Election 2008

When I slipped my ballot into the machine this morning, I turned to face the voters waiting in line, smiled, and raised my hands in the air, victory-style. Some smiled. Some did not. I thanked the two election officials who stood near the ballot box/machine. They smiled, indeed. Brightly. And I walked out with a bounce in my step. By God, I do love living in this country. What I would love more than anything right now, today, is to find others who feel as happy, grateful, and enthusiastic as do I for having had the opportunity to vote. That's where I am today, right now. I am happy. I feel like celebrating.

Anyone care to join me?

Phasing Out?

I am taking a break from this blog while I build my massage website. I don't know when I'll start posting here again, but I will certainly keep this blog online for probably quite some time, thanks to the hundreds of hits that some of my older massage-related posts continue to receive from all over the world. People have questions; that their questions have led them to this humble blog sometimes astounds me.

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

...even when they're 24 years old.

You know those email forwards you get from well-meaning friends (or mothers), the "Get to Know You" type that ask random questions, such as, What's your favorite sandwich? Well. A dear friend sent one of those to me, bless her heart. ::winks to TW:: I replied and then sent it to my daughters.

This is my eldest daughter's answer to one of the questions:

Q: What did you want to be when you were little?

A: A twin. But then I figured out that since I didn't already have one, I wasn't going to get one. So I grew up a little and wanted to be a mermaid instead.

Massage Job Update

It's official: I got the job! I'll be working at a chiropractor's office in Royal Oak beginning September 22. I will begin by taking new clients only one day per week, and my hours will increase slowly over a period of perhaps 2-3 months. The office itself is going through a transition of its own, so it seems fitting that they'd move me into the position slowly.

I'll post more details later.

Hurray!

Dance!

The best 4 1/2 minutes I've ever spent online:


Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Thank you (((Rina))) for sending this to me.

The song is Praan, by Garry Schyman
Lyrics adapted from the poem "Stream of Life" by Rabindranath Tagore.
The poem appears in Tagore's book, Gitanjali (public domain).

Stream of Life

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day

runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.

It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth

in numberless blades of grass

and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.

It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth

and of death, in ebb and in flow.

I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.

And my pride is from the life-throb of ages

dancing in my blood this moment.

Hellas Photos, 2

Touch

Don Cheadle as Graham Walters
Crash (2004)

Hellas Photos, 1

Just a few of my favorites from among my girls' 1000+ photos. I'll add more later.
















And finally....

Lynnie, this one is for you...






Eh! Why you honk on my goats?

Lefkada, Pt. 2

Lefkada is a rather large island among Greece's thousand islands, and I had no idea which part of island the girls would visit. When I posted the photos of Lefkada in my previous post, I simply chose two of my favorites from among the many Lefkada photos that I viewed.

I just now learned that my daughters & their cousin visited Porto Katsiki on Lefkada, which happens to be the topmost of the two photos I posted previously. Porto Katsiki was voted (I don't know by whom) the 6th best beach in the world.

Lefkada, Pt. 1

Today, the girls are on the island Lefkada, on the western shores of Greece. A little further north, and they could practically throw a stone onto Italy's boot heel. ;)

When they send me text messages telling me where they are, I follow them on Google Maps. These are photos of Lefkada that I nabbed off the web. I'll replace them with my girls' photos after they return.

Artemis & Inkster

I was exploring maps of Artemis, Greece, where two of my daughters and my niece are currently visiting. Until I panned out in Google maps, I had no idea Artemis was so close to the airport in Athens. Seems Artemis is approximately 3 miles from the northeastern corner of the airport.

Inkster, where I grew up and where my parents still live, is about 5-6 miles from the northeast corner of Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Artemis & Inkster -- their people, languages, cultures, climate, landscape -- may have little in common, but take a look at these satellite photos from Google maps. Artemis & Inkster are the red "A" pointers on each map, with Artemis on the left and Inkster on the right:


Click on the photo for a larger view.

Interesting.

En Route to Greece!

No, not me. My two eldest and their cousin. Just the three of them, zooming somewhere over the Atlantic as I type. ::sigh:: Lucky girls. Happy girls. ;) They will be staying with my cousin & his family just half a mile from this...


