Massage Therapy. Bodies call to me.

by Mary Ester

I’m pretty sure when Ashley asked me to do a story about Risking a Deeper Welcome, she didn’t expect a story that would be about muscles. About bones. About the body.

But that is what my story is about. This wonderful vehicle that God has given us: the body. And how it calls me to risk a deeper welcome.

As most of you know, a few years ago I trained as a massage therapist. That was certainly a risk. Who would have thought a linear thinking, get-the-job-done kind of gal like me would do something - literally – so touchy feely.

But for years massage therapy called me. I can’t explain. But I simply could not shake it. And I am glad I finally listened.

First of all, every day I was at school I was forced to risk a deeper welcome with my classmates. We were from all backgrounds. All ages. All sizes. Races. There were fellow students who were in the military. There was a lobbyist. A waitress. A physical therapist. Analysts. You name it, we had it.

And the glue that held us together was the body. It challenged us, it confounded us, it delighted us, it scared us. But most of all it made us listen. Despite our varied backgrounds, what I think connected us was our desire to provide respite and to help heal.

Not to fix, mind you, we were told over and over that we cannot fix anyone. And that the person on the table is a partner in the healing process. And if that’s true then there is communication. And where there is communication there is risk.

Our instructors would say over and over – stop and sink. They were talking about sinking into the muscle, but it was more about communicating. It meant stop and sink into the moment. Listen to what is the muscle telling you. And for me that is personally one of my biggest challenges in life. To not want to rush off to the next thing because maybe what’s happening right now is uncomfortable. Stopping and sinking - not rushing over a muscle or a conversation is what allows a deeper welcome.

So every time someone gets on the table I guess I can invite a deeper welcome. And I maybe that’s why massage therapy called to me for so long. I needed help doing that. So I am grateful that I get to welcome a person to my table. I have the privilege of stopping and sinking into the muscle, into the moment, into a deeper welcome.

Massage Therapy. Bodies call to me.