The profession of a massage therapist attracts many people. After all, it brings good income, and mastering it is not difficult. What does it take to become a massage therapist? The article will discuss the features of the profession and the necessary skills.
What is the job of a massage therapist?
Like any other profession, it has its own characteristics and nuances. Massage is a system of dosed effects on the skin and tissues of a person to improve his well-being. There is no need to realign the spine or joints during the work. The massage therapist acts only on the surface of the body. However, a specialist can achieve amazing results. How to become a massage therapist? As in any profession, to become a specialist, you need to have a large amount of knowledge.
Massage as a remedy has been used since ancient times. Currently, it is conventionally divided into sports, therapeutic and cosmetic. Different forms of massage have their own areas of application. Therapeutic is used during sanatorium therapy and in rehabilitation centers. Sports massage specialists work with fitness center visitors and professional athletes. This is necessary to improve muscle condition after training. Cosmetic massage is aimed at improving the condition of the skin. It is mainly used in beauty salons.
How to become a good massage therapist? To engage in such a profession, you need to understand all its features and possess many skills. All types of massage use the same technique, which consists of kneading, patting, stroking and other actions. Massage is divided into several types: fast, slow, superficial, relaxing, erotic, deep, superficial, etc. Massage therapists most often work with their hands, using small mechanical devices: brushes, massage jars. However, their work also involves modern technologies, which involve the use of various devices. They are used for vacuum massage and vibration massage. Such procedures are classified as hardware.
What qualities should a massage therapist have?
The profession requires a person to have the personal qualities that will be needed to do their job well:
- Good physical shape is one of the most basic minimums, because performing a massage requires significant strength in the hands. Otherwise, you won’t be able to properly stretch your muscles.
- Endurance and patience. These are some of the main qualities required to work as a massage therapist. In some cases, sessions last for a long time.
- The need for constant professional self-improvement. After all, a person who has several massage techniques will be in demand in different areas of its application.
If the applicant for this position has most of these personal characteristics, then mastering the profession will not be difficult at all. Where to begin? You can become a massage therapist only after receiving the appropriate education. Only special skills will allow you to fully master the profession.
What education does a massage therapist need?
Having an appropriate diploma will simplify the process of mastering the profession. Therefore, when professionals are asked the question of whether it is possible to become a massage therapist without a medical education, they receive a negative answer. A massage therapist does not have to have a higher education; it is enough to graduate from a medical school and then take special courses. After all, he must have at least minimal knowledge about the anatomical structure of a person, because by acting on biologically active points, one can harm the patient. A regular relaxing massage requires fewer skills than a therapeutic one. Indeed, in the second case, you have to deal with elements of the musculoskeletal system.
Where can I study?
How to become a professional massage therapist? As already mentioned, in order to have the necessary skills, you need to complete special courses. You can sign up for them in almost any city. What are the positive aspects of such training:
- Availability. Each person will be able to pay for the training course because the price is low.
- Quick results. The basics of massage are taught in 2-3 months.
- Upon completion of the courses, a certificate is issued, according to which you can officially work in this field.
How to become a massage therapist without medical education? There is a disadvantage to studying at the courses, because the diploma does not allow you to conduct therapeutic massage. This limits the list of jobs and significantly lowers the upper limit of a specialist’s income.
Choosing a Specialization
How to become a massage therapist? Mastering a profession is not enough; the main thing is to decide on the direction of your activity. Currently, there are many types of massage. These include:
- Cosmetic or relaxing massage. This direction does not require medical education. To carry out such a massage, it is enough to take special courses. You can increase your specialization and choose one of the narrow areas - aromatic or energy.
- Wellness massage. Such procedures require certain knowledge in medicine. The practical skills of a massage therapist are especially valuable, because one wrong move can harm the patient’s health.
- Oriental massage. It belongs to new, although very popular areas today. Thai massage parlors can be found in almost every city in the country.
The correct choice of activity will allow the massage therapist to perform his work efficiently and receive an appropriate income.
Types of massage therapists
People who engage in this type of activity include:
- Children's massage therapist. His activities include working with children, including infants. It is aimed not only at correcting physiological deficiencies, but also at their prevention. This will allow the child to grow up completely healthy.
- Sports massage therapist. This type of activity is aimed at increasing a person’s physical capabilities and performance, subject to complete safety for his health. Such massage therapists work in fitness rooms and with professional athletes.
