Blog Archives - Page 7 of 9

August 25, 2020December 16, 2021

How to Work From Home Comfortably: Tips from the Experts

As you continue to become more accustomed to working from home, it is important to learn the proper ways to stay pain-free and productive from your home workspace. Whether that means setting aside an area to create a new home office, buying an ergonomic chair or desk for your living room workspace, or simply taking more breaks and focusing on yourself. There are so many tips and tricks to make working from home more comfortable. This is why we asked experts from Miami, FL to Seattle, WA to share their advice about the most effective ways to keep your body healthy and pain-free while working from home.

Redfin put together a fabulous list from industry experts to improve your work from home routine. Body Techniques was asked to contribute and our tip is: Meditate to Reduce Stress and Positivity.

Click here to read the full list of tips.

August 6, 2020December 16, 2021

Being Present is a Present: Ripples Effects of Mindfulness in the Workplace

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and engaged at the moment. It lets us step back from unpleasant thoughts and emotions (aka stress) that arise because of challenging situations. Mindfulness helps us calm the mind, get in touch with our body, and gain perspective of the world around us. When we do that, it catapults us into the present. It makes us more sensitive to context and perspective. It’s the essence of engagement– it’s energy-begetting, not energy-consuming. And in our current climate, anything uplifting deserves some light and sure gets me excited. Kanye famously raps “My presence is a present” and I totally feel you Kanye, being present is the gift that keeps on giving.

The gains (as our fitness friends would say) from mindfulness are infinite. One of the most important reasons that companies all over the globe are incorporating stillness and silence to their daily routines is because of its direct impact on performance. Studies have shown mindfulness improves your performance on all types of tasks. Let’s not get it twisted, mindfulness isn’t catching fire solely based on people crushing their OKRs and KPIs out of the park, but it’s adding to the flame. Here are some of those fire-producing examples of how mindfulness uplifts the workplace environment.

Mindfulness is the Ultimate Stress-Reliever

Stress is more than a performance killer; let’s be frank, it’s a people killer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly two-thirds of all hospital visits are for stress-related problems, and 75% of healthcare expenses are stress-related. Stress can cause high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases, cancer, heart disease, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and more. Mindfulness is a great stress reliever because it takes us out of fight-or-flight mode and brings us into a relaxed state of mental clarity and calm.

Mindfulness Boost Creativity

Creativity hinges on our mental state. Mindfulness helps foster a creative frame of mind by defeating the negative thoughts that stifle creative thinking and self-expression. We are back to the facts from earlier, that mindfulness focuses us on the present and helps us all think freely and creatively. Think of it as the perfect balance between allowing the mind to freestyle and giving it some control. Mindfulness strengthens both but more importantly, aids in maintaining the balance of creative thinking and self-expression by deciding which is activated and when.

Improves our Ability to Focus

Mindfulness improves our ability to focus on one thing at a time. This focus carries over into everything little thing we do. Mindfulness teaches us to avoid distractions and bring a heightened level of concentration to our work. While some of us may have fallen prey to multitasking in the past, mindfulness will help to karate chop this productivity-squashing habit. A focused mind is a productive mind.

Strengthens our Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the “something” or the sauce as I like to say, in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results. EQ is our ability to recognize and understand emotions in ourselves and others and to use this awareness to manage our behavior and relationships. It’s like our EQ is the operating system, and as we practice mindfulness we shut ourselves down, only to reboot with more functional features and way cooler emojis.

Improves us as People

Lastly, mindfulness just overall improves us as people. Many studies have connected mindfulness and prosocial behavior. Subjects who meditated showed compassion and kindness to others 50% more often than those who didn’t meditate. And all this time I thought it was the espresso and Beyonce that was bringing the best out of me. I guess there’s something about feeling present and calm that really gets the people goin’!

We're bringing mindfulness to work. Join us in building a better tomorrow .

July 15, 2020October 26, 2021

Let Me Upgrade You

Resilience, defined as the ability to adapt in a positive way in the presence of adversity, has been a topic of great interest for some time now. As the combination of COVID, racial tensions, and the economic downturn has most people taking a long hard look at what they are made of we’re sliding through with the science on just what boosts our resilience. Nietzsche famously noted, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and that’s our girl resilience he’s talking about.

