Posted by Jennifer Shaw on Thu, Feb 11, 2010 @ 10:00
Interview courtesy of Heartland
Randy Cummins has had a private massage therapy practice in Chicago, Illinois for over 20 years, and has taught massage continuing education workshops at Lauterstein-Conway Massage School for nearly as long.
His expertise, humor and perspective have helped thousands of massage school students and practicing massage therapists access the deepest principles of massage therapy.
Part One of this interview discusses the emergence of the massage movement in Chicago, and also Randy's story - how he came to massage therapy (3:56). Culture and history of bodywork come up, too (7:47).
In Part Two, Randy Cummins talks about the types of massage (0:41-3:05, throughout) and the importance of the individual and massage therapy treatment (3:06).
Part Three talks about how to organize a massage therapy session depending on the day, the client and the evolution of the "place" the client and therapist are in. Whether it is changing the music, actively listening or working instinctively, every massage session is different. (0:00-3:00). Catch a mention of David Lauterstein, too! (4:50).
Bliss out.
Posted by Jennifer Shaw on Mon, Feb 01, 2010 @ 04:00 PM
By Dara Allen-Trainer, TLCschool Retail Manager and Customer Service Specialist
30% off Relaxation & Wellness CD’s, 30% off Biotone Aromatherapy Essential Oils, 30% off Ancient Medicine & Touch Posters
Are you a massage therapist? Do you have a friend or family member who is a massage therapist? Are you a student at TLC? Do you know someone who needs to relax and rejuvenate? Looking for the perfect gift for a loved one? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then our massage supplies sale will benefit you!
TLCschool Store has a variety of massage supplies and relaxation gifts that promote a healthy lifestyle or a massage clinic.
WELLNESS & RELAXATION CDs...30% off!
Many physicians & healers consider sound therapy one of the most profound healing modalities. As a result, several health spas and doctor clinics, interested in extending music therapy, are providing relaxation music to help with their client's health & well-being.
The great thing about relaxation music CDs is that, regardless of your location, popping in your favorite CD will immediately bring calm. You can listen to your relaxation music in your car, calming yourself before (or after) a tough day at work, you can listen to your relaxation music at work to help keep your stress level in check, and you can listen to relaxation music while at home, dealing with the day-to-day issues life brings our way. In other words, anywhere you go, your ability to put relaxation music CDs to work for you follows!
Therapeutic Neck Pillows $12.00
When used 20 minutes each day, these pillows help to restore the natural neck curve. Pillows that support the neck maintain the proper cervical curve; providing a deep area for the head to rest and a supportive area to keep the neck in alignment. The comfort and wellness of your neck will not only allow for more proper sleep, but relieves headaches, back pain, neck tension, soreness and stress.
Neck pillows are used to help maintain the normal anterior curve of the cervical spine during rest by giving great support. They can also be used under the back or the knees. Perfect for travel and support during daily activities such as watching television or reading.
Wonderful for relaxation segments in yoga programs, especially for people with neck issues.
Herbal Silk Eye Pillows $12.00
Quiet your mind and relax your entire body with a herbal silk eye pillow. Made from 100% silk and handmade in Austin, these aromatherapy eye pillows contain: flax seed - cooling effect, rosemary - used to relieve mental fatigue, analgesic, stimulant, anti-rheumatic rose oil - relaxant, antispasmodic mint - refresher lavendar oil- anti-depressant relieves nervous tension, restorative. Perfect for relaxing eyes during massages and spa treatments. Ideal for meditation, headache relief and promoting restful deep sleep. Fantastic for travel. Soothes headaches, tired eyes and promotes restful deep sleep.
*For spa use place a tissue between the client's eyes and the eye pillow for hygienic purposes.
Hand-woven Blankets $15.00
These soft hand-woven blankets have a wonderful striped design and are intended for use in yoga and massage. The bright, beautiful blankets are made from a blend of cotton and acrylic to resist mildew, retain integrity and can safely be machine washed.
Whether you are in need of added comfort in reclining, restorative & meditative positions or extra support in seated & kneeling poses, these blankets provide additional cushioning needed in your regular Yoga practice.
Also great for use on the massage table, these blankets provide warmth, weight and coziness to massage clients. Available in an array of soothing colors!
