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WS
MT
Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy
Copyright © 2024 Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy. All rights reserved.
Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy
N112 W15237 Mequon Road Suite 400
Germantown, WI 53022
262-250-1276 www.wsmt.org
January 3, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Our Continuing Education Philosophy
Why is WSMT's program only 630 hours long? Well, it turns out the answer to that question ties right into our CE philosophy. Our concise curriculum gets newcomers to the field the basic foundation in a fun, interactive and tightly structured program. We know that you will learn so much from working with clients so we get you ready to do just that.
Then, after working professionally for a time, you will develop interests within the field. You will read journal articles about different modalities of massage. You will hear about other therapists' specialties. You will find clients with similar problems you would like more skill in helping. In short, you will develop continuing education needs.
Now you will be ready to choose and commit to a course of advanced study that will have direct impact on your practice of massage therapy. My clients are always overjoyed when I say I'm taking another class because they know I will have new techniques to offer them. I participate in the class with keen interest because I have clients in mind who would benefit from my learning. Continuing education under these circumstances is a great investment in your career because it's a boon for your clients who will benefit from your advanced expertise.
This is the way to gain more hours than the 630 minimum we provide. We do not want to add hours to the program which, in essence, means we are choosing your advanced training for you with no connection to your interests or needs. We do not want to add tuition costs to the training either. Our program is set up with purpose to provide you exactly what you need to be a safe and effective licensed massage therapist. After that it's up to you and the sky is truly the limit!
By the way, we are now signing up students for all our spring classes including our new accelerated class. The faster you begin the sooner you will be a Wisconsin Licensed Massage Therapist with great job prospects, dedicated clients, and a steady income. Call us for a free tour at your convenience and on your schedule! 262-250-1276.
Our next professional training class will begin soon. Check out our calendars so you can find the schedule which works best for you. We offer a complete basic program in 6, 10 or 14 months! You will be amazed at how fast you can have an exciting new career (or steady side-job!)
Or maybe you are not quite ready. You don't feel that you have enough information. Then maybe you want to join one of our Introduction classes. Check out the information at the right. Try your hand at real massage work, coached by a real expert...me! I would love to meet you and show you the ropes.
For reading about health, food, and travel see Mary's personal blog at lavishlife.net
January 9, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
What Do Employers Look for in an MT?
The job market in massage therapy is booming. We receive regular contacts from local employers looking to hire more massage therapists. This is good news for anyone looking to join this field. You can get a job pretty easily.
The cautionary tale here, though, is that employers are looking for good employees, not just anyone. If they are not careful they make mistakes which result in very unhappy clients, havoc in their staff, and/or legal problems. So, what exactly are employers looking for in a massage therapist?
This ideal massage therapist employee:
1. Has a valid license by completing all the requirements to obtain one. (All employers should be verifying the licensure of their employees by visiting the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services License Lookup webpage – do not take paperwork alone as proof of anything.)
2. Listens to clients expressed needs and works diligently to meet them in each and every session. There is very good attention to detail through communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, manual skill, and diligence.
3. Is a good employee period. The therapist is dependable, responsible, finds ways to get along with everyone in the office, contributes in any way possible even helping out in things that are not typically their job, is happy to be at work.
4. Has a good energy level as a result of good self-care practices: getting adequate food, water, rest, exercise, personal hygiene and fun. The therapist comes to work healthy and ready-to-go.
5. Is fully professional in every way: focus is on clients’ welfare, modest dress/speech, interested in improvement.
It’s not a long list, but the best massage employees are highly valued by their employers because a successful massage office is dependent on highly functioning individual massage therapists. When an office is humming along with great massage therapists, satisfied clients, and continued growth it’s a fun place to be!
January 18, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
How Much Massage Therapy Can I Do?
AKA How Much Money Can I Make?
People interested in massage therapy come with all sorts of reasons for the interest. Many tell me they have always liked to “rub” people and it has been appreciated. Many have a strong interest in helping others and working with people. If they are coming from a very impersonal work environment like an office full of cubicles, the idea of working with individual people can be very attractive.
But a financial consideration also has to be part of the decision to pursue this line of work. So the question inevitably comes up, “How much money can I make doing massage therapy professionally?”
