Appreciative joy - Sunset in Baan Thalaynok

What comes to mind when you think of water?

Cooling, calming, cleansing, refreshing.  Sweet, peaceful, beautiful, still. Blue, green, golden, white. Undulating, flowing, frightening, destructive. Stagnant, polluted, frothy, sour.  Hot, relaxing, soothing, healing…

Water is life’s “mater and matrix, mother and medium”. Water’s true nature is predictably unpredictable, and its manifestations are multifarious and contradictory.

So… if our bodies are composed of over 60% water, what does that suggest about our true nature?

In February, I had the pleasure of spending three weeks exploring southern Thailand’s unique culture, stunning landscape and fascinating healing traditions with a fabulous group of massage therapists and yoginis.

The Water Goddesses - DEEP South Journey 2010

Our itinerary included a homestay in a Thai Muslim fishing village on the Andaman coast, a week on a small island in the Andaman Sea that was solely inhabited by a small tribe of Moken people (nomadic “sea gypsies”), and a week on floating bamboo huts on a lake in the middle of Khao Sok National Park.

Our floating bamboo huts - Khao Sok National Park

Over the course of our journey we were exposed to several unique water oriented life-styles, and had the opportunity to embrace water in a variety of different forms. The sudden abundance of water in our environment led us quite naturally to occasionally contemplate its significance in our lives, and its influence on our various healing practices.

Yoga class in Mu Ko Surin National Park

On our last night together we sat on our floating porch underneath a star-filled sky and shared the liquid lessons that had penetrated our cells, psyches and souls. Then we paid homage to the water goddess by placing traditional home-made krathongs on the lake.  This is a sampling of what our ritual revealed…

Paying homage to the water godess

Like water, we have the potential to be graceful,

Jungle Yoga - Khao Sok National Park

Like water, we have the potential to be fluid,

Music and movement in Khao Sok National Park

Like water, we have the potential to be powerful,

kayaking in Khao Sok National Park

Like water, we have the potential to curve around sharp bends,

Thai Yoga Massage class - Koh Ra

Like water, we have the potential to travel to distant lands,

Cultural exchange - Baan Thalaynok

Like water, we have the potential to be wild and free,

Log jump - Khao Sok National Park

Like water, we have the potential to be lazy,

Day off - Mu Ko Surin National Park

Like water, we have the potential to be nurturing,

Thai Yoga Massage class - Khao Sok National Park

Like water we have the potential to facilitate healing,

Showing gratitude to our hosts in Baan Thalaynok

Like water, we have the potential to facilitate growth,

Planting nipa palms in Baan Thalaynok

Like water, we have the potential to carve out new pathways,

Teaching yoga to children in Baan Thalaynok

Like water, we have the potential to expand,

Sunrise yoga - Koh Ra

Like water, we have the potential to make beautiful music,

Koh Ra serenade

Like water we have the potential to be still,

Floating meditation - Khao Sok National Park

Like water, we have the potential to transform.

Snorkeling - Mu Ko Surin National Park

We discovered that we are healthier and happier when we take time to remember what we are (at least 60% of what we are), accept the full spectrum of our true nature (multifarious and contradictory though it might be), and live up to our potential as Water Goddesses.

Have you discovered your true nature? Have you learned how to live and practice powerfully with fluidity and grace?

Join us in February 2011 in southern Thailand for the next DEEP South journey.  Register NOW!

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Selected offerings to the Water Goddess:

“To the water goddess,

With these treasures I give up today,

I also vanquish to the depths of your body

all attachments in my life that I see to no longer be worthy of my time, my attention, my energy.

I ask you for the strength I need to do so.

I ask for the direction and shift of the wind

when I veer off this course I promise to myself I will follow.

Whether it be rain, or tears, or the ocean mist,

I ask you for your presence.”

- Katherine: Martha’s Vineyard, MA  (DEEP South 2010)

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“Offering to the Water Goddess:

My offering is my creative nature, my music, my song, my joy! Through and across the water my song will travel…to the depths of every sea, lake, river, and everything in between. It will emanate and reverberate an eternal song of life and beauty. In return, I ask that the Water Goddess relieves me of my anxiety, my constant, incessant worry, my habitual nature of unnecessary concern for that which I cannot control. I ask the Water Goddess to strip me naked and make me pure and whole again. I ask that she bathes and nurtures my soul.”

- Kate: Asheville, NC (DEEP South 2010)

Each season, 20 strangers gather in Samara, a tiny beach town located mid-way down the Nicoya Peninsula on the west coast of Costa Rica. They come to participate in an intense journey that promises to lead them toward understanding the truths of the human condition, and ultimately prepare them for a career in massage therapy.

