Caitlin Armit - Brisbane Massage TherapistQualificatons: Diploma of Remedial Massage and An MoTui Na Massage, currently studying Bachelor of Health Science in AcupunctureHealth Fund Rebates: All health fund rebates available, Caitlin is a Member of ANTA
Pathway to the PresentFor most of my life I thought that massage was something incredibly luxurious that only rich people treated themselves to. However, while travelling in Japan in 2002 I stayed with a massage therapist whom I reluctantly let treat my neck and shoulders which were causing immense pain from 12 hour days of running around Tokyo with a shoulder bag. The difference was amazing after only a 10-15 minute session. This incident slipped my mind for many years until in 2006 when I was hiking in Spain and letting my mind ponder on what I might like to do when I came home. When I returned to Australia, I had decided to take one year out of my life to do whatever it was that I wanted for the sake of building my practical and life skills and pursuing my general interests. After all, we’re supposed to do something that we enjoy, right? So I did a sewing class (definitely not where my skills lie), learnt French (which I thoroughly enjoyed but have mostly forgotten), a few dance classes (no talent there either) but eventually enrolled in a Certificate IV in Massage at the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences. I knew within a few weeks that I had made the right choice. I went on to complete Diploma in Remedial Massage, and Diploma in Traditional Chinese Massage. I am most interested in Chinese philosophy and medicine, and for this reason I am almost midway through a Bachelor of Health Science (Acupuncture) at Endeavour College of Natural Health. What are your treatments like? Who would benefit from them?I incorporate acupressure techniques into all of my remedial treatments as they are highly effective and fast acting. This does not make treatments scary or necessarily painful. I tend to follow the meridians/channels described in Chinese Medicine to ensure the smooth flow of energy through the body and I incorporate long but deep strokes to relax the body so that it can be treated effectively.I believe that it is a mistake to adhere to the ‘no pain, no gain’ philosophy. Too often we are told to ‘push through the pain’ or ‘just deal with it’ without ever giving much thought to the damage that this mentality can do to our physical, emotional and mental health. Massage is about doing something good for yourself, not punishing yourself. We do enough punishing ourselves every day. I understand the satisfaction of a massage with firm pressure and I am happy to provide this while communicating with the client to ensure that their needs are being met. In addition to Swedish relaxation, Deep Tissue, Remedial and TCM treatments I am also able to do Chinese cupping therapy, reflexology and pregnancy massage. What do I love about massage?Something that never ceases to amaze me after getting a massage is the absolute certainty that I have done something positive and worthwhile for myself. Very often I hear people ask ‘Why on earth did I wait so long to do this?’Massage restores a sense of calmness which is easily forgotten and de-prioritised by external pressures. Our bodies heal better when our mind is calm and when we have an awareness of what our bodies are telling us. Massage is natural alternative to pain killers and an effective form of general health maintenance. After all, if you can’t make time to look after yourself, you’ll have to make time to be sick. The smart and responsible approach is to regularly take care of yourself and treat issues as they arise rather than to procrastinate and wait until the problem is chronic and difficult to treat. |
