From company jobs to therapeutic massage therapist and motion educator, we take a dive into Diana’s world and the way she remodeled her personal life by motion training and instruments that served her all through her personal therapeutic journey and serving to others.
On this interview, Diana shares her insights in regards to the significance of self-massage, respiratory, and meditation, and the impact they’ve on general nicely being and well being.
In regards to the writer: Interview led by Erin Wen, Tune Up Health content material author. Erin works as a Osteopathic Manipulative Therapist (OMT) and motion specialist for over 15 years. She has a background in classical ballet that ultimately led her to turn out to be a yoga teacher. She can be an authorized Yoga Tune Up® teacher and at present provides a number of therapy modalities together with osteopathic manipulation, pelvic flooring and being pregnant assist, and motion trainings and workshops.
Interview with Diana Duncan
Erin: Do you thoughts sharing a bit about your background and the way you turned a bodyworker and trainer?
Diana: I began out in company work and rapidly realized I didn’t prefer it a lot and determined to do some touring. Humorous sufficient, in 1997, I made a spontaneous choice to go to therapeutic massage college with out ever having a therapeutic massage earlier than. I used to be residing in New York Metropolis on the time and I couldn’t afford a therapeutic massage! Two of my expensive girlfriends had gone by the method and I simply dove in with out actually understanding a lot about it or if I used to be even going to take pleasure in it.
Erin: What was the inclination you had in direction of therapeutic massage college?
Diana: I had a historical past of jobs that have been sedentary and I knew I wished a brand new change in my life that concerned motion. I requested myself: “What can I do that can maintain me transferring?” So I began doing therapeutic massage till my daughter was born. After that we prioritized the unity of the household as a result of my husband traveled on a regular basis, I may solely apply therapeutic massage on the aspect. Round 2014, I made a decision to take my boards once more and return to doing full time bodywork. Whereas I loved therapeutic massage I felt there was one thing lacking in the way in which I used to be treating my purchasers.
I had a type of “a-ha” moments after I took a yoga class in a studio the place the trainer used tennis balls in a sock. I ended up shopping for a dozen of these for all my purchasers! I believed…I would like to search out some form of coaching that can take me to the subsequent degree with this! I began asking lecturers and somebody launched me to The Roll Mannequin Technique, Jill Miller’s first ebook which then led me to all her trainings.
Erin: How did you begin involving motion along with your purchasers after you realized ‘one thing was lacking’?
Diana: I had all the time practiced yoga and pilates. So I pursued skilled coaching with Stott Pilates. This helped me to incorporate motion work into my sedentary way of life I had in the mean time and helped me with my therapeutic massage purchasers as soon as I obtained again into apply.
Erin: How was your expertise implementing what you discovered within the Tune Up coaching to your purchasers?
Diana: I undoubtedly struggled initially instructing the Yoga Tune Up (YTU) practices and discovering my voice as a trainer as a result of the Tune Up coaching articulates Yoga Asana in a manner that could seem very totally different from most yoga trainings. Jill’s work put science and motion to issues I used to be feeling and sensing in my very own physique. With my college students the TUF coaching gave me instructing instruments that felt very grounded. Instruments I may apply inside the context of their lives and wishes. I used to be capable of give my college students a deeply sourced motion expertise and training that might assist them not solely with stretching or mobility however the training helped me to speak how and why their motion patterns matter of their day by day life. It’s been my expertise that when college students get into this work, dive into self therapeutic massage and motion, they get these eye opening moments that astonishes them and that’s so a lot enjoyable to see.
Let go of imposter syndrome.
– Diana Duncan
Erin: How do you prioritize whether or not you provide therapeutic massage or motion to your purchasers? Do you assume one is extra vital than the opposite?
Diana: I had a very onerous time with this as a result of as a lot as I wished to encourage the significance of motion, many consumers would usually favor to only be cared for on the desk. And I utterly associated and understood the necessity to simply be held and supported by contact. So then I spotted that mannequin wasn’t functioning. Now I provide longer classes the place purchasers obtain each or they arrive in twice per week for various companies.
