Petrified!!

[gavilan_rood]

Any advice on presenting Massage Therapy to a large grade 10 class would be sooo appreciated.  I am so scared because I HATE public speaking.  I was asked and went ahead and said yes because this is a fear that needs to be conquered!!!  I want to be able to do talks in the future so this is a big thing for me to do.  I am fine one on one or in small groups but a whole room with their eyes and attention on me...  

 

[Miss 6]

First, I would take a deep breath!  Next......do some planning.  Ask yourself what goals you want to meet with this speech.....is it to inform them on the health benefits of massage?  or is it to inform them about massage as a career goal?  Once you have the goals of the talk identified, it would be important to do some research on how to meet those goals and what supporting information you will have.  A group of that age will be a difficult audience to keep their attention, so creativity would be a big asset.  Get them involved in the topic.  Ask their opinions.  Somehow, make it about THEM......teenagers think the world is all about THEM.....so you need to relate it to them.  If you're going to be focusing on the benefits of massage.......telling them that it increases circulation isn't going to be of interest to them.  Telling them that it relieves stress isn't going to be of interest.  You need to find out what their stresses are and talk about those.  Teenagers live for TODAY, so telling them that unmanaged stress could lead to heart disease and diabetes will mean nothing to them.....you need to ask them about their parents and grandparents.  Try to make it funny.  Try to identify with their frustrations.  Make fun of their parents.....we all KNOW that parents are GEEKS and they can't remember anything....blah, blah, blah.  PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.  ONce you have come up with some sort of outline and idea, then practice what you are going to say.  Some people like to have a practice audience for feedback.  It would be important in this case to have teens.  Practice in front of the mirror.  Good luck!  If you can do well with this audience, you will do fine with adults.  

 

[Todd A]

Thanks Kneaded!I have been invited to take about Massage Therapy and what it is.I realised I have to make it "interesting" to them.  I am going to be talking about the benefits of massage and will use "normal" language to their understanding.  Also mentioning things like, "you know how your parents always told you to sit up straight?", explaining the importance of posture especially in this day in age where computers and vidio games have taken over...also heavy loaded book bags hanging over one shoulder.I plan on opening up with introduction and some questions to make them involved right away.  ie...how many of you feel stressed at times? etc  Then on to some benefits of massage....should I talk on history of massage or would that be extremely boring.  I am going to try and have be rough draft done by the end of the week so I can practice, practice, practice!!!I was planning on taking my table and chair for some visuals as I am sure alot of them have not seen these or have and don't really know what is involved.  Will have to check with teacher to see if there is enough room.

 

[bobcat11eob]

If you feel comfortable with small groups or with one person then think of it that way.  When speaking to larger groups, which I have done quite a few times over the years, I always find a person  or small group within the group to speak to.  Don't stare at them but make them the focus of your gaze and connect.  As you do you may find that you can add to that group a bit at a time until you feel connected with the whole audience.  Don't be hard on yourself. There will always be at least one or two distracted individuals.  HAVE FUN!  You love what you do so just project that.  I hope this is of some help.Steve

 

[Lizzii]

I have done job fairs at a local highschool and I received written permission ahead of time from two students  parents to be able to do chair massage demo on them in front of people. If you plan on demo, check with the school to see if you need that permission.     {We live in a different world today!} Otherwise, the kids enjoyed hearing how many different areas you can work in the massage field. Let them ask questions through out the talk, you know, make it very informal. If you have any massage tools or neat smelling oil these can be passed around. They love that! I would only bring a chair. Just easier!Good luck!

 

[Nero]

Petrified!!

Vision took the words right out my mouth. I have had similar issues when in front of a large group. It was hugely helpful for me to find an open looking face and try to connect with that person. I engaged them, which seemed to help get others involved. After I got a little more comfortable, I was able to enlarge my "audience".I wonder about the challenge of separating massage from sex. With teens, who are often distracted by sex 24/7, the idea of touching without the sexual intent could be a hard one to get across. On the other hand, maybe introducing the concept in an enlightened way might be a great way to "de-sexualize" it.

 

[AntwonKeepinItReal]

Petrified!!

I agree with Kneaded...it's all about THEM!Tell the girls how good posture will make them look better.....tell the boys how taking care of their muscles will make them stronger and better at sports.  It's got to be about them, or they won't listen.Talk about how taking care of your body will allow them to enjoy the things they love for years to come (like basketball, skiing, skateboarding, surfing, whatever)If you practice practice practice and you're prepared, you'll find that it won't be as scary.  Good luck!!

