I have decided to do an experiment with a client of mine. She is going to receive one massage on a monthly basis and write about her thoughts and emotions surrounding her experiences. My aim is to explore the mind-body connection and how massage impacts a person's overall well-being. This is not a scientific endeavor, but rather a journey that offers insight into how massage therapy can play an integral part in an individual's personal wellness program.
Client A writes about Session 1: "My body was in crisis, so it is no surprise to me that this massage stirred up a lot. I have a pretty vivid imagination and I tend to visualize a lot of things when I meditate, daydream, or get a massage. Since my body was so tense, Kate eased in with pressure. As she did this, I saw many different colors—mostly yellows. I’ve had a difficult time relaxing my mind lately, so having something to focus on like the colors and my breathing—helped my mind calm down tremendously. I have had many massages in the past, but this was the first one where I removed all of my clothes. After today, I understand the benefit of being completely naked. I was covered by the blanket except for the areas she was working on, so I never felt naked. Because there wasn’t anything to get in the way, Kate was able to flow between points with more ease. This helped me realize how each of my muscles is connected; when the muscles in my bottom released, I could feel a release in my jaw, shoulder, and foot as well. I left feeling very mentally and physically relaxed. Update: There have been many stressors in my life lately, as I am starting a business. I feel the weight of all things that a start-up bring with it—financial stress, obsessing over details, trying to get the marketing right, planning events, getting clients. Suffice to say, my mind has been uproarious lately. Last night after my massage, I actually experienced some anxiety. It was not the outcome one might expect after being so relaxed, but it helped push me into solving a lot of problems that I’ve been avoiding lately. I asked Kate about the anxiety I was experiencing, and she said it was possible that being in such a relaxed state of mind may have brought more awareness to the things that have been bothering me that needed to be addressed."
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I have decided to do an experiment with a client of mine. She is going to receive one massage on a monthly basis and write about her thoughts and emotions surrounding her experiences. My aim is to explore the mind-body connection and how massage impacts a person's overall well-being. This is not a scientific endeavor, but rather a journey that offers insight into how massage therapy can play an integral part in an individual's personal wellness program.
Client A writes a thoughtful entry the night before her first massage of the series: "Last winter was rough. I distinctly remember a day in mid-January when my two best friends and I had a very serious conversation determining if we were all depressed because of the weather or if this was our permanent lot in life. I was lying on the floor in sweatpants, a giant sweater, booties, and a fur hat swaddled in a sub-zero sleeping bag. Around me were the remains of a dinner consisting of cookies, hot chocolate and a can of soup…literally…a can full of soup. I hadn’t moved most of the day. This past summer, no longer depressed and happily enjoying some time at the beach, I resolved that this winter will not (can not) get me down the way it has in the past. Every year, I am part of the masses who start working out around April, making lists of fun things to do all spring and summer, and savoring every waking hour from April until night creeps in earlier and earlier. To be perfectly dramatic, there is a direct correlation between the darkness of the days and the darkness of both my mind and my body. I can feel it coming on already. Tonight I almost started crying when I noticed it was getting dark at 6:30. I’ve pretty much stopped stretching. I haven’t consistently done cardio in an embarrassingly long due to injury, then complacency. I am sitting quietly with myself tonight to determine what my body and mind need this fall and winter to avoid six months of the blues. I am 28 years old, but my body feels like it might cease working any day. From head to toe, there are aches and pains that prevent me from enjoying the simplest things, like stretching in the mornings, walking on the crunching leaves, sitting in a movie theater. I have come to think that these pains are normal. They aren’t. My hamstrings, hips, right knee, bottom, lower back, shoulders, neck, and jaw all scream out in different levels of intensity. My lower back, hips, neck and jaw are particularly pesky. They have all hurt in some way for years now, and I can feel them getting worse. I have had massages in the past, but only when my body was aching badly. I realize that my body and my mind are all part of the same package. When one is off, the other follows. I have realized that the first step of maintaining balance this winter is to get my body out of crisis mode. Rather than responding to the pain that accumulates with a massage, I am going to use massage as a tool to keep my body out of crisis. Hopefully my mind will follow!" |
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