Choosing a career that’s the right fit for you can be a daunting task. There are so many variables and factors that play a role in finding that perfect job. Many that you might have not thought about before. Here are some key questions to ask yourself when deciding if massage therapy is the right career move for you.
What Kind Of Work Environment Do I See Myself In? Working as a massage therapist means working in a quiet relaxing place. When in service you will be surrounded by peace and quiet for at least an hour or longer. If you are someone who does not care for the hustle bustle and loud chatter of an office setting, working as a massage therapist could be an ideal career choice for you. Many massage therapists work in spas. In the spa you have relaxing spa music, the smell of natural essential oils, and an all in all relaxing space to work.
Do I Want a Flexible Schedule A career in Massage Therapy could offer you a very stable work/life balance. In massage you have a lot of flexibility in your schedule. Massage Therapy is not your typical nine to five, forty hour a week job. In massage you will have the availability to have days off in the middle of the week, have the option to work twelve hour long shifts instead of 8 to allow you a shorter work week, or work half days. No day is the same with massage therapy and that is what is so wonderful about it.
Do I Enjoy Helping Others A lot of what you do in massage therapy is helping others. Helping relieve pain or creating luxurious and comfortable experiences. The main goal of a massage therapist is to help provide healing to your guests. Whether it be therapeutic healing or mental healing, you are going to be working on people from all different walks of life going through a number of different things. That is one of the wonderful things about massage therapy, getting the chance to make a difference in the lives of the people around you.
A career in Massage Therapy is very rewarding, and will give you the opportunity to work with all types of people while also allowing you the work life balance we all want and need. The future of Massage Therapy needs motivated, talented, hard working individuals, with a heart for relaxation and healing.
Being a Massage Therapist is very rewarding and life changing work. The ability to provide healing and wellness to people one trigger point, muscle and stretch at a time is the reason many massage therapists are passionate about their jobs. But, massage therapy can also be taxing on your body if you don’t give yourself the self care you deserve. It is important that as a massage therapist you take care of yourself, so that in return you can give your clients the healing and wellness they need. So what are some steps you can take to care for your body and maintain longevity in your massage career?
Be Active As a future massage therapist it is important that you take care of your body. One way you can do this is by maintaining active. Hit the gym, go for a run, practice yoga, whatever physical activity may look like to you. Staying active is key to keeping your body healthy, fit, and will provide you with the strength to give top notch massages to your guests all day long.
Get a Massage Yourself Your guests are not the only ones who need regular massages. As a massage therapist, you will need one too. Working in massage you are going to be on your feet all day, using your hands and wrists to work out the muscles and knots of your clients. All of that work will eventually take a toll on your body. So be proactive! Schedule a massage for yourself. As a natural born caregiver and service provider it may be hard to get into the mindset of regular self care, but giving yourself one hour a week to receive a massage will be beneficial to the longevity of your career.
Take time to reset Taking time for yourself to reset, recharge, and refresh is an important factor to self care as a massage therapist. Whether that means a simple daily breathing practice, journaling, meditation and/or prayer. Having the ability to reflect and become more center with yourself benefits your body, soul, and mind. Allowing yourself time to reset will also remind you why it is you love the work you do as a massage therapist.
Healthy Eating What we put into our body correlates to how we feel. If you are eating food with zero nutritional value you are very likely to feel tired and worn down. Be intentional about what you are eating. You can’t pack a lunch of soda and chips and expect to feel energized and ready to face your 8+ hour long work day. Instead, make sure you are eating three balanced meals. The food we eat fuels our body and mind and controls how we are going to feel throughout the day. So make the smart choice for you and your career and eat healthy.
Take Control of Your Schedule It is important to take control of your schedule. You don’t want to overwork yourself as a massage therapist. A good way to keep up the momentum in your work life is by maintaining balance within your schedule. You want to be the best massage therapist you can be and to do that you need work life balance. So take that vacation, or that once a month saturday off you deserve it!
Being a massage therapist is rewarding. You are going to be helping people live healthy and prosperous lives using the art of massage. So take the necessary steps to take care of yourself so you can successfully take care of the people around you.
Imagine this, you’re in Massage School, you’re passing all the tests, and you can’t wait to graduate and begin your career as a licensed massage therapist. So, what is next for you? What do you need to do to set yourself apart and score that dream job? Having a successful interview is an important factor to working in the spa of your dreams and for many people it can be intimidating and stressful. Here are some tips and tricks to help you succeed at your interview and get started on your career!
