Lymphatic Drainage is an easy, noninvasive, nonpharmacologic intervention for post-surgical pain relief. It often prevents secondary injury by relieving swelling and more. Learn this and more in one of our Lymphatic Drainage courses by clicking HERE:
In this Les Nouvelles Magazine article, CE Institute LLC Founder & Instructor Selena Belisle explains how lymphatic drainage works and some particulars you should know prior to practicing:
Ben Benjamin, PhD, the author of: Listen to Your Pain: The Active Person's Guide to Understanding, Identifying, and Treating Pain and Injury, will be teaching live interactive webinar trainings at CE Institute LLC in May, June & July of this year! Half of his classes are sold out and removed from our class offerings, but we still have a few options available by clicking HERE.
Check out CE Institute LLC's Hot Stone Safety Updates Featured on the Cover of MASSAGE MAGAZINE (written by Instructor Selena Belisle) by clicking HERE!
Did you know that you could use select essential oils to make your own sanitation products? CE Institute LLC founder Selena Belisle explains in this aromatherapy article published by MASSAGE MAGAZINE!
Trigger Point Therapy is here to stay! According to the AMTA, a private business applied for exclusive use of the term "triggerpoint", which would have deprived many LMTs from applying/selling the therapy by it's proper name. The AMTA states they won this fight against the application so that we can all continue to practice and use the modality Trigger Point Therapy - BRAVO!
To learn more, please register for quality, affordable, professional training at: https://ceinstitute.com/
You can read more about AMTA's efforts at Massage Today: https://www.massagetoday.com/articles/1615381760757/behind-the-scenes-of-the-fight-to-save-triggerpoint-
CE Institute LLC is offering $25 refresher classes for past students who would like to repeat one of their previous trainings. There are no certificates or CE credit provided with a refresher class (as of right now they are only available for live interactive webinars); however, it's a great resource for students who want to see the educational materials again, watch the instructor demonstrations and/or practice their hands-on skills.
There is EXTREMELY LIMITED availability in the refresher program - not all classes will have refresher seats available in them. Refresher seat availability will be posted on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter social media accounts.
The next 2 refresher classes we have with 3 available seats in each are:
If you would like to take any of our posted refresher classes, please email us with your name and email address used to process your original class registration with which course you would like to repeat. We will email you an invoice for the refresher class if seats remain available. Please keep in mind refresher class seats are nonrefundable and are available on a 1st come 1st serve basis only. Sending an email or receiving an invoice does not guarantee a seat in a refresher class. Only paid reservations in the refresher class will reserve your seat and access. Thank you and we hope you enjoy this refresher trainng opportunity if and when needed!
10% of our Oncology Class Registrations are donated to the American Cancer Society and we just donated another $250 from our May 2021 class.
Join us in the fight against cancer by registering in a oncology course today: https://ceinstitute.com/collections/oncology #cancer #fightcancer #massage #massagetherapist #massagetherapy #oncology #oncologytraining
SANITATION: Proper sanitation in a massage establishment or treatment room requires two basic but specific steps. Most do not follow proper sanitation techniques, making the entire sanitation process less effective or useless.
1 The first step to sanitize your treatment room is cleaning. Cleaning entails using soap and water to physically dislodge germs by washing and then wiping them away or rinsing them down the drain. Most cleaned objects or surfaces can either be dried with a fresh, clean towel or allowed to air dry. Cleaning physically removes dirt and other organic material or debris.
2 The second step to sanitize your treatment room is disinfection. Disinfection regularly entails using chemicals to kill or eliminate germs, and includes chemical wipes, sprays, or soaks with brands such as Lysol or Clorox. Disinfection will not remove dirt or other organic material, so cleaning must be performed before disinfection. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s directions on how to use your disinfectant. These directions will usually include an exact amount of contact time, also known as dwell time. That means the surface or object being disinfected will require a specific amount of contact time where the area must remain wet with disinfectant to be effective.
You can also use equipment such as a UV sanitizer or autoclave to sanitize smaller spa items. Be sure to read the equipment manufacturer’s instructions. Spa items that can be properly used in a UV sanitizer or autoclave are usually metal in nature. Porous spa items such as a facial sponge or brush cannot be safely and effectively sanitized no matter what process is used, as it will likely compromise or destroy the porous object during the process.
