From the perspective of a Massage Therapist working in an active clinic, in a building that also houses a Massage Academy, we see many people at different stages in life at the precipice of new goals and challenges—students taking a leap into a new field, families contemplating a first or additional pregnancy, various age groups opting into or learning they require surgery-–all themes that we have discovered arise naturally in our practice. In an attempt to provide some commentary on these themes, or trends, that we witness our clients experiencing, we’ve decided to elect a specific theme each month to illuminate the work we’re doing at Ke Kino while also guiding new and existing clients toward a point of resolution and higher functioning breakdowns by clearing any fog that may shroud what makes our work as body workers so effective. So, in alignment with the trends we identified earlier, the theme we chose for this month is: Prepare. This felt like a very natural starting point for us, as we realized that many people are coming to Ke Kino because they are experiencing or have done something that does not work. Then, after talking with them and noticing a trend developing across a variety of scenarios, we realized it wasn’t working for them because they weren’t prepared.
Surgery is probably one of the best examples because people that respond well to surgery, at least in our experience, have been prepared: they’re staying active in anticipation, avoiding inflammatory foods and consuming more anti-inflammatory foods, receiving bodywork pre and post procedure, to name a few things. Here at Ke Kino, we have discovered that we can play a pivotal role in helping our clients prepare for surgery in this regard. For example, let us say a person needs surgery to address a specific issue and, for the sake of argument, 9 additional steps leading to surgery should be completed for the best possible outcome. On their own, they manage to handle 3 of the things before going into surgery, meaning they’ve completed 30% of the potential (out of the full capacity of completing all 10 steps). Alternatively, let’s say the same person comes into Ke Kino 6-8 weeks prior to surgery, and spends some time with us. We are given the chance to help them identify each of the nine things that need to be addressed before surgery and we filter them through the therapists we collaborate with throughout our clinic to ensure that all nine things have been resolved, leaving only 1. That person is going to respond well to surgery. More importantly, they have a profoundly high potential of not needing the surgery at all. In other words, in our clinic preparing for surgery and preparing to avoid surgery is the exact same process. Once they are prepared for surgery, they are also prepared to avoid it. At that point, either option is safe and reasonable, and they will be more in-tune with their body which equips them with an innate sense of knowing which is the best option for them at that moment. We have seen this proven in cases of people going into elective surgeries, especially liposuction: after bodywork they will say things like, “My skin is smooth, and I was about to pay $6k to have it smoothed out.” The fact is liposuction leaves lumpy skin behind, not smooth. Acknowledging that it can be daunting for people who have had an elective surgical procedure, and aren’t happy with the results, there is some backtracking that can be done: it’s never too late to have the lymphatic system flowing properly, or to have the fascial system supple & smooth as opposed to wound-up, tight, and not functioning well. Regardless, our point is that if a person is going to have a procedure done, whether electively or not, it is vitally important to prepare for a successful outcome.
With regard to pregnancy, notice that the theme of preparation is formulaically the same. Here at Ke Kino, our family clinic specializes in working with pregnant women. What has changed in our approach over time is noticing that if we prepare the woman (physically, mentally, and emotionally) but we don’t incorporate the preparation of those around her, then she’s only limitedly prepared, which means the full potential or capacity for preparation has not been satisfied. Let us return to the example of ten different things this person could do to achieve the maximum amount of preparedness. This could certainly include areas of physiological function that are either at their full capacity, or they’re not: for example, ideally the lymphatic system is working well, previous births have been cleared from her body so she’s not layering one birth on top of another, any specific traumas or emotions that she may be carrying regarding her own mother or father have been cleared through bodywork, which brings her closer to finding a resolution for each of the ten things she needs addressed. The question then becomes, how is the relationship with her spouse and her other children? Has the opportunity for those things to be at full capacity been taken care? When the physical body is functioning as it should, the emotional body has been given space and cleared of traumas or subjective hindrances, and the relationship with her support group and family unit strengthened and clarified, as best as we can, we believe that creates the most solid foundation of being prepared for ultimately welcoming a new baby into the home. Of course, having the baby is still going to have its challenges, in no way are we saying that it will not, they will just be different challenges that are not only easier to deal with, we will also be clearer on what to do about them. This approach also presents a pregnant mother with an incredibly beneficial opportunity in that she now has a birthing team she can lean on, whether it be her primary bodyworker within our family clinic or making a connection with a midwife or doula that works closely with us. Although there nothing wrong with having a “traditional” birth in a hospital setting, we cannot help but notice a marked difference in a mother’s preparedness leading up to birth when she has a clearly defined birthing team, she can rely on throughout her pregnancy. As a whole, when we begin to satisfy these things physiologically (whether it’s lymphatic, emotional, myofascial, or whatever it is) we create a space for the pregnant mother to organically reach a state of preparedness. Then, as the time for birth approaches, the baby is more likely to be in the correct physical position. Outside of making sure the right birthing agent, doctor, or midwife is on a mother birthing team, the baby’s position is one of the most important aspects of a successful and smooth birth. If the baby is OP (occiput posterior), or sunny side up, the baby’s chin is going to move up and out of alignment which puts the baby in the wrong position, and results in a difficult birth. The approach we take here at Ke Kino creates an environment for the baby to find themselves positioned correctly. This becomes apparent when the mothers lymphatic system is moving properly, the baby is facing the spine, chin is down, and they’re birthing at the crown of the head: these are signs that the baby is prepared.
