Hi there,
Thank you so much for joining for this short mindfulness practice before you receive a massage or any type of treatment that involves touch or being in tune with your body.
In my day to day,
I am a massage practitioner and a craniosacral therapist and what happens a lot and what I see in my practice is that we are busy and it can be really hard to slow down and even just getting to the appointment can be tricky or racing to get all our things in order so we can show up and sometimes we're running late or there's traffic or whatever things it took to get to the treatment room.
And I've noticed myself doing this a lot lately too,
Thinking I have so much time and then last minute I'm racing to get to the room.
And from a practitioner standpoint,
You can really feel that when somebody has rushed to get there and it's nice if you can take a moment to settle,
Even if it's just a couple minutes and check in.
Many body workers can be intuitive and there's things that we can see and feel and notice but nobody knows better than you do.
And so the more information that you give in your intake when we meet is always really helpful and sometimes to get that information out of yourself,
You might need a quiet moment.
So together we might just take a quiet moment.
If you are headed off to a massage,
If you aren't driving,
Maybe take a moment to close your eyes and just come to your breath for a few rounds.
Begin to deepen your breath however that looks for you and then just begin to notice what you notice.
Maybe there's a sensation or a place that is speaking a little bit more loudly to you.
You might notice that first.
You might see what that area is asking for.
And then see if you can be a bit descriptive of the sensations of how it's feeling.
Is the sensation superficial or is it deep?
Does it have a texture or a feeling?
And you might notice how loud is it in the body.
So you might give it a number from one to 10 of how aware of it you are.
And then see if there is anywhere else that's asking to be noticed.
And again,
You might notice the quality,
The texture,
The volume,
And then letting that go.
And so the more information you can give in your intake,
The deeper you can go in your treatment.
And you might ask yourself,
What is your intention for this treatment?
This is usually the first question I ask people when they arrive.
And a lot of times that question stems us.
And the overwhelming answer is relaxed.
It's one that we get a lot.
But there might be something more to it than that.
So it can be nice if you think of that before you arrive and get into the treatment room.
What is your intention for this treatment?
Why did you book this for yourself?
And then you might also decide what areas really do need attention.
Maybe it was those areas we checked in on earlier.
But being really clear of the things that you need when you show up.
And don't be afraid to ask for them.
It's really great when people can ask for what they need in treatment.
And you might also notice what you don't need if there's things that you don't enjoy in your treatment.
That's always helpful to know too.
And just remember when you show up that this is your time that you've set aside.
And your investment that you're putting into yourself.
So please ask for what you need.
And if you have time to stay here and take a few more breaths.
And just feel into your body.
You might even write some things down so that you feel prepared when you show up.
To ask for what you need.
And during the treatment you can always speak up as well.
And as you are in the position of receiving.
So once you get on the table to receive the work.
If you can be an active receiver in the work.
That can be really helpful as well.
So if the practitioner is working and has their hands on you.
Breathing into where their hands meet your body.
And when you do this it's almost as if you are massaging from the inside out.
And at the end of your treatment if you have the time and the space to maybe take a little walk.
Or take your time getting back into the busyness if it's possible.
To let that settle in.
Maybe you don't look at your phone for a while.
Or maybe you just take a few breaths in the car before you leave.
And these little check-ins can be so important.
Maybe that becomes more of a habit.
Maybe it's not just before or at the end of your treatment that you have these check-ins.
There is truly only so much somebody can do for you in an hour or 90 minutes.
And it's really how you bring that work into the rest of your life.
Into your day to day.
And that will affect your tissue and your nervous system.
And maybe how you check in with your body.
So these are just a few little tips before you get your treatment.
I hope you enjoy your session,
Whatever it is.
And that you found some helpful advice here to take with you.
Thank you so much.
We'll see you soon.
