I never intended to pursue massage therapy as a job; even though that's how it turned out.  The best part is:  It doesn't feel like the kind of work that I'm used to. It all started because I wanted to learn another hands-on skill that I could add to my repertoire.  Before I went to school for massage at the Harrisburg Area Community College in 2010, I hadn't even had a massage before!  My first massage was actually a fraction of bodywork by another student as we were learning to massage.  Ever since I graduated high school, I've been very much into fitness.  My sore muscles responded so well to that first partial student massage that I was hooked!  As time went by, I started to understand the importance of massage and how it was more necessity than a luxury.  My recovery time after exercising decreased and the other pain from muscle-related soreness went away.  After I graduated and saw what kind of effect my massage had on people, I decided that massage was the right path for me.  I've had such positive feedback that this doesn't feel like the typical job that I was used to, so now I find myself dedicated to doing massage full time (and teaching fitness on the side). My primary experience has been dealing with a variety of specific issues and relieving muscle tension for those that exercise on a regular basis.  I try to move my clients from that specific work to a relaxation maintenance massage once we've successfully managed their chronic issues (whether it be pain or tightness).  Most of my clients currently come in for specific work - short, half hour sessions to relieve some particular pain they're having.  I find myself working with a lot of people with low back pain and other issues in their hips and upper back. I spend a lot of my free time researching massage and other techniques to help my clients get the most out of my work.  When my nose isn't stuck in a book, I'm usually rock climbing or practicing martial arts.