Frustrated Friday: Hi My Name Is....

Dawnette..NOT Donna, Darnit (c'mon, really?), Dinnette or Dawanna..Dawnette!! : )

The only person I answer to as Donit is Miss Sophia. She is 3 years old and she can call me Donit till I'm 80.

Cheers!!

Finding the Right Massage Therapist For You

In my years as a massage therapist, I've met many massage virgins. Giving someone their very first massage is always exciting for me, because I am setting the standard of expectations for their future massages. And yes, I think highly of my skills as a LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist). ;)

Searching for the right practitioner in any trade can be a stressful and tedious process. Not everyone's perception of a good hair stylist, doctor, surgeon, or dentist is the same. So, it goes without saying that finding a massage therapist that fits all of your needs won't be any easier.Whether you take your chances searching the yellow pages or asking for referrals from family or friends, you should ask yourself a few questions to make sure the MT can fit your needs.

1. What are your specific needs? Relaxation, therapeutic, stress, acute or chronic pain, injury rehab, sports enhancement?
2. What area(s) do you want to focus on?
3. How frequent do you want to schedule appointments?

From here you can now narrow your search based on these questions. Before booking your appointment you can call and ask a few questions to your potential MT.

1. Are they licensed or certified in the state they work in? (Difference between Licensed and Certified) 
2. If licensed, is it up to date?
3. How much experience do they have?
4. What other modalities are they certified to perform?
5. How much do they charge and where are they located?

When the time comes for you to meet your massage therapist make sure that all forms of communication are open. You want to ensure that the needs you are paying for are being met. If something the MT does is either uncomfortable or painful, make sure you let that be known. No matter how skilled the MT is, if you can't relax you won't enjoy your massage session and you won't reap it's benefits. 

Happy Massage Therapist Hunting!!

.Dawnette.
LMT

Whisper Wednesday: Increase Water Intake

One of the many benefits of massage is increasing the flow of your lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system, which has several functions. Some of these include filtering out cellular waste; providing nourishment for the tissues of the body; helping to maintain the body's fluid balance; and assisting in the digestion of fats.

To ensure that you are drinking the minimum amount of water for your size, take your weight and divide it in half. The resulting number is the minimum amount of water that you should drink in ounces. Depending on your level of activity, you'll need to increase this amount.

Easy peasy! Now, drink up!

Shout Out!!: BFF, Tammy!

To one of my most awesome, best and creative friends, Tammy!!

(Photo courtesy of Tammy Tso)

She is a true artist and storyteller.

She has been endlessly persistent about me starting a blog ever since I casually mentioned the desire to do so.

Tammy has been sooo enthused about the idea, I almost forgot whose blog it belonged to! haha

Aside from my boyfriend, Nick...Tammy is one of the few people I share my funny, frustrating and heartwarming massage stories with. She also is one of the few friends that takes FULL advantage of my knowledge and skill as a massage therapist. LOL

So, I make sure to frequently brush up on my A&P lingo and various massage techniques.

I'm glad Tammy pushed me to open up and share my experiences and knowledge.

It's been years since I've had to write any form of literature. So this will be both intimidating and exhilarating!

As an example of one of the MANY things that Tammy and I get ourselves into, I'd like to share a fairly recent project we did together.

Click the title below to enjoy our (P)ieces of (C)reativity.

RECYCLED POCKETS

Allow me to introduce myself....

My name is Dawnette aka, Sputnik, by my Papa who thinks anything I do is amazing;
 Likkle but Tallawah, surprisingly strong for such a small being;
Bgirl Patience, personal massage therapist to bboys and bgirls; 
and my newest favorite, Muscle Whisperer, thanks to Mrs. Bev.

I hadn't always wanted to be a massage therapist. In fact it's a career I stumbled upon one day while discouraged and frustrated in college. I was majoring in Biology at Xavier University of Louisiana with the hopes of becoming a doctor of some sort. Yeah, I hadn't planned that far ahead. I just knew I that I wanted to help people that were injured and/or sick. But, the path I was taking through college wasn't as fulfilling as I'd hoped and I had to finally be honest that I didn't really want to be a doctor. It was a childhood dream that my family kept alive in me. I didn't want to disappoint them and I thought I'd find a career in the medical field that I could love and that they would be proud of. 

Despite my fears, they were all VERY supportive of my decision to pursue massage therapy. My Auntie Gaye even bought my first massage table when I graduated from Delta College!

So, how DID I become a muscle whisperer, you ask? 
**Alright, this will be a bit lengthy, but please bare with me!**

Right time. Right place. I saw an ad for massage therapy school and it just all seemed to come together. Out of all my biology courses, Anatomy and Physiology was the one I excelled in and was most captivated by. Then, reflecting on my childhood and adolescence, I realized I've been a massage therapist in the making! 

As a child my mom would often beg for foot rubs and I would happily oblige her, receiving much praise and then a sense of pride as she fell peacefully asleep. My father, the hardest working man I know, always came home sweaty and beat. And being the daddy's girl that I was (and still am), I'd massage his shoulders without hesitation and walk on his back at his request.

Then came my grandparents. I didn't know this until recently, but all those head massages I'd give my Papa and the head oiling and combing I'd give my Grandma were to ensure they knew where us grandkids where when they babysat us. And here I thought it was because I had a magical and relaxing touch at such a young age. I still think it was a bit of both. :)

They always dozed off and I would still happily massage and comb their hair.

Through middle and high school I was quite the athlete and joined the track & field team. I then found myself giving back and shoulder massages to my teammates during track meets and receiving an abundance of thanks and praise. It didn't hurt that during the off season, the football players would also join the track team and required the use of my budding massage talent as well. It was all for the good of the team! ;)

 

With the realization that I had an affinity for giving, an immense interest in A&P and received satisfaction from others alleviation of stress and discomfort, I heard a whisper in the back of my mind and felt the strongest state of awareness....
I KNEW I COULD DO THIS!

I could be a massage therapist.

I could make people feel better. 

I could comfort someone with something as simple as a touch.

I could make someone drift off into unconsciousness and forget about a stressful day or event. Even if for a little while.

What I didn't realize, is that it would eventually become more than that. Much more. And much more rewarding. After close to eight years of being a massage therapist. I wake up every morning and go to bed every night thankful for what I do. And most of all, grateful to those who trust my skills and knowledge when they're at their most vulnerable.

I hope that you will share in this experience with me. I want this blog to be more than a technical narrative about massage therapy. You can easily Google those inquires for yourself. However, I want to be more of a voice about my experiences and insight as a massage therapist, sprinkled with helpful info and product reviews.

For those of you that survived reading this novel, thank you and congrats!
And, I look forward to sharing more with you!

.Dawnette.
Muscle Whisperer