I am going to write a series of posts on massage therapy and perhaps other holistic health treatments this year. I have been getting massages on a regular basis for 30 years and while other people may consider it something they do occasionally as a luxury, for me, it’s an integral part of my health regimen.
In my research to start this post, I found an article on the “History of Massage Therapy” and was surprised to find out how old this form of therapy actually is, dating back over 5000 years.
In a fairly recent session with a massage therapist as we were discussing some dietary improvements I had been making, she suggested to consider my diet as “food, sunshine, sleep and movement.”
In the above linked article is a quote from Hippocrates who “promoted a combination of massage, proper diet, exercise, rest, fresh air and music to restore the body to a healthy state.”
I like that concept and since massage has been such an important aspect for me for so long, I will be writing about different techniques I’ve experienced and some I will be experiencing for the first time this year.
I will establish a few ground rules in that I will never use a massage therapist’s name or practice without their permission and will also not share negative experiences. Just because something isn’t a positive or enjoyable experience for me doesn’t mean that would be the same for someone else.
Let me give you an example. Many years ago, I visited a massage school and received a treatment from one of their students. Overall, she gave a fairly decent massage with one exception. She did not touch my left arm or hand at all. I questioned her about it afterwards and she said she was Muslim and that the left hand is considered unclean. Having traveled overseas to the Middle East when I was in the U.S. Navy, I suspected this was the reason. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I don’t use that hand. 😊
However, while the experience wasn’t what worked for me, it might be perfectly acceptable for many.
Over the course of the last 30 years, I have experienced a variety of techniques including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Thai, Trigger Point, Ashiatsu, Lymphatic, Hot Stone, Cranial Sacral, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Cupping and Reiki.
I received benefit from all and will use my series on this topic to promote consenting massage therapists in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and anywhere else I travel this year. I hope you get something out of this series and explore the different massage services in your area.
Namaste
Jeff
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