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.

The Admissions Department visits the new Emeryville Campus for which they will soon be enrolling.

Students who join us in January often do so because of a New Year’s resolution they’ve made – a promise to themselves to achieve a specific goal in the coming year.  In this case, to start a new career in massage therapy.

National Holistic Institute is no exception.  Every year we make New Year’s resolutions that will benefit our students and continue our unrivaled streak as California’s best massage therapy school.  This year, our 31^st year helping people have work they love, looks to be our best yet.  Among our 2010 goals and plans:

• New Emeryville Campus – In March, the Emeryville Campus will leave its home since 1989 and move 1 block away into its own building at 5900 Doyle.  This state-of-the-art, eco-friendly facility was designed and built with the NHI student in mind.  Admissions Representatives (pictured above) have started enrolling for classes in this new location.
• Advanced 400-hour Program – NHI has long set the standard for massage therapy education, becoming California’s first nationally accredited massage school back in the late 80’s.  We continue the trend by adding an additional 400 hours to our already comprehensive, foundational 720-hour program.  NHI has teamed with expert and American Massage Therapy Association Vice-President Cynthia Ribeiro to develop a 5-module neuromuscular course that will include cadaver classes, anatomical clay modeling, and integral anatomy work.  Classes begin February/March in Emeryville with other campuses to follow.
• Los Angeles Expansion – With wait lists for many of the classes at our Los Angeles Campus in Encino, expect to see a larger NHI presence in Southern California later this year.

As we fulfill our New Year’s resolutions, we look forward to helping our students fulfill theirs.  We wish you all a prosperous and very happy New Year!

Dean of Students Ron Peat checks out the soon-to-be new home of his students.

The new NHI Emeryville Campus as seen from Doyle & 59th.

For the holidays this year, the National Holistic Institute Emeryville Campus again invited seniors from the Emeryville Senior Center to come and enjoy a free massage from our students during our Holiday Senior Center Day.  Group 16 students provided relaxing and therapeutic Swedish massages to 30 senior attendees!  Lisa Mendiola-Flores supervised clinic again this year, and she made everything go wonderfully smoothly.

Student Life & Career Coordinator Aviana Lynn heard from many seniors that the students did an excellent job, and all clients seemed relaxed and happy after their massages.  A couple of them even went so far as to write a thank you note on the dry-erase board in the Student Resource Center.

NHI provided holiday eggnog, cider, and cookies, which many of the seniors enjoyed while chatting with each other after their massages.  The morning was a great success!

We look forward to keeping this NHI holiday tradition going in years to come!

Renee Lucchini, Dean of Faculty at National Holistic Institute, takes a break from the complicated job of scheduling teachers for classes.  See her here, in the mud, at the site of NHI’s new building in Emeryville!

This picture reminds me of a similar one from 1939 showing the construction of a new gymnasium at my alma mater, the University of Southern California.  The caption to that picture read, “Always growing, ever-changing, never finished.” 

Certainly, these words also capture the NHI spirit.  To paraphrase USC President Steven Sample – We are always growing.  Our campuses are ever-changing.  Our progress is never finished.

Sunday’s sold-out Integral Anatomy workshop with Gil Hedley was a smashing success!  81 people, including staff, students, graduates, yoga teachers, personal trainers, artists and massage therapists, gathered at our Emeryville campus for this unique class.

You have a 2nd chance to catch this class at the National Holistic Institute Encino campus on May 17.  Email Denise at boyled@nhi.edu to register.

Here is some of the email feedback we’ve received since: 

I really can’t thank you enough for the fantastic anatomy workshop with Gil Hedley.  He more than lived up to his reputation.  The information and slides give an understanding of human anatomy that is rarely seen with the more common “origin/insertion/action” protocols.  Gil brings the human body to life.  The workshop has not only deepened my understanding of anatomy, but has also been a shot in the arm for the way I will approach my clients in bodywork.  – Art Riggs, author of Deep Tissue Massage

 

That was the best CEU class I have ever taken. Gil was amazing on so many levels, he truly is brilliant, and his message and intention is nothing less than beautifully divine.  His class was really a journey that must be experienced to truly be understood. I enjoyed his sense of humor and his unique perspective on life, the human body and soul – and his integration of them all. My expectations were exceeded and honestly, my mind was blown! Again, thank you for bringing Gil to NHI, what a gift. – Heather Hurless

 

Great day yesterday.  Nothing like seeing the real thing to get an education.  I loved him.  He’s an excellent teacher.  What makes him so great is not just his knowledge and the fun way he shares it, but also the little digressions that are at times personal and other times philosophical which bring a unique human and personal perspective with sensitivity to something that is usually clinical and detached from our humanity. – Luis Velez

Linda Rikli, VP of Education; Gil Hedley; Melissa Wheeler, Training Coordinator

Other overheard comments:

Unbelievably eye opening.