Unfortunately the answer is not straightforward. Let me outline some factors for you.
1. Strong, healthy MTs can do more hours of massage work per day/week. This is a good reason to get/stay fit! Also, if you hire other therapists this is less of a factor.
2. The types of massage work you perform and how you perform it come in to play here too. Using proper body mechanics at all times will keep you performing at your best. Keeping your techniques interesting and varied is good for you too.
3. MTs who have their own businesses and run them well usually make more than MTs who are employees, but there are exceptions to this general rule. The best employers will pay you as much as they possibly can when you have proven yourself a valuable asset to their business. Building and running a business takes time and effort apart from massage work, and there are expenses like advertising and supplies employees don’t have to pay.
So, what can be expected? Usually you can expect to be able to perform 4-6 massage hours per day. If you work as an employee of a business, you can usually earn $25-30 per hour including tips. As your skill increases, this can go way up. If you decide to start your own business, and eventually employ others, the sky is the limit. Local employers tell me they cannot keep up with the demand, so there is definitely still a lot of room for growth in this industry.
I hope this gives you a little more information about how professional massage therapy could be a career for you!
January 25, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
What Makes a Bad Massage?
An Attempt at a Nonexample
Do the opposite of this and you will be a sought-after, very happy massage therapist!
You view clients as bothers. They come in with their problems that you are supposed to solve. They whine about their pain. They drain your time and your energy.
Sometimes you listen to their requests. Most of the time, you do not even ask. You just start in. The clock starts ticking immediately. If the client takes extra time to undress and get on the table that is their problem and it is all part of their “hour” (probably more like 45-50 minutes).
You work at the pressure, speed, and temperature that you want. When or if the client requests a change in anything you are doing you take one of two tacks. Either you say ok and change nothing. Or you say that you, the therapist, knows what is best for the client and they should just take it because they are going to feel better when it’s over. You do your routine so that you can think about other things during the massage. If the client managed to get out that they had any special requests you just pretend that your routine has addressed them. You try to work with as little effort and attention as possible. You lean on the table, the client, the wall. You sit on the table when you can. You remember hearing about body mechanics in school and the use of a variety of techniques, but you prefer gliding the best so you just glide the whole session, often just with your thumbs. You tell your massage therapist friends proudly that you don’t do anything you learned in school, you have developed your own special techniques.
You decide when to stop. It is probably not a whole hour and you keep the clients in the dark about this by having several clocks in the room all set slightly differently. When it is over and the client says they hurt more you inform that that that is normal and part of the healing process. You go on to claim that if they’d come for a massage more often they wouldn’t have all this pain. Now you dread the next client coming. When will this day ever end?
Unfortunately, I know I’ve had massages from therapists like this. There are many of them out there. We have clients who come to our student clinic who come out of a session gushing that they didn’t know massage therapy could be like this. And they are amazed these are students! Earnestly have your clients’ best interests at heart, come to work with a willingness to actually work, and find the joy of helping people and you will easily outshine much of the massage work that is currently available. It is the truth and you can use this to your advantage!
February 3, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Is Your Massage Office Safe? Part 1
It is worth evaluating your workplace for safety because catching an unsafe situation before it results in injury saves everyone time, pain, and money. Why not think about it for a few minutes now?
Massage Safety Concerns
•
Do you check the table with which you work regularly? All screws should be pretty tight. I find that they all loosen regularly which compromises the structural integrity of the table. If a table breaks and your client unexpectedly rolls off you could have a serious injury.
Do you check the table with which you work regularly? All screws should be pretty tight. I find that they all loosen regularly which compromises the structural integrity of the table. If a table breaks and your client unexpectedly rolls off you could have a serious injury.•Do you check the structural components of your massage chair? I recently had one crack and fall apart, tossing the person on it to the floor. The frames are often aluminum to keep them lightweight. The metal can fatigue over time and break. Look for small cracks along joining pieces that take weight.
