Why... & Introduction to book

I think massage therapy is one of the most interesting careers because they have to be really in touch with their emotions and feelings. This is because they have to be careful not to take their emotions out on their clients. For instance, they may be angry and come into work and not do a good job on their massage because of their negativity towards the situation beforehand. Some massage therapist meditate in between sessions to center themselves so they can give a massage longer without stopping to rest their arms or reposition themselves because they are uncomfortable.
I am a very spiritual person and can tie that to massage, I believe that the power of touch can heal, empower and relieve other people. I love the idea that we can help others feel great just by a simple touch without the help of modern medicine.
I found a book on massage therapy called The Book of Massage: Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Eastern and Western Techniques. Written by Lucinda Lidell with Sara Tomas, Carola Beresford-Cooke and Anthony Porter. It covers and explains the three main types of touch therapy; Massage Shiatsu and Reflexology. So far I've only gotten past the introduction and to the first couple pages of the massage section, but what I've read is pretty much what I've already mentioned above. In massage you have to be very calm and collected while working on one of your clients. You have to be sure that you and your client are at total peace and relaxed. Make sure that the room is at a warm comfortable temperature with lots of pillows. Also be sure that the room has a nice smell to it and be sure to have the lights off and replace them with candlelight or a flame less candle to create a soft subdued glow.
Before reading this book I thought that you would only use oil in a massage if it was asked for but now I found out that you would use oil in every massage. Using
oil in massage is essential because you want to have soft skin and have your hands glide smoothly over your clients body without friction or jerkiness. Applying scented oils can be tricky so it’s best to stick with the "safe" ones like lavender, chamomile or sandalwood. Keeping your oil in a flip top container or a corked bottle is a good idea to keep it form spilling, although I would keep it in a flip top container which is safer because I'm so clumsy. When applying oil to a client you would first use the Long Stroke. This is one of the gliding strokes. There are four different types of strokes Gliding, Medium-depth, Deep tissue and Percussion. The Long Stroke is "as if you were doing the breast stroke in miniature" and is used to warm and apply oil to and relax the body. It also spreads oil more evenly over the body. Another stroke is called feathering which is basically lightly brushing your partner’s skin with your fingertips alternating your hands while keeping them relaxed. This stroke is used at the beginning and end of each session. Broad Circling is when you move your hands in fairly wide circles along the body letting the circles overlap to form a continuous spiral pattern. All of these strokes are used to begin or end a session and to relax your client.