Pain Induction Part 4

 By Rinalda,

The next day she contacted me in hyper mode relating how dangerous it is to be involved in a massage career, hence she no longer wanted to do the course.  Interesting.  For two months this young lady has been calling to remind me to keep a ‘space’ in the new class for her as she wanted to do massage a long time ago and has finally gotten her finance coordinated to facilitate such.  

I expected that her decision had something to do with not wanting to massage men’s groin, or not being able to get insurance.  But apparently after she went home there was some degree of screening and the wiser heads decided that the information in the hand-out contradicted their teachings/beliefs so she was now trying to explain to me how threatened her life would be if she had energy exchanges with clients.  

The level of fear she was displaying was irrational to me.  I pointed out that living with family members, going to the supermarket and joining a line of customers, or even working in an office with several persons all facilitate exchange of energies multiplied several times over as compared to working with one client at a time.  Besides, how could exchanges be all negative when the presence of positive helps us to determine negative?  She said that she understood what I was saying, but insisted that she cannot continue because of the many things that could rub off on her and from clients, and I realised that her fear was being generate by whoever is the figure of authority in her life rather than the principles of energy exchange.

After our exchange I shared the experience with a past student who is also a Muslim and this was part of her response:

It is so funny you should say that because I know exactly how that girl feels because I was once there myself.  The Muslim religion in our country for the most part thrives on frightening people about jinns, entities and anything we cannot see.  Ironically, those same Muslims openly go to the muftis who are equivalent to shamans who openly communicate with these other beings.  And it's not even the religion, it's the people who are oppressive.  Because of this inbuilt fear it has taken me a long time and is still taking me a long time to realize my own natural healing gifts.  

When my friends who are highly intuitive kept telling me I too have similar gifts it bothered me to the point that I know things are there for me but I can’t access them.  So I started to pray for about a month to find and use what is my right.  I don't know by what force made me google massage --that would have been the very last thing on my mind.  Then the day before the first class starts I find your page.  I don't even have male friends, much more to touch people in such a personal level.  Even at the first class I was very uncomfortable seeing all these faces, I didn’t know what to think, I had never done anything like this before, yet; it felt sooo good, I knew I had to follow through with it.  I am in the mindset now to start doing things that scare me the most.  For me, one of those things was touching people physically.

 

I suppose my point is, a lot of people in Trinidad are not ready to think independently.  A lot has to do with the upbringing.  It's only as we get older we realize the only happiness in this life is what we create for ourselves.  Don’t be surprised if sometime in the future that girl comes back.  Massage is like Reiki and I think with any healing work, we are called to it.  So in a couple years she may get restless again and be drawn to it once again.  Thank you for sharing the story...it put my own in perspective.

For me this was another humbling experience that has created a deeper appreciation for every student who has journeyed with me to the end of the programme.  Obstacles have arisen that made many consider dropping out, some were discussed, others remained private, but perseverance prevailed.  The only dead student is Nathaniel and that was as a result of a vehicular accident, not while doing massages.  I only hope that among ourselves we find strength in the determination we had in the beginning, and forge forward to attain the goals we set for ourselves.  Goals, I would want to believe, that were not associated with pain induction in the name of therapy.  Within the physical context of injury management we understand that some massage techniques stretch the skeletal muscles significantly, like friction (circular, transverse/cross fibre), and the athlete would experience some degree of discomfort. However, going into a session with the intention to induce pain takes us back to the psychological aspect of things where the Therapist is indirectly/subconsciously sending messages to the client which are being received and processed; and because of the incredible influence of the mind/body – psychosomatic – process, the pain can in fact become exaggerated, triggering tears.

We can also consider that some injured athletes might suffer from emotional problems if their self-esteem is based solely on their ability to perform and thus may cry more easily if additional pain is added to the fact that they can no longer participate as desired. Some personality types are less prone to the negative suggestions of Therapists, but the subconscious is remarkably clever and it knows what is considered to be the physical cause of pain, and it takes advantage the real structural weaknesses and creates realistic and convincing pain symptoms that can even become chronic.  I cannot imagine why we would want to deliberately induce this. 

