Best Practices: Shari Auth

Q. What advice can you provide about marketing a technique or product?

A. Publish educational articles on the topic that pertains to your technique or product. It’s generous to your audience and demonstrates your expertise on that topic.

Q. If you knew then what you know now, what would you have done differently starting out?

A. I’m happy to say, mostly nothing, I would have just been more confident about my decision to go into holistic medicine at a time when it wasn’t

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that popular or recognized.

Q. How do you balance your work life and your personal life?

A. I don’t work weekends and I’ve learned to say no to my clients to maintain reasonable work hours.

Q. Describe a time when things weren’t going well in your business and what you did to turn it around.

A. When my practice was slow, I set up cross-referral networks with practitioners with a similar client base, like personal trainers, raw food chefs, hairdressers and doctors.

Q. What was the best business decision you’ve made?

A. I used to have a house-call practice. When I finished my master’s degree in Chinese medicine, I decided to switch to an office practice. It meant risking the loss of clients and starting over. In the end, I lost the bulk of my house-call clientele but managed to establish a busy office practice. Having an office means I can book more clients in less time, and the energy I put toward traveling from house to house I now put toward treating clients.

Tanning-Bed Addiction Found

Massage therapists are on the front lines of helping prevent skin cancer, by noticing suspicious moles and lesions on clients’ skin. About 120,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

But it doesn’t take the sun to create skin cancer; the uptick in tanning-bed use over the last decade is creating new cancer cases, especially among young adults. In 2009, The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer moved UV tanning beds to its highest cancer-risk category, “carcinogenic to humans.”

New research shows tanning-bed users exhibit brain changes and behavior similar to addicts.

“This could explain why some people continue to use tanning beds despite the increased risk of developing melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer,” noted a press release from UT Southwestern Medical Center. “The brain activity and corresponding blood flow tracked by UT Southwestern scientists involved in the study is similar to that seen in people addicted to drugs and alcohol.”

People younger than 30 who use a tanning bed 10 times a year have eight times the risk of developing malignant melanoma, the investigators noted, adding, “While public knowledge of these dangers has grown, so has the regular use of tanning beds.”

How Aromatherapy Massage Generates Repeat Clientele

by Janet McGrane Bennett

Attitudes toward fragrance are very personal. Why offer the same massage to each client, when you can personalize each session with pure and fragrant essential oils? Your regular clients are the backbone of your practice. If you create an environment in which the massage is specifically tailored to individuals, your repeat clientele will swiftly increase.

The scents sense

The five senses rule our lives: touch, hearing, sight, taste and smell. Of these five, smell is the most powerful. Why is this? Scent has the hidden power to reach deep inside the mind–aromas can affect your mood, elicit memories of childhood or even send someone pleasantly off to sleep.

Once your client gets used to your personalized combination of, say, lavender and mandarin, it will become a potent, sensory part of the relaxation experience for him. When he smells the familiar aroma, he will begin to relax from the moment the scent wafts to his nose. You can even label different bottles for particular clients—with their own personalized bottle of scented oil on your shelf, they will feel special indeed.

The simple scenting process

It is best to scent your oil first thing in the

morning when your nose is most sensitive and not overwhelmed with all the scents of the day. Any natural, cold-pressed vegetable oil works well as your base; the most commonly used oils are grapeseed, sweet almond, sesame seed, apricot kernel and avocado oils.

Remember that once you add fragrance, you can’t take it out. Start small and add only a few drops to begin with. Keep track of every drop you add. Don’t be shy to mix different aromatherapy oils together. If you come up with a dynamite combination, you may want to duplicate it, especially if your clients rave about it. It could be your signature scent. Create recipe cards and you can easily repeat the blends.

Study your essential oils before using them and gain an understanding of their basic properties. Citrus oils, for instance, can make the skin more photosensitive. Many oils are not recommended during pregnancy. Always ask first if your client has any allergies or specific health conditions.

