Did you notice in the "What to expect" section of my Policies that you're welcome to choose the music for your massage? Music helps set the tone of the massage - whether you want to relax, be more fluid or feel energized. My favorite album lately is Zoe Keating, "Into the Trees." I love the sound, feel and look of a cello, and Zoe Keating layers all the possible sounds you can make with the instrument into a rich, intriguing, beautiful symphony. It's all instrumental, which many people prefer during a massage since words can be distracting. Others may prefer music they're more familiar with - classic jazz such as Ella Fitzgerald, perhaps? Or they might enjoy slow, meditative, new age music like "Relax: A Liquid Mind Experience" for deep relaxation.
What would you like to listen to during your next massage? Sounds of nature, The Beatles, Thievery Corporation, new age, classical, specific instruments? I'll keep your comments in mind when I expand my music collection.
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November 4, 2012
Grandma remembered me, mostly. She introduced me to someone as her young cousin, then realized, “no, that isn’t right. You’re my…” “Granddaughter,” I finished for her. She smiled and chuckled. She did remember that I visited with the whole family two weeks ago. My aunt Sandy was in town and together with my mom she rounded up the rest of our family – another aunt, uncle and cousins. She enjoyed seeing everyone, and recognized them, mostly. When one of my cousins arrived late, Grandma introduced her to everyone. Grandma didn’t recognize her, and mom pointed out, “she belongs to Mark” (my uncle). She recognizes people and makes the connections when parents visit with their children or when couples come with each other. When Sandy first got into town, my stepdad Chris picked her up from the airport and brought her to visit Grandma. Chris has visited fairly often with my mother, but this time Grandma didn’t recognize him. Had my cousin come with Mark and had Chris come with Mom, she may have made the connection. It was an awkward dinner. My youngest cousin of 15 years didn’t even make eye contact with her. She was fiddling with her smart phone half the time, and during the brief moments they interacted she was looking down. The most awkward moment, with a long period of silence, came as everyone was leaving that night. Grandma said, “Thank you all for coming to say goodbye.” I was standing a few feet behind her and I wanted to put my hands on her shoulders, but I was afraid to startle her, coming from behind. Do you ever feel frozen in an awkward silence, with a stream of thoughts running through your mind but with no confidence or courage to say or do anything? My cousin in front of her simply said, “It’ll be ok, Grandma.” She’s dying slowly, with her cognitive functions diminishing. My mom always asks her, “how are you today?” to which she replies, “Oh, the same as always I guess.” I hear she has bad days, but I haven’t seen her often enough to know what those are like. Shortly after that dinner, I went to another assisted living center with my BCMT class to work on elderly clients, including people in the reminiscence ward - people with dementia & Alzheimers. They have difficulty finding the right words. They enjoy massage, but when asked if they want one, they might respond, "no" or "I don't know." I spent at least 15 minutes with one woman at this center, who at first simply turned her head away when I asked if she would like a massage. She seemed engrossed in something happening across the room. I sat next to her, gently rubbed her shoulders, and a few minutes later noticed her hand twitching slightly, so I held it as I continued to rub her shoulders. When working with those who have trouble with language, noticing non-verbal cues is crucial. Being patient and working slowly are also important. After being with her for 10 minutes, which felt like a very long 10 minutes, she finally said that it felt good. Massage therapy improves the quality of life for those with dementia - reducing stress, depression and agitation - and all it takes is a gentle shoulder rub while being present, aware of their non-verbal cues and having patience. Touch is a basic human need. If you know someone with Alzheimers, practice your compassion and reach out a hand for them. If you'd like to learn more about people with Alzheimer's, here are some interviews and some articles on new research: If you're the trendy type, you're likely making resolutions right now, seeing the new year as a new beginning. I just finished reading the book Switch: How to change things when change is hard, by Chip Heath & Dan Heath, a gift to the family from my brother. Regardless of the time of year, this book inspires change.
From January to March last year, everything in my life changed - my family moved, a romance ended, I took a pay cut at work, forcing me to find a new job, and I was often sick. The best change of all, by my choice, was enrolling in Boulder College of Massage Therapy. My graduation speech (previous blog) may give you an idea of what I gained from that change. Last spring was a new beginning. Now that I've graduated, I'm facing a new beginning once again, but this time with more independence, a larger pile of debt, and a deeper knowledge of myself and good health. So I'm making resolutions along with everyone else. The Heath brothers have some excellent advice on how to make resolutions stick:
There are many other tips and inspiring stories in Switch, and you can read the first chapter on their website if you want to check it out. When following through with resolutions, it helps to share them with others. So tell me, what are you going to change this year? The first thing we read when we walked into Michelle Howard's Kinesthetic Anatomy class was a Socrates quote - "Know thyself." We learned at BCMT about the limitations and possibilities of our bodies, hands and minds. We realized that we are stronger than we thought, capable of more than we thought. We learned to trust our intuition, to trust ourselves and our hands. We learned the importance of self-care, and discovered pain and patterns of tension in our bodies that we can now accept or work with to become stronger and more relaxed. We've become more playful... thinking back to that day of sound and toning in Integrative where we waltzed around the halls playing instruments, and we took our parade into the elevator. I think the sound of bells, whistles & drums helped clear the stale air. We've also become more open and confident in the past 9 months, as many of my friends have noticed.
When asked what surprised him most about humanity, the Dalai Lama answered, “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money, then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” Thank you Melanie, for teaching us to live in the present. Thanks to everyone who taught us patience and slowing down. For the parents out there concerned about our finances and theirs, I have to put in a plug about preventative care. We've learned to improve our posture, better our health and reduce our stress. 75-90% of visits to family physicians are for stress-related problems. Not only do massage therapists help ease tension in their clients, they tend to relieve their own anxiety when giving a massage. I've spent the last 4 years unsure of what career I wanted to pursue and hating my jobs in various fields. Back in March, I came home from career night giddy as a girl full of sugar going to Disney World. I realized I found my calling. In that first quarter at BCMT, I looked forward to learning something new every day, and I am confident that this was the best decision I have ever made. So thank you parents, family and friends for your support. Thank you, Wendy, for setting a good foundation with us in Shiatsu. Thanks to all of our excellent teachers for teaching us first how to heal ourselves so that we can help others more effectively. Thank you for helping us find ourselves. |
AuthorIntuitive energy healer, massage therapist and somatic coach in Asheville, NC, bringing you insight and inspiration on healing and conscious living. Formerly in Boulder, CO. Archives
June 2022
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