​ ✋ How To Approach This Course: Letter from the Instructor

Letter from the Instructor

Dear Student,

Welcome. You’ve chosen to step into the deeper framework of massage—not just how to work with your hands, but why your hands do what they do. This course, General Theory of Massage: Principles and Fundamentals, is where we strip massage down to its design principles, rebuild it with intention, and give you a clear, grounded language for your craft.

This isn’t a collection of random techniques. This is the architecture of massage.

This Is Massage by Design

We’ll start by defining massage in a way that’s free from mysticism but full of purpose—what it is, what it isn’t, and what it can be. We’ll look at its history not as folklore but as a story of human invention, adaptation, and cultural exchange.

Then we’ll work through the building blocks:

• The principles that give massage structure—rhythm, flow, contrast, and unity

• The role of intention, presence, and adaptability in shaping each session

• How to make every choice in pressure, pace, and movement serve a reason—not a habit

By the end, you’ll see massage not as a set of strokes, but as an intentional act you design from start to finish.

You’re Not Just Doing Massage—You’re Building It

In this course, I want you to think like an architect. Every stroke, every pause, every shift in angle is a design choice.

When you understand why alternating rhythms can calm the nervous system, or why certain transitions feel “invisible” to the client, you stop relying on rote sequences and start shaping unique, responsive sessions.

You’ll learn to see your work in layers: physical, neurological, and emotional. And you’ll learn to keep those layers aligned with the outcome you want.

Theory That Lives in Your Hands

We’ll cover terms like effleurage, petrissage, shearing, and compression—not to impress anyone, but so you can use them with precision.

Every concept you’ll meet here has one job:

• To help you make smarter decisions in real time

• To understand how and why touch produces the effects it does

• To connect what you see in a client’s body with what you do in your hands

This is massage theory that exists for the working therapist, not the textbook examiner.

You’ll Learn in Principles—Not Scripts

This course isn’t about memorising a “right way.” It’s about learning a set of guiding principles that you can apply whether you’re doing Swedish, sports, or clinical work.

You’ll return to these principles often: when you’re designing a new session, when you’re adjusting mid-session, or when a client presents with something unfamiliar. They’re adaptable because they were built to work in the real world.

It’s About What Changes in Your Thinking

At the end of each chapter, ask yourself:

“What does this change in how I plan or adapt a session?”

If the answer is “nothing,” move on. But most of the time, you’ll notice your choices becoming sharper, your pacing more deliberate, and your outcomes more consistent.

The Goal: Purpose, Clarity, Adaptability

By the time you finish, you’ll have:

• A clear definition of massage rooted in function, not myth

• A framework for creating sessions with intention from start to finish

• The ability to explain your choices with confidence to yourself, your clients, and your peers

• A mindset that keeps evolving as your practice grows

This isn’t just learning the rules—it’s learning how to write them for the session in front of you.

Final Thought

Don’t let the word “theory” mislead you—this isn’t abstract. It’s the blueprint that makes every practical skill you have more effective.

This course is your drafting table. Your hands are the tools. The client’s body is the project. Let’s build something worth remembering.

With purpose,

Carlitos

Instructor, Falua Massage® Academy