Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/465652
76 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 1 5 A few months ago, some of us old-timers were reminiscing about the good, and not-quite-so-good, old days of massage and bodywork, and how the profession has evolved. I decided to contact three longtime bodywork luminaries to get a broad picture of how things were, where we are now, and where they think we are heading. Rick Garbowski is the co-owner of Georgia Massage School. He has trained more than 150 massage instructors, has been closely involved in the education of many thousands of students, and was a member of the Entry Level Analysis Project (ELAP) to provide a blueprint for consistent standards of training excellence. Tracy Walton is one of the foremost teachers of oncology massage and, among other contributions, author of Medical Conditions and Massage Therapy. I love that her background in the trenches of massage in both private practice and a spa setting bridges the sometimes-divisive dichotomy between "therapeutic" and "relaxation" massage. Thomas Myers is a world-renowned anatomist, writer, educator, and philosopher who describes himself as an expert in spatial medicine, as seen in his theories of organizing and integrating the body along fascial meridians in his modality Anatomy Trains and subsequent books and videos. To some of the newer and (and perhaps younger) therapists out there, it may be difficult to imagine that back in the Neanderthal 1980s, one could receive a diploma with slightly more than 100 hours of (often surprisingly good) training, using Anatomy Coloring Book as the gold textbook standard, and classes conducted without PowerPoint or three- dimensional anatomical videos. Since the Internet was not in existence, to have a successful practice, a lot of work was needed in word-of-mouth promotion, flyers, and beating the pavement, sometimes offering free massage. Private business offices were a rarity, and most depended upon a home or apartment with a less professional ambiance, sometimes offering such new age accoutrements as a lava lamp, incense burning in front of a bubbling fountain, and a boom box to play sitar music in the background. That said, there was excellent work being done, as evidenced by so many longtime experts who were drawn to the profession after experiencing massage. WHERE ARE WE NOW?