“Today, NHI is one of the most respected and largest schools of massage therapy in the world. Their history and network of relationships in the field continue to help graduates have success and help keep their fingers on the pulse of the dynamic field of massage therapy.” – Massage Magazine

When you go to work every day and you love what you do, it’s surprising and humbling to receive recognition for it.  That’s how all of us at NHI felt when we heard that the World Massage Festival had chosen us as the Massage Therapy School of the Year.  For several years, this well-established festival has been home to the Massage Hall of Fame, complete with a who’s who of massage profession inductees.  To now be permanently acknowledged alongside those industry luminaries is an incomparable privilege.  For all the staff and students who have and will come through the NHI doors over the decades, we look forward to accepting this honor on their behalf.

More than three decades of hard work and commitment to the massage field has led to this recognition. Carol Carpenter, founder of NHI, had a vision of what massage education could be. Carol built a school whose roots still feed and support the organization today.  The foundation she built was made of knowledge, professionalism, and a deep dedication to excellence. In 2003, Carol Carpenter retired and Mason Myers and Tim Veitzer stepped in and continue to lead in the tradition of excellence.

Tim and Mason have grown NHI to be a statewide massage school with six (soon to be seven) thriving campuses. Today NHI offers the most current state of the art education available in massage therapy. Over the years, we have continued to refine our curriculum in order stay current with the growth of the massage industry and ensure that our graduates are ready to be successful in any area of the massage field they choose.

Our graduates work in a wide variety of industry specialization including the allied medical professions, spa industry, private practice, sports and fitness. Today the possibilities are virtually endless. The massage industry has grown tremendously and more and more job opportunities open up every day. It is a very exciting time to be a massage therapist!

NHI is growing along with the field. In addition to a foundational education in massage therapy, NHI now offers a 400-hour Advanced Neuromuscular Massage Therapy Program for massage therapists wishing to specialize in therapeutic massage. We also have robust sport massage and professional on-site teams that provide massage at events and locations around the state. We have had as many as 120 massage therapists gathered together to offer massage to the runners of the Nike Women’s Marathon, and participate in many more events year round.

We are proud of our growth and achievements, but our biggest accomplishment is our students. They go out into the field and bring professional, positive and healing touch to so many. We are proud to know that we have sent thousands of massage professionals into the field, and they in turn have enriched the lives of thousands and thousands more whom they’ve touched. Our graduates have helped those suffering from long-term and sometimes debilitating pain, supported women as they go through pregnancy and childbirth, provided comfort and care to those who need it,  helped professional athletes improve their performance, and generally have helped to decrease the stress levels of all with whom they come in contact.  You might even say our graduates are changing the world one touch at a time.
 

To read Massage Magazine’s article about the prestigious award bestowed on NHI, click the following link.
http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=12079

These benefits we provide with our caring touch to our clients transform us as well. When we talk about doing work we love and how it can transform ourselves as practitioners, what do we mean?

I recall a friend I met in massage school who was suffering from M.E., (Myalgic Encephalitis) an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, following a viral infection. An Ayurvedic physician had prescribed massage as part of his therapy – here’s the surprise; the prescription was not for receiving, but rather giving massage. In “Ancient Indian Massage” Harish Johari writes about massage as a beneficial practice for wrestlers. He recommends giving at least two massages and receiving one massage daily for strength and flexibility.

Tiffany Field, PhD of the Touch Research Institute in Florida has thoroughly researched the effect of massage therapy in a wide and varied range of situations. She has documented the benefits massage can bring to aggressive adolescents, children and teens with ADHD, those suffering with Anorexia Nervosa, Alzheimer’s, hypertension…. the list goes on. One study however has intriguing results. Field compares a group of elderly retired volunteers who received massage, with another group who provided massage to infants. The group who massaged the infants showed less anxiety and depression, as well as lower levels of stress hormones.

