Hey y'all
I was going to post something more comedic and light but a) it’s not ready (I promise it's coming) and b) I have some joy I want to share with you. Today marked the first massage I’ve had since COVID! What a luxury it was to have all of my tense muscles worked out in a soothing room, lights dim, instrumental music in the background.
As you can tell, the benefits of my massage has thrilled me to my core. I originally had a massage booked for March 19th. Watching everything shut down during that exact week, I awaited their phone call to call and cancel. When they did call it was “we’re closing until April 1st, we will add you to our wait list if you wish.” Obviously I did, I’m not one to miss out on my messages, especially when I’m booked with my favourite girl. I followed the news and sadly realized they wouldn’t be opening for some time in Ontario.
I tried to wait patiently. I tried massaging myself and asking my fiance, never good enough. I reached out to friends and family about at home methods they used when I put a real big kink in my neck. (Tennis balls did the trick, but not many last in my household with a 10 month old dachshund). Finally when massage therapists opened in Ontario, the location I attend had chosen to wait a little longer to get things ready. Disappointed, I waited even longer.
Alas, what felt like ages later (I mean Tiger King was trending when my original appointment was) I got a call. Without hesitation I made an appointment. And boy did it ever go beyond my greatest expectations. Wonderful procedures in place to keep everyone safe from pre-screening (twice!) to everyone wearing masks to replacement of their furniture to back door exits. I felt very safe.
The real joy came the moment I laid on the table. It’s baffling to me how much pain I really had been dealing with. Day to day it seems like nothing but I must be ignore/used to it. Laying on the table with supportive pillows in the right spots I felt years younger in an instant. Typically, I have a high tolerance for deep tissue massage, today was a little different. I actually had to ask her to lessen up a bit. I was tender!
Sure, massages help with sore muscles and have many other health benefits. The ultimate benefit for me, which was very evident today was the emotional release. Every sore spot I exhaled stress. I felt lighter as she worked out the hardened knots in my back. I thought and let go of every single issue on my mind. My low back was the pain of driving 2 hours a day. The top of my shoulders was the toxic environment and worry about my future career moves. My neck was finances and wedding planning. The first pressure was the hardest, the remaining were relieving. I left feeling younger, fresher and more full of joy.
Joy that still stands as I sit wedged between two sleeping dogs. A kind of joy that everyone should experience. So stop and ask yourself, have you been neglecting your self care? Do you experience joy at least once a week?
Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash