Wow, last week I received my first and second rite of the Munay-Ki. I notice a complete difference in myself, its very hard for me to explain at this point, but its incredible.
Check out this site to really take in the complexity of what I am doing over the next few weeks.
Update to come!
Amazing class.
Today was the first of many Sundays that I spent from 11am to 6:30pm at the Ojai School of Massage to study Deep Tissue with Nick Scott.
What. A. Class.
I took Deep Tissue in 2000 with Sean Riehl, another amazing class. I missed a lot of it though, and due to my absence I didn’t come away feeling like I understood all of it (duh!) I wanted to take it again.
Here I am, 8 years later, taking it again and its like I never took it at all before. I understand the anatomy and physiology mostly, but the lesson on accupressure that we received today was like NEVER before! It was incredible. I didn’t realize I had such a passion for accupressure. Up until now I focus on a lot of energy work, and although this works with energy too, i have never worked so deep into the body. The clarity of the teaching is incredible, he is logical, clear, no b.s., straight to business!
I am a big believer in a teacher makes or breaks the class. The information can be right infront of us in a text book or on a computer, but the content that the teacher brings to the table can be everything. How cool is this:
Nick is a founder, Instructor and Associate Director of the Ojai School of Massage. He graduated in 1986 from Desert Institute of the Healing Arts, one of the premier massage schools in the nation. In 1988 he graduated from Educating Hands School of Massage with additional training in Hydrotherapy. He then studied Chinese Acupressure and Dit Dar treatments with Augustine Fong, and went on to study Attentive Physical Transformation with Gregory Johnson. Nick has been presenting workshops and teaching massage therapy since 1989, and has taught advanced massage classes at Educating Hands School of Massage. Having spent eight years in a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center, he brings to his classes a unique blend of meditation and massage techniques.
So today we worked on the Gall Bladder channel. Starting at the sacrum and working the channel deeply up our back into and around our head and onto the socket of our eye. My back is like the forbidden zone. I have had only one person that I can think of who can massage my back without it spazing out and protecting itself, make that two. There is a whole section of my back that really has a guard up. I relate it to trust in humanity(I have little) and it was a great challenge today to have it worked on by a complete stranger.
I could tell the teacher would have honored where I was and how much pressure I needed, as good teachers do, but this is a class and this is where people learn, so discomfort is to be expected when we have partners searching for muscle and accupressure point locations on the body.
I started sweating, and my jaw quivered the entire time I was on the table. My body had a complete release, and yet I wasn’t comfortable in the class to allow its full potential, so I hid it as best as I could. Very lame I know. How can I the therapist, be hiding a release? And why would I especially when the others seem so understanding. I really must get over my trust issues soon. Which is where the back problems stem from anyways.
Interesting reading this:
“I believe that, for all living beings, the power of love is the most effective force for healing. Through a peaceful mind, the clear light of joy can shine impartially on all who suffer. My hope is to help pass on the knowledge of compassionate action that my teachers so kindly shared with me. In this way, I further hope to play a part in preparing the legions of love and light to move forward into a new dawn of hope, health, and happiness.” - Nick J. Scott
Yes, this class was meant for me at this time. Its time to love myself, the earth, humanity, the human body, the gift of learning and my practice.
I had originally thought this covered where the neck, shoulders and head are. But it doesn’t. I am so sorry because I promised one of my clients that I would post this up for her specifically for her neck back and shoulders.
The ball of your big toe, and up to the top of your toe reflects the neck and shoulders and head. Rub them like there is NO TOMORROW!
So, I want to continue trying to build my private practice in the evenings during the week and have decided to apply to some local spas around the area. I really want to just get back out into the massage therapy world and picking up 2 days a week on the weekends sounds SO FUN to me right now.
I’ve recieved ONE CALL BACK.
So, I will return the call tomorrow most likely during my daughters nap time. Its time for me to write up a list of potential questions to ask the employer. I need to make sure that any establishment I potentially work for is credible and treats their therapists well.
I have worked at a couple places who in the past, didn’t treat their therapists well, under paid and over worked and I will never do that again. I want to work in an establishment that I enjoy going to work at. Where I can really focus on the well being of my clients and have a steady return clientelle.
Here are some initial questions that come to mind. I thought this would make a good post in case any other therapists stumble upon my blog while seeking employment in their area.
I think that this list will help me get a good idea of what kind of establishment I’m being interviewed for. We as Massage Therapists deserve to be treated well in spa enviornments and too often we are being overworked and underpaid. I won’t allow myself to be put into that position again. Hopefully this prevents someone else from doing it as well.
I have decided to make a customized product line for all of my massages and treatments in my practice. I am going to create an entire brochure of customized treatments over the next few months to develop my practice and make my massages and body treatments unique and focused on my area in the body treament world.
My immediate goals:
Today I took the most wonderful “Introduction to Aromatherapy” class with Sherrie Dawkins at the Ojai School of Massage. It was FABULOUS!!
As i sit here typing this I really “feel” different. I keep smelling and smelling the “blend” I made at the end of the class ( which I’ll tell you about later ) and I can feel a noticible difference in my general well being. This is going to sound crazy, but its EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED.
The areas of pressure from emotions on my body feel lighter just from the influence of the aromatherapy. I can absolutely count on using her oils in my treatments. I know from talking with her, using them, learning in her class that she is choosing the finest quality of oils and THAT is exactly what I want in my sessions with my clients.
I came away from the class today with so much more knowledge and direction for my private practice. I have more goals, more ability it was so worth it and what I needed to do.
Our class started with the history of Essential Oils and their uses throughout humanity from some 8,000 years BC to the present day. She covered a HUGE variety of Essential Oils their benefits, physiologically and psychologically. Not only that, but we learned about the distillation process, the quantity and qualities and importance of each. Essential Oils have incredible medicinal qualities that she touched into and I cannot wait to learn more!!
That is right, they’re offering a 6 month course, 500 hour Aromatherapy so I can become a certified Aromatherapist and I AM TAKING IT!!!
I have so much information JUST from today that I’m going to compile it into an Aromatherapy section here on the blog. Its WONDERFUL.
Namaste’
I love ya, tomorrow! You’re only a day away!!!
Thats right! Tomorrow I take my one day Aromatherapy class and I CANNOT WAIT!! I was really hoping that my new business cards would have arrived by now, but they haven’t. I am losing hope that I will be able to leave some at the school to potentially pick up clients or connect w/ other therapists.
Either way I am beyond thrilled that tomorrow at this time I will STILL BE LEARNING about aromatherapy. What oils? its extraction process? mixtures to make with MY OWN OILS? I’ll be taking notes, getting ideas for my massages and my entire practice will benefit!!
Counting down…
It has been a dream of mine to become more involved with Aromatherapy.
This Wednesday is my birthday and for my gift my partner is staying home with our children and I am taking a one day Aromatherapy class at the Ojai School of Massage.
Its an introductory on some different essential oils and the process of obtaining those oils. I am so restless, I cannot WAIT for Tuesday!!!
This is the first step to making my own oils. Making my own products is a goal of mine. So that I can know exactly what is in them and grow the herbs and flowers myself. Everything organic. That would be a dream well worked for. I can almost smell the aroma of orange blossoms.
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