Dress For Success
A good rule of thumb when going to any interview is to make sure you are dressed professionally. The way we dress is a great reflection of who we are so it is important to look your best when interviewing. Try to stray away from wearing jeans with holes in them, tennis shoes, or t-shirts. Dressing for success and making sure you look the best version of yourself will help you feel confident during your interview and the person interviewing you will appreciate the effort you made by looking clean and presentable.
Arrive 10-15 Minutes Early
Promptness is a major factor in having a successful interview. Employers want to hire someone that is reliable, and showing up late could give them the wrong impression. That is why we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes earlier than the scheduled interview. This will make you look responsible and give you time to breathe and collect your thoughts before the interview begins.
Do your Research
It never hurts to do a little research on the company you are interviewing with. Get to know their mission statement and if they have core values memorize them. It is also important to fully understand the role of the job you are applying for and the skills you will need to succeed. Learning more about the company and the role you will play in it, will help you answer the interviewer’s questions more confidently while also proving to the future employer that you have the drive and motivation to be a great member of the team!
Come With Questions
Be prepared to ask questions regarding the job when you are interviewing. A lot of the times employers will ask you “Do you have any questions for me?” at the end of an interview. It is important to come up with a few questions regarding their expectations for the job, your role within the company , and the work culture. This will show the company that you are just as invested in them as they are you, during the interview process.
Preparation is Key
Make sure you are prepared. Preparation is key to a successful interview experience. Be ready to answer all the possible questions they could ask you massage theory or other. If there is a practical examination after the interview to test your knowledge on massage, come equipped with all the things you may need to pass. It is better to be over prepared than not prepared at all.
The interview process can be stressful but if you put in the effort we assure that you will receive the results you want and will be one step closer to working that dream job! So, do your research, dress professionally, show up early, ask all the important questions, and nail that interview. Your future as a licensed massage therapist is waiting.
Join us in enhancing the lives of others by becoming a massage therapist at Indiana Academy of Massage! We are conveniently located on the north side of Indianapolis in beautiful Zionsville!
Have you ever committed to a job, project, or an event and panicked because you were unsure of how you would be able to juggle it all? If you are in massage school or are even thinking about going into it, you could potentially run into this scenario. For some students school is not the only responsibility they have on their plate. Many students work full time jobs, have families, all while trying to pursue a career in their dream field. So what are some time management tips and tricks that will help you maintain success in massage school, while also tackling those unavoidable commitments outside of the classroom?
Set realistic goals and intentions for your day
Whether it’s writing a to do list over breakfast or setting intentions for the day during your morning commute, having a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish in the day is very important. Often times if we go throughout the day without an apparent guide we tend to get distracted and we won’t finish what we had originally set out to accomplish. Making to do lists or outlining your day will help you manifest what it is you need to get done.
Prioritize your responsibilities
Ask yourself “What is the most important thing on my agenda today?” and make that your top priority. Ranking your responsibilities according to when you need to get them done helps you understand which is most important to accomplish first. Sure, all your responsibilities are important and HAVE to be done but by prioritizing the most important tasks in your day you will alleviate worry and stress.
Be Self Aware
Get to know yourself and the amount of stress you are able to take on in a day. If you are already taking on a lot at work while also trying to study and be a star student maybe you shouldn’t join another club or take on that extra activity. It may be hard to say no to all the things we want to do or every opportunity that is thrown at us but in the long run the reward of finishing school and landing that dream job will be worth the work and dedication.
Create Realistic Deadlines and stick to them
One way to make sure you complete all your tasks is by setting realistic deadlines. This will help you set precedent and expectations for your day especially if no one is setting them for you. By giving yourself a due date you create an urgency for your task, this will allow you to avoid procrastinating and help you get to the end goal sooner.
Take a deep breath
Take a deep breath, relax and forgive yourself. Balancing work, personal life, and school is not an easy task. Celebrate your victories and forgive yourself when you fail. Remember that you are only human and aren’t always going to be ahead of the game 100% of the time. An important aspect of stress and time management is knowing when you make a mistake and learning from it. So don’t be afraid to ask for help and always remember to celebrate your accomplishments.
Join us in enhancing the lives of others by becoming a massage therapist at Indiana Academy of Massage! We are conveniently located on the north side of Indianapolis in beautiful Zionsville!
