Massage Therapy Blog | Massage Therapy, Massage Therapy Schools, Massage Techniques

Over the weekend of August 20th, National Holistic Institute’s own Julie Porter and Esko Homsi assisted new AMTA President Elect Cynthia Ribeiro with a class on shoulder rehabilitation and massage at the Prescott Resort and Conference Center in Prescott Arizona.

The event was an AMTA sponsored, 10 hour, continuing education class offered to the AMTA’s Arizona chapter members. The class consisted of trigger point work, several muscles involved with shoulder anatomy, assessment, and ample bodywork time.

Cynthia shined, as usual, commanding instant respect upon a room of 80 or so members. She was very animated going over a broad range of information in a matter of hours. Julie and Esko were there assisting with both body mechanics and clearing up questions on the comprehensive knowledge for students needing some more clarity on the information.

“A lot of the students had a plethora of knowledge reflected in their work this weekend, but at the same time it made me realize how advantageous our program is to most programs around the country. The overall quality of work from body mechanics, to understanding the anatomy, to application of techniques is really put into a complete picture for the students here at NHI. It’s clear that they receive a more complete puzzle than some throughout the country.” ~Esko

“Cynthia, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your expert teaching this weekend in Prescott. You are the most fun and well versed instructor I have ever had. Even though you had to go quickly to cover the information you had two excellent assistants to help answer my questions and to help the two day class go smoothly.” ~AMTA member

Though the workshop was an AMTA event, the Advanced Program and NHI was well represented, by both Cynthia and her assistants. Overall, it was a huge success and will lead to more opportunities for NHI to appear at national massage therapy events for NHI in the years to come.

Many massage therapists know the benefits of giving our furry friends a good massage (If you don’t believe it, read here).   In fact there are even Certified Canine Massage Therapists out there.  We also know that giving a massage can provide the therapist with many of the same benefits that the client enjoys. 

What am I getting at you ask?  Well… dogs could benefit from giving massage too!  

Check out the video below as Samson begins his journey as NHI’s first four legged massage therapist!  Samson has made so many friends at National Holistic Institute, and is hoping to pursue our Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program as he has a special affinity for remembering boney landmarks and helping clients who have had a “ruff” day.

To follow in Samson’s pawprints and learn more about becoming a massage therapist, visit www.nhi.edu
To order some NHI gear for your own pup, visit our CafePress shop!

Thanks to Sharlene, John, Gabriel, Lupita, and everyone else who helped!

Disclaimer: No humans were harmed in the making of this video.

I have two passions that I earnestly pursue, and they universally transcend common barriers. They are massage therapy and music. I became interested in massage therapy during my tenure in the restaurant industry via waiting tables.  A simple shoulder rub and the compliments that ensued soon piqued my curiosity about where massage could take me. It is always a gratifying experience to bring relief to someone in need.  I however placed massage on the back-burner for quite a while to pursue music; particularly singing.

After a decade or so without truly rewarding jobs or the connections I needed in the career in music, I returned to massage in order to at pursue an occupation that I enjoyed. NHI was the answer for me in more ways than one. Not only did I garner the skills and education needed to legitimize this vocation, my current position practicing massage therapy has now enabled me to open my own doors regarding music. I never doubted that I would sing, but I did not think that massage would accelerate my musical aspirations.

Being an independent contractor allows me to select positions that not only suit my skill set but also my scheduling needs around music. I have the option of both self employment and / or traditional work structure, allowing me to focus my time and energy on multiple passions.  I will be performing in the downtown Oakland area on Sunday August 28th in my 1^st recorded concert. If you would like to see the show, follow the link below. Friday the 26^th is the last day you may purchase the tickets online. http://rwjazz.eventbrite.com/

May your pursuit of massage therapy bring you as much joy as it has brought to me.
-Reggie Wright
NHI Graduate, 2011

National Holistic Institute and Biofreeze proudly announce that Lya Daggett, a senior student at the NHI Sacramento campus, has won the 2011 NHI/Biofreeze AMTA Convention Scholarship, honoring 2010 AMTA/Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year and NHI staffer Melissa Wheeler.

Lya will receive complimentary registration, airfare, and hotel for the 2011 American Massage Therapy Association National Convention in Portland, Oregon, this October compliments of NHI and generous underwriting from Biofreeze. While at the convention, Lya will attend numerous continuing education classes as well as special events as a representative and honoree of NHI and Biofreeze.

Many inspirational and compelling applicants submitted essays and letters of recommendation. The scholarship committee expressed desire to send them all. However, with above 95% attendance, over 3.8 GPA, a creatively written essay, and two glowing letters of recommendation, Lya demonstrated herself as a standout student and massage therapist.

