The Inside Scoop

Smell Ya Later, Allergies.

By Nicole Kipp  |   May 2, 2022

Allergy season has arrived quickly and without warning, hitting many of us square in the face. Have no fear- facial massage is here! Facial massage is a fantastic and straightforward way to reduce tension in the sinuses, head, and body. With the help of some easy-to-locate pressure points, you can reduce congestion and pressure, all while giving your expressive face some much-needed relaxation!

I’ve worked as a dual Esthetician and Massage Therapist for the past 8 years. I’ve come to believe that facial massage is not only in the top 3 most essential components of skincare, but is key to full-body relaxation and stress reduction, too. Unfortunately, it’s often overlooked in your typical full-body massage, and isn’t usually incorporated into most of our skincare routines either. So, how will face massage and pressure point work benefit you? First, it can help relieve the tension and headaches caused by grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw and loosen up all your facial muscles. You’d be shocked by the amount of tension and stress we hold in our faces! Face massage can also encourage lymph drainage and circulation in the face and neck. It can also enhance your product absorption by allowing more blood flow and nutrients to surface. Finally, massaging your sinuses can encourage mucus drainage and unblock those sinus cavities- especially if you’re dealing with a runny or stuffy nose. Keep reading to gain some tips and tricks on how to give yourself a facial massage at home, and learn about the specific points you don’t want to leave out!

One of my favorite (and the simplest) ways of incorporating face massage into my skincare routine is following the “60-second rule.” All you need to do is cleanse your skin for a full minute, but make sure to do it intentionally. Close your eyes and use this time to feel your skin and the muscles beneath it. Utilize your fingertips, knuckles, and full-hand contact, and play around with your tools. What’s your skin texture like? Are there any sensitive areas? Any areas with a little extra heat? What areas feel dense? You’ll not only reap some benefits of facial massage, but you’ll actually give your cleanser enough time to do its job and clear all that gunk out of your pores. Suppose you’re not one to spend much time on skincare, or you don’t wash your face- the esthetician in me might judge you a little bit for this one, but go ahead and grab your favorite lotion or oil, apply a quarter-sized amount to your face, and think of those same questions while massaging.

Check out our chart for a few pressure points that could help with further tension release or sinus pressure. Try stopping at these points on both sides of your face. Apply direct pressure, and spend a little extra time there. These might feel quite sensitive, and that’s okay! Try doing this consistently for a week, and I bet you’ll notice a difference in how your face looks and feels. Happy massaging!

The Secret Recipe: Mixing Up BMTI’s Premier Massage Education

By Angela Bereski   |   March 2, 2022

Do you feel like everyone you know (including you) is in desperate need of a massage? A vacation? Five more minutes of sleep after the alarm goes off? 

I’m right there with you. And while we can’t really press snooze on life, we can take the time to prioritize our self-health. Schedule a massage online. Set it and forget it. 

But wait… have you actually tried to book a massage lately? Because I have. And let me tell you, I haven’t been able to book one for the upcoming weekend, or even the next three weeks. There are loooong waits everywhere. 

Harrumph. Right as I was finally going to treat myself to the self-care I so badly need (but too often set on the back burner), I can’t even get an appointment. Frustration builds, and I direct my annoyance at all of the spas, franchises, and private practices that can’t seem to squeeze me in. 

Then I remember all of the phone calls and emails from local establishments looking to hire our graduates. We cannot produce graduates fast enough to meet the high demand. There is clearly a massage therapist shortage. 

And this, dear friends, is where Boulder Massage Therapy Institute comes into play. We are SO proud of the high-caliber massage therapists that graduate from our licensure programs. Our alumni are skilled. Professional. Confident. Honestly, they are simply the best (cue a lip-syncing David Rose- if you know, you know😉). 

So how do our students graduate as the cream of the crop? What is so different about our massage therapy licensure programs?

It all comes down to our secret recipe that creates the juiciest, most meaningful, uber informative, amazing massage therapy education experience on the market. 

