Look for the real sign soon!

 The new campus – in the Ralph’s shopping center at Ventura & Vineland – can be accessed conveniently by car or metro.  Parking is free, plentiful, and underground so your car stays cool.  Also, we’re an easy ten-minute walk from the Universal City metro red line station.

Our first classes and public clinics will begin at the new location on Sunday, September 12.  Prices on the student massages will increase to $30 at the new clinic, so we’re offering a Gift Card Special until we move at the current clinic price of $20 for each 50-minute massage: Buy 5 gift cards, get 1 Free OR Buy 10 gift cards, get 3 Free!

We have a lot of great neighbors to make your experience at our school and clinic even better. In addition to picking up groceries at Ralph’s, you’ll be able to shop Rite-Aid; grab lunch or dinner at Togo’s or City Wok; have a cup of coffee at Starbucks; get a smoothie at Jamba Juice; drop off your dry-cleaning; even get a manicure and more!

Click Here to book a massage at our Encino clinic and enjoy a $20 50-minute massage until September 10.

Click Here for directions, parking, and information on our new Studio City campus as we get closer to the move date of September 10.

Teacher Nancy Gouge tries her hand at some demo.

A vote could come any day, so we must ACT NOW!

• An email can be sent to all Senators through this link – http://www.massagetoday.com/bill1822/stop_ab1822.php
• Here is the latest news story about what’s going on – http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=14280

 In writing to the Senators, please highlight the following points: 

• Vote NO on AB 1822!
• Legitimate massage therapists have a right to work without being looked upon as criminals.
• State certification protects the public better than the previous patchwork of local ordinances.

Everyone, please write in; tell a hundred of your closest friends to write in; and let’s keep state certification alive and strong!!

Placement Coordinator Jan Takeshita & Teaching Assistant Suzanne Bose outside Bliss Spa.

A fortunate group of National Holistic Institute graduates and students got an exclusive VIP tour of Hollywood’s hottest new spa during a recent career night.

Since opening in January, Bliss Spa at the new W Hotel Hollywood has quickly become the go-to destination for the rich and famous looking to be pampered like a rock star.  In addition to the long list of celebrity clientele frequenting its legendary Hollywood & Vine location, Bliss has brought its unique “Spa-llywood” touches to over 40 high-profile events in just 6 months – awards shows, magazine fêtes, and movie premieres like Alice in Wonderland and Sex in the City.

NHI began its relationship with Bliss back in December.  While waiting for its fabulous new digs to be finished, Bliss used NHI’s Los Angeles facilities to train employees on its unique custom products and menu of services.

Additionally, Bliss broke its long-standing tradition of hiring experienced massaged therapists by employing 3 NHI graduates right out of school.  One of those, Michael Scola, joined us on our tour.  Having graduated NHI in January, Michael is one of Bliss’s top-ranked and most requested massage therapists.

Graduates & Students attend NHI's Bliss Spa Career Night at the W Hotel Hollywood.

Because of the professional success of our alumni, Bliss invited this latest group of NHI students and graduates to view their beautiful space, learn more about the company, and apply for a job.  On our tour we saw Bliss’s ground-level retail shop (they have their own complete product line); the 4^th floor spa complete with a luxe nail lounge, treatment rooms, and men’s and women’s lounges; behind-the-scenes areas where all the magic happens; and we even got to visit Drai’s private rooftop pool where many therapists go to give on-site massages.

We thank Bliss for rolling out the red carpet for us and look forward to sending many more of our graduates their way.

Bliss Spa Trainer Heather Moelter, Campus Manager Joe Bob Smith, and NHI graduates at Drai's rooftop pool where many on-site massages are given.

Massage Envy recently named two National Holistic Institute graduates as Regional Therapists of the Year.  Congratulations, Stephen Bond and Kimberly Pon!

Click the articles below to enlarge.

On June 12^th, National Holistic Institute’s Petaluma Compassionate Touch Team (Instructor Shoshana Frieden and six Group 40 seniors) happily set out on the back roads of Sonoma/Marin County to Walker Creek Ranch to offer massage at Camp Challenge. 

