Massages 101
My Personal History Receiving Massages
Before sharing my personal experience with massages, I would like to make it clear that I don’t have an extensive technical knowledge or experience on this subject. I wouldn’t be able to tell you which type of massage is the most appropriate to promote which specific aspect of the well being of a person. All I know is that receiving massages for the past 12 years or so, has been extremely beneficial for me.
I started to get massages way before starting the For A Better Monday journey. That said, I don’t remember getting any before my 30s. It’s something that has been on and off in my life. I had periods when I would get massages on a regular basis, and time periods when I wouldn’t even get a single massage for over a year.
Deep Tissue Massage
I actually don’t remember the very first massage I received. The earliest one I can remember though, was an intense deep tissue massage while I was still living in San Diego, California. A kind massage student lady was giving them without asking for money in return, and tipping was optional. I remember my experience with her massaging me to be extremely involved to say the least. The massage did feel good at times during the actual session, and I’m sure that the deep tissue approach was beneficial for me to a certain degree. That said, I remember some pretty painful moments while being massaged. At times the experience would feel more like a torture session than a regular massage session. Since a good part of me was still a proud macho man back then, when she’d ask me if I was doing OK, I would respond: Yes, everything is fine, I’m doing fantastic. It took me about a week to fully physically recover from that experience, since my entire body was sore.
Chinese Massage
After my semi-painful deep tissue massage experience, I remember getting some Chinese massages in the Clairemont area near the practice place we held with my former band Channing Cope . They were way softer than the deep tissue one, and would have a relaxing effect on me. After each massage session, I would experience an improved mind clarity as well.
Weekly Swedish Massage
At one point I started to work at a restaurant as a manager. I was working six days a week. While serving a table one day, I met a lady who happened to be a massage therapist. I got then into the habit of having a massage session almost every week with her on my day off. During that period of time, I was working long hours, most of the time on my feet, so the weekly massage session did not feel like luxury, but rather as something perfectly adequate to support my current lifestyle back then. I believe that I was able to reap great benefits from it. It would in a way help me get rid of the accumulated negative stress of the week, and recharge my batteries with positive energy for the upcoming one.
A Thai Chinese Mix
When I moved back to Switzerland in 2011, I would get a massage every two or three months. Mostly because massages are pretty expensive in Switzerland, and partially because I was less physically active now that I had traded the restaurant work for a desk job. I was able to find a place which was doing a mix between a Chinese and Thai massage. It was perfect for me. It was more involved than the regular Chinese or Swedish massages, and still softer than the deep tissue one.
Chair Massage
Since my move to Argentina, I only got one chair massage at a park in August 2017, during a festival promoting alternative way of living.
Non Professional Massages
Each time I was lucky to be in long term relationships, giving and receiving massages naturally became part of my love life. Although technically neither my partners or me were at the level of a professional massage therapist, I do believe that when love is involved, the action of touching each other with good intentions has great healing virtues on the body and the mind.
My Observations
One thing that all massages I received have in common, besides maybe the deep tissue one, is that after each session I would always tell myself that I should get massages more often. Each massage session would improve the way I would feel in such a way, that I was convinced that it was one of the best investment I could do to feel and function better.
Before I started this journey, there would be times when my body would really ask for a massage. What I am able to observe now that I believe to have a cleaner system; I don’t seem to need massages as much as I used to. I do believe that back then my lymphatic system was probably backed up and more stagnant. Since I wasn’t doing all the things I am doing now to have a healthier and better functioning lymphatic system, my intuition tells me that the massages were one of the few elements to support my lymphatic health. In that regard, I think that receiving health promoting massages today on a regular basis would be a plus for me to reach higher levels of well being and make an other important progress on this journey.
I have in the corner of my head to get into the habit of receiving massages again. It’s just that I am a bit more limited financially at the moment. Also, I haven’t yet found a massage therapist in town who I can trust, and be sure that the person is aligned with the same philosophy I’ve been embracing. I would like to avoid ending up in a fancy beauty salon, or a sketchy massage parlor here in Buenos Aires. I actually have the contact info of the person who gave me the affordable chair massage at the park. Although she seemed a bit tired that day due to the big number of massages she had give at the park, she seemed to have a great approach to massaging in my opinion. Maybe calling her and see if she gives full body massages could be good start for including massages into my life here in Buenos Aires.
My Conclusion For Now
For someone who’s been getting massages on and off for the past 12 years or so, I can only recommend them. I actually think that I should have received at least the double of the amount of massages I’ve received so far in my entire life. This is to express how important I think that the appropriate massage can be for regeneration and well being. Thierry Casasnovas often refers to a SMS principle for regeneration. The acronym stands for Sun, Massage, Sleep. According to him, those three factors promote immensely regeneration of the human body.
If you’ve read so far, you’ve probably noticed that this starting point post was pretty much only about sharing my own personal experience with regards to different types of massages, rather than a “how to” post. I believe that receiving massages on a regular basis is one of the easiest and most effective seeds for change that one can introduce into her life. I hope my humble experience in that area can be a source of motivation for you to consider including massages into your life as well.
I AM NOT A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. I would like to make it very clear that I am only sharing my own experience on this website, and have no intention to give any specific advice on health. Please read the disclaimer section for more information.
