulated.
The study of lymphatic drainage of various organs is important in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. The lymphatic system, because of its physical proximity to many tissues of the body, is responsible for carrying cancerous cells between the various parts of the body in a process called metastasis. The intervening lymph nodes can trap the cancer cells. If they are not successful in destroying the cancer cells the nodes may become sites of secondary tumors.
Diseases and other problems of the lymphatic system can cause swelling and other symptoms. Problems with the system can impair the body’s ability to fight infections.
In the early 1930’s, Danish physiotherapists Emil and Astid Vodder developed their system of Manual Lymphatic Drainage, which has become the basis for most Lymphatic Drainage massage techniques used today.  In the 1970’s, Hungarian physicians Michael & Ethel Foldi combined Vodder’s MLD with a variety of other massage, exercise and hydrotherapies into a comprehensive treatment for Lymphedema.  This is called Complete Decongestive Therapy.

Reflexology

The History of REFLEXOLOGY
Egypt: The oldest documentation of the use of reflexology is found in Egypt, in the tomb of Ankhmahor, a physician who was the most influential official, second only to the king. In this pictograph dating back to 2,500 B.C. medical practitioners are shown treating the hands and feet of their patients. The hieroglyphic above the scene reads:
“Do not let it be painful,” says one of the patients. “I do as you please,” an attendant replies.

India: The art of reflexology was also known 5,000 years ago in ancient India. Hinduism, one of the oldest religions in the world, is the major religion of India. Various temple shrines portray the divinities in sculptured images and in paintings. A painting titled “Vishnu-padas” shows the feet symbolizing the unity of the entire universe. All elements of the universe are represented by the signs and also indicate the many aspects of the Ultimate One. Many of the Sanskrit symbols can be translated and their exact placement closely corresponds to various reflex points used today

China and Japan: Ancient Chinese writings described a pressure therapy using the fingers and thumbs. Acupressure is an old Oriental therapy, developed before traditional Acupuncture, which evolved around 2,500 B.C. The 12 meridians used in TCM also play an important role in reflexology systems. Buddha’s footprints carved in a rock at Kusinara, China, show symbols on all the toes depicting the sun, possibly reflecting the Chi energy within the toes.
A form of reflexology originated in China about 4,000 years ago under Emperor Hwang as part of Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion. The roots of reflexology can be traced to the Chinese medical book Hwang Tee Internal Text where it is called the “Examining Foot Method”.
It is recorded that a Japanese monk and others studied in China and brought the knowledge to Japan around the time of the Tang Dynasty.

Europe: Around 1300 A.D. Marco Polo is credited with bringing Chinese massage to Europe after having traveled extensively in the Orient. Also there were many Franciscan and Dominican missionaries that traveled to China, therefore they also could have brought reflexology to Europe. However, it is evident that the two streams, one from the East and one from the West (Egypt) found their way to Europe sometime during the Dark Ages.
Much later, a form of reflexology called zone therapy was known and practiced. Zone therapy relieves pain and stress with the application of pressure to zones of the body. The pressure causes a reflex action to occur in another part of the same zone. Dr. Adamus and Dr. Artatis wrote a book on the subject of zone therapy which was published in 1582.
In the late 1890′s massage techniques were developed in Germany that became known as “reflex massage”. This was the first time that the benefits of massage techniques were credited to reflex actions.