In her scholarship essay she writes, “The dream of Massage Therapist has been with me since I was a child.” Lya is especially excited about attending the AMTA National Convention for the first time. “Attending the AMTA National Convention will enrich my massage career in many ways that I know, and many more that I won’t realize until I’m back in Sacramento sharing what I learned with my NHI student family.”

Lya plans to bring as much of the convention experience back with her for those who cannot make the trip by “providing written and verbal information/discussion to my classmates as well as some hands on demonstration. I would also be delighted to lead a discussion group for any interested students.” Lya graduates as a professional Massage Therapist and Health Educator with 720 hours of training from NHI this November. Her training has also enabled her to become certified by the California Massage Therapy Council.

The NHI/Biofreeze AMTA Convention Scholarship is open to seniors and graduates of all 6 NHI campuses and was the brainchild of NHI veteran teacher Melissa Wheeler. After being named the 2010 AMTA/Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year, Melissa envisioned a way others could experience the same sort of inspiration provided to her by attending massage conventions throughout her career. She knew many students and graduates beginning their careers did not have the means to attend and, thus, the idea of a scholarship was born. With a multi-year financial commitment from Biofreeze, NHI and Melissa Wheeler hope this annual scholarship will help Lya Dagget and other future massage therapists have work they love!

The California Massage Therapy Council has existed for just 2 short years. Within that time over 20,000 massage therapists have reaped the benefits the CAMTC certification has offered. The best benefit in my opinion is the flexibility to work in more than one city or county and not have to get multiple permits to do so.

At one time I would have had to get 3 permits to work in 3 cities that were 5 minutes from my door step. The cost would have been in the thousands, and would cut into my profit margin severely.  Since I’ve been CAMTC certified I have gladly only paid for my certification and business license and been perfectly happy spending the extra money on myself!

So why am I writing about this now? It’s time to recertify! I just received my notice in the mail. In the 2 years since I received my certification over 30,000 therapists have applied for CAMTC certification.

Another reason is that Assembly Bill 619 just passed and was signed into law by the Governor of California. There are several changes implemented with this bill, but one of most importance to CAMTC certified therapists is that you are now required to use the name on your certificate and your certification number on any and all advertisements you use. You must also display your name and certification number at your place of business.

For more information on AB 619 go to www.amta-ca.org and click on the State Legislation tab. If you are interested in recertification or want to get more information on being CAMTC certified; go to www.camtc.org . Now I’m off to fill out my application and continue to utilize the benefits of my CAMTC certification!

John Lambert, CAMTC #278

Our 400 hour Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program has been growing rapidly since Cynthia Ribeiro (AMTA President-Elect) formulated the curriculum with NHI from her own popular Advanced Neuromuscular courses.  The program builds on the skills and knowledge that students who completed a comprehensive massage therapy program have already aquired.  This extra education puts graduates ahead of the competition and prepares them to be confident and knowledgeable in massage positions that require a deeper understanding of the science and anatomy behind massage therapy.

Hear from our graduates and instructors as they give you their personal perspective on how the program can open doors

Graduates of the Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program will be able to evaluate and differentiate between myofascial pain or dysfunction, as opposed to injury, and to employ effective techniques to address these issues with significant client results. They will be able to work as Massage Therapists in Pain Management settings such as Hospitals, Doctors’ offices, Physical Therapists’ offices, Rehabilitation Centers, in high-end spas and resorts, with sports teams and Sports Medicine settings, and as private practitioners with independent or referral-based clients.

To learn more about the program or contact an Admissions Representative,
Visit  http://nhi.edu/contact/index.html
or
Call  (800) 315-3552

Recently, I was invited to the Massage Envy Annual Franchise Conference for a peek behind the ME curtain.  As a presenter on the massage industry expert panel, I met many franchisees and home office staff.  All were more than congenial and seemed to care tremendously about the work they were doing.

Even more impressionable was the time I spent with their Top 50 therapists from around the country.  Out of thousands of therapists, these are considered Massage Envy’s best.  They were a diverse group representing various ages and races, with anywhere from 2 to 20 years of massage experience.

Among this elite group was National Holistic Institute’s own Raymond Washington, a 2007 graduate of the Petaluma campus and one of many NHI grads who have worked for Massage Envy.  In talking with Raymond and the other therapists, they found Massage Envy as a place where they could thrive with their massage careers.  Some hoped to own their own franchises someday.  Others liked that they could just focus on massaging their clients while someone else took care of the business side of things.  All shared a common passion: they love what they do!

Joe Bob Smith, Raymond Washington (NHI Petaluma Grad, Massage Envy Regional Therapist of the Year), and CG Funk (Massage Envy VP of Industry Relations)

Massage Envy has little shortage of clients.  Consumers eager for more massage have helped drive the company’s growth.  While demand is relatively high, supply has proved a growth challenge – supply being the ability to hire so many quality therapists.

