Not that I had any further doubts, but I got a very interesting confirmation yesterday that the MA is rewiring me. As part of preparing for my trip, I went to a massage therapist yesterday to work out some kinks that I don't want to sit on for six days straight. My SI joint is twingy, I get sciatica as a reaction to stress, that sort of thing. I've gotten a lot of massages over the years, mostly for fun and relaxation. A tactile lullaby, if you will.
Not yesterday. There was very little that she did differently from any other massage therapist that I've visited over the years. But I found myself hyper-aware of every nuance of her movement, and my body's response to it. It made for a very effective session because I could give her really precise feedback, so I feel great today. But it's also left me wondering exactly what it is about the MA that's taught me to be so closely attuned to my inner response. Was it a particular exercise? (Probably not.) How much of it is the training, and how much comes from my own personal reflection? And where do I go from here to turn this to its best possible advantage?
It was also interesting to find that she knew my instructor and some of my classmates. We may officially have a population of around a million in this city, but the longer I stay here the smaller it gets. :uhyeah: It's a big part of the mixed feelings I have about leaving. My roots run deeper here than I thought. But that has very little to do with my SI joint ... unless there's something I really don't understand.
Not yesterday. There was very little that she did differently from any other massage therapist that I've visited over the years. But I found myself hyper-aware of every nuance of her movement, and my body's response to it. It made for a very effective session because I could give her really precise feedback, so I feel great today. But it's also left me wondering exactly what it is about the MA that's taught me to be so closely attuned to my inner response. Was it a particular exercise? (Probably not.) How much of it is the training, and how much comes from my own personal reflection? And where do I go from here to turn this to its best possible advantage?
It was also interesting to find that she knew my instructor and some of my classmates. We may officially have a population of around a million in this city, but the longer I stay here the smaller it gets. :uhyeah: It's a big part of the mixed feelings I have about leaving. My roots run deeper here than I thought. But that has very little to do with my SI joint ... unless there's something I really don't understand.
