Learn How Massage Promotes Health

written by Abby Bard, Massage Therapist

When my son (now in his thirties) was born, I was given a book titled Loving Hands: The Traditional Art of Baby Massage by Frederick Leboyer. In those early months of new motherhood I would set aside time to massage my baby son with pure coconut oil following his bath. He loved it. He returned the favor when he was still small — by crawling, and then walking on my back when I would lie on the floor. He thought it was very entertaining, and I loved it. These were special bonding times for both of us, helping us to just relax and have fun together. I continued to massage him as he grew older, especially his head and feet, assisting him to disconnect from the stresses of daily life and ease into a relaxed state.

Gentle, nurturing touch is a wordless form of communication that signals our bodies to let go of tension, to breathe and to fully experience our senses. In India and Thailand massage has traditionally been a family affair and people of all ages have the benefit of both giving and receiving massage as part of their daily culture. In contrast, our frenetic culture has valued material or academic achievement over health and would have us “push through” discomfort without acknowledging that pain is the body’s way of telling us to slow down.

As a massage therapist, I now have the privilege of helping people to experience their own bodies in a relaxed and supported way. Making that appointment to get a massage is the first step toward self-care. For me, the knowledge that I am about to receive a massage, and the prospect of spending time in a quiet and peaceful space with a caring massage therapist, is so uplifting. It’s a wonderful way to let go of the busyness of daily life and to allow relaxation to enter my consciousness.

Body workers are our partners in self-healing. I am not a healer — I am not there to “fix” any problems. My job is to listen to you and to assist you in feeling supported in your own healing process and to help you experience your body in a relaxed and integrated state. My training has prepared me to avoid injuring the body and to work with the body’s tissues to relieve tension caused by stress and repetitive motion, to promote relaxation, and to encourage optimum functioning of the body’s systems.

I believe that our bodies have a huge capacity to repair and renew if allowed the time and space for this to happen, and receiving massage helps to reset the natural balance by inviting in the opportunity for self-renewal. That is why I have made both giving and receiving massage an essential part of my life.

Abby has been an intergral part of the Osmosis community for many years and is a gifted massage therapist as well as a talented weaver- and writer. Thank you Abby!