The Body Speaks: The Body - Work Connection w/ Russell J. Pappas

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Guest:
Russell J. Pappas, known by friends as Russ, is a true master of his craft. He is a Shamanic Bodyworker and Transformational Coach with over 20 years of experience in massage therapy, energy work, and ceremony. As well as having formal training in over 12 different modalities of massage—from Myofascial Release, Shiatsu, Trigger Point Therapy, Neuromuscular Therapy, Western Sports Massage, Rolfing, and the list goes on —Russ’s work stands out beyond his technical mastery with an approach to healing, relaxation, and realignment is in a league of its own—truly unmatched. Russ has worked with a diverse roster of clients including CEOs, celebrities, and high-net-worth individuals—but he’s never one to name drop. His focus is on the work itself, and his commitment to healing is absolute. Every moment of his practice is imbued with great intention to nourish, relieve and listen to the body, mind, and spirit.

About the Episode: 

We decided to try something a little different today! In this episode, I sit down—and actually, lay down—with none other than Russell J. Pappas: legendary bodyworker who weaves together a fascinating tapestry of bodywork, energy healing, coaching, and ceremony. We explore how bodywork and massage therapy, in its various forms, can be a GAME-CHANGER for public servants who spend long hours at the computer, immersed in high-stress environments that create unhealthy work habits. We dive into body alignment issues common to the public servant— like "keyboard forearm" from hours at the desk, and the infamous "camel neck" or “dowager’s hump” from craning over your phone, and Russ shares actionable tips and techniques to combat these problems that you can implement into your busy routine. Recording the conversation before and after my treatment provides a rare, intimate and in depth review of a bodywork experience, as well as a practitioner’s perspective, and honest advice on finding the type of therapy you might want as well as how to find it, navigating what’s often a very murky landscape of options! Russ shares his thoughts on how to evaluate the work of a therapist while maintaining a receptive mindset, how to best give feedback (spoiler alert!: this approach will translate well into your leadership roles!) as well as how to get the most value from your sessions by setting intention and knowing your preferences.  If you’ve ever been curious about the power of bodywork—or if you're just looking for ways to feel better in your own skin—this episode is going to hit the spot. (it definitely did for me!!) 

Key Topics Discussed:

· [00:01:10] Guest/Episode Intro

· [00:03:59] Where Are We Right Now??

· [00:08:40] Bodywork Therapy & Massage Therapy 

· [00:12:12] A Receptive Mindset 

· [00:15:00] Request from Kindness and Appreciation

· [00:16:03] Thought Loops Disrupting the Present Pleasure 

· [00:17:46] Setting Intentions for the Session 

· [00:18:30] SPONSOR: ELC

· [00:21:03] The Practitioner's Experience: The Dance 

· [00:22:30] The Recipient’s Experience

· [00:23:30] Thinking about the Spectrum of Massage 

· [00:25:40] How Russ’s Skills Were Cultivated 

· [00:28:45] The Moment it Became Clear 

· [00:30:04] Applying the Science to Real World Experiences 

· [00:31:35] Understanding some Techniques 

· [00:31:55] Targeting the Middle Scalene 

· [00:34:21] Tractioning, Decompressing the Joints 

· [00:35:52] A Trick of the Trade: Start with the Compacted Leg 

· [00:37:54] The Computer-Trained Forearm

· [00:40:00] Contraction and Expansion

· [00:41:51] Two Minutes is EVERYTHING! (but take it slow) 

· [00:42:53] The Long-term Consequences of “GO-GO-GO”  

· [00:44:30] Bodies Tell Stories

· [00:48:43] Skippy’s Body-Story

· [00:49:47] Correcting Neck Posture: Tuck, not Raise 

· [00:51:27] Breath into Your High Heart