Day 53 -- Touching My Space

My presentation to the massage therapy students went really, really well.  I think I actually came up w/ some viable and practical suggestions for them to make their clients more comfortable even on the first visit and thereby making the session much more productive.  We talked about E.T. Hall's zones of personal space, and I suggested that they bring this stranger, who prefers the public zone, gradually toward the intimate zone.  First, they would sit down in the socio-consultative zone and gradually introducing touch through pats on the hand and arm in the first part of the consultation and w/ a longer touch to the shoulder and upper back at the end of the consultation.  Then while introducing them to the massage room, they would enter into the client's casual-personal zone that's typically reserved for friends.  Hopefully, once the massage begins and the therapist enters the client's intimate zone, some of the tenseness and anxiety will have dissipated.  It was exciting to talk about nonverbal communication in a practical sense while still applying theory and research.  This morning helped me remember why I love studying and communicating about communication.

Health wise, Zumba was killer tonight since even walking up stairs sends my legs into revolution.  I think by next week, I'll be in better shape.  Since my nephrologist made me stop  using the nasal spray b/c it was raising my blood pressure, I bought a Neti Pot to basically give myself a nasal enema.  Very freaky concept to pour saline water in one nostril and have it run out of the other one.  This is probably too much information so I'll simply say...... my sinuses feel wonderful, and the ear pain I've had intermittently is gone.  Who knew that a little, plastic teapot shoved in my nose could bring such relief!!