Camping on Bumpkin Island & Books I’m Currently Reading

Last weekend my boyfriend, daughter, daughter’s best friend, and I went camping on Bumpkin Island, one of the islands in the Boston Harbor.  My boyfriend and I had camped on Bumpkin for the first time last August and had a wonderful time, so I booked another reservation for us through Reserve America back in February, as reservations can be made up to six months in advance and Saturday nights fill up quickly.

My daughter and her friend are also avid campers, and what I love about camping in the Harbor Islands is that it’s relatively easy to get to.  Yes, it’s a pain to carry all of our tents, sleeping bags, and other camping equipment on public transportation, but it’s well worth it once you get there.  We took the T to Long Wharf, then took a ferry to Georges Island, then a shuttle to Bumpkin Island and found a nice campsite right next to the beach.  For those looking for a respite from busy city life, I highly recommend making the trip out to the Harbor Islands, for camping or even just a relaxing day trip.  Although Boston’s skyline is visible from Bumpkin, once you’re out there, it’s not difficult at all to really feel away from the hussle and bussle of the city, and the fact that the camping is so primitive (no running water, electricity, etc.) really adds to the overall experience, in my opinion. 

In fact, on my Links page, I’ve listed the Harbor Islands as an ideal location for a mini retreat, and someday I would love to facilitate a group retreat on Bumpkin, Grape, or Lovells, the three islands that currently offer camping.  (I haven’t been to Grape Island yet, but my boyfriend and I will be camping there for one night in mid August and are looking forward to it!)

Speaking of retreats, I recently bought a copy of Jennifer Louden’s The Woman’s Retreat Book and started reading it while on Bumpkin.  Although I’m not very far into it yet, what I’ve read to date has really resonated with me, and the whole idea of being on retreat really appeals to me, in much the same way that Virginia Woolf’s notion of “a room of one’s own” resonates with me, as both a woman and a writer.  All of us need time and space to take care of ourselves and be nurtured and refreshed.  For most of my life I’ve been taught that this is selfish, that a woman should never put her own needs above those of her child, spouse, etc., but in fact, doing so helps one to become a better mother, wife, friend, artist, etc.  If we don’t carve out this time for ourselves, we become depleted, run down and burnt out.  I’ve been there, and I know many of you reading this have, too.

However, I also realize that many of you, like me, can’t afford to spend a lot of money traveling to fancy retreat centers, spas, resorts, etc.  Does this mean that retreats are out of the question for us?  No, absolutely not!  For instance, reserving a campsite on one of the Harbor Islands is extremely cheap, and the ferry tickets are reasonably priced, too.  You don’t have to travel far to reap the benefits of a retreat.  For those who prefer a real bed to sleeping outdoors on the ground, another option is to explore youth hostels (which, despite the name, are for people of any age, not just young people).  In August, in addtion to camping with my boyfriend on Grape Island, I’ll be traveling alone to Nantucket and the Cape for two separate mini-retreats, both times staying at a Hostelling International youth hostel.

Another option – one which is currently being touted by Mayor Menino – is to vacation at home.  Why spend lots of money to travel to a different city and stay in hotels when you can turn your own home into a retreat and vacation in your own backyard?  Again, the key to a successful and nourishing retreat is not how much money you spend, but the intention behind it.  If you approach the experience with the right attitude and sense of reverence, there’s no reason why it can’t be spiritually and psychologically restorative, nourishing your body, mind, and soul.

Also, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve recently been laid off from my job, and my last day was Friday, June 20th (the first day of summer, which seems significant somehow).  Rather than be depressed by the loss of my job, I’m actually quite happy to be unemployed.  I’m going to miss having a steady paycheck, of course, but I’m looking forward to starting massage school at Cortiva in a few weeks and forging a new vocation for myself, one which is better suited to my interests and talents and will eventually allow me to be my own boss and have more freedom and flexibility in my life.

In fact, the other book which I’m currently reading is called Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love by Barbara Winter, which I highly recommend to anyone who’s tired of the rat race and wants to become “joyfully jobless” by creating a custom career for herself or himself.

I’ll write more about both of these books in future posts, as well as discuss in greater depth the concepts of retreat and vocation, which have been occupying my thoughts a lot lately during this time of transition.

P.S.  For those of you in the Boston area who are interested in Maggie Jackson’s new book, I just found out today that she’ll be discussing Distracted at the Brookline Booksmith in Coolidge Corner at 7 pm on Thursday, July 17th.