 If healing/therapy takes place through the exchange of human energies, why don’t we channel therapy through our massage? There are other ways to get people to cry us a river.  No need to impose such on an athlete who merely wants to get back into the game.  Seeking help from a Therapist is a dis-empowered state because the athlete is basically saying: you know what is best for me.  Let us use Massage as a motivational tool, as a means of support geared at helping the athlete to regain some measure of control, and as an education for a better life through greater self-understanding.  The body is predisposed towards health, and it is our role to facilitate this.

The end of Pain Induction

Pain Induction Part 3

By Rinalda,

When it comes to physically working with a client, the Therapist is obligated to being knowledgeable about:

·         Anatomy, Kinesiology, and Exercise Physiology – which facilitate understanding physical activity and movement and greatly assists with the processes identification and assessment.

·         Fitness Instruction – helps the Therapist to be totally attentive to details, and develop excellent communication and demonstration skills, which facilitate reaching the client at their point of need.

·         Sports Injuries and Rehabilitation – this helps the Therapist to properly advise the client on appropriate exercises that would facilitate the healing process.  First Aid comes in handy here.

·         Sports Psychology – this helps the Therapist to motivate and encourage the athletes and also examine the effects of stress on their performance so that they can make more informed decisions.

 

Some programmes squeeze in a bit of massage with as many as five persons working with one client on a table (overseas in recognised places).  The programmes usually entail much more than the points above, but I am unaware any curriculum including pain induction as a motivator, or the necessity of making the athletes cry.  We need to be mindful of a person’s pain threshold.  I got a new client recently who is into sports.  He had a ‘keyhole’ incision medially and inferior to the knee through which the knee was dealt with.  Gentle circular friction was done around the keyhole and though the surgery was done a month ago, I could feel heat radiating from the tissue.  What’s the difference between surgery and a sport-related injury?  

Should I have poked the keyhole and made him cry while telling him I’m doing deep tissue massage?  Soon after an injury we understand that there can be severe pain due to inflammation, along with nerve and other soft tissue damage (not considering hard tissue here).  In addition there may be swelling, heat, discoloration, etc.  How does a Therapist conduct an assessment, recognise any of the above symptoms, and still poke into the tissue?  Lymphatic drainage and vaso-constriction should be the main focus, and as time and healing progress the techniques used can be deepened being careful not to destroy the newly formulated fibrin, and later still, more depth can be added with the view to reduce scar tissue so as to maintain appropriate range of motion.  This process of working out the kinks from onset of injury to full recovery does incur some discomfort, but it is the deliberate induction of pain that I am concerned about.

 

If the use of pain as a motivator has merit (then children should be flogged at home and in school) like the use of reverse psychology, then it is for the Therapist to distinguish such among players.  If this is found to be the case, the Therapist is still obligated to monitoring the speed, skill, stamina, suppleness, and strength of the athlete and treating him/her with a view of maintaining fitness in all the areas.  I will agree with the Psychologists here and say that behaviour can be learned, and learned behaviour can be adjusted/changed, or improved upon, so that the athlete who gets his/her adrenaline rush from pain could be re-educated to source it in a more healthy way, as speed is not the only component for success.  

Getting back to massage…  It is a ‘tool’ of fitness that is often underestimated. Effleurage, for example, is the culprit that ‘pampers’ the athlete, but it is excellent for soothing the nerves to inducing relaxation, which is critical obtaining maximum results in healing and performance. Tension creates exhaustion.  Exhaustion and weakness go together. What does that do for motivation or performance?  But who cares? Let’s flex our arms, crack our knuckles and vie for the Petrissage/Percussion/Deep Tissue crown.  While we are showing off, the athletes are suffering.

 

So the question is, why am I not ‘involved’ in the Sports Industry? Firstly, the application of knowledge (which needs to evolve into understanding) gained under the banner of Sports Therapy, Medicine, Rehabilitation, Psychology, etc. is not limited to service in the Sports Industry.  But I have other excuses…  

2 Many athletes don’t know their self-worth so we find extremes of low and high self-esteem which affects their appreciation/perception of the attention given to facilitate their advancement.  

3 Training is sometimes an emotional thing (it has to be ‘fun’), which interferes with dedication and consistency.  Success only comes before work is in the dictionary.  

4 Payment is never a problem, yet is has to be ‘gotiated,’ negotiated, and renegotiated, which is tiresome.  

5 Working frequently with some athletes can degenerate the professional relationship, but that’s okay as evidence proves that coupling-up can be an invaluable form of support. 

