''When the Body Gets Working Appropriately, the Force of Gravity Can Flow Through. Then,

Spontaneously, the Body Heals Itself.''- Ida Rolf

The Story

Every time I go for my massage therapy session I can't help but think about the time back in 1992, fresh out of high school I got the best possible gift someone from a middle income barely-going-to-fancy-restaurants-once-a-month family could dream of; my very own power car, a Chevrolet Beretta GT! With its sporty interior and wheels, it was the most magnificent machine out there for me. Throughout college, she was mine and I was hers. Faithful like a dog, mischievous like a monkey and grand like a Persian cat, she was a companion for all moods. I fondly remember my daily car trips to the college; which was actually just walking distance from my house; the long trips over the weekend and the last first date I had.

Time flew by fast, and it was not long before I grew my first strand of gray, everything was ever changing, just not my Beretta. Just as it happens in any relationship, she began to demand more of my attention and care as the years did not roll on oblivious to her; she got old. What used to be a monthly checkup evolved into a monthly almost-overhaul? It came to the point that my time and mind became burdened rather than pleasured by my Beretta, it was apparently time to let go. However, enter a wise old mechanic, and everything change... for the better. He taught me the magic of weekly touch ups which considerably reduced the frequency of breakups and ''mood-swings'' she had.1

''I'm not a healer and I'm not a doctor, he would say, I'm just a mechanic.''- Lauren Berry

The Twist

''Why wait for something to go wrong?'' - He would say. One could keep any body in tip top shape by giving it the extra little attention on a more frequent basis and continue to enjoy and relive the pleasure of many a Berettas! Here comes the twist in the tale, the Beretta becomes a human being and the years that roll by convert into decades, the story and moral remain the same. The regular touch up in question however is one that is most suitable for much softer exteriors than the one of a Chevrolet; massage therapy. Just like a classic car would demand well rounded mechanic, the ''classic'' human body also requires a much more distinguished massage therapist; preferably one that has gone through some professional massage therapy training.

Did You Know? - Massage therapists have an average of 633 hours of initial training before entering their respective field!2

Conclusion

There are many hospitals and body fitness centers (Spas, Gyms etc) that are wakening up to the phenomenon that is massage therapy. Reason being that health professionals are developing a greater understanding of how medical care entails not just catering to the physiological dimension, but to the emotional and psychological realms as well.

Did You Know? - The number of hospitals offering massage therapy has increased by 30 percent in two years from 2004 to 2006!3

With more and more massage therapy programs being offered all around in response, there is expected to be a constant growth in the number of certified massage therapists.4 It should not take the young and elderly bodies long to realize (like I have) the fruits that lay in the touch of each and every one of those skillful set of hands!

References

1 Massage Therapy for the Elderly www [dot] massagetableoutlet [dot] com/massage-table-blog/massage-therapy-elderly/

2 American Massage Therapy Association. AMTA Industry Survey www [dot] amtamassage [dot] org/news/MTIndustryFactSheet.html

3 National Survey conducted by the Health Forum/American Hospital Association 2006 www [dot] amtamassage [dot] org/news/MTIndustryFactSheet.html

4 American Massage Therapy Association. Data compiled by American Massage Therapy Association 2008 www [dot] amtamassage [dot] org/news/MTIndustryFactSheet.html

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