I truly consider myself to be abundantly blessed. One of those blessings is that my office ended up inside a building where my lovely massage therapist has her office. We met as we were both moving into our offices at the same time. I am a huge fan of pampering with massages. Yet somehow life takes hold and oftentimes we neglect that beautiful display of self-care and self-love. Prior to my divorce, I used to get massages either weekly or every other week. Since then, being a single mom of four, I know I had neglected that aspect of self-care. Cindy seemed like a sign from the Universe. I knew for certain, that Cindy being right next door to me was a blessing and an opportunity for me to re-connect with the nourishing benefits of massage
Cindy started coming to my yoga classes, and I went to her for massage a few times before last summer. When I started experiencing the adverse effects of the ciprofloxacin, she suggested maybe massage would help. Since Nick had been massaging my arms and legs every single night, I knew this would be nourishing, so I scheduled an appointment. I approached it from the standpoint of getting some relaxation, relief of pain and possibly releasing any of the poisons that were trapped within my cells.
I must say that before Cindy did the massages in the early stages of my condition, I did not have a TRUE appreciation for the education, knowledge, and intuitiveness that some massage therapists possess. Before our appointment, all Cindy knew was that I had a lot of pain and could hardly walk. I did not tell her where pain originated or what felt tight or fragile. I hadn’t discussed the specifics of the medication side effects or the extent to which I was feeling them. I have a tendency to do that. I do not like to appear weak or as if I am complaining. Since I had spent most of my time with Nick talking about the side effects of the medication, how every joint, tendon and muscle was feeling, the extent of nerve pain, what could work and what might not work, why I was choosing not to take prescription pain medications, how my life was impacted, and on and on…I, myself, was getting tired of focusing all my thoughts and energy on this. Also, being internally driven, I tend to process in my own way and in my own time. In retrospect, this might have been good information to share with my massage therapist. I am sure Cindy would agree. But I figured I would get exactly what I was meant to receive out of this massage. The Universe always gives me what I need.
My first session with Cindy was amazing. Through massage, she was able to pinpoint my exact trouble spots. She could FEEL the difference between healthy muscles and tendons and unhealthy ones. She said she could feel how brittle many of my tendons were, and was afraid to push too hard because they felt like they would snap. She could feel the adhesions within my muscles and was able to start working them out. On every count, what she noticed was consistent with what was tight and painful to me. She truly tuned into what was going on in all of my muscles and tendons and responded appropriately.
From that massage, I received far more than just relaxation and mobilization of toxins within my cells. Most importantly, I received validation. I received much needed validation for why on Earth I was feeling such incredible pain and was unable to walk. I received validation that there were, in fact, physical changes that had occurred within my muscles and tendons, and this was not a case of arthritis. I received validation of what I intuitively felt was going on, but had been dismissed by a few doctors. Validation feels good.
Since then, I have continued to go to Cindy for massages. I also continue to treat myself with yoga, meditation, specific supplements, detoxes and dietary changes to facilitate my healing. I struggle sometimes with flare ups, especially when I start to relax on watching my fluoride intake or when I overexert myself physically or mentally. I am not sure why, even now, I am surprised at how Cindy senses where my pain is, but I am both surprised and impressed. As I started healing, she noticed the changes in the various tendons and muscles. She felt palpable changes as my tendons began to become less brittle and more elastic. I test her now (don’t tell her), not telling her where the tightness is or trouble areas are, and she pinpoints them immediately. Her unique gift is my blessing.
There are no accidents in life. Everything happens for a reason, and people walk into our lives for specific reasons. Cindy’s massage therapy has been a game changer for me. On days when I have trouble moving or releasing the tightness throughout my body, Cindy is there. On days when I need extra relaxation or pampering, she is there. On days when I need to release blockages to be able to connect back to my spirit, Cindy helps release the congestion and allows me to reconnect. I often meditate during my massages and know that when I start to see vivid colors, my energy blockages are opening and energy is flowing freely. I have gained so much more appreciation and respect for the art, profession and healing aspects of massage therapy. And I truly appreciate the gift of having met Cindy, not by happenstance, but from what I know was divinely orchestrated by the Universe.