Saturday, January 22, 2011

Moving!!!

We've moved "The Spirit of Massage Education" to a new web address. We're now at http://rmiha.blogspot.com/.  Please check us out at our new location.  This site is changing to a resource guide and review forum for massage therapy continuing education.  Stay tuned for some great posts.

If you're a subscriber or follower, you can switch your information to the new blog.  Or, if you'd like to see what's happening with the new continuing education site, why don't you add your name to the new site but keep this one current too. 
Thanks!
Rebecca

Blog Make Over

Well I suppose it's about time for a new look!  And we've got more than that, a new name and url too.  The name change is minor "The Spirit of Massage School" from "The Spirit of Massage Education."  The url is now http://rmiha.blogspot.com/.  RMIHA stands for Rocky Mountain Institute of Healing Arts.  The new look is our creative expression in action.  Hope you love it as much as we do. Please let us know how it's working for you!

Rebecca

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Facebook It Is!

Based upon the reader poll and responses to our email, we've streamlined our presence on social networks to Facebook only.  Goodbye MySpace.  Goodbye Ning.  It was good while it lasted!  If you haven't checked out our Facebook page, come see it!  There's lots of photos and info and it's a good way to connect with graduates, faculty and other people interested in RMIHA.

Friday, January 7, 2011

In the Circle

At RMIHA, we sit in a circle for our non-lecture class discussions.  To me, it is an expression of unity, connection, and respect for one another.  In a traditional classroom set up, you can't look into the eyes of everyone in the class.   I think that makes the experience more solitary.  (Which I suppose could be valuable in some testing situations)!

Today in yoga class, our teacher started the class with everyone in a circle.  We closed our eyes and experienced a guided meditation and felt the energy of each other.  I realized since I've been on sabbatical, I've missed the experience of sitting in the circle.  I plan to be proactive in seeking out the experience of communing with a circle of friends, meeting round the metaphorical campfire (or literal for that matter!), and allowing the free flow of one person's energy unimpeded through the group. 

I recently started a personal blog and did another post about the circle and social networks

Love,
Rebecca

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Scholarship Update

I was checking up on scholarships and was pleased to discover The Spa Foundation Scholarship was being offered again.  It hadn't been available for a while, so that's great news! 

The JoyLife Therapeutics Chair Massage Scholarship continues to be active. 

Both of these links are available in the links section of this blog.

I offer up a huge THANKS to these organizations for supporting massage education.  For all of you who apply, I wish you the best of luck. 

Rebecca

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Sabbatical

When I've posted in the past, I've tried to talk more about themes, ideas, classroom experiences, and less about myself. But it's been ages since I've posted and I thought I'd bring a little of myself into the post today. The big thing going on in my life is I'm on sabbatical. Basically what that means, is I've suspended offering massage school classes for the 2010-2011 season and have moved out of state for a year. I'm spending time helping out a friend who needed some help and I'm spending time rejuvenating myself. (That's my horse and me in the photo, enjoying a trail ride). The staff seems to be finding plenty of self-supportive things to be doing in this time away also. From raising families, planning weddings, and nurturing practices, there's plenty to keep us all busy and focused on what we hope are the right priorities.

When I decided to go on sabbatical, I actually looked up the word. It comes from sabbath and, as the sabbath is a day of rest every days, a sabbatical is meant to be a year of rest every 7 years. Or maybe not exactly a "rest," but a break from the production emphasis of the other 6 years in the cycle.
Which brings me around to how longs it's been since my last post. I have to admit, posting to this blog is a lot of fun. I like writing down ideas or sharing something that happened in the classroom and making it available for people to read. Hasn't everyone who's read a blog experienced the kick of cyber-relating? But (here it comes)...when I make my typical priorities, writing a post is way down on the list below, uh say teaching, meeting with students, doing payroll, filling out compliance forms for the state, holding staff meetings, and so on and so on.

When the gas prices and the economy did their thing, RMIHA experienced a drop in enrollment. (All you guys who've been waiting 3 years to afford massage school know what I'm talking about!) For me, the owner of a purposefully small, intimate, quality focused school, this meant more work on my shoulders and less hiring someone else to help out. Which eventually led to the sabbatical decision!

I'm back to having time to blog and write, just not in the thick of an operational school at the moment. I'm curious to see where that takes this blog. I'm still writing questions for the MBLEx, still doing massage, still offering continuing education (if you're interested in something in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, check out this class), so there are massage education things to write about. But I'm just gonna be open to whatever expression takes place. I'm gonna start a new blog about my time away from my business, my spiritual practice, yoga, riding my horse, service to others and all that good stuff. I'll post the link once I get that going.

I still have lots of opinions about massage education and have seen so many changes in the field since 2008. I'm sure I'll be spending some time like a sports announcer, critiquing from the sidelines, so tune in again. I sincerely doubt you'll have to wait another year for the next post!

Love to all,
Rebecca