Traits for Self-Healing Part 2: Present Moment

This is the second in a 10 Part series based on the article "The Traits of an Energy Practitioner" by John Kroneck (July/august 2013 'massage & bodywork'). These traits are important for self healing as well as helping others:

1. Stillness
2. Presence:
• present moment
• awareness
3. Non attachment
• nonresistance
• non-judgment
4. Beginner's Mind
5. Acceptance
6. Inspiration
7. Responsibility
8. Kindness Quotient

Present Moment
The only reality that we function in is the present moment. To be fully present with what is occurring at this moment leads to clarity of understanding, choices, and actions. All life exists in the present moment. Our past has been altered by our changing memories; even the original perceptions may have been skewed to protect our ego. What is real is what is happening only in the moment. Therefore, it is by being present in this moment that we can effect change in our lives. How is your mastery of being fully present in the moment? -- John Kroneck

Do you live in the present? Or do you spend more time in the past or future? While on your morning commute are you paying attention to the traffic around you? or dwelling on the argument you had with someone the night before? or are you thinking about what you need to do at work that day? Multitasking has it's benefits; one of which is to save time so that you can live in the present moment. While having dinner with your family are you intent on the conversation and interacting with them?

As a therapist are you in the present moment with your client? Do you feel when the tension leaves their body? Do you notice from their body language when you hit a tender area even if they don't tell you? Or do you let your mind wander away from the present? Are you thinking of what to wear to dinner later instead of how you are draping your client?

As a massage client do you stay in the present moment during your massage? Do you give feed back to your therapist? Or do you let your mind drift? 

I invite everyone to leave comments answering how well you live in the present moment and what things can we all do to focus on the present moment? 

Traits for Self-Healing Part 1: Stillness

I recently read the article "The Traits of an Energy Practitioner" by John Kroneck (July/august 2013 'massage & bodywork').  In it he lists 8 primary traits necessary for healing; two of which are subdivided further into 2 more specific traits:

1. Stillness
2. Presence:
• present moment
• awareness
3. Non attachment
• nonresistance
• non-judgment
4. Beginner's Mind
5. Acceptance
6. Inspiration
7. Responsibility
8. Kindness Quotient

I believe that each trait deserves attention and would make great discussion. So, over the next ten weeks I hope that you will all join me in focusing on them one at a time.  I will start with a quote from the article:

stillness
For a majority of people, one of the most difficult things to do is to be still.  This could be because the mind has so many stimuli today, but it may also be that being still is frightening.  To be still means that pain has time to show itself without the distractions of life.  Being still within our consciousness opens healing avenues as it stimulates an alignment and integration of the body and its systems.  How is your mastery of stillness? -- John Kroneck

Think about how this applies to you. When are the times you are still?  If you can't think of any, try it now. Find a quiet place, turn off the electronics, and calm your mind.  What occurs during that time?  

If you are a therapist, how do you help your clients in this aspect?

I will start the discussion by leaving my thoughts as the first comment.  I can't wait to hear what everyone has to report.  

Remember to come back next week for the second trait: present moment.

Going for a Ride

It is understandable that our American Eskimo dog, Suka, gets nervous when  he sees his harness in my hands. He rarely wears a collar or harness.  He gets trips to the vet or groomer and an occasional walk around the neighborhood. We have a fenced backyard to let him run and play in without restriction.

I am trying to alleviate his anxiety with more walks and occasional car rides.  When my loving husband needed to get gas in his SUV, he reluctantly agreed to taking the dog and I along for the ride. There have been instances of car sickness in the past, but only when I was taking him somewhere alone.

Suka first ran away from me, and then slowly crawled toward me, finally he let me put his harness on. Then he crawled into my arms and placed his head on my shoulder. I carried him (32 lbs) outside and placed him in the back seat. My loving husband placed me in the front passenger seat (as he always does) and went around to the driver's door while Suka barked at him. Once everyone was settled we headed out.

Suka circled in the seat a few times and laid down, but before his muzzle even rested on his paws he was sitting up again looking out the window. He crossed back and forth looking out one side and then the other. I suggested that we put the window down to give Suka some air. My loving husband was trying to keep one eye on the dog and one on the road. I'm not certain which one of them was more nervous.

As we pulled up to the pumps I heard growling from the back seat. Evidently the other customers were too close. Suka is rather territorial. My loving husband gets out to pump the gas. Suka went crazy, barking  and scratching at the window. I called him up front with me, but he just wanted out with 'his human'. Once my loving husband got back into the SUV Suka calmed right down.
Suka sat and watched out the window during the trip home. 

