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

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

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)

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!

Your Job

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:

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

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:

1. 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.
2. Acknowledge any email from those whom you know personally, even if the email only contains Thank you.
3. 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.)

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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 Trends

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)

Stereotype stories

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?

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