The massage you never knew you needed, and have to try

 I never used to take self-care seriously as it was initially promoted to me as a fad, a trend, the next cool bandwagon to jump on. It was never talked about as something of importance, it was often discouraged as anyone seen participating in it, were perceived as lazy time wasters. As a result, whenever my friend would invite me to the Spa with her I wasn't very enthusiastic about it. 

I still went, as I wanted to hang out with her, but I'd never initiate this as an activity for us to do. She always liked to get massages and exfoliation baths, while I enjoyed the bathing pools and saunas.  I didn't utilize the other services as I thought it to be a waste of money. I could do my nails and feet in a nail salon; I exfoliate at home and I prefer to soak in baths that I put together. Massages never did anything for me so I didn't bother with them.  The few times I gave them a try I was often disappointed as both Spas and Massage Parlours would leave me feeling "beat up" and worse than before. I learned to live with the aches and pains as the tension was never relieved so I didn't see the point in getting massages regularly. 

 I was maintaining until my left shoulder started throbbing in excruciating pain. It felt like my shoulder was physically separating from my body. As if it had been bluntly cut by a saw-blade and was now falling away from my neck.  The worst part is it would happen suddenly and randomly. It would start out as a minor pull, then that discomfort quickly grew to a painful knot. 

It always happened while I wasn't doing anything strenuous. While I was sitting at my desk at work, in my car, on the couch, anywhere and time where I was sitting still it happened. On the off chance, it happened during a workout, my shoulders would tighten up and squeeze together. It would slowly loosen once I stretched. No longer being able to endure this, I reached out to my friend Johnny and asked if he had any openings. He scheduled me in for Sunday; and although I didn't believe in what massages could do, I didn't know what else to do. 

I was not prepared for what happened next, as the next 90 minutes, I was stretched, pulled, pressed, squeezed, and pushed on the table. I went through a range of emotions from apprehension to elation. I experienced cupping for the first time and I'd never seen, heard of, or known about this before that day. It involves a suction "cup" that is placed on strategic areas of your body and its purpose is to break down the tension faster, so the masseuse can get to the deep-tissue muscle faster and more effectively. It takes what would have been 25 mins of work and energy, down to 10 mins. This allows the masseuse to be able to spend their energy on releasing the tension from your muscles quickly.  It's one of the "work smarter- not harder" tools of the trade.  

Cups strategically positioned

As this process exposes your deeper muscle fibers and allows the massage to be more powerful, I have to admit that those results didn't arrive comfortably. This is one of the few occasions where the pain and discomfort, while temporary; should be embraced. It dissipates as the tension leaves your body. The cup's usage released the deep tension that was in my muscles by breaking up the pressure, within the sore muscles. At times it felt like the very fine hair's on my arms were being pulled, when they weren't and that was, in fact, a good sign as that sensation was caused by the soreness in my muscles, separating. 

Cups strategically removed

During the massage, I had a conversation with him about how he branched into this industry. While learning that he has been doing Structural Integration massage for 10 years; he initially saw this as a way to help heal people after their trauma. He pursued this career to help those in ways that the hospitals don't. Given the fact that he was a former EMT, he has seen firsthand how the medical system continues to fail people in various ways. 

This style of massage targets the muscles responsible for affecting and restricting your posture. It seeks to re-establish your body's natural alignment by removing lingering pressure due to the strain placed on your body, from stress, weight gain, lack of regular exercise, and poor sleeping habits/ positions.  

The aftercare behind this massage is very simple.  You can maintain the results by regularly drinking 4 to 6 cups of water a day, getting regular massages, (once a month if you have bad posture, once a week for strenuous activity) and daily stretching for 30 mins. A good way to incorporate this habit is to incorporate Yoga into your self-care routine. It is quick, easily fits into your schedule, and can be done from the comfort of your own home. There are plenty of follow-along videos on youtube. 

Massages are very beneficial as it helps with recovery time from strenous activity, improves posture, prevent's injury and rehabilitates the body. It was the best reset button for me. The days following, I felt weightless, my spine felt lubricated, my lower back no longer felt compressed and heavy and the weight I felt it was carrying, was gone. While getting regular massages can be costly, it is cheaper than the time and money it would take recovering from an injury. Including time off from work, medical bills and follow-up visits. This is why Yoga and regular massages are the most affordable self-care/ preventative maintenance options as this is the only time your paying attention to what's happening to your body. 

Although my self- care regimen didn't include regular massages, I will definitely be returning to Johnny for my future sessions; as when I find something that works, I keep it in rotation. So if your a massage skeptic like I was, book your first appointment @Body_Alchemy_Healing_Arts on Instagram and tell me your thoughts.