This Saturday, Feb. 26, Kneaded Energy Massage Therapy will offer its Couples Massage class from 5-8 p.m. The cost is $99. Call Kneaded Energy at 336-273-1260 to register or for more information.

Lydia Whitley, NC Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist #9411, will be instructor for the class.

If someone on your shopping list likes or needs massage and it’s more than you can afford, Kneaded Energy now offers an easier option. Gift cards in increments of $5, $10, $20, $30, $50, or $100  means you and others can combine forces to get that someone a single massage or package of massages.

This is a great gift-buying option for groups – several members of families can purchase Kneaded Energy gift cards so Mom or Dad can get a needed hour  or 90 minutes of relaxation. Office workers can purchase cards so the boss can get a massage. Sometimes pooling your resources to purchase one nice gift can be a better option.

Kneaded Energy is offering a wide range of holiday specials. This year, those who purchase packages of 5 or 10 sessions will also get a bonus of one or two free massage sessions given by students in the School of Massage student clinic. Check our specials page to see all options.

Ashleigh prides herself on being able to customize her massage sessions to meet the needs of her clients, providing deep tissue work where it’s appropriate and easing up on areas where a lighter touch is required. She is trained in Hot Stone, Reflexology, and Reiki, and she’s also working on Aromatherapy certification.

Another modality she’s certified in is Massage Cupping. This practice involves the use of suction cups to break up scar tissue and knots in muscles. “It’s very results oriented,” Ashleigh said. “I like the effectiveness of it.”

Kneaded Energy co-owners Bill Norman and Shelley Johnson-Norman feel good about the skills Ashleigh brings to the practice. “We’re happy to have someone with Ashleigh’s level of professionalism and experience join our team,” said Shelley.

Call 336-273-1260 to book an appointment with Ashleigh.

We’ve all seen them: “Deal of the Day,” “65%Off,” “Savings of the Day,” “Group Coupons,” “Social Coupons,” and many more with other names crop up. Each day they arrive in your e-mail.

They are great deals for the consumer. We realize what a temptation they are to purchase, and why not? I know you must be thinking that surely they bring new business to the small company offering the deal, right? Well, let’s break it down.

I think this approach works for a handful of businesses.  If it doesn’t cost so much to service the customer, as with movie theaters or other businesses in the entertainment industry,  this advertising approach is a no-brainer. Bring in new customers, with a modest price, and without any additional cost to the business. But in the service industry, there is a cost to every single transaction.

Let me tell you what happens behind the scenes. These internet companies call us and ask us to offer 50%  off discount coupons on our services, which they will e-mail out for us. In return for doing this, they take a cut of what’s left – some want to split the 50%, others want as much as 40%  of what we make after the 50% discount.

That leaves  25% to 10% for us.  I think it’s genius for the internet business which sets up the deal, but as a small business, we cannot cannot cover our costs this way. Discount coupons offered by third-party companies are driving small service businesses OUT OF BUSINESS.

We need to pay our therapists and overhead. We can’t do that on what we’d make on a service purchased with one of these coupons, especially if you multiply that by hundreds or thousands of transactions. It would hurt our ability to pay rent, utilities, payroll, and taxes. While it’s a great deal for the internet company which e-mails the coupons, it is death to a small business.

We want to provide our clients with good service and be here the next time they think of massage, so we won’t be advertising through these companies. We will continue to offer specials to you, from us. Thank you for listening to our rant and looking at life through the lens of a small business person.

Most importantly, thank you for your continued support.

Richard after winning a race

Tri-athlete Richard Swor is a regular face at Kneaded Energy. Massage therapists there enjoy seeing him to hear stories about his latest travels, which take him to competitions all over the world. He hopes to compete in the Olympics in the future. Massage is part of his training, which includes 19 to 30 hours a week building endurance and speed in biking, swimming, and running.

” If I weren’t an athlete, I may have never seen the value of massage with my own eyes, but now that I am, I see the lifestyle benefit for everyone. Massage has been integral to my progress as an athlete,” he said recently.  At times, massage has been a necessity because of the aches and pains that come with training and competition. When he can’t train because it hurts too much, it’s hard to get stronger.  “Massage has always been something that has interested me because of its relaxation benefits, but it wasn’t until I started experiencing injuries that I began to seek it out as an alternative to standard medicine to outfox my ailments,” he said.