Americas: Pressure applied to the feet as a source of healing, was used by the American Indians, which could have been passed down from the Incan Empire. The Inca’s probably did have some kind of footwork, but since they did not develop any writing system there are no sources to reference.
The practice of reflexology had been passed on through an apprenticeship since the 1690′s in the Cherokee nation. Although they were the only Indian nation with a written language there is no record of footwork or charts among the Cherokees or any other American Indians.
Formally, the development and practice of reflexology in the United States is a result of studies conducted by Dr. William Fitzgerald in the early 1900′s.
Dr. fitzgerald was a senior nose and throat surgeon at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. It was at this time that he made his findings of zone therapy known to the medical world.
He developed this therapy, because he observed that when applying firm pressure to certain points on the hands, toes, and other parts of the body, it caused a type of anesthesia to a limited area. This allowed him to perform minor surgery without the use of cocaine or other local analgesics. Dr. Fitzgerald is credited for his findings of the 10 vertical zones used in modern reflexology.
Dr. Fitzgerald taught Dr. Joe Shelby Reily zone therapy. Dr. Reily used this method extensively in his chiropractic school, which led him to discover eight horizontal divisions, which also govern the body.  His work with reflexes and zones also included the hands, head, and ears.
Auriculotherapy, as ear reflexology is termed, was also practiced through the ages by the Chinese.  In 1950, a French doctor, Paul Nogier brought ear reflexes again to the attention of the West.
During the 1930′s Eunice Ingham trained and worked with Dr. Reily in St. Petersburg. Florida. She is known as the ‘Mother of Modern Reflexology’. Eunice made two major contributions. Her first was that she found alternating pressure, rather that having a numbing effect, stimulated healing. For forty years she lectured and traveled back and forth across the United States. She wrote three books in the process. Most authors of reflexology have at one time studied the Ingham method.

CranioSacral Therapy

Craniosacral Therapy by Heidi Wilson
Describing what a craniosacral therapy session feels like is not easy. A recent client of mine said, “It feels like being in the womb of the world!” Words like “peaceful, relaxed, balanced, centered, free, calm” are often used to describe the experience of a session.
You might think of receiving craniosacral work for numerous types of symptoms or conditions. Headaches, low back pain, symptoms from injuries, recovery from surgeries, nervous system disorders, brain injuries, spinal injuries, muscular-skeletal issues, tension, stress of all kinds, integration of emotional and spiritual issues, hiatal hernias, immune system issues, and more. This modality treats the whole person, so it seems almost limitless as to what might be addressed.
Craniosacral therapy originates in the western medicine practice of osteopathy. It is a profoundly relaxing and gentle modality that promotes healing on a deep level. The focus of the practitioner is mainly on the subtle movement and slower rhythms of the fluid continuum that is present in the body.
This work began with an osteopathic doctor named William Sutherland. As a student of Franklyn Taylor Stills in Kirksville, Ill., around the turn of the 20th century, he began exploring the possibility and significance of a type of motion occurring between the sutures of the cranial bones. He began experimenting on his own cranium, applying devices that restricted movement of some areas of the skull, while freeing up or amplifying movement in other areas. He observed how these restrictions caused imbalances in other systems of the body, including mental and emotional.
These experiments revealed a relationship between the free-flowing subtle movements of the cranium and the health of the whole person. The results led Sutherland to a mechanical view of the relationship of the cranial bones to each other, almost like a system of pulleys and levers, with the spheno-basilar joint in the center of the head being the focal point of this movement. He also observed a relationship between the sacrum and the cranium through the involuntary movement of the spinal dura. He hypothesized that these movements might be caused by the motion of the cerebral spinal fluid around the brain and spinal cord.
Sutherland began working on patients to restore balance to this system or mechanism, and he taught this system to other osteopaths. It took many years of success with his patients and much lecturing and teaching before it became accepted in the osteopathic community that the cranial bones did have motion and that cranial osteopathy was an effective healing modality.
Dr Sutherland became deeply interested in what was the driving force behind this motion. He observed a type of respiration of the whole body, or the fluid body, that is separate from lung breathing. He called this motion Primary Respiration. This is the kind of breathing we were doing inside our mothers’ wombs. As his work deepened and matured in his later life (mid 1940s), he began to discover that the more he got out of the way and observed this process of Primary Respiration, the better the results for his patients. He observed the presence of very slow movements that he called Tides, which seemed to move through the body at various rates. He also observed stillnesses in which it seemed that the system was able to come to a deep rest and get recharged or reorganized. He observed that sessions in which these deep states of rest and stillness occurred resulted in his patients being able to change long-held patterns of imbalances in the body and mind. He began to develop and teach this very gentle method of the work in his later years. The continuation and evolution of this phase of his work is what is now known as the biodynamic approach to craniosacral therapy.
Today, this work is done by some osteopaths and has been embraced by many massage therapists as well, thanks to Dr John Upledger, who was the first person to present and teach this work on a wide scale to non-osteopaths. Today, many different schools offer craniosacral therapy, some with a more bio-mechanical point of view (Upledger), some with a pure biodynamic approach (Charles Ridley, Franklyn Sills, Micheal Shea), and some with a combination of both (the Milne Institute offers both biomechanical and biodynamic perspectives, as well as explorations of shamanic practices).
Craniosacral therapy is gentle and safe for all ages from newborn to the elderly.  Heidi Wilson offers classes through ASIS Massage Education in Clarkdale.  For more information, visit www.asismassage.com

