This is Athena Jezik and today we're going to work from the floor a

little bit to benefit those of you that don't have a table or those of you that

aren't in it professionally who just want to do it with your

friends and family.

One of the things

that is important is that the person on the floor is comfortable some kind of a

little padding or cushion

is nice

it's not a good idea necessarily to work from a bed because the bed sinks

down and you don't get the nice solidness underneath. This is similar to the

table.

The other thing is I'm going to explain some what how that mechanics need to be for

the person doing the massage because there is

uh... it's a lot harder to work from the floor for the therapist.

So we'll start with the back

and um... basically i'm just on my knees

So you'll be able to see how the body is going to work a little bit.

this is where it's important to have good strength in your core if you're the one doing

the work.

Okay, just applying the oil...

Now basically I work

similar to what I would do from the table.

So i'm gonna start up here and

begin to work. Now here because there's no face cradle the neck is turned

so the muscles are gonna be in a little bit different position. There will be a shortening and a lengthening

but you can still basically work the same way

spreading open the trapezius into the shoulder blades

and you can glide down along side of the spine

working through.

Bringing your hands back up and spreading out and again.

This is like a...

I usually do this three times.

No reason. Just

that's what I do.

I tend to move outside. I do one closer to the spine and then more in the

middle of the muscle and then on the edge, so that's really where I get my "three" from.

The neck is very differently placed when it's turned.

So you'll be able to notice just how different that is. You can't really work the neck

very well when it's turned.

Okay so then to go down into this

arms you have to reposition yourself by coming

over to the side

and then beginning to work

outward in this direction.

Around the shoulder blades. So all of this technique is really

the same.. similar I should say

to what you're doing.

I can already feel in my body

the strain

of the different

position that has to be done.

It's best to be on your knees, if possible high on your knees so you can

move your body around.

There's a little bit of twisting that goes on.

And then of course we can rub back upward.

And then working back down

sliding the hands

and repositioning

myself.

Now here I tend to put my leg up because then I can get

a little bit more

of a

direction on the

muscles.

It's a little bit easier to get when I'm higher

than when I'm lower down.

And working up

again.

And then

to work across, lowering myself down.

It's still staying fairly mobile.

Still staying in a way that I can

moves with the

action of the massage work.

So this is the basic

routine that i've done

many times over. I've been

doing this same basic routine for my

entire massage career. It's a good routine because it does cover

everything. It moves from muscle to muscle very smoothly.

And it just covers it all. It doesn't

leave anything out and i do recommend that you find some routine that you can

work because that way you get both sides of the body

equally

and if you have a routine, pretty soon that becomes very

much

part of

what you do and you don't have to think too much so you can concentrate on

sensations that are under your hands.

That's how you begin to work and understand the body more

on an intuitive level.

So we are just working there

and back up

and down. Okay and then

let's start to the other side

same thing.

and of course this routine is somewhat modified

not a lot but there is some modifications happening here.

Use the upper..pushing upward on these muscles near the hip.

right along the hip edge

and then up we go. This is another "threesome" thing that I do when I go up the spine.

The spine has a little bit different movement when you're going upward or downward.

And then coming back down and then working up across by her....

across the erector spinae

and then back up. Now for the vibration along the

vertebrae...

You won't be able to start up at the base of the skull, so you'll start down here, about

C7.

And vibrate down

and then you can go back up

vibrate down, up

and again and vibrating down...

and back up. This is a little bit different than what I normally do when I'm working from a

table.

Okay and I'm gonna switch to the other side and reach up here

going between each vertebrae

Down to the sacrum, the SI joint...

And then on the floor I do the

body wrapping from both sides

just pushing down the...

downward

downward, down through the ribs

and then you can wrap back up

and up

upward

and upward...

And a nice finish by just bringing it up.

And then little brushes to sweep.

Okay so i hope that gave you some ideas

for working on the floor.