” With massage, I recover from tough workouts quicker, return from injuries in less time, and am more relaxed in my day to day life.”  Richard’s workout schedule and dedication to the sport seem even more impressive when you take into consideration that he also works full-time as a high school teacher.

Richard is one of three athletes who chronicle their lives as triathletes at the Why We Tri website.

Chair massage is one of the best ways for massage therapy students to both practice what they learn in school and promote themselves to potential clients when they begin working. It’s also a great, free way for the general public to experience massage.

KESM Students will be offering free chair massage on Saturday, Sept. 25th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Skirt! magazine’s Pretty In Pink event to be held at the Shops at Westover.  On Oct. 2, they’ll do the same at the Women’s Only 5K Walk/Run event on Oct. 2, 2010, from 8-11 a.m. This event is sponsored by and based on the campus of Women’s Hospital of Greensboro.

Working the chair massage events helps to prepare students to do hour-long massage sessions in their clinic classes. Clinic sessions are very similar to what they’ll be doing when they get certified as massage therapists and actually go to work, so it’s good practice. It’s also a good deal for those who want a massage, because clinic sessions are a bargain at $30 paid to the school, with no tipping allowed. For September, student clinic will be held on Monday and Tuesday evenings 4-9 p.m, Thursday and Friday mornings 9 a.m.-12 p.m, and Sundays 12-8 p.m.

This day class is full to capacity at 16 students. The night class scheduled to begin Oct. is on the way is filling up too.

Tip #1: Get to your appointment ten to fifteen minutes early. New clients often have to fill out paperwork, and you don’t want that eat into your massage time. It’s also good idea to visit the restroom before your appointment.

Once you’ve met your therapist and been shown to a treatment room, you’ll have a discussion about what your goals are for the session. Maybe you just want to relax, or maybe you want to work on low back pain. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or state what you want.

Tip # 2: Tell your massage therapist about your physical issues. Things like “I’m ticklish on my lower back” and “I can’t turn my head to the right” or “My left calf is pressure sensitive” help the massage therapist plan a strategy for your massage. Be sure to mention recent injuries or surgeries.

Tip# 3: Wear your underwear, or not. Before your therapist leaves the room, your therapist will give you instructions on what to do, which will likely include the statement “Undress  to your level of comfort.” This means you only take off the items of clothing you feel comfortable parting with. Many people take off everything except their underwear, but your therapist has likely worked on clients in the past who remained fully clothed for the session. Likewise, many people take off all their clothes.

North Carolina draping policy dictates that breast, groin, and gluteal (butt) areas must remain covered by a sheet unless the client voluntarily asks for those areas to be uncovered. The therapist will uncover one body part at a time to work on during the massage.

Tip #4: Get under the sheet and blanket. Unless you’re wearing all your clothes, you’re required by law to be covered with a sheet or  “draped” during your massage. If it’s uncomfortably warm in the room, the therapist can adjust the temperature or remove the blanket over the sheet.

Tip #5: Don’t worry about looking beautiful for your massage therapist. Sometimes female clients apologize for not shaving their legs prior to the appointment, but this is not necessary. Massage therapists, as a general rule, do not judge clients based on their stubble, tans (or lack thereof), their cellulite or abundance of back hair.

Tip #6: It’s okay to go to sleep. Many clients find they relax and go into twilight state or light nap, and this is a perfectly acceptable way to enjoy a massage. The massage therapist will not be offended, and you’re still getting the full benefits of the massage if you’re not awake and alert.

Tip #7: You don’t have to help. Your massage therapist may move your limbs or head during the massage in order to stretch or gain better access to muscle groups. It’s okay to be like a rag doll and let the massage therapist do all the work.

Tip #8: Communicate with your massage therapist (if you want). If your massage therapist finds and works on a knotty spot, sometimes the discomfort involved can actually feel good because your body senses that the pain is helping to resolve a problem.  Many clients refer to this as “A good hurt.” But once discomfort becomes too intense, speak up. Too much pressure or manipulation can cause a muscle to go into defensive contraction, and this works against solving the problem. Barring issues like this, clients may or may not choose to ask questions or start conversation during the massage, depending on their preferences.

