Establishing Presence in a Spa

As Eric and I have been preparing for our presentation at the ISPA annual conference, we decided one point we wanted spa management to hear is about establishing presence in the spa environment. Click HERE to read our summary.

The following is an excerpt from our writing.

The Power of Presence

Presence is a state of mind, free from distraction and practiced through mindfulness. Mindfulness fosters the attitude of living in the moment and enjoying each guest in an unhurried, relaxed state as the guest enjoys each service in a relaxed state. Spa-goers crave a structured service flow managed by authentic personnel who make them feel like an individual worthy of time and attention. This is especially true for first time guests who may feel out of place in the spa habitat. A distracted state of mind on the part of employees can make guests feels as if staff is simply going through the motions. Presence speaks loudly: “My focus is here with you right now.”

The modern spa requires spa stamina, which is obtained when energy remains steady throughout the day. Establish a quiet area for employees to regroup and become present throughout the day. To start each day grounded, encourage employees to arrive early and spend a few moments in the quiet area or conduct pre-shift focus sessions. These few moments can center and prepare employees to be present with each guest, even in times of discomfort. Infusing your spa with the practice of mindfulness (present-centered attention) is a powerful way to engender those feelings.

Massage Continuing Education - Fall Workshops 2008

Upcoming imassage Workshops
imassage creates programs focusing on how to achieve therapeutic results and exceed client expectations, while minimizing physical stress to the therapist. Our instructors create a positive, creative class environment honoring each student's learning style.

September
26 --Top Ten Trigger Points for Erasing Pain Nashville, TN
27-28 --21 Deep Tissue Techniques to Enliven your Practice Nashville, TN

October
11-12 --21 Deep Tissue Techniques to Enliven your Practice Atlanta, GA
16-17 --The Magic of Hot Stone Massage Siler City, NC
18 -- Unlocking Computer Shoulder Chapel Hill, NC
19 --10 Deep Tissue Techniques to Enliven your Practice Chapel Hill, NC
24 --Unlocking Computer Shoulder St. Louis, MO
25-26 --21 Deep Tissue Techniques to Enliven your Practice St. Louis, MO
25-26 --21 Deep Tissue Techniques to Enliven your Practice Columbia, SC

November
7 --Unlocking Computer Shoulder Henderson, NV
8-9 --The Magic of Hot Stone Massage Henderson, NV
15 --Deep Tissue Made Easy: Core Body Mechanics Tempe, AZ
16 --Deep Tissue Made Easy: Upper Body Tempe, AZ
17 --Deep Tissue Made Easy: Lower Body Tempe, AZ

For more information or to register visit www.imassageinc.com

Massage Continuing Education - Upcoming Classes

Here is our schedule of classes through June. If you have any questions or would like registration information email: debra@imassageinc.com or visit our website.

May 30 Unlocking Computer Shoulder Nashville, TN
May 31 - 1 21 Deep Tissue Techniques Nashville, TN

June 12 Unlocking Computer Shoulder Charleston, SC
June 13-14 21 Deep Tissue Techniques Charleston, SC

June 20 Massage Ethics Charleston, WV
June 21 Unlocking Computer Shoulder Charleston, WV
June 22 10 Deep Tissue Techniques Charleston, WV

Massage Continuing Education at the Spa at Pinehurst

Having a successful massage therapy career at a spa might require readjustment, but is rewarding in many ways. imassage recently provided an in-house training for the Spa at Pinehurst in North Carolina. We worked with 19 members of their massage team on deep-tissue, hot stone techniques. It is wonderful to see spas, such as Pinehurst, providing their therapists with support and training to ensure they stay healthy and happy. The entire staff exuded professionalism and they were excited about being a part of the spa team.

We had the opportunity to meet with Spa Director, Kim Huber and Massage Therapist Supervisor, Katie Yedinak. They shared with us some of the programs they have implemented to support their massage staff. Weekly, they hold a full spa meeting to bring all departments together. During this, they share guest feedback and recognize employees for great work. A transition room is provided for team members, allowing time between sessions for interaction and session updates. All employees are cross trained for other positions so there is greater awareness of departmental functions. For their massage therapists, an educational fund pays for CE’s allowing for consistent training which results in better guest experiences.

