The Gift of Massage

It’s hard for me to believe I’ve been working as a massage therapist for five years now.

My fascination with the body lies in its unique context as the vessel of the spirit. As an energy healer as well as a massage therapist, I am ever mindful that when I touch someone, I’m accessing not just the physical body, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects as well. I’m directly touching the soul of another.

By now I’ve touched literally hundreds of bodies, and therefore, hundreds of souls. What an amazing and humbling experience. I’ve learned to respect the fact that our bodies represent a magnificent intelligence ever at our disposal if we would just learn to listen and interpret. They communicate – unerringly - through sensations and symptoms. Although we may feel betrayed by our bodies, they are in truth our best friends. They never, ever lie and they never give up on us. I remember my deep tissue teacher in massage school telling us that our “issues are in the tissues” and to be prepared for the possibility of deeply held emotions and patterns to come up. I later learned that the soft tissue of the body, not the brain, is where emotional memories are stored. Enough clients have had vivid memories or emotional releases on my table to make me respect this fundamental truth.

There are many great things about massage, but what I love the most is the opportunity it affords for us to feel nurtured and soothed, literally touched by another. So much is conveyed through touch – love, compassion, forgiveness, acceptance. Massage is a unique opportunity to get out of our heads and into our bodies, to become aware of where we’re holding tension or dis-ease or emotional blocks, and to begin to ask what that’s about from a bigger perspective. And, if we’re really lucky, massage is an opportunity to relax to a point of transcendence, when healing at the very deepest levels can occur. What a delicious way to get there!

As much as I love practicing massage, and recognize its significance to my personal journey, I know that - for me - it’s a bridge to deeper knowing and not a destination in itself. I may or may not continue to practice this beautiful healing art, but I will always be a fond and grateful recipient of its many pleasures and soul-satisfying benefits.