Making a Mind/Body/Spirit Connection with Massage
I envision a time when we all recognize that we are incredibly amazing beings; a time when we value ourselves just because we are here living our lives the best way we know how. I imagine a time when we do not live in a constant state of stress, competition and fear that we are not enough or that we don’t have enough. I imagine a time when we have compassion for others who haven’t yet reached that time (including ourselves). I imagine a time when we put ourselves first so that we are operating in the world from our most balanced place. I imagine a time when we share our talents and gifts and allow ourselves to be compensated well for it. I imagine a time when we really understand that taking good care of our bodies is a key factor in living a happy, healthy, productive life. The time is now.
I experienced my first massage about 20 years ago; little did I know how much that experience would change my life. I had a friend who was attending massage therapy school and was at the point in her education where she needed to practice her skills. I became one of her clients. At the time, I worked at a job where I sat at a desk, talking on the phone and working at the computer for 8-10 hours a day. I also was a single parent to two young children and was taking classes towards my Bachelor’s degree part-time. I was stretched thin in my life. My limited knowledge about massage was based on the few snippets I had seen in movies or on TV of wealthy people at spas wrapped in towels being pounded on the back and of the seedier references to “massage parlors” that clearly indicated that prostitution was involved.
I was delightfully surprised to find that massage therapy was actually therapy. Even at that first massage when I knew nothing about slowing down my breathing and getting quiet, I instinctively relaxed under my therapist’s touch as she massaged my feet, my legs, my arms and my fingers. By the time she got to my fingers, I had closed my eyes. I was intently “listening” to my body’s reaction and the sensation of having my fingers, thumbs, hands and wrists relieved of the stress of holding and gripping the events that were my life. I had no idea how much I had been holding on to and how good it could feel to let it go through someone’s intentional healing touch! I wanted to know what exact movements she was making to bring this much relief and pleasure to my hands but I didn’t want to open my eyes or leave the sensation. I was sold on massage therapy right then and there and she hadn’t even gotten to the real trouble areas of my neck and upper back.
As I continued to receive regular massage from my friend while she was in school, I found that I slept better, my mood improved, I was less achy in my joints and my muscles held less tension. By far though, the best benefit I received was that I got quiet for an hour when I was on the table. That silence, combined with the massage, opened me up to myself. Through the awareness to my dense tissue and fascia, I became aware of another language; one that was subtle yet persistent, one that was loving and forgiving and whispered truths that I had long forgotten. For me, this was the beginning of making a mind/body/spirit connection. I made a pact with myself that this was something that I would continue to do. Even though I lived very close to poverty level at that time, I decided that I would find a way to receive massage on a regular basis. Over the years, massage therapy has helped me heal through many traumas, both physical and emotional.
Many years and life experiences later, I still find massage to be a necessity in my health-care. Receiving regular massage has deepened my understanding of myself and the world around me. It also led me to my work that I am so passionate about. I have been practicing as a licensed Massage Therapist for the past 10 years. I have also incorporated Reiki, Craniosacral, and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) into my practice. What I have learned and am still learning, is that we all have within us the capacity and the potential to experience pain, illness and injury and that we also all have within us the ability to improve and heal from pain, illness and injury. The language of touch, whether directly as with massage therapy or indirectly as with Reiki, or through the subtle “listening hands” of Craniosacral Therapy, reaches us on many layers and levels of our being. We are able to access zones, meridians, Chakras, grids, fields and auras; bones, muscles, organs, ligaments, blood flow and lymphatic flow – all areas where we store information about our lives that either contribute to our well-being or contribute to our dis-ease. When you receive treatment from a holistic practitioner, most likely that practitioner employs techniques that are designed to assist you in accessing your own inner-wisdom to heal at the layer and level of your being that is most ready to be healed. With a skilled practitioner in an environment where the intention and attention is given to your health, your body/mind will not only respond to that intention and attention, it will lead the way for you to become healthy.
Again and again, I witness my clients as they come in for treatment in some sort of pain or level of distress and emerge an hour later in a completely elevated state of being. It is in witnessing the changes I see that affirms my belief that we are all capable of reaching an improved state, an empowered state. It is an act of self-love to take the bold step of making an appointment for one’s care and bolder still to allow your heart and body to do the work of receiving so that you can let go.
There are many complementary modalities of health care that you may really benefit from whether you are healthy, or experiencing some sort of dis-ease. I will name just a few: Massage Therapy, Reiki, Polarity, Acupuncture, EFT, Craniosacral Therapy, and Homeopathy. Some of these modalities are covered by insurance and many are not. All of them are designed to address your total well-being and to get to the core of any imbalances that present as pain or dis-ease in your body. You are worth the investment in the time and money you spend on your desired form of health care. You want to feel good; you want to have treatments that are specific to you and your needs. The time is now to be proactive in your own health care. By receiving what we need, we are better equipped to give what is needed.
Elizabeth Jackson LMT, RMT is a licensed professional Massage Therapist and Energy Worker who enjoys assisting others to achieve their own aspects of well-being through body and energy work. She owns and operates the Center for Balanced Living and Body & Soul Health Solutions offering Massage Therapy, Reiki sessions, Craniosacral Therapy, Tarot Readings and EFT sessions. She also facilitates regular Reiki Shares, group meditations and workshops in Self-Care Health Care. Check out Elizabeth’s practice: Body & Soul Health Solutions on Facebook or at: www.bodysoulmassagereiki.com and www.mainecenterforbalancedliving.com.