This is Artemis on the left, and that's the Aegean Sea on the right. O. M. G.

Below is a photo showing possible (or probable) destinations. The bottom arrow points to my cousin's home in Artemis. The center arrow points to my mother's hometown of Volos, and the top arrow points to Florina, my father's hometown, which is too small to appear on this map, so I placed it there.



Click on any of the photos for a larger view.


Update, 10:37pm (Detroit time): Passing Ireland, soon to fly over France, then Italy, then a smooth Athens landing at about 2:00am (Detroit), 09:00 (Athens). Again and with a smile, I sigh.

Καλό σας ταξίδι, χρυσοί μου!

"Namaste" to These Greek Ears

First, the meaning of the Sanskrit namaste as I've heard and read:

Nama = bow
as = I
te = you

Literally, "bow me you," or, "I bow to you."

Namaste is often interpretted as: "The divine in me honors the divine in you," "the Light in me recognizes the Light in you," or, "all that is best and highest in me salutes all that is best and highest in you."

* * *
In Greek:

eimaste (είμαστε) = we are
na eimaste (να είμαστε) = may we be

The first syllable of eimaste is often dropped to make na eimaste into a contraction:

na'maste (να'μαστε) = may we be

In Greek, you wouldn't say na'maste by itself. Na'maste needs another word or phrase:

Na'maste kala = May we be well.
Na'maste mazi = May we be together.
Na'maste eutuchizmenoi  = May we be happy.

When I began to hear people speak the Sanskrit namaste to one another and to me, I had to work at not hearing the Greek word, usually to little avail. I understood what they meant, but to these Greek ears, namaste sounded incomplete, like half a sentence, a half-hearted wish, a fragment of a thought. My brain tried to translate it to "I bow to you," but my soul kept hearing "may we be."

Then I began to think about being, to meditate on the act/non-act of being, the state of being, chewing on and tasting the experience of I am / we are.

The sound of namaste soon took on a new meaning to me, a meaning that isn't incomplete at all, a meaning that isn't so different from "I bow to you" or "the light in me honors the light in you:" May we be.

To these ears, "may we be" no longer sounds like a fragment of a thought. It is not an empty wish or a fleeting hope for the future but is instead a statement that ushers in an experience or state of being that already is unfolding, an experience or state that already is.

I am. We are. Like a brilliant diamond, one and many-sided...

Na'maste.

IMI Graduation

It was a wonderful and happy day. The best. And blessed.

Click the Play button in the lower left corner of the screen below. Music is included, so adjust your volume accordingly.





I am sorry that I did not get photos with the following people: Rob Kelly, our pathology instructor; Larissa Cisaruk, teacher of several classes at IMI (Torso Techniques, for ex.); Barb Brigee, clinic manager; and Cindy and Annette, our Hands-On apprentices. My experience at IMI would have been incomplete had any of you not been a part of it; likewise, the above photo presentation is, to me, incomplete without you in it. But I did see each of you there, and for that I am glad. It was a grand day, wasn't it?

Photographers: Stephie & Kate. Lovely job, ladies. Thank you!
Song: "May It Be" by Enya
Video production:

IMI Graduation

Yours truly with Irene Gauthier, IMI's beloved founder, teacher, healer, and bestower of blessings.

I'm working on a slide presentation of my graduation photos. Check back soon.

Employed Again, Naturally

Back in action at the bookstore. All seems well there. Meanwhile, my massage resumes are out and heading out.

I visited one of the establishments to which I'd sent a resume, had a wonderful massage there. Seems it'd be a lovely place to work.

[Check back for my posting on IMI graduation! I'm still waiting for photos from my daughters, one of whom, the out-of-towner, is without internet and so has to get the photos to me on a disc.]

To Be or Not to Be ...Employed

On Friday, May 23, the bookstore let me know that Saturday the 24th was my last day on the schedule for who-knows how long. You're still employed here, they said, we just don't have any hours to give you. So, technically speaking, I still have a job, but practically speaking, I've been unemployed for a week.

I was really upset at first.

