Unknown Speaker 0:00 Another and I think as you're getting ready to take a hike or a track, it's always important to know where it is that you're heading. And to be clear about why you want to go there, because that can make it a little easier to find your way. So you all mentioned briefly why it is that you're wanting to become a massage therapist. I'd like to take a couple minutes to actually talk about what does it mean to be a professional massage therapist and a way that feels easiest for me to get into here is to be thinking about Unknown Speaker 0:31 massages that you have received in the past in particular Unknown Speaker 0:36 massages from professional massage therapist but they could be from anywhere. Unknown Speaker 0:42 And I'd like you to think about what is it about those massages that made you feel? Unknown Speaker 0:52 Good, solid, nourished, relieved, distressed, whatever language you would use. What was it about those muscles Unknown Speaker 1:00 That made a difference for you. And I'm just going to be taking some notes as you're calling information about what was it that made massage feel like it was a great massage for you. Unknown Speaker 1:12 They were not rushing the interaction, calling time and space. Unknown Speaker 1:23 So there was something about the pace that felt like it was a good match for you Unknown Speaker 1:31 to climb. Unknown Speaker 1:35 So they were they were engaging with you in questions that were particularly designed to to make the massage more perfect for you. Unknown Speaker 1:46 And so they were personalized and Unknown Speaker 1:52 Yeah. Unknown Speaker 1:54 It was. It was similar content. Yeah. I would say connection Unknown Speaker 2:01 The one I think of in particular, he does a lot of positional release. And he was just emotionally there but also physically Unknown Speaker 2:12 connected the entire time. So it feel safe, feel his energy. You're never left floating kind of hanging. Unknown Speaker 2:26 Yeah, sort of a thing. Unknown Speaker 2:29 I think I make the difference where the massage therapist focuses. So like, what they're thinking about and like the conversation you're having with them. Unknown Speaker 2:43 So there is a way in which you could tell that they were focused on what they were doing in the moment. They weren't thinking about what they needed to do later that day. They were present with you in that moment. Unknown Speaker 2:55 Said quality of touch. My sons were about Unknown Speaker 3:01 For me, like I can tell if someone's Reiki attuned or not. So I can see if they're just going through the motions of just massaging in addition to like an additional energy source that's present. Unknown Speaker 3:19 Else Unknown Speaker 3:23 when a massage therapist gave me a voice saying, Let me know if you don't want something done, or if you want more or less pressure. Unknown Speaker 3:35 So they really empowered you to have this be your massage. Again, personalize it for what? Unknown Speaker 3:43 What else? Unknown Speaker 3:45 for me was like, Unknown Speaker 3:47 knowledge and familiarity with the body. Unknown Speaker 3:52 Can you say a little bit more about that? Yeah. So Unknown Speaker 3:57 just as someone who has not experienced with Ms Unknown Speaker 4:00 Having a massage Unknown Speaker 4:03 kind of gives you an a more of an awareness of your own muscles and everything else. So it's kind of that they already know but you know, sort of thing until you kind of feeling that in the same time. It's, it's very educational. So. Unknown Speaker 4:23 So it feels like you were kind of learning about your own self, Unknown Speaker 4:28 your own physical body as they were working and that not only was useful for you, but Unknown Speaker 4:34 what I'm hearing you say underneath there is that their familiarity with the body, their knowledge of the body also made it possible for you to actually learn, right? You could be present because there was a sense of safety like they knew what they were doing. I just provided me a new sense of awareness on what my muscle I get Unknown Speaker 5:03 What else? The pilot said, Unknown Speaker 5:07 you know, they knew that they can focus on what really needed to be helped and they knew that eventually they can fully help you. So there was a focus on there was a sense of positivity that they could actually help make a difference. What else? Unknown Speaker 5:26 Yeah, Unknown Speaker 5:28 their space so however it's set up, Unknown Speaker 5:33 keeping it safe and clean. Like depending on if they have windows in or their drapes. I always appreciate it when there's like a clear space for me to set my stuff aside. Also, like a little bit of hospitality, so offering water or tea Unknown Speaker 5:58 so Unknown Speaker 6:01 It was welcoming in some kind of way. Like we were expected. Yeah, there's room for you here to put your things we expect you to be showing up. Yeah. Also reading the vibe. Like I know some people don't want to talk in front of dailies. So it's nice when they can understand like you don't want to talk