GM Food, how may it affect your clients?
‘East meets West’ Thai Yoga Massage
The origins and benefits of Shiatsu
How to make 35K as year as a therapist and take the summers off!

GM Food, how may it affect your clients?

By Eli Sarre

Meat, fish, eggs and dairy sold in all the major UK supermarkets may be produced from animals fed on GM grains. This ‘indirect’ GM in our food chain is not required to be labelled, currently an issue of fierce debate and worldwide campaigning. Despite GM material being present in our food chain, there is no scientific agreement that the process is safe.

Our ancestral diet as humans is inherited from Palaeolithic times, around 200,000 years ago. Our bodies require fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, wild meat and fish in order to function at their optimal best. During the last 60 years, our diet has become increasingly processed. As Western nations we have become mass consumers of vast quantities of sugar, grains, processed meat and vegetable oils. Obesity, heart disease, allergies and cancer rates are rising.

Just like humans, animals have a natural diet. When we alter this natural diet in favour of grain feeding we alter the ratio of omega 3 and 6 fats within the meat. Beneficial omega 3 fats are reduced and harmful trans fats are increased. GM grain feeding has the potential to increase inflammation in the human body and promote chronic disease. Furthermore, scientific testing and reports from farmers indicate that animals fed on a GM diet suffer from debilitating diseases.

To date, the primary focus of GM has been the development and commercialisation of herbicide resistant crops. Since 1996, when GM planting began in the US, the sales and usage of herbicide has increased dramatically. There is increasing evidence that mass spraying and use of herbicides may have a negative effect on wildlife - and the health of farmer producers and residents living close to GM crops. According to the US’ Centers for Disease Control, chronic disease appears to have doubled within the American population since 1996.

Although herbicides are tested in order to establish ‘acceptable safe levels’, there are no measures in place for the cocktail of chemicals we are exposed to daily. Chemical toxins may disrupt the way we absorb and use nutrients from our food or may mean that we excrete them from our body. Some are known carcinogens and some may trigger asthma attacks or eczema. Some may be more toxic in combination than the same compounds alone. Pesticides are designed to resist being washed off in rain or water and the side effects of residual herbicide residues are not yet established.

We don’t yet know enough about genes and DNA to be able to predict the consequences, and scientists are calling for further analysis. GM crops have the propensity to destroy neighboring crops due to the transport of pollen by bees, insects and the wind. In a trial of GM food on humans commissioned by the FSA in 2002, it was revealed that GM material may have the capacity to move out of food and enter gut bacteria after only one meal. The intestinal microflora, a complex ecosystem, is vital to the correct functioning of our digestion and immune system. Prominent allergists in the US are claiming that GMOs contain new allergens, proteins which may trigger an immune response so acute that systemic symptoms result.

Until GM produce is labeled as such, organic certification is our best guarantee against GM material in the UK. In order to pursue a GM free diet, clients may wish to source organic brands in their local health food shop or through a specialist online retailer.

About Eli Sarre

Eli Sarre is a practicing nutritional therapist in Bristol. Working to support ethical and organic initiatives, she is also the Marketing Co-ordinator at organic food and drink wholesaler, Essential Trading Co-operative, where she can be contacted on [email protected]. Eli graduated in Nutritional Therapy from CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine), which offers diploma and postgraduate courses in a range of natural therapies: www.naturopathy-uk.com.

‘East meets West’ Thai Yoga Massage

Thai massage has a long history of therapeutic healing in Thailand. It is a unique form of bodywork with origins dating back 2500 years. Its roots can be traced back to India. The founder of the practice was Shivaga Komarpaj, a doctor believed to be a friend and contemporary to the Buddha. Thailand is situated along the great trade route between India and China and its history and culture, along with its medicine, has been affected by its location. As Buddhism spread out from India, healing medicine spread with it.

Thai massage is a traditional bodywork therapy from Thailand which uses yoga techniques to allow the client to stretch and move in a relaxed but therapeutic way assisted by the therapist. The Western therapist needs to learn a whole new way to move their body and apply the correct position and pressure and to read the client with their meditative mind and the art of silence.

