Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Journey of a Lifetime

                                                     There is force within
                                                     Which gives you life
                                                               seek that.

                                                      In your body
                                                      Lies a priceless gem
                                                                 seek that.

                                                      O wandering Suli,
                                                      if you want to find
                                                       the greatest treasure
                                                       don't look outside
                                                                   Look inside
                                                                                    Rumi



 We are going on a journey. No,not a journey that takes us adventures in far away places but a journey of discovery. We are going to discover with fascination  the miraculous wisdom of the body. Mirka Knaster authors "Discovering the Body's Wisdom"and I will be pulling much from her book frequently. 

                "Most of us go through the day without being aware of how we are in our bodies and what they are trying to communicate". Mirka Knaster

                  "The Human body is not an instrument to be used, but a realm of one's being to be experienced, explored enriched and thereby, educated." 
                                                                     Thomas Hanna
As a massage therapist or any massage therapist has heard  often  people say, " I have boulders sitting on my shoulders.my neck is so tight I can hardly turn it, or my lower back is killing me' .
So how do you respond when your body is sending out these signals of pain? 
Do you keep on working through it, or taking some sort of pain relieving pill, maybe a few shots of a favorite beverage to numb the pain? 
The first question I usually ask once I have assessed their muscle tonality do work on a computer, or are you on your feet all day?
Each type of job we do leave its tell-tale signs in the muscles of the body and that is where the pain resides.
Someone that is on the computer 8 or more hours a day every work day eventually start to hunch forward, the neck extends down and the muscles between the shoulder blades are screaming with no relieve.
The sales person who's standing on the cement floor all day or most of the day will have a one hip higher than other from bearing all their weight on one leg instead standing balanced. Mom's of toddlers have the same syndrome because the toddler is sitting on that hip shelve. Hence low back discomfort.
Often I've heard "I didn't even know I had pain there" till after I start working in that area. That is denial but common.
Fortunately, the body is not set in stone and it can be transformed and brought back into balance and ease.
Massage is somewhat of a limited word but one that we are all familiar with.
There is long history of different techniques applied to assisting  you to feel comfortable in your body.
Why not explore with me the "Bodyways" that will work the best for you. Each person is different.
Like shoes you must try them on to see which one will fit the best for which purpose.
Just like you wouldn't wear work boots if you going to a formal affair or would you wear dress shoes to shovel snow. Of course not
Our bodies are a work in process and sometimes we need deeper pressure and the are times when a lighter touch is needed.
It all depends on what needs to be changed and how to change it.
The goal is to improve movement and ease discomfort.
This is the beginning of our journey, next we will explore various techniques to choose from.