Man up, okay? Women, too. Do you really want deep tissue massage? It’s not a challenge. Most people just want immediate relief of pain. Nothing wrong with that, but if you want optimum performance, or to resolve long standing issues, we are going to have to dig down deeper. Now, that does not mean that I believe in no pain, no gain,only that nothing comes without effort and dedication. Take Kobe Bryant, for example. Love him or hate him, no one would say he did not fully commit himself to the highest levels of achievement. If you work with me, you can be assured I will deliver. Perhaps you would prefer the busty blond Swedish girl or hunky beef cake. Sure, I understand, but, to me, sports injury or medical massage is not about that. The difference is, one indulges, temporarily, some fantasy; the other can make a meaningful Improvement in your health, both in terms of quantity and quality of your life.
Over the years, I have literally given thousands of massages. When I’m working with a new client, being experienced, I will quickly zoom in to locate a problem. Maybe, It’s a sore tendon near the elbow, or a spasm in the calf, or a small tear on the trapezius. It could be anything. The client will say, “can you feel that?” Yes, sure I felt it. New clients are often surprised by the pains they “feel” with just a bit of prompting from a proficient therapist, we both then agree there is a problem. Massage is, at it’s best, an interactive therapy, it is not something I do to you, like paint your house.
Here is the typical situation. Most of these body problems can be found near the surface, but the kicker is this, often, I feel other abnormalities deeper into fascia, of which the client is unaware . At times, if I add some pressure to the spot, they might say “Whats that?” Other times, the person may sense something is off, but they don’t know what it is, or they are entirely unaware. So, now, I may perceive a situation that my client does not realize exists. So, is there a problem? Moreover, how do I go about working on it?
Have you ever seen the Matrix movie; the part about the red and blue pill? Well, it’s a metaphor for being conscious. Do you want to wake up,to your dream? The red pill is real, deep tissue massage; the blue is the blond babe or handsome hunk surface, simply fantasy fluff, The Matrix scene.
Over the years, I have observed that the deeper the problem, literally, the more internalized it becomes, and the less the patient or client is aware of a problem ever existing in the first place.Essentially, the problem and the person merge together, now it becomes difficult to separate the person from their “problem”.The original problem, left unresolved, creates new problems, which are just adaptations that come about to resolve the original problem. Each new adaptation creates another imbalance, which your body will try, yet again, to resolve by adaptation. Eventually, you run out of adaptations, now you’re a hurting pup and you want some help with the pain.
So, you’re just getting older?Yeah, I hear that bull all the time. Work on this stuff now and reap the benefits of a fully functional body, or wait, until you can’t take the pain any more. Get real….massage.
When I say Larry is one of the most flexible people I know, it’s no wild stretch of the imagination.I’m not just talking about physical flexibility, but in every sense of the word. A long term client, Larry touts the benefits of both massage and being flexible. ”Regular stretching may extend your life”, surely your athletic life. He believes massage makes stretching easier to accomplish with less discomfort.
Gumby you have to develop an iron will. While holding your stretch you might concentrate on your breath. While breathing, during your stretch, notice your body sensations are almost always more uncomfortable when your inhaling. Pain in the body often reduces during the exhalation phase of breathing. Another key, do your stretching for at least 15 minutes a session, otherwise your wasting your time.