Massage Draping by Sarah Minen

Draping laws for massage therapists in the United States seem to be unclear to some people.  In the 3 years that I have been an LMT, I have heard several clients tell me about their foreign travels and massage protocols in other countries.  They often explain how one country might use little draping and that another may use none at all.  Clients seem to bring up this topic simply as an observation and it is always interesting for me to hear about how massage laws and regulations differ in other parts of the world.

If you are a licensed massage therapist in the state of Utah or any other American state for that matter, you know that it is illegal to not utilize draping in your massage sessions.  More specifically, breasts and genitals must be covered at all times. However, when I was just starting out as an LMT in Salt Lake City, Utah, I ran into a draping issue with a new client.

A male client came in for a 60 minute session and as he entered my massage room, my first question to him was, “Have you ever had massage before?”

He quickly replied, “Yes I know the drill.  I will be ready in a moment.”

So I left the room and shut the door and waited for him to disrobe and get onto the table.  When I came back into the room I was shocked to see him lying on the table face down, but completely exposed with no draping over him.  I was very nervous, especially because this was one of my first paying clients in this profession!  I tried to stay calm and told the client that he needed proper draping required by the state of Utah.  He went on to insist that he has been to many spas and salons where draping was not required and that the draping is uncomfortable for him.  Once again, I calmly explained that draping is required in the state of Utah and that for me to work with him, he must comply with those regulations.  He was fairly irritated and decided not to continue with the massage, but he paid for the full session and was on his way.

For days I wondered, how could this situation have been avoided?  I concluded that setting a professional boundary with your client from the beginning is key.  Make sure your client knows exactly what to expect from you in the massage and always explain your massage protocol.  I should not have left the massage room to let this client disrobe until he knew this protocol.  Saying something like, “That is great that you have received bodywork before, but just make sure to disrobe and get underneath this top sheet.”  The therapist must set an intention with each client that is clear and professional.

I have never had any problems with my clients and draping since this incident.  I truly believe that setting a professional tone with your clients helps them know exactly what to expect from you and vice versa.  Establishing this boundary from the beginning of each session will make each massage, and your career as an LMT much more fulfilling.

Sarah Minen is a Licensed Massage Therapist practicing massage in Salt Lake City. Check out her website Salt Lake City Massage.

Using Massage as a Complementary Treatment for Cancer Patients by Eric Stevenson

Although the causes for many mental health issues remain unknown, a number of them seem to stem from traumatic or emotionally stressful situations.  For those with cancer and other chronic illnesses, stress, depression, and anxiety are common place. Unfortunately, some cancer patients have more of a difficult time coping with these complex mental issues.  Complementary therapies such as massage and other body inducing therapies have proven successful for a number of cancer patients.

Cancer patients are often struggling with anxiety and stress disorders, whether it is depression or a panic attack, many have found relief in complementary therapies. Often, doctor recommended relaxation treatments like restorative yoga, massage, acupuncture, and tai chi offer both physical and emotional relief. Patients who feel that their health situations are beyond their own influence are often empowered by the possibility of reducing their own pain and improving their immune systems through their efforts, thus allowing a bit of much needed emotional stability.

This use of massage and some other treatment therapies are aimed at helping patients find complete peace of mind and finding a rare relaxed state that they aren’t used to during the process. Using massage as a complementary treatment can help to increase a patient’s mobility, flexibility, strength, and muscle function. It can also be used as a relief to some of the side effects of routine treatment like chemotherapy. Massage has been shown to reduce treatment side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and pain. With complementary therapies, the major two goals are to improve quality of life and cut down on stress. Massage is an example of complementary therapy that can certainly help to do both of those for a patient.

Also, massage can be particularly helpful to patients of mesothelioma. One great cancer survivor story involves a patient of this disease named Paul Kraus. For most patients of this disease, treatment is brutal and mesothelioma life expectancy is short.  Kraus however had different plans in mind. After being diagnosed in 1997, he used a combination of a healthy nutrition with body inducing treatments such as massage, meditation, as well as a vitamin therapy to still be surviving 14 years after his diagnosis.

In all, complementary treatments, such as massage and other body inducing therapies have been shown to promote healthy mental and emotional coping strategies among cancer and chronic illness patients.  Though often proven beneficial, it is important that patients discuss all medically related decisions, especially complementary therapy options, with their physician before proceeding.  Though cancer is no easy physical or mental battle, emotional obstacles can be overcome through programs and practices that offer a patient the chance to reduce their stress and find peace of mind through the treatment process.

Guest blog written by Eric Stevenson, a health and safety advocate who resides in the Southeastern US.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Ingredients
1 box (2 cups) Quinoa
1 can black beans
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 container of pimentos (not oil-based)
3 stalks of celery (for crunch – optional)
2-3 cobs of raw corn, taken off the cob and gently chopped
chopped fresh cilantro to taste
ground cumin to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Honey Mustard or a very small amount of sugar (optional)
1-2 large carrots cut however you like them
1/2 zucchini
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 fresh red onion
chopped jalapenos, if you want it spicy
butter lettuce leaves, on which to serve (or not)

Directions
1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring quinoa and 4 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse to cool; drain well.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine all other ingredients. Mix in quinoa, then season to taste. Spoon over lettuce leaves.