Training in Thai massage for the Western therapist needs patience and good bodywork experience but results in a fabulous freedom and a new way of working on our clients. To start this process we need to train and bring the ‘Westerner’ into the world of Thai massage first by understanding its history and how the Thai people perform the art itself. The importance of the cultural aspect of Thai massage is vital and respectful to the Thai people.

Ultimately, traditional Thai Yoga Massage aims to promote physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and to restore balance, where imbalances exist by stimulating the body’s natural ability to heal itself. The practitioner uses their hands, feet, forearms, elbows, and knees to apply pressure along energy channels known as Sen lines. The receiver is pressed, rocked and stretched in order to release blockages and stimulate the free flow of energy, leading to health, balance, centeredness and well-being.

It is well known that traditional Thai Yoga Massage is as beneficial to give as to receive, and in line with its Buddhist roots, is regarded as the physical application of ‘metta’, which means ‘loving kindness’. As we embark on the new qualifications and training of Thai Massage it is important that we don’t only have our western heads and become too technical. Of course to have awareness for anatomy and physiology is vital, as is health and safety together with customer care and communication. However, to learn without the awareness of the Thai people’s beliefs and traditions would not make any therapist their best while providing a good Thai massage. The marriage here is ‘East meets West’.

My mission is that any therapist I train will have the ability and confidence to treat a Thai national and receive the famous Thai smile in return for being treated with excellence and with Thai tradition in mind.

Dinah Pickering worked and lived in Asia to learn and understand the valuable and unique methods now shared in her training courses of this beautiful bodywork from the EAST. FHT select their trainers carefully and with this partnership one day workshops can be offered and contribute towards the full Thai Massage training so popular and needed within this country to ensure longevity and safety of this beautiful massage technique.

Shiatsu

A traditional hands-on Japanese healing art, Shiatsu can help in a wide range of conditions from specific injuries to more general symptoms of poor health. Shiatsu is a deeply relaxing experience and regular sessions help to prevent the build-up of stress in our daily lives.

About Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a physical therapy that supports and strengthens the body’s natural ability to heal and balance itself. It works on the whole person - not just a physical body, but also a psychological, emotional and spiritual being.

Shiatsu originated in Japan from traditional Chinese medicine, with influences from more recent Western therapies. Although shiatsu means ‘finger pressure’ in Japanese, in practise a practitioner uses touch, comfortable pressure and manipulative techniques to adjust the body’s physical structure and balance its energy flow. It is a deeply relaxing experience and regular treatments can alleviate stress and illness and maintain health and well-being.

Current and Published Research

European Shiatsu Study, Professor Andrew Long

This study followed up on a cohort of 984 clients receiving shiatsu in three countries (Spain, Germany and the UK). The study sought to look at clients’ long-term experiences and effects of receiving shiatsu as well as finding out about the practitioners and their style of practice.

The key policy findings:

· Confirm the safety of shiatsu as practised within the three countries

· Demonstrate interconnected and consistent evidence of client perceived beneficial effects in the short and longer term. These range from symptom change to lifestyle changes. The effects are maintained in the longer term (six months follow-up)

· Benefits in terms of general well-being, health maintenance, health promotion (uptake of advice and recommendations) and health awareness are notable. This suggests a potential role for shiatsu in public health

· Findings on a reduction in use of conventional medicine, medication and working days lost due to ill-health are indicative of an added value and potential economic benefit arising from shiatsu treatment

Two papers were published from the review. One highlighted the potential benefit of shiatsu in promoting health literacy. The second examined the negative responses. Although showing shiatsu to be a safe treatment, this large cohort allowed for the development of a ‘typology of negative responses’ that could be applied to other CAM therapies.

Provision of Shiatsu in an Inner City General Practice, Dr. Zoe Pirie

Between 1999 and 2003 Dr. Zoe Pirie conducted a PhD research study on the integration of a complementary medicine clinic in the National Health Service (NHS). It described the impact of delivering shiatsu on an inner-city general practice, its GPs, patients and the shiatsu practitioner.

This qualitative study was carried out as an NHS funded PhD scholarship. Ten patients were treated in their GP surgery in a socio-economically deprived area of Sheffield city. The study showed that both patients receiving and GPs participating in the study, meaning those who referred patients to the therapist, were positive about the integration of Shiatsu into their primary care practice. Consultations were significantly reduced in terms of duration and frequency, and there were fewer prescriptions for medication.

