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.