Do you check the structural components of your massage chair? I recently had one crack and fall apart, tossing the person on it to the floor. The frames are often aluminum to keep them lightweight. The metal can fatigue over time and break. Look for small cracks along joining pieces that take weight.•Do you use lubricants with a safe level of essential oils, if any? Do you have and offer plain oil for clients with sensitivities? Do you use chemical lubricants (mineral oils, fragrance, parabens?)
Do you use lubricants with a safe level of essential oils, if any? Do you have and offer plain oil for clients with sensitivities? Do you use chemical lubricants (mineral oils, fragrance, parabens?)•Do you keep the scents coming off your person to a minimum? Smoke residue and/or perfume use can cause asthmatic clients or others with sensitivities a lot of discomfort.
Do you keep the scents coming off your person to a minimum? Smoke residue and/or perfume use can cause asthmatic clients or others with sensitivities a lot of discomfort.•Do your linens have a heavy scent from your detergent? Find an unscented one or make your own out of equal parts borax and washing soda. A scent that you find pleasant can be anything but to a sensitive client.
Do your linens have a heavy scent from your detergent? Find an unscented one or make your own out of equal parts borax and washing soda. A scent that you find pleasant can be anything but to a sensitive client.•Do you seriously adhere to safety concerns around endangerment sites of the body? Do you take the time to check on information about medications and medical conditions when clients come with unique situations? Do you call physicians to be sure of a medically fragile client’s safety in receiving massage?
Do you seriously adhere to safety concerns around endangerment sites of the body? Do you take the time to check on information about medications and medical conditions when clients come with unique situations? Do you call physicians to be sure of a medically fragile client’s safety in receiving massage?Environment Safety Concerns
•Do you keep floors and walkways clear of debris that can trip anyone walking by? Do you actually bend down and pick up small waste items when you see them? Do you blot up any water/oil spills when you see them?
Do you keep floors and walkways clear of debris that can trip anyone walking by? Do you actually bend down and pick up small waste items when you see them? Do you blot up any water/oil spills when you see them?•Do you keep papers and boxes from piling up and causing a fire hazard? Do you still use candles or incense? Candles and incense pollute indoor air and cause a fire hazard. Why not switch to the soft light of a Himalayan Salt lamp?
Do you keep papers and boxes from piling up and causing a fire hazard? Do you still use candles or incense? Candles and incense pollute indoor air and cause a fire hazard. Why not switch to the soft light of a Himalayan Salt lamp? •Do you have any cords that you or clients are expected to walk over? Get a floor strip of heavy plastic made for keeping cords safely down on the floor.
Do you have any cords that you or clients are expected to walk over? Get a floor strip of heavy plastic made for keeping cords safely down on the floor.•Do you have anything on the wall that protrudes from it? Keep walls as smooth as possible to keep anyone from walking into 3D artwork, etc.
Do you have anything on the wall that protrudes from it? Keep walls as smooth as possible to keep anyone from walking into 3D artwork, etc.•Are their building concerns that you should alert your landlord or business owner to? Loose tiles, curling carpeting, leaking roofs, heavy doors that have broken hydraulics are all examples of potential hazards worth mentioning so they can be repaired.
Are their building concerns that you should alert your landlord or business owner to? Loose tiles, curling carpeting, leaking roofs, heavy doors that have broken hydraulics are all examples of potential hazards worth mentioning so they can be repaired.Well this is Part 1 of this topic. Next time I’ll address attackers in the workplace. It’s unfortunate, but a little forethought could make a big difference if the unthinkable happens.
February 13, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Is Your Massage Office Safe? Part 2
Preparation for Attackers
No one likes to think about a crazed person entering their workplace and committing unthinkable acts of violence, but the reality is that it happens. You are naïve if you think it is impossible. You are paranoid if you are sure it will happen, but you can be better prepared if you think it is possible. A massage office is just as susceptible as any other place to this kind of horror. You do not know the personal situations of those with whom you work both on the table and in the offices next door. You don’t know who has restraining orders in place against potentially threatening people. You don’t know the mental illness with which anyone might be struggling.
