As much as I would love to have a massage every day, I just can’t afford the time or the expense. It is possible to administer a self-massage to help to loosen tightness and relieve sore muscles. I find I do some form of self message almost everyday.

My go to tools for self message are my foam roller and Pinky balls. I got a 6-inch GRID roller for Christmas, and I’m still learning how to use it and what it’s good for. Mostly I just go by the instructions that came with the roller. I find that it does help with the tightness in my glutes and hip flexors.

After attending a workshop given by Deborah Vogel on improving your turn out, I purchased her DVD on massage with pinky balls. I roll them under my feet and find that it helps my achy arches.

Something I’ve recently heard about is the MELT Method® (MELT) which is another self-treatment technique. The goal of MELT is to help your body get out and stay out of chronic pain.

I’m excited to offer a MELT workshop at Albany Dance & Fitness on Saturday, March 22, 2014. My goal for the workshop is to learn more about using the foam roller and of course learning new ways to stay pain free.

Carrie Whitelaw will be leading this workshop. Carrie has 15 years of experience in occupational therapy and offers MELT as a self-empowering technique to support and encourage optimal health and wellness

The focus of our workshop will be self care for dancers, but it is open to anyone who suffers from chronic pain. We’re going to learn how to prevent pain, heal injuries and erase the negative effects of our demanding workouts using MELT techniques.

I’m hoping to see you all there! Remember to wear comfortable clothing, bring a yoga mat and water.

Note: If you can’t make it to the workshop on March 22, 2014, Carrie will also be offering a one-hour MELT workshop at the annual Dance Alliance Dance+24 festival on Sunday, April 6, 2014 in Saratoga Springs.