kvlmassage

Thank you for taking an interest in your own health. For some people massage is a hard sell. I think the benefits of massage sell themselves. For this reason, I will say that no matter your condition--or how you came by it--either massage or yoga are sure to provide you (at worst) at least some relief and (at best) a new system of self understanding that will empower you to take steps toward personal healing and rehabilitation on all levels.

I say on all levels since it is impossible to separate our emotions or our thoughts from our physical form. You cannot dissect a human being and pile all the muscles and bones in one corner, the brain and all its thoughts and memories in another and the emotions and will in yet another. Our thoughts, memories, emotions, fears are both stored in our physical matter and also experienced in it. When we receive bad news our lungs convulse in sobs. When we are in danger our palms sweat and the adrenaline rush shifts our body from a parasympathetic state (one of rest) to a sympathetic state (one which will lead to stress if it lasts long enough).

So, when we receive a massage--when our skin with all its nerve endings and our muscle and connective tissue with all their stored memories and emotions are manipulated--we may experience change on all levels: physical, mental and emotional. Why do you say right after a massage, "I feel so much better," instead of, "My trapezius muscle feels lengthened"? 

As adults, we forget the power of touch. Or, perhaps, we dismiss it from our conversations because it can be tainted or has been misused. From our first moments out of the womb, we crave and thrive on human touch--skin to skin connection. At its essence, massage is (and should be) a chance to receive the benefits of thoughtful, nurturing human touch, without anything else cluttering that exchange.

In an age where wearing chainmail and a shield is no longer socially acceptable, we find other ways of armoring or defending ourselves from interaction with those around us. Our expressions, our postures, the sound of our breath all signal to those around us whether we are approachable or not. They influence the reactions of others toward us before we even interact with them. Massage can take the hunch from our shoulders. It can relax our face. It can make us breathe deeper. All this (and more) will calm our nervous system from within, allowing our body to function more efficiently and slowing down our racing, worrying mind. It will correct imbalances in our muscle strength and flexibility, potentially healing injuries and relieving the skeleton from wear and tear. It can change the way we present ourselves to the world and also the way we perceive it.

Other benefits of massage include: increased circulation and lymph flow, a more relaxed nervous system, better focus, improved sleep, lower stress levels, improved digestion, increased flexibility (along with injury prevention and improved athletic performance), injury rehabilitation, pain management, improved posture and skeletal function, balanced energy flow within the body, and promotes a sense of self-nurturing. And many more. . .

Massage is not a luxury. It is an integral part of preventative self health care. 

My teacher, Max, told a story once of how circus elephants are trained. A baby elephant is chained or tied to a small pole in the ground, and of course, it tries and tries its best to escape from this prison. . .until one day it stops trying. This is how a full-grown elephant--an animal strong enough to take the whole circus tent down if it wanted to--can be chained to the same small stake in the ground and not make a move to get away. That's because it thinks it can't. It tried a long time ago and couldn't, so now it still thinks it can't. In this way, we can be much like the elephant. Perhaps a long time ago we experienced a trauma of some sort. Perhaps we stored it deep inside our body because we lacked the necessary tools to process and release it, or perhaps we let it change our behavior in a negative way to this day. But that was then. With time and practice, we now have new tools that may allow us to release this experience from our bodies, if we have the courage to try. Massage can be one of those tools.

I look forward to meeting you in person. Namaste,

Kelly

[Please do not hesitate to call me if this site has not fully answered any questions you may have.]