We certainly don’t want to dwell on these ideas, but a little run-through of what you would do is not a bad idea. Preparation goes a long way in any emergency to keep panic at bay and to help people survive. So here goes a possible list:
•How open is your front door? Does anyone keep an eye on the people who approach your business? What would the front person do if they saw someone approaching the door with a gun or other weapon in hand? If someone has a good view of approaching persons, it would be a good idea for this person to get into the habit of doing a visual scan to be looking for anything worrisome. Awareness at this point could avoid a disaster.
How open is your front door? Does anyone keep an eye on the people who approach your business? What would the front person do if they saw someone approaching the door with a gun or other weapon in hand? If someone has a good view of approaching persons, it would be a good idea for this person to get into the habit of doing a visual scan to be looking for anything worrisome. Awareness at this point could avoid a disaster.•If an approaching person is threatening in some way, what is the procedure? Can an outside door get quickly locked? If not, how fast could an inside door be locked? How fast could 9-1-1 be dialed?
If an approaching person is threatening in some way, what is the procedure? Can an outside door get quickly locked? If not, how fast could an inside door be locked? How fast could 9-1-1 be dialed? •What is the procedure for a threatening person who makes it in to the office? These people may show signs of agitation, altered speech, voice tone that is unnaturally loud or quiet, verbal outbursts and/or aggressive hand movements.
What is the procedure for a threatening person who makes it in to the office? These people may show signs of agitation, altered speech, voice tone that is unnaturally loud or quiet, verbal outbursts and/or aggressive hand movements.•What would you do if you heard gun shots fired? Have you looked at the walls, doors and furniture of your facility to find the strongest cover? What would you advise a client on the table to do in such a circumstance?
What would you do if you heard gun shots fired? Have you looked at the walls, doors and furniture of your facility to find the strongest cover? What would you advise a client on the table to do in such a circumstance?•Where do you keep your personal telephone while working? Don’t forget telephones can be made silent for the session, but they can still be very close at hand if needed.
Where do you keep your personal telephone while working? Don’t forget telephones can be made silent for the session, but they can still be very close at hand if needed.I am purposely not giving a lot of advice here because each workplace, each crew of employees, and each client pool are very different. My goal with this message is to inspire thought and preparation around this topic. I would encourage business owners to find local experts to come and evaluate their facility and speak to their employees. These people can often be found at local martial arts organizations, gun clubs/ranges, and any public education provider which offers classes on personal protection and self-defense. A little forethought can go a long way to preserving life if the worst happens.
February 26, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Tune In!
Massage work is manual labor, but it is also mental labor. There is a lot of knowledge needed to be competent and effective as a massage therapist, but there is even more mental labor involved than that.
There is the mental component of focus. MTs do their clients a disservice when they let their thoughts stray from their work. The highest quality massage work uses all the therapist has to offer:
•Sensitive and responsive manual work delivered with powerful body mechanics driven from the feet.
Sensitive and responsive manual work delivered with powerful body mechanics driven from the feet.• A mind that puts the client’s requests for the session together with the anatomy and technique knowledge to create effective work that utilizes time well.
A mind that puts the client’s requests for the session together with the anatomy and technique knowledge to create effective work that utilizes time well.•A mind that is analyzing the tissue and how it changes, focusing moment-by-moment on the tissue right under the hands.
A mind that is analyzing the tissue and how it changes, focusing moment-by-moment on the tissue right under the hands.I know I’ve done it well when the session is over and I have to reconnect my brain to the rest of my life because I’ve been so absorbed that I have forgotten what the rest of my day is about! Clients will comment, too, that today’s session was amazingly good or that even though I seem to be doing similar things to other MTs they’ve worked with, I provide something intangible that is exceptional. This is no mystery. Keeping your mind focused is powerful to the recipient. It is a rare thing to have the very fibers of your being completely attended to by another.
When I was new to massage I thought it would be all physical work. I thought I would keep my other job for the mental challenge. Little did I know the challenges of working with the human body! I was glad to completely immerse myself in this world where there is excellent physical movement (no sitting behind a computer for 8 hours straight here!) as well as fascinating opportunities to use knowledge and to practice the discipline of controlling the mind. I especially look forward to this meditative aspect to massage work on harried days. I think, “Ah, good, I have an hour to just sink into this session and forget about everything else.” It’s an invisible, but important aspect to this work.
