Quantum Metta School of Massage

Networking4Therapists Evening - 23 November

23 November will be the next Networking4Therapists evening. Always enjoyable and with a good crowd of complementary therapists.

We're lucky to have author Celia Johnson as the speaker for this event. Celia will be talking on 'Keeping your busines buoyant during tough times'.

Celia is co-author of 'How to be a Successful Therapist'. She has been a professinal musician, nurse, and for the last twenty years, a massage therapist. Her time in nursing sparked an interest in complementary therapies and she trained and qualified firstly in Reflex Zone Therapy, then Massage, and Reiki to the level of Master Practitioner.

Her articles have been published in professional journals such as Postive Health, Massage and Health Review and the International Journal of Theatre Nursing and online for Holisticpro.com. She has given talks on local radio and the BBC.

As well as running a thriving private practice, Celia gives talks and workshops on business skills and also First Aid training. Her wisdom and friendly inclusive approach make her a much sought after speaker and teacher.

Here are 9 good reasons to come along on 23 November...

1. Hear and meet Celia Johnson (her latest book on 'How to Create a Successful Busines' will be available at the event)

2. Meet other complementary therapists and develop personal and business friendships

3. Exchange ideas with others that will be good for them, good for you, good for your business

4. Have the opportunity to participate in the Two Minute Tell...put your business card in a bucket, if yours is one of 3 pulled out, you can speak to the whole audience for 2 minutes on anything you want

5. Take part in speednetworking - a great way of meeting the most people in the shortest time

6. Relax into slownetworking - a chance to mingle and have more indepth connection with some of those you met in the speednetworking

7. Be inspired and have a great time

8. Being a complementary therapist can sometimes be isolating; Networking4Therapists aims to build bridges to expand your networks and resources

and...

9. There's always houmous!!

www.networking4therapists.com to book your place.

Happy networking - Doreen and Dympna

The Power of Focus in Massage Therapy

You know the old saying 'you get what you focus on'? You know the question ...'is the glass half full or half empty?' Or how about 'Don't think of a flying pink elephant'? See you did, didn't you? You get what you focus on.

Let's assume that we can only hold one thought at a time. So therefore we can only focus on one thing at a time. Yes...you can flit from one thing to another, often in a fairly random unconscious way...AND it's still only one thought at a time.

This is really good news in our work as massage therapists. Of course, it's a given that our focus and intention is always that clients feel better after a treatment. We wish them well. Add to that a deliberate and CONSCIOUS focus on the healing potential of the client, and it multiplies the possibilities for them. We can enhance this further and create opportunities to make health-ful and happy choices within our treatments.

Here are 5 things you can focus on in your practice to enhance the health and wellbeing of your clients...

1) Focus on you! Look after yourself first. Work from a constantly replenished source, rather than an increasingly depleted source. Be a beacon of health for your clients - inspire them. Walk the talk. Clients would rather see a happy healthy therapist. Wouldn't you?

2) Focus on the client's wellbeing not their problems. In most clients, much more of them is well than not! Even if they have a major pathology going on...see them getting better and improving moment by moment. Of course, we take details of their medical history and then we focus on what can help them. If anything is going to change, you have to change the direction of your focus and think differently in the present.

3) Focus on using language therapeutically by choosing to use positive or neutral language. So during the consultation, rather than asking 'Do you suffer from any back problems?' say 'Do you have any back conditions?'. Sounds different doesn't it?

4) Focus on the use of positive expectation and suggestion throughout the treatment. Instead of saying 'Wow your muscles are really tight' say 'yes your muscles are getting looser'. Aim to soothe the 'hotspot' rather than reinforcing it. On a subliminal level, when clients go into the relaxation mode induced by massage, it's better to have 'improvements' suggested to them, rather than 'that's really tight and tense' which keeps them nearer to where they were when they came in.

5) Focus on what makes it feel better and encourage more of that. If that stretch is helpful do that, or those shoulder mobilisations, or that chi kung class...then do that. Stuff that improves how the client feels in the moment raises their potential for wellness. Of course, you may know this and we'll say it anyway...use aftercare to further develop the 'this will continue to help you feel better' focus...do remember to give a LITTLE bit of aftercare so it's manageable for the client. Give them a long list, and they're likely to do none of it. It may feel like too much to do...so less is often more.