- Massage therapist-cosmetologist. This type of activity does not exist in medicine, but similar positions exist in many institutions. This massage allows you to improve a person’s appearance (face and body). The procedure involves a combination of medical massage techniques and cosmetic procedures that allow people to look attractive.
The choice of type of activity depends entirely on the abilities of the massage therapist and his preferences.
What will you have to learn?
How to become a massage therapist? Regardless of the specialization of his activity, he will need to master the following skills:
- General human anatomy.
- Basic techniques of manual massage.
- Features of the use of vegetable and essential oils.
- Rules of sanitation in the workplace.
All these skills allow the massage therapist to do his job better.
Where to go to work?
A massage therapist can also work at home. To do this, you will need a special table, as well as some accessories and consumables (this includes essential oils). By conducting several sessions a day, a massage therapist can return the money invested in equipment in a short time.
People who want to expand the scope of their activities should think about opening a massage parlor. Thanks to the constant influx of clients, it will be possible to develop practical skills. In the future, they will allow a specialist to become a real professional. 
If he has a medical education, then a private clinic or sanatorium, where the wages are quite high, will be a prestigious place of work. The profession of a massage therapist is considered to be in demand, but it requires special skills and abilities from its owner, because in the process of his work he is faced with the health of the patient. Over time, when acquiring certain skills, a specialist can become a real guru.
Massage is an excellent way to relax and relieve muscle tension. This skill can be useful in helping loved ones. It’s also a good way to earn money, because specialists who know it are in great demand. But many people don’t know how to become a massage therapist. But you can acquire a useful skill even if you do not have a medical education.
What does it take to become a massage therapist?
Oddly enough, in order to master this specialty, you should first of all improve your physical fitness. Massage requires sufficient physical effort and endurance; an ordinary person will very quickly become exhausted during the session without completing it. Hands and fingers get tired especially quickly, so you need to start training them, strengthening the muscles with the help of special exercises. It would also be useful to study the theory: the structure of the human body.
How to become a massage therapist without medical education?
Anyone can master massage skills without having any special education. To do this, it is enough to complete training courses and receive a certificate. Similar programs are offered by medical institutions and some commercial organizations. You can find a lot of similar offers on the Internet. Prices here may vary, but in general the cost of courses is not very high and is approximately equal to the cost of driving courses. To learn to become a massage therapist, you will need at most several months, but then it will be advisable to devote a little time to gaining experience by practicing on friends and acquaintances.
After completing the courses, you can work professionally as a massage therapist. However, in this case, you will only be able to do a general or cosmetic massage, not therapeutic or restorative. Without a medical education, you can start working as a massage therapist in a beauty salon, etc. 
establishments or offer your services privately.
How to become a licensed professional massage therapist?
If you are interested in the answer to the question of how to become a good massage therapist who has a license and earns a lot, then you should keep in mind that there is nothing to do here without a medical education. First, you will have to graduate from medical school or take a special qualification course at a medical university, and then also complete massage courses. And only after this can you count on obtaining a license and a well-paid job.
No matter what anyone says on TV screens and from the pages of newspapers that things in our country are getting better and better every day, the economic crisis has not gone away. Enterprises are still closing, “optimization” is in full swing at existing ones, and people are left without work. The question arises, what to do next - look for a job in your specialty or give up on everything and find a new specialty, more pleasant, in demand, more interesting, more profitable, which is always with you?
An excellent option in such conditions could be the work of a massage therapist. Massage procedures are by no means cheap, and sooner or later everyone’s back starts to hurt, and only cavemen don’t know about anti-cellulite massage.
If you want to master massage and have a medical education, great. It makes sense for such people to choose a place where they can take the so-called “Certification Course” lasting 288 hours. It takes about half a year, but you need to be prepared for such training mentally and financially. But you will receive a state-issued certificate and will be able to get a job in any medical institution (unless, of course, there are layoffs there and there is a place for you).
If you do not have a medical education, but are interested in working as a massage therapist, do not despair, you can still get this profession and earn a decent living. At the same time, many are probably tormented by questions. Here are the main ones:
1. Will I be able to give people massages without medical education, without fear of harm, breaking something, spoiling, etc.?
2. Will I be able to get a job as a massage therapist without a medical education?
3. If I decide to do massage on my own without a medical education, working as an individual entrepreneur, will I need a medical license that everyone is talking about?
