Congratulations. When I was teaching, I found that many beginning therapists "washboard" their strokes- they massage as though they were washing clothes on a washboard, pumping their arms and shoulders until exhausted. Make body posture and body mechanics a priority if you expect to have a long, healthy career in MT. Keeping your arms straight, and stepping into - and back from- each stroke will help in the long run. You will need to train your body to use the hips and leg muscles to do a bigger share of the workload. Next, learn about leveraging strokes and body areas. I've been a CMT for 32+ years. I do a lot more resistive bodywork techniques, wherein the client actually does a lot of the harder work. The theory- When you tighten one muscle (let's say a bicep), it's opposite relaxes (the tricep, in this case). When a client has a tight muscle, I devise a posture for bracing a tightening of the opposite muscles, thereby relaxing the one with the tightness issue. Ref "reciprocal inhibition". I also do much of my neck work seated on a rolling stool, or by using crossed arms. I wish you luck. Remember that you won't be taking care of others for very long if you don't prioritize your OWN body mechanics and health. I wish you well.