Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68013
PLEASE E-MAIL YOUR LETTERS TO EDITOR@ABMP.COM. INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME AND THE CITY AND STATE IN WHICH YOU RESIDE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE UNABLE TO PUBLISH ALL THE LETTERS WE RECEIVE. MASSAGE & BODYWORK STAFF RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT LETTERS FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY. I am now in the middle of a massage therapy program run in conjunction with a junior college in my area. Afterward, this training will allow me the state-recognized credentials to take the exam for a state license. I am not a kid anymore; this is a career change for me, although I am not unfamiliar with bodywork either. Nonetheless, questions or thought- provoking ideas always arise as you go through your daily routines—at least for me, they do. The article "Honoring the Body," [by Lee Ronald, March/April 2009, page 34] covered several of those thoughts of late. I agree there should be a reverence for the human body, the mind, and the spirit. This article and it's timeliness helped to jolt my thought processes back into balance. It's a funny thing, they say timing is everything ... it's so true, in everything we say, think, or do. JIM MILLS WAUCONDA, ILLINOIS Parent/MT Balancing Act I enjoyed Robert Chute's article ["Practitioner as Parent," March/ April 2009, page 50] as it brought back memories of my dad, who was a massage therapist in the 1950s and 60s. He also had an office in our house and after reading this article, we could have benefited from guidelines. With this said, there were many times the fights between my young brother and me produced a not-so-wanted visit from dad, who could hear our arguments through the walls. There was one time that my brother never lets me forget. I was responsible for Jeff, my younger brother, and on one occasion he would not take out the garbage, and I felt inclined to beat him with the vacuum cleaner hose. You can imagine the sounds of the screams penetrating the walls and my dad's unwanted visit. Jeff and I still laugh about this incident. I loved my dad being a massage therapist, because I valued the physical touch and learning about natural medicine, and the reasons I became a health coach today was all the education I received from my dad. In addition, it was my responsibility to clean his office and wash the patient gowns and sheets, so I got to immerse myself in the energy of his office and the scent of wintergreen. Thank you again for this lovely article. TAMI CLOSE HOODSPORT, WASHINGTON Music … or Not I have been following the discussions in Massage & Bodywork regarding music for massage sessions. I'm always very careful to choose music for particular clients, appropriately matching their moods and needs. I have a large collection of music from around the world, with and without lyrics, and my clients often acknowledge their appreciation of my attention to music for their sessions. Once a client even said, "I used to go to another therapist, but your music is more interesting." So last night, one of my regular clients showed up at seven o'clock for her massage, just as President Obama was getting ready to deliver his address to Congress. As we went into my massage room, she pointed to my familiar CD player, loaded with music I had chosen for her session and said, "Can we turn on the radio and listen to the speech?" "Sure, that's fine with me," I replied. At the end of the massage—and President Obama's address—she exclaimed, "That was great! Just perfect. The massage—and Obama's speech!" MARY KATHLEEN ROSE MASSAGE & BODYWORK COLUMNIST I asked why she was crying and she said, "Because that was the first time in my life that I didn't feel fat." Grand Rapids, Michigan Michelle Doetsch, visit massageandbodywork.com to access your digital magazine 15