March 8, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Footwear and Massage
Spring is in the air and your tootsies are itching to be freed from the confines of wool socks and heavy snow boots. Fresh air will do a foot good!This will likely send you to your shoe storage bin in the basement where you will unearth your glorious warm weather shoes. Or maybe you’ll head out to the stores to find something new to show off your pedicured piggies.Hold everything. Let’s think about this for a minute. What is your purpose? If you are going out for a night on the town or meeting friends for lunch or heading off on vacation don’t hold back. Get any shoe you like. It’s your personal life and time. If you want to teeter on stilettos or click-clack around in flip-flops I’m all for it. It’s your personal decision.If, however, you are showing up to provide professional massage therapy, I have a thing or two to say about it. Here’s my list of shoe requirements in the massage setting:1. Shoes should fully support your body in a comfortable position. This means no high heels.
2. Shoes should be quiet. This means no flip-flops or anything that squeaks.
3. Shoes should be clean and in good condition. When they start to show significant wear, relegate them to the garden and get new work shoes.
4. If you choose a sturdy, sporty sandal and it exposes your bare feet in any way, said feet should be impeccably clean and well kept up. If you don’t have time for a pedicure and your toes need it, skip the sandals.
5. Don’t be afraid to have shoes just for massage work. If you don’t wear them to go down to the barn, or walk the dogs you won’t have to worry about getting the mud off before your session. You won’t have to think about shoes each time you’re leaving for an appointment, either. If you want to simplify your life get a pair or two that you reserve just for your work.
Why such a curmudgeon about shoes? Well, let’s remember that massage therapy is work. Because good body mechanics is vital, moving from your feet being the first principle, the shoe under your feet is the foundation from which you move. If you want to be doubly tired after massage work, choose bad shoes. You will pay dearly because your body has to work harder. The quality of your work will suffer too. Your clients deserve your best. Don’t let shoes take that away from you.In addition, choosing appropriate shoes will enhance your professional image. This is not a little thing. Do you want to be looked upon and treated as a medical professional? Then your dress is an important aspect of this image and footwear is a big part of your ensemble. Image is important.So, spring is in the air and maybe soon we can switch to sporty sandals or canvas numbers. It will feel great to drop the tall boots into the winter storage container!
THIS WOULD BE A NO
March 20, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Conquering the Hand Tremor
I’ve always been able to work with steady hands in massage. Early on in my career I remember having to attend to this when working on clients’ faces. The face is so small and sensitive. Touching the face of anyone other than a child or close loved one in our society can be interpreted as an aggressive, hostile act. For clients to welcome my touch to their face and to have that touch be beneficial I knew I needed to be able to control deliberate, careful movements. Any shaking of my hands on a client’s face would be easy to notice and would not communicate safety, confidence, and calm. So I worked at it. I learned to breathe carefully, to lower my shoulders, to work slowly and to be kind to myself as I improved.
It’s been years since I’ve even thought of this. I have so internalized how to move in massage work that it’s become second nature. A few months ago, however, I developed an annoying hand shake when doing massage work. I noticed it in deeper work. It didn’t want to go away. Ignoring it didn’t seem to be the answer.I began to wonder the worst; have I been doing this so long that I’ve caused some damage to my body? Will I become unable to give deeper massage work due to uncontrolled spasming and shaking of my hands? Will pain, numbness and weakness follow soon? Of course the worry didn’t help the situation!And then one day the memory of learning to work on the face popped into my head. Ah yes, the breath, I took a deep one in and out, long and slow, and right there the tremor greatly reduced. Then the shoulders, yes, let’s bring those down where they belong. Bing, bing, bing! Tremor gone. Just two small adjustments to lower overall body tension and my hands were in my control again. It’s a lesson from which I hope you can learn, and I can remember.Overall stress in our bodies has an enormous impact on our health in numerous ways. One effect is a slight tightening of all of the musculature. This can create new problems and/or exacerbate existing conditions. It pays off big to lower the tension with breath, correct body alignment, movement, massage or any method that works for you. Try not to jump immediately to worst case scenarios which only add to the stress load. Slow down and take one step at a time to lighten that load. You may be amazed at the result!For healthy insights on travel, food, health and more visit Mary's personal blog at lavishlife.net
April 1, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Love the Skin You're In
Did you know that your skin is not just your outermost covering? It is actually an organ - your largest organ. Organs do something for us and our skin serves us in many ways:
*protection
*temperature regulation
*moisture regulaton
*sensation
*water and fat storage
*absorption
It's because of that last one that it is wise to exercise care when choosing what to apply to the skin. Quite a bit gets absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin. This is why more and more pharmaceuticals are being made into patches. This method bypasses the digestive tract and gets a substance right into the bloodstream. The blog, "I Read Labels for You," has a nice explanation of this through a Q + A with a medical doctor.
