Massage news, information, and updates from NHI.

This week, Petaluma Campus Manager Klayna Snider became a first-time grandmother welcoming Sontino Fiore Ventimiglio into the world.  Here is her commentary.

Our little bambino Tino immediately took to the kinesthetic world of snuggles, kisses, and, of course, massage. He received his first mini massage from me with some energy (Reiki) work just hours after his birth. He is a shining beacon of light. It was such a delight to share the gift of massage as a sacred connection with my grandson.

He was born (no drugs whatsoever for Momma) with 12 hours of labor including 2 hours of intensive labor. My son, Sontino, was a champion coach who literally received Tino into his arms as he was born at a birthing center in Santa Cruz. Sonny was very comfortable, calm, and extremely present and grounded throughout. Heather Marie was a “rock star hero” according to my son, throughout the miraculous birthing process.

Grandma arrived 15 minutes after the baby was born just in time to witness Tino’s awakening to the world of senses. I was stuck on Highway 17 into Santa Cruz during commuter traffic! Good thing I knew how to use my breathing techniques and ground myself!

A few nights later, we noticed that Heather was having some pretty extreme swelling in her feet. After calling her doctor and getting the “it’s normal and not to worry about it,” I spent over an hour massaging her feet with lymphatic massage techniques and joint mobilization to get the fluid moving. The swelling reduced dramatically along with her discomfort.

It’s such an amazing thing that the first sense that develops in the womb for the embryo is touch. During the birthing process, the baby receives his first “deep tissue massage” as it goes through the contractions and enters the birth canal, stimulating vital organs and muscles to prepare for his first breath. And finally he is embraced into the world by the loving yet confident, strong hands of his father and mother only to continue attuning to the world through his amazing capacities for touch.

It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it!

Okay, bad pun aside, I had great fun over the weekend participating in the Biotone Spa class taught by Travis Ochoa.  For 2 days, we got to both apply and experience an aromatherapy wrap, cellulite treatment, and more, concluding with a full body exfoliation and mud wrap.  I’m still glowing!  Thanks to my weekend partner Lila Lewis-Peace for putting up with my messy “painting.”

Congratulations new graduates of Group 57!

Just when you think you’ve seen it all…a spa video game!  I laughed so hard I cried playing this.  It may not exactly replace our business classes, but it sure is fun!  Here’s the description from the website:

Sally’s back and ready to take the spa world by storm! Indulge yourself with hours of fast fun in ten original spa locations around the world. Refresh your customers with facials, manicures, massages, and more. Enhance the experience of your clients with more than 65 upgrades for your rapidly growing business. Melt away the stress from a wide variety of customers including blushing brides, demanding fashionistas, relaxing couples, and more! A wonderful escape for gamers of all ages, join Sally on her adventure in the business of fun!

It costs $19.99, but you can download a free demo from the Lifetime channel’s website and play for an hour.  Click on any of these screen shots to get there.

Three Scorpios and a Capricorn - Mason, Nancy, Jenelle and Tim.

At every quarterly meeting we celebrate all staff birthdays occurring before our next quarterly meeting (and then we often celebrate them again when they actually occur - we’re a celebrating bunch!).  In this picture, our President Mason Myers shares a birthday on November 5 with teacher Nancy Gouge, followed by admissions representative Jenelle Menashe on November 16, and squeezing in just before the quarterly deadline is our Director of Development Tim Veitzer on December 29.

Even in these shaky economic times, NHI had a lot to celebrate at the quarterly meeting as enrollment increased 22% in our 3^rd quarter over 2007!  Also, our completion and placement numbers are tracking higher than last year’s extremely good numbers.  When times get tough, it’s nice to know people still value the benefits of both massage therapy and proper career training.

Here is a view of the AMTA National Convention from San Jose Campus Manager Alicia Ramos.

I had a great time at the National Convention recently.  It was my first time at a National Convention and I was thrilled to meet so many great names in the industry!  Most notable for me was Judith Aston (above, with Melissa and me), who gave me lots to aspire to, personally.  I decided I want to be just like her “when I grow up”!  She is poised, graceful, strong, flexible and radiates wellness on all levels from her very being!  She was gracious enough to chat with me at the dinner/dance and I was able to see that not only was she amazing from a far, but she was genuine, too.

The other “big name in the industry” that I met that was most influential to me was Carol Osborne (www.bodytherapyassociates.com) who was honored as AMTA’s “Teacher of the Year”.  She gave an inspiring and touching speech at the Teacher’s Networking Luncheon and she taught “Balancing Art and Science in Massage Therapy”, which was one of the “teacher tract” workshops I attended.  From that class, I felt both validated (that NHI already uses some of her suggested activities/techniques to include both Art and Science in all our classes) and excited to share with the NHI faculty her tips that I believe will add even more depth, understanding and fun to our already fabulous classes.

