As I graduated from massage school years ago the director of the school gave us some parting advice, "Some of you will continue on successfully in this industry and some of you won't. If you are passionate about this and want to succeed, my recommendation is that you massage as many people as you can right away, more than what you have already massaged during your training."
I smiled the other day as what he said popped into my head. This after massaging a couple of clients where deeper realizations were experienced on both our parts. These weren't realizations that could be taught from a book or from a teacher in front of the room, it was these kind of realizations the massage director knew would come to us after years of dedicated massage practice.
Organic, raw realizations of being so present that you experience deeper universal truths of how amazing our mind/body truly is.
As I sunk my elbow deeper into my clients back muscles there was a point where my pressure could go no further. An internal resistance, which as a novice massage therapist years ago would have had me try harder and massage harder, many times hurting my own body. All while feeling how no difference had been made with my clients tight muscles.
When I met this resistance recently in a client, I do what I always do. I slowed down more and backed off in my pressure just a bit. This to give the muscles a little energetic message that it was ok to let go and relax. Sometimes in these cases the muscles are so wound up from internal stress, they do not let go and will not let go no matter how hard a massage therapist presses. I promise. In this case as I let up in my pressure, at that point the client himself realized he was not letting go internally. He internally felt how it was his mind that was affecting his muscles being tight.
I was so happy he realized that I let out a happy giggle. A joy for me to witness. He could feel that deeply in himself and his own internal awareness/resistance. He knew his resistance to his own relaxation was why he his muscles deeply tight. A beautiful moment for both of us. As he said he had never experienced his internal awareness like that before. Then I knew it would set the stage for him to really begin his healing process of awakening to deeper relaxation in himself.
The other amazing realization actually came when working on another client doing deep tissue massage as well. As I met his resistance I let up a little again. I asked him to be aware of what his breath was doing which is always a good thing to do with any type of massage. As I started to explain a little more about breath linking to internal resistance, I made the utter connection that if we can be aware of our breath as a conscious vibrating energy(and it is), that breath work can be like giving ourselves an internal deep tissue massage & deep inner yoga stretch at once. All from the inside out. Our energy gets bound up inside just like our muscles get bound up outside. Plus it is all connected as one. Breath is a bridge linking both. As I said it will not matter how deep I massage tight muscles. When we have inner bindings and stress in our soul and are not aware of it. We can learn to consciously let it go or we coil right back up to being tight.
As I made this realization during the massage, the client was also experiencing it internally while I was explaining to him. In combination together he used his breath to give himself the internal unwinding while I was doing the external unwinding with my hands. During which I was realizing how much I love what I do and am truly blessed. I realized it was exactly those beautiful moments of synchronistic, conscious connection that my massage director was talking about. I smiled in deep gratitude for the gift of wisdom he gave us.
advancedmassagesolutions.com Redding Therapeutic Massage and Redding Yoga
Searching for Massage Therapists and Yoga Instruction in Redding, CA? Advanced Massage Solutions and Yoga in Redding, CA by Cheri Davis. Cheri offers Professional, Therapeutic Massage Therapy and Yoga instruction. Cheri Davis of Advanced Massage Solutions and Yoga is a Certified Massage Therapist, Certified Yoga Teacher and Mind/Body Awareness Guide. Cheri Davis has 11 years professional massage and 13 yoga experience.
Advanced Massage Solutions and Yoga specializes in visionary and alternative healing solutions for pain relief, stress reduction, injury recovery and peace of mind. Advanced Massage Solutions and Yoga in Redding, CA offers deep tissue massage, spa massage, sports massage with an emphasis in helping clients heal from injury. Side by Side Couples massage is becoming more popular in Redding, CA and Advanced Massage Solutions and Yoga offers that as well as Couples Massage Private Instruction in her Redding, CA Massage Studio.
In addition Cheri Davis is yoga instructor who teaches private yoga instruction for people who wish to take their yoga practice to the next level and learn how to be deeply present in their mind/body. Advanced Massage Solutions and Yoga is located inside a downtown spa in Redding, CA. This Massage therapist massage studio is in The Spa Shoppes in downtown Redding.
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