Category: Uncategorized

For massage therapists, meditation is a wonderful tool for self care. As a practice, it can be defined as an intentional act of focus or reflection with the goal being to alter one’s state of awareness. There are many forms of meditation. They can be as simple as practicing a breathing technique or reciting a…

As part of our 50th anniversary, we’re delving into the stories of our indispensable staff to learn more about them and how they came to be a part of the school. This entry is from Assistant Director, Sarah Partos, CMT. Anyone who has attended SFSM in the last few years knows that Sarah is an…

Welcome to our first blog of 2019! Here we are at the beginning of a new year. This is always a time when people look forward with hopes for what opportunities the new year will hold. It is a time for reflection, forecasting, and putting plans into action. For us here at the San Francisco…

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction, relaxation, and healing that has roots in ancient Eastern philosophy. It is built upon the idea that an unseen, innate life force energy flows through and animates each of us. If this life force energy becomes depleted, we are more susceptible to stress and illness. However, when…

It’s an undeniable fact that every body is different. Even though we are all composed of more or less the same stuff, we are all put together a bit differently and each of us ask our bodies to do different things for us. Some of us run, others swim, and some do little physical activity…

Prenatal massage, also known as pregnancy massage, is a modality of massage specifically geared to address the myriad changes that take place in the bodies of mothers-to-be. It provides the general benefits of massage therapy while also introducing some benefits specific to pregnant women. Once regarded somewhat dubiously as a risky modality, modern research has…

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Some of you just sang the melody in your head and got a little bit more excited for the holiday season. Some of you rolled your eyes and thought about how seasonal depression doesn’t happen in the summer months. Regardless of which camp you fall into, there’s…

Zen Shiatsu is a unique massage technique, with origins in ancient China and Japan, that’s become extremely popular in Western culture. But what is it exactly, how can you learn it, and why should you even bother? We’ve got all the answers here. What is Zen Shiatsu, Anyway? Zen Shiatsu is equal parts science and…

Adding new techniques to your massage therapy tool belt is important as a professional. There are many existing techniques for massage therapists to learn and new ones are being developed every day. As a result, therapists should never run out of ways to improve their skill and understanding. One technique that can be valuable to…

In recent years, many laws and regulations in California have changed, making the certification process for massage therapists somewhat tricky. Luckily, it’s not as complicated as you might think. If you are thinking about beginning your training toward being a massage therapist, or are nearing the end and aren’t quite sure what comes next, we…