La rentrée brings an increase in energy that is felt regardless of your personal situation; there are more people and voices on the sidewalks, in buses, and on the métro. Maybe the demands on your own energy have increased as well: if your are studying or caring for students in your home, or if your workload cycles up in September. Either way, it feels like a good time to revisit who can benefit from receiving massage, when it’s best to seek alternative therapies or rest, and what it is that I bring to the table (and mat!).
Massage therapy works on the body’s soft tissues (including skin, fascia, and muscle fibres) to improve circulation, ease tension, and allow the body to rest. As we move through our daily lives, we accumulate stress that can stiffen our tissues and bind them up, which can cause pain or discomfort. Our muscles get tired or worn out from holding the same posture for hours at a time, whether that be seated at a desk, standing behind a counter, or my personal favourite: twisted into a pretzel in a corner of the sofa.
On the table or on the shiatsu mat, you are given a moment to let your tension go, perhaps even learning of tension you hadn’t noticed you were carrying. It’s a great time to look back over how you’ve been moving or holding yourself recently; frequently, we can trace the tension back to a movement or a pattern that can be adjusted in the future. I can even guide you in a meditation to help you connect with your body and open yourself to its signals.
When I receive massage on a regular basis, I have an easier time falling asleep and I wake feeling more refreshed and energized. I often have a difficult time quieting the hamster of my mind, who wants to run on their wheel and keep me up all night. While I am being massaged, I am practicing making my muscles loose to facilitate the work, and I can practice this in bed as I try to drift off. I also love a good body scan, something that was taught to me when I was a child, long before I knew it counted as a form of meditation.
I start at the feet (for grounding, even if they aren’t touching the floor when I’m lying in bed), specifically the toes. Here I have to remind myself that any level of formatily in meditation is still meditation; if I need to wiggle the toes or feet to better connect, so be it. I progress upward through the feet to my ankles, up the calves and shins to the knees, and on. As I sink into the meditation, focusing on what each part of the body is telling me, I categorize errant thoughts as Plans, Worries, Emotions, etc. and gently bring my focus back to the body scan with grace and complete lack of judgement.
Sometimes I start to drift off before I can even get to the top of my scalp. Sometimes I get swept away by a thought, or a bit of writing I would like to do, and it takes a while to bring my focus back to my body. That’s okay, the mind will wander during a meditation. By the end of the body scan, my hamster is going slow enough that I’m not distracted, and my muscles and bones feel heavy in a pleasant and drowsy way.
There’s a week left to use my promo code for 50% off your back-to-school session (regardless of whether you yourself are a student or teacher). We are reaching the end of my September pet sitting blocks (I will be pet sitting in October as well, but in the neighbourhood so my calendar remains open). I am unavailable:
- Thursday, September 25th
- Sunday, September 28th
The STM maintenance workers’ strike is on, and I am once again disappointed by la Société’s unwillingness to make a fair deal with these essential employees. Consult their website (https://www.stm.info/en/info/service-updates/info-strike) for the most up-to-date information, and consider your route carefully if you have an appointment on one of the affected days. Please communicate with me if there are unforeseen transportation difficulties or if you would like to reschedule.