But then I spent an entire day in my garden. First time this year. Glory! What a happy, happy day. I looked around at the overgrowth, weeds, and general brokenness and, instead of (or in spite of) feeling heavy-hearted over the loss of my garden's former beauty, instead of pitying myself for the gardening hours I won't have when I go back to work, I told myself, Pick a spot. Just choose one spot, sit, and tend.

I sat in the center garden and began the tedious job of pulling the tall grasses, a few skinny blades at a time, that had sprung up amidst the thyme and periwinkle. In light of all the work that needed to be done, this grass-pulling was a drop in the bucket... the most luscious drop I'd ever tasted.

Hello, sun! Hello, dirt! Hello, opportunity to garden till sundown! It was my bestest gardening day ever. I need a job, but I am so grateful for this time off.

Meanwhile...

Yesterday, I received the job list from IMI's placement director. It's a list of 67 job opportunities in the metro Detroit area, 30 of which are in Oakland County. Of those, I highlighted four jobs that most interest me, one of which tugged at my shirt sleeve, saying, Pick me! Pick me!

I'll start sending resumes tomorrow. Today, I graduate.

Six o'clock this evening, Silver Garden Shriner's Center in Southfield.

Smiles.

Jobs and Timing

I really like my job at the bookstore. I had decided some time ago that I'd like to plan my massage schedule around my bookstore job. I want my bookstore job to be the paycheck I count on while I build up my massage practice part-time.

That's what I thought.

On Wednesday morning, I sent my resume to IMI's placement director. On Wednesday afternoon, I learned that my hours at the bookstore had been cut by 33%. (They cut everyone's hours.)

I don't know if this comes across as amazing here as it did to me when I saw my reduced-hours schedule at the bookstore. Think about it: Randy, my hands-on teacher, utilizes a lovely ritual to usher his students out of school and toward the working world of massage. Then I begin sending out my massage resume, wondering how I'm going to fit a massage job into my schedule. Then, that same day, the bookstore cuts my hours.

You know how folks sometimes say, "What are you waiting for, a neon sign from heaven?" Well, when I looked at the new schedule posted on the bulletin board at work, it morphed into this, right before my very eyes:

FINITO!

Yes, my classes ended last week, but I had a couple of loose ends to tie up. Today, I went to IMI and tied up my last loose end! Woo hoo!

I went upstairs to peek in at my old classroom. (Old? Ha. I was just there last week.) There was our room, full of new faces, new students on their first day of Hands-On class. There was Deb who spotted me and laughed as she headed over for hugs, accusing me of not being able to stay away. Who, me?

And there was Randy at the head of the room, frantically preparing to begin class. Mind you, "frantic" for Randy means turning from Point A to Point B with papers in his hand that he then sets down at Point C. When he's really frantic, he holds his fingers up as if checking the direction of the non-wind, smiles, and says, It's okay. And, sure enough, everything is okay.

I am so lucky to have had IMI's best for hands-on instruction! Thank you, Randy and Deb. And thanks to Annette and Cindy, our esteemed apprentices. I couldn't have asked for a better team.

IMI: Closing Ceremony

On 8 May 2008, we held our final class. We partnered up for one last massage (blindfolded; think Luke Skywalker), shared a potluck meal, and then we gathered in the Harmony Room for our Closing Ceremony. I'll describe only part of the ceremony:

Picture us -- some fifteen students, two apprentices, two instructors -- sitting on the floor in a circle, lights dimmed, a tealight candle burning in front of each of us. Randy holds up a string, maybe two feet long, with the two ends knotted together so that the string forms a circle or loop. He says that this string represents all of us over the past year; the knot is Randy, our teacher. He picks up a pair of scissors and says...

I don't remember what he said next. I remember only the image of the string, the knot, and the scissors, my sudden and tiny gasp when he picked up the scissors, and my watery eyes as he cut the knot from the string, and I remember feeling sad and not sad.

Randy passed the string and the scissors to his left and asked us each to tie a knot at the end of the string and then cut it off. I snipped my little knotted "me" from the string and thought, this is so cool.