The positive benefits that you receive from a massage can be prolonged with a very simple, daily breathing practice. The following practice is so easy, yet so powerful. Bringing together the power of breath, presence, and therapeutic touch can and will induce a state of health and well-being, and restore vital physiological functions. You may also want to view this video which will demonstrate using props to support your comfort.
Get comfortable, either sitting in a chair with your feet in solid connection with the floor, or lie down on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing up. Feel free to use a small rolled towel under the curve of your neck, as well as a pillow under your knees to create the most comfort possible. Close your eyes.
Start by not changing anything about your breathing. The first step to changing anything is to notice it as it currently is. What do you notice? When you inhale, where does the breath stop before turning around to be exhaled? In the chest? The abdomen? This could also be a good time to notice any slight shaking, sweating, elevated heart rate, clenching in the jaw, etc. Be in tune with your nervous system responses as they are right now.
Place both of your hands over the upper chest and collarbones. Feel the rise and fall of this area as you inhale and exhale. Do this for 3-5 rounds of breath.
Next, place your hands on each side of your rib cage, palms resting on the ribs and fingertips pointing toward each other (toward the midline of your body). Notice the expansion and contraction of your rib cage, front to back and side to side. How much movement is there? Breathe normally, simply observing without judgement, for another 3-5 breaths.
Place your hands over your abdomen. Notice it ebb and flow as well. Or, notice if it isn’t moving much at all. This is common, so again, no judgement. Repeat for 3-5 rounds of breath.
Now, begin to choose your breath. Each time you inhale, envision drawing the breath deep into your belly, so your belly expands up into your hands. As you exhale, gently use your abdominal muscles to lightly squeeze the air back up and out of your nose. Practice this for 3-5 rounds of breath.
Return your palms to each side of your rib cage. As you inhale, expand the breath into your entire rib cage area. The ribs can expand front to back and side to side. Fill the vast space of your ribcage with life-giving air. Exhale, and use your rib cage along with your abdominal muscles to gently press the air back out of your nose. Repeat for 3-5 breaths.
Finally, return your hands to the upper chest and clavicle area. As you continue directing your breath down into the fullness of your rib cage and belly, notice if anything has changed in the upper chest and neck. Does this area move less? More freely? With less tension? Observe for a final 3-5 rounds.
To bring the practice to completion, simply return your arms to your sides, palms face up, and notice your overall being. It is likely you have released thoughts about your day, what you have to do this week, what you didn’t get done yesterday. You might feel calm, relaxed, and even sleepy. Or you might feel energized and rejuvenated, ready to get up and go again. Either way, through this simple exercise, you have used your breath to slow the heart rate, release muscle tension, and calm hyperactivity.
Join us in enhancing the lives of others by becoming a massage therapist at Indiana Academy of Massage! We are conveniently located on the north side of Indianapolis in beautiful Zionsville!
This breathing practice was originally published in Body Sense magazine, Winter 2015. The accompanying video was originally created for the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP) Back Pain Summit in October 2015.
Ever notice after a stressful circumstance that the body’s innate response is to take a deep breath? As soon as it’s over, you might say “Now, I can breathe a sigh of relief”? Or, perhaps, you meet someone who is uplifting and enjoyable to be around; you might describe that person as “a breath of fresh air.”
Breath not only gives life through delivering essential oxygen to the body’s cells for fuel and removing carbon dioxide, it also restores the body and mind to a state of balance when stressful experiences “take our breathe away.”
BODYWORK AND BREATH
If you are alive, you experience stress. There is no way around it. Stress can show up in myriad ways whether good stress (first date, new job, travel) or bad stress (traffic, tight deadlines, losses). Either way, it’s not easy to navigate, in large part due to the body’s natural reactions designed to keep you safe no matter the nature of the stimulus. Fear, danger, and excitement are all perceived the same way on a physiological level. The sympathetic nervous system comes to our aid with responses that prepare us for action.
In and of themselves, stress responses are gifts even if they don’t necessarily feel that way in the midst of experiencing them. For example, shaking informs you that adrenaline is circulating throughout your body, providing energy should you need to stand up and face something— or turn and run away. Adrenaline tells the heart to speed up so that enough blood and oxygen can be pumped to the tissues, especially muscle tissue that is required to effectively move you to action. Heart rate and breathing also kick up a few notches to supply oxygen to the brain so you have better capacity for navigating the immediate threat, whether real or perceived. All these are good, right?
