In challenging economic times, retaining current clients is easier, and probably more important, than recruiting new ones. It’s easy to become complacent and forget to treat our loyal clients with the same enthusiasm we might have for a new client.

There are many ways to express appreciation to current clients, including, but not limited to, greeting them with positive energy at each visit, remembering what happened in the previous session, keeping your work fresh by not falling into the “same old routine” at each appointment, saving or e-mailing newspaper or magazine articles of interest to them, and many more.

I recently celebrated my 20th year in practice in Colorado Springs (plus seven in CA prior to that), and several of my clients have been with me since I started here. Although I always go the “extra mile” for these select clients, I decided to show my thanks for their loyalty in a non-massage way. I have a friend and client who owns a popular restaurant here. He made me a deal on gift certificates, so I was able to gift each of these 20-year clients with a $50 G.C. They really appreciated the gesture and I thoroughly enjoyed making it.

What do you do to show clients how much you appreciate their continued business?

I had a blast at the National Convention in Orlando last week. There was so much going on, both in the open and behind the scenes, it was a whirlwind just trying to take it all in. The Rosen Shingle Creek Resort was a beautiful venue for our meeting. My only complaint was that the room was way too small for the opening ceremony; many people couldn’t get in or had to stand the whole time. Otherwise, the accommodations were superior, the food was good, and the staff was very personable and friendly.

I?m sure it will surprise my readers to know that one of the high points of my trip was the better part of an hour that I spent with Paul Lindamood, CEO of the NCBTMB. I?ve written many things about the NCB in the past two years, the majority of it uncomplimentary, and have openly criticized Mr. Lindamood personally on several occasions, so it was quite shocking to some of the membership who chanced to walk by to see us sitting in an open area having a chat. Rick Rosen, newly installed at the helm of the recently formed Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, couldn?t resist taking a picture.

I have to give him credit; Lindamood listened to what I had to say about the NCB and the disappointment I and many others have felt about the direction the organization has taken in the past few years. Whether he acts on any of it is yet to be seen, but I did come away from our conversation feeling like he paid attention to my long litany of woes. He even made the comment that although a lot of my blog posts have been distressing to him, he admired me for speaking out about it. No, this does not mean I have had a sudden change of heart about the NCB…however, I have always said that I did not want this organization to go away; I want them to get back on task, so I’ll be watching them like a hawk and seeing what happens–and of course reporting on it.

Speaking of Rick Rosen, it appears he has manifested his appeal for a ?dignified sunset? of the Council of Schools. That in fact is happening; the Board of Directors voted to adopt bylaw changes that elminate the COS and all language relating them. The Alliance is the logical entity to replace that organization. At this stage, the startup of the Alliance is being guided by a six-member Leadership Team of veteran educators. They are in the process of incorporating the organization, creating an administrative headquarters, and planning for the first Annual Meeting in mid-2010.

I’m sure one of the highlights of Rick Rosen’s trip was watching with pride as his wife Carey Smith was given the Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year Award. Carey has been educating students as well as other educators for many years, and her award was well-deserved.

Another highlight of the trip for me was meeting so many Facebook friends. Most of you know I?m a huge proponent of Internet networking and I was just thrilled to death to meet so many in person that I?ve known through Facebook, Twitter, and the massageprofessionals.com website. A group of Facebook friends gathered on Wednesday evening, and I met others throughout the convention. Xerlan Geiser-Deery, who practices in Oklahoma and who just started a blog of her own, was one of my favorites, as was Allissa Haines from the MA chapter. Alissa appointed herself the Fashion Police during the convention, and I must say, her critiques were spot-on. Lounging by the pool is one thing, but is it really acceptable to attend a class or a business dinner with your belly-button hanging out? A number of people apparently think it is. Allissa was taking names.

I spent quite a bit of time at the booth of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. I?m North Carolina?s delegate this year and was pleased to see so many folks stopping by the booth to inquire about the MBLEx and the other benefits of Federation membership. I spent some quality time with Sally Hacking, who was given a very beautiful award from AMTA; also visited with Debra Persinger, Kevin Snedden, and Scott Miller, all of whom I’ll be seeing again in a couple of weeks at the Federation’s annual meeting.

