The Gifts of Massage: A Holiday Perspective for the New Year Part II

The Gifts of Massage: A Holiday Perspective  for the New Year Part II

Victoria Jordan Stone, M.A., N.C.M.T

Co-director Blue Ridge School of Massage & Yoga

The beginning of the year marks a time that many people make resolutions; there must be a really strong urge among us to keep refining who we are and how we behave, how we attend to our health and other aspects of our lives. But it's a well-known fact that most New Year's resolutions, many focusing on weight loss in the aftermath of holiday season gorging) rarely last more then a few days at most. Giving up something is generally more difficult than creating something new.

There are more productive ways of welcoming change into one's life. From Business Class 1, graduates of Blue Ridge School of Massage & Yoga, may recall a discussion of annual vision statements. My personal one is put together every year now, for about 18 years, between Christmas and my birthday on January 7. It takes two weeks because it's pretty comprehensive, covering health and fitness, home, garden, massage practice, the school, artwork, spiritual life, relationships, personal development, continuing education, and finances. The business plans students put together as part of their program are a form of vision statement. Part of my vision statement this year is to take more time for myself and for fun and so I am running two weeks post-New Year's with this article on vision plans; I see it as a sign of health, and the information is timeless in any case.

If you have no goal you're bound to get there, but it might be nowhere. Conversely, it is known that if you have a well-fleshed out, descriptive plan – vision – for what you see in the coming year or other time frame – chances are good you will realize your plan. A study some years back showed that older children who engaged in journaling/vision plans for a period of more than one year during the formative years of early adolescence showed  significantly higher scores on their SATs, better grades in college and a higher rate of completion of programs, and higher participation in graduate programs.

What I've found from the use of a vision  for the particulars of my life is (example) that if you can truly envision the way your massage practice  will look and operate, and you can really feel the feelings that will be present when you are successfully seeing the number of clients you want, where and when you want to see them, and having the results on their health and well-being you hope for. In my experience   there is somewhere around an 85% success rate for realizing your visions when you really work the process. . Gregg Braden has a great short work, available printed, on audio CD, or YouTube called The Lost Mode of Prayer in which he details the use of this type of visioning process for manifesting what you want, and he indicates having the emotional response to what you're seeing in your mind as an already done deal helps to make it so. Firefox has a number of background designs you can choose from, and while I tend to go for aesthetics, the one mine pulls up every time I go to the web has V + E = M (and  attractive muted peach and grey tones). The formula refers to Visualization+ Emotion = Manifestation.

So, in manifesting your dream massage practice you will circumvent some of the self-defeating practices I have recently been reading about on massage related Linked In news groups. There have been endless discussions about the use of Groupon, Daily Deal, and umpteen other programs for discounting massage therapy. Proponents of these practices will say that it's a cheap way of marketing, and needless to say many of those proponents are those who set them up and they are laughing all the way to the bank. In many localities where massage therapists are using these discounting programs the rate for massage therapy has dropped to a regular price of $30/hour; discounted many of these therapists are earning $15 or less when they participate in the discounting or package deal programs. It may be a cheap way of marketing – no up front cost – but it is very expensive in terms of lost revenues from regularly price massage sessions. And there are several pitfalls to the use of these schemes, which ultimately primarily benefit the promoters of them:

·         Discounting to new clients is a slap in the face to established regular clients who are presumably paying your full rate for massage sessions.

·         Those who come in for a cut-rate massage session will almost never re-book at your regular rate

·         Those who come to you based on price will leave you for someone else's discounted offer

·         Clients generally feel they get what they pay for and therefore will come in with low expectations, and even if you pleasantly surprise you, they may still undervalue the experience because of their pre-emptive prejudice

·         Clients generally treat their massage therapists in direct correlation to the amount they pay for massage, ie: they will tend to arrive on time, not cancel at the last minute, and tip (where accepted) when they are paying a standard or premium price for massage therapy, and will not do so for massage “deals.”

There may be other pitfalls as well, but you get my drift. If you can effectively image your practice into perfection it is a much more beneficial way of “promoting” yourself than making the promoters of these practices rich while you work your hands into repetitive strain injuries. This is not to say you should never perform massage for less than your standard price; it may be imperative to provide a reduced rate, or a different method of payment to specific individuals in need to meet your vision for yourself as a spiritual or evolved therapist, and certainly providing gift certificates for charitable organizations fund raisers, or on-site massage at public charitable events may fill a place in your personal vision statement and your business plan as well.

