But think back to when you first started massage school, and it seemed impossible that the instructor was expecting you to go home on Monday night and do three, yes three!, massages before class on Wednesday? Is he crazy?!?

Even our clinic intern hours seemed to be never-ending and utterly draining when we were just massage-babies! And now you’re doing an average of nine 60-minute massages per day?

Yes, your body ~ and mind, and spirit ~ are more conditioned to the rigorous demands of your work, but you are still the same person you were all those months, years, decades ago. You are still susceptible to fatigue and overuse. You can still become overwhelmed by the needs of a client on your table. And you can still burn out…like so many talented and dedicated bodyworkers sadly do.

In short, you are still human, no matter how many massages you can crank out in a day.

When you’re working to your extreme, quality becomes a concern, and the number of sessions isn’t always the most effective indicator of decreased quality potential.

While you aren’t really bothered by not having time for bathroom breaks between each client, another therapist might have to find another job because this condition is a detriment to his health and functionality. Every massage therapist is different, and will be affected by various influences in the work environment. To ensure your sustained ability to work optimally, you will need to identify what your limitations are, and learn to effectively eliminate or decrease them in your professional life.

Allow yourself time to breathe, renew, refresh, regenerate…

Sit down in a quiet space to eat a healthy and nourishing lunch with a cup of hot tea and a book, instead of running to the corner store, grabbing something vaguely food-like wrapped in cellophane, and cramming it in your mouth while you rush back to work, simultaneously checking your voicemail and planning dinner in the back of your mind.

Try different approaches to the way you work, and keep a journal-style record of how you felt, what your mood was like, how attentive you were, interactions with your clients, noticeable changes, etc.

It’s so easy to be distracted by life while we’re trying to live it, but the inherent value in that very same life is being able to step away from it ~ even for a moment of stillness ~ to objectively enjoy the substance of your existence, with the realization that you have become intimately attune to yourself.

It is, in essence, the spiritual equivalent of stopping to smell the flowers. And if we neglect to do that as often as our spirit deems it necessary, we will inevitably succumb to that neglect as we move farther and farther away from the quality within those moments.

We all have our challenging days, and most times it’s worth enduring a few difficult shifts every once and again to stay in our jobs. Day after day, we strive to achieve so many objectives, yet the inattention to our own selves is most often the source of our conflict. We erroneously measure ourselves against others, and in turn expect unrealistic results.

We all need those days when one of our clients brings us an unexpected cup of tea because she stopped to get herself one on the way to her appointment.

We all need to kick back in our mental hammocks, reflecting on ourselves and the journey of our lives, taking time to allow our day’s experiences to upload organically.

We all need to remove the cape and tights, if just for a moment, to acknowledge and appreciate the vulnerabilities that make us human.

Without those moments, our tenure as healers will be as fleeting as those delicate spring blossoms, just waiting to be cherished before the heat of summer carries them away…

So, take a deep breath, clear out the clutter, and enjoy a moment of whole-being stillness. And don’t worry, you can return to your life just where you left it…right after the break.

By TiffanyCox, LMT

You’ve been a Professional Massage Therapist for 5 years now, so you should pretty much have it all down, right?

You do? You just might be the only one!

I have met therapists in their second and third decades of therapy and still not sure what type of massage they wanted to specialize in! One of the most amazing and thrilling aspects to this division of health and wellness is that you will (hopefully) never stop learning and growing.

I’ve personally had about a dozen “favorite” massage techniques, and I haven’t yet reached decade number one! I hope I never see the day I think I’ve “learned it all,” because ours is a profession built on specialized adaptation and transformation. My single most important goal in school, and even today and beyond, is to never give the same massage twice ~ not even to the same person, no matter how many times they’ve visited my table.

We’ve all been to that hair stylist that gives everyone the same cut, or the doctor who prescribes the same fix to all his patients…try not to force yourself into a pattern or routine, and your inherent talents and interests will surface as you allow yourself to improvise.

Long ago in another career life, I was required to be extremely analytical, logical and left-brained. When I became a Massage Therapist, those skills and tendencies lingered in my professional perspective.

My first massage venture was in a clinical setting, and, oh my!, was my inner-German happy! I thought I’d found my “True Calling” ~ cue the dramatic choir of singing angels and the blinding golden light of harps and halos! I thought working with injured and chronically-ailing patients was the end-all to my professional search for fulfillment, and I would never find anything more satisfying as long as I lived. I was thankfully very mistaken!

At first I was uncomfortable with the thought of changing my mind about something I’d thought to be such a fundamental part of my identity as a therapist, but as I developed, I began to understand that being malleable and receptive is exactly what perpetuates development.

