get a massage

Get one.   It's so obvious, right?  The benefits are numerous, and many can't be articulated in words, but let me do my best to describe what happens when we get a massage:

Time to let the body heal:

First off, there is the simple fact that for a whole session, be it ninety minutes, or sixty, or fifteen, there is nothing we have to do but receive.  What a relief!  The less we can actively "do" during a massage session, the more fully we can reap the benefits of what we've come for.  This practice of not-doing activates the parasympathetic nervous system/puts us in "rest and digest" mode, and from there our body can do what it was made to do: move food and fluids effectively, and scan itself for areas of infection or dis-ease in order to flush out weakened tissue.  We are self-healing machines!  All we have to do is give ourselves time to do what already do well.  This leads to better digestion and a healthier immune system: more protection from the flus and colds that attack our friends and co-workers.

For me, that right there is enough, and there's more!

Freedom from pain:

Another thing that happens during a massage is areas of tension in our muscles break down under the therapist's hands.  This is probably the most commonly shared phenomenon while receiving massage.  That feeling of pressure going over a speed bump in my shoulders and then noticing that the speed bump is gone.  Substances such as lactic acid can move from being locked up in my soft tissue to moving freely through the body as they should.  Suddenly I feel light and flexible in areas that had felt tight and painful. 

Enhanced creativity and better insight into problems:

When we take a break from worry about our cares and responsibilities, our minds are free to come up with new and creative ways to solve the puzzles and problems of our lives.  When we know that we are safe, a new form of insight can come to us, even if it doesn't happen on the table.  It may be days or weeks later, but after we've had a chance to let go for a moment like we can on a massage table, a formerly impossible situation may suddenly seem to resolve itself, the solution is so obvious.

As I write and reread this, it feels like I'm making unreasonably marvelous claims about the benefits of massage, but the only reason I say these things is that I've felt it happen in my own life so many times, and I have watched it happen over and over in the bodies, minds and lives of my own clients.  I have seen how the simple act of attending to the health of a person with my hands, or receive that kind of work, simply makes my life better.  I feel healthier and free from pain, I make better decisions, I have more fun in my body.  

Go get some work.  And let me know how you feel.