Article: “People in debt feel literal pain, poll says” (Boston Globe)

Survey ties health to financial woes

By Jeannine Aversa, Associated Press  |  June 10, 2008

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/06/10/people_in_debt_feel_literal_pain_poll_says/

WASHINGTON – The stress from deepening debt is becoming a major pain in the neck – and the back and the head and the stomach – for millions of Americans.

When people are dealing with mountains of debt, they’re much more likely to report health problems, too, according to an Associated Press-AOL Health poll. And not just little stuff; this means ulcers, severe depression, even heart attacks.

Take Edward Driscoll, 38, of Braintree. He blames debt – $10,000 worth – for contributing to his ulcers and the panic attacks of his wife, Kimberly. “Just worrying, worrying, worrying, you know, where the next payment of this is going to come from,” he says.

Although most people appear to be managing their debts all right, perhaps 10 million to 16 million are “suffering terribly due to their debts, and their health is likely to be negatively impacted,” says Paul J. Lavrakas, a research psychologist and AP consultant who analyzed the results of the survey. Those are people who reported high levels of debt stress and had at least three stress-related illnesses, he said.

That finding is supported by medical research that has linked chronic stress to a wide range of ailments. And tough economic times and rising costs of living seem to be leading to increasing debt stress, 14 percent higher this year than in 2004, according to an index tied to the AP-AOL survey.

Among the people reporting high debt stress in the new poll:

• 27 percent had ulcers or digestive tract problems, compared with 8 percent of those with low levels of debt stress
• 44 percent had migraines or other headaches, compared with 15 percent
• 29 percent had severe anxiety, compared with 4 percent
• 23 percent had severe depression, compared with 4 percent
• 6 percent reported heart attacks, double the rate for those with low debt stress 
• More than half, 51 percent, had muscle tension, including pain in the lower back. That compared with 31 percent of those with low levels of debt stress. 

People who reported high stress also were much more likely to have trouble concentrating and sleeping, and were more prone to getting upset for no good reason.

When their construction business went under four years ago, Pamela Crouch, 61, and her husband, who had retired from General Motors, found themselves struggling under IOUs totaling $30,000.

“We just kind of felt desperate. We just really didn’t have enough to live on to pay what we had to pay,” recalled Crouch of Eaton, Ind. She remembers having trouble sleeping and concentrating. “We ended up paying a lot of our bills just on the credit card,” said Crouch, a medical assistant in a nursing home. “We were stressed and depressed. . . . It was really rough.”

Their son, a manager of a construction supply company, helped them out with their debt problems. “Things are doing much better,” she says. “It made a world of difference in how we feel.”

Medical research suggests that most of the symptoms reported in this poll are typical of chronic stress. The body reacts with a “fight-or-flight” response, releasing adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol.

Poem: “Invitation” by Mary Oliver

Invitation

Oh do you have time
to linger
for just a little while
out of your busy

and very important day
for the goldfinches
that have gathered
in a field of thistles

for a musical battle,
to see who can sing
the highest note,
or the lowest,

or the most expressive of mirth,
or the most tender?
Their strong, blunt beaks
drink the air

as they strive
melodiously
not for your sake
and not for mine

and not for the sake of winning
but for sheer delight and gratitude—
believe us, they say,
it is a serious thing

just to be alive
on this fresh morning
in this broken world.
I beg of you,

do not walk by
without pausing
to attend to this
rather ridiculous performance.

It could mean something.
It could mean everything.
It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:
You must change your life.

From Red Bird: Poems by Mary Oliver, published by Beacon Press, 2008

Article: “10 Ways to Quell Distraction in an Attention-Deficient Age” (Boston Globe)

The Boston Globe has published an interesting article entitled “10 ways to quell distraction in an attention-deficient age” on its website today.  These tips are taken from “Balancing Acts” columnist Maggie Jackson’s new book, Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age.  I encourage you to check out the entire article, but here’s the list:

1. Speak a language of attention
2. Be wary of interruptions
3. Practice message restraint
4. Focus on one another
5. White space
6. Cut back on multitasking
7. Eat mindfully
8. Meditate
9. Hit the pause button
10. Be a role model for focus

As I consider the ten items on this list, I can’t help but think of the nature of my own current 9-5 office job, which, like many other people’s jobs, is full of distractions and interruptions.  In our workplaces and in our personal lives, we’re constantly bombarded with emails, text messages, and phone calls; multitasking is considered a virtue, while singletasking is unheard of and, in some cases, actively frowned upon.