Unknown Speaker 6:26 not only reading but also respecting. Unknown Speaker 6:33 above Unknown Speaker 6:35 anything else we want to add Unknown Speaker 6:38 for personal grounding, but also no judgement when you're not grounded. Unknown Speaker 6:52 Forget judgment hasn't been or not. Unknown Speaker 6:56 The don't think so. Yeah. Unknown Speaker 6:58 We started writing and under that little boy Unknown Speaker 7:00 Because I changed, it probably would have looked the other way to Unknown Speaker 7:04 anything else we want to add to this list of what was it that contributed to this massage session feeling like, somehow it fit the spot for you. Unknown Speaker 7:15 Yeah, I think being conscious of someone's modesty. So knowing like, you know, making them feel safe if they want to be covered and just giving them that respect. Unknown Speaker 7:44 One of the things that feels interesting to me whenever I do Unknown Speaker 7:50 exercise with people, Unknown Speaker 7:54 is that Unknown Speaker 7:55 the things that show up is all makes sense to me. They're all set. Unknown Speaker 8:00 Important Unknown Speaker 8:02 and they're all really excited to put them under kind of one. Unknown Speaker 8:13 One kind of category, Unknown Speaker 8:16 I would say that it's really client centered. Unknown Speaker 8:22 I'm respecting the client's vibe. Unknown Speaker 8:25 Energetically present. I'm emotionally present and focused. There's a connection, I'm personalizing it in general, the pace is personalized to them. You know, all of this, I'm grounded. I'm not judging them. I'm welcoming them. There's positivity. All of that is really about centering this experience on the client. And what it is that the client Unknown Speaker 8:48 The thing that I always find interesting when we do this list is what's not up on this list. So does anyone recognize a really big thing that's not on this list? Unknown Speaker 9:00 Yeah, I don't know if we're on the same mode at all. But um, there's we don't have passion up there like passion for what you're doing. That's interesting. I would add that on here as another Unknown Speaker 9:14 than another thing. Unknown Speaker 9:16 Boundaries. Boundaries aren't on here. So in some ways, I'm going to put that word up here because it feels like it's an important word for us to be thinking about what we've kind of been talking about a little bit already. Respecting modesty and respecting and reading their vibe and having a clear physical space for them. Those are about boundaries. Unknown Speaker 9:39 Anything else Unknown Speaker 9:40 that people see that's not up here, this is kind of general, like professionalism. Unknown Speaker 9:47 Okay, I'm gonna put professionalism up here because I feel like this might be another way of Unknown Speaker 9:55 naming all of these Unknown Speaker 9:58 things that when I'm putting Unknown Speaker 10:00 I am going to have a familiarity with the body and I am going to personalize the session to be emotionally present and connected. And it might be another kind of bigger picture category of client centered and professional. Unknown Speaker 10:13 I think something is interesting that's not out there because I'm so focused on it as a practitioner, is there's a sense of wanting to make them better and having them walk out better and almost fixing them. And no one is said, Unknown Speaker 10:29 Well, I feel better after the massage result fix. So that's not necessarily an expectation though as a provider, I have a sense of, of meeting that happened during the session. Unknown Speaker 10:45 And so is it okay if I change fix to help, sir? Unknown Speaker 10:49 Yeah, because fixing I actually have no control over whether or not you're going to be fixed or what is fixed even mean, right? But I can be helping you I can be supported. Unknown Speaker 11:00 You can be supporting your body. The thing that is always interesting to me that I don't see on lists regularly Unknown Speaker 11:17 is technique. Unknown Speaker 11:20 None of you mentioned Unknown Speaker 11:22 the thing that made it really hit the spot was that they did this particular technique or that particular technique. Unknown Speaker 11:31 I find that fascinating. Anybody else find that fascinating? What have you come here to learn? Unknown Speaker 11:39 technique or you think about it, I got a massage from somebody who grew up in a village in Thailand. Unknown Speaker 11:45 And this is technically reading motor to skeletal muscle, muscular system. Unknown Speaker 11:51 This technique Unknown Speaker 11:53 depends on the context grew up and you're doing massages Unknown Speaker 11:58 Yeah. Unknown Speaker 12:01 Part of Unknown Speaker 12:09 the reason I find this so interesting is that the things that we remember about the massage tend not to be the techniques. They tend to be Unknown Speaker 12:22 all of this the interaction, the way that our therapists was present with us. Yeah, it's helpful if they did a particular thing that brought us relief. Unknown Speaker 12:34 But we tend not to be focused on the