S
ociety trains us to be tense.
More and more, people are
seeking out both relaxation
and massage in order to bring
more balance into their lives.
The beauty of massage and
relaxation is that they’re both tied
up together in a Thai massage
session. A trend that I’ve noticed
over the past few years is that
unfortunately many of us no
longer remember how to truly let
go.
In a Thai massage treatment it
becomes evident very quickly
when someone has lost the ability
to relax. Because the postures
often involve passive stretches
and joint articulation, you soon
get to know who still has the ability
to release into your touch. From
the perspective of a practitioner
and teacher this is so unfortunate
to see: how something so essential
to health, happiness and ease in
life can be forgotten. This residual/
unconscious tension is so common
in the general public that I now
refer to those who can relax as
“skilled receivers”.
The good news is that even
though we have de-trained
ourselves, we can effectively retrain the ability to relax. We can
re-discover what it feels like to
release the habitual tensions we
carry.
Some of the methods I use to
relax and stay connected to this
ability are:
Thai massage!
As a practitioner receiving
treatments is essential to my
health and a solid connection to
my own body. For me it’s also key
to practice what I preach.
Meditation
Even a short sit each day with a
focus on breath will especially
help in the stressful situations
during your day that create some
extra jaw-clenching tension.
Restorative Yoga
The practice of passive postures
helps us to re-train the ability to
release into the ground.
Do you find that you can relax
easily? Or are you continuously
moving/thinking/reacting? Try
out one or all of the above tools
to help with your training. It may
not be how you generally think
of “training”, but it is definitely
more important than any other
workout.
As you race through your busy
day, take a few mins to
re-discover relaxation.
Much Metta,
Drew.