Aug 3, 2018 | The Rub Blog
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
Aug 1, 2018 | The Rub Blog
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
Jul 24, 2018 | The Rub Blog
After years of requests, and no small amount of bribery, Lisa has finally decided to “start writing it all down.”
The Rub Blog with Lisa is where Lisa Keplinger, LMT, Hospitality Consultant, Spa Developer, Massage Therapy Instructor, and President of That’s the Rub, LLC shares her decades of experience, wit, and wisdom, as well as her personal insight on new products and services at The Rub.
Occasionally, there may even be a guest writer or two (Jim’s been known to wax poetic a bit, after all). Come back regularly for new insights on massage therapy, facials, waxing, acupuncture, and other wellness modalities either offered at That’s the Rub locations or that are currently getting our attention. Heck’s the occasional book recommendation or podcast tip alone will make this one of your favorite spots online for finding out more about how to take care of the most important person in your life: YOU!
Jan 3, 2018 | Uncategorized
Happy New Year!!!
Last year was a good year for That’s the Rub and we’re so happy YOU were a part of it. So many things happened that it’s hard to keep track, so I won’t be like that aunt that recounts all her blessings in one end of the year letter to all (though that is something to aspire to, I suppose). Just know that we at That’s the Rub appreciate all of our patrons and we want to help you with your goals for 2018 and beyond. Being a major goal setter myself, I understand how daunting it can be to just get started and that it takes support, patience, love and a kick in the pants sometimes to ensure that we reach our goals. Sometimes that type of support needs to come from outside sources, not just within ourselves in order to achieve our goals. We at That’s the Rub want to be there for you.
Setting challenging goals is hard, but it’s made more challenging than it needs to be when we’re stressed, overwhelmed, or feeling distracted because of our skin, our largest, most protective organ, is so chapped and dry from the cold and wind (both of which we have plenty of this year). Don’t let your skin slow you down on your way to reaching your goals. Take care of your skin, so your skin can take care of you.
I know, you’re thinking “I don’t even know where to begin.” All of the marketing is so overwhelming it can be hard to know where to start. Make a plan to take better care of your skin. Start by contacting a local company specializing in skin care (That’s the Rub recently launched it’s own brand THAT: for example…pick me! pick me!) and ask them about their skin care options and how taking better of your skin will help you in more ways than just your skin. You should be prepared for the responses though, we’re very passionate about our skin care and in our enthusiasm to share we may get carried away.
That’s the Rub launched THAT:face our own Age Defy Facial and skin care line November 2017. We did it for several reasons:
- We’ve been talking about developing our own line for years, but we couldn’t find the right herbalist to help us do that. We’re very picky (Jim says “snobby”), they had to be local, amazingly knowledgeable, enthusiastic about our vision of what we wanted and needed in a skin care, and able to source the highest possible therapeutic grade herbs and essential oils that we could get our hands on — I admit, this is mainly because I don’t want to put crap and chemicals in or on my body, and I can tell when it’s there because my skin immediately reacts to things that have it.
- I wanted the Age Defy skincare for me. I’m going on 47 years this month, last summer I noticed that my forehead (my poor frontalis) was getting a very prominent wrinkle in it and my neck too (from weight gains throughout the years most likely), but just because I know why they are there, doesn’t mean I have to stand by and let them remain! I decided I needed to do something about it. So we found a phenomenal local herbalist and started making our own products. I’ve been using them exclusively since October and my skin has never felt or looked better. My pores have been minimized and so have my breakouts around highly hormonal times, my wrinkles have been diminished, and I feel hydrated (NOT an easy accomplishment with the weather being up and down as much as it has been lately).
I love our THAT:face line so much, we’re developing it for the body as well, because really, we have skin everywhere NOT just on our face (really, it’s true!). Therefore, we have also launched THAT:body massage oils: herbal infused, with therapeutic grade essential oils, small-batch, and hand-crafted — they feel and smell amazing. And there is MORE TO COME! So if you’re looking for taking better care of you in 2018, let us help you with skin care and body care (of course we still have our amazing massages!) and awareness of all that your body can feel and do for you, when it gets a little extra love and attention.
