What is massage for mental health?
I have to admit; I get a little “fangirl” about massage therapy sometimes. It's just so cool! The human body is totally fascinating, and I feel like there's always something new to learn. Also, even though we are all basically the same, every body is unique, so every new client is like an unsolved mystery! One of the many things I love about massage therapy is the variety of modalities available. Slept wrong and can't move your neck? There's a massage therapist for that! Are you preparing for your seventh marathon? There's a massage therapist for that! Does your energy field feel a bit off? There's a massage therapist (who knows reiki) for that! Is your bestie visiting from out of town and you wanna have a fun spa day together? THERE'S A MASSAGE THERAPIST FOR THAT!!! (I could keep going, but I want to get into the mental health massage).
Massage for mental health is not currently widely accepted (the way spa days and massage therapists in the chiropractor offices are) but massage therapy can have a real effect on someone's mental health. I hope this catches on, because honestly, it's such a beautiful modality of massage therapy. Our mental health should be cared for, like our physical health, and one of the supporting actions you can take is to get a relaxing massage. But like, actually relaxing. No one really teaches us how to relax, and because of this, our bodies are constantly stuck in the “fight or flight” (or fawn or freeze) response. We never really learn how to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system, to “rest and digest”. During a mental health massage, I help you get into a properly relaxed state, that allows your body to ACTUALLY rest. And for a society that isn't taught, encouraged, or given permission to rest, being in this state for even 30 minutes can leave you with a profound sense of peace that stays with you for hours or days after you get off the massage table. I am here to change the world, one client, one massage, one hour at a time.
*Note: I wish I could fix the world by just providing mental health massages. Realistically, I know I can't. I CAN and DO make some awesome improvements though! Mental health care is so much more than this human connectivity of platonic physical contact. There are many aspects of mental health care that I cannot provide, mental health massage is just one part of a system of care. Unfortunately our current world isn't much into addressing relative conditions for our mental health, like safe housing, nourishment, access to healthcare services, and individual freedoms to love and be who we are. Whether you are adding massage to your current toolkit of mental health care, or massage is your first step in taking care of yourself, I am so proud of you and grateful you are here. You are not alone. You are worthy. You are loved. You are safe here.
