Making the most of this studying thing.

A few weeks ago, I started doing the tracings for my study journal.  I was amazed at how much more in depth I got and the volume of information I'd retained from having learned the material the first time. I honestly think I learned more about the muscles locations from having to trace them myself than I had by just looking at them to memorize the information for a quiz or test.

Additionally, I have been making flashcards along the way to help me study for tests.  I used this website: http://homepage.smc.edu/wissmann_paul/muscleflashcards/.  I printed the cards but they were missing the names of the muscles.  This has caused me to have to play the hunt-and-peck game in my book, trying to match the muscle on the sheet of paper to the muscle in the book.  It's caused me to examine and then re-examine every single muscle, assuring myself that the muscle on the paper is indeed the muscle in the book.  I've had to check origins and insertions, verifying that where they're located is correct.  It's definitely helped me more than just having been supplied with the information and studying from something someone else created.

There are two other methods of learning that I've applied to this class that can't be done by bookwork.  First, since I'm new to this memorize the muscles thing, I try to picture the muscles I'm affecting when I'm massaging clients.  I want to understand where they are and how they're affecting their stress or their pain.  I try to tell myself (in my head of course) what I'm touching.  If I can't remember it during the massage, I try to look up the information afterwards.  Secondly, I TELL the client what I'm feeling.  This works great right now because they know I'm a student and that I'm weird.  But more importantly, they're beginning to understand what problems they might be having and why on a scale deeper than "my shin hurts."  This knowledge is a powerful tool and it's driving me to be a better massage therapy student (and eventually, a great massage therapist). :)

Total body wellness...

Wellness is a personal experience.  I know this might sound like an obvious statement, but, until this class, it's not something I can say I completely understood.  Moreover, I'm certain that there is more for me to learn and delve into that statement, but for now I'm getting it in a way that I hadn't quite before this. 

Health care providers (HCP's) - including (and maybe especially) massage therapists - should be acutely aware of this statement.  In order to heal the body, one must consider the aspects of the present condition, the mindset of the client, as well as their connection between the two.  HOW one views themselves and the state that they're in has an incredible impact on the results that one can achieve through modern (or "alternative") medicine.

Tu loquerisne Latine? (No, I don't... But I'm learning to.)

Imagine you woke up tomorrow morning and, even though you were still in the same place you went to bed in, everyone was speaking a different language.  Moreover, you had to learn this new language and all the underground ways to get to new places you'd never even heard of ... in this new language.  That's kind of what it's like when you're trying to learn the names of the places and locations and actions of the human body.  Sure, you know the common names.  You know the common actions.  BUT, now you've got to know what they are in medical jargon and what they do AND what they effect. 

Learning a new language is not impossible.  Many people do it all the time.  The key, I'm learning is immersion.  Just as you would in a foreign land, if you immerse yourself in a native language speaking location, and its culture, you begin to slowly but surely understand and make things make sense to yourself. 

Learning the human body is not impossible.  Again, many people do this all the time (and thank goodness too!).  Palpating (also referred to as "examination by touching") is becoming the key to learning for me.  I'm still struggling to feel some of the parts and I'm still fumbling my way through some of the names, but doing my book work and then my palpating (and then going back over my book work) is helping with this absorption of knowledge process. 

I'm becoming so familiar with some of the landmarks and locations that I can't think of the laymen term for many of the body parts any more.  The clavicle, for example, is one of the places I struggle to remember as the collar bone.  And I know I'm doing well enough that when I start talking, my friends just smile at me. Even though they have no idea what the medical terms are for what I'm doing to them or where I'm touching they know I know what I'm taking about and what I'm doing.  Or maybe they're just smiling because they're rewarded with feeling really good. ;)

So, no, I don't speak Latin... but I'm learning to. :)

Did you hear that click? It was the lightbulb turning on above my head.

Last night I was sitting in class next to my lab partner.  We've started to learn each other's little quirks and she knows I'm... different.  There were a few names of muscles on the board that we hadn't learned yet and, without looking in my book, I was able to point them out on the blank muscle diagram in our workbook.  It was unusual, even for me, to say the least.  I think it's becoming obvious to me that I am meant to be doing this.  Between the epiphany yesterday while doing my homework and the experience I had in class I am gaining a confidence in myself that I wasn't certain I'd find this term. 

Practice, practice, practice...

I am learning that the more exposure you have to something - even something as complex as the human body - the more natural it becomes to understand it. This, right now, is a very positive thing for me.  I was more doubtful at the beginning of this term that I would have difficulty in remembering/memorizing all of the muscles in a particular region of the body, let alone ALL of the muscles of the human body.  As the weeks continue forward though, and of course the more I practice on live subjects, the more familiar and tangible the inundation of information becomes and easier it is to break down.

I am in no way attempting to indicate that I know exactly what I'm doing.  However, I am becoming more confident that "practice makes perfect" ... or something to that effect.

And now I'm feeling overwhelmed...

I love massage.  I’m passionate about it (thank goodness).  But I feel as if I have to learn enough to be a nurse, or a doctor, or some other sort of health care professional.  I don’t think I realized that there was going to be so much information to learn and retain when it came to massage.  Though, truth be told, it is becoming more of a form of health care than anything else – especially in the field of wellness care.  Having to learn all of which I’m being exposed to is a positive thing.  But I’m feeling insecure in my abilities in ways I’m not sure I would be comfortable to admit.  I feel as if I just continue to practice that palpation and memorization will come easier.  I need a way to make this entire thing make sense and I pray that I find that way.

Hello and welcome to my adventures in massage therapy!

This is my first blog post here, but this is not my first semester...  I am actually in the SECOND semester (or term as they call it at the school I'm attending).  I decided to start a blog as opposed to the physical tangible journal that is required for my class.  If you're an aspiring massage therapist like me, feel free to join along in my adventures in becoming one.  If you already are a MT, I'm sure you'll appreciate what I'm going through and can sympathize with me.  Maybe you're one of my friends and have wondered if I feel off the face of the earth because you haven't seen me in weeks.  Either way, I will be putting here my thoughts, feelings, and experiences here.  I know I'm looking forward to what's to come and I hope you are too!  I promise, more to come!!!