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Pat Mayrhofer BIO
Pat Mayrhofer, wrote, directed and produced The Nature's Healing Stone Therapy DVD Series. She has been a massage therapist and cosmetologist for over 39 years and she has been using stone therapy in her massage practice and teaching it since 1998. She is widely recognized as an international leader in hot stone massage education. Pat currently works with an experienced network of professionals to develop multi-disciplinary approaches to massage and spa treatments utilizing stone therapy. She specializes in training massage and spa professionals worldwide in the art and science of stone therapy. This timeless healing technique joins the art of massage with the thermogenic benefits of heated Mexican beach pebbles. Pat conducts over 40 seminars a year and travels around the globe with her team of stone massage experts to bring this art form to spas, clinics, massage schools, estheticians and salons.
COOL LIFT
FACE MASSAGE
DVD + Music CD
Special Offer!
Pat Mayrhofer loves to use At Peace Music when she’s doing stone massage work with her own clients . . . so when it was time to select the perfect mood music for the soundtrack of the NEW Cool Lift Face Massage DVD, she selected Michael Benghiat’s music from the At Peace Music CD, Water Spirit.
You’ll want to play this same music with your clients so we’ve created an At Peace website SPECIAL OFFER for you.
Save $5.95 when you purchase both the Cool Lift Face Massage DVD and music CD, Water Spirit.
DVD-CLFM-SP $59.95
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Pat Mayrhofer – Healing Stone Massage Therapy
Hi Pat, first off, I should say that the hot stone massage you performed on me was truly outstanding. It often takes me a while to unwind on the massage table, but the combination of your strokes and the way you moved the hot stones made me feel relaxed and good instantly!
I can show you letters after letters from students who have written to us and said how much it has changed their practice and how much their clients love it. People who have experienced our style of Nature’s Healing Stone Therapy™ stone massage work often share with us the great things their clients have to say about the quality of the work. A typical comment is ‘I’ve had stone massage before but I have never had anything like this.’ People truly enjoy this technique – and it’s therapeutic.
The use of hot stones for healing dates back to ancient times - what is unique or distinctive about your approach to stone massage?
The emphasis we place on the quality, safety, benefits, contraindications, and versatility of stone massage is what is distinctive about our approach. We are unique in the detail and variety of our products and the training you receive in our instructional video programs is based on years and years of experience and a true passion for the work. There is no other company that offers the depth that we do. We treat stone massage as an ART form. We believe our approach is for the Serious Professional and we are totally unselfish in sharing everything we know so that others can duplicate our success.
You use the words ‘healing stone therapy’ in your DVD series title. Why? Isn’t stone massage simply relaxing?
Stone massage therapy is the most relaxing massage a person can get, and for a therapist it is also an excellent therapeutic tool – when performed correctly. Why? The heat of the stones warms the muscle deep to the bone creating the deepest relaxation. Using hot stones combined with massage allows therapists to work more deeply without discomfort to the client. We teach you how to achieve better results more quickly.
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Almost any technique you do with your hands you can do with the stones; effleurage, petrissage, trigger point work, Myofacial Release, connective tissue, stripping to name a few.
What should massage therapists be aware of when trying to decide which stone massage training DVDs are best?
Beware of any training program that showcases hot stones on bare skin. In the photographer's eye It Is very appealing to see beautiful black stones lying on a client's back. However this gives the wrong Impression of what stone therapy should be. First of all a therapist should NEVER place a hot stone on bare skin without moving It; this is how people get burned. Beautifully styled photos of gorgeous models with hot stones on their bare skin are everywhere – so you can understand why some therapists mistakenly think this is the way stone therapy is performed. Not knowing the right way to do stone massage work can be dangerous to clients, as I mentioned recently in an editorial published in Massage & Bodywork Magazine. Finally, think how disappointing it is for clients to pay a hefty sum just to get stones laid all over their body. There is a better way and we teach you how to do it in our DVD series and in our training seminars.
Tell us why you decided to create your series of Nature’s Healing Stone Therapy DVD training programs?
I believe these DVDs are a great introduction for therapists who are serious professionals AND who are interested in learning how to perform stone massage work in the safest, most effective way. These DVDs also provide great review and recap for anyone who has taken one of our training seminars.
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My training team and I have taught our ‘brand’ of stone massage techniques throughout North America and Europe but after receiving many calls from Hong Kong, Dubai, Alaska, Hungry and many, many other faraway lands I knew making a video was a must.
We truly believe that the experience, knowledge and information we share in our DVD programs is essential for anyone interested in adding stone massage to their repertoire. I approach my work with great passion and enthusiasm so I knew that if we were going to create instructional videos, they would absolutely have to be the best we could do.
So, we enlisted the help of a two-time Emmy winning producer – Chad Perry – along with the best film crew in Philadelphia. We watched every video from our industry we could get our hands on and analyzed them by technique, concept, set design, direction, and all over quality and decided that we could do a lot better.
