signup
for email updates
Directory
Our
Archive: 2001-2004
Cover
Art Archive
Search
|
Know thy body as thy
self
by Andrea Fricke
I've heard that if you pay attention to the way a person takes care of their body,
then you can pretty much tell how well they would be able to take care of you. It
makes sense. Our relationship with our bodies has been one that began at our conception
and we have lived with them ever since. If we haven't gotten to know and understand
these well enough to care for them, how could we hope to relate to and cherish another
person's body, much less their psyche, or soul?
I believe that before we can hope to have a meaningful and lasting relationship with
another person, we must first begin the process of right relationship with our selves.
We must understand our selves as a whole. We are all mind, spirit and body. On this
earth, in this lifetime, each of these aspects of ourselves is just as important
as the other. Somehow as we grow, we begin to lose sight of the realization that
the body is an actual, living part of us. Somewhere along the line, the needs of
the body become secondary and we only take notice when there is an emergency.
The way I have been introduced to the bodies of every one of my clients is by them
pointing to different parts of themselves and saying, "Here is where I feel
the most pain." A wince, a sigh, then a finger directed to another spot; "I
have a lot of tension here as well, and it pinches here, when I tilt my head back,
and I have knots in my upper back, and pain in my lower back, oh, and can you work
on my neck? I get migraines in the morning.... And my feet, work on my feet, they're
swollen...."
Words, spilling from the lips of my clients, tumble out in familiar patterns that
coincide with hand gestures and facial expressions. I watch it all unfold: this beautiful
and necessary ballet of the human experience. As a massage therapist, I understand
how essential it is to respond to this communication in a positive and natural way.
I cock my head, smile, nod in agreement. I mirror the facial expressions I'm seeing
to show that I understand and can relate to what they are trying to convey. This
is the way to establish trust. It is very important to the people who have come for
a treatment to feel that they are being heard, that they are allowed to explain what
it is they need, and to be assured that their needs will be met. Spoken word is the
establishment of the mind and it is the mind that must be made to feel that all will
be well. What I try to do is to help the mind to "check out" for a little
while.
One of the most amazing aspects of this work is that once all of the words have run
their course, there is a body lying on my massage table that is allowing me to enter
into its sphere of energy -- and that is when the real communication begins to take
place. The body has a way of being very honest, because it has no ulterior motive
other than survival. It is the innocent bystander that becomes the manifestation
of our thoughts. Yet, bodies speak. They tell the stories of past experiences. They
betray our deepest fears. They clue us in to what is missing in our lives.
One of the loudest voices that a body has is the voice of pain. There is a secret
message just waiting to be discovered in pain. I have been trained to ask all of
the appropriate questions as far as when the pain was first noticed: Is it a new
injury or is it something that just never goes away? There are many questions to
ask in order to get to the bottom of the physical cause. But that isn't the true
mystery. The answers to all of those questions are the answers of the mind and that
will only help to remedy the top layer. Many therapists are forced to stop there.
Fix the symptom and the client will walk away happy.
I am beginning to realize that the body is able to convey so much more than that.
There is a whispering discontent surrounding most bodies. They are being ignored.
They can tell us so much more, yet we don't know how to listen. We judge our body
because of it's shape, size, color. We compare it to other body's and feel shame
if we don't measure up to our strange sense of what is supposed to be. We bake our
bodies to change our color, we starve our bodies to change our size, we cut into
them, add things to them, take things away. Obviously, sometimes it is necessary,
as in the case of a life-saving surgery, and the body, obeys, adapts and begins to
heal. Surprisingly, the body obeys and adapts to every command we give it. When we
say we hate a part of ourselves, that part actually experiences and will hold on
to the memory of that hatred long after we are done saying the words.
I'm always uncomfortable when someone is on my table and begins to point out all
of their flaws and how much they hate the cellulite on their thighs, or the stretch
marks on their belly. I am quiet. I don't agree nor do I admonish. I allow a shift
in my intent when I approach the area that is being judged so harshly. I purposely
think of love and acceptance when I touch these areas and allow those feelings to
flow through me and into the spot that I'm touching. Sometimes, for no reason that
the client can think of, they begin to cry.
I want my practice to be about forgiveness. I want there to be an understanding that
this physical part of ourselves is a living, breathing, entity to be cherished and
valued for what it is. We have to become aware of the fact that every thought we
think has an effect on our cellular level so much so that it can actually change
the structure of the body. Why not treat our body as we would treat our best friend?
It is, in fact, our best friend. It will do anything we ask. Even if it is asked
to take on a task that could lead to it's being hurt. Our body will do it. It does
it because we ask it to. Why not reward our bodies with nourishment, with positive
thoughts, and why not try to listen?
Journaling has always helped me to come to terms with what my body is trying to explain.
I concentrate on whatever part of my body is calling out to me and then I simply
ask it for the message it wants me to hear. Then I let that part "take over"
the pen and write out what I need to know. I am usually surprised by the outcome
of these journals. I have been told many things by my low back, right shoulder, abdomen
and pelvic area. There are voices just waiting to be expressed in every part of our
bodies, and the more we pay attention, the more we come to a new kind of relationship
with ourselves. What better relationship could we have than with this entity that
is always loving, protecting, obeying our every whim.
Instead of trying to change our bodies, we should try to change our minds. It is
time now to lay down our false images and learn to treat our body as it treats us,
with unconditional love, with service, and gratitude. It is time now for the lofty
mind and elusive spirit to give praise and gratitude to the body they have been sheltered
in. After a while, my returning clients have fewer and fewer complaints of pain.
They are able to see their bodies as the highly intelligent forces of loving energy
that they are. They communicate openly and willingly with this great part of themselves
and I find that they return to me simply because their bodies enjoy massage so much.
Andrea Fricke is a massage therapist and Reiki practitioner practicing out of
her home in St. Paul, MN. Her practice is one of joy and the unfolding of the mysterious.
She is a treasure seeker and has found some of the greatest jewels on earth in the
hearts, minds, and bodies of her clients. Reach her at andi1026@hotmail.com or by calling (651) 587-2342.
Copyright © 2005 Andrea Fricke. All rights reserved. |
| February 2005 |
|
|