*By their handmade nature, each will vary slightly.
Posted by Jennifer Shaw on Mon, Jan 25, 2010 @ 11:26
By Belinda Mendoza, local feng shui consultant
When it comes to creating a professional massage space that promotes well-being and relaxation, most massage therapists have a good idea what it takes. Gentle music, for example, contributes to making a client feel calm and nurtured. But there are also commonly overlooked details, such as the angle of a massage table, that have a great impact on a client's experience.
According to feng shui, the ancient art and science of placement and space planning, can also have a dramatic effect on a massage therapist's feelings, not to mention his or her professional reputation and monetary success.
For the last 3,500 years, the Chinese have used feng shui - literally "wind and water" - to harmonize environments by balancing the flow of universal life energy, known as chi. Feng shui is a method for seeing life in a holistic way and trying to recreate that symbolically within one's home or healing environment.
To achieve this end, feng shui practitioners work to balance the opposing energies of yin and yang. Yin elements are receptive, cold, and soft, while yang is active, hot, and compact. Feng shui also draws on the five elements of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood in order to mindfully organize your environment so that it fully supports you in your life.
Key Feng Shui Design Tips For Success
From the moment a client gets out of the car, you want them to realize they are entering a nurturing environment. To initiate this feeling, feng shui wisdom suggests you start by making sure your name and address are clearly visible, you have a plant outside your door, and the entry is unobstructed, warmly lit, and inviting.
Next, if you have a long hallway leading to your office or perhaps to your practice rooms, it may create too much energy or "racing chi." In order to slow down that energy, consider adding rounded tables, plants, or pictures.
In a [wellness] practice, you want to have soft edges, nothing sharp or pointed because you are dealing with people who are vulnerable and need to be treated gently. This tip might translate into soft, fluffy waiting room chairs and gentle lighting. You'll want to keep the waiting room free from clutter, but be sure to adorn it with appealing artwork, a few healthy plants, and ideally the element of water, such as a bubbling fountain.
In fact, if placed in the southeast or "money" corner of your space, water is thought to bring good luck in the area of finances.
The colors you choose for your walls can make a huge impact on how clients experience your space and that, too, may ultimately contribute to the financial success of your business. For both the waiting area and practice rooms, choose colors that are soft, such as skin tones or perhaps muted shades of green, since this color is associated with healing, growth, and new energy. Be sure to keep practice rooms a comfortable temperature, warmly lit, and well laid out.
Having a client's head right near the door does not impart them with a feeling of safety. You also don't them in the 'death position' with the feet facing directly out the door. Often times putting the table at an angle and using a screen near the door can give your client a very needed sense of comfort and power.
Add shiny, metal touches to your administrative area to increase precision, and use natural candles or sparkle lights to conjure up the notion of enlightenment associated with the element of fire.
While many of these recommendations may seem fairly intuitive, it is often difficult to see one's own environment with fresh eyes. Therefore, having the help of a feng shui practitioner can make all the difference. By using their heightened intuition along with either a special compass or an energetic map known as the bagua, a practitioner can pinpoint the exact energies of a specific practice space. Paying attention to these details will ultimately help the massage therapist achieve the most enlightened intention for his or her practice - a feat that will benefit both therapist and client.
Belinda Mendoza is the Owner and Director of Operations for Design For Energy, an Austin-based feng shui consulting firm. She has been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant and Practitioner since 1996.
Design for Energy specializes in Feng Shui for Green Design, Feng Shui for Real Estate, Feng Shui for Commercial Properties and Feng Shui for Space Clearing.
Check out Design For Energy's eNewsletter The Art of Harmonious Living and the Red Program for discounts on their consultations and more.
Posted by Jennifer Shaw on Mon, Jan 18, 2010 @ 02:59 PM
Over the weekend, Lauterstein-Conway Massage School Facebook page added several fans, which resulted in a spike in wonderful wall posts.
Thank you and welcome to those of you who became fans and added content to our page via your wall posts. We'd love to continue to grow our online community, so please encourage your massage-loving friends and family to become fans, too!
(Don't forget if you have something really nice to say, there is also a review capability on our fan page. We don't want your wonderful posts to just get lost on the wall!)
