I am delighted to feature an extract from Get a Better Massage: Mindfulness Tools for the Massage Client. Here’s a message from the author.

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Below is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Get a Better Massage: Mindfulness Tools for the Massage Client. Increase your Relaxation, Improve your Health and Get the Best Massage Ever! This book is an example of how meditation, mindfulness practices, Ideokinesis, and embodiment can influence and improve life experiences. I cannot say when I began to use these types of mental tools, but it was when I began my certification as a Franklin Method® Educator that I found a means to express this powerful work. In Buddhism this is known as Kayasati, Mindfulness of the Body; and it is one of the four foundations of a Mindfulness practice.

Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, dance and sports are practiced specifically to cultivate a mindfulness of the body. Often this takes form as a proprioceptive practice. This is a practice of the body in space and the perspective is that of the body from the outside. There is an emphasis on the shaping and movement of the body and its actions in space. Current science is showing us the importance and relevance of an interoceptive practice (look up Bo Forbes, or Norm Farb). Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong become a practice of interoception as soon as the breath and the internal feed-back of the body are incorporated. Dance and sports turn to somatic practices and body-work (sports psychology lives here). Within the realm of somatics, getting a massage is the perfect place to develop a body based mindfulness practice. Since it is a passive practice, focus can be placed on the inner sensations of the body and people can develop their skills without distraction. Even if a massage client is not interested in technical terminology, anatomical jargon, or neuroscience; simple mindfulness tools can be utilized to increase the healthy effects of a massage and improve the experience of a massage client.

In my book, Get a Better Massage: Mindfulness Tools for the Massage Client, several categories’ of mindfulness tools are offered as a means to appeal to everyone. Some examples of the categories’ of mindfulness practices include breathing practices, water imagery, lengthening, sinking self-talk and affirmations. The following excerpt would fall under a category of self-talk and affirmations. How we think of our Massage Therapist is directly related to their ability to offer us improved health and wellbeing.

You can find pieces of this project on my website, riemoniquecherie.com. I am open to feedback through my website, designsforbodyandmind.com

Please enjoy,

Rie

Healing Hands

My Massage Therapist [MT] is not an artist, magician, Shaman, Mystical Healer, or a God. But allotting that kind of power to him/her benefits me. How? Positive statements, affirmations, or mantra’s can help to ease both mental and physical tension. If your mind keeps rewinding messages of discomfort, distrust or pain those are more likely to be your experiences. The easiest way to get rid of negative mind chatter is to replace it with something positive. Some of the following examples will make more sense to you than others. Feel free to ignore those which seem silly or are outside of your belief system. Getting the general idea you may feel obligated to create your own unique set of massage affirmations.

As you read the MT Affirmations below be sure to focus on those which fit your personality and needs; read them a couple of times over and use these positive statements during your massage as a tool to block out any negative mind chatter.

“My Massage Therapist is the Best.”

• My MT knows exactly what to do.
• My MT can help me feel better.
• My MT knows what is best for me.
• My MT is skilled and aware of my needs.
• My Massage Therapist is well educated and at the top of their field.

“The Hands of God”

• God touches me through the hands of my massage therapist.
• It is as if my massage therapist’s hands are the hands of God.
• My MT’s hands are the hands of God.
• The hands of God know exactly what I need; which area of tension needs the most attention and the order in which I need to be massaged.
• The God like hands of my MT will give me exactly what I need for my greatest benefit.
• My MT’s knows me, like God knows me, knowing where to start my massage and which part receives attention next.

“My Massage Therapist is a Magician.”

• Light and energy spark from my Massage Therapists fingertips and bathe my muscles in magical energy removing all of my pain and tension.
• When my Magical MT touches me I see that area of my body glowing with my favorite color, or the healing color of new grass green, or the cleaning color of gold, or the warm color of the sun’s rays.
• When my magical MT touches me their power transforms my tension and knots into a released and relaxed musculature.
• Just like a magician my MT transforms frowns into smiles, turns my regular everyday shoulders into something amazing.
• My MT transforms me with magic like pouring milk into a coned newspaper and bringing forth a dove which flies effortlessly.

“My MT is a Shaman intent on creating health within my body.”

• My Shaman MT can see into me and knows exactly which parts of me need to be healed.
• My Shaman MT knows secret and powerful ways to create healing with in me.
• My Shaman MT can see connections with in my body and knows the correct path to take leading me towards better health and happiness.
• Mystical powers of health and light pour into my body through the hands of my Shaman MT.

“My Massage Therapist is a sculptor who creates beauty.”

• My muscles are the clay his/her hands use to create a balanced form of beauty.
• Like creating the sculpture of David, my MT is putting all their attention into my (insert body part receiving the massage), creating the most perfect form.
• My MT sculptors hands are making me into something myself and others will look upon with reverence and love, just as she/he is looking upon me right now.

Picture credits: All illustrations are original artwork from Rie. Unauthorised distribution is prohibited.