So just like you are learning to read the labels of the foods you are buying, NOW you also need to read the labels of any products you are putting on your skin. Nontoxicalternatives.com has a great list of toxic chemicals to avoid. I find that pretty much the same rule applies to both food and skin products: if my great grandmother wouldn't recognize the ingredient, it's no good for me! I've heard it said that what you put on your skin is even more important than what you eat because there is no digestive system that is filtering it before it enters the bloodstream. I find wisdom to this thinking. Also don't be fooled by manufacturers' claims of "natural" and "organic" either. I'm often amazed at the chemicals that are still in these types of products. Read the labels to find out exactly what is in there.
If you're like me you will often decide to throw in the towel and just make your own products. They are so much cheaper and you have complete control over the ingredients.
Next time I'll give you my recipes for homemade toothpaste and body butter!
April 14, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Love Your Skin - Body Butter
My homemade body butter turned out great. Here is the recipe for a luscious treat for your winter-battered hide!
Base Ingredients
3 oz. coconut oil
3 oz. cocoa butter
3 oz. shea butter
1 oz. emulsifying wax
1/2 Cup organic olive oil
Procedure
Melt ingredients together on stovetop lowest setting just until melted. Put in freezer until it starts to harden - about 10 minutes. Whip in mixer with wire whip for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 Tablespoons vegetable glycerine. Put back in freezer for about 5 minutes, then whip again for 5 minutes. Stir in essential oils, if using, put in jars.
By the way, using a small kitchen scale to weigh out the ingredients is a great way to make it very easy to measure solid ingredients like this. You don't have to try packing them tightly into measuring cups. Just put the empty bowl on the scale, zero it out, and start adding clumps of material until the desired amount is reached.
I added essential oils of blue tansy (20 drops), lemongrass (40 drops), and lavender (40 drops). Blue tansy helps to reduce inflammation and I love the smell, lemongrass is an analgesic and anti-inflammatory and I love the smell, and lavender is a soothing anti-spasmotic and I love the smell! This threesome will be very powerful to rub into my hardworking hands, aiding my muscles and joints as well as keeping my skin soft and unbroken.
Sourcing
Mountain Rose Herbs - My favorite place for all the base ingredients
Aromatics International - A great source for essential oils. They test every batch so you are assured of no adulteration. Test results, use, and safety information all available on their excellent website.
For healthy insights on travel, food, health and more visit Mary's personal blog at lavishlife.net
April 26, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Love Your Skin - Homemade Toothpaste
It's been bugging me for awhile that natural toothpaste is so expensive. I've been paying $5-8 per tube for quite awhile. When I read the ingredients I see it is mostly baking soda - one of the cheapest things you can buy! So, I did a little research and concocted my own mix. I must say, I like it very much and it cost pennies to make! Also I know and recognize each and every ingredient because I have some serious concerns about fluoride and other additives. Here is what I did:
9 parts (I used a small coffee spoon) baking soda
1 1/2 parts vegetable glycerin
1 1/2 parts hydrogen peroxide
2 parts melted coconut oil
3 measures stevia powder (the measure is a tiny spoon in the container, probably equivalent to a packet of the powder)
10 drops cinnamon bark essential oil
30 drops peppermint essential oil
5 drops clove essential oil
Mix together in a little container into which you dip your toothbrush.