In fact, one can’t help but notice how prevalent distractions are in our modern culture, how fragmented and disjointed our society has become, all too often at the expense of our relationships and overall physical, mental, psychological, and spiritual health and wellbeing.  How many of us actually find time to meditate or “hit the pause button”?  Yet this is exactly what we must do in order to recharge our batteries and avoid burnout; we need to take time to nurture ourselves, focus on those around us, and, as cliche as it may sound, actually stop and smell the roses.

Reading these tips also reminds me yet again why I have decided to pursue a career in massage therapy.  As a massage therapist, I’ll be able to focus on the moment as I attend to each client, helping him or her to also take a break from our hectic modern world.  We all need to carve out the necessary time and space to relax and rejuvenate, to slow down and focus on what’s really meaningful.  As a single parent, I know how difficult this can be, but I also know how absolutely vital and necessary it is, for each and every one of us.

These tips also remind of a poem that I recently read by Mary Oliver, from her new book Red Bird (which I highly recommend, as I do all of her poetry collections).

Why Cortiva? Choosing Where to Study

In my last post I outlined some of the reasons why I was drawn to a career in massage therapy, and now I will try to answer the question, why Cortiva? Of all the various massage therapy schools and programs in the metropolitan Boston area, why I did decide to enroll at Cortiva Institute in Watertown?

As I’ll explain in this post, Cortiva actually stood out for several reasons, including: overall quality of school/faculty, reputation, accreditation by COMTA and Dept. of Education, excellent curriculum, location and ease of commute, total cost (including availability of federal financial aid), program duration and schedule (12 months full-time on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays), high job placement and national exam pass rates, etc.

There are several vocational/career schools in the Boston area that offer programs in therapeutic massage, and one of them, Everest Institute in Brighton, MA, is actually the one in closest proximity to me and offers the easiest commute. Lincoln Tech in Somerville, MA is a similar type of school that offers a program in massage therapy, and, for those who live in Boston and regularly take the T, you’ve probably seen Lincoln’s ads promoting their massage therapy program in the Boston Metro.

Quite frankly, though, I have to admit that, while Everest and Lincoln may both offer a perfectly fine massage therapy education (I’m not familiar with their programs, so I can’t comment on their quality), I’m usually wary of these types of schools and am turned off by the fact that their websites fail to include comprehensive information about their curriculum, class schedule, tuition, etc.

(To be honest, this is actually a criticism that I also have concerning Cortiva, whose website is not fully transparent and doesn’t disclose detailed information about tuition fees, etc. Personally, I don’t want to have to contact Cortiva, Everest, Lincoln, or any other school for these crucial pieces of information; since their websites are the first places I and many other potential students turn to when seeking information about their programs, I want all of this important information to be freely accessible online. If, after reading this information, I’m still interested in a particular school, then I’ll contact the admissions department, but I shouldn’t have to fork over my contact information simply to learn what days classes are offered, or how much is charged for tuition. Why can’t they have the same kind of information that’s contained in their handbooks and catalogs available on their websites, like a lot of other schools these days do?)

Another factor in my decision not to seriously consider enrolling at Everest or Lincoln is the fact that neither school is accredited by COMTA. COMTA is the acronymn for the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, and, to be eligible for accreditation, a massage therapy school must meet certain criteria as outlined on COMTA’s website, which include being “legally organized and licensed by the appropriate state education and/or state licensing agency which authorizes the conduct of business in that state” and requiring “a minimum of 600 clock hours of instruction.”

COMTA’s website includes a directory of accredited massage therapy programs by state, and, at the time of this writing, there are currently six COMTA-accredited massage therapy schools and programs in Massachusetts (Cortiva Institute-Boston, Greenfield Community College – Stillpoint, MassBay Community College, Mount Wachusett Community College, the Salter School, and Springfield Technical Community College).

It’s also important to note, however, that being accredited by COMTA also requires the payment of a rather hefty fee, and some massage therapy schools may meet the eligibility criteria but simply be unable or unwilling to pay these fees. The most important criterion, in my opinion, is that a school be licensed by the Department of Education in its state, rather than or in addition to COMTA.

