The Tipping Question

Should you tip a Massage Therapist? If so, why and how much?

So let's be honest. Massage can be pricey. Depending on where you go you can figure to pay anywhere from $50- $100 or more for an hour long massage. Why should you tip on top of that? Also, why is massage so expensive?

The answer is: it depends. Not very helpful I know. But here are a few reasons for the whys and hows of paying and tipping for massage. 

There are three major ways of working as a Massage Therapist. 

1. Self-employed/ sole owner

        100% of the massage price goes to the therapist.

       However, this means that all expenses are the therapist/owners responsibility. Rent, equipment, supplies, continuing education, etc. are all part of what dictates the price charged for the massage. The type of bodywork being done and level of experience of the therapist can also affect the price. 

2. Independent Contractor 

        Therapists are paid on commission. Typical rate is 50% of the massage rate. The therapists responsibilities can vary. Sometimes all equipment and supplies are supplied. Sometimes linens, oils, and marketing are the therapists responsibility. Unless it is a Therapist owned office, or large franchise the therapists are most likely IC.  

3. Franchise/ Employee status

        Therapists are paid an hourly rate for each massage performed. The typical rate is $15 for each hour long massage. If the therapist has a day with no massages they are paid minimum wage (kind of like how wait staff are paid). The therapist does not have to provide any supplies or equipment.

         Massage rates are partially dictated by the type of business in which the therapist works. The larger business can afford to charge less but that means the therapists earn less. The single therapists offices may take home the full 100% but have greater overhead. There is a level of variation in all of these options. There are also some situations, such as Doctor's offices, where tips cannot be accepted. If you are unsure of the tipping policy, just ask.  

          If you decide to tip how much should you leave? The general rule of thumb is to tip 20% of the total cost. (For discounts would tip according to the non-discounted rate.) 

While tipping is not expected, it is lovely and encouraging for the therapist. It lets them know their abilities and time are appreciated and valued.   

Snow Day!

     Over this past weekend I decided to bite the bullet and paint my office. I was putting it off because... well it's kind of a pain. But, I did it and I think my office looks pretty nice. I don't have any pictures from the before. It didn't look "bad" per say, but not exactly nice. My office was used as a storage room for some time before I came in. Basically the walls were a rather bland cream-ish color that I think is universal for rental agencies. There were scuff marks, scratches, and places where the coat underneath (possibly a dark blue) showed through. It just didn't feel very... put together. Saturday I cleaned the walls, taped around the trim, etc. You know, all the fun pre-painting set up. I vainly hoped one coat would do, but no such luck. Monday I painted the second coat and cleaned up. 

       I was supposed to work today (not at my office but another job) but, I got a call around 9 saying they would be closing at noon due to the rather unpleasant weather. Thus, SNOW DAY! So I decided I would go and put my office back together. 

       As with painting it, it took longer than I planned. 

       I walked to my office, which according to googlemaps, is a whopping .8 miles from our home. The neighborhoods looks quite picturesque with all the snow. Note the difference between my walk TO my office and my walk FROM my office. 

         Footprints in freshly fallen snow always seem a little forlorn to me. 

     Here is my office after the paint job, but before being set up. My prep work pretty much meant shoving as much furniture and gear into the closet as would possibly fit. 

     I have to say I'm impressed with myself. I am not known as a tidy painter. So the fact the carpet and trim made in through the process unscathed was a miracle. I can't say the same for my clothes though. 

                                                 

  But here is the (mostly) finished product!

      Now for the walk home. 

                    39th Street was pretty much shut down. 

                          A random little tree. 

  The weather really doesn't stop the mail. He seemed happy enough to be whistling so I guess that's good.

      So that was my snow day. Nothing terribly exciting, but it was nice to get things a bit more finished. I hope you all had a chance to have a safe and warm day!

Stress: Nemesis or Slight Annoyance?

