My Relationship with Massage Therapy
Massage is my #1 healing therapy and personal choice of self-care. For the past ten years, I have “faithfully” practiced this self-care method without fail, averaging 1-2 sixty-minute massages every month and sometimes splurging with 90 minutes. I’ve gladly exclaimed, “if I have to miss a meal, I will, before I miss my therapy!” Massage therapy is healing my mind, body, and spirit: the TOTAL me. It’s a spiritual practice. Yes, it’s that serious to me! I’ve been feeling a little off lately, a sort of out-of-balance feeling, and in my quiet space this morning, the awareness came to me that there is a direct link between my therapy and my overall well-being, my grounding! When I’m laying on the table waiting for my therapist, I’m praying, I’m meditating, I’m bringing all of me into that NOW moment so that ALL of me can receive the healing that is relevant for that time. Massage is a time to connect with my Source, God. It’s the time when we can share an intimate space of oneness and I become grounded deeper and deeper in the love that is so abundantly available to us all. As I lie there with my body in a straight line and arms stretched out to both sides, it reminds me of the cross, and the thought of such alignment with the universe is very refreshing. Lying prostrate before God in the posture of prayer is very symbolic of an altar where I lay it all down. I pray for myself, my therapist, and many other matters of the heart and life. I pray for my therapist not only because she’s an awesome person but also because I recognize that she is the vessel through which this part of my healing will occur. I pray for her mind, her strength, her hands, her energy, etc. Energy is transferable, you know! Massage therapy definitely energizes my chakras. Just in case you’ve never heard that word before now, chakras are energy centers in the body. There are a total of seven, ranging from the crown of the head, down to the lower abdomen. When my chakras are in balance then so am I. Massage therapy reminds me of the miracle that I am and that my therapist is, as we are both authentic, unique, creative expressions of the divine nature of God. Before she begins her creative work of bringing forth healing, I am already creating the space for that healing to be received in the most abundant way! That is an important step that cannot be missed. YOU MUST CREATE SPACE FOR YOUR HEALING !!! For me, that means literally creating an atmosphere that welcomes my healing, muting all of my overthinking, turning down the volume on those self-sabotaging thoughts, replacing them with positive affirmations, and most of all, declaring that I am ready to receive my healing!
There are undoubtedly numerous benefits to massage therapy. I’ve listed a few below.
Holistic benefits of massage therapy:
- increased energy
- mental clarity
- improved concentration
- reduced stress & anxiety
- relieving muscle tension & stiffness
- better circulation
- strengthening the immune system
- the removal of lactic acid & toxins
- support for the lymphatic system
- improved sleep
- the releasing of endorphins (the feel-good chemicals)
As a holistic practitioner, I encourage my clients to develop a regular self-care regimen. That regimen should be what works for them and brings them to a place of harmony and balance: mind, body, and spirit. This should not be optional and I believe it’s necessary for everyone! It’s important to our existence and the work that each of us came here to do, that we always feel our best and show up in the world BEing our best! When was the last time that you carved out time in your busy schedule just for you and to be with just you? Do it today.
