At the end of this month I will be a certified yoga instructor. I have been taking a 200 hour class that has been specifically tailored to social workers, counselors, and health care clinicians. We have had wonderful instruction focused on Yoga and Mindfulness. Our instructor has brought in guest speakers, several women and one man, who are trained yoga instructors, yet who also work in a variety of settings with differing clientele. They work with the mentally ill, with those undergoing treatments for cancer, in correctional facilities, schools, with the geriatric population, with pregnant women, in the addiction field, as well as having backgrounds in chiropractic and Ayurveda medicines. I have, particularly, loved and learned so much from my classmates and colleagues. We are a group of average women who, together, have become extraordinary. I will forever be grateful to Dr. Kristen Brendel for her work, instruction and foresight to put this together in the first place. It has kicked my butt but has been a great experience.
While on a recent visit to San Francisco, I visited a Korean Spa. It is not the first time to this type of place, but for those of you who may not know the difference between "a spa" and "a Korean Spa", I will try to explain. In my experience, the difference between a spa and a Korean spa is the difference sitting in the lobby of a Four Seasons where everyone is speaking in hushed tones with indirect lighting, and sitting around with your entire extended family, in bathrobes, in your great-aunt's living room. There is just something different which, I love.
The Korean spa was, essentially, in a strip mall. It was next to a dry cleaner and bakery. There were about 8-12 parking spots that were full, with exception of one which had an orange cone sitting in it with "Spa" written on it. I hopped out and moved the cone out of the way so my friend and I would have a place to park.
We were given a robe each, sandals, a towel, and a lock. We promptly undressed, showered and headed to the hot tub. It didn't take long for me to get overheated and then jump into the cold plunge tub to cool off. It was refreshing, even if my skin did burn and tingle from the extreme change in temperature for the next few minutes.
My friend and I waited until we were called, by our assigned numbers, for our first treatment. We (numbers 9 and 14) headed upstairs, to a room that was riddled with eight white, vinyl, massage tables and as many women dressed in black bras and panties. We ditched our robes and the ladies proceeded of scrub off the outer layer of epidermis. In between scrubbing, my girl would pour pans of warm water over me. I was as smooth and slick as a greased pig. After my back side, she gruffly commanded, "turn over." I had to hang on, as I about slid off the table.
Afterwards, I waited until I heard #9 called again and I was lead into a private room and told to ditch the robe and lay face down again. I was entering my accupressure treatment. There were towels on the table, so I was no longer in fear of sliding off the table and suffering an injury. I should have paid closer attention.
Within minutes my new girl was performing some kind of circus trick from the parallel bars suspended over the table. She was walking up and down my back and driving her toes between my ribs and massaging my internal organs. It was during this massage that I started practicing what I'd been studying since early May - Mindfulness. I was breathing and focusing on the present moment. I attempted to quiet my internal dialogue from, "What the hell is going on?" and "How did I not notice the circus equipment?" and "Holy crap!" to a more Mindful, fully present dialogue of, "This is only temporary." and "Keep breathing." and "Don't worry, you have two kidneys."
Afterwards, while #14 and I laid on the floor of the salt cave and made plans for dinner, we practiced gratitude. We were grateful for a week of beer and fish tacos, unexpected and enjoyable time with new friends and old, and our time spent together in Oregon and California. Thanks for everything, #14.
 |
| Nose Rock! |