Samara Beach, Costa Rica

For four months, they explore, process and come to embody a rigorous massage therapy curriculum that emphasizes professionalism and artistry. Their official classroom is an open-air pavilion set in a garden of fruit trees, inhabited by a motley crew of dogs, chickens and monkeys; but the real classroom extends way beyond the walls of campus into the surrounding jungles and beaches, and into the local community.

Thai Massage Class

The people who seek out and commit to this challenging immersion, are ready and willing to change their life. They have bravely left their homes, families, friends, identities and other attachments behind, and opened themselves up to experiencing a new climate, a new diet, a new language, a new career, a new life-style and many new possibilities.

By the time that I arrive to teach the Thai Yoga Massage class in the last month of their program, the students have already been transformed on many levels. On the outside, they seem like locals: they move with confidence and ease through campus and around town; they know who sells the freshest fish and the juiciest watermelon, and where and when to catch the best waves; they have learned how to keep the dogs away from the monkeys, how to smell the rain coming, and how to function when the electricity goes out.

Pura Vida!

On the inside, they are wiser and more discerning: they have confronted old habits and patterns, which their new environment and practices have helped to expose, and they have adopted a new mind-set that better supports their evolving life and career goals; they have become more open emotionally, more focused mentally, and more connected to their creative and intuitive gifts; and they have developed a respect for human suffering, and a great capacity for offering compassion.

Tuned in!

As a community, they have forged tight friendships and become a modern extended family; depending on each other, nurturing each other, confiding in each other, learning from each other, and holding each other accountable through a variety of breakdowns and breakthroughs.

As a teacher, I am grateful for the opportunity to work in a setting that is celebrated for its natural beauty and simplicity (Pura Vida!); but the coconut cream on the mango, if you will,  is sharing the experience with a group of people who have embraced change so fearlessly, engaged so fully in their own creative healing process, and who have the passion, intelligence and creativity necessary to become leaders in the massage therapy field and in their communities at large.

Fabulous Body Mechanics Stacey!

I am grateful to the Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy for recognizing the powerful link between travel (expanding one’s global perspective) and personal/ professional development (opening one’s the heart and mind), and for innovating  a program that successfully blends the potent essence of an expedition into wild, unfamiliar territory; with a fresh, modern massage therapy curriculum. Thanks to this unique educational opportunity, a new species of massage therapist is emerging from the jungle, and it is well prepared to meet the world’s evolving bodywork needs and bring balance back into the holistic healthcare ecosystem.

The New Species of Massage Therapist!

Do you travel to leave your home? Or to leave your habits?

Have your travels exposed any deeply rooted assumptions, or surprising patterns of thought? Did that discovery have any significant effect on your life?

This phrase, coined by the Dalai Lama, refers to an ancient teaching that suggests that, “one’s own self-interest and wishes are fulfilled as a byproduct of actually (caring) for other sentient beings”. Or as the fifteenth-century Buddhist master Tsongkhapa states, “The more the practitioner engages in activities and thoughts that are focused and directed toward the fulfillment of others’ well-being, the fulfillment or realization of his or her own aspiration will come as a byproduct without having to make a separate effort.”

When I first heard the“wsiely selfish” teachings, a deep part of me immediately resonated with them.  But another part of me, the little girl conditioned to believe that anything “selfish” was inherently bad, was skeptical.  It sounded too good to be true. So for the last few years I have used my massage practice, my classroom and my travels to consciously explore and question the truth of this semantically troubling relationship described by His Holiness and his predecessors.

In that time, I have found, and directly experienced, many examples that support the “wisely selfish” doctrine; and at this point I consider myself a firm believer.  In fact, I have really come to appreciate this teaching as a guiding principle in my life.  But the silly, and in some ways magical, thing about it, is that no matter how strongly I believe that when I enter into a relationship with the intention of helping or teaching another that I will be helped and taught in return, I am always pleasantly surprised when I actually am, and by the ways and the magnitude in which my efforts are re-paid.

For example…

In October, I went to London to visit Sophie, my friend and former student from the Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy, who is now there working at a unique charity called Kids Company.

Kids Company was founded in 1996 “in order to provide practical, emotional, and educational support to vulnerable inner-city children and young people.

“Many of the 13,500 children reached by Kids Company’s services have experienced severe and multiple trauma. Often they are ‘lone children’ living in chronic deprivation, with little or no support from the adults in their family; and many have been forced into drug running, gangs or prostitution as the only means of survival in their depleted communities.”