6 As if this is not enough, among ourselves as ‘professional’ Therapists there are multiple standards and each one of us is right about our methods based on our training and/or experiences.  I dare say we are right not because we actually are, but because we have weak/sensitive egos that are afraid of censure.  We swat every fly that passes by looking like it knows what we know lest the pedestal on which we are ill at ease is ascended by another.  

And that’s good.  Life must be lived with some degree of passion…something to live for, or something to die for.  So, if the current methods are working, let’s fight tooth and nail to maintain them, but if they need adapting, we should fight with as much gusto for the change.  All in all I am glad that the exposure is helping students to see how drastically different perceptions can be, and they can use this information in deciding the arena in which we want to function after certification.

 

One of the new students who is a Muslim was remarking that she came to do the course because she wanted to be involved in ‘therapeutic’ massage so that she could work with athletes who have injuries as against clients who might be seeking a sensual massage.  We were discussing the Human Energy Field, and our connectivity to people and things as a result of energy, starting with our own aura and the therapeutic effect of our intentions being channelled through us, so that it is not merely our physical touch and how we bend our fingers and arms that alleviate distress, but energy through touch facilitating healing.  

She was fine with that and reiterated her desire to therapeutically touch athletes and maybe people who have stroke and the likes.  Another student remarked to her that while she desires to function ‘above board’ some men in sports suffer from groin injuries and she would have to massage them.  Whaaat?!  That’s true Miss?  I confirmed such and she panicked.  

We discussed it and she understood that as we build our practice we get a feel of what works for us and that specialization is always an option.  She mentioned a cousin of hers who does Chiropractic work and fills out insurance forms for her clients, and wanted to know if she would be able to do the same if she gets a Massage License.  I told her the Insurance companies will not be able to offer support for Massage Therapy until we sort of the legality of the license, which is also why Doctors could only suggest, but not prescribe massage treatments.  Almost exactly at 5pm her phone rang.  I permitted her to answer it.  It was the home-front reminding her that she had to be return home for prayers.

 

Pain Induction Part 2

My interactive massages continued for the next few hours with me still working even after most the booths were dismantled by the maintenance staff, the cleaners were sweeping the carpet, and everyone else (except the few who were awaiting their ride) had left.  Most of the clients were students from COSTATT, but I also had one from the AVON booth and another from the Optometrists booth.  The showdown was between the AVON lady and a student.

 She told him that she had been waiting and four persons got their massages ahead of her and she had to have hers before she left.  I decided to stand back and let them work it out.  He had been waiting too, and felt he should have a massage having missed most of the activities because he was at classes, and now he had a long ride to Sangre Grande which is usually taxing on his body because he is too big for most of the car seats that the Japanese folks made for themselves.  In the end, it was ladies first.  He waited.

She explained how she usually gets stiff-neck and feels it has to do with the amount of stress she has to deal will.  I’m always amused at how an invisible thing like stress is blamed for pain.  How exactly does stress cause pain?  She said: well, you know…  Uh-huh.  I know.  But I was hoping for a step-by-step guide as to how nothing climbs onto the body and becomes something.  So I said what I know, limiting it to perception and how that affects the endocrine system causing it to release too much of some hormones while suppressing others.   

She is a nervous case too.  Said there are times when her head suddenly jerks back.  Hmmm.  She needed a separate consultation under difference circumstances.  The guy was still waiting, and a lady who appeared to be a supervisor of the day’s operations seemed to be waiting for me to get out.  The guy said he does massages for his mother and other folks, free.  He spoke of taking on people’s pain.  The flexors of his left far were particularly painful and he explained that he had recently gotten a puppy and had to fetch in on his arm while carrying his heavy bag on the other and strained his muscles in the process.  But it was worth it, for now it’s not just his mother for company, but a cute puppy also.  Bless you.  A grown man and his puppy.  Are wives becoming outdated?

Getting back to the first client who does/likes deep massages…  She reminded me of a story I heard from a student.  She had gone to the savannah to hopefully work with some members of a football team and encountered a Medicine Woman (MW) who was attached to the team.  The lady studied Sports Medicine.  The MW advised the student to do deep massages on the guys, to put pressure on injured areas too, break up the stuff, make them cry and thing, and most of all, don’t pamper them.  Poorly articulated for someone who pursued the level of studies that she did.  

