The Order of Rulebreakers
7 years ago
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
a new book:an autobiography of a massage therapist?
So my friend J had been telling me about a book he was reading about writing being a physical activity. We often think of it as being a mental thing, but really it is a physical thing. And like you should go out for your run even when you're not quite feeling like it, you should write when you're not quite feeling like it. Something about creating the physical habit of it. Perhaps the motor nerve memories of it. I'm not sure I understand, but... It's interesting. Because I have no Zen/Zone experience with writing. Whereas with TALKING. Goodness. I can talk for ever when I'm talking about something interesting to me. And I think sometimes if I could take my talking and edit it down, take out all my redundancies and misspeaks...I could really have something there worth listening too.
Maybe I need a recorder (oh, wait!! I've had that idea before and I do, in fact, have such a device) but then I may also need a semi-pretend audience... Hmm. My A.P. Bio teacher in high school always encouraged us to teach the Krebs cycle to our dogs. Maybe I'll begin discussing my meandering musings with my kittens.
Massage therapists have a unique perspective on people. And are uniquely credentialed because we, or at least I, spend a great deal of time in reflection. Contemplation. Or meditation. Meditation on particular people, their bodies, their minds, the interaction of the two. Teasing out, in my own mind, how do I best interact with this person to assist them in attaining their highest state of wellness. What do they need from me? Who do they need me to be?
Maybe I'll write more later.
Oh, but wait,
In a nutshell: an autobiography of a massage therapist. co-authored by two massage therapists. it's not about me on a soapbox about myself, but a dialog on or about the perspective of the human experience by (two) massage therapists. we have unique roles in peoples' lives. sometimes the first try against pain, sometimes a last resort. sometimes we see people in an intensely personal way, behind the mask they wear for their loved ones. we bridge gaps. between medical models and energy work. between the physical and the mental/spiritual/emotional. We work with tissue, but feel the heat of people, the energy of people. Sometimes people are open emotionally, sometimes they are draining to the therapist, sometimes there is a wall around someone. Intangible, yet distinctive. We speculate on the health or lack thereof of our culture at large as we witness individuals and answer peoples' questions about how they are living their lives. We are not experts in diet or spirituality or psychotherapy or medicine, yet all of these things influence the health of a person's body-mind and we assist people on their mind-body-spirit journeys of healing and self-awareness and self-development and so we understand or speculate on all these things, to varying degrees. We contemplate life and death and healing and bear witness to people's suffering and sometimes their release from suffering. What we have to offer, as potential authors, is an intimate and often ignored perspective on the body-mind organism. Our intended audience? Not other massage therapists. But average everyday people. Those people who say, oh, you're a massage therapist? That's so cool. But they don't know what it really means to be a massage therapist. There is an intrigue to people who touch people for a living, who relax people, ease their pain. Who can say, no the pain is not in your head, you have trigger points, stagnation in your tissue. That stress or anger or whatever strong emotion you experience, yes, I can feel that in your body. Yes, you are all one. We are all one.
Some specifics to possibly explore further:
-Unconditional positive regard. Three words that, upon reflection, changed my life forever. How massage school changes you. Evolves you.
-Why do people seek out massage? What need in our society/culture does massage therapy serve?
-What we learn from our clients? Those people who swear by massage and glow with health into their 60s and 70s and 80s. What else do they swear by? What are their secrets? I hear a lot of them.
-Why do I love my job? I'll answer because it's always so present to me. Because rare is the day I don't feel better after working than before. What I take from my clients is what I give them. Because I benefit from setting my ego-identity aside and focusing all my attention on the interaction between my body and theirs, where my intention is to create space for whatever healing that may occur for them, may occur.
(And Jenny is licking in between my toes...this is a little weird. Jenny is a dog.)
-And what is the mind-body-spirit relationship that we witness. How does one nurture oneself? Care for oneself? Why is this important?
---I used to think, when I was justifying the ethics of becoming a massage therapist, that if I can ease someone's pain or emotional suffering or burden, they will be more apt to be kinder to their children/spouse/anyone they interact with. And though this occurs one incident at a time, this may be the way to peace in the world. One little moment and incident at a time. The difference between eating consciously and liposuction.
---I think, perhaps, that as we become more aware of the true nature of our own existence, as we develop more our spiritual awareness, as we...explore our mind-body connection ...through being touched. When we are touched, we become more aware of ourselves. Both in the ego-sense, the boundary of, this is my skin, this is where I exist, and there the rest of the world exists. This is perhaps the first level or layer of awareness. But as we investigate and explore this further, we come to understand (perhaps?) that we aren't, in fact, defined by the border of our skin. The electromagnetic radiation of bodies, the almost annoying interplay between our subconscious minds and muscular tension, the realization that the food and air we consume influence the state of affairs of our minds and bodies, that sleep and exercise influence our mind-body health... All this may suggest that we aren't lumps of clay built by god. But that we grow from god, that we are god. That we are all one. That we all, collectively, are on a journey. You can put God in or take God out, if the word God doesn't work for you, the equation reads the same. (Btw, it's midnight madness at my house. The kittens are on a rampage.) I speculate that certain truths become evident, that some behaviors will become more natural, that one will naturally seek out a higher (not standard or quality..I see why people use the term) vibration. The ego always struggles to maintain its existence, its prevalence. Question: how does the ego exist in a kitten?
