A massage means a different thing for everyone.

A lot of people have never had one. The majority of these are people were born in times when massages weren’t really a thing, maybe just a fancy notion for the wealthy. Massage as a healing method just wasn’t widely available or affordable. They simply don’t consider it in any way as it’s an alien concept altogether – and I saw in many cases the negative effect it can have on their quality of life.

A lot of people see massages as a holiday treat, and associate massages with hotels and spas abroad. And that’s a lovely way to relax for sure.

And then there are some who turn to massage as a last-ditch desperate attempt to help with aches and pains, usually after they’ve been everywhere and got nowhere fast. Oh boy are my they best “converts” 🙂

Sportsmen and women would often have a better understanding of the essential nature of a good massage, they use and abuse their muscles more than most so the common injuries force them into having to deal with them. Though often they still prefer a physio to look at them first, at least massages are on their radar.

And at last, there are people who have understood the benefits of the massages, and committed to a regular or semi-regular regime. It often happens after a super beneficial session where there’s so much unexpected improvement that for them it borders a miracle. I’ve seen way too many people hopping off my couch dazed like drunks, giggling and floaty, on a total natural high saying that they feel suddenly 10 years younger. And they probably are – “you are as young as your spine is” as they say, and I work a lot on backs and spines, as well as I remove a lot of energy and emotional blocks too. Becoming looser, more mobile and extremely chilled has that rejuvenating effect.

Whichever group you belong to, there’s one benefit that isn’t mentioned much when regular massages are talked about: we all know they are very relaxing, and they can help muscle tension.  But they can also be used as a BODY MOT.

MOTs are something we do for our cars by law, making sure that they are safe and roadworthy. But are you yourself safe and “roadworthy”?

Now I cannot claim it is a full medical of course: there are limits on what I can pick up on. I’ll not see viruses, cancer cells, degeneration, and other funky stuff that happens deep inside. That’s for your medical team. However, you would be surprised how many things I can point out about your overall physical and mental wellness!

*I can see your posture issues as they develop (which also talk volumes about your emotional background), and I can give some early warnings on tight areas that may not cause an issue yet but are clearly developing into one if not corrected.

*I can determine a lot about the state of your nervous system just by checking your breathing.

*I will tell you about any abnormalities I find that you cannot see: lumps, skin and mole issues, and all sorts of irregularities. Especially when they are on your back, they’re technically invisible for you. Better catch anything before they turn into a problem.

*I can feel if your lymphatic system is in overdrive, which may indicate an infection or something that it’s fighting hard deep inside. Those are best checked out by your gp.

*I can sense many things in your energy field: I’m not super sharp at it but I know when you are fully depleted or when you feel desperately overwhelmed. I also listen to HOW you use your words (that’s my Nlp training) and that carries a lot of information on where you’re at in itself.

I can tell a lot about your overall health by talking to you and working on your body. So when you think that you are just getting a treatment for a particular issue, think again: I’ll be naturally seeing and working on way more than you ever anticipated.

Of course, not everybody needs this, so I only share where appropriate; but I noticed an increasing in the number of people who give me free reign to work with what I think I need to. I fully appreciate this level of trust, and am more than happy to assess what needs done most – and it’s often not what they thought was needed.

If you just want a relaxation massage, then that is exactly what you’ll get without me poking around… but if you want a body MOT, then I’ll be checking out everything that’s possible to pick up on on my couch.

Prevention is the key here.

And that’s where regularity comes in: be it yearly, monthly or weekly. Keep those joints mobile and the muscles in top condition so you can reduce the probability of injuries or a burnout, and make sure any issues are picked up on well before time.

You need it as much as your car does.