But nonetheless shocking to me – her request.  Are these the intentions that we are seriously supposed to have?  No wonder the sporting world has ignored me.  I lack the ‘right’ intentions for the job.  The student called for my advice because on the one hand she wants to get in her hours of practice, but on the other hand she did not want to be accused of not following orders by doing what she considered best for the athletes based on direct consultation with them.  And as if that is not tough enough, the MW advised her that if she pulls this off well, she will refer her to some other clubs that she works with.  So here are the prospects of sparkling future in the world of sports, if only she could make the guys cry.

Look out for the final Pain Induction Part 3 

World Massage Conference Announcement

Posted from the World Massage Conference

Here are just a few notes of interest as the fall World Massage Conference nears...

We need your ideas for a user guide

We're hoping you can help us out. We need your feedback on a guide we're creating.

We are putting together a short printable guide to help participants get the most out of their World Massage Conference experience. We have a rough draft of the content put together (but not formatted).

Can you do us a favor and look over that content and let us know if you have any suggestions? What do you do to get the most out of the conference? You can leave any ideas or tips in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

We're happy to hear any ideas you may have and we'll try to integrate as many as possible into the final version of the guide. Thanks in advance for your help! Here's the link:

http://worldmassageconference.com/gettingthemost

Have you ever worked on a cruise ship?

We are hosting a presentation on working on cruise ships. We’d love to hear from therapists who have had the experience to get the good, bad and ugly. We’ll record your experience over the telephone and play it as part of the presentation. If you’ve always wanted to be on World Massage Conference, here’s your chance.

If you are willing to share, simply reply to this email and let us know that you've worked on a cruise ship and we'll send you more details on how you can be involved. If you can attach your picture, we’ll use that in the presentation.

Register now! Price doubles on November 19th

If you haven’t registered for the conference yet, now’s the time. Any available discounts are coming off the site on November 19th. Right now, when you register for the fall conference, you’ll get instant access to about 25 hours of recorded presentations from the spring 2013 conference. Altogether, about 50 hours of online education from some of the top experts from around the world for less than $100 bucks. It’s the deal of the year. Click here to register now:

http://worldmassageconference.com/register-now.htm

Another free resource to download

It’s so important to take notes as you’re listening to the presentations. It helps you to retain the information and to better integrate the information into your practice. Not to mention the fact that you have quick and easy reference notes to go back to in the future.

To help you out, ABMP has produced a variety of great note taking handouts. These are usually made available to instructors for use in their classrooms, but ABMP is making them available to you at no cost to help you get the most out of your conference experience. Download them here:

http://worldmassageconference.com/responsemomentforms

See you Today for our next pre-conference broadcast,

Eric Brown, Scott Dartnall and Melanie Hayden
http://www.worldmassageconference.com

Pain Induction Part 1

Written by Rinalda,

Over the next four weeks, you will receive 4 issues of Pain Induction by Rinalda,  Each is a continuation of a piece she wrote and has agreed to share with you here.  Rinalda's site

Part 1 begins..

ConLast week COSTATT had their health fair at NAPA and I was invited to hang out with Adepeju at the OMO and BestStart booth.  When I arrived lunch was served so I participated.  One of the persons sitting at my table (or was I sitting at hers?) was from St. Ann’s Hospital and I did not give her breathing space.  I wanted to know about this drive to take vagrants off the streets and dump them in her facility.  

She explained the difference between being mentally and socially displaced and I had to ask if the officials behind the drive are unaware of the difference.  She said she often wonders. We both agreed that the monies spent on public awareness campaigns via television should be redirected to better services allowing awareness to be spread by the man on the street based on the evidence he sees.  Now, now, if that is done then we won’t be playing politics, would we?  So at the price of maintaining her fixed income, she is stressed out with work that she does not need to do while those who could use more of her attention will never get it.

When I first entered the auditorium, the plainness that greeted me made me wonder if it was the right place.  There was a security guard and two ladies at a booth.  I enquired where was the health fair.  One told me that they were a part of it.  I adjusted my lenses (the ones in my head) then noticed that her t-shirt had a modest indication that she was from COSTATT.  She escorted me further in and I saw a drama in full swing, which I later learn was staged by the St. Ann’s folks geared at clearing up misconceptions about the mentally displaced. 

