I can’t tell you how excited I was the other day to get the best massage I had ever had;  it was a dream come true.

He too was a Graduate of NHI.  He definitely knew his stuff and the most distinguishing thing was the confidence that came through in his work.

Like me, he started out Prone (positioned lying flat) and worked the back a ton; long ironing strokes that I guess you could say were effleurage, but kneaded the muscle as they ran from neck to sacrum. I think he used every tool available, hands, fists, sides of the hand, whole forearms and the elbows too.  He then did awesome work on my Traps that really pulled the Traps away from where they had been living just under my ears. It was like lower neck work and back work combined.  Somewhere in there he was working the arm, Axilla, Scapula, and Deltoids too.  It felt like my Scapula got thoroughly moved & flipped around and put back a little lower than when I brought it in to be worked on and the Delts & arm felt like the way a towel feels when you wring it out after falling into the pool.

As I had hoped, he finally got around to working on my legs, I have very long legs and I always hope that people really get as much of the muscle worked on as possible. Well this therapist did and I think it’s because he was a cyclist too. Hams, Adductors, the IT Band, all worked on with tons of movement for the Knee and a reshaping on my Gastrocs & Soleus. It was most certainly not the typical lighter Swedish, it was deep ploughing & ironing that made my legs soo happy mostly because the work definitely felt like it didn’t just address the area we call the “Back” of the leg but all around the leg.  He rolled it around in different directions to be able to better access the sides that were not just facing up. When he was done I could only say that my legs felt “Floppy” and I loved it.

Thorough, professional, deep but also very in tune with what he was doing as to not work too deep on the knots or just think one pressure is good for every part of the body. He watched my reaction and adjusted the pressure accordingly.

Finishing with some forehead swipes & scalp work was just a wonderful way to close out this massage that I would come back for again & again if I could. The massage was perfect! But alas, I only received it in my own imagination. Haven’t we all dreamed of receiving the same massage we give to others?!

The Golden Rule really applies everything, including  massage. “Do unto to others as you would have them do unto to you”.   Stay present in your work, use empathy and ask yourself what everything would feel like and be open to the feedback of the clients as if you were hearing the compliment or criticism from yourself.

~Mark Nielsen, CMT and NHI instructor extraordinaire :)

I recently celebrated ten years of teaching at the National Holistic Institute, and this gave me an occasion to consider some of the life-enriching aspects of a career in bodywork.

Consider this: have you ever had a job you disliked? Perhaps you’ve even had a job you hated?!  If the answer is “yes”, then you already know what a drain it can be to have to work a job when your heart just isn’t in it. But then there is the economy! In this financial day and age, there are plenty of people who would settle for any work! Work can cause stress, to be sure… but not working can stress us even more.

So having work, it seems – particularly, work we can be passionate about – is a blessing.

The term “work” has interesting connotations. In some contexts, work could be synonymous with something arduous, something unpleasant. But in the spiritual tradition of Alchemy, the term “Work” has a very different implication: transformation! Not simply the transformation of lead into gold, the Magnum Opus, or ‘Great Work’, of the alchemists was about transformation generally – darkness into light, ignorance into knowledge, matter into spirit.

I would argue that, in this Alchemical Way, work we love can transform us, teaching us the lessons and providing us with the challenges we need to progress along the Path of our lives. Bodywork especially, with its emphasis on self-knowledge, compassion, safe space, and connection to another person, causes us to get real, to honestly confront our fears and limitations… and to overcome them so that we can continue to facilitate the healing of our bodies, our communities, and our planet.

Work that you love can transform you. Do you have Work You Love?

~William Mathis
Mentor, NHI Petaluma Campus

We want to share with you what a thrilling evening we had here in Sacramento last night! We had over 72 guests at our Open House/Ribbon Cutting event which included the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce.  So many contributed to this very special joyful event to make it a huge success! Our students from group 70 gave samples of chair massage (we had all 4 chairs set up and they were working non-stop), we had floor Shiatsu massage, our shining star senior, Dynasty Castro gave Hot Stone aromatherapy hand and arm massage, Lucas manned our science table and we gave away loads of door prizes! The entire Sacramento team threw themselves into this making it a spectacular event in their own unique ways and with their wonderful beaming selves, and the entire campus looked beautiful.   And check out the AMAZING cake made by Amy Atkins! 