4. Probably, massage is for young people; I can’t do it at my age (no matter what age)…
5. What evaluation criteria should be used when choosing massage courses?
6. What if I don’t have clients after finishing my training?
The main thing you need to get started is a strong desire to master massage, and we will answer these questions and dispel your doubts. So …
Question #1: Is it possible to massage people without medical education without fear of harm, breaking something, ruining it, etc.?
Regardless of whether you have a medical education or not, when doing massage you should NECESSARILY! know the indications and contraindications for massage, understand what you are doing to a person, for what purpose, how many procedures your client needs and why, know the basic rules of massage and not break them, know what massage techniques you use and why, what will be the result of your influences during the procedure, immediately after it and after a certain time, why you chose such a table and exactly this position of the client on it, oil or other cosmetic product, etc. and so on. You must be able to skillfully explain to a person what you are doing with him and competently answer all his questions. Therefore, regardless of your education, the massage course program that you take must definitely give you the necessary knowledge and comprehensive answers to all questions. Studying massage without theory is, in any case, pointless and even dangerous. Beware of places that only teach technique and nothing more.
If the training program for the massage courses you have chosen is well built, takes enough time, and you are a diligent student, then it is difficult to harm a person without malicious intent. Man is a strong structure with many degrees of protection. Look at what athletes do to each other in contact martial arts and compare it with the effects of a massage, or just put a chicken carcass on the table and try to break its bones. Even in the case of a chicken, not everything is so simple, so what can we say about a person? Draw conclusions)).
Question #2: Can I get a job as a massage therapist without a medical education?
If you have a diploma (certificate) of a massage therapist, but no medical education, then you cannot get a job only in specialized medical institutions. If during an interview for a job, for example, in a beauty salon or fitness center, you are asked, “Do you have a medical education?”, ask a counter question: “Does the beauty salon have a license for medical massage?” Medical licenses for beauty salons, massage parlors, etc. - NO. Firstly, a medical license is an expensive pleasure. Secondly, salons do not provide medical massage services, so they do not need such a license.
You go to work in a salon or massage room to do “domestic” massage, not medical massage, so medical education is not required in this case. The requirement for medical education by the management of such organizations is, as a rule, explained by poor knowledge of the laws of the Russian Federation and the desire to play it safe.
In general, in reality this is what usually happens. You come to an interview, show the “crusts” that you received somewhere, after which they tell you, “that’s all good, now show what you can do” and depending on whether you like your work or not, and not at all on the value your documents, you will be hired or not hired. This is correct, because you will benefit the person who comes to you with your own hands, and not with the help of a certificate, applying it to the client’s body)). Something like that.
Question #3: If I decide to do massage without medical education on my own, working as an individual entrepreneur, will I need a medical license?
Let's take a closer look at what the law says about this.
In the legislation of the Russian Federation, namely in paragraph 10 of Art. 2 of the Federal Law of November 21, 2011 No. 323-FZ “On the fundamentals of protecting the health of citizens in the Russian Federation”, the concept of medical activity is enshrined. It means professional activities in the provision of medical care, medical examinations, medical examinations and medical examinations, sanitary and anti-epidemic (preventive) measures and professional activities related to transplantation of organs and (or) tissues, circulation of donor blood and (or) ) its components for medical purposes.
Article 2. The Federal Law defines medical care as “a set of measures aimed at maintaining and (or) restoring health and including the provision of medical services.” In turn, a medical service is understood as “a medical intervention or a set of medical interventions aimed at the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, medical rehabilitation and having an independent, complete meaning.” At the same time, in the definitions of the terms prevention, diagnosis, treatment and medical rehabilitation, the concept of disease is mandatory.
Medical activities in Russia are subject to licensing. Common to all types of activities subject to licensing is the Federal Law of May 4, 2011 No. 99-FZ “On licensing of types of activities.” Article 12 No. 99-FZ contains a list of types of activities for which a license is required. Licensing of specific types of activities is carried out by federal executive authorities and executive authorities of the constituent entities. The licensing procedure for each type of activity is established by a separate resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation. The procedure for obtaining a special permit (license) to carry out medical activities, including the requirements for the applicant and the conditions that must be met, are contained in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 16, 2012 No. 291 “On licensing of medical activities.” The Appendix to this Resolution contains a list of services that constitute medical activities. One of these services is MEDICAL massage. Based on the above, it is mandatory for massage to be classified as a medical service if it is provided in the presence of a disease (for the purpose of treatment or medical rehabilitation).