I have since enjoyed countless flings with techniques as diverse as my client base, adopting 5,000-year-old energy-based therapies and marrying them with cutting-edge sports therapy techniques while simultaneously performing bio-feedback!

While working for a chiropractor, I never thought I’d work in a spa setting, but then I chose to leave the doctor’s office for one of the most exclusive spas in town. I learned steams, wraps, and scrubs of such epic pampering-proportions I’d go home swooning in bliss! Incidentally, learning to make someone feel like they’ve left the mother-ship for 90 minutes is truly an art-form of which to be stunningly proud.

When I was offered a position in a 5-star resort spa that enticed me with the prospect to incorporate my clinical skills with my newly-discovered luxury repertoire, the angels started screeching once again!

Regardless of how many times I fall in love with one therapy technique or another, the intensity and value of each affair is in no way diminished by the next fascination. My willingness to be courted and captivated by a diverse palate of modalities is what has made me a commodity in our profession.

One of my favorite philosophers, Robert Anton Wilson, authored and adhered to a lifestyle of what he detailed as “Maybe Logic.” Through a series of frustrating and challenging personal episodes, he learned that maybe he really didn’t know all there was to know about life, the universe and everything in it, even though his ego was persistently suggesting otherwise.

As the seed of my work has developed within me, it has become increasingly natural to view the unknown in this way and for exactly what it is ~ limitless potential.

Being inherently human I, of course, continue to rely on my past experiences to deliver favorable results, but I don’t walk around in a semi-conscious coma of ignorance, expecting all my encounters to swoop me off my feet, either.

I have learned to embrace what all of us are trying so fervently to obtain at every level of existence ~ homeostasis, the balance between what is inside in relation to what is outside. Push to a pull, wax for the wane, ebb from a flow, Yin within Yang…define it how you choose, they are all the same.

By embracing the fluidity and transience of my work, I have discovered my true gifts. Inspiring coexistence of my interests has consistently encouraged the emergence of the most effective and relevant approach by means of necessity.

I’ve posed demanding questions to myself, and expected substantial answers in return. I’ve opened myself to change, even at the most fundamental levels, never being so intimidated by the unknown that I miss out on its immeasurable opportunities. I’ve foremost not allowed myself to become “comfortable” in my knowledge, always seeking validation in truth and results.

Being true to yourself doesn’t mean having one opinion and never modifying your perspective. Being true to your true self means having the courage to be the best version of that self by discovery through a perpetual progression in your knowledge, experience, and fulfillment.

And when all these elements converge within you, the understanding of your purpose and direction will bring everything into precise and absolute focus.

Massage, by its nature, is an intimate experience. Touching someone all over their body, even in a therapeutic manner, requires a level of trust and confidence between therapist and client. How clients feel about the gender of their massage therapist and the whole notion of male vs. female massage therapists and how that affects career options is the subject of our most recent article.

Check out the article about massage therapist gender issues by clicking here. I think you will find it informative and helpful.

You can read our entire interview with this Chicago-area massage school instructor by clicking here.

There is no such thing as a “typical day” for a massage therapist.  The profession, being a flexible one, offers massage therapists several options on how they want to structure their work hours.  A snapshot of a working day would depend on whether the person works part time or full time, the kind of working environment the therapist chooses to work in (as an employee in a health club, a freelance therapist working for a spa or resort, or working for physical and occupational therapist or doctor in a hospital or clinic) or as a business owner.

Jenny Platt owns a massage business in Virginia and her days can be hectic or relatively unhurried.  There are joys and challenges.  Some of these challenges arise when clients don’t show up for their appointments.  She says that clients need to provide two hours’ notice; if they don’t, they forfeit their session.  Ms. Platt says she often has to explain this to clients in an ethical and non-offensive way, and it can get tricky because many clients are on multiple session packages.  Clients tend to forget that some massage therapists who are hired are paid for actual work they do, not for hours sitting around waiting for clients.

Ms. Platt and her massage therapists reserve an extra half hour for each session to prepare:  changing linens, pulling out the client’s file, preparing the products, choosing the music and lighting candles.  As a business owner, she also has a myriad of administrative matters to look after.  Taking three to four clients a day, therefore, is the ideal client load for her.  When clients come in, they are offered water and directed to the washrooms.  If she is meeting clients for the first time, she spends 20-30 minutes for consultation.  Because client needs are different, the types of massage vary.  The variety is what she enjoys most;  it prevents her from feeling tired or burning out at the end of the day.  She could start her day applying a rigorous type of massage, but before lunch, she could be doing the raindrop technique or the Thai herbal compress - lighter forms of therapy.

Ms. Platt’s clients range in age from 20 to 70, but she says majority are in the 30-50 age range.  Regular or repeat customers account for 85% of her business.  Of those who come, 60% have a specific problem so they’re not getting a massage purely for relaxation.  Her center is open seven days a week and the last session is at 7:30 in the evening.  When she started, she was working seven days a week, but now she works only Mondays through Fridays from 11:00 am to 6:00 or 7:00 pm.

