“In the color spectrum, green is at the center of the rainbow, representing balance, healing, emotional stability, love, peace and rejuvenation. Green foods are power packed with nutrients, energizing, detoxifying, rebuilding and immune strengthening. As greens grow, they provide oxygen for people and the planet. Green foods are rich in chlorophyll, a potent collector of solar energy,” writes herbology instructor, Brigitte Mars. Read article here.

According to a recent Gallup-Healthways poll, Boulder, Colorado is the place to be for health and wellness. Other cities that made the cut? Honolulu, Santa Barbara, and DC (really?) More about the happiest city in the States here:

I had the pleasure of spending last Saturday learning the basics of canine massage. I now know that dogs can have up to 23 bones in their tail, and that my little dachshund has triceps! I actually learned a ton, and plan on studying more down the road.

Carol & Canine Buddy in Dharamsala, India

I got interested in studying canine massage while in Dharamsala, India on a volunteer trip this past fall. I had a beautiful interaction, soothing a street dog with a limp. More recently, I bonded with a few scraggly, street dogs in Guatemala who preferred skin rolling and effleurage to table scraps.

BCMT animal massage instructor, Barbara Maciejewski, says that massage for animals is not a luxury, and I totally agree.  My rescue pup, Quita, has been transformed from a fearful, withdrawn animal to a champion tail wagger thanks to all her friends at BCMT, who have massaged (and spoiled) her over the last year and one-half. My husband and I are adopting another dachshund soon, and she needs massage, too.  She was picked up by the Denver Dumb Friends League as a stray, and she’s being treated for a broken jaw.

Want to give the gift of massage to your canine – or feline, or horse or rabbit – this Valentine’s Day? I recommend visiting the International Association of Animal Massage & Bodywork website to find a massage therapist in your area. Oh, and one more thing: don’t give your dog a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day, no matter how much she wiggles and whines for you to share yours!

I had a once in a lifetime opportunity, I was able to massage a cheetah in Africa.  Actually,  I massaged one of the cheetah handlers too.  So, after spending about a week in Cape Town South Africa I went on a tour that forever changed me.

The tour was a wine tasting tour for the most part. The awe inspiring beauty of the South African wine lands is enough to take your breath away and the wine , well its exquisite to say the least.  Our funny and lively tour guide Rob ushered us to 4 of the finest wineries S.A. has to offer. Each one only exceeded in elegance by the previous. Until we got to the Spier Winery, it was a more modest winery with a lovely lake and a Cheetah Preserve.

I could barely contain my excitement when we entered into the cheetah area.  I learned a great deal about cheetahs that day, but the massage therapist in me could barely contain my eager fingers to explore the fascinating musculature of the speedy cheetah legs.  The pelvis itself was very different then the typical house cat as well as the powerful thigh muscles that were exaggerated from other cats I’ve seen.  A cheetah usually runs a consistent speed of 75mph, but a cheetah has been recorded as running as fast as 125 mph. Let’s just put this in perspective, a Corvette Twin Turbo accelerates at about 7.2 meters per second. A Ferrari Enzo boasts about 8.1 meters per second, which takes it from zero to 60 mph in about 3.3 seconds [source: AskMen].  A cheetah picks up speed faster than both of those cars. Its specialized body accelerates at 10 meters per second and gets up to 40 mph (64 kph) in three strides [source: Cheetah Conservation]. Wow, how is that possible?

The cheetah has an enlarged heart and lungs that enable it to take in lots of oxygen and circulate it in a very effective manner. The nostrils of the cheetah are also larger than most animals its size; the head is small and the waist is thin, with the body long. The cheetah owns long and powerful legs. The cheetah’s tail acts like a rudder as it runs. It also has semi-retractable claws that allow it to gain ground with every step. Interestingly, the cheetah cannot roar, but it can purr as it inhales.[source:ehow.com] Now that was my favorite part,  as I was massaging this cheetah he started to purr the handler looked at me surprised, he said that the cheetah almost never purrs for strangers, I proudly said “maybe so, but I’m a massage therapist” he laughed and said that I must have that special touch then!

Well you know how word gets around fast in the cheetah pen, one of the handlers then asked me if I would work on her poor shoulder too.  So I did, she had a messed up rhomboid and trap.  Yes, it was amazing, and now when my clients say they want purr while on my table I just tell them, go ahead,  if it’s good enough for a cheetah…

In 2009, BCMT set a conservative goal of $25,000 for fund raising with something very specific in mind: take our service to the community global. Early in the year, we jumped on the bandwagon of an alumna, Maria August, who had been teaching massage to Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala, India – really making a difference in that community. Her students were learning quickly, getting jobs, and hungry for more.