Getting to know your clients’ likes and dislikes is a valuable part of building the client-practitioner relationship. Whether this is massage scented with lavender, patchouli or even no scent at all, if their massage is customized down to the smallest detail, you will have a client for life.

Janet McGrane Bennett is the marketing director at Spa & Bodywork Market (www.spabodyworkmarket.com), a distributor of massage-and-spa products since 1987. With more than 18 years of experience in the industry, Bennett is passionate about therapists maintaining self-care and adding value to their practices, for themselves and their clients.

5 Management Must-Haves

There is a “must-have” list for nearly anything these days. Any fashion show will call out must-have colors, textures, accessories for the upcoming season. Wired Magazine has must-have gadgets, mobile applications and tech-tools. Shopping for a new car comes with a must-have list of things like satellite radio and great gas mileage.

As a manager and business owner, I have my own must-haves to keep me on top of my game and found a short, but powerful, list I think can help any professional. These are the tools that, no matter where you are, you could still manage your business and slip back into your well-run practice.

1. Blackberry, or other smartphone. A Blackberry, iPhone or other smartphone allows you to stay in touch with the business side of your practice while away from the office. If you’re traveling and you want to check your messages or check in with employees, having such a phone will allow you to keep your business on track.

2. E-mail guidelines. It’s hard to imagine management of a business without e-mail because communication is so critical to the success of any project. However, when it’s not managed effectively, e-mail can become a time drain. It’s important to create e-mail guidelines in your business. Depending on the culture of your practice, develop e-mail rules that ensure that the communication is saving time and not wasting it.

A great guideline to set in place is to put the action items in the beginning. This sets the tone of the e-mail and offers the most important information upfront. As they say in journalism, don’t bury the lead. Make sure that what’s most important is in the first paragraph. Also, your communication should be something short, sweet and to the point, or else your message will not be received.

3. A collaborative space.Good project management (especially if you manage employees) is about collaboration and communication. We use a wiki, which is an online collaborative workspace. There are many implementations of wiki software–and most are both open source and free. Our wiki is a central hub for our work, where we coordinate our projects and processes, providing a central place to remain in touch with one another’s duties and status.

There is also Twitter and other social media platforms that can be used well for work purposes.

4. Project agreement. A project agreement will always keep projects from running amuck and to keep things running flawlessly in anyone’s absence from the business. Without a project agreement, other people might not be on board or know what their objectives are, or their roles, responsibilities and timelines. Defining a project at the beginning is critical. It’s okay if things change, and they often do, but when you have a project agreement, you have a foundation to build on and work from.

5. Project management scorecard. We use an online project management scorecard that looks at three kinds of performance: business, project and project team. The scorecard gives you a comprehensive look at all three dimensions, so you know where and how to improve within your business. Accountability and the ability to measure ensure that you will know when you’ve arrived at the destination called success.

Other than yearly reviews, people often forget to take a moment to think about what did and did not work so that future business projects have a better chance of succeeding. It’s imperative for personal and professional growth and to continue succeeding.

Utilizing Online Education in Massage School

Online education utilized in the massage profession can add great value to any massage school and instructor. There are now some excellent software programs available to study anatomy and physiology, featuring graphics that more than likely exceed the artistic talents of a massage instructor.

Hands-on massage education will—and should—remain exactly that: hands-on, face-to-face massage class training. However, the rest of massage online education is negotiable. Imagine a massage student who has viewed the information prior to coming to class. This would give students an opportunity to hear new terminology before they come to class. The instructor would then validate this new terminology, which would be the second time the massage students are exposed to new terminology. By the end of class, the massage students now have heard the new terminology more often than if the massage student had learned it for the first time in class that day or night. (Teaching models say students must hear subject matter at least three times to make a connection.)

My favorite example of massage online education is how greatly it may improve a body ergonomics class. There is so much to teach in the subject of body ergonomics. There is first the terminology and then there are the correct poses to be positioned in to distribute proper body weight to perform specific massage techniques. What if the massage instructor could concentrate more on direct body ergonomics when the massage student was in class?

