Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty, Health and Wellness Blog

Zen Spa Review

2011-09-19T11:57:00.001+08:00

For this blog post I am grateful to have two of my good friends who will be reviewing and writing with me regarding our Zen Spa experience. Both of whom are Licensed Massage Therapists and Massage Therapy professionals in the Philippines. Let me present their spa reviews in two different formats.

Rommel D. Martinez, LMT, is a former scriptwriter who came from a Political Science background at San Sebastian College, founded Greenbay Therapeutic and Rejuvenation Services and also partnered with our good friend (Hadjii Crespo) in Transition Body Wellness Center. He developed (and in the process of writing the books/manuals for) his signature and most requested Graeco-Swedish Fusion, Hagobao (Coconut Massage), Greenbay Body Scrub, Greenbay Pediatric Massage (for 8-16 year olds), Greenbay Athletics, Meridian Therapy (a sort of acupuncture without needles) and some more.

As a timely birthday gift from me, Rommel went for a massage experience in Zen Institute Medical Spa in Scout Rallos in Quezon city on Sept. 7, 2011. Let me relate below Rommel's account of his Zen spa experience.

This branch offers Swedish Massage and Shiatsu for their massage services and also offers skin whitening (whole body or localized… underarm, bikini line), body sculpting for clients who have undergone liposuction or sagging skin/cellulite, body scrub (with salt glow, seaweed mask or whitening mask), facial contouring (sagging skin, double chin, BOTOX, biochemical facelift, fillers, lip sculpting, microcellular facelift by RF technology, facial spa with microcellular serum, facial toning and autologous cell rejuvenation). They also have anti-ageing therapy, acne treatment, laser hair removal, glycolic peel, electrocautery, and collagen induction. Their massage costs P1,500.00 (for basic).

I had my appointment at 3pm, but the usual me arrived early and I was there around 2:15. I thought I will have to wait until 3pm for my massage, but after only 15 minutes I was called in to have my massage. Oooh, I don’t have to wait long after all. It is not that hard to set an appointment, basta it is not on the following day unless they still have a free slot by then.

Since the place is inside Fanny Serrano´s salon, the space is not that big or spacious, in fact a bit crampy. Well their name is Zen so the set is quite minimalist (but not Japanese-ish). The reception area is not really roomy, off-white color with chocolate brown highlights. The light blue color of the shelf is, I think, out of place (perhaps to match the light blue panel in the a/c across it). The massage room is likewise small (like the cubicles in massage clinics of the visually impaired), but there is a shower room inside (because I only had the basic service, I did not take the shower). The water closet (toilet bowl) is in the CR at the end of the hall, so you better make your weewee (peee) first before you have your massage (and shower). The massage bed is immaculate white with built-in face hole, the metal frame is covered by the white sheet. The towels are also laundry-fresh and comfortably warm. There is a bath robe for use of those who take a shower first. Because the name includes “Medical”, I thought my vitals (B/P, temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate) will be taken first, but none of it was checked. I was not also asked to sign a client intake form. The receptionists are wearing medical coat which gives out a clinical air. Some of the cubicles have only dark and heavy curtain for door, some have sliding door.

The staff are friendly and accommodating. My therapist, Joanne, is very nice and friendly. I told her before my massage that I have an allergy flare-up, but it is drying up na, so she asked where it was and avoided the area during the session.

I had the Swedish Massage, but the massage felt like it was just a light and deep effleurage with just a bit of petrissage, and a lot of tapotement. I guess they are also joining in the anti-dengue drive because I counted a number of claps like swatting mosquitoes (there is no mosquito ha, hehehe). I wonder whoever started that “palakpak” move which is quite prevalent in many spas. I guess, aside from swatting mosquitoes, its other purpose is to wake you up in case you get too relaxed if you are feeling sleepy na. But if not for that “palakpak” moves, the massage is relaxing. Joanne also did very well in squeezing out those nodules or what people usually call “lamig” out of my trapezius, rhomboids and scapulae.

I guess what they need to improve on, for a start, they can look for a more spacious place, and change the piped-in music to a more oriental sound (or nature sound) instead of new-age, anyway their name is oriental. But their location is good, very near major roads but not that busy and noisy. If they stick to the “Medical” nature in their name, they might just as well take the vitals and have the clients fill up an in-take form. Over-all I can give the spa a grade of 80-85%. I can recommend the spa, but tell the others not to expect too much. If you prefer a Shiatsu massage, it is advisable to tell the receptionist when you book for your appointment, otherwise you might be automatically booked for Swedish. If you are looking for other types of massage (yung legit lang ha), you must scout around for other establishment because, as I said, they only offer Swedish or Shiatsu for their massage.

For the second spa review of Zen spa at Scout Rallos in Quezon city. I am presenting it in an interview format. Our next reviewer is Maria Fe M. Rapio, a DOH Licensed Massage Therapy Private Practitioner, an Occupational Therapist by education, have also a Physical Therapy background and a TESDA Assessor for Massage Therapy and Hilot Wellness Massage for Manila District. Clinical Trainer for MEDSSAN Training Institute, had been a Massage Trainer for several foundation such as Caritas Foundation, PAGA(Philippine American Guardian Association), AAP(American Association of the Philippines) CHILDHOPE.

What services do they offer? and how much are the range of prices?
They offer facial and diamond peel and spa treatment such as body scrubs and massage as well

What time did you arrived? Did you wait long? Was it easy to schedule an appointment with them?
I arrived 11:45 am 15 minutes before my scheduled time...Ii waited not that long because there is a therapist who is about to end a session with one of their clients 11:50am they started my massage ... I called over the phone and they prioritize ahead booking or ahead schedule clients rather than walk in ... I called on the 24th of august i was schedule the following day

How was the ambiance? Is it relaxing?
The ambiance is really relaxing coz the entire scent of aromatherapy fills the air.

What about the cleanliness of the place, linen, etc
The area is well maintained and the linens were arranged well.

How are the staff manners and behavior? Do they seem eager to serve you? Are they busy at the time of your arrival?
All the staff are friendly and they attend to me eagerly... even if they have clients who stay there they still prioritize scheduled clients.

How was the massage session? What type of massage did you have?
The massage was great I had a Swedish with Shiatsu massage ..
The therapst knows all the areas of my stress .. I asked the therapist what type of oil will she be using for me when I find out its a mineral oil I asked her to use the one I brought with me and I gave it to her.

What do you think is the uniqueness of the place?
They have state of the art facial equipment and they have wide range of derma products

What do you like and don't like about the place, the massage session you had, the therapist and/or the session? what do you think needs improvement?
The therapist should have at least 10 minutes rest before engaging to another service to prevent them to have tiring hands ...

Would you recommend this place to your friends and family?
If you are person who values time and schedule to follow I will definitely recommend this place coz they follow schedule and value clients time

If you were to rate the massage experience how would you rate it from a scale of 1-100?
80-85 will have be a as good as what i can sense or maybe they dont allow me to have shower becoz its a gift certificate only hehehehe

Is there anything you need we should know about your visit to this spa? and any tips for spa goers out there who would like to try out their services?
If they want to experience massage in the city setting Zen Institute will be a nice place to stay and a smiling personnel that will assisst them on having their massage.

Guidelines in the writing of this spa/massage clinic review were observed, click on the link below to read about my guidelines:

http://yunesa.blogspot.com/2009/07/consumer-and-spa-enthusiasts-review.html

The most comprehensive resource and information guide on the list of training centers, magazines, publications, books and literatures both local and international are all available in the book, “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource Guide and Career Book”. The First Book on Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource Book and Career Guide
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book
(this has the most comprehensive list of training centers in the Philippines and abroad with tips from professionals and employment opportunities, legal laws and regulations, list of employment agencies, how to choose a trainer, and information that you need in order to succeed in this industry and before you shell out money for your tuition or training, there are a lot of ways you can grab a copy of this valuable information para hindi ka mag sayang ng time and money enrolling in trainings you do not even need. This book will give you the information to start right in the industry with secrets you should know and being able to find your rainbow in the wonderful world of massage, spa and wellness.

1. You can order it online via http://www.amazon.com/ at 34.95$

2. You can order it via a Kindle device at $7.99

3. You can order an e-book copy through my blog at http://www.yunesa.blogspot.com/ at $19.95

4. You can also get a copy from National Bookstores nationwide at P799Pesos

5. For locals only, you can order it from me at local discounted rates with free delivery at 900Pesos (via LBC or FEDEX Air 21. Anywhere in the Philippines. Please allow 1-5 working days

If you are looking for a career opportunity, not just a job in the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry, this book is a must read.

This review was written by: Eunice Estipona a spa consultant, mentor, advisor, speaker and lecturer. One of her advocacies is to make healing and information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness accessible and affordable to everyone. If you are serious about turning your business or practice around, making the right decisions, getting an unbiased opinion and knowing where to get help, for lectures and other concerns she can be contacted at yunesa@yahoo.com or +639184745685. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.meetup.com/philippinemassagetherapy

These along with hundreds of resources found locally and abroad are contained in “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource and Career Book”, the first book of resource information to know more about the Spa, Massage and Wellness Industry in the Philippines and other countries including the United States, Australia and other Asian countries. You can view, read, download and print for FREE the book’s summary at this link http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book

If you are a spa, massage therapy and wellness information seeker the resources contained in the book for you. This book is a collection of data and valuable information regarding the spa and massage industry in a global perspective with a focus on the Philippines. Her advocacy in writing the book is to make “unbiased” information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness resources and career, accessible and affordable for everyone. If you are considering a career in the massage, spa and wellness industry, this book will prepare you and give you a glimpse of what it is like, the preparation you need to take: emotionally, intellectually and financially. In this book, you will learn more details in the spa and massage field and the possible paths you can take. You will also learn about local and international training programs offered and numerous employment possibilities. Giving you much needed information at your fingertips. You can order it from http://www.amazon.com/ or for local Philippine residents, you can email and get in touch with Eunice at yunesa@yahoo.com.

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The content of this review is solely the property and opinion of its author, Eunice Estipona

The Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty and Wellness Professional's Prayer Collection

2011-08-13T09:23:00.003+08:00

The Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness Professionals Prayer Collection
By
Eunice Estipona
yunesa(at)yahoo.com

Here is a collection of prayers of adoration, acknowledgement, thanksgiving and petition for the spa, massage, beauty and wellness industry stake holders. I encourage you, whatever your position in the spa, massage clinic or wellness center, to pray everyday with a spirit of expectation. Expect for the best, expect that God will make a way, God answers prayers and that God will provide- because He will.

Please share this collection of prayers with anybody in the spa, massage and wellness industry: your friends, staff and colleagues and find a prayer that suits you best.

Prayer of a Spa Concierge/ Receptionist/ Front Desk Staff

Lord thank you for hearing my prayers that even before I ask you, you already know what I need better than I know what I need. Thank you Lord because whenever I ask, I receive, whenever I seek, I find and whenever I knock, doors open to me. You make your angels go before me to work to clear my path. You make my day of work both enjoyable and filled with love. Bestow upon me the wisdom and wit to create the right impression for the establishment that I am working for. Give me the knowledge to know and suggest the specific treatments and therapies for each client that enters the door. I pray that I will make the right reservations, be able to organize treatment sessions and be very patient in handling people. Give me the ability to communicate effectively and tactfully. Let me enjoy my work to entertain questions and queries by guests over the phone or face to face. May I assign the right client to the right therapist, acknowledge and greet guests in a courteous manner. Making them feel as if they have entered their own complete sanctuary and a different environment than their usual. May I assist all of our team members such as the massage therapists, spa therapists, facial therapists and even the spa owners in making the establishment a profitable place for us all. May I fulfill your divine purpose in my life and make me do everything with gladness of heart, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer of a Reflexologist

I rejoice that you have given me the skill and the knowledge in reflexology. Your power is in me whenever I perform reflexology. You are my strength and my power without you I can do nothing. I exercise the gifts and virtues that you have given to me. You empower me to do what is right, to say the right things and to follow your will in my work as a reflexologist. Lord God, grant me the professional skill to perform hand, foot and ear massage. Let my professional experience be shared with others through my hands. Let me see the progress of good health and stamina that each session is giving my client. May I be able to establish good rapport with my clients, a peaceful working relationship with my co-workers and a concerned attitude toward my superiors. May I be able to identify the concerns of the client and be able to use the right techniques for their health and well-being. Make my heart genuinely interested in working with people and be comfortable in touching their hands, feet and ears. May I exceed the professionalism and sense of care required from most professionals, in Jesus’ most precious name, Amen.

Prayer of a Massage Therapist or Bodyworker

I praise you and adore you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I know and I feel that you are blessing me right now dear Lord. You are pouring your anointing oil upon my hands as I pour the oil to my client’s body. You are blessing my oily hands with a double portion of your Spirit, your gifts, your virtues, and your healing. Make my skill, profession, and knowledge a positive force to affect the health and well-being of my client. Use my thumbs, hands, elbows, palms, knuckles and fingers to relieve the pain or tension in the muscles of my clients. May each technique provide relaxation and relief from all body, muscle and joint pains. Give me the strength to perform massage therapy that alleviates painful ailments, decompresses tired and overworked muscles of the body. May I always support other service providers in giving the best positive experience for the clients and be consistent with what the client needs according to massage and spa protocols and accepted professional practices. May I be able to assess the condition of the client, maintain proper body mechanics, proper decorum and be able to develop loyal clients under my care. Use my hands and physical capability to meet my client’s expectations in knowing how to knead, rub, rock, tap or apply pressure to client’s sore muscles and limbs. Use them to induce relaxation, assist in rehabilitation and contribute to their overall physical and emotional well-being. Let something good come out of this massage therapy session because I know that your abundance is above and beyond what I can comprehend. Through my massage therapy skill, a mountain of blessing awaits my life and through this skill, will I give glory to you Oh God. In Jesus’ marvelous name, Amen.

Prayer of an Esthetician, Facial Therapist, Skin Care Technician or Beauty Therapist

I praise you Lamb of God, King of kings and Lord of lords. You are my fortress and my delight. I am safe in the center of your perfect will, so lead me in your path for my work today. I trust you completely for my work and my future as an esthetician, facial therapist or beauty therapist. Today, I ask you Lord to let me begin in the inward beauty of a person and of myself. Let my work help alleviate skin disorders and help others improve and beautify their skin. Give me enthusiasm, team spirit and the knowledge fit for a professional with this skill so that the aesthetic treatments that I will perform will promote a feeling of well-being, care, tactfulness and a radiant looking skin. I pray that I will be able to execute services to accommodate the needs of my clients without compromising service, standards and sanitation. May I be able to recommend home care routines to each client serviced, so that each may have a clear skin. May I always be pleasant, caring and have a genuine interest in what I do. May I be able to adapt to change, calmly and efficiently multi-task, with an emphasis on cooperation and courtesy to my colleagues including the management. Let me use the right skin care product, the right techniques to the right client and be able to perform aesthetic procedures. May I be able to recognize skin problems that I must refer to dermatologists, podiatrist, plastic surgeons and other medical practitioners. Give me a heart to desire what you want from my life, to walk in confidence as I follow you daily, and be able to share my ability to others, in Jesus’ most powerful name, Amen.

Prayer of a Spa Therapist, Spa Technician or Spa Attendant

You are my delight, you guard over my heart and my soul. You mold me into your Son’s image through my work as a spa therapist, spa technician or spa attendant. Let my skill of providing treatments be evident in the work of my hands to improve the general appearance and the client’s well-being suit different client objectives. Give me competency, dear God with the variety of spa therapies and utilize what I know to satisfy and empower guests on the spot without hassle. Give me the knowledge, wisdom and discerning spirit to assess what products and services will be most beneficial for the client, perform body treatments on clients with care, professionalism and attentiveness to each client’s needs. May I always find it enjoyable to maintain treatment rooms to the highest standards of cleanliness, hygiene and presentation ensuring that all products and treatments delivered to every individual client are appropriate to the guests’ needs and condition. Let me shine His light through what I do and through the work that I do, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer of a Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness Instructor, Trainer or Teacher

God in Heaven, Maker of Earth, thank you for renewing me everyday. You revive my spirit and give rest to my soul. You turn every problem into a spring of blessing. Dear Lord, I submit my students to you today to the level that I want them to be better in what they do, even if it means being better than me. Grant me the dedication to positively teach what I know, the guts to face a knowledge hungry crowd, and the ability to communicate effectively. Bless the information and the teaching that I will share today that my students will be able to use it to bless others and develop their skills and competencies. Let me be a knowledgeable guide and be able to provide an environment where my students can develop their understanding and cooperation with each other. May I always speak passionately in my subject matter. May I always be committed in imparting knowledge and developing my student’s potential instead of just letting them memorize facts and techniques. May I always inspire my students to open themselves up for more learning and acceptance of others and be able to use what they have learned to benefit others. I know that everything I need and ask for will come to me through the right opportunities, learning, circumstances, events and people. Nothing is ever impossible for those who believe, and so I claim the fulfillment of my hopes and dreams. In the Mighty name of your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.

Prayer of a Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness Speaker or Lecturer

I adore you. I praise you. I worship you with my heart, mind, body and soul. Let my mouth be your mouthpiece. Let the words that will be uttered in my lips be your words. Let me bless my audience and provide expert support in the spa, massage therapy and wellness field. Let me be a force for good, be able to motivate and carefully plan my speech so that my audience will be able to learn and apply them in their lives. Let this event of speaking be a memorable experience both to my audience and to myself- so that I may speak the truth with love and understanding, and that I myself will be able to apply them in my own personal life. Let me have an insatiable appetite to learn and hone my speaking skills, know my audience, and be able to provide information relevant to this industry. Let the content of my lecture and speech be delivered with love and blessings to all those who hear. I trust in you Lord with all my heart and lean not in my own understanding. In all my ways, I acknowledge You. In You I stand secure and know that my past, present and future is in His hands. I face my audience with confidence and inspiration from above, Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.

Prayer of a Spa Supervisor

You are causing my life to overflow. You Oh Lord have made me glad. I will shout for joy and sing praises to you my God. Dear God, today I submit to you my responsibilities to aid the spa manager in his/her tasks. Help me in the back end operations of the spa. Make me a team leader in the absence of our spa manager and a responsible overseer when needed. Let me focus on the frontline nuts and bolts of running a spa, act on behalf of a spa manager when one is not available, and provide leadership for spa attendants and spa reservation staff. Let me recognize every lack and be able to make-up for it. Let your protective arms surround me. Thank you for the miracles that come my way and thank you for granting my prayers in the best possible ways that my mind cannot not even comprehend. Every living thing conspires to bless me and my work. Thank you God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Prayer of a Spa Director or Operations Director

You are glorious, You are wonderful, You are ever present and All-knowing. Your goodness and kindness follow me. You are awesome in my life and in my workplace, Mighty God. You are blessing me beyond measure and overflowing for others to be blessed as well. Use me as a channel of your love in overseeing the spa, fitness and leisure area. Let me set fair and workable policies that create the daily routine of all spa staff under me. Bless me in keeping the spa running smoothly to make sure that the staff operates with peak efficiency through coordination, communication and cooperation. Provide me with the knowledge to be responsible with financial budgets and outcomes, for growing new business opportunities, developing the market, and overseeing the staff around me. Let me have a sincere desire to help other people, to have excellent and first-rate communication and interpersonal skills, and to have the determination and persistence to achieve success. Let me be a spa director who is driven and passionate about understanding the client and exceeding their expectations and commit to develop my staff who works on these clients. Give me wisdom to look for solutions and problems that arise instantly. Make me organized, able to act on my initiative and be a reliable team leader. Give me the striving attitude to deliver financial goals with sound business acumen, high level of empathy towards those below my position, be emotionally mature, level-headed and can deal with different situations from different people at the same time. Let me have on my sleeves effective marketing strategies, negotiating skills, an eye for detail and a mentor for the professional growth of my staff. Let not the clients and other people see the stress that I am under in order to be truly present for guests and employees so that the spa can be financially successful. Make every move I make bring peace, love and joy unto others. Let me serve you by serving others, through Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer of a Spa, Massage Clinic and Wellness Business and Operations Consultant

You are Lord that completes me and in your presence am I made whole. You root out any negative emotions in my heart, in my soul and in my mind. You set me free. God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, give me the wisdom to address the issues and concerns of my client and to be able to solve the specific issue at hand. Give me the knowledge and wisdom to handle all aspects of spa start-up including market assessments, financial feasibility and overall marketing plan. I pray that every problem, concern and circumstances that bother my client be cast away. I will grow deeper in love with you Lord through serving the needs of my clients and their businesses with each passing day. Let your abundance in supplying our needs be made open unto us as you prosper the work of our hands. As I use my strength, my knowledge and my gift to serve my clients and be richly rewarded. I praise you for the generosity and for giving us the steps to improve the business and lead my clients to abundance. Bless this professional relationship together as we grow and serve you deeper and deeper everyday. In the Mighty name of Jehovah God, Amen

Prayer of a Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness Book Author, Writer, Blogger

Father God through your mighty son Jesus Christ, I submit to you my ability in writing. I ask you to bless the words that I type and write. I commit myself to enrich others through my writings, articles, blogs and books. I am truly wealthy with the knowledge that you have given me and since I am in a position to influence others through my writings, let this blessing flow through other people’s lives. You have given me a heart to serve others through what I write so let my hands be your hands and let me go the extra mile to serve others through whatever I write. Let my readers experience the words that I write change and transform others to be better persons and individuals to be able to fulfill your purpose in their lives. Let me serve you and others with humility, expecting others in return-not even acknowledgement or praise because your praise and acknowledgement is what I deeply aspire for. In Jesus mighty name this I pray. Amen.

Prayer of a Spa, Massage Clinic and Wellness Owner or Entrepreneur

You are with me Lord in this business endeavor. You are transforming us to be better citizens and better entrepreneurs for our own country, the people that work for us and the people that we serve. You are our model and to you, and only you, will we trust and obey. May those who seek physical health and well-being find our place a haven of rest and relaxation. May our staff who serves them, serve them with care and sympathy. You Lord are ordering the events that lead to the establishment of this business so that people I need to help will cross my path. You are sending your angels to protect our premises, the equipment and my staff and to aid me in our daily operations. You cause the right people to be favorable to me. Thank you. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

What is a prayer? Commonly, it’s an uttering of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication, and requests to a higher being- some call Him Allah, some call Him Jehovah, some Jesus Christ, some God the Father, I call Him God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. But mere prayer is not a prayer until we actually say it, believe in it and/or do it. A prayer is more than words. Did you know that what we think, say and do are also forms of prayers? God answers prayers: not the prayers that we merely say- the prayers that we think and do weigh much more than verbal prayers. You might be verbally praying to pass your licensure examination, but if on the other hand, you are not studying your lessons then what you are praying for is really to fail. If you are verbally praying for financial abundance but you do not save a portion of your income, then you are really praying for poverty. If you are praying for the downfall of another person then you are also cursing yourself because whatever you sow you reap. If you are praying to become one of the best massage and spa therapist in town but you do not want to learn different techniques and you are not interested in studying about them- then you are praying to be a mediocre spa and massage therapist. If you wanted to write a book on spa, massage therapy and wellness but you do not like writing your thoughts and compiling what you know then you are praying not to become an author. If you are praying for a successful spa, massage clinic business and yet you do not want to read numbers or you do not want to make a business plan then you are really praying for failure. If you are praying for the right opportunity but you are ignoring your core gifts and positions that only offer a small salary then you are not really praying for the right opportunity because with these small opportunities lies greater abundance. Remember Joseph started as a slave in Egypt, David started as a sheep caretaker. Its not only the words that we speak during prayer time. Because what you think, say and do- is actually your prayer.

May all your prayers give you love, joy, peace and prosperity!

God bless you more!

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If you are an owner or would be entering the field, profession or business of massage clinics, spa and wellness establishments offering massage therapy- you need to comply with the recent rules and regulations of massage therapy licensure in the Philippines- here is the link to the recent changes:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/5028198/HOW-TO-BE-A-LICENSED-MASSAGE-THERAPIST-IN-THE-PHILIPPINES

I would also like to share the five things that I have learned in massage school, in the spa and wellness industry- which I also learned from a pencil. This is the transcribed thoughts and speech I delivered as a guest speaker during the oath taking of newly licensed massage therapists last June 17, 2011. Click on the link below:
http://yunesa.blogspot.com/2011/07/five-things-i-learned-in-massage-school.html

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A list of training centers, magazines, publications, books and literatures both local and international are all available in the book, “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource Guide and Career Book”. You can order it online via http://www.amazon.com/ or for local Philippine orders, email yunesa@yahoo.com. If you are looking for a career opportunity, not just a job in the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry, this book is a must read.

This article is written by: Eunice Estipona a spa consultant, mentor, advisor, speaker and lecturer. One of her advocacies is to make healing and information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness accessible and affordable to everyone. If you are serious about turning your business or practice around, making the right decisions, getting an unbiased opinion and knowing where to get help, for lectures and other concerns she can be contacted at yunesa@yahoo.com or +639184745685. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.meetup.com/philippinemassagetherapy
These along with hundreds of resources found locally and abroad are contained in “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource and Career Book”, the first book of resource information to know more about the Spa, Massage and Wellness Industry in the Philippines and other countries including the United States, Australia and other Asian countries. You can view, read, download and print for FREE the book’s summary at this link http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book

If you are a spa, massage therapy and wellness information seeker the resources contained in the book for you. This book is a collection of data and valuable information regarding the spa and massage industry in a global perspective with a focus on the Philippines. Her advocacy in writing the book is to make “unbiased” information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness resources and career, accessible and affordable for everyone. If you are considering a career in the massage, spa and wellness industry, this book will prepare you and give you a glimpse of what it is like, the preparation you need to take: emotionally, intellectually and financially. In this book, you will learn more details in the spa and massage field and the possible paths you can take. You will also learn about local and international training programs offered and numerous employment possibilities. Giving you much needed information at your fingertips. You can order it from http://www.amazon.com/ or for local Philippine residents, you can email and get in touch with Eunice at yunesa@yahoo.com.

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Five Things I Learned in Massage School, I Learned from a Pencil

2011-07-25T14:48:00.005+08:00

Five Things I Have Learned in the Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness Industry,
I learned from a Pencil
(Text and Thoughts during the Oath Taking and Induction
of
Newly Licensed Massage Therapists
June 17, 2011)
By Eunice Estipona

The original version (author unknown) of what I will share with you was forwarded to my email last May 24, 2011 by my good friend Rommel Martinez. He is a great massage therapist and was a top-notched student in the previous licensure exams. However I decided to add my own thoughts and experiences to this wonderful story. So today, I am sharing this with you as I shared it (but more articulate and profound than) during the June 17, 2011- Oath Taking and Induction of the Newly Licensed Massage Therapist at the Grand Opera Hotel in Manila, Philippines.

