Build Your Practice With Self Care Tips

 For Practicing Massage Therapists

Today I want to highlight an interesting article I came across that will help most massage therapist market their business.

The title of the article is Practice Building With Self Care Tips by David Kent LMT. On his blog Massage Today.




Here's how he starts his article that you must read if you are a Licensed Massage Therapist or even if you just want to understand how to market your practice.

Our patient's lives are affected, on many levels, by their pain. 

They spend a lot of time and money receiving treatment and are 

looking for the best return on their investment. Building a successful 

practice that stands out from your competition includes providing 

self-care tips.

Read More here.

After you read it let us know what you think or how you can modify
any of the tips to improve how you market your practice.  We are here
to help.  Start the conversation.  

Don’t Be a Dope and Have to Learn When It Hurts

                                       Every Body Expects To Be Massaged

I want to share something I have learn as a massage therapist that literally always makes me say' hmmm...

. 

Ok, I know you don’t know me but I know massage, I know, I have seen the benefits people get from a whole body massage.  

To be honest, before I was exposed to therapeutic massage I thought that it was only erotic or sensual massages. Trained and certified, 7 years later and I have ample unsolicited testimonials from clients. They describe it as feeling euphoric, pain relief, relaxed muscles, elation and light. I have regular weekly and monthly clients.  I love massaging.

I also advise my clients on some self massage techniques they can use to remove the beads (knots) from their muscles in their feet, hands, neck or shoulder.  I have a Facebook page dedicated to giving tips that my clients and fans can use.   Here’s what I find funny.

Maybe you know, or don’t know but one natural human instinct is to massage the part of the body that feels any type of discomfort.  Nobody bumps their head and rubs their knees. 

That’s living proof that most people are reactive.  In the same way, instead of learning how to perform self massage they prefer to wait until they must, until they are hurt.   Believe me, one way or other; the pain will be massaged.  Doesn’t it make sense to learn before? 

In other words,” I don’t want to learn how to tie my shoe; I’ll learn after I fall”.  You get the point.  Nobody knows the degree of pain you feel when you are hurt.  It is truly your pain.  Even attempts to describe it to others make it hurt more.   

I’m telling you from my heart take the time and learn how you can relieve your own pain.

I don’t have a web site yet so I use Facebook is busy; so much to do.  I invited all my friends to join the page and a few did but many just ignored the request.  I could appreciate it because a few of them are the ones who constantly send request to be their neighbor on Farmville; which I usually ignore.  Those games consume too much time.

Ok, before you think about it, go here and like my Facebook page.

 My Facebook Page  

Ancient Chinese Massage Techniques Gains Popularity in Trinidad and Tobago

How To Evaluate Your Massage Therapist 

From Massage Parlors to Massage Therapy Spas, Trinidad and Tobago this year celebrates fifty years of independence and massage therapy now plays a significant part in the lives of many Trinidadians.  

The average Trinidadian understands that Massage Therapy works to relieve stress and tone muscles that are normally unused.  It can be preventative or as a therapy for illness or injury. 

As was pointed out before, a significant segment of men in Trinidad and Tobago only know erotic, sensual massages.   They believe that e massages as an outlet for sexual gratification.  Sex sells in Trinidad and Tobago too and where there is a need people will emerge to satisfy it.  Nature abhors a vacuum.

 There is however, a more informed, intelligent segment of the population that understands the benefits of a massage.  These people have regular weekly, bi weekly or at least monthly massages.  

New converts are joining everyday. Certainly not at the rate of the parlors but steadily growing.  It could be because of  Trinbagonians ability to access the outside world physically and on the net. 

  

I cannot be quoted on this but perhaps the development of genuine massage therapy training was started by the one recognized school in Trinidad and Tobago that exists today.  If you are interested, the link to their page is here.  Apparently the demands for professional massage therapists are beginning to outstrip the supply.  

In Trinidad and Tobago there are "massage therapists" who have never seen the front door of any school.  These are skilled "rub down" artists who can re-fit bones into joints.  They inherited the skill from their forefathers. 

And finally there are “professional” Licensed Massage Therapists incapable of delivering a effective massage.  As with every other forms of training, not all students in a class can be an A Student. It takes a little something extra.  You can call it an enthusiasm, commitment, dedication or whatever, it is something that makes a huge difference.  They have a passion to hear people rave about the benefits of getting a massage from anywhere anytime.  These massage therapists are only a few and far in between.  