We look forward to assisting you in 2018 in reaching your goals, whether it’s at That’s the Rub Downtown or at Iron Pit Gym (limited service menu) in our brand new Sports Massage Clinic (see below for more info on that!), That’s the Rub is here for you.
Happy New Year!
Yours in Health,
Lisa
Jul 24, 2017 | Uncategorized
Massage Cupping
That’s the Rub is thrilled to offer our clients, athletes and non-athletes alike, Massage Cupping as both a stand alone therapy and an add-on to our other services. When combined with therapeutic massage, deep tissue, or sports massage, massage cupping exponentially increases the efficacy of your therapist to get deeper into the muscle, faster, easier, and less invasively. Book online or ask our receptionist to add it to your service!
Massage cupping is essentially the inverse of the typical massage therapy. Instead of exerting pressure on the different points of the body for healing, massage cupping uses suction to tug the skin, tissues, and muscles upwards. Massage cupping has been known to be used over the centuries by all cultures and the oldest records of traditional Chinese medicine talk about using the therapy to cure a range of ailments. In contemporary times, massage cupping is seen as an effective, non-invasive, inexpensive, and safe form of treatment that can be used by itself or in combination with other forms of therapeutic approaches. Because of its versatility, it is being used in physical therapy, chiropractics, and in spa treatments.
How it Works
When the therapist exerts suction on the different points on the body by way of massage suction, certain changes are brought about up to four inches inside the body. These changes stimulate the body to heal itself. Massage cupping results in:
- Promoting the flow of blood to the muscles and tissues, and removing stagnation
- Supplying oxygen and nutrients to the cells
- Softening the tightened muscles
- Loosening of adhesions and knots
- Lifting the connecting tissues
- Opening the blockages of the lymphatic nodes and easing the flow of lymph
- Releasing and draining of excess fluids and toxins like lactic acid from the tissues and cells
- Drawing inflammation from the deeper tissues to the surface of the skin so they can heal
- Stimulating and later, calming the peripheral nervous system
- Eliminating chronic congestion
Massage cupping can be used to treat ailments like stiff muscles, stress, migraines, fatigue and exhaustion, and back and neck pain. It can also be used in rheumatism, weight loss and cellulite reduction treatments. Muscles that have been injured, undergone trauma or exertion, accumulate lactic acid and other toxins. Massage cupping can be used to drain these toxins so the muscles can heal.
How it is Done
This form of therapy must always be taken from a trained and certified therapist.
- The first step is locating the points and sections of the body that need to be treated. Accordingly, the therapist uses the hands to palpate the muscles and joints, and thus, begins the relaxation process.
- A light oil such as sunflower, safflower or any other herbal oil is applied on the area where suction is to be created.
- The therapist uses medical grade silicone cups that are available in different sizes. The right-sized cup is selected depending on the area to be treated. Silicone cups are pliable so they are easy to move over the body and their transparency allows the therapist to monitor the condition of the skin. The skin color is a good indicator of the effectiveness of the treatment so the healer can make adjustments accordingly.
- The therapist then creates suction in the cup. This can be done in many ways. A burning object such as a cotton ball soaked in alcohol or paper can be inserted into the cup to heat it. Then, the object is removed and the cup is immediately inserted on the skin. It must be remembered that the skin is never burnt and the burning object is never allowed to come in contact with the skin.
- As the air inside the cup cools, a vacuum is created. Some therapists also choose to use cups on which a suction pump is attached. The pump creates the required vacuum in the cup and allows the therapist to create just the optimum amount of suction for the treatment to be effective.
- The therapist allows the cup to stay in place for a few minutes so that the muscles are loosened and relaxed. Then, the cup is gently moved over the skin in smooth motions so that the vacuum raises the skin and tissues.
- On certain sections where there is excessive stagnation or inflammation, the cups could drag a little or resist movement. This helps the therapist identify the areas that need special care.
Massage cupping can be used on upper arms and calves, thighs, abdomen, hips, sacral region, back, neck and shoulders. Areas such as the spine and scapula that are never treated in conventional massage therapy can be massaged using cupping, safely.
Schedule YOUR massage cupping appointment or add-on TODAY either online or ask our amazing front desk staff when you call 812-333-3393!
