Every now and then I remember how remarkable it is that my massage career has been consistent for most my adult life.
Recently I was enjoying a conversation with a woman who has had a few interesting career choices during her life. She has worked as an esthetician, a massage therapist and is currently studying to be an occupational therapist.
She pointed out something a professor relayed (during massage school ) to me. The Professor stated that most therapists have a career for less than a decade, if they ever get a career off the ground to begin with. I started my career when I was 23 years old when massage was not a household name. In those days, massage was considered something that people did for a bit of pampering,
It was rare occurance that you would find articles about massage therapist helping athletes that were in the Olympics or on football teams but it wasn’t common for everyday Americans to get a massage. It was the therapists of my generation who ushered massage into the homes of regular folks.
I studied and taught infant massage right after I completed my courses for massage school. When I started offering the classes in infant massage,it helped make a lot more people comfortable with me. After a while I even studied Pilates and opened my owned pilates studio in Melbourne Beach.
Unlike some therapists who start a massage practice, I didn’t sit back and wait for my phone to ring. In order to build and promote my massage practice, I would attend meetings of all kinds in Brevard County to speak about the benefits of infant massage and family massage in our community.
Today I have the pleasure and privilege of working on the children and grandchildren of the people who first came to me for massage. That’s a legacy most businesses can’t claim. I am forever grateful for the appreciation and loyalty I receive in my practice.
Valentina Boonstra
Every now and then I remember that it is remarkable that my massage career
has been consistent for most my adult life.
Recently I was enjoying a conversation with a woman who has had a few
interesting career choices during her life. She has worked as an esthetician, a
massage therapist and is currently studying to be an occupational therapist.
She pointed out something professor relayed (during massage school) The
Professor stated that most therapists have a career for less than a decade if
they ever get a career off the ground to begin with. I started my career when I
was 23 years old when massage was not a household name. In those days, massage
was considered something that people did for a bit of pampering,
It was rare that you would find articles about massage therapist helping
athletes that were in the Olympics or on football teams, but it was not common
for everyday Americans. My generation ushered massage into the homes of common
people.
I studied and taught infant massage right after I completed my courses for
massage school. When I offered the classes in infant massage I think that
helped make a lot more people comfortable with me.
Unlike some therapists who start a massage practice, I did not sit back and
wait for my phone to ring. In order to build and promote my massage practice, I
would attend meetings of all kinds in Brevard County to speak about the
benefits of infant massage and family massage in our community.
I taught couples how to do reflexology on each other and showed them how to
work on each other’s sore spots. I did everything I could to be helpful,
educational and put the power of touch in people’s hands. At the same time
as I was researching and training myself how to do more, I always took my
clients along with me.
We worked out with weights. We did Tai Chi, yoga, and practiced assisted
stretching. I held Tai Chi classes on my patio. I taught free Chi Gong classes
to senior citizens. The end result was I think this helped people understand I was
not just doing massage for a living, I was sharing knowledge and hoping to help
everyone in my community that I could.
I am going to be 60 at the end of this year and I think I am feeling
reflective looking at my body of work. It makes me proud, and happy to have
served my community well these past years.
Valentina Boonstra
Unlike some therapists who start a massage practice, I didn’t sit back and wait for my phone to ring. In order to build and promote my massage practice, I would attend meetings of all kinds in Brevard County to speak about the benefits of infant massage and family massage in our community.
I taught couples how to do reflexology on each other and showed them how to work on each other’s sore spots. I did everything I could to be helpful, educational and put the power of touch in people’s hands. At the same time as I was researching and training myself how to do more, I always took my clients along with me.
We worked out with weights. We did Tai Chi, yoga, and practiced assisted stretching. I held Tai Chi classes on my patio. I taught free Chi Qong classes to senior citizens. The end result was I think this helped people understand I wasn’t just doing massage for a living, I was sharing knowledge and hoping to help everyone in my community that I could.
I’m going to be 60 at the end of this year and I think I am feeling reflective looking at my body of work. It makes me proud, and happy to have served my community well these past years.
Valentina Boonstra