The massage student could potentially study the lesson in advance of the body ergonomics class. This way, massage students would be exposed to the new terminology and definitions, such as archers’ stance, etc. When they then arrive for class, the massage instructor could immediately begin to position the massage student in the proper stances because the student was already aware of the terms and definitions.

By utilizing online education, responsible students can walk into class relatively on the same level to begin implementation of their newly learned terminology. This then allows massage instructors to immediately begin a clinic to give a 3-D lesson of what was learned in the massage online education portion of the class. It really is a win-win for massage students and teachers.

 

Cooked Green Vegetables, Dried Fruit, Legumes and Brown Rice Associated with Fewer Colon Polyps

High consumption of these foods may decrease risk for colorectal cancer, says Loma Linda University

LOMA LINDA, Calif. — Eating legumes at least three times a week and brown rice at least once a week was linked to a reduced risk of colon polyps by 33 percent and 40 percent respectively, according to Loma Linda University research recently published in Nutrition and Cancer. High consumption of cooked green vegetables and dried fruit was also associated with greater protection, the study shows.

“Eating these foods is likely to decrease your risk for colon polyps, which would in turn decrease your risk for colorectal cancer,” says lead author Yessenia Tantamango, M.D., a post-doctoral research fellow with Adventist Health Study-2 at Loma Linda University. “While a majority of past research has focused on broad food groups, such as fruits and vegetables, in relation to colon cancer, our study focused on specific foods, as well as more narrowed food groups, in relation to colon polyps, a precursor to colon cancer. Our study confirms the results of past studies that have been done in different populations analyzing risks for colon cancer.”

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. and the third most common cancer in both men and women, according to the American Cancer Society.

Results also show that consuming cooked green vegetables once a day or more, as compared to less than five times a week, was associated with a 24-percent reduction in the risk of rectal/colon polyps. Consuming dried fruit three times a week or more, versus less than once a week, was associated with a 26-percent reduced risk.

The protective effects of these foods could be due in part to their cancer-fighting agents, the study reported.

“Legumes, dried fruits, and brown

rice all have a high content of fiber, known to dilute potential carcinogens,” Tantamango says. “Additionally, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, contain detoxifying compounds, which would improve their protective function.”

Past studies examining the effect of meat intake and legumes on colon cancer have shown that people eating meat, associated with an increased risk of colon cancer, may receive some protection when they also consume legumes. Tantamango says this suggests that besides fiber content, there may be something else present in legumes that provides a protective effect.

Researchers analyzed data from 2,818 subjects who participated in Adventist Health Study-1 (administered from 1976-77) and who answered a follow-up survey 26 years later from Adventist Health Study-2. The first survey asked respondents to indicate how often, on average, they consumed specific foods. The follow-up survey asked respondents who had undergone colonoscopies to indicate physician-diagnosed colorectal polyps. During the 26-year follow-up, 441 cases of rectal/colon polyps were identified.

The study assessed several possible confounding factors, including a family history of colorectal cancer, education, physical activity level, alcohol intake, smoking, constipation, intake of sweets, pain medication, and multivitamins, as well as different food variables. The study then adjusted for those factors that were shown to distort the effect of the foods and food groups under study. About 25 foods and food groups in total were examined.

Tantamango says there is a need for future studies to examine foods shown to reduce the risk of colon polyps, since it is possible that interactions between various nutrients with anti-cancerous properties will be better able to explain these findings.

What are some easy ways to lose weight?

Approximately 60% of women are overweight and 30% are obese today (American Obesity Association). Most women would feel more positive about themselves if they could maintain an ideal body weight. Perhaps even more importantly, obesity is linked with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, back pain, some cancers, and infertility. Encouragingly, the risk of death from these conditions decreases dramatically in people who maintain a 5 to 10% weight loss over at least a year (Guideline for Healthy Weight by F.R. Jelovsek, M.D. at www.wdxcyber.com).