Rituals can be nifty things. I never would have guessed that such a simple event could have such a springboard effect on me. Whoosh! and Randy ushered our hinies out o' the nest, and again, Whoosh! ...the beating of wings.

Massage School in a Nutshell

If it's tight, loosen it. If it's loose, tighten it. If it's inflamed, don't squeeze it, and if it's oozing, don't touch it. ;)

Therapeutic Exam: Wee!

I took my final final exam at IMI last Thursday. I got an A, hurray! The kicker? I barely studied at all. Go figure. Granted, this exam was, in my opinion, easier than the Basic Exam in that it covered aspects of massage that we'd been practicing (hopefully) throughout the year. Less memorization, more common sense.

So, what's left?

- Last class, May 8: Blindfold Massage & Closing Ceremony
- Practical Exam (massage an instructor), May 9
- Clinical event hour (massage an apprentice), May 15
- Turn in my Program Summary (one page summary of my experience & growth while at IMI; one page, are they kidding? ::smiles::)
- Send my resume to our placement director

Graduation is on June 1.

The Basic Exam: Brain-Whoa

The Basic Exam, which covers physiology, pathology, and anatomy, is the first of two written exams given near the end of the IMI program. I took the Basic Exam on April 3. I got a B.

I studied hard. During the test, I kissed my A+ goodbye because I was making too many guesses. I was fine with that, no stress. But I didn't think I'd miss an A altogether; a B!

Wish I had a nickel for every time someone has said to me, "Nobody's going to look at your grades once you're in the working world." Yes, I know. And I don't care. It's not about that. I just plumb enjoy acing tests. Makes my brain say, "Wee!"

With so many folks both here in trade school and also at university repeating how unimportant your grade is in the "real world," I can't help but wonder if relatively few people have themselves experienced a brain-wee.

A brain-wee begins with intense study, crescendos during the test, hits a high plateau upon completion of the test (the waiting period during which you're pretty sure you aced it), and finally bursts into its glorious Wee! upon seeing the mark. The brain-wee is completely independent of others' responses to your mark.

When someone (like me) is accustomed to having a brain-wee after every test, and when they (like me) study very hard for a particular test and expect another A but see instead a B, their brain says, "Whoa!" This is known as a brain-whoa. A brain-whoa is not to be confused with a brain-woe, which is more Eeyore-like in nature. A brain-whoa is simply a surprise with a smidgen of bummer mixed in. Its effect is not long lasting.

;)

Springtime in Michigan

Last Day at Student Clinic

Your Body is a TempleThis is what we see upon entering IMI's student clinic. Today, however, this is what I saw as I turned to say goodbye. I snapped this photo on my way out, having just completed my last day working here. I owe many thanks to the incredible staff for their patience and guidance, and to those gracious clients who entrusted themselves to these learning hands. Learning and ever learning. Namaste.

Elective: Torso Techniques

Essential Torso Techniques, taught by the inimitable Larissa Cisaruk, is a 16-hour workshop covering a variety of massage techniques for the torso, with particular focus on the chest, abdomen, and buttocks -- those areas of the body on which the client may be hesitant to receive massage and/or the therapist may be uncomfortable working. These often neglected areas of the body need at least as much attention as any other, if not more.

Please note that although we spent equal portions of class time on the chest, abs, glutes, and back, as well as tying it all together into a flowing practice, and although I could write oodles about each of the sixteen class-hours, my focus for this entry will be on the chest, for soon-to-be obvious reasons.

I was the demo for the pecs/chest massage! Aren't I lucky? (Okay, I volunteered. Loudly). The photo above, which I nabbed off the web, does not represent the chest techniques that we learned in this class. The female client will have one towel draped across her chest to cover the breasts, and the other towel covers her from the waist down, leaving the upper abs exposed. This allows the massage therapist to access the center of the chest by reaching under the towel, working near and around but not touching or exposing the breast.

At one point, as our instructor stroked my chest muscles outward from the center (sternum), I felt my chest cavity open and rise as if now capable of deeper breathing. To my surprise and delight, I felt the same sensation in my closed eyes, as if my eyes expanded.

