I call this Post-Session Awareness. It’s such a rich gift to ourselves that most of us don’t pay attention to. But if you want to continue receiving the profound benefits of massage on a regular basis, this is like a gold mine.
Post-session awareness stretches at least into the next day and is a natural progression when you’ve participated during the session.
See How to Participate to Get the Most from your Massage
This element of your treatment includes not only noting how your body responded to the work during the 24 hours after the session … but also how your thoughts and emotions might have shifted.
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- Do you have less pain or distress?
- Are you feeling something in an area you hadn’t previously noticed?
- What mood are you in and is that different from before the session?
- Are you having any adverse reactions, like severe pain, discomfort, odd sensations?
- Did working with your body free some inspiration or memory within you? Is it significant to something in your life now?
- Do you see any connections between what you feel physically and what you’re doing or thinking regularly?
- Were there any subtle or obvious changes in your sleep, movement, digestion, sense of peace, for example?
This awareness … and sharing it with your massage therapist … can help you both in moving forward to achieve the best possible outcome for you.
Some people find that keeping a journal is helpful, especially when a situation has existed for months or years.
The difficulty on the healing path is that changes tend to occur incrementally. They’re often small and subtle and escape either our noticing or our memory.
I’ve had so many clients over the years who’ve come to their appointment after working with me for weeks or months on a chronic issue saying “It’s still the same” … a depressing thought.
However, when I remind them of the details of their condition at the beginning and point out all the changes I’ve recorded over time, they suddenly realize they’ve actually come a long way and life has indeed improved.
The difficulty is in the forgetfulness
innately designed within us.
It serves us to not remember pain once it’s gone … and we forget there was a time when we couldn’t stand long enough to make a sandwich.
This is where a journal of the little and large shifts you notice amounts to a recognition of how far you’ve come. It is a priceless, personal record that can reveal insight and sudden understanding, to help you improve your well-being and experience a fulfilling life.
This is my hope and my wish for you.
You might also find value in reading How to Prepare to Get the Most from your Massage
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