Suka became excited again as we pulled into our driveway. My loving husband opened my door and helped me out of the vehicle, and then opened the rear door to let the dog out. Suka jumped out, ran through the front yard onto the porch, and waited at the door to be let in the house. 

It was a good ride, but I think that we have many more to go before Suka learns to enjoy them.

Just a quick note to tie this event to massage:  Sometimes, like Suka, people link certain items to emotions. It may be a place, like a doctor's office or an article of clothing, such as a lucky shirt. These things create a physical response for people due to past experiences.
Leave a comment about what items trigger a response for you.
A regular massage can create a positive response. Just entering the massage room or lying on the massage table can cause the body to begin to relax. The sooner a person relaxes; the more beneficial a massage can be.

Car Inspection

The simple choices don't always work out the way you want them to. I am feeling good this morning and need to take care of my neglected car. The state inspection was due last month so that comes first. (Don't judge, I was out of state when I noticed it.) I pull into the station, wow, no one in line! Less than two minutes, the inspector comes out. Great! Right away he says that I need new wipers. Do I want him to do them($$$)? Or get them around the corner at the parts store($)? There's no one in line behind me. I'll be right back. It only takes 5 minutes to get the wipers and change them out.  I drive back around the corner to see a car in the bay and two more in line. I wonder what it would have cost to save an hour waiting in the cold and just let them replace the wipers...
The next stop will be to have my oil changed. Maybe I should ask if they can just do that here....

UPDATE:  Turns out that it doesn't matter; they rejected my car anyhow. The front brakes need replaced. It seems like I just had the brakes done on the car, but that was a year ago and only the rear brakes. Oh, and the inspector mentioned that I would need new tires soon. The tread on the front is thin and the rear tires are starting to dry rot.  The good mood that I was in this morning is fading fast. I think that I will just skip the oil change for today.

UPDATE 3/20/2013:  As I have stated in past posts, things tend to work out for the best if I let them. I took my Baja to the Subaru dealer yesterday to have the front brakes repaired. It turns out that they were in worse shape than I understood and need to be replaced; rotors and all. Since I am planning a trip in a couple of weeks I also requested them to change the oil and do the state inspection so that I don't have to make time to return to the previous inspector. During this process they found more wrong than I could have imagined. An oil seal and the water pump have been leaking onto the timing belt. (I've had a timing belt break in a previous vehicle. The entire car just stops dead; irregardless of when or where you are.) The transmission fluid was black. Stop and go traffic will do that to a vehicle quickly. Rotating the tires will take care of that issue for now. A couple other things that I don't remember, but have written down. So three days and $2500 later; my Baja will be ready for that road trip. I would rather find out now and have it fixed than find out on the road somewhere in the mountains or on a toll road with no help around. 

Taking care of Things before it becomes an Emergency

The front load machine we were using had a bearing going out. It still operated OK, but the spin cycle was extremely loud. Even with the laundry room door closed, we were unable to hear the television or a conversation in the nearby rooms. The clothes came out clean and even with the noise the washer spun them fairly dry. The main problem was that we didn't know how long this would last.
We have an American Home Shield policy. (If you've never heard of this, I highly recommend that you check into home protection plans. There are several companies that offer this type of plan.) After procrastinating for longer than usual I called the 800 number and asked for service on our washer. The customer service at AHS set us up with a local repair company (SEARS) and scheduled a date and time frame (Mon. between noon and 5 pm) for a repairman to visit our home. The repairman called the night before to confirm and then again about 15 minutes before his arrival. He quickly diagnosed that it was a bearing. After a trip out to his truck, he reported that it would be at least a couple of weeks before they could get the parts and schedule a repair time. I paid the repairman our contracted repair fee, $75. He also reported back to AHS the problem and his recommendations. The following day AHS called with our options:

1. We could schedule the repair at no additional cost to us
2. We could choose a new washer model and AHS would ship it to us. We would pay them the difference above the repair cost. Depending on the model we chose this could be $0 to $$$$; and take several weeks
3. We could purchase a new washer locally and send AHS the proof of purchase. They would then send us the amount up to the repair cost (about $600)

My LH and I decided to do some online research first. We checked out different retailers and different manufacturers. We read a lot of reviews. We found out that the prices weren't much different between retailers. We also found that the bearing failing is a common problem among front load washers. I don't know if it is design problem or simply overloading of the machines, but if it happens once it is likely to happen again (my opinion).
My LH is a hands on kind of guy, so we next went to our favorite home improvement store (Lowe's). We opened & closed doors and lids, pushed buttons, turned knobs, and read descriptions. We compared prices, capacities, energy usage, and functions. We talked with fellow consumers and sales associates. We discussed what we needed, what we liked, and what we didn't like. We asked questions: Why is it on sale? Does it come in white? Is it in stock? When could it be delivered? Do you remove our old washer? Is that an extra charge?
We made our decision. Our new washer was delivered this morning:

New top load washer.

