Day 14 - Let Your Fingers Do the Walking

When I signed up for the classes, I had been told that two nights were lecture and two nights were bodywork. During this section, however, we have been doing a little lecture each night and bodywork three nights, maybe even four. Trust me, I am not complaining. Not at all. One night a week, we've been learning about First Aid and the other nights are lecture/bodywork.
In last night's lecture, we learned about "fleshing" - which is when bodyworkers work toward putting muscles in the place where they are supposed to be.
For the bodywork session, we learned how to use a new tool: fingers. This tool can get into specific areas where forearms, fists, and knuckles may not be able to get to. It's also the tool that will tire out the most easily, as I found out. Also for this tool, fingernails are a bad thing. For this type of work, I have too much fingernail. I never thought I would hear myself say that. My piano teacher had to always remind the other girls in my class to cut their nails...never me. I usually chewed on mine. And they never really grew anyway.
Oh, sorry. Sidebar.
I went first on the table and my partner practiced using his fingers on my neck, back, arms, and legs the way Molly had demonstrated on one of the TA's, Jenna. I nearly fell asleep in the prone position - on my stomach. Before I knew it, it was time to switch up and I began working on my partner. With him in the supine (on his back) position, I worked on his neck muscles, a little neck massage, arms, legs, and then had him turn over. While I was working on his legs, he seemed very comfortable and as I continued, I checked in with him, and realized that I had to wake him up. I think the drool gave it away. I guess I was doing a pretty good job.
Before I knew it, it was time to clean up the room and go home. Because the class is so awesome, I don't always realize how late we are there, until I get home and have to go to bed because I need to be up in six hours for work the next day. It doesn't seem to matter because I know that I'm learning bunches and having fun while doing it!
Another benefit to having a nice little (ok - long) drive to get there is that I can put on my hands-free headset for my phone and chat away with my husband, mom, sister, and friends. I spend probably about half the time on the phone and then try to enjoy some music. Nice bit of "me" time.