Posted by Jennifer Shaw on Fri, Sep 18, 2009 @ 05:00 PM
by Dara Allen-Trainer, TLCschool Retail Manager and Customer Service Specialist
Lauterstein-Conway Massage School has always been green-minded and supportive of organic and locally-manufactured massage products, but in an effort to run an even more eco-friendly school, Lauterstein-Conway is greening-up!
TLCschool Store's Green Water Bottles that are Purple
Lauterstein-Conway's school store doesn't just sell books. Thirsty? Students, you may have noticed we got rid of our Odwalla bottled water. We ditched those expensive, toxic, non-biodegradable plastic water bottles for new aluminum TLC water bottles available for purchase at the TLCschool Store. Get unlimited re-fills on us at the filtered water fountain located in the student hallway.
But TLCschool Store doesn't just sell to students. The Austin-area massage community can purchase from the school, too! Did you know the TLCschool Store offers organic massage products produced by environmentally-minded and local companies? Check it out!
South Austin Soap People's Unscented Lotion
SoAP's Mission
South Austin People - So. A. P. - is a company started by a U.T. Chemistry graduate. With the help of many friends, it has grown to what it is today a small company still, but a company that produces some of the best soaps and lotions made. SoAP's products are intended for people who believe their bodies deserves better than "cheap, mass-produced, petroleum-based crap." Using nothing but quality ingredients and own recipes, South Austin People takes pride in producing nothing but the highest quality products.
TLCschool Featured Product
SoAp's lotion is made in small batches by hand, following the originally formulated recipe using botanical oils high in vitamin and antioxidant content including MeadowFoam, Jojoba, Grapeseed, and Shea butter, as well as naturally derived ingredients like Aloe, Silk, Vitamin E, and Vegetable Glycerin. SoAp's lotion recipe is made to be a non-greasy, light moisturizing conditioner that leaves hands and common dry spots. It is available unscented or scented with essential oils or fragrance oils. SoAP also makes creams, oils and soaps, of course.
Daily Juice's Baraka Bars
Daily Juice History
Daily Juice says, "Happy taste buds dancing, we celebrate and seek wellness-wholeness." The original Daily Juice on Barton Springs road is housed in the oldest building on the street. The one-time gem shop was later as a ticket booth for “The Bee Caves” horse drawn carriage tour of southwest Austin. The building enters the side of the hill at the entrance of a mysterious cave, one that is rumored to have an exit near La Zona Rosa, which is on the other side of Lady Bird Lake! Check out more DJ philosophy and company highlights!
TLCschool Featured Product
"Ba-ra-ka" is an ancient Su word meaning "spiritual gift, blessing, or offering." Using organic ingredients, Baraka Bars combine nature’s best superfoods with activated nuts and seeds to provide your body with an easily-digested source of sustainable energy.
Sacred Earth Botanicals' Massage Lotion
Who Is Sacred Earth
Sacred Earth Botanicals' is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley's wine country near Eugene, Oregon. Sacred Earth promotes a line of professional massage therapy products with a focus on certified organic ingredients, environmentally friendly packaging, and sustainable business practices. Customers can have peace-of-mind knowing their massage products have been thoughtfully developed with the health of the massage therapist, client and the environment in mind.
Sacred Earth shows its commitment to the environment in many ways. Currently the 8oz. oil and lotion bottles are made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and are reusable and recyclable. As more eco-friendly products become available, Sacred Earth will offer all its products in recycled containers. Sacred Earth is even working towards generating its own power for its facility through solar power - an environmentally friendly alternative to hydroelectric power.
TLCschool Featured Product
SacredEarth Botanicals' unscented massage lotion is light and provides excellent absorption while retaining great glide and workability. It is rich in organic polyunsaturated oils and organic botanical extracts for a calming, therapeutic experience for the client. Unscented, hypo-allergenic and vegan, Sacred Earth's massage lotion will please even the most discriminating clients.
WHATS NOT IN IT: Parabens, Animal Products, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, TEA (Triethanolamine) or Ureas.
TLCschool hopes you enjoy the massage products we offer here at TLCschool! If you come across any fun, new and local products you think we should offer, let us know!
