Massage Society University of Bristol Union

You can join massagesoc at any point during the year and you don’t need to attend every week to get something out of it. Check out our membership page for the benefits. You can join at the Union’s new Info Point on Tyndall avenue year round, or on our page at the union. You can also join our mailing list there without becoming a member.

Join our new facebook group for 2011-12.

What do you teach? In the first semester our lovely committee will teach you a series of different massages for different parts of the body.  In the second semester we get professional teachers in for more advanced lessons in different traditions including Shiatsu, Indian head massage, Thai massage, Swedish massage…  No prior experience is necessary for any of the sessions, so just show up even if you’ve missed most of the year. All of that is included in the membership fee. We also organise a 2-day intensive course with the Bristol College of Massage and Bodywork but there’s an extra charge for that.

What happens during a lesson? A mixture of demonstrations and hands-on (very hands-on!) practice. When the committee teaches we divide into about 6 groups and run the same demonstration in parallel so you can get nice and close in a small group. The teacher will demonstrate on a volunteer and explain what they’re doing while everyone else watches. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes. After that you can practice on a partner and the committee will wander around to help. In the second semester we have professional teachers. There will be only one demonstration at a time, but we alternate between demonstrations and practice. Information on how to do each massage will be in the booklet we give you or a special handout. Some of us usually go for a drink after each session.

Who will I practise on? Bring a friend or just show up and we’ll find you a partner.

Do I have to take my clothes off? Not if you don’t want to. Many of our sessions are fully-clothed; see the events page for details.  For back massages we tend to work on the bare back, but of course it’s up to you. The reason is it feels much better with oil! (See below.) For leg massages it’s best to wear shorts or a skirt. For abdominal massage you can just pull your shirt up. But you can still enjoy any massage with your clothes on. We provide big towels and one of the things we teach is how to shield the recipient while they’re getting changed and getting on the table. The towel covers you to keep you warm and is pulled back just enough to work on you, and it always covers your bum even if you have a full body massage. Some people like to get on the table fully clothed and pull their clothes off while already under the towel, and some get changed in the toilets and come out in a towel.

Why do you use oil? Oil gives a nice sliding feeling, makes you feel warm, and allows us to use extra techniques that don’t work when there’s too much friction. If you’re into aromatherapy you can bring essential oils to mix with the massage oil. In past years we’ve had an oil mixing session where you can create your own blend.

Will the oil affect my clothes? Most of the oil gets absorbed into your skin and most of the rest can be wiped off. It doesn’t stain clothes.

What about allergies? If you have allergies find out what kind of oil is being used. Some oils are nut-based, and some people also react to certain aromatherapy/essential oils. (Only a small amount of an essential oil should be mixed in with a base oil, as concentrated essential oils will often irritate even non-sensitive skin.)

Are there any health issues? Before you get a massage, tell the person you will get it from if you have any relevant injuries or chronic mechanical problems. You should not have a massage anywhere near a hernia, for example, and back (i.e. spine) problems may be an issue. If you have any kind of skin infection you should not have a massage in that area. (We will have hand sanitizers available if anyone wants them.) A massage is generally good for your health and can help a lot of conditions, but if you have a serious problem see a professional. The university’s sports medicine clinic has excellent staff who can help with a range of mechanical problems. If you have chronic aches and pains you may also want to try the Alexander Technique society or the Yoga Society.

Can I hurt someone by giving them a massage? Yes you can, but with a little care you won’t. Don’t massage the spine or immediately next to it. Be especially careful when using your elbow anywhere near the spine, and always brace your elbow with your hand so it doesn’t slip. In some traditions you stand on the recipient’s back, but obviously that can be dangerous and we don’t teach it.

Why do my hands get sore after giving a massage? You can cause serious injury to your hands by massaging with bad technique. The is most likely to affect the joints in your thumbs, and to a lesser extent your other fingers, so if they are sore after giving a massage you need to improve your technique. This is most likely to affect people with strong but slender fingers. It’s less likely to affect you if you give an occasional massage, and most people will never have a problem, but many professionals have to stop massaging after damaging their joints, and they often end up with arthritis when they get older. And even the occasional massage will cause cumulative injury if you use bad technique. If your joints are sore the next day you’re doing damage. Joints often don’t heal very well so get your technique right! Don’t put lots of pressure directly on your thumbs alone. When applying pressure through the tip of your thumb, it’s better to make a fist, brace all but the tip of your thumb against it, and keep your knuckles bent. It’s even safer to use your knuckles for the things you may be tempted to do with your thumb tips and finger tips. If your hands are not very strong you will find that instead of using your finger and thumb tips it’s easier to brace your thumbs or use your knuckles, and that it works better on someone who wants a lot of pressure.

If your back gets sore you may need to adjust the height of the table you’re using, or bend your knees more. You should move your hips as you massage as this will result in a more flowing massage and you will feel less strain than if you keep your back rigid.

Why do muscles get stiff? What is a muscle knot and how do I get rid of them? No one knows for sure why muscles get stiff or knotted. Serious exercise will bring on stiffness but often knots occur without any obvious cause. There are a number of treatments and massage is a key one. Talk to one of the teachers for tips on how to deal with them. Read about the causes and treatment of knots here. Heat therapy is also helpful: take a hot bath, visit a sauna, use a hot water bottle, or just pour a little hot water into a folded towel. If you massage after heating the muscles for a few minutes you should find they’re much more relaxed than before heating them. You may need to treat really stubborn knots or stiffness over a period of days to get rid of them.

What do I need to bring? Bring your membership card and, in the first semester, the booklet on massage techniques. You don’t really need to bring anything else as we provide tables and mats to lie on, massage oil, hand sanitizers, and towels. But you may want to bring your own towel since we have a limited number, especially since it can be more comfortable to have one under your head. You may also want to bring your own oil so you don’t have to hunt around for the bottles. Check the events page to see which massage we’re doing as for some you won’t need oil or towels.

What’s this about balls? Our balls reps will send emails around to find volunteers when various balls are coming up. In exchange for massaging (usually for one hour) you get free entry. There are normally a couple of people massaging at one time, and we don’t charge recipients  (the society charges the ball organisers). You will get all the training you need from us in time for the balls. They’re a great way to practice and develop your own routines as you’ll probably get to do several in a row at the ball, by which time it starts to become automatic. You can stay for the entire ball and enjoy all the activities (often there are things like a casino, chocolate fountain, or a mechanical bull). You can arrive at the start of the first massages but check with the balls rep if you want to arrive earlier as you may have trouble getting in otherwise. You don’t need to bring anything as the balls rep will set up tables, towels etc. We normally have big white smocks you can put over your posh clothes to keep them clean.

Read more about massage on wikipedia.

If you have any other questions, email president@massagesoc.co.uk