Concerning our Massage Academy students, the process of preparation is quite similar. Our program is rigorous, considering the amount of information the student is taking on in just 6-9 months. A students success depends on their ability to analyze honestly and accurately what their resources are prior to enrollment, who their support group is, and their willingness and ability to spend a reasonable amount of time studying the material. The honest truth is that the intensity of being a student is going to produce the opportunity for them to see where they’re not fit (mentally, emotionally, etc.) and the more accurate and constructive thinking they can do in preparation of becoming a student, the more likely they will have higher functioning breakdowns (or breakthroughs) during their schooling. Our goal is to have prospective students start this process of thinking as soon as they express their interest in applying.
Part of our interview process stands to verify if they are ready. If they are not ready, are they capable of becoming ready? If they’re not, we won’t necessarily decline them, but we will coach them on holding off until they’ve done some more accurate thinking, identified their resources, assembled a support group, and feel confident to begin their journey as a student.
In regard to the Continuing Education program at Ke Kino, preparation for a successful career as a massage therapist is seamlessly interwoven. The intention of our main Massage Therapy program is to prepare students to pass their board exam to obtain licensure, which is an unavoidable step if one is to fulfill their dreams of becoming a body worker or LMT. However, if we were too fast forward from a students’ graduation to them thriving in their career, we would notice a gap between the education that was focused on the boards, and the practice of building a clientele. Even if they are working for someone else, doing something that is valuable enough to be celebrated and for them to be known for what they are doing, this gap still exists. We have discovered that the missing pieces can be found through very specific, focused areas of education, and our way to bridge that gap is through our CE program. One could say that first, we prepare people to become students, then sit with them for 6-9 months helping to mold them into effective therapists, then provide them with the option to enroll in the CE program which gives them access to ten different classes (which amounts to 60-100 hours of CE) to confidently bridge the gap between being a student and being in the field. Through this program we have students in their first year with more CE credits than some therapists have in five years.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Thank you for reading our blog. The themes that we produce are not just something we pull out of thin air: these are trends, or deficiencies we have witnessed over time. I hope this was helpful to you. As far as what theme is next for us, something that we have been thinking about is the theme of PEACE. What we have to say about peace is that it is not something that randomly happens, and it is not something that is in the future. A teacher of mine would say that peace is not something that you get to, it is something that you come from. From that perspective, peace has an odd similarity to war. There is no war without declaration. We would also say that there is no peace without declaration. Our definition of peace is that peace is a declaration that there is nothing wrong, nothing to fix, and nothing to handle. There is just what is happening and who I am going to be about it, in that moment. The premise regarding peace is about being. Am I going to be strong, empowered, impeccable, or am I going to be joyful? To bring it back, to make sure we are clear, we would say that a good preparation for peace is identifying the things that are missing and finding the right support group to help you satisfy those needs.
We would love to be a part of your journey. If you are ready to get started, call us.
John James
Owner of Ke Kino Institute of Healing
Recent Comments