So you have decided to become a massage therapist. That is great but now what do you do? How do you find a good massage school? A school that will teach you what you need to know and will help you find work. This article will give you tips on choosing a school.
The first thing you need to do is determine what area that the school specializes in. There are many different forms of massage therapy. Schools may teach all forms or they may concentrate on certain areas like sports massage, pain management techniques, etc.
Figure out what area that you would like to specialize in and choose a few schools that offer that training.
Once you have a few potential schools in mind you need to check them out thoroughly. Visit the school and see what the facilities are like. Find some current students and ask them what they think of the school. If they do not like it they will be more than glad to tell you. Before you go to the school write down a list of questions. Ask the school if they offer financial aid, what the student to teacher ratio is, how much courses cost and if they offer job placement services.
Take the time and do your research. It can save you a lot of grief and money. Good luck to you in your new career as a massage therapist.
Tags: massage therapy. maseuse, massage school, learn massage
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Most people have never used a massage chair and have no idea how they function. They have been around for years and are very sophisticated machines in the form and shape of an arm chair. Many of them are produced in Japan.
It is really great to just sit in the chair and get the massaging.
Inside the chair there are a number of motors, often 4-6, and a computer program that runs the program you choose. The whole body can be massaged within 20 minutes, sometimes less and sometimes more.
What kind of massage can you get? Let me give you some examples.
Air arm massage is a feature on some massage chairs. This is especially great to relieve weariness from the arms which are working restlessly for operation of a personal computer or a cellular phone, during works, domestic chores, leisure and so forth. The air massage mechanism is provided on the armrest and it will move naturally with the change of the body angle caused by the reclining movement. In this way the stiffness and strains in the wrists and back of hands will be relaxed thoroughly.
Depending on how the backrest is set, the function of the arm massage will work differently. The backrest can be in an upright position, slightly reclined and completely collapsed.
The air massage option is also available for the lower part of your legs. It massages with repeating cycles of compression of the muscles in an oblique direction and releasing. This stimulation assist an important function, to return the blood to the heart.
As the shape and form of our bodies differ it is vital for a good massage chair to have the option the adjust for that. Now there are chairs that automatically scans the persons body and use the data collected to change the tools, often small wheels that role and push, inside the massage chair.
Movements of hands and whole arms are reproduced to realize complicated and stereoscopic kneading up and kneading down massage. There are even more complex functions added in some programs of a massage chair. For example a function that combines the stretch massage, which resembles pressing with hands to push up first and then down, with the simultaneous application of the kneed, tapping and wavelet.
The most common functions of massage chairs are vibrations in the seat and backrest. Pleasant intermittent vibrations can be enjoyed simultaneously with the massaging. It promotes blood circulation and relieves strain from muscles.
What is the price of a massage chair? As always it depends on the functionality you want but prices range from just over $1,000 USD up to $8,000 USD. Many companies buy or rent a chair and have it for the personal. This is appreciated as a very efficient way to help the staff to stay healthy. There are studies showing that the number of sick-days will go down considerably when the massage chair has been installed.
An usual effect when a new chair is installed is that people will line up and try the massage. A schedule is almost always required and many use it frequently to get rid of the problems a stressful work situation sometimes creates.
Keith George always writes about valuable news & reviews.
A related resource is Massage Chairs
Further information can be found at Tips & News.
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Tags: massage chair, chair massage, ijoy massage chair, shiatsu massage chair, robotic massage chair
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As a licensed massage therapist and business coach I am often approached by other therapists who are currently employed in a spa, a clinic, or possibly a chiropractor’s office, and would like to transition into going into business for themselves.
I, of course, am passionate about having your own business as I’ve done it pretty much all of my working life. However, not every therapist will be suited to the lifestyle of an entrepreneur.
Running a successful massage practice or business requires many skills that are not taught in the typical massage school. And just because you are a great therapist, does not by itself guarantee that you’ve got what it takes to be successful running your own massage business.
In my work I have interviewed many successful therapists to see what they have done differently from therapists who are struggling. I have come to the conclusion that there are certain skills and qualities they possess that truly make the difference between success and failure.
And the good news is that often these qualities or skills did not come naturally. Many of these skills and qualities had to be learned or developed over time. But if other therapists can develop them, you can too. It all begins with an honest evaluation of what strengths and weaknesses you currently have, paired with a willingness to learn.
So here are some questions to consider if you are either thinking of stepping out on your own, or already have your own business but are wondering what skills you need to develop to take it to the next level of success.
How willing are you to really put yourself out there? Many highly successful massage therapists told me that a key to their success was getting really involved in their community. They attended Chamber of Commerce meetings, Leads Clubs, and other networking events where they could connect with people in their target market.
For a very few this came naturally. For most it meant moving outside of their comfort zone. It meant accepting that this was uncomfortable and doing it anyway. How willing are you to get out in your community and promote yourself and your massage services? Interestingly enough, most therapists told me that networking become much easier over time. Some even got to really enjoy it!
How organized are you? Did you know that poor planning and lack of organization alone leads to the failure of many massage businesses?
Let’s face it, there’s a lot to keep organized. You have to organize your time, your schedule, your client files and records, your finances, your billing if you don’t get paid at the time of service, your inventory if you carry products Yikes! If organization doesn’t come naturally to you, you might want to consider hiring a coach or an organizational consultant to help keep you on track.
How motivated are you to be successful? Many massage therapists who now have thriving businesses credit their drive to succeed no matter what to keep them going when times got tough. In every business there are up times and down times. Without strong motivation many therapists give up when the going gets tough. Sadly, success is often just around the corner. So, what can you do to increase your motivation and drive to stay the course until your dream manifests?
How well developed are your “people skills”? Running a business requires to you interact with a number of different people and personalities that you might not ordinarily choose to spend time with.
You may find yourself interacting with cranky clients, unruly sub-contractors, troublesome employees, demanding receptionists.. to name a few. What can you do to improve your people and communication skills? One thing is to understand your communication style and learn how you can adapt that in different situations. There are a number of assessments and programs you can take to help you with this.
So these are some of the qualities and skills that I have found to be present in highly successful massage business owners.
And remember, with every business endeavor there are risks involved. There are no guarantees. However, with some good preparation you certainly increase the odds of being successful and creating the massage business and the lifestyle of your dreams.
To your success
Elizabeth Fletcher Brown LMT, and a Certified Success Coach is the founder of the Massage Business Center, dedicated to supporting massage therapists and bodyworkers in creating financial freedom through business success. Do you really have what it takes to build the massage business of your dreams? Take our free online assessment at http://www.MassageBusinessCenter.com and find out.
Tags: massage business success, massage therapy, massage therapy business, massage career
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