Frequent Caller Bassil Works Out The Kinks

RunnerGirl is in training for both her “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” taping in New York AND a 100 miler (within days of each other — which gives her an iron-clad excuse if the 100 miler doesn’t work out as planned.) Throw in a demanding career and a nice dose of volunteer work, and RunnerGirl can get a little tense.

She is currently hooked on this season’s “Project Runway” and has taken on contestant Suede’s affectation of speaking in the third person. OK, it has already gotten old — I will stop. Someone tell Suede to do the same thing, please. And don’t think we’re NOT going to Mood fabrics while we’re in NYC. Holla at your boy. Make it work.

Now, the title of this post may lead you to believe that someone who crank calls people is the personal trainer to Ray Davies and his band members, but no.

Fellow fans of the Armstrong & Getty radio program know of Bassil, the frequent caller who immigrated to the U.S. from the Middle East more than 20 years ago. He offers astute and educated commentary on both domestic and foreign affairs, and he is such a respected caller that he has been an in-studio guest on a few occasions.

Not only does Bassil have good taste in talk radio, but he is also a certified massage therapist.

While I have my regular group of CMTs, physical therapists, and orthopedists whose services I enlist for whatever my training requires, I’m always willing to try a different massage therapist. Bassil has been a CMT since 2002, and he works out of of Perceptions in Fair Oaks. I paid him a visit last Friday, and he instantly put me at ease.

Our conversation about the A&G show was limited to, “Were you able to listen this morning?” when I first got there. He had me fill out a questionnaire with an overview of my health and exercise habits, and we talked about what areas of mine needed some extra attention during our session (calves, IT band.) The massage room was spacious, clean, and well-appointed.

He told me that I only needed to remember to breathe, and that was all that I was supposed to do.

I’ve been to many CMTs in my time, several of whom do not deviate from what seems to be a standard session. Bassil’s technique was different — he talked to me about what I wanted to get out of our time, and I really felt like the session was customized to my needs.

He had the gift of working out my kinks, while at the same time, putting me in that almost-falling-asleep stage where I had all of the weird dreamlike images in my head. Leaving the day spa completely relaxed, I barely noticed the Friday traffic.

I felt the effects of Bassil’s work the next morning when my running buddy and I made our way up (and down) the Stagecoach trail and K2 in the Auburn-Cool area on Saturday morning. Where my calves would have ordinarily been balled up and on fire about midway up K2, I kept trucking along.

I will definitely be making a return visit; in fact, I’ll squeeze one in post-Millionaire, pre-run.

Bassil Kamas, CMT
Body Serenity
Fair Oaks Pointe Shopping Center
8525 Madison Avenue, Suite 144
Fair Oaks, CA 95628
916-247-4321