Okay, time to sleep.
Maybe I need a recorder (oh, wait!! I've had that idea before and I do, in fact, have such a device) but then I may also need a semi-pretend audience... Hmm. My A.P. Bio teacher in high school always encouraged us to teach the Krebs cycle to our dogs. Maybe I'll begin discussing my meandering musings with my kittens.
Massage therapists have a unique perspective on people. And are uniquely credentialed because we, or at least I, spend a great deal of time in reflection. Contemplation. Or meditation. Meditation on particular people, their bodies, their minds, the interaction of the two. Teasing out, in my own mind, how do I best interact with this person to assist them in attaining their highest state of wellness. What do they need from me? Who do they need me to be?
Maybe I'll write more later.
Oh, but wait,
In a nutshell: an autobiography of a massage therapist. co-authored by two massage therapists. it's not about me on a soapbox about myself, but a dialog on or about the perspective of the human experience by (two) massage therapists. we have unique roles in peoples' lives. sometimes the first try against pain, sometimes a last resort. sometimes we see people in an intensely personal way, behind the mask they wear for their loved ones. we bridge gaps. between medical models and energy work. between the physical and the mental/spiritual/emotional. We work with tissue, but feel the heat of people, the energy of people. Sometimes people are open emotionally, sometimes they are draining to the therapist, sometimes there is a wall around someone. Intangible, yet distinctive. We speculate on the health or lack thereof of our culture at large as we witness individuals and answer peoples' questions about how they are living their lives. We are not experts in diet or spirituality or psychotherapy or medicine, yet all of these things influence the health of a person's body-mind and we assist people on their mind-body-spirit journeys of healing and self-awareness and self-development and so we understand or speculate on all these things, to varying degrees. We contemplate life and death and healing and bear witness to people's suffering and sometimes their release from suffering. What we have to offer, as potential authors, is an intimate and often ignored perspective on the body-mind organism. Our intended audience? Not other massage therapists. But average everyday people. Those people who say, oh, you're a massage therapist? That's so cool. But they don't know what it really means to be a massage therapist. There is an intrigue to people who touch people for a living, who relax people, ease their pain. Who can say, no the pain is not in your head, you have trigger points, stagnation in your tissue. That stress or anger or whatever strong emotion you experience, yes, I can feel that in your body. Yes, you are all one. We are all one.
Some specifics to possibly explore further:
-Unconditional positive regard. Three words that, upon reflection, changed my life forever. How massage school changes you. Evolves you.
-Why do people seek out massage? What need in our society/culture does massage therapy serve?
-What we learn from our clients? Those people who swear by massage and glow with health into their 60s and 70s and 80s. What else do they swear by? What are their secrets? I hear a lot of them.
-Why do I love my job? I'll answer because it's always so present to me. Because rare is the day I don't feel better after working than before. What I take from my clients is what I give them. Because I benefit from setting my ego-identity aside and focusing all my attention on the interaction between my body and theirs, where my intention is to create space for whatever healing that may occur for them, may occur.
(And Jenny is licking in between my toes...this is a little weird. Jenny is a dog.)
-And what is the mind-body-spirit relationship that we witness. How does one nurture oneself? Care for oneself? Why is this important?
---I used to think, when I was justifying the ethics of becoming a massage therapist, that if I can ease someone's pain or emotional suffering or burden, they will be more apt to be kinder to their children/spouse/anyone they interact with. And though this occurs one incident at a time, this may be the way to peace in the world. One little moment and incident at a time. The difference between eating consciously and liposuction.
---I think, perhaps, that as we become more aware of the true nature of our own existence, as we develop more our spiritual awareness, as we...explore our mind-body connection ...through being touched. When we are touched, we become more aware of ourselves. Both in the ego-sense, the boundary of, this is my skin, this is where I exist, and there the rest of the world exists. This is perhaps the first level or layer of awareness. But as we investigate and explore this further, we come to understand (perhaps?) that we aren't, in fact, defined by the border of our skin. The electromagnetic radiation of bodies, the almost annoying interplay between our subconscious minds and muscular tension, the realization that the food and air we consume influence the state of affairs of our minds and bodies, that sleep and exercise influence our mind-body health... All this may suggest that we aren't lumps of clay built by god. But that we grow from god, that we are god. That we are all one. That we all, collectively, are on a journey. You can put God in or take God out, if the word God doesn't work for you, the equation reads the same. (Btw, it's midnight madness at my house. The kittens are on a rampage.) I speculate that certain truths become evident, that some behaviors will become more natural, that one will naturally seek out a higher (not standard or quality..I see why people use the term) vibration. The ego always struggles to maintain its existence, its prevalence. Question: how does the ego exist in a kitten?
Okay, time to sleep.
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