The Massage Profession Must Continue to Evolve - Massage Today - Massage Today

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Massage Today
June, 2013, Vol. 13, Issue 06 By Velvete Womack, PhD, LMT
Evolution is defined as any process of formation or growth, development, as well as a process of gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development by Dictionary.com. If we look back through the years of massage therapy, we might see where this evolution has occurred and where it might have stopped.
Looking at the time line, we can witness that when there was fear imposed on this beautiful gift we can see that massage took a backseat in the world of health and well-being. To continue our growth and process of evolution we must be willing to look at our own fears. Fear is the first sign that something is off from within and the Universe can only do what we believe it can do. If all parts of yourself are in alignment, then you'll see a supportive and loving practice growing with ease. When you are clear anything and everything is possible. And when we have this level of clarity we are free to attract whatever it is we can imagine.
Evolution is gradual and peaceful. When we are having thoughts that are stressful and/or painful, we are preventing our very own evolution, not only as a therapist, but as a person as well. Many of us carry these thoughts around each and every day and never question where those thoughts may have originated or whether they are even true. When we are clear on our beliefs, we are clear to receive.
It is my pleasure to help people free themselves from their limiting and destructive beliefs/thoughts. What I believe about myself will always manifest in my external reality. With this said, I would like to provide you with a tool that I use in my own practice that allows for total transformation.
Do you have what you want right now? Just think about something that you want to have, do, or be right now. If the answer is no, then there is a belief that is running in the background of your mind blocking you from becoming clear. Now when I say clear, you may actually discover you really don't want to have, do or be what you thought. This process allows you to become crystal clear with what you to want to have, do or be.
Next, write on a piece of paper why you don't want to have, do or be. Let's say for instance I think I want 40 clients per week but I don't have that right now. I can ask myself why I DON'T want 40 clients per week and discover a lot of fears about myself.
Next, write on this same piece of paper why I DO want 40 clients per week. Now you'll begin to see some hidden fears or beliefs that you might not have enough money to cover expenses unless you have 40 clients coming in. Well guess what, you could have 40 clients coming in all day long and still not make the money you need to cover expenses because your beliefs are the cause, not your business or life situations.
Next, take one fear or obstacle in each don't and do category and reflect on what that underlying thought is that is attached to it. For example, in your don't category you might write out, "I don't want 40 clients per week because I'm afraid that my schedule will be limited and not provide me with the freedom I want in life." This is a good fear and one worth looking into. Simply write them down at this point.
Look over your list and pick the one fear that causes you the most stress. Once you have the fear isolated ask yourself, "Is this true?" You'll soon discover that this false belief is limiting you in other areas in your life as well, even financially.
Next, find at least three ways that this is not true. You might just discover how exciting it is to have 40 clients per week.
Repeat steps 4, 5 and 6, but now do them for your "DO" category.
With each do and don't, flip it around. Let's say for instance you said, "I don't want 40 clients per week because I'm afraid I won't have enough free time." The flip would become, "I have so much free time with 40 clients per week."
Now, take that flip statement, your positive statement and feel it, really sit with it and see it. Then write down at least three ways that this is true. An example would be, "I have so much free time with 40 clients per week because now I can afford an assistant to be at the office when there is a school function," or, " I have so much free time with 40 clients per week because now I can afford to take my vacations." Write down at least three ways that having 40 clients per week would provide you with more freedom.
An Example
The last step of this process is critical because this is where we are truly able to actualize our real goal and we become clear with what is really real and true for us. Now, let me give you a full blown example so you can see how I have applied this in my own practice and have had the results appear instantly. I will give them to you in the steps mentioned previously.
I want to expand my practice so that my clients are more comfortable in their rooms. (I had small 8x10 rooms.) This is a stressful thought because I'm not comfortable in the tight fitting rooms.
I don't want to expand my practice (Step 4) because I'm afraid it will cost me too much money.
I do want to expand my practice because (Step 4) I love comfort and ease.
Actually step 5, I'm afraid it will cost me too much money, is that true? This is either yes or no; don't try to explain it, just yes or no. The answer is yes, that I'm afraid that it will cost me too much money. After sitting in this belief, I can see how this fear is preventing me from having more clients, how it's preventing me from moving forward on my own plans at home and how I am not acting out of fear that I'm not going to have enough money to operate my own practice.
It is not true that it will cost me too much money. Now I list at least three ways this is true. a) Well I can charge the supplies to do the expansion, b) I can ask my husband to help me do the work ourselves, and c) I have extra furniture and fixtures around the house that I can use. (Wow, I realized then that it was truer that I could do the project instead of not doing it. Once this happened the clinic was expanded and the cost was almost mind blowing low.) I'm already feeling better!
"I do want to expand the clinic because I love comfort and ease" Is that true, YES! Well if this makes me feel good and I know it's true why isn't it happening? So what will happen if I expand the clinic? Wow, I'll be come busier and won't have time to do anything else, I will be working harder and I'll have to hire someone to help me.
Have to hire someone to help me is more stressful to my mind so now I must be willing to ask myself why would I not want to hire another person. A) They won't do things the way I would; B) I'll have to pay them, C) because I like working alone. Now I can flip it around to find what is real and truer about the situation,

"I want to hire someone to help me."
Three ways this is true for me that I want to hire someone to help me. First, it would provide me the time to really care for more clients. Second, it would free me up to do the things I really love to do. And third, they would help me take care of my clients by booking them, taking the money and organizing the clinic so that I am free to allow the creative juices to flow.
Now I am able to see what my blocks were, the limiting beliefs that I held on to that were preventing me from having what I really wanted. I could see that hiring someone else was an issue and a belief about money was an issue. Once both of these were discovered and I saw what the truth was, the clinic expansion was completed in less than three days later. And yes, it included hiring a person which has been the greatest blessing in my life.
In order to evolve, we must be willing to questions our thinking, to know where our thoughts come from and to ask is it true. What we think we become is not just an understatement. There are many beliefs that are attached to massage therapy, but as we take on those beliefs one day at a time we will find ourselves more successful, more professional and more prosperous imaginable.

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Dr. Velvete H. Womack, PhD, LMT, is a published author, inventor, licensed massage therapist and wellness coach. With more than 35 years in corporate American, and in the medical and holistic field of health and wellness, Dr. Womack strives to provide individuals tools that will aid in balance and stress reduction. For more information, visit www.massagebyvelvete.com.

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