Teacher Field Trip: Bodhi Spa in Newport, RI

It's school vacation week in Massachusetts, which means I haven't taught all week! This hasn't really been a "break" for me since I still have grad school, but it has been a chance to breathe and catch up on some self-care in between writing papers and reading articles (I've about had it with Reimer and Elliott...)

I took a spa trip with my best friend (who's not a teacher) today to check out the Bodhi Spa in Newport. We went to a Scandinavian hydrotherapy spa up in Montreal a couple years ago, and decided to try a spot a little closer to home this time.

The Water Journey at Bodhi Spa was a cycle of hot and cold water experiences, including steam rooms, showers, pools, and saunas. They have a really awesome chart (anchor charts in the wild!) hanging on their wall to remind you of all the steps in their recommended cycle. Basically, the process is to start in a body-temperature pool, cycle between hot and cold several times, rest, and repeat. The cold really is a shock to the system but it feels oddly good and relaxing in contrast with the heat from the sauna, pools and steam room. It was a great way to spend a few hours away from the New England cold (and constantly pinging electronics!) and refresh.

The spa is pretty small, but they keep the number of guests limited enough that it never got loud or overcrowded. There were plenty of fancy spa waters, towels, and ice towels to be had. The spa provides robes, towels, and flip-flops. We stayed for around two and a half hours, and I think that was about the ideal amount of time.

It was a fun escape, a great excuse to head out on a day trip (we snuck in some shopping and lots of eating while we were in Rhode Island) and I definitely hope to go again!

Singing, Self-Care, and Sick Days

With late September comes changing weather, and with changing weather comes lots of germs! I'm unfortunately sick already, and took today off so I could rest and get better. I taught a solid 8 hour day yesterday, and my voice was pretty much gone by the time I left. I debated trying to tough it out, but quickly realized that wasn't a smart choice.

I always feel guilty taking sick days, but they're necessary. I am genuinely sick, sneezing and aching and exhausted. But self-care is necessary. I need my singing (and speaking) voice not just for today, but for another 170-ish days of the school year. Toughing it out usually just makes me sicker once I get to this point, and the school year is a long game. I wrote a sub plan and put in my absence. My students will see me next week, and we'll manage to learn what we need to and catch up from a week away from regular music class.

Self-care is important, necessary, and sometimes requires teachers to be out of the classroom for the sake of their physical or mental health. Sickness happens to everyone, and there's no reason for teachers to feel guilty about taking sick days they've earned.