Massage therapists can work safely and extend their careers by learning HandsFree(tm) Thai massage with a new DVD and course by internationally recognized expert Chuck Duff, ABMP, CTI,
CTT.
HandsFree Thai: The Commoner Style with Chuck Duff (130
minutes, $49.95 SRP) presents a highly effective approach to Thai massage that allows therapists to work with athletes and larger clients deeply and therapeutically without fear of injury
or further stress.
The ancient techniques of the Commoner style give Thai yoga practitioners a way to extend their careers in a safe and sustainable way, says Duff. The HandsFree Thai techniques, while
traditional in Thailand, have never before been gathered together in a single, coherent sequence. Practitioners use the feet, knees, shins and other means of applying body weight together
with ingenious stretching mechanics and insights from Duff'ss Clinical Thai Bodywork approach. The result is an incredibly effective methodology for therapists to work with any size
client, improving flexibility, energy and well-being.
Massage therapists commonly experience symptoms of occupational disability in their hands, arms and shoulders that disturb their ability to work effectively. A recent survey by Associated
Bodywork & Massage Professionals revealed that more than 75% of responding massage therapists reported significant work-related pain symptoms within the prior two years.
Many of these practitioners are studying our HandsFree Thai techniques in their efforts to work more years, more therapeutically and without symptoms of occupational disability -- and
clients love the work, especially athletes, says Duff. He has had great success teaching the HandsFree work to athletic trainers and physical therapists, who are using it to address the
unique requirements of more active lifestyles.
Chuck Duff'ss HandsFree Thai Bodywork has revolutionized my work with my clientele (ages 13-80), especially my athletes -- from recreational to Olympic and professional level. Using this
method, there are no places where clients must request more pressure or more stretch. Simultaneously, I no longer feel the stress on my own body (back, hands or neck) -- or worry for my
longevity in this career path, already at 15 years. I used to get so much pain in my fingers, wrists, and forearms -- and that has been totally eliminated by employing these techniques
that are therapeutic, biomechanically sound, and beneficial for both client and practitioner. Moreover, the fluid blend of stretching with deep compression provides an energetically
invigorating massage that my clients come back for regularly; one medical doctor has even resumed Aikido after a 14 year hiatus due to knee, back and shoulder pain! I feel that no other
massage or yoga can duplicate this bodywork approach, according to Rob Murray, LMT ATC/L -- a Florida massage therapist, athletic trainer and Olympic athlete.
Filmed in his Evanston, IL, teaching studio, the beautifully produced DVD integrates Duff'ss knowledge of yoga, martial arts and therapeutic bodywork, presenting over 2 hours of treatment
techniques. Viewers will learn how to:
· Give clients as much pressure and stretch as they need, safely and efficiently
· Work with balance, subtlety and sensitivity using the feet and knees
· Move in an efficient, elegant and powerful way while avoiding reliance on muscular strength (a common cause of therapists's work-related injuries)
Chuck teaches a 32-hour course on HandsFree Thai massage at his school in Evanston, IL that explores the DVD content in depth. He is also the developer
of the Clinical Thai Bodywork courses -- one of the most effective approaches available for orthopedic rehab, relief of chronic and acute pain, recovery from injury, and correction of
muscular dysfunction, he says.
HandsFree Thai: The Commoner Style is available from Amazon.com CustomFlix.com and The Thai Bodywork Web Store.
About Thai Massage
Emerging from a strongly Buddhist tradition, Thai massage is a practical expression
of Metta, compassion toward oneself and others. Performed on a mat in comfortable clothes, this lazy man'ss yoga creates a therapeutic dance incorporating rhythmic motion, invigorating
stretches, palming and thumbing along energy lines to invoke emotional calming and deep relaxation. The Commoner style is a highly efficient way of working that typifies the ingenuity of
the Thai people.
About Chuck Duff
Chuck Duff is a Certified Thai massage instructor, with an approach that emphasizes using the innate energies of the body to provide healing in a safe and sustainable way. His Thai Bodywork School of Thai Massage, which he founded in 2001, offers more than 250
hours of NCBTMB approved Thai massage and Thai herbal compress
certification trainings, and has emerged as one of the leading programs in the United States. A lifelong yoga enthusiast and martial artist, he has a B.A. in Religion and the
Humanities from the University of Chicago, focused on Buddhist Studies. He has studied Thai massage therapy with teachers in the United States, Thailand and Canada. His previous DVDs,
Traditional Thai Massage: The Northern Style with Chuck Duff (180 minutes, $49.95 SRP), and Thai Massage: An Introduction for the Mat and Table with Chuck Duff (100 minutes, $49.95 SRP)
have been very well received with 5-star reviews on Amazon. Excerpts of the Thai Massage DVDs can
be viewed on YouTube.