techniques themselves. Unknown Speaker 12:40 And it feels important for me to name that as we're getting ready to start this program where you're going to be learning techniques. Unknown Speaker 12:49 Because the techniques are important. If you're not doing techniques, well. Unknown Speaker 12:55 I can guarantee you that your client is going to remember you Unknown Speaker 13:00 Because it felt uncomfortable or it felt invasive or hurt, or it felt ineffective. So I'm not saying that technique is not important. I think technique is critically important. But what I think is that it's not the thing that stands out in people's brains when they think about what made the massage so useful. Unknown Speaker 13:20 And it feels important for me to mention that at the beginning of the program, because often once we get here and we start learning techniques, our focus can be so heavily on technique. Unknown Speaker 13:34 And am I doing this technique correctly that matters, because if we do it incorrectly, we might actually hurt the person or it might not be effective. Unknown Speaker 13:43 But all of this value of being client centered and aware and engaged with what's happening with our client emotionally and energetically, providing a safe space provided clear boundaries. That's actually the thing that is most critical. Unknown Speaker 14:01 I have been to massage therapists who were really great with technical skills. And they had lousy Unknown Speaker 14:09 this Unknown Speaker 14:12 and I did not go back to them. Unknown Speaker 14:16 Because I feel like I need to be someone who's being seen as an individual and being worked with as a human being, not just a body on the table that's getting technical treatment. Unknown Speaker 14:32 And I've worked with other people who've been really skilled in this area. And the technique may not have been a solid, and I've gotten a lot of massages, and I've been teaching massage for a long time. I know what good technique is. I know when people's technique is a little bit sloppy, or not very skilled. And you know what? Unknown Speaker 14:52 That piece can kind of fade away. Unknown Speaker 14:56 long as they aren't hurting me. Unknown Speaker 14:58 That piece will kind of fade away. Unknown Speaker 15:00 Because there's something about receiving touch in and of itself that can feel Unknown Speaker 15:06 healing and grounding, even if the technique isn't 100% there. Unknown Speaker 15:12 So as we're looking at where it is that we're going, I want us to be paying attention to. Unknown Speaker 15:18 We need technique for sure. And you're definitely going to be learning that when you're here. But all of this is in some ways, just as or maybe even more important than Unknown Speaker 15:37 when I think about Unknown Speaker 15:43 massage. Unknown Speaker 15:49 I think about the technique being critical. Unknown Speaker 15:56 Blue one still doesn't work out. My wife pulled that up again. Unknown Speaker 16:00 And I think about the Unknown Speaker 16:05 relationship. Unknown Speaker 16:09 And there's another piece that's critical for us. And God alluded to with familiarity of the body and knowledge of the body Unknown Speaker 16:25 of science. Unknown Speaker 16:27 That it's in the overlap of understanding what's going on in the body. Unknown Speaker 16:32 And having solid technique and having solid interpersonal skills, solid relationship skills, this place right here. Unknown Speaker 16:44 That's kind of the peak of the mountain top for me. Unknown Speaker 16:47 Where the best massages are going to happen when someone really knows what they're doing. Unknown Speaker 16:52 Technically, they understand why they're doing it, why they're choosing that particular technique for my particular condition based on Unknown Speaker 17:00 What's going on in the body Unknown Speaker 17:02 and they've got the relationship piece as well. So when you're in the program here, we're going to be constantly going back and forth working between all of these first term technique Unknown Speaker 17:14 is your foundations of massage course. Unknown Speaker 17:17 First term science Unknown Speaker 17:21 is your kinesiology Unknown Speaker 17:24 course. Are you going to be starting to learn? Where are the muscles? Where are the origins and insertions? What are the actions of those muscles? What do they actually do? Unknown Speaker 17:33 So that you can make decisions about where to work on why and the relationship ships piece. Unknown Speaker 17:43 We're gonna be going over that in the therapeutic relationships Unknown Speaker 17:50 course. Unknown Speaker 17:52 And I feel like what we're doing in the throughout the program overall, this kind of constantly moving between all of these Unknown Speaker 18:01 And gradually getting ourselves to this area right here. Unknown Speaker 18:07 And this is where Unknown Speaker 18:16 in your final term, you're going to be in clinic. Unknown Speaker 18:19 Or when you're as a massage therapist in clinical practice, we want to have the blending. Unknown Speaker 18:26 So questions