Today was the first week of normal classes at CNS. Monday we had Basic Massage. Tuesday was Advanced Technique. Wednesday was Business. Thursday was more Advanced Technique. Friday was Anatomy and Pyshiology. I’m concerned about my success in A&P because I cannot yet spell physiology correctly. Wait! I think I just figured it out!!
It’s been a super interesting week. I really love the Tech and A&P class. They are taught by the founders of the school and their passion really shines through in their teaching. You KNOW that they believe that this form of therapy changes lives. Not only does it change the life of the patient, but it has a domino effect and changes the lives of the people the patients interact with. This is a Difference Maker. It is so fulfilling to be surrounded by that kind of conviction and knowledge.
During the Tech class, we learn the neurosomatic techniques. This week we learned how to address the muscles in the front of the neck – infrahyoids, suprahyoids, the deep anterior cervical muscles (the muscles that connect to the vertebrae), the scalenes (the muscles that move your neck from side to side) and the sternocleidomastoid – the muscle that flexes, tilts, and rotates the neck.
These are super impactful (is that a word??) muscles to treat. Treating these can help immensely with ear, jaw, throat, and shoulder pain, thoracic outlet syndrome, and migraines. However, they are a….sensitive area to treat. There are lots of trigger points in these muscles, and one of the treatments involves moving the trachea out of the way. So… It’s really important work with lots of benefits, but it’s also work that requires a lot of trust and practice. People just aren’t used to therapists fiddling around with the front of their necks!
My first A&P class was Friday. The teacher is…just amazing. You can tell he really loves the material and believes 100% in it its importance. He is lively, animated, funny, and super knowledgeable- which is a must, if you are sitting through 4 hours of anatomy lecture. It was totally overwhelming. Completely. He also told us that over 1/2 of the first term students fail their first anatomy test. I have never failed a test. I don’t know how I would deal with that!! I hope I don’t have to find out.
I took copious notes and also recorded the session. Today I used the pomodoro technique to tackle studying. With this technique, you focus 100% for 25 minutes and then take a 3-5 minute break (which I used to roll out my upper back, shoulders and pecs with the Yoga Tune Up balls). I found that knowing that I only had to work for 25 minutes relieved some of the anxiety I was feeling about tackling this huge subject! At first I really struggled with how to approach studying. But once I started looking at my notes, looking at the pictures in my Thieme book, and tying the two together (and reminding myself to BE PATIENT), I felt so much better. The terminology started to make sense. The names of things in the body actually do have some logic to them, and that started to present itself as I worked.
I did about 4 pomodoro sessions and then took a long break. I, uh, watched Miss Congeniality. It’s a really excellent movie, actually.
But now I’m going to go back and do some more homework – I have some reading to tackle. I like to read before I go to bed because I feel as if the information just kind of floats around in the ol’ brain pan and settles in better that way.
Tomorrow I am meeting a couple of classmates to practice my neck-spearing technique (aka treating the superficial anterior cervical muscles). Then I’ll do some more studying, meal prep for the week (steel cut oats, quinoa, and BBQ pork in the Instant Pot). Hopefully I will figure out a way to have some FUN tomorrow. Figuring out fun stuff is actually quite challenging!!
Oh! I guess I should circle back to the whole theme of this post – change!! I was talking to a dear friend of mine who has been with me step-by-step as I contemplated coming to this school. She is intimately familiar with all the doubt, fear, and indecision I was experiencing. My therapist said I was in Decision Purgatory, and that is the perfect description.
Well, Angela and I were talking about my current state, and I told her that living in Florida and going to school just feels, well, normal now! She reminded me of how petrified I was of making this change. It made me realize that CONTEMPLATION of change is the really scary thing. Actually EXPERIENCING the change is NBD (no big deal). You just deal with it, like you deal with everything. The Ego is a funny thing. I’ve been pretty entertained lately by watching its machinations. Between lots of reading of Kiran Trace and listening to Matthew Kahn’s podcast, I’ve realized that it’s all about awareness without judgement. I can FEEL whatever I want to feel, and that is 100% OK. I just need to observe how I feel and let that be OK. I’m doing a lot of “Huh. That’s interesting.”
Hope you are having a fabulous Saturday.
Take care,
Hlo