Massage blog about massage laws and regulations and also massage courses by Brandon Raynor

Email from a practitioner in Canada

2009-07-01T23:09:00.002-07:00

Hi Brandon,

I am a Holistic Practitioner and I've read a lot of your articles and what I have found here in Ontario Canada is this;

I work at a spa and am booked for massage just as much as the RMT that works there, the only people that don't book with me are the ones who want to be able to get their money back from a insurance plan so cheap people who don't really care about having a great massage, they just want one for free. I get more compliments on my massage I give and return bookings than the RMT does. People leave my treatment room feeling they have had an awesome experience not just a massage.

I also do massage for mentally and physically disabled people, nursing home residents, group home(foster kids), these places have all had RMT's work there prior to me and none lasted for more than a few months, they are not trained to work by intuition, with energy or anything other than a massage by numbers routine that requires very certain and stable positioning which cannot be obtained when working with these people. I have great success with people of all kinds because of my training and natural intuition and love for the work I do.

I feel that the only time massage should be covered by insurance is for rehabilitation after an accident. It should only be allowed to be covered for extreme therapeutic measures, and in only a clinical setting. It urks me to see people come into a spa atmosphere and want a hot stone massage and want it to be written off by the RMT so they can get there money back...

One time I had a fellow booked in for appt, he canceled because he couldn't write the massage off and get his money back, but as he waited in the lobby for his wife, he heard one of my clients come from my massage treatment, just raving about how it was the best massage he had ever had, felt amazing, couldn't believe a massage could be this unbelievably relaxing and therapeutic at the same time, that I had magical hands and could feel the energy through my hands on his body and in different places then where my hands were actually touching him.... so he booked another appt for the next day he loved it so much... so he left and went on his way and the fellow that had canceled his appt says to me, can I please book in with you for later today or tomorrow,(he was from out of town) please I want to have this experience, I shouldn't have canceled my appt..he even offered to pay a little more than the regular price, if I could fit him in... well I turned him down, told him I did not have availability for him, even though I did, because I thought you were too cheap a few hours ago to try my treatment, but now you want it and will pay more.... NO you are not going to get this great experience from me.....he was quite disappointed.(but I felt good)(I didn't say that last part to him, but I thought it).

You have massage because you want it and need it regardless of the cost, not just because you can get it for free.....

I have had RMT's in with me for massage and they say that my massage is incredible and that the only thing that separates them from me is a piece of paper and over $20,000 dollars in debt.. that there experience with me is better than any RMT they have been too.

Its because my heart is in my work, I absolutely love what I do... being paid for my job is simply a bonus... Its amazing to be able to work at what you love... I'm sure you feel the same way!

Anyways, I hope your freedom ride continues on with great success and if I can be of any assistance, let me know.

talk to you soon

Name withheld by request so she doesn't upset the RMTs that work with her

Massage Laws in the US and Canada

2009-06-05T03:11:00.002-07:00

Massage Laws
Here are some good links to some really well written articles about massage regulation

http://www.healingandlaw.com/Massage_Law_Newsletter/MLN_Vol.17/MLN_Vol.17__No.3/mln_vol.17__no.3.html#mln%2017/3

http://www.healingandlaw.com/Massage_Law_Newsletter/MLN_Vol.17/MLN_Vol.17__No.2/mln_vol.17__no.2.html#MLN%2017/2

http://www.healingandlaw.com/Massage_Law_Newsletter/MLN_Vol.14/MLN_Vol.14__No.4/mln_vol.14__no.4.html#MLN%2014/4

Our You tube site

2009-05-03T21:09:00.002-07:00

Please see our youtube videos Click here for a link to one of our videos on you tube

Here is a link to part 1 of our reflexology video

Some thoughts on Health Freedom

2009-03-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

Heres an email I got today from Scott Schumacher

Hello Brandon and others.

I wanted to share what I wrote on the Freedom for Bodyworkers Yahoo group lately. My thoughts were in response to the new California regulations that have happened, and my feelings of "what have we built as a viable alternative to licensing or regulation?" and the fact that we're not as organized as the AMTA, ABMP, etc, and we've not developed anything for others to plug into that would halt the craze for licensing and restrictive regulation in the United States.

