Massaging in the Zone

Image via Wikipedia

Giving a massage can become like meditation for the therapist. Once immersed fully into the massage, the hands seem to be moving on their own and conscious thought is reduced to a bare minimum.

My hands just "know" where to massage and what techniques to use. I can place my hands on a client and instantly find that spot that's sore and needs attention. Sometimes I even surprise myself by what techniques I use, them being different from what I logically would choose. I "Just" know if I should be gentle and use long soft strokes, or I should be intense and use pinpoint focus. I "Just" know if there's need for more caring and compassion or it's a need for physical attention.

When I'm in that state, it can feel like knowledge is flowing through me, that my "Higher Self" or some other power is directing my massage. My intent is crystal clear and intense and the results are very powerful. I don't consciously use my learning or logic to massage with, but just know what's right and wrong in that particular moment.

It's a difficult thing to fully describe. The closest expression I've come across is when artists say they go into the "Zone" or "Flow".
As Wikipedia describes it: "Flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity ... The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task."

As with artists, not every massage brings me into the "Zone". Some massages lack the challenge to bring on the Flow and become relaxing instead. This perhaps becomes more of a meditation, which centres and calms me.

Reading what artists write about the "Zone", we share many common experiences. We both feel time disappear and can be surprised by discovering how much time actually did pass. We share a feeling of very narrow focus, barely or not at all, noticing what goes on around us. Often we work intensely but afterwards only see the results and have only a vague recollection of what we actually did to achieve it.

Some painters can only reach the "Zone" being completely undisturbed and alone. I've found that when I give massages, especially short chair-massages, then my environment doesn't matter. I "zone out" the noise, people and disturbances around me and become completely immersed in my task.

It is after those "Zone" sessions that people always rise from the chair or table with a huge smile on their face, feeling amazed by the effect of the massage.

It's not only the receiver who gains benefits from it, I do as well. Being in the "Zone" is very rewarding in itself, it's almost thrilling. And to see how people react and how happy they are for the massage brings on a second reward to me which always lights up the day no matter how grey it was.

Have you received a massage from a therapist in the Flow and was it different from a non-Flow massage? Share your experiences by posting a comment below.

From the stones

Image by Taunaki via Flickr

Let us take you upon a journey,
 a journey into relaxation and stress-relief
Let us guide you upon the path of healing,
 as we connect and become one in purpose
Let us introduce you to our energies
 of the earth and your connection with it

Prepare to let yourself relax,
 and let your worries evaporate
Prepare to feel how tensions leave you,
 while your mind soars like an eagle
Prepare to receive what we freely give;
 a deep connection with our mother.

Allow us to heal your aching body
 with the temperatures of our nature
Allow us to touch your soul and spirit
 by our sound, touch and energies
Allow us to transport you to another reality
 where we merge into deep unison with you

We came to serve,
 we came to heal,
 we came for you.
All you need to do,
 is to reach out
 and accept us.

Technical problems

The blog has experienced some technical problems after the switch from FTP publishing via Blogger to hosting by Blogger (the reason is that Blogger no longer will support FTP publishing, so I had to move). The blog can be found at its new address http://blog.starkeys.com. Please update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. The old location is still active and now redirects to the new address.

During the move all the comments on my previous postings was transferred. It's a known problem to Blogger and according to their news they're working on a fix. The comments are still on my server and the old page addresses, but they no longer show in my blog post list, nor on any of the new addresses. It's my hope that Blogger will find a way to get all the comments back to the postings where they belong.

There are some advantages with hosting with Blogger over doing it myself, like adding gadgets to the blog, making it easier to follow, organizing the posts, automatically update the categories and so on. My other blogs have been updated to use the Blogger templates, but I still need to update this blog. Once I start that project, the layout of the blog will change and there'll be a short period where things might not quite work as they should. Hopefully this will only last a short time.

Please have patience while I update the blog and find all the small issues which needs fixing. An old blog like this has a lot of smart twists which needs to be adapted to the new blog format.

Four hands massage

Four hands massage is a very unique and special experience. With four hands massaging one client at the same time, it feels like every part of your body is massaged at the same time.

The process is really simple - two massage therapists work together to massage a client. Sometimes their moves synchronize, creating a rather intense experience. Other times they compliment each other, creating a rhythm and symbioses. When the therapists are used to working together, you can't tell where one stops and the other begins.

