Esalen Massage & Bodywork 175-hour Training in Bali in 2024

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Friday, March 8th - What I've (Not) Been Up To All Week

March 08, 2024

Have I been conspicuous by my absence? It's been a strange week. Not bad, per se, just not what I was planning or expecting. I've spent most of it in my room, to be honest. The heat here is hard for me to tolerate, and my room is the only place - other than the pool - where I can find respite. And I can only spend a limited amount of time in the pool or I will burn. But I do love the pools. There are two here. They are bathwater warm which is surprisingly pleasant in brutal heat. The water comes from a natural hot spring on the property and contains more of some mineral or other which makes it easier to float in. In fact, every time I climb out, I am reminded of the power of gravity and just how much of a burden every pound is on feet and knees and hips and spines. Short recap of my week - Sunday I was trying to decompress and disconnect from the energy of the intense class, yet I remained attached by connecting with four other students and the teacher who is sti...

School's Out For Summer

March 02, 2024

The bittersweet moment has arrived [click on the caption above for silly video]

Class Notes Day 25 - Sat 3/2/24 - LAST DAY OF CLASS - GOODBYES

March 01, 2024

" Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories... Do it as well as you possibly can. You will have created something." Random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty... There were beautiful flowers on the step into the wantilan, then an amazing centerpiece on the floor. I heard some of the students and teaching staff working on it last night. I cannot begin to guess how many flowers were gathered, then how many petals were plucked from those flowers, in order to have the "paint" for these floral images. We milled around and took various pictures together saying our final "goodbyes" before we took our last class picture. (I'm in the back center, in front of the orange silk with my hand up.) Then we circled together one final time. Left hand on my own heart, right hand on the back of the person to my right, and so the circle connected. And we sang "All I ask of you is forever to remember me as loving you." Some students had alr...

Class Notes Day 24 - Fri 3/1 - Closing Rituals, Certification, Dance Party

February 29, 2024

"Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact." Sang Esalen native tribe parting song: Drupa drewa Wana Sae Wana Wana Sae Wana Sae Wana Sae Wana We stood in circle. Everyone put their hands over their own hearts and sang one verse. Then person #1 stood in front of person #2, placed their right hands on each other's heart chakras and their left hands over the other person's right hand and the whole group sang this song as they looked at each other. Then person #1 moved to person #3 and repeated this while person #2 stood on their own again. After next verse, person #1 moved to person #4 and person #2 moved to person #3. This continued repeatedly as the circle slowly moved over itself, allowing each person to share a verse with every other person in the room. It was very interesting how the energy exchanged between each pairing was different, some with big smiles, some couldn't make eye contact, some crying and embracing before movin...

Slow as a Snail

February 29, 2024

Just a quick touch-in to let you know I'm fine, but busy. So my posting has slowed way down as we wrap up this final week of classes. Tomorrow is our last day, and we party tomorrow night. I have a vague recollection that something's going on Saturday morning, but really not sure as I sit here. In any event, very soon I will start to make up for "lost time" by writing, taking pictures, walking around, drawing, swimming, and general exploring. I learned this evening that right across the street is a tiny "convenience store" of sorts that has popsicles! I might even find potato chips. This morning as I was walking to class, I saw what I thought was a large stone (about the size of a fist) on the path. Thankfully, I looked again before I kicked it aside and I realized it was a snail - a rather large one by my standards. So, of course, I had to get down and take a closer look. A little known fact about me is that I had pet snails (ordinary, very small garden sn...

Class Notes Day 23, Thur 2/29 - Swirling on the Grass, Swim Party, Trade Massages, Anniversary Party

February 28, 2024

"Dare to believe the whispers in your ears that you might be special, that you might be meaningful, that one day you might change the world." Ellen asked us to meet at 6:30 in the morning to dance/spin in the grass next to one of the pools while the photographer and a drone captured images to be used in something that she's preparing for or contributing to. We spent a good bit of time dancing, spinning, and otherwise rolling around on the grass and hugging the trees before we stripped down to our swimsuits and jumped in the pool. Much fun was had by all. You won't find me in most pictures of class activities. I'm not one to be in the center of the action most of the time. I sing harmony, not melody. I'm an introvert. In the dancing, I went from the outside edges down into the trees. I spent most of the time dancing with one tree in particular, actually. And it felt good. To me, anyway. Not sure if the tree liked it or not, though I suspect it did. I finishe...

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