about that big picture. Unknown Speaker 18:31 Okay, so some of you are coming in here, we're all headed up to this mountain peak. Some of you are coming in here with a solid relationship and interpersonal communication skills already. And so if I think about this being one mountain, or one face of a mountain to kind of get up here, you're already pretty far up here. But you're not so solid on the science and you're not so solid on the technique. Others of you may be really following the science and it's gonna be easy for me Unknown Speaker 19:01 But you're feeling a little bit less comfortable here or here. Unknown Speaker 19:05 We're all going to be in here together and working with each other. And this is where the the image for me of being on a hike with each other is really useful. Because if this piece is really easy for me, but this piece is a little more challenging, I may need to rely on someone performance a little bit easier to have them give me a hand and help pull me up a little bit. Still is my responsibility to get to the top of the mountain here to be doing this work. But I'm going to be relying on my team, the people that I'm here with, to maybe give me some study skill, ideas, or maybe give me some really honest, although maybe difficult feedback about my technique. Hey, your nails too long. You got to come. You're scratching me or Unknown Speaker 19:53 this is uncomfortable, but I need to tell you that actually when you're working on me, I can really smell your body owner. Unknown Speaker 20:01 And you need to do something about that. So those might be uncomfortable conversations. But those are all kind of things that we need to be willing to do with each other to help all of us get to this mountain peak with each other. Unknown Speaker 20:17 But other piece Unknown Speaker 20:20 that I think about Unknown Speaker 20:25 with Unknown Speaker 20:28 doing this work, Unknown Speaker 20:30 being in school is just literally being a school itself. And so if you go to the very back of your folder on the right hand side, Unknown Speaker 20:41 there is this Unknown Speaker 20:44 thing. Unknown Speaker 20:55 School is hard learning in Unknown Speaker 20:59 the law Unknown Speaker 21:00 How many times have gone through the thorough Unknown Speaker 21:03 process of learning new information, it's challenging to our brain because we're having to either let go of some things or replace them with new things, or having to integrate completely new information. And that could be completely new, physical kinesthetic information, for that could be new knowledge that my brain just can't understand or hold on to weight. How do the lungs work again? And why do I need to know that as a massage therapist, we're going to constantly be challenged. One thing that I know that is true for human beings is that when we are in stressful situations, we will often revert back to prior times when we were in a similar situation, and will try to approach that new stressful situation in the same way that we did in the past. Unknown Speaker 21:50 And one of the ways that this shows up for many people, is when you go home to visit your family of origin to visit your parents you can often reach Unknown Speaker 22:00 Grass back to a sibling rivalry or expectations that mom is going to make the food for everyone all the time. And we can just revert back to the same thing that can happen when we're in a school setting. Unknown Speaker 22:14 The first time that you're faced with, I've got to do this studying for this class. And I've also got to get this homework in. And I've got to do this reading and it doesn't make sense. And on top of that, I'm dealing with my job and my family and my commute. And I'm not sure what's happening here and what's happening there. It can be really easy to kind of fall back into. Unknown Speaker 22:34 I can't believe the teacher gave us so much homework. Unknown Speaker 22:39 It's not fair. Unknown Speaker 22:44 But I want to, I want to go out this weekend. I want to go out tonight, but I have to do the stupid assignment. Unknown Speaker 22:52 And I want to name that because when that happens, if that happens for you, that's normal. Unknown Speaker 22:58 And then we want to be conscious Unknown Speaker 23:00 To decide, is that the choice? Do we still want to go down that path? Or do we want to look at, I've actually made the choice to be on this path, because there's something that I want to achieve for myself. Unknown Speaker 23:13 And as I'm on that path, Unknown Speaker 23:16 what tools Am I going to need to have in order to be able to successfully make it to that place where it can be doing effective Unknown Speaker 23:23 clinical practice, in our work with students, we find that these are the tools that you are generally going to need to have in order to be successful in school. Unknown Speaker 23:35 I want to just go through them briefly so that you can Unknown Speaker 23:40 I can know for sure that you understand what these things are. So time management, Unknown Speaker 23:48 time management's