Category — Students and Alumni

This week’s blog post highlights a unique business founded and run by graduates of National Holistic Institute.

Hands for Humanity Massage is a local, Midtown massage business that cycles funds back into local non-profits in the Sacramento area. They provide the opportunity to receive a massage and support a local non-profit at the same time by giving 10% of your massage cost back to a non-profit of your choice.

Jenna Maggard, founder and owner of Hands for Humanity Massage, has created a business model that not only helps to heal individuals, but the larger community as well.

Jenna’s co-founder and fellow NHI graduate Chene Watson, both graduated from the Sacramento campus and live in Midtown. They have a passion for massage but they love their community as well and take pride in being a local, Midtown Sacramento massage business. This being the main reason for why they are focusing on being part of events that take place in Midtown area. They have collaborated on two Second Saturdays with an art event called Art Bazaar; set up chair massage sessions at Insight Coffee Roasters for their “Cappy Hour” every Thursday; set up a chair massage event at The Art Complex, and another chair massage event at a CD release party at The Guild Theater of Oak Park, Sacramento.

“My education at NHI is the reason I am able to create this dream into a reality. NHI provides an in-depth education of several massage modalities, kinesiology, anatomy, pathology, physiology, and business. My mentor and all the staff at NHI have also provided incredible support, during school and after graduation. All the staff has played a role in developing the massage therapist I am today. I can’t thank each and every one of them enough for the tools, the patience, the love, the time they have made available for me, and the encouragement.” -Jenna Maggard

Hands for Humanity Massage invites you to learn more about them or to book an in-home/office/on-location massage. You can visit them at handsforhumanity-massage.com or just call Jenna Maggard at (707) 631-1366 or Chene Watson at (916) 396-1701.

Waking up before dawn isn’t always the easiest thing to do… but when it’s for a Sports Team Event like the Oakland Running Festival, you can be sure that the day ahead will be full of excitement.

Some National Holistic Institute students were so eager that they beat the instructors to the site.  While dark clouds filled the sky, the students’ spirits remained bright.  As we began setting up the tent prepared for the team, we knew there wasn’t going to be enough room. The Emeryville campus and Sabrina Italia even came prepared with two additional tents – still, there were at least 8 tables that were left to brave the elements.

Before the event began, Curtis Hisao led our crew in a briefing to lay out our expectations for the day and of course… took some group pictures!  One of the Emeryville Team, one of the San Jose Team and the all inclusive team picture.  (You can see the sun trying its best to come out to greet us)

Over 9,000 people participated in the Running Festival this year and as the students can attest, the runners came in tsunami-sized waves to the massage tent.  First the 5K and 10K runners were treated to the bodywork… then after a 45 minute pause in the action, the Half and Full Marathoners came crashing down on the massage tent. With support from Dr. Jessica Greaux and InnerSport Chiropractic, the team completed over 450 complimentary massage sessions, including one special session for a national spokes…gecko???

The NHI Team enjoyed their 3^rd year supporting the efforts of The Oakland Running Festival and with the continued growth of the event, it appears to have a bright and exciting future ahead.

To connect with the NHI Sports Massage Team, visit our Sports Massage Facebook Page, or learn more about the Team on our website!

This week’s blog post is brought to you courtesy of Johnathan Levy, NHI student and author of The Book of Sun Chaser: Life As Eye See It. For many, NHI is not only a place to learn about massage therapy, but also a place to grow as an individual. A lot of our students take advantage of the flexibility of being a massage therapist by pursuing their passions alongside massage and healing.  Reggie Wright for example, continues along his path of being a musician as well as a massage therapist, the two constantly feeding and supplementing each other.

Johnathan has taken the opportunity to learn from the holistic and connective power of massage therapy and has included many snippets of advice, inspiration and wisdom that anyone, including his fellow massage therapists, could benefit from.

The Book of Sun Chaser: Life As Eye See It, is a collection of profoundly simplistic, divinely appointed, life inspired wisdoms, insights, and knowledge transcribed with an intention and purpose to motivate, encourage, challenge, question, inspire, illuminate and help. As I mention in my book, all that I have ever gone through, experienced, learned, been privy to, etc. I share in the most genuine and sincere hope that it can help another. Topics incorporated in The Book of Sun Chaser, include the concepts of Natural versus Super-Natural, Reacting versus Responding, Balance, Harmony, Energy, Self – Fulfillment, and a host of other topics designed to improve quality of life physically and metaphysically.

The concept of Natural versus Super-Natural refers to living a life of mediocrity, never truly pushing oneself, settling versus living a life of striving for excellence in everything that you make yourself available to. Reacting versus Responding refers to acting rashly and hastily off of emotion versus thinking before you act, speak, and or do, acting off an intelligent decision.  Balance, in life, in all aspects: mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, resulting in increased Harmony in your life.  Also, being aware of your Energy and the Energy of your environment, whether it is positive and uplifting or negative and detrimental. And Self-Fulfillment, truly taking the time out to discover who you are and what makes you happy and fulfilled.

All of the mentioned principles and topics are all vital towards becoming a better human being. And by becoming a better human being, you will become better at what you apply yourself to.  A specific example of this being Massage Therapy. These principles, which mirror principles and knowledge shared at the National Holistic Institute of Massage Therapy, allow me as a Massage Therapist to be more grounded and in a state of peace; providing me greater control over my intention, awareness, understanding of various modalities, ailments, energy (Chi), emotional state, etc. Producing a more enjoyable and therapeutic session for my clients as well as myself.

