Expanding to Ecuador

Oct 28, 2011

By Submitted by Joanne Matheson, Adv CBP, CBI, BAT

First Ever BodyTalk Access in Ecuador

Don't you just love the way life unfolds? When we see the opportunities and are prepared to just go for it, great things can happen. That's how the first ever BodyTalk Access course to be taught in Ecuador showed up, and I went for it.

Adventures in China
Rewind to 10 years ago when I was presented with an out- of-the-blue opportunity. a chance to spend 2 months in China, learning acupuncture and moxibustion. It really was one of those 'just go for it' scenarios. At the time, I was working full-time as a Practice Nurse and also studying part-time for my Diploma in Aromatherapy. A fax with the headline "Study Acupuncture in China for Free" churned out just as I was passing the fax machine in my medical center. It lacked details, but gave a local contact number. Nine days later, I was on my way.

It was on that course in China that I met my very dear friend Fabian Granda Paez. He is a medical doctor who practices homeopathy and acupuncture in Ecuador. We became friends. It was one of those connections that you know will last a lifetime. Earlier this year thanks to Facebook, we made contact again. I knew that with Fabian's background he would find BodyTalk of interest and indeed he did. And so it was, from a joking, throwaway line "I could come to Ecuador to teach Access", that plans for this course were hatched.

Zero Registrants
In early August, just after the IBA members' conference, I headed for Quito, hoping that we were sufficiently prepared and that all would go well. Fabian had been spreading the word and had produced a great flyer advertising the course. I boarded the plane with good faith because no one had actually registered for the class! I brought 20 Spanish version Access manuals with me and hoped the number would match student attendance. Fabian had found a suitable venue and had also organized a lovely translator for me in the form of Manuela, his eldest son's girlfriend. Her English is very good and she coped extremely well with my 'Kiwi' accent. I'd also been very fortunate to have the help of one of our local BodyTalkers, Fernanda Bullara, who hails from Brazil, but who – thank goodness for me – also speaks Spanish. She did a wonderful job of translating my power point presentation into Spanish for me.

The morning of the class found me standing a little nervously in front of 18 Ecuadorians, with a predominantly Spanish powerpoint presentation and thinking that maybe Manuela and I should have practiced a bit in advance of this moment. We somehow found a rhythm that worked for us both and with an interested and supportive class, all went well. The attendees ranged from the 11 year old daughter of Fabian's housekeeper, to a kundalini yoga teacher, the male hair stylist who wanted something more to offer his clients, a local doctor, and a Shaman. Some of them came from Quito and others had traveled 2 hours or more to be there.

Return to Ecuador
At the end of the class there was definite interest in offering a BodyTalk Fundamentals course in the future, although I think some Spanish lessons first might be a good idea. I've received an e-mail from Fabian with the update that the students are all feeling very good as a result.

I loved my visit to Ecuador, the rekindling of my friendship with Fabian and, of course, the amazing opportunity to introduce BodyTalk there. I'm hoping to return to teach the BodyTalk Fundamentals course soon. I shall hold fast to the words of that brave and clever little character Jiminy Cricket who said "When your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme".

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