Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1522032
A B M P m e m b e r s ea r n F R E E C E h o u r s by rea d i n g t h i s i s s u e ! 65 with this, a greater satisfaction and sense of purpose in our work. Some authors have proposed that the complementary medicine movement, of which massage and bodywork are components, inherently includes an understanding of the importance of cultivating this kind of self-transcending, or nondual, awareness. 3 One way I've explored this as I work on a client is to ask myself, "If this were my body, how would I want to be touched?" BE MINDFUL, BE MORE ALIVE The two types of attention are integral aspects of the practice of mindfulness. While the concept has become ubiquitous and has been co-opted by commercial endeavors, its practice can not only enhance the effectiveness of our work but also keep us energized and curious. In other words, it keeps us loving what we do year after year. So, what is mindfulness? I like Jack Kornfield's succinct definition: "Mindfulness is an innate human capacity to deliberately pay full attention to where we are, to our actual experience, and to learn from it." 4 A more comprehensive definition appears in a clinical psychology journal: "Mindfulness begins by bringing awareness to current experience—observing and attending to the changing field of thoughts, feelings, and sensations from moment to moment—by regulating the focus of attention. This leads to a feeling of being very alert to what is occurring in the here and now. It is often described as a feeling of being fully present and alive in the moment." 5 I, for one, am for anything that makes me feel more alive. There are many mindfulness training programs available to anyone wanting to explore their benefits, from formal mediation instruction and retreats to breathwork and movement modalities. I would venture that a bodywork practice offers an ideal medium within which to cultivate this capacity for presence. While the scientific jury is still out as to the effects of mindfulness practice on attention (as it often is in matters concerning awareness and other nonphysical phenomena), a comprehensive review of the literature found that "mindfulness training presents a promising tool with which to alert, orient, and guide on-task behavior through improved attention." 6 Given the prospect of being more intentionally connected with our clients and of feeling more alive in the moment, I would advocate for the inclusion of mindfulness training in entry-level programs. Bringing a mindful or meditative quality to our work can go a long way in keeping it inspired and joyful, and that translates into a greater quality of care for our clients. Notes 1. Klaartje Klaver and Andries Baart, "How Can Attending Physicians Be More Attentive? On Being Attentive Versus Producing Attentiveness," Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 19 (March 2016): 351–9, https:// doi.org/10.1007/s11019-015-9669-y. 2. Eric Van Lente and Michael J. Hogan, "Understanding the Nature of Oneness Experience in Meditators Using Collective Intelligence Methods," Frontiers in Psychology 11 (September 2020): 2092, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02092. 3. Paul J. Mills et al., "Nondual Awareness and the Whole Person," Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 9 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1177/2164956120914600. 4. Ruchika Shaurya Prakash et al., "Mindfulness and Attention: Current State-of-Affairs and Future Considerations," Journal of Cognitive Enhancement 4 (January 2020): 340–67, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41465-019-00144-5. 5. Scott R. Bishop et al., "Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Defi nition," Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 11, no. 3 (2004): 230–41, https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bph077. 6. Prakash et al., "Mindfulness and Attention: Current State-of-Affairs and Future Considerations." Ana Varona, MA, LMT, has been a licensed massage therapist since 1988 and practices in Princeton, New Jersey. In addition to her rehabilitative massage practice, she has had a diverse career encompassing corporate wellness, movement/postural reeducation, and dance. She is a certifi ed active release techniques provider, Kinesio Taping practitioner and instructor, and Floor-Barre instructor. Her latest interest is the inclusion of manual and touch therapy in end-of-life palliative care. She can be contacted at ana@calmatherapy.com. A B M P m e m b e r s ea r n F R E E C E h o u r s by rea d i n g t h i s i s s u e ! 65 By cultivating focused attention, we pick up the particulars unique to each client.