Co-written by Marsha Smith, MSW, LCSW and Margaret Olson, LMT, CMLDT, NCTMB
Margaret:
When I first began my mindfulness practice in earnest, it never occurred to me to intentionally incorporate it into my massage practice. I found that I would slip into mindfulness from time to time during massages, but I somehow believed that that wasn’t what was best for my client. All of this changed recently when I read an article in Massage & Bodywork Magazine about Mindful Massage, written by a fellow massage therapist and mindfulness practitioner.* It was a real lightbulb moment for me.
Way back when I was in school and then for the first couple of years of my practice, one of the first things I noticed was how my mind would quiet when I worked. The whirl of thoughts would cease, and I would lose myself in the flow of my strokes and the interaction between my body and the client’s. For most people it was deeply relaxing, but I wonder about the things I missed in that stillness. Because during those early sessions, I wasn’t fully present. Ever since my wrist injury, I have had to pay very careful attention to what I’m doing and how my body feels as I work. It has made me more attentive to my clients as well; I am a stronger massage therapist for this experience. Actively incorporating mindfulness practice into my massage sessions was another part of strengthening my skills.
Mindfulness has changed my intentions toward my clients. I have long seen the role of a massage therapist as a catalyst of healing, rather than as a healer. I believe that any lasting effects of massage come from the client’s body incorporating the work, and changing from there. I believed this, and yet, I would approach a client’s body with the intention of actively changing it, rather than creating an opportunity where change might happen. Now, instead of working with the intention of “making” a muscle more pliable, I feel for any changes in length and suppleness. The distinction is subtle, but valuable.
This practice also encourages me to feel the client’s body as a whole. I would sometimes get so focused on a particular muscle or group, that I would lose awareness of the rest of the client. Our bodies operate as a whole, and I find my work more effective for people when I maintain that awareness of their body as a complete whole- even if I only touch a few parts of it.
As you’re about to read, some of my clients are mindfulness practitioners themselves. This can really enhance the benefits of the session- for both of us. It’s as though our individual practices strengthen the others until we have created a wonderful feedback loop of increasing mindfulness and presence.
Marsha:
My mindfulness practice is body centered. Learning to listen to my bodily sense has helped me to explore and express what is most meaningful and alive within myself. This practice called Focusing is about being present and curious and non-judgmental about whatever arises in my experience, whatever I’m experiencing in my body. But also when something arises I try to stay with it and spend time opening it up, to learn from it and let something shift and some fresh insight come from it. When I had the chance to have massages with Margaret Olson, I wondered how the practices of massage and mindful focusing might enhance each other. Here’s one wonderful example…
In just the first few seconds, after lying on the table and being fully supported there, I felt my whole body relax. It was like I was letting my body just be. Margaret began massaging the areas I had asked her to. I didn’t feel any pain in my body, but I felt some tightness and tension in my shoulders, neck and hands. As she attentively and gently massaged, I felt the tightness becoming soothed and relieved. And the attention and respect she was showing my body encouraged me to tune in even more to my experience.
I noticed I felt safe and paid attention to that. The sense of safety soon deepened to a feeling of trust. I felt trust in her and felt us both trusting and welcoming my body. This “welcomed” feeling sort of spread throughout my body. I sensed Margaret being really present as when she would pause very subtly at times and wait for my body’s response. As I felt more supported and safe the tightness in my shoulders was further releasing. After that I felt some new energy. Then a feeling of eagerness emerged to be more trusting and open with some others I know as well, a few particular people came to mind. Now I felt grounded and welcomed, more safely embodied and also an energized feeling about trusting and connecting more to others.
She continued to massage my hands. I felt grateful and also a sense of the “sacredness” of taking care of my body and not treating it like a machine that I control and make do things for me… type, drive, it’s endless. I felt awe at my body’s capacity to revive and move forward by means of these avenues of awareness and massage. Supporting and listening to my body felt as good and rewarding at that moment as just about anything else I could imagine.
*Lobenstine, David M. “Mindful Massage.” Massage & Bodywork January/February 2015: 64-71. Print.
Marsha Smith
As a psychotherapist for 25 years, I support people to find solutions, make changes to deal well with life challenges and have more satisfaction in life. I offer empathic and practical approaches to help with a variety of psychological and social challenges, including relationship issues, anxiety, depression, parenting, work, grief, and coping well with health issues. My collaborative approach helps you increase your ability to deal with stress and frustration with more calm and take the next steps to creatively solve problems. I work with adults and couples and offer training and consultation. Please contact me if you would like to know more and I would be happy to answer your questions.
From comments from a client: “Marsha has an intuitive sense of how to gently guide me to help myself and find clarity in my thinking. She leads me to insights and ‘solutions’ that I find within myself. I would recommend her to anyone in need of an advocate of his or her own spirit and inner knowing” -JB
Credentials: MSW, LCSW