I believe it's going to happen everywhere eventually, because we've not organized ourselves on "Building" any other alternative institution to take it's place.

I'm wondering what you think. Below is a portion of the email I sent to this list on my ideas (though I feel like a very lone voice in this as everyone else is just bent on complaining or only acting "defensively" when legislation comes around).

--
With regard to "new institution building" in massage and bodywork, I've had a few ideas that I've shared with a few folks, but not with a larger audience. Some of these are more radical in their approach, and might require lots of US even twisting our own paradigms about massage and bodywork. I also see these as potential "exit strategies" and "underground" institution-shifting models to counteract the licensing/specialization movements.

Here are some musings:

1) Aligning with the Energy Bodywork and Quantum Physics Science (or Spirituality)

All states but Florida last I counted, have exceptions in their laws with regard to the "human energy field" to exclude practices like Acupressure, Reflexology, Reiki, Healing Touch, etc. There's a push toward "medical massage" and more "science-based" training and certification. According to quantum physics, when we touch the body, we are not touching the body, but touching energy. Theoretically, and based on quantum theory, we never touch anyone. All bodywork is energy work. The quantum physics paradigm stretches into the boundaries between science, spirit, and consciousness. Institutions would need to be built alongside this philosophy. Learning centers, certifying groups, non-profits, member-associations, etc. And perhaps even a court case would need to happen to give credence to this philosophy of science being applied.

2) The "friends and family" exemption

Many states exempt from licensure, those who use massage in educational workshops, or on family and friends without payment. Another way to dilute the "specialties" of a licensed profession, is to make the education "common knowledge" or part of our "commons" of knowing and learning. Imagine that all of us could become consultants and educators to place this knowledge of touch in the hands of EVERYONE. We teach families and individuals the skills to use touch in their daily lives with their friends and family. People begin buying $300 massage tables instead of treadmills, and effleurage becomes a household word, as do meridians, chi, and trigger points. We teach the world, and the world uses the knowledge to use touch appropriately for their friends and family - apart from licensing, credentialism, accreditation, etc. We in turn dissolve the current "specialization" model, and become teachers and consultants.

3) The Open-Sourcing of bodywork education

It's happening in almost all forms of learning. College and University tuition is skyrocketing. Consumer debt is out of control, and yet, more avenues for "learning" in a free and supported environment are popping up as we speak. Universities are sharing courses through an OpenCourseware (google it!) model. Social Networks are defining and framing our interactions and are creeping into "learning". As our economy flattens, so does education. Showing work and proficiency would need to happen, and organizations that could "certify, credentialize, or verify" experiential and individualized learning OUTSIDE of our current Massage-Schools-ONLY paradigm would need to spring up.

I'm currently studying to take the FSMTB test, and I'm confident I could pass it, hence giving me complete passage to licensing in Wisconsin for the first year of their licensing, without their educational hours or schools requirement. I bet that FSMTB would have their eyes widened by this possible paradigm of showing proficiency. I hope.

4) The formation of LOCAL "Guilds" for bodyworkers

Just like the organic food labeling standards with the FDA, massage therapists, just like farmers, have tougher "entry points" into the market. Some areas in the country are forming "local organic standards" and are marketing them as a "local trust system." You know the farmer or bodyworker because of an alternate system of standards that is shared and supported locally. Infrastructure exists to have bodyworkers rated and commented upon (like your ebay or amazon.com positive or negative ratings percentage). Networks of trust happen organically when we can say "rate my service" to EVERY client, and this information is held by third-party organizations - feedback is confidential but OPEN for all to see. Think of it - would you choose a massage therapist with a 25% approval rating or a 99% one? A local (or even national) "guild" organization could begin to measure our CLIENTS' feedback, input, and feelings of protection. And we would have REAL DATA that speaks to who is protected by certification or not, and how a diversity of training and paradigms of massage and bodywork could provide the same protection across the board for the consumer. REAL DATA! think of it!

5) Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers shed their FEAR of spirituality

A lot of us already know that when we massage a person, that we're not just touching a body, but we're connecting with memories, emotion, SPIRIT, past and present, and maybe even THE DIVINE within the person on our table. We are so cautious to talk about these things, that schools, certifying bodies, states, and organizations have taken us completely down the rabbit hole of ONE VARIANT of science, and a Western medical model that is ONLY about 150 years old (that's NOT a very long time compared to much of our bodywork foundations and traditions). There's been very little or NO movement in concretely establishing a platform for legitimate SPIRITUAL Massage that could very well, with some work, infrastructure, unified voices, and a great liability insurance option, be a viable and crashing EARTHQUAKE to give a paradigm SPLIT that could work very well in our industry - In my opinion.

or..the last option.. not so certain..

6) We just wait it out - Let our economy collapse as we face healthcare crises, climate change, and the shift to a more localized economy post-peak-oil, and perhaps these current models will not hold societal weight. Perhaps our licensing model, along with our learning and specialization model, will simply crumble, and we'll need a new paradigm anyway.

Personally, I'd rather see us BEGIN doing items 1-5 BEFORE this happens, and then maybe we'd be a lot more poised to "change the story".

Feedback?! I'd love to hear what others think. Praise me, criticise me, or show me different possibilities.

-Scott Schumacher

--

Scott Schumacher
Holistic Practitioner, Web Designer, Person
scotts@holisticgeek.com

http://www.holisticgeek.com/
http://www.holisticgeek.com/riverbetween/
http://www.apeacefultouch.com/

Meditation Classes in Brisbane. Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

2009-02-24T22:27:00.002-07:00

For more information about meditation classes in Brisbane please see
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Australian website revision

2008-11-17T02:00:00.002-07:00

We have redone a lot of our main websites lately and please feel free to have a look.
For massage courses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney Melbourne, Perth , the Gold Coast and Darwin please click the name of the loaction

An email from a Canadian RMT

2008-10-12T02:22:00.001-07:00

Name: Christa Alyssa Kidd RMT

Email: christaalyssa@gmail.com

Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx

country: Canada

Message: I just wanted to write and thank you for your frank words on B.C.\'s crazy laws about who may be called a Massage \"Therapist\". I have been working on people since I was 5 and have been a Registered Massage Therapist in Edmonton, AB and in England over the past 8 years. As I have just moved to B.C. a week ago and realized that I am no longer acknowledge here as a Massage Therapist I am having a huge personal identity crisis. The very thing I was so proud of being seems to feel like it\'s been stripped from me because of the laws here. I\'ve been know as Christa Alyssa Kidd the Massage Therapist and now I don\'t know what to call myself and feel ashamed because of my 800 hour massage course I took that just doesn\'t match up to their 3000 hours. I know that the hours of schooling taken will never make a Massage Therapist. It is in you or it\'s not. I truly feel that having the ability to intuitively understand another persons body and touch and help balance them doesn\'t

even come from a school. Techniques learned in Massage schools are very benefitial but you are very very very right, massage is as old as the world is. It\'s very sad that so many good Massage Therapists cannot be acknowledge due to legislation.

On a side note I am looking for work and trying to find my place here. If you can help point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. Also if there is anything that I can do to support your school in anyway please don\'t hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Christa Alyssa Kidd

Massage Courses in Sydney website

2008-09-22T21:32:00.002-07:00

We now have a website just for our massage courses in Sydney
Please see the above link for mroe details.

Massage courses in London, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Hawaii and many other places

2008-09-22T21:28:00.002-07:00

We now have our course calender updated for 2009
Please see http://www.brandonraynor.com for more details

Pictures from Japan and London

2008-09-22T21:11:00.001-07:00

Teaching in London and getting massages in Europe and Japan

2008-09-22T21:00:00.005-07:00

I taught a couple of great courses in London that i will post some photos to the blog and have been traveling through France , Germany, Switzerland, Poland and Japan checking out the local massage industries.
I had a creative massage in Paris, and an Ayurvedic massage in Paris and also a massage from a physiotherapist in Bamberg, Germany.
In Japan I have had several good massage treatments. I also had a Emeris Deep Tissue Massage in London that wasn't really deep tissue massage.
The best massage I had was really from Craig Burton in Munich who will be teaching our courses there soon.
I learned a lot about massage regulation in France and Germany too.
In France people can practice massage after completing a course such as ours as long as they use the term massage de relaxation. that what the creativ massage was called and the Ayurvedic massage. The other type of massage therapist in France is called a kine which is a massage therapist that will only work on an area of the body that is injured. They usually work with referals from doctors and arent really holistic or integrated into the preventative medicine field.

