Business as usual: a few minutes at the Massage Connection
David Rubin
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Features
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I remember two pages of New Year's resolutions, all of which amounted to: "Get Healthier." I feel guilty for a moment, but the environment here is too pleasant for that feeling to last.
There's something about this place that affects a noticeable change in one's state of mind. The abundance of natural light filtering through the front windows, the calm décor, and the satisfying give of the sofas all contribute to this feeling, but I think there is also an intangible force at work here.
And that's only the waiting room. I imagine the massages might do even more to calm body and mind.
Many current Lawrence students know about this small gem, located a few feet from the colorful windows of The Fire and the skeletal remains of Conkey's Bookstore. But so do past generations of Lawrentians.
Rose's operation has called this location home for 11 years, after nine years on Appleton's south side. She appreciates being close to the Lawrence campus, and in the year of Massage Connection's twentieth anniversary, that sentiment is, without a doubt, reciprocated.
Now, Kathryn Rose's wellness center boasts eight massage therapists who practice an array of techniques such as "Swedish," hot stone, deep tissue, lymphatic, prenatal, facial and chair massages, as well as a healing technique called "Reiki" and specially targeted therapies like "Ortho-Bionomy."
It is clear that Rose firmly believes in the benefits of each of these techniques.
"Massage therapy is beneficial in so many ways. It can help all of the systems in the body," she said.
Plenty of students seem to agree with her. According to Rose, there is a predictable rush of student massage appointments around midterms and final exams, as well as a constant stream of conservatory students, who are particularly at risk for tension problems and overuse injuries.
There are, of course, some who doubt the benefits of massage therapy. To skeptics, massage might seem imprecise and not medically driven, but Rose has a clear answer for them: "It's more than just a luxury. It's a necessity… I love the profession because I really love helping people… to slow down and take better care of themselves."
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