The following is a Guest Post from our client Amy D. who is starting the KMI Structural Integration series. She will be blogging about the series, and we will be posting here for everyone to read. We have posted this, and all future pieces about the series, with her permission.
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I’ve been getting massages from The Neuromuscular Studio for over four years. I have a lot of body pain from working at my desk and on a computer, and I have very large breasts. I also hike a lot, and even though I do yoga, I will still feel tight.
Yesterday, I started a series of sessions in KMI Structural Integration. In the first four sessions, the superficial tissueis worked on. It’s been described as “making peace with gravity.”
My first session started with having my height measured. I stood against the wall, like I was 5, and Melissa (Voight) took the measurement, and put a sticky on her wall. It’s expected to be taller once the series is over, because everything has been worked into alignment.
Before and After height markersI wore my bra and panties (this is what I was asked to do. I don’t wear clothes during a typical massage.) and stood in different positions so Melissa could check my posture. It was crazy to see my left shoulder about an inch higher than my right!
We started with some breathing exercises (which I am doing now, since I just reminded myself!) that had me breathing into wherever I was feeling pain. Yesterday, it was my middle back. I could feel my ribs expanding and breath cleaning out some of the pain. Sometimes, we just need more oxygen!
A KMI [treatment] is mostly “dry.” There isn’t any lotion used to create a grip on the skin. What’s being worked on is the layer between the skin and your muscle. If you’ve ever seen a tenderloin, there’s that thin membrane covering parts of it you have to slice off with a very thin blade before cooking. We have that, too.
I had to do some small movements, too, during her practice, to help everything get worked into its place. This wasn’t a lie-there-and-listen-to-the-waterfalls massage. I was active the entire time.
At the end of each targeted area, Melissa would have me get up and walk around. The lightness of my body was instant! When I walked after one leg was done, I could feel a difference between them. One leg just didn’t move as freely and didn’t feel as light.
When the session ended and I stood up, I felt lighter, and well-oiled. Everything just moved more smoothly. I’m really excited for next week.
This is a 12-week session. That’s a big commitment, but I am committed to getting rid of the pain I am in 24/7. And, maybe I’ll be 5’8″ when we’re done. (I’m only five feet tall. Haha!)