Happy focusing - Dympna and Doreen

10 Good Reasons to Attend CAMexpo, 24/25 Oct, Earls Ct

Just 4 weeks to go to this year's CAMexpo at Earls Court, London. www.camexpo.co.uk

Here are ten good reasons to come along...

1) CAMexpo is the UK's only dedicated trade exhibition for the CAM sector and we'll be exhibiting there again this year. It's aimed at complementary health practitioners, students and retailers.

2) It's a wonderful opportunity to discover what's new in the field of complementary health.

3) There's a wide range of workshops you can attend. We're running 2 workshops on Thai Yoga Massage. So if you're a massage therapist you'll learn traditional Thai Yoga Massage techniques that can easily be incorporated into your current massage work.

4) On our stand (number 2712) there'll be a FREE prize draw. We're giving away 6 one day workshops with Quantum Metta School of Massage. www.quantummetta.co.uk

5) There are a number of free talks that you can attend.

6) There'll be loads of interesting stands to wander around.

7) This is an ideal environment to network with fellow practitioners/students.

8) There'll be a number of stands offering treatments to try out.

9) There's a special offer on tickets at the moment...buy one get one free www.camexpo.co.uk.

and...

10) We'd love to see you!

Happy days - Doreen and Dympna

 

Organic Fortnight 5-20 September 2009

This month sees 'Organic Fortnight' from 5- 20 September. It's not just about food either. It's a nationwide campaign promoting everything organic...food, beauty products, clothes...all with an eye on being environmentally friendly.

There'll be a number of events all over the country with the aim of raising awareness about why organic is a healthy choice for us and the planet.

See www.soilassociation.org for more info.

Happy organics - Dympna and Doreen

Did You Know?

Did you know that there are over 17000 touch receptors in the entire hand?

And...did you know that if we never trim our nails by the time we're 80 years old they'd be around 5 metres long. Pretty tricky to massage with eh?

Happy pondering - Doreen and Dympna

10 Good Reasons To Have A Massage

1.  Massage helps reduce stress, nervous tension and anxiety.

2.  Massage gets rid of any tension and tightness in your muscles.

3.  Massage helps still and quieten your mind.

4.  Massage helps your skin look and feel healthier.

5.  Massage increases local blood circulation.

6.  Massage accelerates muscle recovery after excercise.

7.  Massage helps reduce pain.

8.  Massage helps the lymphatic system and encourages the elimination of waste products.

9.  Massage balances the autonomic nervous system by 'switching on' the parasympathetic nervous system (that's the bit that helps with stress).

10. Massage helps promote sleep.

This should have been '100 Good Reasons To....' - another time :-)

Happy massages - Doreen and Dympna

Something To Ponder - Facts About The Body

A baby has 300 bones at birth. By the time he or she matures as an adult, some have become fused together and they only 206 remain.

The human heart beats around 35 million times a year. That's a lot!

Happy pondering - Doreen and Dympna

If Time Flies, Be The Pilot

Time, something to ponder on as one second changes to the next, one minute to the next, one hour to the next, one day to the next, one month to the next and one year to the next. Where does all this time go to. It certainly seems to fly by.  

Remember when we were children at school? Time was marked by half-terms, holidays, home-time. The school day seemed so long; what would it be like to have a working day as long as that? Holidays seemed to last forever, often all we had to do was play.

Is it just as we grow older that we have more to do and often have to focus on many things at once, that time seems to speed up for us? Is it just perception or is there a scientific reason for it? What about people who don't have a lot to do? Do their days seem longer and does time pass more slowly for them?

If time flashes past for you, experiment with a bit of tv detox (yes, switch it off!), the evenings suddenly seem longer...hooray...gained 3 more hours already. Experiment with getting up earlier in the morning (easier now it's lighter and the weather's warmer)...hooray...1 or 2 more hours. Can we decide to have a whole hour off for lunch, instead of working through, again?