I was also pleased to meet Glen Moyle, who will be our national president during 2011, and her husband Gordon. In fact, I spent quite a bit of time talking with Gordon, who is a fascinating person with a lot of interesting stories to tell. I sat with them during the Massage Therapy Research Foundation reception. I took a picture of Gordon with Ruth Werner?s husband Curt, who also sat with us. These two are the prime illustration of good men being behind great women.

Diana Thompson had great news to report about the donations the Foundation has received in the past year, and Ruth gave a short speech about her upcoming term as the new leader, just before her beautiful donated quilt was raffled off.

Thursday night I enjoyed the annual LWW author’s dinner. It’s fun meeting all the other Lippincott authors and hearing what everyone is up to. I gave Nina McIntosh, who is ill and couldn’t be with us this year, a quick call and we all yelled our greetings to her. She was with us in spirit.

Also seen and heard: I met Michael Reynolds, president of the Indiana chapter, who is also a FB friend and someone I have long admired from a distance. His company, Spinweb, makes fabulous websites, and Michael is very generous with the marketing advice he shares on FB. He is every bit as charming in person as he is on FB?..also pleased to finally meet Leslie Young Giase, editor of Massage & Bodywork Magazine; Sid Duncan, who does marketing for Massage Magazine, Kim Goral, whom Allissa predicted will one day be president of the Foundation; Cliff Korn, snappy-looking in a green blazer. I was also glad to see many AMTA friends from NC, SC, and GA.

I did hear the distressing news that Florida is considering the passage of HB139, which will exempt graduates from accredited schools from taking any kind of licensure exam. I strongly urge our neighbors to the south to nip this action in the bud. Sometimes schools are guilty of passing students who aren’t up to par just to get rid of them. I don’t think this is a good move, and I hope this bill is soundly defeated.

All in all, it was a great trip. If YOU have never attended a national convention, you are missing out on one heck of a good time. Even the ABMP folks were there; you don’t have to be a member to attend. There is something totally awesome about being among 1000 or so other massage therapists. It’s absolutely restorative! Next year’s convention will be held in Minneapolis, so make plans now to join us.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Here are 5 guidelines to follow for best results when considering healthy food for a healthy diet:

1.    Keep the colon clean by reducing or eliminating meat and dairy and eating more fiber.  Meat takes so long to digest that it often leaves behind a trail of toxic waste in the colon.  Dairy products create a lining of mucus on the inside of the colon that prevents valuable nutrients from being absorbed by the rest of the body.  Healthy foods high in fiber help keep the colon clean, scrub away the mucus and provide a feeling of satisfaction.

2.    Eat more whole foods.  Healthy diets rich in naturally healthy foods like whole grains, dark green and yellow/orange-fleshed vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, contain high concentrations of antioxidants, fibers and numerous other plant nutrients that may be protective against chronic diseases.

3.    Drink, drink, drink – not just water, but healthy drinks that make water intake more productive.  Use health drinks with live enzymes from whole food ingredients.  Bottled, enhanced vitamin waters are overly processed and do not contain live enzymes or whole food vitamins.  Eliminate sodas and junky sports drinks made with chemical isolates.  Also, be very careful with caffeine and alcohol.

4.    Get more nutrition in fewer calories, which is easier than ever using concentrated whole foods (better than juicing without the hassle).  There are plenty of healthy food concentrates available now to make this a good way to fill any nutritional gaps in a healthy diet.

5.    Eat frequent, small amounts throughout the day, rather than three big meals.  See this Daily Healthy Food Plan for more tips.

Following these 5 guidelines for healthy food selection makes it possible to maintain a healthy diet for life.  It gives the body power to REGENERATE rather than DEGENERATE.  Read more about the Philosophy of Regeneration and remember this quote, ?whatever goes in the mouth either builds the body up or tears it down.?

Ramsay recently asked the following question on the Structure vs. Function blog:

• Ramsay Z Falcoe // Aug 17th 2009 at 10:34 am

I am a massage therapist/acupuncturist. I have a theory/speculation about how the binding down of the fascia interferes with the integrity of the energy meridians. Would you have any theories/insight, knowledge/research on this subject?

Dear Ramsay,

      I believe that you are totally correct.  Yes, Myofascial restrictions are capable of compressing the acupuncture meridians with up to approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch of pressure.  This crushing pressure can impede the flow of ?chi? (energy) through the acupuncture meridians.

