So You’re Thinking About Becoming a Massage Therapist?

Massage Therapist

If you’re thinking about becoming a massage therapist, you’re living in one of the best times in history for it. Working in the massage industry can be a rewarding and beneficial job for those who can call themselves licensed massage therapists. But if you’re not sure you’d make a good massage therapist, consider the following:…

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Diary of a Massage Therapist: Then and Now

by Jennifer (Shaw) Bonnesi I’m ten years into my massage career, and with each year that passes, and as my massage practice deepens, I am increasingly glad I got my massage certification. (Fellow, seasoned massage therapist, can I get an amen?) If you are in the early stages of your career or just beginning to…

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Celebrate Healthy Holidays: Sound Advice for LMTs & Clients

hand holding a healthy apple with a Holidays gold bow

  by: Jennifer Bonessi Even if you don’t celebrate a holiday in December, holiday stress affects us all – every store is packed and our fellow humans are frantic. The frenetic energy is consuming. And yet, the season calls us all to be jolly and bright. It’s also flu season. So now, more than ever,…

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DON’T IGNORE THE INTERCOSTALS

Intercostal Muscles

by David Lauterstein “Anything with wings always comes down in the end”. ~ Simone Weil One of the most important groups of muscles often ignored by massage therapists is the intercostal muscles. These of course give rise to the deliciousness of “spare ribs”. But far more importantly they are core muscles involved more or less…

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Meet Serratus Anterior Again

Last weekend I was teaching a Deep Massage Teacher training and we traded each day. On the second day, after receiving, I stood up, walked around, and was amazed at how free my shoulder girdle felt – primarily because my partner hadn’t worked on my shoulders! Neither of us could figure it out. Then the…

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A Reflection: What is Lomi Lomi ‘Hawaiian Temple Bodywork’ ?

By Jason Bratcher LMT/MTI/Texas CE Provider and Lomi Kumu. (WATCH VIDEO) Aloha!! I would like to share with all of you some ideas and thoughts I have had regarding this system of bodywork and why I feel it would benefit every Massage Therapist out there to learn and incorporate Lomi Lomi into what they do.…

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THE NEED TO TOUCH

As therapists everyday we see our clients’ need for touch, and people’s in general. What we do not recognize nearly as often is “the need TO touch”. In Harry Harlow’s famous experiment with nursing primates, he found that they consistently choose a soft figure to touch over their food source. And, equally striking is he…

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What are the 13 Rules of Massage Therapy?

1. Slow down when you need to. Speed up when you don’t need to slow down. Massage that’s always slow is ultimately boring massage.   2. Palpate – how can you love if you don’t know what’s there?   3. Know anatomy – not just in general.  Have memorized the origins, insertions and actions for…

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The Anatomy of Fight or Flight for Massage Therapists

By Jennifer Shaw, LMT, Guest Blogger Does this apply? Origin: Central Nervous System Insertion: Preganglionic Fibers Action: Fight or Flight When I told a friend of mine I was writing a blog article about the sympathetic nervous system, his response was, “Fight or flight. Rest and digest. The end.” If only the nervous system was…

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