Be Loose for the New Year
─Stacy West, CMT
Wow, it's the end of the first month of 2015! And, if you've made a number of resolutions that you're having trouble keeping, no need to worry. I'd like to introduce the concept of "Being Loose." You may say what a novel concept in this rushed paced world. Believe it or not, in Latin, "Resolution" means to loosen and release. It's letting go of what hasn't served us in the past year and opening up to new possibilities. Just saying that feels quite refreshing. Yeah, less pressure.
We are all faced with our fast paced environment, our busy lives, our family responsibilities on a daily basis. Remembering it's important to relieve tension and stress, and not to forget to take moments out to nurture ourselves in the ways that we feel most comfortable and joyful, will bring us closer to our inner peace and happiness. It may be to take a warm bath with candles, gardening in the warm sun, dancing to your favorite music or climbing that mountain! Yes, our choices are feeding us!
Let's get loose!
Massage therapy works perfectly in assisting you in Being Loose. Our bodies, minds and spirits, when we receive massage, feel: more able to adapt to stress, a resolution of pain, an ability to focus, joyful, confident, peaceful, and accepting and inner-connected. Massage therapy helps to reconnect our minds to our bodies and present us with our inner most wisdom. Being present, slowing down, and nurturing ourselves is critical to keeping our resolutions for health & wellness longterm. And it only takes some consistency to see the benefits. Like a meditation practice, a sport or a hobby; a little time invested regularly over time creates a noticeable improvement in ease and knowledge. Through receiving massage, your body and mind will re-create that space you need to feel freedom, physically and emotionally. Loosen up to more possibilities!
Being Loose reminds me of a poem that I heard on a meditation retreat:
Walk Slowly (Danna Faulds)
It only takes a reminder to breathe, a moment to be still, and just like that, something in me settles, softens, makes space for imperfection. The harsh voice of judgment drops to a whisper and I remember again that life isn't a relay race; that we will all cross the finish line; that waking up to life is what we were born for. As many times as I forget, catch myself charging forward without even knowing where I'm going, that many times I can make the choice to stop, to breathe, and be, and walk slowly into the mystery.
Massage gives us the gift of presence, of nurturing, of creating space & movement in our bodies, our minds and frees our spirit! How wonderful! We can learn to be kind to ourselves and to treat ourselves with friendliness during stress and struggle. We can start to notice when sitting in our office chair hurts and we need to adjust or take a quick break. It's a tool for you to connect to yourself and thus create better relationships & positive experiences from the inside out. Invest in yourself. Invest in MASSAGE!
Be Loose! And have a Happy & Healthy New Year all year long!
