When I went to school for massage over 20 years ago now, I was fortunate to learn not only technique but also about the energetic exchange that happens with bodywork, the meditation that occurs and how to hold space for it all. This was a fresh and unprecedented approach to teaching massage- one that continues to be ignored today.

Although my education expanded the boundaries of what our vocation explores and attends to, it also lacked in many areas that I had to learn on my own. Fundamental aspects of the work- how to address specific common client concerns effectively, how to perform a comprehensive intake, what homecare recommendations to make in order for clients to feel better each and every day.

As I continued to teach, one of my students, Rachel Nelson, my now partner and co-founder of MSMEB, finished my program and sought out certification from a school in order to solidify her place as a professional in the field- with backing from an accredited school, something I could not provide. At the culmination of her education, she took and passed both national board exams for massage therapy. During one of many discussions, she reviled that there were so many students in her class complaining of injury already, before the end of their clinicals, and that the knowledge I shared with her regarding body mechanics, proper application of technique, and how to protect your personal energy were never presented in her “professional education”.  Together we seek to rectify that within the massage therapy educational experience with our program at Mankato School of Massage and Eastern Bodywork. Our unique program is a step away from what we see in countless other programs-

too little emphasis on hands on time in the classroom, little to no acknowledgment of energy and energetic work, and a vast lack of education in body mechanics and ergonomics. 

MSMEB’s program is holistic in nature; addressing all aspects of client focused care-physical, energetic, mechanical- while providing practitioners with carrier longevity from learning how to provide the most effective session for their clients with the least amount of strain on their physical and mental bodies. 

—By Olivia Hageman

Co-Founder, Mankato School of Massage and Eastern Bodywork