“We over overestimate what we can achieve in a couple months and underestimate what we can achieve in 3 to 5 years”
This is what also saying to my students at the end (also at the beginning) of any course I am teaching at Blue Garden Chiang Mai. So many students coming to Chiang Mai who are very motivated to learn Thai Massage and believe that this can be done in a short period of time. Then at the end of the course they see what they are able to do, which is maybe not conquering with what they thought they could do. I am also using this quote. And it is true look at any skill; learning a new language, learning a professions. It takes time, dedication, motivation and failure. Nobody becomes an accountant in just a couple weeks or a great chef. It takes time. And the same it is with Thai Massage, it takes more then just a couple weeks, it takes training, touching a lot of bodies. And when you want to become a good therapist give yourself this time and allowance to grow, don’t rush
So when you are coming to Chiang Mai to become a Thai Massage therapist. How to practice patience:
Spend time to learn the basics; After a 1 week or 2 weeks beginners course dont rush into an advanced Thai Massage course. It will completely overwhelm you and will feel lost. Instead do the beginners course again, maybe for 2 or 3 times.
When you ar a beginner do not sign up for a teacher training; imagine you have never done Thai Massage, never gave professional massage before and think of becoming a teacher in just 3 months. Just think about it how ridiculous it actually is; you never have done Thai Massage and within 10 weeks you are trained to be a teacher. (maybe change Thai Massage in an accountant or Nursing). What kind of teacher will you be? Use your time instead to focus on the basics and fundamentals
Take and plan time to practice; let’s say you are fortunate and have the possibility to come for a more longer time to Chiang Mai, maybe 2 or 3 months. When you finished one course, the following week don’t go to the another training. Do the course you just did again or better find a friend to practice with. Review and practice the material for the following 1 or 2 weeks and then maybe repeat the course again. There are centers and schools (also our place Blue Garden Thai Massage training Chiang Mai ) who give you the possibility to use their space to practice
Spend time to learn the basics; This is not a typo mistake. I put this in 2 times, to emphasize the importance of learning and practicing the basics, your foundation. The basics are the foundation of the practice, when the foundation is solid and strong it will make your further career so much easier. When I was learning I invested enormous amount of time in mastering the basics and this really paid off. Having seen the benefits in both myself and in my students this is one of the main reasons why I organize once a year the intensive 1 month Foundation Thai Massage Training. This one month we are completely focused to learn the fundamentals of Thai Massage, intensive teaching and a lot of practice.
Warmly…
Remco
