Do you or someone you know have a body image barrier to getting a much needed and deserved massage? Please read and maybe pass this thoughtful article along…
Body Image Risk and Reward in Massage
Modified from an article by Barry Hatfield
Almost everybody has something about their body that they don’t like. For many people it’s a minor issue, no big deal. But some people have a major issue with their body image. It affects how they live and their level of happiness.
When you tell some people that you’re a massage therapist it can cause a strong reaction. They tell us, whether verbally or through their reaction and body language, that massage is not for them. Their body image is such an issue that they don’t think anybody else can accept them. The paradox here is that massage can really help with body image issues. In massage school we were all nervous about taking off our clothes and letting somebody else touch us. It didn’t take long for us to discover that bodies are just bodies and become much more comfortable with our own. We also experienced how good receiving a massage made us feel. Something unexpected happened – when our bodies felt better we felt better about our bodies. There are three options to consider. Let’s look at the risk versus reward for each option. 1. Don’t get a massage. This is the easiest because it involves doing nothing. The risk is low since you are not letting another person see or touch you at all.
The reward is zero. You didn’t get a massage so your body doesn’t feel any better, and you still have the stress and pain you had before. 2. You get a massage, but the massage therapist either makes note of how you look, as if it matters.
If this has happened to you, I’m sorry. You got a crappy massage therapist. That’s a bummer. You took a risk, and even if the rest of the massage was decent, got very little reward.
This is not going to happen if you come to us. Never. No way, can’t say this strongly enough. It goes against the very nature of who we are, how we treat people, and what we believe. 3. You get a massage. A great massage. And the therapist does nothing to make you feel uncomfortable about your body. In fact, you feel pretty good about your body after the massage.
In this option your risk is low. We don’t care how your body looks. That’s none of our business. We just want to help it feel better. Your reward is high. Again your body will feel better from the massage and you can start feeling better about it. If you have been avoiding massage because you feel uncomfortable about your body, let’s find an option that works for you. You don’t even have to explain anything to us. Leave your clothes on. Stay sitting up or face down or lying on your side or however you want. It’s up to you.
It’s our job to help you feel better. That’s it. Together let’s find a way to help you relieve your pain and stress. Don’t let your body image keep you from feeling good.