To celebrate national Massage Therapy Awareness Week, free mini-massages were offered at De Anza College on Tuesday, Oct. 24 in the main quad.

This public event provided instructors and students of the college’s Massage Therapy Program the chance to demonstrate their skill, tell about the health benefits of massage, and explain the importance of well-trained massage professionals. Also assisting them were members of the American Massage Therapy Association.

“We want to bring public attention to the legitimate massage professionals in our community who are part of a holistic approach towards improved health, stress reduction, sleep improvement and pain control,” said Dr. Jeff Forman, the program coordinator and an adaptive physical education instructor at De Anza. “We’d like the minimum educational requirement to practice massage in any community to be at least 500 hours of training. That would help the unqualified practice of massage.”

Kathy Miana enrolled at De Anza a year and a half ago, has already earned associate degrees in massage therapy and liberal arts, and is currently working on a third associate degree to be a physical therapy assistant. “I believe that massage has positive effects for people with or without illness and that we are responsible for our own health,” she said.

Miana says that when we learn how to take care of ourselves – for instance, with proper nutrition, regular exercise, stress management, and spiritual nurturing – all those aspects of health combine to make one feel better and enjoy life more.

“A big part of massage and physical therapy is educating people on how to take care of themselves so that their problems won’t come back,” Miana continued. “De Anza’s massage instructors teach a phenomenal multi-faceted program that prepares their students to b e excellent in their field as well as be more well rounded as individuals. This program has enabled me to get a new start on life and has provided me with an excellent career pathway into health sciences where I can be of service to others.”

Graduates of the De Anza Massage Therapy Program are qualified for AMTA professional membership and can take the national certification examination. The massage classes also are approved for continuing education for nurses.

During the winter quarter starting in early January, advanced massage students participate in a clinic where students, faculty, staff and members of the community may experience massage at nominal rates. The clinic will take place on campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays between nine a.m. and noon.