Soma Massage Blog

Student Story: Kalyn Hanratty

From St. Charles, IL

Former server and acupuncturist assistant.

Current mom and student.

What brought you to massage in general and to Soma specifically?

Working in the acupuncture office made me realize how interested I am in healing and in the human body. It was suggested to me by a Soma graduate that I attend Soma. She told me I was going to love it and learn a ton.

Do you like having classes in downtown Chicago?

Yes, I live in the suburbs, so it’s nice to have a balance of city/country life!

Who are your biggest influences?

My sister and my close friends.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’m very happy I chose to go back to school and enrolled in Soma. I feel like I am getting a great education and I am looking forward to seeing what my future holds.

Career Fair Pics

There's no way to describe every picture in here. Needless to say, a good time seems to be had be all the participants and staff during our Career Fair, and we think these pics represent that.

A Variety of Massage Careers

You’ve gotten your diploma. Now what? There are many options available to you (and more being added all the time). Whether working in a spa, for a doctor, or starting your own business, there is no lack of choices for moving your career forward. We’ve found a great article from the American Massage Therapy Association that highlights some of your options.

There is no such thing as a standard massage therapy practice. One of the reasons individuals choose this profession is because of the flexibility it offers in terms of work hours, independence, and choice of practice locations and types.

Massage therapists can work full time or part-time. Massage therapists spend additional time on things like scheduling, billing, housekeeping and marketing, to name a few.

Read the rest of the article here.

Massage Away Your Winter Blues

In the winter students come to school in the dark and they go home in the dark, and that can give anyone the blues. Lucky for them, and lucky for you if you receive regular massage during the winter months, massage has been shown time and time again to be one of your best defenses against the winter blues.

People looking to fend off the winter blues may find relief by integrating massage therapy into their health maintenance routine. Shorter days and colder temperatures leave many Americans feeling depressed and lethargic, yet studies show that regular massages improve mood and reset circadian rhythms, leading to better sleep and more energy.

Massage For Immune Support

One of the reasons I see so many students getting sick this time of year is that they’re not taking proper care of their immune systems. Their immune system is their first line of defense against things like viruses and bacteria, and your immune system becomes for sluggish in the cold weather, especially in your nose. But studies have also shown that massage helps to reinvigorate your immune system.

Getting a massage not only helps you relax, it might also benefit your immune system, a new study suggests.

People who received a 45-minute massage had an increased number of lymphocytes, which are white blood cells that play a large role in defending the body from disease, researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said in a statement.