A career as a massage practitioner requires a sturdy mind and strong body connection. The responsibility of a manual bodyworker of any kind demands a concern for clients while emanating a centered, holistic lifestyle for the client to emulate. The cornerstone of any long and prosperous career as a massage therapist is self care and personal ethics.

Ethical boundaries clarify our limits and guide our expectations within our practices. Mistakes will be made in practice, but we can learn from them and constantly strive to improve ourselves. Experience is a great teacher and using someone else's experiences to avoid the same pitfalls is prudent. A mentor can be someone we can confide in, someone who has experience in business and dealing with clients and perhaps someone who has a background in psychology. Having a mentor to guide us in decision making is essential to gain the support we need to meet the demands of a flourishing practice.

Intuition is an inherent sense in all of us that can be a powerful tool and commonly is called upon in treatment by all types of bodywork practitioners. However, sometimes our intuition can be wrong or have blind spots. A mentor or supervisor can point out subtle or unintentional acts we may overlook.

Furthermore, it's helpful to be honest about client interactions with a mentor who is sworn to confidentiality. This can avoid unnecessary gossip with friends or family about issues clients might have. Using this preventative measure also can help us feel that we are not facing client issues alone, as well as keep our personal beliefs from distorting the truth about these situations.

In addition to formal coaching by an experienced mentor, we can use peer groups and professional association memberships to check in on new developments and ongoing political issues that affect our scope of practice. By attending workshops and seminars, we challenge both new and old ideas and remain open-minded to learn more. This can avoid monotony in practice and keep our senses fresh and our spirits renewed. Through networking at these types of functions, we can expand our horizons.

In addition, taking good care of our own bodies and receiving regular bodywork for ourselves is very important. Acupuncture, chiropractic and other holistic modalities also can keep us mentally and physically balanced, therefore improving our ability to meet the complex demands we may face in practice. We should commit the same amount of time and resources to self care as we recommend to our clients in practice. We must honor our own bodies the same way we honor each and every individual client.

Also, staying conscientious of what foods we put into our bodies will strengthen our performance and ability to focus in treatment. Eating a nutritious, wholesome diet, with smaller meals throughout the day, can keep our energy levels stable. Practitioners should maintain a healthy weight for their body frame to set an example as a health care professional. Schedule regular doctor checkups and make time for rest and exercise. Finally, an emphasis on stretching can bring attention to anything that may be happening within our own bodies.

Above all, a lack of stretching and poor use of proper body mechanics often can lead to a shortened career. Over exerting ourselves and pushing our limits when exhausted can lead to careless mistakes which become bad habits. We must create appropriate boundaries such as what times we schedule appointments, our prices of treatment, and how many massages we should do a day, or in a week. These restrictions will vary between practitioners, but the key is discovering your own truth and respecting the limits thereof. By adhering to our personal limits, we can ensure our very best to each client throughout the whole day.