Presence

I have spent the last 5 days in an intense workshop on integrated manual therapy with James Waslaski, who is a master (and I don't use that term lightly) in my field of work. I have the honor of being one of his teaching assistants when he comes to this part of the world. This is a man who can restore full, pain-free range of motion to a shoulder that hasn't been able to move in decades, in about 20 minutes, and the treatment itself is also pain-free. (My pranic healing friends will understand the significance of this... his aura is about 300 meters thick.)

Throughout the seminar, it was stressed over and over again that in order to be able to facilitate healing at that level, the therapist must be present. Body, soul, spirit, mind, attention, every part of the therapist must be engaged in the process, and the therapist must educate and engage the patient's energy in what is going on as well. It must be a collaborative energetic effort between both the therapist and the client. If the person sleeps through the treatment, little to zero benefit will result. 

No wandering thoughts, no distractions, calm mind, listening to the patient not just with the ears, but with the heart, soul, and finger tips. Engage the patient, educate, involve them in the process. I'm not there yet, but I'll keep practicing. 

What I did right this week: I was attentive and not distracted while my mentor and teacher was teaching. I listened fully, and found many "tweaks" I will be applying to my treatments in the coming weeks.

What I did wrong this week: I had several judgmental thoughts regarding one person who was in attendance, who was not behaving professionally in my opinion. My mentor had a much better and more graceful response. I was particularly impressed by his humility and grace in the situation when someone almost started arguing with him in front of the class. I intend to learn to be more like that.