Well, maybe. The answer is yes, unless the stimuli are constant and not balanced with restoration and rejuvenation. It takes a lot of energy to maintain persistent action. Unfortunately we live in a very fast-paced world full of stimuli pelting us from every direction. Even without your conscious awareness of all these stimuli, your brain and body are aware and working hard to keep you safe and alive through all the twists, turns, and detours of life. How this translates into something worthy of your attention is when you begin to have unfavorable physical symptoms that negatively affect your health and well-being, such as agitation, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, neck and shoulder tension, and poor digestion.
Luckily, you have at least 2 powerful tools readily available to you: breath and bodywork.
During stress, breath can be shallow, meaning that instead of inhaling deeply, which can be monitored by the expansion of the rib cage and belly, inhaling is limited to the upper chest and neck area; the purpose for this is efficiency. The brain seeks ways to accomplish tasks as efficiently as possible, and breathing during stress is no exception. Since you need blood and oxygen to get to the brain and body tissues as quickly as possible, hormones speed up your heart and breathing rates automatically, and your breath becomes short, quick, and shallow. When this pattern is repeated due to persistent stress, the muscles responsible for assisting in elevating your ribcage during breathing take on a more primary role. The result is overused and overstressed neck and upper chest muscles. Headaches, along with neck and shoulder tension, tend to shortly follow.
Some of the most profound massage sessions I have experienced as a massage therapist are with clients who consciously breathe during the session. Receiving massage and bodywork is an exceptional way to cultivate conscious, deep breathing, soften those overworked neck and shoulder muscles (and the domino effect into other parts of the body), and trigger the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest state) to come forth and relieve the sympathetic nervous system of its guard duties—even if only for an hour. When I’m working with a client who is choosing to take deep breaths into the fullness of the ribcage and belly—front to back and side to side—and who is completely present with the relaxation of the experience, the muscles respond to touch and technique much more easily. It’s like butter under a heat lamp! Clients report better sleep, better digestion, less tension, and a more peaceful mind-set after a massage using deep breathing as a healing tool.
BRING BALANCE TO THE BODY
At your next massage appointment, talk to your massage therapist about breath. Let her know that you would like to incorporate conscious breathing into your session, and ask if she has any suggestions or, even better, if she is willing to take deep breaths with you. As a client, I find that when my massage therapist breathes deeply and consciously, it facilitates staying in touch with my own breath.
A breath of fresh air is all it takes to bring balance back to your body and being, and to reduce the symptoms of chronic stress. It’s an extraordinary and free “service” to add to your next massage or bodywork session, and it offers lasting results. And consequently, when you consciously choose breaths of fresh air, you become a breath of fresh air to everyone around you.
Want to be a breath of fresh air to someone who is stressed and suffering? Become a massage therapist at Indiana Academy of Massage, conveniently located on the north side of Indianapolis in beautiful Zionsville!
Article originally published in Body Sense magazine, Winter 2015
How long did the healing effects of your most recent massage last? A few days? A week? Longer?
For many recipients of commonly known forms of massage therapy, unless you receive frequent sessions, or your massage therapist follows you around pointing out when you regress to old compensation patterns, it is likely the healing effects aren’t permanent. Why is that? And more importantly, what can you do about it?
This is where other types of bodywork come into play: namely, movement therapies. These modalities can be the secret weapons in your body’s holistic arsenal.
Patterns Exist for a Reason
Let’s talk about compensation patterns. To compensate means “to offset or counterbalance.” Any time you experience a weakness in the tissues of your body, other tissues step up their game to offer a helping hand for the weak tissues.
Sounds friendly and helpful, right? Well, it is helpful if it’s only short term. However, your brain is wired for efficiency, so if the compensation is “working”, the body will keep on compensating. The problem with this pattern is that after a while, those friendly and helpful tissues that lent a hand become tired. In most cases, they are performing a secondary role rather than their primary role, so they must work even harder to move in the ways you are demanding they move. The result: weak tissues get weaker and the compensating tissues become hardened and painful. Essentially, those helpful tissues start complaining.
When movement patterns “turn off” certain muscles and “turn on” others to keep you out of pain, the design of the joint and surrounding supportive tissues is compromised. Eventually, if not addressed, a whole new challenge has replaced the original one.
Massage Can Work Wonders, But You Can Work Miracles
There are many benefits to getting massage on painful areas of the body that are compensating, including increased blood flow, softening of hard tissues, awakening of nerve sensation, and releasing trigger points. For a few days to a week after a massage, the pain might be greatly reduced. But what hasn’t changed is the pattern, which may have been created over many years.
