Massage Isn’t Dropping Off Dry Cleaning

The headline isn’t clickbait. It’s about the way the body and mind interact with each other. In fact, they’re inseparable.

Imagine getting a relaxing massage. Halfway through, you become aware of slight discomfort telling you that you’re a little chilly or have to pee. You might be able to lie still. Your mind might say, “You can wait. Don’t interrupt the massage.”

The nervous system is now dealing with the need to pee, the desire to be warmer, the physical and mental struggle to ignore those sensations, and the internal monologue criticizing everything.

If you could drop off your body at the dry cleaner like suit of clothing, your comfort and your mind’s thoughts wouldn’t matter. As long as the dry cleaner did their job, your body would get clean.

But you’re not clothing and massage doesn’t work that way. In subsequent blog posts, we’ll continue discussing the meeting of mind and body on the massage table.

FreeImages.com/Lisandra Barros Mendonça