 I did not linger long enough to recognise that, it was my dining partner who advised me of such.  Around the corner from that performance were two Massage Therapists looking all professional with their fancy chairs working silently.  A few persons stood in line awaiting their turn.  I asked my escort where were they from and she said something about a ‘Light’ organisation that I did not get fully.  Then I found Adepeju and settled down to lunch while keeping an eye on the massages.  The Therapists could go up for the next Olympics.  Category: Synchronized Massage.  That’s a compliment.

Having stuffed my guts I ventured further in to visit a booth (Health Food Specialists Ltd) that had several Canadian-made products that were gluten free.  And guess what?  I saw herbal nicotine-free cigarettes geared at breaking the smoking habit.  Lollipops are a more attractive idea.  Anyway, someone is trying and must be compliment for the effort.  20 per pack for $20.  I thought that their variety of powdered protein was quite economical when compared to popular brands.  About half the price of one particular brand I know.  I then passed the Avon folks, but did not stop.  

They are good at their marketing, but I did not want anyone tinkering with my face, or taking my hand to rub a sample of this or that so that I could see how well it matches my complexion.  I’ve been slow-frying over the years walking about in the sun with olive oil on my skin.  At least 20 years.  My skin might rebel if I stop cooking it now.  And finally, I arrived at OMO.  It did not take 5 minutes for me to have a patron. Someone said something, and the next think I heard was: I’d like to have a massage.  I pulled a chair in front of the booth and got started.

My first client was familiar with massages.  She goes to a gym and the Instructor indulges her every now and then.  She had tried doing what was done to her on her mother and gotten only complaints.  I asked her to explain what she does.  Deep massages.  Okay.  I took her hand and demonstrated deep by gradually working my thumb into the flexor muscles.  Is this what you do?  No.  Can you feel thumb gently penetrating deeper into your muscles?  Yes.  And you think that your mother would appreciate this better?  Yes!  She would like that.  Good.  I returned to working her shoulders while she explained that the hard massages that she gets at the gym were best as they works well for her and she had honestly expected her mother to be appreciative.  

I explained that her mother is in a differently place physically and mentally and the pressure of the massage should be adapted to suit her otherwise she might develop an aversion and hastily say ‘No’ at any invitation to such.  I told her to think of massage as bonding time during which touching is done with love, otherwise she might start feeling rejected because her mother does not want to be touched by her.

Continued Nest Monday Pain Induction Part 2 

Massage Client Relationship Part 3 of 3

Let’s rewind a bit.  Remember Mr. Executive who was sitting outside calling me repeatedly?  That was when?  Back in April, May?  Can’t remember.  Well, he is off his ban now. He caught up with me this week and I agreed to do a massage for him.  He was punctual.  

Very punctual.  Half hour early. Strange how people change.  He wasted no time filling me in on what happened in his world in the name of massage.  He was over in Miami where he got the foot massage.  Foot massage? 

 Yes, the one where they walk on you.  Oh!  He explained that a very hot towel was placed on his back for a few minutes, then the walking began.  It felt like: Wow!  Okay. Then he is working out at a gym where he is supervising himself.  He added extra weights to his routine and he body did not like that, so he tried to get a massage.  

He said that he called me several times got voice message.  He said he found a Therapist.  This field is very small, so a client says something and the mind zooms in on the tiny Massage Map of Trinidad, so I had an idea of where he went.  The massage was good.  It could have been rated very good, but he complained that the Therapist did not understand him, so her strokes became intense too soon and his body did not like that.  

Hmmm.  Listen, you can’t please every client.  And I am only too aware that he might have said the opposite thing to the Therapist, so we have to be selective about what we believe.

He also spoke of a prominent tennis player who said he went into early retirement because the painful massages after the games were too much for him.  He wanted to know why sports massage was painful.  

I said to him what I would have said in class.  It is for each Therapist to justify their actions. We have gone back and forth over the issue of micro-trauma from repetitive muscle use.  These tissues need delicate treatment after a game, especially an intense one.  

