As a massage therapist, you are constantly on a spiritual journey. You come up against your own ego multiple times a day. You will make new discoveries/ breakthroughs that changes life as we know it… but you will give the credit away effortlessly. You may want to say ‘I Told You So’ many many times, but it’s best to keep yourself humble and relinquish the need to be in control, cede your opinions/ judgements and even your legitimate scientifically proven, not-magically-exaggerated theories… You are JUST a massage therapist! People are quick to criticize and diminish “masseuses”, and this will not be a ‘beginner’s issue. You might be successfully trading and helping people for 15yrs. One day; the qualified chiropractor/ physician or physiotherapist refers a client to you for relaxation/stress relief or just DE-trigger-pointing. Regardless who refers and for what reason; you need to be able to stay objective, maybe a little subjective too - in terms of your experience and WHAT YOU REALLY KNOW. Most importantly, from their referral letter, report, x-rays or request; you MUST  know what they are talking about. Massage therapists are underrated. Whether you are a Simple Sense therapist, qualified in the Makarios technique/ trained with Physio or Chiro/ went to Switzerland for Myofascial release or had zero training but more than 3years’ experience. We know everything a physiotherapist does. We understand how each muscle / muscle group works. We know what a healthy body feels like, what tense or inflamed muscle fibers feels like; we know what swelling, tears and blunt force trauma feels like. We know whether your bruises come from the coffee table or from your partner… and deeper even: what it feels like when YOU are the abuser/oppressor. Massage therapists with a true calling, a passion…. Know the difference between an overexerted and over stretched muscle, we know the difference between a ligament and a tendon. Massage therapists know which moles need a dermatologist and which cysts need Dr. Pimple. We know when a bone calls for a chiropractor and when it just needs to have its bursa filled. We know which exercises helps with what – and maybe more importantly… we know when YOU ARE NOT doing your exercises at home. Makarios trained therapist can even feel lymph nodes, headaches, blood pressure fluctuations and adrenal gland failure. We know only because we see and feels what the body feels and sees. Massage therapists are the communicators between body, mind and soul in this very disconnected state of living we are currently in. We hear the BODY first! Then what IT has experienced – soul – reflecting back on itself, emotions and living in this realm. After that we spend the remaining time/ appointments, just trying to figure out what the mind is trying to convince the body of.  Even on that day… the day you…. For the first time… connect a human, to his body, that first time you see those communication lines open up and start to live stream… Even then,,,, in all your ego, pride and invincibility…. Remember your scope of practice… remember to stay humble. As a massage therapist, you know what effect lifestyle, vocation, diet and emotions could have on the physical body. You know and admire the magical creation that IS the human body. Where does the ‘spiritual journey’ come into play then? Well, your ego will take many beatings, your capabilities, understanding and lack of medical PHD will cause more dismissals than you can now conceive; but be strong my dearest magical massage therapist; Scope or ‘out of your scope’; you are here to help people, you have chosen this path; this path has chosen you. There will be days, when your ego feels good/ in charge and up for ANYTHING vs the days you are filled with self-doubt/ insecurities and a feeling inadequacy… have these days, embrace them; they are learning curves and opportunities to test yourself. How will you know? Whether ego, You, inadequacy or objectiveness is actually perceiving the issue at hand and actually doing the right thing on behalf of your patient? How will you know?  When do you need to CHECK YOURSELF? This is my advice: 1. Can you see YOU? If you see a pattern, a similar response or just something resembling ANY other patient’s case; be wary. No two cases are alike, be wary of drawing conclusions through similarities, rather than objectively looking at each patient/ situation/ lifestyle or background and ACTUALLY hearing the body. 2. If you are currently studying the ‘Glute-Muscle Group’ and suddenly EVERYONE that lands on your table, has glute-issues. 3. When you hold a client ‘so dear’ that you avoid breaking bad news or admitting referral may be necessary. 4. When I ask, to take over 3 of your clients, and you ‘Cannot, because YOU know their bodies and NO-ONE else can understand what’s going on here etc. When a client is repeating what they are feeling / experiencing; over and over again and you – DO NOT listen / DISSmiss as miniscule / act better-knowing or talk about the client to ANYONE. If you are already doing these things OR if you see NO problem herewith, then best we end this course here. Alternatively, USE THESE QUES TO CHECK YOURSELF! As a massage therapist… you can never become closer than the Body Whisperer, you should never cross the line between trust and betrayal, never become sexual with a patient or form ANY emotional connection to them what-so-ever! Even if you are just contemplating and ‘boundary-crossing’, the client will feel/ perceive it as whatever they want/ choose to. Be it a sexual come-on; mental, emotional or physical connection. The people who land up on our beds, naked or in their undergarments; are extremely vulnerable, yet putting themselves out there for others and themselves. They have chosen YOU, to fight alongside them, they have chosen YOU to be there for support and they have chosen YOU as the PIT crew for their earthly vehicle. You are the mechanic, after a stop-in with you, the tyre pressure is right again, windscreen clear and all the lights work. After they stopped-in, oil/ plasma, blood circulation, heat distribution, lymphatic secretion and exchange are all functioning at optimal levels. Why would they NOT want this??? But if the therapist leading or being your pit-crew; is NOT happy, or if they are arrogant, irritated or impatient; then that said therapist needs to focus on the family and things closest to home first. Above all, no matter how many lives you save, tempers you control, humans you convert, teenagers you break or grandchildren you have? NOTHING BEATS THE INTERNAL WORK, the spiritual; growth and opportunity for massage therapists. Huge  hug!! Where ever you end up doing your training toward becoming a massage therapist, be it here at Simple Sense or elsewhere. Stay Humble – no matter how easy your ego makes it to be Arrogant. There is an edge… between being certain you have conveyed the messages from the body – to the human – accurately …. And being unsure but not willing to admit it. A very fine line… on the edge between absolute certainty and possibility and ignorant assumptions. You can NEVER know all there is to know about EVERY single body. But you can try your utmost to. Make it your new mission, with Every body that crosses your path; try and find out absolutely everything about THAT body, how emotions and past traumas manifested? How that fall at 13, is still claiming parts of them, parts they no longer even consider theirs. Never become complacent! And last, but not least… I beg of you… never ever take advantage of how privileged you are. Not only to be doing what you love, but to be allowed into someone else’s sacred space, to be trusted with someone’s secrets, others’ insecurities, some huge confessions and many many justifications. Never break that trust, and if you do, never pretend you didn’t. As a massage therapist, you are constantly on a spiritual journey. You come up against your own ego multiple times a day. You will make new discoveries/ breakthroughs that changes life as we know it… but you will give the credit away effortlessly. As a massage therapist, you must be okay, to be less, nothing even. You must feel happy/ content/ satisfied in being WHO YOU ARE and not WHAT you are. As a massage therapist… try not be like me. Do not follow my arrogant example, but rather your own humble truths. Do not hear me when I say I am the Best! Because I say that, but in every new student/ therapist I meet, I see an even better therapist than I could ever be.