Relax with a massage

On Thursday, Feb. 16, Massage Ü hosted its second ‘$6 Massages at Laurier’ event on campus in the Hawks Nest, located on the third floor of the Fred Nichols Campus Centre.

The event is a result of a partnership between Massage Ü and the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy (CCMH). For six dollars, Laurier students who registered in advance would receive a 25 minute massage from students at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy.

Massage Ü is a Laurier-based social enterprise founded by Wilfrid Laurier University students Irfaan Adatia and Adam Virani. Originally created as a requirement for their social entrepreneurship class, SE400, its goal is to promote mental well-being.

“[Adatia] and I are both students so we both know that stress can be a really big problem. We realized that there weren’t many appropriate stress reliefs on campus and by appropriate that means conveniently located consistently here during midterm time and something that’s affordable,” Virani said.

Through a survey of Wilfrid Laurier University students, Adatia and Virani found that massages would help students destress, but the most they would be willing to pay would be 21 dollars. This was an issue, as a massage at Laurier costs 60 dollars without a doctor’s note.

Adatia and Virani also found that there were many students in the Waterloo region who are working to obtain their Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) certification. A requirement for this is a certain amount of placement hours.

Through a partnership with CCMH, five students attended the event to receive placement hours while they were supervised by a fully certified RMT. Another goal of the event was to create a comfortable environment.

“We created a very serene, very quiet atmosphere,” Virani said. “So students can feel relaxed while they’re getting the massage. We know it’s a stressful time with midterms and stuff, we just wanted them to have a place where they can come and take a break with something that’s affordable and convenient for them.”

A key asset for Massage Ü was the close personal friendship and varying skill sets that Adatia and Virani had prior to launching their enterprise.

“[Adatia] is in health sciences and I’m in economics, so we’ve kind of put the two together. He’s got the health background with making the difference in stress relief and I’ve got the business back-ground. It’s a nice fusion that’s been the reason for a lot of our success,” Virani said.

While Massage Ü was created as a class assignment, it is possible that there may be more to come for the enterprise. A third event is possible and there may be more expansion as well.

“Our main goal is to make a social impact. We want to make as big an impact as possible … so the goal is, hopefully, to expand. While we are a Laurier project right now, it would be nice to operate at Waterloo or other schools, especially where CCMH has campuses nearby,” Virani said.