Nearly a decade ago, I was at our oath taking held at the Department of Health in Sta. Cruz, Manila, at the time of this writing, the newly inducted 2011 LMT oath takers have been held at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel- a great leap in boosting the morale of new massage therapists. Thanks to people who paved the way for this to happen and that includes the Committee of Examiners for Massage Therapy and his team headed by the Chairperson, Dr. Kenneth Ronquillo and Ms. Josephine H. Hipolito CEMT Secretariat, both are great pillars in the massage industry) with the collaboration of the Philippine Association of Licensed Massage Therapists headed by its President, Mr. Jevren Sibug and Vice-President Mr. Pedro Vasquez II (or Sir Pete as we fondly call him) both of whom are enthusiastic encouragers and inspiring people in the field of massage therapy in the Philippines and the Continuing Massage Therapy Education Council (CMTEC), Massage Therapy Assessors, together with all the Training instructors nationwide, for sharing your knowledge and wisdom to the industry, the amazing lives that you have touched are the inspiration for the next generation to come, all of whom I dearly admire- indeed the massage profession has gone a long way. All your efforts made a difference because you took the time to organize and volunteer. Thank you for being the models of vision, passion and purpose that this industry so desperately needs. Know that you are all represented in these pages.

Last June 17, 2011, during their oath taking and induction, as a guest speaker, I cannot help but reminisce about the past and how the profession has evolved and it helped me find my rainbow in the industry. Indeed massage therapy is a viable career as the year’s current theme states. Kudos to all of you who makes a difference in the world of massage therapy, hats off to all of you and God bless you in your endeavor to be an instrument in the progress of massage therapy profession in the Philippines. Your example is a wonderful lesson to us all. Please accept my sincere thanks.

The first lesson I have learned from a pencil and from the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry is that, everything you do will always leave a mark. An area to look into is to leave a mark or to leave a legacy, although a good ambition- it’s a short sighted one. You are not placed here on Earth to be remembered or to just leave a mark, you are here to prepare for eternity. In preparing for that, you have to use your career, your work, your license, your profession- but you might be asking, how? You have to make sure that your stepping stone with all the gifts that has been given you is spent not only on yourself but for others. This means everything you do, even simple chores or words as saying “God bless you”, “Thank you”, “I love you”, “Forgive me”- has eternal implications. I believe that one of the foundations of truly leaving a mark in another person’s life is to feel happy for the success of others. Sometimes, people aren’t happy for the success of others because they feel threatened. If you think badly of the success of others, you won’t be successful because you will also be thinking badly of your own success- you will eventually put yourself down too. So it’s very important to bless those whom you admire- so that their blessings will rub off on you. If you see a classmate, a colleague, a neighbor, a seatmate, a fellow massage therapist, a massage instructor or anyone who gets successful, who gets promoted, who gets the position, who gets an award – be happy for that person, bless them, admire them and learn from them. You need to wish blessing on others and train yourself to celebrate the success of others because what goes around comes around. That is why it is very important to say “God bless you” because with the blessing you give unto others, that is also the blessing that will be given to you.

The second lesson I have learned from a pencil and from the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry is that, you can always correct the mistakes you make. We will always fall short out of others expectations or even our very own expectations. We are not perfect but there is no reason not to strive for correcting our mistakes or giving ourselves a second chance. Your past doesn’t matter, your mistakes doesn’t matter- what matters is what you will be doing after your mistake. After we have fallen. If a pencil makes mistakes, it doesn’t worry, it doesn’t whine, it doesn’t blame- not because the pencil does not care- but because the pencil knows that it can always correct the mistakes it has made. The pencil can always depend on its eraser (or its correction fluid- whatever..). When we make a mistake- erase. Erase. Erase. Erase. How do we erase? by forgiving ourselves, by forgiving others, by starting all over again, by saying “sorry”, by learning from our mistakes and by doing it right the next time around. How many times do we need to forgive? In Matthew 18:21, 22 said we must forgive seventy times seven. Jesus is saying we should forgive other people abundantly more than we could ever forgive. Madaling sabihin pero mahirap gawin so what do we do now? We should train ourselves and practice it daily to get the muscles of forgiveness strong- na madali tayong makapagpatawad. Make it a part of our habit to get less and less angry, less and less resentful everyday. Another angle to look at it is with our mistakes and our weaknesses- these are God’s way for us to work with and look for others who are strong in areas where we are weak. Why do we have weaknesses? In order for us to form teams, help each other and cooperate with each other. Our strengths maybe the weakness of others and our weaknesses maybe the strengths of others this is why we need each other. That is precisely why we have different systems of the body because each of our systems serves different function but every cell, tissue, organ and system works together to make our body alive. Each has its own function even though we make mistakes. So, believe that even if we are imperfect, together with others, you can still achieve what God has placed in your heart. As a pencil, we always have an eraser with us. Erase. Erase. Erase.

The third lesson I have learned from a pencil and from the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry is that, what is important is what is inside of you. No matter what appearance we have. No matter where we graduated. No matter what we have achieved what is important is what is inside of us. What is your purpose for living? What is your unique role in the world? Just like a pencil, the outer doesn’t really matter as long as the pencil writes. Kahit maganda at mamahalin ang pencil kung hindi naman makasulat – wala ring function. Yun naman talaga ang function ng pencil – magsulat, for drawing, for marking, etc. Pencils are not meant for display, to be thrown away or to be a weapon. As a pencil we have to look at what is inside of us- what we have to offer, what we have to give and what we have to contribute. Do not be trapped by other’s expectations and other people’s opinion- drowning your dreams and your inner convictions. Have the courage to follow your heart and your gut. A large percentage of our lives will be spent on work and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you truly believe is great work. The only way to do that is by loving what you do, loving your clients, loving your profession and loving what you are contributing to others. If you haven’t found your one true love (whether this be at work or matters of the heart) then keep looking and never settle anything less than what you really love and have passion for. And when you find it, take care of it, nurture it and cultivate it so it will get better and better as the years go by. Discover what is inside of you by discovering your passion, discovering your core gift, discovering your true purpose, discovering your mission, discovering what you are excellent at, discover your core competency and discovering your hunger. You need to work at that gift and spend your entire time to develop your gift, your talents and your skills. When you try to answer: why do you want to be successful? Why do you want to be wealthy? Why do you want a license? Is it for our own selfish gain? Is it because you mother or aunt told you so? Is it to prove your self? Your reasons, your why, your purpose will always direct you. Because if your “why” is big enough you will always succeed in achieving your goals. The reasons must always come from the heart and not just from the brain. Establish your mission and the driving force in you life. Keep looking inside of you and get to know yourself deeply until you find what moves you and don’t settle for anything less than what you truly love to do. After this, move on into different avenues of career development. Never stop learning. Continue to hone your skills, your strengths and your talents, huwag magsawa sa pag attend ng mga seminars and trainings and do not be tired of learning. Learning is an investment on yourself, do not look at learning as a burden or as “gastos lang yan”- continue to learn and be hungry for things that will make you a better person- inside and outside. One way of learning is to be able to read a lot and if you can afford it- travel and learn from other culture. If you can afford it or your family supports you, start planning to travel. My travels both locally and abroad also gave me the privilege of appreciating and understanding that every tribe and culture worldwide should embrace diversity and converge on a common goal of being a flowing well for others to benefit from. We learn from history and the practice of other cultures. Its been an amazing experience. Because you cannot give what you do not have. Look for people who will inspire you, the insights and the wisdom to advance your career. Focus on what is inside of you: your character and your attitude because what is inside of you will be shared to others.

The fourth lesson I have learned from a pencil and from the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry is that, in life you will undergo painful sharpenings, which will only make you better. Sometimes, you will feel that life is awful, that there is nobody there for you, that there is no hope and that life gets to hit you in the head with a brick- yeah… BIG TIME- but these bitter pills will ultimately make you better. These are learning curves which will tilt you either to become bitter or better. In every problem- dapat nagiging mas mabuti tayong tao at nagiging mas mature. Never lose faith. We will never know what tests will come your way: you might not be earning enough, you might be in a difficult situation, you might be in the cross roads of your life, you might start with a daily wage of just fifty pesos a day (I was earning only 50 pesos a day), you might receive a harsh remark, an undeserved criticism, friends turned enemies, money concerns or seemingly impossible problems. But in all these please remember that how you react is how God looks closely at you. Everything will soon pass. Everything is for your character development. These are opportunities to either demonstrate love or hate. Every year, every month, every day and every minute is an important moment to bless others. Just like a pencil, in order to be used- we need to be sharpened.

The last but not the least, the fifth lesson I have learned from a pencil and from the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry is that, to be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be guided by the hand that holds you. Our lives are like an empty canvass and in order to make the best of who you are, we are to submit everything to Him. Remember that life is a trust, being a massage therapist is a trust, being a massage instructor is a trust, being a spa therapist is a trust, having a license is a trust- Everything is a trust. A pencil will not be able to write no matter how expensive or how beautiful your pencil is- if the Hand that holds it will not use it- it will not be able to serve its function. That pencil is us. The hand that holds us is our Creator. Our time on Earth and our energy, our money, our intelligence, our resources, our friends, our colleagues in the industry, our family, relationships, our talents, our abilities, our skills, our instructors, our license and our profession and everything we have now are a gift from God that He has entrusted to our care. We never really own anything during our brief stay on Earth. God is temporarily assigning it on our care while we are here. Two years ago, I have been diagnosed with myoma- a non-life threatening disease (in most cases) and that time, even if it’s not a case of life and death, I have come to realize that I have to focus on things that matters most. Remembering that everyday we are closer to our graves and we’ll be dead soon is the most important tool to help us make the big decisions in life. Because almost everything- success and even failures, sama ng loob, our titles, our diplomas, our certificates, our position, the wealth that we accumulated, the education we reached, the Earthly accomplishments- everything we cherish or enjoy- are all temporary- it will all fade away in the face of death. What is truly important is our relationship with the Creator and relationships with our fellowmen. You will not face death with your awards or diplomas or money – if that is the case then focus on what is really important and nothing is more important than relationships. If relationships are most important then decide now to grow old with each other- grow old with your colleagues, your classmates, your friends and instructors. Grow old with the one you truly love. Just prepare your heart and the Hand that guides you will give you the right opportunities, the resources and the right people that will prepare you for success. So keep preparing, keep sowing- the Hand that holds you will always have a right timing for you to give birth to your great aspirations.

In conclusion, your first job after this oath taking and induction is to take care of everything you have been given. Your time is limited so do not waste it living someone else’s dream for you or waste it with petty things and disagreements. Follow your rainbow, follow your heart and follow the hand that holds your future. Everything else is secondary.

God bless you more and more!

This is a prepared text and thoughts of Eunice Estipona on the recently concluded 2011 oath taking and induction of newly licensed massage therapists in Manila, Philippines. To download a copy on your computer, click on the link below:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/60833737/Five-Things-I-Have-Learned-in-Massage-School-PDF-File

Spa and Wellness, Massage Therapy, Business and Entrepreneurship Meetup (Lessons and After-thoughts)

2011-02-13T19:54:00.003+08:00

Manila, Philippines Meetup Groups:
Business and Entrepreneurship
Spa and Wellness
Massage Therapy
Lessons from Feb 05, 2011 event

There were so many things that I learned from the last Meetup of Business people and Entrepreneurs (or should I say Inno-preneurs) and professionals that belong to the Spa and Wellness as well as the Massage Therapy industry event held last February 05, 2011. I bet the attendees can enumerate more and I will highlight a few of them here. I will start with the lessons I learned from each speaker or segment of the event.

1. I learned from Hadjii Crespo that it doesn’t take so much time to untie the knots from stress points in our body (like the shoulders and lower back) we only need at least 15-30 minutes of trigger point release to de-stress our muscles. He demonstrated and has even given free samplers of the method to attendees. This is relieving because sometimes even if you want to spend “spa-mpering time” the whole day- you just can’t take the time off. In between our hectic schedule, we should. We really should. That is one thing that practitioners are guilty of. We always tend to take care of others without taking care of ourselves. Remember we cannot give what we don’t have, taking care of ourselves is one way we enrich our lives. Having known Hadjii through my good friend, Rommel Martinez, I have learned that it takes friendships also to do business together. There must be mutual acceptance and cooperation. You cannot do business with someone you dislike. That is one reason why both have stayed friends and became business partners. It has also been more than a year since I have known Hadjii and I am grateful because he was introduced to me. It’s a good thing that Hadjii shared with us the method he developed. It means he trusts the Meetup group with the knowledge that he shared with us. That we will all use it for the benefit of others and the massage community. Thanks Hadjii for sharing! I agree!

2. Engr. Rolando Alagde’s lecture and videos were stimulating to our thoughts. It is touching to know that our fellow “inno-preneur” even took the half day off away from his class (nag absent si sir Rollie sa AIM) because he wants to share his knowledge and wisdom with the crowd. Without anything in return- but our prayers and gratitude. We are so blessed to have a great and giving friend like Sir Rollie. There will come a time when we can get more and more sponsors so we can provide more than “love gifts” to high-caliber lecturers like Rngr. Rollie. In the area of business and entrepreneurship, I learned that we should be having fun as well. If we are not having fun-- sooner or later we will burn out and stop what we are doing. It doesn’t matter if its work, studies, business and whatever we do- we should have fun and get excited every time, otherwise the fruits of our labor will be of no use. Actually with some of what he said, he already sold what the Biz Wiz group is about to do. As with anything, everything should be a balance between sustainability in business economics and having the passion for what you do. Sometimes, I would ask myself of people I hear who can’t wait to retire, “why do you want to retire if you love what you are doing?” Look at one of the video he shared with us below:

In the video above, 66% took the stairs even if its more difficult to do, this is what I mean by “simple fun with a simple choir”, if we were to analyze, of course it doesn’t make sense to take the stairs if you could take the escalator- BUT- if we could make any difficult choir and turn it to a more fun experience- then you have a market.

Reflecting more about it in our everyday lives, the fun theory seems to show that humans are deletion creatures. We delete almost everything that we do not consider important or vital at one specific point. Why? because our brain cannot focus on so many things at one particular time. If we delete the difficulty of walking the stairs and instead replace it by an activity that would complement the difficulty and by making it fun to do then we have deleted the difficult part and replaced it with the fun part. If we tend to gear our attitude toward what brings us feelings of being happy, content, excited and passionate about life, then that is what we will find. It’s easy as walking the stairs!

To take this a little further, when you are having fun with your profession, with your work, with your life- it’s easier to get up it the morning, it’s easier to smile, it’s easier to give, it’s easier to close a sale, it’s easier to make friends, it’s easier to make sales and its easier to close a deal and its easier to make money. On the other hand, it’s hard for people to make you angry, unhappy or upset. So when you see someone who is always upset, angry or easy to get in an angry mood- expect that the person needs some understanding, expect that that person is in a state of either boredom or burn out- so we have to be more understanding, we have to be more forgiving of each other’s states of mind. Life is short we should not sweat the small stuff but enjoy!

3. On Ms. Angel Laparan’s lecture, she told us that it’s even harder today to deploy nurses but the deployment of spa and workers in the massage/spa industry is still on-going. Most of the time, one does not even need to be licensed or certified because it all depends on the employer. Of course, certifications do help a lot especially if the employers choose to work with only those who have had medical related backgrounds- but not all the time. I also shared that in my experience, certifications and licenses help only if you are targeting management and executive positions. She has also told the audience a lot about my experience working as a spa manager and spa director in EU. I think there are a lot of opportunities only if we know where to look and whom to get in touch with. I myself, have to turn down a lot of offers abroad because of inconsistencies and restrictive employment contracts. Although the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry has lots of “gray areas” as a profession, we are slowly gaining our ground towards a more collaborative and professional world. One of the things she also touched on was about how one should prepare for a job overseas interview and how important it is for applicants to be able to express them selves in spoken English. Prospective applicants should not be high-nosed and realize earlier on to accept working with a multi-cultural staff. I believe that there should be unity in diversity. I will give you one secret that employers look for. Most of the time, when I sit down with an employer and they would hire me to interview their applicants, it doesn’t hurt to look at the credentials but…the big but is we give more priority to the attitude and character of a person rather than the accomplishments, the experience and the credentials. I would always choose someone who is likeable, able to learn and be taught rather than someone who thinks they know it all. As a consultant, each and every time that the employers and I are faced with the dilemma of selecting only one from a lot of applicants and those who passed the interviews, we would always choose someone whom we see is likeable and a team-player. In very far flung countries, we would always choose someone who works with the team NOT against the team. I sit down with employers, deliberate who among the candidates are fit for the post and the true consensus is- they do not need credentials if you have a bad attitude. Period.

4. What I learned from the Biz Wiz group: I have already discussed this in my previous blog last year in November. Why do you think I invited them over if I was not impressed? But even before Biz Wiz was ever Biz Wiz – I already knew Jason Estimado who was a part of Meetup since 2007. He attends and even lectures about anti-aging and beauty. Here is the link to this blog post that I have written. http://www.yunesa.com/2010/11/same-old-spa-massage-clinic-and.html

II.

5. General lessons: First, I learned from the brilliant Seth Godin that Autarky is dead. As he pointed out in one of his latest blog posts, “Self sufficiency appears to be a worthy goal, but it's now impossible if you want to actually get anything done. All our productivity, leverage and insight come from being part of a community, not apart from it. The goal, I think, is to figure out how to become more dependent with each other, not less.” And what does it have to do with Meetup? We are all dependent on each other. The sponsors, the attendees- and the organizers are crucial to the event, we wouldn’t have made each event better than the other without the help of the sponsors and the participants. Thanks also to the generosity of James who traveled all the way from Subic to Ortigas, who gave a sample of skin white and beauty products he sells and to Ed Rivera who is into native and local accessories like bags and home furnishings. With every Meetup we also get to know everyone's business so if we need something or a particular service or product, we know whom to get in touch with. Thank you for depending on Meetup and thanks to all those who traveled far just to meet us and for everyone who shared their time and prioritized Meetup. I might not be able to write all your names here in this blog post but - my prayers are all with you. Thank you for the openness, time and friendship.

6. “Familiarity breeds respect” as the brilliant Seth Godin wrote in one of his latest blogs, Over the six year period, I have been friends with hundreds of great and gifted souls. I also think that one of the big reasons why Meetup has been successful and strong when it comes to relationships since its inception more than 6 years ago, is that people at Meetup serve each other. As Bo Sanchez points out, “If you find a great organization that has not found a way to serve each other (sad but true) that organization will experience divisions because everyone will be looking at his or her personal agenda and interests”. It is in our good fortune that we tend to repel those types of people because Meetup was not designed for that. Everything and everyone must serve a good purpose with each own talents, uniqueness and capability to complement each other. Meetup doesn’t look at itself as just an organization but a support system that doesn’t worry about protocol. We hope to fill the need for identity, connection and relationships. It was and will never be about “what’s in it for our personal agenda but what’s in it for us to give to others”. Kaya pag lumabas ka ng Meetup na parang ubas, pag uwi mo hawaan mo ng pagiging ubas ang mga pasas. Kung malaki naman silang tao- maaaring prunes na yun. To my English readers, if you ever walk out of a Meetup looking like grapes then when you get home, you have to induce the excitement of being a grape to others who are already dried like raisins and if they are tall, then they are like prunes which you have to water. (wink) In other words, we all need each other, the success of one is the success of the whole- and the failure of one is the failure of all. We should find a way to enrich that relationship- and never to destroy it. Over time, as Seth writes, “you don't just come to trust valued colleagues like these, they also earn respect. Once you understand someone's sensibilities and goals, it's natural to see the world through their eyes and to embrace their motives and tactics. Once you've seen their work under pressure and in quieter moments, you get a sense for what they believe in. In a world of quick projects and short engagements, this sort of relationship is priceless”. I am blessed because I have found such people at Meetup.

7. Focus- as said earlier, we are deletion creatures, we should focus- focus on what? Focus more on what is good, better or best on a person, expect the best with a person, we should focus what makes us feel beautiful inside and out, focus on larger than life experiences, focus on the better things in life rather than those experience which has brought us pain, hurt or disgust. In Shakespeare’s “the Merchant of Venice”, there was a man named Shylock who was very wise but he was cruel. He said, “would you allow the same serpent to sting you twice?” Of course, we should never allow the same serpent to sting us twice. But we should never become cynical. Hindi komo may gumawa sa atin ng mali, pagdidiskitahan din natin ang lahat ng maaring gumawa din ng mali. You do not sink the ship to kill the rats. Learn to trust people. Actually, in life, very few people will hurt us or cause us pain, most are still basically kind. But people who don’t trust and don’t open themselves to other people’s goodness and kindness put walls between them and the world. They in turn imprison themselves in the process. Hindi komo may isang taong nandaya at nanakit sa atin ay lahat na ng tao ay ganun. Learn to trust again. Live life again, love again, give again- although a bit wiser the second time around. Tandaan lang natin na ang isang tao na sobrang wise ay hindi nag e-enjoy sa buhay. One way to enjoy life is to open our self up to people and focus on the better part of life rather than our previous hurts.

8. Energy- is infectious. Need I say more? We have forgotten a lot of things to give and say before our time was up just because we were all “hyped-up”. Hopefully, it will give a good vibes and ripple of effect to our beloved “Meetup-ers”. Thanks and God bless you more! Until next Business / Entrepreneurship, Spa and Wellness and Massage Therapy Meetup! Hats off to all of you!

The Bike and the Money

2011-01-25T15:53:00.000+08:00

One summer day when biking, skating and tumbang preso were major past times for me and my sister, we would roam around Cataluna street which is very near the vicinity of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) in Sampaloc, Manila. I was just 10 years old at that time and my aunt asked me if I wanted to ride the bike with her. My aunt that time was a college student taking up nursing and I was just a willing niece who loves to play instead of sleep in the afternoon. (Sorry mom, we hate siesta that time) So, there I was sitting behind her back as she was pedaling going to UST but as the bike strolled around the streets, my right leg got caught inside the spokes of the bike. I nearly shouted because it was very painful BUT I did not. Normally, as a kid, you would heller out at the top of your lungs but I was so ashamed, so timid or embarrassed (to say the least) to complain or even to tell her. The wounds are now getting very very painful and blood are now gushing out but I never said a word. I never complained. I never asked her to stop. After what seems to me like a long and winding tribulation- she stopped pedaling. Hay salamat….to my relief. And when she asked me to climb down the bike she was shocked that I have blood all over my feet and she panicked and told me….”Ohhh Eunice, what happened? Why didn’t you tell me?”. I was just crying and crying and all I could tell her was “nahihiya po ako eh”….(I am just so ashamed to tell you) but I never knew why I was like that until I was an adult.

Fast forward to my future, late 1990’s, I was 28 years old at the time (got a hint on my age?) and just got accepted to work in a big time share company at that time in Makati. During those times, timesharing was unknown in the world of vacations, travel and leisure here in the Philippines. One of our British sales directors told us during a brief meeting that one of the main reasons why people don’t sell, don’t earn money to the highest possible degree that they could have- is that they think lowly of themselves. I had the mentality that if I was getting paid- I was bought at a price. That is, if I am getting paid, my soul one way or the other is being bought, or I view myself less holy and less Godly. From then on, I realized that when someone buys from me and gives us money for payment or gives me financial blessing, that person is not just buying from me- I am giving that person a solution to a problem. I realized that I should not think that being given money is dirty, deameaning and lowly otherwise working will be dirty too. When someone even asks me before how much they owe me for the work I have done, I would tell them "bahala ka na". It's up to you. That is what my “lizard” brain (as the brilliant Seth Godin calls it) has imbedded in its system. I thought I was never worthy of being heard or being listened to. Or being paid for my services. Or being consulted. I thought I was unworthy of having money. That having money is somewhat dirty and unbecoming of a true Christian. I was wrong. I was really really wrong. At work, I continued to enjoy and spoke enthusiastically with all my clients and by God’s grace, I ended up as the second top sales person for the year. I was stunned because I never considered myself as a salesperson much more being able to sell. Hey! I had a medical background not a marketing one. But it happened because every time I work, I always see to it that I am always doing something that I love, I love to go to work and hate my days off and I love being with people, advising people if this is the right product for them or not, I always see people as a family not as a buyer or someone whom I can extract money from. Heck! I even love my bosses! Even if there are times when people are tough, they loosen up because they knew and they can feel that my concern is genuine and I will not give them something they will not use and benefit from. I saw myself as a solution provider. That was the start of my journey towards money and how I view it today.

Dear Fried, I hope you would start to see yourself as a receiver and a giver too, when we start receiving and earning money, it is time to give more to others. Do not wait until you become a millionnaire. Teach your brain to give with whatever you can afford. Because when you give money, money comes back to you in two-fold, three-fold and four-fold. Do not ask what someone can give to you but what you could give first. Blessings come from many directions and it comes not only as a monetary gift but through our health, our relationships and our feelings (peace of mind, joy, delight, etc.). Generally, people who are in business or in a profession (except the drug lords and other illegal trades, etc.)- are providing something that the world needs and if you think you are not- then it’s time to move on to something else. Today, I hope you will see yourself from both perspectives: a solution provider and as a giver- because you really are.

God speed!

Eunice

Your Job

2011-01-16T20:31:00.011+08:00

Your Job

In my book, the Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness Resource Book and Career Guide, I wrote all about job descriptions in the area of spa, massage therapy, beauty and wellness. While I wrote about what makes a good massage therapist, I should have written also what makes a great massage therapist. So what makes a great massage therapist? Here are a few:

A good massage therapist implements government rules and regulationss
A great massage therapist implements more than rules but according to highest standards and including personal ethics in the profession.

A good massage therapist must be able to develop good rapport with clients.
A great massage therapist treats clients not only as a cash cow but a family to take care of.

A good massage therapist’s primary responsibility will include providing massage therapy tailored for individual clients.
A great massage therapist’s primary responsibility should not only provide massage therapy tailored for individual clients but sees to it that they are providing relief from stress and muscle tension.

A good massage therapist has great hands.
A great massage therapist has a loving character and great hands.

A good spa owner gives salary to their staff.
A great spa owner gives salary, benefits and provides a healthy workplace for everyone where everyone gets to enjoy working.

In reflection, our job in life is to know our purpose by our strengths, where we are good at, where our talent resides and hone them. Our job is to make use of that strength for blessing others. Yesterday, Dean Pax Lapid (the Author of Negosyo 21 Steps on How to Start Your Own Business) told us that we have to master our self first before aspiring to go into business. Our passion should be where our business is. I guess that is why a lot of people hop from one job to the next, they hop from one career to the next because they haven’t found their rainbow- what makes them tick. What makes a person excited everyday to go to work on something or for someone is the passion behind. Not everybody is born a massage therapist, a spa therapist or a spa, massage clinic or wellness center owner. Not everyone is born an entrepreneur or a business person. But everyone is born with a gift. I have a relative (whose name I will not divulge because it might be hazardous to my health), he graduated with high honors from one of the prestigious universities in the Philippines and yet, he jumps from one career to the next. He hopes the next job will satisfy his wanting and his desire for a fulfilled life. I believe there are four types of people on Earth:

The "sorrowful" because they have not found and do not know their purpose in life.
The "mediocre" who know their purpose in life but do not work on it everyday.
The "missing out" who know their life’s purpose but do not work on it everyday
The "blessed" who know their life’s purpose and work on it daily to bless others more.

