Presence, Exploration and Inquiry

by Frank Merillat

“Presence will get you through times of no technique, technique will not get you through times of no presence.” 

This is a quote from The Art of Specificity article I wrote for my teaching time in South Africa and is based on my experience as a massage therapist and human being. The act of being present allows us to be aware of our experience and to be an active participant in whatever we are doing. This to me is one of the most important things we offer to clients, to notice what is happening to us in our bodies and minds, so that we have the opportunity to make a choice.

Much of what we do is done automatically, it happens on the unconscious level. This allows us to move through our world without having to register all the stimulation that comes with each action we take. Imagine the amount of information that is moving through our nervous system with each movement we make. Multiple muscles, joints and bones having to coordinate to accomplish a task. If we had to pay specific attention to each element in the movement we would be overwhelmed. We work with this by learning patterns that allow us to complete a movement or task without really thinking about it. If we repeat an activity often enough it establishes a sensory-motor pathway that we can then use to accomplish what we want without thinking about it. We use this when we massage, we learn to use our hands and bodies in certain ways so they can offer the feeling to our clients that we want to share. This is a very useful tool for us, however if we do our work without being aware and present, this can simply make our massage mechanical, repetitive and not as effective as it could be.
I see our work as massage therapists to help our clients become aware of their body, give feeling clues and offer alternatives to the issues that brought the client to our table. It is our job to listen to the person, hear and feel their tissue and offer different possibilities. Clients come to us when they are hoping to experience a different feeling. They may report tightness, pain, numbness or maybe just a desire to relax. So how do we accomplish this?

We have learned lots of strokes, techniques and ways to interact with the body. How do we decide which one to use? Here is where the use of exploration and inquiry enter the picture. So many therapists just do what they do. They work mechanically, this is the routine that I learned for this area of the body and it is what I do. What if I looked at my hands as tools?

I use my hands to feel the client’s tissue, this gives me information that I can then use to offer the appropriate response to my client. To do this I must be aware of what I am feeling, I need to be present with my client. This presence and awareness customizes my touch to connect with the client’s body and my massage becomes a process of exploration and inquiry.
I explore areas of the body, inquiring as I go. I am listening and responding to what I feel and the client’s feedback. This inquiry is done through a series of questions I ask as I work. What is here? What would this area like? Would this direction be better or that? Would this depth be best or would, deeper or lighter be better? What does this connect with? Would movement or stillness be better? These are the types of inquiry I am using while I massage. Most of it is done without words, it is part of my internal process. I explore an area, listen to the tissue, am aware of tracking my client and inquire either verbally or non verbally. This keeps me present while I work and in contact with my client. It allows me to listen and respond to what is happening with my client. I also am inquiring about my own experience as I work. How is my body doing? What could be easier, softer, more comfortable?  Remember if it is comfortable for the therapist, it feels better to the client.

The use of presence is a process. As humans we are easily distracted. Thoughts, sounds, movement and even our imaginations can draw us away from being here. It is very easy to be distracted, it is not the distraction that is the problem, it is not being aware that we are wandering. The gift of presence is noticing and being able to bring one’s self back to a state of awareness. I know for myself if I have multiple sessions in a day, if I am tired, or if something in my life is drawing my attention, I am easily distracted. My work is then to recognize it and bring myself back. One of the most useful bits of advice I have received regarding massage was from my Swedish teacher, she said whenever she was lost or confused she just came back to her hands, to what she was feeling. The use of the inquiry questions based on what I am feeling in my hands is a great way to come back and to stay present. It allows me to focus on my hands and what I am feeling.

When we are present in the current moment, we are able to meet both ourselves and those around us more fully. We are now participants in our experience and better able to participate in our lives. We become more involved in our experience.

Here are a couple of workshops that are coming up that might allow you to explore the inquiry model. March 23rd – Getting Specific – Head and Neck,March 24th – Getting Specific – Shoulder, these are one day workshops and can be taken independently or combined. Deane Juhan will be here April 26-28 offering his Resistance/Release Work. These classes are listed on the workshop page on the FSM website and you can get more information. All classes offer an early registration discount. Check them out.