MASSAGE AND RECOVERY

Are you recovering from a physical or emotional trauma, repeated physical, emotional or sexual abuse, and addiction or eating disorder? Massage can support you throughout your recovery in a number of ways. Massage can relieve tension, improve your physical health, and give you more energy to face life's challenges. It can comfort and support you emotionally through a time of difficult change. Massage is also a safe place to experience positive touch and to reconnect with your body and emotions.

FEELING BETTER PHYSCIALLY

Massage relieves aching muscles and joints, increases your freedom of movement, and helps you achieve a more balanced posture. This can free up energy you previously needed just to move or hold yourself erect. Releasing tension around habitual postures, such as protectively hunched shoulders or aggressively tightened jaws, can actually reinforce positive feelings.

Massage also increases circulation. This boosts the flow of energy-producing nutrients to your cells and speeds elimination of waste products that can make you feel achy and listless. Increased circulation is especially helpful in repairing tissues stressed by chemical addiction or eating disorders.

Finally, massage boosts your immune system by relieving stress and increasing lymph flow, making you less vulnerable to illness at a time when you need all your reserves.

TAKING TIME TO RELAX

On top of the stress of everyday living, you are coping with your recovery. It is vital to take time out, both for your health and to integrate the changes you are making.

Taking time for a massage, by itself, provides psychological relief. In addition, massage can loosen tense muscles and calm the nervous system. It helps you feel rested, and may help you sleep better.

If you don't relax right away, try a more conservative massage. You may learn to relax by focusing on small changes such as pain relief or deeper breathing. If relaxation simply does not happen, honor your response. Tensing against touch may actually have helped you in the past. Consider using massage not for relaxation, but to learn to experience your body differently, or to access feelings.

RECLAIMING YOUR BODY

To cope with physical trauma, repeated abuse, or even societys messages about the ideal body, you may have distanced yourself from your body. You may engage in "negative self-talk" or have areas you don't like touched. You might even feel numb in places, or you may have sought numbness with an addiction or compulsive eating pattern.

The safe, comforting and non-sexual touch of massage can help you focus on feeling your body again. You can experience your body as a source of good feelings. Because massage cares for your body without judging, it can help you accept your body, and yourself, just as you are. You may also become more aware of emotions in your body, such as jaws clenched in anger, or the "warmth" of happiness. This is important information that can help you make positive choices in your life.

NURTURING YOURSELF

To be touched in a positive, nurturing way is a universal need. Touch is vital to feeling cared for. It connects us to others, and more importantly, to ourselves. Research now shows that touch is even essential to our physical well being. Infants who are deprived of touch fail to thrive.

Massage is safe, comforting physical touch. Through massage, you can experience giving to yourself, as well as letting someone else support you. You affirm that you deserve to be comforted and cared for.

RECALLED FEELINGS AND MEMORIES

To protect yourself, you may have learned to stop feeling emotionally, and even to stop remembering. Your family may have encouraged denial by pretending everything was fine when it wasn't. Today, you may say in frustration, "I just dont know what I feel."

Your body remembers. It has literally contracted away from painful memories. It may hold the only memory of events from before you could speak. Gentle touch in areas that feel charged can bring feelings, and sometimes memories, into your awareness where you can begin to heal them.

If emotions or memories come up during a massage, intentionally or unexpectedly, your massage therapist will support you if you want to cry or express them, or if you want to back off from them. If you do not have a counselor or support group, seriously consider finding one now to help you process what has come up.

If you are seeking memories and nothing happens, allow your unconscious to protect you until it feels safe. For the present, let the other benefits of massage support your healing.

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR MASSAGE

You are the expert on your healing. Your massage therapist can suggest approaches, but you control the direction and pace of each massage, which may change from one time to the next. If you are not sure what you want, be conservative. For example, a foot and hand massage or a shoulder massage through your clothes can be very relaxing.

You can choose whether or not to undress, fully or partially. Your massage therapist will leave the room while you get ready, and you will be completely draped with a sheet except for the part of the body being massaged. Your massage therapist can work through the drape on sensitive areas, or avoid them altogether if you prefer.

Tell your massage therapist what feels good (and safe) and what does not. If one technique or position is not relaxing, your massage therapist knows many others. You do not need to explain yourself, or even understand yourself, why you want something. Trust your feelings and you will get the most healing massage for you.

AFTER YOUR MASSAGE

Many people leave a massage feeling more relaxed, free from chronic aches and pains, and with new energy. Some report feeling more "at home" in their body.

Occasionally, however, you might feel listless, sore, or even sad. If this happens, affirm your feelings. Talk with your massage therapist and your counselor about ways you can support yourself. Consider taking a slower or different approach in your next massage.

MASSAGE AND COUNSELING

Massage and counseling can powerfully support each other throughout your healing, but they are not the same. Expressing buried feelings when they come up can be healing in itself, but these feelings can be overwhelming. The safe and objective support you get from a trained counselor can be vital in helping you make sense of the feelings and thoughts that arise throughout your recovery.

Massage can supplement emotional work, but does not substitute for psychological counseling. You can request your massage therapist and your counselor to share information with each other. Otherwise, everything in your massage is confidential.

KNOWING YOUR MASSAGE THERAPIST

It is important to feel comfortable with your massage therapist. Ask questions whenever they come up, for example about massage techniques used, about personal philosophy of healing, or about experience and training in the areas of emotional release, addictions or abuse. Your questions are important and vital to your healing.