What was your first instructional video program?
Our first video was The Art of Hot Stone Pedicure/Manicure, which has just been renamed The Art of Hot Stone Foot and Hand Massage - Volume 3. We have updated the name because we realize how valuable this technique is for massage therapists as well as for nail technicians. This modality gives nail technicians an opportunity to offer a real spa treatment to their clients. The client receives a full body experience while getting their nails done.
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From what I saw on this DVD, clients truly get the royal treatment – not only on their hands and feet but also on their arms and legs too.
That’s right – our goal is to help you create the most relaxing AND therapeutic experience possible for your client. After getting our feet wet on the foot and hand program, we received so many requests for additional instruction that we decided to tackle full body hot stone massage. We named It Nature's Healing Stone Therapy®. This name now appears as the signature name on all of our training videos, which are available in DVD format.
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Recently, we worked with At Peace Media to help us redesign and update our DVD packaging. At the same time we renamed our full body video program The Art of Hot Stone Massage - Volume 1. Technique, temperature, pressure, stone layout, contraindications are all highlighted in this full body hot stone protocol.
The Art of Hot Stone Facials - Volume 2 and The Art of Hot Stone Reflexology - Volume 4 round out our original series. All of our DVD programs offer up close camera angles along with detailed, expert narration to guide viewers through these techniques. We also tell you how to set up your equipment, how to select the best stones for the work and how to care for and clean your stones.
Pat, we know you take a very ‘hands on’ approach writing and directing each of your instructional video programs - tell us about your newest DVD program – The Art of Cool Lift Face Massage – Volume 5.
As you know, spa treatments continue to get more and more sophisticated. Our newest instructional program - The Art of Cool Lift Face Massage - is truly unique and original in content AND it is expertly produced. You learn face massage protocols using marble stones and hot massage stones that help to erase minor lines and reduce the look of stress on the face creating a temporary facelift. This DVD offers massage therapists and estheticians the opportunity to offer a spa-like crossover treatment to their private practice.
How does healing stone massage benefit the massage therapist?
The benefits to the therapist are many.
1) Softens muscle so therapist can work more deeply with less effort.
2) Client is more likely to return because of less discomfort with better results.
3) The heat of the stones helps the therapist's hands.
4) Additional modality Increases earning power.
Is it tough to integrate hot or cool stones with massage work?
No, but it is essential for the therapist to let their hands do what they are trained to do and to let the stones become part of their hands. In our seminars we teach proper body mechanics and advise how to make the massage flow. There’s an art to doing it so it isn’t choppy. You need to know how to handle the stones; how you hold stones changes the way they feel on the client.
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Pat, you’ve been a massage therapist and cosmetologist for over 39 years. How long have you been using stones with your massage work?
I’ve been using stone therapy in my massage work and teaching stone therapy since 1998. Interest in this kind of thermogenic, healing therapy keeps growing and the demand for knowledge about it keeps increasing so we’ve put together a team of instructors with a diverse and deep skill set. There are eight of us teaching including a chiropractor and we all love what we do and we all have our own practices. We all have basic knowledge, on the job training and knowledge of what we’re doing. We are not just book learned; we know because we use these techniques on real clients day in and day out.
Can you offer any additional precautions or advice?
If a person tells me they had a stone massage and it wasn't so good I can almost guarantee that their therapist was not trained properly in stone massage. Spas often make this kind of mistake. They send their top therapist to a seminar and expect them to come back and show everyone else the new technique or modality. You only retain 30% of what you learn so if you are a novice and you demonstrate this technique to another person, and they in turn only retain 30% of what they are be being shown – well, you know where this is heading. Bottom line? The technique gets watered down very quickly, mistakes are made, and clients have a bad experience – not good.
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Don’t buy cheap equipment. Purchase your stones and stone heaters and your accessories from reputable sources or distributors like At Peace Media. Many companies sell massage stones. Many of them are just businessmen trying to cash in on a good thing. They offer a bag of rocks with no rhyme or reason to the selection of the group. Some offer quality stones with many unusable sizes.
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On the subject of heaters . . . if you can believe it, some therapists buy turkey roasters to heat stones because it is less expensive than purchasing a good quality Spa Pro massage stone heater. However they are missing the point. As professionals we need to be aware of all aspects of our business, particularly the legal ones. A turkey roaster is a kitchen appliance and is intended to be used as such, thus the manufacture warning "only for use as a kitchen appliance." You are setting yourself up for asking for problems by not using proper equipment.
Instructional stone massage videos. . . The market is flooded with videos; many are poorly produced and offer less then adequate Information. We have been told by dozens of satisfied customers that our videos are the best on the market in our field. We have worked very hard to offer a quality product. However I still think it best to take a seminar for any type of hands-on modality so each of our DVD training programs includes a coupon worth $25 towards the cost of one of our hands-on training seminars.