Specific diet plans are popular but difficult to follow, and may be too restrictive for long term weight maintenance. Adopting healthy habits may be a more practical means of attaining a healthier weight for many people. In order to lose a pound a week, 500 fewer calories must be accumulated per day (either through reduced food intake or exercise) (Brigham and Women’s Hospital). Proven weight loss recommendations include:

• Eat three meals a day (especially breakfast) to minimize overeating
• Eat eight to ten vegetable or fruit servings a day
• For satiation, eat lean protein with every meal
• Abstain from eating sweets for two weeks to quell cravings
• Exercise aerobically and with weights
• Get enough sleep and minimize stress

In order to determine your ideal body weight, you can calculate your body mass index (BMI), which is an approximate measure of body fat based on weight and height. Visit DrKoop.com to do a Body Mass Index checkup. A body mass index within the range of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy.

Workplace Stress a Growing Health Hazard

Job-related stress is catching up with workers. A new study by Concordia University economists, published in BMC Public Health, has found that increased job stress causes workers to increasingly seek help from health professionals for physical, mental and emotional ailments linked to job stress. Indeed, the number of visits to healthcare professionals is up to 26 percent for workers in high stress jobs.

“These results show that people in medium-to-high stress jobs visit family doctors and specialists more often than workers with low job stress,” says first author Sunday Azagba, a Ph.D. candidate in the Concordia Department of Economics.

To reach their conclusions, the economists crunched nationally representative data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS). All NPHS figures were restricted to adults aged 18 to 65 years— the bulk of the labor force—and included statistics on the number of healthcare visits, chronic illnesses, marital status, income level, smoking and drinking habits.

“We believe an increasing number of workers are using medical services to cope with job stress,” says co-author Mesbah Sharaf, a Ph.D. candidate in the Concordia Department of Economics.

“There is medical evidence that stress can adversely affect an individual’s immune system, thereby increasing the risk of disease,” Sharaf continues. “Numerous studies have linked stress to back pain, colorectal cancer, infectious disease, heart problems, headaches and diabetes. Job stress may also heighten risky behaviours such as smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, discourage healthy behaviours such as physical activity, proper diet and increase consumption of fatty and sweet foods.”

Cost of stressful workplaces

Previous research has found that aging populations and prescription drugs increase the price of health care. Yet few studies have so far correlated workplace stress rates on healthcare costs. “Healthcare spending in Canada, as a percentage of gross domestic product, increased from 7 percent in 1980 to 10.1 per cent in 2007,” says Azagba.

In the U.S., recent polls found that 70 percent of American workers consider their workplace a significant source of stress, whereas 51 percent report job stress reduces their productivity. “It is estimated that healthcare utilization induced by stress costs U.S. companies $68 billion annually and reduces their profits by 10 percent,” says Sharaf.

Total health care expenditures in the U.S. amount to $2.5 trillion, or $8,047 per person. “That represents 17.3 percent of the 2009 gross domestic product —a 9 percent increase from 1980,” says Azagba.

Less stress means more savings

The economists caution that easing workplace stress could help governments reduce soaring health budgets and bolster employee morale.

“Improving stressful working conditions and educating workers on stress-coping mechanisms could help to reduce health care costs,” says Azagba. “Managing workplace stress can also foster other economic advantages, such as increased productivity among workers, reduce absenteeism and diminish employee turnover.”

The occupations analyzed as part of the Canadian National Population Health Survey included seven categories: mechanical, trade, professional, managerial, health, service and farm.

Massage Therapy Enhances Post-Operative Rehabilitation

In medicine, surgical procedures are many times the only way to achieve lasting relief, although, the surgery itself is just one step in making long term results successful.

Many consider the most important component of a successful surgical procedure to be the post rehabilitation process. It is during this process that natural movement is re-learned, and freedom of movement is re-enforced. Massage plays an important role as a supplement to standard rehabilitation procedures.

