SARGA BODYWORK PRACTICAL GUIDELINES
1. Sarga Bodywork is a slow, deep, and controlled manual therapy. The most important thing to remember is to work SLOWLY, deliberately and with presence.
2. Sarga Bodywork methodology encourages myofascial technique over deep tissue or effleurage technique. In other words, techniques should focus on slow, sustained, oblique, and high friction contact.
3. In Sarga Bodywork we employ the approach of: Contact – Engagement – Pressure – Movement. This refers to the qualities that we use in our techniques: 1) Make contact with the tissue. 2) Engage the tissue (”pick up the slack”). 3) Apply pressure. 4) Move while maintaining consistent pressure and engagement of the tissue.
4. As much as possible, stay behind the “wave” of tissue you are affecting. If you find yourself in front of this “wave”, you are no longer employing myofascial technique.
5. Sarga Bodywork uses a small variety of strokes, yet each stroke is very specific and nuanced.
6. Do not apply direct pressure on the secondary curves of the spine (the cervical and lumbar curves). Make sure that secondary curves are not compressed by your techniques.
7. Never apply deep pressure directly on recipient's knee and elbow joints (gently glide over these joints with little to no pressure).
8. When working with deep pressure, ease into the tissue slowly and gradually. Working too deep too fast can cause the recipient bruising and/or discomfort during and after a treatment.
9. As a general rule, deep and/or myofascial strokes on the posterior neck and thorax should work medially and caudally (towards the spine/sacrum). Work on the anterior thorax should work cranially (towards the head). See Structural Bodywork Considerations.
10. Use Myo.Rub sparingly (pea-sized applications). Minimal quantities of lubrication are best for myofascial techniques, i.e. one pea-sized application per quadrant of the body on average. Only use more lubrication when working on bodies with lots of body hair or on frail/elderly people who require a lighter treatment.
11. Be light on your feet when walking and moving around the table...Ninja steps! On raised tables, always walk on the outer frame/edges of the table.
12. Don’t be too concerned with having the Sarga Strap touch or rest on the recipient’s body; however, don’t let it “trail” on the body when moving from one position to the next.
13. Always maintain tension in your Sarga Strap while working and moving around the table. If you need to slacken the Sarga Strap (while draping, re-applying lotion, etc.) stand in a straddle stance, with one foot on either side of the recipient’s body, or a half kneeling straddle. Avoid standing with both feet on one side of the table when you are not using the tensional support of the Sarga Strap.
14. Generally, the tensional support of the Sarga Strap should come from the opposite side from which you are standing, i.e. if you are standing on the left side of the table, the main support from the tensioned Sarga Strap will come from the right side of the table.
2. Sarga Bodywork methodology encourages myofascial technique over deep tissue or effleurage technique. In other words, techniques should focus on slow, sustained, oblique, and high friction contact.
3. In Sarga Bodywork we employ the approach of: Contact – Engagement – Pressure – Movement. This refers to the qualities that we use in our techniques: 1) Make contact with the tissue. 2) Engage the tissue (”pick up the slack”). 3) Apply pressure. 4) Move while maintaining consistent pressure and engagement of the tissue.
4. As much as possible, stay behind the “wave” of tissue you are affecting. If you find yourself in front of this “wave”, you are no longer employing myofascial technique.
5. Sarga Bodywork uses a small variety of strokes, yet each stroke is very specific and nuanced.
6. Do not apply direct pressure on the secondary curves of the spine (the cervical and lumbar curves). Make sure that secondary curves are not compressed by your techniques.
7. Never apply deep pressure directly on recipient's knee and elbow joints (gently glide over these joints with little to no pressure).
8. When working with deep pressure, ease into the tissue slowly and gradually. Working too deep too fast can cause the recipient bruising and/or discomfort during and after a treatment.
9. As a general rule, deep and/or myofascial strokes on the posterior neck and thorax should work medially and caudally (towards the spine/sacrum). Work on the anterior thorax should work cranially (towards the head). See Structural Bodywork Considerations.
10. Use Myo.Rub sparingly (pea-sized applications). Minimal quantities of lubrication are best for myofascial techniques, i.e. one pea-sized application per quadrant of the body on average. Only use more lubrication when working on bodies with lots of body hair or on frail/elderly people who require a lighter treatment.
11. Be light on your feet when walking and moving around the table...Ninja steps! On raised tables, always walk on the outer frame/edges of the table.
12. Don’t be too concerned with having the Sarga Strap touch or rest on the recipient’s body; however, don’t let it “trail” on the body when moving from one position to the next.
13. Always maintain tension in your Sarga Strap while working and moving around the table. If you need to slacken the Sarga Strap (while draping, re-applying lotion, etc.) stand in a straddle stance, with one foot on either side of the recipient’s body, or a half kneeling straddle. Avoid standing with both feet on one side of the table when you are not using the tensional support of the Sarga Strap.
14. Generally, the tensional support of the Sarga Strap should come from the opposite side from which you are standing, i.e. if you are standing on the left side of the table, the main support from the tensioned Sarga Strap will come from the right side of the table.
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