As countless studies show, resilience is a critical skill for reducing and managing stress and responding to emotional challenges, including traumatic life events. (Perhaps a global pandemic, violent systemic racism, and a crumbling economy all happening at once might fall into that traumatic category) Regardless of your resilience baseline building up your bounce back game and responding to challenges doesn’t need to be a complicated exercise.

To take it back to the root of where our resilience starts, children differ in their foundation of resilience with some being more mentally tough than others. Studies show that as much as 40% of the variability in people’s capacity for grit and resilience may be determined by biological factors. These differences are relatively stable and remain largely unchanged during adulthood, where they manifest in personality traits. People who are more emotionally stable, extroverted, open to new experiences, agreeable, and conscientious, are better equipped to cope with adversity. Sometimes, we call these people emotionally intelligent, a trait that in my personal opinion, should be listed on all Tinder profiles one swipes right on and does have some things in common with resilience. Enough about how to catch my eye on dating sites and let’s get into the comeback.

Finding Meaning

Unsurprisingly, resilience tends to increase when people have a sense of purpose. One of the more famous case studies for this was provided by Viktor Frankl’s account of his experience in a concentration camp during WWII. As he writes in Man’s Search of Meaning:

“In a position of utter desolation, when a person cannot express them self in positive action, when their only achievement may consist in enduring their sufferings in the right way–an honorable way–in such a position a person can, through loving contemplation of the image they carry of their beloved, achieve fulfillment.”

That fulfillment comes from finding meaning. As Charles Bukowski, who was arguably at the opposite positivity pole from Viktor Frankl, famously noted: “Find a passion and let it kill you.” Needless to say as humans we need a good fire to feel alive.

Get a Coach, and if you can’t, Get a Mentor

Not to flex more science but here we go; studies suggest that one-on-one coaching is the most effective way to boost resilience. Of course, not everyone has the luxury of having access to a coach, however, most of us can pick a mentor. A great deal of evidence suggests that mentorship is an effective vehicle for boosting resilience. A mentor can be a work colleague, boss, friend, relative, partner, or acquaintance. You don’t need to interact with them regularly, or even in the physical world especially in this current landscape. Calls, emails, messages, and virtual meetings are just as good to help you interpret things in a different, more adaptive way, and get the reassurance you need to adjust to difficult times. For instance, Beyonce has been my mentor forever and I barely talk to the girl. She always knows what songs to release to really take me to the next level in life, love you B!

The Practice of Mindfulness

Probably a no-brainer answer coming from us, the wellness folks. The research on mindfulness is plentiful and wide-ranging for how it impacts resilience and overall health. One thing most studies share is the importance and stress of the practice. Think of it as more of a lifestyle change than a fix. Incorporating a morning meditation, evening breathwork ritual, or even journaling exercise overtime has an array of benefits to our mental resilience and ability to focus under pressure. Not everyone is equally able to do this, and the benefits of mindfulness vary from person to person. In general, though, mindfulness–like spirituality, meditation, and even religion–can help you find the critical levels of inner calm and strength to confront big external challenges, like when Rihanna keeps releasing underwear instead of music. C’mon Rihanna we want a single, not a bra girl!

Get More Sleep

Sleep thrives on a regular routine. Building a great, consistent wind-down routine for the end of your day is the very best way to train your body to know that it’s time for bed. This will increase your chance of sleepiness, and make drifting off so much easier. As always, consistency is key. You can set up a reminder that will give you a gentle nudge, letting you know it’s time to start winding down. Sleep has been found to enhance resilience. Although stress and anxiety deteriorate sleep quality, sleep is more controllable than we think. It’s certainly easier to master than mediation. Being disciplined, going to sleep earlier, cutting down on TV time (particularly consuming morbid or negative news), exercising more, drinking less, and eating healthier, including earlier dinner time (allowing for better digestion), will improve your typical sleep quality.

Staying Physically Active

One of the big problems with the current shelter-in-place measures is that they restrict our level of physical activity. Research shows that regular exercise increases resilience capacity (even in animals), so it is unfortunate that unless we live in a place with ample nature we are limited in our ability to go outside and engage in physical activity. Nonetheless, just about every fitness brand/gym flipped the switch to digital offerings which has made things more accessible. Long gone are the days of fighting traffic, looking for parking, and being that person popping their mat down late in class –catching the side eye; I speak from lots of experience.