In Germany there are bademesiters who usually work in health resorts and swimming pools but then most people that do massage aren't bademeisters. Craig Burton has more information about this ( craig@brandonraynor.com)

In Japan again there are some people who are registered but most people so there own thing and practice according to different traditions. mostly shiatsu is regulated and oil massage isnt and neither is Thai massage, which is very popular both here and in Europe.

Hawaiian Massage Clinic

2008-06-23T20:34:00.003-07:00

Hi Guys
Sorry I have been flat out teaching in Australia and organizng business things over there.
I am now back in the US and organizing a permanent clinic here in Hawaii where people can come and experience Raynor massage first hand. Once this is up and running we will get back to the Freedom Ride, hopefully with the support of the local Hawaiian community and their traditional healers behind us, so we can have allies in the cause to stop discrimination against non Western clinical forms of massage.

Massage Regulation in Australia

2008-03-31T05:29:00.002-07:00

There are no massage regulations in Australia. This is why its very easy for our graduates of our 5 and 10 day courses to work and compete successfully with graduates of other massage schools. Instead of people choosing a massage therapist because they have a licence they can choose them because they are a good therapist.
Massage is extremely popular in Australia and our massage school has many graduates. For more information about our graduates please see www.intamassage.com
I am currently in Australia training many of our schools previous graduates in more advanced massage techniques as well as teaching our basic courses. For more information please see our website

Massage course in Brisbane Australia pictures

2008-03-31T05:14:00.008-07:00

I have been doing massage courses in Australia. Here are some pictures from my massage course in Brisbane.

Reply from Samantha

2008-03-31T05:09:00.002-07:00

Brandon,

You are welcome to use my letter. Thanks for the info. It looks like I will be heading back to the UK to live in the future. I have been on your website. I was looking to do your course years ago before I lived in Germany, wish I had. I am considering doing your 10 day in London sometime when I get over there. I want to thank you for standing up and protesting and trying to do something. You are using your time, energy and commitment as well as a lot of money to do this. It is people like you I truly admire in this world.

Best Wishes to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Samantha

Letter from Samantha concerned about massage laws

2008-03-31T05:06:00.001-07:00

From: Samantha

Date: 3/18/2008 4:32:00 AM

To: brandon@brandonraynor.com

Subject: Massage Laws

Hi Brandon,

I am extremely frustrated and angry about the massage laws in the U.S. I am currently in North Dakota. I am originally from the United Kingdom and got my Aromatherapy Massage Diploma in Germany. It is simple relaxation massage and I only use blends from a reputable company in the U.K. to use on clients. It has been my dream for a long time to do an intensive course in Aromatherapy Massage. I love the aromatic blends and I feel it helps my clients relax more. I considered doing Reflexology and I know quite a lot about this also but kept it simple and stuck to table and seated massage. My husband and I left Germany as he retired from the military last year (2007) and we decided to move to the U.S. (wish I had gone back to the U.K. now). I had no idea massage was regulated here in ND. I am so eager to do what I love so much and want to get out there and practise. People have told me over the years I have healing hands and that is why I pursued this career, only to have my dream restricted and me having to pay more money to get a license and take exams in other areas of massage I do not want to do. I truly believe it all comes down to touch. I have had a massage by a so-called professional and it did absolutely nothing for me whatsoever. I did not feel anything. It was annoying to the point of irritation, that is why I firmly believe it is an art. You can learn techniques till the cows come home but if you haven't got the touch to begin with, it's pointless.

A good idea is for a board to allow you to find a volunteer (or have a board member volunteer) to witness the kind of specialised massage you do, perform the massage before the board so they see there is no harm, that it is safe and if they are adamant, get a background/criminal record check on the practitioner and perhaps interview the practitioner to get a good idea of their character and demeanor. But why should we have to pay a fee for a license, then have to pay out a lot of money to go to school all over again (which costs $1,000+) and pay to sit exams? This is pure greed. If we have to pay for a license and sit exams, so should all other professions in my opinion. It's beyond a joke.

