Body image risk and reward in massage

Body image. Almost everybody has something about their body that they don’t like. For many people it’s a minor issue, no big deal. But some people have a major issue with their body image. It affects how they live and their happiness.
 
When I tell some people that I’m a massage therapist it can cause a strong reaction. They tell me, whether verbally or through their reaction and body language, that massage is not for them. Their body image is such an issue that they don’t think anybody else can accept them.

The paradox here is that massage can really help with body image issues. In massage school we were all nervous about taking off our clothes and letting somebody else touch us. It didn’t take long for us to discover that bodies are just bodies and become much more comfortable with our own. We also experienced how good receiving a massage made us feel. Something unexpected happened – when our bodies felt better we felt better about our bodies.

I think there are three options to consider. Let’s look at the risk versus reward for them.

1. Don’t get a massage.

This is the easiest because it involves doing nothing. The risk is low since you are not letting another person see or touch you at all.
 
The reward is zero. You didn’t get a massage so your body doesn’t feel any better, and you still have the stress you had before.

2. You get a massage, but the massage therapist either makes note of how you look, as if it matters.
 
If this has happened to you, I’m sorry. You got a crappy massage therapist. That’s a bummer, and I’m really sorry. You took a risk, and even if the rest of the massage was decent, got very little reward. 

This is not going to happen if you come to me. Never. No way. I can’t say this strongly enough. It goes against the very nature of who I am, how I treat people, and what I believe.

3. You get a massage. A great massage. And the therapist does nothing to make you feel uncomfortable about your body. In fact, you feel pretty good about your body after the massage.
 
In this option your risk is low. I don’t care how your body looks. That’s none of my business. I just want to help it feel better. Your reward is high. Again your body will feel better from the massage and you can start feeling better about it.

I have no idea how your body got to be in the condition that it’s in. You may be dealing with something that you can’t control, such as a medical condition or an injury or accident. You may be in a lot of pain or are limited in what you can do physically. Since I don’t know what caused your body to be like it is now I can’t make any judgments about you.

I’ve worked on hundreds of people. Each body is interesting and I’ve yet to come across one that I could not help.


If you have been avoiding massage because you feel uncomfortable about your body, let’s find an option that works for you. You don’t even have to explain anything to me. Leave your clothes on. Stay sitting up or face down or lying on your side or however you want. It’s up to you.

It’s my job to help you feel better. That’s it. Together let’s find a way to help you relieve your pain and stress. Don’t let your body image keep you from feeling good.
 
Also, please don’t worry about little things like shaving. It’s okay. Not everybody shaves, we all know that. 
 
Sometimes a certain condition may make you feel like you should avoid massage.  If you are really uncomfortable with something, but would like to see how massage can help you, please, don’t hesitate to contact me (or any massage therapist) to discuss and see if we can help you out.  As stated before, you can have as many clothes on as you like, lay or sit in which ever position makes you comfortable. You never know how good a massage can make you feel until you try it.

Well, this is embarrassing! I had written up a great blog (I thought) about the harm we are doing to our body's by sitting all day. IT was here, I swear it was. But now it isn't! SO, today 5/3/16, I go back to my original thoughts to share with you.

​The increased risk of death by just sitting for 4 hours a day is huge.  Along with the myriad of other health problems that come along with it. Mayo clinic has some great information on the danger to yourself if you sit for extended periods.  Sitting for less than 2 hours a day improves your life in so many ways.
So you may wonder, especially if you are tied to a computer all day, how am I supposed to not sit for so long.  I will recommend a standing desk.  If you can't get one, make your current one into a standing desk.  Get a crate and move your monitor and keyboard up.  Look up desktop ergonomics to see how you should be looking at your computer to maximize your health. If you just can not get a standing desk, try to stand up as much as possible. Talking on the phone, stand up. Eating lunch. Stand up.  Better yet, move, move, move.  You burn more calories (and who doesn't need to do that) just by standing, now maximize that by getting a move on it.  Park further away, don't troll the parking lot waiting for the front row spot.  Walk. And one of my favorites, get a furry friend.  Not only are they great on your blood pressure, they are great motivators to get out and exercise.  A well exercised Dog will definitely be a happier dog.  And no one is happier to see you at the end of the day than your dog! Soon, your body will start to respond to your increased activity by feeling better and demanding more time.  That horrible pain in your shoulders will diminish and life will be good again.  MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!

I am posed with the question too often, of should I exfoliate my skin.  The short answer is yes.  The long answer is, it depends.  Should you use that apricot scrub that I grew up with?  NO! Should I exfoliate daily? Probably not.  How often should I exfoliate?  Well, depends on your skin.
If you never exfoliate your skin, you will see it.  Dead skin cells on the surface can dull and harden your skin.  It can enhance the appearance of wrinkles (yuck).
So, exfoliation would seem, should brighten and soften your skin and help to hide or even get rid of those wrinkles (keep dreaming).  Well exfoliated skin will look brighter and softer.  The cellular renewal that occurs when you strip off those dead skin cells brings younger skin cells to the surface and can improve your barrier function in your skin (its ability to fight off invading organisms and even more important, its ability to stop moisture loss through your skin). This young skin, with plenty of natural moisture will look younger and healthier, and you will too.  And those pesky blackheads and whiteheads we hate.  Removing some of that dead skin layer that blocks your pores, may help prevent those from occurring in such great frequency.
Beware though, too much is too much and it is not a good thing.  Too much exfoliation can cause irritation and make your skin look ruddier and redder than ever before.  If you start exfoliating and notice your skin is not feeling better, perhaps cut back to only once a week and see if it improves. 
Always take care of your new refreshed skin by using a suitable moisturizer for your skin type.  AND ALWAYS USE AN SPF.  EVEN IN THE WINTER. EVEN WHEN ITS CLOUDY OUT. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT GOING OUTSIDE.  If the sun is out, put your sunblock on.  Sun exposure is one of the easiest damages to our skin to prevent with proper SPF. And most sun damage occurs before you even realize you could have gotten a burn.  And then you have sunspots and freckles and even worse, skin cancer aging you prematurely.

    I suffered a shoulder injury in my previous job that resulted in my decision to leave a job I did not enjoy and did not see a future for myself in.  I made a good income at this job, but I was not fulfilled in this occupation.  I enrolled in massage school and gave my notice to my employer.  It is a decision that I do not regret.  You must first fulfill your own needs.  My family can pay our bills, eat healthy food, take care of ourselves and enjoy a little bit of fun with a lesser income from my new career, but the QUALITY OF OUR LIFE is so much better. 
    I love learning about the human body and how it works best.  This career allows me to gain more insight into healthier living and to share my knowledge and skills to help others feel better also.  The fact that I am required to reeducate myself to maintain my license as a Massage Therapist is not an obstacle, it is an opportunity to make myself better for myself and my clients.  Working in a massage spa, I had the pleasure of working with an awesome Esthetician and realize how much fun she had and I loved looking into her bag of tools (and creams and serums and cleansers and so much more) and wishing I knew what to do with them. So I decided to expand my knowledge base and study esthetics also.  I learned so much about the skin and caring for it. 
    This is such a great field to be in.  It is scientific, which the academic in my loves.  It is caring, which the empath is me cares about.  It is fun, which all of me loves.  And I get to meet people from all walks of life and learn their stories and experiences.  I enjoy sharing my knowledge with my clients.  And now I am going to try to share my knowledge through a new to me format, this blog. 
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think, or if there are topics you would like a discussion on.