We also asked them what they felt was the hardest transition for new therapists coming into the spa environment. The following three items seemed to top the list;

1. Client communication: Understanding the importance of client communication and how to do so. Checking in is key to determine if the guest is receiving the service they expected.
2. Releasing ownership: For some therapists it is difficult to transition out of the mind-set of “my client”, “my room”, “my stones,” etc. When employed by a spa, flexibility is required as integration with a team happens.
3. Transitioning between services: This is a very important function as guests move from one service to the next. The experience should be seamless and not feel as if it is broken into different services.

In an average spa, fifty to seventy-five percent of revenues come from massage therapy services. For spas, it is important to take care of their massage team.

Enjoy the pictures from our trip.

You can visit the Pinehurst website HERE.

Massage Continuing Education - 2008 Calendar

Our calendar is updated with our massage continuing ed courses for the first half of 2008. We are bringing more classes, more topics and more fun your way! We will be posting workshop highlights, pictures of students and great stories from the road, so check in regularly to keep up to date.

"NEW" Classes for 2008

Unlocking Computer Shoulder
"Top Ten" Trigger Points for Erasing Pain
21 Myofascial Techniques to Enliven your Practice

We will continue to offer the following favorites

The Magic of Hot Stone Massage
Core Body Mechanics: Strength from Within
Massage Ethics: Navigating the Waters


To see where the classes are being held and when, click HERE.

We hope to see you there!

Body Mechanics: A necessity for all massage training

We recently facilitated a deep tissue continuing education class in West Virginia. While we love to teach therapists new techniques, we are PASSIONATE about incorporating self-care into our classes in an effort to provide avenues for therapists to stay viable longer. I was observing Eric working with a student on a technique. He asked her to pause. He then had her focus on her body mechanics, encouraging her to work from her core and position her body so she could flow easily in the direction of movement. After navigating the new shift, her face lit up. She told us she had learned body mechanics in school, but had never figured out how to utilize the movements correctly in her practice. When Eric had her take the focus off her back and place it on her center, she could effortlessly deliver deep techniques. Proper posture and positioning is important when delivering the work and helps ensure greater longevity.

The picture above is of the Deep Tissue Class in WV. They were a great group to work with and we look forward to returning next year.

Massage Continuing Education: Making New Friends on the Road

Imagine for a moment that within a healing environment you have medical doctors discussing strategies with massage therapists, acupuncturists and psychotherapists on a holistic approach to patient healing. Sound unlikely? Not in Durham, NC home for Duke Integrative Medicine (DIM).

After being on the road teaching for over two weeks, it was a much needed last stop before venturing home. Bringing together traditional and alternative forms of healing, DIM's focus is on the powerful interrelationship between mind, body, spirit and community in both health and disease. The massage team, led by Tracey Moon, is an integral part of the immersion process as a wide range of treatment modalities work simultaneously to create a healing alliance.

Eric and I were fortunate enough to spend time working with the
massage team on hot stone training. It was wonderful to find ourselves in partnership with a facility focused on providing care, not only to their patients, but to their staff as well.

The building itself is an experience combining light wood, cool hues and the smooth curves of walkways. It offers visitors spacious rooms radiant with light contrasted with small spaces for private contemplation.

If interested, you can visit HERE for an abundance of free health related articles provided by Duke.

Pictures from our recent travels

Omaha School of Massage "The Magic of Hot Stone Massage". We love going to the Omaha area. The students are always excited and open to learning. We have 4 classes scheduled for 2008.

Body Therapy Institute "The Magic of Hot Stone Massage". Holding class on the beautiful BTI campus is like returning home to family. In the upper left, you can see John a wonderful BTI teacher. We have two classes scheduled in 2008.

Duke Integrative Medicine's massage team "Hot Stone and Hydrotherapy Training". A beautiful, innovative facility we look forward to working with again.

Eric, Tracey and Debra