We look forward to watching our new campus grow and become connected with the rest of the National Holistic Institute community!  We also recently began our student massage clinic and had a wonderful first weekend - John Lambert and Lucas Nevarez have done a great job working with our wonderful students!  If you are in the Sacramento area and you need some more incentive to get down to the clinic, you can get $5 off your first massage just by liking our Sacramento Facebook Page!

There is a ritual that every National Holistic Institute student takes part in. This ritual happens all the time, even during the 1^st bodywork class they step into.  We all sit in silence for the first few minutes of class. Only the sounds of the softly playing music fill the space for those few minutes that day. In that quiet time, we encourage everyone to practice a meditation, to help them prepare for the class ahead.

The question I hear often in one form or another is; “why” and/or “how”? [Read more →]

Now that our volunteers have dried out from the record rain fall, here’s a student’s first-hand account of this year’s L.A. Marathon…

On March 20th, over 50 current and former NHI students braved the cold, wet, and windy conditions at the 2011 LA Marathon. As predicted, the weather bombarded runners and volunteers, who had to deal with the elements from mother earth.

For both new and veteran volunteers, we were in for one wild ride. The many surprises which we encountered did not deter us from ultimately giving the gift of massage to the thousands of participants who sweated out the 26.2 mile endeavor from Los Angeles to Santa Monica Pier. A number of runners tumbled towards our massage tent, hungry and tired, but mostly elated that they had finished and looked forward to a massage provided by us. We were positioned into teams of 2-3 massage therapists at each table, assisting runners in drying off and warming up. Many runners experienced hypothermia-like symptoms, but with the experience of the faculty who were present, led by Joe Bob Smith, Jan Takeshita, and Marianna Anderson, and the quick hands of the massage therapists, the runners were able to get back on their feet and into some dry clothes.

Although we were blasted with random gusts of wind blowing through the tent, a river of water that flowed ankle deep, and even a little bit of hail, the day turned out to be a huge success. Runners were extremely appreciative of the support provided by the massage volunteers, and we were happy to provide a little bit of warmth and care to each runner that passed through. Despite harsh conditions that started the day off as a challenge, we ended with plenty of smiles, laughter, and many memories. Here’s to another successful volunteer event at the LA Marathon. Until next year…

Because the record rainfall disrupted marathon operations, our volunteers this year didn’t receive the usual volunteer shirt or even lunch. To thank everyone for their hard work, NHI hosted a pizza and movie night on April 15 as a sign of gratitude. L.A. Marathon Coordinator, Steve Jackson, showed up with a stash of marathon shirts he had scored for everyone, thank you letters, and prizes commemorating marathons past. Everyone had a great time reminiscing about the rain, the runners, and the hypothermia!

I so enjoy Springtime because of the fleeting nature and change that is inherent in this time of year. There is so much that is exciting about Spring and the possibilities can be endless. Want to change your world? Change your environment? Your relationships? Now is the time – if you can dream it, it can come true.

In the Western paradigm, Spring is the time to clean things out and prepare for the transition from the closed off Winter environment to the wide-open Spring environment. Spring is a good time to physically clean your home environment, change heavy linens to something lighter, bring in gentle colors that reflect the new growth of the world outside.

In the Eastern paradigm, Springtime is about new growth and development. It’s also a potent time for change – starting something new, changing an old habit, cleansing, learning something new. Energy has changed from dormant winter months (an internal time of quiet and reflection which is represented in natural world as well) to more movement and energy. Harness the energy of bright green seedlings bursting to life through hard winter soil.

Some of our San Francisco teachers would like to share what they recommend to take advantage of the potential of Spring. [Read more →]

Are you a National Holistic Institute student or graduate interested in acquiring more clients? Are you a full-time massage therapy practitioner with little or no money to spend on advertising but need more massage clients? Do you have a limited amount of time for marketing and want to invest your energy in activities that have the highest potential return?

If so, consider, you should attending Holistic Buzz Camp, a four-hour interactive workshop designed to provide you with highly effective yet free or inexpensive word of mouth marketing tools and techniques to grow your massage therapy practice. This event will be offered on 4/28/11 at NHI Emeryville and 5/21/11 NHI Studio City. You will learn how to: [Read more →]

Health and well being are some of our most valuable resources. Without them it is difficult to enjoy life, to be productive and to flourish as individuals and communities. Yet often self care takes the back burner as we prioritize everything else in our busy lives.

National Holistic Institute, Petaluma Campus is offering a free monthly Community Education night. Our goal is to contribute positively to this wonderful community we work in, and to offer a respite from this busy hectic world we live in. Come and join us to learn about: [Read more →]

During the entire month of April, 2011, the National Holistic Institute will donate $1 to Doctors Without Borders every time somebody ‘likes’ our page, “National Holistic Institute,” on Facebook.