You know when you have met one because it is as if it becomes an addiction where your body just don't feel the same without a massage from this massage therapist.  

When you feel that way.  You have found the one. . 

A genuine massage is not merely a mechanical exercise.  If you accept the oriental massage philosophy on the physical effects of a massage then you must accept what can only be referred to as a spiritual or transcendental affect of a well done massage.  

A dedicated therapist connects with the client’s body rhythm.  They absorb negative vibrations from the body.  Everyone is different and emit different vibrations, a dedicated massage therapist draws in this negative energy.  They feel it in their hands and you may even notice that they belch or fart as they release the negative energy. 

One reasonable indicator of a truly dedicated Massage Therapist is that once they begin a massage their hands never leave your body.  They use talk therapy to relax and sooth your senses.   Let’s face it, anybody can claim to be a Massage Therapist with the documented qualifications to prove it but in the end, what is important is how you feels.  

There is no delayed affect of a well delivered massage.  Feeling absolutely no difference is a sure sign to look for another therapist.

Note that a body unaccustomed to massage any articulation of muscle would produce a calming effect.  At the end of the massage the question is: Would you do it again?

Share your thoughts

    

DO YOU NEED A MASSAGE IF YOU’RE HEALTHY?

Is It An Alternative Medicinal Option?

“I’m forty five years old, never had anyone massage my body.  On my last visit to my medical doctor he assured me that I was in perfect health.  Why would I need a massage?”

As a Massage Therapist, the true and honest to God answer is that you are right.  You don’t “need a massage”.    

The fact is that there are thousands who definitely “need” a massage.  For example, people who have had accidents where parts or their entire body has been traumatized; people who have suffered strokes or other diseases that affect the proper working of the muscles and skeletal system.   These people definitely “need” a massage.

So why would a healthy body that is operating efficiently, without ever being massaged, need one? When you understand what it does you can decide if you need one.

As a massage therapist, I know that most healthy efficient bodies that has never been massaged feels the pains of growth.  A common one is the pain or intense stiffness in the area between the top of your scapula (shoulder blades) and the base of the skull. 

As you read, focus your mind in that area of your body.  If you have never been massaged it’s easy to feel; it’s always there.  Roll your next around on your shoulder.  Bet you can feel the tenseness? 

Here’s why.

First, lets compare the medicinal models between the West and the East.  Western medicine treats symptoms and diseases.  To put it simply, in the West any disease or abnormality must manifest itself before it can be diagnosed and treated.   As such, you can be on the brink of a serious illness even death just after you were given a clean bill of health. 

Eastern medicine, on the other hand, originated thousands of years before advances in the West. The approach tends to be more proactive; addressing potential ailments before they can manifest.  In the East the body is considered a holistic vessel influenced by circulatory forces and elements in the universe.

That tension ache you feel in your neck is usually diagnosed in the West as stress.  The prescribed solution is to “stop worrying and take it easy”. It is also a sign of high blood pressure and the possibility of a stroke. 

As a Massage Therapist, I can tell you that if you were ever given such advice, you need to be massaged.

What happens when you get a massage?  Well if you have never been massaged before your first massage may be uncomfortably painful.  The painfulness subsides with subsequent massages.  Fact is if your body does not respond to a massage it will not feel the full benefits, a well done massage is not just a “body rub”.   No pain, no gain and there is a reason.

As you grow, your muscles expand to fill your skeletal frame.  This growth, along with the specific activity you engage in, are the two primary factors that will ultimately determine the structure of your muscular and circulatory system.   There are approximately 656 to 850 muscles in your body depending on the expert you believe.  This wide variance being a controversy as to what exactly is a muscle. 

My point is that in your normal activity it is possible to use less than one hundred of these muscles and still be certified as healthy.   Your body is like a machine that needs regular maintenance; when muscles are underused develop what is known in massage as knots or beads.  These are abnormalities, you experience as muscle tightness and rigidity. 

If you have never been massaged, consider it seriously.  Don’t turn to it as an alternative medicine option; see it from a healthy body maintenance perspective.  Stimulate the majority of your muscles, unlock the knots and disperse the beads.  A genuine massage is considered passive exercise done for your health; not fun.  It should never be confused with “erotic” massages which in professional Massage Therapy circles are “sensual rob jobs’ a hop and a skip away from prostitution.  The benefits marks the difference.