So, which among the four do you belong and how will you jump from one stage to the next? First, you have to answer these self- inventory questions:

Question #1: What do you love and enjoy doing? (Even if you are not getting paid for it at the moment, you will still do the best of your ability to do this wholeheartedly, san ka hiyang? does the path you are traveling capture your heart?)

Question #2: What area of your life do you excel? (What do close people say that you are good at? What are you inherently good at? What do you have a talent for?)

Come on. As Ping Sotto (also the Author of 21 Steps on How to Start Your Own Business) told us last week, we are all brought into this world with something. Hindi puwedeng wala. I believe God gave each of us a gift. Our job is to find it and cultivate it and follow our own rainbows. Not the path of others. Not the calling of others.

On a scale of 1 to 100, here is my inventory of gifts:

Technical aspects of computer technology: 60%

I never liked thinking about mechanics or how a machine works. I never liked driving so As much as possible, I employ a driver. I would rather commute than drive. Need I say more? I like clicking on the computer but, ngunit, subalit, datapwat, bagamat- when I have any trouble with my netbook and laptop- I learned to fix anything with just one tool: the telephone or my mobile phone (hehehe).

Numbers and Mathematics: 70%

Ewww…..I would run away if you would tell me what is the sum of 2 + 2? Hehe…. I have finished college without having to memorize 8 X 7. J Wait…I have to get my calculator. That is why I took up medical technology and emergency medical technology to avoid numbers. My strength lies in memorizing concepts rather than details especially numerical details. I am good with English though and I think I have a knack for writing. Thus, this blog (wink). I need to work more on this. Slowly, I am getting to love accounting especially in my finances. But I still need to improve on this.

Cooking and household work: 80%

Cooking for me is okay but baking? Nah! I am not fond of sweets or anything sweet. Unlike most, I am not a fan of chocolates. Sorry chocolate lovers.....if given a choice, I would rather choose flowers rather than chocolates but Filipinos are generally chocolate lovers. I love to cook because I love to eat. I can cook vegetables and pasta or noodles. I can cook tasty meals (or so they say.). I can cook for family and friends but I cannot cook for a living- that I am sure of. I love cleaning but behind my mind, I would rather work on stuff that only I can do and delegate this to the maid. But then again, its one form of exercise on my part.

Writing: 85%

Although I love to write, I do not always have the luxury of time to sit down and gather my thoughts. A blog normally gets to be written anywhere from a day to more than 3 days before I post it. I have numerous ideas to share but I need to hone my skills in terms of expressing myself clearly. But I am thankful for the thousands who have, through the years have read and have been helped by my articles online. I am grateful to God for that. But then again, I still need to hone this talent. In writing I would say also that my spelling and grammar is way below 85%- maybe 80%.

Learning and teaching: 90%

I love reading. My library at home keeps getting bigger and bigger. I believe in life long learning. I love learning and attending seminars, conventions, trade fairs, workshops, etc. Having to travel all the way from the Philippines to other countries because I believe it’s one way for us to grow. I love to share what I know. I have even started having to give a lot of FREE seminars before (only about my field though). Until I realized that I can earn from it. Now I am trying to renew my mindset. I believe that our talents are also a way for us to be financially free. I am not a trainer, I am a teacher. A trainer focuses on skills while a teacher focuses on the application of theories and knowledge. I am very blessed because I have learned from the best.

Managing people and leadership: 83%

I need help on this too because I tend to be too friendly and too trusting. I need to realize that at times, it is better to act like you are the boss rather than if you are “just one of the staff”. I have to improve on my leadership skills. As my Myer’s Briggs Test shows:

ENFJ - "Persuader". Outstanding leader of groups. Can be aggressive at helping others to be the best that they can be. 2.5% of total population.

You can take your FREE Myer’s Briggs test on this blog. Just scroll down to the right lower hand portion of this blog. You can click on that link.

Business and Entrepreneurship: 80%

I need to know more about how a business works within my sphere of passion. I need to know whether I am on the gaining aspect or losing aspect as people also tend to ask me too much favors which I am having a hard time saying "no" to. I found a solution and I am grateful for my PA (Personal Assistant), Cecile. I need to be reminded that I need to be paid for my services and she does that for me. I need to learn so much more.

Upon finishing your inventory, separate the items where you excel best and pray that God will guide you. You can also share it with someone who knows you best and who will support you in your endeavor. Find and join a support group too. Like Meetup (wink again).

I believe that you are here to bloom in wherever we are planted so use your talents and skills to achieve your life’s fullest potential.
If I may add an email shared to me by Ted:

IF I WORSHIP...
Money.. I become greedy
Power... I become controlling
Sex... I become lustful
Myself...I become selfish
Drugs/alcohol...I become depressed
Work...I become workaholic
People...I become codependent
Church activities... I become religious
GOD.. I BECOME WHAT I WAS CREATED FOR!

Do you really want to achieve your highest potential? Start within. Next week, will talk about money and finances....

Love the thing you do and you will do better and bigger things!

Live your life to the fullest! Live with purpose!

One Thing You Could Do Everyday to Increase the Quality of Your Spa, Massage Clinic, Wellness Center Operations

2011-01-09T19:46:00.005+08:00

One thing that you could do everyday to increase the quality of your Spa, Massage Clinic and Wellness Center Business and Profession

The one thing that you can easily start and finish everyday to increase the quality of your business, your work, your profession especially in the spa, massage clinic and wellness center business is that everyday focus on things that you are most grateful for and think of ways how to thank your clients, staff and colleagues. You say it warmly, graciously, sincerely and specifically.

I will list down below ways on how you could do that:

Send a quick email thanking your clients for the business they bring into your doors and your staff on the great job they did for the years that they have been with you.
Acknowledge any email from those whom you know personally, even if the email only contains Thank you.
Send an e-card and say thank you in many dialects of the Philippines:

English Thank you very (so) much

Tagalog Maraming salamat

Kapampangan         Dakal a Salamat
Hiligaynon              Madamu nga salamat
Cebuano                 Daghang Salamat

Ilocano Agyamanak

Chabacano (Zamboanga City) Gracias
Yakan (Basilan) Megsukul teed
Tausug (Sulu) Magsukol

Waray Salamat

Ilonggo Salamat

Gaddang (Kalingga Apayao) Mabbalat

Ibanag /Ybanag (Cagayan/Tuguegarao) Mabbalo’

Itawis Mabbalat

Ivatan Dius mamahes

Pangasinense        Salamat
Bicolano               Salamat na marhay
Iloko                    Pagyamanan unay (some version)
Samar-Leyte        Damu nga salamat

Although there more than 120 to 170 dialects of the Philippines (depending on how you classify them), I hope I got it all right. If not, and you know the right terminology, please email me.Thanks to Stephen Santos for the additions.)

Send a small token of appreciation: a post card perhaps (?) (I got this idea from one of my millionaire friend and a good friend Joey Magtibay) to those people who has helped you in your business and in your life as a whole.

Send a poem, a quote and the person’s relevance to your business.

Example: We are grateful to be of service to you and want to say thanks again for visiting our or my (spa, massage clinic or wellness center). Rest assured that we will always take care of your spa-mpering needs. Call us anytime!

Thank you for choosing _______ (name of your business) and being part of our (service/product/spa) launching. We hope you would return soon, we would be happy to serve you again.

Thank you for spending you spa-rty here. We hope we exceeded your expectations and we look forward to be of service to you now and in every occasion you choose. Please do not hesitate to let us know about how we can serve you.

Since Filipinos love to text, then send a text message and say thank you as above.

Now it’s your turn. Send an email, jot a note, write a card. Be grateful and show it. Make someone feel valued. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you as well. Let gratitude multiply and spread!

See the two videos below to increase the probability of being more grateful everyday:

Live with Gratitude!

2011 Jokes and Laughter Therapy for a start....

2011-01-01T14:50:00.001+08:00

2011 Jokes for a Start

To start a year with smile and fun, I would like to share with you some jokes (during the past years) that were emailed to me, shared to me, sent to me or found online:

Have a blessed New Year to one and all!!

JOKES AND HUMOR

THE WEAKEST LINK" PINOY-STYLE

Host: What "N" (narra) is the national tree of the Philippines?

Contestant: Niyog?

Host: Mas matigas pa diyan.

Contestant: (in a strong-sounding voice) NIYOG!!!

-----

Host: Saan "B" (Bagumbayan) binaril si Jose Rizal?

Contestant: Sa back?

Host: O sige, puwede rin na ang simula ay letter "L" (Luneta).

Contestant: Likod?

Host: Hindi pa rin. Para mas madali, "R.P." ang initials ng modern
name nito (Rizal Park).

Contestant: Rear Part? (Susme! Likod pa rin yun!)

-------

Host: Anong "L" (Lifeguard) ang tawag sa tao na sumasagip sa iyo pag ikaw ay nalulunod?

Contestant: Lifebuoy?

Host: Hindi, pero kahawig nga ng pangalan ng sabon ang pangalan ng
taong ito.

Contestant : Safeguard?

Host: Hindi, pagsamahin mo yung dalawang sagot mo.

Contestant: Safe Buoy?

Host: Hindi siya "boy" at matipuno nga ang kaniyang katawan.

Contestant: Oh, si Mr.Clean!

--------------------------------------

Host: Anong "S" (Salbabida) ang ginagamit na flotation device sa dagat upang hindi ka malunod?

Contestant: Sirena?

Host: Hindi! Hindi ito babae.

Contestant: Siyokoy?

Host: Hindi ito lalake.

Contestant: Siyoke?

-------------------------

Host: What "S" (Sampaguita) is the national flower of the Philippines?

Contestant: Sunflower?

Host: Hindi. Binebenta ito sa kalye.

Contestant: Stork?

Host: Hindi. Bulaklak sabi eh.

Contestant: Sitsarong bulaklak?

Host: Hindi pa rin. It ends with a letter "A".

Contestant: Sitsarong bulaklak na may sukA?

Host: Oh, para madali, uulitin ko ang clues at dadagdagan ko pa! Ano ang pangalan ng bulaklak na nagsisimula sa "S", nagtata! ! pos sa letrang "A", at kapangalan ng isang sikat na singer?

Contestant: Si...Sharon CunetA!
----------------------------------------

Host: Sino ang national hero na naka-picture sa 500Peso bill? Clue: may initials na N.A. (Ninoy Aquino)

Contestant: N-ora A-unor?

Host: Hindi. Ang pangalan niya ay nage-end sa "Y".

Contestant: GuY Aunor?

Host: Hindi. Dati siyang Senador.

Contestant: Si Former Senator Guy Aunor?

Host: Hindi. Patay na siya.

Contestant: ANO??!! PATAY NA SI NORA AUNOR???!!!

--------------------------------------------

Old Chinese in death bed:
"Akyen junior 'ndyan ba?"
"Dito po!"

"Akyen panganay 'ndyan ba?"
"Dito po!"

"Akyen daughtel 'ndyan ba?"
"Dito po!"

"Akyen asawa 'ndyan ba?"
"Dito din honey!"

"Walahiya! Dito kayo lahat! Wala tao tindahan!"

Ito na lang ang bilhin mo signatures na signatures ang dating.

CK--------Cavite Kamiseta.
YSL-------Yari Sa Laguna.
UCB-------Under the Coconut tree in Baclaran.
DKNY------Divisoria Kanto Ng Ylaya.

At pag suot mo tong mga to pre, pang GQ model ang dating mo sa magazines:
GQ------ Galing Quiapo ----------

As we get older,

we are richer
Silver hair
Gold tooth
Stones in kidney
Oil in pace
Gas in tian
Careful daw at baka makidnap!

Chinese names for those born during new year

At Midnight Andy Lim
At Wedlock Tina Go
By Swindler Lino Co
Fat Boy Bob Uy
Different Eva Yan

A Rhose, by Any Other Name
By Matthew Sutherland

"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches" --(Proverbs 22:1)

WHEN I arrived in the Philippines from the UK six years ago, one of the first cultural differences to strike me was names. The subject has provided a continuing source of amazement and amusement ever since.

The first unusual thing, from an English perspective, is that everyone here has a nickname. In the staid and boring United Kingdom, we have nicknames in kindergarten, but when we move into adulthood we tend, I am glad to say, to lose them.

The second thing that struck me is that Philippine names for both girls and boys tend to be what we in the UK would regard as overbearingly cutesyfor anyone over about five. "Fifty-five-year-olds with names that sound like five-year-olds", as one colleague put it. Where I come from, a boy with a nickname like Boy Blue or Honey Boy would be beaten to death at school by pre-adolescent bullies, and never make it to adulthood. So, probably, would girls with names like Babes, Lovely, Precious, Peachy or Apples. Yuk, ech ech. Here, however, no one bats an eyelid.

Then I noticed how many people have what I have come to call "door-bell names". These are nicknames that sound like - well, door-bells. There are millions of them. Bing, Bong, Ding, and Dong are some of the more common. They can be, and frequently are, used in even more door-bell-like combinations such as Bing-Bong, Ding-Dong, Ting-Ting, and so on. Even our newly-appointed chief of police has a doorbell name - Ping. None of these door-bell names exist where I come from, and hence sound unusually amusing to my untutored foreign ear. Someone once told me that one of the Bings, when asked why he was called Bing, replied "because my brother is called Bong". Faultless logic. Dong, of course, is a particularly funny one for me, as where I come from "dong" is a slang word for... well, perhaps "talong" is the best Tagalog equivalent.

Repeating names was another novelty to me, having never before encountered people with names like Len-Len, Let-Let,Mai-Mai, or Ning-Ning. The secretary I inherited on my arrival had an unusual one: Leck-Leck. Such names are then frequently further refined by using the "squared" symbol, as in Len2 or Mai2. This had me very confused for a while.

Then there is the trend for parents to stick to a theme when naming their children. This can be as simple as making them all begin with the same letter, as in Jun, Jimmy, Janice, and Joy. More imaginative parents shoot for more sophisticated forms of assonance or rhyme, as in Biboy,Boboy, Buboy, Baboy (notice the names get worse the more kids there are -- best to be born early or you could end up being a Baboy).

Even better, parents can create whole families of, say, desserts (Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Honey Pie) or flowers (Rose, Daffodil, Tulip). The main advantage of such combinations is that they look great painted across your trunk if you're a cab driver.

That's another thing I'd never seen before coming to Manila - taxis with the driver's kids' names on the trunk.

Another whole eye-opening field for the foreign visitor is the phenomenon of the "composite" name. This includes names like Jejomar (for Jesus, Joseph and Mary), and the remarkable Luzviminda (for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, believe it or not). That's a bit like me being called something like "Engscowani" (for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Between you and me, I'm glad I'm not.

And how could I forget to mention the fabulous concept of the randomly-inserted letter 'h'. Quite what this device is supposed to achieve, I have not yet figured out, but I think it is designed to give a touch of class to an otherwise only averagely weird name. It results in creations like Jhun, Lhenn, Ghemma, and Jhimmy. Or how about Jhun-Jhun (Jhun2)?

There is also a whole separate field of name games -- those where the parents have exhibited a creative sense of humor on purpose. I once had my house in London painted by a Czechoslovakian decorator by the name of Peter Peter. I could never figure out if his parents had a fantastic sense of humor or no imagination at all -- it had to be one or the other. But here in the Philippines, wonderful imagination and humor is often applied to the naming process, particularly, it seems, in the Chinese community. My favourites include Bach Johann Sebastian; Edgar Allan Pe; Jonathan Livingston Sy; Magic Chiongson, Chica Go, and my girlfriend's very own sister, Van Go. I am assured these are real people, although I've only met two of them. I hope they don't mind being mentioned here.

How boring to come from a country like the UK full of people with names like John Smith. How wonderful to come from a country where imagination and exoticism rule the world of names. Even the towns here have weird names; my favorite is the unbelieveably-named town of Sexmoan (ironically close to Olongapo and Angeles).

Where else in the world could that really be true? Where else in the world could the head of the Church really be called Cardinal Sin? Where else in the world could Angel, Gigi and Mandy be grown-up men? Where else could you go through adultlife unembarrassed and unassailed with a name like Mosquito, or Pepper, or Honey Boy?

Where else but the Philippines!

English Translations of Filipino Names

NEW! Remigio Batungbacal
Remington Steel

NEW! Bienvenido Jurado
Ben Hur

NEW! Federico Hagibis
Federal Express

Eleoterio Ignacio
Electronic Ignition

Casimiro Bukaykay
Cashmir Bouquet

Rogelio Dagdag
Roger Moore

Topacio Mamaril
Top Gun

Restituto Pruto
Tutti Frutti

Samuel Tampipi
Sam Sonite

Veneracion De Asis
Venereal Disease

Francisco Portero
Frank Furter

Diosdado Durante
Deo Dorant

A man dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates.

St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."

"Okay" the man says, "I attended church every Sunday"
"That's good, says St. Peter, " that's worth two points"

"Two points?" he says. "Well, I gave 10% of all my earnings to the church"
"Well, let's see," answers Peter, "that's worth another 2 points. Did you do anything else?"

"Two points? Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's certainly worth a point, " he says.

"hmmm...," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!"

"THREE POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!"

"Come on in!"

----------------------------------------------------------

There once was a rich man who was near death. He was very grieved because he had worked so hard for his money and he wanted to be able to take it with him to heaven. So he began to pray that he might be able to take some of his wealth with him.

An angel hears his plea and appears to him. "Sorry, but you can't
take your wealth with you." The man implores the angel to speak to God to see if He might bend the rules.

The man continues to pray that his wealth could follow him. The angel reappears and informs the man that God has decided to allow him to take one suitcase with him. Overjoyed, the man gathers his largest suitcase and fills it with pure gold bars and places it beside his bed.

Soon afterward the man dies and shows up at the Gates of Heaven to
greet St. Peter. St. Peter seeing the suitcase says, "Hold on, you
can't bring that in here!"

But, the man explains to St. Peter that he has permission and asks him to verify his story with the Lord. Sure enough, St. Peter checks and comes back saying, "You're right. You are allowed one carry-on bag, but I'm supposed to check its contents before letting it through."

St. Peter opens the suitcase to inspect the worldly items that the man found too precious to leave behind and exclaims, "You brought
pavement?!!!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

One day while walking down the street a highly successful executive woman was tragically hit by a bus and she died. Her soul arrived up in heaven where she was met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter himself. "Welcome to Heaven," said St.Peter. "Before you get settled in though, it seems we have a problem. You see, strangely enough, we've never once had an executive make it this far and we're not really sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in." said the woman.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have higher orders. What we're going to do is let you have a day in Hell and a day in Heaven and then you can choose whichever one you want to spend an eternity in."

"Actually, I think I've made up my mind...I prefer to stay in Heaven", said the woman.

"Sorry, we have rules..." And with that St. Peter put the executive in an elevator and it went down-down-down to hell. The doors opened and she found herself stepping out onto the putting green of a beautiful golf course. In the distance was a country club and standing in front of her were all her friends - fellow executives that she had worked with and they were all dressed in evening gowns and cheering for her. They ran up and kissed her on both cheeks and they talked about old times. They played an excellent round of golf and at night went to the country club where she enjoyed an excellent steak and lobster dinner. She met the Devil who was actually a really nice guy (kinda cute) and she had a great time telling jokes and dancing. She was having such a good time that before she knew it, it was time to leave. Everybody shook her hand and waved good- bye as she got on the elevator. The elevator went up-up-up and opened back up at the Pearly Gates and found St. Peter waiting for her. "Now it's time to spend a day in heaven," he said.

So she spent the next 24 hours lounging around on clouds and
playing the harp and singing. She had a great time and before she knew it her 24 hours were up and St. Peter came and got her.

"So, you've spent a day in hell and you've spent a day in heaven.

Now you must choose your eternity," he said.

The woman paused for a second and then replied, "Well, I never thought I'd say this, I mean, Heaven has been really great and all, but I think I had a better time in Hell."

So St. Peter escorted her to the elevator and again she went down-down-down back to Hell. When the doors of the elevator opened she found herself standing in a desolate wasteland
covered in garbage and Filth. She saw her friends were dressed in rags and were picking up the garbage and putting it in sacks. The Devil came up to her and put his arm around her. "I don't understand," stammered the woman, "yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and a country club and we ate lobster and we danced and had a great time. Now all there is a wasteland of garbage and all my friends look miserable."

The Devil looked at her and smiled. "Yesterday we were recruiting you; today you're staff."

Everybody on earth dies and goes to heaven. God comes and says "I want the men to make two lines. One line for the men that dominated their women on earth and the other line for the men that were whipped by their women. Also, I want all the women to go with St Peter."

Said and done, the next time God looks the women are gone and there are two lines. The line of the men that were whipped was 100 miles long, on the line of men that dominated women there was only one man.

God got mad and said. "You men should be ashamed of yourselves. I
created you in my image, and you were all whipped by your mates. Look at the only one of my sons that stood up and made me proud, Learn from him!" Tell them my son how did you manage to be the only one on that line?

The man said, "I don't know. My wife told me to stand here."

----------------------------------------

A priest and a taxi driver both died and went to heaven. St. Peter
was at the Pearly gates waiting for them.

'Come with me', said St. Peter to the taxi driver.

The taxi driver did as he was told and followed St. Peter to a
mansion. It had anything you could imagine from a bowling alley to an Olympic size pool.

'Wow, thank you', said the taxi driver.

Next, St. Peter led the priest to a rugged old shack with a bunk
bed and a little old television set.

'Wait, I think you are a little mixed up', said the priest.
'Shouldn't I be the one who gets the mansion? After all I was a priest, went to church every day, and preached God's word.'

'Yes, that's true. But during your sermons people slept. When the
taxi driver drove, everyone prayed.'

Click this link to see a cool new year e-card (sent to me by Roger David...Thanks Roger!)

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2665311042386&source=

2011 Trends

2010-12-18T22:29:00.003+08:00

2011 Trends for the Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty and Wellness Industry
by Eunice

But before I share to you the 4 mega-trends here is one favorite music I wanted to share. Expect greater things to come in 2011!

2011 FOUR MEGA-TRENDS FOR BUSINESS AND PROFESSION WITH A FOCUS ON THE SPA, MASSAGE THERAPY, BEAUTY AND WELLNESS INDUSTRY

By yunesa(at)yahoo.com
1. You-nique
Little by little, the culture for being unique and different will penetrate the market. People will put up a business not just to join the bandwagon but to differentiate itself from the rest. Businesses which tend to copycat (gaya-gaya) others will have more difficulty as the market is already saturated in most metropolitan areas. The results would be: Individualized unique selling propositions of different businesses and professionals in the industry; People and professionals would want to master and focus on their uniqueness and being different and applying them in their field of interest. The most innovative and the visionaries will win. So what will Asia offer uniquely? What will Filipinos offer that sets it apart from others? Shine! Shine bright!

2. Fusion
I have already written about this in 2010 as part of the emerging trend and this has already started in many industries this year 2010 but will become diverse in the years 2011 and beyond. I remember the story of the crab seller. He was selling German. American and Filipino crabs. Two containers were closed while the third was left open and one buyer asked why is the third one open. He replied that those are Filipino crabs and no one will be able to get out of the bucket because every other crab will pull him down. One thing that we have to practice hard is push each other up, bless people who are more successful than we are because our words come back to us four fold. If you think badly of the success of others, you won’t be successful because you will also be thinking badly of your own success, you will pull yourself down! So start blessing, loving and giving more.

Mergers. Combination. Grouping. Mixtures. Mingling. Hybrid. Togetherness. Collective. Collaborative. Unity. Whatever the term more and more people will realize that there is strength in numbers more and more businesses and professions will gravitate towards this trend. We have already seen for the past few years, the fusion of health and medical field with the field of alternative medicine otherwise known as Integrative or Complementary medicine. We can see more and more hospitals looking like spas and healing retreats. We can see migration of health professionals in the field of wellness. Other forms of fusion and grouping are websites with group buying online, which will increase in popularity. Social buying. Group buying. We already have group buying sites in the Philippines with websites like:

http://www.presyongpatok.com/
(as of this writing the site is about to be launched soon by our Meetup friends at 98Labs http://www.98labs.com/ )

http://www.buyanihan.com/

http://www.cashcashpinoy.com/

http://www.localroam.ph/

http://www.beeconomic.com/

http://www.ensogo.com.ph/

http://www.etreet.com/

http://www.etreet.com/

http://www.awesome.ph/

http://www.dealgrocer.com/

http://www.twangoo.com/

As Seth Godin points out in his blog “Groupon is a very different thing. Here, it's not a hassle, it's the fun factor. Buying this way is exciting, you never know what's next, you do it with friends, the copy is funny, it's an adventure. As a result, many Groupon customers in fact do convert to becoming long time patrons of the place they tried, because they're not inherently cheap shoppers. When they're on Groupon they're hunting for fun. But if you offer an astonishing product and great service after they try you, they may convert into shopping with you for the long haul, not because you're a Groupon replacement, but because you bring them more than the alternatives. The net, once again, is making it easier to find and organize tribes of people, even for short durations. When you intersect these aligned groups with high-margin products, you can create fascinating commerce opportunities.”

I subscribe to all of these group buying sites online and I think they are great for consumers not only for cheapskates. I suggest for you to subscribe to. The popular motto: If you can’t beat them, join them will be a wise thing to do in these times. In the Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness industry, fusion on the types of treatments, therapies, professions, businesses, websites and affiliates. Examples of fusion: In the spa, massage therapy and wellness profession: more and more health practitioners will be accepting alternative medicine and other spa therapies that prove to be scientifically effective. When it comes to services and activities spas will fuse/combine creative ways of spending time at the spa like: laughter yoga, flower arrangement, lei, macro-biotic cooking, vegetarianism, color therapy, digitization, etc. Who knows some courses in school will be defunct and/merged with another course? So in essence, don’t be left behind! Noone is an island, team up with others. Your weaknesses are all a sign that we need others to build a team. Build bridges!

To give a glimpse of the FUTURE see the funny video below:

3. Local Twists and versions

The nearer the source- the better it is for suppliers, distributors and consumers and the more popular it will become. More businesses will source out local products and indigenous “one-of-a-kind services and products”. In fact, a local version or an Asian version of almost everything will be invented, discovered and popularized. An increased awareness of one’s own culture will definitely boost creativity.

4. Mindology and Brainology
Bringing consciousness to the table means a lot of people will gravitate towards the need for self-fulfillment through the power of the mind. More and more eyes will be opened to new possibilities and opportunities by using brain power mainly because of the urgency in ones deeper self to make a difference. Implications will include: the need for spas to fuse music which stimulates our brain waves to be more creative, color therapy in schematics, amongst others.

