There's a reason why I've been with National
University for five years. Every day - literally every day - I
learn something new and useful. Sometimes it's from my colleagues,
sometimes from a student or intern, and many times from prospective
students. Being in a learning environment opens up so many
opportunities to enrich my life and I greatly appreciate the
opportunity to share some of these things with people who enter our
website.
Recently I had a massage and the experience proved to be quite
different from my other massages. It was everything it was supposed
to be, but this time there was a new twist, which made me very
curious. I always want to know what's going on and why, so I went
into "research" mode.
What I experienced would best be described as an "emotional
release." In my search for more information, that term came up
quite often. To briefly explain it, during a massage there is a
sense of surrender by allowing someone else to work on you and that
alone can bring up unique and strange emotions. Having a massage
greatly facilitates the connection between body and mind. When
muscles and tissues release on an emotional level, letting go
manifests itself in many forms - an audible sigh, laughter, muscle
twitching, or even tears. Most releases surface and resolve
quickly, but can also leave you puzzled and surprised. Perhaps
these emotions are brought to the surface because you literally
have the time and opportunity to feel your feelings.
There is also a theory that muscles hold memories. When work is
done on the part of the body where a person holds the memory of
emotional or physical trauma, emotional release is a common
occurrence. In the world of massage, your therapist might say your
"tissues have issues."
So apparently, emotional release during bodywork is not unusual
and is actually a natural and beneficial part of the cleansing,
rejuvenating process of massage. If it happens to you, welcome it,
and accept it as your body's way of finding balance and leading you
to a higher state of health, both emotionally and physically.
As always, I'm amazed at the power of touch. It is a constant
learning process for me as it will be for you if you decide to
enter the field of bodywork. National's one-year certification is
your ticket into this ever-evolving world. There's so much more to
learn, why not do it with us?
Debbie