In our next post, we’ll peek into the day of a massage therapist working in a hospital setting.

“I’m booked for the next 3 months.  I’ve had to turn away clients and feel bad because I want to help them.”

“I’ve just earned my licence so I’m relatively new in the field.  The place I work for though has a steady stream of clients so I’m slowly building good client relationships.  The potential for repeat business is excellent.”

When you graduate from massage school and earn your license, you gain experience by working in a salon or spa, in the offices of doctors, occupational therapists, physiologists and rehabilitation therapists, and chiropractors.  You may find joy in working in fitness centers and gyms, or in hotels and corporate environments.

Some massage therapists also choose to be self-employed.  In fact, of the 118,000 massage therapists in 2006, 64 percent% were self-employed, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Here’s the good news:  job growth for massage therapists is expected to rise faster than average.  There are also good job prospects for those who want to practice massage therapy part-time. The better news?  The Department of Labor forecasts a 20% increase of jobs for the 10-year period from 2006 to 2016!  This number will continue to grow because more and more people are learning (and enjoying) the numerous benefits of massage therapy.  The prospects are even brighter because massage therapy has come to be accepted by health care providers and insurance companies as a legitimate medical approach.

Massage therapists who are formally trained and have the necessary state and national credentials face bright opportunities in the field of massage therapy.  In addition to earning your license, you may want to devote time and effort to networking.  One way of doing this is to join a state association or local chapter of a recognized massage organization.  You can’t underestimate the value of networking skills.  It will provide referral business, enabling you to establish a constant stream of clients.  If you’re female, you have an edge over your male counterparts, because 84% of massage therapists in 2006 were female.

If you’re looking for advancement in your career as a massage therapist, earn all the licensing and certifications required, refine your networking skills by looking at membership possibilities at associations and foundations, and most of all, find meaning in what you do.  Finding meaning is probably the one task that you have to nurture and sustain throughout your career.  Since massage therapy rhymes with the giving of care and the promoting of wellness, how about thinking of giving some of your time to people in need?  In other words, keep the spirit of volunteerism alive whenever time permits.  It is what Susan Lallak describes as “seeing the beauty within” where modest acts of charity allowed her to see people from a different perspective.  You can read about it here: http://www.massagetherapyfoundation.org/pdf/Charity_MNB_MA_09.pdf.

At first we thought that infant massage was a course that was integrated into the curriculum of massage therapy training, worth perhaps three or six credits.  To our surprise, infant massage is a specialization in itself, and some schools across the country are now offering full training programs in this field.  This means that infant massage is important enough so that schools offer it as a special training program.

Why Choose Infant Message as a Specialty?

The first reason is summed up in three words:  touch is vital.  Infants who are touched (or massaged) grow up less irritable and are better sleepers.  From an emotional perspective, an infant who is regularly massaged has a more stable temperament and engages in more meaningful interaction.  For babies, touching symbolizes the first signs of communication and this helps them develop motor skills and reflexes at a faster rate than infants who are touch-deprived.

Second reason:  massage makes it easier for infants to breathe on their own.  While inside the womb, infants receive oxygen from the placenta.  When they come out, they have to adapt immediately to their new environment and must learn to breathe without help.  When a baby is touched and massaged, he learns to relax.  When relaxed, babies learn to breathe on their own.

Third reason:  health experts say that massage supports the endocrine system.  Valerie Voner (LMT, CRT and RMT) wrote that “infants who receive massage have greater hormonal support, which in turn increases the activity of their vital organs.”  Ms. Voner adds, “remember, a baby’s organ are still learning how to function…outside the womb, so stimulation on a hormonal level is good.”

There are definitely other reasons why students aspiring to be massage therapists should look into infant massage as a specialization.

Infant Massage School in New Jersey

As infant massage gains in importance, numerous massage schools are now offering this special training.  The massage school in Piscataway, New Jersey – Cortiva Institute (Somerset School of Massage Therapy) is an example.  It has a Maternity and Infant Massage Program designed for massage therapists who are already certified and who wish to further their careers.  Students in this program must complete five hundred hours (500) within the 10 month period of enrolment.

You may also want to visit the web site of the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) founded by Colorado resident Vimala Schneider.  The International Board of IAIM is composed of directors who come from Sweden, Taiwan, the UK and other countries and have an interesting structure (what it calls their flower structure).

In our next blog:  applying for financial aid.

