September/October 2002
Issue 99

Body & Spa
Rock On! Add Sparkle to Your Sessions with Crystals and Gemstones
by Melinda Minton

Crystals and brightly colored gemstones - such as purple amethyst, pink rose quartz and onyx black as night - have recently made their way into the spa. Similar stones have adorned knights, lined cathedrals and persuaded young ladies into marriage. The powers of stones in sharp peaks, round baubles and a myriad of other geometric shapes have mesmerized cultures for centuries. Like old souls, gemstones continue to enchant.
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Special Report: No-Touch Zone
by Moryt Milo

When Tristan Juhan was a fifth-grade student at Park Elementary School in Mill Valley, California, he had a crush on one of his classmates. For Valentine's Day, Tristan gave the girl a rose and a peck on the cheek. His behavior had him "hauled up on the carpet for what was called an inappropriate display of affection," Tristan's father, Deane Juhan, says. "His teacher told my son, if he saw any more displays of this behavior he would not be allowed on the field trip at the end of the year."

What happened to Tristan was not an isolated incident. Throughout the United States, children displaying innocent affection often contradict school policies.

Stage Right: Behind the Scenes with Broadway's Bodyworkers
by Naomi Serviss

Broadway - avenue of neon lights, dazzling costumes and golden dreams, represents the pinnacle of a performer's career. But contrary to popular belief, show business isn't all glamour. The actors and dancers who perform eight shows a week have to be in peak physical condition in order to give the audience its money's worth. And increasingly, massage therapists are helping them reach their goals.

Diary of a Massage Student
by Lisa Colletti

April 9: First day of school and thank God I am not the only near-40 something person here! Being a new student to massage at 36 is comparable to moving to a new country, where people speak a different language and perform unusual rituals that take the body, mind and spirit in new directions. I feel like I am on the right path, headed in the right direction, but may have missed the first 100 trains to my destination.

Better Positioning With the BodyCushion
by Sue Painter

Proper body positioning plays a big part in client comfort and benefit. Proper positioning places less strain on muscle groups, helps align the body's bony structure and increases the efficiency of massage, which is why most therapists, at one time or another, have used towels, pillows and a variety of props to better position clients for massage.

If client positioning is on your mind, it's time you meet Tom Owens. Owens wants you to get rid of all the pillows, bolsters and egg-crate foam you've been using to position your clients on the table.

Research Matters
by Janet Kahn, Ph.D.

A discussion of the First International Symposium on the Science of Touch conference, held in Montreal.

SpaTalk: How the Spa Industry Promotes Massage
by Diane Trieste

The spa industry is the best thing that ever happened to the massage community. A huge new market has opened up for what massage therapists do, and that can only be good.
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R E S E A R C H
Massage for Spinal-Cord Injury

Reiki Induces Relaxation, Liminal State of Awareness

E X P E R T  A D V I C E
by Charlotte Michael Versagi
The massage component of Ayurvedic medicine, and how to safely create a massage-exchange network.

Pages from History: Vibration and Vibrators, Part Two
by Robert Noah Calvert

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