traditional chinese medicine and massage therapy

Chinese Medicine is simple; it began with observing nature and then taking these observations and applying them to the human body. This began with the concept of yin and yang. Anything in relation to anything else could either be described as being yin or yang: light or heavy, dark or light, male or female, active or passive. This meant that all things in nature were necessary to maintain balance and neither yin nor yang was more powerful. Instead, they were constantly becoming one another. Hence the yin yang symbol of equal halves of a circle with full smaller circles of opposite color in side.

The most common shape in nature is a circle, the cells of your body are circles and healthy DNA spins clockwise. The ancient Chinese also used circles to explain balance. The element circle looks like this: Water grows wood, wood grows fire, fire makes ashes or earth, inside of the earth is metal, and water condenses on metal. The Chinese applied this cycle and these elements to what they believed to be the organs of the body. Wood is the liver and gall bladder. Fire is heart and small intestine. Earth is spleen and stomach. Metal is lung and large intestine. Water is urinary bladder and kidney. In this way, the body was seen as being supported by each organ. Blood and energy, or qi, flowed through the body like water. When one organ became unbalanced every other organ was affected. When the smooth flowing circulation got blocked somewhere in the body from an imbalance, disease festered like a pond of still water growing full of sludge.

In Chinese Medicine there are no divisions of the body like in Western Medicine. Instead, the whole body is accessed to understand how an imbalance is affecting the body, mind and spirit. This is achieved through a series of questions and on examination of the tongue and pulses. The greatest diagnostic tool of Chinese Medicine is still observation. The tongue is a map and mirror to the internal body. The tip of the tongue represents the heart and just behind the lungs. The center of the tongue reflects the spleen and the stomach. The sides mirror the liver and gall bladder. The back of the tongue shows the kidneys and urinary bladder. The size, shape, color and coat tell the story of how the internal organs are functioning. Three pulses are felt on both wrists to reflect again the internal organs. The left radial pulse represents the heart, liver and kidney yin and the right radial pulse represents the lung, spleen and kidney yang. The pulse is felt for its depth, speed, and rate. Acupuncturists use descriptive words like wiry, thready, soggy, slippery or knotted when assessing the pulses.

Based on the observations of the tongue, pulse and assessment of questions an Acupuncturist will devise a treatment plan that might include acupuncture, moxabustion and herbal remedies. Through this observation “western diseases” are not being treated, instead, the body is being brought back to balance. Chinese Medicine looks at a “symptom” like a branch of a tree, and looks deeper to find the root cause. In this way, the “symptom” is addressed, as well as, what caused the symptom in the first place. The advantages of this philosophy are the “side effects.” For example, a patient being treated for back pain might also report higher energy levels, better sleep, reduction in hot flashes or heart burn, a more regular and less painful menstrual cycle and/or improved emotional wellbeing. This means that Chinese Medicine can treat virtually any condition aiding in bringing the body back to harmony. While this is true, Chinese Medicine’s true genius is preventative. Ancient Chinese doctors were responsible for keeping the community healthy; it was the doctors who had to pay if a patient was sick.

Chinese Medicine is by no means a quick fix; however it is an opportunity to impact not only one’s body, but lifestyle as well. Massage Therapy (tui na), Exercise, Meditation, Feng Shui, and Nutrition are also key components of this system that can contribute lasting harmony. Acupuncturists recommend receiving quarterly treatments as a “tune up” when the energy of the Earth is changing to maintain wellness.
Sarah Zender, LAc. LMT. is a licensed and nationally certified Massage Therapist, licensed Acupuncturist in the state of Illinois and a certified yoga teacher. Sarah also holds an advanced certificate in Acupuncture from the Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Sarah teaches at ASIS Massage School.

