Why massage therapy? Because touch heals us all in different ways. Technology has taken over so much, which in some areas is fantastic – we are advancing as human beings. But at the same time, we forget to care for ourselves, which doesn’t help us take care of others. Our world seems to have become hostile over the years, which has caused a massive pandemic. When Covid-19 hit, we rushed to find a solution; it was a true pandemic. It didn’t matter where you lived, what race, gender, or what your financial status quo was. But that's not the pandemic I want to talk about. For decades, we have been dealing with another pandemic that isn’t getting called out enough and recognized for the trauma it is causing. Our world has become overloaded with technology, stresses of work, family life, shuffling from one point to the next, and our health. We rush into everything, forget about ourselves, and stop listening to our bodies cry out for help. Our bodies want us to relax and take care of it because we only have this human body once. And if we listened, it might just cancel out some of those health issues or stressors that are not that important.
Anxiety/Stress, the true pandemic of our century, is leaving our nervous system so wound up and jittery that we have just accepted it as the new norm. But it doesn’t have to be the new norm. We can make it better. We need to take the time to take care of us first.
I have dealt with severe anxiety over several years. Shortly before the Covid pandemic, I decided to take control of this anxiety/stress because I knew if I didn’t, that, one day, that one panic attack would be a heart attack. I began going for short walks, which have now turned into walking six to seven miles a day; I started eating better, and I lost some added weight I had gained from all the stress buildup. Over time, I started listening to my body. We have such an amazing body. When one part isn’t functioning right, others try to chime in – regulating hormones, pushing blood in areas that need it more, working our muscles in overtime so our bones can keep us standing, and our cells become these mini soldiers trying to fight for us. All we need to do is listen to it.
In massage therapy school, we have to clock so many hands-on hours. So, our class is divided in two, we work on our partners, and vice versa – so, yes, I was getting a massage daily – IT WAS FANTASTIC! Not only did these hours teach me the skills and techniques to help my clients, but they also taught me personally the benefits of massage therapy. I had noticed that since being in school, my anxiety/stress had tremendously reduced due to consistently having massage therapy. When my program got to the part when I was mainly in the clinic seeing clients, I started noticing the difference in my muscles being tense; I could feel the heaviness in my neck and shoulders, and I felt more stressed than I had typically been feeling, without any significant changes. Massage lowers cortisol and increases serotonin and dopamine. You don’t have to have a daily massage to achieve this – in fact, I don’t recommend daily massages – but weekly, bi-weekly, or once-a-month massage sessions that you set aside for yourself would do you wonders.
One of the best things I started doing for myself, besides walking a lot, is getting a massage. I have my own massage therapist who knows that even though I may have a few muscle knots, it doesn't always mean I want them "worked" out or that they "need" to be worked out. Sometimes, by relaxing the body, the nervous system will naturally work the knots out over time. Unleashing a flood of toxins and tension and finally setting yourself free!
So why massage therapy? I believe that touch is so therapeutic that it can transform our physical, mental, and spiritual selves individually in different ways.