There are basic guidelines for post-event massage, but sometimes there is nothing quite as exhilarating as hearing an athlete scream. You’re serious?  Who is this guy?  No, I’m not serious.  And he recounted when his arm was injured and the Doctor sent him to a Physiotherapist and the guy poked his arm with different tools and he had screaming moments.  

I told him that’s the point where the Therapist becomes a Musician and is testing the scales.  However, more needs to be done to make the client aware that the higher their range, the greater the success of the treatment, so they should not emit modest groans, but go for the full scream.  

You’re not serious, right? Okay, so he has been away for a few months and he is out of synch with me.  No, I am not serious.  But you can consider the principle of fighting fire with fire.  Similarly, inducing greater pain than what is being experienced can nullify the pain entirely, but not necessarily immediately.  

Probably in a few hours, or the next day.  Really?  Really.  How come you don’t do that?  Oh, it’s my ears.  They can handle loud music, but not whining humans.

When he turned over for me to do the front of his body he decided that that was his opportunity to understand what took place on the day that he was waiting outside.  Was I to tell him that that was the last straw?  

That he was on suspension?  I told him I prefer not to talk about it as the details are vague at this time.  He said he was concerned for my safety and wondered what could have happened so suddenly.  He even considered that I was being robed? Robed?  Of what?  I asked if he’s ever heard of a ‘man of straw.’  Yes.  That’s me.  He laughed.  Well, at least he got a joke.  

Then he asked me what is embolism.  Is he serious?  A Massage Therapist is supposed to know that?  I thought we were supposed to be pretty and docile and seeking every opportunity to wiggle our frames to get an extra dollar.  He asked if it was clot blood.  I told him when we think of a clot we can think of cells responsible for clotting.  

They are called thrombocytes, taking us to thrombosis.  Embolism could be a clot or some other fragment like bone from an arthritic joint, bouncing along the freeway of our blood vessel.  Real-ly?  Maybe not, but that’s my impression of it. Ooooh.  I told him that there is the argument that thrombosis is static while an embolism moves.  

As Therapists we are supposed to be wary of this so that we don’t activate movement.  If we work with the movement theory, then thrombosis in terms of a clot is only thrombosis during its formation.  At some point it moves, even if it’s just a millimeter, but the Doctor would not trouble the patient with that information.  If it moves much more than that then it becomes an embolism, and at whichever point it gets stuck, because it is static, it should be called thrombosis again.  He said a friend of his recently died suddenly and he learnt it was embolism.  

I told him the theory of embolism being associated with movement makes it impossible for his friend to die of that.  He had to have died from thrombosis.  It stuck somewhere and prevented oxygen and nutrients from entering that area.  Anyway, we are all entitled to our opinions.  He should have asked a Doctor or check the Internet, instead he saved the question for me.  Sweet.

I had to reacquaint myself with his body, so the massage went over the time by about 15 minutes.  When it was all over I left him to rest a bit.  Duties call, so the rest was short-lived.  He sat up on the table and was about to say something when I heard a splitting sound and his body did a dip.  Okay, so there’s visual-effects in my living room now?  

Perfect.  He is over 250lbs and was sitting at that half-way point where the hinges meet.  He got off the table.  I turned it over to see what went wrong.  The hinges were perfectly in place. Nothing was bent.  I set it up back and tried to understand what happened.  Made no sense.  

He got into his clothes then came to check.  This meant reenacting.  Fine.  No snap this time, but his body dipped.  We looked again.  The board itself had broken, but not dislodged, so it looked perfect until you applied pressure.  Now would you believe that this man paid his flat fee and walked out that door?  No contribution towards repairs, or promise of such.  

Some people are not worth the trouble they give.  Now I have to arrange transportation to cart the table off to some repair place. Thank God I have one to replace that in the interim.  There is negative energy that makes you uncomfortable, then there is negative energy that breaks things.  I have never heard of a broken table from any Therapist (not saying it never happened), and I have decided that our client/therapist arranged has (obviously) ceased to be beneficial.

Well, one of my friends from back home will be going to Panama for a 3-week vacation so she will be here in transit for 10 hours on tomorrow.  I told her I will send a taxi for her and she can spend the time with me.  She wanted to know what she can expect when she comes.  She asked if I have the snake in my living room yet.  Did I tell her about that?  She must be my friend.  She is the kind of friend who I talk to a few times a year yet it is as if we have been talking all the time.  

