Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1231077
There has been quite a bit of wailing and gnashing in the massage therapy profession as the ripple—and even tidal wave—of COVID-19 is forcing us to ask questions about who we are and why it matters. As Pema Chodron says, "This moment is the perfect teacher." As massage therapists, we miss our clients, which causes us to anxiously ask, "How can I be of service if I can't touch?" And, of course, "When will it all go back to normal?" The short answer? It won't, actually. Let me be the eleven-millionth person to say, "We will never go back to the way it was before." Post-coronavirus may begin to feel normal, but there will be a new normal—the likes of which we have never known. Yes, things will change, but you may be relieved to know that's not what I want to talk about. I want to discuss why it matters so much that we are not able to be out there doing our work at this time, especially when we know that touch and connection could be a crucial antidote to the stress and uncertainty of COVID-19. TOUCH IS ESSENTIAL It is hard for massage therapists to be "hands-off." We say that our hands ache to touch people. We say that we want to use our hands. We say that we want to cut our fingernails and be ready to touch. And we do want to do these things, but that's not why we're all in a dither. education MASSAGE THERAPY AS HEALTH CARE We Will Touch Again—Post COVID-19 By Cal Cates 40 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k C O V I D - 1 9 s p e c i a l i s s u e 2 0 2 0