Definitely the best thing I got out of this was following where the body sort of tells you to go. There were so many other things that seemed so simple, yet I didn’t think of it. But Heidi is a wonderful teacher in this regard!

Anyways, thanks again, hopefully when things go back to normal I can partake in a session in person.

Thank you, Gene! Honestly, I’m not sure about wanting to be Ms. Registrar. Even the idea of it makes me a little nervous. I’ll take bodies over systems and numbers any day, but honorary? Maybe? Big hugs to you, too!!

Oh Jett, I feel for the heaviness of this decision, and the huge grief you must be going through… having invested so much love and work and money into your own place, your wonderful therapists who were not just independent contractors but employees… I’m so sorry for you and can just wish you all the very best and hope that some sense of possibility, of life moving forward in spite of all this hardship, can be there for you, too. (Even if you can’t see it quite yet. We can only ever be with what is there for us, in us, can’t we.) All the best, Jett. A bow of respect to the care you took in coming to these hard decisions.

Naomi, I really feel for you. I think I know that sinking feeling that you speak of, your body letting you know something needs attention, awareness, and at least turning toward with interest and curiosity… in my experience our very own bodies are a wealth of wisdom, of knowing, moment to moment for us… even if just in telling us –like your body seems to be doing for you– to tread carefully, or to wait, that something doesn’t add up, or something isn’t quite right as is…

You say, “who am I to decide who is healthy or not. That’s not my scope of practice.” That right there, speaks to the heart of what we are taking upon ourselves if we do decide to practice at this time, given what we know, and given all that is unknown.

Wow, Michele, I really feel for you. I would agree with your caution about providing massage in nursing homes until we know more, much more, about the transmission of this virus. Especially since nursing homes have been such a hot bed for transmission in our country. At the very very least I’d be concerned for your own safety, as a senior yourself, working in intimate contact with seniors in nursing homes. I recommend to you the FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/covidandmassage/ — I’ve found them super helpful in sharing info as we learn it, keeping our finger on the pulse of science findings as they relate to covid-19, and also just plain and simple support and community for people in our profession.

I feel your pain. I have closed the business I built from the ground up over the last 20 years. I had 7 treatment rooms and 25 phenomenal LMTs working along side me. They were all w2 employees and thus qualified for unemployment. However, my LL would not work with me on rent abatement and offered me out of the lease. I am feeling both thankful and anger over that. I had rented from him since 2013 and not once been late on rent. Last year I expanded and spent 100k on the construction and new hydrolic tables and other furnishings. Money that was willed to me by my parents. But at least I do not have to make the hard choices other people are having to make. I will not go back to treatment until I can do so safely. And yes I know that there is always a risk under our work conditions but this virus is so tricky I do not feel that I can function until we know more definitively how to mitigate the risks.