For instance, two schools in Massachusetts that I seriously considered attending – Bancroft School of Massage Therapy in Worcester and the Palmer Institute of Massage and Bodywork in Salem – are not accredited by COMTA, yet they still provide comprehensive and well-regarded massage therapy programs. If commuting to Worcester or Salem wasn’t such a huge hassle from where I live, I very well may have chosen to enroll at either Bancroft or Palmer instead of Cortiva, and at some point I’d still like to take continuing education courses at one or both schools. (For instance, as an animal lover and someone who shares an apartment with five cats, I’d love to learn how to massage cats and dogs through Bancroft’s small animal massage certification program, and Palmer offers a wide variety of energy work certifications and classes, including polarity, reiki, etc.)

So, while a school’s location should not be the most important factor when deciding where to enroll, it is something that one does need to consider. Before choosing a school, it’s a good idea to research all of the massage therapy programs in your area, both within your state and in any neighboring states that are within commuting distance (for instance, I also looked at schools in Rhode Island and New Hampshire, in addition to Massachusetts).

The most important factor, of course, should be the quality and reputation of a school, which must then be weighed against practical considerations such as distance, cost, schedule, etc. I’m fortunate enough to live within commuting distance of three excellent massage schools, so in the end, location was a deciding factor for me, but it wasn’t the only factor. Again, if it had been, I would have chosen Everest Institute, but fortunately for me, the commute to Cortiva won’t be too difficult or time-consuming. After a fifteen-minute walk to Brighton Center (which also happens to be where my daughter’s elementary school is located), I’ll be able to catch the #57 bus to Watertown. Once I get off of the bus in Watertown, it’s another short walk (approximately ten minutes) to Cortiva’s campus.

Again, Cortiva’s location is certainly an advantage for me, but the main reason the school appeals to me is because of its excellent reputation and quality of its curriculum. New licensing legislation that went into effect this year in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires a minimum of 500 classroom hours (increased to 650 hours in May 2010), and Cortiva’s program in professional massage therapy, which consists of 750 hours of instruction and hands-on work, exceeds this requirement. In addition to devoting substantial class time to anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, massage techniques, etc., Cortiva’s curriculum also includes coursework in psychology and business, which are also extremely important subjects for a successful LMT to master as she or he builds her or his own practice or enters into employment.

Before choosing a school, be sure to study its curriculum and ensure that it meets the licensing criteria of your state. Because licensing requirements vary, a program that meets one state’s requirements may not satisfy the requirements for another state (i.e., in New York, one needs 1,000 hours of instruction, not 500 as in Massachusetts).

Another reason why I chose Cortiva is because many professional massage therapists in this area graduated from Cortiva or its predecessor, the Muscular Therapy Institute. Furthermore, Cortiva has a high job placement rate for its graduates, and a large percentage of its students pass the national exam. Again, do your homework. If the school doesn’t publish these statistics in its literature, ask! If a school’s graduates are passing the national exam and finding work after finishing the program, obviously these testify to the quality of that school’s massage program.

Also, I personally prefer schools like Cortiva, Bancroft, and Palmer to schools such as Everest, Lincoln, and Salter because the former schools only offer massage, whereas the latter schools offer a variety of vocational programs (i.e., dental assisting, medical assisting, cosmetology, paralegal studies, etc. in addition to massage therapy). I like knowing that massage therapy is Cortiva’s sole focus and only available program of study. Yes, Cortiva, like many other vocational schools, wants to attract a lot of students in order to make a profit, but, unlike some of those other schools, all of its classrooms are set up for massage, there’s a student clinic on site, all of the instructors are experienced in their field, etc.

Although I haven’t started classes yet, I’ve been impressed with the people I’ve met so far at Cortiva, including the staff, faculty, and current and former students whom I met at Cortiva’s introductory workshop. I was confident then that Cortiva was the right massage school for me, and all of the research that I’ve done since then has only reaffirmed this belief.

Since Cortiva is accredited and provides federal financial aid to eligible students, my education – which totals just over $12,000 including books, supplies, massage table, etc. – will be almost entirely financed by a federal Stafford loan. Without financial aid, I definitely would not be able to afford massage school, so this was another reason why I was attracted to Cortiva.

Also, for low-income students who do not yet possess a bachelor’s degree, Cortiva also offers federal Pell grants. They’ve also recently instituted a student scholarship program, which is open to all newly matriculated students and requires an application and brief, 500-word essay. (I applied, but decisions won’t be made until October; there’s one $2,000 scholarship and two smaller $500 scholarships.)