However, based on these two legal acts, it is impossible to speak about the existence of only medical massage, because The goals of massage may also be to achieve effects other than therapeutic ones. Such as, for example: general health, restorative and cosmetic. These types of massages are also normatively defined.
Let us turn to the Orders of Rosstandart dated November 29, 2012 No. 1597-st and No. 1605-st. The first of them was approved and put into effect “GOST R 55317-2012. National standard of the Russian Federation. Services to the population. SPA services. Terms and definitions”, and the second – “GOST R 55321-2012. National standard of the Russian Federation. Services to the population. SPA services. General requirements". Analysis of the content of these standards allows us to draw a number of important conclusions.
Firstly, GOST 55317-2012 absolutely unambiguously establishes the existence of SPA massage and defines it as “a massage that is carried out in a SPA setting in compliance with certain ethical and aesthetic standards in order to improve health, shape the figure and/or correct the psycho-emotional state of the client.” Massage, according to GOST, is a manual procedure, i.e. a procedure performed manually by SPA specialists, without the use of equipment, using professional cosmetics and in accordance with certain regulations. At the same time, the provisions of GOST are aimed at preventing terminological confusion between medical massage, subject to mandatory licensing in accordance with Resolution No. 291, and household massage.
Thus, a distinctive feature is the use of massage in SPA exclusively on healthy people. The method of SPA massage is the use of a complex effect on the client’s senses, and the ultimate goal is the harmonization of the body, mind and soul of a person. Note that this has nothing to do with the goals of medical activities. In addition to establishing the definition of massage, GOST provides a classification. The following types of massage are distinguished:
Sports, Oriental, Ayurvedic, Fitness massage, Aromatherapy, Lymphatic drainage, Hydromassage, Stone therapy, Cosmetic (aesthetic) massage.
The latter refers to hygienic massage, which uses techniques to influence superficial tissues (skin and subcutaneous fat) in order to improve the client’s aesthetic appearance.
Household massage
In addition to the indicated GOSTs, cosmetic massage is enshrined in the Order of the Ministry of Labor dated December 22, 2014 No. 1069n “On approval of the professional standard “Specialist in the provision of household cosmetic services.” Performing cosmetic massage is a specialist’s job function, which once again confirms: massage can be in the nature of a household cosmetic service. The specialist performs cosmetic massage of the face and body using cosmetics.
Thus, in addition to medical massage, which relates to medical activities and is subject to the regulation of Resolution No. 291, there is also household massage, namely SPA massage (its various types are described above). The division of massage into medical and household is carried out according to the purpose of the procedure: medical (therapeutic) massage is aimed at curing the disease, household massage is aimed at relaxation, normalization of the psycho-emotional state. The mere presence of the word “massage” in the list of services provided by an organization is not grounds for mandatory licensing of this activity.
The classification of massages by individual representatives of Roszdravnadzor and Rospotrebnadzor as exclusively medical services is most likely explained by departmental subordination and the need to comply with departmental directives. This can also probably be explained by insufficient awareness of the existence of other related regulations, in particular GOSTs, Federal Laws and Professional Standards governing the provision of cosmetology services, which, in accordance with Russian legislation, can be both medical and and household.
Question #4: Probably, massage is for young people; doing it at my age (no matter what age) is no longer possible...
Regardless of your age, think about massage this way. Massage is a regular physical activity, an opportunity to regularly train your motor skills and, therefore, always keep yourself in good physical shape. For example, if we talk about our massage school, the youngest listeners were two friends - Oleg and Denis, 15 and 16 years old. The oldest listener was Nina Ivanovna, who at that time was 71 (!) years old. I will also add that Nina Ivanovna actively works as a volunteer in the Ministry of Emergency Situations, travels all over the world and gives massages to victims... This is how a person realized himself. Even an elderly man who suffered a stroke learned massage from us! For him, this was an opportunity to restore motor skills and communication, which is also important. If you know what a stroke is and its consequences, you will admire this man. By the way, his name is Pyotr Bocharnikov, and you can find his video review of the training on the corresponding page of our website: https://site/video-reviews/
Question #5: What evaluation criteria should be used when choosing massage courses?
Place of training. Should you choose only a large, well-known organization?