As a massage therapist, you will be called upon to perform sessions that are both physically and emotionally demanding. Most massage therapists readily embrace the challenges of the profession. After all, there are just as many rewards as there are difficulties. Nevertheless, it is important to maintain a healthy sense of self-care so that you can be the best possible therapist for your clients, and enjoy the highest quality of life. Start practicing healthy habits while in massage school to best prepare yourself for life in the field.

A healthy physical body begins with a healthy mind. Be sure to take time every day to meditate. Meditation does not have to take place on a cushion. You need to find the activity that is most calming and soul cleansing for you, whether it is going for a walk outdoors, spending an hour with a good book, or engaging in arts and crafts. Many people find nature to be very therapeutic, yet others may prefer to catch a play or concert downtown. Follow your heart, and let it exclusively guide you through part of each day.

Once your mind is at ease, you need to take care to attend to your physical self. Hit the gym, or find a workout buddy. Keeping your body in shape will help you with your endurance throughout a massage, as well as your ease of movement. Focus on strengthening your core to strengthen your massage strokes. Yoga or Pilates are also great for stretching and strengthening muscles, and enhancing overall health.

Do not neglect your diet. Sometimes healthy eating habits go out the window with busy work schedules. But it is important to maintain a balanced diet to keep your body and mind in check. Always start your day with a nourishing breakfast. Carry a healthy lunch and nutritious snacks to maintain your best self on the go. And remember to keep toxins like caffeine and alcohol at a minimum.

Taking care of yourself will really help you with your longevity in your career. You will also feel less stress and a greater sense of accomplishment. Make self-care an important part of your massage school experience. Learn proactive behaviors that you can take with you into the field as you become a licensed massage therapist.

by Courtney Slivka

Do you love the world of sports? Many people believe athletics and fitness to be among the most exciting industries, and they dream about one day participating in this ever changing field. When it comes to sports, competition is often ruthless, and the stress and sacrifice required by professional athletes is certainly not for everyone. However massage therapists can find a profitable and fulfilling way to engage daily with athletics by specializing in sports massage.

There are varying degrees of sports massage. Some therapists may choose to simply volunteer their services at marathons and community events. Others may work with school sports programs, helping student athletes perform at their highest potential. Many sports massage therapists find full-time positions at gyms and health clubs, working with the clients of the establishment. Yet others aim for the major leagues, working on the sidelines at games to assist professional athletes keep their bodies safe and fluid throughout an event.

Sports massage is a great niche for therapists who love intensity. Often times a sports massage takes place at a higher pace than a relaxation massage. The sports massage therapist must be up to the task. Additionally, a sports massage therapist must have an excellent understanding of anatomy and physiology. Athletes may encounter cramping, sprains, strains, and more. Sports massage therapists must be very knowledgeable in not only identifying these ailments, but also knowing how to handle these stressful situations.

An understanding of different sports also becomes a significant factor in sports massage. Therapists should know which specific muscles are used most in different sports so as to customize the massages for their client’s exclusive needs. Lastly, sports massage therapists should also have insight into handling people under a great deal of pressure.

Athletics can bring out the best and the worst in people. For better or worse, the massage therapist is often times the one behind the scenes who witnesses the highs and lows of the life of an athlete. Patience, compassion, and communication skills are key to working with all competitors, but especially high profile athletes.

Many of today’s massage therapy schools offer at the very least an introduction to sports massage. However if it is a field that you are interested in pursuing, you will probably need continuing education to become better equipped to specialize in the field. Luckily, the field offers a great deal of potential for growth and excitement, and is a perfect fit for many massage therapists.

By Courtney Slivka, LMT

So you are enrolled in massage school, and counting down the days until graduation. Sure, you have enjoyed your academic journey, your time in the massage lab, and getting to know your classmates and instructors. But you are feeling more confident by the day, and you are ready to get out into the field. You are ready to say goodbye to school, and make the transition to working professional. Congratulations! But do not get too comfortable outside of the classroom because chances are, you will be returning to the world of academia sometime within the next two years.

Depending on the state in which you are looking to obtain your massage therapy license, you may be required to take continuing education classes on a regular basis. The requirements regarding the continuing education for massage therapists vary greatly from state to state. Some states, like Arizona, may require a set number of hours to be completed every two years. Yet other states, like Nevada, may require a yearly continuing education requirement. It is important to inform yourself of your state’s rules, and to stay up to date on any changes in the rules over the years

Even if you happen to reside in a state that does not require massage therapists to enroll in continuing education classes, it is in your best interest to take an extra class here and there. The classes will be able to help you stay fresh in your skills. You will also be able to network with other massage therapists, which can be beneficial to your career path and make your life more fulfilling.

Luckily most of the continuing education requirements are flexible, and you are able to choose specific classes that appeal to your interests. It is a great idea to look into potential  continuing education massage classes even before graduation, so that you can prepare and make plans for your future in massage therapy.