Day 80 - Accurate Pressure?

Since last week was the final for Massage Variations, that means that I started a new five week session this week. This session includes classes in Acupressure, Pathology, and Professional Development, and tonight's class was Acupressure.
It has nothing to do with pressure being accurate or acute.
So far my understanding of it is that ancient people in the East (China) tried to understand the human body and found that pressure on certain points will help people feel better. They use terms like Taoism, Chi, Yin & Yang, Shen, and Jing.
These are my impressions of the words we went over tonight:
I read the Tao of Pooh one time, about truisms from Winnie the Pooh, one of the great philosophers. WGH has introduced me to the Chi-Lites' music - it's kinda R&B so I like it. Yin & Yang were a mime duo that guest starred on The Muppet Show in the 70's quite a bit. Shen was one of the Three Stooges. And finally, Jing is a game played with blocks stacked on top of each other. The idea is to pull one out and put it on top of the stack without knocking the whole thing over.
You may get the impression that I'm quite the Western American girl - from the East Coast. When I was growing up, my family's idea of Chinese food was Chun King Chicken Chow Mein from a can. There was one Jewish boy in my whole elementary school class and we were all shocked he didn't know who Jesus was. (Yes, the students even discussed this in a public school - in 1978!) There were very few Asians in my elementary school - I think one family. I seem to remember the words "refugee" and "Vietnam" being said about them, but I didn't know what they meant.
I guess you could say that I grew up in a very White Bread area. I think it should have have been named WonderBreadville.
Since going to college and getting out into the workforce, I have experienced much more diversity, but needless to say, my exposure to Eastern medicine or culture is next to nothing. This class will definitely present a challenge.

Day 79 - Final Variations

We had our final exams tonight for Massage Variations. First, we had a written final. Then we had a nice little break and then the hands-on final, for which we were graded on beingness, body mechanics, technique, and some other stuff I can't seem to remember.
The important part is that on the written final, I got 100%, and on the hands-on, I got 95%. Yay!
On the way home from school, which is a 40 mile drive from the Baltimore beltway (I-695) to I-70, I got followed. It creeped me out -especially at 11:00 at night. WGH was with me, so I wasn't alone in the car, but it was still creepy.
I noticed the car pretty much tailgating me coming off the I-695 ramp onto I-70. I got over in the right lane so they would pass me, but they didn't pass, and instead go into my lane. I did a couple lane changes, all with the same effect: they got in the lane behind me, still tailgating me.
I started to exit off of the highway onto Rt 32, and they started following, so at the last second, I got back onto the highway (safely, of course). At that point, I knew I was being followed, so I dialed 9-1-1. The dispatcher transferred me to State Po-po, and their dispatcher instructed me to pull onto the shoulder to see if they followed. When I did that, they kept going and I finally got a look at the four-door white sedan (Mitsubishi Galant, I'm 99% sure), so I got back on the highway again and tried to get their license plate. They exited onto Rt 97 before I could get it.
Creepy. Just creepy.
Still excited about my final exam grades!

Day 78 - Blinded

Tonight's class theme centered on "intuition." I think of it more as "just knowing something." First, we had a brief lecture about what intuition is. Next up, we began a guided meditation that didn't work out as well as it was supposed to.
Our teacher had us form two circles, one on the outside and one on the inside, each facing in opposite directions and walking - with our eyes closed. Unfortunately, with my class, just because our eyes are closed doesn't mean our mouths are...or at least some of the classmates. There was too much talking and bumping into things to finish the walking around in circles meditation. After that, with our eyes still closed, our teacher went around and paired us up to determine who we were to work with this evening - the goal being that we have not worked with this person yet. I had worked with this young lady before, but it had been just after we had started the program, so it had definitely been awhile.
Next on our intuition theme: blindfolded massage. The student-therapists would be blindfolded and work on the student-clients...while the student-clients and teacher and teacher's assistant would be able to see. I went first as the client and despite not knowing the time and not being able to see, my partner did a great job. She dropped the lotion bottle once, but that's ok. After that, it was my turn. I think I did a pretty good job, all things considered. I still fumbled around with my draping, but I think I actually did a better job without seeing it - at least on one anterior leg.
I don't know how much I believe in this intuition stuff, but I feel like there are some instincts that kick in when one sense is lost.
Maybe it's a matter of semantics.