The gaps disappear when we reconnect.  Oh, yes.  I remember.  Years ago when I was in Belmont she had introduced me to a friend of hers from Arima who has extensive knowledge of snakes, and he and I had sat down and discussed the pros and cons of a snake in captivity.  He was willing to help me set up the whole thing, but I changed my mind.  So no, the snake is not here.  

I told her the only excitement would be a massage - she could be a model for the students to work on.  She laughed.  Said she has gained too much weight to expose herself to my students, besides, she might break my table.  Ha!  I told her someone has already beaten her to that.  What?!  I was just joking.  I know, but it seriously happened by a guy who is constantly asking if I am serious.  

She wanted to hear the story and I related it to her. When I was finished she said: You know what that is about, right?  I asked what.  Karma, she said.  Really?  Yes!  You taught me that.  (I hope I haven’t taught anyone else that.  

It’s an insensitive concept).  So I taught you that, huh?  Yes! Okay.  Accepted.  I wonder what lesson she’d learn if I leave her sitting in the cold airport on tomorrow.  Oops!  Can’t do that.  Mom is sending some of my jewelry with her.

 The End

“Any wine will get you high.  Choose the purest.”

www.wix.com/rinalda/rinalda

Massage Client Relationship 2 of 3

By Rinalda,

I crossed the street and stood by Express House debating a matter.  There was a certain place I wanted to visit, but each time I decided on such, the rain came down heavily.  So I stood there smiling and eventually said aloud, to myself, that I will go another day.  The rain began to ease.  Yes.  I guess I have quite an imagination.  

As I waited it out a Bobo came and stood under my umbrella.  I thought he was just passing by, but no, he stood there mumbling that he will shelter for an hour or two.  My eyes widened.  Then he indicated to someone over the road to come and join him.  I looked to see who he was calling and saw no one.  

I gathered that whoever he was talking to was not visible to me.  He continued standing under my umbrella pulling at his beard.  He then whispered that when I bring up the bag of weed I should hail him up and let him know what time it is.  My eyes went wider. He then ducked out from under the umbrella and went to shelter in a doorway.  My eyes followed him.  

This was very interesting.  I eventually got back to minding my own business when he returned.  This time he stood at the back of me and whispered that I’m the one he is talking to.  I turned my head and held his stare for a moment, then decided to ignore him. He came to the front, still under the umbrella, and remarked that he liked my hair.  All this time I had not moved an inch.  

I looked at how he ducked in and out without touch me or the umbrella.  I decided that it was time to get out of Port of Spain, but I did not want to walk off first.  In less than a minute, he ducked out again.  I got a taxi and came home.

Yesterday I went to visit another mover and shaker...  Sunset massage overlooking the gulf.  Once I was out of the elevator I started pushing brochures under doors, then turned the corner to continue and there he was standing.  Thought I would have had to knock on his door, but he thought otherwise.  

We greeted and he escorted me around to see the three bedrooms so that I could make my pick.  I told him the living room floor would be best.  He got a sheet and spread it on the mat and settled down.  We talked; his first massage plus conversation.  When I mentioned that it was too dark to see the clock across the room, he said I didn’t strike him as being concerned with time, so just massage and he will pay. Fine.  

He had a torn ligament (or more) in the rotator cuff on the right side about two years ago which has caused the right bicep to be reduced over time.  It used to be larger than the left.  The muscle seemed to have shifted medially.  He felt it should have been healed by now, but it is still painful, especially when he lifts weights or swing his golf club.  I explained that ligaments are not muscles, so overnight recovery is asking too much.

When he was comfortable enough he told me that he had just passed his medical exam, which is required because he flies something, and wanted to celebrate with some weed.  He asked if I knew where he could get some good weed.  I spent the next few seconds laughing.  I told him, no.  

Fine.  Actually I have a few golf-playing clients like him who always have weed on display like it’s their furniture who often smoked before the massage.  I thought to connect him with one, but then, ethics…  I’m still doing massages for them because I ignore them.  If I’m suddenly seeing, and in this case, referring persons, everything would change.