Embrace Optimism

Optimism is key to enhancing resilience. The good news is that we are prewired for it. One of the reasons for this is that optimism enables us to confront difficult situations and adapt to negative events, so it acts as a stress buffer. As neuroscientist Thali Sharot notes:

“We exhibit a pervasive and surprising bias: when it comes to predicting what will happen to us tomorrow, next week, or fifty years from now, we overestimate the likelihood of positive events, and underestimate the likelihood of negative events. For example, we underrate our chances of getting divorced, being in a car accident, or suffering from cancer.”

Ordinarily, our tendency to be overly optimistic can turn into a liability, leading us to underestimate threats, risks, and dangers, and distorting our sense of reality. But that’s what our 20s are for and during difficult times few things are more vital than our ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel, even if it isn’t there yet. As Emily Dickinson writes “I dwell in possibility.“

There you have it, some science, some tips, and hopefully some insight into staying on the resilience track with us. Invest in building your employees’ resilience with our virtual wellness offerings: experience personalized self-care coaching through BT Restore, build mindfulness through our robust and customizable offerings including breathwork, guided meditation, and science based educational seminars, find better sleep through our calming virtual yoga classes, and keep up your physical activity through our wide variety of fun virtual fitness classes. Whatever your wellness need, Body Techniques can fulfill it.

Get Mindful with Us!

July 14, 2020July 14, 2020

Wellness Dollars – Use It or Lose It!

What are wellness dollars?

Simply put, they are funds that certain insurance providers offer their clients to invest in their companies wellness programs. These dollars help improve the scope of companies’ wellness programs and help the employees be healthier. Healthier employees mean less insurance companies have to pay out for your company’s policy which is a win for them and a win for your employees!

Not all insurance providers offer wellness dollars, but many of them do! They may go by a different name such as wellness reimbursement, wellness credits, fit rewards, or fitness reimbursement. Your first task should be to contact your insurance provider contact and ask about wellness dollars! If you do in fact have some available, find out what types of wellness programs can be covered. This can range from massage programs, to fitness classes, or mindfulness seminars.

I have wellness dollars, what do I do next?

Now that you have wellness dollars, it is time to partner with a reputable wellness provider to help create a robust and cohesive wellness program. Body Techniques has been helping corporate America create wellness programs for over two decades and would love to help you too! We have services ranging from onsite massage, to virtual yoga and acupuncture, we can create a wellness program that your employees will come to love and cherish. We are the experts in terms of corporate wellness and our customized programs will deliver exactly what you and your employees need.

Pre-Pay for Onsite Services

If you want to spend your wellness dollars on virtual services, we are here now and ready to provide yoga, fitness, mindfulness and self massage classes. If you are looking toward the future for when your employees can be back onsite again, we are offering the option for you to create a prepaid wellness program that can be launched when returning to work is safe for everyone. This can include onsite massage hours, wellness classes, acupuncture, and mindfulness sessions and more!

Now is a perfect time to find out if you have wellness dollars available to you. Wellness dollars do expire, so don’t leave money sitting on the table! Invest in your employees health, it is so important, particularly in times like these!

July 8, 2020July 8, 2020

The Core of Body Techniques: Our Providers

Body Techniques has been a resilient company from its inception. We have weathered the ups and downs of the economy, rapid growth, expansion, changes to the wellness landscape, massage therapy profession, and most recently, a global pandemic. With each new challenge, our company has been able to successfully adapt and persevere so that we can continue to deliver the highest quality of customizable wellness programs to our clients. How are we able to do this? The answer lies with the core of our company: our large, diverse, talented, and resilient family of massage therapists and wellness providers.

Our Secret Ingredient

As the bridge between Body Techniques and our clients, our family of providers vitalize our vision. Our collective of skilled professionals serve our clients with unmatched integrity and expertise. They have always been a tenacious group of talented individuals, but in the last few months, we have witnessed extraordinary examples of resilience from them. Even though our providers have not been immune to the struggles and hardships of the current times, they still maintain a positive outlook and optimistic attitude; and they have stepped up to support each other in powerful and inspiring ways.

Some of the strongest ways to build and sustain resilience are to have a solid support system, the ability to adapt to change with a positive outlook, and to use that change for self-improvement. We see the importance of this daily while talking with our providers who continue to show up and share their shine during even the most difficult of times.