As part of her study, Dr. Pirie also maintained a reflective journal of her experiences of offering the service into the daily practicalities of being the Shiatsu therapist at a busy GP practice. Her experiences appear in the Shiatsu Society Journal Issue 120.

Pirie, Z. Mathers, N. and Fox, N. (2012) Delivering Shiatsu in a primary care setting: Benefits and challenges. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 18 (1): 37-42.

Systematic Review of Shiatsu and Acupressure

In 2006, a systematic review of studies that looked at the efficacy and effectiveness of shiatsu and acupressure was carried out by Thames Valley University. In 2010, this review was updated by the same researchers and is available for viewing online. The executive summary provides a useful starting point to explore the 250+ page review. Of great benefit to understanding how and why the review was conducted is the preface written by senior shiatsu practitioner Carola Beresford-Cooke. A clear summary of the review has also been compiled by a former sub-committee member, Hannah Mackay, in the Autumn 2011 edition of the Shiatsu Society Journal, Issue 119.

Although many potentially relevant studies were found (1,714), only a small number related to shiatsu itself and the remaining included studies were on acupressure. Findings from the shiatsu studies showed ‘promising’ evidence for musculoskeletal and psychological problems, and strong evidence was found for a range of specific symptoms treated using acupressure.

The tables of results in the very complete appendices show what evidence there is for treating a condition and how that evidence was judged for quality. For those readers less familiar with research methods, and study quality in particular, the preface covers the pros and cons of systematic reviews in general, and pertinent issues for this review.

Shiatsu Society (UK)

Established in 1981, the Shiatsu Society is the UK’s leading professional Shiatsu organisation. Shiatsu is a unique stand-alone complementary therapy which supports health and wellbeing. We are committed to the spirit and ethos of Shiatsu and the development of integrated and accessible healthcare.

How to make 35K as year as a therapist and take the summers off!

Do what you love, love what you do.

Wow! Can you imagine a life where every day you get up bursting with enthusiasm to go to work; a life where you can make your own hours; have time to go to that yoga class in the middle of the day; pay yourself a decent salary and most importantly pack your bags every summer and take off for a month! Who would say no to that! Yet the issue that most therapists come up against time and time again is an inability to make a living out of the profession they love. The website www.payscale.com puts the average massage therapist earnings in the UK at £11,400- £14,983 for 1-4 years experience. - That’s less than the average wage of the 17 year old at your local fast food outlet! Not to mention the terrible working conditions we usually award ourselves as the self employed - crazy hours, no holidays, scarce money for further training. Yet it is more than possible to earn a great living as a therapist - and to have time to enjoy your life into the bargain. So to paraphrase the great philosopher Bob the Builder - Can we make a great living as a therapist- the unequivocal answer is “YES WE CAN!”

The 3 cardinal errors of therapists

The economics of being self employed are actually resoundingly simple – the only way to pay yourself more is either to bring in further money or to cut your costs. I find that therapists’ costs are usually minimal so this is not an option. However most therapists are making one of 3 basic errors:

1. Not charging enough

2. Not enough clients coming through the door

3. Not rebooking clients so only seeing them once

So how is it possible to reach our dream goal of 35K profit per year?

First of all it is important to work out actually how much you need to charge per client to make your target salary.

1. Work out your costs: Lets assume your costs are £11000 per annum – this would include for example clinic room rental, your own further training, website costs etc. So you would need to bring in a total of £46K per year to pay yourself a salary of 35K. With me so far? Good!

2. Decide how many weeks per year you are going to work. Right so you want to take 6 weeks holiday over the year- a nice month in the summer and a couple of weeks at Christmas. With 52 weeks in the year taking 6 weeks off leaves us with 46 weeks working time

3. Calculate how much you need to earn per week to bring in your target amount: So handily in our example we would need to earn £1000 per week (£46000 divided by 46 weeks)

4. Calculate how many clients at what price you need to see to make your target income. This is your crunch figure and a great surprise to most therapists who are usually undercharging for their time. A full time workload for most therapists whether you are doing massage, aromatherapy, beauty treatments, homeopathy or counseling is 20 client hours per week. The rest of your workweek should be devoted to marketing and administration of your business. In our example you would need to charge £50 per client hour to bring in the required £1000 per week (20 clients x £50). I need to stress that this a reasonable average amount to pay in ALL areas of the UK for an hour of a therapist’s time! Some areas will be able to charge more but I know therapists working in the most deprived areas of the country who are able to charge £50/hour.