 

[ben a]

children are so cool! آ one thing i notice about them is they tell you what's on their minds! آ kids don't like a fake, go in with passion and a playful attitude and they will be all ears...... آ i work with students alot here, people are always calling on me to speak in front of their classses, career day ect. ect. آ  . آ i do special projects, teaching about energy, massage, wellness topics. آ its really cool because some are for their science classes and i get to teach energy work ect. ect. آ your'e going to have so much fun!!! آ alot of interaction will keep them from being bored. آ i partner them up and teach a hand massage, i bring some oils and tell them what it can be used for. آ you can also take delicious smelling creams the girls will like it.........have fun! kids are normally stoked with reflexology, even if you don't know the modality you can make copies of the chart for the hands and feet.  And when they ask you can look at the chart and explain it to them.  create an amazing day!

 

[knight]

I think bringing a table and/or chair is a good idea.  Definitely get permission from a couple of parents for a demo.  The teacher may want to nominate some candidates.  At the very least, you can demonstrate on the teacher and joke about how he/she gets the massage because these teenagers have stressed her/him out.  Corresponding the good posture and the range of motion and relating it to sports is a smashing idea!  I would make sure to aim the sports and both the boys and the girls though!Make sure to talk about those darn heavy backpacks too.  I did some chair massage for my daughter's gymnastics team a while back and each one of the girls felt like they had a steel rod down their back.  Those erectors were something else!!!  When their coach got in the chair, the girls all gathered around and wanted to know if SHE had steel rods too........I said.......NO she doesn't......and that's because she doesn't carry a heavy backpack around all day!!!!  The kids are also amazed when you can tell if they are left or right handed by massaging their forearms.  Of course, you can't be 100% sure on this, but many times you can tell.  I don't know if you've encountered this, but I have had some men in my office who are in their 30's or 40's and one shoulder is higher than the other or more developed.  By taking a look at their height, I can usually guess pretty accurately that this is a result of LOTS of basketball over the years.  HAVE FUN!!!  There is so much you can do with the kids.  The trick is keeping it interesting.  As i said before, the table and chair are a good idea, even if none of the kids gets on the table.  They may never have seen these before and may not know that you can get massage fully clothed.  They may be more anxious to give it a try at the next street fair or something if they are familiar with it.  Maybe show them some self massage techniques for their forearms.  These kids spend so much time at the computer and with the video games.  The extensors and flexors desperately need work.  

 

[bubblegum101]

Everyone has given great advice and I would like to add one thing.Make sure to keep your tempo slower while speaking.  I have a tendency to talk very fast when I am anxious or excited.  This can make it very difficult for people to understand what is being said and to keep them interested.Deep breath, slow down, and be prepared.  The more prepared you are, the less nervous you will be.Keep us posted on how it goes!

 

[al_percy]

Thank you all soooo much for taking the time to respond, it is really helping me to prepare.  I had a long day today but I am going to get working on this tomorrow after I am done my morning clients.  This is going to definately be a great learning experience for me.oh yeah...I had asked the teacher if it would be appropriate if I was to teach them a basic little neck and shoulder massage that they could do seated on eachother.  She said she would mention it to the principle and if I didn't hear back from her that it would be o.k.  She didn't call back, so this would be something lovely to fill the time.  I could bring in some nice relaxation cd's and get them to note how they felt before and then after their massage??

 

[Darth The Heckler]

Petrified!!

hi jillrmt, you have my sympathy, I have had to do two talks in the last two weeks, for different things.  A couple of hints I've picked up from different speakerson't forget your body mechanics - as in massage, your posture and alignment are the foundation of a good session, so, get centred, and establish a smooth, deep breathing.  Keep your head high, your chest wide and your posture open (arms apart).   Move around a little during the talk, with a firm stance, to project some strong and reassuring energy.  I love the idea of choosing a person to speak to, but something I also do is play a game with myself, to see if I can make eye contact with everyone in the room, at least once.  At first, eye contact can be a bit scary, so, when you start, just talk to a point slightly above people's heads, then gradually allow your eyes to sweep the audience when you feel ready.All my talking has been to grown-ups, good luck with this, I'm sure you will be really really happy when it's over, at what you accomplished!and yes, your idea for involving them, and making them do the learning will DEFINITELY teach them more than they get from listening to some grown-up talk for an hour ;-)  If you can't actually have them give and receive massage, you can at least facilitate some discussion about all the different people who have massage, why, and what the benefits are.

 

[Marisa]

Petrified!!

