As massage and bodywork practitioners, we practice a unique craft; one based on considerable skill and a generosity of spirit. We provide the gifts of relaxation and wellness, and we offer specific therapies to those in need. One of my mentors once told me that "massage is the most unselfish of all professions." We bring not only touch, but conscious educated touch to those we serve. This holiday season provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon the difference our touch has made in the lives of so many.

One way of honoring the work we do, our clients and the massage therapy profession, is to support the Massage Therapy Foundation. Who is the Massage Therapy Foundation? In their own words, "We are therapists, educators, members of professional organizations, vendors who sell supplies, and massage and bodywork clients. We support the Massage Therapy Foundation  with our hearts and dollars, donating to promote the knowledge and understanding of massage."

With the enormous influx of students, teachers, therapists and clients into our profession, it is important to know that we have a non-profit, tax exempt Massage Therapy Foundation. A foundation is a benchmark for any profession. Foundations underscore the profession's intrinsic worth to society by raising funds, developing programs that support those in need, and documenting the knowledge base of its practitioners through research.

My favorite domain of the Foundation is the granting and funding of programs that bring massage therapy benefits to the wounded or those in distress. Three recently funded programs include "Therapeutic Massage for Cancer Patients at a Boston Medical Center" along with a Florida program supporting "Therapeutic Massage for Pediatric Burn Survivors" and a Wyoming endeavor consisting of "Massage Interventions for Hospice Families." These are programs we can all be proud of, made available through donations to the Massage Therapy Foundation.

The Massage Therapy Foundation... a cause we can all support!

Bob King

For more information about the Massage Therapy Foundation visit http://www.massagetherapyfoundation.org