Pat, thank you for your time and for sharing your insights with us.
This interview with Pat Mayrhofer, founder and CEO, Nature’s Stones, Inc. was conducted by Jan Liverance. For more information about Pat’s instructional video programs, click here
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Connie Scholl BIO
Connie Scholl earned her license in massage therapy and has created a thriving corporate chair massage practice over the past ten years. Starting with less than $1000, but filled with self-confidence and technical expertise learned in massage school, Connie has grown her business slowly and steadily. Today, she and her professional staff bring seated chair massage to thousands of corporate employees in businesses in Fairfield County, CT through her company, Greenwich Muscular Therapy. Connie also conducts on-going infant massage
clinics for new and expectant mothers.
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Connie Scholl - Chair Massage
How long have you been a bodywork practitioner? What made you decide to enter the profession?
I became aware of massage as a bodywork therapy when I was only eight or nine years old, and I accompanied my parents to their chiropractic appointments. Two of my mother's cousins were chiropractors, and many family members were involved in or used complementary health care services, including massage. So, when I played field hockey in high school, and was bothered by aches or pains, it seemed perfectly natural to turn to massage for comfort and healing. It wasn't until I was 18 or 19 that I became aware of massage as a profession, an area of learning that I could study and practice. Then, I began to seek out schools and ultimately chose the Swedish Institute in New York City, the oldest school of massage therapy and allied health sciences in the United States. I graduated in 1993, and have been practicing ever since—close to ten years.
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What led you to specialize in seated chair massage?
In 1997, I had a client, a senior partner in a large financial firm, who was very enthusiastic about massage and its benefits. He introduced me to his colleagues, and they agreed to allow me to provide on-site chair massage for all their employees. Eventually, an entire room was set aside, so that my staff and I could administer seated chair massage. Research indicates that chair massage improves employee morale. Ultimately, the employer benefits by having a grateful employee.
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What are your credentials and how did you earn them?
After completing my training at the Swedish Institute, I became certified and licensed, and I continue to maintain my status as a Certified Licensed Massage Therapist. I'm also certified as an infant massage instructor. Finally, I belong to the American Massage Therapy Association and complete a specific number of continuing education hours each year to meet the Association's requirements.
What advice would you give to some one who is considering becoming a bodywork practitioner? To someone who is planning to specialize in seated chair massage and start a business?
Go for it! The market is definitely not saturated. There are many people who have never had a massage. Providing massage therapy is good for the client and good for the therapist. If you are a compassionate practitioner, the possibilities for gratifying employment are endless.
If you want to specialize in seated chair massage, I recommend that you not spend a lot of money on overhead, such as office space, etc. Invest in advertising and marketing materials. Fine tune your approach to the company you are targeting. Consider producing a videotape to market yourself and your services. If you can devote yourself to providing one modality, and you do not crave variety, then chair massage may be a good choice for you. Be aware that the therapist must use the thumbs a lot in chair massage. Working for five or six hours without oil and through clothes can be tough on the thumbs. I recommend educating yourself in proper body mechanics to ensure longevity in this field. The advantages are that chair massage can be done virtually anywhere and requires no special equipment, other than you and your chair.
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As far as starting a business, people are often intimidated by the prospect: I say, take the risk, and the universe will support you. Once you really get clear and serious about your goal, then people seem to show up and provide the support you need. People need our services. So my advice is: Get really serious and extremely clear. Use creative visualization, treasure maps, whatever works. Be focused and specific about what you are actually trying to create. Know what you want. And go for it!
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What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?
Without question, it's the feedback I receive from clients who say, "You've made me feel so good. You've changed my perspective, my entire outlook." It's especially gratifying to know that I've made someone feel better. Also, there's much to be said for using the gift you've been given, and I do feel that I've been given a gift in my ability to do this work. Finally, I know that through my bodywork practice, I've created something. Over the years that I've been in business, at least 3000 people have come through the door. It's really a give-and-take kind of process: I help them, and they in turn help me. My long-time clients are confident in my work. They send me referrals, and these have been and continue to be the biggest source of my business.
What do you think is your most distinctive characteristic as a bodywork practitioner? In other words, what do you bring to the client's experience that sets you apart from your competitors?
I would have to say that it's the way I interact with people from the moment they enter my office. Part of my gift lies in making people feel comfortable, putting them at ease. As a result, they trust me, and the work is always more effective and more healing if it is received in a trusting climate. I listen to my clients, tune in to them, so that I can make a connection. I greet each person with a smile and a handshake, and explain exactly what I will be doing. I'm confident in my ability, and they sense this. My confidence comes through, and instills trust.
Tell us something about your infant massage individual instruction/classes for new and expectant mothers.
The purpose of these classes is to foster bonding between the baby and the parents. Massage improves the functioning of all the systems of the body. It's natural and healthy. Babies love it!
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