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THIS ISSUE:
90th
Anniversary
Swedish Institute on-line newsletter for our students, faculty and community.
Barbara Goldschmidt, L.M.T.
Massage Therapy Program, Class of 1986
Though New York City is known for its abundance of opportunities, for many years the Swedish
Institute was the only haven for people seeking to learn the timeless tradition of using one’s
hands to enhance health and healing. To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the school, I wanted to
tell the story of its significance in the field through stories of the people who had come here
seeking its unique course of study. So, I reviewed the school history, researched events in New
York City and interviewed graduates through the decades. As my collection of alumni stories grew,
so did my delight.
Tracking down graduates from the early massage program was a random process. I worked from scraps
of paper with phone numbers, e-mails that arrived, surprise visits from alumni, and whoever was
accessible through connections to current students and friends. Some interviews I had already done
for other contexts, but they were significant enough to include again.
After they were assembled, I looked at the nine stories representing nine decades and saw,
surprisingly, that only one person had died. The rest were surprisingly healthy and active. I
know it's just a very small sampling of the thousands of people who have graduated from this
school, but my random search revealing a trend towards longevity made me wonder if it was just a
happy coincidence or a significant indicator.
First, there was Anna Koppen Schmidt, class of 1927, a woman who had practiced medical massage
until she was 75 and only recently died at age 103! John N. Johnson, class of 1937, who is in his
early 90's, still works with the athletic training team of the New York Giants. Valerio Pasqua, a
graduate of 1947, a vigorous and handsome gentleman, still has a part-time chiropractic practice.
Alumni from the 50's, 60's, and 70's are also still going strong.
What were their common traits? I had the privilege of interviewing all of them personally, and I
can tell you that each and every one was helpful, kind and warm. All of them smiled with their
eyes. Their number one piece of advice was to "love what you do." Self-realization and continual
learning were other important traits.
Research and Anecdotal Clues
Perhaps it is the act of giving massage that can extend life. Studies by Tiffany
Field, Ph.D.,
at University of Miami's Touch Research Institutes supports the theory that massage confers
benefits to givers as well as receivers. She found that elders who massaged infants were
immediately affected, showing decreased salivary cortisol levels, a reported decrease in
depression and less frequent trips to the doctor's office (1).
In their 1978 book Listening to the Body, authors Robert Masters and Jean Houston reported a
similar observation made about Alexander teachers in England. They wrote that of 100 teachers
trained during 75 years, "Only four have died, including Alexander himself, aged 87, and his
first assistant, Ethel Webb, aged 94; otherwise, no coronaries, no cancers, no strokes, no
rheumatoid arthritis, no discs, no ulcers, no neurological disorders, no severe mental
disorders (2)," were reported.
Why would working with the body be good for us? Maybe "listening to the body" is a clue. The body
is supremely sensitive to change and instantly responsive, innately adaptive. A good bodyworker or
acupuncturist taps into that wordless wisdom to seek guidance for their sessions. Maybe that
effect extends into other parts of our lives.
Perhaps it is the movements that are part of our sessions that confer benefits. Like a gentle form
of exercise, we do an extended dance around a body that takes its cues from the beating heart,
rhythmic breath and energetic streams.
Another factor to consider is how these practitioners unite awareness and practice. Organizing one’s
work according to individual needs means a lot less stress. Choosing whether to work days or
evening, customizing the space, and developing a style that suits innate temperament is part of
the joy of this work. The ability to juggle all of life’s disparate elements is summed up by the
Chinese symbol for longevity, which represents an outstretched hand balancing both heavy and light
strokes with a graceful ease.
No Conclusions but Hopes for the Future
Since acupuncturists and personal trainers work with individuals in ways that are similar to
massage therapists, I suspect that 90 years from now a random survey of graduates from those
disciplines will also uncover paths worth following. In the meantime, I hope these stories
represent the many directions that graduates travel into; private practice, integrative medicine,
athletic care, reflexology, spas and Chinese medicine. They, and the Swedish Institute, have been
moving with adaptability and responsiveness through the changing times and have survived well over
the past 90 years. May our alma mater always remain a haven for those seeking to learn
these enduring health care traditions.
Barbara Goldschmidt, a licensed massage therapist and 1986 alumna of the Swedish Institute, is
currently the school's Director of Public Relations. She was in private practice for 20 years,
taught Introduction to Tuina at the school, and in 1994 was lead therapist in a New York State
Department of Health
research project on the use of touch for people with severe dementia
conducted at Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn.
References
1. Tiffany Field, Ph.D., Touch Therapy (NY: Churchill Livingstone, 2000), page 40.
2. Robert Masters, Ph.D. and Jean Houston, Ph.D., Listening To the Body: The Psychophysical
Way to Health and Awareness (NY: Dell Publishing, Inc.,1978), p.41.
Photos
Top: Looking East on 42nd Street, towards Fifth Avenue in 2006
(compare to same view in 1916.)
Center: Barbara Goldschmidt at an acupuncture alumni panel discussion in 2003.
All photos in the newsletter not otherwise specified are by Barbara Goldschmidt and are the
property of the Swedish Institute ©2006.