Welcome Sarah!

Mending Hands is proud to present a new Contributing Writer!

Not only do we have a new author on board - but she's heading up a brand new feature. Sarah will be the sole proprietor of Hot Shiatsu! Celebrating and exploring all things Shiatsu Massage - Exclusively on Mending Hands. But before we release the first Hot Shiatsu post - lets hear more from the lady herself!

Mending Hands - O' - Lantern!

National Massage Therapy Awareness Week is here!

The AMTA kicks off National Massage Therapy Awareness Week Today through October 31st!

I feel like this week is not getting enough support. In fact this was the first time I was a little disappointed when researching who might be celebrating this week and how. I know. It's not pleasant to admit, but I take that as a challenge! I say this because not only should this week be about informing, promoting, teaching and exploring the many aspects of Massage Therapy to clients - It should be about celebrating each other as a Massage Therapy community. It's a wonderful reason for all those LMT's out there to step outside of their own box of therapy and become more aware of some of the Massage Therapy that is offered by different people, different cultures and different beliefs about the body. With a modality as old as massage you have a lot of ways to learn and discover! A list to get your started is one click away...

A List of Weekend Plans!

Just a little update on my journey to becoming a Massage Therapist!

1. Tonight I am headed to my first Off-Site Clinic Massage! I am heading up to Mount Sinai Medical Center to spend a few hours massaging the Emergency Room staff. It's going to be exciting to give back to those who are in a constant state of helping others. Plus, get some great hands on learning to become a better chair massage practitioner!

2.  Next week harbors my Neurology Final and my Tools of Assessment Midterm! So there will be a whole lot of studying (and less blogging...but I'll be back in action once I ace my exams!)

3. Saturday I have my second session with the Swedish Institute's on site Clinic. I had my first assignment a few weeks ago, working with two clients back to back! The first, being a wonderful experience - the body that trusted me to learn from was very different than the body types I have been practicing with thus far. I hope to be able to help any one with any kind of body that comes to me - so Clinic is helping both my head and my hands. The second was a test to my professionalism. The next client was proof that in the massage therapy field - you must be client centered, even if you find that client to have the kind of personality or demeanor that might not make it so easy. It's a modality where all people are welcome to seek health and healing. So a therapist has to be ready to deal with many kinds of personalities that will come their way.

It's a big weekend for me! Lot's of massage, lots of new people and lots of studying to do to keep me full steam ahead! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend too!

Shared Learning - Shirley Vanderbilt

I came across this article about the amazing research that is being done about how Massage Therapy is paving a new way for children with Autism to connect with the people around them. It shows that touch therapy also helps with relaxation, sleep, focus and even helped debunked the long-held belief that autistic children are incapable of forming attachment.

Massage Therapy for Autistic Children - The Touch Research Institute’s Results By Shirley Vanderbilt Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, February/March 2003. Copyright 2003. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.

Autism is a brain disorder, usually diagnosed by age 2, in which the child fails to develop language and normal social interaction skills. Withdrawal from social contact and aberrant behavior are common. Within the classroom, educators have used behavior modification, structured settings and social skills conditioning with minimal effect. And in the home, some parents have tried the gamut of treatments, conventional and alternative, in an attempt to restore what many experts postulate may be a permanently damaged brain. Moderate success has been achieved with vitamin B6 supplements, sometimes resulting in improvement in speech, behavior and physiological measures.4

Clinical trials have also shown massage therapy as a viable complementary treatment positively impacting some of the characteristic behaviors of autism.

Massage by Machine?

Our flight back home last night was delayed, which gave me a some time to do two things - One: Study for tomorrow's Neurology quiz and Two: Flip through the newest edition of the Sky Mall Catalog! I could not believe how many machines, electronics and battery operated gadgets (claiming to massage!) that were available to for these fliers to choose from. Most the them seemed pretty hilarious...

The Walrus on My Table: Touching True Stories of Animal Healing Anthony Guglielmo, Cari Lynn

This weekend we are headed to Chicago and during the visit we are checking out the famous Shedd Aquarium -  this reminded me that I have been meaning to share this great book on Mending Hands!

Anthony Guglielmo, LMT -  is a graduate of the Swedish Institute and when my Swedish II teacher excitedly told us about his book The Walrus on My Table: Touching True Stories of Animal Healing  - I marched strait home and ordered it!

The Walrus on My Table is the delightful journey of Anthony Guglielmo - who was asked to learn Equine Massage for one of his patient's horses. That lead to dog, cat, ferret, walrus, penguin, dolphin and even shark massage! Each chapter talks about how massage helped these animals enormously with a many number of issues. He also talks about how much he learned from then in return! It's a quick, fun and heartfelt read - I suggest you check it out!

AMTA's National Massage Therapy Awareness Week!

The AMTA is hosting the  National Massage Therapy Awareness Week starting October 25 - 31! AMTA members, schools, and chapters across the country celebrate AMTA’s National Massage Therapy Awareness Week by educating consumers on the importance of massage. Also to raise public awareness of the benefits of therapeutic massage, encouraging Americans to seek massage therapy for stress relief, pain management and general health!

