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.