Day 77 - Variations in Review

We got the pleasure of having the Drill Sargeant(DS) back tonight, substitute teaching. I definitely like him. We went over some of the high points of the last several weeks in Massage Variations class, in preparation for the final exams on Wednesday night. We will have a written and hands-on final.
After that - bodywork! I gotta say, though, that with all this bodywork that I have been getting, over the weekend, I found myself a little sore because I hadn't take care of myself properly - not drinking enough water, maybe also not soaking in an Epsom Salt tub to keep my muscles loose.
Tomorrow night's class will be very interesting during the bodywork portion. We will be doing blindfold massages, where the therapist is blindfolded. The thought behind it is that the blindfold will make you "see" with your hands better and also not be as distracted by what's going on around you. Regardless of the reason, it should be interesting.

Day 76 - Cool It!

We here in Maryland have had a hot and dry summer. There were I think over 30 days in which temperatures were over 90 degrees. On my way to and from the J-O-B, I drive by a pond. I have watched this eighth of an acre pond go from something that looks like it could sustain life - as in fish - to something that needs to have its grass mowed. After a rain last week, it had a bit of water in it, maybe about 10 feet across. This afternoon - mow it.
In the beginning of summer, our central AC was blowing hot air, instead of the bone-chilling cold air it was supposed to. With the inside unit being over 20 years old, we knew it didn't need just a band-aid this time, it needed to be replaced. However, we just can't come up with that kind of money to get that sort of thing, so we have been using window units and a portable A/C unit lent to us by friends. We have them in the bedroom and the dining/living room. It's been bearable, but just barely.
That means that whenever I have had a guinea pig - uh - I mean, friend or family member, come over for one of my practice massages, it's been like a new spa treatment - The Sauna Massage! Coming soon to a spa near you! I have done them in 100 degree heat! That's just crazy!
By the time I get done these massages, I'm drenched in perspiration. Doing massages is very physical and making sure to have good body mechanics is essential to a lasting career. Just doing a regular massage is taxing enough while learning. Doing a Sauna Massage is downright masochistic and draining. Several Saturdays after working on a couple practice clients, I would not be able to do anything else the rest of the day.
For the big announcement: Tomorrow we're getting a new A/C unit installed! The first thing I'm going to do when I know it's working is put the temperature on 65 degrees. My guinea pigs practice clients will be very thrilled that it will not be a Sauna Massage any longer!
Oh...and yes, I had class tonight. Lecture. Bodywork. Talkative classmates. The usual.

Day 75 - Pain, Stress, and Malaise? No, Thanks, I'll Pass...

Tonight we studied how pain, stress, and malaise can affect a person and what a Massage Therapist can do to help - or what NOT to do to try to help. It seems like common sense stuff. One thing that it seemed all of the class found unusual was that everybody has the same pain threshhold, but environment, upbringing, basic history, and the like is what actually affects people's tolerance for pain. That took a moment to sink in for everybody, I think.
We also talked about how malaise (depression) can be a downward cycle. For instance, if you become injured, you have to wait to heal, so you don't do what you used to do, so you become depressed. Once you're depressed, then your body becomes stressed and more pain happens, causing less ability to do the things done previously. I think this last year has been my malaise cycle, of which I think I've been slowly coming out. While my mood has certainly lightened, I'm trying to figure out where my physical limits or non-limits are, especially since I haven't been very active. It's hard to be active when I'm either sitting at work, the car, class, or laying on the table. I don't have time for much else, but this week I have gotten up early twice and done a 15 minute walking program with OnDemand exercise.tv. At least it's something.
And of course, we did more practicing on bodywork. Oh, the burden to be practiced on...

Day 74 - Professionalism

I've never worked in the food industry. I worked for about a year as a Customer Service Representative in an upscale clothing store when I was first going to college. That's about the extent I have of working with the general public. I did, however, serve in a capacity where I answered phone calls coming from people inquiring about their pensions - dealing with their MONEY! So, I had to have a certain amount of professionalism and courtesy in dealing with those calls. I was yelled at, cursed at, hung up on, and other not so pleasant experiences. I think there was only one time where somebody yelled at me so badly on the phone that I started crying. For the most part, though, I was able to help people get the information they needed, or get them their money they needed. One gentleman sent me a HUGE gorgeous flower arrangement - because of how I helped him! Those are the ones I like to remember - where I helped somebody.
In our Massage Variations class, we're focusing not just on the strokes, but also on the profession of being a Massage Therapist. We're focusing on all the professionalism that's expected from us by clients, the kind of relationship we have with clients, how we communicate with clients, and most importantly, how we serve the clients, because when it comes down to it, it's all about the clients.
I hope that as I gain more knowledge and experience in this field, I will be better learn about serving people.