NHI’s history of responding to crises dates back to the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989.  The work that Jim Charlesworth and others did at that time laid the foundation for what would become the Massage Emergency Response Teams (MERT) (see our previous blog remembering Jim).

Since that time we have massaged the victims and emergency workers of numerous disasters around California and the nation.  Unfortunately, many disasters occur beyond the reach of our hands.  But that doesn’t lessen our desire to help; it just forces us to be more creative in raising funds and supplies.  For example, last year through donation clinics, NHI gave over $7,000 to the Haiti earthquake relief effort.

With a devastating series of events in Japan, from a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, to a tsunami which took hundreds of lives, to uncertain conditions of multiple nuclear reactors, Doctors Without Borders is contributing greatly to the relief of the people affected. While the country of Japan is not struggling for funds like Haiti and many other countries have during times of crisis, there are still countless people who were affected by the disaster and have not been able to receive care.  Doctors Without Borders has been providing personal attention and medical assistance to individuals in Japan, but will use funds to provide care all around the world; wherever it is most needed.

All you have to do to help is to join a growing community of healers and helpers by clicking ‘like’ on the National Holistic Institute Facebook page. From injured and helpless families to power plant workers risking their lives and their health, your contribution will go toward a good cause.

We know there is a huge population of people whose passion is helping others in need and creating a positive change in our world.  The National Holistic Institute is constantly striving to connect those individuals and create a dialogue that will support people in times of crisis.  We hope our Facebook page can serve as such a meeting place.

National Holistic Institute is putting up the money; all you have to do is click ‘like.’ Already like us, or want to see us give even more? Share this with anyone who may be interested in helping those in need.  You can link to our page on your Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or any other social network that you are a part of.  Thank you for being a part of our helping and healing community!

You can also help us donate by receiving a massage during our donation clinic days!

Do you like feeling good from receiving a massage… AND feeling good about giving to others through massage?  Then you will want to hear this news.  NHI is hosting two massage clinics focused on raising funds for those affected by the earthquake in Japan.  All funds raised through these clinics will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.  Student and staff volunteers form NHI will be providing the massage sessions.  Clinics occur on 4/03 at the Emeryville campus, and on 4/10 at the San Francisco campus.  Appointment times are 2:00, 3:15 and 4:30pm.  Click HERE to schedule an appointment in Emeryville, and click HERE to schedule an appointment in San Francisco.

About Doctors Without Borders  (MSF)

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe. MSF’s work is based on the humanitarian principles of medical ethics and impartiality. The organization is committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation.  MSF will be using funds all over the world; wherever they are needed most. Click HERE to learn more about MSF

Disclaimer:

The National Holistic Institute (NHI) will donate $1 for every new ‘like’ we receive on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NHImassageschool between 4/1/11 and 4/30/11.  Users who already like the page will not raise funds by un-liking and liking again, but may instead share the page with their friends and followers.  NHI will donate funds upon the close of the promotion up to a maximum donation of $1000.

I am always pleased to see the reaction on people’s faces when you offer them FREE massage. There tends to be a moment of disbelief followed by complete gratitude. It is amazing how 15 minutes of compassionate skilled touch can completely change a person’s outlook for the day. It is a privilege to be a part of that.

The new Whole Foods in Santa Rosa has been designed to support public awareness and health education. The experience of offering massage there has been phenomenal on so many different levels. One of the most exciting aspects for all involved has been the opportunity to connect with a lovely community of individuals, be it the customers or Whole Foods staff. As a massage therapist it has been wonderful to make connections with individuals that are interested in health and well being from a holistic perspective, including nutrition, supplementation, energy healing, massage, stress management, etc..

As an instructor it is so fulfilling to see the students and graduates of NHI at work. While we are there we get to talk to people about massage and share our passion for therapeutic touch. One student stated as she arrived for the day that she was very nervous about talking to people and “marketing” herself. By the end of the day she had networked with several customers and even booked a massage for her private practice!

Next we will be offering a workshop at Whole Foods on the value of infant massage. Imagine what this world would be like if we all started off getting massage on a regular basis! I wonder if we could change the world one massage at a time…

~ Breanna G.
Mentor, NHI Petaluma

We take our food seriously in the Bay Area, especially in San Francisco. This is the home of slow food advocates and we are dedicated locavores. We eat out all the time, read reviews, get recommendations from, and talk about food, with our friends. We tweet about our meals, post pictures of dishes on Facebook, and trade recipes at communal dinner parties. In short, we love food. But for all of our love of food, how much attention do we pay to the pieces that make up our meals?

