Frank Merilliat, LMT
I must say that one thing that I truly appreciate from doing massage work these past years is the reminder that change is possible. As a therapist and human being, I have the potential to participate in the process of change for both my clients and myself. I know this sounds like an obvious concept however I do not know how many of us realize how powerful and empowering this can be.
So much of our behavior happens without conscious awareness. This is a function of the autonomic nervous system and learned reflex arcs. This idea of unconscious behavior is absolutely necessary for us to function in the world. It allows us to move and behave without processing consciously all the sensory and motor information flowing throughout our bodies at any given moment. If not for this, we would be overloaded with information and would literally be overwhelmed.
Now while this is very useful in moving through the world, it also makes it possible to develop behaviors that do not serve us well. It is easy to move into a pattern that began as a reasonable response to something in our lives and becomes less than functional in reality over time.
I think about my own body and history. When I came to begin massage school, my shoulders lived up around my ears. Now if you asked me how I was doing, I would answer just fine. If asked a more specific question about my shoulders, I would say I was doing just fine. If a deeper level of inquiry was explored about pain, tightness and in particular headaches, I would answer yes I have regular headaches and they really bothered me. Due to my lack of awareness about the connection between my shoulder position and the discomfort associated with this pattern, I suffered regular neck, upper back pain and pretty intense headaches that I thought were just a regular part of my life.
So how does one change a pattern of behavior that is happening unconsciously? First I have to become aware of the connection and cause, this then allows me to begin to explore the possibility of change to a more functional way of being. I also need to feel a different possibility so I can recreate this more comfortable way of being. Then I need to practice this new approach to replace the old pattern. My study at school and receiving informative bodywork helped bring about the change that has changed my experience of headaches and elevated shoulders. This is what I so appreciate in both offering and receiving bodywork therapy, I love that I can change myself and I can help clients find a better way of being. Yes, change was possible for this pattern I had experience for years.
When I work with a client my goal is to help them become aware of their body, to become in touch with themselves. Think of the times you have been working with a client and felt an area that draws your attention and when you ask the client what they feel, they report they had no idea the area was there. Then you offer treatment that allows the nervous system to move from unconscious to conscious as the client’s nervous system becomes aware and begins to respond. The client now has a new experience associated with the area being treated. This offers the idea of change is possible.
This is what we do as therapists. We meet our clients, listen to their story, use our knowledge of the body, apply an effective treatment technique, communicate, acknowledge and support the client’s experience and offer ways to reinforce the desired feeling in the area being addressed. We help them become aware and offer possibilities to help feel better. We help our clients become conscious of their experience and encourage their active participation.
I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to contact my clients and myself in this way. I learn from my own body patterns and also from all the clients I have touched. It reminds me of how important it is for me to be a conscious participant in my own experience and to help the people I work with to participate actively in their lives. It is an honor to be in this relationship and a reminder that directs my own actions. It also reminds me of how much we have in common as human beings.
Does exploring and treating the body in this manner sound interesting to you? If so there is a workshop coming up that might be useful. The class will focus on this sharing of feeling and consciousness from both the therapist and client role. Deane Juhan, the author of Job’s Body and Touched By The Goddess, member of the massage hall of fame, direct student of Milton Trager, workshop leader and almost 50 years of practice will present his Resistance/Release Work approach. It is scheduled for three days, Saturday through Monday, January 15-17, 2022 (Martin Luther King holiday weekend. Come join and learn how to engage the client actively, with this pain free approach to massage that works with most modalities. Get more information on the FSM website.