However, not all schools offer federal and/or state financial aid to their students, so again, do your homework and choose the option that works best for you. Everyone’s financial circumstances are different, and your total out of pocket costs can vary greatly depending on the school, especially when you factor in financial aid packages, scholarships, private loans, payment plans, etc. By all means look at the total “sticker price” of the school or program, but don’t choose or reject a school based on tuition alone. With financial aid, that expensive school may actually be more affordable than you think, and a school with an outstanding reputation may pay for itself down the road.

For those who, like me, already have student loans from other colleges, you may be able to defer payments on them, depending on your school and the number of credits you’re taking (check with your lender and school’s financial aid office to see if you’re eligible). As a full-time student at Cortiva, I’ll be able to defer monthly payments on my federal Stafford and Perkins loans while in school.

Speaking of my Perkins loan, it is my understanding that borrowers can have up to 100% of their loans cancelled as a result of being employed as an allied health professional. Check with your lender to see if you qualify, but, according to the American Medical Association, a massage therapist is considered an allied health professional.

While researching massage therapy schools, be sure to explore massage therapy programs at local community colleges. For in-state residents, the cost savings may be substantial, yet the quality of the education may be just as good, if not superior, to that available at other, more expensive schools.

In fact, I looked at several massage therapy degree programs offered at various community colleges in Massachusetts, including Mount Wachusett Community College and Greenfield Community College. Although these programs sound excellent and are no doubt ideal for many students, one of the main reasons why I decided against them was due to their location; it’s simply much easier for me to commute to Cortiva, without sacrificing the quality of my education.

If I lived closer to Mount Wachusett, I’d be tempted to enroll in the joint complementary health/massage therapy degree program, but, since the commute would be a pain, I’ll stick with Cortiva. Besides, there’s always the option of pursuing Mount Wachusett’s complementary health certificate later, after I’ve received my massage therapy license. (Though I suspect that, rather than studying at the associate’s level, graduate-level studies would be my best bet, with Lesley University, the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies, John F. Kennedy University, and Naropa University all offering programs of interest.)

Since I already have a four-year bachelor’s degree, I simply don’t need a two-year associate’s degree. If I didn’t already have a degree, then things would be different and, yes, I would much rather enroll in a program that led to a college degree rather than merely a certificate, but at this point my goal is not to receive a degree, it’s to become a licensed massage therapist, which means that a certificate will suffice.

When choosing a school, always keep your present and future career and academic goals in mind. If your goal is to get a degree, then by all means go for it, but if your goal is to become a licensed massage therapist, the degree may not be necessary. Again, the quality of one’s massage therapy and bodywork education is the most important thing to consider, along with factors such as overall cost, location, and desired program length (again, it generally takes two years to earn an associate’s degree, while a massage therapy certificate can be obtained in less than a year; some places, such as the Kripalu School of Massage in the Berkshires, offer short-term, intensive residential training for those who want to become licensed sooner rather than later).

Finally, for those massage therapy students and LMTs reading this blog, where did you study massage and bodywork, and why? What were the most important features of a massage school or program to you? If you had to do it all over again, would you choose the same place to study; why or why not? Please take a moment to share your comments and reflections on this topic with your fellow Soulful Massage readers below. Thank you!

Why a Career in Massage Therapy? My Reasons for Pursuing This Path

So, why did I decide to pursue a career in massage therapy? It’s not something I’ve grown up wanting to do. In fact, ever since childhood, I’ve always felt that writing and teaching were my true vocation, and I’ve wanted to be a professional writer since I was twelve.

In order to explain how I ended up where I am now, I should first give you some more background information about myself. I grew up in southwestern Ohio and first came to Boston in the fall of 1994 to study at Boston College. At BC, I majored in English and philosophy and was a member of the Arts and Sciences Honors Program. I also studied abroad at Oxford University during my junior year, and, while in England, I became pregnant. As a result, I ended up back in Ohio and failed to graduate on time with the rest of my class. Back in my hometown, I supported myself and my daughter by working in the Accounts Payable department of a local manufacturing company, and during this time I also suffered from severe depression.

Eventually, my daughter and I moved to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where we lived as expatriates for a year and a half (as for why we moved to Amsterdam, that’s a long story in and of itself!). After the relationship I was in ended, we returned to Ohio and lived with my parents. Since I had always dreamed of returning to Boston, I finally returned in the summer of 2004, and my daughter and I officially took up Boston residency that September.

Although I had hoped to resume my studies at Boston College as soon as possible after returning to Boston, I wasn’t able to return to school right away, mainly for economic reasons. After doing some temp work, I eventually secured a position at a local liberal religious non-profit organization, a job which I’ve held for the past three years.

