Sometimes I don't like myself. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this way once in a while, but I find myself there quite a bit lately. I am drawn to a quote by Aristotle that I learned at UCMT...

"Soul and body react sympathetically upon each other; a change in the state of the soul produces a change in the shape of the body and conversely, a change in the shape of the body produces a change in the state of the soul."

Basically, this is a great metaphor for massage/bodywork, but I find myself stuck on it lately. I have seen this happen in many, many bodies that I've worked on or observed, and yet I am struggling to make it happen in my own life. As I try to repair the damage to my own body, I feel as if my soul works against me. Conversely, if I work on the damage and wounds on my soul, I feel as if my body is working against me. It's pretty frustrating.

All of this reminds me of the legend of the phoenix. A bird of fire is born, lives it's long life, then dies as it bursts into flame and falls to ash. Then, it is reborn, and repeats the cycle, therefore making it a great symbol for eternity and immortality. I am feeling a bit like my world is on fire.