           I was reading through my latest issue of AMTA Massage Therapy Journal. There was an article about stress and massage. This got me thinking about how pervasive stress is in our lives. We all expect to be stressed out. It has become such an integral part of our lives we almost don't even realize it's there. Have you ever really asked what IS stress? What does it do? "Stress" even the word makes you feel tense. A comprehensive definition of stress is this: "Stress is simply a reaction to a stimulus that disturbs our physical or mental equilibrium. In other words, as we know, it's just part of our life." (67) So basically, stress is anything that throws our lives off kilter.
          Stress is not always from unpleasant circumstances. Stress can also be caused by fun and exciting events. There are two types of stress: acute and chronic. Acute is a short-term reaction to a stressor (i.e. a loud noise that scares you). Chronic is something long-term (i.e. dealing with a long term illness, or continual work stress). In both cases the body reacts to stress in similar ways. Most people are familiar with the good old "fight-or-flight" response. This is where the body is prepared to fight or run away. The brain releases hormones that increase heart rate, blood pressure, increases repair substances (platelets), slows down non-essential systems (digestive etc.), and the amount of blood sugar used by the brain also increases. These hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, basically allow the body to use it's energy more efficiently in order to protect you.
         In cases of acute stress the fight-or-flight response eventually shuts off and allows the body to rest and recover. However, with chronic stress the body is stuck in a continual loop of fight-or-flight. The body is not allowed to fully rest and restore its reserves. The flooding of adrenaline and cortisol cause a whole host of issues. The body's reserves are depleted. The American Institute of Stress (just think about that for a second - stress is such a big deal it has an institute to address it) has a list of over 50 symptoms of stress.
           Long term stress can have a severe impact on the body. Not only can it cause symptoms, it can worsen pre-existing conditions. Chronic stress can decrease immune response, opening the body to illness and lessening it's ability to heal. It can cause cardiac issues such as arrhythmia, an increased chance of stroke, or pulmonary embolism.
           "Stress isn't going to physically manifest in the same way for every individual... stress is capable of significantly impacting a person's health and well being across a large number of systems in the body." (69)
           In short, stress can be a very serious problem. So what do you do? There are a lot of options for stress management. It's great that there are so many options. However, sometimes it's presented in such a way that it can cause stress of it's own. In the article it is suggested to eat healthier (always a good thing), an hour a day of brisk activity, an hour of meditation or yoga, and making an effort to be more connected with people around you. Don't get me wrong, these are all good things. But I don't know anyone who has time to commit a minimum of two hours a day to stress management.
          My personal view is this: find what works for you. Do not compare your progress with anyone else's. If you only have time to take a 10 minute walk or 10 minutes to spend in a quiet place, that's better than not doing anything. Parking farther away from the entrance of work, or if shopping, is a good way to get a little extra exercise. If you can take a yoga class once or twice a week that's great too. Breathing exercises are an easy way to take a few minutes for yourself.
Here is one I like: When breathing in count to 6 and when breathing out count to 8.
1. Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose three times.
2. Breathe in through your mouth and out through mouth three times.
3. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth three times.
4. Breath in through your mouth and our through your mouth three times.
             Of course I'm always a proponent of massage therapy. Not only is it a great way to relax it is also a very powerful tool in any wellness plan. The important part is to realize that stress is not something you have to just accept. Finding a way to reduce the stress in your life can improve not just your physical health but also mental health.

A New Start

        It's been over a year since my last post. I freely admit that I am not the most tech savvy person. I will be really good about it for a month, then... kind of forget about it. 

        The past year has been for the most part mundane. The big news is that I have relocated from Columbia, Missouri to Kansas City. I never really thought of myself as a country girl. I'm not really, but small town? Oh yes. So getting used to life in a big city has been interesting. I was a little worried our dog would have a hard time. Pah! She loves it! She gets so excited every time we go on walks. She gets to meet so many people and other dogs. One of our neighbors has a dog about Ebony's size and they really enjoy playing when they meet up. There are things that I really like about our move. I love the fact that I can actually walk to my office, restaurants, shops, and museums. (Keep in mind I used to live in an area that I couldn't really walk anywhere). I've become very fond of our apartment. I am happy to be closer to so many dear friends. I do miss being able to open the back door and let our dog run around the pasture. I miss be able to see a multitude of stars. 

