Your Mind during Massage

What do you think about during a massage? Are you mentally scrolling through your forever to-do list? Are you thinking about what's for supper? (that's dinnertime, ya'll ;) Are you listening to the music or better yet letting your mind completely rest?

I've only been asked once during a massage...what should I think about? But in all honesty, I think people may be struggling with this part of the session more than I realize.

In my opinion, quieting the mind is vital to receiving optimum massage benefits. Now, more researchers believe that meditation is great for managing stress, learning to stay in the present moment, and possibly lowering the stress hormone, cortisol.

For me, it takes about 45 minutes to slow my racing mind while receiving a massage. You probably wouldn't have guessed I was a talker ;) But after my mind slows, I am able to become quiet and meditate. There are many types of meditation. But for me personally, meditation isn't connected to a religion like Buddhism, Hinduism, or Christianity. It is a close connection to my mind, which can be spiritual at times. But mostly, meditation is allowing a thought to enter my mind and bounce off just as quickly as it comes. This form is known as mindfulness meditation. I tell myself, "Em, be here now and somewhere else later."

In the beginning, I learned that a very real and common struggle was expecting too much. If I experienced something once, I started putting pressure on myself to do it again. Don't strive for a particular result. Just be open and willing to accept whatever happens in that moment. With time and practice, I now get a light show with beautiful colors.

I heard a wise man once say, "It's not about conforming to our thoughts or trying to be free from them, it's about not being attached to either."

For some, you have already mastered resting your mind on your own. Kudos to you!

Let me know how I can make your experience more relaxing.

For those that are having trouble with this part of the session, let's discuss what could be the next step!

Click to learn more about recent research here or the basics of meditation here!