And, it is as if, even though we still have 24 hours in the day, we can do or just be more in those 24 hours.

What could you do with 4 or 5 more hours a day?

"If time flies, be the pilot." Nigel Risner

Happy hours - Doreen and Dympna

Challenges That Inspire Us

We've been talking about challenges. You know, the kind of challenge that we set ourselves to achieve...faster, stronger, higher as Olympians say.

Did you see the programme about celebs trekking Mt Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief? How about the recent London Marathon? Always an inspiration whether you're watching the elite athletes or the pack behind them. Britain's Mara Yamuchi cam in second, slicing 2 minutes off her previous PB.

The 2008 London Marathon saw six Maasai warriors from Tanzania run in shoes made from old tyres. They ran and danced their way around the course and in the process raised £100,000 to find and supply clean water to their villages. A year on, water has been found and their ultimate goal is near completion. www.maasaimarathon.org

Everyone participating in a challenge does so for different reasons and for their own personal goals. It's inspiring when you see what some people can achieve.

Doreen's 19 year old nephew is organising a bit dinner/event to raise funds for 'Help The Heroes'. Students on our courses set themselves a learning challenge and achieve an amazing skill. This summer some of us are walking the South Downs Way (that's 100 miles).

Challenges can inspire us, change us, help us grow, lead us to better things, make us feel proud of our achievements.

What challenge can you give yourself in the next few months?

Happy challenges - Doreen and Dympna

Interview with Dympna O'Brien

What Holistic Massage Means To Me

This first appeared in 'In Touch' magazine - published by The MTI (Massage Training Institute) www.massagetraining.org.

Dympna O'Brien co-founded Quantum Metta School of Massage in 2003 after a successful and enjoyable career as a PE specialist and special needs teacher, head of department and head of year. She talks to Karen Chagouri about how she continues to explore her passion for teaching by sharing her passion for holistic bodywork.

How long have you been practising? Since 1993 and teaching massage since 1996.

How did you find holistic massage? I would say, 'by accident'! I went on a one day workshop with a friend and enjoyed it...so signed up for a diploma course even though at that point, I was very happy in my teaching career and had no intention of becoming a practitioner...famous last words! Looking back it was one of life's wonderful serendipities.

Describe your experience of holistic massage (in 3 words). What? Only 3!! Connecting, Healing, Evolving (but also in the small print...intuitive, balance, replenishing, allowing, spirit, uplifting, flow, dance, simple, profound, open, change, inner peace, sharing, belonging.)

Do you feel that you receive anything from your clients/students when working with them? Yes - both clients and students teach me on lots of levels. I would say words like: allowing, open-ness, trust, willingness, honesty, sharing, fun, enthusiasm, health-ful, wellbeing, relating, laughter, curiosity, interaction, choice, change, opportunities to learn, growth...

Does holistic massage enhance your daily life? Yes, in the sense that anything that consistently 'feels good' enhances every-day wellbeing. I'd put holistic massage right up there with meditation, exercise you enjoy (running and swimming are my favourites), chi kung, great nutrition (I love juicing at the moment), being around positive people, laughing, stroking the family pet..and so on. Holistic massage keeps me in my body, in the moment and bestows a great sense of wellbeing, whether giving or receiving.

Why do you believe holistic massage works? I know from personal experience that it works for me and from years of positive feedback from clients, students of holistic massage and colleagues. It makes complete sense to me - physically, emotionally and spiritually.

With what do you enrich your massage practice? Lots! Meditation, chanting, chi kung, good nutrition, exercise, time in nature, time with loved ones, writing, hugs, learning, holidays, fun, music, regular bodywork. I've learned that to work from a replenished source keeps me happy and healthy and 'good to go'.

What do you believe makes holistic massage different from other forms of the practice? I feel the important thing is the practitioner's intention and awareness. For a holistic practitioner, a massage can never be a set routine of techniques that you 'do' to someone. For me, the key is that holistic massage happens in the magic of the moment. it is responding to the individual's whole being 'with' them - right now.

Why do you what you do? Easy...because I love it! I love teaching and I love massage. How lucky am I?

www.quantummetta.co.uk