Week 14

Ahhh. I love my job. Tonight the instructors get on the tables again, and have students work in small groups, fine-tuning their skills before we shift gears into the new material. Our goal is to make sure that, even if the students learn nothing new about Swedish massage for the rest of the semester, they will walk into our student clinic next term and give their clients a solid, professional session.
I work with a group of 4 people. The students take turns demonstrating their techniques, while their classmates have an opportunity to observe, comment, ask and hear the feedback I am providing. The skills I am experiencing while on the table are good. Better than good. I am having trouble concentrating, and my speech is becoming slower and slower. My heart rate slows down, my eyelids become heavier and I am struggling to be useful and productive.
Two hours fly by, and many people comment how great it was to see their classmates in the process of giving massage. Many questions ended up being answered before they were even asked. Underneath it all, I can't believe I am getting paid for this. My deep dark secret is that I would do this for free. Who wouldn't???

Week 13

In the beginning of the term, I promised the class:"You will be able to do a full body Swedish massage with your eyes closed before the year is over". I doubt the students took me seriously, but tonight we are going to find out if I kept my word. After a brief Q&A session, we ask the students to find partners, set up the tables and...put on the blindfolds we provided. Some people are more enthusiastic than others, and we instantly recognize the pattern: those who "think" about their work rely on their eyes a lot more than those who "feel" the tissue and let the hands lead the way. This exercise - a long-time tradition at PMTI - will help both types. The "thinkers" will learn there is nothing they need to see as long as their hands are doing their job; the "feelers" will become more aware of their bodies and the way they move through space during the session. All of them will walk away with a major confidence boost.
As the class gets quiet and the students settle into the sessions, we notice that taking away their ability to see improved their body mechanics and has accomplished in 5 minutes what we've been trying to achieve for 10 weeks - it makes them slow down, really S-L-O-W down. One luxurious, slow, solid, well-executed effeurage stroke is better than 5 rushed, short, superficial ones. Blindfolded, the students work slowly, relying on anatomical landmarks to let them know where they are on the partner's body. All of a sudden, they relax - no clocks to rush them along, no eye contact to distract them - just their partners, their oil bottles and their pure, soft, open hands and hearts. You could see the magic happening even with your eyes closed.

Week 12

It's hard to believe we are more than half way into the semester. For many students, the reality of:"I am really doing this!" is setting in, replacing the adrenal rush of a life change with the routine of classes, tests, clinic and fieldwork. We continue the dialogue about homework sessions in circle, answering questions, discussing concerns and celebrating successes. We discuss a wide range of our clients' physiological and psychological responses, including laughing, crying, unusual chattiness, twitching, snoring etc. While we never fully know what our clients bring to the table, literally, we need to know how to create a safe space for them to receive bodywork in a therapeutic way.
The discussion is a necessary one, considering that tonight we are working on head, neck and face. Most people don't have that area touched unless they are in a medical or an intimate setting. Massage therapists fit uniquely in between, helping relieve tension headaches, fatigue, neck pain, insomnia, stress etc. Letting someone touch your head or face requires enormous trust. One student is uncomfortable with the work we are doing, asking for alternatives. He does not like having his face touched, and it's hard for him to imagine it being pleasurable for others. We solve the problem by having him work with our wonderful teaching intern, who spends the evening talking him through the movements, giving feedback and eventually helping him do a complete session. This student may never choose to receive head, neck and face massage, but he can now offer it to his clients. That's the whole point of client centered massage as we understand it around here, and tonight is, therefore, a success.
On a different note, the student who struggled with work and family life in the beginning of the semester ended up withdrawing for now. I have no doubt we'll see him in the hallways again soon enough, but for now I am touched by how many students ask about him and keep him in their prayers. Something happens in this place that's hard to explain: people who were strangers just a few weeks ago become friends for life. I guess when you take an amazing journey, you hold on to people who were there with you.