Feeling hungry? Let’s dive in.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• Flexibility– Choose-your-own-adventure schedule
  • Part-Time- every other Friday-Sunday for 10 months
  • Fast-Track- Monday-Friday for around 4 months
• Intimate cohorts– The students who find their way to our school are quite often superheroes, magicians, comedians, and all-around kind, loving humans. Classes are capped at 18 magic-makers.
• Experienced faculty– Incoming… make way for the resident rockstars! Our teachers love sharing their specialties and experiences, and are the best in the biz!
• Science– Learn more about the human body than you could ever imagine, all in a fun, interactive way that is directly applied to massage therapy. Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, oh my!
• Craft– Build a strong foundation in your core bodywork classes. Learn integrative, full-body massage in Essentials. Fill up your toolbox with injury prevention and treatment protocols, trigger point therapy, and myofascial work in Pain Management Techniques. Tap into energetic meridians by using rhythm and acupressure in Asian Bodywork. 
• Heart– Surround yourself with a loving, supportive community. Our programs consistently fill with amazing people who all help each other learn and grow. Don’t worry, the community lives on past graduation. Work in our graduate clinic, become a teaching assistant, or use our beautiful space to offer your own workshops!
• BONUS Ingredients to add some spice:
  • Flow like the ocean in Lomi Lomi (Hawaiian massage)
  • Meet your clients on another level in Energy
  • Treat the whole body with just the feet and hands in Reflexology
  • Incorporate fun extras like Hot Stones and Hydrotherapy- ice massage anyone?
  • Build your biz in Entrepreneurial Skills
  • AND MORE!
• Last but not least, The Super Top Secret Ingredient*

Cooking Instructions:

• Start by adding Flexibility, Faculty, Science, Heart, and Craft to your mixing bowl. Combine easily with a wooden spoon.
• Sprinkle in the BONUS Ingredients and knead until incorporated, creating a nice, stretchy dough.
• Roll out your dough into a rectangle, and carefully place the pieces of your cohort evenly across the surface. 
• Roll up your dough along the long edge to form a roll. Slice into 8-16 pieces. 
• Bake for 4 months or 10 months, depending on which adventure you chose. 
• Pull from the oven and dust with the Super Top Secret Ingredient. 
• Enjoy your successful dream career or side hustle, continue to learn with your community, and love the life you live!

So there you have it. It’s fairly simple. We put all of these fabulous ingredients together, and it creates our phenomenal graduates. We cannot wait to mix up even more licensed massage therapists to help fill the void of meaningful, healing touch. 

—A cacophony of grumbles erupts from the peanut gallery—

Let me guess, you want to know the Super Top Secret Ingredient?

Come on. You can’t really expect us to reveal all of our secrets. You’ll just have to come and experience the magic for yourself. 

Until then, I think it’s time for a massage.

Not Sure About Knots?

By Nicole Kipp   |   December 3, 2021

We’ve all dealt with the discomfort caused by “knots”, but what are they, really? Where do they come from, and how do they form within the muscle itself? What can we do to prevent them? Are you ready to conquer the mysterious knot? Read on to learn more!

Muscle adhesions may occur from posture, overuse, or injury. After taking a beating, the tiny muscle fibers get defensive and bunch up to form an adhesion, or nodule, often found in the belly of the muscle. When your muscles become overtired and can’t optimally function, they call on other muscles for help, potentially causing knots in those muscles, too. These knots are irritable, and can sometimes cause chronic pain and limit our range of motion if they go untreated. 

Now that we’ve identified the pain in our necks, let’s discuss how we can treat them!  A trained LMT might be your best bet for treating muscle adhesions, as they can identify them and use a variety of techniques for relief. Sometimes, scheduling with your massage therapist isn’t an option. Self-massage is at your fingertips, too, literally!  Tennis balls, lacrosse balls, massage canes, and foam rollers are a few popular tools to consider trying out. Another underrated tool is hydration. Keeping your body, fascia, and muscles well-hydrated and lubricated will keep the tissue moving and grooving efficiently. In turn, you may lessen the chance of those annoying knots coming back quite as frequently. As always, talk with your massage therapist, or other healthcare professional, about what might work best for you!

Choose to Love More

By Melinda Besse   |   April 2, 2021

There is a lot of heavy energy in the air.

