Special Features / June-July 2008

Life Change Opens Door to Career Happiness

Beth Stewart

Beth Stewart thinks that things happen for a reason and her life and career prove it. Beth was laid off from her job and had just had her first child.

Even though Beth had a Bachelors Degree in Human Resources, she wasn’t interested in working 40-plus hours a week. As she sorted things out in her mind, she read about the Workforce Investment Act and was intrigued enough to check into what the Workforce Investment Act could do for her. As a new mom, she needed a new career that would allow her to be able to spend time with her son and make a decent living. It was also during this same time, she had a chance to receive first massage.

“I remember the music playing, the candles burning, and how totally relaxed and stress free that I had felt lying on the table having my very first massage,” and that memory never left me. I knew I needed to re-train for a job that would work for me instead of me working for the job,” Beth said. “I always liked working with people which is one of the reasons why I got my degree in Human Resources,” she added. Completely inspired with her new direction, Beth, with the help of the WIA Program, began her training to become a massage therapist.

For Beth, it has now been four and one half years as a massage therapist and she is happier than ever. “I love coming to work and helping people,” she explained. “I can work 9 or 10 hours doing physical work, but I don’t even feel it that is until I get home at night. I’m really ‘in’ to what I’m doing and I really want to help my patients feel better,” she added. “I look at it this way, being a medical massage practitioner is the closest thing I can do to being a healer, and, I get to choose my hours and my clients. Its great working in an atmosphere of kindness, softness, healing, aromatherapy, and relaxation all day long.”

“It is still amazing to me when I see a client come in that can’t anywhere near touch their toes because of pain, but they can touch their toes when they leave. I can see results. They can see it and even more importantly they can feel it. It makes what I do so rewarding,” she added.

“Unfortunately, we all live in a very hectic and stressful world. No one is immune from stress. Stress can cause great damage to the human body both physically and emotionally,” she commented. Beth highly recommends that everyone find something that they can do for at least 30 minutes a day that relaxes them. She said that for some people it might mean taking time to read a book for 30 minutes, for others it might mean listening to music for 30 minutes, or others it might mean soaking in a hot bath for 30 uninterrupted minutes.

Beth does massages on infants, pregnant mothers, individuals, and couples. She gave an example of a recent couple’s massage. “For a couple’s massage, there are two massage therapists in the room. We had cheese, crackers, red wine, music, and candles. This most recent couple looked so cute as they held hands during their massage. It was a real treat for the both of them,” she added.

Massage is an old art of healing, but it still has its place. Beth said that sometimes during a massage, the person totally relaxes enough to clear their mind, others have positive changes in their blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Massage helps regulate the release of hormones and other secretions throughout the body when a person is totally relaxed.

Beth’s works with local physicians and chiropractors who refer clients for medical massage. Beth’s massages range from relaxation full body massage to foot only massage, back only massage, using light touch also known as Swedish massage or deep tissue or a combination of the two.

As she goes through her day, Beth is grateful for her six year old son and for being able to attend his school events and for her change of career. “I feel like I live on compliments all day!” she smiled. My clients become my friends as we get to know each other. They learn to relax and be themselves with me. They also know that they can unwind and talk about their situations with me.

Beth has found one distinction that she is quite concerned with regarding the gender differences of her clients. “Many of the men who come to have a massage understand the importance of keeping themselves healthy and in balance.

Although they might not express it the same way a woman would, men say things like it helps them perform better at work, or it helps them have a better golf game. Women on the other hand, probably because of the way we were raised, see massage and taking care of the body as a indulgence, something special like a birthday gift someone gives them. Women tend to take care of everyone else’s needs before they take care of their own needs. I find this to be really saddening, when women need this relaxation as much or more than anyone else.

Beth’s suggestion to readers is to remember to take care of yourself!

Beth Stewart is a massage therapist located at 3534 Teays Valley Road, Hurricane, WV 25526. Office number: (304) 397-4000.

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