Soon after I became a certified massage technician, I took a job working part-time at a health and fitness center where the majority of my clients were men who wanted deep massage – the kind that involves fists, knuckles, elbows and a great deal of pressure.  I’m sure you are familiar with the phrase “no pain, no gain”, well this was the mindset of these gentlemen.

Now at this time, I had been practicing spiritual healing for a number of years, and the main reason I went to massage school was to incorporate my healing abilities into physical bodywork.

So, it was an interesting experience for me to work in a gym environment and I spent a fair amount of time observing the members and their habits. 

For instance, my male clients would all get together to play racquetball.  They did not appear to stretch or warm up prior to playing.  After the game they would sit in the lobby and have a drink together – again no stretching, or cooling down routine.  Then one or other of them would be scheduled for a massage with me and they seemed to relish how tight their muscles were – as if this were a badge symbolizing their machismo.

It was up to me to release the tightness and tension with no recognition that they could perhaps participate in their own wellbeing by warming up, stretching and cooling down.  If they didn’t feel better afterwards, it was because I hadn’t applied enough pressure, or inflicted enough pain!

Needless to say, I did not last very long at that place of employment!

However, it taught me a lot in a short time period, and over the years I have continued to look at and observe the mindset of “no pain, no gain”.

Everyone is different and so obviously different types of treatment will benefit some people more than others.  It’s a matter of finding what works best for you.  Personally, I find I am better able to release stress, tension, aches and pains in a safe, painfree, relaxed atmosphere.  If pressure is applied to the point of causing pain, I am more likely to tense up against that pain than be able to relax and let go.

I have also found that when focusing so intently on applying deep pressure to specific muscles or areas of the body, it is more difficult to see the bigger picture – to recognize that person, their spiritual essence and their connection to their physical body.

Light or gentle touch on the other hand may seem to some to be ineffective.  What can be gained from someone simply resting their hands on your body and not using any manipulation?

Well, in my experience over the years, I have found that light touch combined with an awareness of and focus on a person’s spiritual essence and energy systems reaches beyond the depths of pure physical pressure.  When you focus on purely the physical structure of the body, you are limited by that same structure as to what you can reach and assist them in releasing.  So dig as you might, ultimately there is only so far you can go.

However, when you recognize the whole person – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – and the many layers of their spiritual essence, and you address the energy vibration of each part of them through a light or gentle touch, there is no limit to the depths you can reach, the limitations you can assist them in releasing and the healing that can take place.

The strength that can arise from those depths is a sight to behold!

Now that’s the power of gentle touch…..