In fact, the answer to this seemingly simple question is not so obvious. In any case, what you learn depends on who, how and what will teach you. Unfortunately, large schools experience staff turnover. One person can start training, and finish (sometimes after a break) a completely different person. Therefore, it is not always necessary to focus solely on the size of the educational institution. It is advisable to find a teacher you trust and someone who will guide you through all the thorns from beginning to end.
Duration of training. As stated earlier, beware of places with too short training duration. In such places they usually save on theory. Practice is good and interesting, but theory is needed in any case and why, was described in detail in the answer to question No. 1. On the other hand, when choosing a massage course with a program that is too long, be prepared for this mentally and financially, because you will not be able to work until completion of the training.
For example, in our school, the duration of the main curriculum is two weeks - this is the optimal duration of training obtained through experience and feasible time to master the required minimum of theory and practice of massage. More is already difficult for many, less time for the course is too little.
Number of courses. Sometimes, massage courses offer a large selection of training programs. A beginner's eyes widen from such abundance. He consults, chooses a program and decides to study, but during the training it turns out that the program he is studying in is good, but in order to do massage, he needs to go through another 10, and this is a completely different time and money. Divorce of clean water. That is why we offer only three courses, and no more:
Course 1:“Russian classic massage for professional work” is the basis, the basis necessary for everyone and a sufficient amount of knowledge in order to start practicing massage.
Course 2:"Anti-cellulite massage and spa treatments." It's no secret that the majority of visitors to massage parlors are women, for whom attractive appearance is very important. Anti-cellulite massage and spa treatments are at least 50% of the work of any massage therapist. A great addition to the first course and + another 50% of your income.
Course 3:“Special techniques and skills for professional work” is already a program for those who have already completed both previous courses, but want to develop further. After all, massage is an art that can create real miracles with a person.
School regalia. Your humble servant, the author of this article, was previously the champion of Moscow and Russia in massage. You may also want to achieve similar results, but do you know what these achievements give? - Respect for colleagues. Your achievements are not very important to clients. It is important for them to get the result for which they came to you. If you give them the desired result, then it is unlikely that you will be able to serve everyone. There is not enough energy and time for everyone)).
The safety of massage for your health. Please note that everyone talks about the client and the benefits that you should bring to him, but few places will teach you how not to harm yourself. It is important that when learning massage you are not only trained on your hands, but also given the correct ergonomics of work. Otherwise, within a year or two you will be bothered by occupational diseases - arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis, back pain of various origins, varicose veins in the legs, bursitis, etc. All this can be avoided, but correct work ergonomics is needed, which is why it is so important. In addition, massage is a very close contact and exchange of energy between you and the client. It is imperative to know the answers to work safety issues in this regard.
Question #6: What if I don’t have clients after finishing my training?
After completing your training, you will not have clients unless you want it yourself. Already during training, your friends, family and friends will vying with you to offer their backs, shoulders, arms and ask you to demonstrate your skills to them. You may say, how can I make money later if I give massages for free? Massage is no worse than any other job, and any job must be paid. This is fine. After all, your friends also work somewhere and get paid for it? In addition, your friends also have friends, and word of mouth has not been canceled. So, if you do massage correctly, you will definitely like your work and you won’t even have to get a job anywhere, you will naturally acquire clients, your strength will be enough for everything. But to make sure that you do the massage well, correctly, with benefit for the client and without harm to yourself is the task of the courses or massage school that you have chosen.
To summarize all of the above, I would like to say that there are obstacles and difficulties in any work and when mastering any profession. Don’t be afraid of difficulties, learn massage and good luck to you on this interesting path!
This article will help you and help you use your body correctly.
How correct the position of your body and massage movements will be will depend not only on , but also the health of your body. After all, when constantly working in an incorrect position, both joints and muscles are subject to a large load. This load may lead to the development of occupational diseases in the future.
This manual for a beginning massage therapist consists of ten methodological recommendations for conducting an effective massage with minimal stress on the massage therapist’s body and will allow you to become a professional massage therapist. All movements of a massage therapist are based on simple laws of physics. When performing a massage, it is necessary to position your body correctly and perform massage movements correctly. Proper massage will reduce the load on the massage therapist's body. Ergonomics is very important when carrying out anti-cellulite massage, where significant effort must be made.
A professional massage therapist can:
Correctly use the principles of biomechanics in massage
Use gravity when performing a massage
Choose the right lubricants and height of the massage table
Use massage techniques in a bent and straight position
Correctly position your torso and feet during the session
Use your muscles correctly and vary the contact surface when performing a massage.
