When I first became a massage therapist, my boss at the time would frequently ask, “Did you ask the client to come back?” At first, I was a little shocked. Of course I had asked my client to come back; that’s part of what good hospitality is, isn’t it? Later, the question insulted me a … Continue reading Manners, Grace, and Hospitality
Nobody would start a war over a table, right? Well, wars have started over less. In this case, the possible storm brewing involves an electric lift table, the only one in the six-room massage business where I work. When I first began working there, I was afraid I had become too spoiled with electric lift … Continue reading The War of the Table
Lots of therapists like to say they are not salespeople, that they didn’t get into massage to sell anything and they don’t like to “sell” anything to a client. I never understood that. A therapist is always selling their skills and benefits of massage to clients. When I was doing training for a large day … Continue reading What Is More Professional?
Well, the experiment with Bamboo and cotton yarn sheets, I am happy to report, is going quite well. Earlier I wrote about how much I loved the light, silky yet warm feel of 100-percent bamboo yarn sheets, and how my clients appreciated them as well. Then, alas, after a few washings the yarn developed little … Continue reading Tough Sheets Update
At home, I like to say, “If you can’t do it with duct tape, WD-40, or Tiger Balm, you probably can’t do it at all.” But in the massage room, my favorite choices are Tiger Balm and tennis balls. Every massage practitioner seems to have at least a couple of favorite tools, and these are … Continue reading Tools of the Trade: Tiger Balm and Tennis Balls
Any therapist has to love sheets that feel like silk, breathe so they are not too hot, not too cold, happily opaque and are so light it takes 10 sets to fill a washing machine. Yes, they are wonderful. A therapist’s sheet dream. I purchased my first four sets of bamboo sheets recently and fell … Continue reading Bamboo Sheets, No Pinholes, Please
My client seemed particularly stressed. Her back and neck was a never-ending patch of bad trigger points and spasms. This client was all wound up. “How are things going?” I asked. My standard way to get folks to open up when their tissues are slammed shut. “Work is driving me nuts. Actually, the work is … Continue reading Psychology and Massage: Some Things in Common
A few weeks ago I was asked to do a special blog on SOAP charts, which was rather serendipitous, since the subject of SOAPing has been much on my mind of late. You see, at Brenneke School of Massage, I received an excellent education concerning SOAPs. We drilled and re-drilled, wrote and re-wrote, using an … Continue reading What Happens When a SOAP Bubble Goes POP!?
I do have a thing for nice sheets. They must be flannel, or high-thread count, no see-throughs, and stand up to about 1,000 washings. I don’t have a thing for laundry. I never want to do it. Yet virtually every night, here I am, slipping into a rhythmic trance as I fold, fold, fold. Most … Continue reading Laundry as Therapy… Ommmmmmmmmmm
Some people think that massage therapists are a perhaps a little too obsessed with lubricants. But you know, lubricants are one of the most important tools of the trade next to linens, liniments, and tables. In school, they teach you about the Big Four: lotions, crèmes, oils, and gels. Generally, they provide you with a … Continue reading So Many Lubricants, So Little Time!