Before Sophie graduated from CRSMT, she told me that she had accepted a new position at Kids Company and that she would be in charge of recruiting and coordinating volunteers who would then provide complimentary therapies such as acupuncture and massage therapy to Kids Company members.  I was very inspired by Kids Company’s mission and Sophie’s contribution; so, being “wisely selfish”, I asked if I might “lend a hand” the next time I was in the neighborhood (which happened to be a few days after the Thai Yoga Massage Retreat ended in Scotland).

With the hope of empowering Kids Company members with practical knowledge and skills to help them connect deeply to themselves, and create compassionate connections between themselves and the people in their community, we designed a mini-workshop that focused on relaxation techniques (breath-work, intuitive movement, yoga) and basic massage sequences. We chose to teach traditional Thai Massage techniques on the feet and hands, Shiatsu techniques on the back and Swedish techniques on the head, neck and face. This allowed the students to remain fully clothed during the entire workshop, thereby avoiding potential issues related to physical intimacy.  And it exposed them to a variety of different philosophies and approaches to health and healing from cultures across the globe, highlighting the fact that all human beings need to feel connected.

Due to the limited teaching space, and the sensitive and unpredictable nature of exposing students to experiences that might fall outside of their comfort zone, we limited the class to four women. The brave souls that showed up were between the ages of 21 and 34. Three of them were mothers of Kids Company Members. Three of them were immigrants from Jamaica, Guyana and Uganda. All of them had received at least one massage from Sophie at the Heart Yard, and they were all eager to learn about techniques that had the potential to help them stay healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually.

When the workshop began, they were strangers to each other. Their body language suggested a mix of curiosity and apprehension, and their voices expressed a subtle blend of defensiveness and vulnerability.  After a few movement exercises their postures and facial expressions softened; and when they described their perceptions of energy moving through their bodies, the tone and strength of their voices shifted, replacing any hint of fear or defensiveness with a sense of calm and child-like wonder.

When we began practicing massage techniques with partners, they demonstrated a natural sensitivity and awareness beyond what I typically see in most beginning massage students. They remained highly present and seemed very comfortable taking what they had been shown and creatively, intuitively, exploring the themes and principles in their own way. At the end of the first day, Sophie and I were amazed by the clarity and wisdom of the insights that they openly shared, such as:

“I got in touch with my body and remembered how to breathe.”

“I sit with sensations and watch them shift.”

“I am feeling the impact of cultivating positive energy.”

“I feel calmer. I can deal with things differently, in a more positive way.”

“I am aware of myself, of my environment, of the give and take, totally absorbed.”

“I will teach friends what I learned, so we can help each other.”

“I respect my body more.”

“I learned to appreciate my feet.”

“Its about not being scared to experience yourself, not being afraid of other bodies…its about being human, your history doesn’t matter.”

On day two, the women again exceeded our expectations and their courage and creativity left us humbled.

At the conclusion of the workshop we gathered for the usual closing circle, but this closing circle was different. As I passed out the certificates of completion, the women’s eyes widened; and tears began to fall. Soon  the tears made way for wide smiles, big hugs and animated discussions about where this symbol of success would be displayed in their homes.

I was unexpectedly moved. In our days together the women had behaved in such a dignified manner and demonstrated so much sensitivity, compassion and intelligence, that on some level I remained unaware of the true magnitude of their achievement. When they shared with me that their lives had been so disrupted that this was the first time that they had held a certificate with their name on it and had felt the deep joy of accomplishment, I finally understood the depth of the fears that they had faced and the number of obstacles that they had overcome to simply show up for the workshop, let alone participate so fully; so successfully. I lost it.

As our tears dried, the conversation shifted to the future. Two students announced that they saw massage therapy as their new career. And the mothers in the group all expressed a desire to share this new knowledge with their kids in an effort to develop the kind of relationship that they had longed for as children.

When I left that day, I saw one of the mothers playing with her young son. She seemed to be holding him more tenderly and talking to him more patiently. It was a beautiful image of hope, strength and love.

I thank Kid’s Company for creating The Heart Yard, a therapeutic space where these women felt safe and comfortable enough to take a risk and try something new. I applaud them for seeing the value in complimentary therapies and their potential to break the cycle of poverty and violence on many levels. I am also grateful to Sophie for being a wonderful partner and host.

But most of all, I thank Janet, Nadine, Melissa and Deveika for teaching me invaluable lessons about courage, compassion, non-judgement, and joy; and for giving me enough validation and inspiration to keep me fulfilled for a long time to come.  My mind is now closer than ever to being able to let go of labels like “giver and receiver”, “teacher and student”, and truly see the non-dual nature of these types of relationships; closer than ever to truly understanding what it means to be wisely selfish.

