I wanted to share with all of you my experiences lately, my challenges, my successes and what I’ve learned from my clients. A couple things happened this past week that made me hopeful, excited and allowed me to think outside the box. I want to start by saying that massage has many sides and many different avenues to facilitate healing. I’ve had quite a few clients come in lately who are in need of emotional healing rather than just physical, and I could sense it from the moment I saw them walking through the door. I think everyone can relate to losing a loved one, whether it be a friend, family member, or simply someone who you loved dearly. When you go through a tragedy like this it can be impossible to feel anything; almost as though a cloth has been pulled over your eyes and you remain isolated in the pain and trauma. It’s a paralyzing experience that can leave you numb to the world. I could sense it in the way they walked and the pain I saw in their eyes when they told me they just needed to relax and let go of the stress.
Emotional fatique is a real thing that can leave you numb to the world and unable to experience life in full color. My clients briefly mention the tragedy that happened to them before moving onto tension in their shoulders or something tangible, that they can easily point to; but I know right away that they’re here because they need to let go of the emotional and mental struggle going on in their mind and heart. The beauty of massage is that it can heal you on so many levels. The body has layers to it and many different avenues of reaching optimal health and peace. Sometimes people need to be touched with care, love and empathy; they need to be heard and cared for by someone who takes the time to listen. Sadly, a lot of times people aren’t heard by the ones who are the closest to them; sometimes it takes a stranger, someone unattached and uninvolved to allow them to let go of their burden, their hurt and their trauma. So many of us are touched in the wrong way, in a way that is anything but healing, and so many of us are too busy caring for others that we forget to care for ourselves.
I put 100% into my massages and when someone comes into my room who is dealing with emotional trauma I take the extra time to give them a sense of peace and bring them the healing they need. I was happy when my client finally got to that place of complete relaxation that they were able to fall asleep and let go of the stress and worry they came in with. For me this means more than someone telling me that I do amazing deep tissue work because if I’m able to allow my clients to feel comfortable and relaxed enough to fall asleep than I’ve given them respite from their pain for a time, which can help them slowly start to pick up the pieces and move forward. Another thing I wanted to share with you is how I had to think outside the box when working on a client who was muscle guarding to the point where I was unable to give him the movement and stretching he needed in his legs after running a half marathon. I decided to use some different techniques to reach a successful outcome. Instead of doing my usual stretching techniques I used Neuromuscular facilitation and cupping to achieve the goal. Basically, neuromuscular facilitation is a technique used to actively engage the client in the healing process; so it’s an active/resistance that allows the client to have control over the situation while distracting them long enough to reach that optimum stretch/movement. This, along with the cupping, allowed the client to stretch twice as far as he had done on his previous visit. I've found lately that Clients will come in for a massage and want to talk the entire time. This is fine with me, because I enjoy learning about other peoples lives. I also think that many people lack connection through generally conversation, or talking about something beyond work and the weather. We can thank social media for this... and perhaps our culture, which focuses so much on working to live that people don't have time beyond their jobs to form deeper relationships with people. This is just one of the reasons I've enjoyed my run group so much, because every week I have meaningful and fun conversations with people that care about me, and who I care about. It's a healthy way to find some relief from daily stresses. Sometimes its hard to move out of "survival mode" and look at the world in a way that enriches our lives. I’m excited that my appointments are starting to fill up at the Spa again and I’m able to connect with people and help them in their healing journey 🙏 ❤️
How do you find healing and relief in your life? Do you have someone you can reach out to in times of stress? Share your story, insights and comments below!
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