From company jobs to therapeutic massage therapist and motion educator, we take a dive into Diana’s world and the way she reworked her personal life by motion schooling and instruments that served her all through her personal therapeutic journey and serving to others.
On this interview, Diana shares her insights concerning the significance of self-massage, respiration, and meditation, and the impact they’ve on total nicely being and well being.
In regards to the creator: 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 finally led her to turn into a yoga teacher. She can be an authorized Yoga Tune Up® teacher and presently gives a number of remedy modalities together with osteopathic manipulation, pelvic flooring and being pregnant help, and motion trainings and workshops.
Interview with Diana Duncan
Erin: Do you thoughts sharing a bit about your background and the way you grew to become a bodyworker and instructor?
Diana: I began out in company work and shortly realized I didn’t prefer it a lot and determined to do some touring. Humorous sufficient, in 1997, I made a spontaneous resolution to go to therapeutic massage college with out ever having a therapeutic massage earlier than. I used to be dwelling in New York Metropolis on the time and I couldn’t afford a therapeutic massage! Two of my pricey 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 get pleasure from it.
Erin: What was the inclination you had in direction of therapeutic massage college?
Diana: I had a historical past of jobs that had 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 shifting?” 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 facet. 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 instructor used tennis balls in a sock. I ended up shopping for a dozen of these for all my purchasers! I assumed…I would like to seek out some kind of coaching that can take me to the subsequent stage with this! I began asking academics and somebody launched me to The Roll Mannequin Methodology, Jill Miller’s first e-book 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 at all times practiced yoga and pilates. So I pursued skilled coaching with Stott Pilates. This helped me to incorporate motion work into my sedentary life-style I had in the intervening 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 realized within the Tune Up coaching to your purchasers?
Diana: I positively struggled firstly instructing the Yoga Tune Up (YTU) practices and discovering my voice as a instructor as a result of the Tune Up coaching articulates Yoga Asana in a manner that could appear very completely 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 in a position to give my college students a deeply sourced motion expertise and schooling that might assist them not solely with stretching or mobility however the schooling helped me to speak how and why their motion patterns matter of their each 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 suppose one is extra necessary than the opposite?
Diana: I had a extremely onerous time with this as a result of as a lot as I wished to encourage the significance of motion, many purchasers would usually favor to simply be cared for on the desk. And I fully associated and understood the necessity to simply be held and supported by contact. So then I noticed that mannequin wasn’t functioning. Now I provide longer periods the place purchasers obtain each or they arrive in twice every week for various providers.
I do suppose motion and self-massage is by way 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 suppose 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 quietness that may be so therapeutic and rewarding.
Erin: What impact do you suppose 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, decreasing irritation, decreasing stress, nervousness, and decreasing cortisol ranges. It additionally gives that window of feeling ‘secure’ within the physique which may 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 will not be 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 get pleasure from being able to determine for myself.
Erin: What’s your greatest tip for academics?
Diana: Watch your college students, they’ll at all times inform you what they want and what it’s essential enhance to speak to them. They’re the perfect academics, removed from any coaching that I’ve taken.
Erin: How did self-massage show you how to recuperate 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 harm that affected 80% of my legs and ft. Recovering from these accidents took a whole lot of time and I needed to study to actually maintain house for myself. Though there have been a number of components of my physique that had 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 schooling has helped me resolve persistent points in my physique and the most important 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 necessary it’s. I’m presently doing a Power Coaching for Yoga Lecturers 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 important for dwelling. 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 instances 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 together with me in all places I’m going!
Erin: What’s one thing that you recognize now that you just wished you knew once you began practising?
Diana: Let go of imposter syndrome. I now have faith that my choices are nearly as good as anybody else’s when it comes to serving to anyone remedy an issue. There are such a lot of modern methods to assist individuals. In any case 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: High suggestions for stress reduction?
Diana: Respiratory, respiration, and extra respiration. I didn’t know something about respiration till I met Jill and I really feel it’s such an entire entire physique expertise. Diaphragm Vacuum is considered one of my favourite actions; it provides me nice peace and restoration.
Erin: Do you might have any upcoming trainings?
Diana: Sure! We’ve got a Roll Mannequin® Methodology Practitioner Certification arising in June in Austin, Texas. I shall be instructing with Sandy Gross.
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