Wednesday, May 27, 2009

How to choose a massage therapist

There are so many massage therapists, how do you know who is best for you. It can be really difficult to find the right person for you and sometimes you may spend time and money finding the perfect person for you. But there are ways to try and narrow it down and find the right one. Here are a few tips...



1. Make sure your massage therapist is licensed in your state. There are massage therapists who claim to be licensed and are not. You can verify this by going to the Oregon board of massage therapists website and typing in their information. Here is the link http://obmt.oregonlookups.com/index.asp.



2. Ask for recommendations from your friends and coworkers. Even though one therapist is not right for everyone, recommendations can be very helpful. Find out how long they have been seeing their lmt and what it is they like about her. Feel free to ask about the environment as well since that can play an important part in a massage.



3. Ask the massage therapist questions before booking an appointment. What is the environment like? What are your specialties if any? How long have you been practicing? If you have injuries that need worked on be sure to ask her if she has experience working on that type of problem.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and tell your massage therapist what you like (if you know). And always speak up about pressure. Your massage therapist should respect you for this and will be more likely to deliver exactly what you need. I also recommend that you stick with one massage therapist when you find someone that you like. The reason for this is that your massage therapist will get to know your body, where the restrictions are and what techniques work for you. Your massage should keep getting better and better over time.

I hope this information helps and that you find the perfect massage therapist for you.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

To talk or not to talk




That is the question. Since I've been a massage therapist I have had such a broad spectrum of clients and one thing that I have noticed is sometimes the client thinks that it is there job to entertain me. I would say that there are 3 categories of this...

1. the client who chit chats throughout the entire massage
2. the client who talks out of nervous habit
3. the client who is able to completely let go and quiet her mind

I tend to fall into category 1 or 3 depending on the day. Let me just state for the record, that when receiving a massage it really is all about you. You should never feel like you need to entertain your massage therapist. We Americans tend to have such a busy lifestyle that it is important to be able to take that time and quiet our mind. We are a people that just keeps going and going and going. Ideally, I feel that you will get the most out of your massage when you are able to bring yourself (with the help of your massage therapist) into a meditative state and let all of your thoughts go during this time. This will not only allow your mind to let go, but your body will let go too. Your muscles will be in a more relaxed state which will allow your massage therapist to have an even greater effect. In addition to this, your massage therapist will be able to focus more on what she is doing and be more aware of what is going on with your body. If you find that your massage therapist keeps trying to have a conversation with you, don't be afraid to speak up and say something. Your massage therapist should respect your decision and will become more aware of how she is affecting her clients. This should become a lesson to her and perhaps make her a better massage therapist.

So the point to this blog is...

It is never your job to entertain your massage therapist. Feel free to quiet your mind, let go of all your thoughts, and just be in the moment. You do not need to be friends with your massage therapist. If you are, that's great, but remember, this is your time. Use it wisely. Get as much out of it as you can. Enjoy the hour or so of peace and quiet. Treasure the moment.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Community Thai Massage Clinic

Some of you by now are aware of the "Community Thai Massage Clinic" that I am participating in with a few other local Thai practitioners. Last month we had our first one and it turned out even better than we could have expected. The turn out was amazing, we filled every spot except for one half hour opening. Thank you to everyone who helped get the word out and was able to participate. Our next one is coming up soon and I bet it will be even better than the first. Now that we are getting our rhythm I think it will go even smoother (even though I think the first one went pretty smooth).

Now I have not yet had the opportunity to go to Thailand, but I know that many of you have and have had the opportunity to receive Thai massage in a traditional Thai massage setting. We hope to recreate that experience by having several massages taking place in the same room. Last month I got my first real taste of that and I have to say that I absolutely loved it! The energy in the room was so positive and exuberant, something that I love to surround myself with. The clients were very receptive to receiving massage in this manner and seemed to be able to fully relax just as if they were in their own private treatment room. I think I have to give a big shout out to Angi Orton for having such a great idea, getting it set up, and thinking enough of me to include me.

Our next community Thai massage clinic will be held...
Monday, May 11th, 2009 from 10:00 - 3:00
at Yoga Potentials Studio
2oo NE 20th @ Everett
This is a sliding scale and rates are as follows...
30 min...$10-25
60 min...$20-55
90 min...$30-85
10% of all proceeds will be going to a Thai charity or a local charity.
To schedule an appointment call Erin at...
541-961-2805