The touch receptors in our skin do not differentiate between touching and being touched. I felt this just today when I was performing abdominal work on my client and found myself in the same meditative and relaxed state of mind that she was in during the massage. I call this “dropping in” with my client, or as Milton Trager called it “hook-up”. The movement of our bodies can be a meditation, whether we are practicing Swedish massage, Shiatsu, Thai or Deep Tissue. The rhythm and flow creates a harmony within our own body as well as our client’s.

It is true that not all of our client’s may have soft and tender musculature, like the infants in the study… some indeed may resemble an old walnut tree more than a newborn, and require a little more physical effort on the part of the therapist… but nevertheless, massage facilitates a deep human connection.

Many are the days when I have begun my day tired, grumpy, distracted by some small irritation… my allergies, a disagreement with a friend, or a worry about something. Half way through my second client, I realize that I am relieved of preoccupation with myself, and instead focused on providing a positive experience for another human being.

At the end of my day, I may be tired, but also satisfied…and my work gives me a compelling reason to eat well, rest well and take care of my body, so I can continue to have the incredible privilege of being in the present moment, together with my client… where we both can be renewed.

~Julie McGuinness and Jen Fogarty
NHI Instructors

What do you do to maximize the health benefits of being a massage therapist?  How do you feel after giving a massage? Let us know in the comments below, or give us a shoutout @nhi_massage on Twitter, or post on our Facebook wall!

This year marked the eighth year for the event that draws over 22,000 runners from around the world to the half and full marathon.  The course is filled with steep climbs and beautiful views of the city and the Bay.  The finishers of the race are rewarded with Tiffany necklaces and post-race massages.  Kaiser Permanente, a major sponsor of the Nike Women’s Marathon, contracted The NHI Sports Team to provide these post-race massages.

By 9:00, the massage tables are littered with runners and student therapists working to relax and stretch strained muscles. When the last runner was escorted off of her massage table at 2:15, the NHI Sports Team had performed collectively over 1700 massages.

The students were joined by seven instructors from the various campus, Beth McNeill (SJ), Kristine TenBrink (SJ), Curtis Hisao (SJ), Mark Nielson (PE/EM), Lucas Nevarez (SAC), Phil Okazaki (SJ), and Gabriel Posner (SF/EM) and 15 Teaching Assistants who supported the students by coaching bodywork, issuing and managing breaks and injuries.  The San Jose Campus Student Services and Career Life Coordinator, Chris Pavao acted as Master of Ceremonies directing the line and finding open massage tables for the athletes.  The average wait time was a mere 15 minutes.

The NHI Sports Massage Team prepped for this event by holding sports-specific training sessions where students learned about the marathon, athlete training plans, common injuries and massage techniques.  While it was a mild morning in the city, the team was equipped with skills to combat thermal injuries.

The calm before the storm

The student therapists had fun, worked hard and finished the day with a sense of accomplishment.  They each provided at least 15 massages through out the day, more clients than they see in a regular week.  Emily Luckett from On Board, who is the event planner for the Nike Women’s Marathon, “Thanks for all of your hard work, NHI!  Everything seemed to be managed very smoothly.  We appreciate your efforts!”

In response from the post-event report given by NHI Staff lead, Beth McNeill, Curshanda Woods from Kaiser Permanente had this to say, “Thank you, NHI.  Great job, Beth!  Everything looked great.”  The NHI Sports Massage Team ended the day taking a group picture and a group WHOOSH!  Kudos to NHI and to the students participating in the Sports Team.

At the National Holistic Institute SF Campus, this past summer was designated “The Summer of Wellness,” a fun, interactive campus experience designed to bring about greater personal awareness and ownership of realistic, healthier habits. 

Everyday at NHI, some level of inspiration is brewing, simply through the daily exchanges of a typical day on campus.  Izabela Rapacz (NHI teacher/mentor) has been known to have inspired more than a few at NHI with her passion for making physical activity enjoyable and attainable, so her idea to integrate one thing that we feel we all do so naturally, “inspiring others,” with some healthy fun couldn’t have been more openly received.