Building a Strong Support System

Our providers took the initiative to deepen their support system on an even grander scale than existed pre-pandemic. We were blown away and inspired by what we witnessed. When hands-on massage was put on pause in April, a team of providers stepped up and began offering free self-care classes for one another over Zoom. Classes include Yoga, Vital Chi, and Guided Meditation, and are still ongoing, with new classes scheduled to launch this month. Providers offered these out of the kindest of their hearts, to remain sharp in their craft, and take care of one another. These classes have fostered a deeper sense of community than ever before and, while doing this, showcased the wealth of knowledge and compassion shared by our team.

Adapting to Change

When Body Techniques realized that shelter-in-place was not a short lived phenomenon, we quickly pivoted to offer virtual wellness services to meet the new needs of our clients. Our family of providers was quick to pivot along with us. We were overwhelmed by the number of massage therapists and fitness instructors who were ready and willing to transition from hands-on services to virtual care. Reina Frankfort, a BT MT, says “I feel incredibly blessed to grow in new ways as a massage therapist with a supportive team of like-minded professionals. I love the pilot energy of a new creative work in progress that we are all figuring out as we go, it’s truly inspiring.”

A Commitment to Self-Improvement

We have been so impressed by our team of providers using this time of stress and uncertainty for positive change: self-improvement, self-care, and personal and professional growth. As Hillary Wollman, a massage therapist for BT in Seattle, states, “It’s like a reset, using this as an opportunity.” So many of them are utilizing this down time to cultivate new skills, as well as be of service to their communities, becoming stronger and more resilient in the process. In talking with our providers, we’ve learned they are currently:

Going back to school to continue education
Obtaining other health-related provider certifications, such as:
Yoga
Integrative Medicine
Guided Meditation
Movement Therapy
Volunteering to deliver food and groceries to the elderly community
Creating YouTube channels as a platform for COVID coping conversations
Sewing and donating masks (actual photos below!)

At Body Techniques, we live by the philosophy that there is no line between the administrative team and our pool of accomplished providers. We continue to be inspired by the massage therapists, yoga teachers, fitness instructors, acupuncturists, and meditation teachers that have dedicated themselves to sharing wellness with others and strive to do the same in our daily work. Our providers remind us daily that during trying times it is the support from others that gives us the strength to adapt and grow and continue to build a better tomorrow. After all, we are all in this together, and stronger united.

Get to know our Stellar Practitioners with Virtual Wellness!

July 6, 2020June 13, 2024

History of Massage and Tomorrow

The massage industry is built on physical touch that spans thousands of years from early civilizations to today. In our current world, human touch is being called into question, and that same touch that was used to heal throughout the ages is now raising concerns about its risk to public health. Across the US, many massage studios are shuttered alongside restaurants and hair salons in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid19, leaving owners and massage therapists alike watching the everchanging guidelines with nail-biting suspense. At its core, the massage industry seeks to provide wellness to clients through pain and stress relief. Although the current environment has changed, the desire of the industry and its practitioners to provide wellness and healing remains constant.

A Brief History of Massage

Massage can be traced back to 3000 BCE with multiple regions across the globe developing their own practice during this 500-year period. In India, massage grew alongside Ayurvedic medicine, which is a holistic approach to harmonize the body and its environment. Massage can be found in cave paintings in Egypt that date back to 2500 BCE, who during this time are credited with developing reflexology. Likewise, writings in traditional Chinese medicine capture the benefits of massage in 2700 BCE. Chinese medicine teaches illness begins with blocked energy channels and saw massage as a technique to enhance the energy flow so the body can restore and be well.

Over the next millennium, the practice of massage traveled across the globe. The use of targeted touch often developed alongside holistic medicinal approaches for the mind and body. In 1000 BCE Japan, massage moved from China and grew into Shiatsu massage, which increases energy in a patient through stimulating pressure points throughout the body. Massage also became a restorative practice in Ancient Greece and was used by athletes to remain in prime physical health.

Massage methods continued to travel across the world as a technique to enhance overall health. Over the last century, Western medicine has also adopted massage as a wellness practice. Massage was used to reduce what we now call PTSD in World War I, and in 1943 the American Massage Therapy Association was formed. Since then, the industry continues to integrate traditional practices with most current scientific data to bring wellness to its clients.

