Everyone Deserves a Massage

About a year ago, I began to see a massage therapist for ongoing pain in my neck and shoulder.  Spending the day with small children in chairs no taller than my knee tends to do this to a body.  There were some mental obstacles to overcome, but now it has become the one "luxury" I can not live without. 

Admittedly, I am not the kind of person who likes the thought of some stranger touching my body.  It's not so much the other person as much as it is those areas I so carefully decorate with clothing suddenly being exposed.  It's all I can do not to begin composing my letter of apology in my head as I lay there waiting under the sheet for my therapist to walk into the room!  But, once I let the bed warmer, the dim lighting and the soft background music take over,  I know I'm in for an hour of bliss.  Here are just a few reasons why:

1.)  It is physically impossible to do anything else when you are on the massage table.  You can't switch out the laundry or prep for the next day.  You have to just BE STILL.  In today's society, no one knows how to just BE STILL.  It took awhile for me to get used to this lack of activity, but now I look forward to the break from life every other week.

2.)  You connect with muscles you didn't know you had.  Sure, people say this when ever they restart some kind of physical activity, but in this case, I mean it.  I go in each time and describe to the therapist where the pain is, but always overlook something.  As she sends me into that uninterrupted daydream, she finds aches and pains I didn't know I had.  She then "fixes" them and I leave feeling oh, so much better!

3.)  I know no one is going to believe this one, but I actually feel taller when I leave the table.  No, I am not under some kind of delusion that my five foot four frame has suddenly grown three inches.  My theory is that my miracle therapist has relaxed all those muscles that have had me hunched over for two week allowing me to stand with correct posture again.  Regardless, it's an incredible feeling for someone who has gone through their whole life feeling short.

4.)  I believe the last one goes without saying--I leave the building in a state of complete relaxation.  I'm so mellow, I don't even mind writing the check for I secretly know I am the envy of everyone sitting in the waiting room!

So, do not postpone this experience any longer.  It may take a couple of times to overcome those mental stumbling blocks, but for those who are willing to open themselves up, the pay off is huge!