What we are engaging in as massage therapists is a heart-centered, highly skilled, caring and  beneficial  integrative healthcare practice and we make a huge difference in peoples' lives, which is why the public perception of massage therapy has risen so much over the past twenty years. It is also why people are willing to pay for our services out of their pockets when they could potentially seek services with insurance coverage. Let us all be thankful we can undertake such valuable and self-actualizing work and maintain an image of that work supporting us and our families abundantly, so we will maintain the energy, enthusiasm and heart to continue to give in a variety of conscious ways.

Namaste

Introduction to Massage - Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 10am - 2:30pm

Introduction to Massage - Registration Required - $35
Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 10am - 2:30pm

We are offering this 4-hour workshop so that those who believe they may be interested in the field of massage therapy can find out if the field is a good path for them to pursue. This short course provides information about the field and the school, and gives participants the opportunity to give and receive some bodywork. This is especially important for those who have never received a professional massage.   We strongly recommend that prospective students receive a massage either from a certified professional or from the student clinic (at a discounted rate for applicants) before starting school.

The introductory class cost is $35, which includes a simple lunch. Those who enroll in our Massage Therapist Training program will have the cost credited to their tuition.

Call 540-552-2177 to register for this workshop or to get more information.
http://blueridgemassage.org

BRSMY article on CE featured in January 2012 Natural Awakenings

Check out our most recent article published in the swva edition of Natural Awakenings. You can pick up a copy of this at any local grocery store or natural foods market. If you'd like to access it online, follow the link below - we are on page 9!

http://www.naswvamag.com/images/stories/digitalmagazine/january2012/index.html

New Class Dates! 12-month Medical Massage Therapy certification program:

12-month Medical Massage Therapy certification program:

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

(meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:30pm-5:30pm) 

At Blue Ridge School of Massage & Yoga, we provide instruction in a wider range of therapeutic modalities than most other massage programs.

Our curriculum compares favorably with other schools. For example, in 2005 the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) greatly increased the curriculum requirements for students who want to take the National Exam. Blue Ridge School of Massage & Yoga has exceeded these new curriculum standards since 2001. According to the NCBTMB, in 2004 only 16% of massage schools surveyed met the new standards. In addition, our curriculum has been approved by the Association of Bodywork and Massage Professionals.

Swedish Massage uses a variety of strokes to stimulate the circulation of blood through the soft tissues of the body. Stroking and kneading the bare skin with lubricant stimulates metabolic processes, loosens tight muscles, promotes healing, and enhances one’s sense of vitality. We also teach Deep Swedish massage, a form that follows the basic Swedish massage strokes applied more specifically and deeply.

Deep Tissue Massage is a broad term for various techniques that affect deeper layers of muscles and fascia (connective tissue). These techniques help with chronic muscle pain, injury rehabilitation, and the restoration of increased mobility. At Blue Ridge School of Massage & Yoga, we have developed a unique way of integrating 3 forms of deep tissue work -- Travell Trigger Point Therapy, Counterstrain, and NeuromuscularTrigger Point Therapy -- into a form of bodywork we call Combined Deep Therapy (CDT). CDT manipulates trigger points for pain relief. Students learn to analyze pain patterns and to use the most appropriate technique to work with a clients’ specific needs. Students learn to place parts of the body in positions of stretch or ease to facilitate the release of stubborn muscle spasms and holding patterns.

Myofascial Release is another form of deep tissue work. MFR is a positioning and stretching system applied to soft tissues. The practitioner moves the client’s body while using a superficial or deep stroke, with the intent to manipulate the connective tissue, in order to increase mobility.

Medical Massage is a foundation of knowledge that allows the practitioner to work safely and effectively with individuals in the entire range of health, illness and disability. We provide instruction in prenatal, perinatal and post-partum massage; infant massage; compassionate touch for the frail and dying; working in a medical environment; medical terminology; documentation; and working with a host of medical conditions, emphasizing where massage is indicated or contraindicated and what cautions should be observed. Our program exceeds the National Certification Board standards for the number of hours of study in Physiology and Pathology. We teach a Pathology course oriented specifi- cally towards massage therapy and how massage interacts with specific medical conditions.  

Sports Massage is designed to reduce injuries, alleviate inflammation, and provide warm-up and cool-down for athletes before, during, and after their training regimens. Graduates may have opportunites to work on athletes through the workplace program.

Shiatsu is a form of acupressure. It focuses on the efficient flow of energy through the body, its nervous system, and energy meridians. Meridians and organs lacking in sufficient energy are balanced and strengthened. Stretching and movement are also employed. The recipient is fully clothed.