Do not forget about proper handwashing between each client. It is good business during the pandemic to request each client to sanitize their hands upon entering your establishment. Because we cannot eliminate all germs with hand sanitizing or washing, we should sanitize all surfaces that are touched after each client’s use. This specifically includes sanitizing door handles, light switches, equipment knobs, lid covers, chairs or stools and so forth – anything that you or your client comes in contact with should be sanitized between each client.
AIR QUALITY
Many scientists and government agencies are now acknowledging that COVID-19 may remain airborne and travel further than initially thought.
As such, we should practice good air supply and filtration practices at the spa to help protect ourselves against COVID-19. Improving air quality in the spa includes:
1 Practice outdoors, on a balcony, or even a rooftop whenever possible. Just ensure there are adequate privacy and protection measures from sunburn.
2 When applicable, open doors or windows to your spa treatment room to allow a more generous amount of air exchange. Increasing the amount of incoming air will help dilute lingering airborne germs, including COVID-19.
3 Consider changing your work area if you provide spa services in a small, poorly ventilated treatment room. Use the largest and best-ventilated rooms available. If you have a landlord or employer, ask them if they have any solutions to place you in an improved air quality operating space during the pandemic.
4 Position equipment such as fans, air vents, and facial steamers in the back of the top of the table (behind the client’s head) to allow this forced air to blow away from you and your client, towards any open windows and doors. Move your spa table as needed to allow this airflow.
5 Be sure that all air filters in the workplace are clean and changed regularly. Keep all air filtration systems (i.e., HVAC) properly serviced and running. Remove all material or debris away from air vents/fans for the best possible air exchange.
6 If you have a window air conditioning unit, leave the air vent open.
7 Consider adding a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter or two next to your spa service area. HEPA filters can suction some airborne germs away from the service, and it will also help purify the air.
8 Consider consulting an air quality control organization such as ASHRAE (formerly known as American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) for advice for your establishment.
EXPOSURE
Reducing the amount of time a client spends in the spa and the number of potentially contaminated surfaces will help minimize your exposure to COVID-19. Tips to reduce your exposure include:
1 Completing client intake forms via email, phone, or a secured website instead of at the office. You can similarly create a social distancing payment method, and so forth.
2 Requesting your client not to wear jewelry, which will decrease the amount of time your client spends dressing and undressing at the spa.
3 Having your client wait in their car until you have properly sanitized the spa for their service. You can call or text them to let them know you are ready for them to enter and begin service.
4 Wearing a face covering, whether inside or outdoors. Consider adding a face shield for increased protection. Facial services that include anything that puts you in close personal contact with the client’s airway are not recommended during the pandemic. If you must provide facial service, direct the airflow to move air away from you and the facial service area.
If you provide a body scrub, wrap, waxing, or any other spa service with the client lying down on a spa table, try to provide most of your spa service in the prone (face-down) position. Minimizing your exposure to the client’s airway is the goal. If a client has a gift certificate to your spa and wants to redeem it before the end of the pandemic, then recommend services with the least amount of personal contact time. These include bathtub spa soaks, aromatherapy showers, and services provided in the prone position on a spa table.
Consider each item in your spa workspace and eliminate anything nonessential to reduce the amount of potentially contaminated surfaces. This includes trashing old magazines and moving lesser-used items into a sealed drawer or closet. For example, you can place your entire facial steamer/loop lamp, an entire waxing cart, and all other spa equipment in a closet or unused room when providing spa service that does not require it. Keep items such as clean and dirty linens in separate airtight containers. Dispose of garbage in a self-closing metal trash can.
You should treat your workplace establishment as if every single client is contagious with COVID-19. That means if you must work, you should minimize your exposure, thoroughly sanitize between each client, and work in a manner that will improve your air quality. While the best way to avoid COVID-19 acquisition or transmission is to self-isolate from others, addressing these three factors thoughtfully and thoroughly may help minimize your risk in the spa during the pandemic.
To learn more, please register for training at https://ceinstitute.com/
You can view this detailed information and more on latest Safety Tips for massage therapy and spa practice during COVID-19 video on youtube:
Understanding Ayurvedic treatments for the face
The skin is the largest organ in the body, acting as first line of defense from the outside world. It functions as a physical indicator of the subtlest mechanisms of our body and mind. It is a mirror of the internal state of an individual, revealing the condition of the physical body, as well as the emotional state. The complexion and appearance of the skin is influenced by the nervous system, and of the many emotions such as fear, rage, anger, grief, joy, excitement, etc., will show a red, flushed, pale, and pasty color on the skin.