By increasing circulation and relaxing muscles, massage helps the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs. This allows the rehabilitating areas to become more flexible and heal at an accelerated rate.

Enhance Post-Operative Rehabilitation Benefits

• Assists the body in pumping more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs
• Accelerates the rehabilitation process
• Aids in improving joint movement and flexibility

Courtesy of http://www.massageenvy.com

How to be happy: Tips for cultivating contentment

How to be happy: What science tells us

Only 10 percent or so of the variation in people’s reports of happiness can be explained by differences in their circumstances. The bulk of what determines happiness is your personality and — more modifiable — your thoughts and behaviors. So, yes, you can learn how to be happy — or at least happier.

Although you may have thought, as many people do, that happiness comes from being born rich or beautiful or living a stress-free life, the reality is that those things don’t confer lasting happiness. Indeed, how to be happy can’t be boiled down to one thing. Happiness is the sum of your life choices. People who are happy seem to intuitively know this, and their lives are built on the following pillars:

• Devoting time to family and friends
• Appreciating what they have
• Maintaining an optimistic outlook
• Feeling a sense of purpose
• Living in the moment

How to be happy: Practice, practice, practice

The good news is that your choices, thoughts and actions can influence your level of happiness. It’s not as easy as flipping a switch, but you can turn up your happiness level. Here’s how to get started on the path to creating a happier you.

Invest in relationships

Surround yourself with happy people. Being around people who are content buoys your own mood. And by being happy yourself, you give something back to those around you.

Friends and family help you celebrate life’s successes and support you in difficult times. Although it’s easy to take friends and family for granted, these relationships need nurturing. Build up your emotional account with kind words and actions. Be careful and gracious with critique. Let people know that you appreciate what they do for you or even just that you’re glad they’re part of your life.

Express gratitude

Gratitude is more than saying thank you. It’s a sense of wonder, appreciation and, yes, thankfulness for life. It’s easy to go through life without recognizing your good fortune. Often, it takes a serious illness or other tragic event to jolt people into appreciating the good things in their lives. Don’t wait for something like that to happen to you.

Make a commitment to practice gratitude. Each day identify at least one thing that enriches your life. When you find yourself thinking an ungrateful thought, try substituting a grateful one. For example, replace “my sister forgot my birthday” with “my sister has always been there for me in tough times.” Let gratitude be the last thought before you go off to sleep. Let gratitude also be your first thought when you wake up in the morning.

Cultivate optimism

Develop the habit of seeing the positive side of things. You needn’t become a Pollyanna — after all, bad things do happen, and it would be silly to pretend otherwise. But you don’t have to let the negatives color your whole outlook on life. Remember that what is right about you almost always trumps what is wrong about you.

If you’re not an optimistic person by nature, it may take time for you to change your pessimistic thinking. Start by recognizing negative thoughts as you have them. Then take a step back and ask yourself these key questions:

• Is the situation really as bad as I think?
• Is there another way to look at the situation?
• What can I learn from this experience that I can use in the future?

Find your purpose

People who strive to meet a goal or fulfill a mission — whether it’s growing a garden, caring for children or finding one’s spirituality — are happier than those who don’t have such aspirations. Having a goal provides a sense of purpose, bolsters self-esteem and brings people together. What your goal is doesn’t matter as much as whether the process of working toward it is meaningful to you. Try to align your daily activities with the long-term meaning and purpose of your life. Research studies suggest that relationships provide the strongest meaning and purpose to your life. So cultivate meaningful relationships.

Are you engaged in something you love? If not, ask yourself these questions to discover how you can find your purpose:

• What excites and energizes me?
• What are my proudest achievements?
• How do I want others to remember me?

Live in the moment

Don’t postpone joy waiting for a day when your life is less busy or less stressful. That day may never come. Instead, look for opportunities to savor the small pleasures of everyday life. Focus on the positives in the present moment. Don’t spend your time rehashing the past or worrying about the future. Take time to stop and smell the flowers.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com