Physics in massage.
All techniques of different styles and directions of massage are based on the pressure created by the massage therapist on the patient’s tissue. The degree of effectiveness of the massage, the health status of the massage therapist and the duration of his career depend on the correct body position of the massage therapist and massage technique.
When performing a massage, it is necessary that the laws of physics begin to act on our side, and not against us. A correct understanding of the operation of basic laws allows you to achieve greater results with fewer resources. Improper execution will lead to rapid fatigue and the development of a number of occupational diseases.
A very common mistake young massage therapists make is that they use the strength of their muscles rather than the weight of their body. And teachers of massage courses usually omit this important issue. This could all be the end of the career of a young promising massage therapist. A massage therapist's career lasts 7-8 years. And many leave this profession due to occupational diseases. This rule should become the main one in the career of a massage therapist.
How to choose table height.
The height of the table is the main factor influencing the effectiveness of the massage.
The height of the desktop is influenced by factors such as: dimensions of the client, height of the massage therapist, massaged area, means used. When performing a massage with the required slight pressure, the height of the table should be be as low as possible . With a low work table height, the massage therapist can better distribute his body weight and the force of gravity.
When performing a massage, two forces interact: muscle strength and gravity. If a massage therapist uses muscle strength, this leads to rapid fatigue of the body. And the use of gravity does not require additional energy expenditure from the massage therapist and can become a qualitative additional effect. The vector of gravity is directed vertically downwards. When the massage therapist's body is positioned above the patient and the height of the massage table is low, the entire weight of the massage therapist's body creates effective pressure on the massaged area. (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1a, 1b, 1c. Pressure force vectors at different table heights.
The blue vector is the force with which the massage therapist exerts pressure on the patient.
Green vector - gravity force.
The figure shows that as the table height increases, the gravity vector decreases. The correct position with maximum gravity is shown in Figure 1c. The massage therapist should stand in the center of the table and position his body above the patient.
The pressure that your body exerts on the patient can be estimated using a regular bathroom scale. You need to stand in front of the table, place the scales on the massage table. By adjusting the height of the table, achieve the maximum reading on the scale.
rice. 2a, 2b. Measuring the body pressure of a massage therapist at different table heights.
Now press on the scale using only muscle strength. You will notice a significant difference.
Becoming a massage therapist is not enough, you need to become an effective massage therapist. (With)
In the work of a massage therapist, an important aspect is both coordination of movements and maintaining balance. If the body position is incorrect, it is important to maintain balance so as not to reduce the effectiveness of the massage and the patient’s comfort. Correct foot position is important for proper stance.
The quality of the massage and the efficiency of the massage therapist’s work are also affected by the width of the work table. It is necessary to select the width of the table so that the massage therapist can easily position the body over the patient.
A low table level is used when high pressure is needed, for example during a deep massage. For less pressure, a higher table height is needed, for example, when massaging the chest and abdomen. When conducting a session, the massage therapist must perform both techniques with high pressure and low pressure. Therefore, the height of the table should vary during the session. A massage table with an electric hydraulic drive is effective for this purpose. The cost of such a table is sometimes very high for a young beginning massage therapist. Therefore, many massage therapists abandon electric hydraulic tables in favor of mechanical ones. A mechanical table is difficult to adjust during a session. In an electric table, with one press of the pedal, the massage therapist can easily adjust both the height of the table and the location of individual parts of the table. By investing in a quality table, you are investing in your health. It is necessary to remember this.
Application.
The use of a lubricant provides relief on the patient's body. An excessive amount of lubricant makes it difficult to work the internal muscles and grip the skin fold. Therefore, you should use the smallest amount of lubricant that does not interfere with massage movements.
When preparing the article, materials from the note were used
" 10 secrets of effective massage." Joseph Muscolino.
Gettyimages/Fotobank.ru
Do not think that only complete altruists learn massage: this skill will benefit you first of all. An interesting study conducted by the Miami Touch Research Institute (yes, there is such a thing) showed that performing a massage normalizes pulse and blood pressure, reduces cortisol levels in the blood, improves mood and increases self-esteem. In addition, a massage therapist burns up to 300 kilocalories per hour of work! Not to mention the sheer benefits it brings to others. In a word, it’s worth learning. The question is: how, where and from whom?
