Last weekend I did something I’ve never done before: I got a professional massage.
Now I don’t know how it has taken me three decades to make this happen, but I finally said “the heck with it” and decided to give it a go. I’m not what you’d call a typical “spa person,” and I didn’t grow up regularly getting my nails done or talking about facials like some women do. So, I suppose I honestly never thought much about what a massage would be like, let alone actually get one. However, I’ve always been intrigued, and when I turned thirty last December and my parents gave me a gift card to the local spa, I immediately knew I was about to try something new for the very first time.
Going into this experience, I had both many and few expectations. Other than knowing I would get mostly undressed and have someone massage my body for an entire hour, I wasn’t quite sure what to anticipate. On the other hand, I’ve heard great things about massages from friends and coworkers and was excited to experience the hype firsthand. Would this massage change me in some way? Would I get up feeling cool, calm, and collected, fully transformed into a new woman? Would I lose myself in the moment and actually allow myself to relax? Or, would I hate every minute of the experience and feel utterly weirded out, counting down the minutes until my massage ended so I could get the heck out of there?
There was only one way to find out.
Entering the salon, I was immediately struck by the light, bright environment and the soothing aroma that permeated the air. A gracious attendant checked me in at the front desk and then led me back to the spa, where the atmosphere changed dramatically. Suddenly I was no longer in a sunny, airy open space teeming with people and pulsating with vibrancy; rather, I found myself in a cozy, dimly lit sitting room surrounded by soothing music and ambient lighting. All at once I felt disarmed, calm, and pleasantly serene.
As I waited to meet my masseuse, I continued to look around the room and sink into an even deeper feeling of tranquility. From the rich earth tones to the warmly radiant fireplace to the sound of trickling water, I immediately felt as if I had been transported to a different time and place. Here I didn’t feel the need to check my phone or run through my mental to-do list; instead, I could simply sit, observe, listen, and just be.
I’d say things were off to a pretty great start.
After a few minutes a friendly-looking woman entered the room and introduced herself as Sheila. She led me to a quiet room, asked me what areas of my body were causing the most discomfort, and let me sample a few different essential oils before deciding which scent I preferred for the day. After chatting a little it was clear she was about to leave the room so I could undress when I told her this was my very first massage and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. She immediately lit up, smiling from ear-to-ear: “How wonderful! Let me explain my process in more detail.”
Sheila proceeded to walk me through the entire experience, her approach, and what to expect. She thoughtfully answered any questions I had and made sure I was confident and comfortable before we got started. I immediately felt a connection with her, and when she did finally get up to leave to give me some privacy, I knew this was going to be a worthwhile experience.
The instant Sheila started my massage I knew I had pretty much died and gone to heaven. Simply being in a dark room, laying down, and losing myself in the pleasant swirl of natural smells went a long way to calm my mind and body, but having her knead my sore, aching muscles almost transported me to an entirely different planet. Moving through the fast-paced nature of our everyday lives, it’s easy to forget how much tension we experience and how much stress we hold in our bodies. I am a perpetual jaw clencher, and I’ve recently noticed that the tightness in my jaw directly correlates to the tautness of my neck and the rigidity of my shoulder muscles. The body tells all, and we experience everything – in some way, shape, or form – through our physical beings. So, having a moment to lose myself, turn my attention inward, and focus on what my body most directly needed? It was simply priceless.
All in all, the hour flew by in the blink of an eye. Sometimes Sheila and I talked, and sometimes we sat in comfortable silence, but throughout the entire sixty minutes I lost track of all time, space, stress, and worries. As I lay there, I felt my body soften and my mind begin to quiet, and I intentionally let myself go being fully aware and alive in the present moment.
When it was finally time to get up, I honestly didn’t remember where I was. Why was I so dang calm? What had just happened? I knew as soon as it was over that this was something I needed to experience again.
When was the last time you really treated yourself? Heck, when was the last time you truly listened to your body? For so long I had convinced myself that massages are a luxury only a certain type of person indulges in, but now I’m calling bullshit on all of that and throwing that line of thinking straight to the curb. Taking care of yourself isn’t superfluous: It’s not a should-do or a nice-to-have, but an actual imperative to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
So, whatever it takes to do that – massages, time off, physical activity, peer connection– I fully stand behind and one hundred percent support. For it’s not about treating yourself as much as it is about caring for yourself, and I firmly believe we all deserve to be seen, heard, and deeply cared for.
So go on: Treat yourself.
And while you’re at it, take care of yourself, too.
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