A shooting took place close to home, in a space visited by many on a daily basis. A grocery store, where we seek food and nourishment, became a war zone. 

We are a massage school and clinic. We can’t do a whole lot about the issue of gun control. I would like to say the government will do something about it, but in the last 25 years there have been 75+ mass shootings without change. 

What we CAN change is helping with mental illness, which is connected to illness of the heart. Considering how many people there are in the US, we are actually a lonely bunch. Eight years ago I spent time in India, working with girls freed from human trafficking. They had so little materially, yet they were rich in support from those around them. It was a dark place, but they filled it with so much light. The concept of “it takes a village” was real there.

I would like to make it more real here. 

Let’s call in a place where we help each other more, even with simple things. Let’s have more of an acute knowledge of what someone may need, and then just provide it. Too often we think, “I’m sure someone else is helping,” or “I don’t want to interrupt them,” or “They probably want their space.”

“Space” is not necessarily joyful these days. It can be filled with doubt in yourself, worry about the future, overload with all that is going on. 

Our spaces need to be more filled with love.

How many stories do you hear of a stranger committing an act of kindness and completely changing someone’s life? Maybe even shifting their trajectory from suicide or doing something they would regret?

Human beings need each other. We are each other’s mirror for what is going on inside. 

They say that when two or more are gathered for a mutual purpose, a united intention, Spirit arrives. I have seen it time and time again in classes, this web that is woven through each student. The web of mutual support. The web of inspiration and growth. The safe space created. The space infused with love, respect, and compassion. 

Our mission is to inspire and ignite our students. To show them their light. To hold space for their growth. All so they may do the same for others with a new skill when they leave us.

But we can do more. I can do more. You can do more. We all can go deeper than the superficial place we live. 

Our students do not just learn how to massage the surface, the skin. No, they learn how to dive deeper. Not just with the pressure from their bodies, but with a depth of intention from their hearts for the highest good of the person on their table. 

It is Easter in a few days. A time that celebrates rebirth & resurrection. A time that mother nature shows herself in the glorious colors of her blossoms. 

A time that we too should let our inner beauty shine. It’s not a time to hide in the dark. 

It’s time to ignite your light.  Every day is a new opportunity to let go of heaviness and shift perspective to lightness. Let’s plant the seeds for good. 

I teach my students that the Quality of your Life equals the Quality of your Questions. 

What if you replaced, “I can’t” with “How?”

How will you help this month? Keep it simple. Think of two or more things you can do, rather than dwelling on the things you can’t. If you can’t think of anything, simply choose to love more. Embody the change you wish to see. 

How will I help?

1. I am reaching out to friends more. Thinking of what can help them and doing it. Even if it is just going for a walk and showing them I care.
2. Free Reiki for the month of April for all—more info HERE.

I am here. Please reach out to me personally if there is something I can do or we can do as a school to help anchorandbloom@gmail.com.

You. Are. Amazing.

Sending so much love, light, peace your way wherever you are in the world,

Melinda xo 

The Practice of Gratitude

By Nicole Kipp   |   November 25, 2020

With the holiday season upon us, it is a perfect time to reflect and observe how gratitude can change our state of mind, our health, and our lives. Gratitude is essential to massage therapy. Practicing daily gratitude creates a butterfly effect which can improve your energy output and your relationship with both yourself and others. It is an important practice to implement into your daily life, especially this year. There are many things changing with how we will be able to spend the holidays, and many have endured incredible loss in the past months. We may not be able to see our loved ones, or give all the big bear hugs we normally do. Let’s not let these road bumps stop us from appreciating all that life has to be grateful for and learn from.

Speaking for myself, working as an LMT through this pandemic has given me new perspective for how healing our practice and the power of touch can be, both in and out of the treatment room. We’ve been discouraged to give handshakes, hugs, and being within 6 feet of others outside our own bubble. Being able to give massages under new regulations has been a blessing. Touch, much like other things we may have been taking for granted since before this pandemic, gave me a new appreciation for this career and the importance of being grateful for the smallest things in life. As massage therapists, we learn to use our hands to communicate with the body. We learn how to listen to the tissue and to what the body is telling us is the best way to approach each individual. In essence, human touch reminds us that we are, at our core, social animals. RE-opening after having our practices closed, and not seeing our clients, family, or friends from March- June reminded me how much of a gift that ability is. 