San Jose teacher Beth McNeill reports from the field.

On Saturday morning, five students from the San Jose campus and I drove up to Napa to provide chair massage for the riders of the 4-hour Endurance Ride hosted by the American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM).  A student from Group 32 arranged the event through the president of the AFM.  She was also instrumental in bringing the riders and vendors and cornerworkers to the massage area.

We provided chair massage at the massage area, at the timing area and in the pits.  The students felt very prepared to work on the riders after attending a sports massage training focusing on the specific needs of a motorcyclist.  They all did great work throughout the day.  The riders loved having on-site massage and the President of AFM has asked us (NHI) to think about coming back for more events next season.

We all had a great deal of fun.  It was a wonderful to spend Saturday with this crew!

On Saturday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 731 into law, at long last providing state certification for massage therapy here in California!

Don’t tear up your local permits just yet.  Certifications will not be issued until at least September 1, 2009.  Between now and then, a governing board must be created to develop policies and establish the necessary infrastructure.  The law only defines the general terms; we must wait for this new Massage Therapy Organization (MTO) to flesh out the details.

This is a voluntary certification.  So, if you’re happy with your current local status, then you don’t have to do it.  However, those who do get a state certification can practice anywhere in the state without having to secure massage therapy licenses from individual cities or counties.  But, considering 83% of respondents to a recent ABMP poll were in favor of the state law, it’s likely that many cities and counties eventually will stop issuing their own local licenses in favor of the state certification.

The ABMP’s Bob Benson says, “While highly imperfect, and some distance from the original legislative draft, SB 731 appears to solve a huge problem with the practice of massage within California. This law looks at bona fide massage therapists as professionals, not as suspect providers of illicit services. Those electing to become certified will be able to have their qualifications vetted by a knowledgeable massage organization rather than by local police departments. Discriminatory zoning rules singling out massage therapists could no longer be enforced against individuals certified by this new massage organization.”

The law defines a massage therapist as having 500 hours or more of training, but makes accommodations for those currently working who may have fewer hours of formal education than that.  Some of your heads may be spinning with questions right now.  I recommend holding off until we know more.  As the MTO takes shape and more specifics fall into place, this blog will keep you informed.

Many people have worked years to make this happen.  Among them, we’d like to thank the AMTA, ABMP, Massage Envy, the California Chiropractic Association and State Senator Jenny Oropeza who sponsored the bill.

You can read more at ABMP.com and AMTA-CA.org.

Here are Melissa Wheeler’s impressions of the AMTA Convention in Phoenix last week.

Joe Bob Smith (Encino Campus Manager), Alicia Ramos (San Jose Campus Manager) and I all met up at the AMTA National Convention in Phoenix on behalf of National Holistic Institute.  NHI chooses to participate in such conferences both to learn what’s current in the larger massage community and to give our students and alumni a voice in those happenings.  This one was so big it required three of us to go!

Author Ruth Werner, NHI Grad John Lambert, & Melissa

In addition to taking classes like Integral Anatomy, Balancing the Art & Science in Massage, and Massage Therapy on Trial, we met up with teachers, NHI graduates, textbook authors, and massage therapists from all over the country.  It was so inspiring!

Just to show the variety of our experiences, I met 2 Japanese publishers who promised to send me a Japanese-language copy of the textbook we use, Trail Guide to the Body! 

Books of Discovery reception

Joe Bob found the red, white & blue table he’d always wanted from Oakworks.

Alicia won a basket full of creams and massage lotions at the Massage Envy gathering.

Massage Envy reception

We all had a wonderful time at the Massage Therapy Foundation reception, hanging out with the Trail Guide publishers and Ruth Werner who is not only the author of the beloved book Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology, but the leader of the MTF’s Education Committee.  What does all that mean?  Read about the MTF and their brand new e-journal that they have just launched online - propelling our industry forward.  This massage research is available free to all at the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.

At a recent baby shower, John Caguin - NHI graduate, Community Outreach Coordinator, and webmaster extraordinaire (thank you John for all your work on our new NHI site!) - enjoyed some nice gifts, home made brownies and ice cream with his wife Pinky & NHI staff.

Their first child, a baby girl soon to be named Kaelyn Rae, is due on October 17th much to their excitement and the excitement of their extended NHI family.

Congratulations John and Pinky!