         It has been exciting but scary to start my business all over again. I took a leap and am still unsure if that was the right choice or not. All I can do is hope things smooth out. I have an office space and am still in the process of setting up all the licensing. It is really amazing how much paperwork these things involve. 

So this was a rambling post, but hey! it's a start right? 

Peace and Good things to all!

Take a deep, slow breath

I continue to find it amazing how underestimated breathing is. It has an incredible impact on one's body, mind, and dare I say spirit. Sometimes all it takes to release stress it taking a few deep breaths. Just breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. Actually focus on the feeling of the air entering your body. Feel it fill up your lungs and, if it helps, imagine the yucky stuff of the day, the stress, exiting the body when you blow the air out. People might find this a little too new age or whatever. But what it comes down to is this: breathing is a necessary action for your body. We all know this, but do we really think about it? It's an action that happens without thought. When you are stressed it affects how you breath and thus, intake oxygen. Taking the time to reset your breathing can help the body to release some tension and let you breath more naturally. It also helps to just not think about whatever is stressing you out. Taking a step back and breathing can be the best thing to do at times. It's helpful even when not stressed. It's a good way to just... be.

A Weekend of Blues and Bikes

       This weekend was both the Roots n' Blues and BBQ Festival and also the MS150. So Friday night I got to spend time with my husband listening to fantastic music and eat really good food at Bleu. Railroad Earth was probably my favorite band. We just lounged in Peace Park and enjoyed the night. Saturday Susan (a business partner) and I worked the VIP tent at Roots doing chair massage. Since the VIP tent was right next to one of the stages we were entertained by more great music. The weather was lovely. It rained a few times but never very hard or for very long. I tried really hard to stick around and listen to more wonderful music but by six o'clock I was so worn out. So I was a wuss and went home and vegetated.
        The MS150 was both Saturday and Sunday, but I only worked it today. It is such a fun event to work. People come from all over to bike and raise money to help fight MS. It was pretty slow, which was fine. I got to sit and enjoy the company of therapists I don't see often. Again, the weather was balmy with a nice breeze. So it was a busy but good weekend. I was really looking forward to taking pictures at Roots, but alas I left my SD card at home so my camera was useless... oh well. Maybe next year.

Tensi... what?

           I have begun reading Thomas Myers' articles entitled the Body 3 (or the Body Cubed). It's a facinating look at the structure of the human body. You soon realize that we take so much for granted. He stesses something called "tensegrity".
So what is tenesgrity?

To quote Richard Buckminster Fuller (exerpt from Synergetics, p. 372)
          "The word 'tensegrity' is an invention: a contraction of 'tensional integrity.' Tensegrity describes a structural-relationship principal in which structural shape is guarenteed by the finitely closed, comprehensively continuous, tensional behaviors of the system and not by the discontinuous and exclusively local compressional member behaviors. Tensegrity provides the ability to yield increasingly without ultimately breaking or coming asunder." 

          Again I ask, what does that mean? Think of the structures like the Arch in St. Louis, it is held together souly by the compression of all it's parts. However, it is a moving object. There is the ability to absorb shock- thus preventing it from breaking apart. Now apply that principle to the human structure. We are made up of bones, muscles, and connective tissues. We are able to absorb massive amounts of stress and gravity. Bascially what I'm attempting to say, and how Myers looks at the body is that you cannot separate out the parts. Each part is dependent on the other. If there is undue strain or injury in one area it stands to reason it would affect others.

            We take our bodies for granted. We have forgotten to look at it as a whole structure. Look at the body as more of an arcitectural creation. It makes you appreciate the fact that we can stand up, let alone function.