I am grateful that this practice gives me the ability to provide a space of quiet, healing, peacefulness, and restoration for others. Practicing gratitude and thinking of this daily can also have very similar effects to that of body work, such as improved sleep, more energy, reduced burnout,  lower depression, and lower levels of inflammation and general fatigue. It’s like planting a tree. You may not see results right away, but give it enough love and water,  years down the road you’ll have thriving and blossoming branches.  This holiday season, it is important that we try to reflect on the things in our lives that are positive and working well, rather than those that aren’t going how we’d hoped. We are all in this together!

Life as a BMTI Student

By Nicole Kipp   |   September 18, 2020

Are you interested in going to massage school?  What would your days be like? What will you learn? You have come to the right place! Read on to get a feel for life as a massage school student at BMTI.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicole, and I am a BMTI graduate and licensed massage therapist. Prior to attending BMTI, I was working as an esthetician for 6 years. I wanted more options for work, to become more well rounded. It was as if something kept tapping me on the shoulder and running away before I could see what was there. Eventually I stumbled upon BMTI and massage therapy. Could that be what was tapping me on the shoulder all along? Massage is a great addition to esthetics. With more tools in my toolbox, I could help more people with their daily struggles, whether it be stress, neck pain, acne, or sciatica. And so my massage therapy journey began at the Boulder Massage Therapy Institute!

Enough about me, let’s dive into BMTI.

Massage school is a little bit like jumping on Miss Frizzle’s magic school bus and diving deep into the body. Science classes provide oodles of information in an applicable (thank goodness!) way. Hands-on classes set the stage for learning even more about the body, including how to take care of others as well as yourself. Business and ethics classes prepare you with the skills to hop right into a job seamlessly. Energy classes provide grounding and presence for holding space in your future practice. While the magic school bus of massage school is crashing and thrashing through the body, BMTI provides a safe environment with tons of support. Amazing support from faculty, administrators, mentors, and graduates. Massive amounts of learning and support equals massive amounts of growth. With so many modalities in a well rounded program, you are sure to find what speaks to you.

Think about your “why” before making the commitment. What is it about massage therapy that has been calling you? Maybe it’s the opportunity of a flexible schedule. Perhaps it’s the desire to help and nurture others. Maybe it’s a fantastic addition to a trade or skill you already possess. Unsure of what is drawing you toward massage therapy? BMTI’s programs will help provide clarity along the way.

You’ll have some long nights studying anatomy and muscle origins, insertions, and actions. You’ll read and write papers and research articles (don’t let that scare you- you CAN do it!). You’ll invest time in perfecting your full-body flow and techniques for pain management. You might even have a tiny breakdown two weeks in, like I did, and ask yourself, “Can I even do this?!” Don’t forget about work, kids, family, and daily life. You see where I’m going with this… it’s a lot. But you’ll grow… and it’s AMAZING.

As you dive into massage school, you’ll need some key tips for success:

1. Keep your “why” at the forefront of your brain (and a sticky note on your mirror or visor!). It can be tough to juggle school with your personal life and work, and you’ll want to remind yourself why you’re doing this.
2. Be prepared to get up close and personal with your classmates, too! From spending hours with them every day to palpating bony landmarks and trading sessions, they’re going to become some of your closest friends, throughout this program and beyond!
3. Make time for YOU. This program will get tough, and you’ll need to be patient with yourself and stay focused. Self-care is SO important throughout school and throughout your career as a licensed massage therapist.
4. This will open up new doors for your life and career. Be open to exploring all options. I would not be where I am today if I hadn’t made the decision to commit to becoming a massage therapist with BMTI.

Life as a student at BMTI is a wild, unforgettable, life-changing ride. You’ll leave this program with a new career, a wealth of knowledge, immense self-growth, and (truly) a step above the rest. No matter what your “why” may be, BMTI is the place to explore, grow, and set your stage for success. What are you waiting for?