Week 11

Tonight we have a special topic to cover in circle. A few students had their first nursing home visit, and we honor their experience by listening and helping them fully process what that meant for them. The visit is never easy, but always rewarding. During this fieldwork project, students are exposed to a particularly fragile and touch-starved population. Gradually, they learn to provide gentle bodywork to the elderly residents confined to beds and wheelchairs.
We also talk about time management. The hour feels shorter and shorter now that the students have so many tools and techniques to incorporate. We are starting to focus on intent, applying strokes in a purposeful, meaningful way. As I talk about this, I reach for - what else? - a food analogy. "You can take a bunch of ingredients, put them in a pot with some water and boil for an hour. You end up with soup. Or, you take a pot of water and add chicken for lean protein, carrots for vibrant color, snow peas for crunch, spinach for nutrition, brown rice for fiber and spices to give it all a nice zing. Which soup would YOU rather eat?" I know my metaphor hit home when a student looks up from her homework folder and sheepishly says:"Oh, wow, I've been boiling my clients...".
The new techniques tonight are tapotement and vibration. I demonstrate a few ways to use them in a session, as well as areas to avoid while working with these tools. Tapotement can be a very invigorating experience for both the practitioner and the receiver, and we make a lot of noise while practicing. Students from Levels 2 and 3 stop by, attracted by the familiar noise, and watch as we do percussion on each other's backs. Forget cooking school, this class should start a band!

Week 10

Ah, stretching...Who doesn't crave that feeling of shoulders opening up, neck becoming longer, arms reaching over head and a deep breath expanding the abdomen? And yet, many of our clients rarely allow themselves a luxury of a deep breath, let alone a stretching session.
Tonight we learn the basics of stretching, talk about many styles of stretching and learn to incorporate some simple techniques into a massage session. Technically, passive stretching is not part of a classic Swedish massage, but we include this component to enrich the experience for our clients and to expand our repertoire.
I demonstrate some simple ways to take a client's body through a series of passive movements, while maintaining that blissful massage trance many people enjoy during a session. My favorite stretches have been borrowed from a variety of sources: a personal session with a physical therapist, martial arts training, Thai Yoga massage certification, Active Isolated Stretching training and students' suggestions over the years. I emphasize the fact that we can easily spend an hour just stretching our clients, but the goal of tonight's class is to introduce this type of bodywork in its most basic form. Some students take notes of positions and techniques, others concentrate on memorizing what I am doing. The fact is, once they get on the tables, these stretching techniques will make sense on an intuitive level, and I remind them not to get overwhelmed.
While the students are exchanging, we walk around and show them the stretches again and again. Our goal is for them to remember a few favorite ones, those they will practice with their loved ones and the ones they are likely to add to their "tool box". I can tell this is something that sparked an interest, because by 10 pm, I am still trying to get them off the tables and out the door. As they leave, they look taller, their faces are relaxed and their energy level is not at all consistent with the time of the day. I wonder how many of them will remember to stretch tomorrow.

Week 9

Tonight the instructors are particularly excited, and the students are a little nervous - well, at least some of them. Each student gets 20 minutes to work on one of us, so that, in addition to observing their work and reading about it in the homework assignments, we get to experience it first hand, pun intended. Practical check-ins are a great way for us to offer personal instruction and feedback, zero in on each student's individual needs and offer assistance to those who are sometimes reluctant to ask questions in class.
I often compare bodywork to handwriting - everyone does the same workbooks in kindergarten, yet eventually develops a unique style of putting words on paper. Tonight is a perfect illustration, because no two sessions are alike. Speed, flow, transitions, blending of various techniques into a coherent solid session - each student makes these decisions differently, which means we accomplished our goal so far. They are creating, thinking, expressing themselves, and our bodies respond gratefully and willingly. Of course, we are not even halfway through the semester, and there are many things that will need to improve before the term is over. We offer feedback on pressure, amount of oil being applied, body mechanics and observation skills, among other things. Overall, though, tonight we learn a valuable lesson - massage therapy requires a lot of training, but even an "imperfect" massage done with the right intent and focus is a pretty powerful thing to behold.

Week 8

If massage session was a metaphor for a conversation, then tonight we learn the difference between an awkward lull and a comfortable silence. The technique we are working on requires patience, confidence and some palpation skills in order to be effective. I ask the class to consider what it would take to make a dent in a block of frozen butter using only one finger. Time, heat, slight repetitive movement , patience, patience, patience. Poking the butter or pounding on it will do no good. So we practice combining the techniques we already know with this new concept of getting grounded, slowing down, palpating the area in need of relief and taking a deep, meaningful pause there. We talk about creating a better body awareness for our clients and bringing warmth and healing to the tense muscle tissue.
This is not an easy exercise. We have been concentrating on movement so far, and coming to a stop in a massage session is harder than one would think. Remarkably enough, this group of people just "gets it". After the initial reaction of "Yeah, right, I'm not powerful enough to just melt a muscle knot", we get started and turns out they are. Every single one of them. Why am I not surprised?

