Embrace the Change

Embrace the Change

The Rub Blog with Lisa

So, what I mean by the title of this article is: there are no do-overs. When we’re young, we feel like we’re going to live forever. Our bodies feel spry, we can get hurt (or not) and recover quickly, we can eat anything (!!!) and it doesn’t seem to affect us. Then we turn 40, and our body starts to tell us the many ways in which we’ve abused it over the years and begins to take its revenge. We can no longer eat the way we once did without it biting back. We exercise, but it takes two days longer to recover. We’re forced to face all of the ways we’ve abused our bodies in the past and expected them to just keep going. Even when we’ve acknowledged all of the abuses we’ve put our bodies through, the misdeeds of poor nutrition, lack of recovery time between exercise bouts, injuries and the like, we just expect it to keep going — No maintenance required.

Why do we just expect our bodies to keep going? Our body needs to be cared for, nurtured, strengthened, stretched, and fed properly. We wouldn’t expect a car to just keep going with no gas, oil changes, or regular maintenance, eventually, the car says “I’m not going anywhere.” Therefore, you must take care of it or get another car. Meanwhile, we complain about what a piece of crap it is, not taking responsibility for the fact that if we’d been doing proper maintenance we wouldn’t be facing the issues with our car. Well, our bodies are the same, they need regular, consistent maintenance, but unlike a car, you can’t turn it in for a younger version. So, it’s better to take care of it, you’ve heard the saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It’s time to take responsibility for your body maintenance and give it the attention that it deserves.

Bodies behave best when properly taken care of: stretching daily to get all the stress out of the body and its tissues after using it in our activities of the day, strengthening it so that all levers and pullies are doing their jobs equally in respect to their size and their mechanics and using proper nutrition to fuel our activities and our bodies in a nurturing way so that it gets what it needs to continue functioning at the optimum levels. When we don’t do these things, the body breaks down. We call it getting old, but the fact is that’s the excuse we use when we don’t want to take responsibility that we’ve not treated our body all that well and it’s letting us know it. The good news is, it’s never too late to change old habits. As long as you’re breathing and your heart is still beating you can take steps to improve your body’s performance.

We tell ourselves that change is too hard, to give us an excuse not to change. We tell ourselves that we can’t change, which is untrue, but if you believe that you can’t you are correct because you have to want to change. Change isn’t that hard if you really want to do it. The catalyst shouldn’t have to be “if I don’t do this I will die.” How about change for the sake of knowing it’s better for you? Take your power back. Change because you know it will help your body feel better, you will feel stronger, happier, and you will feel healthier knowing that you empowered yourself with change. We tell ourselves it’s hard because it gives us an excuse when we fail. Oh, it was too hard so I gave up. What if we gave ourselves other words? For instance, this change is a small one, so it’s going to be easy. Implement the change, embrace it, and then move on to the next change and so on. Baby steps…but keep stepping! There is no limit to this way of thinking about change and it brings the change and the word into the positive realm, instead of placing it into the too hard to be accomplished.

The mind is a powerful tool. Use your mind to your advantage by living in the positive now and leaving the negative I can’t or its too hard behind. By living in the positive now, the changes you wish to bestow on the one thing there are no do-overs on, YOUR BODY, you will empower yourself to be your best advocate for any positive change you would like to make. Massage, facials, acupuncture, yoga, more natural body products, we carry all of those things and more at That’s the Rub. Be the change!

That’s the Rub,
Lisa

How to Choose the Right Massage Therapist for You – Part 2

How to Choose the Right Massage Therapist for You – Part 2

different types bookies there

This might be a surprise to you or maybe not, but all massage therapists are not created equal, not all massages are the same, any more than all bodies are the same. I bring this up because it occurred to me that the major reason people may not like to try another therapist is loyalty to their therapist or fear of the unknown. After all we like the massage we’re getting, so why change therapists? Well, let me explain.

When you first schedule your appointment the front desk staff asks questions to not only get you the best time for your schedule, but also to try to match you to the best massage for your goals and the best personality fit between you and the therapist you will be working with. Usually our staff nails it, but, sometimes, this doesn’t work out so well which isn’t a surprise, we’re trying to make all these decisions within a five minute phone call.

Did you know if you don’t mesh with the massage type, the style of massage used by your therapist you can (and should) ask for different things for your next massage? Or if you and your therapist don’t jibe personally (hey, it happens, no harm, no foul) that we don’t think twice about scheduling anyone with another therapist who may suit you better, we’re cool like that. We know that everyone isn’t meant to get along and so we have other therapists for you to try, until you find the right fit for you.

Massage Type: There’s a vast pool of massage types that we in the business call “modalities”. In the bodywork world we know that there are different massages that work best on different pathologies (issues) in the body, based on your needs and your goals, we book a massage based on what you say you’re looking for. On the day of your appointment we do further intake to ensure that we’re doing the best massage for what you’re looking for by discussing what your goals are and come up with a plan together.

Massage Style: Massage style refers to the way the massage therapist applies their massage techniques. Each therapist does more than one massage modality, but their massage style is what brings it all together in a treatment that is customized for you each time you visit. You may have a deep tissue massage from one therapist and a deep tissue massage from another therapist and they are completely different. It’s like Frank Sinatra and Sid Vicious both recorded “My Way” but they are vastly different (and you’re bound to prefer one to the other)!

Choosing your massage based on type, style, and personality fit may take a few times, but when you get that right combination, you will know it and it’s worth the pursuit. We look forward to helping you find your right fit for the results you’re looking to achieve.