accurately estimating how long tasks will take, so that you can be figuring out how much time you need to set aside for studying or reading or for doing your homework Unknown Speaker 23:59 or organization. Unknown Speaker 24:00 All skills, there's gonna be a whole lot of paperwork to keep track of. Unknown Speaker 24:05 That's just, that's just going to be true. Unknown Speaker 24:10 And keeping track of what you need to do where money management, you got to pay the bills at home, you also have to pay for tuition might have to pay for books, or maybe you can figure out a different way to get access to both. Unknown Speaker 24:23 Social networking. I'm not talking about Facebook or Twitter. I'm talking about connecting with each other to form study groups. That's what you need, or practice sessions. Or I'm having a little bit of difficulty or I need to do a project here and I'm wondering, can we do our project together so we can be supporting each other as we're doing? Unknown Speaker 24:46 communication. Unknown Speaker 24:49 I need help. Unknown Speaker 24:52 I'm going to be late with that assignment. I'm not able to be in class today. Unknown Speaker 25:00 Your body odor is too strong. All of those are different kinds of communication that we're going to need to be able to engage in with each other initiative. Unknown Speaker 25:10 Again, it might be I need help. It might be can you give me another resource? This is an area that I'm super interested in. And I feel like we didn't go over this as deeply in class from me as I want. Can you provide me some more information? Because I want to be more skilled in that area. risk taking Unknown Speaker 25:30 the risk to show up to class. Sometimes it's a risk to be the person who's asking questions. Sometimes it's the risk to say no, or stop. Or no you made I can't be your partner today. Unknown Speaker 25:46 Sometimes it's the rest to go up to someone and say, will you be my partner today? Because you feel anxious about doing Unknown Speaker 25:55 so studying skills. Not all of us have learned how to study Unknown Speaker 26:00 effectively. Unknown Speaker 26:02 For some people studying means just flipping through the pages in the book and reading over and over. And that is not going to effectively work for the majority of people. Unknown Speaker 26:13 test taking can be a place where you're really struggling or you have struggled in the past. Just the thought of taking a test may make you so anxious that it's difficult to figure out how to take. Unknown Speaker 26:27 These are all areas where we may have some skills or we may need some support. We put this in here so that you could be looking at this for yourself to see what is true. Unknown Speaker 26:44 For me, I've always been really good at studying and test taking, time management and organization. I'm pretty solid at money management. That's kind of social networking. I'm an introvert by nature, communication, I'm a little bit better at initiative. Unknown Speaker 27:00 I'm pretty good at. Unknown Speaker 27:03 So this were the wheel of the bike that I was riding on, what would that trip on the bike be like, Unknown Speaker 27:11 might be a little bit bumpy. Unknown Speaker 27:16 But at least I know the areas where I might have a little bit more need for support from others. So it might be that I'm going to need to talk with friends or family and have them help me identify places where maybe I need to take a risk, but I could do it safely. Unknown Speaker 27:34 Or maybe I'm going to talk with one trusted friend in class and have them cheer me on as I take a little risk in class. Unknown Speaker 27:43 Maybe if studying is something that I'm really skilled at and you know that studying is something I'm really good at and you're not so good at it. You can take the risk of asking me for support. It's not that I need to develop all of these for myself. Unknown Speaker 28:00 That I need to know where I stand. Unknown Speaker 28:03 So that then as I'm working my way up this path, Unknown Speaker 28:08 I know what I might need to rely on others for. Unknown Speaker 28:13 This is where we're headed. Unknown Speaker 28:16 Here. Unknown Speaker 28:18 This is the path we're going to be working on to get up there, here are the tools that we're going to need. So I would encourage you, Unknown Speaker 28:26 sometime in the next week, to look at this for yourself. Really, honestly, you don't need to show it to anybody else. Unknown Speaker 28:35 Where are the areas where you already have skills and you're already going to be solid and where are the areas where you might need some additional support in order to be able to successfully make it through this program, to this place where clients come to you and they receive massage, and they're feeling all of these. Unknown Speaker 28:57 I can see by tonight standing there at the door. Unknown Speaker 29:00 way that my time is up. Unknown Speaker 29:04 I will be back again Unknown Speaker 29:07 later looks like at 1230 to spend a little bit more time Transcribed by https://otter.ai