Hands-On Learning: My Week of Massage

In a recent post I had mentioned plans to complete a massage course and had hopes that it would serve as some sort of reset. I didn't want a total deletion of gray matter though and I was also hoping it would provide me with new input and experience and much needed confidence/worthiness boost after a recent events haven't been so kind. Luckily, things went pretty close to plan and enjoyable week away from the computer and in the good company of three friendly, skilled therapists.

The course started with my first day with a lovely, laid-back lady here in Spain. She actually started by giving me a two-hour massage, showing me the ropes of the style I'd be learning. I needed that, after all the recent worries, and my mind has stayed more positive since. It was a good reminder of why I wanted to learn more – the power of touch and how much it can help both body and mind.

The listening and learning, and practical work began in earnest the following week and this was both rewarding and a little tiring. The 80 minute round trip in the car likely adding to the fatigue - I'm not used to commuting at all.

I spent the week with two more people joining myself and the trainer, both of which had travelled from over from California, combining a holiday in with training - nice! The girls are therapists themselves with years of experience (and worn out thumbs). They've worked together on 4-handed massages before, which sounds like something I need to try, and with their existing experience already clear, they were looking to gain new insights themselves. Along with numerous little tit bits of information and some stories of thank you's and rude clients, I heard that a massage would cost upwards of $200. You can get a very decent massage for $50/60 here in Mallorca.

It felt less like a rigid classroom and more like a shared learning experience. Other course are likely to be more formal and provide directed theory as well as hands-on practice. I think this option was a good start - Learning from three different people, each with their own skills and perspective was a bonus. I felt lots of good vibes, aided by the presence of a handful of cats and a dog to stroke :)

Some of key aspects of the course included learning how to move around the body and keep contact as much as possible - keeping the 'flow' as it were. I saw and practiced moving and stretching areas to give better access to muscles and activate Lymphatic zones, as well as focusing on those key areas (neck, shoulders, and back much of the time!) where people have soreness through muscle workload or imbalance, and hold tension.

I also learned a few tricks of the trade. Things like the art of positioning towels to strategically hide genitalia and reduce the odor emanating from a sweaty bum crack. There's lots to think about in the beginning, much more than just rubbing without any thought. Although, that looks to be the type of massage given on the beach here - people pay 15 euros for 15 minutes of these unattentive rubs on sand. Pfft!

Whilst I was face down on the bed one afternoon, I heard from the trainer of how important self-confidence is to providing a genuine massage. The idea of the course for me was to do something new, show i could do it, which would then give me some self-confidence, and it would then spiral out and grow.....

Anyway, hear this made me feel like I was in the right place, or on the right track at least. A thank you and knowing you've helped someone feel better, physically and mentally.
That sounds like a powerful confidence boost and something to fill up the worthiness tank with. It's a stark contrast to staring at a screen all day. My eyes are less sore and stoned looking of late, and have really benefitted from the huge reduction in screen time. I'm sleeping better too!

I really enjoyed the course. Now comes the part where I need to get my hands on people. My initial thoughts are a few friends, my mum, and the local bar staff here in Spain – I've mentioned it, and I'm hopeful someone will sacrifice themselves in the near future.

5 or 6 hours of massage every day is reportedly tough going, and after performing one hour long massage last week, I'm not sure my hypermobile fingers could handle that after doing very little for much of my life.

I have had perhaps slightly far-fetched thoughts of one day owning a Holistic/Wellness center. Three/four massage tables, a rehab room where I can incorporate discussions about mobility and strength training, especially for those niggly areas we'd identify during a massage. Blending the physical relief with proactive health – that's the dream, this week anyway!

Thanks for all the comments on the previous post, i've taken the advice of many and feel more calm inside. This location, where I am writing from today is certainly helping.

Have a relaxing day all!

Ash