So a team of us, 10 faculty, staff and alumni started fund raising to support her efforts on a larger scale. We raised funds individually and by participating in larger group efforts such as the Massage for Peace clinics in the spring. By September, we’d met our goal and were on our way to Dharamsala (via Chicago and Delhi) to teach 20 Tibetan refugees the basics of massage therapy.  I still can’t believe what we accomplished in such as short period of time. We raised enough to cover the trip and then some – a downpayment on giving back far into the future.

Crib in Baby Room, Tibetan Children's Village, Dharamsala, India

If there’s one thing I learned about this experience, it’s this: we all want to make a difference. It’s joyous to give back to the people, animals and plants we share the planet with. Given the opportunity and support, we can and do rise to the occasion. At BCMT, we’re looking at 2010 as another great year to serve locally and globally. Our latest local initiative is an internship at the Acorn School for Early Childhood Development. Students (supervised by Massage for Peace instructor, Gaye Franklin) will provide Peaceful Touch to little ones getting ready for nap time. Yup, getting a good night’s sleep or a siesta in after lunch, is yet another benefit of  receiving regular massage.

Sweet dreams,

Carol Brunelli, Massage for Peace Coordinator

I’m sure you’ve heard before that it’s not good to eat a meal and go right to bed. Makes sense but I guess I never really knew why.

During my last opportunity in a cadaver lab and I was able to see why this statement is true. The diaphragm is a muscle that elevates and depresses with breathing, the liver is attached to the diaphragm. As the diaphragm moves up and down it allows for increased motility of the liver aiding in the effectiveness of digestion. Meaning movement in the diaphragm after eating increases the ability and strength of the liver to absorb blood and nutrients from the food consumed. Moving around after a meal as opposed to going straight to bed will allow you to get the most nutrition out of the food you eat.

Are you currently in an entry level massage therapy job and want to take your career to the next level? Or are you an experienced licensed massage therapist wanting to break into the burgeoning health care industry and practice in a medical setting such as a hospital, nursing home or sports medicine facility? Or do you have a love of animals and want to practice in the growing field of canine massage? Or do you need to fulfill an education requirement? If so, then Continuing Education is what you need.

There are several Continuing Education options from which to choose and these courses are specifically designed for massage therapists to keep you current with trends, satisfy your curiosity, and engage you in new areas of exploration such as prenatal, canine, sports, Eastern massage or medical massage therapy. In fact, 80 different types of massage types, or modalities, exist according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Taking Continuing Education classes will not only benefit you as a person, but also it will benefit your practice. By learning new modalities you can specialize in specific populations and increase your clientele. This provides the opportunity to increase your hourly rate depending on the type of massage you are performing. Also, the more knowledge, comprehension and application of massage techniques you have, the more you will be able to define your clients’ needs and support them with massage therapy. This allows you to make a more specific pre-massage assessment which directly benefits the client and increases the possibility of him/her becoming a repeat client.

There are three main reasons for taking Continuing Education courses: 1) to obtain an advanced massage therapy degree such as an Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degree; 2) to obtain an Advanced Certification in massage therapy; and 3) to obtain Continuing Education (CE) credits in order to renew your state license or professional membership.

Let’s look in more detail at each one of these reasons for taking Continuing Education classes:

1) To obtain an advanced massage therapy degree, such as an Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degree

An advanced degree, such as an AOS degree, is geared toward students who want to explore advanced concepts in human anatomy and physiology, including neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, medical massage, and other topics not covered in a basic training Massage Therapy Certificate Program. An advanced degree is the way to go if you want to practice massage therapy in a medical setting such as a hospital or rehabilitative massage clinic. Here are some examples of courses required in order to obtain an AOS degree:

Medical Massage – In this course, the study of advanced pathophysiology and critical thinking skills is combined with specific practical hands-on techniques. Students learn treatment methods specifically geared toward clients with spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, and post-surgical conditions.

Trauma and the Body – This course introduces the major concepts of post traumatic stress, and outlines the benefits of massage therapy to survivors of trauma. Students learn techniques that can help restore a sense of balance in the nervous system as well as foster reconnection for survivors who often experience intense physical reactions, memories, and a sense of disconnectedness from their body.