Here’s the truth. Unless you are actively involved in unwinding the pattern and returning to the way the body was designed to move in space, you will only heal so much. You will eventually go back to your compensation pattern, unless you are taught how to move differently. You must be involved in retraining your body back to its optimum function utilizing muscles and surrounding tissues as they are designed to work.
A Sampling of Therapies
So what are movement therapies? Of the many modalities available to choose from, here is a sampling and explanation of a few of the most commonly known. (The following descriptions are taken from the bodywork glossary at www.massagetherapy.com/glossary.)
Aston-Patterning (neurokinetics) — Aston-Patterning is an educational process developed by Judith Aston in 1977 that combines movement coaching, bodywork, ergonomics, and fitness training. The movement work (neurokinetics) has two divisions. The first part involves instruction in the most efficient way to perform the simple activities of daily living and then progresses to complex activities. The second part teaches the client how to use movement to decrease accumulated tension in the body. The practitioner uses specific assessment methods to create sequences of movement and fitness depending on the movement pattern of the client. How you do what you do in every movement you create is the baseline of this work.
Trager Approach — The Trager Approach was developed more than 65 years ago by Milton Trager, MD. Two aspects make up the Trager Approach: one in which the client is passive, and the second in which the client is actively involved. The passive portion is done on a table with the client fully clothed and passively guided through effortless, natural movement in order to find restrictions and bring freedom to locked-up areas. The active portion includes a series of movements you can easily incorporate into your daily life to more deeply root the effects of the table work as well as your own awareness within your body.
Feldenkrais Method — This method establishes new connections between the brain and body through movement reeducation. There are two formats. In a one-on-one functional integration session, a teacher uses hands-on manipulation to guide the student toward new movement patterns. In awareness through movement classes, a teacher verbally guides groups of students through repatterning. Habituated responses to problem areas in our lives are ingrained in our movement patterns. By retraining the central nervous system though the skeletal system, old patterns are eliminated and replaced with new skills that improve the body’s physical, mental, and emotional functioning.
Alexander Technique — As with the other movement therapies described above, the Alexander Technique sheds light on the areas within the body that are not moving efficiently and, therefore, require more effort to engage in even the simplest movements in day-to-day life. Each individual is empowered through active participation, awareness, and mindfully chosen movement. The student is taught to sit, stand, and move in ways that reduce physical stress on the body. Alexander Technique teachers use gentle manual guidance and verbal cues to improve students’ posture and movement patterns. A lesson or group class typically involves basic movements such as sitting, standing, walking, bending, reaching, carrying, and lying down. The teacher’s hands-on guidance stresses the adjustment of the head, neck, and torso relationship.
No Matter What Happens, Your Body is Always Responding
For every life experience you are involved in, your body has a response. Compensation patterns are not limited to physical injury, but are also developed from thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs. Any time you experience something impactful, such as physical trauma or ongoing criticism, your body provides a deeper ingrained response. Even when you witness another’s trauma, fear that is could happen to you can create a compensation pattern. The reason for this is protection. The sympathetic nervous system (aka the fight-or-flight mechanism) plays a crucial role in keeping you safe. You might hold your right shoulder up close to your ear and tuck your chin as if shrinking away from a threat. This pattern is as important to recognize as compensating one’s gait around an injury. It just might be a little more difficult to uncover the origin. Luckily, identifying the origin isn’t necessary for you to heal the pattern. Engaging in movement therapies with a trained professional who knows how the body is designed to move will help you illuminate patterns you may not even realize you have.
True freedom from pain and discomfort can be achieved using movement therapies incorporated with consistent massage sessions. The value and benefits of massage alone are far reaching, but this bodywork partnership is very beneficial. As with anything you wish to master, your participation, dedication, and daily practice are required. Consider this an invitation to your freedom!
Want to learn more about how to heal your own patterns and support others in their healing? Become a massage therapist at Indiana Academy of Massage, conveniently located on the north side of Indianapolis in beautiful Zionsville!
Article originally published in Body Sense magazine, Spring 2016
I used to be one of those clients. Yep, me. The one who didn’t speak up. It’s only been in recent years that this has changed. One would think that after many years of practicing massage therapy, I would not have a problem with this. But I did. It was this unique, and frankly embarrassing, point of view that led me in 2011 to explore the reasons why some clients, myself included, weren’t getting the massage they wanted.