Bottom line, we have to realize that although this business or profession is based on healing, passion and commitment to people, I believe that it is necessary to change in terms of how we deliver results financially. We have to evolve and be better if we want to grow individual business as well as our industry. If I could, I would teach, speak or write and give FREE advice to anyone who is willing to listen (and I know a lot of you out there are silently listening, Thanks to you.) but we are all on the same boat. We all need to make a living in something that we love doing. As for myself, I make my living by helping others start, create or change their business to be more successful in their business or profession so that we might all be better able to touch other’s lives and provide greater value for our clients and our community.
I hope that you understand that it is my deepest wish for you in 2011 that you heal yourself in career, work, business and relationships- and all the other areas in between so that you may continue to heal others. If I can be of service to you in accomplishing your goals, I want you to know that I am only an email away. If you are ready in changing for the better in the 2011 please do get in touch with me and like all of my clients who have been a family to me, all these years, I promise you two things:

1. If I can help your business or profession, you will be able to afford my services and

2. If I can’t help you, I will never sell you something you do not need.
My dear friend, I pray that you will…

• Spiritually, grow closer to God, our Creator.

• Financially, grow towards financial abundance and generosity.

• Physically, grow healthier and stronger.

• Emotionally, grow more peaceful.

• Relationally, grow in love.

Those are my aspirations for you.

Have a Victorious and Blessed 2011!

(If you want to know the trend last year please click on this link below:
http://yunesa.blogspot.com/2009/12/2010-trends-spa-massage-therapy-beauty.html)

Non-material, Unique and Memorable Gift Ideas

2010-12-03T19:46:00.003+08:00

NON-MATERIAL GIFTS AND UNIQUE GIFT IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS

By yunesa(at)yahoo.com

Thank God Christmas na naman and we have so much to be thankful for. Indeed despite the odds, we are overcomers, we did not only survived but we grew and we thrived and have met a lot of wonderful inspiring people. Christmas is just a few days from now so before we rush to give gifts, let me enumerate several non-material and kung material naman we can make it as unique and as memorable as possible. When buying a unique and special gift for our loved ones we are using up all our creativity and resources to do so. If money is tight, every peso counts so there is no such thing as “cheap”, if you have really thought about it, no matter what the cost, then that’s what matters. Material gifts are not the only things that you can give so before buying something, listen to clues on what he/she really wants. Instead of the usual gifts, you can mix and match any two or three of these items depending on your budget. Last week I already started shopping for friends, mentors, business associates and partners in the spa and wellness industry most of them naman are outside the country so my challenge is to give something that is light and will stand the pressure of being transported in our postal system :-). My aim is to represent the country’s being unique and one of a kind kaya, I have window shopped at Ragds2Riches in Cubao and Echostore at Serendra. I think gifts that symbolize our core lifestyle and principles stand out from those expensive ones. In order to be special, I believe that a gift should always be a representative of ourselves and the people whom we wish to bless.

So, I came up with a list of non-material and unique gift ideas for this season:

1. Non-material and Experiential Personalized gifts

A. If you are a massage therapist or know how to professionally perform massage therapy, offer a massage or an hour of bodywork as a gift but if you are not, then buy a massage or spa gift certificate for them. Treat them to a spa.

B. If you are skilled in a particular area, offer a FREE lesson, class, personal training session or coaching to people you think really needs them but cannot pay you.

C. Volunteer for a special event or a Christmas party

D. Write an encouraging email. Tell some good news about your life and how that person has been a part of it. It was found out that the most successful people are generous with their praises. The more good things you look for in people, the more good things come to you. So write some encouraging letter or email to people whom you admire, who has helped you in anyway and people you look up to. Not only would they be glad to give you some advice or tips but more goodness will come to you.

E. Treat them to a restaurant, an ice cream parlor or a night out at the movies.

F. Take them to a beach, a zoo, a picnic or an amusement park.

G. Buy a gym membership for them

H. A gift certificate or ticket to a seminar, workshop, concert, sporting event, a game or show. One of our Meetup members and a dear friend of mine, Antoinette Villajin offers yoga classes for only 100 pesos.
Here is the link to her website: http://toinettevillajin.com/

I. Unforgettable getaway or weekend out of town

J. Baby-sit for them

K. Do the laundry

L. Clean the garden

M. Run at least 3 errands for the person

N. Feed the pet

O. Take them to Philippine heritage sites and museums

P. Pay for his/her music, art or massage/spa class

Q. Make a charitable donation in his/her behalf/name or pick a charity and whatever you would like to spend for that person, you should give it as a donation to that charity.

R. Write a poem

S. Compose a song

T. This one is from Yvonne Aburrow, organize a Jumble exchange; it works like this. Everyone brings clothes, books, ornaments or toys that they don't really use any more. It all gets laid out on tables or a tarpaulin in the garden (or in the house if you have room). Everyone picks out what they want (no money changes hands). At the end there's a "grand holding up" where everyone is shown what is left. If no-one wants it, it goes to a charity shop (thrift store). Usually there are three or four big bags left over to go to the charity shop. Another idea is to write out some nice poetry in calligraphy style and frame it. To avoid buying the frame, you could make it out of driftwood or broken china mosaic, or pebbles.

2. Unique things/items ( some of which you can make with your own hands)

Examples:

a. Towels or slippers with embroidered names of the recipients

b. Collect quotes or inspiring stories and compile them in a personalized album

c. Bring some food that you cooked and prepared yourself. (Make sure that it has a long shelf life).

d. A pot of herb, orchid, flowers or local plant like those petite bamboos that does not need soil.

e. Hand-made recipe book

f. Christmas tree ornaments out of scrap

g. Bed and bath accessories with their name on it (either embroidered, painted or printed)

3. Memorable gifts and socially conscious gift ideas (but you can also make your own at home)

a. Hand-made organic soaps and candles (you can visit the website www.yakappinoy.com 90% of products there were formulated by Dra. Naomi Dilodilo, a dear friend of mine and one of our members at Meetup and her advocacy is bringing products of the Philippines in the global market. Plus, her products are not expensive and delicious pa!)

b. Handmade Christmas cards (Since I am artistically challenged and thought of giving not just ordinary Christmas cards bought in a local bookstore, I ordered mine from San Roque Handmade paper products Multi-Purpose Cooperative, you can browse over their hand-made Christmas cards and all occasion cards at this site www.dayawanpaper.com. By the way, they are located in Misamis Oriental so might as well order from them early so they can ship it to you. Depending on the number of cards, I ordered 32 pieces so mine arrived after ordering in less than a week. You can also call Emma Salvana at 09324454265 or contact Elnie-Balabaga Cagas Community Relations Department STEAG State Power, Inc.PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate Balacanas, Villanueva, Misamis Oriental 9002, Philippines Email: elnie.cagas@steagstatepower.com

Phone +63 (32) 230 8200 Fax +63 (32) 230 8283)

For your close friends, give additional cards for them to be able to send out to another person as well.

You can also send funny and nice Christmas e-cards for them like the one below:

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

c. Organic delights such as: honeyed candies, sweets and delicacies (see www.yakappinoy.com )

d. CD’s, DVD’s or movies that could make a difference like:

a. The Genius Club (Stephen Baldwin, Paula Parker, et al)

b. Blind Side (Sandra Bullock)

c. Fireproof (Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea)

d. Flywheel (from the Creators of Facing the Giants)

e. Love’s Enduring Promise (a film by Michael Landon)

f. Spa music CD’s

g. Inspirational audio books and CD’s

e. Organic stuffs and toiletries like soaps, shampoo and toiletries

f. Yoga mat

g. Inspirational books and audio books or books that promote the health and well-being of the person.

h. Hula-hoop or jumping ropes for the fitness conscious or wellness conscious individual.

i. Massager (electronic or wooden)

j. Buy some locally and organically grown food or delicacies

k. A pet

l. A magazine subscription

Before I end, one of the greatest gifts you can give others and yourself is the gift of forgiveness and acceptance. It will be your Christmas gift to the Lord. Any type of resentment, sama ng loob, pagkamuhi, inggit- it’s time to release them unto the Lord. Anyway, it is Jesus Christ’s birthday not ours. Happy Birthday Lord!

If you have other gift ideas not listed here or where to purchase it from, please do share it. I would be glad to publish it here.
Thanks and Merry Christmas to one and all!

BizWiz Consumer Review and What Spas, Massage Clinics and Wellness Center Professionals and Businesses can Learn from Them

2010-11-19T08:35:00.006+08:00

BizWiz B.E.S.T. Workshop Consumer Review and What Spas, Massage Clinics and Wellness Center Professionals and Businesses can Learn from Them
by Eunice
yunesa(at)yahoo.com

It has been some time now since my latest consumer review for spas, massage clinic and wellness centers mainly because most of those businesses that I have gone to are not fit to be mentioned. Hehehe...let alone blogged about. When I blog, I would rather blog about exceptional, unique products and services. People that are linchpins not the ordinary ones. This I found with the BizWiz's B.E.S.T. (Beyond Entrepreneurship Skills Training) workshop. I think yung letter S dapat they have to change to Simulation hehehe.... Sometimes, it's also time constraints as I wanted to write about other services pero my time won't allow it. Oh well....

I will try my best not to write too much in detail here as it will defeat the purpose of the B.E.S.T. workshop (and I have to be careful not to divulge too much as we signed a NDA- non disclusore agreement...hehehe..fortunately Jason Estimado told me I am exempted from the rule). Okay first things first, there are five basic things I learned from the two-days workshop:

1. I found out that this is not a seminar but a workshop. People keep referring this as a seminar...I beg to disagree. A seminar is best for visual and auditory learners because technically, a seminar is (almost always) just a one way uni-directional type of communication. One speaks and the rest listens. Do not expect to just sit down, relax and sleep while the speaker or lecturer or facilitator gets in front. Be prepared to take part of the activities and finish them.

2. I found out that I am a kinestetic learner. I learn and retain things better when I DO things with my hands and get involved in activities with others and if you are that type of learner, this workshop is a very good fit for you. You have to figure things out on your own. How do you know if you know something? Kasi ginagawa mo na ang natutunan mo in your daily activities but kung hindi mo naman ina-apply sa buhay mo then, you have not learned at all.

3. I am very much aware of corporate social responsibility(CRS)- eto common..nothing new, but in this workshop we have to go beyond CSR. Businesses should earn profit while working towards addressing basic human needs which includes a range of issues such as health, wealth generation, equality, environmental managament and building trust-based relationships. This I have found sa B.E.S.T. workshop ng BizWhiz. Sana tayo rin na mga consumers of services maging mindful or concerned tayo sa role natin in creating a better and sustainable world. Hindi puwede yung bili tayo ng bili, attend ng attend ng seminars or events na wala namang impact sa buhay natin. I admit I am a seminar junkie- talagang mahilig ako sa seminars, workshops to the point of attending them outside the country pero the B.E.S.T. is one of those very few na I think would be a very good example of how to turn things around and I would be proud of promoting. Because the workshop is not really technical, it's streetwise---- and fun!

4. I have met a lot of informal leaders. The formal leaders are those with MBA's, two or three degrees and titles attached to their names but here at B.E.S.T. Biz Whiz workshop I have seen and met informal leaders. Informal leaders develop and they do not have any explicit qualification. They are seldom seen as high potential candidates for top leadership positions. I feel that the spa, massage therapy and wellness business should learn from them as we have to seek the creme dela creme of the industry without focusing too much on degrees and educational attainment, grammar and formalities.

5. B.E.S.T by BizWiz resources is one of the linchpins in the information, seminars and workshop industry. Thanks to the brilliant Seth Godin for the word. Linchpins or lynchpins are systems, concepts or people who do things that either hold the enterprise together or move it forward (or both). Linchpins do timely work that delights the recipient without expecting anything in return- the spirit of genuine giving. Satisfactory work, Godin argues, does not elicit the same response. Linchpins refuse to succumb to norms and be like all the other businesses or workers. They are creative, inspiring, proactive driving forces- I hope that BizWhiz will continue to become bigger and better too.

For me, linchpins are uniquely carving their niche in a seemingly very competitive business or professional environement. Kaya up to now hindi ko maintindihan bakit ang dami pa ring gustong mag put-up or mag start ng kanilang spa, massage clinic and wellness center without thinking what will differentiate them from the rest of the pack- aside from the price. Seasoned spa, massage clinics and wellness center owners know that you will not survive in the industry if you are not uniquely you. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, linchpins become mapmakers and chart new directions.

You and I are born equal pero different. Do you want to be really rich and happy? Do you want to stand out from the rest of those massage therapists, spa therapists or business owners out there? Then be yourself. Be what you really are. Be very good at what you do. This is the first step toward becoming beter than what you are today. Chose to become yourself. Huwag kang gumaya lang ng gumaya.

We cannot reach our true destiny kung lagi ka na lang habol ng habol at gaya ng gaya sa iba. You can't reach your destiny taking another man's road. If you will not walk in someone else's track you will not make new discoveries. You have to follow the leading of your heart and go instead where noonw has gone before you and leave a trail there.

Avoid following the crowd. Minsan, I will meet spa owners who are about to start their business in this industry who have their own originality. Hindi sila common na spa. Did you know that you are detined to be different? That is why we all have different fingerprints. God did not make any of us alike. Dare to be different in your field and follow your own star. How?

Sabi ng Romans 12: 6-8 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

So how will you develop your gifts. skills and talents inherent in you? Develop your interests and potential. The more you develop your talents and skills- the less you will be like someone else. Trying to copy the business of another is self-defeating. One of your main purpose in your life is to know thyself and give birth to yourself. Alamin mo kung saan ka magaling at saan ka mahilig na kahit nahihirapan ka eh- masaya ka then find a way to earn from what you love doing. Kung mahilig kang mag sulat at matagal mo ng pinapangarap na magsulat ng iyong libro then write what you love about. Buy books, CD's about book writing and publishing then interview people who have gone before you.

You canot be so-so, common, average, ordinary in order to stand out in this world, you have to be an original, atypical, exceptional, extraordinary, unusual to be remembered. Common people, common places and common things get forgotten easily. You must be uncommon and be the best version of yourself, your profession and your business to be a champion and a superstar. Be a superstar in your chosen niche.

Do not let your life be a constant struggle between what you are not and what you should not. You are what God made you and a miracle. Be the best version of yourself.

Be YOU-nique and make a difference.

The TRUE Giftedness in Business and Career (of Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness)

2010-11-08T18:42:00.006+08:00

The TRUE Giftedness in Business and Career (of Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness)
by yunesa@yahoo.com

There are two types of business:
1. The business of giving to get and
2. The business of giving to love.
In the first type of business, the business exists only for attention, the emulation of others or the need of the entrepreneur to be liked or loved and thus to earn money.

In the latter type of business, it gives because it wants to serve people and loves the people they are serving. The entrepreneur is passionate about what he/she does and would like to share it with others. This should be the heart of every business and profession not only the spa, massage therapy or wellness industry. Money is just a way for these businesses to be rewarded financially. Eventhough their value is much more than money. It is always a blessing to do what you love and be paid for it.

There is nothing wrong if we want to be loved, liked and admired. It's one of our most basic need. But we have to realize that giving out of necessity and as a way of getting attention and to be loved, then this is not true generosity. That's toxic. You call that co-dependent type of person and it's lethal to your soul. Pleasing people so that they will love you in return is like buying their love. It's slow suicide.

One very close person that I knew very well always give gifts to her friends and colleagues. Whatever she can afford: food, clothing, shoes... things. People would always tell her "Oh you're so generous" but deep within, I know this person is one of the most miserable person on planet Earth. She is constantly sad within because she does not know who her true friends are. She doesn't know if her friends are really friends and are simply there because she gives them stuff. People abuse her (false) kindness or (seemingly) generosity. She is not receiving the rewards of her generosity because she is not really generous- she is needy. She is needy for attention, for friendship and love. She is giving because she felt the need to be accepted. She's giving out of need and fear not out of love. Gloom and grief fills up the space she created. She gives out of need thus even becomes more needy. How do I know this? Because that person was no other than--- myself.

I was needing true friends and I thought I can be more closer to others if I would give something especially material things. I learned. I gained wisdom. If your love tank is empty like me before, you need to do a few things:
First, allow God to love you. Pray from your heart and ask Him to give you the love that no human being can give you. Accept that God loves you and died for your sins and no matter what He is just a prayer away. Accept Him in your heart. Dedicate to Him your past, your present, your future.

Secondly, know yourself, accept yourself, love yourself and forgive yourself. Your height, color, size, weight, IQ level, etc. Improve yourself but love it anyway. Learn to be generous to yourself, celebrate being alive daily or waking up- celebrate everyday! Remember this, unless you truly love yourself, you will not be capable of loving others.
Therefore, in our life, we have to love first ourselves before we really love others. This is not selfish. This is just right.

An example of which is when we ride airplanes. Di ba kahit sa eroplano may sinasabi ang mga flight attendants na ganito: "In the unlikely event of a loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will appear. Place the mask over your mouth and nose, and breath normally. If you are traveling with small children, secure your own mask first, and then help them with theirs....." Why do we have to secure our oxygen first before helping children with them? Why should grownups get the oxygen before the kids? It is very important for us adults, to make sure that we get the mask on quickly or we might pass out before we could help them and they would not be able to help us.

Let us love ourselves and forgive ourselves first before we can truly love and forgive others.

Third, be with people who will add value to your life NOT just people who are there because they want to sell something to you or they want to pick your brains. Be with people who will give out of something of themselves (example: time, Godly advise, effort, service, companionship, committment, etc.) to you for friendship and love. Dump people (I mean get out of a relationship or avoid them as much as possible) who are complainers- you know, those Debbie downers, the types who sucks the energy off of you but instead replace them with people who inspires you and improves your outlook in life. The circle of friends that you choose should be positive and inspiring people inspite of the rocky roads in life not the gloomy and pessimistic ones.

I repeat: the true wealth in business or any profession or career is being truly generous with your core gifts, skills and talents and sharing it with others. It is giving out of love, which fills our lives with more love. Then money will find a way to come.

To understand where I am coming from look at this video of my past.- Click on this link.

One way of loving yourself is doing what this little girl is doing.

So tell me, which type of business or profession are you about to start? The first or the second?

God bless you, your spa, massage business, your career, your profession, your family, your plans and goals!

Stereotype stories

2010-10-21T20:34:00.006+08:00

Stereotype Stories

By Eunice Estipona

What first comes into your mind when you hear the word Spa? Massage? Beauty? Wellness? How do you stereotype these words? Is it one which relaxes you? One that creates an emotion of serenity? Stereotypes can either be positive or negative but when it comes to people, it ignores the possibility that an individual is unique. Stereotypes view people by painting all members of a group with the same brush. A few days ago, I read and viewed a few videos/ stories all with one similar theme: stereotyping.

Stereotyping story #1- Stereotyping religion

Its extreme to judge a religion by what others have done. Let us instill forgiveness not vengeance inspite of stereotyping. Let us continue to pray for a heart that would find understanding in this troublesome world.

Stereotyping story #2- Stereotyping Names (from an email by my friend, Rommel Martinez)

A Pinoy went to a bar in Hawaii to have some drinks. At the counter, he sat next to the famous Hollywood director, Steven Spielberg who was already ahead by a quart of alcohol. After a couple of beers, the Pinoy sensed that Spielberg was glaring at him. Suddenly, in a flash the Pinoy crashed down from his stool, felled by a vicious hook from the director.

Picking himself up, he yelled, "Wat is dat por?"
Spielberg ranted: "That's for the bombing of Pearl Harbor , you #@@!!##! My dad perished in that bombing!"
"But I am not Jafanese... I am Filipino!" exclaimed the Pinoy.

The inebriated director replied, "Yeah yeah yeah ....Japanese, Burmese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino ...you are all the same."

Regaining his composure, the Pinoy dusted off his white pants, straightened the collar of his loud bird-of-paradise printed shirt, took his seat and ordered a double R&B from the bartender. After a few sips, the Pinoy stood up and delivered his best Jackie Chan karate kick, sending the director flying halfway across the room.

"What was that for?!!" shouted the surprised Spielberg from about fifteen feet away.

"Dat's por da sinking of da TITANIC! I had my grandpader on dat ship!" the Pinoy answered back.

"You ignorant! The TITANIC was sunk by an iceberg!" exclaimed the director.

"Yah yah yah...Iceberg, Spielberg, Carlsberg... you are all the same."

When we see a Filipina working in Hong Kong, do we stereotype them as domestic helpers, nannies and care givers? what about Filipinas working in Japan? Although most of what Filipinos do outside the country are honorable work, not all people have the right mindset. I have personally experienced stereotyping when we touched down Frankfurt, Germany and we were not allowed to get out of the terminal just as quickly as others would, just because we were carrying Filipino passorts and maybe (just maybe) there have been a lot of reports of people coming into transit but exiting Frankfurt illegally, who knows? it just seems stereotyping is everywhere. The question is, how do we want as a country and a race to be remembered? What do we want to be stereotyped as a nation five years down the road?

Stereotyping story #3- Stereotyping beauty and color

The Filipinos have often stereotyped white skincolor as something superior and thus, we have all kinds of whitening and bleaching products and services in the spa. Even the type of hair is stereotyped as beautiful if its straight but its ugly when its curly. Therefore salons kept on urging us to rebond, relax and straighten our hair. Media (especially TV commercials) has often made us think that outside beauty is a thing to focus on but true beauty lies more than skin deep. Although a beautiful face has its merits, we should focus more on our attitude and our hearts. We should not judge the book by its cover.

Stereotyping Story #4- Stereotyping Brands

Believe it or not consumers stereotype brands. What comes into mind when we hear the words, Dolce and Gabbana? Levis? La Coste? Havaianas? Nike? what about when we hear the words Marriott Hotel what comes into our mind? Several years ago, I read two stories about this great hotel chain and the wonderful people working there. First, the Cambridge Marriott Hotel which is legendary for its exemplary service. At a time when the hotel industry was feeling the crunch, it even made more money. It's even rare to find people leaving the hotel without returning back. The secret? The doorman of the country called Phil Adelman. He was 59 years old when he was hired at Marriott, barely a high school graduate and had no hotel experience. He originally applied for a job as a dishwasher but was willing to accept any post that Marriott would give, Phil became a doorman. Phil grabs doors, slots luggages, he does more than make every guest feel welcome and at home. He is as much a performer as a service worker. He has some dramatic ideal of the doorman in mind and he tried to live up to that ideal. He loves people and takes pride in the work itself. The talent and charm of Phil Adelman is the giving of small favors for people without making them appear as much. He never hangs around waiting for a tip. According to Phil, "waiting around for the tip, spoils the ritual of providing service both for him and the guests" plus, he doesn't have to. It's the guests who track him down to give him tip. His joy is in serving people and his passion is in having served well. Even after he was diagnosed with colon cancer- he never missed a day of work, according to his wife Helen. In 2007, he died at the age of 80.

Another employee of Marriott, Albert "Smitty" Smith was awarded the Best Sports Salesperson of the Year, beating all the other salesperson from every Marriott branch all over the world. Even when half the Dodger's team went to the other competing hotel to take advantage of the lower price, Albert took a day off. Not for himself though. He would call the other hotel and ask one of his friends what time the team would arrive then he would go over there in full uniform and wait for the team in the lobby. One time when the Dodger's came to town, Coach Tommy Lasorda led the team into the competing hotel and he was standing there waiting for them. Tommy smiles, shook his hand and said "Smitty, what are you doing here? Are you with the hotel now? This is great! So are we!" But Albert replied that he was still at the Marriott but he was there to wish them luck against the Braves and that he brought their special order from the Marriott after the game because their new hotel's room service closes at 11pm so he would miss his late night snack but most importantly, he also told them that "eventhough you can't afford to stay with Marriott anymore, we still love you".

Marriott. Great brand. Positive stereotyping. But wherever you are, whether working for the Marriott or not, the next time you stereotype your job as a necessary evil or you think like giving up on our work, think of Phil and Albert. Our work, staff, colleagues, company and bosses are a blessing. From them we can learn how to hone and cultivate more of our talents and skills. Our superiors detects the hidden gem in us and gives us the opportunity to contribute to the team. I am really blessed for having to learn and work hand in hand with great people in the spa, massage and wellness industry who taught me more than loving my career but loving people as the bottomline. Whatever the appearance, color, the creed, the religious affiliation, age, gender, etc...and that is positive stereotyping!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,” Colossians 3:23(NIV)

Why are we where we are now?

2010-10-11T00:31:00.003+08:00

Why are we where we are now?

by Eunice
(At-length analysis on why the Philippines is poor and what we can do about it)

After a decade in the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry, I have come to realize that an inexperienced staff with a track record of integrity is way more preferable than a brilliant employee with questionable ethics. The latter will become a problem in the future for the spa business. Here is why.

The video below hit the net community especially the Filipino audience online.

Before anything else, let us not talk about schools and crème de la crème. This will not be the focus of my blog. The thing that has really stuck into my mind is when Prof. Winnie Monsod said and I quote, “Eh saan tayo ngayon? (Where are we now?) If they (those in the government) are so good, why are we where we are now?”

In Philippine culture, we have always looked upon people who graduated with high honors, we have always saluted those who graduated from top universities especially those who studied in the US or abroad and we have placed in pedestals those whose diplomas and degrees are much higher than our own. If we are lead by great leaders coming from crème de la crème universities, who graduated with high honors and whose degrees and letters after the name is as many as the alphabet, in essence why is the Philippines still poor? There are a lot of factors and intricacies that this blog will not be able to answer. Suffice to say that one of the things that we have forgotten as a nation, we have placed too much emphasis on the outer realm, the diplomas, the school, the knowledge and the degrees to the point that we have exchanged our integrity for money, wealth or fame. It’s never enough to have a doctorate degree, to graduate with high honors or to graduate from a well-known university. The essence of going to school is for us to hone our talents, our knowledge and skills and apply them into our life, our practice and our work. An impeccable transcript of records, just don’t cut it in the real world of work. Excellence in itself is just not enough. There are a lot of excellent people in school with grade no lower than 1.5 (or A-) but their integrity and honor is as shallow as the cat’s pooo dugged under the soil. Do not get me wrong, hindi masamang magkaroon ng matataas na marka but do not let it overshadow our love for the country and our fellowmen. When Fortune 500 magazine asked the CEO’s of many Fortune 500 companies what they considered the most important qualities for hiring and promoting top executives, do you know what their unanimous answer were? It’s integrity and trustworthiness. Not technical skill, Not education, Not school. Not even a pleasing personality. But still, the good old-fashioned integrity, honesty, honor qualities that the Bible teaches. Only if we would turn and obey God’s word can we qualify to be a person of integrity and honor. Integrity and Honor, these things can never be taught even at Harvard.

Secondly, she said that “if you are going to help this country, you’ve got to be in this country.” The Filipino is also confused. Why? We want to stay in the country but there are no opportunities. There are no jobs that could help the people pay the crème de la crème tuition fees. I must admit, I am already at a point in my life where I am ready to move and I am contemplating on migrating abroad since all my immediate family is in the United States and I am the only one who is still a Filipino citizen. I think there are a lot (I mean a lot) of like me out there, who are ready to leave the country for better opportunities- for good. I do not blame them.