I now have to consider moving to another state and have checked the requirements for each state. Can you please confirm which states aren't regulated at all so I can set up my own business like I have planned to do for years. I have the opportunity after all these years to do what I love most and now I am presented with this hurdle, but I will not give up. I got my brochures printed and business cards, got my table and chair, blankets, towels (took a while but slowly and surely got there) and was very proud and sometimes it makes me want to weep because I do not want it all to be a waste of time.

Please let me know which states are ok for me to practise without any problems. My massage is safe and cannot harm anyone, that is the frustrating part.

I am even seriously considering moving back to the UK so I can set up my business there. My family have told me there it is popular and I would do better there. But that is a big move, more expense and we've only just settled here. Do you have any advice for me?

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Samantha

Australian website

2008-01-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Brandon Raynor will be teaching Advanced massage courses in Hawaii as well as in London
He will also be doing advanced massage courses in Australia and possibly in New Zealand as well.
Here are some more various links

Thai Massage Course

Shiatsu Massage Course

International Natural Therapies Association

Massage Courses

Friends and Family Introductory Massage course

Aromatherapy Massage Courses

Massage School

Reflexology Courses

Advanced Massage Diploma Course

Naturopathy Diploma Course

Back in Hawaii

2007-12-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we couldn't do the demo against massage laws in Austin, Texas because the government there needed a week's notice, plus the weather was really bad and we wouldn't have been able to massage outside so instead we have returned to Hawaii for the winter and early spring.
So we will resume the Freedom Ride in the warmer months although we may organize a protest here in Hawaii.
In the meantime I have been working on my land and planting trees etc and also have been updating my website
We have courses coming up in the following locations in 2008.
Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, London, Dublin,Edinburgh,Auckland, Christchurch, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montana, Singapore, Dubai, India.

We also have an Advanced course and beginners course that I will be teaching in Hawaii starting January 14.
Please email me at brandon@brandonraynor.com for more information

Journey across Texas

2007-11-29T20:59:00.001-07:00

Our journey across Western Texas and on to Austin was a long one.
We left Santa Fe, New Mexico right after the protest and travelled into the night, then set off the next day and made it as far as Lubbock Texas. Thats when the electrical troubles on the RV started. The RV stalled by the side of the highway and we had to get it towed to the KOA campground at Lubbock. The next day, Thanksgiving, a friend's father that lived nearby helped us to get on the road again. During the evening snow had blown in and Jai and I got to have a lot of fun playing in the snow and throwing snowballs at each other.
However we only got 50 miles down the road when I pulled over to clear the ice of my screen and the RV stalled again. We had to stay the night in a little town called Post, Texas. We had a lot of help from local people that helped us jump start the RV and get it going but the next day it stalled continuously again 30 miles out of Llano, Texas. We had to leave it there the next day while a mechanic waited for 3 days to get a new alternator. The night's sleep in Llano was a cold one with no heating working in the RV.
In the meantime we rented a car and went to Austin. Austin is the capital of Texas. The first place we went was to the biggest health food shop in the world. The headquarters of Whole Foods. It was massive. So many things to choose from. I also received some massage treatments from a good massage therapist here. Today I went to an Ayurvedic therapist here also which was really good.
I collected the RV the other day but it still had electrical problems, most of which I got fixed today.
So we are just considering whether to do a protest tomorrow in Austin about the massage laws.
Rebecca's parents are due to come to Hawaii on December 4 so we may have to get back soon. we were hoping to get to Florida on this trip but we may not be able to do that.

Pictures of Santa Fe, New Mexico

2007-11-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

Massage Laws in New Mexico Protest Pictures

2007-11-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Protest Tomorrow in Santa Fe, New Mexico

2007-11-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

We are organizing our protest in New Mexico , scheduled for tomorrow at the State Capitol building. If you are interested in attending please call us on 360 434 0733.
The protest will call for the deregulation of the natural therapies industry, specifically the massage industry.

More Photos from Hawaii

2007-11-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

More Photos from Hawaii

2007-11-15T15:21:00.001-07:00

A Little Break in Hawaii

2007-11-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

We had a 6 week break in Hawaii where I had to get on top of a lot of paperwork as well as look after the garden at our house and look after all the fruit trees on the new property.
It was nice to get some nice sun and swimming in the ocean. As soon as I got home and went for a swim a Hawaiian sea turtle came swimming up to say hello. It was really nice.
Here are some photos of our land that we are turning into a retreat centre.