Week 7

OK, so here comes the class that was making some people very nervous. We are doing chest work tonight, and for some, "chest" means "breasts", which we need to clarify right away. The chest area of a human body is not limited to the adipose (fat) tissue commonly referred to as "breasts". There are muscles to be palpated and worked on, bony landmarks to be identified, dozens of conditions to be helped and much discomfort to be alleviated. Who benefits from this work? People who wear tight undergarments, those who have undergone heart or breast cancer surgery, people struggling with respiratory conditions or those simply recovering from a strenuous upper body workout at the gym. I've been approached in the hallway the week before by a few students, who were anxious about "that area". Some are concerned about having to touch women "there", others have spouses or partners who find it objectionable.
In the spirit of respecting everyone's boundaries, I start by reassuring the students that no one will make them do anything they are not comfortable with. We would present them with the information:pros and cons, draping techniques and skills. Anything beyond that is their decision.
Instead of doing the demonstration on one of the students, the way we normally do, I ask one of the instructors to get on the table. She is an excellent choice because she loves chest massage, understands the intricacies of it and maintains communication with me during the demo, which helps the students relax and see it for what it is - therapeutic body work. When they go to tables, we are in a place of learning again - no more fidgeting, nail biting and nervous giggles.
Afterward, when we ask for feedback, it's a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "Why would most massage therapists skip the entire area between the neck and the hips?", a students remarks. "I had no idea I was so tight in the pecs, and it explains my posture and my aches lately." "Very few schools teach this work, and many therapists are intimidated by it", I offer to the students who aren't, anymore.

Week 6

Petrissage is a Swedish massage technique that looks like kneading. Tonight we manage to come up with a dozen words to describe the many ways we can "knead" muscle tissue, including wringing, squeezing, lifting, spreading, milking and circling. We also practice blending these techniques in new ways, to create the impossible to pronounce or spell "Liftersqueezing" and "kneadospreading". Everyone saw the same demonstration, and yet the work looks different from one table to the next. Like seasoned chefs, the students use identical ingredients to create their own, unique dishes. Almost everyone skips dinner to come to this class - sometimes I wish we WERE a cooking school. We'd cook something amazing with these guys!
Two weeks ago, a student informed me that new challenges in his personal and professional life were forcing him to drop out of the program. He was incredibly sad to withdraw, and I was even sadder to see him go. Whenever I watched him practice, he looked like he was born to do this work - it was like watching a serene, happy, beautiful dance around the massage table. After days of negotiating and a team effort from the school administration and instructors, we managed to find a compromise and he is back with us tonight, convinced more than ever that becoming a massage therapist is his destiny and PMTI is the school to get him there. I know how he feels. I remember.

Week 5

As I go through the week, I realize that there is a point I need to make during our circle discussion. "It is impossible NOT to communicate,", I say. "Think about it: can you walk into the room with at least one other person in it, and communicate absolutely nothing? Saying nothing could mean you have nothing to say, you don't speak the language, you are mad, you are so distracted you don't notice there is someone there, you don't feel like talking - your silence, along with your body language, can communicate any number of things. Our clients pick up on everything we do, so unless you actively try to communicate something - care, kindness, concern, professionalism etc - you are communicating lack of those things. If you fail to move your client's arm or leg with deliberate care, or carelessly tuck the sheet in and pinch their skin, you are letting them know you don't care. So what can we do to stay present and have our actions translate our best intentions?" We talk for awhile, and later, I notice some subtle changes in the way the students are touching each other during practice. The movements are more careful and meaningful, and the feedback is more specific. That night, I read in one of the homework assignments:"I've received tons of professional massages, and I never knew how much goes into creating a good massage session!" I smile as I remember a comment from a family member years ago, when I first announced my enrollment at PMTI:" Why do you need to go to school to learn how to give a back rub? Aren't there books for that at Border's?" It's Week 5, and I now know 12 more people who can answer that question better than I did.