I have found the book, 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country by Atty. Alex Ledesma Lacson (also a graduate of the University of the Philippines) with my own thoughts and links added in CAPS:

1) Follow traffic rules. Follow the law.- THAT IS WHY LADY JUSTICE EYES ARE COVERED BECAUSE IT IS JUSTICE FOR ALL. RICH OR POOR ALIKE. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.

2) Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt.

3) Don’t buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino.- STOP BUYING PIRATED COPIES OF VCD’S, DVD’S OR CD’S. RESPECT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. AT LEAST BUY MORE FILIPINO PRODUCTS THAN IMPORTED ONES. HINDI YUNG MAS PROUD PA TAYO PAG IMPORTED. THINK OF IT THIS WAY, IF YOU ARE BUYING MASSAGE OILS PERHAPS A LEMON GRASS, GINGER OR SAMPAGUITA MASSAGE OIL. MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES HINDI BA ANG TINUTULUNGAN MO RIN AY ANG ATING MGA FARMERS AND ATING MGA LOCAL BUSINESS MEN? PARA SILA AY SUMAGANA AT HINDI NA KAILANGAN PANG MANGIBANG BANSA NG MGA FARMERS OR NG ATING MGA KABABAYAN DAHIL SA KAKULANGAN SA TRABAHO. AT THE VERY LEAST, PERSONALLY, AT LEAST 70% OF THE PRODUCTS OR RETAIL THAT YOU BUY SHOULD BE PHILIPPINE MADE.

4) When you talk to others, especially foreigners speak positively about us and our country. – STOP COMPLAINING AND LOOKING DOWN ON OUR COUNTRY AND START ACTING ON SOLUTIONS. STOP BEING NEGATIVE AND PESSIMISTIC. START BLESSING OTHERS AND BLESSING OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE YOU AND I ARE SPECIAL.

I SUGGEST YOU START WITH KNOWING WHY YOU ARE SPECIAL? JUST IN CASE YOU FORGOT….
WHY THE FILIPINO IS SPECIAL by Pastor Ed Lapiz

Filipinos are Brown

Their color is in the center of human racial strains. This point is not an attempt at racism, but just for many Filipinos to realize that our color should not be a source of or reason for inferiority complex. While we pine for a fair complexion, the white people are religiously tanning themselves, whenever they could, under the sun or some artificial light, just to approximate the Filipino complexion.

Filipinos are a touching people

We have lots of love and are not afraid to show it. We almost inevitably create human chains with our perennial akbay (putting an arm around another shoulder), hawak (hold), yaka(embrace), himas (caressing stroke), kalabit (touch with the tip of the finger), kalong (sitting on someone else's lap), etc. We are always reaching out, always seeking interconnection.

Filipinos are linguists

Put a Filipino in any city, any town around the world. Give him a few months or even weeks and he will speak the local language there. Filipinos are adept at learning and speaking languages. In fact, it is not uncommon for Filipinos to speak at least three: his dialect, Filipino, and English. Of course, a lot speak an added language, be it Chinese, Spanish or, if he works abroad, the language of his host country.

In addition, Tagalog is not 'sexist.' While many "conscious" and "enlightened" people of today are just by now striving to be "politically correct" with their language and, in the process, bend to absurd depths in coining "gender sensitive" words, Tagalog has, since time immemorial, evolved gender-neutral words like asawa (husband or wife), anak (son or daughter), magulang (father or mother), kapatid (brother or sister), biyenan (father-in-law or mother-in-law), manugang (son or daughter-in-law), bayani (hero or heroine), etc. Our languages and dialects are advanced and, indeed, sophisticated! It is no small wonder that Jose Rizal, the quintessential Filipino, spoke some twenty-two languages!

Filipinos are groupists

We love human interaction and company. We always surround ourselves with people and we hover over them, too. According to Dr. Patricia Licuanan, a psychologist from Ateneo, and Miriam College an average Filipino would have and know at least 300 relatives.

At work, we live bayanihan (mutual help); At play, we want a kalaro (playmate) more than laruan (toy). At socials, our invitations are open and it is more common even for guests to invite and bring in other guests. In transit, we do not want to be separated from our group. So what do we do when there is no more space in a vehicle? Kalung-kalong! (Sit on one another). No one would ever suggest splitting a group and waiting for another vehicle with more space!

Filipinos are weavers

One look at our baskets, mats, clothes and other crafts will reveal the skill of the Filipino weaver and his inclination to weaving. This art is a metaphor of the Filipino trait. We are social weavers. We weave theirs into ours that we all become parts of one another. We place a lot of premium on pakikisama (getting along) and pakikipagkapwa (relating). Two of the worst labels, walang pakikipagkapwa (inability to relate), will be avoided by the Filipino at almost any cost.

We love to blend and harmonize with people, we like to include them in our "tribe," in our "family" - and we like to be included in other people's families, too. Therefore we call our friend's mother nanay or mommy; we call a friend's sister ate (eldest sister), and so on. We even call strangers tia (aunt) or tio (uncle), tatang (grandfather), etc.

So extensive is our social openness and interrelations that we have specific title for extended relations like hipag (sister-in-law's spouse), balae (child-in-law's parents), inaanak (godchild), ninong/ ninang (godparents) kinakapatid (godparent's child), etc.

In addition, we have the profound 'ka' institution, loosely translated as "equal to the same kind" as in kasama (of the same company), kaisa (of the same cause), kapanalig (of the same belief), etc. In our social fiber, we treat other people as co-equals.

Filipinos, because of their social "weaving" traditions, make for excellent team workers.

Filipinos are adventurists

We have a tradition of separation. Our myths and legends speak of heroes and heroines who almost always get separated from their families and loved ones and are taken by circumstances to far-away lands where they find wealth or power.

Our Spanish colonial history is filled with separations caused by the reduccion (hamleting), and the forced migration to build towns, churches, fortresses or galleons. American occupation enlarged the space of Filipino wandering, including America , and there are documented evidences of Filipino presence in America as far back as 1587.

Now, Filipinos compose the world's largest population of overseas workers, populating and sometimes "threshing" major capitals, minor towns and even remote villages around the world. Filipino adventurism has made us today's citizens of the world, bringing the bagoong (salty shrimp paste). Pansit (sauteed noodles), siopao (meat-filled dough), kare-kare (peanut-flavored dish), dinuguan (innards cooked in pork blood) balut (unhatched duck egg), and adobo (meat vinaigrette), including the tabo (ladle) and tsinelas (slippers) all over the world.

Filipinos are excellent at adjustments and improvisation, managing to recreate their home, or to feel at home anywhere .

Filipinos have Pakiramdam (deep feeling/discernment)

We know how to feel what others feel, sometimes even anticipate what they will feel. Being manhid (dense) is one of the worst labels anyone could get and will therefore, avoid at all cost. We know when a guest is hungry though the insistence on being full is assured. We can tell if people are lovers even if they are miles apart. We know if a person is offended though he may purposely smile. We know because we feel. In our pakikipagkapwa (relating), we get not only to wear another man's shoe but also his heart.

We have a superbly developed and honored gift of discernment, making us excellent leaders, counselors and go-betweens.

Filipinos are very spiritual

We are transcendent. We transcend the physical world, see the unseen and hear the unheard. We have a deep sense of kaba (premonition) and kutob (hunch). A Filipino wife will instinctively feel her husband or child is going astray, whether or not telltale signs present themselves.

Filipino spirituality makes him invoke divine presence or intervention at nearly every bend of his journey Rightly or wrongly, Filipinos are almost always acknowledging, invoking or driving away spirits into and from their lives. Seemingly trivial or even incoherent events can take on spiritual significance and will be given such space or consideration.

The Filipino has a sophisticated, developed pakiramdam . The Filipino, though becoming more and more modern (hence, materialistic) is still very spiritual in essence. This inherent and deep spirituality makes the Filipino, once correctly Christianized, a major exponent of the faith.

Filipinos are timeless

Despite the nearly half-a-millennium encroachment of the western clock into our lives, Filipinos - unless on very formal or official functions - still measure time not with hours and minutes but with feeling. This style is ingrained deep in our psyche. Our time is diffused, not framed. Our appointments are defined by umaga (morning), tanghali ( noon ), hapon (afternoon) or gabi (evening). Our most exact time reference is probably tanghaliang-tapat (high noon), which still allows many minutes of leeway. That is how Filipino trysts and occasions are timed: there is really no definite time.

A Filipino event has no clear-cut beginning nor ending. We have a fiesta , but there is bisperas (eve), A day after the fiesta is still considered a good time to visit. The Filipino Christmas is not confined to December 25th; it somehow begins months before December and extends up to the first days of January.

Filipino say good-bye to guests first at the head of the stairs, then down to the descamo (landing), to the entresuelo (mezzanine), to the pintuan (doorway), to the tarangkahan (gate), and if the departing persons are to take public transportation, up to the bus stop or bus station.

In a way, other people's tardiness and extended stays can really be annoying, but this peculiarity is the same charm of Filipinos who, being governed by timelessness, can show how to find more time to be nice, kind, and accommodating than his prompt and exact brothers elsewhere.

Filipinos are Spaceless

As in the concept of time, the Filipino concept of space is not numerical. We will not usually express expanse of space with miles or kilometers but with feelings in how we say malayo (far) or malapit (near). Alongside with numberlessness, Filipino space is also boundless. Indegenous culture did not divide land into private lots but kept it open for all to partake of its abundance.

The Filipino has avidly remained "spaceless" in many ways. The interior of the bahay-kubo (hut) can easily become receiving room, sleeping room, kitchen, dining room, chapel, wake parlor, etc. Depending on the time of the day or the needs of the moment. The same is true with the bahay na bato (stone house).Space just flows in to the next space that the divisions between the sala , caida , comedor or vilada may only be faintly suggested by overhead arches of filigree

In much the same way, Filipino concept of space can be so diffused that ones party may creep into and actually expropriate the street! A family business like a sari-sari store or talyer may extend to the sidewalk and street. Provincial folks dry palayan (rice grain) on the highways! Religious groups of various persuasions habitually and matter-of-factly commandeer the streets for processions and parades. It is not uncommon to close a street to accommodate private functions, Filipinos eat. sleep , chat, socialize, quarrel, even urinate, nearly everywhere or just anywhere!

"Spacelessness," in the face of modern, especially urban life, can be unlawful and may really be counter-productive. On the other hand, Filipino spacelessness, when viewed from his context, is just another manifestation of his spiritually and communal values. Adapted well to today's context, which may mean unstoppable urbanization, Filipino spacelessness may even be the answer and counter balance to humanity's greed, selfishness and isolation.

So what makes the Filipino special?

We are brown, spiritual, timeless, spaceless, linguists, groupists, weavers, adventurists. Seldom do all these profound qualities find personification in a people. Filipinos should allow - and should be allowed - to contribute their special traits to the world-wide community of men - but first, we should know and like ourselves.

From the Special issue of Light Touch Magazine, vol. 8 number 3, Copyright 2004, Glad Tidings Publication

5) Respect your traffic officer, policeman and soldier.- RESPECT ANYONE WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE AND HONOR OUR KABABAYANS.

6) Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.

7) Support your church.- GIVE AT LEAST 10% OF YOUR INCOME, SALARY, COMMISSION, PAY(ANY MONEY THAT GETS INTO YOUR POCKET) TO CHURCH AND A SMALL PORTION TO ANY CAUSE/S YOU BELIEVE IN. THIS IS ONE WAY TO PROSPER FINANCIALLY. EVEN IF YOU ONLY RECEIVE 1 PESO. MANAGE THAT PESO WELL AND IT WILL GROW.

8) During elections, do your solemn duty.- PRAY FOR THE CANDIDATES AND VOTE FOR THOSE WHOM YOU FEEL CAN DO THE JOB WELL. NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE POPULAR.

9) Pay your employees well.- FAIR TRADE AND LABOR. IN SHORT, GIVE THEM MORE THAN WHAT THE GOVERNMENT MANDATES.

10) Pay your taxes.

11) Adopt a scholar or a poor child.

12) Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country.- DO NOT SEND THEM AWAY TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ABROAD FOR SO LONG THAT THEY FORGET WHO THEY ARE AND TURN THEIR BACK AWAY FROM WHAT THEIR COUNTRY IS LIKE TOGETHER WITH ITS CULTURE AND BEAUTY.

In summary, this would be an enlightening read which was sent to me by a friend and fellow OFW way back in 2004, just click on this link or if it does not work click on the link below:
http://www.meetup.com/businessandentrepreneurs/files/

It’s a big challenge for all of us Filipinos (wherever we may be) to do something. We are helpless on our own. We cannot trust ourselves not even our own intelligence. We need someone higher than us. We need Christ. Let us surrender our lives and our country to Christ and do something.

Now, what would be your next step?

Written by Eunice

Cebu Pacific Dancing FA's, Price Wars and the Gaya Gaya Mentality: What does it have to do with the Spa, Massage Clinic and Wellness Center Business/ Profession?

2010-10-03T14:13:00.001+08:00

Cebu Pacific Dancing FA's, Price Wars and the Gaya Gaya Mentality: What does it have to do with the Spa, Massage Clinic and Wellness Center Business/ Profession?
by Eunice
Whenever I travel, I would first window shop: I log online and shop for airline tickets, accommodations and tours. I shop from one travel agent to another, from airlines through their website, through their offices at the malls and compare them with two of my miles membership cards. It takes a week or so to finally come up with something that fits my needs. I found out that whatever you do, there will always be someone who will be willing to cut their price to gain business from us (the consumers). The irony of it is that once we have already bought something, we will find out that there will always be a cheaper alternative or a promo somewhere. That goes the same in almost all industry types and the spa, massage centers, fitness centers and wellness center business is not an exception. Nung hindi pa nauuso ang pag-pa-pa-spa, it was only for the elite and the socialites, while massage therapy naman was seen in a bad light and a not so wholesome or healthy connotation and the wellness centers are just for health freaks. Noon yun- iba na ngayon (That was before, now it’s different). Ever since spas sprouted like mushrooms, the spa owners and the people in the industry were taken aback by the rampant cost cutting of clients therefore more and more spas joined the band wagon of cutting their prices- and as you well know, maraming spas, massage clinics and wellness centers na nag slash ng kanilang service and retail prices. Pababaan ng presyo. As a result, maraming spas na nagsara. Hindi naging lucrative para sa marami ang negosyo but let’s take a look at the deeper aspect of price wars. The unseen, the invisible side to price wars and the Gaya-gaya system and how we can come up with some solutions.

Bakit ba may gaya-gaya system? At price wars? Ang sabi ng Wikipedia and I quote: “Price war is a term used in economic sector to indicate a state of intense competitive rivalry accompanied by a multi-lateral series of price reduction. One competitor will lower its price, then others will lower their prices to match. If one of them reduces their price again, a new round of reductions starts. In the short-term, price wars are good for consumers, who can take advantage of lower prices. Often they are not good for the companies involved. The lower prices reduce profit margins and can threaten their survival. In the medium to long term, they can be good for the dominant firms in the industry. Typically, the smaller, more marginal, firms cannot compete and must close. The remaining firms absorb the market share of those that have closed. The real losers then, are the marginal firms and their investors. In the long term, the consumer may lose too. With fewer firms in the industry, prices tend to increase, sometimes higher than before the price war started.”

There are several business and economic causes of price wars and gaya-gaya system. One deeply rooted cause is that one wants a market share that the other business has. One business wants what the other business (the competitor) has. People jump to the bandwagon because of money, profits and a share of the pie without real knowledge of the business. Basta hilig lang but it’s not enough. Passion is not enough to sustain a business operation. It takes wise business decisions, amongst other things. Last year, in one of my speaking engagements, I was invited to speak to a group of spa owners and students of massage and wellness about spa operations and management in the beautiful province of Tarlac and one of the questions a spa owner asked me was: what is the solution for price wars and the gaya-gaya mentality of Filipinos? I honestly told them that there is no silver bullet to this problem. There’s only the option to choose the ways that are much less damaging to spa, massage clinics and wellness centers owners than dropping their prices. If price is the problem, the first choice is to add value before dropping price. Anong ibig sabihin ng adding value? Instead of giving a discount, give them a free add-on or an additional time for a certain service. Halimbawa, they purchased a service equal to $100 or 5,000 Pesos give them a free 15-minute trial back and head massage. They have had the experience, and they might avail of the back and head massage next time. Sa spa business kasi dapat you have to sell the experience do not sell the price lagi. The next is to ensure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, any promotional rate is fenced properly. What are fences? Fences are tactics applied to rates to prevent one segment of demand from buying down into the next. In broad terms, there are four types of fences:

1. Product fences: Limit the offer to certain retail types.

2. Availability fences: Offer better deals on high end services and products. We see these promotions constantly. e.g. pay for five massage, get seven, et cetera.

3. Customer fences: Limit the offer to repeat/loyal clients as a reward.

4. Transaction fences: Provide a restricted booking window for a service over a specific period of time. e.g. pro-bono services should be done on slow time slots and not on weekends.

Of course, there are a lot of things naman (aside from those mentioned above) that we can do to reduce the effect of price wars and the gaya-gaya system. But there is something that we can personally do in order to minimize price wars and the gaya-gaya system. Let us now go into the invisible causes, effects and probable solution/s to the price wars and gaya-gaya system.
I think the basic thing one should ask oneself BEFORE one would enter the spa, massage or wellness industry is: if this is the kind of job that I’m going to be satisfied with and be really good at? Is this something I want to be doing five or ten years or even twenty years from now? If you are a massage or spa therapist who longs to start your own business, you have to be certain that this is the job that fits the way God has designed you to function and in the same fundamental way, it should satisfy your desire for contribution that God has planted in your head through your talents and skills and cultivated in your heart through your passion and interest. If you dream of becoming a spa owner someday: You have to know how to be a good worker before becoming a great boss. You have to know your numbers. You have to know how to read financial statements. You have to know how to carve your own niche in the sea of competitors. And a whole lot of things. Maraming dapat matutunan. Hindi yung basta basta na lang magtatayo ng negosyo na walang kaalam- alam sa pagpapa takbo nito.

It’s a tragedy when I hear about several business people who have already put up their own spa, massage clinic or wellness center tapos walang nangyari after three years. It’s equally disastrous for a person who wants to go into business and loves to do what they are doing yet, they do not want to earn from it. Bakit? God wants to bless you through your talents. Of course, not everything can have monetary value but consider the possibility of earning from what you love to do. God is a productive God, He wants us to earn from what we love to do. Hindi masama yun. Even God sent His Son to pay for our debt and He paid for us to be free from hell. Lahat may bayad. Everything has a trade-off maybe not always with monetary value but in some other thing. Tragic din if you are trapped (for whatever reason) in a work that you are not interested in. I had a former staff in a European hotel destination spa, we will just call her Aileen and back home in the Philippines, she told her parents that she was working in a hospital as a physical therapist. IN reality, she’s not she’s working in a spa as a spa therapist. Although she is a PTRP, Physical Therapist Republic of the Philippines, a designation for Registered Physical Therapist Licensed by our government. So, for the whole contract year she was rumbling how she does not like her job and how she does not enjoy it. Several ways to know that you are really not called for what you are doing are: you do not have interest in it, you do not enjoy what you are doing, you are bored to death, you feel like you are a prisoner and that work is a daily grind, your soul is searching for the feeling of freedom, you do not take pride in what you do and somehow, you do not feel satisfied. Imagine investing 8 hours a day, 5 days a week or 50 weeks a year- 80 thousand hours over a working life span of 40 years or so. All in a job that you do not enjoy nor care for or that does not fit you. That’s a big waste of life! And it’s not a good advertising for the originator of the whole idea of work either. This is lack of stewardship of being who God made you to be and accomplished what He’s put in your heart to accomplish. Importante rin that you discover your own calling in this wonderful industry of spa, massage, beauty and wellness, hindi pwedeng lahat spa manager, hindi puwedeng lahat maging spa owner, hindi pwedeng lahat maging massage therapist. We all have special gifts and no one is an exception. I was in a struggle a lot of times because I am torn by several lovers: the love for teaching, the love for writing, sharing my thoughts, travel and the love for the practice. I always have to think that there are people who are really gifted with their hands at saludo ako sa kanila dahil mas magagaling sila kaysa sa akin in that area. Come to think of it, there are a lot of gifted hands that are better than mine that is why I did not concentrate on something that I am not excellent at. Alam kong mas maraming magagaling na trainers, massage therapists and spa therapists kaysa sa akin. I have colleagues and friends in the industry who are excellent in what they do including Rommel Martinez, Hadjii Crespo, Alex Bulaton, Faye Rapio and many others. It’s important that we discover our own calling, the place of work in which your design: talents, skills, abilities, background, etc. comes together with your desire to form a motivated platform: school, pulpit, office, internet, online, etc. from which you represent the values of your Creator.

First and foremost, realize that our pursuit for the right type of business, profession, work or career will be empty without God. But when we turn to Him, when we make the fundamental decision to center our existence in a relationship with our loving Creator, then and only then does our life take on Purpose and our work have the potential to bring joy and satisfaction. Finding the right business or profession begins with a vital relationship with God, our Maker. Then make it your purpose to be God’s person in this world.

Secondly, if you have already committed your business/ profession to Jesus Christ, then trust the desires, the blue print of your personality that God has given you. I believe that no one on this Earth was born identical (not even twins have the same DNA), we all have different calling. A different gift for each of us. Some have similarities but all are different in some way. Because we are acting on what is natural for us, God will also move in our lives. Kung natural sa iyong magaling kang magmasahe eh di aralin mo ang ating katutubong masahe hindi lang ang Swedish massage. Ibahagi mo iyon sa iba sa pamamagitan ng pagmamasahe sa kanila. Ibahagi mo rin ito sa iyong kapwa na walang pagmamalaki o pagdadamot. Look for your natural abilities and cultivate on them, learn as much as you could and be a general in your field. Meaning, be very good at it. Know yourself, ika nga. To know yourself, is the process of discovering who you are and what you have to offer that will benefit others. So you can be a better steward of the way God has made us. Dapat alamin mo saan ka magaling at lalo mo pang pagalingin ang sarili mo sa paggawa ng mga bagay na natural na magaling ka. Saan ba magaling ang iyong spa? Depende yan sa galing ng spa staff mo. Ano ba ang unique sa spa services mo? What can you offer that others cannot? Kasi pag alam natin ito, hindi na natin kailangan pang mag copy cat or mag price wars kasi ang isang spa ay iba sa isa at iba-iba ang mga ino-offer ng isang spa kaysa sa iyo. Of course, hindi naman masama if we copy whatever is good from what we have learned from others BUT do not lose sight of your own gifts na ginagaya mo na ang lahat sa iba at wala ng self-identity and sariling branding ang iyong spa, massage clinic or wellness center. Remember that the more people that offers your type of services or product, the lower the value and the lower the price points. If you are offering Swedish, Thai and Shiatsu massage which are common in more than a thousand spas all over your area, do not expect to get paid a premium price for it. The more rare your service or product is, the better it is for you because you create value for what you do. Isang recent example ay yung ginagawa ng SM malls with their sales staff have implemented ways to make shopping more enjoyable like dancing, clapping and attentive sales ladies. Pati yung ginagawa ngayon ng Cebu Pacific with their dancing flight attendants. I am not saying it is right or wrong. Hindi natin pinaguusapan yun. Ang pinaguusapan natin dito is yung uniqueness of your service and the value you create. If it’s fun then it’s fun. We all have different tastes, likes and dislikes. But, those passengers who are already bored with the usual routine of safety features (which only a few listens to) can also enjoy the ride.

Third, we have to offer our true self to God and to others. Only in offering our true self, do we have anything to offer. You cannot give or sell what you do not have. All you can actually give is who you are created to be. Kung gaya-gaya ka sa iba na hindi naman yun ang talent mo, magiging second class lang ang gagawin mo. Kaya kung mag nenegosyo ka at gagaya-gaya ka lang sa iba, magiging second class lang ang negosyo mo. Mananatiling maliit. Mananatili kang nag-iisa. Whatever else you try to offer, will not, in the long run, be much of a contribution. Kasi nga hindi natural sa iyo yun. Plus, in giving out a false image of yourself will result in burnout, boredom and will drain you and dwarf others. Kaya napaka raming boss, amo, manager na hindi effective dahil hindi nila calling yun. They are draining themselves while dwarfing others. Can we not realize that if we are not in our rightful position then our rightful place is empty? If you would always aim at someone else’s target market, you will lose sight of your own. Let your business and profession be a product of yourself. Be yourself and those who notice would want some of it. Eventually, there will be a ripple of effect.

How do we know that we are in our rightful position? We have peace of mind and we have joy even if we encounter problems and discouragements. God has a mission for all of us: we simply have different platforms and areas for which we can grow.

Last but not the least, we should decide, plan and take action. That may mean starting and completing that business plan, taking that examination you need, reading more books about your area, mingling with others, asking for help from those who came before you, setting a deadline, baguhin ang mga spa services mo at maghanap ng mga services na different sa iba, etc. Do not just hear, read and do nothing, act on something one day at a time towards your dream. On the other side of the coin, study, learn from where you are right now. It only means you have common sense and are serious about it. It does not mean you are weak or intimidated. It just means you’re smart. So take your time, but don’t take too long.

Finally, Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

If God directs you to put up that spa, start that massage clinic or build that wellness center, however small- will be grand in the eyes of God. You are unique, you can be brilliant in what you do if you would only offer what you are (really) good at, who needs a gaya-gaya system and who needs to cut prices?

Beyond the Usual Tasks

By yunesa

Our usual tasks are light and its results beautiful

If we have eyes to see their shining ministry

The owner investor with his finances twined in the business

The contractor, carpenter, architect and engineer

Whose skilled hands built the infrastructure

Building a home for the business

The janitors and housekeeping staff

Working with brooms and vacuum cleaners

The manager who watches over and tends the needs of the business

The staff who performs hands-on, faces the clients everyday

Faithful to their partnership with God

These are the artisans of a business

And oh, the client,

with their needs and requests we should fulfill and satisfy

from which we draw the fuel for the business

For these are all great ministries and calling

They are all beautiful

If only one can see beyond the usual task.