http://asismassage.com/staff_illinois_massage_school.htm

TCM - SHIATSU

Five Element theory

THE FIVE ELEMENTS
According to an Ayurvedic model the five elements are the more specific forms that life energy takes within our bodies, governing the physical systems and manifesting as qualities of consciousness. There are numerous ways to more fully awaken and balance these elemental forces. Meditation, attention to diet, attunement to the natural world, exercise and bodywork are common methods. Bodywork can act as a direct feedback mechanism for discovering the energetic patterns (beliefs, thoughts, emotions, sensations, and breath) which underlie physical posturing and behavior. With greater awareness of how these patterns condition and recondition through repetition the context (what is felt) and content (what is thought) in our lives, there arises the real possibility of an understanding which functions as a growing freedom amidst these patterns. Simultaneously this understanding can help dissolve the patterns that have a limiting tendency.
Although for purposes of explanation it is necessary to describe each of these elements individually, it’s important to keep in mind that they are not separate from one another, yet they each possess unique distinctive characteristics.
The ether element is the space within which life happens. Therefore it is all-encompassing and supports the movement of life on every level. Life forms require a space to be born into; the earth depends upon the atmosphere; the fetus requires the womb; the emotional and physical heart depend upon the body for their existence. The hollow spaces within the body are the more specific domain of the ether element. The ventricles of the brain, the space within the lungs and the intestinal tract, the joints which form the space between the individual bones of the body are common examples. In fact there is literally more space between the molecules of the body than there are molecules. An attunement to the ether creates a wonderful possibility for an awareness of the flowing, ever-changing, interdependent nature of the life process.
The air element is the wind, which moves within the space element. It is the oxygen we breathe. It governs the respiratory system and the intellectual or thoughtful realm of life. Therefore as this element is attuned to and comes to greater balance, both of these areas of the life experience are benefited. Breathing is both a voluntary and involuntary process, meaning that we can regulate or control our breath and contribute to numerous physiological and psychological effects, and even if we don’t pay any attention to it, the breath will continue to come in and out of the body, nourishing the cells and sustaining our organism throughout life. The breath is a link between the conscious and the unconscious mind, meaning that by attending to the natural, normal, unmanipulated breath, aspects of the unconscious mind will reveal themselves to consciousness (unconscious here refers to that which is not yet known.) Numerous meditative disciplines around the world utilize the breath as an object for training the attention to be in the present moment, and for harmonizing the mind and the body.  Air element sessions can help induce calmness and clarity of mind. The polarities of this element are felt physically as sensations of movement (fast-slow) and psychologically through the feeling continuum of calm-fear.
The fire element governs the direction that the movement of life takes. It lies energetically, or in terms of frequency of vibration in the middle of the elemental spectrum (the ether and air being more subtle or faster in terms of frequency of vibration, while the water and earth are denser and slower in vibration.) This element is related to the digestive system, and in terms of behavior, the ability to take action. Working with this element can boost the vital force of the body by augmenting the metabolic processes. There is an intimate relationship between the function and balance of the fire element and the air element. The availability of oxygen is crucial for all the physical systems to function. The digestive system is positioned immediately inferior, anatomically, to the lungs in the body. Therefore digestive function is greatly enhanced by an open and free respiratory cycle. A relatively relaxed and responsive diaphragm contributes significantly to metabolism, as it massages the digestive organs with every breath taken. When metabolic process is refined through careful attention to food intake and activity levels there is the possibility of a more consistent availability and flow of life energy throughout the day. The small intestine is the principal site for digestion. This organ quite literally receives the food and divides what is needed from what can be eliminated. What is needed is assimilated for the maintenance of the body’s tissues, while what is not needed can be moved on into the large intestine for elimination. Assimilation of life experience is happening on many different levels all the time. Certain experiences will register consciously and impress themselves upon us in such a way that they deeply effect how we see ourselves and the world. Many experiences will be hardly noticed and have little impact. Within this polarity much of what we could call, relatively speaking, the self, is contained. Physical environment, food selection, relationships, education are all somehow selected and related to. The small intestine can be viewed as the physical analog for the assimilation of the relative self. In this sense bodywork which more fully connects us with the fire element and its associated organs can help support the growth of wisdom in relation to choices and their effect on behavior. The fire element is experienced physically through the field of temperature (hot-cold) and psychologically through the feeling continuum of anger-joy.
The water element is often viewed as the element of receptivity and sensitivity. It is associated with the urinary- genital system, the lymphatic system and at the deepest level in the physical body, the central nervous system. Water is the element that allows our nervous system to have electrical conductivity. It is the element of cleansing and regeneration both physically and psychologically. Creativity (the ability to manifest outwardly what is felt or sensed within in fresh and unique ways) is a natural outgrowth of all of the elements being awakened and balanced. The procreative energy and its numerous expressions are particularly significant in terms of the water element. A more complete and expanded understanding of sexual energy can be fostered through working with this element. An example of this would be deepening the felt relationship between the pelvic center or cavity and the heart. An opening to appreciation of the uniqueness and beauty of the procreative impulses can be cultivated while also integrating this awareness into the growth of creativity in general.
As one part of a holistic approach to transforming the effects of physical and sexual abuse, water sessions can be very helpful. The wide-ranging effects of miscarriage, abortion, menstrual cycle symptoms, and menopause can also be benefited. Prostate gland complications in men and urinary tract infections for both women and men have shown positive response. As research continues to validate the relationship between the immune system, the nervous system, and the emotions, bodywork, which contributes to a clearer understanding of the somatic aspect of emotional process will undoubtedly grow in popularity.  The water element is experienced physically through the sensations of cohesion-dispersion and psychologically through the feeling continuum of sadness-contentment. When more in balance, there is a greater sense of fluidity (specifically at the emotional level) and less of a tendency for attachment and clinging.
The earth element governs the large intestine and the hard tissue of the body. Sessions which address this element help bring more awareness to the function of the large intestine while vitalizing and clearing the organ also. A deeper sense of the skeleton as it interfaces with the myofascial matrix within the field of gravity can be enhanced. Grounding in the psycho-physical process and to the earth itself, while providing for increased practicality and organization in response to life’s changing circumstances, is a further potential effect. Becoming more at home on the earth, happy and appreciative for the physical body are feelings which often arise. The earth element guides or channels the power and fluidity of water. For this reason, as the water element is awakened (and in particular the wider range of emotions begin to flow), it can be useful to utilize earth sessions as a compliment and support for the water, and in turn the other elements as well. The earth element is experienced physically as sensations of weight (light-heavy) and as softness-hardness. Psychologically the element is expressed through the feeling continuum of responsibility- rigidity. Rigidity here refers to the tendency to react to internal and external stimuli, while responsibility refers to the ability to respond to the same.

