All posts by Ian Harvey

New workshops for early 2025

Continuing Education
A list of my upcoming workshops: Dallas/Arlington, Texas – January 25-26, 2025. Dallas/Arlington, Texas – January 28-29, 2025. St. Petersburg, Florida – March 1-2, 2025. King of Prussia, Pennsylvania – March 22-23, 2025. King of Prussia, Pennsylvania – March 25-26, 2025. Albany, New York – April 12-13, 2025. Kansas City, Missouri – May 17-18, 2025.

Here are my CE classes coming up in early 2025! I’m excited about the new spots in Dallas, St. Pete, and Albany, and I’m always happy to return to KOP and Kansas City. For a full list, and to sign up right online, go here: massagesloth.com/ce

What is it? My one and only workshop is called “Myofascial Swedish,” and it’s everything I know about delivering satisfying deep tissue while being kind to your own body. It’s worth 16 CEs via NCBTMB, with additional approvals in NY and FL. We’ll use a myofascial approach for the back, neck, pecs, and hips, and you’ll feel greater ease in your own body as you work. Class sizes are limited to 16 students, so they can fill up quickly.

Don’t see a date that works for you? Make sure to sign up for the CE mailing list at massagesloth.com/mailinglist to get first dibs on any new classes. Thanks to everyone who signs up, and to all my past students! ... continue reading.

Spontaneous Combustion, Massage Linens, and You

Massage Tips and Tricks

If you’re on massage forums for more than a few months, you’ll occasionally see something pretty scary: A picture of burnt sheets, and a post describing the smell of smoke followed by a quick evacuation. There are even news articles every year or two of building fires caused by massage linens. This issue is underdiscussed (other than by ABMP, which stays on top of it), despite it being a concern specific to our industry, and despite it being something we can mitigate! So, let’s discuss.

A picture of burnt massage linens with the blurb "let's all be aware of spontaneous combustion!"
The above linens are just a simulation. No linens were singed in the making of this graphic.

To start, what the heck is happening? What we’re talking about here is spontaneous combustion. That’s where there’s no spark or other ignition source, but material still manages to accumulate enough heat to set it aflame. This happens to massage linens because oil oxidation is an exothermic reaction. As oxygen shacks up with oil molecules, a small amount of heat is released. This leaves you with stubborn oil stains (the oil polymerizes, making it less soluble), and a bad smell — oxidized oil is rancid oil. ... continue reading.

Video: Working with ticklish massage clients

Massage Tips and Tricks, Massage Video, ,

New video! This one’s about working with ticklish massage clients in a tickle-free way:

This might not seem like a big deal, but to especially ticklish clients? This is a huge deal. Let me explain why.

The phenomenon we’re discussing here is called “gargalesis,” which is the type of tickling where intrusive contact is applied to sensitive areas, often resulting in tensing and involuntary laughter. When you’re a kid in a tickle fight with a friend, this can all be good fun. When you’re a massage client trying to get help for a painful shoulder? That same tickle response can feel downright unpleasant. If your massage therapist isn’t able to make the changes necessary to prevent it from happening repeatedly, it can result in an exhausting hour of anxiety. ... continue reading.

Video: Myofascial release for iliacus and psoas

Here’s how I work with the hip flexors. While I show some variations for clients who prefer more direct contact, my usual approach for iliacus and psoas is one of broad contact and slow sinking.

My reasoning:

First, these muscles are rarely touched, and so it doesn’t take a lot of stimulus for them to reduce their tone and sensitivity. I find that simply making contact and waiting can produce fairly pronounced softening in a short period of time. It’s like they’re waiting for a chance to take a break.

Second, these can be sensitive areas, and it’s worth keeping the human in mind as you approach them. Attempts to dig into psoas can be anxiety provoking for some people, and even the best work can be counteracted if the contact is perceived as threatening. Why not start with what’s friendliest to the client’s nervous system and see what results you get? ... continue reading.

Video: 5 Confidence-Building Exercises for Massage Therapists

In this video we do some bear walking, we tear phonebooks in half, we throw fireballs… it all makes more sense in context.

Basically, I want everyone watching this video to try to find the outer boundaries of what feels good, and then step back, at least when working with friends who will give you the straight dope. By always anticipating what might feel like too much and preemptively avoiding it, we can wind up with a massage that feels a little bit small or accidentally superficial.

This is also a great way to preserve your own body! Always holding back and letting things come from smaller joints means more muscular effort, and more repetitive movement. Allowing your massage to be more about dancing and playing means always having variety built in to your day.

Let me know what you think about this one. It was a bit of an experiment in and of itself, and I’d love to know if it hit home. Also, if you post a video of yourself trying these exercises anywhere (especially if you leave your partner’s feedback in) I’d love to see it! ... continue reading.