Soma Massage Blog

GRADUATION 2017

We’ve seen many graduates walk across the stage in our nearly 20 years of teaching massage.  It never gets old.  Graduation day is always a day of celebration, of seeing all the student’s hard work finally come to fruition.  Many students struggled to make it there – many of them didn’t think they ever would.  But through hard work, sacrifice, and a determination to make the world a more bearable place through the power of touch, they did it, and we were overjoyed to recognize their achievements in front of their family and loved ones.

But you’re not done yet.

There’s a reason they call it a massage practice.  It’s because, as Hovi said, you should never be done learning.  You have a diploma now, and you should be very proud of that, but it does not stop there.  Please continue to learn and grow, and if you ever have any questions don’t hesitate to call.  And come back for your free massages!

We’re extremely proud of all our graduates, but a just a quick word to our current students, too: enjoy the process.  We know it’s difficult to find time to study when you have a full time job, kids and a life of obligations.  We know it’s difficult to show up to class twice a week with a positive attitude and that sometimes you’re tired, and sometimes you’re in a bad mood and sometimes there’s nothing anyone in the world can do about it.  But we’re sure the majority of our graduates would say that the program is over before you know it, and with it comes a bittersweet sense of accomplishment.  You will no longer be surrounded by a group of people sharing the same goals.  We’ll shove you out of the nest, absolutely positive you will fly, and you might not realize all that you’re leaving behind until you’re gone.  So just take a moment and enjoy the process.  The end will be here soon enough.

Once again, best of luck to all our graduates.  We truly couldn’t be prouder.

For more graduation pics, check out our Facebook page.

LABELS MATTER: WHAT KIND OF WORKER ARE YOU, REALLY?

from Massage Magazine:

Last year I was offering workshops at a day spa, and I had a meeting with the spa manager. We got to talking about her massage therapists, and I learned that she required them all to wear the same color, but she called them subcontractors. I felt I should say something ….

Before I became a massage therapist in 1994, I was a construction worker for 15 years. On a construction site, subcontractors operated under their own rules. Plumbers, for example, couldn’t be told how to do their work by the general contractor.

I have always felt the way massage therapists work is usually more of an employee situation than subcontracting. Over the years I searched the internet to validate my hunch, but never found anything authoritative.

Massage Can Help Treat Lower Back Pain

from Time

Lower back pain is the leading cause of job disability in the world. About one in ten people have it, and for many who develop back pain, the condition becomes chronic.

Now, a new study finds that massage may provide lasting relief for chronic lower back pain, according to research published in the journalPain Medicine.

To see how people in the real world respond to massage, researchers looked at 104 people with persistent back pain who were referred by their doctors to licensed massage therapists. They went to 10 sessions over 12 weeks, and the practitioners were free to design massage programs that were individual to the patients, rather than all using the same technique.

At the end of the study, most people completed a questionnaire, and more than 50% reported clinically meaningful improvement in their back pain. Several people improved so much that their scores on a standard screening test dropped below the threshold for disability, says lead author Niki Munk, an assistant professor of heath sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. (Munk, who is also a licensed massage therapist, conducted the research while at the University of Kentucky.)

Read the rest here.

Zeel Brings Massage To Coachella Crowds

from PR Newswire

Zeel, the creator of Massage On Demand® and the only in home massage membership provider, is on the scene this month at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Zeel is delivering its famous on-demand massage service to Coachella attendees seeking to relax and recharge before, during, and after the annual festival.

Zeel has been bringing spa-quality massages to doorsteps across the US in as little as an hour since 2012, and specifically to residents, visitors, and music lovers in Palm Springs since 2014. Nearly 200,000 attendees are expected to arrive in Coachella Valley this week to see musical performances from Radiohead, Lady Gaga, and Kendrick  Lamar, and Zeel is standing by to deliver a rejuvenating massage to festival attendees who need a break from the music, heat, crowds, and excitement.

Read the rest here.

11 THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT RETAIL SALES

from Massage Magazine

As a massage therapist, you sell every day. What do you sell? You sell your time, expertise and ability to identify and respond to clients’ needs. If you don’t expand your sales into retail products, you will miss a valuable opportunity to better support clients while making more money.

“During the California Gold Rush, it wasn’t the people panning for gold who made the fortunes,” says massage-business expert Irene Diamond, R.T. “It was the smart retailers selling shovels, pans and blue jeans.

“When you choose to add retailing to your business model, you add a higher level of customer service as well as increase your bank account,” she said.

1. Retail Sales Help Meet Clients’ Expectations

Product sales are a natural extension of the standard of care associated with massage therapy. Clients expect you to have more knowledge than they do about products and assume you will carry the best ones. They will trust your recommendations, especially for products used in the session.

Read the rest here.