Adapting During Times of Change

Like so many other industries, massage experienced the sudden need for new safety measures to prevent the spread of Covd19. As doors shut, we hoped for a swift return to normal, and we’ve quickly learned that this will not be the case. Now, as we enter July with Covid-19 numbers climbing across the US, the hope for business as usual is now a distant memory. The massage industry waits patiently to provide healing touch to clients, while simultaneously exploring no-touch delivery methods.

Body Techniques Goes Virtual

Our office is headquartered in the Bay Area and is located in one of the most restricted regions for massage. As a company that provides corporate stress management throughout the US, we’ve used the increased scrutiny to strengthen our internal practices and safety procedures.

Body Techniques is known for providing quality massage to professionals so they can recharge while at work, but what happens when no one is going into the office?

One on One virtual sessions have become our answer to satisfy clients who miss their regular massage. We found that one of the essential pieces of this wellness practice was personalized care and we developed sessions around this concept. Remaining hands-free means that a licensed massage therapist verbally walks a client through movements to create the same benefits of a massage. For some, it may look like a guided deep tissue foam rolling session, while for others, it may be a gentle guided stretch. With one-to-one care, an appointment slot is still time for clients to reset and restore.

With the rise in video communications, we can look to scientific studies to discover new ways that screens can maximize our wellness routines. A 2017 medical study found that massage clients with chronic back pain received even more pain relief when they watched the massage being performed on themselves in real time over video. With one-to-one sessions, participants also get to view themselves working through moments and may be able to capture some the same benefits of increased pain relief by viewing themselves live during a session.

View Body Technique's Virtual Services

Body Techniques, like the massage industry as a whole, continues to use its resiliency to adapt so we can support clients on their wellness journeys. Although the current environment may seem bleak, when we look back to the history of massage, we see that the industry is ever evolving and deeply resilient. Within our own company, we continue to respond and adapt in order to bring wellness to professionals across the US and we look forward to the day in person massage returns in full swing.

July 1, 2020July 1, 2020

A Resilient Body through Massage

Maintaining a positive outlook and the ability to bounce back can be challenging in the best of times, but what about during times of high stress with competing demands on our time, energy, and resources? Layer in the stresses of Covid-19 and the potential of re-entering our places of work and it can start to feel more difficult to keep one’s thoughts and outlook positive. It can feel as though our reserves are depleted just when we need that extra bit of energy or spark of motivation to get us through the next challenging moment.

At this point, it’s likely that we’ve all heard the word “resilience” tossed about as an attribute that helps people face difficult and trying times. The question one might then ask is; how do we build resilience in ourselves, our families, communities, and workplace at a time when it is most needed and during a time of stress?

There are many ways to approach building our resilience, such as breathwork, mediation, and movement. At Body Techniques, we think a good place to begin building and maintaining our resilience is through the body. We view wellness as a holistic practice, eating thoughtfully, exercising, and taking time to slow down and receive massage are all components of building a resilient body. Below are three reasons massage therapy is an excellent first step towards developing our resilience toolkit.

Reducing Stress

Between Covid-19, ambiguous direction about states and counties reopening, and the possibility of returning to the office or having to find a new job, we are all stressed to some degree. Prioritizing our own well being and finding ways to reduce levels of stress are key to building our overall health and maintaining a positive outlook. Making time to slow down and tend to ourselves is a first step towards resilience. Whether it’s hands on massage in a safe and hygienic way (as counties permit) or enjoying a virtual 1:1 guided massage, the act of releasing tension through massage therapy is known to lower cortisol (a stress hormone), quite the mind, and soothe the body. By disengaging from the pressures and expectations of the day for even 15-minutes, we allow for the breath to deepen, the mind to relax, and the “pause button” to take the reins. Hands-on therapeutic touch gives us time and space to focus on our own relaxation so that we can return to our day to day in a more relaxed manner.

Relieving Physical Discomfort

Many of us are stuck at home working from the kitchen table or sofa, many others are taking on responsibility as essential workers and supporting our communities by delivering goods and services while working long hours. All of this can lead to our body feeling stiff, sore, and overworked. If our bodies are in pain or discomfort, it makes it hard to be fully present and it also siphons off our body’s resources. If we are busy thinking about the pain in our knees, neck, or back, we are more likely to further injure ourselves, miss workdays, or struggle to look after our kids. Scheduling time to receive hands-on massage therapy helps relieve injuries and muscle strain. When we feel able in our bodies, it allows us to have a more positive outlook, which can help us feel less stressed and more prepared to face challenges.

