Why Massage? Pain, Energy & Self-Awareness

I believe experiences and emotions are stored within the body and are closely tied to the nervous system. The body never seems to forget an injury or trauma. And yet, the body's capability to heal and change is remarkable and bodywork with self-awareness and education can greatly expedite transformation.

Self-awareness coupled with bodywork can be a freeing catalyst within muscles and connective tissue itself by interrupting the  pain feedback loop between mind and body and instead input something positive into the the lines of communication between the body and mind. If the mind and body receive this break regularly I truly believe it can lead to better energy levels and healing. It is my hope that a client will take an active role in the bodywork, enabling them to become a master of their body. I'm lucky to witness energy and confidence changes within a person over a period of sessions. It is one of the main reasons I love this work.

From personal experience, it was important for me to harness my attention to focus and allow my mind-body to minimize my nagging pain cycles like neck pain, fatigue, effects from corrective foot surgery as a teenager, and teeth grinding. I found relief in meditation, bodywork like chiropractic care and rehab strengthening exercises, working out, and having really honest conversations with myself about how to improve and work towards my goals.  I discovered that by modifying a few things in my environment and behavior, my episodes of pain or tension became significantly less frequent. I learned my body has limitations and I choose activities that are least wearing on my joints.When I start to feel my body produce symptoms I can control the situation and avoid peak discomfort.

What I believe massage does is create space for change to happen. The body inherently always wants to return to good posture and a state of balance. Massage offers a window of time for the muscles to adjust and allow the body to become more energy efficient. A muscle in good posture is going to be much more energy efficient than a weak or ischemic (hardened) muscle. In short, poor postures will create a drain and consume much more energy than is necessary. Wouldn't you rather use all that energy for life? You are worth the investment--massage & bodywork are not just for pampering oneself--when it is done with focus it can be an important part of one's whole integration.