A quick story. Jane* walked in. An active 67 year old with lingering stiffness in her right shoulder. She was concerned because she still wanted to play Pickle Ball, but the pain was cramping her style. She wanted to know, “Is this just how it’s going to be from now on?” Was she going to lose her freedom to play?
Before starting the massage we talked, as I do with every first session. We talk about her body’s history, its present and, most importantly, its future. I asked her, “What do you want to feel?” That’s what brought her in. Behind the worry was the wish to feel better.
I told her I was committed to her feeling, moving, being as free as possible. I don’t know if this is ‘just how it’s going to be from now on.’ But I do know that if we believe that, then there’s no choice in it being any different. If we believe that, we won’t look for options. If we believe that, we won’t see them.
There are many things that contribute to aches and pains in the body. So my job, as a therapeutic massage therapist is to decipher as many of the influences as I can, tease out the effect of each of those influences, and find those leverage points where I can make a positive difference.
If we haven’t explored all the options of all the potential reasons for a pain, we don’t yet know what’s possible in relieving it. Once we’ve determined we’ve explored all options available up to that moment, what’s left is how we choose to adapt. Adapt down to limitations, or adapt up to possibility.
The best outcome starts with focusing on what we want, not what we don’t want, not what we’re afraid of. What we want.
The moment we believe we have no choices is the moment we lose our freedom. No one can take our beliefs from us. So we are always free to choose.
May you remember you have choices.
May you remember choice is freedom.
May all beings be free.
*(not her actual name, to protect privacy)