Better Sleep

When your head hits the pillow does your mind kick into high gear? Do your thoughts swirl and seem to be running on repeat? Do you start making lists of all the things you need to do the following day or didn’t get done today? If so, you aren’t alone! Lack of sleep is detrimental to our health and overall sense of well being. When we aren’t clocking a solid seven to eight our body takes the brunt in many ways; such as a weakened immune system, being more prone to accidents, weight gain, memory loss, and mood changes to name a few. In these hectic and uncertain times, it’s hard to shut off our thoughts and get the rest we need.

There are ways we can help ourselves power down, such as taking an epsom salt bath before bed, enjoying a calming herbal tea, or taking time to read something other than the constant newsfeed. And, because we are firm believers in the health benefits of massage, we definitely add it to this list of sleep resources.

Massage therapy is an excellent way to release the stress of the day and allow ourselves the time and space to relax. Expert guided massage or hands-on therapeutic touch is proven to be effective in helping people relax and restore the ability to sleep more deeply, which in turn supports our immune system and overall health status.

Let me see the science behind massage!

As we face the future, our health and wellness are a critical component in our ability to show up and build our resilience, as individuals and as communities. Making time for ourselves to destress and relax will help us be present for our friends, family, and coworkers. Remember to build into your day time for just you. Take a walk, stretch, do some jumping jacks, or meditate. Time for you is time well spent.

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020

Honoring Essential Workers

While many of us have transitioned to working from home, there is still a large portion of the population getting up every morning and heading into work. These are the brave professionals who are classified as essential workers. They are health-care professionals, social workers, grocery store employees, warehouse workers, delivery drivers, journalists, postal workers, first responders, and many others who are working tirelessly to serve and sustain others. As states and counties begin to reopen, it’s time to start considering how you can show your appreciation for these essential workers by providing them a necessary service.

3 Ways To Honor Essential Workers with Body Techniques

Give the Gift of Massage

All of us could definitely use a massage right now. We have spent months hunched over on a couch or have turned our dining room table into our work from home desk. Since these setups are not ergonomically correct, they exacerbate our existing aches and pains. Although we could all use some Tender Loving Care, the workers who have been out on the front liness, should be first in line. Our team has spent months training all of our providers on extra safety and sanitation guidelines so that you can give the gift of massage to your staff with confidence. The essential workforce has sacrificed daily to keep our society functioning and it is time to give back to them with the best service possible – massage.

Calm the Mind with Focused Meditation

Being an essential worker comes with added stress that many of us have the privilege of escaping. Having to be out in the world and adhere to ever-changing guidelines and precautions means there are many more things you need to be aware of to protect yourself, and others. This acute attention to extra details can exhaust the brain and leave the essential workers feeling mentally fatigued and overwhelmed.

A great way to alleviate stress is to do a quick 15-minute meditation session. Meditation is proven to calm the mind, decrease stress, and increase focus. It is exactly what essential workers need to continue to sacrifice and work tirelessly to keep our society and essential services functioning.

Sweat Off The Stress

While essential workers are on the front lines putting themselves at higher risk, it is important to ensure that their health and immune system are operating at the highest level. It is no secret that exercise is one of the keys to a healthy immune system and an individual’s overall wellbeing. Help your essential workforce sweat out the stress and boost their immune system so they can continue to push forward and support all of us!

Not Ready for Onsite? We are hands-on, even virtually.

Are you or your organization not ready for onsite visits to your essential workers? That is okay! We can still support them and you through our virtual services. Our virtual services include self-massage instruction, guided stretch, mediations, yoga, bootcamps, zumba, pilates, and much more.

Essential workers are the first to help, but often the last to be thanked. As an organization, taking the time to share gratitude with employees on the front line is vital to building strength and resiliency. We believe gratitude is more than words and wellness is for everyone. If you have essential workers that you would like to honor, please reach out to our staff directly and we will work with you to build a program to thank those who have helped us all during these shifting times.

June 24, 2020December 16, 2021

Safety and Sanitation

In some places people are slowly combing knots from their hair, starting to remember what real pants feel like, and drinking coffee not made in their own kitchens. As humans start to discover other humans outside of their household it’s time to start thinking about how to cleanly and safely return to office.