The immediate effect of a genuine, well done massage has been described as a natural euphoria, lightness in the mind and spirit because of improved blood circulation and muscle stimulation. The long term result is the prevention or short circuiting of muscular irregularities, diseases and a variety of ailments. 

Now stop saying you never want a massage.   Go out and get a real massage.   A note of caution here; not all Massage Therapist are the same.  The ultimate judge is you.  If you feel nothing after a massage do not argue with yourself.  It is not the massage, it’s the therapist; get a new one.   

Jermaine Porquiso is a Certified Massage Therapist, with five years of experience massaging people in China and the Philippines.  She is certified in the use of Swedish, Thai, Shiatsu and Ventusa Massages.  She is currently living in Trinidad from where she manages a blog.  http://tntmassagemarketers.blogspot.com/    or join her on Facebook Page http://www.Facebook.com/tntasiantmt  where you get free tips for self massage and healthy living. 

Stop in and comment. 

Free Self Massage and Health Care Tips

Join us on Facebook for free massage therapy tips.  You could massage away a few pains when you do.

Click Image or  https://www.facebook.com/tntasiantmt

You Would Not Regret It

Rinalda, Free Lance LMT Trinidad & Tobago

Massage Therapy Is Not All Massage, It Also Requires Listening

Today's post is a contribution from Rinalda a local Trinidad and Tobago Licensed Massage Therapist who I have mentioned in a previous post.  

Rinalda has graciously given permission for her articles to be shared in this blog.  I find this pieces interesting for anyone involved with massage therapy.  Read and comment if what she writes appeals to you too. 

You can view Rinalda Site here. 

Her article follows:

Her Subject: Para

Namaste

Did I ever tell you that I had twelve fingers?  The question was asked by one of my old friends (Lady M) at the Home.  I was massaging her arm, and she was reflecting on her life.  Yes, she had told me that before, but it pays (sometimes) for me to have selective Alzheimer’s so that I could listen with fresh ears to the (same) story.  I invited her to tell me about it.

She had the extra two little fingers that I remember being prevalent during my childhood.  Now I guess fertility drugs (the excessive chemicals in our food) have done a good job at ensuring that the foetus is configured correctly).  In her case, her father took her to a Doctor in Barataria to have the fingers surgically removed when she became a young lady.  She’s in her 80s, so don’t even ask who was that Doctor.

After finishing with her arms, I sat on a stool and placed her foot on my lap and began working on it.  As I did, another lady (Lady D), came across and whispered that she did not get any lunch.  Not a morsel for the day.  Her facial expression bemoaned her situation and demanded that I do too.  I was saved the need to respond when Lady M said that she was lying.  I am not lying!  Declared Lady D.  And with that she held the chair handle and went down on her knees swearing: Lord Jesus, if I am lying, kill me right here!  Please!  I interjected.  I could do without Lady D falling down in front of me.

-->

Lady D got up and pointed her finger at Lady M and declared her a damn liar.  Lady M pointed back her finger shouting: damn you!  Now, now, ladies and gentlemen...damn is not a word per se.  It is a very specific command that esoteric folks understand well enough not to use it casually.  Unlike them, many mothers have messed up their children’s lives by simply swearing it at them repeatedly.  Not to mention their own, for having uttered it.

According to one of my Teachers, these Homes for the Elderly are departure lounges.  For whatever reason, my soul has business with souls who are on their way out to catch their flight.  Yes, I’m like a prettily dressed waitress serving drinks and cakes, and mopping up spills  in the lounge.  Just keeping the folks comfortable and in readiness for the sudden arrival of their plane.

Lady D again implored my help.  She explained that she was a staunch Catholic.  (Uh-huh.  Remember her?)  And, as a staunch Catholic, she would not lie.  Point taken.  Lady M explained that they were both seated at the table a while ago having lunch and that Lady D ate all her food.  Me!  Not me!  I had nothing (palm facing out, her hand move like a windscreen wiper) for the day.  You are lying.  Lady M insisted.  And Lady D was back on her knees swearing: Lord Jesus, if I am lying this day, don’t let me get up from here.  I asked Lady D to please arise.  

I do not wish to be present the day that prayer is answered.  She returned to her seat mumbling, and I was fine with that.  Better than that the damning pointing exchange.  It was verified that Lady D had breakfast, snack, and lunch.  Her denial remained.  There goes Alzheimer’s for you.

No offence intended, but if being a staunch Catholic is going to get you into your 90s with a miserable attitude, you may want to drop the staunch...from now.  I know a many regular Catholics, and they are fine.