       I learned acupuncture a long time ago.  I initially used neuroprobe (electronic acupuncture) and cold laser on the acupuncture points.  I then went to Hong Kong to learn as much as I could.  In Hong Kong I learned to use my hands to stimulate the ?chi? along the meridians.  I then applied the Myofascial Release principles to the ?chi? meridian system, which produced even greater results. 

       I have just finished an article titled, ?The Web of Life?, which has just been posted on my, ?Therapeutic Insight: the Myofascial Release Perspective?, on the Massage Magazine website (www.massagemag.com).  If you wish to read more about this article, you can click on the following link: http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=7768&catid=62&title=therapeutic-insight-the-myofascial-release-perspectivethe-web-of-life .

    Feel free to write any comments or ask any questions at the end of the ?Web of Life? article. 

     The bottom line is that Myofascial Release enhances the effectiveness of acupuncture, bodywork, and energy techniques.

 Thanks for your interest.

 John

Hello again,
I have great news to share!  The value of massage in hospice care has been endorsed  by the AMTA.  I offer my thanks to my collegue Lisa Parenteau and others who worked very hard to present a position statement to the 2009 House of Delegates at the 09 convention.  Read on…

AMTA House of Delegates approves two position statements (from www.amtamassage.org)
The AMTA House of Delegates debated proposals for association position statements that express the sense of the membership on matters pertaining to massage therapy. This year, the delegates approved two position statements, which are now official positions of the association.Details on the approved position statements will soon be available on the AMTA website and will become part of the association?s efforts to promote the value of massage therapy, supported by research.

The approved statements are:
- It is the position of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) that massage can aid in pain relief.
- It is the position of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) that massage therapy can improve the quality of life for those in hospice and palliative care.

This kind of endorsement will help to call attention to the role massage therapists play in end of life care.  Those of us who have been serving this special population surely know the value of our work– but the good news is that it’s not just us saying it now!

Grace and good fortune to you,
Ann

I’m a good dance partner. I find myself entraining to the weight and rhythm inherent in a client’s body. I often take my cues from my client. I also tend to take my cues from other people around me; my spouse, children, friends and … my students.

At this time of the term, my students are flowing with enthusiasm, dread and intensity toward their final projects and exams and I’m … flowing with them. After 10 years of teaching, I still cycle with their cycles. This makes me an attentive instructor, but a little on the ragged side as the term wears on.

Somehow it all goes back to a time long ago.

When I was a child I would wake up at the family cottage in darkness that was impenetrable. There was NO light. I was small and I would reach out with a toe or a hand to find the edge of the bed and I couldn’t figure out how I was lying because I would encounter the edge of the bed at an odd angle. It would take some doing to figure out which way I was lying and then to align myself with the bed.

Then, my frustration would grow.

I usually had a sheet, and a flannel blanket and a bed cover on top of me to keep warm. The three layers would be all shifted up and down and sideways. To pull the sheet up to where it belonged, I would often be pulling the overlying flannel blanket too high, and the bed cover might be off to the right, for example. The frustration of not knowing where I lay on the bed and then not being able to find a comfortable way to sort out the layers of linen to keep myself warm comes back to me at this time of year.

My students are working their way toward and through their final exams. Many of them have other stresses from sick friends, work and financial stress, to family pressures, and tough decisions in their love life.

My natural response is to unconsciously pick up their jangled rhythms.

Over the ten years of teaching I have evolved in how I respond to this situation. I used to try to calm them down, or try to cheer lead them through the experience. Then I got really focussed on designing test situations that were clear and fair.

All the time however, I felt myself pulled along by the class’s experience. I was still focussing on them and what their needs were.  And I would find myself not sleeping at night. I would often self medicate with food and end up developing and end of term belly.

The last couple years I have been learning to concentrate on my needs and have found that I’ve got plenty of mental habits that stress me out without the help of an entire class (or several classes) of people to help out. I’ve gradually gotten to the point where I have a personal agenda that is at least as devoted to taking care of myself as the people around me.

Now I’m approaching the end of the term and I’ve got a few personal projects that are requiring my focus and I find that I can really empathize with my students’ tensions, but I’ve got some that are uniquely mine! And as I find my way with my own issues, I’m finding that I’m coming to trust and believe in my students’ abilities to sort out their own.

