Field NOtes Blog

Posts from Michael McMahon

Illustration of swirling wind or water currents with flowing lines and spiral shapes.

Field Notes is the place where our clinical interests meet genuine curiosity about how bodies work, heal, and change.

Select your Topic
Rachel Rosenthal Rachel Rosenthal

Art in Medicine! A brief Lynda Barry follow up . . .

In the days after I posted the tumblr article discussing Lynda Barry's influence on some of my approaches to teaching, I came across this article in the New York Times about medical schools’ use of art as a way to cultivate students’ perceptive skills. I have long been fascinated with blending art and medicine in multiple ways and it's fun to see examples like this.

Read More
Rachel Rosenthal Rachel Rosenthal

How Images Move: A review of Lynda Barry's Syllabus

This book is never far from reach and, often in my mind. The concepts I encountered in this strange little book have altered the way I understand the inter-relationship between content and medium. Meaning, there is a content we are endeavoring to explore and understand – the body. And then there is the medium, or way, by which we do that. Syllabus changed my understanding of the medium.

Read More
Rachel Rosenthal Rachel Rosenthal

On Living Fascia

As promised, I want to discuss another article from the current issue of Massage and Bodywork Magazine.  The timing is so fortunate with our workshop season about to begin (MFR I is next weekend!).  This article is written by the French surgeon, Jean-Claude Guimberteau.  Many of you will be familiar with him from his film, Strolling Under the Skin.  Here’s a link to a half hour excerpt – totally worth watching!

Read More
Rachel Rosenthal Rachel Rosenthal

John Barnes Article on Fascia

Greetings Somanauts! I was so excited to receive the new issue of Massage and Bodywork magazine this month, a whole issue dedicated to fascia! Seriously. Four articles on the fascia by three luminaries in the field, one of whom I've had the opportunity to study with - John Barnes. You can access it through the September / October edition of Massage & Bodywork: "Addressing Fascia with Myofascial Release: A Conversation with John Barnes."

Read More