Over to the men now.  The guy who was alone in the back room with the terrible temper and major kidney problem that partly caused his feet to be hung on in a most mentally disturbing way, took his flight.  The Doctor came to see him one day and took a blood sample.  The next day (after reviewing the test results) the Doctor called and suggested that they immediately send him to the hospital.  The ambulance took him to the hospital and he was admitted.  Less than 24 hours after he took his flight.  Hmmm.  A strange bed can do that to you...make you jump out.

-->

The other two guys are as one would prefer departure lounge folks to be...pleasant, jovial, and the likes.  They debated who should get massaged first, as it was presumed that last person to get massaged, gets a longer massage.  Is that so?  Yes.  They have observed that.  Hmmm.  Mr R was done first.  He has gotten quite pale.  I suggested that he spend some time out in the living room where he would get some sun.  He wants to go out in the gallery.  That is not allowed unsupervised, and a part of him has decided that it’s that or nothing.  I told Mr F that he should encourage Mr R to leave the room sometimes and get some sun.  Mr F said that he is accustomed to son, he has five, but Mr R on the other hand has no children.  Oh!

It was then Mr F’s turn to have a massage.  He studied, in faraway places, subjects in the line of Sports, so he could advise me on the appropriateness or inappropriateness of this and that, including postures.  He did his share of Football managing and flew hither, thither and yond with teams.  I’m not a sports person, so while he enthusiastically shared, I listened, if only to have my ignorance obliterated.  And, as important as he and his work were, I never heard of him before he showed up in the Home.  This Earth we walk on is a very level playing field...you are brought up, and you are brought down.  Level.

Anyway, he also likes to speak of things, uh, paranormal.  He was born with a cord or coil or whatever the correct word is.  In English, his psychic abilities are keen, too keen for his liking...a burdensome gift.  More so now that he is lounging.  Understood.  The closer one gets to the other side, the thinner the veils become.  All is seen for the One that it really is.  He shared a few experiences, to which I could have related, and the conversation would have gone on forever, but I had a client on their way to my house and I needed to be home before they arrived.

The massage was good, but the conversation was better, said Mr F.  It is good to have someone to talk who does not make you feel like you are strange.  Strange?  That’s my surname.  I promised to get permission to sleep over one night.  We’ll jam the two beds together and I will turn to Mr. R and talk a bit, then turn to Mr F and talk a bit.  The Matron was tickled.  It is believed that the next morning they will have to get a magnifying glass and a pair of tweezers to get Mr F out from under my skin.

Speaking of strange, I lay in bed one afternoon (recently) with my eyes closed and immediately had a vision of a little lady (less than 2ft in height) standing in the bedroom saying something to me.  


These beings come and go all the time...  I felt no inclination to engage her.  She began speaking in a raised tone.  Hmmm.  I decided to open my eyes.  I could not.  Okay.  I decided to sit up.  I could not.  I’ve heard perfectly logical explanations for what I experienced.  It is okay for the man in the dark to feel that the thing coiled up in the corner is a snake.  No point convincing him that it is not what he thinks it is.  When dawn comes he’ll see it is a rope.

One of the things about these entities is their knack for obedience...to the highest bidder.  They (she was not alone) came to me for something, and would not leave without it.  Shutting my body down does not mean shutting me down, because I am not my body.  This they already know, but it would be unlike them not to bluff.  I engaged them mentally...otherwise called spiritual warfare.  If the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, then our battles aren’t.

Knowing the name of the entity reveals its function.  But I really did not care to know what she/it/them came to accomplish.  Before I dismissed her I asked who sent her.  That way I could do the Return to Sender thing without delving into the contents of the parcel.  Every craftsman is obligated to initialling his work.  It is basic protocol.  So a person can know at who sent what to them if they simply flip the envelope and read the back.  However, we are often too scared at the appearance of these entities to do such. 

These are the conversations that Mr F and I could have without anyone flinching.  And if you are gifted to see these entities as regularly as he does, you will understand how distracting it can be.  Higher entities are also seen.  But whether a sense of fear or awe is induced, in the moment that it happens, it can interfere with the regular functioning of that person until they learn to control their reaction.  You cannot control what you see, but you can control the way in which you respond to what you see.  A sighting is a conscious intersecting of worlds/realities.  Where there is an intersection there are options...things can go good, or very bad.