I believe that they are getting a better experience than when I tried to “fix” things for the class. It’s just a feeling, and sometimes I don’t really believe it. I still sometimes think I should be doing more for my students.

But then I see their work is more grounded and more sophisticated than any other graduating class. I find they are more able to find their own solutions to things and that their solutions are often brilliant and adjusted to the peculiarities of the clinical situation of that particular client.

I know I can’t take credit for all of this. Our students are throwing all of themselves into the process. And the program and teaching team are also evolving.

But, I can’t help but feel that my knowing where I end and the students begin is an important factor to them finding their unique way.

I don’t know exactly how I could have done things differently as a kid lying in the dark, not knowing where I was in the bed and how to sort out the sheets. But, I can go back through the lens of my psyche to that child and calm him, and reassure him that he is safe and just where he needs to be. And I can gently sort out the layers of bedding on top of him and tuck him in warm and cozy.

And it sure feels good to be nurturing my little boy with all those skills that I have developed from helping other people.

Wishing you peace and nurturing.

Good day!   I like to ask my students “What moves you to work with those in eldercare or hospice?”  Over the years, some themes have emerged from the responses I’ve heard.  I’d like to share them with you here because I assume if you are reading this you have some degree of interest in working with elders or others with life-limiting illness. So, here’s what folks have told me.

“I’ve had a personal experience that led me to want to serve.”  These experiences range from having a grandmother in a nursing home to a close family member receiving hospice care to having grown up around older adults.  Those who identify with this report having both a comfort level and a desire to ‘give back’.

“I’ve been a massage therapist for a number of years and it’s taken a toll on my body.  I want to prolong my career and perhaps working with this population would be a good option.”  These therapists have a number of years in the profession and desire to find work that isn’t as physically taxing, thereby extending the longevity of their career.

“I don’t know exactly, but  I want to do this work– I just feel called in my heart to do it!”  This is the most common reason I hear.  The circumstances leading to the desire to work with this population can’t be pin-pointed, however there is a strong pull toward this form of service. 

Is one reason better than another? Of course not.  I think the most important thing is for each of us to ask the question and come up with our own answer. So, I ask you, “What moves YOU to want to work with this special population?”  I’d love to hear!
Take good care and enjoy the summer,
Ann

OK I am a bit of a geek which is unusual for a massage therapists.   I have a system that I use and recommend but it is fairly time intensive yet anyone can do it.  So the other day I started researching various website design systems for massage therapists and was wondering what people are using and what is effective.

An effective website to me is one that gets 3-5 clients a week AND also makes you an additional stream of income from promoting affiliate products. (Affiliate marketing is promoting things that are related to massage – like I promote a stretching program, Traumeel, Biofreeze and books on health that I have read)

The reason that I feel a website is so important is that it is more than just a calling card for your business.  It is also an opportunity to be more professional and educated doctors and the general public about what massage really can do and how it is used.   You know the drill – it’s good for stress, injuries, wellness but most people are clueless really about their bodies.

A website is one of the easiest ways to get clients I think because people are already looking for a massage therapist.  They aren’t looking for you when they start out – but they are just looking for someone to help them with whatever issue they are having – stress  or pain in some combination usually.   People want to know that you have experience working with the kinds of things that they are dealing with.  They want to make sure they are spending their time wisely.  What do they think when they find a site that doesn’t have any more info than just a few pages on how much the massage therapists charges?

One of the best exercises you can do is to go online and try to find a good massage therapist.  Go through all of the process of searching online.  Actually go and do it and follow through and go and get the massage.   See what you find out there!

The components of an effective website are many.  It has to do with keywords and a little simple search engine optimization and also just writing all of the things down that you really just talk to people about – how muscles work, how massage works, what happens with stress and injuries.  Writing this all down will also improve the way you communicate with clients in person.

While all of the technical details might seem too overwhelming they are worth learning about to create an effective website.  I have it all laid on on my website at www.thebodyworker.com

If you would like some help with your current website just leave the address and I will give you some pointers on how to get your site to the top of the first page of Google (which is really the goal of every website. )

Happy Halloween!

Julie

?What if we think of gravity as a spiritual force of belonging? Gravity offers each of us a place called here, where we can let go of effort and rest in the ?lap of belonging? of the larger earth?s body. By turning our attention to an inner awareness of the attractive force of gravity, and to felt sensations of this ongoing connection to the earth, we can tap into an innate sense of belonging.?