That’s the Rub,

Lisa

How to Choose the Right Massage Therapist for You – Part 1

How to Choose the Right Massage Therapist for You – Part 1

Massage Therapist Interviews at That's the Rub

I don’t know how many of you know what goes into hiring of a That’s the Rub massage therapist. It occurred to me that in case you were sitting on the fence about how to choose your massage therapist above and beyond our biographies that it might give you great confidence to know that I have pre-selected for you. What does this mean? This means that I have taken my years of expertise in hiring and training well over 300 massage therapists for many of the top resort spas in the country, and working with many of the best therapists in the field, to good use.

We don’t hire just anyone at The Rub. Each potential new hire goes through two interviews: first with Jim, other staff members, and even the occasional client who happen to be coming by (we hold these in the Relax Lounge, so if you ever see and interview going on, PLEASE feel free to join in), then with me. At which point they come back again for a technical (or practicum interview) to show me their skills and how they might fit into The Rub culture. No matter who they are or how much experience they have, if they don’t fit what we do to some benefit of themselves and The Rub, I don’t hire them. That means they will also provide the most benefit to YOU, the client. We have many different therapists that cover a spectacular range of specialties and what people need, because people’s needs are different. We customize the massage for you and what your body needs at the time. We don’t do cookie cutter massage, you deserve better than that. You deserve to have a therapist who will look at your body as being unique to only you and work with you towards your healthcare goals.

I once did a massage therapy practicum with an interview candidate which was the most unique version of massage I’ve ever had and nothing like I expected. When she first began I was wondering what she was doing (and I’ve been a therapist for 18 years). I tell you this because you need to know that all massages are NOT alike. For every person on the planet there is a different interpretation of how that massage therapist will treat your body. I always think about how we are going to market this massage, this therapist…but this one was so different, so strange. Adopting Steven Covey’s first seek to understand, I asked her what technique she was doing and she said “Trigger Point and Myofacial Release, done in a way that I’ve interpreted it.” Now I’ve NEVER had this interpretation before, but while I lay there trying to figure out how this would fit with The Rub paradigm I realized my back had released and no longer felt tense in areas that I had felt all day. As she was following the fascial lines I could feel little crackles of release and how they correlated to other areas of my body (it’s all connected) in twitches and sighs of letting go. She ended the massage with a little cranial sacral and I felt relaxed yet energized at the same time. After she left I had an epiphany of how she fit into The Rub, we are always about unique massage techniques that give way to results. More than relaxed, I slept deeper than I had in over week and I woke up ready to seize the day and another opportunity to bring something special to someone else. That’s what massage is, something special — not everyone can do it and it brings something to everyone who experiences it. Of course, I hired her immediately.

Every person’s massage is different based on the needs of the individual’s body, as well as the techniques and the skills of the individual therapist, but our message remains the same: The Rub continues to bring the best bodywork to Bloomington, one body at a time. Welcome to The Rub!

That’s the Rub,

Lisa

Thank YOU, Bloomington! You Chose US!

Thank YOU, Bloomington! You Chose US!

Readers' Choice Bloomington's Best Day Spa

Thank you, thank YOU, THANK YOU! We know you have lots of choices where to get your massage and spa services, and YOU chose us as Bloomington’s Best Day Spa in the Herald-Time’s Readers’ Choice Awards — we couldn’t be more honored!

In October, 2009, That’s the Rub opened it’s doors with one massage therapist (Lisa), one room, and one computer geek (Jim). Just over five years later, Lisa and Jim are still around, but That’s the Rub has grown a bit: We’re proud to be home to the 10 (TEN!) best massage therapists ever assembled, a spectacular tarot reader, the finest front desk team you could ask for, six unique treatment rooms decked out with local art, a brand-new Body Boutique!

We’re only as good as our clients and customers, and YOU are the BEST in the World!

Thank YOU!

That’s the Rub,
Lisa, Rachel, Theresa, Holly-Lynn, Gabrielle, Krystal, Elizabeth, Jess, Tonya Fay, Carol, Daun, Emily, Kaeli, Madinah, Hazel, and, of course, Jim!
PS – Oh yes, and in case that wasn’t enough, last week we ALSO had our 500th LIKE on Facebook, AND we performed our 15,000th massage at That’s the Rub! WOWZERS! You folks REALLY are the very best!
The Center Turns 5!

The Center Turns 5!

The Center is 5!

Bloomington, Indiana’s very own That’s the Rub Massage Therapy Center turns 5 Years old this month! When we first opened The Center’s doors in 2010, we had one therapist (Lisa), one admin guy (Jim, a full-time Indiana University student at the time), three rooms, no desk (Lisa did her first client intakes sitting on a pink plastic filing box), no art, and no store. Things have changed just a bit as we’ve grown to six rooms, twelves therapists, The Body Boutique, and the BEST CLIENTS EVER!

To celebrate, we’re offering the Anniversary 3 Pack Series. This is a LIMITED OFFER (Available March 2015 ONLY!) of three (3!) massages for 15% off. You have 6 months to use them and you don’t have to schedule them now. The Anniversary 3 Pack is available in 2 flavors: 60 Minute Signature for $191.25 or 60 Minute Premium for $204.00. How about that, get three massages AND save money…now that’s something to celebrate! And before you ask, yes, you can buy more than one 3 Pack (buy 20 if you like), but they all have to be used in the next 6 months. Purchase yours online now, swing by the shop, or give us a call at 812-333-3393!