A few years ago, while in school for massage, I was putting together a roast chicken dinner for friends and I realized that our main course has the same basic systems that we have. A chicken has a skeletal and muscular system as well as other similar anatomical and physiological structures similar to mine. I realized that what I was learning in school at NHI could be applied to the main course roasting in my oven.

Now that I am a teacher, anyone who has been in my Kinesiology classes will tell you that I compare our musculature to that of animals. Take our friend the chicken: humans have bones, ball and socket joints, tendons, ligaments, fascia and so on and so does a chicken. Slightly different sizes and configurations, to be sure, and the pieces correlate. Not that long ago, after giving my usual “if you want to understand muscles, make dinner” speech, the students asked me to show them. [Read more →]

For those of you who haven’t found her on YouTube yet, NHI Sacramento’s Campus Manager Klayna Snider Gave a wonderful introduction to the curriculum, community and connectivity of the National Holistic Institute.  We just hosted a wonderful event at the new campus and we’re looking forward to a bright future full of new friends and amazing therapists!

Special thanks also to Gabriel and all of his students for giving a sneak peek into their reflexology class and to all of the other students and staff at NHI who made a cameo.  You are all amazing!

For more information on our new campus, get in touch with us!
NHI Sacramento on the Web
(916) 568-6411

We hope to share more videos with you all in the future – If you’re curious about a certain part of life at NHI, leave us a comment and let us know what you’d like to see!

Photo by Manny Crisostomo of the Sacramento Bee

As a positive energy fills the air surrounding NHI’s brand new campus in Sacramento, CA, the Sacramento Bee and the Press Democrat both put the massage therapy profession into a new perspective.  The Bee article covers the growing demand for massage in the state’s capitol even through a rough economy.  Steve Pierce of Massage Envy Spas told the Bee,

“I’ll tell you how things are. If  NHI Sacramento had 20 or 30 massage therapists ready to graduate, I’d hire them all right now,”

Check out the article here:  

The Press Democrat featured a similar story:

“The industry’s growth has been prompted by several factors, she said, including a greater acceptance by medical professionals of the value of massage therapy and new state certification standards.”

Check out the article here:  

Despite a growing industry, we feel it is more important than ever for every massage therapist to be interconnected and get the best education possible.  With a focus on community and personal development, NHI staff and mentors strive to give each individual student the tools that they need to succeed.

What makes a massage school successful?  National Holistic Institute panelists shared many secrets for success at last week’s American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) School Summit.  San Jose Campus Manager Beth McNeil moderated a spirited discussion among audience members and Vice-President of Education Linda Rikli, Petaluma Campus Manager Tiahna Skye, Vice-President of Admissions Jennifer Jhanda, Admissions Manager Raquel Rodriguez, and Dean of Students Ron Peat.  NHI President Tim Veitzer cheered on from the audience.  Hot topics included student retention methods, admissions policies for special circumstances, faculty training, and maintaining consistency across multiple campuses.

Left to Right: Beth McNeill, Linda Rikli, Tiahna Skye, Jen Jhanda, Raquel Rodriguez and Ron Peat. AMTA Schools Summit NHI Panel

Several audience members expressed difficulties trying to place graduates while dealing with often slow state licensing processes.  NHI representative and California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) Board Member Joe Bob Smith explained how this wasn’t a problem in California since [Read more →]

As the debate surrounding health insurance reform in this country moves back and forth between Congress, the White House and the courts, one thing is clear: the future of access to health care is uncertain.  In this uneasy atmosphere we need not wait helplessly on the sidelines.  It is becoming increasingly clear that each of us needs to take responsibility for our own health — we cannot be sure that medical help will be available to us when we most need it.  We can take manageable, affordable steps to improve our overall wellness and reduce the possibility of expensive, invasive, and extreme procedures or drugs.

Some of the easiest ways to increase overall wellness are to [Read more →]

Being a massage therapist can look like a solitary profession at first glance – one therapist, often her own boss, working with one client at a time.  But look again and you see vast networks linking therapist to therapist, creating the rich tapestry we call our profession.

