NHI Massage School Volunteers at the 2012 SF International Film Fest
Ten students from the National Holistic Institute San Francisco Campus volunteered time providing 20-min chair massages at Hospitality Lounge of the 2012 San Francisco International Film Festival. By the end of the two-week span of the festival, student massage therapists had performed over a hundred massages for featured local and international film industry professionals as well as for the hard working staff of the San Francisco Film Society, the organization that hosts this annual city event.
This was an amazing opportunity for the students to network and practice various massage techniques learned at school. Students also enjoyed a lively atmosphere, free refreshments and film vouchers for their efforts, not to mention the great feedback from happy recipients.
Although it may sound funny, sitting through a long day of film screenings with little physical movement or sitting for long periods of time editing and manipulating film can be extremely taxing on the body. Whether you experience back pain from sitting too long, neck pain from the “front row seats syndrome”, or even just sleepiness, you may be a prime candidate for massage. Massage helps stimulate inactive muscles and allows clients to focus on maintaining good posture by increasing circulation of blood and lymph and by bringing an overall awareness to their body. Another advantage for massage recipients at SFIFF is increased attention for the more cerebral films. The Touch Research Institute found that a 15-minute chair massage boosted alertness. “Subjects reported that it felt like a runner’s high,” Field says. Tests also show that brain-wave activity stimulated by massage is linked to improved attention.
We would like to send a huge thank you to the San Francisco Film Society for providing this amazing opportunity for our students and for inviting us back to be a part of the festival this year. Students fully enjoyed and appreciate the experience and are looking forward to next year!
When do you feel like you need a massage? What can you do to keep your muscles healthy and happy between massages? Let us know in a comment below!