Camp Challenge is a weekend family retreat, where everything is free for adult cancer patients (in all stages of cancer) and their families.  One student commented, “Thank you for finding this amazing event; it deeply touched and changed my life.”  

To find out more about how Camp Challenge got started go to http://www.me-onefoundation.org/.

Jim Charlesworth (right) responds to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

The massage therapist who created what is believed to be the first team of massage therapists to provide massage to emergency-response workers has died from cancer, age 53.

In 1989, massage therapist James “Jim” Charlesworth was an admissions counselor for the National Holistic Institute in Emeryville, California, when the Loma Prieta Earthquake hit.

“Across the street from NHI was the horrible highway collapse,” read an obituary posted on the website of Emergency Response Massage International. “He mobilized a massage team and worked with many volunteers giving 8,000 massages to relief workers to ease those providing rescue efforts. The mayor of San Francisco acknowledged his commitment to the city.”

Charlesworth later worked with the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) to launch the association’s Massage Emergency Response Teams (MERT) program…Click Here to read the complete story at Massage Magazine.

For an interesting bit of history, Click Here to view two 1990 earthquake-related articles from our archives written for the Massage Therapy Journal by Jim, the former NHI Director of Community Relations, and Ken Bridgeman, former NHI Program Coordinator.

Jim (far back left) massages during the relief effort.

Courtesy of Yahoo! Finance

If you’re like thousands of other job seekers, you may dream of earning the big bucks without having to deal with the extreme stress that goes hand-in-hand with top-paying jobs. Of course, a high-salary, low-stress job sounds too good to be true. Or is it?

Believe it or not, you don’t have to take on a heart-pounding career as a brain surgeon, airline pilot or stock broker to bring home some serious bacon. As a matter of fact, some of the highest-stress jobs pay surprisingly scanty salaries. Just think about police officers, firefighters and social workers. These folks have quite possibly the most nerve-racking jobs in the world, yet most of them earn less than $45,000 a year. What about combat soldiers who face death on a daily basis? They typically earn less than $30,000 a year.

In other words, high stress does not always equal a hefty salary, or vice versa. Fortunately, there are plenty of laid-back career choices that pay quite generously.

Massage Therapist

Massage therapy is an extremely low-pressure, relaxing career for most people. (As long as the thought of touching a stranger’s back doesn’t drive your stress level through the roof, of course.) Not only are most massage therapists self employed, but they also get to smell smoothing aromatherapy scents and listen to calming background music or ocean sounds all day while they work.

Because many massage therapists work part-time, yearly salaries vary wildly in this field. However, most of these massaging masters charge by the hour. On average, they earn between $10-35 an hour.

Of course, if you take on plenty of clients, you could easily earn a salary of $45,000 or more. That kind of cash will certainly not rub you the wrong way.

Click Here for the Full Story

Mentor Lucas Nevarez, Campus Manager Klayna Snider, & NHI Graduate Akilah Tutt.

Greetings,
I hope this message finds you well.  Here is a copy of the short poem I read at Graduation on Monday, May 17.

The Beauty of Massage
Hands touch flesh.
Speaking a language sometimes foreign to even the most well-versed of beings.
Stripping away stress.
Quieting the voices of pain and feelings of discontent.
We share moments of rebuilding.
Thoughts of compassion.
Increasing senses of well-being.
It’s the Vitamin T of therapeutic touch.
With one vision, one vibe, one moment.
Melting away uncertainties from the inside.
And igniting a new passion for life on the outside.
Today we enter a world of body workers that become vessels for The Most High.
Today we spread our wings and we fly.

Thank you so much for all that you do for me and for NHI at large.  I look forward to keeping in touch and continuing to grow in the field of massage and as a person holistically.

