Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.” LMTs have many opportunities to volunteer, from providing hospice massage to providing massage therapy for homeless youths. But why would you want to practice your craft for free, when you can get paid for it? Well, that’s a totally legitimate question. Read on to discover some of the many benefits massage therapists can enjoy from volunteer work.
Portland Massage Therapy School’s Top Benefits of Volunteering:
Volunteering Zaps Stagnation.
Every profession includes boredom from time to time. If you feel stuck in a rut in your massage practice, sign up for a volunteer event. It will give you a new perspective and leave you feeling fresh and energized.
Volunteering Leads to Networking.
Volunteering gives you the chance to connect with other massage therapists as well as potential new clients. Moreover, you may have the chance to connect with professionals in other fields who may be willing to partner with you on new projects and referrals.
Volunteering is Good for Your Health.
As Harvard Health explains, volunteering can keep you healthy. It wards off depression and loneliness. Regular volunteers often report getting more out of the volunteer experience than what they put into it. A Carnegie Mellon study even found that volunteering can improve your physical health, finding that those who volunteered more than 200 hours per year had lower blood pressure than those who did not.
Volunteering Promotes Massage as a Healing Modality.
When you volunteer your massage therapy services, you expose new people to the wonders of massage. You are helping to promote the profession as a whole by giving massage to the uninitiated—people who probably wouldn’t pay for a massage normally. After just a few minutes of healing touch, those individuals are more likely to make a massage appointment in the future.
Volunteering Opens New Professional Pathways.
Volunteering is an excellent way to break into a new style of massage. Let’s say Swedish massage is old hat for you, but you’d like to break into sports massage therapy. Volunteering your time for sports massage can give you a chance to build confidence in this new healing modality.
Looking for an engaging, fun volunteer opportunity? How about the Portland Dragon Boat races? On September 12th and 13th, East West College will be participating in the famous Portland Dragon Boat Festival by facilitating on-site sports massage. We are currently looking for East West alumni LMTs and advanced students (terms 3, 4, and 5) to volunteer their services at this memorable event. Please contact Dara Bryant at dbryant@eastwestcollege.edu or 503-233-6500 ext. 225 to sign up for a volunteer shift.
