Every time I teach a continuing ed class, I ask for a show of hands of how many people have had a massage in the past week, month, or year. I’m always blown away by the fact that in a room full of massage therapists, the people who have had a massage in the past month are often the minority. What’s wrong with this picture?
I need my massage. I was a massage client for years before I became a massage therapist. I woke up one morning with a terrible crick in my neck and couldn’t even turn my head. I called my mother (the classic response to being in trouble), and she said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take you to get a massage.” That was about twenty years ago, and I don’t think I’ve gone longer than a month without one in all that time. I shoot for one every week or two. Massage is one of the major components of my personal wellness plan.
When I think back on all the massages I’ve had from various practitioners, a few stand out in my mind. One was from a new student who asked to do a practice massage on me, and it took place on the front porch of his cabin overlooking a beautiful mountain view, with the sound of the river flowing below. The setting more than made up for his lack of technical expertise. Another was a double-team Lomi-Lomi bestowed on me by two friends who had just returned from taking a class in Hawaii. The Rolfing series I went through changed my body and changed my life. I try to get a lymphatic drainage every month or two. I’ve been blessed with friends and colleagues who practice many different modalities, and I’ve tried as many as I’ve had the opportunity to experience. There are still plenty of things I haven’t experienced yet that I’m looking forward to.
When we were students, we all got regular massage because we had to trade and practice on each other. Some of us maintain that habit after graduation, but too many others let it fall by the wayside. If that describes you, pick up the phone right now and call someone you can trade with. Due to my busy schedule and staying on the road a lot, it’s usually more convenient for me to pay for a session than to try to schedule a trade. Either way, I’ve got to have it. I just can’t stand there and tell a client they’d benefit from regular massage if I’m not getting it myself. Sometimes a client asks how often I get a massage. I’d be very embarrassed if I had to say I hadn’t had one in a year.
Getting a regular massage can prolong your career by keeping your body performing at optimum level and bestowing on you all the health benefits that we quote to our clients. It could turn into a networking and/or mutual referral opportunity. Visiting other therapists in town for massage can spread good will and teach you what your competition’s up to. You might learn a few new bodywork tricks and techniques, too. You’ll be connecting with another person who knows what it means to be grounded and centered, and who understands the awesome power of touch. Pick up the phone and make that call.
Peace & Prosperity,
Laura Allen
This weekend I’m teaching How to Pass the NCE at the North Carolina AMTA conference, and as usual when I teach this class I’m looking forward to a classroom full of students who are both anxious and excited; the end of massage school is near and the beginning of their career is on the line.
I’ve been teaching this class for close to a decade, and many times the attendees are people who have already taken the test and failed. When I first started offering the class, most who had failed the exam had blown it on the anatomy and physiology part of the test. In the past two years, I’ve noticed the trend that people are failing in the theory and assessment part of the exam. I’m not sure what this means…maybe schools are focusing more on the scientific aspects–with good intentions, I’m sure–and while I certainly don’t discourage that, we need to remember we’re preparing students to do massage and bodywork, and that entails much more than the ability to give a good rub. We need to take that scientific information and be sure we’re relating it to the application of massage and bodywork in a clear and concise manner.
Knowledge of origins and insertions, and the actions of muscles are so important to being an effective massage therapist, particularly for those who want to focus on getting people out of pain and restoring mobility.  When a client comes in and says “It hurts when I do this”, if you don’t know which muscle does that, you’re blindly groping around hoping you hit the right one.
I’d like to see more massage schools giving entrance exams. In my experience as an instructor, and past experience as a school administrator, I think a lot of students come in with the thought that they’re going to learn how to do massage, and they really aren’t prepared for the amount of anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and pathology they’re going to need to absorb. People who didn’t do well in sciences in school are probably going to have a harder time in massage school. It doesn’t mean they can’t overcome it; it just means they’ll have to work harder. I feel it’s important for school directors to paint a realistic picture at the first contact with a potential student of what they’re going to be expected to learn.
To the students out there, I’d like to offer some advice. Set aside study time every day; strive for somewhere between a half hour to no more than an hour and a half. Your brain goes on overload after that. Focus on one thing at a time: today, the integumentary system, tomorrow, the muscles. Don’t jump around. It isn’t an effective way to learn. Before you register to take the exam, be able to answer all the questions in your anatomy book and in your theory and practice book. If you had a hard time “getting” something in school, go rent a video. Sometimes you can hear the very same information from a different instructor and it suddenly makes sense to you. Take practice tests.
My book, the Plain & Simple Guide to Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork Certification (LWW, 2005), is a preparatory guide for taking exams. I recommend that students use more than one study guide. No one book can possibly cover everything. There are a lot of Internet resources out there as well; www.massagenerd.com is a good one for taking practice quizzes.
The most important thing in getting ready for your massage exam is not to let fear of failure stand in your way. Fear of success is the same thing as fear of failure; it’s all fear of change and the unknown. Change that into positive energy and direct it at preparing yourself for the exam. Adopt a positive mantra and repeat it to yourself daily. Visualize yourself at the test center feeling relaxed and confident in the knowledge that you have done everything you can to prepare for a successful outcome. Instead of dreading the test, psyche yourself up for it and be happy about taking it. Look forward to it, because passing it is going to help you get the career you want.
Peace & Prosperity, and Happy Testing!
Laura Allen