 

Both as a teacher and a massage therapist, I have gained a different way of approaching the body and teaching anatomy to my students.

 

The delivery of the information and format was brilliant; breath of fresh air.  I had many “aha” moments.  I cannot even find the words for how excited and inspired I feel!  Wow!

 

I can never again look at the body in the way I used to.

 

Respectful and awe-filled approach to the body and life.  Loved the weaving of nature and family seamlessly into the slides.  Such a sweet, personal and powerful approach.

 

Loved it, time just flew by.  This information will linger for days, months, years.

 

The fascia and our relationship to it is fascinating!  This course has elevated my appreciation for the human body.  My interconnectedness with my clients is taken to another level.

 

Not just a strict anatomy class.  Much gained from philosophical discussion, thinking way outside of the box.

 

Gil – what an amazing HOLISTIC approach to life through the lens of the body…incredible work you have done.  Your class exceeded all of my thoughts and expectations.  Thanks for blowing my mind!!

In response to the recent Oakland police tragedy, National Holistic Institute’s Emeryville campus will be offering free student massages to East Bay officers.

Read the complete story at InsideBayArea.com.

According to the American Massage Therapy Association, 44% of consumers over 65 years of age got their last massage for medical reasons.  This age group has tripled its use of massage over the last 10 years.  Massage is fast becoming a vital part of the health needs for seniors.

National Holistic Institute has reached out to seniors for a long time.  NHI Emeryville’s “Senior Center Day” during the recent holidays drew over 40 seniors from the Emeryville Senior Center!  They came to enjoy a free Shiatsu-style massage.

Student Life & Career Coordinator Aviana Lynn writes, ”Many seniors reported that their massages by the junior students were ‘fabulous,’ and they were eager to schedule future massages with the NHI student clinic as well as purchase gift cards for the enjoyment of friends and relatives.”

Holiday eggnog and pastries were provided by NHI, and many of the seniors were seen munching and chatting away long after their massages were over!

Leisha Anders has been a teaching fixture at NHI for the last 7 years.  This Friday she leaves us to be closer to her family in Texas.  If only NHI had a campus in Dallas!

Today at our weekly faculty meeting, we presented Leisha with a framed collage of her time here.  Leisha spent her first 5 years at the Emeryville campus.  Then 2 years ago she moved to Los Angeles to help open the Encino campus.  At the time, it was more of a happy accident than some sort of master plan on our part.  But oh how fortunate we were!  I truly can’t imagine the Encino campus without her.

Leisha has been a source of knowledge and inspiration to students and staff alike.  She inhabits the NHI curriculum and culture like few others.  NHI Director of Education Linda Rikli recently said,

“We greet her news with a sad heart, but with the knowledge that we, NHI, are better in so many ways because of her time with us.”

While we will truly miss your presence, Leisha, we will never forget the spirit you’ve left behind.

This is the first of Melissa Wheeler’s occasional series about interesting conditions that can benefit from massage.

Lace Bite.  Ouch!  What is THAT?  Runners, walkers, hikers:  Loosen your laces!

Lace Bite is a common condition that develops over the top of the foot where the long extensors of the toes pass under the extensor retinaculum. (see illustration below).  Compression of these tendons can cause a painful condition called tenosynovitis.  In this region it is commonly called “lace bite” because tight shoelaces are often the primary cause.

• Retinaculum:  Thickenings of deep fascia in distal portions of limbs that hold tendons in position.
• Tenosynovitis:  When tendons that pass through a synovial sheath become irritated and inflamed.

How to Treat with Massage?  Deep Transverse friction of the affected tendon along with myofascial release on the retinaculum (and loosening your laces) can resolve the problem!  I had a client who had this condition for months and could not figure out what was wrong.  After one massage specific to this area – the pain went away!  However, don’t work if acutely inflamed.