News Update, May 1st (Japan time), 2022:
News Update, March 15th, 2022:
Updates from Japan:
Hello from Japan!
Pardon my absence as I have been very busy with school and everything that came with initally setting up here. Here are a few photos from my first month here. I hope you have all been taking care of yourselves as best you can. :)
-Alex
-Top left: Inuyama City
-Top right: Tsumagojuku post town
-Bottom left: A really cute cat among cherry blossoms
-Bottom right: I went to a pig cafe (like a cat cafe, but piggies)
News Update, March 10th, 2022:
Covid updates, my leave to Japan, and available appointments:
Hello everyone,
I just wanted to touch base on a few things,
1) New COVID-19 Protocols:
As of March 10th, 2022, B.C. will no longer consider masks mandatory, and will instead simply “suggest” them. As a health care provider who wants to keep everyone feeling comfortable in my clinic space, and as per my regulatory body's suggestions, I kindly ask that you continue to wear your masks to your appointment and in our treatments at this time. Chiani Wellness (of which I am located inside) will be more flexible with mask wearing than me. However, I can assure you my high level of sanitization and consistency will remain the same as ever.
2) My leave to Japan:
At this point Japan still seems like it is a-go. I will cancel all appointments after March 26th closer to that date. You do not need to cancel these for me, I am purposely waiting in case anything is postponed.
Many of you have asked for updates while I am abroad. Rather than sending out emails, I have decided to post some Japan updates here on my website under the “news” tab for those of you who are interested.
3) I have available appointments:
Lastly… and perhaps most existing of all… some appointments have become available in my schedule. I am confident that there are many of you who would love to sneak in to see me one last time before I leave at the end of the month. Please check out my website (linked below) to book yourself a spot. Please add yourself to the waitlist if you would like me to notify you as more spots become available during the next few weeks.
For those of you who I won’t see before I leave, I can’t wait to see you again when I return. And for those of you who I get to see one last time, I look so very forward to it! Thank you all for your support with my upcoming adventure.
An RMT you may wish to see in my absence:
My coworker Darien Robertson has said she will be accepting new patients in her Duncan location. Here is her booking link: https://darienrobertsonrmt.janeapp.com/
News Update, March 1st, 2022:
It's Finally Happening!
As many of you are aware, in 2020 I was supposed to go to Japan on a student exchange program. I have been trying ever since but COVID has kept Japan’s borders closed… until now! It looks like I will be able to make use of my scholarship experience and will be leaving very soon. As of now, my last day will be March 26th. All appointments after March 26th will be canceled. I am sorry for this inconvenience.
My exchange will be at minimum until August 2022 with a possibility of extending until December. Upon my return to the area I plan to continue my RMT career and you will all be the first to know. I will open my schedule to all of you first before accepting new patients.
Thank you all for your ongoing support and for trusting me with your healthcare. If you would like to be on my cancellation list before I leave please either add yourself or reply to me here.
I am very much looking forward to seeing you all before I go!
P.S., many of you have asked that I update you with my travels. I will add updates periodically to this page if you would like to see :)
News Update, January 16th, 2022:
I will be maintaining my existing hours of operation Thursdays-Saturdays. All existing appointments after February 15th will be at this new location. At this time, I will continue to use my existing booking system. In the near future, I will integrate into Chiani’s system and will have a full reception team to assist patients. Some other perks you may enjoy include:
-accessibility for those with mobility issues
-plenty of parking
-a calming atmosphere and ability to darken the space
-air conditioning
If this move makes treatments inaccessible to you or if you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
But wait! What does this mean for Japan?
Japan’s borders are still closed at this point. There is a small chance I will be told I can proceed with the necessary steps to acquire my student visa before class in early April but I feel this is unlikely. I made the decision to jump on this new opportunity because Japan seems less likely every day and I wanted to ensure the best treatment space possible for all of you. Maybe in 2023!
News Update, December 6th, 2021:
News:
Firstly, as we prepare to move on to 2022, I want to sincerely thank you all for your continued trust in me as a health care provider. Living and working in Shawnigan over this last year has been a pleasure and that is all thanks to each of you.
As some of you know, planting roots here was not always my plan. In March 2020 I was entirely prepared to move abroad to Japan for an academic year on full scholarship. However, 3 days before boarding my flight, Canada called for all citizens to return home.
A few weeks ago, I received word that this opportunity was available again and that I was to arrive in Japan by March 12th, 2022. However, on December 2nd Japan closed its boarders to foreign nationals for one month due to the new Omicron variant.
If you are left wondering “Does this mean she is leaving or not?”, you are not alone! Unfortunately, I am in a state of limbo with regards to whether my study abroad trip will happen. As such, I have decided to continue to book patients in from March onward with the knowledge that these appointments may be subject to cancelation if Japan allows foreign students once again. It is my hope I will have a more definitive answer for you all by the new year, but as we have all grown to know, covid can change our plans at any time.
If I do experience this study-abroad trip, it will begin in March 2022 and will likely end by August 2022. There is a very small chance it may extend longer, but this is unlikely. Upon returning home, I will be returning to my massage practice.
For now, let’s continue to book as usual from March onwards. In addition to booking with me, I suggest you make appointments with other RMTs starting in March 2022 as a back-up plan to ensure your health care needs are met. Below is a list of other RMTs in the area of whom I believe are accepting new patients.
Thank you all for your continued support and your flexibility with this news. If you have any questions or if you require help finding appointments, please contact me. I would also like to remind you all that I have an ongoing waitlist and that I have last minute cancelations almost every week. If you would like to be added to this, you can do so yourself through my booking site or you can ask me about it.
Here are a few RMTs I found in the area that you may wish to book with as a back-up for March 2022:
https://integralhealthandwellness.ca/
https://aliciadoll.ca/massage-therapy/
Thank you for your time and have a great day,
Alex Mayr, RMT, BHSc.