For the uninitiated, Massage Envy is the largest massage franchise chain in the country, employing more massage therapists (16,000!) than anyone in the world.  With nearly 700 locations in the U.S. and 200 more in the works, Massage Envy is readily fulfilling their mission of bringing affordable massages to the masses.

As demand for exceptional massage therapists grows, National Holistic Institute looks forward to continuing its work with Massage Envy and other massage employers to fill that need.  With 6 – soon to be 7 – California campuses, a nationally accredited 720-hour core program, a unique 400-hour Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program, and 32 years of “helping people have work they love,” NHI is fully prepared to educate the future of massage therapy.

-Joe Bob Smith

Karla Jiminez and Dynasty Castro, the first two NHI Sacramento graduates

Sacramento had the benefit of having Dynasty Castro and Karla Jimenez as the 1st senior group. Transferring to the new Sacramento Campus from NHI Petaluma after their junior segment, they led the juniors in their new group of massage therapists with spirit and professionalism. They served as great role models for the rest of the student body.

As they accepted their diplomas, they shared their thoughts and feelings of their education and time at NHI.  I can assert we were struck by much of what they said. Their experience was profound, their words were passionate. I know many students and graduates can relate to their statements and sentiments: (to paraphrase) This place feels like a true community – They learned many lessons along the way – NHI helped them develop an amazing skill, and now they can love their work.

I want to end this post with an excerpt from a poem, read at the ceremony by Klayna Snider – Campus Manager

Remember what is most important;
It’s not having everything go right,
It’s facing whatever goes wrong.
It’s not being without fear,
It’s having the determination to go on in spite of it
- Vicky M Worsham.

We wish them well in their new careers! The Massage Therapy community just gained 2 great body-workers.

-Lucas Nevarez
Teacher / Mentor – Sacramento Campus

The Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon was last weekend, and NHI was there to support the runners, have a good time and get some great experience doing sports massage. Due to lots of traveling lately I didn’t get a good of a jump start on recruiting for this event, and I was afraid that the event might be a struggle, or be unsuccessful, but as it turned out everything & everyone associated with being there was just superb!

The Team Challenge organization that we were there to serve was offered quick 10 minute massages, but they really made a difference and the team was so thankful. There were 500 runners at this event, and we worked on more then 300 of them! 13 massage therapists and three hundred clients. WOW!

It was a great day, but the best part was listening to students who had their table set up closest to me. They talked about how excited they were to be in school learning so much. It recharged my battery, my hope, my excitement about teaching & confidence that things will work out.

From time to time I noticed one or two other students copying exactly what I was doing; techniques that they had not yet been taught in class. They were clearly in learning mode despite the circumstances of working  non-stop on sweaty tired bodies; the athletes lined up for 20 or more minutes to get 10 minutes of free massage. Just 10 minutes of massage can make such a difference!

These events are so inspiring! We get to put our knowledge into action and help athletes. We work together as a team and the bond that results is tremendous. Students learn new techniques, build their confidence and make connections that are invaluable as they begin their careers as professional massage therapists.

But most of all, I get to help people have work they love through doing work that I love! Wow!

~Mark Nielsen

For updates on where our Sports Massage Team will be healing next, check out our NHI Sports Massage Facebook Page!

I was deeply touched recently by an experience I had in the classroom. I have been a massage therapist for 13 years and an educator for 3. Every day presents an opportunity for me to learn about myself and others. That is one of the things that I love most about my job. It is so exciting to witness a client get reacquainted with their body, or watch a student when those light bulbs go on as they learn new massage skills.

I recently taught a class focusing on work with the abdominal muscles. The technique being taught that night was something called Myofascial Therapies. This is a therapeutic technique that helps with postural issues and injury rehabilitation. What is special about Myofascial Therapy is that it allows you to figure out exactly which muscles to work on so that the client can get immediate and lasting results.

During this particular class the student that was receiving the work during a demonstration of the techniques had a scoliosis (a side curve of the spine). This condition is something that she was born with, and it has always restricted her movement and had an effect on her posture. It also causes chronic pain and discomfort.

After receiving the body work, I did a “reassessment” which means I had the client/student go through a series of movements to see if there was any change created by the massage. The change was AMAZING! She stated that she was not in any pain at that moment, and was amazed by how much further she could move. Nobody had ever told her that change was possible.

This was inspiring to both of us. My student gained a whole new sense of possibility, and I had the privilege of being part of that transformation. It leaves me feeling like I just want to share this work with anyone I can get my hands on!

And then there was the response of the rest of the students. They are so excited and eager to share what they have learned with their clients, family and friends. They know that the work they do can truly change lives.

Let me just end by saying I LOVE MY JOB. I have a career where people walk away from their time with me feeling good. They are smiling when they leave and eager to come back for their next visit. What a gift!

~Breanna Gieseker
Mentor,
NHI Petaluma