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In this Post: Resuming massage after the COVID crisis is an emotionally loaded prospect. Not only are there sanitation measures to consider, there is also the fact that many of us may not be ready to touch clients!
When your state opens up massage, and you aren’t ready to resume practicing, you can begin to feel like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
It’s super emotional trying to figure out what to do! This COVID situation has us all a little frazzled and struggling to make decisions!
On April 20th, my governor, Governor Polis, announced that massage practices, or (grrr) “parlor’s” as he referred to them, along with many other businesses, have the right to reopen May 1st.
Since his announcement, we have been instructed by our licensing office NOT to resume practicing until they give clear instructions on when and how we should proceed.
And y’all… I’m struggling.
The biggest issue I think I am having is that I wasn’t expecting to be ALLOWED to practice so soon.
I mean, I miss work, and I need money, but… I made the conscious decision to close my practice BEFORE my state-mandated it, and I don’t really feel like it is prudent or wise to reenter the massage world at this point.
Not to mention the fact that it is still hard to get disinfecting products.
Already phone calls and emails from clients are beginning to fill my inbox. They want in, and they want in now! I can feel my anxiety rising!
What’s a therapist to do?
Resuming Massage After The COVID Crisis
First of all, I want to remind all of you that just because you are “allowed” to start working does not mean that you HAVE to.
I understand the fear of this affecting your ability to collect unemployment, and I totally get how scary that possibility is! But, I think it is also important to remember that you DO have a choice and that we still don’t know for sure if the decision to refrain from returning to work will affect these payments.
You and you alone have the capacity to decide what is right for you.
That’s a powerful but loaded statement! It means that no one is going to make this decision for you. It means that you have to consider your own personal ethics and needs before making any decisions.
I’m not sure about you, but there have definitely been times in my life when I wished and even begged someone else to just make decisions for me. I’ve asked them to look into their crystal balls and layout exactly what stands in my future.
But guys, I’ve yet to find anyone with an accurate crystal ball. And so, these BIG, IMPORTANT decisions fall into my lap.
So… I try to make sure that when I am making these decisions, I am coming from the clearest, most conscious space I can.
Meditation
Often, meditations help me get to this space, which is why I’ve created one just for you.
In my latest podcast episode at Align with The Massage Business Mama, my gift to you is a guided meditation for Massage Therapists during the COVID crisis.
I would love it if you went over and took a listen! And please let me know what you think!
Communicating with Clients
I also drafted a letter to my clients. Here is the letter I sent them.
Dear Client,
This past week has been a whirlwind. The governor’s announcement on the 20th of April left a lot of questions up to interpretation for our massage industry!
Are we allowed to practice, or aren’t we????
Since the governor’s announcement, we have been instructed not to open by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), our state licensing office. We were informed that in the coming days, we are to learn more about WHEN, and what the new standards will be when we are allowed to resume practicing.
That being said, I want to remind you that we chose to close our doors prior to the state mandating it. We felt like it was the responsible thing to do.
And, just because the state says we CAN open our doors, does not mean that we are going to let the state or anyone else decide when we feel comfortable resuming massage.
All of this has been extremely sad and emotional. We miss you. We miss our work! But we also don’t want to rush back before it feels safe!
As the announcements begin to come out regarding the future of our industry, we will have a better idea of what is expected of us and calculate our actions moving forward.
Please know that just because we aren’t chomping at the bit to get back to work doesn’t mean we don’t care about you. In fact, it means quite the opposite. It means that we want to make sure that when we resume practicing that we have all the safety measures in place to keep you as healthy as possible.
Stay healthy out there!
Kneading Hands
The Loaded Gift of Slowing Down
These past several weeks of sheltering in place have, in many ways, been a gift. They have allowed us time to reflect on our priorities and how we want our lives to look moving forward. Please don’t let pressure from clients or your government dictate how you move forward in the future!
I am lucky that my unemployment kicked in quickly. I know for many of you, that has not been the case! And I can only imagine how hard these financial pressures must be affecting you. Please know that just yesterday, I did receive two retroactive payments of $600 each. Unemployment offices across the nation are working hard to catch up.
Please, try to make your decisions from a belief that abundance will be with you in your future. Figure out what priorities matter most! And let your heart guide you.
In the meantime, please check out these sanitation practices to consider when reopening.
Author Profile
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Ali Boehm
- Boulder College of Massage Therapy Graduate
- Nationally Certified through NCBTMB
- Colorado Licensed Massage Therapist
- Certified CranialSacral Level 1 through Upledger
- Certified Herbal Therapist through Nutrition Therapy Institute
- Certified Fujian Massage through Barefoot Masters
- Fort Lewis College - Majored in Art, Minored in Business Administration
- 6 Year Winner of Best Massage Therapist for "Best of The Boat" Competition
- Massage Business Owner Since 2008
