Bodywork Basics: A Guide to the Powers and Pleasures of Your Body - Brossura

Exploring the Powers and Pleasures of Your Body: Learning Bodywork

Every culture adopts an attitude about how to approach the body. Western medicine traditionally separates healing your body from healing your mind. Bodywork brings the two together. Bodywork treatments combine physical and psychological healing and aim at making them accessible to the average person in simple ways in daily life.

There are so many different types of Bodywork techniques that you are bound to find one that matches your personal tastes. There are speedy, high-energy, demanding, sometimes painful healing techniques. There are slow-paced, gentle, noninvasive pleasure-based healing techniques. And there is every combination of these extremes in between.

No one can tell you exactly which Bodywork system is best for you. When you learn some basics and test a few, you can choose the one or more that suit your needs and personality. Trying out varieties of Bodywork in your search for your staple favorites is half the fun of the journey. More than likely when you finally think you have your mind made up and your routine set, someone will invent a new system, and there will be more pleasures to test.

Why Am I Doing This?

You may begin your exploration of Bodywork to soothe a specific ache, pain, or a psychological conflict. You may also explore out of a desire to expand your physical horizons and become a more sensual person. All of these approaches are valid. Your goals will change with your needs.

Stress-reduction techniques can improve your responses to crisis. Postural-alignment techniques can help you feel more comfortable as you move through your daily routines, as well as improve performance during sports. Body/Mind techniques can deepen your emotional relationships. Sensory-awareness techniques can expand your realm of pleasures. All Bodywork can improve your general health so that you are better able to cope with crisis and to maintain your body's balance.

Bodywork systems are the basis for much of what is becoming known as preventive health care today. Bodywork techniques can be used as therapy in case of illness or injury. But the major focus of Bodywork is to improve the quality of your everyday life.

The information offered here is a sampling of the cornucopia of Bodywork options. By trying the exercises you can taste-test a technique, but the satisfaction of a full meal comes with a complete treatment or more specialized training. Hopefully these basic exercises will inspire you to make Bodywork a basic resource and pleasure in your life.

To Receive

Receiving is an art in itself. It's possible to have a Bodywork session and miss a lot of the relaxation and pleasure if you are uncomfortable or nervous. Some simple preparation should increase your enjoyment and turn you into an expert in the art of receiving the most pleasure from your Bodywork.

Gather information on the techniques and the practitioner beforehand. First read about the Bodywork to familiarize yourself with the process. Then you can select the most appropriate one for your condition and ease any nervousness from unfamiliarity. Second, unscrupulous or badly trained practitioners can be avoided if you do your homework. A referral from a trusted friend, a doctor, or a professional organization specializing in your specific technique is important. Organizations that train and award credentials to practitioners can be contacted for referrals to a reliable therapist.

Remember you're the boss. Even though you may not be an expert in the Bodywork technique, you are an expert in yourself. You know what feels good or not. Don't be shy about expressing your preference. You also always have the choice to remain partially or fully clothed if you prefer. You're paying for this. This is your treat to yourself to help you relax and feel better. You set the terms. Never allow anyone to do something you don't like on the excuse "That's the way it's done." Tell him to stop or to do it differently.

Be communicative when necessary. Before the treatment, let the practitioner know what your interests are and what you expect. Talk over any questions you have. During the treatment be specific if you would like the practitioner to either stop or change what he is doing. If the therapist is pressing too hard, you can simply say, "Much lighter pressure, please," Or say, "Deeper pressure, please," if the massage is too light. Be sure to explain if you have any sore or injured areas that should be avoided. Let your therapist know if you want to focus on one or two areas rather than the whole body.

Use your breathing to deepen your relaxation. If you breathe high in your chest, this keeps you alert and awake. The deeper you breathe in your body, the more relaxed you will become. Allow your whole chest and abdomen to rise slightly as you inhale, and then sink down a bit as you exhale. The more you involve your abdominal muscles in the deep breaths, the more peaceful you will feel. Slow down the pace of your breathing. Instead of short high breaths, take long, deep ones. You can use visualization to increase this relaxation. Imagine you can send your exhalation down through the center of your body and into your abdomen, legs, and even feet. Imagine you are sending warmth and circulation through your body with your breathing.

Talk as little as possible. Bodywork focuses on the body's messages. This is primarily a nonverbal experience. To deepen the relaxation, focus on the sensations of touch and your responses. This is a vacation from talking. Enjoy your chance to forget the static of the outside world and to explore the inner world of your own thoughts and sensations. On the other hand, if you wish to explore your emotional responses to the physical work, discuss this with the therapist before the treatment so that the two of you agree on the role talking will play in your session.

Allow yourself some quiet, still time at the close of the massage. Don't jump up right away. Rest with your eyes closed and do a mental inventory of how your body is feeling. Enjoy the relaxation and let it spread. Then sit up slowly and move into the rest of your day gradually. Ideally you'll have scheduled an hour or two of free time after your Bodywork session to enjoy your relaxed state. Or you can set your appointment for the end of the day so that you can surrender to the relaxation all evening.

To Give

Is giving really better than receiving? Recent studies show that giving massages lowers stress levels in your body and calms the giver to a measurable physiological degree. Learning to give Bodywork as well as to receive it can be deeply relaxing and rewarding. Several hints can help the giver stay as comfortable as the receiver.

Set the scene. Arrange a room for the comfort of both the giver and receiver. Choose a quiet, warm, dimly lit place. If you are giving the massage, be sure the height of the table or bed is comfortable for you. You wouldn't want to throw your back out while relaxing someone else's. Remove watches and jewelry that might scratch. Check your hands. Be sure your fingernails are very short, and your hands are clean and oiled.

Cover the massage table or bed with clean sheets or beach towels. Have enough extras on hand to fully cover the person in case she is chilly or very modest. And she'll need a clean towel to wipe off excess oil at the end of the massage. A vase of flowers or a potted plant adds a touch of natural luxury to the room.

Have the oil ready in two squeeze-top bottles so that one can be placed at the head and the other at the feet for easy access. Be sure the oil is room temperature or a bit warmer before you apply it. Any pure vegetable oil bought at a health-food store or grocery is good for your skin. Mineral oil is less beneficial to your skin than vegetable oil. Almond and safflower oils are especially smooth without being too sticky. They also have no strong scent of their own. Many people prefer an unscented massage oil. For fun, or for aroma therapy, you can add several drops of an essential oil such as mint, sandalwood, or almond. You can buy them at most bath supply shops and health-food stores. If the person you are massaging does not want oil, place a light cotton sheet over her and use it as a friction barrier as you rub or press.

Ask what your friend or client wants. Before the massage or treatment, briefly explain what is involved and invite the receiver to make her preferences dear. Giving a good massage involves enjoying someone else's pleasure. Always respect her wishes. You are offering a gift of relaxation and caring for her benefit. It is her choice to be nude or clothed, to have deep pressure or light, to have music or silence, to have a full-body treatment or one-area focus. Then encourage her to speak up during the massage if she wishes any changes. Ask about bruises, injuries, or tickle spots. These areas should be avoided.

Relax. If you are tense, the receiver will sense this, and the massage will be less comfortable for both of you. Before you begin, do some gentle deep breathing. Tune in to your body and notice where you feel tense. Make some light movements in the area to help release the tension. Mentally relax yourself also. Put cares and distractions from the rest of your day out of your mind and focus on the massage. This process will help relax both of you.

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