Your Body is Talking…

Rush to get the kids to school. Did they eat? Pack my lunch. Pack husband's lunch. Is my makeup ok? Do I have matching shoes? Where are my shoes? Do I have time to stop for coffee on the way? Off to work. Looking at the clock all the while. We live most of our lives in our minds these days. To-do lists, worries, doubts, criticisms and re-living conversations are the play lists in our heads. You know you need to care for yourself. It may even be a part of your to-do list. You know that taking care of yourself gives a positive image to those around you of how to care for themselves. Who has the time when there is so much to rush around about. How do you make the best decision on what form of relaxation will give you what you need? Speaking as a massage therapist, there isn't much more that I love myself than a good hour and a half massage where I can zone in on me and forget the world for that glimpse of time. I'd take an hour. Who am I kidding...I'd take someone's hand on my shoulder for any length of time! The power of touch is amazing. My children prove it to me daily when a single kiss can soothe any boo-boo!. Massage has a host of benefits: reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, increases oxytocin, improves circulation, soothes aches and pains, improves tissue repair, prevents injury, reduces spasms, increases range of motion, etc. While rushing around in our lives, there are plenty of opportunities for chair massage. This technique is great for a 5-20 minute break. At a going rate of $1 per minute, it is hard to beat. Most events have a massage therapists somewhere. Many grocers have a contract massage therapist. Top employers are even seeing a rise in productivity when they include it in a health package. Self care really does help you be a better person for those you care for and for those you work for. (Some of us are lucky that those people are the same!) While chair massage is great for shoulders, neck and back work; sometimes you need much more. Working through clothing and having gravity working against you can make chair massage hard for a therapist to truly address your concerns. Just as many carpal tunnel issues can truly be a shoulder concern, your shoulder concern could be due to a tight hamstring. Your migraine headaches could be coming from your feet. While that idea may seem far-fetched, remember that your entire body is connected to another part of your body in some way. Your trapezius could be full of knots because it is trying to pull your shoulder back when the rest of your body is trying to pull it forward. (Yes, computer junkies...I'm talking to you!) Table massage can target the entire body. During a session your therapist will listen to you describe where your pain is felt, and they take it from there. Many times I will spend a session working to improve my client's immediate concern and recommend a follow-up session for taking care of other body parts that are truly the culprit. I want everyone that I work with to feel cared for and like someone has really listened to them. But, sometimes, your body is telling me more than you could ever explain. In this time of rushing around, remember to take care of yourself. And if taking care of yourself means booking a massage...I know a great place to start! I hope to see you soon... Lacreshia, LMT