Thus, Susan Harper began our time together this past weekend in the Meeting the World with Heart workshop. I was reminded over and over as the days progressed, of the enlivening effect of simply directing my attention to what is happening in each present moment in my body as it is an integral part of all of nature. It was wonderful, restful and rejuvenating.

Then we dived deeper into the consciousness of open inquiry ? exploring how our hearts have such a capacity for seeing the beauty in everything around us ? the beauty that is deep within, not the surface Hollywood definition of beauty. The inner intelligence of the heart is stimulated each time we perceive our world with fresh eyes ? not pre-judging something. We all played with turning off the auto-pilot and navigating with no set preconceptions. The weekend deepened and got richer with a wonderful balance of movement and stillness, reaching out and resting back to receive deeply.

I am reminded, yet again, of the importance of taking periods of time away from my normal life to deepen my own relationship with myself at a deep core level – my Spirit, my Soul ? this is the primary place of belonging for each of us. When it is not fed and valued all else starts to suffer. Often I feel as though I get off course (slightly or dramatically) when I forget to tune in regularly, drinking in what my inner wisdom is telling me in each moment.

What are you doing this Spring to start this new cycle of nature inspired and renewed? 

Denticulate Ligaments.

Denticulate Ligaments (DLs) are strands of connective tissue that suspend the spinal cord within its membrane sac, which is called the dual tube.

The dural tube is comprised of three layers of membrane surrounding the spinal cord. The membrane layer attached to the surface of the spinal cord is called the pia mater. The layer surrounding the pia mater is called the arachnoid membrane, and the layer surrounding the arachnoid membrane is called the dura mater.

DLs extend from the inner surface of the pia mater, travel through the pia mater, through the arachnoid membrane and then attach to the inner surface of the dura mater.

There are 21 pairs of DLs on the lateral aspects of the spinal cord. The first is attached to the foramen magnum. The last is attached to the conus medullaris, which is the end of the spinal cord at L1, and a small portion of the Filum Terminale (FT) beginning at the conus medullaris. The FT is a band of tissue extending from the conus medullaris to the coccyx that is made of spinal cord glial cells surrounded by pia mater.

DLs and FT shortening, twisting, bending or immobility can place adverse stress upon the spinal cord leading to neurological strain and dysfunction. Conversely, balancing the DLs and FT can decrease spinal cord stress which in turn can enhance neurological function.

DLs are fascinating components of the dural tube that seem, to me, to create a ligamentous suspension system cradling the spinal cord. Very little DL research is available.

These questions arise when I ponder and work the DLs and FT:

1) Since the spinal cord needs to move in its bony container more than the brain tissue does in its container, do the DLs provide protection and flexibility while allowing motion?

2) The dura mater of the dural tube is only one layer thick rather than the two layers within the cranium, so do the DLs create additional tube strength without compromising movement?

3) As the spinal cord moves within the spinal canal do the DLs, like thousands of tiny interlinked bungee cords, help dissipate stress and allow the spinal cord to find its most favorable position?

4) Structures that can affect the spinal cord, such as the occiput, spinal column, sacrum and coccyx, dural tube, adipose tissue within the spinal canal and nerve roots can each have restrictive patterns that in turn can distress the spinal cord. Do the DLs help to protect the spinal cord by balancing, dissipating and fine-tuning tension that is transmitted to the spinal cord?

5) Some theories suggest that there is a down and up flow of cerebrospinal fluid within the dural tube. Since the DLs separate the dural tube into anterior and posterior compartments, could that then organize the flow of cerebrospinal fluid?

I hope you?ll join me next month to explore this suspension system further. I’ll share some ideas on how to feel and work with DLs and the FT.

References:
Cramer, Gregory D., D.C., Ph.D., and Darby, Susan A., Ph.D., Basic and Clinical Anatomy of the Spine, Spinal Cord, and ANS, Second Edition, Elsevier Mosby, St. Louis, Missouri, 2005.

Sills, Franklyn, Craniosacral Biodynamics, Volume Two, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, 2004.

Tubbs, Shane R., M.S., PA-C; Salter, George, Ph.D.; Grabb, M.D.; and Oakes, Jerry W., M.D. ; ?The denticulate ligament: anatomy and functional significance?, J. Neurosurg: Spine / Volume 94 / April 2001.