July’s focus was Physical Fitness, August’s-Nutrition, and September’s will be Mindfulness.  With three weekly announced “tips of the week” and one specific exercise/physical movement encouraged be performed at the drop of a weekly “code word” (frog, circles, etc.) it’s safe to say that there’s been greater awareness around this topic.  The inspiration kicked in as students were asked to share their personal new practices at the end of the month.

National Holistic Institute Students in SF have shared the following:

• “I carry around a bag of nutritious snacks prepared for easy snacking (sugar snap peas, carrots, nuts, seaweed, trail mix, etc).  The ‘crunch’ is so gratifying!”
• “I go to bed 30 minutes to one hour earlier.  Since I’ve been doing this, I feel more deeply rested and can focus better.”
• “I contract abdominals while in traffic, sitting at a desk, or while waiting in line.  It’s amazing how my body feels stronger when I engage my core.”
• “When I crave a soda, I just read the Nutrition Facts on the side panel; I quickly choose an alternate.  Easy.
• “I dance, and dance and dance— especially when no one’s looking!”

The buzz of wellness is certainly alive at the NHI San Francisco Campus.  While simply talking about wellness is “cake” (and we do like cake), using a fun, simple, gradual approach to practicing wellness has proven to be as “easy as pie!”  (Pie is good)!

We want to help you make the best decision when it comes to choosing the right school and the right career path. We want you to have the chance to experience NHI before you decide become a student.

You keep hearing that it is an amazing journey from beginning to end and the testimonials give you a sense of how this program impacts a student’s life, but what is it really like to be a student at NHI?  After all, going to school is a big commitment and an investment in your future. Well, what if you could attend a class for the day with no commitment?  Could you imagine yourself as a massage therapist?

Well, this is your turn to experience it. We are giving you the opportunity to observe and participate in a class at a campus near you. We know you will love what you see. After all, we want to help you have work you love.

There are many ways to find out when the next Class Observation will be!

-Tell our Admissions Team that you are interested in learning more about classes at NHI!

-Like our NHI Facebook Page and your campus Facebook Page to receive invites in your news feed!

-Keep an eye on our Campus Events Calendar!

The San Francisco Campus ended the day by giving a Dance Lesson. Dance, at a Massage School? Hmm…?

One of the many lessons we try to impart on students is the importance of helping clients live healthier lives through massage but also through self care! Dance provides us with the opportunity of incorporating a fun physical activity in our busy days. It also lifts the spirits and balances the energy in our bodies – not to mention letting us tap into our inner child!

Traditionally, before class we might do some Tai chi, Chi Gong or Yoga to prepare us physically for bodywork and mentally for learning.  So we thought, why not dance?  Dancing provides not only an entertaining way of getting physical activity in our lives, it also helps us with flexibility, stamina and gracefulness.

We chose Bhangra, a dance originitating from the Panjabi region of India – it was first danced by men as a celebration of the harvest.  Its movements mirrored the activities performed in the fields for a particular crop.  We were inspired by the music and the grace needed to dance to it.  We found ways of connecting traditional steps to moves done during massage like the all so famous Effleurage and Body Mechanic Principles like working from Neutral and using your Whole Body.

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.

Kelly: To cleanse body/mind/spirit, take a long, quiet walk in nature. Take in the fresh spring air, the plants and trees bursting with new life, and the symphony of nature sounds.

Gonzalo: I like to open all my windows and re-arrange all of my furniture.

Paul: I always take the first sunny and warm weekend to repot my houseplants and feed all of my plants. Seeing them put on new growth and bloom adds so much new life and energy to my home, it makes me very happy!

Emily: It’s time to do some Spring Cleaning on Facebook!
• Use the 1 year rule to clean out your friends list – have you been in contact in the past year, and do you see yourself being in contact in the next?
• Go through tagged photos of yourself. Do you really want the world to see that?
• Do you have a friend that’s always posting things like “walking down the street,” “doing laundry,” “drinking some water,” “eating an Oreo” and you are sick of it? Use the useful: “hide all by…” that pops up when you scroll over the post!
• And if you’re feeling really motivated, take a look at your own profile. Do you really need to list your top 50 bands, books and movies? And exactly how many groups and causes and bands and businesses do you have to like?