Have you ever cleaned out a closet or some part of your home and felt that you were making room for something else, making room in your life for whatever comes next? My chest massage in this class left me with the distinct sensation that I'd been opened up from the inside, that I was and am ready for more, for whatever comes next, which is the constant unfolding of this moment.


Larissa Cisaruk is one of the finest instructors I've encountered at IMI. Without a doubt, my future success as a massage therapist will have stemmed in large part from the techniques learned and the attitude and confidence developed in this class. Thank you, Larissa.

Last Physiology Lecture

Excuse me, but who stole the days? Who slipped the year out from under my feet? And who snatched my physiology classes away, hm?

Just as with our last anatomy class, I felt stunned at the end of our last physiology class yesterday. I knew this was our last class meeting; it's right there in my calendar, so there was no reason for surprise on my part. But surprised I was. Or maybe just sad. ::sigh:: I'm going to miss this class, too.

Above is my heart drawing for this class, completed in December. Physiology lectures have ended, but I'll be studying my notes for months to come; first for our two written exams at IMI (the Basic Exam in April, and the Therapeutic Exam in May), and then for the national certification exam.

Lecture class continues through March with two pathology lectures followed by two business lectures.

I complete my clinic hours in mid-March.

I have two electives yet to complete: Torso Techniques in early March, and Mind-Body Medicine in late April.

Hands-On class continues through mid-May, and graduation is on June 1.

Okay, so I said that I'll miss my anatomy and physiology classes, and it's true, but... I'm almost finished! Woo hoo!

Hands-On: Cranial Massage

Cranial Massage. That's what we did in hands-on class last Thursday. I enjoyed it immensely, both giving and receiving. I do believe that cranial massage will be a focus -- if not the focus -- of my future in massage therapy.

I have much to learn, of course, but for now what I'm referring to by "cranial massage" is just that: massage of the skull. The scalp is naturally massaged in the process, and the face is or can be massaged as well, but the focus is on the cranial sutures, those lines where the skull bones come together.

In class, each student gave and received a full one-hour cranial massage. Receiving the massage was an amazing experience; my whole body relaxed, tension melted away. At one point, it felt as if my spine slowly lifted off the table and then slowly sunk into the table, as if my spine itself inhaled and exhaled.

Giving the massage was also a wonderful experience. My eyes went blurry, and that's a good sign. Blurred vision during massage tells me that my focus has moved to my hands, and that I've let go of the mental noise, the worrying and wondering whether I'm doing this the "right" way or feeling what I'm "supposed to" feel. I've come to believe that my hands know and recognize far more than I give them credit for.

Pardon My Dust, Pt. II

I tried something new, but I didn't like it. I brought all my massage therapy-related posts back here to ChrysCrossing. I won't add anything new to the other blog. Sorry for any confusion or hassle. Methinks I've not caused much of a stir, but thanks for your patience, all the same.

Emmanuel's Final Anatomy Class

On February 4, Emmanuel and I spent our last Anatomy class together at IMI. He really could use more muscles -- traps, lats, pecs, abs, glutes -- but he is as complete as is required for graduation. At least he's smiling.

See the screen in the upper right corner of the above photo? While we put finishing touches on our "manikens," our esteemed teacher treated us to a video of Kodo; thundering, pulsating Japanese drums played by some very fine examples of human anatomy.

What a joy it's been to form muscles with my fingers, rolling them, shaping them, attaching them to bone.

Sometimes, on my own leg, I can see the lateral edge of my soleus, hiding like a mackerel behind my gastrocnemius. And I think of Emmanuel.

I'll still have Monday morning lecture classes through March -- physiology, pathology, and business lectures -- but this was our last lecture in anatomy.

I'm going to miss this class.

Pardon My Dust

I'm in the process of trying something different. This blog, ChrysCrossing, is currently under construction. Please bear with me during renovations. Thanks!

IMI Student Massage Clinic

One of five massage rooms at our student clinic. I've been working here since late November, and I expect to complete my 48-hr. requirement by the end of March.

Be at peace, all who enter here.

Elective: Hot Rocks

Giving...















...and receiving.