I've read about how the AMTA is supporting their members to celebrate National Massage Therapy Awareness Week -  by suggesting public massage demonstrations, educational sessions on the benefits of massage and providing massage therapy for charitable events.

What are you doing to to promote Massage Therapy and National Massage Therapy Awareness week?

E-mail me! mendinghands@gmail.com
I'd love to celebrate your efforts on Mending Hands!

Spa Scoop: Yelo

Yelo may be known as "the napping place" but let me make it clear - Yelo offers their visitors a unique body, mind and spirit experience that is so much more than just a few moments of shut eye! This place is styled and poised - and when I was invited to have a treatment with Head Therapist Anna Crean-Weiner, I learned that Yelo really is a dream of a place that connects with each person that takes the time to feel better. I saw that Yelo thrives by being sophisticated and welcoming, detailed and patient. Yelo also makes it clear that providing options is what makes a session perfectly designed to the individual. They offer choices in a way that's exciting - not intimidating. During my session with Anna, I also learned that this sanctuary of relaxation has healing energy at the very heart of it all! From the minute I was welcomed into their world, I knew that Yelo is dedicated to helping You be a better You!

Spa Week! October 12 - 18 in NYC!

Tomorrow Spa Week begins! Selected treatments at participating Spa's are up for the enjoying at a price of $50! This is the week you should go out and try something new! Get a massage that incorporates Shiatsu! Go for some Reiki! Why not try Reflexology and see how much of an impact that kind of Touch can have on you!

You can find the list of places and what they have on offer HERE!
Feel free to let me know of any place you are trying out and how your experience was!

Might I recommend trying out the next place to be featured in Spa Scoop? Because it really was a phenomenal adventure!

Yelo!
25 Min Massage or Reflexology Session followed by 20 Min Power Nap
25 Min Massage or Reflexology Session with a 20 Min Mini Peel Facial
25 Min Massage or Reflexology Session with a 20 Min Limoncello or Hot Chocolate Foot Scrub

Expressing Gratitude

Remember when the Universe is generous and put amazing friends in my life? A few weeks ago a small parcel came to my apartment escorted by the UPS man. It had my name on it. Which was already a surprise. So image how happy I was when I opened it to find three new bottles of massage oil! One of my best buddies sent me this gift as a sign of support - and that is so wonderful of her!

I am very thankful for this kind of encouragement and will proudly use this gift of Grapeseed, Apricot and Sesame Seed oil blend for my first Clinic Dates at the Swedish Institute tomorrow!

Monthly Essentials: October

Mending Hands Proudly Presents a new segment - Monthly Essentials! I'm learning all about the health benefits of Essential Oils so I'm decided to feature a new one each month. Using The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy - By Valerie Ann Worwood as my guide, I hope to pass along some helpful hints about these natural helpers of health!

October's Monthly Essential is....

Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge

The AMTA announced the first draft of the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge is available to the to be read, reviewed and reacted to. They are asking those in the Massage Therapy field to check it out and send in your comments.  I went to the Project Blog to find out more.This profession-wide effort to unify and articulate a common body of knowledge for the Massage Therapy profession is a collaboration of the following organizations:

American Massage Therapy Association
AMTA Council of Schools
Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals 
Massage Therapy Foundation
Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork 

These communities agree that the LMT "Profession is at a key stage in its development"  The group wants to "Develop and adopt across the massage therapy profession a living resource of competencies, standards and values that inform and guide the domains of practice, licensure, certification, education, accreditation and research."

They will focus on the following topics:

Congrats Tour de Pink!

Yesterday I joined the American Massage Therapy Association who massaged the participants of Hershey's Tour de Pink! These riders conquered  220 Miles in the name of Breast Cancer Awareness for the  Young Survival Coalition in less than 3 days!  After they arrived to NYC all the way from Hershey, PA - the generous Massage Therapists had tables up and ready to make sure these charitable athletes got the body work they very much deserved.This was the first post sports event massage session I have ever been a part of and I left the hotel where the bikers had lined up to receive their massage exhausted from even watching all of the techniques used on these grateful bodies!

Yelo's Breast Cancer Awareness!

I had a conversation with Michael Hazel the Director of Operations at Yelo - the amazing spa that offers busy city people a combination of power naps, reflexology and full body massage treatments in the heart of New York City. I am proud and excited to announce that Yelo has reached out to support Mending Hands and I will be reporting my experience with their state-of-the-art YeloCabsTM as well as a massage treatment with Anna Crean-Weiner, Yelo's Lead Therapist soon!

What I wanted to pass along early...

Spa Scoop: Massage Williamsburg

Massage Williamsburg is nestled in that ever popular neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. As I hopped off the L train feeling the cold chill of the weather that had just turned on us - I was more than ready for an hour of relaxing massage! What I found at Massage Williamsburg was not only a warm calming experience, but the perfect blend of comprehensive body work and pampering!