Getting the clients; keeping the clients! The golden secret to building your business

OK so that’s all very well I hear you cry – but how do we get these 20 clients a week to support our dream lifestyle! There will be plenty of top tips on this in future articles coming up in this great magazine, but here are some of my tried and tested top tips”

1. The power of setting a vision

“ The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” –Eleanor Roosevelt

Never underestimate the power of dreams -A tried and tested technique that has been pioneered by those as diverse as shamans to successful business people is visualisation. Visualisation is literally about believing in the power of your dreams – although this may sound fanciful, both ancient wisdom and modern psychology are united in their agreement that this approach can enable you to achieve your life goals. Most self help, productivity and business books talk about the importance of setting your vision – this is really a form of mental rehearsal where we imagine a certain situation and how it will look and feel.

So start by creating a vision of how you want your practice to be. Really imagine those 20 clients a week walking through your door. What do they look like, how do you feel? Imagine how your life feels, the joy of doing the work you love and being able to make your own living. The stronger you can create this image the more your subconscious mind will work toward achieving these goals and making them a reality.

Other strong visualization techniques include writing down your vision, telling someone else, or creating collages with images collected from magazines.

2. The wonder of Word of mouth: TTP and TTMP!

Top tip for getting more business _ TTP! Then TTMP! (Talk to people! Talk to more people!). Start with people you know – at every social occasion, meeting, workplace gathering, stranger on the bus, ride in a taxi let the people you are talking to know what you do. Tell them with passion and enthusiasm. Let them know what aromatherapy massage can do for their bad back, arthritic hip, RSI, headaches. Get the word out! It’s your duty! Back it up with a well -produced leaflet. If you get the opportunity book them in there and then on your phone or take their details if they are interested and give them a follow up call.

3. Social Media- “word of mouth on steroids”!

If you are in fear of Facebook or terrified of twitter then just get a grip as you are missing out on one of the biggest free marketing opportunities of all time. Social media is the biggest way to get your message out to hundreds of people within seconds. Best advice – find a teenager- get them to explain twitter or facebook to you and set up an account. Do it now!

4.The golden secret – Rebook your clients

It’s a well-known fact in marketing that it is far easier to KEEP a client than attract a new one. The mistake I see therapists making time and time again is not rebooking their clients – you need to do it there and then at the time of payment. So the top tip for today is the next time you see a client, take a deep breath, visualize that holiday in the sun, get your diary out and re-book them! Well done- that great summer holiday is one step nearer!

HAPPY PACKING!

Come see us at Cam Expo 2013

If you want to get great hands on training in all of the techniques described above then come see us at CAM Expo 2013 where we will be running a workshop on Tried and Tested top tips to kickstart your massage business plus several workshops in the treatment of pain. Be sure to book early to make sure you grab your place!

See you at the show!

About Rachel Fairweather and the Jing Institute of Advanced Massage

Rachel Fairweather is co-founder and director of the Jing Institute of Advanced Massage. Based In Brighton, London and Edinburgh we run a variety of courses in advanced techniques to help you build the career you desire. Our short CPD courses include excellent hands on learning in a variety of techniques including hot stone fusion (4 day intensive or 6 day comprehensive course split into 2 x 3 day modules). We also offer courses in trigger point therapy, myofascial release, stretching and orthopedic assessment. For the therapist who wants to be the best they can possibly be, we offer a BTEC level 6 (degree level) in advanced clinical and sports massage – the highest level of massage training in the UK.

The work we teach is serious but we do it with a lot of laughter. We use innovative teaching methods that ensure that you leave courses with the material in your hands, head and hearts. All work is taught practically so that you can use it right away in your clinic.

Want to find out more? Please contact The JING Institute!

To find out more, visit Jing’s website www.jingmassage.com, as well as its Twitter and Facebook pages.

The Jing Institute of Advanced Massage Training, 28-29 Bond Street, Brighton, BN1 1RD

Tel: 01273 628942 Email: [email protected] Website: www.jingmassage.com

Please call or check our website for further information and course dates.