A couple weeks ago one of our students was interviewed by the BBC. Please take a minute to listen toJanet’s story and if you feel moved, please consider making a donation to Kid’s Company.

To learn more about Kids Company check out this recent article.

How much of your success as a massage therapist do you owe to specific massage techniques that you learned in school, and how much of it can you attribute to your personal growth and development?

Practice - Thai Yoga Massage Retreat - Scotland

While percentages may vary, I think that most of us will agree that in order to be a truly skilled practitioner, one must practice more than massage! We must continuously seek to discover the roots of our own dis-function and suffering, find ways to heal our wounds, take time to integrate and embody our new-found wisdom, and cultivate balance in or own lives. If we aren’t living in this “wisely selfish” way, efflurage and petrisage aren’t of much use.

In short, to be effective, we must walk our talk!                               “Healer, heal thyself!”

Sun-Break - Thai Yoga Massage Retreat - Scotland

When I think back to the experiences in my life that have incited the most personal growth and development, I think of travel – being immersed in a new environment or culture. Travel, by its very nature, exposes my habits, assumptions, and conditioning; opens my mind and heart to new possibilities; and reminds me to be more humble, grateful and joyful.

Day Trip - Thai Yoga Massage Retreat - Scotland

I also think of massage school – a safe, supportive community where dialog was encouraged and emotional breakthroughs were a daily occurrence. Some of my greatest lessons have been learned through witnessing my classmates in moments of courageous vulnerability and seeing myself in their eyes and in their actions, and hearing the truth in their words.

This understanding, and a desire to continue to deepen my perspective on health and healing, has influenced the way that I design my continuing education courses. While I agree that in most cases it would be quicker and easier to satisfy continuing education requirements by meeting for a weekend at the local massage school or Holiday Inn, I prefer to create courses that incorporate elements like travel and community-living to more fully take advantage of the (tax-deductible) opportunity to learn from, commune with, and draw inspiration from ”my people”.

What does a “wisely selfish” CE experience look like?

The Wisely Selfish Crew - Thai Yoga Massage Retreat - Scotland

In September my friend Gill Webster (www.gillwebster.com) and I offered a five-day Thai Yoga Massage retreat in the Scottish Highlands. For the location we chose a grand old baronial estate located on the shores on Loch Linnhe. Our classroom was a large glass conservatory with a stunning 180 degree view of the loch and the tall mountains beyond. The participants, who came from Scotland, England, Spain and the United States, had varied backgrounds in bodywork, yoga, Pilates and physiotherapy, but shared a common interest in learning Thai Yoga Massage.

Our Classroom - Thai Yoga massage Retreat - Scotland

We began each day with a gentle yoga practice in full view of the rising sun. Following a healthy breakfast, we returned to the conservatory for our exploration of Thai Yoga Massage. At 1:00 pm we broke for lunch and enjoyed a spacious afternoon open for hiking, swimming, reading, or napping. At 4:30 we met in the parlor for afternoon tea and resumed Thai Yoga Massage class until dinner at 7:00. Dinner was followed by free time by the fire or relaxing in the sauna.

Afternoon Tea - Thai Yoga Massage Retreat - Scotland

Each day the group grew closer. Meals were filled with lively conversation and laughter. Cultural similarities and difference were explored; and bonds were formed over a mutual love of Marmite, Michael Jackson, and the moon-shadows that played on the waves in our loch. The space inside and outside of the classroom felt sacred and potent. Everyone was making an effort to practice kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity – the states of mind that form the foundation of Thai Yoga Massage. Boundaries were dissolving and fate was readying herself to reveal the underlying, unifying purpose or common thread that brought us together– beyond our love of Thai Yoga Massage and moon-shadows.

This defining link and subsequent lesson is something that I have come to expect and look forward to when I work with groups. I never know what it will be, or how it will emerge, …but it always does.

Practice - Thai Yoga Massage Retreat - Scotland

On day four, we gathered in the conservatory to learn a traditional abdominal sequence. A woman who had thus far shied away from being my model, volunteered. As I demonstrated the techniques, the room became unusually quiet and focused. Then the woman’s cheeks became flushed, her lips curled and a tear dripped down the side of her face. In that instant I felt every heart in that room swell to encompass her and her pain. Then a deep, collective, intuitive understanding, and a genuine willingness to witness and support her process, led our little tribe into a different dimension where the line was blurred between teacher and student, self and other, work and play.

