Tagged: chair massage

Tips for Attending the Atlanta Market

Posted by on in Blog, Events, self care 0 comment

Entrance to Building 2 at Atlanta Market

 

As a massage therapist that has worked shows at AmericasMart Atlanta, newly rebranded as The Atlanta Market as a massage therapist for over 11 years, there’s a lot you learn while you are there. Here are a few things that will help you have the best Market visit ever –

  1. Get insoles/proper walking shoes. Your shoes may go with
    Take care of your feet.

    If you’ve been on your feet for most of the day, and you haven’t taken care of them, be prepared to be taken hostage by them.

    your outfit, but they may not be suitable for walking thousands of steps a day. A shoe with good arch support goes a LONG way. Take care of your feet, so they won’t take you hostage later.

  2. Get the AmericasMart app, and have it updated. Carrying the app on your phone weighs less than carrying the book.  You won’t have to find the maps at the end of the hall, you’ll have the most updated information, and you will have a good idea of where the showrooms are that you’re looking for.
  3. Charge your extra backup batteries for your phone/laptop. Sockets are at a premium at lunchtime. Don’t be that person trying to maintain an important call with a 5% battery.
  4. Before you even leave the room, put 2 bottles of water in the room’s fridge. Use a cold one to roll under your sore feet. The other one is for drinking since you will probably be dehydrated by the time you get back.
  5. HYDRATE! Bring a water bottle with you. With all the walking that you will be doing, getting dehydrated is a definite possibility.
  6. Have a reasonable plan to shop. You are NOT getting to every showroom in the Market in one day. Don’t even think about it. The campus is too big and overwhelming. Find where the bridges that connect the buildings are. Take the campus in sections, so that you see everything you want in the time you have. Use the app to plan your trip, so you don’t miss anything.
  7. Take Breaks/ EAT! There are plenty of places to eat within AmericasMart, as well as the surrounding area. There’s a mall across the street that has a pretty big food court and a CVS next door. Get an idea as to when you are ready to eat, so you know what foods are available where you are.  Remember – the lines at Chik-fil-a are ALWAYS LONG, and will ALWAYS be closed on Sunday. Pack small snacks with protein when you are hungry and in the middle of a shopping binge.

    View of the inside of the Atlanta Market.

    The Market Campus is sprawling, bringing new products in every Market! Don’t be overwhelmed. Use the app to plan your trip.

  8. You are going to be buying a lot of products or carrying a lot of fliers and files. The load is going to get heavier, as the show progresses. Get a bag with wheels.  Make yours distinctive; lots of people will have the same idea.  Take out the things you won’t need the night before.  Putting the work on the floor frees up your body to carry itself.
  9. Last but not least, GET A MASSAGE! The Mart has a showroom that has massage therapists that will get those knots out of your shoulders and back as well as treat your feet. The earlier in the day you go, the less likely you’ll have to wait. I promise you, the massages are worth it; your feet and body will be rejuvenated!

EXTRA TIP: Know what end of the train you need to be on to get off at the correct side of the station. If you exit on the South end of Peachtree station, you will be at the Library. The North end is where you will want to be!

Most of all, have fun! Can’t wait to see what you get while you’re here.

 

10 Things – (Part 2 of 2) From the Massage Therapists’ Point of View

Posted by on in Massage Therapy, Mind/Body 3 comments

I came across a hilarious blog named HaHasforHooHas.com, and a post written by Susannah named “Ten Things You’ll Probably Think While Getting a Professional Massage”. I loved it so much, I wanted to post my reply to her (and many of your) concerns. Here’s my response. Now mind you, this is my view on the subject, not on behalf of any other therapist. The first half of this post is here, if you missed it.

6.  What if someone secretly slips into the room, murders the massage therapist and then proceeds with my massage, all the while I have no clue because my face is buried in this terrycloth donut hole? Your mind had a tendency to roam when you want it to be quiet, even to the extreme, sometimes. The trick is to nip these thoughts in the bud as soon as you can, so that you are able to enjoy your session. There is a very low likelihood of a murder happening during the session, so just take a nice deep breath, hold it a sec, and exhale.

7.  I wonder if my body feels weird. This is the last thing you need to worry about, yet everyone worries about this very thing. Everyone’s body – even twins – is unique to itself. Each body feels weird, yet none of them are. Loving the skin you’re in is the trick.

8.  I bet my feet stink. Unless I’m passed out on the floor, with my nostril flaps bolted shut, your feet are fine. If you have malodorous feet, there are things that can be sprayed on them, such as wintergreen or lavender, that smell wonderful, and clean your feet at the same time. If you are truly concerned about The State of the Feet, here is a recipe to treat them, from Aura Cacia, or your could buy my Diva’s Bathtime Tea, on Etsy. Just do me a favor; please don’t walk through any garbage dumps barefoot. That will help both of us.

9.  Would it be weird if I moaned? No, so as long as it doesn’t go any farther than that. I used to have a regular client getting chair massage at when I worked at Logan Airport, who sounded like he was straight out of an Herbal Essences commercial. This was at a booth that had a modest privacy screen, meaning that you saw my head, when I stood up to work. You should have seen the faces of the people that walked by that heard the client, and saw just my head, until they walked around the wall, to see what I was doing. He didn’t care; he was getting his back taken care of, so that he would be able to enjoy his flight. Sometimes, clients will cry or laugh uncontrollably during a session. Emotional releases tend to be spontaneous and not always controllable.

10.   Will I ever shut off my mind and relax? You are not the only one with this challenge. Mindfulness is something that we are all challenged with. Your mind shoots off in so many directions, never wanting to be quiet. It’s called ‘monkey mind’ in many circles. Again, catching runaway thoughts and nipping them in the bud helps. Refocusing on quiet, calming thoughts takes practice and diligence, and always is a work in process.