Posted by Jennifer Shaw on Fri, May 15, 2009 @ 06:27 PM
By Holly Berry, Admissions Director and newly licensed massage therapist and Jennifer Shaw, Marketing and Sales Director and LMT
While various claims about the state of the massage industry have been made in the past several months, there is no doubt that the world economy is in recession.
Massage Income: TLC Instructor Cindy Anderson has a private practice and provides massage at a local resort in addition to teaching.
For new, part-time or poorly established massage therapists, a recession means there is hard work ahead - and not hard work that can be done with the hands and a massage table. The hard work in store for therapists who want to survive during a recession is business, namely marketing.
Jennifer:
"Though most massage therapists are self-employed, they are often not business-minded people. During a recession, when everyone is thinking about spending less, the burden of proof falls to the LMT. LMTs have to answer the question: why do I need to spend money on a massage? They also have to convince people, to make them aware, that they need to be thinking about massage to begin with. Marketing is critical at this point, and it is not something you can do on a massage table. It's business."
Holly:
"As someone who worked in sales and marketing for over four years before becoming a massage therapist, there are certain practices that I think should be second-nature, but maybe don't come naturally to everyone."
Holly's Top Five
- Always, always, always have business cards. I don't care if you are taking the kids to the pool, you find a water-proof case and BRING THOSE CARDS.
- Yes, you do need a website. Even if you set up a simple landing page that lists your contact information, hours, and the services you provide. If I can't find you on the internet, you don't exist to me.
- Network! You are a business owner, which means you can gain value (and customers!) by speaking to other business owners. There are a million-and-one opportunities for this. The Outlaw List and Holly's Hot Happenings are two good Austin resources for upcoming events.
- Ask for referrals (and you better already have a referral program!), ask for the next appointment, ask them to post a review of your business, ask how you can improve your services (preferably anonymously), and ask for business when you meet someone new.
- Get personal. Write hand-written thank-you notes, birthday cards, session reminders. Take detailed session notes that show you're paying attention. Take the time to write out a recipe or teach them a self-care exercise or add that extra touch that shows you care.
Jennifer:
"Whether you are just starting out or have been working in the massage industry for a while, consider this. The recession will end. The economy will revive. This will pass, as they say.
Massage therapists need to be careful that they do not pay later for the decisions they make now. For example, taking a part-time administrative job will not do anything for building a client base. Adding a regular chair massage gig or picking up a part-time massage job at a gym are better ways to build clientele and increase income at the same time."
If you are interested in meeting new people and learning the basics of networking, join Lauterstein-Conway for its first Find Your Massage Therapist Networking Event, Friday, June 12th from 6:30-9 p.m.
Technorati Profile
Posted by Jennifer Shaw on Thu, Mar 05, 2009 @ 01:08 PM
Lauterstein-Conway Massage School is proud of its graduates, and so in a recent blog article What are you Offering Online we invited our readers, students and alumni to share their recent massage business promotions.
Liz Garrison said her most creative promotional offer came from partnering with a fellow member of the wellness industry: attendees at her dietitian's Juice-Plus seminar received a free mini-facial from Liz. Liz says they should know how the new promotion paid off in the next couple of months.
I personally, have what I call a Industry Partnership program not unlike the one Liz is now offering. It has been a great networking tool in the spa space where I office. Getting linked into another established businesses' client bases is a fast and easy way to add clients to your own massage therapy practice.
Another interesting business promotion idea includes Kaia Petin's payment plan, which is similar to Massage Envy's membership idea. The basic promotion is that you pay a smaller fee for massage therapy regularly and use the service as needed. Too often small businesses (like our personal massage practices) don't do what bigger businesses do - try big things.
There is no reason a pricing idea like Kaia's wouldn't be just as profitable for an individual massage therapy practitioner as it would for a massage establishment franchise like Massage Envy. The only difference is that there is one person running the program versus an organization.
Angie Taylor mentioned a Valentine's special she was offering, and planning specific promotions for holidays are always beneficial, but the promotion she shared that was most important was the idea of rewarding clients for referrals. Referrals are always the best quality clients you can generate. Structuring a referral rewards program is not only one of the best ways to add clients to your practice, but it should also be one of the first promotions you put in place.
Thanks for your feedback about what you are offering your clients - specifically online. Have more to share? Comment below!