The Most Important Question

2010-09-27T10:44:00.001+08:00

I have always wondered about what moves people to start a spa, massage clinic or wellness center business? or to enter the profession as a massage therapist or a spa therapist? The Most Important Question to Ask Yourself before Entering or Starting Any Project or Endeavor is the Question of Why will I do this? Why will I start this business? Why will I enter this field? Because our why will determine our how’s. If your why is not enough for you to act, then no amount of how can make you move or take action. Kahit na simpleng simple lang ang mga dapat gawin para makamit mo ang iyong mga pangarap kung wala ka talagang “deep desire” na tinatawag, walang mangyayari. Hindi ka kikilos at hindi ka gagawa. We have a saying that goes “Kung gusto, may paraan, kung ayaw may dahilan” (If there is deep desire, there is a way if there is no desire, there are excuses” or “if there is a will, there is a way”). The Philippine culture is full of stories of the chivalry of men who loved deep enough that they are willing to cut woods, sing “harana” or give their lives, just to prove that his love is worthy of his beloved’s attention. “Malayo man, malapit din, pilit ka ring mararating, wag lamang masabi mong di kita ginigiliw.” Ika nga, Love will find a way. Because it really will. Because no matter how difficult a task is, if it is done with love, it seemingly is easy. Consider a young man carrying bamboo and bricks to bring to the house of his beloved as a gift to her parents or a woman having to wait for years for her beloved to return to her because of a promise- those are just examples of sacrifices that are difficult to bear if you do not love the person to whom you dedicate your efforts, but if you love the person enough, you will bear these sacrifices just to show how much you really care and will do it with passion and enthusiasm. But if you really don’t love that person, you will not lift a finger and will just find excuse after an excuse. You will not run out of excuses. Ganun din sa trabaho o sa negosyo, kung hindi mo talaga mahal ang trabaho at negosyo mo hindi ka gagawa ng mga bagay na mahirap at makakapag-pahirap sa iyo kahit pa madali yung gawin para sa iba.

There was this woman who was trapped in a burning three story-house. Below her, were two men who were shouting at her to jump and they will catch her. The first man was very muscular, athletic built and physically able to catch her but the other person, was thin, “lampayatot” (seemingly sickly) and was shouting out her name to jump. When the woman finally decided to jump, she jumped right through the arms of the second man, the one who was thin and considered “lampayatot”…why? Because he is her husband. She knows that whatever happens, her husband would not let her go and would save her even if he seems he does not look quite like it. She trusts her completely to know that deep inside her heart, she would whatever it takes to see her safe. That is how we should also see our God who is in Heaven. God found a way for us to be saved from all our transgressions.

That is also how we should view our decisions in life, it should be answered with your heart into it not just for love of profit or money that will come. The basic question to really answer is “why” am I doing what I am doing? Why will I do what I want to do? Why am I not doing what I am supposed to do? Why? Then after you have found your why’s- find a way or find ways to make your dream a reality. But first, answer your why…

And only you can answer.

Passion without action is not good enough -yunesa

The Principle of Multiplication in Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness

2010-09-12T20:15:00.000+08:00

The Principle of Multiplication in Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness
by Eunice
yunesa@yahoo.com

The principle of multiplication is seen everyday, even in the field of spa, massage therapy, beauty and wellness. Sometimes, we Filipinos tend to look at business and earning money as something that is less honorable than other fields. We tend to shy away from asking what we rightfully deserve because of this mentality. So how do we apply the principle of multiplication in the spa, massage therapy and wellness profession or business?
1. We ought to give more than what our spa and massage therapy clients gives us in monetary value. We get paid, but we give more of what they paid us both in quality and in service.
2. We enter the spa, massage therapy and wellness field or industry with an open heart and mind because this will be a platform for more learning and mulitiplication of lessons learned from your experiences and the experience of others.
3. We advertise truthfully, when we say 60 minutes of Swedish massage, it should be 60 minutes or 70 minutes not 50 minutes, not 45 minutes. We give more than what is expected of us not because we are paid for our services but because it's the right thing to do. By doing this, we multiply the number of persons who would like to be our clients and increase client loyalty.
4. We register and comply with state, city and our country's laws and regulations regarding spa, massage therapy and wellness practices even if it's difficult and sometimes expensive to do so. We have to give what is due to "Ceasar" so our country will benefit from our profession and from our business. By this, we multiply the number of people who are law abiding rather than law breakers.
5. We do not fight unfairly with our competitors. We are not copy cats nor do we wage price wars and destroy the quality of our services. We promote and refer competitors if we do not offer the services and multiply the number of goodwill clients coming our way.
6. We are not cheapskates, we give fair compensation and remuneration to our spa and massage therapists so they can live decent lives and will not be pushed to doing something illegal and immoral. In the same way, we multiply the number of people who are willing to give and share to other staff as well.
7. We invest in businesses that promotes health and wellbeing instead of stripping it away. We patronize businesses that will not only give us what we need but will do something good for others, the community and the environment. This creates goodwill and multiply the number of socially responsible business people.

There are thousands of ways in multiplying what God has given us. The parable of the talents gives us an example that it is very Godly to profit.

Matthew 24: 14-30 (and Luke 19:12-28)

14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

We are the soil, we all bear fruits. Our fruits might be monetary, time we give to others, kindness and gratitude na sinusukli natin sa ating kapwa at marami pang iba. Just last Tuesday, we had a church feeding program for the homeless in Luneta (photos below) and I realized that we are not only on the giving end but we are always on the receiving end. Life is a life of balance: we inhale and we exhale, we give and we take, there is a left and a right, up and down- ano ang puwede nating ibigay sa hindi puwedeng magbigay? We have to multiply whatever good (seed) planted in us, helping and assisting others. So what returns do we give back to others who has done something good to us? or to those who needs our help? ano ang ating sinusukli or itinatanim?

Tukneneng Brain

2010-09-05T20:31:00.002+08:00

Tukneneng Brain
by Eunice Estipona
yunesa@yahoo.com

Tukneneng Brain says I am not in the mood to write my spa business plan
Wisdom says I will do whatever it takes even if I am not in the mood
Tukneneng Brain says I am sick and tired of working in the massage clinic
Wisdom says I am committed to constantly learning and growing
Tukneneng Brain says I do not like to go to the Meetup
Wisdom says go out, have fun, bless others and enjoy life to the fullest
Tukneneng Brain says "he is not good, she is bad and they are not good enough"- so who cares?
Wisdom says bless those whom you hate
Tukneneng brain says tomorrow, tomorrow...tomorrow.
Wisdom says cease the moment, you only have today to look forward to
Tukneneng brain spreads gossips, rumors and is resentful of the success of others
Wisdom says cursing others is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die.
Tukneneng brain thinks like a crab
Wisdom brain thinks like an eagle

So whom are we going to follow? The tukneneng brain or the wisdom that sets in?
Everyday, we are faced with choices. Choices that can either have a positive effect or a negative effect on ourselves and others. Yesterday, I was with a bunch of energetic and talented group of youth (I love being with younger generations as I can so much learn from them as they learn from me) whose common ground is the love of music, as their event speaker, I imparted how our very own words, our thinking and attitude affects our lives- and the lives of others. Our thinking pattern influences our brain and thus, our actions. Our attitude either empowers us or disempowers us.

It all starts with either the tukneneng brain or the wisdom brain. It's your choice.

To live a healthier life: bless those whom you want to become, those whom you want to help and those who hate you -yunesa

Major, Major Mistake to Avoid Before Starting a Business or Career in the Spa, Massage Therapy or Wellness Industry

2010-08-29T21:39:00.001+08:00

Major, Major Mistake to Avoid Before Starting a Business or Career in the Spa, Massage Therapy or Wellness Industry

By Eunice Estipona

There were two major, major incidents that happened in our country this past week. The first was a hostage crisis, a very saddening and scary incident. One which exposed lots of major, major flaws in the police system (even a child can easily detect that). The other was a light hearted moment where our very own, Bicolandia born lady became one of the top five candidates to be chosen at the Miss Universe pageant 2010. Although very different, both have one major, major lesson that we can all learn from. One major, major mistake to avoid before starting a business or career in the spa, massage therapy or wellness industry and that is in the area of preparation.

Preparation. Before you shell out capital for that spa business that you have been dreaming about, before enrolling in a massage training course, etc. what do you do? In last Monday’s hostage crisis, we have seen the lack of preparation from the police. In the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry, there are also a lot of emails I received from people who ventured into the career as a spa therapist or massage therapist or they entered the spa business without a clear understanding of what the spa business is all about. The 2nd Habit of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey says it well: begin with the end in mind. How do you prepare before you embark on this career or business? We all have different God-given abilities, you have to assess your passion, talents and skills not your kapitbahay (neighbor) not your kababata, not what anyone says, it has to begin with yourself. What does your heart say? As Dr. Robert Hartman said “Stop trying to put in what God left out and instead work with what He put in”. Ask yourself what would you want to do five or ten years from now then write them down (anything that is not written is not concrete). It does not end there this is just the beginning of preparing yourself.
There are countless of ways to prepare. Get your mind to work and think with the end in mind by (I am just giving you a handful of ways to prepare):

1. Reading books and magazines

2. Attending Meetups (www.meetup.com/businessandentrepreneurs or www.meetup.com/philippinespaandwellness)

3. Attend seminars, trainings, workshops

4. Ask knowledgeable people who are experts in the field. Even if you have to pay for the expert’s advice, the knowledge that you gain will eventually be a wisdom that will set you apart from the vast pile of mediocrity.

5. Start preparing a career plan and/or a business plan. Start writing things down in a notebook, make lists of things to do, etc.

6. Act one day at a time, at least do something everyday to achieve your purpose. Especially if you feel overwhelmed by the many things to do. List them down and do something everyday to achieve your highest priority.

Enter the spa and wellness industry and get your beliefs to line up with what your true destiny is to live a more productive and happier life. More than ten years ago, when I started in this industry- I have not seen any book or advice to be successful or advise for this career but now, we have endless resources including people who are ready to help us- only if we know where to look.

In preparing oneself, you have to prepare mentally, emotionally, physically and last but not the least, financially. In Luke 14:28 it says, "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it." What do you have to sacrifice and give up (emotionally, physically, mentally and financially) to be a financially successful spa owner, to be a massage/spa therapist, to be financially independent? Those are the costs you have to consider.

If you feel alone and down today, God will bring productivity out of a seemingly hopeless situation once you act in faith. Acting in faith is acting by doing your homework and due diligence. Take time but do not take too long. That is faith in action. Stop dismissing all the reasons why you cannot do something and begin to take action to put the resources in your hands and be able to advance to the next level of your goal. Once you prepare, God will provide all the resources you need to accomplish your dream and you’ll find yourself motivated to act and to activate your vision.
As an old saying goes, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” So, Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.

God speed!

Why? Your specifics....

2010-08-22T23:06:00.001+08:00

The Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty and Wellness Blog by yunesa@yahoo.com

Why? Your specifics.....

When asked, how much do you charge? We, Filipinos are shy to state specifics, it is normal to hear the replies "bahala ka na" (it's up to you) or "kahit magkano" (any would do) one of the reason is because we are have an indirect culture. Eastern culture's language is very indirect as opposed to Western way of saying things. We shy away from money or asking money but when I attended a non-profit organization's fund raising workshop, a couple of days ago, I realized that in some areas, specific answers are needed and it works and at other times, it doesn't. It has it's positives and negatives. It goes on to say that who is asking is also important. But in every area of fund raising even for non-profits, they need specifics.
When asked by a client of your fee/s. State the specifics.
When asked how much. State specifics.
When asked how many. State specifics.
When asked how often. State specifics.
When asked how much money you need. State specifics.

It also goes the same before embarking on any project or endeavor. It is important that we addess the specifics (yeah...and I would stress it again and say, it has to be specific answers NOT vague) on why we are doing such things. A specific answer should give the following detail/s: a number (monetary or time-wise) or range or duration, it should be brief but should outline your specific outcome, result, desire or goal or vision of things. Things that you should answer for yourself BEFORE and not during the project...

Why are you starting a business?
Because I want to earn.- is vague.
Because I want to earn at least 10,000 Pesos a month -is better because it will narrow down your focus to businesses that can at least earn you a minimum of 10,000 Pesos a month.

Why do you want to teach?
Because I love teaching. - is vague.
Because I want to share my skills, talents and abilities in the area of spa, massage therapy and wellness. -is better because you focus on areas for which you want to specialize in. In any profession, there are generalists and there are specialists. There is nothing wrong with being a generalist or a specialist but consider this: their earnings are also different from each other. Specialists are paid more than generalists.

Why do you want to start a spa, massage clinic or wellness center?
Because I think its a good business.- is vague.
How did you know it is really a good business? Have you done any pro-forma financials? until you have, you cannot say it's a good business.
Because I love to get a massage, go to a spa or a wellness center. Although a good specific reason, it's not enough reason to start. In fact, this is one of the fatal reasons to start a spa business. Being a client is very different from being an owner. A client does not have to worry about staff ramblings, about monthly rentals and quotas- an owner assumes those responsibilities.

Why do you want to become a massage therapist? A spa therapist? A spa consultant?
Because I want to work abroad is vague.
Because I want to work abroad after two years, send money home and save for my retirement fund.- is better. But of course there are better reasons---- at least this reason is starting to get more specific.

Why do you want to volunteer?
Because I wanted to. -is vague.
Because I get my "highs" when I can see I am helping people in my own little way.- is better

By answering and writing down our why's, we will now see our flaws. What needs to be improved. We can dig deeper. Increase our thinking capacity. One thing that I have to learn and remind myself everyday. My whys should be specific....what are you whys?

The Business of Innovation

2010-08-15T21:10:00.001+08:00

The Business of Innovation in the Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty and Wellness Industry

Memory was something you might lose as you age older age...a sign of old age.

An application was used for employment

A program was a TV show

A cursor is a person using profane words

A keyboard was a piano

A web was a spider's home

A virus was any type of flu or that exhibits flu-like symptoms

A CD was a bank account: a cash deposit

A hard drive was a long trip on the road with traffic along the way

A mouse pad was where a mouse lives

and if you had a 3.5 inch floppy,

you just hoped nobody finds out.

Funny but so much has changed since the advent of the computer/digital age. We see progress, we see innovation in all aspects of our daily life: from the way we send cards to the way we conduct our businesses. From the way we view our careers to the way we live our daily lives. We have softwares to schedule our clients inside the spa, check our inventory or use bar code systems, know who was absent at what day and who among the staff is scheduled for a day off or a vacation (yes and maybe one of these days I can demonstrate some of these applications with the Meetup group that I organize). The netbook, the printer, scanner and lap top replaced the typewriter, the ebooks replaced books, email and e-cards replaced postal letters, envelopes, and the post, the phone book and rolodex replaced the address book. These are just amongst the other things that technology can help us with.

Last Saturday, after visiting the Fitness and Beauty trade show, I attended a Meetup group outside the Meetup group that I organize. It was composed of techie people. I have learned that even if I (and another Japanese lady who was out of place for the time being) was the only one who has a different field amongst all the others, we are still (a bit) in touch with technology. This blog for instance, has its foundation in communicating through technology. I might not understand what JAVA, Cloud, SAP means (amongst all the other technology terms that I have heard) but the nice thing about technology is that we do not have to understand the applications behind --as long as we can use it in our daily lives. Except for the high profile technology inventors, we do not even know who invented which and what. We can only thank God that it has reached our hands and we can use it. There are a lot of things we can use technology for and one of which is educating ourselves. We have to, at the very least adopt to the changing times, hindi yung ayaw na nating matuto mag-text or mag-email man lang. Hindi man lang alamin kung papano mg-FB. Kung ayaw nating matuto ng bago ano ng gagawin natin sa buhay? Life is a continuous learning experience. Kailangan mag invest din sa sarili by improving what we know. Do not go into the spa, massage therapy, beauty and wellness industry without doing your homework or performing due diligence including adopting to new and better ways of serving our clients through technology.

Here are some ways you could use technology in your spa, massage therapy, beauty and wellness career or business:

1. Use high technology machines to assist you in fighting cellulites, aging and other degenerative diseases. Attend trade shows in and outside the country even if you are on vacation. Whenever I go out of the country, I try to search for events for the country that I will be visiting and attend any seminar, workshops or trade shows that will be held during the time that I will visit. It adds up to my knowledge and my expertise. You will learn from the products, gadgets and services of others. I am not saying that you have to copy them but adopt what you think might be good and remove things that might not be suitable/ applicable for you. The bottomline here is to know the trends in the industry.

2. Use Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) and Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS) to speed up transactions in your spa, massage clinic or wellness center. EFTPOS means that prospective clients can pay for goods and services using credit and debit cards.

3. Use a website that will serve as your point of contact and sale. You can offer gift certificates online, special promotions and email subscribers using your website. Use it as an e-commerce website. E-commerce is the ability of businesses to trade with the world via websites. This means that there is a larger market and your spa, massage clinic or wellness center is now open 24 hours a day.

4. Lessen the use of paper, communication is improved through the use of the intranet and Internet. The intranet is an internal system of computer communication while the internet can be used to communicate with clients, suppliers amongst others in the outside world (through websites and email). Spa staff can work away from the office using mobile technology such as phones, laptops and modems. But a word of warning, do not use naman technology just to play games online or chat with others while you have no client. Use technology wisely.

5. Instead of advertising, use the Internet for recruitment purposes. You can post job vacancies online or using the Meetup message board and positions can be advertised and targeted to the right audience, often costing less than print alternatives. And it can be done for free at www.meetup.com/philippinespaandwellness

and many more....

However, the use of technology should be a balance between our needs and practicality. Use it to be more effeicient, better and be able to focus on things that machines and computers cannot do. If the benefits outweighs the cost, then consider in investing in technology. We can just hope that technology can complement and ease our lives rather than burden it.

The more high-tech we become, the more high-touch we need -yunesa

An Investment You Should Not Miss

2010-08-08T21:30:00.000+08:00

The Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty and Wellness Blog
by Eunice

Last Tuesday, my father and I visited an older cousin's husband in a hospital. The last time I saw him was way back when I was in high school, some twenty years ago. Manong Gener, as I fondly call him, was in his mid-thirties and was driving their new Toyota Corrolla. It was a very long drive I suppose, because he started puffing his cigarettes when they arrived. From Las Pinas to the Fairview area of Novaliches. From South area to North- just imagine a drive of two and a half hours--- if the traffic is good. He also used to drink beer and liquor a lot, he along with most of the many relatives that I knew are more than social drinkers. Believe me, socialization is part and parcel of every occasion since birthdays, weddings, infant baptisms and baby showers, debut, anniversaries and of course who can forget Christmas time....they are all common occasions. Even a funeral is an event for bonding of long lost relatives and again a time to eat, drink beer and drink to their heart's content. Something that until now, I don't quite understand why they do people drink a lot of beer even if it tastes bitter? On side note, I remember experimenting and drinking beer with my sister when we were in Elementary, long ago and we both laughingly sipped a tiny bit which made my world swirl. But alas, I forgot about that experience and just a couple of years back when I was in the Balkans, I remember when my good friend and a great German chef, Falk announced his engagement to another good friend of mine, Andrijana. Upon announcement, they arranged for a toss of champagne, I was thinking to myself that champagne isn't beer- so I sipped less than 1 ml from that champagne glass. But the effect was too much. I have to excuse myself for the whole day and our hotel's GM that time, Hubert Eikel, asked me to rest in our employee lounge. I was too dizzy to work. Everything was swirling. Good thing they understood my situation although they were all laughing at me. But from that time on, I knew that I wasn't cut to drink even a sip. So whenever we hang out around, I order orange juice or chai (tea) especially during winter.

In Philippine setting and Filipinos gatherings, most often than not any form of gathering (except in a very few instances like ours) consists of a lot of food and beer. Cases and cases of beer....(if you know what I mean). Coming from a family also where tuba is common - Mr. Tuba is also present most of the time. That Tuesday, I felt worried and hurt in my heart as I see my 58 year old relative in a sick bed and in pain due to kidney problem (he has been on dialysis every week for the past month). We prayed for his speedy recovery and meanwhile, I realized that in order for a person to reach a long and satisfying healthful life- we also have to plan and act upon healthy regimen. This consists of doing things that are commonly overlooked but medically proven to be healthy: no smoking or puffing of cigarettes, do not allow yourself to be drunk or drink alcohol more than you can take, eat a balanced diet, exercise, do not carry any emotional baggage like: do not harbor hatred, be forgiving of yourself and others, etc. There are no guarantees but if we neglect to take care of these things when we are young our chances of suffering from diseases, ailments and emotional problems in the future will be higher than those that did take care of their body, soul and mind. Prayer also helps a lot because when others cannot listen, God can. He is not limited by distance or even time. Another topic which we can discuss next time.

Which comes to mind a 50+ year old doctor that we have met just yesterday, he looks like he is in his 28-35 years old and Cecile and I can't believe our eyes. He really looks 20- 25 years younger than his age. His secret? Hehe....next time folks.....
In the meantime, give yourself a break, invest in yourself before investing in your business or any entrepreneurial endeavor, do something healthy for yourself this week. Start ten things you need to do and if you are having a difficult time, start with listing one or two things that you would do for yourself and your health. Start them this week. Let me know how you felt about it and how it went. I would like to connect with people who are in this for the long haul and support you. It maybe the urging desire to jog, to go to a gym, to give up that cola addiction, to stop eating red meat, to go to a spa, to seek help and advice from health professionals- anything that adds value for your health. Do it now. Before it's too late. It's an investment you have to make for you and your family and your future.
Your daily health rituals yesterday and today will determine your future's quality of life- yunesa

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This blog article is written by: Eunice Estipona a spa consultant, mentor, advisor, speaker and lecturer. One of her advocacies is to make healing and information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness accessible and affordable to everyone. If you are serious about turning your business or practice around, making the right decisions, getting an unbiased opinion and knowing where to get help, for lectures and other concerns she can be contacted at yunesa@yahoo.com or +639184745685. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.meetup.com/philippinespaandwellness

These along with hundreds of resources found locally and abroad are contained in “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource and Career Book”, the first book of resource information to know more about the Spa, Massage and Wellness Industry in the Philippines and other countries including the United States, Australia and other Asian countries. You can view, read, download and print for FREE the book’s summary at this link http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book

If you are a spa, massage therapy and wellness information seeker the resources contained in the book for you. This book is a collection of data and valuable information regarding the spa and massage industry in a global perspective with a focus on the Philippines. Her advocacy in writing the book is to make “unbiased” information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness resources and career, accessible and affordable for everyone. If you are considering a career in the massage, spa and wellness industry, this book will prepare you and give you a glimpse of what it is like, the preparation you need to take: emotionally, intellectually and financially. In this book, you will learn more details in the spa and massage field and the possible paths you can take. You will also learn about local and international training programs offered and numerous employment possibilities. Giving you much needed information at your fingertips. You can order it from http://www.amazon.com/
or for local Philippine residents, you can email and get in touch with Eunice at yunesa@yahoo.com

TERMS OF REPRINT

You can freely distribute a copy of this article provided, that you follow the terms of reprint. Be certain to read our TERMS OF REPRINT and honor our TERMS OF REPRINT when you use this article. Thank you.

Helpful Link: The Digital Millennium Copyright Act – Overview http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm

Our TERMS OF REPRINT are fully enforcible under the terms of: The Digital Millennium Copyright Acthttp://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.R.2281.ENR:*** Digital Reprint Rights **** If you publish this article in a website/forum/ blog, etc. You Must Set All URL's or Mailto Addresses in the body of the article AND in the Author's Resource Box as Hyperlinks (clickable links).* Links must remain in the form that we published them. Clean links should point to the Author's links without redirects having been inserted into the copy.* You are not allowed to Change or Delete any Words or Links in the Article or Resource Box. Paragraph breaks must be retained with articles. You can change where the paragraph breaks fall, but you cannot eliminate all paragraph breaks as some have chosen to do.* Email Distribution of this article must be done through Opt-in Email Only. No Unsolicited Commercial Email.* You are allowed to format the layout of the article for proper display of the article in your website or in your ezine, so long as you can maintain the author's interests within the article.* You may not use sentences from this article as an input for any software that steals sentences from others in order to build an article with software. The copyright on this article applies to the "WHOLE" article.*** Author Notification ***We ask that you notify the author of publication of her work. Eunice can be reached at: yunesa@yahoo.com
If you desire to publish this article in a PRINT publication, you must contact the author directly for Print Permission at: yunesa@yahoo.com

The content of this article is solely the property and opinion of its author, Eunice
----
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Wanted: Visionaries

2010-08-01T22:03:00.004+08:00

Many of us arrive, stay a bit and leave in haste. People are so busy, stressed out, always wants something done quickly and fast. Our world is changing rapidly that sometimes it so difficult to cope up or be informed and stay informed. Too many blogs to subscribe to, too many books to read, too many ebooks to download. The next big thing is about to happen and another and another- and yet another. As you are reading this, there is someone somewhere that is doing something that could change all of us. Something that can change how we communicate, how we buy, how we eat, how we drink, how we watch, how we view things- and a gazillion more. It could be you.

Today, more than ever, we need people who gets into a business or a profession that goes beyond what is traditional and the expected. We need people who can bring more than profits and money on the table- and more than what is expected. In a (very) fast-paced society, there will always be opportunities lying around- the question is- where do we stand? and what are we doing?

In the video below, I hope to share with you insights on how our world, our actions and how we could shape the world by our choices today- and the choices are in our hands.

So, are we one visionary?

Sex Scandal and the Profession/Business of Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness

2010-07-30T20:10:00.000+08:00

Sex Scandal and the Profession/Business of Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness

Recently I read an article regarding Al Gore who happens to be implicated in an in-room Portland hotel massage scandal where the former Vice-President of the United States and apparently assaulted the massage therapist. This is not a new story in the business of spas, massage clinics and wellness centers- there are still people who are asking for extras-other than a hot cup of herbal tea. Sadly, it comes with the territory. The challenge here is raising awareness for the public and raising standards for the professionals in the industry.

But then again, raising the standards is not the complete solution but just a part of how we emphaisize on protocol. The real solution is in the hearts of every client/patron and the professional (even business owners). Whatever law or regulation is passed by governing bodies but if both parties will not conduct themselves properly in private and will go beyond what is professional then, the law is not effective. Self-regulation and conscience call is still the best regulation of all. It goes beyond regulation and strict implementation. We should all be part of the solution.

Just click on the link and you will be directed to a blog I have written on 50++ ways of Preventing/Avoiding Sexual Advances

Email me

Are You In-Love with the Right Business, Profession, Field or Industry?

2010-07-13T09:12:00.004+08:00

Ways to Know If Your Are In Love with the Right Business, Profession, Field or Industry

Can you easily spot if your friend is in love with someone? It won't come as a surprise but I will be using the Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty and Wellness industry as examples to know if you are in the right business, profession, field or industry. It takes more than capital, numbers and financials. To give soul to your profession or business, it has to have other elements in place.

I once heard from our Pastor, Ed Lapiz, that it's so important to be able to know your right place and grow where you are planted. A water lily won't grow in the desert. A fish won't live on land. An orchid won't grow on rivers. Every planet, creature, every plant, every human has a right place on Earth. We all have our place on Earth. To some, finding their place is as easy as counting 1, 2 and 3 while for others, it's a bit of a challenge. Maybe because they have a lot of excellent talents or skills which clouds their thinking or it might be the other way around, they don't have enough interests, talents and skills, or they earn so much from their talents and skills that they wouldn't care if it robs them of their happiness. They can't leave their work even if they don't like what they do because of financial needs. It's not uncommon to hear our fellow Filipinos to complain that they really would want to become a doctor instead of a nurse. Only if doctors in our country are paid more than the salaries of nurses abroad. It's not uncommon for teachers to be working as domestic helpers even if they love teaching, they are forced to abandon their passion for teaching because working abroad as a domestic helper earns more. Not that something is wrong with these noble occupations because these are commendable traits of self-sacrifice and care- but the long range effect of this creates division in our lives and our emotions.