At Body Techniques, we are people in the business of people, so when we sat down to put the newest safety measures in place, we went beyond guidelines. It’s bigger than a canister full of wipes and pile of masks. We wanted to equip ourselves with not only the physical tools but also the knowledge of how to provide a safe and relaxing experience to those returning.

How does it feel to return to work in a way that keeps our minds at ease?

We consider our community as our family—and family takes care of each other. We’ve always been dedicated to the cleanliness of our spaces and the health and safety of our community. Now we’re taking it to an even higher level.

As we get green-lights from local and state government officials to begin services we’re implementing our new Safety and Sanitation training for all providers upon re-entry to on-site services. Our training focuses on educating providers on the new levels of cleanliness needed in the wellness spaces, how to keep themselves safe, and how to keep their clients safe within the space. *washes hands* Here’s a sneak peek of our new Cycle of Safety; a step-by-step guide for providers and our clients to understand how to safely integrate on site services back into the workplace. In addition to exciting new protocols we’re excited to offer outdoor massage and goat yoga. Goats can’t get COVID right? Either way they’ll be masked so we’re good.

If there is one thing that COVID-19 has brought it’s more awareness of the speed and pace in which we’re all working. Praise of the constant hustle and bustle is shifting into a recognition of the value of a more intentional and thoughtfully productive workforce. This shift includes a focus on a resilient and healthy workforce, and an acknowledgment that wellness is for all of you, and all of us.

Click Here to read our full Safety and Sanitation guidelines

June 23, 2020December 16, 2021

Resilience and Reentry

The global pandemic united us all in a shared experience. During this time, the Body Techniques’ staff, like so many others, felt a full spectrum of emotions that included confusion, fear, compassion, grief, anger, and hope. Although our individual stories vary, this shared experience is a unifier of our society. As we’ve journeyed through these trying times, we know that Covid-19 has impacted everyone, and, through this awareness, we have opened moments of compassion previously unseen.

Grocery stores and retailers are now designating time to protect our aging and immunocompromised population with senior hours. Long gone are the days’ employers applauded their staff for a strong work ethic when someone arrived at the office battling a cold. We also now exalt our frontline workers for their vital contribution to society. These changes, like so many others, help to illuminate that in the most trying of times, the compassion of the human spirit can shine through.

Compassion is one of the building blocks of resilience. Resilience does not mean we do not falter. It also does not mean that we do not make mistakes. Instead, resilience is like a bamboo stalk that is strengthened over time. It can bend but refuses to break.

Compassion for ourselves and others allows for us to move through hard times with an openness and understanding that provides the springboard to bounce back.

Resiliency during Reintegration to the Office

As shelter in place restrictions lift across the US, we all continue to tap into our ingenuity and compassion to reshape tomorrow. Teams are starting to come back into the office and, once again, must demonstrate resiliency. During the last three months, working from home has become the new standard, and reintegrating back to the office requires teams to adapt once again to a new state of normalcy. As employees come back to work, new safety procedures and social distancing measures will impact interactions and daily workflows. All of this requires yet another round of flexibility and awareness.

Just as people are demonstrating their capacity for change, so are companies across the nation. After all, people make up these companies and carry their resilience through to their work. So many businesses suddenly had to adjust their services and delivery methods to adapt to pandemic constraints. Thoughtful employees are overcoming unseen barriers to ensure the futures of their firms and are carrying that innovative thinking into the future.

The Future of Body Techniques

At Body Techniques, we also faced the sudden pandemic shock and had to quickly adjust our services. We tapped into our vast network of professional providers and delivered our programs virtually so that they were accessible to all, regardless of location. If you haven’t had the chance to support your team with our Virtual Wellness Programs, click here to learn more. After all, corporate stress management programs become a vital resource during times of heightened stress.

As we look to the future, we are excited to bring our onsite massage service to teams going back to the office. Corporate massage is our specialty and serves as a fantastic resource to calm the stresses of high-performance teams. Our licensed practitioners have always adhered to the highest sanitation standards of the industry, and now we are implementing even more safety procedures.

Click Here to read our newest Safety and Sanitation guidelines

Over the next four weeks, Body Techniques is going to look to share our stories through the lens of resilience. We see resilience in our practitioners, clients, and our business itself. We will continue supporting businesses with stress management programs and are inspired by people leading with compassion.