Week 4

Since last week, the students had a chance practice effleurage - the stroke that most people picture when they hear the word "massage". Also, we are finally joined by our teaching intern tonight, who will be with us every week from now on, bringing the student/instructor ratio to an amazing 4:1. Homework went well for most people, although we hear a couple of frustrated groans:"I am STILL struggling with effleurage!". "Really?", I say in mock horror. "In Week 3, you are still struggling with a new skill? Congratulations, you are EXACTLY where you should be!" Smiles, sighs of relief.
We review the benefits of Swedish massage, answer questions about specific medical conditions they encountered and discuss the questions they are asking during the intake process. There is a lot of information we want from clients, but they are often reluctant to give it to us, not realizing the implications their medical conditions might have on the plan and the outcome of the session. The students need to be able to articulate not only the questions, but also the "why do you need to know?" answers.
Tonight we work on the anterior part of the body. The chest draping can be tricky, so we walk around, making suggestions and offering assistance. Some students like to have an instructor "parked" by their table as they work, while others stop midstroke when I approach. Note to self: "Figure out who likes what, and stop hovering..." I got all the first names down, the learning styles will take awhile longer. "It's Week 3, " I say to myself and take a deep breath, " you are EXACTLY where you should be."

Week 3

It's 6:30, and our students are here. We hold hands, and I ask everyone to say one word that describes the way they feel, so I can get a sense of the energy in the room. We hear words "excited', "intrigued", "tired", "blessed". We try to put the frustrations of the day behind us and talk about their first experience with homework. Some people had a blast, some were grateful we talked about creating professional boundaries, as their friends showed up and didn't leave for hours, thinking this was a social visit. A couple of students had practice clients who showed up with expectations of a miraculous healing from chronic back problems. We take a deep breath and role play the dialogue that needs to happen to avoid the pressures of being students vs healers and bodyworkers vs fixers. It's a new concept for many, so we discuss how we can facilitate a healing process, encourage a positive change, but not force it on our clients and their bodies. It's a great discussion, and soon everyone is ready for the demo.
The new stroke for tonight is effleurage, and we finally get to use oil! Two hours later, some students look like they are ready for the deep fryer, but, like everything else, this takes practice. The long, slow strokes of effleurage lull some receivers to sleep, and we have to keep waking them up to ask for feedback. The evening goes by fast, and they leave looking relaxed and peaceful. I can't wait for next week!

Week 1

The students come in at 6:30, many after a long day at work. We hold hands and exhale together, letting go of traffic, meetings, bosses and deadlines. There is a busy night ahead of us, but first things first. "How are you, guys? What's on your minds?" I ask. Some people smile, others look away. "We are overwhelmed," one guy cautiously offers. I know they are. Having been through the program, I know exactly what it's like to try and find extra 20 hours in an already busy schedule. But this is PMTI, and we have done this before, with thousands of students. So, for awhile, we let go of the Big Picture and talk about the task at hand:finding supportive, open-minded and healthy people to do practical homework with. We talk about boundaries, emotional and physical, discuss massage contraindications and share personal experiences with bodywork, both positive and negative. The conversation flows freely, and I can see that the class is starting to become a group. Finally, I demonstrate tonight's new technique and the students pair up to set up the tables. The sheets are crisp and brand new, the set up takes twice the time it should and nobody knows how to get undressed discreetly in the classroom. Ah, I love my job. In a few weeks, they will fly onto the tables, clothes folded in the baskets underneath, session plan clear in their heads. But for now, it's like learning how to drive and everyone is fumbling with the seatbelts. The students are finding their style, their voice through touch. Me? I am still trying to remember everyone's first name. By 10 pm, I am looking at a bunch of people who just got a first glimpse of their future. And they like it. A lot.
Welcome to Week 1!

New Student Day

The students arrive, a steady stream of positive energy and excitement filling the hallways. The paperwork is behind them, the admissions process complete. They are ready to touch, heal, serve, help. But...there is more paperwork. Class sign ups, orientation, introductions. Finally, after lunch, they are invited to their practical classroom, where anatomy charts and massage tables line the freshly painted walls. They are greeted by the team of instructors, myself included, and spend the next 3.5 hours doing what PMTIers do best: have fun exploring concepts of touch, bodywork and self-awareness. The movement exercises break the ice, and soon the students find themselves sitting on the floor, back to back, swaying together to the music while concentrating on their partner's breathing. "Massage is like a dance", I say, marveling at the energy in the classroom, "it's about you and your client working together, not about you doing things to your client." Everything they do from now on will be based on that simple concept - approaching every client as a partner, not a project. After a short break, we pull out massage tables, dim the lights and try our hands - literally- at a simple technique called "still touch". There are a few giggles at first, but soon everyone gets settled and enjoys the experience. Again, I find myself humbled by the feeling in the room - what is it? Oh, yeah- I am lucky enough to be in the presence of 25 people who are doing exactly what they are meant to do, and loving it.