Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Massage - the Great Unknown

The longer I'm around Massage, the more it seems like something which is one of those "best kept secrets" - it  has so much to offer and yet is so rarely recognised as such!

I was lucky enough to stumble across Massage at a party when I was about 17. Until then it hadn't really entered my sphere of knowledge and even then it was many years before it became anything other than something I did occasionally for friends. Likewise, I'd receive a shoulder rub here and there but the thought of booking in for a Massage, spending time and money on "Me Time", never even crossed my mind. Even as I was doing my first Massage course I didn't book in as a client with an existing, experienced therapist. I mean, why would I?

Looking back now I can't believe I didn't twig sooner that, actually, to be the best I could be as a Massage therapist I really needed to understand what it was like to be a client. Not just someone who had felt other therapists Massage during practicals on my course, but someone who valued herself enough to book in regular appointments and learn the full scope of what Massage could offer.

I'm still learning that full scope - and it's an amazing journey! I wish I could communicate just the things I have felt and witnessed Massage can do - that's my current challenge.

What is true is that I see my fortnightly Massages as an integral part of looking after myself - they're not optional, they're not indulgence, they're important for my health. A major challenge for me is the disconnect I get between what my body is physically capable of sustaining and what my mind thinks it should do. How's that as a recipe for burn out? But Massage is such a powerful tool to get back into touch with what, physically, I can do. And when it's time to give myself a break and get some rest, even if just for a couple of hours.