When she was ready, she shared with us that she felt a deep sadness and emptiness inside since her hysterectomy. This was met with an upwelling of emotion from the circle, which was divinely made up of women ages 23-50, and a wonderfully sensitive man, who for various reasons, had not had the experience of giving birth. Her courageous vulnerability – she knew what she was ready to confront when she volunteered – touched everyone in the room. Each woman (and man) experienced, interpreted and benefited from this lesson differently, but we were all reminded that our purpose for coming together for this retreat, and our purpose for practicing massage, goes way beyond perfecting any massage technique.

So there you have it. My favorite “wisely selfish” practice is to periodically invite an intimate group of dedicated individuals (12 or fewer) to step out of their routine for a few days and join me in an unfamiliar and interesting location. We follow a schedule that allows plenty of space for the relaxed absorption and integration of Thai Yoga Massage techniques, the natural surroundings and local culture, and for rich dialog to arise and flow freely. Participants walk away with a substantial competency in Thai Yoga Massage, and we all grow and heal in unexpected and inspiring ways .

What are your “wisely selfish” practices? Do you have trouble with the idea of being selfish? Can you see yourself earning CEUs in Thailand this winter? www.integraltravel.com/thailandnorth.html

As the sun crept up the flanks of the surrounding 20,000 foot, snow-capped peaks, I approached the line of villagers that snaked around the small rural medical clinic in Central Tibet.  It was my responsibility to talk to the would-be patients while they waited for their one opportunity to see the doctor this month. I inquired about their main health complaints and asked how the clinic could do a better job of meeting their needs; but most people shyly diverted their eyes and giggled at my broken Tibetan, hesitant to respond. I was feeling rather frustrated and helpless until an old woman emboldened by chang, (barley home brew) approached me and happily answered my questions.

She explained primarily through pantomime that she had pain in her joints, especially her left elbow. After a few minutes of arm waving and exaggerated facial expressions we had become quite comfortable with each other, laughing, teasing the children, comparing malas (Buddhist prayer beads) and enjoying the stunning view from the “waiting room”.

Then it occurred to me that I had a small pot of tiger balm in my bag and plenty of time to kill, so I offered to massage my new friend Dolma’s elbow. She thanked me with a variety of pleased sounds that gradually drew a small crowd. When I finished, the women who only a moment ago were too shy to make eye-contact, were now lifting their skirts to show me their sore hip or knee. Their eyes now boldly met mine and their message was clear.

This is how I learned that joint pain was, not surprisingly, one of the major complaints that people in this nomadic farming community endured.  The next day I organized a small class focussing on basic massage techniques for hands, elbows, knees, necks and shoulders. It turned out to be great fun and we all learned a lot!

For me it was a strong reminder that touch is a powerful tool, capable of dissolving cultural boundaries and transcending language barriers.  The bonds that we formed through an afternoon of compassionate touch were strong and meaningful. We truly saw each other as humans–vulnerable, humble, powerful, joyful–unique versions of the same thing.

This experience in Tibet’s Drikung Valley in 2006 planted a seed that continues to grow and inspire me. I will never forget the peaceful look in the old man’s eyes as I massaged his sore thumb. I wanted so badly to talk to him, learn more about him, his life, his family. I wanted to tell him how much I loved being in Tibet. I wanted to comfort him for it was clear to look at his hands that he had lived a hard life. I wanted to thank him and let him know that I was deeply affected by his presence. I knew, however, that my knowledge of the Tibetan language was very limited and I would fail if I tried to express these thoughts out loud,… so I massaged them.  Each stroke carried with it a message of compassion, patience, and gratitude for the moment that we were sharing; and I think the message came through, I believe that we understood each other. I felt witnessed, heard, satisfied, and I think he did too.

In this moment I began to realize that massage, and its message, provides me with a portable, artistic, and inexhaustible medium for exploring my inner and outer worlds. Since then I have traveled to fourteen countries to study, to teach, and to give and receive massage; and I have frequently experienced its power to bring people together on a deeply satisfying and transformative level.

This month I set off once more on a long journey that, in the next year, will take me to Scotland, England, Netherlands, Pennsylvania, California, Costa Rica, Domincan Republic, Thailand, Bali, North Carolina, Spain and Brazil. This blog will be a space for me to share anecdotes and insights from my adventures, and to introduce you to healers, practices and inspirational places that I encounter along the way.

I invite you to share any thoughts and stories that are triggered by what you read here. This is one situation where I don’t want to travel alone!

Thanks for joining me. And as always, enjoy the journey!

Sunny

** Does your massage have a message? What is it? How do you integrate this into your practice, and if applicable, into your life?

*** For information about travel in Tibet or supporting rural medical clinics, please visit www.tibetanvillageproject.org