Massage Therapy has directly improved my life experiences by allowing me to gain more knowledge of the human body, how it works, and how I can impact it. Thus increasing my ability to improve my quality of life, my ability to deliver aid, and heal in another form. As well as being an excellent networking tool. The world of Massage Therapy has exposed me to a more diverse and expanded segment of society. Another real life benefit of Massage Therapy is that it allows me to have greater control over my schedule and life. I am able to have the option now of when I want to “work” or devote time to other endeavors. Massage Therapy has in essence removed the constrictions, allowing me greater flexibility. This greater flexibility encourages and provides a platform for greater personal fulfillment.

~Johnathan Levy

National Holistic Institute has been named 2012 Massage Therapy School of the Year at the World Massage Festival to be held in Las Vegas, August 19-22, 2012! 

“Today, NHI is one of the most respected and largest schools of massage therapy in the world. Their history and network of relationships in the field continue to help graduates have success and help keep their fingers on the pulse of the dynamic field of massage therapy.” – Massage Magazine

When you go to work every day and you love what you do, it’s surprising and humbling to receive recognition for it.  That’s how all of us at NHI felt when we heard that the World Massage Festival had chosen us as the Massage Therapy School of the Year.  For several years, this well-established festival has been home to the Massage Hall of Fame, complete with a who’s who of massage profession inductees.  To now be permanently acknowledged alongside those industry luminaries is an incomparable privilege.  For all the staff and students who have and will come through the NHI doors over the decades, we look forward to accepting this honor on their behalf.

More than three decades of hard work and commitment to the massage field has led to this recognition. Carol Carpenter, founder of NHI, had a vision of what massage education could be. Carol built a school whose roots still feed and support the organization today.  The foundation she built was made of knowledge, professionalism, and a deep dedication to excellence. In 2003, Carol Carpenter retired and Mason Myers and Tim Veitzer stepped in and continue to lead in the tradition of excellence.

Tim and Mason have grown NHI to be a statewide massage school with six (soon to be seven) thriving campuses. Today NHI offers the most current state of the art education available in massage therapy. Over the years, we have continued to refine our curriculum in order stay current with the growth of the massage industry and ensure that our graduates are ready to be successful in any area of the massage field they choose.

Our graduates work in a wide variety of industry specialization including the allied medical professions, spa industry, private practice, sports and fitness. Today the possibilities are virtually endless. The massage industry has grown tremendously and more and more job opportunities open up every day. It is a very exciting time to be a massage therapist!

NHI is growing along with the field. In addition to a foundational education in massage therapy, NHI now offers a 400-hour Advanced Neuromuscular Massage Therapy Program for massage therapists wishing to specialize in therapeutic massage. We also have robust sport massage and professional on-site teams that provide massage at events and locations around the state. We have had as many as 120 massage therapists gathered together to offer massage to the runners of the Nike Women’s Marathon, and participate in many more events year round.

We are proud of our growth and achievements, but our biggest accomplishment is our students. They go out into the field and bring professional, positive and healing touch to so many. We are proud to know that we have sent thousands of massage professionals into the field, and they in turn have enriched the lives of thousands and thousands more whom they’ve touched. Our graduates have helped those suffering from long-term and sometimes debilitating pain, supported women as they go through pregnancy and childbirth, provided comfort and care to those who need it,  helped professional athletes improve their performance, and generally have helped to decrease the stress levels of all with whom they come in contact.  You might even say our graduates are changing the world one touch at a time.
 

To read Massage Magazine’s article about the prestigious award bestowed on NHI, click the following link.
http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=12079

This week, we bring you a post from a few of our graduates – Gathering all they have learned at NHI, the San Jose campus alumni opened the Silicon Valley Massage Therapy Group, LLC.  Their doors opened to the public in November of 2011 and they are on their way to a thriving new business. Their mission? “Exceptional body work, Exceptional results”… and we know they mean what they say. Without further ado, please allow us to introduce NHI grad Bard Williams of SV Massage Therapy Group:

“NHI isn’t just a place to get a world-class education as a massage therapist – it’s also an incubator for new entrepreneurs.  As graduates we all have our dreams of how we might use our new skills – maybe a thriving private practice, working in an elegant spa, or following a sports team. There are lots of options!  As a marketing exec and “serial entrepreneur”, I’ve always liked the challenge of building a business from the ground up.  A massage practice has lots of moving parts and the process seemed nearly impossible at the beginning and I quickly realized that several heads were way better than one.  I didn’t have to look far – two other really talented therapists were sitting right next to me in class!  So, on 11/1/11, three NHI-San Jose students, Mayke Weiber, Javier Nikaido and I, launched the Silicon Valley Massage Therapy Group.

So, it’s official.  We’re a “Silicon Valley startup” with big dreams.  We quickly expanded the team to include fellow NHI student Sharon Lee whose amazing skills, positive energy and administrative talents helped us stay grounded and organized.  We found an amazing location and worked through the process of licensing and getting the space ready. Then, as we each became CAMTC certified, we picked up more NHI students and alumni as therapists or to help with reception work.  All of us continue to learn about the business of massage therapy. Luckily, we’ve got the support of classmates, our NHI instructors, friends, family and a whole bunch of people who appreciate our skills.

Now we’re all focused on attracting clients and building the practice. It’s so good to put into action the things we learned at NHI – from business and marketing to great bodywork, we all feel very prepared to move ahead with our dreams of a successful practice. We invite you to book a session with us online at www.svmassagetherapy.com or give us a call at (408) 260–CALM (2256), or contact us about employment opportunities at info@svmassagetherapy.com. Mention this blog post and we’ll give you a nice discount.”