Thai Yoga Massage is a form of oriental pressure point therapy which combines thumbing and palming along energy lines in the body with assisted stretches. Thai yoga massage is performed on a fully clothed client on a floor mat. 

Polarity Therapy emphasizes energy flow in the body. Emotional tension and/or pain is released when the flow of energy is restored. Polarity therapy is a blending of Eastern and Western philosophy and techniques. The body is gently manipulated to balance the positive and negative energies.  

Reflexology is based on the theory that there are reflex areas, or specific points in the feet and hands, that correspond to all the parts of the body. Pressure on such points improves circulation, relieves stress, and helps stimulate the body’s healing process.  

Reiki is based on the principles of Chi, or universal life energy. Reiki promotes healing through hands-on energy channeling. A practitioner’s hands are placed on the fully clothed client in various positions on the head, chest, abdomen, back, legs and feet. The recipient generally feels a sense of deep relaxation and well-being.

The Gifts of Massage: A Holiday Perspective , Part I

The Gifts of Massage: A Holiday Perspective , Part I 
Victoria Jordan Stone, M.A., N.C.M.T
Co-director Blue Ridge School of Massage & Yoga 

This time of year many of us have been  focused on gifts – what to get for those significant people, whether family members or friends. We may be considering what to give our clients as well. Most of us, as adults who care for others on a regular basis have long left behind the child's orientation about what  we're likely to receive, but I'll address that here as well. This is an editorial piece – my opinions only, and particularly from the perspective of being an ethics instructor.  
It is very tempting, especially when someone is still in massage school and needs the practice, or documentation project sessions, to give gift certificates for massage to those near and dear for the holidays. Certified massage therapists often also choose to give massage – something from their unique talents to family members or friends, as well. I think this can be great, but having heard from one CMT friend tell me that she felt resentful spending all her time in the back room working on relatives while merry-making was going on in the living room there are pitfalls to this kind of giving. Many of you may have experienced this  over the recent holidays, and may have decided it works for you, or that you might want to be more selective about how many gift massages you provide friends and family members in the future, or you may have decided a brief break over the holidays next year is in order. It's certainly worth reflecting on and considering for the future.  

Recently I have been on some massage-oriented Linked In groups and was appalled at some of the posts I found on those forums, where MTs were discussing gifts to clients, and many mentioned giving gift certificates for two sessions to clients for the holidays. It is generally considered inappropriate to receive gifts from clients that are valued at more than $30; how appropriate is it, then, to give clients gift certificates valued at (hopefully!) $60+ apiece?  Other responders mentioned  giving pirated copies of music CDs, which the musicians who follow the discussions appropriately objected to. I like to give my regular clients a small container of the massage lubricant they prefer for their sessions with a card and a bow, for use at home after baths and showers. Some massage therapists give calendars and other similar items with their contact information printed on the item.   

While I have no desire to be stingy in my gifts to clients, I feel that we, as a group, give wholeheartedly and unreservedly of our time, skills, intent and effort every time we give a massage. Of course there is an exchange of energy in the form of their payment for massage, but from the responses we receive from the clients we serve it seems clear that they appreciate our efforts and generally feel they receive very good value for their expenditure on massage therapy.  
I am thankful every day for the opportunity to serve and to give in this way; I cannot begin to put a value on the gift of being able to provide massage therapy on a regular basis to my clients for the past twenty-two years. It has enhanced my life, my personal growth, spiritual development, and overall happiness. I have developed and maintained lasting relationships with clients and what a gift it has been to know them for five, ten, even twenty years, as they move through their lives. And I am deeply appreciative of the gift that is their trust in me and my work. 


Being able to continue to learn through ongoing continuing education classes has been a gift in that it has allowed me to take more satisfaction in the quality of my work and its results for my clients. Attending to my own self-care through receiving massage therapy from students and peers has given me the gift of enhanced well-being, stress reduction, injury prevention and rehabilitation and has continually given me a greater appreciation for the individuality and creativity all who have given me massage bring to their work, and for the profound effects our work has on body, mind, and spirit.  
And lastly I have great appreciation for being able to have been honored to participate in the education of so many open-minded, dedicated and talented students of massage therapy over the past fifteen years; they have taught me more and more effective ways to reach them with the material, and have, like my clients, helped me to growand become over time more who I wish to be. I value the lessons every single student has brought me, and feel very gratified to have been a part of the process that has led them to  successful careers in the field, or work with family and friends.  
The gifts of massage truly are gifts that keep on giving. Best wishes to all as we move into a new year of possibilities for giving, and receiving the gifts of massage.