I started thinking about massage therapy a few years before I made the commitment. I had been turning it around in my mind for some time. I don't exactly know how it came to fruition, but when you know you want to do something it just takes over.
My sister, my own personal guardian angel here on Earth, mentioned one day that she met someone who went to a massage school in Costa Rica. She had been hiking on Old Rag Mountain when she met a young man at the summit who relayed a story about graduating from an accredited massage school in Costa Rica. Didn't sound too legit at the time.
I had researched schools in the area--night school in a sterile classroom for what seemed like months on end. I wouldn't even touch someone until six months into the program. I had some basics in anatomy and biology and I knew the first leg of that kind of program would be uninspiring. So I held off and shelved the idea for another year or two.
I decided to check out this hippie dippy Costa Rica school. I didn't have any grand expectations, but curiosity piqued my interest and as I came upon the website. As I began to delve deeper into the course material I knew I was meant to be there. An exciting kind of energy quickened within me and it felt like a homecoming was approaching. I couldn't have imagined what was in store for me at the time. I try to describe how I felt when I talk about my journey to CR and it was an immediate confident knowing that I'd be there soon. Within a month I was accepted into the school and my gypsy lifestyle paid off. With my few belongings stored away, I took what I made in real estate and wired the money to a Godknowswhere company out of Colorado. I did no research on where I was going and bought my plane ticket a couple weeks before check in at the school. As long as I had a working ATM I was good to go.
I'm glad I followed my gut. I was always afraid of flying, but this time I calmly walked into the airport, boarded with no medicinal help and had total faith in what I was doing. Since then I've come to enjoy flying. My love affair with Costa Rica started as soon as the plane landed. I knew I loved this place and as I got closer to Samara, a rising calm yet energized beat rose through me. The place is magical and you have to be there to understand.
I digress. This is what I loved about my experience. Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy is in a self-contained compound one block from the beach. We walked barefoot to the outdoor classroom that's surrounded by lush plants. Iguanas sunbathe on the classroom's roof and we were met with the Pacific winds and sounds of exotic birds. The teachers instructed us to massage the first day of class. The school encourages students to learn how to navigate the body through experiential learning which is my preferred learning style for sure. Most people who go into massage therapy learn through doing--through touch. Jumping into massage kept my adrenaline up. We had accelerated anatomy in the morning and massaged in the afternoon. After 3pm it was off to the beach, learning Spanish, riding a bike into the sunset, Easter Rodeo week, weekends trips to Nicaragua and trading sarcasm with the ticos. During the course, professors from all over the nation are flown in to Costa Rica and they teach us their specialty-- Shiatsu, Thai, Myofasical Release, Cranio-sacral.
MOST importantly, it was the local people that taught me more than what a classroom ever could. If you have ever been to Central America, the people seem to possess a certain self-confidence and sass. Samara is a fishing/surfer town. Most young people learned how to fish, surf, dance, fix things, cook, etc. They are masters of their hands and bodies. The expats and tourists appear inadequate and awkward in juxtaposition to the ticos. There was no thinking about doing something and breaking it down emotionally--in fact this kind of self-analysis was viewed as neurotic and unnecessary--they just did it. Ticos also possess an infectious tranquil nature that I tried to be around as much as possible. It feeds the soul. I so wanted to mirror this fluidity of body and spirit to assist my future clients in being more "human". I still conjure this image of fluidity during my massage sessions as well as coping with the daily life NOVA; a place where fluidity conjures images of the housing market.
People have forgotten themselves on the most basic levels. But we can always remember with touch, trying something new, learning about your own unique body habits, dancing/talking/expressing oneself without criticism or shame of a perceived imperfect body.
