The BMSVT Difference
Learning the Art of Massage: The Balance Massage School Difference
It’s snowing outside and I am relishing in a quiet moment as I sit in our newly renovated classroom. We have just finished up with a major expansion at BMSVT, including a new classroom that our students have already made “home”. As I take a look around the new space, my heart is happy knowing the love that fills this room, the way in which the program has grown in the past few years, and the wonderful souls that are attracted to our vision and mission.
Sitting here in the empty classroom, tucked into a corner and watching the snow fall gently to the ground, I reflect on our most recent class and the rich discussion we had. We learned about boundaries within the therapeutic relationship, personal boundaries to maintain our own wellness, and the importance of self-awareness and courage in staying true to these boundaries. “Boundaries are kindness” one of my students expressed, and I couldn’t agree more with the beauty and truth in that sentiment.
I am moved, almost to tears, by how much of a family the students have become this year as they’ve dived together, ever deeper, into an understanding and awareness of themselves. As a group of women (at least for this year) from widely different backgrounds, they are growing even more aware, resilient, authentic, and heart-centered…connecting with themselves and with each other in the same way they will soon connect with their own clients. They are experiencing profound learning from one another, from the safe container of our classroom, and the inner-connectedness that weaves through us all.
I believe so strongly that a good old-fashioned (and small!) classroom setting is necessary to experience this kind of growth…this kind of deep connection to self and others. You can reach deep inside of yourself to discover pools of love, empathy, and compassion within the safe and supported blanket of in-person, experiential learning. One of the most beautiful experiences of massage therapy is the connection we form with the people who come to us for healing, be it physical, spiritual, or emotional; and as practitioners, we need to have a healthy and balanced approach to life, as well as a good understanding of our triggers, motivations, emotions, and boundaries. This self-knowledge is basic to our profession, and it’s something we focus on from day one at Balance Massage School of Vermont. Together, we learn how to ground ourselves, how to get centered, and how to work with clients from a place of calm, in-the-moment presence.
It’s really begun to hit me just how vital human interaction is to the study of massage therapy. The knowing that there are fellow explorers, right next to you, holding space for you. Holding you firmly in their thoughts and hearts. Not competing with you. Not giving you advice. Not suggesting some course of action…just active listening from a place of deep care and compassion. It’s a beautiful learning environment, and it mirrors what they will one day be doing for their clients. As students are held in what we call a “safe container”, they learn how to do the same for the people who will soon be coming to them for facilitated healing.
The snow is still coming down, and its dusk-blue hues bring a silent beauty to everything on which it lands. This beautiful space in which I sit, lights dimmed, the smell of lavender permeating the air, wraps itself around me, and in it I feel warm and secure. I am aware of how my body feels in this moment, and I am able to connect it to a more timeless understanding of who I am and the circumstances that formed who I am. And the knowledge of this feeling reminds me of the importance of a concept known as ‘embodiment’ – how we experience life in our bodies and how our bodies experience our lives. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t experienced some deep loss or the anguish of being misunderstood or the loneliness of feeling invisible, unseen or unloved. We hold our lives’ experiences – our joys and our sorrows – deep within our bones, and the shape of our bodies, how we carry ourselves, how we react to stimuli, so clearly tells our story. If we’re going to learn how to treat the whole person – mind, body, spirit, and emotion – we have to learn how to read and understand their bodies, and at BMSVT, we learn this skill in the most natural way possible: we learn it together through the development of trust in one another; through the compassionate holding of space for one another; and through the empowered sharing of our deep selves with one another. And as this process unfolds, we slowly but confidently let down our walls. Again, exactly what we will be doing when we begin working with our clients.
Balance Massage School of Vermont is a unique community of students (past and present), practitioners, instructors, friends, and mentors who share a common belief in the power of touch and in the importance of forming deep connections. We dive deeply into the study and application of massage therapy, focusing on Swedish, Myofascial, Hydrotherapy, Trigger Point, and Neuromuscular Massage; and just as deeply into self-understanding, awareness, forgiveness, authenticity, and growth. But what sets us apart – I believe – is our culture: our focus on what happens between us and inside of us as we learn and explore the ancient art of massage.
If you choose to come learn with us, you will be taking a beautiful first step towards understanding, accepting, forgiving, and loving – both yourself and others – and you will become the kind of massage therapist who can offer a safe and welcoming container to clients who, through your practiced and compassionate touch, will be given the opportunity to understand, accept, forgive, and love themselves. It is a beautiful circle, and it is why the work we do is so important.
Have you thought about a career in massage therapy? Does learning the art of massage in a warm, compassionate, and caring setting appeal to you? If so, give me a call, come shadow us for a few hours, or simply drop me a note. I’d love to tell you more about this beautiful and sacred profession, and about the Balance Massage School difference.
With Love,
Steph Haddox