Lindsay: I like to go through my closet and donate anything to the goodwill that I haven’t worn for over 2+ years

Jen: Light candles and take a soothing bath in Epsom salts and eucalyptus essential oil. As you soak, imagine that all the stagnation and darkness of Winter is absorbed by the cleansing water. As you let the water out, imagine all of the heaviness drain from your body, spirit and mind into the water and down into the drain. Imagine the light of Spring entering you and filling you will renewed energy and joy!

Rondi: Time for some mental sorting! Grab a piece of paper to make some lists. This will help you see what it is that you want to do now, and what things can wait until later.
• List one is a list of things that you are committed to doing now; going to school, spending time with family, daily yoga practice, etc.
• List two is a list of things you are not committed to right now. Often these are the things you might pretend to be committed to or sound like a good idea. These things weigh down your mind and leave you feeling like you’re not doing enough. They might begin with the word should, or have the sound of your mother’s voice. Examples: I should get up every morning and run 5 miles, lose 20 pounds, clean my room or my car, look for a better paying job.
• The last list is a list of as many things as you can think of that are what you think about doing all day long.

Hannah: Spring is the time when the Qi of the Liver and Gallbladder is most active. According to Chinese Medicine, the Liver is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi through out the body. People who tend to feel ill in the spring often have congested livers and can benefit from these simple tips for internal “spring cleaning”.

• Eat Greens! Green is the color that influences the liver. Eating the tender sprouts and leaves of younger plants can help support the liver with essential vitamins and minerals. Dark leafy greens cleanse the blood and the Liver (and squeezing some lemon on top will help the iron to be more bio-available). Dandelion, burdock, sorrel, nettles and other bitter and sour herbs are excellent for promoting the flow of bile, thereby stimulating digestion and increasing fat metabolism and balancing the Liver Qi.
• Eat dinner before 7pm and Go to bed before 11 PM! The energy of the Liver peaks between 11 and 1 am. According to Chinese medicine this is the time of day when the blood is renewed by the liver. If the body is busy digesting a late meal or a late night television program then the liver is not given the opportunity to rest, rejuvenate and cleanse the blood, this will lead to sluggishness, toxicity and stagnation.
• Stretch! Movement is very important in promoting the smooth flow of Qi in the body. After a long winter of hibernation it is important to include stretching into your daily routine. Yoga, walking outside, even vacuuming vigorously are good ways of moving Qi. The liver controls the tendons, and as you begin cleansing the liver your may notice increased flexibility of both mind and body.

I encourage you to take any (or all!) of this advice to heart and into your lives. Spring is the time to change your world. How are you going to lighten your life? What will you will to become?

~Allyn
Mentor, NHI San Francisco

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.So I did. We had a voluntary “Meat Lab.”

Four chickens, a bunch of gloves, exacto knives, and a healthy curiosity added up to some amazing discoveries. We saw intervertebral discs. We marveled at the fatty deposits in the superficial fascia and how you could feel, but not see, the fascial connections between the skin and the superficial fascia. We found a joint capsule around a hinge joint, cut through it and saw a meniscus, ligaments, hyaline cartilage and the tough tendons and ligaments. We explored the layers of muscles and took a very close look at the muscle fiber direction and finally understood how those adhesions can form. We opened the heart and were amazed at the differences between it, the muscles and the liver. It was astonishing. It was like looking into ourselves.

We had so much fun. Even though I have done this before, I came away from the experience with a renewed sense of appreciation for the awesome complexity that is a living creature – chicken or human. I urge you to renew your sense of appreciation for the wondrous variety that makes up all of us. If nothing else, you’ll gain a better understanding of how you are put together.

~Allyn Hall,

NHI San Francisco Campus

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 programs like NHI could help students apply for certification to work while they were still in school.  Michael McGillicuddy from Florida and Sally Hacking from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) shared their perspectives on the matter and encouraged everyone in attendance to get involved in their local legislation.  It was agreed that many lawmakers still need to be educated about the massage profession and the role of schools.