Why an Integrative Program?

Why an Integrative Program?

I believe I will never quite know.
Though I play at the edges of knowing,
truly I know our part is not knowing,
but looking and touching and loving…
-Mary Oliver

The intent of the massage modalities interspersed throughout the massage training programs at ASIS is to educate and assist the student in finding their own voice in the massage profession. The modalities are carefully chosen to blend eastern and western philosophies, as well as deep and light touch, thereby giving the student the opportunity to learn to affect their clients on all levels: physically, energetically, and emotionally. It is our underlying belief that each student has a great intelligence that will guide them throughout their profession, helping them to discern the most beneficial work to support the health of their client. The primary role of the therapist is to be one who listens to both the words and tissues of the client, and then uses whichever tools would be in the client’s best interest. It is in this way that the therapist can act as a teacher of greater health and wellbeing, which then facilitates the healer that lives within each recipient.

By integrating a variety of modalities, ASIS believes that the student is then free from dogma, and is more able to access their own inner voice in the therapeutic process. The more tools therapists bring to their tables, the more capable they are of truly supporting their clients. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to explore their own truths and preferences within the form of each modality, opening to a kinesthetic and cognitive understanding of all that is taught. What may at first appear as a less personally interesting style of work will later become an integral part of the individual’s repertoire for creative expression and healing.

It is the desire of the staff to graduate competent, creative therapists who have developed their own abilities to visualize and understand anatomy, coupled with a sensitivity to palpate the whole person, all while listening deeply.  Course Descriptions.

Education as Fun

Education as Fun