For six months, I interviewed people from all walks of life (primarily in airports, where diversity is readily available). This process illuminated the fact that there are many clients out there not getting what they want.
The question looms—why would someone not ask for what they want, especially if they are paying for a service? In most cases, it is simply a matter of not knowing how to ask, or how to establish an environment where feedback is comfortable to give and receive. Bringing together simple truths from interviews with everyday clients, my experience as a massage therapist, and my own trepidation as a client to ask for what I wanted in a massage session, I hope to bridge this gap. The results boiled down to three primary requests that many clients never make, even though they want to.
Understanding these “secrets” can help us all get what we want.
“Please, Stop Talking!”
Have you ever thought this during a massage session, but didn’t say anything? I have. Plenty of times. It didn’t matter if the practitioner was someone I knew or a complete stranger; I had a hard time speaking up. When I interviewed Mike from Washington, his main complaint was “My massage therapist talks a lot. Granted, I have known her for years now, so I’m ok with it. But in the beginning I was really put off by the talking. I wanted to say ‘I just want to relax and get a massage, not lie here talking to you’. So my advice to massage therapists is to limit the conversation”. What is interesting about Mike’s statement is that rather than speaking up, he resigned himself to the situation.
A great way to address a chatty massage therapist is to tell her up front that you really like quiet sessions. The truth is, if you are engaging in conversation with your therapist during table time on any topic outside of what she is working with in your body, you most likely are not getting your money’s worth.
Massage is deeply therapeutic, but only if the practitioner and recipient are present with the immediate experience. Otherwise it’s like a shoulder rub in front of the TV. It feels good, but it doesn’t stick.
There should always be an intake process where you document your health history and current needs with your practitioner. In most cases, this will be a perfect time to mention your need for quiet, so you can deeply relax.
From a physical point of view, your parasympathetic nervous system kicks in when you are not in responding mode. This means that in quiet space, your body rests, rejuvenates, and replenishes. And you get your money’s worth!
“Do You Mind Working the Area I Asked You to Work?”
If you go in with an aching neck, then you’ll likely want ample attention to your neck. Sounds reasonable, right?
Doreen from Nevada says “I once went to a local spa and I told [the massage therapist] what was ailing me that day and where I needed work. She just did what she did, and that’s what she did. She didn’t listen to what I was saying to her. Consequently, I haven’t been back.” Doreen did confirm, however, that she didn’t speak up during the massage. Despite receiving regular massage from all around the world for more than 40 years, she still struggled with giving feedback in the moment.
In many cases, it might seem reasonable to trust the therapist’s knowledge and let her do her thing. After all, body parts are connected. But if you aren’t getting that “oh my, that feels so good” experience in the area that is hurting you, you need to speak up. Licensed massage therapists are trained to adapt to the client’s preferences and adjust their protocol as needed.
During the intake process, a simple solution is to say you would love to have about 10 minutes on just your neck, for example. If there is a specific part of your back that feels incredibly good when it receives attention, tell your therapist and feel free to ask for a specific time frame, if that is your expectation. Being specific is the best way to get what you want.
My interviews revealed that clients often feel most comfortable communicating what they would like prior to getting on the table. Anyone who works with your body can only know your experience through you. Otherwise, your therapist relies upon her experienced, educated hands and instincts to guide her. Whether it’s more time on a specific area, a desired depth for all or parts of the massage, or requests as seemingly mundane as needing blankets because you get cold during massages or preferring a specific kind of music to truly relax, trust that it’s ok to ask for accommodations.
“Oh, That’s the Spot! Stay There. Oh, No…Oh Well”
Riding the coattails of the previous point, this is about being specific with the feedback you give during the massage. The challenge of giving feedback in the moment is well reflected in this statement by Kathleen from Colorado when she says “It’s awkward, because you are basically judging the therapist and what they’re doing”.
Even if your goal is relaxation, when your therapist gets to a tight spot that you want him to remain on, ask him to stick with it. All you have to say is “That feels great! Can you hang out on that spot for a minute or two while I relax?” This is a dream come true for any dedicated massage therapist, as it helps to tailor the experience to your individual needs.
As previously mentioned, often the most comfortable approach for clients is to discuss this with the therapist prior to getting on the table. Tell him you like to be included in the session so you can relax into specific spots. You can even phrase it as a question: “Do you mind if I give you specific feedback during the session if there is a spot I want you to stay on?”