Some attendees raised the issue of training students with English as a second language.  Cynthia Ribeiro, NHI’s Advanced Curriculum Coordinator and AMTA President-Elect, shared her story of coming to America from Brazil and succeeding as a massage therapist.  Most all schools, like NHI, welcomed the challenge of training a diverse student body.

The purpose of the panel was to encourage all schools to share their best practices as a way of raising the bar for massage therapy education as a whole.  In addition to some of NHI’s wisdom, participants also got to experience a couple of NHI rituals including the chi pat and the infamous “Whoosh!”.  Ron Peat closed the two-hour session with words of wisdom that he often shares with students: 1) the only failure is the failure to participate, and 2) if you can’t be on time, be early.

This annual summit, held this year in San Francisco, gathers massage school owners, directors, and personnel from across the country to discuss their challenges and successes as well as the future of massage therapy education.

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 has a cold.”  The beard may block the sneeze, but not all of the germs.
• Tiahna also recommends avoiding snotty children.  Or kids with colds.  Either way, avoid them at all costs.
• Lindsay says the New Year is a great time to start something new! The best adventure she can think of is to sign up for a massage class!  Or to find a new friend who has signed up and offer to be their body for homework practice!
• Emily says, “Don’t forget to floss!”
• Julie encourages all to “go for a lovely walk outdoors together after your sumptuous holiday meal. It helps you work of the extra calories, bond with family and friends, and ready you for the next round of eating.”  Even better than that, you have the means of getting away from nosy relatives by walking faster or slower than they.
• The ultimate indulgence from Gonzalo is to give yourself a body scrub to shed the dull outer layer of skin (along with any peccadilloes from holiday parties past) and a hot bath with your favorite essential oils to let your shiny skin be soothed.  Smooth on a yummy lotion or body oil to help combat the drying effects of cold weather as well as indoor heating.  Your gleaming self will enchant even your most ruthless Ghost of Christmas Past!
• Allyn reminds you that pumpkin pie is good for a lot more than you may think.  As we all know, stress can raise our blood pressure and lower our immune system, and holidays can be, well, stressful.  Pumpkin pie to the rescue!  This delicious dessert can help you survive the stress of holiday shopping and old family dynamics.  Pumpkin itself is high in a bunch of vitamins along with fiber and zinc to improve your immune and keeps you regular with all the yummy holiday foods around.  For an extra boost, grab the seeds for a snack. 
          – The spices cooked with pumpkin pie are all good for you, too!  Cloves are great for stress relief, insomnia and can boost your resistance to all the germs out there.  With the hugs and kisses from small children and creepy uncles alike, we need all the help we can get.  Nutmeg also helps with stress/anxiety while it lowers blood pressure (yes, Dad, married life is great, no we don’t have plans for kids) and can give your overindulged tummy a break from the copious amounts of “medicinal” chocolate consumed.  Cinnamon, a very popular spice, has so much going for it!  Have a healthy dose to assist your digestive system and blood pressure as well as improving your memory. “Yes Aunt Gertrude, I loved the (whatdidshegetmewhatdidshegetme) VASE you sent last year!”  Ginger is another one for the tummy upset but did you know that it can also relieve some arthritis symptoms?  Give some to your dad if you want to play touch football and he is too lazy arthritic to play.  The last spice on the list is allspice – so named because it reminds people of a bunch of other spices.  This antioxidant spice can help with overall warming and relaxation as it lowers blood pressure.  Noticing a theme here?  Have pie.  Chill out.  Enjoy your holiday with more pie.
• Izabela wants you to plan what you eat (see Allyn’s recommendation about pie above).  It takes her an effort to be a nice person so this whole giving helpful advice is a big deal for her.  Do what she says.  Or else.  You don’t want to make her mad.  Trust me in this.
• And while some say it is better to give then to receive, we all agree that both are good – be sure to get a massage for yourself during the holidays! Massage is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Wishing you all a joyous holiday and New Year filled with love and laughter,

-The NHI San Francisco Team