Massage Therapy and Touch
I have received one professional massage in my life. It was while I was on vacation in the Galapagos, and it was a part of the cruise deal we got. I am a notoriously stingy person, so the idea of shelling out money for a massage is tough for me to deal with, because I feel like I can spend the money on something physical and substantial instead. The massage therapist speaker, however, made me revisit this idea.
I was pretty nervous before the massage actually, which was pretty funny. I had no idea what to expect, I was afraid the woman wouldn't speak English and then I wouldn't know what to do, or that I would tip an incorrect amount due to the cultural differences. My mind was going a mile a minute. In hindsight, this was a giant waste of energy because the entire purpose of the experience was to relax, but once I walked into the room, the anxiety dissipated. I walked in and laid down on the table, and this kind old Ecuadorian lady began her work.
I was surprised to find that each of the senses were addressed in the following hour. I expected the massage to be situated around touch, the contact between the masseuse and the receiver. This was certainly the main aspect of the massage, with a focus on different techniques and motions and even some gentle assisted stretching. But this woman also held different scented oils under my nose over the course of the massage, starting with patchouli, moving to more invigorating scents like lemon and peppermint , and then returning to calming lavender at the end. There was a clear progression of getting used to the experience, and then as the massage intensified so did the scents, and then back to the relaxing and calm motions and smells. The lights were extremely dim, to minimize the sense of sight and allow for a withdrawal away from that. Calm instrumental music was playing, to provide background noise and something to pay attention to. I really appreciated this, because our sense of hearing is always active. There is always something to hear, and without the music I would have been acutely aware of the silence. At the end, she offered me a cup of tea, rounding the experience off with taste.
I actually drew a lot of parallels from this experience to my yoga experiences. In both cases, the focus is inwards and on the sensations of your body, whether the physical manipulation of muscle by another person, or the fatigue and stretch in a pose. Often, during a class, an instructor will come around and physically touch to make adjustments or assist in deepening the pose. Music plays as well, and there are clear smells during the experience too, although it is often the smell of sweat and humidity. These classes round off with tea too.
The discussion with the massage therapist opened these doors of thought, and I realized that I should invest in something that is clearly so beneficial to my health. I know how yoga helps me, and the similarities I found lead me to want to schedule another massage soon.
I was pretty nervous before the massage actually, which was pretty funny. I had no idea what to expect, I was afraid the woman wouldn't speak English and then I wouldn't know what to do, or that I would tip an incorrect amount due to the cultural differences. My mind was going a mile a minute. In hindsight, this was a giant waste of energy because the entire purpose of the experience was to relax, but once I walked into the room, the anxiety dissipated. I walked in and laid down on the table, and this kind old Ecuadorian lady began her work.
I was surprised to find that each of the senses were addressed in the following hour. I expected the massage to be situated around touch, the contact between the masseuse and the receiver. This was certainly the main aspect of the massage, with a focus on different techniques and motions and even some gentle assisted stretching. But this woman also held different scented oils under my nose over the course of the massage, starting with patchouli, moving to more invigorating scents like lemon and peppermint , and then returning to calming lavender at the end. There was a clear progression of getting used to the experience, and then as the massage intensified so did the scents, and then back to the relaxing and calm motions and smells. The lights were extremely dim, to minimize the sense of sight and allow for a withdrawal away from that. Calm instrumental music was playing, to provide background noise and something to pay attention to. I really appreciated this, because our sense of hearing is always active. There is always something to hear, and without the music I would have been acutely aware of the silence. At the end, she offered me a cup of tea, rounding the experience off with taste.
I actually drew a lot of parallels from this experience to my yoga experiences. In both cases, the focus is inwards and on the sensations of your body, whether the physical manipulation of muscle by another person, or the fatigue and stretch in a pose. Often, during a class, an instructor will come around and physically touch to make adjustments or assist in deepening the pose. Music plays as well, and there are clear smells during the experience too, although it is often the smell of sweat and humidity. These classes round off with tea too.
The discussion with the massage therapist opened these doors of thought, and I realized that I should invest in something that is clearly so beneficial to my health. I know how yoga helps me, and the similarities I found lead me to want to schedule another massage soon.
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