Massage & Bodywork

MAY | JUNE 2015

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A spiritual practice connects us to the miracle of life and helps us transcend day-to-day annoyances by putting us in relationship to what is greater than us. F r e e S O A P n o t e s w i t h M a s s a g e B o o k f o r A B M P m e m b e r s : a b m p . u s / M a s s a g e b o o k 29 My first suggestion is to do a brain dump. Take a blank sheet of paper and a pen and start pouring out all the thoughts running through your mind. Keep your hand moving and do not edit. Allow your thoughts to be jumbled, unclear, and unrelated without judgment. Once you have dumped what you need to, take a moment and read what is there. Some of it will simply be information that shows you what is really on your mind. Notice what that is. Then, circle the things you can actually do something about, and create a list of three small action steps you can take today to move yourself out of the storm of thought and into inspired action. Make the steps attainable and commit to them. Meditation is also a great way to clear the mind. Spending even five minutes sitting still and listening to your breath helps to quiet the mind. Many people struggle with meditation because they cannot stop thinking while they sit; but even if you cannot fully shut down your thoughts, meditation is still beneficial. Like everything else, meditation takes practice. I have created a video series called "Meditation 101" that you can find posted on my website (www.inspiredmassagetherapist.com) if you would like to learn more. FOR YOUR SPIRIT Personal practice for your spirit is where things get the most personal. Only you know what makes your heart feel full and bright. If you were to create a daily spiritual practice, what would it look like? A walk through the forest? Time to write in your journal? A few moments spent gazing into the eyes of your beloved? Your spiritual practice may be intertwined with your physical and mental practices, or it may stand alone. It can be as brief as a moment or last all day. To me, a spiritual practice connects us to the miracle of life and helps us transcend day-to-day annoyances by putting us in relationship to what is greater than us. And only you know what that is for you. Placing your personal practices at the beginning of the day is the most potent time for them. Physical practice in the morning helps ease any stiffness caused by sleeping, and brings heat and energy into the body for the day. Mental practice allows us to arrive at our client sessions with a sense of clarity and direction. Spiritual practice gives us the energy to overcome obstacles with a sense of excitement and increases our sense of love and joy. Remember, practice may not make perfect, but it will support you, no matter what. Jennie Hastings Stancu is a massage therapist, writer, and a mentor to people with a passion for turning their massage therapy license into the career of their dreams. She lives in Portland, Maine, and is the author of The Inspired Massage Therapist (Massage Blossom Books, 2012). Contact her at jennie@massageblossom.com.

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