Along the path the betterment

Once upon a time, around twenty years ago, the legislature of the state of New York changed the massage licensing law. Massage had been a licensed profession in NY since 1968, but, from that moment on, a person doing any kind of hands-on work who did not have a medical license would be required to obtain a massage license. Unlike other states, NY makes this process quite difficult. It includes passing a state licensing exam and then maintaining the license by participating in mandatory ongoing continuing education.

This licensing law was passed in the name of consumer protection, as a way of regulating the forms of bodywork and somatic practices that proliferated over the previous decades. From the perspective of the practitioners of those many methods, it was seen as a financial and political maneuver, a kind of “land grab.” It was certainly a way for massage schools to expand their market and increase their enrollments dramatically and quickly. Beyond that, by putting all of these practices under the umbrella of massage, the massage profession would expand exponentially and immediately, while at the same time giving it dominion over every kind of touch-based work.

Many of us in the Somatics world were shocked and, if you’ll pardon the expression, up in arms against this sweeping power play. We knew that we did not belong under the NY State’s definition of massage:

The practice of the profession of massage therapy is defined as engaging in applying a scientific system of activity to the muscular structure of the human body by means of stroking, kneading, tapping and vibrating with the hands or vibrators for the purpose of improving muscle tone and circulation.

Thankfully, the legislature also had the good sense to create a process for receiving an exemption from this onerous licensing requirement. We would have to prove to the licensing board that we did not fit the definition of massage.

The outcome of this process was by no means certain. The local community felt a lot of anxiety about whether we, as Feldenkrais® teachers, could prove to this esteemed body, made up of massage therapists and medical doctors, that we do not do massage. There was a rumor going around that the several members on the board were also heads of massage schools, so we were worried that this obvious conflict of interest would influence the outcome. We were asking each other, in anxious tones, “What if they decide that our work falls within this definition?”

As it turned out, our apprehension was all for naught. After meeting with teachers from around the East Coast, our New York colleagues gave a masterful presentation to the NY State Board of Massage Therapy. Their made the case, provided a successful defense of our profession, and proved that Moshe’s method was, indeed, not massage.

However, just in case it had not turned out so well, I was prepared with a back-up plan.

What was my Plan B?

I thought we could change the name of our work to Wrestling for Higher Consciousness. It seemed like the perfect solution. Wrestling was most definitely not under the purview of the Massage Board. The name also acknowledges the roots of the method in Judo and how our method follows the philosophy of Judo’s founder, Jigaro Kano. Since we help those with whom we work to develop awareness, the aim of fostering higher consciousness was more than appropriate.

(Of course, in a Judo match the goal is to incapacitate your opponent. The situation in a Feldenkrais class or lesson is often exactly the opposite. That is to say, the student usually arrives incapacitated in some way and our job is to help them re-capacitate themselves. But how to take this situation into account in the name? Reverse Wrestling for Higher Conscious doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it?)

Though we ended up not needing a new name – and marketing approach – for our work, I couldn’t forget it. When it was time to come up with a title for my blog, I remembered the (half-jokingly) strategic designation I’d invented all those years ago.

Wrestling for Higher Conscious pretty much describes the journey I’ve been on and the road I continue to travel. Just like me and my voyage, the title isn’t focused entirely on the work of Moshe Feldenkrais. I love it’s playfulness along with how the name gives a nod to the difficulties we confront along the path of betterment. Even when we take the path of least resistance, we are still engaging in a knotty, complex challenge. And, just like the sport of wrestling, it is about ongoing engagement; there’s always the next match, the subsequent challenge.

So, with this bit of history, I welcome you to the reboot of mindinmotion-online and the new name of my blog. I invite you to join me in wrestling for higher consciousness.


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