Tip #9: Be realistic. If you have a longstanding physical issue, it may take a longer session or even a series of sessions before you see marked improvement. Issues like low back pain and cricks in necks tend to develop over time, and often it takes time to work them out.

Tip #10: Drive safely. It’s common to feel blissed-out and spacey after a massage. Take your time getting to your feet and getting dressed. Most importantly, be extra careful driving home. Sometimes clients plan some relaxing time in a coffee shop or restaurant after the massage and before they get back in the car.

A number of our clients got their first massage without knowing what to expect, and found it to be a learning experience. Many people say things like “I had no idea I was sore there” or “I had forgotten what it’s like to be this relaxed,” and they use what they learn to prolong the benefits of the massage.  Sometimes this means stretching during the day or simply changing how they use desk space at work. Many people decide to make massage a regular part of their lives.

Gerald gives a student supervised instruction following a student clinic session.

Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist Gerald Shean first encountered therapeutic massage through an unlikely vector. A coach for his son’s traveling soccer team, he attended a seminar about massage methods for lower body muscle problems. He learned the importance of injury prevention through increasing his teen players’ flexibility with stretches. “And if they they did get hurt, you had a protocol to help them recover more quickly,” he said recently. He was hooked. From there he took massage workshops at Guilford Technical Community College for fun. When the school began its formal massage therapy program, he enrolled, and became one of the state’s first licensed massage therapists. He specializes in Neuromuscular therapy, which he believes is unique in its approach to easing muscular pain.

Gerald is now an instructor at the Kneaded Energy School of Massage. On days when students do their massage clinics, he can be seen talking to them in the waiting area of the massage business upstairs. He offers guidance, advice, and encouragement. In his common conditions class, he enjoys teaching students specific strategies for dealing with the physical problems their future clients may have. He wants them to leave school knowing methods to help with things like cricks in necks, low back pain, and tennis elbow.

Gerald also teaches a version of his common conditions class to practicing massage therapists for license renewal credit. The next class is August 29, and will deal with leg muscle issues. Contact Kneaded Energy for more information, 336-273-1260.

Tory and Ronda are qualified Shiatsu practitioners

This week we want to tell you about the newest old treatment sweeping the nation. We’re talking about Shiatsu. Shiatsu is a form of massage performed on floor mats that combines compression, acupressure, and stretching to relax, restore and revitalize. It’s like having someone do yoga for you!

Shiatsu is based on traditional Chinese medicine but originated in Japan around 1912. It wasn’t officially recognized in Japan as its own unique form of therapy until 1957. Although Shiatsu did gain some notoriety in 1956 when Marilyn Monroe fell ill in Japan and received Shiatsu when conventional therapies were having no effect, only now is it starting to be accessible in the United States. It is quickly becoming popular along the west coast and is spreading rapidly eastward. We at Kneaded Energy are pleased to announce that we are on the proverbial bandwagon and have several therapists on staff that are trained in this therapy and would be “touched” to introduce it to you.

As you may already know, our own Jami Craver is trained in Ashiatsu, a therapy based on similar principles. Jami performs Ashiatsu on her massage table by using her (clean!) feet to relax and release sore, tense muscles while stabilizing herself with bars that run along the ceiling overhead. For more about Ashiatsu please read the March 3, 2010 Blog. We can’t wait to get our hands on you!

Gina, a native of Milford, New Jersey, moved to Greensboro with her husband Ed in 2007.  While many young girls host pretend tea parties, she said she and her mom planned playful spa days at home during her preschool years. During one of those play dates, her mom told her she’d make a good massage therapist. “I agreed. I loved it,” Gina said.  She also works as a supervisor at a memory care facility here in Greensboro, and she’s taking classes at Guilford Technical Community College. She wants to get a degree in nursing.

Gina works at Kneaded Energy on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Tory Kans grew up in Greensboro, and she also got her first experiences  with massage by working on family members.  “My family used to have me walk on their backs when I was little, so I just kind of grew up doing it,” she said. Tory went to massage school in Las Vegas. While she enjoyed her time out there, she’s glad to be back. “I like rain. Out there, there’s no rain, and there’s not really any seasons,” she said. Tory is in the computer engineering program at ECPI College Of Technology.

Tory works at Kneaded Energy on Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.