Here are some ways to know if your heart is "really" into the Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty and Wellness industry, whether this be in a profession or business in this field or industry.

1. Your body tells you so.

Aha, one of the ways to read a person is through his/her actions. Siyempre, you have to look at how your body responds to your environment, to your colleagues, to your work and how you perform your responsibilities.
You know that you are "in-love" with your career or your profession if: you are excited to work every single day, you check up on your clients regularly with enthusiasm, your body clock does not miss any spa appointment with a client, you are excited to smell the peppermint from the spa reception, you volunteer for an overtime instead of making excuses why you are always late, you love reading and learning about spas, massage therapies, beauty and wellness, etc. When you lighten up, get excited, beam ear to ear when doing these things then they are tell-tale signs that you found your right path.

You know that you are "in-love" with your spa, massage or wellness business if: you are eagerly anticipating opening doors for business, you spoke with a reliable spa consultant and finished your business plan before you started the business, you love the staff as much as you love your business, you get excited to meet clients and ask their opinions, you don't only love to get a massage, a pedicure or a body scrub but you love to intricately know what's behind the products that were used, you share what you envision about this place to your staff, etc.

If you feel the other way around, you might as well start finding another job or business. Do not get entangled for so long in a golden hand cuff. Golden hand cuffs are basically occupations that keeps you just that....occupied but feeling wanting.

Your body and how it expresses itself in talents and skills you have are signs and symptoms if you are in the right track. We are given enough talents and skills that shows in our body language and in our everyday life, use that for a purpose. You are unique, do not run after someone's dreams and rainbow.

2. You know what sets you apart from others.

You are not just another person who jumps into the wellness bandwagon. You know that you are "in-love" with your career or your profession/business if: you know that you can come in with a different perspective, an out of the box idea or you have better way of doing things. You do not cut corners, you love to contribute without stepping on someone's foot, you have unique qualities and abilities that would set you apart from the others.

What is so unique about you? Perhaps, you did not just put up or start another spa, massage clinic or wellness center- for you, you started a philosophy of sharing to others the gift of health and wellness. You are not an average massage trainer, you did not just taught people techniques through massage and spa trainings but you shared yourself and your experiences, you taught your students how to be professional, how to care through their work, you taught them to open their minds and hearts to learning and to be accepting of others. You do not see yourself as an ordinary massage or spa therapist or spa manager, you are a force for good and a warrior for those who uses this industry for sexual slavery and promiscuous activities.

In essence, you have to have uniqueness in you. It might be new massage techniques that you have been wanting to share for so long, it might be the depth of your experience, it might be the insights that you bring to increase spa sales, etc. Think....what sets you apart from others in this field?

3. Time flies when you enjoy what you are doing.

As what Joseph Campbell says, "follow your bliss". Do things that most excites you and make you the happiest. Not everything in a certain job or business is bliss (even roses have thorns) but generally, if you can do things all day and all night and although you feel tired, you still look forward to doing it tomorrow...then, you have found your bliss. You are in love.

You do not care if you are past your bedtime because you are still researching for the origin of the word "spa", you did not noitice that it's already time for you to go home because there is another client waiting in line, you are not watching the clock for 5 o'clock, you are excited to do some over-time work because you feel at home inside the spa or you love learning more about the intricasies of spa, massage therapies, etc. Learning for you never ends.

If you are in the right business or profession: you just can't get enough of it.

4. You are productive.

Being productive can be seen in so many different ways. Being productive might mean: you are generating enough financial gain from what you love to do, it might mean generating a high amount of value for others and yourself, etc. But the time and energy that you put into your business or profession and the income does not always go hand in hand. I have seen a lot of my staff abroad earning more than a manager's wages in the Philippines but they seem to be discontented and therefore produce an average amount of productivity both in how they feel and what is being given to the company. Any unspoken or unacted upon our life's mission will be a poison to your productivity. See to it that at the very least, you are generating enough income for you to live, be happy and be able to give to others.
Love is blind. Yes it's true even in our business and career. Do not get blinded by love. Life is not all about career and business. Everything has to be a balance.

Love can be be cultivated. If you found these three wanting increase the depth of your love or find another love.

Last but not the least, what we have are all God's gift for us, it's important to cultivate it and return God's favor by using everything within our power to give glory to Him.

========================================================================
The most comprehensive resource and information guide on the list of training centers, magazines, publications, books and literatures both local and international are all available in the book, “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource Guide and Career Book”. The First Book on Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource Book and Career Guide
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book

(this has the most comprehensive list of training centers in the Philippines and abroad with tips from professionals and employment opportunities, legal laws and regulations, list of employment agencies, how to choose a trainer, and information that you need in order to succeed in this industry and before you shell out money for your tuition or training, there are a lot of ways you can grab a copy of this valuable information para hindi ka mag sayang ng time and money enrolling in trainings you do not even need. This book will give you the information to start right in the industry with secrets you should know and being able to find your rainbow in the wonderful world of massage, spa and wellness.

1. You can order it online via www.Amazon.com at 34.95$

2. You can order it via a Kindle device at $7.99

3. You can order an e-book copy through my blog at www.yunesa.blogspot.com at $19.95

4. You can also get a copy from National Bookstores nationwide at P799Pesos

5. For locals only, you can order it from me at local discounted rates with free delivery at 900Pesos (via LBC or FEDEX Air 21. Anywhere in the Philippines. Please allow 1-5 working days

If you are looking for a career opportunity, not just a job in the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry, this book is a must read.

Also, CD's included in the kit for spa management, practice and operations available:

The Spa and Wellness Business- Understanding the Basics (PowerPoint format)

Seven Deadly Mistakes to Avoid as a Spa Owner and Practitioner in the Spa Wellness Business (PowerPoint format)

Spa, Massage and Facial Therapies 101 (The Basics) (PowerPoint format)

Business Worksheets for Spa and Massage Business in the Philippines (Excel and Word format/program includes all the financial worksheets you need in computing for your operational cost, etc.)

This article is written by: Eunice Estipona a spa consultant, mentor, advisor, speaker and lecturer. One of her advocacies is to make healing and information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness accessible and affordable to everyone. If you are serious about turning your business or practice around, making the right decisions, getting an unbiased opinion and knowing where to get help, for lectures and other concerns she can be contacted at yunesa@yahoo.com or +639184745685. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.meetup.com/philippinemassagetherapy

These along with hundreds of resources found locally and abroad are contained in “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource and Career Book”, the first book of resource information to know more about the Spa, Massage and Wellness Industry in the Philippines and other countries including the United States, Australia and other Asian countries. You can view, read, download and print for FREE the book’s summary at this link http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book

If you are a spa, massage therapy and wellness information seeker the resources contained in the book for you. This book is a collection of data and valuable information regarding the spa and massage industry in a global perspective with a focus on the Philippines. Her advocacy in writing the book is to make “unbiased” information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness resources and career, accessible and affordable for everyone. If you are considering a career in the massage, spa and wellness industry, this book will prepare you and give you a glimpse of what it is like, the preparation you need to take: emotionally, intellectually and financially. In this book, you will learn more details in the spa and massage field and the possible paths you can take. You will also learn about local and international training programs offered and numerous employment possibilities. Giving you much needed information at your fingertips. You can order it from www.Amazon.com or for local Philippine residents, you can email and get in touch with Eunice at yunesa@yahoo.com.

TERMS OF REPRINT

You can freely distribute a copy of this article provided, that you follow the terms of reprint. Be certain to read our TERMS OF REPRINT and honor our TERMS OF REPRINT when you use this article. Thank you.

Helpful Link:

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act – Overview http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm

Our TERMS OF REPRINT are fully enforcible under the terms of: The Digital Millennium Copyright Act

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.R.2281.ENR:

*** Digital Reprint Rights ***

* If you publish this article in a website/forum/ blog, etc. You Must Set All URL's or Mailto Addresses in the body of the article AND in the Author's Resource Box as Hyperlinks (clickable links).

* Links must remain in the form that we published them. Clean links should point to the Author's links without redirects having been inserted into the copy.

* You are not allowed to Change or Delete any Words or Links in the Article or Resource Box. Paragraph breaks must be retained with articles. You can change where the paragraph breaks fall, but you cannot eliminate all paragraph breaks as some have chosen to do.

* Email Distribution of this article must be done through Opt-in Email Only. No Unsolicited Commercial Email.

* You are allowed to format the layout of the article for proper display of the article in your website or in your ezine, so long as you can maintain the author's interests within the article.

* You may not use sentences from this article as an input for any software that steals sentences from others in order to build an article with software. The copyright on this article applies to the "WHOLE" article.

*** Author Notification ***

we ask that you notify the author of publication of her work. Eunice can be reached at: yunesa@yahoo.com

*** Print Publication Reprint Rights ***

If you desire to publish this article in a PRINT publication, you must contact the author directly for Print Permission at: mailto:yunesa@yahoo.com

============ ========= ========= ========= ========= =========

The content of this article is solely the property and opinion of its author, Eunice

Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty, Health and Wellness Quotes

2010-07-08T21:48:00.001+08:00

Begin with an inner health, then and only then can you begin with an outward physical health -yunesa

I heard myself humorously say before, "beauty and the beast...it's just that I am the beast and he is the beauty". One of the challenges facing almost any industry, not only the spa, massage therapy, beauty and wellness industry is the overemphasis of the public perception of what physical health really means. If it means just feeling good about yourself, having a sleek and sexy body- then we are missing the point. But of course, we would not discount the fact that beauty and brains are also important too. Beauty and the best can go hand in hand but any stressing one as above is a sign of imbalance.

For my wit and humor segment, I would like to share with you a story on physical health from http://www.basicjokes.com/:

Jack has died. His lawyer is standing before the family and reads out Jack's Last Will and Testament:
"To my dear wife Esther, I leave the house, 50 acres of land, and 1 million dollars. To my son Barry, I leave my Big Lexus and the Jaguar. To my daughter Suzy, I leave my yacht and $250,000. And to my brother-in-law Jeff, who always insisted that health is better than wealth, I leave my treadmill."

Peace!

Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty and Wellness Quotes

2010-06-06T23:57:00.001+08:00

Spa, Massage Therapy, Beauty and Wellness Quotes

He who stops learning stops being better and he who stops being better stops being good. - yunesa

I would like to give credit to a great political leader in England, Oliver Cromwell, who coined the quote, "He who stops being better stops being good." May I add to that quote, and he who stops being better stops being good.

I thought college was the end of it, but commencement exercises - says otherwise. Commencement literally means- the beginning, tha start even if it is the final step of getting our college degree. Commencement is the beginning of another chapter of our lives, away from the boundaries of the university. It opens up another chapter of learning and lessons that we will not be able to learn from school. All the quizes, examinations, tests are just a stepping stone for a higher level of learning. After school, we learnined more than paperwork, we learned more than the academics, we learned more than classroom participation- we learned more about life and what it has to offer including adding our piece into the puzzle of life. And what does it have to do with Spa, Massage, Beauty and Wellness? It has something to do with wellness from within.

Learning as I have discovered does not take a lot of knowledge on massage techniques but takes time and maturity. It takes people to help us and from whom we learn from. People whom we meet become friends and colleagues with. People who lets us learn and be better. I remember a few of my mentors as I also remember Japan. What do you think was Japan's secret to emerge as one of the most powerful and richest nation in the world? A country that has experienced two atomic bombs but barely a generation later has recovered from World War II? Here is their secret- Japanese managers devote 20-30 percent of their time to personally develop and mentor their staff. For them, it is a part of their duty and mutual obligation to help their subordinates. Yes, they sacrifice their time and money to teach and share their knowledge and skills to their subordinates. They extend their helping hand to people beneath them so their staff can learn and be promoted.

Managers and supervisors are not selected based on their grades and achievements in school, nor are they selected based on their work experience or abilities but the ability to develop their staff and their subordinates.

What about us, what is our criteria when choosing our people? Observe a few of our classified ads below:

Looking for people who would like to work for a new spa in the metropolis: College graduates, well-experienced, talented, ambitious....
Wanted Massage Therapist: Licensed by the Department of Health with good oral communication skills, knows how to perform Swedish and Shiatsu, goal oriented, self motivated with drive to succeed.....
We are in need of Spa Staff in our company with above average scholastic records, with 2-3 years experience in a prestigious spa, etc.

I will not argue that these character traits and qualifications are important but as we can notice, that companies does not emphasize how these people will relate with other people. They have neglected the need to look into the applicants passion to train their staff- which is a must for long term growth and development of both the company and the individual.

So what is the effect? We get people on board that are bright, well-experienced BUT individualistic and unable or unwilling to be a team player, unteachable- and thus lacking the enthusiasm to share their knowledge with people. On contemplation, we got what we asked for!

The Japanese, on the other hand, have a different philosophy, their managers and superiors are capable of sharing their knowledge and have been able to train their subordinates to become well-rounded workers. The height of success and achievement for a supervisor or manager in Japan is not his or her own promotion to a higher position but the promotion of his staff to a position HIGHER THAN HIS. Yes, a supervisor or a manager's aim is to get his staff promoted to a higher position than his. There is even a ceremony to honor not the newly promoted BUT the mentor and person who has made the promotion possible. A spirit of self-sacrifice at work because the ultimate leader is the one who is willing to develop their people to the point that they eventually surpass them in knowledge and ability.

We do not realize that whenever we hoard something within us and it does not get shared or we are focusing on saying negative things to another person (even if it's true)- we are also preventing ourselves from receiveing more blessings from above. I have painfully experienced back biting and slandering from former trainers I have been under with, I have heard trainers putting down each other, saying bad things about another person in front of the class- something I am guilty of being quiet about whereas I can raise my hand and stop my instructors and ask them to refrain from saying something bad about another person- but alas, I kept quiet but realized that I should not have. I am guilty of violating Edmund Burke's quote "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" I did nothing in defense of people being slandered without them knowing. Now, I have vowed to myself to speak up and assert myself if I see something wrong or someone is being violated from their rights. Teachers, trainers, workers- be careful of what you share and whom you also learn it from. Let us continue to let our life shine and not put off another person's light.

Let's not just stop in learning but in gaining more learning and with the higher learning and position, do good as well because in the end, God knows what we are doing and He is in control.

Murad Center @ Rustan's Makati (A Spa Connoisseur's Review)

2010-05-14T18:13:00.004+08:00

Murad Center @ Rustan's Makati (A Spa Connoiser's Review)
November 05, 2010- After several sessions since my first visit in May here at Murad Makati and the results that I had since then was "hiyang" to my skin and noticed that I had less comedones (white heads), I bought a package for AHA Intensive worth 3,900 which is good for 4 facial treatments and a facial diamond peel session worth 1,700 Pesos. Today, I get to finish all my package. Salamat naman as I have to travel two hours before getting here in Makati everytime I would have a facial. As always, I was in the able hands of Tess and here is what I like about Tess:
1. She executes the best European type of facial I have ever had. (For those of you wondering what a European facial is read my blog below.)
2. She doesn't forget any facial technique. After going under the same facial treatments over and over again, I get to memorize the steps already. This is the advantage of having to work on one product only. In this case, products of Dr. Murad. When I was working as a spa and facial therapist, we get to be bombarded with a host of product brands with different techniques and different applications, hindi mo na tuloy alam kung yung techniques na ginagamit mo eh tama pa ba dun sa produkto. You get confused because of the different techniques: one brand will have more than twenty techniques for a specific product line. Example a spa carries two brands (some spas even carry as much as five or more brands): Brand A has a product line for anti-aging which has a set of techniques for facial massage. Brand A also has a product line naman for pimple treatments again, having similar facial techniques for anti-aging but also has some differences. While Brand B carries five (or more) product lines: for men, for anti-aging, for pimple and problematic skin, for bleaching/whitening and for body treatments. All these have different facial techniques and applications. If you are a novice and you only have a short span to memorize, marami kang makakalimutan or maida-dagdag not Tess, she knows what to do and does it with flair.
3. Tess gives me samples of products for me to try. Today, I bought several products to take home with me for maintenance. I will edit this blog so I can get to review them as well.
4. She discusses the purpose of each product she applies which is already a given since they carry only Murad products.
5. She gives my lip a boost with the application of lip care product after every facial which I love because it tastes and smells like strawberries. It also instantly moisturizes a chapped lip like mine.

So there you go my latest blog about Murad in Rustan's, Makati.

May 16, 2010- After my two-hour long spa time at Island spa (yes, and I am still held hostage --happily---hehehe--- in this beauty and relaxation level of Rustan's) still at the 5th level of Rustan's) I still have an hour more to spare (1 hour and fifteen minutes to be exact) since Island spa does not have any facial and beauty treatments on their menu, the staff told me that I can hop off to the Murad Center just right in front of them. So, off I went. Facial therapies are a NEED for me not some want or just my bling-bling thing. I will tell you why in a bit.

Location and Ambiance

Again if you are coming from the Greenbelt area, the location is quite difficult to find (no wonder I can only see a few people coming upstairs). It's just right in front of the coffee shop. Upon entering, on your left will be the reception area and to the right is the lounge area. The whole facade of the place befits a medical spa facility (good for branding and the type of client they want to attract) with most of their retail products available for sale displayed at the lounge area which has a small sala/receiving area. No distinct smell or any background sound at all. This place is not a full service spa but a skin, face and beauty center.

Hygiene, Cleanliness and Sanitation

Upon first glance, you will notice that the place is impeccably clean but the room which was where I have been given my facial, was dimly lit so I have not way of telling if the place was the same. Their changing area was also clean. My locker has a big robe and slippers.

Menu of Services

They have facial and body treatment services. Sorry for those wanting to have a massage and a facial therapy in just one roof, this is a beauty center not a full service spa. So here are some of their services:

For facial treatments they have the following:

The least expensive which is 900 pesos (approximately $18) is Classical Facial-30 minutes- a customized cleansing treatment with mask and moisturizing treatment.

The staff assessed my skin/face and recommended an AHA Intensive facial (60 minutes)- so I obliged- this facial uses AHA in this case, it's glycolic acid, very good choice for my skin type because even if I do not have pimples or acne, I have white heads (comedones) and this really bothers me and the primary reason I have to make facial therapies one of my regimen. This costs 1,900 Pesos (approximately U$D38).

Vitamin C infusion Facial- 60 minutes- this costs 1,700 pesos (approximtely U$D 34) -to restore elasticity, firmness and hydration and even skin tone using pure Vitamin C.

Resurgence Renewal Facial- 60 minutes- costs 2,400 pesos (approximately U$D 48)- for hormonal aging skin, menopausal and peri-menopausal skin.

Clarifying enzyme facial- 60 minutes- costs 1,700 Pesos (approximately U$D 34)- ideal for oily and acne prone skin using papaya and pineapple natural fruit enzymes to dissolve these impurities.

Diamond Peel starts at 1,700 Pesos for the face (approximately U$D34) and 1,700 Pesos (approximately U$D 34) for full neck and decollete.

For "bacne" beakouts they have a clarifying enzyme back treatment- 60 minutes- for 1,800 pesos (approximately 35U$D). So if you plan to go backless in one of the formal occasions that you will go to, visit Murad for this treatment at least several days or months before the ocassion depending on the severity of your "bacne" breakouts.
For those wanting to firm and tone their body, they have Vitamin C Firm and Tone Half body treatment- 60 minutes- for 2,200 pesos (approximately U$D 44)

If I were near, I would avail of their packages:

3 Facial treatments for just 3,800 Pesos giving you a savings of 2,100 pesos from the regular price of 5,700 pesos and they have other treatment packages which you can inquire about when you call.

Price-wise, the Murad Center has reasonable price figures (as compared with US-price standards) but for others it might be ridiculously expensive, but Murad is a huge name so I suppose that's a given. If you can afford the price tag, or just want an occasional treat, I think as my first impression, they are doing a service more than average. I think you do have to make the decision if you want quality at a price. Murad offers quality products and a more than average service, but you have to be willing to pay for them.

They accept credit cards for payment which is a good thing.

Retail and Products

Dr. Murad believes in an inclusive approach and following the 3-step Murad method, I would be incorporating topical, internal and emotional care into my lifestyle. So, if I were to take home products, I would take home the following and try them out:
Topical- AHA cream- which has to be left on the face for 10 minutes- but as unique as my face is- I think I need more than 20 minutes for this....hehehe...maybe one of these days I will experiment with their products. Later will tell you why I need 20 minutes to start with.
Internal- Youth Builder dietary supplement- costs around 4,500 pesos (U$D 90) good for 30 days already.
Staff and Decorum

When I arrived, the reception was manned by a male but when he greeted me and I asked him about the facial he excused himself and disappeared into the back door and a lady entertained me instead. The lady staff (sorry as related earlier I chose to lay my pen and just rest and enjoy my spa-ing time without having to think about writing a consumer's review through my blog so I was not able to get the name of the esthetician) was accommodating naman and I tried to converse with her during my session and asked questions. She is not pushy with products and well-versed when it comes to what the products are for.

Session and Techniques

The staff ushered me to a changing/locker area and since I am (again) the only one inside the spa, I get to enjoy the facility all by myself. The changing facility has at least 8-14 lockers with keys. There is a facial tube dress inside, so you have to change because the facial therapy includes the shoulders and chest area. There are also toiletries inside like a hair gel, a comb/hair brush and a hair spray.

The AHA intensive facial I tried is a type of European facial. You might wonder what is a European facial? This is a type of facial treatment which begins with deep cleansing, steam, exfoliation, and facial massage of the face, shoulders, and chest area, followed by special mask that hydrates the skin. One thing I like about this facial is that she also applied lip balm on my lips at the end of the facial. Aside from the skin treatments, you get soothing massages on your temples, scalp, neck and shoulders.

My skin was noticeably smooth, even-toned and radiant for days until now - and it's been more than 7 days!. Actually, I think I will be trying some of their products when I come back. This is the main reason why I need to have regular facials because I have to maintain a smooth complexion (not the usual smooth complexion) and I am bothered whenever I can feel that I already have rough skin because of white heads (comedones). I tried glycolic acid peels- but it works only temporarily. I have a lot of these white heads or comedones that its like having mustache on my skin.... and I still am on the hunt for the right product for me. So far, have found none as effective as the products were at Murad.

The products (not the facial techniques or the spa ritual) has exceeded all the other places I have gone for my facials- both relatively cheap and super expensive. Not that the spa or the staff is average, it's just that the facial techniques used and the ritual is common and a given. I hope the spa or facial owners will learn from these types of establishments and get some ideas from them. Although I have to say that it's kinda weird because during the steam and application of the AHA, I expected the facialist (or aesthetician) to use this time to give me a back, neck, and shoulder massage, or a hand massage- but in this case, it did not happen. Maybe, it's not part of the ritual?

I also highly recommend this AHA Intensive facial for those who have the same skin problems that I have. I love the scents of their products- not overly scented but has a nice smelling scent for the AHA and for the cleansers.

I was also in a hurry so this might be the reason why the staff did not ask me for any hot tea or any herbal tea at all....or since they are a medical spa facility, they also do not include that?

Overall rating, because of the superb products, I will give Murad Center @ Rustan's an 85%. I will definitely try out other services and take home some products when I come back

Address/Contact Numbers/Other Information
Location: Murad Center
5th Level Rustan's Ayala Center
Makati city
Phone Number 8161806

Rustan Cosmetics Division
2nd Floor, OPPEN Building
349 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City 1225, Philippines
ctarriola@rustans.com.ph
P: 00632.895.7140
F: 00632.890.9793

Guidelines in the writing of this spa/massage clinic review were observed, click on the link below to read about my guidelines:
http://yunesa.blogspot.com/2009/07/consumer-and-spa-enthusiasts-review.html

The most comprehensive resource and information guide on the list of training centers, magazines, publications, books and literatures both local and international are all available in the book, “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource Guide and Career Book”. The First Book on Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource Book and Career Guide
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book
(this has the most comprehensive list of training centers in the Philippines and abroad with tips from professionals and employment opportunities, legal laws and regulations, list of employment agencies, how to choose a trainer, and information that you need in order to succeed in this industry and before you shell out money for your tuition or training, there are a lot of ways you can grab a copy of this valuable information para hindi ka mag sayang ng time and money enrolling in trainings you do not even need. This book will give you the information to start right in the industry with secrets you should know and being able to find your rainbow in the wonderful world of massage, spa and wellness.

1. You can order it online via http://www.amazon.com/ at 34.95$

2. You can order it via a Kindle device at $7.99

3. You can order an e-book copy through my blog at http://www.yunesa.blogspot.com/ at $19.95

4. You can also get a copy from National Bookstores nationwide at P799Pesos

5. For locals only, you can order it from me at local discounted rates with free delivery at 900Pesos (via LBC or FEDEX Air 21. Anywhere in the Philippines. Please allow 1-5 working days

If you are looking for a career opportunity, not just a job in the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry, this book is a must read.

This review was written by: Eunice Estipona a spa consultant, mentor, advisor, speaker and lecturer. One of her advocacies is to make healing and information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness accessible and affordable to everyone. If you are serious about turning your business or practice around, making the right decisions, getting an unbiased opinion and knowing where to get help, for lectures and other concerns she can be contacted at yunesa@yahoo.com or +639184745685. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.meetup.com/philippinemassagetherapy

These along with hundreds of resources found locally and abroad are contained in “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource and Career Book”, the first book of resource information to know more about the Spa, Massage and Wellness Industry in the Philippines and other countries including the United States, Australia and other Asian countries. You can view, read, download and print for FREE the book’s summary at this link http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book

If you are a spa, massage therapy and wellness information seeker the resources contained in the book for you. This book is a collection of data and valuable information regarding the spa and massage industry in a global perspective with a focus on the Philippines. Her advocacy in writing the book is to make “unbiased” information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness resources and career, accessible and affordable for everyone. If you are considering a career in the massage, spa and wellness industry, this book will prepare you and give you a glimpse of what it is like, the preparation you need to take: emotionally, intellectually and financially. In this book, you will learn more details in the spa and massage field and the possible paths you can take. You will also learn about local and international training programs offered and numerous employment possibilities. Giving you much needed information at your fingertips. You can order it from http://www.amazon.com/ or for local Philippine residents, you can email and get in touch with Eunice at yunesa@yahoo.com

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The content of this review is solely the property and opinion of its author, Eunice

Island Spa @ Rustan's Makati (A Spa, Massage Therapy Review from a Spa Connoisseur)

2010-05-12T13:35:00.011+08:00

Island Spa @ Rustan's Makati (A Spa and Massage Therapy Review from a Spa Connoisseur)
by Eunice
yunesa@yahoo.com

November 05, 2010- What is different about my visit today at Island spa?
1. Towels- Obviosuly, hindi sila nag titipid ng towels. I love the warm towels applied on my back during the session and afterwards: application of warm towels on my arms, legs and foot.
2. The ginger tea they offered. Refreshing and delicious.
3. The therapist kept on asking to be excused everytime someone is at the reception area because they lack staff.
4. I have taken photos of the nice room we were in.

