Self Care. My favorite massage therapist !
I am not bragging when I say that I have been in the beauty industry for years and it has some great perks! One of the perks is getting to know some of the best professionals in the beauty and self care biz. I am humbled by this fact. Take for example Teri Ehnat. I met her when we worked at Gene Juarez Salons. Her son was a toddler, now in his mid twenties and my son wasn't even a twinkle in his father's eye yet... Her bright smile, relaxed nature and hard working ethics drew me to her. I've had many many massages in my life and Teri's demeanor translates to her table. Confident, strong, calm and educated. I can go on and on what a brilliant therapist she is and wonderful friend, but I rather have you judge for yourself... Go see her soon! ( And read all about it...here!)
The details and nitty-gritty
Name:
My name is Teri Ehnat and my business is Rainier Corrective Bodywork.
My website is www.rainiercorrectivebodywork.
I have an email address for work at rainierbodywork@gmail.com.
What is the "love" , Specialization :
I specialize in therapeutic massage on the traditional table. I also enjoy practicing the Thai yoga style which is done on the floor, clothed in loose comfortable clothing, without oil. This style allows me as the practitioner to see how every joint works in every plane of motion. Thus giving me clues as to which muscles need strengthening and which need lengthening.
I am also a certified personal trainer who helps women of all ages and activity levels stay active, fit, and healthy.
Days, Months , YEARS in the industry:
I have been practicing massage for 20 years, and personal training for just over a year now.
I knew when Covid forced my massage practice to close, I needed to keep focused on how the body functions. And quite honestly to keep myself active both mentally and physically to be able to return to my pratice; this lead to becoming a personal trainer. I was only going to do this for myself as a "keep sharp" tool-- but friends and family kept saying my transformations were inspiring, so training sessions were added to my service menu.
The "WHY":
I truly feel as though I was built to do massage therapy. I am absolutely amazed and enthralled by the body's ability to heal from trauma. Helping people live with less pain and stress in their life is so rewarding!
Sports were a large part of my childhood and I've always tried to stay at least somewhat active. Personal training just seems so natural after helping to coach and mentor over the years.
My goal is to communicate effectively with each person to give them the best reaults they can achieve within each session, be it massage or a fitness training.
Looking thru the crystal ball in 5 Years: Goals!
I hope to still be practicing both massage and personal training in 5 years.
There are so many opportunities to expand both practices due to the required continuing education to keep both licenses current.
I would like to have my Thai yoga certification completed. The ultimate goal would be to able to go to Thailand when my instructor leads one of his tours, and and experience the teachings offered from the monks at the temple he has trained through.
As far as personal training, I am currently studying to become a nutrition coach, as well as how to work with those of us who are Gen Xer's to stay healthy and active in our advancing years. I am looking into some of the perks of traveling to resorts and teaching classes-- a working vacation if you will.
The ONE story that sticks out :
My story actually comes from my schooling in massage.
When in our second quarter we had to do a series of no less than 6 massages on one person in a months time. We had to document how massage improved their activities of daily living.
I was able to use my mom as my model partially as a thank you for babysitting while I was in school, and partially to show her what she was helping me accomplish - this is something I had wanted to do for about 12 years but had put off for various reasons.
Through regularly scheduled massage her intake of over the counter pain meds went from the daily max or above, to no longer needed for the shoulder pain she had had for about 7 years. She regained full range of motion, and was astounded that massage could be more than just a "put me to sleep" tool.
Advice for her potential guests:
My advise to potential clients would be-- your massage is your time! Take the time to communicate what your ideal treatment session is like. Love deep tissue? Tell your practitioner. Don't like to talk during a session? Tell the practitioner. Hate/love your feet worked? Tell the practitioner.
It is then our job to listen to you. If we don't- tell us! Massage practitioners are great at intuitively relieving pain, but it is SO much better for both of us with great communication!
If this all went away, what fun alternative would you do:
If this was something I was unable to do anymore, I would start a food truck. Probably soups/salads/pasta & desserts.
Recommendation for a smooth appointment:
A smooth interaction includes great communication. This is why I incorporate an extra time into each session so that questions can be asked and answered, and you still get tge full amount of table time you booked for.
Who or what inspires?
Naming one person as a mentor would do an injustice to all the other people I admire and look up to.
Inspiration can come from anyone at any time, we just have to be open to hearing/seeing it.
Favorite quote or saying:
A quote I often go back to is-
The body achieves what the mind believes.
How is your business different than the rest:
I believe my business stands out from others because I show up TO work not just at work. It is very easy to just get into a routine and that's that. But I have found that although I have a sequence in which I move through -- tailoring each session to what your body needs that day is the fun part of my profession!
Hope all that reads this gets just a little of how amazing Teri really is..
Take care of yourselves! xoxo