I'm thinking that 10th graders are pre- to mid teens, right? (its been so long. ha!) How about talking briefly about body image? Massage can help people begin to love themselves, as they understand their own strngths, flexibilities, etc. Almost every high school athlete has gone through a period of time when they wished they were taller, thinner, more cut, had more bulk, etc, etc.When you talk about teen stress, it might be nice to have a stress survey... kind of a quiz with results like the magazine tests you take in cosmo, etc. Make the "pay-outs" fun & humorous for their age group, but also meaningful.If you don't get full support/the go-ahead with the partner neck & shoulder massages, you could teach them some self-shiatsu. That'd be cool to know how to help alleviate headaches, etc & to also know the names like "the gates of heaven", etc.I hope your presentation is a great experience for you and them!Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[PaMacJa]

Petrified!!

First, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. It says something about you. Not everyone would do take the time out of their 'busy life' to talk to a group of people, even if they loved the subject. In another light, it's kinda like you're prepping the next generation of bodyworkers.All the suggestions above are great. I'm confident your love of the subject matter and your enthusiasm will lead you. However, there's a few things I'd probably consider.We've all probably forgotten what it's like to be an adolescent/teenager. Puberty. Chemical changes. Peer pressure. Self-confidence and self-image. Etc. Etc. and ETC! I would definitely limit any judgemental perspectives (as innocent as they might be) from cropping up. I know it wouldn't be intentional anyway, but you never know.I like the involvement ideas especially but don't take it personally or force the issue if not everyone wants to participate.I know I'm being a worrywart, but... :

 

[dirtsa2828]

Thanks again for your replies...I think I'm going to be o.k....usually doesn't hit me anyway until everything is quiet and everyone is looking at me : I have issues!! hehe.I have decided I'm not going to have them do a mini massage on eachother(neck, shoulders)...I figure at this age they just might be "silly" and I don't want to pressure anyone who is shy and self concious.  I am going to bring just my chair and I will do a demo on the teacher.  I will have them stand up and show them proper posture and the importance of correcting it "now" as you all now we see many clients who are in to see us do to years of just bad body mechanics.I've done an outline and am just going to do some really deep breaths before starting and just tell them what I know.Jill, I like your idea of the stress test..you wouldn't know where I could find one on the net or anything?I'll tell you one thing, this time tommorrow I am going to be so relieved!!!!  I hope I will be saying that wasn't so bad I will still be checking in if anyone has any last minute tips.Thanks so much for your encouragement. (((HUGS)))

 

[Christy]

Petrified!!

If you talk about stances, perhaps you can mention the similarities to Karate or Tai Chi. Maybe have them stand, if there's enough room, and do the movements in air. Then add, "imagine a person's back under your hands."I agree that forearm massage may be a good demo. I also conquer my fears, what a feeling of accomplishment ( and a bit of a rush), after the first minute or two, of course! Isn't it always easier than you think?P.S. I have spoken in front of an audience; I have sky-dived. Was terrified before doing both!

 

[Jippee]

I Did it!!!!

It was an outer body experience...but I did it!!!!  ;D.  I was so nervous all morning and there was nothing I could do to keep the nervousness away.  Anyway, I went there and did my thing and was told I did a really good job!!  Honestly it's a like a dream...I did not feel grounded at all but stuck to my outline and according to everyone, it was very interesing.  I actually did feel calm by the end of the presentation and I think I made eye contact with everyone in the room 8)  One of the ladies there said she couldn't tell I was nervous at all.I feel like if I can do this, I can do anything..haha  Feels so good to have that off my shoulders though..whew!!!Thanks again.

 

[purplegirl31671]

Petrified!!

Congrats!! It's a great feeling when you challenge a fear and conquer it!How did the students react? Were they enthralled? That's the biggest thrill, getting that positive vibe from the audience, especially with younger people.

 

[satori295]

The students were just fabulous!  They really stayed in tune....except for one guy who I think was napping behind his hair..hehe.(can't win em all).  They were good about asking questions and were really respectful...really a great experience, I'm so glad(after the fact) that I did it.

 

[udaya k]

that's so cool! 8)  You must be happy it's over and dont you wanna go do it again?  It'll be much easier this time since you got your feet wet!  I really enjoy working with the youth here in hawaii.  i try to encourage those that are interested to maybe investigate massage as a career and give them info on schools ect.... i normally have the teachers asking for cards and appointments, it's fun and the teachers really get into it too!!!  don't stop here contact the school and do another, this time you'll be even better then the first! Congradulations!