With my background in storytelling, it’s not surprising that I quickly came to understand that every body is a story once I started studying massage. There’s the obvious chronological narrative of our lived experience, and also the way our body’s systems work together to keep us alive and healing. Our skin protects us, our heart moves blood and nutrients and hormones, our nervous systems provide motor function and input about our state and environment.
Our stories are as long as our lives, but I’d like to bring our attention down to the shorter term. When we experience pain or discomfort, our awareness of it may seem to come from out of nowhere, and it’s an interesting exercise thinking back to consider: could this story have started earlier? Does what I’m feeling now have an origin I can pinpoint?
When we have our pre-massage chat, there’s a bit of social “hi, how are you?” with an invitation to reflect on how you’ve been using your body lately. Have there been any changes to activities? Are you holding any new postures? Something as innocuous as rearranging furniture or trying a new hobby can cause our muscles or joints to have some thoughts later.
I enjoy crocheting to wind down, but sometimes a new pattern or project can rile up my anxiety. My posture becomes tighter, as does my grip on the yarn, leading to excessive tension in the work as well as in my hands (and consider the rest of the chain upward: elbows, shoulders, neck, and back). A few days later, when the pattern feels familiar and I can relax my posture as I work, I feel that I’ve “fixed” the issue. It always comes as a surprise later when I notice pain or tightness in my hands.
The exercise of winding back to find a plausible source of discomfort is to help you identify a situation as it’s happening, when there’s time for therapeutic intervention. In my crochet example, I noticed that trying a new technique stresses me out mentally, which translates into a tightened posture and eventually physical discomfort. With practice, I can catch myself clenching up, I can identify what is happening, and I can do something about it. Sometimes I shake it out, sometimes I switch to a different activity, and sometimes I look up new instructions or a video to help easy my anxiety of doing an unfamiliar thing.
The tension that we accumulate in our bodies results from the business of living, and our obligations and interruptions demand a lot of our attention. It can be difficult to sort through the noise of recent events and get back to the source, and my questions pre- and post-session are meant to get you to practice this kind of thinking more than to find the answer. You can take your time on the table to do a body meditation, returning your focus to where I am working each time your mind wanders. Try to feel the shape of your muscles and how your tissues are changing, notice points of tension and how it moves and shifts; and when I say “take your time” at the end, give yourself a minute or to to just feel your body before you start to get up.
Now, it may not always feel safe to be connected to your body, and that’s okay. This might be a good opportunity to try a grounding activity such as a walking meditation, weighted blankets or pillows, or looking around your current environment and naming what you see. Get familiar with a number of grounding exercises so that you have different options for different situations. And remember that overwhelm is like a wave; there’s a point at which helpful tools may feel beyond reach. This is NOT a personal flaw; this is information for you to use next time.
If your nervous system allows it, you can practice being in your body in everyday moments. You can do a gradual body scan, or a quick energetic check-in (especially useful before saying “yes” to a task or obligation!). Try it when you’re doing something new or unusual, like assembling IKEA furniture, or holding onto a strap in a bus while standing. Feel the motions of your activity, or put a little motion into your posture if you can, and identify body sensations. How’s your energy? How long since you’ve had a break or changed postures?
As I write this, I am trying to source a pain in my right heel; did I step funny, or forget to mind my body mechanics while working? Is it time to get new shoes? I am testing different positions and weights to see if I can find something familiar; often, the memory of what started a chain of discomfort only comes when a similar sensation or pressure is felt. In the massage room, this can look like reenacting the event, or allowing me to guide your limbs through a gentle mobilization on the table.
I am pleased to announce that I will continue to practice in my original massage room on Cavendish for the next year (through June 2027). You can also find me at Concordia’s PERFORM Centre on Loyola Campus (shiatsu unavailable and rates/promo set by Concordia’s School of Health), and continue to request appointments at Meta 1111 on Queen Mary (near Snowdon, shiatsu currently unavailable). Whether you’re looking to practice feeling in your body, get some tension massaged out of you, or disconnect for an hour or more of self-care; I am at your service.