The first attempt did not include coconut oil or clove. I noticed coconut oil was included in some recipes I found and when I added it in it definitely made the whole mix more creamy. Also I have a little residual nerve pain from a recent filling so I added clove to dull that pain and add to the anti-bacterial power of this blend even though cinnamon is about as powerful as you can get in this regard. Keep in mind that you want to use pure essential oils from reputable companies, probably not what you find on the shelf in the health food store, unfortunately. I highly recommend Aromatics International because they chemically test every batch to assure no adulteration. The mouth is a pretty sensitive place - all mucous membranes - I wouldn't want to use anything suspect. I find this mix leaves my teeth squeaky clean and my whole mouth feels fresh. I actually like it better than the commercially produced stuff - probably because I'm biased!!
Disclaimer: I am not an aromatherapist and I am only reporting here what I did and what has worked well for me. I encourage you to do your own research on recipes and essential oils to use. The Aromatics International website offers a wealth of information on use and safety of their oils. Do not experiment without knowledge. Consult a certified clinical aromatherapist (like our Assistant Director, Robin Wenninger!)
For healthy insights on travel, food, health and more visit Mary's personal blog at lavishlife.net
May 13, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
A Job to Love
"Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life." Confucius
Well, sorry, I'm too realistic for this quote to resonate complete truth to me. Or maybe it's just that I do love to feel like I've worked. A common saying in my family is, "Don't be afraid of doing some work and you'll do fine." Even artists and writers who seem to have these glamorous, self-indulgent jobs speak of the discipline that is needed to accomplish anything of worth.
I think Confucius was speaking of work as that kind one experiences in a dead-end, day-long drudgery type of job. I've had a few of those. I once scrubbed every wall in a 3-story home including the nasty spider-webby under-the-basement-stairs space. It was my first real job and it paid twice what I could earn babysitting ($2 vs. $1 per hour). The lady of the house, one Mrs. Damask, was very gracious to me when she told me she was amazed at the quality of my work so she was treating me to A&W lunch! Then the job at JCPenney comes to mind where the drudgery was of a milder kind, but just as draining. We had to wash display glass that was already sparkling clean over and over again when there were no customers (pretty much the whole summer). Have you ever had to look busy when you just weren't? Now that's a job.
Even in massage work, I don't find every second to be pure joy. I sometimes get stressed keeping track of all my appointments and figuring out how to get the rest of my jobs done in between. I have had difficult clients. No doubt about it. When you work with people you are going to get some difficult ones who aren't happy no matter what. I've had wealthy clients lie on my table complaining about the shopping they have to do. I've had people for whom it has been impossible for me to figure out how to help them. I've had clients show up 1/2 hour late or forget about their appointment altogether again. And I've made mistakes. I've talked too much, been too much of a know-it-all, tried to force tissue to change, and probably a whole lot more. None of these times are joyful.
But massage work is the most satisfying work I've ever done. I have learned from my mistakes and honed my skills. Here in my 19th year of massage therapy I'm gladder than ever I left my former job and I know there's no looking back.
I have clients who are incredibly interesting. They come with puzzles for me to solve! "Why does my shoulder hurt, and can you help me?" Hmmmmm...a challenge! There is nothing like it when I have been instrumental in helping a person's body to heal. Even the ordinary supportive wellness massage I do provides interest. A human body changes a lot. People put their bodies in my hands to monitor and facilitate their soft tissue health. I can honestly say I never dread going to my office to work with a client. I couldn't say that in any other job I have held in my life!
Do you like to go to work? Do you feel a deep satisfaction with the work you do? Does your work make a difference in the world? If your answers aren't a yes, then maybe you want to look into joining us in massage therapy. I know because of my work there are some people in less or no pain in this world. I'll take that as quite an accomplishment!
May 24, 2014
Message from the Director - Mary McCluskey
Alumni Reunion
We held an Alumni Reunion this past week. It was a lot of fun. Graduates came to mingle, do chocolate/wine tastings, hear a speaker on healthy eating, shop for jewelry, meet the schools new real skeleton, and sign up for continuing education classes. Whew! It was a packed night, but it was really fun to reconnect with about 20 graduates. We are thinking it might become an annual event!
For healthy insights on travel, food, health and more visit Mary's personal blog at lavishlife.net
