Massage and Movement

Twice in the last week I have had clients comment with excited discovery, how beneficial regular massage is.

Both women, in their 40's and 50's,  came in to see me originally for injuries. The first is a corporate woman turned dog walker with a shoulder injury, the second had a bad back. Both came in to see me last week for the third or fourth time, and remarked at how, now that their injuries are healing, they are experiencing other benefits. 

Coming in regularly, once a week or every other week, has helped them become aware of other body issues before they became difficult to treat. Plus they just feel better overall.

This painting is from Janet Morgan's Healer Series (www.JanetMorgan.net), it's hanging just outside the door to my office right now. The serenity and peace in this healer's face, is the perfect image for my clients to to see as they walk out of the studio, after a session. I've been working with energy in my sessions for many years, but one in particular this past year stand out.

One man, who has had trouble sitting for 2 years, comes in for treatment. He is unhappy, not sleeping well, uncomfortable for most of the day. I treat the muscles of his legs and suggest he see a chiropractor, as his legs splay out. He comes back one week later, with a hopeful diagnosis, from the chiropractor. The chiropractor believes it will take a year for him to get better. But with each weekly massage session, this man changes profoundly. His discomfort lessons, his attitude changes, his posture improves, and he comes to the door a friendly upbeat human vs the grumbling man who first came to the door. There is light in his face.

Last June I left New York City for the Berkshires, for 12 days, for a 'leg' of the Somatic Education program that I am in. I was so looking forward to being in the country--to sitting in the sun on my friend Deborah and Davio's deck in between classes, to visiting local nature spots, and to enjoying the light streaming in through the floor to ceiling windows of the dance studios at Earthdance.

It rained almost every day.

 (forest illustration: painting by Heidi Smith:"Spring Runoff in Santa Barbara Forest", http://heidismithartist.com/)

I've been doing energywork for over twenty years ( I just thought back to my first class, and realized its been that long, wow.)  It's a part of every session I do and every class that I teach. But I don't always talk about it. Its simply part of how I work. Some people do not understand it, or are unsure that it exists. Even so, it is an important part of every session. When a client brings up the subject, it is always nice for me, to be able to talk openly about energy--discuss it, answer questions about it, etc. 

Especially in NYC, when your bag, is, often literally, your trunk--what bag do we wear?

  Sometimes a backpack will do--the equal force of weight coming down through the body, ensured by the straps being on either shoulder, can make it the more comfortable choice. But a backpack is cumbersome, especially if one has a big coat on. It is difficult to reach wallet and metro card when doing errands and public transporting. Also, it makes you sweat!

Then there are courier wear/biker bags. These bags are easy to wear, easy to gain access to, and its nice to be able to shift them around to different positions. I've used one of these on and off since 1998, but if I wear it across my body, as it is meant to be worn, I usually get sciatica, or some other kind of back pain, or shoulder ache. It's asymmetrical wear, means your muscles and other tissues will respond asymmetrically. Your whole alignment (level of hip etc) will respond in an unbalanced way. Depending on who you are, this may not matter so much in the moment. But my body responds fairly quickly with signals of pain.

A new client, a dancer, just asked me today, "How is a Thai Massage different than a regular Massage?".  We talked about the differences, and the similarities, for awhile, and it strikes me as a totally relevant topic to blog on to you now. 

Thai is different in that it is a three dimensional massage. As you receive you are being moved, turned, and stretched. As the receiver you are feeling many of the ways your body can move. During a regular Swedish table massage you are still/passive as you receive the massage strokes, kneading, and pointwork. Both treatments leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed. The Thai also energizes you. Thai is especially good for the joints, as it mobilizes each one, getting the synovial fluids going. Table very thoroughly moves your lymph and your blood--this is especially good if you are achey before the massage. Of course, then there is that you are fully clothed during a Thai, whereas you are unclothed during a Table massage, covered by a sheet for your privacy.

A Thai massage is a cultural experience that goes back literally 2,000 years to its inventor, the Buddha's doctor.  Swedish Massage, like allopathic medicine, is a more modern field in Western culture, though it also has roots going way back in countries like India.