In Soviet times, it was impossible to master the art of massage without having a secondary medical education, and there were no schools “for dummies.” Today, there are thematic courses at literally every entrance, and choosing the ones that are truly worthwhile is not easy. “If you are not a health worker, and you do not have a goal to obtain a state certificate in order to work in a clinic, it is not necessary to look for courses with a license from the Ministry of Health,” explains Natalya Kozmina, a teacher at the Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. — But you must have a license from the Department of Education. The best choice for an amateur massage therapist is courses at training centers. They will be able to issue you with an official ID, an approved program and detailed information about the teachers.”
In addition to the correct documents, good courses should have several more features:
The teacher has a medical education and a massage therapist certificate, and he can show these documents upon request. Ideally, work experience of more than 5 years.
The cost of training includes all consumables: disposable towels and sheets, cosmetics, additional equipment, as well as manuals and textbooks.
There are no more than 18-20 students in the group, and there is one massage couch for every pair of people. Massages are usually performed on each other - this is normal.
The intensity of the program is proportional to the duration of training: you are not promised a full anatomy course in five hours.
The room where classes take place is spacious and bright. It has a music center and DVD, an anatomical atlas.
Having chosen a school, you need to decide which course you will take: usually there are a great many of them offered. “The choice of techniques for a student without a medical education is limited,” says Andrey Syrchenko, founder and director of the International Spa School in Moscow. - This is a head massage, foot massage, and marma, Turkish soap massage and the basics of relaxation massage. Many centers are ready to teach a person without any preparation at all, but this always leads to dire consequences.”
But spa therapist Roman Romanenko is less categorical: “I used to be a skeptic: I thought that without a medical education it was impossible to learn massage at all. And then, by popular demand, I opened courses for beginners and was surprised to discover that they often do serious classical massage better than experienced health workers. After all, this is art, and talent plays an important role.”
We have selected schools in different cities where they will help develop this talent.
1. Capital Institute of Image and Beauty, Moscow
Of all the massage courses offered, it is worth choosing a seminar in Turkish: it is easy to learn and easy to practice. To begin with, you will be told in detail about the history and intricacies of oriental soaring. Then they will teach you how to use traditional accessories: a kesse mitt, a peshtemal (cotton towel), olive soap and pouring bowls. And only then - the practical part: peeling, the technique of whipping up huge clouds of soap foam and the soap massage itself. The best part is that all this is absolutely possible to repeat in an ordinary city bath. Even recreate the atmosphere of a hammam: just open the hot water and fill the room with steam.
Cost - 4800 rubles per seminar.
2. Classical and Thai massage courses, St. Petersburg
A really good program, designed exclusively for people without medical education. The purpose of the courses is to quickly and clearly teach the most applied techniques: how to stretch your shoulders, do cupping, relieve back tension, and improve stretching a little. In this case, classes are taught by three specialists at once: a surgeon, an orthopedist and a specialist in oriental massage. The course consists of 36 hours of classes, divided into four Saturdays - conveniently. The first day is devoted to the theory of massage and its basic techniques, the second - safety precautions, the third - osteopathy, the fourth - the competent construction of the session. Lectures take up about a quarter of the time, the rest is practice in pairs. After completing the course, you will be given a bunch of manuals and a certificate: everything is serious.
Cost - 3500 rubles per course.
3. Center “Body Aesthetics”, Yekaterinburg
Vladimir Seredkin, the presenter of the “Thai massage in Ural style” seminar, is slightly focused on tantra and sexual practices. But couples, in fact, come to him precisely to “learn to touch each other in a new way.” Don’t be alarmed, the classes are held absolutely chastely: in clothes, as required by Thai massage, and without concentration on erogenous zones. Vladimir teaches the basics of classic Thai massage: stretching, steam yoga, stimulation of energy points, and proper use of oils. And only then he explains how to use these techniques to develop sensuality. In addition, Vladimir gives interesting lectures on herbal medicine and Ayurveda, teaches meditation and the basics of osteopathy. In a word, not only sex!
Cost: 4,500 rubles for a two-day course (12 hours).
4. Educational and practical center "Intelligence", Novosibirsk
The number of seminars is dizzying: the ornate stories about “unique Eastern techniques” fill several volumes. Most courses are devoted to exotic types of massage - although not sophisticated and complex, but quite accessible to a beginner. For example, you can learn foot massage, stone therapy, and head massage. All seminars last a maximum of two days. But they are also inexpensive.
Cost - from 2500 rubles per course.