Last night I got in bed and turned on The Food Network for its sedative effect. A new show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, was on at the time. This show invites celebrity chefs to come on and talk, like the title says, about the best thing they ever ate. I shut the television off and began to think the best thing I ever ate. I thought about the portabella/avocado panini I had in Santa Fe, shitake mushroom rolls at my favorite restaurant, and several other delicious meals. It was impossible to choose one thing.
As my mind wandered away from food, I started thinking about massage therapy. What was the best massage I ever received? I thought about the professional massages and the ones just out of love.
I remembered falling asleep while my mom would sit at the foot of my bed and massage my feet whenever I was sick. Only a mother will give you a massage when you are contagious.
The first time my daughter hopped on my back and gave me an “a-ssage” warmed my heart as a parent and practitioner. I hope there are children out there who dream about becoming massage professionals when they grow up.
I have loved the many, many massages from talented colleagues and classmates. Each one of them possess different talents and strengths. I have learned something from every one of them.
I sincerely appreciate husband’s efforts to work one me in between my scheduled massages. I wish I took more time to work on him.
My first ashiatsu massage was amazing. I remember thinking there has got to be ashiatsu massage in Heaven.
What was my favorite one? . All of these massages hold special memories for me and there is no way I could just pick one. I will just have to keep going out there and getting more massages to compare with the others. Whoa is me.
What is the best massage you ever received? Or, What was the best food you ever ate? Surprise me.
Oooh...This one's easy! My most favorite massage (okay, aside from the ones my mother used to give me for my aching knees when I was four years old, due to a bout with rheumatic fever) was the very first one.
About 25 years ago, a friend gave me a gift certificate to see a private practitioner named Marcia Rose. I remember being carefully draped with several sheets (a technique I have yet to learn since nobody seems to do this anymore--so if somebody knows, please share how it's done!) and encouraged to try my best to breathe & settle into the one-hour session. It did take awhile, and the other thing I remember most was the room itself: We were in what was once a back bedroom in an older house, there was a screen door left open to the outdoors and the leaves were just beginning to fall & wisp around outside. It was a warm October afternoon. She used no music, the room was lit with sunlight, and I was transported to someplace heavenly.
At the end of the session I remember asking what she was doing as she held one hand over my heart and one over my abdomen ~ she said she was "balancing my energy" ~ and as she focused on this, she began to smile. I didn't ask her about it at the time, but she spent several minutes there smiling and lifting her hand away from my abdomen and back again, just smiling.
I felt so good. When I asked about scheduling anoher session, she mentioned that was her last massage in our area as she was going on sabatical. I was so disappointed! But, she planted the seed that grew into my present career. Speaking of seeds, the next week I think I discovered the reason for her smile...seems she picked up that I was pregnant and knew even before I did!
I'm a big fan of the Food Network...in my former life I owned four restaurants and these days I'd rather watch someone else cooking :)
A couple of massages stick out in my mind. One was a massage I got years ago from a student, that took place on the front porch of his cabin that was surrounded by woods. No music except for the insects and the birds chirping, summer breeze blowing on a bright sunny day. The surroundings more than made up for his lack of experience.
Another was when two friends of mine went to Hawaii to take Lomi Lomi, and on their return they double-teamed me for about two hours. It was awesome.
Marilyn St.John
About 25 years ago, a friend gave me a gift certificate to see a private practitioner named Marcia Rose. I remember being carefully draped with several sheets (a technique I have yet to learn since nobody seems to do this anymore--so if somebody knows, please share how it's done!) and encouraged to try my best to breathe & settle into the one-hour session. It did take awhile, and the other thing I remember most was the room itself: We were in what was once a back bedroom in an older house, there was a screen door left open to the outdoors and the leaves were just beginning to fall & wisp around outside. It was a warm October afternoon. She used no music, the room was lit with sunlight, and I was transported to someplace heavenly.
At the end of the session I remember asking what she was doing as she held one hand over my heart and one over my abdomen ~ she said she was "balancing my energy" ~ and as she focused on this, she began to smile. I didn't ask her about it at the time, but she spent several minutes there smiling and lifting her hand away from my abdomen and back again, just smiling.
I felt so good. When I asked about scheduling anoher session, she mentioned that was her last massage in our area as she was going on sabatical. I was so disappointed! But, she planted the seed that grew into my present career. Speaking of seeds, the next week I think I discovered the reason for her smile...seems she picked up that I was pregnant and knew even before I did!
Mar 8, 2010
Laura Allen
A couple of massages stick out in my mind. One was a massage I got years ago from a student, that took place on the front porch of his cabin that was surrounded by woods. No music except for the insects and the birds chirping, summer breeze blowing on a bright sunny day. The surroundings more than made up for his lack of experience.
Another was when two friends of mine went to Hawaii to take Lomi Lomi, and on their return they double-teamed me for about two hours. It was awesome.
Mar 8, 2010