Craniosacral Therapy – Students will learn the fundamental skills that serve as the foundation of craniosacral therapy, including an introduction to the core anatomical and physiological relationships of the Craniosacral system: the fluctuation of cerebrospinal fluid, body articulations, reciprocal tension membranes, dural tube and spinal cord dynamics, and the motillity of the central nervous system.

2) To obtain an Advanced Certification in massage therapy

Advanced Certificate Programs are designed for students who have completed basic training as a massage therapist. Students take advanced coursework in deep tissue massage, energy work such as Reiki and Chi Kung, Eastern styles such as shiatsu and Thai massage, and spa body treatments. This postgraduate training allows students to choose a focused track of specialization, mastering techniques which are immediately applicable and beneficial to their clients such as spa elements, prenatal, labor and postpartum, canine massage, orthopedic and sports massage, and energy healing. Continuing education hours are earned for each module taken.

3) CE credits required to renew your state license or professional membership such as the American Massage Therapy Association (amtamassage.org)

The majority of states require that you have a license to practice massage therapy and renewal of the license requires that you obtain massage continuing education. Even if you practice massage therapy in a state that does not require Continuing Education, it is important to continually be challenging yourself, learning more about your profession and, ultimately, becoming more successful in healing others through the power of touch.

How to Find Continuing Education Courses in Your Area

· Determine the Continuing Education requirements in your state by contacting the state licensing authority. If you don’t know the website URL to go to, a search for the name of your state and “massage therapy continuing education” should point you to the right place. The state licensing board may list approved providers on their website. If not, you can search online for approved providers.

· Determine the Continuing Education requirements by your professional association. The association should list approved providers on their website. If not, you can search online for approved providers.

· After completing the course, be sure to keep your completion certificate on file, even if your state licensing board or professional association doesn’t require that you submit proof of taking the course. If the state licensing board or association is audited, you may be asked to provide proof of completion.

Whether you choose to take Continuing Education classes to move to the next stage in your career or just for the credits, the purpose of Continuing Education remains the same. Continuing Education ensures that massage therapists keep current on new developments in the field and continue improving their skills in order to help others.

AMTA MERT prepares and manages volunteer massage therapists for professional deployment to disaster sites to perform massage on rescue and recovery workers.

Displaced Haitians set up tents in football stadium

The concept for a MERT Program started in 1989 following the California Loma Prieta Earthquake. During that disaster, more than 8,000 massages were given to disaster workers, demolition workers, grief counselors, highway patrol officers, and many others. Since that time, volunteer massage therapists have participated in numerous disaster responses.

AMTA MERT offers emergency management agencies and rescue workers the expertise of highly qualified, professionally trained massage therapists. To volunteer, therapists must:

• Maintain their AMTA Active Professional classification membership in good standing, and
• Have liability insurance coverage (included in your AMTA Professional classification membership).

A woman is helped after being trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in Port-au-Prince.

MERT members may be working alongside individuals from the federal and state emergency management agencies, the Red Cross, the National Guard, law enforcement and other responding agencies. Long before the concept of MERT, emergency management agencies developed policies and procedures allowing them to respond cooperatively and effectively to disasters.

To volunteer, contact your AMTA chapter.

Care of your body should be at the top of your priority list. You will feel and look better if you take the necessary steps regarding health and nutrition. Stress relief alone can improve your vitality and state of mind. Massage, bodywork, and somatic therapies can play an important role in your life.

Receiving massage on a regular basis will help to promote a healthy circulatory system, along with good posture. Massage also releases tension and pain in the muscles, allowing them to move more freely. People who receive massage frequently tend to be more flexible and comfortable in their bodies, since they are maintaining a higher level of general health.

Because of the various benefits that massage offers, it is unlikely a person could receive too much. Therapeutic massage has a cumulative effect on both soft tissue repair and decreasing stress, therefore regular massage is recommended to achieve the best result.

There is not a ‘one for all’ answer to this question and will vary from person to person.  Generally speaking, if you are recovering from injury or trying to ‘dial down’ some red flags that your body is putting up, then I feel weekly massage is in order until your body is able to re-establish balance.  For health maintenance and to assist in your activities of daily living once a month is ideal.  Talk with your massage therapist and get a personalized recommendation regarding frequency of receiving massage.