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!
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