Massage & Bodywork

March/April 2010

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THE MIND-BODY LINK Create Safe Space Question: How can massage therapists create safe space for clients to identify and release potentially underlying stories or emotional components to physical conditions? believe that it's part of their calling, then the only thing the therapists have to do differently is to have the intention in their awareness that they can be a conduit for any toxicity on any level—emotional, psychological, physical—flowing through them and out of them. What we find is that the safer a space that we can create for clients, the more likely clients are to open themselves to that place where they are holding their pain. Then the release process becomes spontaneous and natural. So, if there is some emotional catharsis that occurs during a massage treatment, the But if massage therapists either have the expertise, or on a deep intuitive level Dr. David Simon: I'm not sure it's within the scope of practice of most massage therapists to deal with these types of emotional issues. It takes a certain level of self-awareness, healing, and also technical understanding of emotions. So, I would say, first of all, that touching someone in a safe and loving way is therapeutic enough without necessarily thinking that it's the role of massage therapists to do counseling. ultimately leads to much greater success in healing. Even in the very process of helping the person to realize that, to some degree, his or her own choices have an influence on the outcome, we already begin the healing journey. I think that the best voice to transform health care is that of people who have gone through their own personal journey of healing—who can speak from experience and teach others, saying, "These are the steps that can heal our health-care system," which right now is really a disease-care system. I think the change has to happen on multiple levels—personal, political, and social. On the personal level, I think every one of us knows what we can do for ourselves to be healthier. We know we should eat healthier, exercise regularly, manage our stress levels better, and get to bed earlier. We know we should stop using so many alcohol, drugs, and tobacco products. We should get along better with each other. On the political and social level, best thing that massage therapists can do at that point is nothing—meaning, they don't start talking, they don't start changing their style. They just are comfortable being in that quiet, open space, knowing that every wave of emotion has a beginning, middle, and end to it. If massage therapists can be comfortable and let the emotions flow, they will have accomplished their important role of acting as a conduit for that pain to drain away. It's also important that massage therapists not personally take on the emotional release. If, at the end of a day of bodywork, massage therapists are feeling exhausted, they have taken the process too personally. Ultimately, the absorption of that emotional pain will translate into their own distress. The goal is allowing the emotional pain to flow through the therapists, without taking any of it on internally. Again, it's not massage therapists' job to be psychotherapists. It's their job to just hold that quiet space and reassure people that it's OK if they access something that is emotionally painful, then let the wave flow. If massage therapists want to be more expert in emotional release, I encourage them to get the additional training. Most bodyworkers I know went into massage because they wanted to be healers, but didn't have the formal training. I think massage therapists can do an amazing amount of good by being loving bodyworkers. But if massage therapists sense they have another role to play, they should get the training, rather than jumping in without knowing if they are getting in over their heads. I believe it's all about collective consciousness. Those we called leaders are really followers. I think we have to get to the place where the people who make policy are inundated with the experiences of people who, on their own, have discovered that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. When we are supported in taking better care of ourselves, we will reduce our need for invasive, intrusive medical care down the road. Simon and Free to Love, Free to Heal, visit www.freetolove.com. For more information on Dr. David Dancing with Pain, a mind-body media and education company, through which she facilitates workshops on and blogs about natural pain relief. For more information, visit www.dancingwithpain.com. Loolwa Khazzoom is the director of connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 71

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