I’m sure that you have more things on your mind than just these 10. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I’ll do my best to to answer them!

It’s quiet…TOO quiet.

Posted by on in Massage Therapy, Mind/Body 4 comments

It’s that quiet time again. TOO quiet. Not quite in the holidays, but it’s getting close. The Christmas trees are ALREADY up in quite a few stores, and you haven’t seen frost on the pumpkins yet. PSL was already offered at Starbucks, two weeks ahead of schedule. Too many things are happening far earlier than they’re supposed to. You have enough time to plan to have a stress free holiday season, but you’re not ready yet. It’ll get here faster than you think!

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Don’t let yourself get caught out there!

You have several weeks; let’s get a handle on your To-Do Lists, before they get a hold on YOU!

1. Finding meals on Pinterest can be the greatest source of new ideas for recipes. If you’re trying a new meal this year during the holidays, NOW is the time to try it out. You can make the mistakes ahead of time, and serve your new favorite meal with no worries. If you don’t have the skill to attack a recipe, ask someone who can help.  Also, do a quick inventory on all the spices and accessories that you’d need to do all the baking and cooking. Nothing is worse than finding out that you are out of baking soda in the middle of making cookies.

2. Even Martha Stewart has a team to help her have her house look fabulous. Find your own way to put your own fabulous spin on whatever holiday you wish to celebrate. The days of Norman Rockwell, although wonderful, can be a little canned and dated. Sometimes your best attempt at a traditional holiday event can look more like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Ask for help, and make it fun – this way you all get to decorate, and still be able to get together. If you are in the habit of making cards, get together with friends, and collaborate and craft together. If you want to have a Wrap Party, have everyone bring a little something, so that you aren’t doing everything all by yourself.

Don't just get through the Holidays! Have a "Time Out' with your friends.

Don’t just get through the Holidays! Have a “Time Out’ with your friends.

3. Get together with your friends and have a “Time Out” for adults. Create downtime away from running errands and take care of yourself! I was invited to do chair massages for a group of great ladies at a church event last year, where they also had makeovers, facials and just fellowship among friends that hadn’t seen each other for a good portion of the season. Everyone had a great time catching up with each other, and was relaxed by the end of the evening. Making time for yourself, even just a little everyday, will go a long way to helping you thrive!

Now is a good time to start thinking what you want to get out of the season – rushing around, stressing out or to be able to enjoy the time. What are you tips and tricks for dealing with holiday stress?

Reasons for Chair Massage in the Office

Posted by on in Massage Therapy 2 comments

Although many offices do have some type of Wellness Sessions occurring at the office, many don’t see it as a true benefit to the workplace. Here are 3 quick reasons to have Chair Massage as a part of the workday-

1. It takes the excuse of “I don’t have time” out of the equation. The chair is already there, and you have a few minutes in your day to take care of yourself. It is a matter of priority. Where are you on your Priority List?

Your ears and shoulders should be like exes; they should be aware of each other, but nowhere near each other.

Your ears and shoulders should be like exes; they should be aware of each other, but nowhere near each other.

2. It reduces pain in tension areas of the body that tend to be overused – the head, neck and shoulders. Leaning into your computer screen, peering into your cell phone, poring over paperwork, or even cradling the phone between your neck and shoulders all contribute to sore muscles that can create headaches, eyestrain and afternoon lethargy.
3. It creates a refreshing afternoon break in the day. It’s after lunch, and 5 PM seems like a LONG way away. What do you have to look forward to- Going home? With that last break of the day, getting a quick massage can give you a calorie free quick burst of energy and a well needed (and well-kneaded) stress break! Adding peppermint (essential oil or even candy) to the session can help increase concentration on tasks.

Of course, there are many more reasons – what is your reason to have Chair Massage at your office?

Just Blog it – Day 11 – Tooting my Own Horn

Posted by on in Massage Therapy 4 comments

Chair Massage - Atlanta Pampered Ladies Expo - Photo Credit Moore Memories

Chair Massage – Atlanta Pampered Ladies Expo – Photo Credit Moore Memories

The one thing I love about myself, in regards to massage therapy, is that I love to tell clients and potential clients about things that we hadn’t talked about prior to the massage.

It’s weird, and the looks I get are amazing. I’ll find a knot, or really tight muscles in the lower back, and I’ll ask if they lock their knees when they stand up during the day.

“How did you know?” they ask quizzically. We hadn’t talked about it previously, and you can already see that they’re wondering really, how did I know their back was bothering them.

“Your back is talking about you…behind your back!” I usually reply, which make them laugh. After the session is over, I explain to them as to how I figured it out, and how they can get back into the habit of loosening those muscles and making them more flexible.

Just last week, I was doing a Chair Massage session for Daycare employees, and asked a few of them if they had a headache. A similar quizzical comment came through the face cradle, asking how did I know. Again, I explained to them how I figured it out, and how to take care after the session was over.

The one time I freaked myself out doing this was when I was working at Logan Airport, right after 9/11. I was in my first year of doing massage, and did a foot massage for a client on a layover. He’d been on his feet after refereeing an NBA game the night before. After I prepped to start this massage session, I misted his foot with a lavender and peppermint spray, and began to start working on his foot, when he flinched. My thought process is ticklish people also flinch, but this was different. And when I say he flinched, he jerked his foot so quickly, he kicked the chair.

“You must be a middle child,” I blurted out. We hadn’t had a conversation about family, so this comment was really out of left field for both of us.

He looked at me as if I tapped into an earlier phone call with family, and overheard something I shouldn’t.

“How did you know???”

“As an older sibling, I know what a ‘Punchbuggy’ flinch looks like.”

That was the last time I asked about birth order. That was freaky, even for me.