Here you go my latest thoughts on Island spa.

May 06, 2010- I was at Greenbelt 4 Makati and was aching for another spa-ing or "me" time. Although I only have three hours to spare, I opted to shop for another spa that I can blog about and hopefully, it would be worth blogging about (hehehe). I have been in and out of many spas, facial and beauty centers but one of my weakness is having to sit down and write my thoughts while I am enjoying my session. You have to agree with me that its diffucult to write your thoughts and enjoy the session at the same time. Mahirap kaya yun. But for this day, I chose to give myself a break, just relax and take it easy on my writing. It is worthy to note that prior to this consumer review I have already visited different spas but do not intend to write about it (yet) because I am giving them the chance to improve their services as they did not pass (in my personal opinion) professional standards of what a real or authentic spa is like. So instead of blurting out my disgust (or yelp about it), I will choose to be quiet and hunt for spas, massage clinics and wellness centers that are worthy of blogging about. Hopefully in the near future when I return to these spas, massage clinics and wellness center establishments they would have improved and perhaps that would be the time when I could blog about it.

Since the old spa (near a gym) where I frequent to whenever I am in Greenbelt is now closed and have transferred to another location, I promtly asked from the concierge for the nearest spa and they said it is located at the 5th level of Rustan's Department store, the Island Spa. Okay, so off I went to this upper level of Rustan's to venture into my spa cravings. As geographically challenged as I am, the location is quite difficult to find if you are coming from the Greenbelt area. Its also right near Belo Medical Group's center- maybe next time I will visit Belo instead.

Location and Ambiance

The location is quite difficult to find (no wonder I can only see a few people coming upstairs) . The ambiance is Thai-themed but amidst the Thai ambiance, their services do not include a Thai massage. It's called a spa but in reality, it's not a spa but a massage clinic or center as they do not offer any spa services only massage therapies. They also call their establishment Island spa but do not include different types of island-ish massage therapies. So much for branding huh?

I like the peppermint-ish scent of the candle when I entered and the serene atmosphere, realizing that we are on the fifth level and only a very few people are seen on this side of the mall. The ambiance is more relaxing than that of spas located in SM malls. The ambiance of the whole small floor where these medical spas and beauty centers are located emanates an aura of elegance and exclusivity. Good for those who would like to take a nap during their session. The big minus is that Island Spa do not have any toilets or wash rooms inside their massage center so when I asked where the toilet is at, they said you have to go outside of Island spa and walk a couple of feet away just right beside the alley around the Belo Medical group- so I asked the staff "are there times where clients would ask to be excused for a bladder break wearing the spa robe?" and they said "yes ma'am- the guards outside know that you came from here- so no problem you can go to the bathroom" but for me (personally speaking) it's kinda awkward because you have to pass by the clinic of Belo and a coffee shop where people are taking "tea time". Oh well, luckily for me, during that time I do not have to take a bladder break until after my session was over.

Another disadvantage is that the rooms are separated only by open partitions so if there are a lot of clients simultaneously taking their session and one client happens to be a blabber- naku lagot- everyone will be able to eavesdrop from their conversation. But good thing I went right after lunch time (around 1 pm) so there isn't one client except me- so I have the privilege of having the spa all by myself.

I like that the flooring in between the rooms are made of stones and makes it appeal like you are not inside a mall but in a resort spa somewhere in Thailand.

I also like the back ground sound and music, soothing and similar to old Chinese themes.

Hygiene, Cleanliness and Sanitation

The sheets seem to be clean as the massage recliners are all covered in white and does not seem to have any funny smell. Generaly hygiene and cleanliness passed my standards. The toilets outside the Island spa is clean and neat- as we expect from upscale mall spas around the city.

The Menu of Services

When I looked at their services they have the following in their menu and the prices are very reasonable:
1. Chinese Therapeutic Foot Massage starting at 30 minutes duration for only 375 Pesos to 2 hours for 1,115 pesos (approximately U$D22). I wonder how many techniques there are for a 30 minutes and a two hour session (?). Maybe next time when I am within the vicinity, I will be able to try this one out.

2. Foot and Back Massage for 1 hour and 15 minutes = 800 pesos (approximately U$D16.00). Come to think of it, I should have chosen this as my back and shoulders were stiff that time (as it always was)...hehehe...

3. Full Body Massage which is composed of Swedish and Shiatsu techniques. They have one hou, 1.5 hours and two hours valued at 690 pesos (approximately U$D14), 970 pesos (approximately U$D20) and 1,190 pesos (approximately U$D24) consecutively.

4. Aromatherapy massage priced at 1,145 pesos (approximately U$D 23) for 1.5 hours.

5. Hot Stone Massage priced at 1,200 pesos (approximately U$D24) for 1.5 hours.

6. Foot and body combination at 1.150 pesos (approximately U$D23) for 2 hours- this one was what the staff recommended so I took it. because I am that greedy about massage as I am greedy about taking the knots out of my shoulders and back.

7. Express Back Massage at 375 pesos (approximately U$D8) for 30 minutes- this is the cheapest/least expensive massage they offer.

They also offer coupon booklets for five thousand and ten thousand pesos (approximately U$D100 to U$D 200) which contains 10 and 20 pieces of marked down prices coupons for massage. So if you already are their loyal client and you live near the area, I suggest you go for this value coupons. All in all, their menu is limited to massage therapy, do not expect any spa services even if they claim to be a spa, they do not have any hydrotherapy services or even remotely spa-ish services. Technically, this is not considered a spa but a massage center or massage clinic.

They accept credit cards for payment which is a good thing.

Staff and Decorum

The front desk and staff were nice and helpful. She also asked me if I would have my tea in my room or in the reception vis a vis lounge area. Someone also assisted me when I got lost trying to find the comfort room outside....hehehe....I told you, I am geographically challenged.

The massage therapist assigned to me was also accommodating. But she should go beyond the basic motions of the massage and actually work with your individual body to help not only relax but work towards healing you. They should be receptive to your personal preferences and needs. For someone like me, whose back is filled with really intense knots and carries a ton of stress around, this sort of attention and care is absolutely imperative.

Massage session and techniques

Since I choose Foot and Body Massage combination here is what I experienced:

The staff ushered me to a small room with a recliner for massage and then asked me to change and put on the robe and shorts, she then prepared the foot soak while I was changing then started with an herbal foot soak. Literally it has leaves on the foot soak and I like the feeling because of the hot tub of water with soothing herbs. It was similar to an herbal foot rub I experienced in Thailand except that in Thailand they do not put plastic or cellophane on their foot spa machines. Here the foot spa machine was covered with cellophane/plastic for ease and convenience of cleaning it up afterwards. While soaking my feet for five minutes or so, she also placed a warm massage pillow on my shoulders, making me start the session with ease and comfort. The warm pillow smelled like guava leaves though and I like the smell. The usual massage techniques that were used was nothing exemplary. It took around 30 to 45 minutes all in all. If you are well-versed with massage techniques, this is just an ordinary foot and leg massage nothing more to it.
Then came the time for the body massage proper. She asked me to stand up first while she moved the recliner downwards and put on the face rest. Then I was set to go for my body massage. She started with my legs upwards to other parts of the body. The feeling that it's systematic but not personalized. For me (as a massage therapist myself and a spa consultant), I am very particular about massage therapists who listen to the body's muscle movements while they knead. Its not only the spa or massage ritual that counts. They have to listen to the body not just execute techniques. Overall, the massage was just okay nothing exemplary. It's a combination of Swedish and Shiatsu massage with a bit of stretching.

What I like about the session though is the application of hot pack on my back while massaging on the supine position what I do not like is that I have to rise up and about again for her to be able to change the recliner suited for a supine position.

Overall rating = 80%
They have two branches: Main branch is located at Island Foot and Body Wellness 2/F Jupiter place 136-138 Jupiter st. Bel-Air Makaticity
Tel. Nos. 899-1234 or 7518296

For this visit and blog, I was at Island Spa
5th level, Rustan's Makati
Tel. No. 7108588
Sorry, they do not have any website or email address.

Guidelines in the writing of this spa/massage clinic review were observed, click on the link below to read about my guidelines:

http://yunesa.blogspot.com/2009/07/consumer-and-spa-enthusiasts-review.html

The most comprehensive resource and information guide on the list of training centers, magazines, publications, books and literatures both local and international are all available in the book, “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource Guide and Career Book”. The First Book on Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource Book and Career Guide
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book
(this has the most comprehensive list of training centers in the Philippines and abroad with tips from professionals and employment opportunities, legal laws and regulations, list of employment agencies, how to choose a trainer, and information that you need in order to succeed in this industry and before you shell out money for your tuition or training, there are a lot of ways you can grab a copy of this valuable information para hindi ka mag sayang ng time and money enrolling in trainings you do not even need. This book will give you the information to start right in the industry with secrets you should know and being able to find your rainbow in the wonderful world of massage, spa and wellness.

1. You can order it online via http://www.amazon.com/ at 34.95$

2. You can order it via a Kindle device at $7.99

3. You can order an e-book copy through my blog at http://www.yunesa.blogspot.com/ at $19.95

4. You can also get a copy from National Bookstores nationwide at P799Pesos

5. For locals only, you can order it from me at local discounted rates with free delivery at 900Pesos (via LBC or FEDEX Air 21. Anywhere in the Philippines. Please allow 1-5 working days

If you are looking for a career opportunity, not just a job in the spa, massage therapy and wellness industry, this book is a must read.

This review was written by: Eunice Estipona a spa consultant, mentor, advisor, speaker and lecturer. One of her advocacies is to make healing and information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness accessible and affordable to everyone. If you are serious about turning your business or practice around, making the right decisions, getting an unbiased opinion and knowing where to get help, for lectures and other concerns she can be contacted at yunesa@yahoo.com or +639184745685. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.meetup.com/philippinemassagetherapy

These along with hundreds of resources found locally and abroad are contained in “The Spa, Massage and Wellness Resource and Career Book”, the first book of resource information to know more about the Spa, Massage and Wellness Industry in the Philippines and other countries including the United States, Australia and other Asian countries. You can view, read, download and print for FREE the book’s summary at this link http://www.scribd.com/doc/6425282/About-the-Book-Spa-Massage-and-Wellness-Resource-Guide-and-Career-Book

If you are a spa, massage therapy and wellness information seeker the resources contained in the book for you. This book is a collection of data and valuable information regarding the spa and massage industry in a global perspective with a focus on the Philippines. Her advocacy in writing the book is to make “unbiased” information regarding the field of spa, massage and wellness resources and career, accessible and affordable for everyone. If you are considering a career in the massage, spa and wellness industry, this book will prepare you and give you a glimpse of what it is like, the preparation you need to take: emotionally, intellectually and financially. In this book, you will learn more details in the spa and massage field and the possible paths you can take. You will also learn about local and international training programs offered and numerous employment possibilities. Giving you much needed information at your fingertips. You can order it from http://www.amazon.com/ or for local Philippine residents, you can email and get in touch with Eunice at yunesa@yahoo.com.

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A Journey to Massage, Spa, Health and Wellness

2010-04-07T22:53:00.006+08:00

A Journey to Massage, Spa, Health and Wellness
By Eunice
yunesa@yahoo.com

It was in the early months of 2000. I have been coughing for the past one month but have no signs and symptoms of having tuberculosis or pneumonia aside from consistent cough and a painful back. I just returned to my position working as a travel and timeshare sales and marketing executive for the past three years and I was thinking that maybe it was due to the very cold temperature inside the hotel. Everyday it was like winter inside the presentation area and because all of our directors were Westerners, we were stuck in a position where all of us have to adjust to their preferences in temperature and corporate culture. I can no longer ignore what I was feeling so I went straight to a pulmonologist and decided to submit myself to an examination. Medical history was taken and the specialist decided to have my sputum and X-ray checked just in case. Both results were normal except that I have dextro-scoliosis for which the pulmonologist referred me to another specialist- this time an orthopedic doctor who told me that my condition cannot be helped any other means except by surgery. Feeling dismayed that medicine cannot help me with my condition, I sought also the help of my friend who was a physical/occupational therapist and yes, she verified that the only solution to scoliosis is surgery. But I can also help myself not to make it worse, she said. She gave me exercise movements to be done everyday so my condition will not worsen. So, reluctantly I have accepted my condition. While I was searching online for a cure, I found that massage can alleviate symptoms so I have tried it and it helped ease my back pains. So, I started to look at massage therapy in a different context, I started to look for alternative medicine as a career. I was not able to find a medical degree leading to a doctorate in Alternative Medicine but I found out that there is such thing as Licensure for Massage Therapist. This was my first step in my journey to massage, spa, beauty, health and wellness. From that time forth, the rest was history.

Two years thereafter, I have been feeling weak and sick. I am having difficulty breathing whenever I walk or come up and down the stairs. Even if it’s just some light work, I get tired easily. I feel fatigued almost all of the time, I have chest pains and shortness of breath. Being someone from the medical background, I sought medical help immediately. The internal medical physician told me to seek the professional help of a cardiologist. I thought to myself, “why a cardiologist? I thought it was my lungs again?” Even if I was not convinced, I still heeded his advise and went to a cardiologist who asked me to undergo an echocardiogram (ECG) and some running test. The result? I have MVP or Mitral Valve Prolapse in my heart (to be specific it was in the Posterior Mitral Valve leaflet). I read again the results, I have MVP or Mitral Valve Prolapse. What again? MVP? Most Valuable Player? Like in basketball? Hehehe…. What is that? ano kamo? I must have been asleep or absent when that was taught in school because I cannot find it within the recesses of my stock knowledge. So I asked the cardiologist to please explain my condition. He said that I have a condition in my heart also known as “click murmur syndrome" and "Barlow's syndrome". This is the most common heart valve abnormality, affecting five to ten percent of the world population. I thought,” yeah right Doc, you are just saying that to pacify me.” So where did I contract it, where did I get it from? Is it a disease? An infection? He said “the Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) syndrome has a strong hereditary tendency, although the exact cause is unknown. It is seen most commonly in women from 20 to 40 years old, but also occurs in men”. By this time, I am already correlating data in my mind from my previous medical history and was wondering “My dextroscoliosis is idiopathic (meaning of unknown cause) and now another condition, MVP is also of unknown origin?” Again, the cardiologist said, there are no cure for it except if I went ahead and do surgery, which is not really necessary, he said. As it’s not really a cure. Since my MVP condition was a classic one because I have mitral regurgitation, he told me to not to stress myself too much especially physically and not to worry too much. There is no cure.

To make matters worse (or should I say better?), when I searched online about MVP complications, it includes in rare circumstances—cardiac arrest, usually resulting in sudden death. Ahhh, at least a prayer of mine has been answered because I asked the Lord not to make my death long and hard. Hehehe…..anyway, I just kept on praying and hoping for the best. You may feel that it's morbid to think about death, but actually it's more unhealthy to live in denial of death and what will inevitably happen in the future. We need to think more of eternity, not less.

In 2007, I was also diagnosed to have endometrial polyp and intramural myoma (both are said to be abnormal growths) to which the gynecologist told me the only solution are two ways: conceive a baby or undergo sugery. Again, both of these do not promise that it will not grow again. By this time, I am already aware of some alternative and complementary therapies so I sought the help of one Meetup member who is a doctor but also into complementary medicine. No other than Dra. Naomi. She explained to me that my condition was very easy to cure. She gave me a lifestyle check including food: what to eat and what not to eat. That time I was still eating red meat but slowly getting off of it. So, I decided to take her advise seriously.

You know, when you are faced with death on your face, you get to evaluate you life and your lifestyle. I was then reminded by God to cling to him. I remember the time that God and I made a pact, this was a long time ago that once I get to accomplish what He (God) has entrusted me to do on Earth (whatever that is) I am free to go. He is free to take me home. Since the time that I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I do not fear death. My only request to God was: I do not like to suffer- it should not be a violent death or a long hard death. But, we do not get to choose when and where our birth and death will be. All we can do is ask God to grant our prayers. Well, after being given the advise from the doctor that they cannot do anything and there is no real cure for my condition (again). This time, I decided to undergo surgery but I have to give other ways a try. “If these trials (the complementary therapies) will not work after three months, I will go under the knife” I said to msyself.

During that time, I have gotten into self-reflection. It’s ironic because I only slow down when I am faced with life threatening illness or danger or physical ailment. Ewan ko ba lagi akong parang nagmamadali...hahaha....kahit sa mall my sister would always remind me ano ka ba ateng? we need to stroll and walk not pace fast. Most of the time naman, I get so caught up with work and other things to do that I am always in a hurry. At other times, I forget eating because I am so engrossed with work. Yes, at times for the whole day when I have an activity, dinner na ako makakakain. I was also reminded by God to slow down. As I read Psalms 46:10, it said, “be still and know that I am God”. Ouch! There I am again noh? Being reminded by God to take things slow and not to forget Him even in our daily lives not only on Sundays. During those times, as we were also talking with Dra. Naomi she said that prayer is also very powerful and there were scientific researches which showed that whenever you pray for something especially food that you are about to take, it energizes the molecules of food thereby giving you more boost and healing along the way. So I also started a prayer vigil for my healing. After three months of extensive health diet and lifestyle conditioning- and boy! It’s hard….really hard because I have to have the discipline to really eat only this much, eat only this, do only this and not do that. My body was complaining because it is not used to a “really” healthy lifestyle and when I started out this new lifestyle, my diet was all raw and vegan. As if I have cancer. I ate raw food and a lot of seaweeds! Only fruits for a start and vegetables but nothing with face on it. Eh di siyempre, yung katawan ko manghihina the first few days pa lang. I was trembling because of hunger as I was used to carbohydrate based food. But after I got my system in check, detoxified myself, a week thereafter, my body started to move in directions that my mind wants it to go. Since then I have not indulged in red meat particulary pork- sabi nga nila naging muslim na daw ako. But then again, come to think of it, they have a point not to eat pork because it’s really not healthy, it poisons our body. Pork is very hard to digest and assimilate. So, after three months, to be able to finally confirm if my new lifestyle was effective, I have to go back to my gynecologist and have myself checked again. This time, during the ultrasound while the gynecologist was looking for the myoma- she was saying, “bakit nawala? Anong ginawa mo?” after an extensive search, the gynecologist gave up and said “nothing” and my results where normal. Thank God. It was a miracle. God used Meetup for me to meet people like Dr. Naomi, encouragements and prayers from my friends, family and Ted, diet and lifestyle to heal me.

But my story will not end here, remember I have dextroscoliosis and the doctor said also there is no cure? I went to this fire and heat therapy (one of the indigenous therapies that we went to for our Meetups) and had three (I think) sessions with Tatay Tony and to my surpise, my backaches have really diminished. For this, I would like to thank Mr. Ramon Tan, the owner of Carica who introduced me to Tatay Tony when he found out that I have scoliosis. To this day, I have not had too much pain on my back not unlike before. This was one of our photos:

Last but not the least, just last month February 24, 2010, I was diagnosed to have nodules and cysts on my mammary glands (in short breasts). Yes, cysts and nodules not just one but four on each sides. Ano ba yan? Ang dami naman tumutubo sa akin? Hehehe……puro pa naman idiopathic……unknown cause. But again, when I was about to undergo aspiration biopsy the surgeon told me to come back again after a month if I felt something abnormal if not I can come back in April for a mammography, just to be sure.

So why am I sharing to you all of these? One, because having to face the reality of death several times, we get to evaluate our lives more than anything else. Life is short. As James 4:14b said, “Our life is like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”. Life is not all about career or money and how far we have reached in our fields. Although these are important, these are not permanent. We have to ask ourselves, if God chooses to take me right now, am I prepared? Have we done God’s purpose for our lives? Have we glorified God through our skills, our talents and our abilities? Life is not just a matter of going up the ladder of success in the world’s standards. It is what we have done that impacts eternity and how do we prepare for eternity? Go on a one on one talk with God. Pray. It works. We have to ask God to forgive us and let Him come into our lives and offer our lives to Him as he has given His life for us. When you are in your dying moments, I do not think I will hear you say "bring me my diplomas, I want to look at them one more time or bring me my medals and trophies, my awards and the jewelries that were given to me". When life on Earth is ending, we do not want to be surrrounded by objects but with people. People we love and cherish. So whenever we wake up everyday should be to make sure that we spend time loving God by loving other people and using whatever talents or skills He has given us to share it with everyone. Do not waste today's blessings by keeping it with yourself. Give God and people a time and chance into your life.

Two, because whatever our journey is in this field, we all have stories to tell, we have experiences to share and kindness to show. You have something to share, something to contribute and no one in this world is as unique as you. You are created to do more than exist. You are wonderfully made. You are placed on this earth to add more love, give more of ourselves, to add more understanding, more forgiveness and we can do that with our work, our career, our talents, our skills and our abilities. Our money, our career, our life- will come to an end but what we have done for the sake of God will reflect until eternity.

As Russel Kelfer's poem amptly states:
You are who you are for a reason.

You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.
You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.
The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,

They were custom designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.
No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;

But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.
You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!

Do not just spend your life trying to create success financially and in your career or trying to create a legacy on Earth. It's not at all bad to want to be remembered when you are gone but ultimately what matters most will not be what others say about your life but what God would say about yours. Realize that all these acheivements will be surpasses by others in the future, records will be broken, reputations fade and tributes forgotten. Do not just live for an Earthly legacy because there is much more than what we see on Earth.

I pray that God will touch you in whatever situation you are right now. Be it in health or in sickness, in success or defeat, up or down- we need God. I also hope that you will come to realize that no religion, no amount of good works will ever replace God’s love for us. He is just a prayer away, He is just waiting for us to come to him and talk to Him with our hearts. All we need to do is ask to come into our lives. “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened (James 11:9-10)”.

Do not waste your time, ask God now.

Travel, Trips and Tours for Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness Enthusiasts

2010-03-17T17:14:00.004+08:00

Travel, Trips and Tours for Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness Enthusiasts

Hay naku summer na naman. And since it's time again to wander around, did you know that the Philippines has a FREE travel and lifestyle magazine distributed around different airports in Manila, Cebu, Clark, in different call centers, some hotels and resorts and coffee shops in the Philippines? With tips on where to go and what to do, this magazine revolutionizes the way Filipinos travel and is defnitely your handy ultimate tour guide on travel. Yes, and that magazine I am referring to is (drum roll please....hehe) Juan Philippines magazine.

The latest issue of this magazine featured your spa, massage therapy and wellness guide and consultant in an article focusing on Gift Guide for the Wellness Enthusiast. Although its for Valentine's day, you can get tips on getting gifts for your loved ones anytime of the year.

To view a copy of this article you can visit:
http://issuu.com/juanphilippines/docs/feb-marchloversgetawayissue

Valentine’s Gift Guide for the Wellness Enthusiast

By

Eunice Estipona
http://www.yunesa.blogspot.com/

When buying a unique and special gift for our loved ones we are using up all our creativity and resources to do so. If money is tight, every peso counts so there is no such thing as “cheap”, if you have really thought about it, no matter what the cost, then that’s what matters. Material gifts are not that only things that you can give so before buying something, listen to clues on what he/she really wants. Instead of the usual chocolates, you can mix and match any two or three of these items depending on your budget. So, here’s a list of gift ideas for wellness enthusiasts.

1. Spa-rties or Spa Parties- contact a Licensed Massage Therapist or a nearby spa and inquire if they can accommodate two people at the same time and if it’s a group date then they should be able to come up with a themed spa party occasion. For a more specialized and less expensive treat and you have space at home, you can host a spa party right at your own home. Just buy some robes and slippers, scented candles, massage oils or manicure and/or pedicure set- call a home spa or home massage service or hire somebody in your neighborhood to give you and your loved one a massage and a foot spa with manicure and pedicure. Compose a romantic poem in a Valentine’s card and insert a spa gift certificate. If he/she loves chocolates, take them to a spa that offers chocolate scrubs and treatments.

2. Wellness Travel- Go out and have fun! If that means, just taking them for a bowling time or a fitness center or perhaps you can take your loved one/s to an organic farm and a healthy culinary tour. Recreate your first date or the time when you told each other the three magical words, “I love you”; Walk, dive or schedule an overnight trip to a romantic resort spa outside of town. Take a trip down a rural area and experience authentic bamboo massage, sea shell massage, Dagdagay or our very own Hilot.

3. Palate Trip- Treat your loved ones for a food trip to a spa gourmet, a vegan restaurant or arrange a cooking time to cook low carb, vegan food and delicacies. Inquire from culinary schools if they offer short classes on vegetarian cuisine and cooking demonstrations then enroll both of you as part of your bonding time. Learn and have fun together learning a new recipe.

4. Delights at home- Dress up your bedroom like a spa with fresh petals of roses on the tub or on the floor, a mini water fountain, lighted aromatherapy candles and a waiting massage therapist to perform massage for both of you. Arrange your ordinary kitchen to look something like a healthy spa nook/kitchen with herbs, gourmet food and green and leafy vegetables on the refrigerator and fresh fruits and edible flowers on the dinner table. Make a healthy midnight snack that you can both devour. Make it as appealing to the sight as can be.

5. Gifts and tokens- Buy foot spa gift set, a pet, a plant like a bonsai, buy seeds for an herb garden or Zen garden containing white sand, etched stones and candles; Vegan cook books, fitness and exercise CD’s/DVD’s, spa music CD’s or relaxing CD’s, instructional books on health and beauty, Gift basket like a Spa kit/Bath basket containing bath towel, aromatherapy oils, massage oils, organic soaps, body scrubs, edible flowers, etc.

All in all, any present whatever the amount is all about thought, attention and love. Appreciate what is there and love them for it!
=======================================================

They are also still accepting entries (until March 22, 2010) for "Send us your best BEACH photo/s (can be wackiest, funniest,sexiest, etc.) and win an overnight stay at Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park in Cavite and also get a chance to have the photo featured in our Parting Shot section. Email those photos to juanphilippines@gmail.com now!"

Should you want to download previous issues of Juan magazine you can visit their website at http://www.juanphilippines.com/ or download/view the current issue at this link: http://issuu.com/juanphilippines/docs/feb-marchloversgetawayissue

If you want to display the these FREE magazines in your establishment or have your hotel, resort, spa, massage clinic or wellness center featured please email me yunesa@yahoo.com so I can give you their contact details.

Get to know our wonderful country, promote healthy living and a wellnessness lifestyle. If you also have time to travel and tour with us and experience indigenous therapies, for Filipino therapies and wellness travel, email me (also) so I can send you schedules and details - yunesa@yahoo.com

Let us continue to work hand in hand with our fellow Filipinos to present our country as one of the best places to visit in the world because we really have a lot to offer.

Mabuhay at sa susunod na blog ulit!