Last month was a crazy month, and I am actually looking forward to a 3-day weekend off. I am very tired from teaching the many classes I have, and I do need a break.
Thanks to the massage license period that just ended on the 31st, and a change in the laws requiring the massage portion of the continuing education hours to be in a classroom, Caring Palms has taught a record number of students. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 54 Reiki 1 students, 26 Reiki 2 students, 4 Reiki 3 students, and 8 students for the Body Mechanics classes. And 48 of those 92 students took class in August. That’s right, 48 students LAST MONTH.
Though not all of these people are massage therapists, the majority of them are, and all too many waited to the last minute to get their CEUs (continuing education hours). Part of the reason for the last minute rush was because of the economy. People just have not had the money, but faced with the prospect of not being able to work after August, they came up with it. A couple told the story of having taken someone else's massage class to find that it was categorized incorrectly. It was not listed as massage and the people that teach it are not doing anything to get it changed. So, they ended up taking my Reiki classes to get their hours.
Caring Palms has bent over backwards to accommodate as many people as we could. When people couldn't make the existing class dates, we created more classes (including a class yesterday). When the need was greater than the studio capacity, we convinced the landlord to let us use an empty office at the other end of the building. And although this office had its challenges with having to move chairs, tables, music, and other things from the studio each class, it gave us the opportunity to teach a larger number of people. (The fun part was watching the temperature go up as we did the energy work. It would start out at 70 degrees in the morning and end up at 84 by the end of the day.)
August has definitely been a busy month. But classes will continue and are scheduled through November. They just probably won't be as full. (One of the classes had 12 students while another had 15.) I actually have a confirmed Reiki 1 class in two weeks, but only one student so far. I’m hoping to get at least one more.
Caring Palms wants to thank some people for helping during the large number of classes we had. We want to thank Cathy for being part of the Body Mechanics test class which helped define the class. We also want to thank Alicia for evening out the first Body Mechanics class.
We want to thank the landlord for making available the empty office at the other end of the building.
Caring Palms also wants to thank Heather and BJ. Heather helped with the 15 student Reiki 2 class, but also helped cart chairs, tables, and anything else that needed to be moved to and from the empty office we used as a classroom. BJ also helped doing the same for that class and two others. Without their help, it would have been a huge mess no matter how organized it was.
And finally, Caring Palms wants to thank all the students that took the classes and put up with the less than ideal conditions. Without them, it would not have happened.
So, the rush is over for a while. Now I’m hoping sessions pick up so I don’t start spending the money I’ve earned on things like rent. I actually have a shot of finishing above zero this year. At least that is what I am hoping for. Cross your fingers.