The Massage for Peace program by the Boulder College of Massage Therapy literally touches hundreds of people each year.

The non-profit massage school helps student share their healing hands with those living with illness, in poverty, and through war and conflict. Each year they offer 10,000 hours of massage free of charge to those who need it most.

As one alumna for the College, Becky Little explains Massage for Peace is “the simple act of reaching out and touching someone. Extending the love, care, and respect that comes from nurturing touch to another human being is a gift that enriches life. The gentle touch of a hand or a reassuring hug reduces fear, anxiety, and loneliness often felt in times of unrest and despair.”

With the average cost of a massage being about $1 per minute, over the last 33 years the school estimates its donation to those in need to be nearly $200,000.

At home, massage therapists from the school each spend about 250 hours per year with patients in prenatal, postpartum, cancer, cardiac, and orthopedic care at Boulder Community Hospital.

Last September, 10 massage therapists travelled to Dharamsala, India to teach massage therapy to Tibetan refugees at Lha Charitable Trust. Many of the refugees they worked with arrived with little aside from the clothes on their backs and the terror of the experiences they escaped. In a letter afterward, the trust’s general manager Ngawang Rabgyal said the skills learned by the refugees will go a long way toward helping them rebuild their confidence, and praised BCMT for its dedication to non violence. This was the seventh trip by students of the school to Dharamsala.

We at Tees for Change are proud  that we designed and produced the Massage for Peace t-shirts worn by the massage therapists on their journey and we hope you’ll join us in following their adventures in peace.

If you want to know more about the Massage for Peace trip to India, you can read all about it on the BCMT blog. To donate to Massage for Peace please follow this link.

I’ve had ALOT of acupuncture over the last 7 years – treating everything from a deadly virus to soft tissue dysfunction.  I’ve always had great success and highly recommend it to others as an option for health care.  For me, it’s my ‘go to’.  My acupuncturist, Jennifer Six is offering affordable, community style pain clinics on Fridays in Boulder.  Her office is just down the street from mine,  see information below.

Acupuncture Pain Treatment Clinic* – Community Style (a few tables going at a time)
Every Friday from 12-3
$30/treatment
Walk ins welcome!

Location: Wellness of Boulder
3300 Arapahoe Ave, Suite 215, Boulder

*For pain and injuries only. For internal disorder and ailments please contact Jennifer Six, L.A.c. for a free consultation.

I thought that headline would get your attention.  No, no, I’m not cooking up a human - pause to let the excitement diminish - I am pursuing my certification to become a Prenatal, Labor and Postpartum (PLPP) massage therapist.  Today was the first step to earning this advanced certificate.  I am taking Massage for Healthy Pregnancies at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy (BCMT) this weekend.  In massage school, your days always end in massage – today was 1 hour prenatal massage trades – lovely work.

As a part of my 1000-hr core massage training at BCMT, I learned the basics of prenatal massage – all the important stuff.  But to be honest, when I started my practice, I was scared to death of it.  It wasn’t until a client of mine, who was pregnant with her 2nd child said, ‘listen I’m not going to anyone else, you’re treating me through my pregnancy’.  Done.  Getting me out of my comfort zone is a good place for me to be, that is where I tend to excel.

I decided to embrace prenatal massage, pregnant moms, babies beings ‘to be’ and all the other incredible processes of life that come with it.  I started to put the energy out into the world that I was ready to support women who were registered for the biggest athletic event of life.  Birthing a baby.

For the last 2 years I have found myself with at least 3-5 prenatal clients at any given time which is a great balance for my business.  I always want to be as knowledgeable and skillful as I can be about the types of massage I practice.  Earning my certification as a PLPP massage therapist makes sense for me, especially with my orthopedic and sports background; it’s a perfect fit.

The program is 125 hours and consists of four modules and a testing weekend.  The courses cover the prenatal, labor and postpartum stages of pregnancy including high risk pregnancies.  I hope to finish it by November of this year and yes, I will need a case study mommy.

Soon to be mother of two and client of mine since the beginning, Monika Drake recently launched her photography website – Monika Drake Photography.

Monika has been been passionate about photography her entire life.  No matter the occasion, it seems that she had a camera with her at every moment. After the birth of her first child she decided that it was time to follow her passion.  She is a natural light photographer who specializes in children, babies, families, high school seniors, couples and maternity.

Monika is a joy and I encourage you to check out her website.  I think you’ll agree that her work speaks for itself.

A new study shows that patients who received a series of 10 massages over a period of three months cut their anxiety symptoms almost in half.  The same study, published in the journal of Depression and Anxiety, also found that simple relaxation was equally effective.  So was wrapping the subject’s arms and legs with heating pads and warm towels.  All three treatments took place on a massage table in a room with soft lighting and quiet music.  All three groups reported similar decreases in anxiety of more than 40 percent.