With Love & Sincerity,
Akilah Tutt

Editor’s Note: Akilah was hired at Spa Silverado two days before graduation! ]]> http://www.nhimassageblog.com/2010/05/28/graduate-reflects-on-massage-with-poem/feed/ 0 http://www.nhimassageblog.com/2010/05/18/new-campus-for-nhi-emeryville/ http://www.nhimassageblog.com/2010/05/18/new-campus-for-nhi-emeryville/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 20:04:42 +0000 Joe Bob Smith http://www.nhimassageblog.com/?p=1067

Jason Daniels & Marla Aird of Financial Planning, Marz Jaffe of Placement, and Doonam LeSon of the Business Office greet visitors to the new campus at 59th & Doyle.

The National Holistic Institute campus in Emeryville has a new home.  After 23 years in its former location, NHI Emeryville is now located in its very own building just one block east.

The morning of April 23 saw the final classes at the old campus with the afternoon classes inaugurating the freshly appointed new classrooms across the street just 30 minutes later.  Students, staff, and clinic clients have expressed rave reviews!

With the new Emeryville campus and the launch of NHI’s 400-hour Advanced Neuromuscular Massage Therapist program (read article), we’ve completed two of our three 2010 resolutions (read article) in less than 4 months.  Stay tuned for progress on our third, but certainly not final, goal this year.  Until then, enjoy these pictures of the new campus.

Admissions Supervisor Raquel Rodriguez welcomes visitors at the reception desk.

Dean of Students Ron Peat tries to figure out where to put the last few remaining boxes.

Teachers India Harville & Lisa Mendiola-Flores settle into the new Teachers' Office.

Melissa Wheeler addresses her peers at All-Staff Day.

The American Massage Therapy Association has awarded the 2010 Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year Award to Melissa Wheeler, a longtime National Holistic Institute teacher and current teacher trainer.

To the many teachers, staff, and students Melissa has touched in her 19 years at NHI, no one deserves it more.  One of the highlights of this year’s NHI All-Staff Day was Melissa’s address to her peers and receiving of a scrapbook created by co-worker Sharlene Philip, containing numerous memories, congratulations, and accolades.  While Melissa remains as humble as always about this rare honor, here are words of praise from others:

“It has been my pleasure to work with Melissa, whose input always puts the teacher first in the education committee’s roles and initiatives.” – Ruth Werner, author and President of the Massage Therapy Foundation

“Melissa is one of those rare and special educators who help ignite the passion for Massage Therapy in all of those who are fortunate enough to learn from her.” – Rhoni Hirst, Books of Discovery

“Another example would be one particular student that faced numerous challenges, the least of which being a recently paroled ex-convict.  He came to Melissa to seek advice on how to construct a resume, interview skills and generally just how to get past being a large, loud, tattooed gentleman and help him find the therapist within (this being no easy task in itself).  That graduate now has a thriving private practice and a top position in a local massage therapy center.  To say the above mentioned student was a challenge is an understatement.  I should know, I am that student.” – Christopher Sanderson, former student

“From her remarkable work as a Kinesiology teacher, where she presented the information with enthusiasm and passion, to the daily contact we had where she saw me as a unique individual, no just one of several hundred, Melissa’s impact has been profound.” – Bonnie Rodriguez, student

AMTA presents an award each year to an instructor in a member school who demonstrates exceptional teaching abilities and commitment to high standards of education in massage therapy. This award honors the memory of Jerome Perlinski, an extraordinary educator and much loved leader. Jerome Perlinski is remembered for his recognition of the gifts and talents of others and his ability to bring out their best. A consumer and advocate of massage therapy who was not a practitioner, Jerome held a doctorate in the history of ideas from St. Louis University. He was a widely experienced teacher and lecturer whose committed work helped raise training standards, improve teaching methods and educate massage practitioners about the importance of ethical, professional behaviors. He also played an instrumental role in the early development of the Council of Schools. When colleagues remember Jerome, they use words like inspired, passionate, motivating, principled, and exceptional.

We’ll be cheering Melissa on as she accepts the award and presents at the AMTA National Convention in Minneapolis this September.  We also look forward to many more years of inspiration from her!

NHI owner Mason Myers, Teacher Trainer Melissa Wheeler, and Advanced Program Manager Al Carbonetti share a laugh at the All-Staff Day bowling party.