Now you may not think that other than clean sheets this has little to do with massage, but I'd like to point out the analogy for you. When an injury happens there isn't always a debilitating pain or loss of use. Sometimes it is merely an inconvenience. Someone may not be able sit or lay in a certain position. Sometimes there is pain, but procrastination results in 'getting used to it'. Maybe a person limps or can't reach as far or high, but still functions. The question then becomes, 'How long will this last?' or 'How long before this gets worse?'.

Using a sore or injured muscle can cause it to become worse and cause the supporting muscles to become sore or even injured as well. Taking care of the problem as soon as possible can result in a shorter recovery time and less pain. Most massage therapists will require a 72 hour wait after any injury before performing massage. During this time ICE (Ice, Compression, Elevation) is what I would do or my doctor's advise if different.  A severe injury does require a release from your doctor before massage may be performed.  

We don't get the option of a new body so we have to take care of the one we start with. Regular massage can help maintain a well functioning body. It takes longer and more effort to help repair a dysfunctional body.  

Thank you for stopping by today. If you liked what you read and would like to stop by again, enter your email address at the top of the page and I will let you know when the next entry is posted.

I have found that things tend to work out for the best if I let them. I was worried this week, because I woke up with a sore throat on Monday morning. It is a dilemma between possibly passing on an illness to a client or canceling an appointment on short notice. Neither choice is something I want to do.
As I was trying to make this decision I received a text from my Monday evening client stating that she was having difficulties and had made an appointment with her doctor for this week. She didn't feel up to coming for her massage. No problem, I agreed that it would be best to consult with her doctor before seeing me again. I had not confirmed the second client booked for Monday evening. She did not come for her appointment, because she was in the ER with a debilitating migraine. I would not wish that on anyone, but it worked out to my favor.
Tuesday morning brought on an earache to go with my sore throat. I did not have any clients scheduled, but my LH (loving husband) and I work BINGO at our local VFW on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Since I do the inventory on Tuesday night and have limited contact with people; I determined that it was OK for me to attend. I made it through the evening without any problems.
Wednesday morning I was feeling very poorly. I slept most of the morning hoping that I would feel better before having to get ready for my 2:30 client. Upon checking my phone messages, however, I discovered that she wouldn't be coming. Her Granddaughter was born in the early morning hours. She was out of the state. I was off the worry hook.
 I will leave out the details, but Wednesday night my condition was worse. I do not have any other clients scheduled for this week and will not be making any.  I am resting, drinking hot tea, and counting my blessings.

How do you handle situations when there isn't a 'good' choice? Do you hope for the best and let things work themselves out? or do you make a decision and take action?

I know that I should have called my Wednesday client on Tuesday and rescheduled. When you are a care giver, whether it be a mom, a doctor, or somewhere in between; it is difficult to remember that in order to take care of anyone; you first have to take care of yourself.

Stairs

I realize that it is time for an update on the business. The client list is growing. That has helped me increase from an average of one to two clients per week to an average of three to four clients per week. I have also had several clients increase their time from an hour to ninety minutes.  Things are progressing in the right direction.

I am do to renew my insurance at the end of next month.  Being a member of abmp is a great benefit. The monthly magazine helps keep me current in the massage industry. I can get discounts on products and services. They offer continuing education and marketing information. It is a good source for any questions I may have.

There are a lot more stair steps from the sidewalk to my massage room than I had realized. I traverse them daily and barely notice it. For someone who may be injured or who has arthritis the steps may cause a great difficulty getting to and from the treatment room. The step from the walkway to the porch does not have a handrail either. This may be our first project this coming Spring. Does anyone else have issues with where you get your massage?

Speaking of the stairs...I have always wanted to live in a home on one level. More and more I am given reasons to continue this desire. Recently my husband slipped on our stairs and bruised his Talus (heal). He required crutches or a cane for a week, because he was unable to bear weight on his heal without severe pain. He is doing much better now. Not to be outdone; I missed the last step as I was bringing the laundry downstairs a few days ago. I landed on my knee rather than my foot, bending all of my toes back in the process. I spent the day with an ice pack on my elevated knee and foot. The following day it was sore, but I had no trouble bearing weight. The proper treatment can prevent lasting discomfort. We have no intention of ever moving, but I still have the dream of living without stairs.