3 Ways to Have the Best Massage Ever
If you are making time for self care in your life, well done! That’s the hardest part—but are you making the most of it? Could it be better? Do you want to integrate healing into your life in a more intentional way?
Timing
In an ideal world, we would all be able to get regular massages and then have the rest of the day off. If possible, schedule your massage at a time when you know you will be able to stay in a state of relaxation for as long as possible afterwards—not hurrying off to work or workout. The body responds incrementally to new information and the effects of the massage can keep unfolding for hours or days after a session. Respect your body’s healing process by getting some extra rest.
If your schedule doesn’t allow for that kind of space, not to worry. Feel firmly grounded in your feet before entering the grocery store. Take some deep breaths before you start the car. Smile gently to yourself to keep the nervous system relaxed.
2. Breath and Body Awareness
There’s a reason why we talk about the breath so much in yoga and meditation. When you bring awareness to the breath, you shift the focus from the thinking mind into the feeling body. The breath also grounds and relaxes the nervous system, which can be an asset to you during the massage itself. The more relaxed you feel, the more effective the work will be. If the massage gets a little intense, try taking deep breaths in through the nose and out the mouth; this helps move stress and tension out of the body.
You might become more aware of certain areas of your body or even certain emotions during a massage. It’s important to let yourself notice whatever comes up without judgment; this is the body’s way of receiving new information, so listen up.
3. Cannabis
We are still in the process of unlearning a lot of harmful propaganda about cannabis as a society, but the reality is, cannabis has been used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years to treat hundreds of different health conditions with minimal side effects. It’s also an extremely useful tool to help people relax and become more aware of the body’s experience. Many people feel anxiety or paranoia when consuming THC, and that may be in part because those feelings also reside in the body. Growing in popularity, CBD is used to bypass the head high while still enjoying the relaxing effects of the medicine.
For those who enjoy cannabis or are curious about it, there’s a whole expanding world of health and cannabis out there, including ganja yoga and sound healing. My clients that use cannabis before a massage describe feeling more relaxed and capable of absorbing the benefits of bodywork.
In a world that needs a lot of healing, why not use every tool we have to go deeper?