3:40p

anniversary
'just got off the phone with a good friend of mine.
we met in massage school last year when we both went to get our certification.
we clicked instantly after learning that the other was pinay.
it was kinda funny, too, cause my first impression of her was that she was Japanese,
and she thought I was Mexican.

during our 2-week stint in massage school, we totally connected.
it was as if we were destined to meet.
since then, we both worked together on getting our private practices started.
we also did trades (she massages me for free and then I do the same for her) once in a while.
It's really the only way a massage therapist can get a free massage.
We, unfortunately, don't get a chance to do it that often since
we live far away from eachother.

We also did some sessions together where there were 4 or 5 + people
that wanted to get a massage in the same household.
We would even tag-team sometimes in sessions....especially
when we'd already massaged 3 people each.
It can get mentally tiring to have a session with a 4th client, so we'd just work together.

Anyhow, she's done such a great job of keeping in touch with me over this past year,
and today she greeted me with a "happy anniversary".
and I was like, "huh?"
She remembered that one year ago yesterday, January 11th, we
started our first day in massage school, which is why
she decided to call me.
How sweet is that????

Of course, I just shook my head in disbelief because...
has it really been a year????
wow! I really can't believe it!

a whole new world
Going through massage school was the beginning of an awesome year for me.
It was like starting all over again and doing it in a place
where everyone shared a common passion: massage therapy.

I can't even begin to describe what a journey every single minute was for me in that class.
I was like a sponge soaking in everything I learned, saw, felt, heard....
I looked forward to connecting with my other classmates,
and I thanked god everyday for giving us the BEST guides/teachers
to lead us on this path.
I knew in my heart that this was all worth giving up my job
and the impending financial struggle I would face with unemployment.

A year later, I now fully comprehend what my teachers told us...
that massage is a life journey,
because it takes a lifetime and sessions with thousands upon thousands of bodies
to truly master this wonderful art of healing.

And I'm grateful that I can still remember those basic principles,
because it is so easy to get caught up in the way American
society bastardizes this form of healing.
Instead of it being revered and respected for the balance it brings to the human body, mind and spirit,
it has become a marketable commodity that only the well-to-do can afford and worse....
it has become so sexualized to the point where massage's true purpose is lost in the barrage of sexual innuendo.
Society can no longer think of massage without associating it with sex.

But there are still those few that appreciate it for what it is.
And those are the places and people I continue to seek out.
That's why I am very picky when it comes to which spa to work for.
Because even the most prestigious ones (i.e. The Claremont) are blinded by the evils of capitalism.
A couple years ago, a bunch of their therapists protested because
of the $120 or so that the hotel charged for a 60-m massage,
the therapists would only get $20 of it....that's less than 20%!
Once again, capitalism fucks things up, huh?

Neverthless, I'm so grateful that my friend called me today to remind me.
I have so much to be thankful for from that class.
Not only did it enable me to learn about the art of healing,
but it's given me a whole different perspective on life, which is the best thing of all.
It continues to help me see all the different connections between
body, mind, spirit, world, environment, social welfare, etc.
It's all one big circle....and it is sooo vital to bring and maintain balance to that circle.