Nathan Luczynski, Ahmos Netanel and Lynda Solien-Wolfe at the NHI Studio City Expert Panel

What’s wrong with simply working alone?  Isn’t that what being your own boss means?  [Read more →]

In our continued efforts to give back to the community that supports our students and graduates, the National Holistic Institute is proud to share the success of our Sports Massage Team.  Sports Massage is a growing profession that focuses on the application of a variety of massage techniques and stretching exercises to enhance athletic performance. The NHI Sports Massage Team was formed in response to student requests to provide massage therapy for the community. The team is run on a volunteer basis, and all massages given to the community by NHI students at sponsored events are free of charge.  If the event is for a charity, all student tips go back to the charity sponsor!

In 2010, we were active in 40 Outreach Events throughout California.  Over 300 students and graduates were trained in sport-specific sports massage and volunteered their time and skills at these events to perform over 8,000 complimentary massages!  We are proud to have developed relationships with amazing organizations such as Diabetes Foundation, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Team In Training, MS Society, Best Buddy International, and the American Heart Association.  We would like to thank them for their support and all of the positive work that they do.

In 2010, the team also touched smaller populations such the Native American Indian population at an annual Pow-Wow; a family whose daughter was critically injured in a car accident and a local rotary club who was raising money to fight diabetes.   Our program has been extremely successful and this has shown through high praise that students have received from event coordinators like Tri-Cal, Finishline Productions, Avanti Sports, LA Marathon and Kaiser Permanente, to name a few.  The students developed a supportive, proactive team and succeed in promoting the benefits of massage.

The Sports Massage Team not only benefits the public, but the students who volunteer are exposed to new and exciting situations that are only possible in real-life experiences.  They are exposed to a high volume of clients for an extended period of time and learn how to work together in a setting that many students have never been a part of.  Many students took it as a chance to look at their own fitness and began training for similar events and becoming involved in some of the charities that they had been benefitting. They also gained an understanding of how their participation in sporting and charity events can help them develop their careers as Massage Therapists and how important community outreach work is to their personal as well as professional lives.  We hope to be even more active and work with more wonderful organizations in 2011!

To learn more about the NHI Sports Massage Team visit our Facebook pages:
NHI San Jose Sports Massage Team
NHI North Bay Sports Massage Team

The National Holistic Institute San Francisco campus would like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday! Following are some self care tips that will help you not only to survive the Holidays, but to THRIVE during them:

•  Paul suggests, “All things in moderation, including moderation.”  Overindulge and have some fun.  Just make sure that the evidence doesn’t end up on Facebook.  Nobody needs to see that.  Not even you.
• Gabriel reminds us all to, “Spend time alone every day to remember you are who you are and not who your family thinks you are.”  Although resistance may be futile, the time alone can prevent assimilation.  Just be careful you don’t trip over the skeletons in whichever closet you choose to hide in.  Tiahna suggests you even use the skeleton to study your kinesiology.
• Laugh easily and often – at yourself as well as everyone else. 
• Kelly says “Don’t hug Santa if Santa [Read more →]

Wrapping up 2010 with a streak of good news, we are excited to share the success story of NHI’s long-time teacher and Training Coordinator, Melissa Wheeler. Melissa was just featured in Massage Magazine for being named the American Massage Therapy Association 2010 Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year.  In addition to congratulating Melissa for her dedication to massage therapy education, we would like to thank her for her continued support of all of the teachers, so many graduates and the current students at the National Holistic Institute.

“I will never forget walking into the doors of the National Holistic Institute and feeling the professional, fun buzz” says Melissa remembering her first experiences as a perspective NHI student . ”I knew instinctively that NHI was the place for me.  I loved every minute of my education at NHI and had so much respect for the teachers who gave their all to us students.  It is hard to believe that I became one of those teachers that people looked up to – truly, this award is as much for all the teachers and students from NHI as it is for me.  I did not get here alone.”

Here’s to Melissa and anybody else that thought they’d never make it to where they are today!  Individuals like her are making a positive change in the field of massage therapy, and we look forward to our graduates following her example. We hope you and your loved ones enjoy the coming holidays and that we all continue to support each other in everything that we do.

You can read more about Melissa’s achievement in Massage Magazine’s article here.

We are pleased to announce that NHI‘s very own Cynthia Ribeiro has been voted President-Elect of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).

“I am very excited and honored to have been elected as President-Elect of AMTA! Thanks to everyone who participated in our election process, including everyone who voted and all of the candidates. It’s a very important commitment. I appreciate your kind wishes and hope to serve you well.”

As she moves ahead in this new role, we want to thank her for her dedication to the massage therapy industry. Her extensive [Read more →]