Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1384577
8 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k j u l y/a u g u s t 2 0 2 1 EDITOR'S NOTE of themselves, sometimes to the point of causing both physical harm and mental exhaustion. Is this now exacerbated by what we've lived through this past year-plus? You betcha. The pandemic caused both professional instability and the perception of lack of control. We're all feeling the effects of its mental repercussions and likely will continue to do so for some time to come. As life and routines return to what we once knew, people need massage—now more than ever. And they need you to perform that massage. But to be there for them, you fi rst need to be there for yourself. Before we go back to "normal," let's take this time to reset and reframe, to focus on both immediate and long-term changes that can affect your profession, your passion, and your livelihood. The pandemic forced a break from our routines, a chance to reset. Let's take advantage of that. In this issue, we begin by addressing a massage therapist's primary professional tool: their hands. Heath and Nicole Reed have been writing our Savvy Self-Care column for years. In this issue, we elevate their words to lead feature ("Tending to Our Hands," page 44), as a way to say, This is important. Together, the two experts take us through a series of exercises to improve fi nger, thumb, and wrist activation as a way to prevent injury. Next, David Lobenstine's "Find Your Floppy" offers new techniques to protect your body against unnecessary rigidity while working. David has always been a proponent of more effi cient work, better results through less effort. I love his take here that fi nishing your day exhausted isn't a badge of honor. Finally, we close this theme with a think piece from one of bodywork's legendary voices. Thomas Myers offers his decades-in-practice perspective on maintaining longevity through a commitment to self-care. Tom answers the question, what can you do as a bodyworker to help restore an integrated purr in your clients' physiological motors? His series of approaches to framing client homework is a must-read for MTs who have struggled with getting clients to see take-home exercises as valuable and an extension of the care brought about through the bodywork session. We hope you enjoy this issue and fi nd your own healthful routines and new lifelong pathways inside. DARREN BUFORD Editor-in-Chief darren@abmp.com Beyond Burnout My morning routine: • Wake up • Walk dogs (short walk) • Meditate • Take vitamins • Drink eight ounces of water • Stretch • Eat breakfast • Walk dogs (long walk) Every morning. I've been doing this regimen for so long that my body (and my dogs) knows something's off if it doesn't happen like clockwork. I see this ritual each morning as critical for my most optimal day, setting the stage for what's to come. And though it's not all I do (throw in an occasional run, hike, bike ride, or paddle), it's the start to maintaining a healthy body and mind. What do you do for self-care? Of course, the answer to that question can be quite varied. Self-care means so many different things: from reading a book, taking a vacation, and checking out, to receiving bodywork, strength training, and healthy eating. Now, perhaps, a more pertinent question should be: What self-care do you do to protect your practice? Massage therapy and bodywork are professions of passion. So much so that practitioners are notorious for giving their all to their clients and neglecting to take care