I went out to do a massage the morning in question, as I was on my way back home...walking up my street, I saw a vehicle approaching.  It belonged to a neighbour...with whom I have never had a verbal exchange.  There was another car parked in the street, and I averaged that there would be insufficient space for the other vehicle to past near it and still leave room for me.  So I stepped aside and waited.  The car inched pass and stopped near me.  The window came down.  The driver, a mature lady, smiled.  Hello, are you my neighbour?  Yes, I responded.  With that she stretched her hand out of the vehicle to shake mine.  I took it.  She said her name.  I said mine.  She drove off.

This was the moment of exchange.  The fleeting handshake that led to that odd-looking little lady showing up in my bedroom.  This neighbour of mine has been observing me and decided at some point that she wanted some of whatever it is that I seem to have.  So she figured out a way to make physical contact with me.  Had I been the only resident of the yard, it may have been easier for her to just leave something for me to step on.  And, had I been differently configured, this could have ended with a Priest trying to sort me out.

Of course, my dear neighbour is aware that her strategy did not work because that which she sent out would have returned to her.  It’s called boomerang...some call it obeah.  Now it’s either she backs off, or doubles her efforts.  Supernatural bullying may be her way of acquiring/maintaining her standard of living.  Vampirism is real on all planes of reality, so it is not for me to make this a personal issue. 


 She is doing what she probably came to Earth to do, and it behoves me to get on with my purpose too.  The strength of a damn is not tested by a low tide...we all want to be surrounded by nice people, but a worthy opponent is invaluable.  The Sympathetic Nervous System needs its Para counterpart.

If you try to contact me and I’m unavailable, know that I’m busy tacking up the holes in my aura.  Handshakes are getting tedious.  Phew!  A woman’s work is never done.

"If you can describe it, then it's not Zen."

If you got this far, let us know what you think.

Sex and Trinidad & Tobago Massage Therapists - Part 2

Massages with Happy Endings

Why are Trinidad and Tobago men so obsessed with sexual satisfaction when they hear the word “massage”?

This is a question we focused on in the last post on this topic.  One Massage Therapist attributed the pervasive misconception to the history of massage in Trinidad and Tobago.  Citizens of this country were introduced to massage not as a healing art but as a precursor to sex. 

In the early years the only commercially available massages were done in what was known as Massage Parlors.  Men were offered erotic or sensual massages usually performed by scantily dressed, very attractive young women.  

It was a legitimate way for both encumbered and single men to “get off” without the guilty feeling of having paid a prostitute or “make a fare” as it is said in Trinidad.

Massage therapy is relatively new in Trinidad and Tobago when compared to older cultures.  It was the emergence of a culture of sports that legitimate Massage Therapy really began getting a toe hold in Trinbago.  Most dedicated athletes appreciate the therapeutic value of a well done massage.

FREE REPORT: 

How To Minimize The Risk of STDs & HIV Aids Infections in Trinidad and Tobago

Mainly because of sports, more local men became certified Massage Therapists with the ability to execute a professional Swedish, Deep Tissue or Acupressure massage.  This was the catalyst that transformed the perception of the industry for a significant of men in Trinidad and Tobago.

Ironically, now men are fending off women with the same misconceptions of their mail counterparts.     

Most legitimately certified massage therapists must constantly be on the alert to weed out clients seeking massages with “happy endings”. 

In the real live example in my last post, I promised to share how what was a legitimate appointment turned out.  I called to confirm and the conversation was short and disappointing.  Here’s how it went...

“Hello I’m calling to confirm your appointment for a full body massage at 8:30 AM”

“Yes, I’m getting ready to come out there right now” he said, then continued.

“I have one question to ask; do I get a release at the end of the massage?”

“Do you mean you will like to be jerked off after the massage?” knowing the answer before I asked.   

“Yes” he answered.

“No” I responded, “you are looking for a different type of massage, we don’t do those.”

“Ok” he said.  “I’ll call you back”

“Have a nice day” I said, as I hung up the phone.

Dammit admit it.   Trinidad and Tobago men and women do have misconstrued idea of Massage Therapy.  We know that now.  The more important question is not why but how. 

-->

How can legitimate massage therapists turn this thing around? 

Education is the obvious answer. 

But how do we re-educate a cultural belief?  How do we change men’s minds?

Marketing 

Follow this blog we share with you some of the marketing strategies and tactics you can use to educate your market.

I see it from a marketing perspective and maybe you don't. Feel free to suggest how this could be done, share it with us.  Let us know what you think.