Serve chilled or at room temperature and enjoy! Garnish with a few slices of avocado!

Gold Suns

Gold Suns are used to replenish and fill in all the free space you released energy from after grounding. After a healing or reading, you need to fill in with your own energy, otherwise you will fill it up with the energy around you that is not your own. It is much more beneficial to fill in the empty space with an energy of your choice that suits your needs at that time.

Visualize an enormous gold sun over your head and fill it with whatever you want to bring into your life at the moment. You can bring in anything you want: joy, love, abundance, prosperity, certainty or something else. If you want to feel more loved, you can fill your sun with love.

Take an imaginary needle and pop the sun, letting that positive energy flow into the top of your head and fill up all those empty spaces. Let that feeling overflow around your body, filling you up with this new energy.

Example – at any time you are feeling drained or tired, bring in a gold sun of your own energy to refresh and reenergize yourself. It’s as simple as that!

You don’t have to wait for a moment where you’re feeling drained or exhausted from foreign energy in order to run the Gold Sun meditation. Let the sunlight in the sky be your inspiration to run the meditation, or a new desire that just lights you up with positive energy!

Grounding

Grounding is the most basic tool in your psychic toolbox which shows man’s respect and connection to the earth’s energies. Grounding allows you to release energy, especially energy that is not yours. It helps you to keep your space and your balance in stressful situations.

Grounding is making a connection from the base of your spine/tailbone (Root/First Chakra) to the center of the earth. You can you see this connection being a tree trunk, waterfall, string, rope, anchor chain, sewer pipe, tube or anything else that you visualize. This allows us to release unwanted energy and let it go down the connection and into the center of the earth.

Example: We come home from our day, or a stressful situation and feel very heavy, tired, spaced out and full of anxiety. By grounding, we allow all that energy to release down the grounding cord so the earth can reuse it. This allows us to feel lighter, calmer and more centered.

Now, let’s run through the Grounding Meditation together:

Step 1: Sit comfortably on a chair or couch with your legs UNcrossed and your feet flat on the floor. It’s best to find a quiet space with little to no distractions. Eventually you will be able to run this energy anywhere you feel comfortable to be able to come back to yourself and your energy.

Step 2: Close your eyes and take a few slow, deep cleansing breaths. Inhale through your nose, hold for a few seconds, then exhale from the mouth slowly. If you start to feel lightheaded at any point, stop the exercise and just breathe normally until you feel okay.

Step 3: Next, locate your survival center, also known as the Root, or First Chakra. The Root Chakra is located at the base of the spine or coccyx. This chakra is related to survival, our body and identity as an individual. Our health, constitution and security including material wealth are also linked to the Root Chakra.

Step 4: Visualize a grounding cord connecting from the base of your spine into the deepest core of the earth. This cord can be anything you choose, or see, from tree roots, a chain, a string, whatever feels right for you in that very moment.

Step 5: Now gather all of your present worries, concerns, negative energy, or foreign energy that you feel is not yours, and send it down the grounding cord. Mother Earth absorbs, then recycles this old energy into fresh positive energy for the world.

Step 6: Take a few more deep breathes and just enjoy the release.

We’ll go over the next step in the following blog post, Gold Suns. I hope that after grounding yourself, you feel more energized, relaxed and ready to accomplish all that you want without any foreign energy influences.

(Thank you to the Psychic Horizons Center for permitting me to teach this information to all interested.)

Intro to Powerful Energetic Tools of Healing

A few months ago, my friend Rachel and I took a class offered by the Psychic Horizons Center in Boulder, Colorado. The class was and is called “How to Heal Yourself.” It’s the intro to their Clairvoyant Program which helps you get in touch with that beautiful mystery called “energy” and learn how to read yours and others energy fields.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to walk you through an abbreviated version of the “How to Heal  Yourself” class and give you some simple tools that will help you to protect yourself from negative influences such as judgment, projection, limited thinking and unloving gestures.

We will start with the basic tool of Grounding. Then incorporate large Gold Suns. After those tools have sunk into your being, we’ll learn how to run Earth and Cosmic Energy through our bodies and protect our energy fields with the Protection Rose. We’ll then learn how to find the Center of our Heads and figure out what on earth an aura is and why we all have one. One of my favorites comes next…who is your Healing Master? Then we learn how to Create New and Destroy Old Roses. And the final lessons will contain the information you need to learn how to Heal an Aura and Heal Energy Channels.

I hope you enjoy these lessons. They have improved my life immensely and I know they’ll do the same for you.

Yeah! I finally have a website!!

Welcome to the new website for my WobbeMassage business!! Here are some of the features I would like to highlight:

1. New Brand Identity – With the launch of this site I am rolling out with a new graphic identity. You will soon see this new look in my brochures, advertisements, and email communications.
2. Testimonials – I invite you to share your positive experience with a WobbeMassage on the Testimonials page.
3. Policies – I encourage all my regular clients to check out my policies. They are a very important part of my professionalism as a Licensed Massage Therapist. Also, there is a document to print and sign and bring to your next session for a 10% discount!
4. I am now located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and have very flexible hours for in-house or out-call sessions. Please call now to make an appointment.

Have fun checking it out and please feel free to email me with any questions or comments. I’d love to hear your feedback!

Thanks,
Serra