How does the body become imbalanced? What disrupts its normal functioning, and how does this effect show up on the skin? Mind-body medicine, both ancient and modern, mention that the fundamental cause of imbalance is stress and the hormonal alterations it produces. In Ayurveda, stress may be anything that overburdens your natural balance of energies with too many “like” energies. In other words, it is anything that disturbs nature’s rhythms. Stress factors may be physical, psychological, or spiritual.
Physical stress may include any overload of the senses, poor habits, wrong diet and exercise, physical strain, excess work, lack of rest, excessive travel, incorrect breathing, excessive use of stimulants including alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and chemical overloads from environmental pollutants, food additives and preservatives, synthetic cosmetics and lotions.
Psychological stress includes emotional traumas, personal conflicts, unsatisfying relationships, and negative behaviors. Psychological stress is nothing more than our perception and like any other negative thought which is created in the mind. Events occur in our lives, and the brain decides which ones are stressful based upon our subjective interpretation. No event is inherently stressful, but it becomes so because of our previous registered experiences.
Spiritual stressors include lack of purpose, uncertainty, desolation, disbelief, confusion, as well as lack of direct understanding of consciousness, that is, lack of inner harmony and peace of mind.
Everyone wants to be beautiful and the desire for physical beauty and the ability to recognize it, seems deeply rooted in the human psyche. A common indicator of beauty is harmony or proportion. Developmental scientists believe that our natural ability to perceive symmetry of the human face is a mechanism for survival. A distorted face provides an intrinsic signal of potential danger.
Beauty is said to have three aspects: an outer, inner, and secret aspect. When the inner and outer aspects are in balance, one has accomplished the secret aspect of beauty. In Ayurveda, the ancient Science of Longevity and Rejuvenation, it is said that the more we nurture ourselves, the more radiant we become physically and expressively regardless of our outer aspect. It focuses on the idea that health is a balance of the three energies found in nature as well as within us called Tridosha (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). Each person contains a certain ratio of these three energies, and the treatments are designed to be tailored to the specific characteristics of that individual.
Outer beauty is that which we most commonly associate within the field of esthetics. It is that which is beautiful and attractive, pertaining to an individual sense of perception. This includes the obvious qualities such as texture and complexion of the skin, contours of the body, the quality of hair, nails, etc. In Ayurveda, it also includes the subtle qualities of vitality, brightness, joyfulness, and charming brilliance of the individual. Ayurveda has always understood beauty to be a result of positive habits and daily routines that literally will bring out the best in us. It teaches how to identify one’s individual Dosha and how to maintain balance by proper diet and a daily lifestyle routine. Thus, external beauty is an actual reflection of the overall health of the body.
Inner beauty relates to the qualities of the self, including our emotional states and mental capacities. Like physical qualities, they are largely determined at birth and are considered to be the result of our actions from previous lives. According to Ayurveda, the physical body can be shaped by diet and lifestyle, as well as being able to train our minds to develop positive states of being. Just as the body can be cleansed and purified to make it outwardly more attractive, so the mind is said to be strengthened by daily exercise. The first step would be to take some time from our busy lives to nurture and cultivate healthy practices. In training the mind, the ability to focus on the present moment, in full awareness of our bodies and of the feelings associated with each particular action. This is accomplished with the daily practice of conscious behavior to begin developing emotional stability and peace of mind.
The combination of outer and inner beauty is that which provides rejuvenation and longevity and thus leads to what is considered to be the secret aspect of beauty. The secret to beauty refers to the energy, awareness, and inspiration it takes to balance both inner and outer aspects of ourselves. In Ayurveda, skin health is considered to be the expression of health of the whole body and that is why its approach contemplates balance and harmony at the physical, mental, and spiritual level. A balanced diet according to Tridosha is important for maintaining healthy skin. However, mental and spiritual care is developed from the practice of awareness. The awareness to calm the mind and invigorate the body, enables the proper functioning of the body systems and elimination of toxins, and by consequence, healthy skin. Awareness that comes from living in the present moment and allowing ourselves to connect with our environment. That which forms the basis of Ayurvedic philosophy, teaching us how to live in balance and harmony with our environment.