I should also note that, after moving back to Boston, the migraine and tension headaches which have plagued me since puberty have increased in frequency. No doubt this is mostly due to the stress of being a single parent in a city with an extremely high cost of living, but other factors (i.e., hormones) also play a role. Sick of spending so much money on prescription medications and wanting to find natural forms of pain relief, I started exploring alternative medicine and began going to Pathways to Wellness, a wonderful acupuncture clinic in Boston’s South End. (If anyone reading this is looking for an acupuncturist in the Boston area, I can’t recommend Pathways enough, and Jeff in particular; also, since they offer a sliding fee scale and provide inexpensive group treatments starting at only $20, Pathways is surprisingly affordable for people like me who are on a limited budget.)

Acupuncture definitely helped reduce the frequency and severity of my headaches, but it didn’t eliminate them completely. During a visit with my doctor, she noticed how tense I was and suggested massage therapy as something I might want to try and referred me to a local physical therapist. I also sought out a local massage therapist and had my first professional massage.

As a result of these experiences, I realized how beneficial massage therapy and complementary medicine in general could be, and it dawned on me that massage therapy was a career I could pursue that would allow me to help others, while also providing the freedom and flexibility that my current 9-5 job lacked. By becoming a massage therapist, I could work on my own terms and, instead of indirectly helping others through working in an office, I could actively help people in, literally, a hands-on role.

After researching various schools and attending a one-day introductory workshop at Cortiva (I’ll write more on why I chose Cortiva in my next post), I decided to go ahead and enroll. However, it was also at this time that it finally became possible for me to return to Boston College, and, since it was coming upon the ten-year anniversary of when I should have originally graduated, I knew that I couldn’t put off returning to BC any longer. After discussing my plans with my supervisor, I was given permission to reduce my hours to part-time in order to return to school.

I knew that attending BC and Cortiva simultaneously would be impossible, so I opted to return to BC and postpone massage school. Looking back on it, this was definitely the right decision for me to make. I took classes at BC part-time in the fall and full-time this past spring, and I finally graduated this past May. Now that I have my bachelor’s degree, I started seriously thinking again about Cortiva and recently contacted their admissions department to find out when classes would be offered again.

I also found out several months ago that I’m being let go from my job, so the timing is perfect. I only have two weeks left with my current employer, and classes at Cortiva start on July 15th. When I originally considered attending Cortiva, I was interested in the part-time program, but now, since my circumstances have changed, I’ve decided to take classes at Cortiva full-time, during the day on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. This means that I’ll still have evenings and weekends free to spend with my daughter and boyfriend and to pursue other interests and activities.

As for writing and teaching, enrolling in massage school doesn’t meant that I’ve abandoned these career plans, quite the contrary. Now that I have my bachelor’s degree, I intend to take classes at the graduate level, with my ultimate goal obtaining a Ph.D. Having heard all of the horror stories about pursuing an academic career in the humanities and knowing how poorly paid adjunct professors are, being a licensed massage therapist will help me earn money while in grad school and, later, will allow me to supplement the meager income I receive from teaching.

However, a career in massage therapy is not simply a means to an end for me, rather, it’s also an end in itself. As an INFP, also known as the “Healer” or “Idealist,” massage therapy is a career that seems naturally suited to me, and I could easily see myself doing energy work, life coaching, workshops and retreats, etc. in addition to massage.

Also, massage therapy seems like an ideal complement to my work as a writer and a teacher, since both are ways to touch, nurture, and heal people, in body and/or spirit. In fact, I want to become a massage therapist for many of the same reasons why I want to become a writer, precisely because I want to help make a difference in the world and help people be whole. Just as I believe in the transformative and healing power of art, I also believe in the transformative and healing power of touch; both can be powerful agents of change and can help people achieve deeper levels of physical/psychospiritual health and wellness and realize their full potential.

For massage therapy students and practicing massage and bodywork professionals reading this blog, why did you decide to pursue a career in massage therapy? Please feel free to post your stories and comments here!

Welcome to Soulful Massage!

This is a brand-new blog created by a future LMT (licensed massage therapist) who lives in Boston and plans to start attending massage school at Cortiva Institute in Watertown, MA this summer.  In my next post I’ll write at length about the reasons why I decided to pursue a career as a therapeutic massage and bodywork practitioner, but until then, please feel free to read the “About” section to learn more about me and this blog.