It is a massage style better suited for wellness and relaxation than clinical therapy. It can have quite a profound effect on the client, due to the intensity of touch and how the senses are forced to just let go and accept the massage.

Due to the way it's done, draping is very impractical and will interrupt with the flow of the massage. On the other hand, there will be so many sensory inputs that you can only relax and let go.

When looking for a four hands massage, ask the therapists details about how long they've worked together giving 4-hands massages, if they've created a routine they follow, if they're educated at the same place and so on. It's important that they're used to working together, when receiving a four hand massage. This way the flow won't be interrupted and they'll compliment and support each other, instead of getting into the way.

Massage and Trust

Do you know the intent of your massage therapist? The reason why she or he is a massage therapist and enjoys giving you a massage? Are you certain that every single touch is fully professional? Can you be sure your therapist is evaluating your body for professional reasons only? Do you know the reason for every massage stroke used. Are you sure your therapist is properly trained and won't harm you out of ignorance?

There are many questions arising when you begin to think about trust and massage therapy.

Not only are there the professional questions: Is the therapist properly qualified, does he know what he's doing, is he capable of treating what he claims to treat, is he highly skilled or just trying out new things?

But there's also the entire range of emotional questions: Can you trust the intent of the touch, are you being judged on your body, is there anything sexual going on, does the therapist really want what's best for me? Does he treat you fully, or just partially so you have to come back later? Will he maintain confidentiality? Can you trust his word or does he lie to you?

All these questions begin to show the importance of trusting your massage therapist. And it's not an easy thing to achieve this trust and know if the massage therapist is the right one for you and what you require.

In most cases the professional questions are fairly easy to answer. Therapists are educated from schools and are certified one way or another. The schools and certifications can be checked and verified.  Experience is important for massage therapy as the sensitive touch is developed via exposure to different massage situations. A therapist who has given 200 massages give a rather different massage from one who's done ten thousand massages. The former primarily go more by knowledge from theory, where the latter has true wisdom from theory and personal experiences. Finally, you can check what others say about your massage therapist. Are the clients happy with the massages, do they return repeatedly because it's so good, do they write positive reviews or just standard ones?

The emotional questions are much, much harder to answer, and eventually you'll have to trust your own impression and gut feeling there. Of course, the reputation of the massage therapist goes a long way, just as recommendations from friends and people you already trust.

But in the end, you have to know your massage therapist and understand his intent and motivations in order to be sure he won't laugh at an involuntarily erection, or stare at your breasts thinking you're his next conquest.

Trust also plays a role in how openly you can communicate with your therapist. When you fully trust him or her, you're much more likely to speak up about what's on  your mind in regards to the massage. You're more likely to give feedback that something is unpleasant and hurts, you're more likely to let the therapist know that what's happening is good. And you're much more likely to speak about what you're worried about and what might embarrass you; your looks, your hairy legs, worry about erection or what it might be.

Finally, trusting  your therapist fully allows you to relax and receive the massage with an open mind and heart. This in turn allows the therapist to work deeper into the muscles and give you a better massage because you're receptive and trust his trust completely. You don't worry about if it might hurt too much or if the touch might have a different meaning.


It's also important for the therapist to trust the client. This might sound a bit odd, but as a therapist we need to be able to trust that you will speak up when something hurts and that you will let us know if there's something we need to be aware of and pay attention to. We need to trust that you're not hiding something from us that could make us harm you during the massage.

Especially for women massaging male clients we need to trust that your for with the massage is purely massage and not anything sexual. And if an involuntarily erection happens, that it's by happenstance and not something that you desired or urged forward. We need to trust that you won't turn against us and harm us in any way, be it physically in the massage room or verbally by slander and lies.

Open and honest communication goes a long way to build trust and it clears out what misunderstandings might arise from perfectly normal situations. Talk to your therapist and don't be afraid to voice your concern and raise your questions as soon as they appear. In most cases our minds create demons where there are just small bugs and talking with your therapist will cast light on matters.

If your therapist isn't open to talk, as long as it's related to the massage and what happens during it, then you might consider finding yourself another therapist.

It is very important that you trust your therapist, and it's important that your therapist trust you in return. If you can't trust your therapist, then he's not the right therapist for you.