A Week In An Airport

I recently saw a client who had spent a week in airports across Europe and the U.S. trying to get home after spending the holidays in Italy.

I can’t say that I’d ever wondered what sleeping on benches and chairs and floors would do to my back. I suppose if I’d ever considered it, I figured I’d be permanently broken. This client, surprisingly, was not. Of course, she’s younger, still in college. Still, I was surprised that she wasn’t in worse shape.

While working with her, I began to contemplate the levels of frustration spending that much time stranded must have generated. I can’t imagine.

Afterward as I was driving home listening to the news from Haiti, I began thinking about how frustrated and desperate the survivors of the earthquake must feel. The outpouring of aid from the U.S. is encouraging. I hope it’s in time.

Have You Finished Shopping Yet?

Have you finished shopping your Christmas list yet? I haven’t and I’m getting just a little panicked about it.

I figured some of you might be in the same boat so I wanted to toss out there that I have gift certificates available for those hard-to-buy-for folks on your list.

Call me if you’re interested.

National Massage Therapy Awareness Week

Every day I’m a massage therapist I learn something new. That there was such a thing as National Massage Therapy Awareness Week is one of those new things.

I consider myself a walking, talking advertisement for massage therapy as it’s the only way I’ve identified that actually grows my business. That and I love it and as such love to talk about it so NMTAW just sort of fits right into the way I do things.

Anyway, the American Massage Therapy Association is promoting awareness about massage October 25 -31 this year and they want you to take time out for yourself and get a massage.  I would love to see you on my table so call me or go to the Massage Therapist Locator at AMTA and find a massage therapist near you.

Have a great week and massage!

Trade Etiquette & Ethics

One of the things I’ve been trying to do in order to keep myself in balance is trade massages with other therapists that I know. When I’m really on the ball I try to buy a massage from a therapist I don’t know in order to introduce myself and widen my circle of associates.

In recently trying to set up a trade, some questions came to the forefront of my mind and I haven’t had the opportunity to run them by a more experienced therapist so I thought I would put them here and see if anyone would like to offer their thoughts on the matter.

As a therapist, if you arrange a trade with someone and then are offered the opportunity to work with a paying client, what do you do? Do you cancel the trade? Do you focus the paying client to a different time slot?

My thoughts are that you should schedule the client to a different time slot. Is this a common practice? Or is it more common to re-schedule the trade and take the paying client?

I’m just wondering how other folks do it and why. Leave a comment.

It Pays To Be Nice

I was in the doctor’s office waiting room yesterday morning waiting for my name to be called. I was there for a flu shot and dreading it. I’m a little nervous around needles. They make me faint if we’re not real careful.

Anyway, while I was waiting I leaned my head back and laid it on the back of the couch to try to ease the horrible ache between my shoulder blades. After a couple of minutes the gentleman across the way made a comment about falling asleep in public.

We struck up a conversation and I found out he was struggling to stay awake after an all-night shift at a local company. I felt bad for the man and continued talking with him longer than I ordinarily would because I know how miserable it is when I’m sleepy and just want to lay down.

Turns out he works with a very good friend of mine and we chatted as we waited. I went in for my appointment and while I was asking a few questions about the flu shot I was there for, he overheard one of the nurses say something about me being a massage therapist.

He was still waiting when I came back through the waiting area. He stopped me, asking about my massage therapy practice, and wondering if I “worked with gentlemen in my practice”. I could tell he was nervous that he might offend me by the way he asked it. When I assured him that I did work with gentlemen he relaxed and told me about some problems he was having with his neck and back. I dug a card out of my purse and told him to call me.

He hasn’t called yet, but that really isn’t the point of my post. The point is that I put myself out there a little further than I normally do and in return I made a personal connection and a business contact.

While I was still in school, the interpersonal nature of marketing a massage therapy business was a huge concern. I still worry about it and struggle with days where my introverted nature makes me want to go hide under my bed. I try to respect myself on those days and keep the chit chat of marketing to a minimum. But I do find that more often than not, when I put myself out there and talk with people, I end up feeling better when I leave than when I arrived.

I guess that’s a good thing. And it helps me remember that every business contact I make may not turn into a new client, but it is one more person who has heard my name and hopefully will remember and share that they had a pleasant conversation with me when they hear it again.

Tips For A Better Massage

I found these tips for a better massage in an article on massage and breast cancer which you can go read here if you like. They are appropriate for anyone who wants to receive a massage.

When getting a massage, consider this advice from the AMTA:

1. Communicate with your massage therapist. Give accurate health information and let the therapist know your expectations and reasons for the massage. Tell your massage therapist what you prefer in the way of lotions and oils and whether you have any allergies.

2. Remember to breathe normally. Breathing helps facilitate relaxation.

3. Drink extra water after your massage.

4. Don’t get up too quickly and do allow for some quiet time after your massage session. If you’re dizzy or light-headed after the massage, do not get off the table too fast.

Unexpected Expenses

Over the last two weeks I’ve received two unexpected business-related expenses. While I was gone to Cincinnati for Ashi training my business was inspected by the State Board’s investigator. I got written up.

Apparently, the state has changed some of the laws dealing with massage establishments and the requirements for obtaining establishment licenses. Last year, when I opened Harvest Moon, the massage therapist I rent space from talked extensively with the State Board’s representative and she ended up buying an establishment license to cover all of us in the office.

I’m still trying to find the text of the new law, but it seems I will have to buy an establishment license from the state in order to comply and not be fined.

The second unexpected expense came in the form of a letter from the Property Tax Assessor of Morgan County. It seems that I must also declare any personal property used in the business. I delivered that paperwork to my accountant yesterday as I truly did not understand exactly what they were asking for and the last thing I need is to fill out tax paperwork wrong. There’s no telling how much that is going to cost between paying the accountant and assessment from the tax collectors office.

And I thought I was doing so good… I need some more clients. Anyone?

Deepfeet II & Fusion

Wow, what a challenge! Deepfeet II was a wonderful class. The strokes are a great extension to the one-footed strokes and allow a much deeper and complete Ashiatsu massage. The Fusion class added even more strokes teaching us to transition smoothly and give that signature “Deepest Most Luxurious Massage On the Planet”.

This photo is me learning Ruthie’s Wave, a two-footed stroke that works the hip. Most of our guest clients loved this move as it feels wonderful. The soreness from the class is finally passing and I can’t wait to get a client on the table!

I’m Honored

Today I received a phone call from the head of the Massage Therapy program at Calhoun Community College. It was a request for me to serve on their advisory board.

They needed a graduate to participate on the board and I was selected out of all their graduates over the past two years. I’m honored and excited!

I find it coincidental that I’m currently in a multi-day massage training program when I get this offer. Karma works in strange and wonderful ways and affirms that I’m doing something right.

Oh, and I accepted, of course!

Ashiatsu Anterior & Side-lying

We had a great anterior and side-lying Ashiatsu class yesterday. I’m sore from all the work and convinced that I have to find an Ashi practitioner closer to home. I feel much looser than normal.

I have pictures, but I forgot the download cable at home so I’ll post them when I get back.
Today starts the Deep Feet II class and I’m really nervous about it. I’ll be looking for guinea pigs to let me practice on again soon so if you’re willing, leave a comment.