Remember, ask the school how many modalities you will be qualified to practice when you graduate!

#2. How does the school teach body mechanics, that is how will they teach you the techniques of massaging clients so you won't burn-out?

Did you know that over 100,000 new massage therapists have left the field in the last 4 years? Why? Simple answer. Because of burnout. They were not taught the proper way of using their bodies to massage their clients. Make sure the school you select can clearly explain to you how they'll teach you good body mechanics.

#3. Does the school offer a holistic approach to your training and have them explain it to you. (This is the MOST important question because most schools teach a one dimensional technical approach.)

You need to decide if you want a technical training, which teaches you how to do a technical massage which is very one dimensional or a holistic training which teaches multiple modalities and has a multi-dimensional approach.

Graduates of technical based massage therapy schools receive a competent knowledge of the body and learn a thorough technical approach to giving massages to their clients, but they tend to give their clients impersonal, technical massages. They simply learn how to move muscles around.

Graduates of a holistic training not only learn the science of massage, you will actually transform as a person which will make you a better therapist. From that foundation you can then transform your client during their massage session.

How will you transform as a person you may ask? A holistic massage therapy school teaches you from a Mind/Body/Spirit approach that is heart-centered and takes into account the entire person not simply their muscles. It's not just what techniques you use in a massage that matter, but how you apply those techniques. The "how" involves the kind of environment you create during your session so your client feels safe and open to receive your massage. That massage would then be called a "Mindful Massage". Being mindful means you learn how to become calm, centered, open-hearted and fully focused on your client throughout the massage. Mindfulness also involves being "embodied." Embodiment means you are not just in your "head" but alive and aware in your body and connected with the entire Wisdom of your Being. All of this allows you to trust your intuition to create a unique massage every time for your client instead of the same "routine."