I do assume motion and self-massage is by much more instructive than somebody touching you. It’s a very highly effective software for self-knowledge and understanding about your self. I’ve a consumer recovering from surgical procedure who has misplaced some proprioceptive expertise and we’re engaged on recovering a few of these expertise again by meditation, yoga nidra, and ball rolling.
However I do assume that desk therapeutic massage has its time and place. I usually do craniosacral on my purchasers to succeed in these deep states of peace and tranquility that may be so therapeutic and rewarding.
Erin: What impact do you assume these ‘deep’ states of being have on the physiological physique (i.e. ache, surgical procedure restoration, trauma)?
Diana: The direct neurological actions that happen to get to that thoughts state are very a lot supportive of immune operate, lowering irritation, lowering stress, anxiousness, and reducing cortisol ranges. It additionally provides that window of feeling ‘secure’ within the physique which might promote therapeutic and letting go.
Erin: What’s the distinction for you between self-massage and receiving therapeutic massage?
Diana: When I’m receiving a therapeutic massage, I’ve much less management of the scenario. As a lot as I really like deep tissue therapeutic massage, I really feel upregulated and my coronary heart charge responds in a manner that I do know isn’t precisely enjoyable. Once I do my very own deep tissue work with therapeutic massage balls, I’m able to mood the pressures and pause issues in the event that they really feel overwhelming. I take pleasure in being able to determine for myself.
Erin: What’s your finest tip for lecturers?
Diana: Watch your college students, they are going to all the time inform you what they want and what that you must enhance to speak to them. They’re the most effective lecturers, removed from any coaching that I’ve taken.
Erin: How did self-massage assist you get well out of your earlier accidents/accidents?
Diana: I’ve had 2 main accidents – I broke my tibia and fibula and I had 2nd and third diploma burns from a hearth damage that affected 80% of my legs and toes. Recovering from these accidents took a whole lot of time and I needed to study to essentially maintain area for myself. Though there have been a number of elements of my physique that have been motionless, the therapeutic massage balls helped me keep cellular in areas I may transfer. I knew even when I couldn’t roll, I may relaxation on a ball and breathe.
As soon as issues obtained higher, I used the balls to assist restore my mobility and with my burns, to assist with scar tissue therapeutic and fluid drainage. Remedy ball therapeutic massage coupled with motion training has helped me resolve persistent points in my physique and the largest cause is as a result of it’s so pleasurable so I’m able to be constant.
Erin: What’s the motion modality that you just discover probably the most environment friendly?
Diana: I’ve began energy coaching for myself as a result of I understand how vital it’s. I’m at present doing a Power Coaching for Yoga Academics with Kathryn Bruni-Younger and have been incorporating modalities of breath with energy coaching. I consider the mixture of all of it, together with meditation, rolling, energy and motion are all so complimentary and very important for residing. I really feel like for me probably the most environment friendly modality is what my physique wants that day. Somedays its self therapeutic massage, some days its energy different occasions its simply relaxation, breath work, Yoga Nidra. All of it will get married collectively, I don’t know what to name it anymore!
Erin: What are your high self-care instruments?
Diana: My Coregeous ball and my Yoga Tune Up® Remedy Balls, they go along with me all over the place I’m going!
Erin: What’s one thing that now that you just wished you knew once you began working towards?
Diana: Let go of imposter syndrome. I now trust that my choices are pretty much as good as anybody else’s when it comes to serving to someone remedy an issue. There are such a lot of revolutionary methods to assist folks. In spite of everything of my accidents and therapeutic cycles, I now know that there are such a lot of issues that work, it’s not only one factor.
Erin: Prime suggestions for stress reduction?
Diana: Respiratory, respiratory, and extra respiratory. I didn’t know something about respiratory till I met Jill and I really feel it’s such a whole complete physique expertise. Diaphragm Vacuum is considered one of my favourite actions; it offers me nice peace and restoration.
Erin: Do you have got any upcoming trainings?
Diana: Sure! We now have a Roll Mannequin® Technique Practitioner Certification developing in June in Austin, Texas. I shall be instructing with Sandy Gross.
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