It sets the stage for an interactive experience, and your therapist will likely appreciate knowing you want to be involved in your own wellness, moment by moment. It may feel like you are having a long initial intake process before the work begins, but it is important to keep you safe and healthy, and meet your goals. Come to expect this from your massage therapist on a first-time visit, as well as a pre-session check-in at the beginning of every subsequent session.
Speaking Up is Hard to Do
There is a perception that offense will be taken—or that the therapist will feel criticized—by feedback and requests. In truth, your therapist’s goal is to meet your needs, and two-way communication is the best way to do that. Therapists who initiate a detailed intake conversation, and then communicate during a session with the sole intent to enhance the experience and better understand your body’s patterns and needs, are displaying a desire to put you first.
So if you have a question, ask it. Massage therapists are trained to assist you in understanding your body’s tensions and responses. When there is purposeful communication, there lies the best chance of getting what you want.
Want to support others in getting the best massage they’ve ever had? Become a massage therapist at Indiana Academy of Massage, conveniently located on the north side of Indianapolis in beautiful Zionsville!
Article originally published in Body Sense magazine, Summer 2015
The list of reasons why massage therapy is a perfect career is long. To name a few:
You choose your schedule to be flexible or structured
You make enough money to be comfortable without working 40 hours a week
You can be self-employed or an employee
You get to make people feel healthier and happier (which makes your life healthier and happier!)
You can design a job within the profession that is perfectly suited for who you are as a person, and what you identify as your life’s purpose
While these reasons are all great ones, the last one is particularly exciting. Designing the perfect massage therapy job is a fun, creative, and self-explorative process. Whether you are considering massage therapy as a career, currently in school for massage, or already a practicing massage therapist, you can find a niche that brings your gifts into their fullest light.
Let’s play with this for a moment. Following are questions to guide you and hopefully inspire you to learn more about a career in massage therapy or change things up from what you are currently doing within the profession.
EMPLOYEE OR ENTREPRENEUR
Ask yourself:
Do you want to work for someone else or be your own boss? Depending on your answer to this and the following questions, you can determine which avenue is right for you.
Do you want a flexible schedule that changes from week to week and works around your personal life?
Do you mind having an income that fluctuates from week to week?
Do you like talking to people, marketing yourself, and inviting them to schedule an appointment at your office?
Can you keep track of income, expenses, and records related to money?
Are you interested in building your own website, designing marketing materials, developing and tracking promotional campaigns, and writing policies for your business?
Does being a businessperson in conjunction with being a massage therapist excite you?
If you answered yes to most of these questions, self-employment is a great option for you. If no, you will likely be happier letting someone else do the marketing, scheduling, bookkeeping, policy creation, and business management, and be best suited as an employee.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
There are many environments in which you can provide massage therapy. It can be medical/clinical or simply a wellness practice purely for relaxation and stress relief. Which is right for you?
Medical/Clinical Environment
Do you want to develop detailed treatment plans for each client to set short- and long-term goals for progress?
Do you like tracking a client’s progress over time?
Does analyzing a client’s posture, range of motion, and movement patterns, and creating a treatment plan appeal to you?
Do you enjoy researching pathologies?
Does supporting injury rehabilitation interest you?
Do you want to work with a team that might include athletic coaches, physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and chiropractors?
Wellness Environment
Does releasing clients’ stress and muscle tension without the need to prepare detailed treatment plans sound appealing?
Do you prefer to not track a client’s progress over time?
Do you want to use aromatherapy, hot towels, rice bags, and soft music to enhance the client’s relaxation experience?
Is your focus more on pleasing the senses to promote mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness rather than working with specific injuries?
Do you want to work with a team that might include skin care specialists, cosmetologists, dermatologists, yoga instructors, and spiritual coaches?
If the medical/clinic environment speaks to you, these are perfect options:
Chiropractic office
Physician’s office
Nursing home
Hospice care
Pain management clinic
Physical therapy office
Hospital
Sports medicine clinic
With a sports team
If the wellness environment sounds more pleasing, you’ll likely enjoy these options:
Day spa
Cruise ship
Yoga studio
Resort spa
Hot spring spa
Beauty salon
The bottom line is, if the tasks within the environment call to you, follow the call.
SPECIAL POPULATIONS
Massage therapists have something to offer almost anyone. As you read through the following list, notice if any of these tug at your heart and create a spark of excitement.