When the massage was over we sat in the kitchen talking some more and I had cranberry juice since beer was not an option for me.  He gave me the latest novel he was reading by Robert Ludlum and I was ready to leave.  He was not ready to let me go so he decided to drop me home.  We ended up going through St. James instead of up Wrightson Road 

because we were talking too much and he missed the turn-off.  

When we eventually got onto the highway, we were going at top speed with no seatbelts.  He said it should not be an imposition and I was glad about that.  I did not know that he thought San Juan was somewhere near Piarco until I noticed, at the speed we were going we were going to go pass the Barataria roundabout if I did not alert him.  I told him he needed to get into the left lane.  

It had to be done quickly, which meant swerving in front of a Police car at short notice. He did it anyhow and asked if I could imagine what would happen if they pull us over.  No.  I did not want to.  Besides, why would they?  We were in one of those recent model silver-gray Kia SUV with spanking new number plate.  The Police know better.

The weed conversation resurfaced.  I decided that this was a test of some sort.  I told him we will look for a dark street and drive up and ask.  He was excited.  He said he liked this side of me.  Uh-huh.  And he did drive up a street, and I saw some young men liming, and I told him to pull over.  He said he wanted $600 worth of weed.  I only had $100 on me apart from a few dollars change because he had paid in US currency.  He said he could go to an ATM.  

I said let’s try this first and if it works he could then go to the ATM.  Fine.  I wind down the window to talk to the young man.  After saying: Good night, I could not articulate what it was that I wanted.  The guy stood there smiling at me, and my client leaned over to explain.  We both ended up saying the same thing together.  The guy said the person who sells is not there and he could not help.  I told him thanks and we drove up the street, turned, and came back down.  All the young men were standing on one side now.  

My client suggested that we stop and ask when we can expect the seller.  Fine.  He stopped, and before I could ask, the very young man held out his hand with a sample.  My client took it and smelled it and said he did not like the quality.  That was accepted and we drove off.  I reached over and touched him.  Your hand is wet!  Yes it was.  I was sweating profusely.  The whole exercise was killing me and he was cracking up with laughter.

He took me home and wanted to know why my door was open.  I told him my son was there.  So we sat outside and had a conversation about his son who is 29 years old and behaves older than him.  Good for his son, he must have gotten that from his mother’s side because his Dad is very spontaneous.  Speaking of spontaneous, he wanted to kiss me before I disembarked.  I told him I only do hugs.  He did not want that.  

Then he said, you’re like four different persons.  I liked you back there with the guys, but I’m glad I met my mind first.  He read the blog and thought that I was a mystic and wanted to be in my ‘aura.’  So he called me and I sounded like a mature woman and he felt comfortable with me.  But when I showed up on his lobby I was totally different to what he imagined and he wanted to kiss me.  I asked if he was satisfied with his massage.  

Yes.  You have smart hands, you know, like a smart phone.  I like your feet, there’re probably smart too.  I bet you have smart lips.  I bet everything in between your hands and feet are smart.  Where do these people come out from?  He leaned over.  I told him he could kiss my cheek.  No.  Lips.  I asked if he knew that kissing on the lips facilitates the transference spirit via the breath.  No one talks to me like this.  I love it!  

Give me some spirit.  He is incorrigible.  I then told him I think I want to write about our encounter so it would not be wise for me to become embroiled.  Embroiled?  Wooooo!  I want to be embroiled with you.

I’m stepping out of the vehicle now, Sir.  No, wait, did I mention that I won’t mind seeing you without your clothes? No, I guess you were just thinking it.  Yes, I was.  Do you look good without them?  I’m like a cloak rack.  What?  A cloak rack.  I look better with things hanging on me.  I don’t agree with you.  Do I get to go now?  No, wait.  I want to say that you are a unique person.  

Meeting you was not normal and I will cherish it.  It’s funny that an old whipper snapper like me can bring out the child in you.  Whipper snapper?  What’s that?  He just laughed.  Sometimes I get a massage and it’s like a piece of crap, but this was good.  Thanks.  

I think that you are definitely not normal and it would not be wise to be around you often or I might not recognize myself sooner than later.  Do I get to go now?  Yes, I will let you go to your son. Thanks.  He gave a little bow and I said: Namaste.

Look out for part 3 to be posted tomorrow. 

“Any wine will get you high.  Choose the purest.”

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