Ok, that was a hard 3.5 months! I had grand intentions and big ideas to blog through my first semester of massage school but guess what, I was too busy working and studying to follow through. So the first term has come and gone. And it was awesome. I’ll try for a quick recap.
Oriental Medicine Theory: taught me there is a complete energetic system that runs your body. It cannot be seen or dissected, but it’s real and it’s there and it needs to be in balance or else you get sick or are in pain. I learned I am OUT of balance. And I learned there are things one can do in order to restore balance. I learned about all the specific points on these channels, and the things they are good for helping with. (Hint: if you hit a spot on your body that really smarts and you think, “Ow, a bruise” but you look and there’s no mark and you can’t think of why you would have a bruise there anyway, it’s an energy point. Hit it again, you have a blocked pathway there, that’s why it hurts.) It’s all very complicated and I understand it only a little so I believe it as much.
This is fire cupping. For excessive disorders, I hope to learn this soon because it’s F-ING COOL!!
Anatomy and Physiology: makes me feel SMART. Show me where it hurts and I could tell you what it is. And maybe even how to fix it.
Circulatory Massage: I wanted to LOVE this class. I wanted to love the teacher. But I hated the class, and unfortunately I felt no love from the teacher. This was the class we all had to be naked in for half the time every Thursday night. I get it, that’s what’s necessary for the modality (aka Swedish, with oil, the typical massage most people think of when they thing “massage”), but it didn’t help my trepidation. What did help was going “whatever” and going to my happy place until it was over. And now it’s over. And I LOVE giving that massage. And I love receiving that massage, just not in front of 19 other people under ugly fluorescent lighting.
Tui Na: This is a very effective massage for treating injuries and painful conditions, old and new. It’s Chinese medical massage. I am not entirely comfortable with it yet because it’s so easy to do and is so effective that I feel like I’m cheating. I need to get over that.
Business and Ethics: was my most informative class. Tips to taking massage into the real world. Biggest lesson learned : I do NOT do “feather touch” or “Oriental Acupressue” massage. So don’t ask. 
Next up is Qi Gong (moving meditation=AWESOME), Shiatsu, Thai Massage (Oprah’s favorite, y’all), Current Trends in Spa Massage, and Body Mechanics/Intro to Clinic (aka How to Not Hurt Yourself When Giving a Massage). Should be fun. But that’s in three weeks. I have myself a little spare time.
Spare time to devote to painting, packing, dreaming, working out (ecccccch). Packing? Oh yes, packing. I’m moving in June. Away from the beach, which I swore I’d never do, back to Poway, which I also swore I’d never do. Extenuating circumstances, you know. Time to get my head straight, to plan my massage business RIGHT, to save money and by the time I’m done I’ll be BUYING a house in Ocean Beach with a backyard big enough for a couple of surprises. 
I’m also leaving the teaching profession. After 7 years in it, I’ve hit a financial ceiling and see no future beyond the back-breaking 9-5 gig and I won’t let that be the rest of my life. I’ll miss parts of it for sure. But all I can think is with massage, I can travel; I can pick up and move to Moorea, I can work on a cruise ship and there’s no limit to what I can make. For someone who just needs to do what she loves to do and doesn’t care much about the Bottom Line, this is some exciting news.
In any event, it takes 21 days to make a habit and I’d like to get into the blogging habit. So, check back tomorrow.
<3
CAT