The Vermont Chapter was the recipient of the new Innovation Award, which simply put, means we did something truly innovative and creative with and for our chapter members. In 2016, we put together the first ever Massage Therapy Comedy Show: For massage therapists, BY massage therapists, ABOUT massage therapy! Members loved it and Nationals did, too!

It w as a blistering hot heatwave! I couldn't imagine walking a city block let alone running 35 miles or mountain biking 50K!!! Of course, I'm talking about The Vermont 50 and the 25th anniversary of this race.

Myself and 10 courageous volunteers camped for the day in the massage tent. The first waves were fine, these people were at it for years, but as the athletes staggered in the rest of the day our triage skills were on high alert. We spent an incredible 5-12 hours taking care of these sweaty, muddy folks with offending muscle cramps. A few of my friends who rode the course stumbled over to me, with hamstrings locking up. We ran over to the first aid tent countless times for electrolyte drinks to help with the cramping.

I was surrounded by amazing people donating their time to help with the event . Suz Seymour, Melissa Marks, Deb Shearer, Eric Warren, Ariel Day, Nathan Marshall, Snow Frye, Caren Maslowsky and Jen Larivier all came to support and work with the athletes on this intense day of super fun!! I gave out goodie bags to all my volunteers to keep their hydration and snacking up throughout the day. We had free ice cream, amazing food and music. I was left with such a great feeling of gratitude and satisfaction that I cannot wait till next year's event!

Let's grow our team! I would love to be surrounded by double the people next year. If you have any interest, please contact me directly at:

[email protected].

Thank you to everyone who attended and volunteered at this past November's Educational Retreat Getaway at the Lake Morey Resort :)

I'd like to inform you that next year we will again have some fabulous presenters coming to Vermont for another year of hands-on education.  Please consider attending!

~ Melissa Marks, Education Chair

 

The Auth Method: Forearm Massage

Save Your Hands & Your Career

Shari Auth, LAC, LMT

Shari is a holistic health practitioner who blends a host of time honored traditional bodywork and herbal practices. She is currently pursuing a Doctor's of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

"Using the forearms instead of the hands is a great way to reduce stress to the hands, which are so overused in massage work. All massage therapists should learn the Auth Method forearm massage techniques to help protect and prolong their careers."   Lauriann Greene, CEAS; Co-author of Save Your Hands! The Complete Guide to Injury Prevention and Ergonomics for Manual Therapists, 2nd Ed.

 

Soul Lightening Acupressure

Seva Stress Relief for Self and Others

In this workshop participants learn about the healing and transforming power of acupressure, practice techniques to use for self-care, and take home skills they can use for the rest of their life.

Save the Date! Registration Details will be Announced Soon :)

S eptember's National House of Delegates meeting was the last. The HOD was

dissolved and the new ASSEMBLY of Delegates has a different purpose.

In the past, State Delegates were responsible for position statements and research papers, yet the majority of our professional colleagues are unfamiliar with the mechanisms required for research and legal language, thus the National BOD decided these issues are best left to those who know about grant writing and research papers, etc.

The new Assembly of Delegates will be comprised of an equal number of representatives, two per state and the job description includes reporting back on the general culture and climate of the Massage Therapy profession, within each state.

Chapter Delegate is not an entry level position and the volunteer requirements make clear that Delegates should have their finger on the heartbeat of the profession Statewide, representing ALL Massage Therapists/Bodyworkers regardless of affiliation, in addition to AMTA members.

I hope to represent all concerned, fairly.

I stepped down from the Chapter Presidency due to....

(continue reading)

This fall we have met with representatives from Bennington, Montpelier, and South Burlington to start the discussion on the correct way to approach our unique community of therapists' ideas and concerns. Change is inevitable and we feel very passionate about staying involved in order to know how to proceed. We have been making decent progress listening to how things work at the state level and recognizing the right course of action.

We will continue this season to meet more representatives on the Government Relations Committee of Vermont to explain to them why some of us would like to see this current environment change in a way that compliments all massage therapists. Stay involved, be proud of your profession and if you'd like to know more, don't hesitate to contact me.

Warm Regards~Melissa Marks, GR chair