Are we underestimating just how powerfully beneficial a relaxation massage can be? It is a deeply held and championed belief for many that relaxation massage is not as effective for releasing tension from the body as a firm deep tissue style massage. It’s a ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality. But should we begin to question and ponder the possibility that when we induce painful “healing” techniques into an already strained body… • Are we in fact bringing it into further tension? • Is the relief or reprieve we experience days after the painful techniques that are applied actually a true release from the original tension that was presented? • Or is it possible that one is simply feeling the relief of the painful poking and prodding stopping and not noticing that the original tension or complaint they presented with has in fact just been buried deeper into the body as the body went into further hardening and protection? It’s actually not an outrageous thing to consider. Let’s look at massage from a different perspective. When we injure ourselves we tend to immediately and naturally want to be gentle and tender in the handling of the said injury. It’s not natural for us to start poking and prodding a cut or a broken bone, we instinctively
want to cradle and nurture the affected part of the body. So why are our muscles treated any different? When we over work our body, over exercise or allow a build-up of emotional stress among other things, our muscles contract with tension. This is the body’s way of communicating to us that it is not being supported, cared for or nurtured in a way that is harmonious to our body and being. Our body is telling us that our lifestyle is not supportive of our true nature which is tender, gentle and delicate. Our body is asking for love, it’s asking for a warm, tender, caring touch that reflects who we truly are and will facilitate a melting into itself. Let’s consider this, is it possible a tense body can be approached with a technique that truly supports and facilitates a re-connection to the true inner-most part of the human-being, which then in itself, allows the body to naturally release tension itself. This is facilitated by a truly nurturing touch from a practitioner that understands that they are not the one doing the healing but merely supporting the clients self-healing through gentle, non-invasive techniques that do not need to bring further pain and discomfort to an already dis-harmonious, contracted body. How can this not be powerfully beneficial? How can this not be anything but a truly healing experience particularly if it encourages one to use the feeling afterwards as a marker of how they could be feeling every day? How can a relaxation massage be viewed anything less than an important part of any self-care ritual or regime? Relaxation massage asks one to appreciate that they are in fact a gentle, delicate and fragile being that deserves to be handled and acknowledged as such. We just have to surrender to this fact to truly allow through the volume of love that is being offered by such a gorgeous modality.