Athletes
Burn victims
Cancer patients
Children
Clients with chronic pain or injuries
Clients with HIV/AIDS
Infants
Mental health patients
Pregnant and/or postpartum women
Seniors in assisted-living facilities and/or memory-care facilities
Survivors of abuse
Terminally ill
Several of these special populations are untapped—or better said, untouched. Massage therapists have great gifts to offer, and the benefits are very rewarding for client and therapist alike.
YOU ARE THE DESIGNER
What will best serve you, your life and your passion for helping others? You are the designer of your life, so ask these questions to inspire and design a career you love. After all, when you love what you do, it no longer becomes work. It becomes service to your clients and to you! Massage therapy is the perfect avenue.
Want to support others in their health and wellness? Become a massage therapist at Indiana Academy of Massage, conveniently located on the north side of Indianapolis in beautiful Zionsville!
Article originally published in Massage & Bodywork Magazine, July/August 2018
Congratulations on deciding to become a massage therapist! You’ve made an excellent choice in careers. Massage therapy is rewarding, challenging, inspiring, and guaranteed to keep you learning and growing for years to come.
The hard part can be choosing a school that fits your personality, the way you learn, the type of learning environment you want, and at a price that suits your budget. There’s a lot of variety in massage schools. Here are considerations for choosing the right one for you:
Determine the focus of your studies
What style of massage do you wish to learn? Some schools focus solely on preparing students for clinical massage in a healthcare environment, while others focus on relaxation massage (also called wellness massage) in a spa or private practice. Some schools offer a holistic approach, which involves considering a person’s thoughts, feelings, experiences, attitudes, food and exercise habits, etc when determining an approach to bodywork. There is a fit for everyone!
Also consider the bigger picture. Does the school teach you how to build a business, market yourself, and/or get a job? There is more to massage therapy than the hands-on practice, so review the list of courses to ensure you get everything you need.
Consider full-time, fast-track training
Massage therapy education has evolved, with a notable shift towards full-time, immersive programs more than part-time or weekend course offerings, which slow and sometimes even halt a student’s progress toward certification and a new career. This trend is largely due to the (literal) hands-on nature of the field, with clear benefits related to intensive, in-person learning. Direct feedback, the ability to immediately correct techniques, and the opportunity to practice on diverse body types are pivotal for mastering massage therapy. These experiences are crucial for developing a comprehensive understanding of anatomy, technique, and client communication, which can’t be replicated in part-time settings.
The Indiana Academy of Massage has echoed this shift in the field with its full-time program (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for 18 weeks), which mirrors a professional massage therapist’s schedule to ensure graduates are thoroughly prepared for their careers. This structure not only accelerates skill development but also instills the discipline and work ethic essential for success. Consequently, students are point to such immersive experiences as hallmarks of their training, recognizing their value in providing a solid foundation for a successful transition into the massage therapy profession. By mirroring the real-world environment, the program enhances skill development, time management, and resilience, fully preparing students for the rigors of their future careers. Graduates not only gain proficiency in their craft but also leave with the confidence and readiness to excel.
Ensure that it is affordable for you
What is the overall cost of the program? What are your financing options? If you choose a school that doesn’t offer federal funding, you will likely need a monthly payment plan through the school or a personal loan through a bank. Schools that are nationally accredited can offer federal loans, but often the tuition cost is higher. It’s important to meet with the school’s financial aid representative to compare options, interest rates, and total cost over time. Ask what is included in tuition, and if there are additional costs for equipment and supplies that need to be factored into your budget.
Tour the school
Perhaps the most important factor is to visit several schools and notice how you feel while you are there. Going to massage school will consume a significant part of your life, so it is essential that the school you choose feels warm, inviting, and supportive, and the staff members make themselves available to answer your questions. Notice if the school is clean and professional and if the classroom is conducive to learning? Do the students you encounter seem happy to be there? Don’t be afraid to ask what their experience has been as a student and if they have felt supported. If support isn’t offered, especially during the challenging times, it’s possible you won’t stay committed or graduate with the knowledge and skills that you need.
Be observant and trust your instincts as you choose the right school and learning environment for you. After all, the choice will shape your future career.
To schedule a visit at Indiana Academy of Massage, call 317-343-0886 or schedule online at https://indianaacademyofmassage.com/admissions/. We are conveniently located on the north side of Indianapolis in beautiful Zionsville.
